News Photo by James Andersen The Alpena Sports Hall of Fame held its annual press night on Monday at the Alpena Booster Club where five new Hall of Fame inductees were announced. Pictured left to right are: Hall of Fame President Gary Mischley (representing Dick Spencer), Hall of Fame board member Gerri LaHaie, Howard Welsh (representing Jack Discher), Jim Krueger (representing Ryan Krueger), Jane Bailey (representing Jerry LeTourneau), Gene Cadarette (representing Mike Cadarette) and Barb Mischley.

Ryan Krueger, Jack Discher, Mike Cadarette, Jerry LeTourneau and Dick Spencer accomplished a great many things in their athletic careers.

But perhaps just as important as their feats, the five of them were respected for their athletic prowess and were the type of people others looked up to and wanted to emulate. Collectively, they’ve been chosen as the 2016 class of the Alpena Sports Hall of Fame and were announced on Monday as part of the Hall’s annual press night.

Krueger, a 1998 Alpena graduate, earned nine letters for the Wildcats and went on to play baseball at Central Michigan. In addition to earning player of the week and academic honors in college, he was a team MVP and team captain.

At Alpena, Krueger was all-conference in soccer and hockey, all-state in hockey and baseball and earned numerous awards as a three-sport star. He was an MHSAA Scholar Athlete in 1998, earned MVP honors in baseball in 1997 and was the hockey’s team’s Offensive Player of the Year in 1996-97.

Outside of school, Krueger excelled in baseball, winning two Babe Ruth state titles and an AABC National Championship with Flint Halo-Foutch.

“From the time he was four or five and played sports, Ryan made it easy to be proud of him,” Krueger’s father Jim said. “He was absolutely thrilled when Gary called him.”

Cadarette lettered in golf and football at Alpena, but is probably better known for his coaching and administrative career. He served as Alpena’s athletic director for nine years and as Alpena’s baseball coach for 20, compiling a 370-132 record and eight years with at least 21 wins. He earned district and regional coaching honors while leading the Wildcats and was selected as regional athletic director of the year in 2001. He was inducted into the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1999.

Cadarette played baseball at Alpena Community College after high school and was also a six-time club champion in golf.

Cadarette was represented by his nephew Gene Cadarette on Monday.

“He’s really honored to be picked. He’ll be here in May and he really appreciates it,” Cadarette said.

Discher took over as Alpena’s gymnastics coach in 1967 and turned the Wildcats into a juggernaut in the next 10 years. He led Alpena to a state title in 1977 and set the Wildcats up for future success under his successor Ray Timm, who led Alpena to three titles in five years.

Discher served as a mentor for many of Alpena’s gymnasts, who went on to enter the Hall of Fame including John Geddert, Kurt Golder and Howard Welsh. Discher was named Detroit News All-State Coach of the Year in 1976 and Gymastics Coach of the Year in Michigan three times.

“It’s my honor to stand in for Jack Discher. He was absolutely one of the greatest coaches to coach at Alpena High School,” Welsh said. “He’s a class individual (and) a great coach. He never raised his voice, never said a negative word.”

LeTourneau earned six letters at Alpena Catholic Central including four in football and was the school’s first four-year letterman. He was a star halfback, who scored 11 touchdowns as a senior and was also a key part of Alpena’s defensive unit.

“If he was here he would be humbled and he does appreciate being honored,” Jane Bailey, LeTourneau’s daughter said. “I didn’t get to watch my dad play, but I suppose he passed down his athletic ability to his kids.”

Spencer won three letters at Alpena High after coming there from Flint Northern. He went on to earn seven letters at ACC and ended his basketball career with the Lumberjacks as the school’s leading scorer. Spencer excelled in church and city-league softball and has won three national titles as a senior athlete.

“I remember watching him as a youngster (thinking) ‘I want to do that, I want to do that,'” Mischley said. “Name the sport, he was out there to compete.”

The quintet will be inducted during the annual Hall of Fame banquet on May 6 at the APlex.

James Andersen can be reached via email at sports@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5694. Follow James on Twitter @ja_alpenanews.