SPASH Hall of Fame Class of 2018 biographies
Portage County Gazette
The Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH) Athletic Hall of Fame will induct five individuals and the 1979 baseball team during a ceremony at the SentryWorld Atrium Friday, Sept. 21, following the SPASH football game.
Individual tickets for $25 are available for purchase at the SPASH Athletic Office or online at Eventbrite.com. The event will begin with a social at 7 p.m., with the ceremony to follow at 8 p.m.
Below are biographies for the Class of 2018.
Beth Mendyke Glodowski was a standout three-sport athlete at SPASH from 1982-1985. She was a State Qualifier all four years in swimming and three years in track, on her way to earning eight varsity letters, All-Conference honors eight times and All-State honors four times. In track, Beth competed in the 100-meter hurdles, 300 hurdles, 400 dash and the high jump. She was a Conference, Regional and Sectional Champion multiple times in the hurdles, and she was the first SPASH 100 hurdler to be named All-State.
In swimming Beth went undefeated in dual meets in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle races during the 1983 season. She broke records in 12 of the 15 meets she competed in. By the end of her career, Beth held varsity records in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay. She was also the first SPASH girls’ swimmer to be named All-State and the first to go on and compete at the NCAA Division 1 level.
As a collegiate swimmer, she became the Northern Illinois University varsity and pool record holder in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle races. She earned her four varsity letters, MVP honors, Captain’s honors and the NIU Sportswoman of the Year Award.
James J. Mendyke had an outstanding high school and collegiate career playing football and basketball. Jim attended PJ Jacobs High School from 1943-1947, accumulating eight varsity letters. His accolades during his football career at P.J. Jacobs High School include being the co-captain of the team, along with being named to the All-Conference team. On the basketball court, Jim excelled as a member of the 1947 team that was State Runner-up at the Wisconsin State Basketball Tournament. Jim received a number of honors during his basketball career, including being named to the All-Conference team and being the Conference Player of the Year. The 1947 team was Conference Champions, Regional Champions, Sectional Champions, and State Runner-up. Jim was named to the All-State team in 1947. Jim went on to an exceptional collegiate career at Ripon College, where he earned a total of six varsity letters in football and basketball.
The 1979 SPASH boys baseball team will go down as one of the finest in school history. The team finished with a sparkling 16-3 record while setting many school records along the way – some of which still stand today. The team peaked at the right time, and defeated Chippewa Falls (5-1) and Hudson (18-0) in the Sectional Tournament. They proceeded to beat Watertown (19-7) and two very strong teams in Janesville (5-1) and La Crosse Central (4-0) to win the WIAA Class “A” State Title Game. The No. 1-ranked team in the state set school records that included most wins (16), hits (199), extra-base hits (48), home runs (15), stolen bases (75), team batting average (.361), and runs in a single game (24).
Guiding the State Champion Panthers were first year head coach George Roman and assistant coach Bob Van Den Heuvel. The Panthers’ lineup consisted of a nucleus of very talented seniors, including Joe Pavelski, John Przekurat, Kris Wimme, Bob Gregorich, Randy Iwanski, Clay Johnson, Dave Nolan, Dave Fredrickson, Dan Durst, Brian Patoka, and team captains Dan Roman and Jim Graboski. Rounding out the team was a talented group of juniors including Jeff Graboski, Bruce Sroda, and Rob Sommers and sophomores Phil Huebner, Mark Manns, and Tom Clark – all key contributors to the Championship season.
John Hyland was a three-sport athlete, earning nine letters from 1985-1989 – four in cross country, four in track and one in basketball. During his SPASH career, John was a team captain in cross country and track, a member of the 1985 State Champion cross country team and a three-time All-Conference honoree.
On the track, John won 13 Conference Titles and 10 Regional and Sectional Titles. He qualified for the State Meet in each of his four years, placing second and third in the 800 meters in 1988 and 1989. John broke the SPASH school record in the 800 run in 1988, set it again in 1989 and broke school records as a member of the 4×400 relay and distance medley relay. John would go on to earn three letters in track during his collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin and was named team captain in 1994. While competing for the Badgers, he earned four All-Big Ten athletic and academic honors.
Pete Clark was a standout three-sport athlete who earned seven varsity letters while competing for the Panthers from 1987-1989. Pete was a two-year starter at quarterback and team captain who set nine school and six conference passing records which still stand today. As a senior he helped lead the Panthers to a share of the WVC Title and was a repeat selection on the First Team All-WVC, All-Region and Channel 7 All-Star teams.
He was also the consensus All-State quarterback, receiving First Team honors from both the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association and the Associated Press – the only SPASH quarterback to ever receive First Team honors.
On the basketball court, Pete was a two-year starter at guard who helped the Panthers win the WVC Conference Title, as well as Regional and Sectional Championships on the way to a berth in the 1988 WIAA State Tournament.
Pete also excelled on the baseball diamond, where he was a two-year starter who earned Second Team All-WVC honors as a pitcher his junior year, and was a key member and Second Team All-WVC shortstop his senior year for the Panther squad that finished 21-1 and won the 1989 State Championship. Following his high school career Pete accepted a football scholarship to the University of North Dakota, where he played one season before finishing his baseball and football playing career at UWSP.
Jerry Fitzgerald was hired at SPASH in 1974 as vice principal and football head coach. Prior to his arrival, Stevens Point had losing seasons in 33 of their 55 years of football. Within three years, the program had turned around.
In 1977, SPASH finished as the WIAA State Runner-up. Jerry was fortunate to have the same assistants for most of his 25 years at SPASH (Jim Biser, Bill Blake, Dale Huebner and George Roman). In 36 years as a football head coach, Fitzgerald’s overall record was 230-117-2, including 29 winning seasons and seven conference championships, while finishing second or third 19 times. Fitzgerald retired from SPASH in 2000 and was inducted into the Wisconsin Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 2006.