Four former UM standouts to be inducted into Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame

(Editor’s observe: College of Montana media launch)

MISSOULA — The College of Montana athletic division introduced the Grizzly Sports activities Corridor of Fame incoming class of 2022, in addition to this yr’s recipient of the Grizzly Lifetime Honors Award on Monday.

All 5 of this yr’s honorees are homegrown from the state of Montana, with three hailing from Missoula.

All-American runner Scott McGowan of Poplar, Girl Griz Huge Sky MVP Ann (Lake) Rausch of Missoula, All-America offensive lineman Thatcher Szalay of Whitefish, and championship-winning basketball participant and coach Blaine Taylor of Missoula will all be inducted within the Grizzly Sports activities Corridor of Fame class of 2022.

Lengthy-time voice of Montana athletics “Grizzly” Invoice Schwanke shall be UM’s fourth recipient of the Grizzly Lifetime Honors Award.

The Grizzly Sports activities Corridor of Fame was based in 1993 to pay tribute and provides lasting recognition to these student-athletes, coaches, and groups who’ve made distinctive contributions and introduced recognition, honor, and distinction to the College of Montana within the discipline of Intercollegiate Athletics, and who’ve continued to display of their lives the values imparted by their expertise. Induction into the Corridor of Fame represents the very best athletic honor the college can bestow.

Established in 2018, the Grizzly Lifetime Honors Award pays tribute and provides recognition to supporters of Grizzly Athletics who aren’t eligible for the Grizzly Corridor of Fame, which incorporates athletes and coaches solely.

The Corridor of Fame induction ceremony shall be held within the Adams Middle on the College of Montana campus in Missoula on Sept. 9, with the category of 2022 celebrated on the sector in the course of the Grizzlies’ soccer sport in opposition to South Dakota on Sept. 10. Ticket data for the banquet shall be introduced within the close to future.

GRIZZLY SPORTS HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2021

Scott McGowan
Monitor & Subject 2000-2005
Poplar, Mont. (Poplar HS)

McGowan was the primary Montanan to ever run a sub-four-minute mile and was tabbed by former UM monitor coach Brian Schweyen as “the best middle-distance runner to ever compete at UM.”

Throughout his collegiate profession, he was a four-time All-American, incomes the honour twice within the indoor mile and the out of doors 1,500 in each 2002 and 2004. In his senior yr, he completed fourth within the nation within the indoor mile and seventh within the out of doors 1,500.

He later positioned twelfth within the 1,500 within the 2004 US Olympic Trials in Sacramento. He was additionally a three-time Huge Sky Convention champion, profitable the indoor mile and out of doors 800 and 1,500 in 2004.

To at the present time, he holds three faculty information within the indoor mile (4:02.07), the out of doors 1,500 (3:41.87), and the indoor distance medley relay (9:49.23).

He broke the sub-four-minute mile barrier in January of 2005, ending at 3:58.91 on the Reebok Boston Indoor Video games. Later that yr he grew to become the Unites States champion within the indoor mile on the USATF Indoor Nationals.

He earned Tutorial All-Huge Sky honors his freshman season and was named the group’s “Most Inspirational” athlete in 2001.

McGowan graduated from UM in 2004 with a level in Historical past and went on to compete around the globe professionally. A fourth-generation Montanan, he now works the household farm in his house city of Poplar.

His father, long-time basketball participant and coach Felix McGowan was inducted into the Montana Indian Athletic Corridor of Fame in 2021.

Quoting McGowan: “Whenever you’re an athlete, at the very least for me, you are not seeking to land in any kind of corridor of fame. You are simply making an attempt to do your greatest and get higher on a regular basis. So, once I acquired this name, I used to be stunned. What an honor. I by no means anticipated this. It made me notice that individuals look again, respect me and respect the issues I did, and hopefully assume I represented the college nicely. So, which means quite a bit.”

Ann (Lake) Rausch
Girl Griz Basketball 1990/91-1993/94
Missoula, Mont. (Huge Sky HS)

Rausch was a key member of Girl Griz groups that had an total file of 97-21, gained three Huge Sky event championships, and superior to a few NCAA tournaments.

As a senior, she was named Huge Sky Convention MVP, named to the Kodak All-District 7 and honorable point out All-America groups, and was the Huge Sky event MVP. She was additionally a three-time All-Huge Sky performer and a four-time Huge Sky Participant of the Week.

Rausch was named the Mary Louise Pope Zimmerman Girl Griz MVP twice as each a junior and senior and was named the group’s Defensive Participant of the 12 months as a sophomore.

She stays second in class historical past with 886 profession rebounds and tenth in scoring with 1,358 factors after main the group in scoring and rebounding for two-straight seasons.

Within the ’93-’94, season she sank what have been, then, the second-most free throws ever at UM with 129, nonetheless the fourth-most in program historical past. She at the moment ranks fifth in profession free throws made.

In a sport in opposition to Boise State in 1994, she tied the college file with 16 made discipline objectives on 19 makes an attempt – a mark that also stands – for a complete of 36 factors, to at the present time tied for the fifth-highest scoring sport in program historical past.

She was additionally the main scorer in Montana’s 77-67 win over UNLV within the first spherical of the 1994 NCAA event with 24 factors.

Quoting Rausch: “This implies the world to me. The Girl Griz have all the time been a close-knit household. So, to be within the Corridor of Fame with among the greatest like Marti Leibenguth and Shannon (Cate) Schweyen, it is simply particular to be part of that group and share this nice honor.”

