Wenatchee Hall of Fame Class of 2026 Announced

The Wenatchee High School Panther Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2026 Tuesday.

Ceremony Details and Schedule

Five teams, three contributors, and four athletes will be forever enshrined in the Panther Hall of Fame in September.

The ceremony is 1 p.m. Saturday, September 19 and will be held in conjunction with the Panther football game against South Kitsap. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Championship Teams Being Honored

The 1924-27 Track Team, the 1966 Boys Tennis Team, the 1970 Football Team, the 1983 Volleyball Team, and the 2016 Boys Soccer Team will be honored in this year's ceremony.

The 1924-27 Track Team won the WIAA State Track Championship for four consecutive years. The 1966 Boys Tennis Team, including Dave Law, Mike Cheney, Nick Handy, Stewart Cusick, Larry Corbin, Terry Valdez, and Ron Zielinski, captured the state championship, highlighted by Zielinski's singles title.

The 1970 Football Team finished the season undefeated with 10 consecutive victories and a record 336 offensive points, winning the Big 8 Championship.

The 1983 Volleyball Team brought Wenatchee its first girls state championship. The team earned a spot in the WIAA State Tournament in Renton and defeated Kent-Meridian in the championship match.

The 2016 Boys Soccer Team claimed the WIAA 4A State Championship, which is the first boys soccer state title in school history.

Contributors Recognized

The three contributors honored include Dale Blair, Ken Murtaugh, and Dick Pieper.
Blair built the WHS Sports Medicine program from the ground up in 1984 and developed its curriculum. He retired in 2022 after 38 years of service.

Murtaugh served alongside coach Ed Knaggs as scorekeeper and announcer for Panther Baseball starting in 1974, which is a role he continues to this day. Murtaugh also worked with Coach Knaggs during legion ball and with the Wenatchee AppleSox, and helped build the current announcer's booth.

Pieper served as Sports Editor of the Wenatchee World, where he was celebrated for his storytelling and commitment to covering Wenatchee Athletics.

Notable Athlete Inductees

Athletes include Trey Adams, Jessica Wierzbicki, and Grady Miller.

Adams is a 2015 graduate and participant in football and basketball. He earned five varsity letters as a Panther, including first-team offensive line twice and first-team defensive line. He was the Big 9 Lineman of the Year and made the all-conference defensive team in basketball. He played at the University of Washington, earning the UW Outstanding Freshman Award, First-Team All-Pac-12 twice, and Second-Team All-American. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2020.

Wierzbicki is a 2017 graduate and earned four varsity letters as a Panther swimmer. She was a four-year state participant, where she was the state champion two times in a row in the 100-yard butterfly. She was an All-American and continues to hold four school records.

Miller is a 2016 graduate and earned eight varsity letters while a Panther, including two trips to the state tournament. He also made the Big-9 all-conference First Team all four years in Baseball, and a first-team All-League basketball player. He went on to play college baseball and is currently an assistant coach at the University of San Diego.

Vintage Inductee Highlight

Chris Howell is the Vintage inductee. A 1970 graduate, Howell was the Wenatchee High School GAA Girl of the Year in 1970 for her excellence in GAA activities. Once Title IX went into effect, Howell had the opportunity to participate and coach competitive athletics. She played basketball at California State University, Fresno, and went on to coach basketball as an assistant at UCLA and the University of Minnesota.

Additional details about the ceremony will be posted by June 1 on the Wenatchee Athletics website, wenatcheeathletics.com.