Five new inductees – one coach, one team, two athletes and a lifelong booster – will soon be welcomed into the White River High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
Tickets are now on sale for the March 12 ceremony, which will be playing a bit of catch-up. Due to COVID concerns, the 2021 event was scrapped; this time around, the ceremony will highlight the trio of 2021 inductees and two for this year.
The 2022 honorees include groundbreaking coach Trena Page and best-of-his-era athlete Thron Riggs. Chosen a year ago were Cindy (Browning) Meyer, Joe Kolisch and the state champion 1995 wrestling team.
The Hall of Fame festivities begin with a 6 p.m. reception in the White River High commons; from there, the audience will transition to the school theater for the 7 p.m. induction ceremony.
Tickets for the March 12 event are now on sale ($10) and can be purchased by visiting www.whiteriverathletichof.com and clicking on the “Buy Tickets Now” button.
This marks the second ceremony for White River athletics. The Hall of Fame launched in 2020 with an inaugural class consisting of John Garnero, Helen (Mills) Horton, John Hyppa, Andy Maris and the 1973 state champion boys’ basketball team.
Here’s a bit of information about those who will be inducted March 12 into the White River Hall of Fame, taken from the HOF website.
Trena Page
Trena Page: A teacher and coach from 1974 to 1993, Page was on hand to witness the birth of girls’ sports at the high school level – not just witness, but launch four programs. She was the school’s first head coach for volleyball, basketball, softball and track and field.
“It fell to her to build four athletic programs from the ground up and open athletics to every girl enrolled at the high school,” according to the HOF website. Her background as a high school and collegiate athlete allowed her to “become a driving force for equity in sports by advocating and promoting opportunities for girls in the White River School District.”
Thron Riggs
Thron Riggs: A 1939 graduate of Buckley High School (later White River), Riggs went on to become the most accomplished football player in school history.
He gained all-conference status during his Buckley career then headed off to the University of Washington where he was a three-year starter for the Huskies on both the offensive and defensive lines. His active playing days were capped with a 1944 stint in the National Football League with the short-lived Boston Yanks, an early entry into the NFL.
Riggs’ high school days included postseason honors in basketball and he also threw the discus and shot put for the track and field squad. Much more than an athlete, Riggs also played in the school’s band and orchestra, was voted student body president and was named class valedictorian.
A veteran of World War II who later had a long career with Chevron, Riggs died in 2015.
Joe Kolisch
Joe Kolisch: A three-sport athlete during his days as a White River student, Kolisch became a fixture around Hornet athletics and a lifelong supporter of the Hornets.
He played football, basketball and baseball before graduating with the class of 1962. But Kolisch really made an impression during the decades that followed. He was the school’s athletic trainer for more than 20 years, standing on the sidelines or sitting in the gym while serving athletes in the maroon and gold.
He is being honored by the Hall of Fame for his adult dedication to his alma mater.
The HOF website notes how Kolisch could be found “tending to (athletes) when they got hurt, making sure their parents knew what to do.”
The site also mentions his “deep appreciation for kids who were tough and a deep compassion for those who needed help.”
He retired as chief of the Enumclaw Fire Department (while still residing in Buckley) and died in 2013.
Cindy (Browning) Meyer
Cindy (Browning) Meyer: This two-time state champion is “one of the earliest dominant female athletes in school history and the first female state champion (in any sport) at White River High School,” according to her HOF biography.
Before the javelin thrower’s career was finished, she had captured the Class A state title in 1977 and the AA championship in 1978. Her shot at a third individual title was hampered by injury, but she still managed a second-place finish in 1979.
She landed in the record books with a throw of 150 feet, 8 inches which was, at that time, the best ever recorded at a state meet and the best by a White River female athlete.
She graduated with the White River High class of 1980.
1995 Wrestling Team: After capturing a league title and regional championship, this group proved to be the best of its size in Washington, winning the AA tournament.
The state title effort was sparked by tourney champions Scott Tugby and Chris Hahto and boosted by Jason Parlari (second place), John Fields (third) and B.J. Haugen (fifth). Also earning a 1995 state appearance from the Hornet squad were Corey Cooksey, Pat Ming and Jerome Dickson.
The title-winning team was coached by Mike Salcido who was assisted by Bob Price and Rod Hodel.