Thatcher Szalay
Soccer 1998-2001
Whitefish, Mont. (Whitefish HS)

Thought-about one of many biggest offensive linemen to put on maroon and silver, Szalay was a key member of Grizzly groups that went 45-10 in his 4 seasons as a letterman. As a senior, he captained UM to this system’s second Nationwide Championship – a 13-6 victory over Furman in Chattanooga, Tenn., in 2001 – and was a starter on the nationwide runner-up group in 2000.

Throughout his profession, the Griz gained four-straight Huge Sky championships, with Szalay (pronounced Zu-lay) incomes first-team all-conference honors at offensive guard in 1999, 2000, and 2001. He is the one Grizzly offensive lineman in program historical past to be named first-team all-conference in three consecutive years and considered one of solely 4 gamers in league historical past to do it.

He was a significant contributor on considered one of Montana’s best-ever speeding assaults, opening up holes and lanes for operating again Yohance Humphrey, who tops the Grizzly file e book with 4,070 profession yards.

A consensus All-American, Szalay was named to 5 totally different All-America groups after the 2001 marketing campaign, greater than some other Grizzly that season.

He was named the group’s co-Golden Helmet Award winner as a sophomore in 1999 alongside Adam Boomer. He later gained UM’s Paul Weskamp award for excellent offensive lineman and served as co-captain as a senior in 2001 earlier than showcasing his expertise for NFL scouts on the 2002 Paradise Bowl All-Star sport.

Szalay went on to signal with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2002 and was the one undrafted free agent to make the 53-man roster that season. After three years with the Bengals, he went on to play for the Baltimore Ravens in 2005 and the Seattle Seahawks in 2006.

Additionally a star within the classroom, he was a two-time Tutorial All-Huge Sky choice as a junior and senior. He graduated from UM with a level in Training whereas competing within the NFL and earned a grasp’s diploma in 2010.

He’s at the moment a math trainer at Florence Carlton Center Faculty in Florence, Mont., and was inducted into the Montana Soccer Corridor of Fame in 2019

Quoting Szalay: “Once I acquired that decision, I could not even discuss. Thanks have been just about the one phrases I may muster up. However once I hung up the telephone, boy, there was a puddle on my workplace flooring. I simply misplaced it,” he mentioned.

“These 5 years simply flew by, and profitable that championship, the historical past it created, and the reminiscences it made continues to be rewarding for me to at the present time.”

Blaine Taylor
Males’s Basketball Participant: 1977-81, Head Coach: 1991-98
Missoula, Mont. (Hellgate HS)

One of many 5 winningest coaches of all-time at UM, Taylor was 141-66 in his seven-year stint and has a school-record profitable share of 68%.

His 1991-92 group set a college file with 27 wins (27-4). In ’92 UM gained the Huge Sky title, superior to the NCAA tourney, and he was named Huge Sky Coach of the 12 months.

As a participant, he led UM in assists his sophomore, junior, and senior years and held a (then) faculty file for profession free throw share of 82.4%.

He obtained each the Naseby Rhinehart Award and the Allan Nielson Award in 1981 and was additionally named to the Huge Sky All-Match group that season.

After departing Montana, he gained a school-record 239 video games (239-144) as the top coach at Outdated Dominion in 12 seasons and led the Monarchs to 4 NCAA tournaments.

He was named the Colonial League Coach of the 12 months in 2006. His ODU squads had seven 20-win seasons, and his 2005 group set a college mark with 28 wins.

Quoting Taylor: “I used to be born and raised in Missoula, and I simply bear in mind strolling into the Mercantile, or a 4B’s restaurant and seeing photos of men like Wild Invoice Kelly and those who have been within the Corridor of Fame, and feeling like they have been somebody actually particular. It by no means dawned on me on the time that I would have an opportunity to affix that firm in the future. I am simply flooded with ideas of how a lot I admired these individuals, how grateful I’m, and the way humbling it’s to be part of it.”

Grizzly Lifetime Honors Award recipient

Invoice Schwanke
Grizzly Athletics 1967-2001
Missoula, Mont. (Missoula County HS)

Born and raised in Missoula, “Grizzly’ Invoice Schwanke graduated from UM with a journalism diploma in 1967. He was editor of the Montana Kaimin from 1965-66, and have become the Sports activities Data Director for Grizzly Athletics after graduating.

In 1971 Schwanke grew to become the sports activities director at KYLT radio and served because the play-by-play broadcaster for Montana soccer and basketball till 1988, the place he was instrumental in growing the Montana Sports activities Radio Community.

From 1988 to 1991 he served because the director of the Grizzly Athletic Affiliation (now the GSA), and continued broadcasting by means of 1993. From 1991 to 1997 he served because the Assistant Director for Advertising and Media Relations for Grizzly Athletics, beginning the company sponsorship program at UM and growing the Grizzly Sports activities Corridor of Fame.

He later served because the Govt Director of the GAA till 2001, working to lift funds, placed on golf tournaments, auctions, and re-establishing the “M Membership” for former student-athletes. He additionally labored as an editor, author, and videographer for the Missoulian till 2010.

Locally, Schwanke served because the American Legion Baseball chairman, served on the Board of Administrators at Larchmont Golf Course, the Goal Vary faculty board, as a trustee for the Neighborhood Medical Middle Basis, and on his church council for a few years.

In 2021, a bunch of nationwide FCS soccer broadcasters created the “Invoice Schwanke Award” to be given yearly to the FCS Broadcaster of the 12 months.

Quoting Schwanke: “I have been a Grizzly my entire life, and I simply cannot think about a better honor than this. I am very appreciative,” he mentioned.

“I used to be so near lots of the athletes on this corridor of fame and did a lot of their video games on the radio, so this implies quite a bit from that standpoint. And to be thought of with the earlier recipients of the Lifetime Honors Award, these are individuals I labored with for a few years and have the utmost respect for. So, I am in nice firm.”