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Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2024

The Kirkwood School District celebrated the work of athletes, coaches, and community members on and off the playing field, pool, mats, and court on September 6 and 7 during a full weekend of events to celebrate the KHS Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2024.

On Friday night, the inductees were honored at a recognition ceremony held during halftime of the KHS Varsity football game. Each inductee, or a representative on their behalf, was acknowledged during the event.

On Saturday, the group reconvened in the David Holley Assembly Hall for the unveiling of the Hall of Fame plaques and a tour of campus. The group then attended a pre-event reception before entering the Keating Theatre for the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Doug Vaughn (KHS ‘74) emceed the ceremony. Each inductee was introduced, had the opportunity for an acceptance speech, and was presented with a “Crystal K’ award.

Over 600 people attended Saturday’s event, where 12 athletes, five teams, three coaches, and two community members were inducted.

The Athletic Hall of Fame aims to honor athletes, coaches, and community members who have made significant contributions to Kirkwood High School athletics or have achieved recognition at the collegiate or professional level. Additionally, the inductees serve as role models for our student-athletes, inspiring them to strive toward their full potential.

The honorees inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2024 include:

 Kirkwood High School Hall of Fame Athletes

**James E. Johnson, Class of 1938
Football, Track and Field

Johnson received multiple varsity letters in football, wrestling, and track and field while attending KHS. He was co-captain of the football and track teams during his senior year. He was the Missouri State AAU high school high hurdle champion his senior year. He received a full athletic scholarship to the University of Missouri. At Mizzou, he was a member of the Big Six High Championship in 1940. He was selected to be a member of the U.S. Olympic team, but those games never materialized due to the war in Europe. He enlisted in the Navy and opted for a commission into the Marine Corps in 1942. After three combat tours, he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and several single-mission Air Medals. He declined an opportunity to play professional football for the Los Angeles Rams, and continued with his military service, serving in the Korean War and Vietnam War. After retiring from the Marine Corps, Johnson settled in Honolulu, Hawaii as an investment broker. He passed away after a hard-fought battle with Leukemia, likely onset from exposure to Agent Orange during his time in Vietnam. He is buried at the Arlington National Cemetery.

**Richard Reid Morley, Class of 1960 
Football, Basketball, Track and Field

Morley is a beloved member of the KHS Class of 1960. He is touted as one of the best athletes in the class as a football, basketball, and track and field team member, earning nine Varsity letters during his time as a Pioneer. On the gridiron, he was selected as the running back of the First Team All-District and Suburban League football teams and was selected as Honorable Mention to the All-State Football Team. Outside the classroom, he was an ideal student and class citizen who treated everyone with dignity and respect. He was involved in multiple clubs and events at KHS including KHS Student Council, Mixed Choir, and the Projector Club. He continued his football career at Missouri State University and then on to the Air Force as a running back. He played in Europe for several seasons and earned the opportunity to try out for the Oakland Raiders and other NFL teams in 1966. However, a knee injury ended his pursuit as a player. He continued his love for the game and transitioned to coaching the Kirkwood Cardinals Junior Football Program. During this time, he coached many future Kirkwood Pioneer football legends. Morley had a 30-year career in the tele-medicine market for global companies. He retired in Indiana. After the KHS Hall of Fame committee voted in Richard, a group of his high school friends and made the 6-hour drive to Indiana to personally inform him of his selection into the Kirkwood High School Athletic Hall of Fame. He was in hospice care. Morley passed away a few days later in March 2024. Richard was preceded in death by his son Brett, and daughter Caitlin. Morley is survived by his son Robert, daughter Melissa; and grandchildren Jordan, Megan, and Ryan; and brother Patrick. 

