Hillman to induct sixth Hall of Fame class
The Hillman High School Hall of Fame will welcome several new members into its ranks on Saturday.
Hillman’s sixth annual Hall of Fame class includes a wrestler, a star dual-sport athlete and a softball team that finished state runner-up.
This year’s inductees include Tom Kennard, Rick Hamilton, Donald Orm and Hillman’s 1996 softball team.
The induction ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. at Hillman High School on Saturday. The inductees will also be honored during halftime of Hillman’s home football game against Mio on Friday.
Kennard, a 1977 Hillman graduate, was a star wrestler who was a Class D all-state finalist in 1976 and 1977. In both seasons, he was a regional champion and finished with a career record 106-6.
Kennard earned 10 varsity letters and earned a wrestling scholarship to Central Michigan University. Along with his wrestling talents, Kennard was recognized as one of the better boxers in the area.
Hamilton was a star football and basketball player with a decorated resume in both sports, though he ultimately lettered in football and baseball as well.
Hamilton was a member of Hillman’s undefeated 1965 football team and earned all-state honors in 1965 and 1966. On the hardwood, Hamilton earned all-state honors during the 1965-66 season and scoring a high of 38 points in a game.
Orm will be honored with the Richard Brown Trailblazer Award. Orm, a 1948 graduate of Hillman was a baseball player. The Trailblazer Award honors former Hillman athletes and supporters who played from about 1920-1950, during a time when modern stats weren’t always kept.
Hillman’s 1996 softball team already has two members in the Hall of Fame–Julie Shiffer and Sara Davis.
The Tigers went 24-6 that season, winning district and regional championships before losing to Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard in the state finals. That team remains the only Hillman girls team to reach a state finals.
Team members included: Katie Dewey, Holly Benac, Olivia Shields, Jenny Brandon, Shanna Wicks, Sarah Ruthko, Carrie Firman, Shawn Cordes, Janill Nicholas, Heidi Davis, Natalie Jones, Julie Shiffer, Sara Davis and Kelley Smith. The team’s head coach was Lydia Walker and the assistant coach was Diane Cordes. The team also had two statisticians in Sara Jones and Erin McDonald.