Ridgway's Steve Hill to be inducted into CHSAA's Hall of Fame

Ridgway's Steve Hill to be inducted into CHSAA's Hall of Fame

Jan. 4, 2001

BY THE CHSAA

AURORA, Colo. — One of the state’s former premier female athletes, Michelle Bostrom of Brush, and Ridgway’s Steve Hill, one of Colorado’s finest small school basketball coaches, headline the 12th class of the Colorado High School Activities Association’s Hall of Fame. A pair of longtime administrators, along with a pioneer spirit coach and a speech coach completes the list of inductees.

The administrators - former Denver Public School Athletic Director Rob Conklin and former Colorado Springs District 11 Athletic Director Tom Falgien -- will be inducted into the CHSAA Hall of Fame’s Class of 2000 along with former Montbello spirit coach Virginia Lorbeer and former Golden speech coach Lowell Sharp.

"Representing coaches, athletes and administrators, this is an outstanding class, rich in the Hall's tradition, excellence and character," CHSAA commissioner Bob Ottewill said in making the announcement.

The Class of 2000 will be inducted during a banquet ceremony on Jan. 24 at the Holiday Inn Denver Southeast (I-225 and Parker). Individual tickets may be purchased for $32.50 each by contacting the CHSAA.

The selection of Bostrom as a student participant to the Hall of Fame puts the total number of participants in the hall at 27. There are now 22 coaches, 15 administrators, six officials and three significant service contributors enshrined in the CHSAA Hall of Fame that began in 1989.

Perhaps the best description of Bostrom’s career is to call her a student-participant, but place a heavy emphasis on the student. Her academic and citizenship achievements far outnumber her athletic accomplishments and those are lengthy.

Bostrom was her class valedictorian in 1984 and had a 4.2 cumulative grade point average in school. She was a member of the National Honor Society for four years at the school. She was student body president as a senior and a member of student council all four years. Bostrom held leadership position in nearly every organization she belonged to in high school.

A four-year letter winner in track and field, Bostrom won 13 district championships as part of relay teams and competing in the 400 and 800 meters. She helped her team to the state team title in 1983 while anchoring the 800 medley relay. She won the state championship in the 400 as a freshman.

Bostrom was a three-year starter in basketball, setting BHS’s all-time career rebounding record with 500, a 9.4 per game average.

It was volleyball, however, where Bostrom really excelled. She was a four-year starter and letter winner for the Beetdiggers in the sport. Brush won the state volleyball title in her freshman year and second in her sophomore season. As a senior, Brush was fourth in the state, but she again was selected All-State and All-Conference.

Bostrom accepted a volleyball scholarship to Pittsburg State in Kansas where she played two years before transferring to the University of Colorado to continue her education. She finished up in 1988 at the University of Texas Medical Center in Houston, TX, where she graduated at the top of her class in Medical Technology specializing in microbiology.

"High school activities were a really good experience for me. I learned how important is to always work hard and to do your best. Participation in activities made me confident. I’m not afraid of the challenges that come my way. I knew I could what I wanted to do. My best memories are of volleyball because that was my favorite sport," she said.

Educational activities are in Conklin’s blood. He was a two-time state wrestling champion who went on to become an outstanding educator, coach and administrator. The love he has for education is apparent in all that he did and continues to do for the students in Denver Public Schools.

He is a former elementary school physical education teacher (1957-59). He was an English teacher and gymnastics coach at Denver South from 1960-65 before becoming the Rebels vice principal from 1965-71. He also coached cross country, wrestling football and track during his tenure at South.

Conklin’s contributions to CHSAA are varied. He has served as chair of the wrestling committee and served on the CHSAA Board of Control. He was President of the CHSAA from 1985-86 and was the organization’s vice president in 1984-85.

Falgien is a man of all ages. His commitment to education and athletics has shown no boundaries for more than 40 years.