David C. Davis, Class of 1977
Football

David Davis racked up countless awards as a Defensive End for the Pioneer Football Team. After his senior year, he was chosen as a High School All-American and was named to the Sunkist All-American Team, the Adidas All-American Team and the National Prep Sports All-American Team. He was also named as the Suburban Defensive Player of the Year. These accolades earned him a spot on the KHS All-Century Football Team in 2007. After graduating, he played collegiately for the University of Colorado, then transferred to Wichita State University. While at Wichita State, he was named to the Associated Press 1st Team All-Conference Football Team and the Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American Team. He was also named the Wichita State Defensive Player of the Year. Before his senior year in college, Davis was rated as one of the top ten Defensive Ends in the country by "Pro Football Weekly". Davis suffered a serious leg injury before his senior year and missed most of the season. He eventually signed a free agent contract with the St. Louis Cardinals Football Team and the Tamp Bay Bandits of the USFL. After football, he served 24 years as a Criminal Investigator/Deputy U.S. Marshal with the U.S. Marshals Service and ended his career as a Supervisory Deputy. Davis also served 27 years on active and reserve duty as a Green Beret in the U.S. Army Special Forces and completed three combat tours after 9/11. In December 2022, he received a Presidential Appointment as the United States Marshal for the Southern District of Illinois and was sworn into office in January 2023. David and his wife Laraine reside in Kirkwood. They have two children: Natalie and Marques, and two grandchildren: Grace and Alexis.

Patty (Shadowens) Godfrey, Class of 1984
Cross Country, Basketball, Track & Field

Patty Godfrey was an 11-time KHS Varsity letter winner as a member of the cross-country, basketball, and track and field teams. Her running and track abilities earned her placements at state, including a back-to-back third-place finish in Cross Country and a 4th place finish in the High Jump her senior year.  She captained the Cross Country, Basketball, and Track & Field teams her senior year.  Her High Jump record still stands after 40 years and her 300 Meter Hurdles record stood for over 30 years. Her high school accomplishments earned her St. Louis Post-Dispatch Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Army Reserve National Scholar-Athlete accolades. She continued as a heptathlete for the University of Kansas. She later earned her bachelor's and MBA at the University of Houston where she worked and taught for over 13 years. Her love for running continues which she now shares with her community in Houston, Texas. She has served as a Marathon and 1/2 Marathon Coach, and Triathlon Coach.  One of her greatest athletic accomplishments was the completion of an Ironman Triathlon (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run).  She has been the director and event coordinator for multiple racing events, raising over $5 million for various organizations and charities. The city of Houston recognized her efforts in promoting a healthy and active lifestyle by designating March 24, 2018, as "Patty Godfrey Day." Patty and her husband Kevin have two children: Catherine and Jack, a son-in-law: Frank, and two grandchildren: Rosina and Lily.

Matt Krapfl, Class of 2005
Football, Basketball

Krapfl led the Pioneer football team to the 2004 State Semifinal game as team captain and quarterback. He threw for 3,047 yards and completed 179 of 255 passes his senior season. He had 28 passing touchdowns and seven rushing touchdowns and was named Class 6 Player of the Year. His other honors included First Team All-State and All-Conference quarterback. He also won the Ray Moss Award for Sportsmanship and the McKenzie Award as the MVP of the Suburban West Conference. He was one of 50 athletes in the nation named Old Spice Red Zone Player of the Year for Missouri. He was elected the Gatorade Player of the Year and the KHS All-Century Team. Krapfl also has fond memories as a member of the KHS a capella choir. After his time at KHS, Krapfl continued his career as a quarterback at Missouri State University. Throughout the years, he has continued to support the Pioneers as an assistant coach, including the 2012 state championship team. Krapfl is a sales manager with Abstrakt Marketing in St. Louis and coaches at Elite Football Academy. Krapfl is the son of Larry and Connie Krapfl and has two brothers who played football for the Pioneers: Andrew and Bradley. 

Ben Wood, Class of 2005
Golf

Ben Wood was an athlete for the Golf, Ice Hockey, and Football Team.  His swing on the course earned him the 2005 Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Individual Class 4 Championship Title as well as the St. Louis Post Dispatch Player of the Year distinction.  He went on to golf at Miami University (OH) where he was selected to the Mid-American All-Conference Team his junior year.  He was also a two-time Academic All-American and two-time Team Captain.  After college, he played four years of professional golf participating in golf tours and professionally sanctioned tournaments nationwide.  Wood earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business and is currently employed by Adaptive Solutions Group as a Senior Account Manager.  Wood resides in Kirkwood and has been an Assistant Coach for the Kirkwood Ice Hockey team for the past ten years.  He is the son of Tom and Becky Wood.

