Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Taylor University inducted but two people into the Taylor Athletic Hall of Fame in ceremonies held Sept. 10.
Pierceton native Garth Cone was one of the two.
Cone is the son of Betty Cone of Pierceton and the late Charles Cone. He graduated from Pierceton High School, where he starred in basketball, in 1965.
Cone, who graduated from Taylor in 1969, coached the Alexandria Monroe Tigers to the Indiana Class 2A basketball championship in 1998. He has a .680 winning percentage in his 25 years as high school basketball coach.
Also inducted was Norm Wilhemi, a 1951 Taylor graduate. Like Cone, Wilhemi was honored for basketball.
Cone, who joined Alexandria's faculty after earning his degree at Taylor, has coached the Tigers to 15 Central Indiana Conference championships. He won the District Coach of the Year award in 1978 and 1996, and he served as president of the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association in 1995-1996. He is the founder of Tiger Reading Program, a recognized scholastic achievement.
Jerry Young, Cone's pastor at Christian Congregation Church, wrote this in his letter to Taylor recommending Cone's induction: "Garth Cone is one of the finest men I know ... If you ask the hundreds of young men who have played for Garth, they will surely tell you, 'Garth Cone is one of the most influential people in my life.' Garth has helped many of his players to understand the importance of honesty, integrity, morality and commitment to hard work."