He started his coaching career in his hometown of Florence as head baseball coach and assistant coach in football and basketball from 1954-56. Falgien went on to coach at South Junior High from 1958-61. In 1961, he became a teacher and coach at Wasson High School and assisted for several years in basketball and track. He was the WHS head track coach from 1965-66 and head basketball coach from 1966-71 when he started his administrative career as dean of students at Mitchell High School.

He was named District 11’s Director of Athletics and Student Activities in 1982 and served in that capacity until 1988 when he retired for the first time.

Falgien moved over to a nearly defunct St. Mary’s High School in 1988 and served as its principal for two years, establishing a foundation that allowed the school to return to more solid footing. He also served as Palmer High School’s interim athletic director in 1992.

One of the state’s most successful basketball coaches, Hill’s boys and girls teams at Ridgway compiled a 735-366 mark in 1101 games in a career that started in 1964-65 and continued through the 1997-98 season. Along the way, Hill coached his two daughters and one son, all earned all-state recognition and college basketball scholarships. In fact, daughter Tracy preceded Hill into the CHSAA Hall of Fame in 1993.

Hill’s boys’ teams compiled a 488-229 (.681) mark over 34 years and won 18 league titles and four runners-up plaques. They were district champions 12 times and second 10 times. RHS qualified for the state tournament 12 times, winning two state titles and three second place trophies. From 1994 through 1996, Ridgway’s boys team won 73 consecutive games and extending the previous state mark by 17 games.

As girls’ coach, Hill had an 18-year mark of 247-137 (.643) and won 12 league titles along the way. RHS went on to win 12 district championships and qualify for 12 state tournaments, finishing in the top three on five occasions. The Ridgway girls won one state championship, finished second three times and one third place finish.

Hill was named to coach the All-State South teams in 1986, 1990 and 1996 and has won Colorado Coach of the Year honors on several occasions. He is a three-time National Coach of the Yea nominee. In 1999, Hill was selected the National High School Boys Basketball Coach of the year based on overall record, professional honors and contributions to the sport.

"What is important to me about high school sports and activities is the development of the students into players and the success they attain afterwards. It is great fun and I take pride in what the players have done after they left the program. It’s fun to run into former players and hear them talk about games they played in that I coached from when they were in junior and senior high. I really enjoy the competition, really enjoy playing the best at he state tournament and having a chance to beat them," Hill said.

One of the fastest growing sports in the state is competitive cheerleading, pom pons and jazz dance. Sanctioned first by the CHSAA in 1991, Lorbeer and former CHSAA administrator Sharon Wilch were the driving forces behind the sanctioning process. It was through Lorbeer’s guidance and perseverance that spirit became a sanctioned activity and now is one of the most popular girls’ sports.

Lorbeer’s efforts stemmed from her belief that sanctioning would bring spirit under a consistent set of rules, including rules that established safety measures that were lacking when it was not sanctioned. She also believed that the spirit groups were key components of building school spirit in each school and needed to have the respect that sanctioned activities received.

Her Montbello squad was the first 5A state champion, joining 6A champion Arapahoe. The first state meet was for cheerleading only, with pom pons added in 1992 and coed cheerleading in 1993 and jazz dance in 1996.

In 1994, Lorbeer was named the Denver Teacher of the Year. She was MHS’s Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 1991 and named one of Montbello’s "Teachers Who Make a Difference" in 1986. She received the CHSAA’s Distinguished Service Award in 1995 for her volunteer work with the Association at various state tournaments.

The CHSAA has as many kids involved in non-athletic activities as it does in athletics. Speech, music and student council have over 60,000 participants each year. Sharp brought speech to the CHSAA and he coached speech students for 35 years.

Sharp’ impact on speech in Colorado has been profound. He was one of very few speech advocates who insisted that forensic activities must be administered by the CHSAA. It was important to the students that this activity be given the same structure, leadership, regulation and accessibility that only the CHSAA could provide. Sharp was a dominant force in making this happen.