Truman's new inductees are pure class

If Tom Delay's rump-shaking samba embarrassed you as much as it did me - and every other person on the planet - take a moment to read about some folks who really deserve some recoginition:
If you’ve been following prep sports in Eastern Jackson County the past two decades, you’re going to find many familiar names in the second class of the Truman High School Hall of Fame.
            One of the most dominating pitchers in the history of area sports is joined by the Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid of Truman football and the Patriots most dominating basketball star.
            “We’re very proud of this class,” Truman activities director Eric Holm said. “The first class honored some of the great Truman athletes from the early years of the school and this class follows in that tradition – although we also honor some of the most recent standouts.”
            The Class of 2009 will be honored at halftime of Truman’s annual clash with Noland Road rival William Chrisman Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. at Independence All-School Stadium.
            I don’t want to leave you in suspense any longer, so let’s meet the class of the class from Truman High School athletics:
            n Cindy Durham (1982): In 1982, Durham was named the Greater Kansas City Female Athlete of the Year after being named first-team all-conference, all-district, all-area, all-metro and all-state and was The Examiner’s Player of the Year. She scored 1,706 points in basketball and had 513 rebounds.
            The two-sport star was part of the 1980 state championship volleyball team, the 1981 state championship basketball team, and a second (1982) and third (1980) place basketball squad.
            She lettered four years in basketball at Kansas State University and also lettered her senior year with the Wildcat volleyball team.
            n Dwight Erickson (1971): The first state wrestling champion in Truman history, winning the 132-pound class with a 30-0 record in 1970-71.
            Erickson was undefeated in duals in two years at Truman and owned a 57-4 career mark. He was voted the team MVP twice by his teammates and went to Harding University in Searcy, Ark., on a music scholarship.
            n Nick Hahn (1972): Truman’s first state golf champion, winning the title his junior year in 1971. He was fourth in 1972 and earned a golf/academic scholarship to North Texas State.
            From 1976 to 1984 he played professional golf and is now active in senior golf events.
            n Don Hartman (1966): All-area and all-conference in basketball his junior and senior years and was The Examiner’s Player of the Year in 1966. Set the single game record of 38 points – long before the 3-point shot – and averaged 21.5 and 11.3 points per game as a senior.
            He played basketball at John Brown University and tragically lost his life serving in Viet Nam.
            Jan (Grotenhuis) Lewis (1987): The former standout guard holds the school assist record (353) and is fourth all-time in scoring with 1,122 points. She was a two-time team MVP and three-time team captain. She was all-conference, all-area, all-district and honorable mention all-metro in basketball and all-conference and a team captain in volleyball, where her 1986-87 team reached the Final Four and finished third at state.           
            She also ran the 800 and was part of a fifth-place 1,600-meter relay team at state her senior year. She played basketball four years at the University of Missouri-Rolla, she finished fourth in career assists and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in engineering management.
            n Bobby Narron (1976): Teamed with quarterback Mike Royle to give Truman one of the finest running back/quarterback duos in the history of the state.
            Perhaps the finest all-around athlete in Truman history, Narron holds the school record for the most points in a game (38), season (128) and rushing yards in a game.
            He was all-conference, all-area, all-district and all-metro and a team captain his senior year.
            He set school records in the 100, 220 and long jump and was a state qualifier in the long jump, 100, 220, 440 and 880 relays.
            The multi-sport star was all-conference, all-area, all-region and second team all-stae in baseball and was an All-American baseball player at Southwest Missouri State University.
            He was also a seven-time Golden Gloves champion and the winner of numerous sportsmanship awards.
            n Mike Royle (1976): The starting quarterback of Truman’s first-ever winning football team (1975), he teamed with Narron to give the Patriots an explosive backfield that lead to a conference co-championship.
            Royle earned eight varsity letters at Truman and was all-area in football, basketball and baseball as senior. He holds the third-highest single-game point total in basketball (37).
            He holds the single-season mark for touchdown passes (20), career touchdown passes (45) and career yardage (3,800).
            He was an academic All-American at Southwest Missouri State University where he starred in football and baseball.
            n Will Palmer (1998): The all-time scoring (1,602) and rebounding (741) leader led Truman to back-to-back Final Four appearances in basketball, where Truman placed second his junior year and fourth his senior campaign.
            He also holds the single-game scoring record of 39 points and was all-conference, all-district and all-state as a junior and senior. He played basketball at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
            n Tracie Tiensvold (2000):Holds countless school records, but will always be remembered for her 35-inning, two-day 1-0 victory over Blue Springs High School in the state quarterfinals her senior year. That victory helped Tiensvold and the Patriots receive national media attention.
            She holds the school record for single-season wins (26), strikeouts (374 – with only 11 walks), shutouts (25), career shutouts (45) and strikeouts (681).
            She was all-conference, all-area, all-district, all-state and the Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year.
            n Marvin Tucker (1966): One of Truman’s first four-star athletes, he lettered in football, basketball, baseball and track. He held the Truman record for most hits, RBIs and average and was drafted by the New York Mets. He played two years in the Mets organization.
            The late Tucker played baseball at Colorado College and later became a teacher. He was awarded the PTA’s Outstanding Teacher Lifetime Achievement Award.