Garden City High School Athletics Hall of Fame Inaugural Class
GCHS Athletics Hall of Fame Committee
Eight individuals, two legendary coaches and two state championship teams are among the inaugural class of inductees into the newly-formed Garden City High School Athletics Hall of Fame.
Formed in the fall of 2018, the GCHS Athletics Hall of Fame Committee evaluated more than 100 former GCHS student-athletes, coaches and teams before narrowing the final ballot to approximately 30 nominees in the three major categories – student-athlete, coach, team.
The inductees cover a wide-range of athletic teams and time periods at Garden City High School – football, basketball (boys and girls), wrestling, soccer, softball, and swimming.
Inductees include student-athletes Brandy Perryman (boys basketball), Stewart Nelson (boys basketball), DeAnn Craft (girls basketball), Jim Moore (football/boys basketball), Mike Bryan (football), Mike Johnson (football), Brian Post (boys swimming), Cindy Benitez (girls soccer), Katie Ford (softball), Jon Bigler (wrestling); coaches include Rocky Welton (wrestling) and Dave Meadows (football) while the two teams are the 1966 Class AA state championship boys basketball and the 1999 Class 6A state championship football squads.
“Garden City High School has a rich history of students, staff, and teams performing at high levels while representing their school and our community”, said Dr. Steve Karlin, Superintendent of Schools. “This outstanding inaugural class for the Garden City High School Athletics Hall of fame establishes another way in which exceptional members of the Garden City High School family are recognized for their accomplishments. Congratulations to all of the inductees!”
Thon was especially pleased with the professionalism demonstrated by the Committee in its extensive work on evaluating nominees and the voting process itself. Committee members who were nominated were not able to cast a vote for themselves, and it took a minimum of six votes of the nine-member committee to be elected.
“I think the Committee did an outstanding job over several months of evaluation in the final voting. This first class is representative of the outstanding student-athletes, coaches and teams we’ve seen at GCHS for many years,” Thon said in announcing the class. “We couldn’t be happier with this group and we think we still have many, many deserving people who will be considered for induction in the coming years.”
The first induction ceremony will take place on New Year’s Eve, Dec., 31, 2019, at the gala Buffalo Ball at The Golf Club at Southwind.
In addition to Thon, the Committee was comprised of long-time teacher and retired softball coach John Ford, retired Garden City Telegram Sports Editor Brett Marshall, and former GCHS student-athletes Dan Fankhauser, DeAnn Craft, Stewart Nelson, Sadie (Ochs) Giedd, Michael Collins and Gaye (Stones) Beasley.
For more information, contact Drew Thon at mthon@gckschools.com
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The 2019 Garden City High School Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Class:
Class of 2019
BRANDY PERRYMAN
Category: Student-Athlete
Sport: Basketball
1991-1994
- All-time Leading Scorer for GCHS, 1010 points
- Tied Single-Game Scoring Record, 38 points
- No. 1 Career Assists: 240; Single Season, 97, 1992
- No. 2 All-Time Steals: 138
- No. 1 3-Point Field Goal Percentage: 42.5, 1991-92
Class of 2019
STEWART NELSON
Category: Student-Athlete
Sport: Basketball
1970-1972
- 1972 State Tournament Most Valuable Player
- 1972 State Tournament Runner-Up Team
- No. 2 Career Scoring, 860 points
- No. 1 Single Season Scoring, 516 points
- No. 2 Career Rebounding, 427
- Tied 1st Single-Game Scoring Record, 38 points
- 1st Team All-State, All Classes, 1972
Class of 2019
JIM MOORE
Category: Student-Athlete
Sports: Football/Basketball
1989-1991
- Tied 5th Sacks: 12
- 9th Career Tackles: 217
- 1st Career Rebounding: 462
- 2nd Career Scoring: 783
- 3rd Career Steals: 134
- 4th Career Assists: 175
- Top 11 GCHS Player/ Wichita Eagle for 20th Century
Class of 2019
DEANN CRAFT
Category: Student-Athlete
Sport: Basketball
1980-1982
- No. 2 Career Scoring Leader: 943 Points
- No. 1 Career Free Throw Percentage: 76.3
- 1982 Wichita Eagle-Beacon 1st Team All-State
- 1980-1981-1982 Garden City Telegram All-Area Top 5
- 1982 Topeka Capital-Journal All-State
Class of 2019
MIKE JOHNSON
Category: Student-Athlete
Sport: Football
1960-1962
- 1st Team All-State Running Back
- Played on Undefeated 9-0 1961 team
- Top 11 GCHS Player/ Wichita Eagle for 20th Century
- College played at University of Kansas
- NFL Player for Dallas Cowboys
Class of 2019
MIKE BRYAN
Category: Student-Athlete
Sport: Football
1986-1988
- GCHS Athlete of the Year, 1988
- USA Today All-American High School, 1988
- Top 11 GCHS Player/ Wichita Eagle for 20th Century
- 1st Team All-NJCAA at Garden City C.C.
