The Snohomish County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2011
Published 12:01 am Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Here are this year’s inductees into the Snohomish County Sports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony is Thursday.
Athletes
Vicky Foltz, Monroe, cross country & track and field
Born in Slovenia, Foltz came to the United States as a young woman. Encouraged to take u
p running by her husband Don, she became one of the top U.S. women distance runners in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Foltz had a good chance of being on the 1972 U.S. Olympic team, but a foot injury kept her from the chance of qualifying.
Chris Henderson, Everett, soccer _ A graduate of Cascade High School, Henderson was the 1989 Gatorade National Player of the Year as a high school senior and a two-time Parade All-American. Henderson went on to UCLA and then turned professional. He was a three-time Major League Soccer All-Star and a member of the 1990 U.S. World Cup and 1992 U.S. Olympic teams.
Sarah Jones, Stanwood, rowing
A graduate of Stanwood High School, Jones went on to row at the University of Massachusetts, where her team finished second in the 1997 national championships. She then rowed for the U.S. national team from 1997 to 2004 and was on the American Olympic teams in 2000 (women’s eight) and 2004 (women’s pair). She is also a six-time World Championships medalist.
Curt Marsh, Snohomish, football
A member of Snohomish High School’s 1976 state football championship team, Marsh was a Parade All-American and a coveted recruit for the University of Washington. Marsh was a member of two Rose Bowl teams and in 1981 was a first-round draft pick by the NFL’s Oakland Raiders. He played in five NFL seasons in a career curtailed by injuries.
Lee Orr, Monroe, track and field
Born in Canada but raised in Monroe, Orr represented his native country at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, competing in the 100 meters, 200 and 4×100 relay, where he raced against American sensation Jesse Owens. In a qualifying heat, Orr’s time of 21.2 in the 200 matched the then-Olympic record. He ended up fifth in the 200 and fifth in the 4×100 relay. Orr died in 2009.
Earl Torgeson, Snohomish, baseball
Torgeson played 15 major league seasons with the Boston Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees. His best single season was with Boston in 1950, when he batted .290 with 23 home runs, 30 doubles and a National League-best 120 runs scored. Torgeson, who played on World Series teams with Boston (1948) and Chicago (1960), died in 1990.
Coaches
Keith Gilbertson, Sr., Snohomish, multiple sports
Gilbertson, who died in February at age 83, left a distinguished legacy in coaching in Snohomish County that will rarely, if ever, be matched. He began coaching at Snohomish High School in 1950 and continued until shortly before his death, making him an influential figure in the lives of several generations of Panther athletes.
Lynda Goodrich, Lake Stevens, basketball
Goodrich, a graduate of Lake Stevens High School, has been a coach and administrator for more than four decades at Western Washington University. She began as the women’s basketball coach and had a 411-125 record in 19 seasons, including 18 postseason appearances. Goodrich, a member of the NAIA Hall of Fame, is in her 25th year as the school’s athletic director.
Jim Lambright, Everett, football
After a successful playing career at Everett High School and the University of Washington, Lambright went on to an even more stellar coaching career. He was a UW assistant coach from 1969 to 1992, and was the head coach from 1993 to 1998. Lambright was the defensive coordinator on Washington’s 1991 undefeated national championship team.
Special inductee
Ed Aliverti, Edmonds, wrestling announcer
Aliverti began announcing wrestling matches at Edmonds High School and went on to announce at tournaments around the world. He was the voice at 44 state high school championships, several NCAA Championships, and the Olympic Games in Los Angeles (1984), Seoul (1988), Barcelona (1992), Atlanta (1996) and Sydney (2000). Aliverti died in 2010.
Team
1976 Snohomish High School football
Under legendary head coach Dick Armstrong, Snohomish put together a dominating season, going undefeated through eight games in the regular season and another four in the state playoffs to win the Class AAA state championship. The Panthers defeated Federal Way 20-7 to win the state title.