Mark Zalewski, Class of 2006
Water Polo, Swimming

Mark Zalewski co-captained his water polo team at KHS as a senior and was named the Missouri Offensive Player of the Year after a 134-goal season. A four-year Varsity starter, Zalewski was his conference’s Player of the Year twice and was a St. Louis Post-Dispatch Scholar Athlete as a senior. Zalewski was selected as an All-State swimmer, Missouri Offensive Player of the Year, and an All-American. Zalewski excelled in the classroom and continued his academic and athletic career at Princeton University. Zalewski impacted the water polo team all four years at Princeton. He had a career year as a senior, earning Third-Team ACWPC All-America honors and First-Team All-South and All-East recognition. He was also named The 2010 Daily Princetonian's Male Athlete of the Year after he scored a career-high 57 goals to lead the Tigers. Zalewski added 18 assists, 29 steals, and a 9-5 record on sprints. Zalewski scored goals in 23 of Princeton's 28 games and had more than one goal in 17 contests. Zalewski resides in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife Marian and son Hank.

Kelsey Anagnos, Class of 2006
Swimming, Diving and Water Polo

In the pool, Kelsey Anagnos was a four-year Varsity letter winner and three-time MSHSAA diving champion on the one-meter board. She won the 2004 state title with an 11-dive score of 447, followed by state title-winning scores of 470.5 in 2005 and 446 in 2006. She was selected as an All-American during her junior and senior years at KHS. She continued to make a splash at the University of Miami. As a Redhawk, she was an NCAA Zone Diving Qualifier and placed at the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships multiple times throughout her collegiate career.

Devonna Smith, Class of 2008
Basketball, Soccer, Softball, Volleyball, Track and Field

Smith was an all-around standout athlete for the Pioneers. She was a four-year letter winner in track and field, a two-year letter winner in volleyball, and lettered in both soccer and softball. She excelled the highest on the basketball court for the Pioneers as a four-year letter winner. She averaged 19.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, and 2.0 assists per game. She earned First Team All-State honors, and was named Suburban West Player of the Year, tabbed to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s second team All-Metro, and was a McDonald’s All-American nominee. She graduated with a school record of 204 blocked shots and was second in career points (1,339) and career rebounds (855). After high school, she spent one season each at Saint Louis University and Mineral Area College before transferring to the University of Missouri-St. Louis. At UMSL, she earned Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) first-team and defensive team honors. Smith was selected to the UMSL All-Decade team where she amassed over 1,000 points scored. After graduating with degrees in both social work and criminal justice, she continued to play, transitioning to play professionally for the St. Louis Surge women's basketball team, earning a national championship victory in 2014.

She has served as a collegiate basketball coach and as a high jump coach for the Pioneers. 

Smith continues to make a difference in her community as the founder of See Me I Am Human Too, a company that collaborates with local artists and designers to promote diverse perspectives through clothing products.  Devonna is the daughter of Joyce Smith, Stacey Thompson, and Robert Thompson. Devonna and her partner Paula reside in St. Louis.

Stephen Doty, Class of 2009
Wrestling

Doty battled on the mat for the Pioneers during his high school career. His senior year as captain, he was undefeated and earned the MSHSAA State Championship in the 171-pound category for wrestling. He still holds the KHS record for most wins in a season (55) and most pins (35). He earned a scholarship and went on to a successful wrestling career at the University of Virginia where he was a two-time NCAA Championship qualifier. As a Cavalier, Doty was the 11th national seed at 174 pounds and took second place at the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championships. He earned his degree in Civil Engineering. Stephen and his wife, Sarah, reside in Troy, IL, and have a daughter, Annalyn, and a son, James.

MyCole Pruitt, Class of 2010
Football, Basketball, Volleyball, Track and Field

Pruitt was a standout athlete at KHS with his most standout performances on the gridiron. He was also an accomplished basketball, volleyball, and track athlete. As a tight end for the Pioneers, Pruitt earned awards including being selected to the St. Louis Rams Golden Horn Elite, and Old Spice Red Zone Player of the Year. His hard work earned him a scholarship to Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. In college, he continued to rack up awards, including Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Conference Honorable Mention, Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer, and Missouri Valley Conference First Team All-American. After college, Pruitt continues a successful career in the National Football League. He’s been a member of the Vikings, Bears, Texas, Titans, and Falcons. Pruitt is currently signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He and his partner Lauren Young have two children: Vivielle and Myelle.