- College Played at the University of Wisconsin
- Played on 1988 Rose Bowl Champion Team
Class of 2019
CINDY BENITEZ
Category: Student-Athlete
Sport: Soccer
2006-2009
- All-Western Athletic Conference, 2007-2008-2009
- All-Area Garden City Telegram, 2006-2007-2008-2009
- All-State Class 6A, 2006-2007-2008-2009
- Career Scoring Leader: 157 Goals
- Single-Season Scoring Leader: 40 Goals
- Semifinalist, Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year, 2009
Class of 2019
KATIE FORD
Category: Student-Athlete
Sport: Softball
2004-2007
- Career Wins/Strikeouts/ERA: 55/678/1.28
- Pitched 3 No-Hitters, 2007
- All-Western Athletic Conference, 2004-2005-2006-2007
- Western Athletic Conference Softball Player of the Year, 2007
- Garden City Telegram All-Area, 2004-2005-2006-2007
- Hutchinson News Pitcher of the Year, 2007
- Kansas Softball Coaches Association All-State, 2005-2006-2007
Class of 2019
BRIAN POST
Category: Student-Athlete
Sport: Swimming
1985-1987
- Class 6A 100-Yard Backstroke Champion, 1985-1986-1987
- Class 6A 200-Yard Individual Medley Champion, 1985-1986-1987
- Class 6A State Record, 200-Yard Individual Medley, 1987
- Tied for 1st All-Time Individual State Championships, 6
- 1987 GCHS Swim Team Placed 2nd in Class 6A
Class of 2019
JON BIGLER
Category: Student-Athlete
Sport: Wrestling
1978-1980
- Class 6A State Champion, 98-pounds, 1978
- Class 6A State Champion, 105-pounds, 1979
- Class 6A State, 3rd Place, 112-pounds, 1980
- Garden City Telegram All-Area Team, 1978-1979-1980
- 1st Two-Time State Champion in School History
Class of 2019
DAVE MEADOWS
Category: Coach
Sport: Football
1988 to 1999
- 87 Wins, 34 losses (.719 %)
- 1st All-Time Wins/Garden City High School
- 1999 Class 6A State Championship Team
- 1990-1991-1998 Class 6A State Runner-Up Teams
- 12 Seasons With Winning Record (No losing seasons)
- School Record 10 Wins Twice
- 1992 Kansas Shrine Bowl West Head Coach
Class of 2019
WALLACE “ROCKY” WELTON
Category: Coach
Sport: Wrestling
1985 to 1999
- Coached six Class 6A State Championship Teams (1990-91-92-93-98-99)
- Career Dual Record: 200-50-4
- Coached 11 Individual GCHS State Champions
- Coached 18 Individual GCHS State Runners-Up
Class of 2019
Category: Team
1999 Football
- Head Coach: Dave Meadows
- Class 6A State Champions
- Season Record: Won 9, Lost 3
- State Championship Game: Garden City 14, Olathe South 7
Class of 2019
Category: Team
1966 Boys Basketball
- Head Coach: Curtis Shipley
- Class AA State Champions, 1966
- Season Record: Won 21, Lost 4 (Most wins in a season by a GCHS Boys Team)
- State Championship Game: Garden City 62, Pittsburg 48
