BOURBON — The Triton High School athletic department announces its second class to be inducted into its hall of fame. The class of 2012 follows the inaugural class of Bourbon Foundry, coach Ron Smith, Lorea Feldman, Rich Rhodes, Dan Sharpe and John Yantiss. Since the school's inception during the 1963-64 school year, many athletes have worn the blue and gold. While all athletes have played a role in Triton’s success, the hall of fame recognize Trojans who set themselves apart on the playing fields and the courts of Triton High School and beyond. These athletes won acclaim for running the fastest, jumping the highest, winning championships and otherwise distinguishing themselves in high school, college, and at professional levels. To honor these high school sports legends, the Triton athletic department will annually induct new members into the ranks of the Triton Athletic Hall of Fame. The hall of fame inducts candidates in the following categories: Athlete, coach, alumni, and contributor. To be eligible as an athlete, the candidate must be a graduate of Triton High School and must have participated in interscholastic athletics while at Triton. The selection committee looks for athletes who set themselves apart by receiving, among other things, conference and state-wide recognition. In order to be eligible to be inducted as a coach, one must have coached at Triton High School for at least five years and must be inactive at the time of the induction. An alum is a Triton graduate who has made it a purpose to be involved with athletics beyond high school (ex. Officiating, broadcasting, college coach, etc). A contributor is someone who has given of themselves for the betterment of the Triton athletic department. “The selection committee did an outstanding job selecting the Class of 2012,” Triton Athletic Director Mason McIntyre said. “It is a challenge to sort through the many qualified individuals and select just a few. The gentlemen on the committee take this responsibility seriously and gave much consideration to each nominee.” The first athlete to be inducted is 1965 graduate Joel Berger. Berger participated in cross country, basketball, baseball and track. He participated on the Bourbon cross country, basketball, baseball, and track teams until consolidating with Triton in 1963. He led the Trojans to the basketball semistate in 1965 and averaged 21 points per game along the way. He was the MVP of the basketball team in 1964 and received MVP honors with the entire team in 1965. He was also named the cross country MVP in 1964 and the Male Athlete of the Year in 1965. The second athlete to be inducted is 1971 graduate Steve Gochenour. Gochenour participated in football, basketball, baseball and track. He received honorable mention honors on the 1970 All-Northern Indiana football team, earned the football team MVP in 1970, was the school record holder in the 440, and went on to have an outstanding football and track career at Defiance College. He was a three-year letter winner in football and a two-year letter winner in track at Defiance. He received the Elks Award (scholar athlete), was named to the first team all-conference and first team all-district in football at Defiance. He was also named the most valuable freshman of the track team. The third athlete to be inducted into the Triton Athletic Hall of Fame is 1972 graduate Max Trowbridge. While at Triton, Trowbridge participated in football, basketball, golf, baseball and track. He earned MVP honors and the batting title on the 1970 baseball team. He was the most valuable defensive player on the football team in 1970 and was MVP of the basketball team in 1970 and 1971. He was named all-county in 1970, 1971, and 1972 and earned a scholarship to play basketball at Defiance College where he was a varsity letter winner his freshman year before transferring to Ball State to pursue a degree in accounting. The last athlete to be inducted is 1993 graduate Justina Reichert. Reichert participated in cross country, basketball, and track and may be the most decorated athlete in school history. She was a four-time MVP in cross country, basketball and track. She was also named the female athlete of the year four-consecutive years, having participated in the cross country state finals, finishing fourth and 13th, while also having participated in the state track and field finals all four years. At the state track finals, she finished second in the 1600 twice and third twice. She also competed in the 800 and the 3200. She was named to the all-state cross country team and the USA Honorable Mention Track Team. Reichert also received all-conference Honors, was named to the all-sectional team, the Times-Union All-Area Team, and the South Bend Tribune All-Star team, and received an invitation to the Top 40 Workout. Sam Davis will be the second Triton coach to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Davis was a 1964-graduate of Warsaw High School and went on to earn a degree in secondary education, technology education, physical education and driver education. He was the first wrestling coach we had at Triton and coached 42 seasons. He also coached football for 27 years and track for three years. Davis and his wife Gin have been outstanding ambassadors for Triton Athletics and in 1987 they were selected to work for FILA and the ISWA at the Pan-Am games in Indianapolis. In 2008, he was honored by being inducted into the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaching Association Hall of Fame. He also helped with Triton Intramurals, as a clock operator, as the Technology Club sponsor and enjoys racing in his free time. Terry and Jackie Alderfer have been contributors of the Triton Athletic Department for the past 26 years, and will also enter the hall of fame. Jackie began working at Triton High School in 1987 as a Library and Career Aid. They started working the concessions stand for boys basketball games in winter of 1987 and for football in the fall of 1987. At the completion of the 2010-2011 school year, the Alderfers had worked the boys basketball concessions stand for 25 years and served their 25th year in the football concessions stand during the 2011 season. The Alderfers were also part of the committee who formed the original Triton Athletic Booster Club. They have been married for 44 years and have three children (Terry, Andy, and Leah), four grandkids, and eight great-grandchildren. The Hall of Fame weekend will kick off with recognition of these inductees at the Triton boys basketball game against Knox on Feb. 24. The inductees will be recognized at halftime of the varsity contest. The tip-off for the JV game that evening is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The festivities will be continued during the Induction Banquet on Feb. 25, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Back Forty Banquet Center in Bourbon, as McIntyre will serve as the banquet’s emcee. Tickets for the banquet can be purchased in the Triton High School athletic office beginning Jan. 9. Tickets will be $20 per person.
