Prep Notebook | WIAA's Hall adds Marsh, 10 others

Curt Marsh, former Washington Huskies and NFL lineman from Snohomish, leads a list of four athletes, one team and six others who will be inducted into the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Hall of Fame on April 16.

Marsh was a member of the unbeaten 1976 Snohomish football team that won the Class 4A state championship. He was an All-Pac-10 lineman and third-team All-American at Washington, where he played on two Rose Bowl teams. He was drafted in the first round by the Oakland Raiders in 1981 and played on the Raiders team that won Super Bowl XVIII.

Marsh, who had his right leg amputated below the knee because of complications from an ankle injury suffered in the NFL, later became a world champion disabled weightlifter. He is a motivational speaker who lives in Snohomish.

Other athletes being inducted:

• Pat Connors, R.A. Long, 1994: First four-time state wrestling champion in state history finished 123-4 in his prep career, competed at the World Championships and was a four-year letterman at Minnesota.

• Aileen McManus, Reardan, 1984: Led teams to two Class B state volleyball championships and a state basketball title. Two-year starter for Washington basketball team that won Pac-10 title and coached girls basketball for nine seasons at Roosevelt.

• Dan Strode, Moses Lake, 1968: First three-time state wrestling champion was 65-1, his lone loss to an out-of-state wrestler. Was unbeaten at Grays Harbor Community College and also wrestled at Oklahoma.

• Also being inducted: Ruben Van Kempen, Roosevelt drama teacher, fine arts; DeSales baseball program, 1986 to 2006; Cash Stone, Mead wrestling coach; Maggie Trimble, pioneer Auburn girls coach; Chuck Wyborney, Wilbur volleyball coach; Clyde Pock, longtime official and Okanogan administrator; Walt Thorp, Wilson Creek, Odessa and WIAA administrator.

The luncheon is at noon April 16 at Renton's Spirit of Washington Events Center. For more information or luncheon tickets, contact Andy Barnes at 425-282-5237 or abarnes@wiaa.com.

Notes

• Tommie Smith, 1968 Olympic gold medalist famous for his salute on the medal stand at Mexico City, will be the grand marshal at the Seattle Academy Relays track meet at West Seattle Stadium on Saturday at 10 a.m. Smith will also speak to the public at Seattle Academy's theater, at 7:30 p.m.

• Caleb Williams, a Mount Si basketball player who suffered serious injuries in a 2005 fall from a cliff at the end of his freshman year, has been awarded the "outstanding player award" from the Pacific Northwest Basketball Officials Association for his inspiring comeback last season. Williams was in a coma for nearly two months after the accident in which he suffered severe head injuries and multiple fractures. He appeared in two games last season.

The PNBOA honored coach Mike Downs of Bellevue Christian with its sportsmanship award. Kentwood High School won the "ambassador award" for making officials feel welcome.

Seattle Times staff reporter Craig Smith contributed to this report.