Three former athletes inducted into Hall of Fame for school’s 50th Anniversary
January 13, 2016
The Athletics Hall of Fame has been a tradition at South since 2010. But it was still a special moment when the three class of 2016 inductees, or their representatives, accepted the honor during the halftime of the boys varsity basketball game, Friday, Jan. 8.
Instead of their usual halftime performances, the cheerleaders and Pacesetters lined up in a tunnel formation. Two cheerleaders escorted the inductees to receive their awards.
The first inductee, David Anderson, graduated in 1969, and was awarded for track and field. Anderson was the first individual athletic champion in the history of South. He claimed the title for State Cross Country, the State Indoor mile, the State Outdoor mile and the State Outdoor two mile, all in 1968. When he was a sophomore, “Track and Field News” recognized Anderson as the No. 1 sophomore miler in the U.S. Anderson placed fourth in the National Junior Olympics as a junior. James Wannamaker, the current track and field coach, presented him the honor.
“With the history of South, it’s fun to see this, and to have something to strive for,” Wannamaker said.
Next, Susan Joy Copeland, class of 1976, was presented the honor posthumously. Her father accepted the honor in her place.
“I know she’d be thrilled,” Copeland’s father Roger Copeland said. “I still have her old letter jacket.”
Copeland was a State finalist in all her three years of high school. She was state champion and Sunflower League champion in her senior year for the 100-meter breaststroke, and held the state record in the event. When Copeland was a senior, she was team captain, All-Sun Country, and All-State. Copeland also participated in tennis and was team captain her senior year. Copeland’s records at South have held for over 25 years. She remains the only student-athlete to ever have been captain of two state championship teams in the same year at South.
The third addition to the Hall of Fame was Verlyn Schmidt, a former cross country coach at South. He is the only coach at South to have coached 13 state championship teams, and he coached over 40 individual state champions. Schmidt was the cross country head coach from 1966-1981 and the track and field head coach from 1971-1981. He died in 2001.
After experiencing his first South Hall of Fame, Dr. Todd Dain, principal of South, was impressed.
“The Hall of Fame itself is incredible because it’s a reflection of… the great foundation of alumni we have here at South,” Dain said.
Not only were the inductees and their family present, former alumni of South were also there. Bob Oden and Howard Mischlik were two “originals,” and had attended South during the 1960s as students.
“It’s the best night of the year,” Athletic Director John Johnson said.
Even though South lost the basketball game against Shawnee Mission West, they were still able to honor some of the greatest athletes who attended South.