Outdoor picture by James McClenathen (copyright, 2011, River Raisin Publications, all rights reserved); indoor shot supplied by Blissfield Athletic Department.
BHS Sports Hall of Fame welcomes seven
Class of 2011 honored Sept. 16-17
By James McClenathen
Copyright 2011 River Raisin Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Blissfield High School athletic department welcomed seven new members into the BHS Hall of Fame during a ceremony Saturday evening in the high school cafeteria. Seven people with diverse athletic backgrounds were inducted for their contributions to Blissfield sports.
Following an introduction by athletic director Steve Babbitt, master of ceremonies Gary Brink, a retired BHS teacher, introduced the inductees.
The first athlete to be honored was 1941 graduate Don Mulder. Mulder earned 12 varsity letters playing football, basketball and baseball. For two straight years he was an All-State basketball player who led the county in scoring. His basketball career at Hope College was interrupted when he was called to serve in the Air Force during World War II. However, he returned to college and the court in 1946 and was named MVP of his team and the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association. In 1971 he received Hope College’s Distinguished Alumni Award. He went on to earn a medical degree from John Hopkins Medical School and became involved in some of the first open-heart surgeries.
“Here was a man that had contributed so much to others, yet his humility alone is a lesson that all of us should learn,” said Brink.
Bud Friess was another three-sport standout who made All-League in football, basketball and baseball. He was best known as an All-State catcher who helped the 1976 and 1977 baseball teams win the state championship. Coach Larry Tuttle said Bud “set the standard” for catchers at BHS. He went on to play for two years at Seminole Junior College, and then another two years at Eastern Kentucky. He later returned to BHS, where he was an assistant coach on the 2002 and 2003 state champion teams.
Former varsity basketball coach Al Diver accumulated a record of 129-32 in seven seasons. He led his team to six LCAA championships and four district titles.
“What perhaps sets coach Diver apart from so many others in his profession is that his teams really believed in him,” said Brink.
Diver is only the seventh coach to be inducted into the BHS Hall of Fame.
Adam Benschoter is a graduate of the class of 1987. He earned All-League honors in football, basketball and baseball. He was a two-time All-State shortstop who played in the East-West All-Star game his senior year. He then played baseball for Siena Heights University, where to this day he holds numerous records, including career triples. He was inducted into the Siena Heights Hall of Hame in 2000. After leaving Siena Heights, Benschoter played for the San Francisco Giants for one and a half years.
1991 graduate Becky Martinez began her athletic career as a standout among a Little League team of boys. At BHS, she lettered all four years in volleyball, basketball and softball. She earned MVP status and various other honors in each sport. She went on to play softball for Michigan State University and Siena Heights, where she was named to the All-Region team. She is now an assistant coach at Siena Heights, which inducted her into its Hall of Fame in 2007.
Michael Newsted, a 1997 graduate, was an All-League golfer and All-State baseball player. Tuttle says Newsted was “in complete control when he was pitching.” He pitched for Wayne State University, where he earned four varsity letters and the title of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference all-time strikeout leader. In 2007 Newsted became the youngest person ever inducted into the Wayne State Hall of Fame.
The next honoree was selected for a very different reason. Judy Beagle served as the athletic department secretary for 23 years. She trained five athletic directors.
“What I appreciated most about Judy was her integrity and trustworthiness,” said Brink. “I knew that all her work would be done in a very professional way.”
Babbitt called Beagle the “glue” that held the athletic department together.
Each inductee was presented with an award by Babbitt.
“It is clear that what this class has in common is exactness,” said Brink. “All have the trait of doing the very best in what they were called to do. … Hopefully you will remember this time as a special time that was given just to honor you and your accomplishments.”
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