Lianna Doty, Class of 2012
Basketball, Track & Field

Lianna Doty led the Pioneers to three consecutive conference girl’s basketball championships and two District championships. She set career records in assists and steals, earning her First-Team All-Conference selection three times, First-Team All-District honors twice, and was named to the ESPN HoopGurlz All-Passing Team. She won the Larry Hughes Outstanding Student-Athlete Award and was recognized as the Most Outstanding Chemistry Student and Senior Engineering Student of the Year. She continued to excel on the court and in the classroom for the Missouri Tigers. As a student athlete, she was selected to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman Team, and SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2013-14. She also earned a spot on the SEC Academic Honor Roll her entire collegiate career. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Lianna is the daughter of Jay and Sandra Doty. Her siblings are Nicole, Stephen and Sarah, Elisa, Erin, Kirsten, Regina, Reuben and Shelby.

Kirkwood High School Hall of Fame Teams


1962 Boys Cross Country Team
The 1962 Boys Cross Country Team, known as the “Kirkwood Pioneer Roadrunners”, swept the state cross-country championship. Team member **Mike Hensgen was the individual state champion. The state-winning team members are Mike Hensgen, Dan Dykstra, **J.L. Charleville, Rod Bruckdorfer, **Charlie Harris, **Rick Haefele, Tom Goodwin, Steve Jones, and Doug McDougall. The team was coached by Kent Overby (KHS ‘56). 

1964 Boys Cross Country Team
The 1964 team set a new state record, earning 54 points. **Jim Olson was the individual state champion, and team members Rob Bruckdorfer, Gary Schmidt, and **Bill Barrow finished in the top 15. Other team members include Mike Bosworth, **John Rogers, Phil Mills, Bill Pape, Bob Leonard, and Gary Schmidt. After an outstanding showing at the state meet, the Pioneers competed in nationals, earning second in the nation.  

1981 Girls 4x800 Relay
The 1981 Girls 4x800 Relay was one of the first post-Title IX teams to reach a new pinnacle of success for female athletes. The four team members: Pam (Palmer) Harris, Susan (Zuroweste) Darby, Chris Ridenour-Boothby, and **Jane (Reichard) Krueger, raced their way to a state championship in the MSHSAA Track and field 4x800 Relay event with a time of 9:17.21. This state record time was held for over 20 years.  

1996 Girls Volleyball Team
The 1996 Girls Volleyball Team is the first Class Four MSHSAA state championship volleyball team in KHS history. Many team members also comprised the 1995 team, who finished third in the MSHSAA state tournament. The team members are Cory Tillman, Maureen Bryan, Carey Zeigler, **Beth Brown, Sarah Jones, Casey Smith, Katie Lyon, LeeAnn Karr, Susan (Przybylinski) Lucas, Lori (Link) Pelling, Rachael (Taylor) Maurer, Rachel (Ahlers) Perkowski, and Courtney Phelan. The team was coached by Keith Price, Daryl Hemenway, and Susie Richmann. Keith Clawson served as team manager. 

 1997 Girls Cross Country Team
The 1997 Girls Cross Country Team made history by winning Kirkwood High School’s MSHSAA Class Four State Championship. Kimberly (Moore) Deckel finished sixth in the state, Meredith (Dobson) Pearl finished seventh, and Karen (Rogers) Rinehart ran her way to a ninth-place finish. Other team members on the state championship team include Claire Pabody, Colleen (Copple) Sears, Rachael Salisbury, Mary Reeves, Becky (Streb) Canatsey, Caitlin Burbank, Tamara Evans, and Valerie (Osborne) Green. The team was coached by Coach Ken Finnerty, Leslie Calbert, and Christy Jarvis. Coach Finnerty is being inducted into the 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame as an Outstanding Coach. 

 Kirkwood High School Hall of Fame Coaches

**Louis Diaz
Coach Louis “Lou” Diaz was well known equally for his baseball coaching skills along with his people skills. He was a friend and mentor to all high school kids who were fortunate enough to have him help mold their lives. Diaz was a Spanish Teacher at Kirkwood High School. Diaz was at the helm as head coach from 1978 to 1992 for the Pioneers. 

Ken Finnerty
Coach Ken Finnerty began coaching girls’ cross country in 1992 and five years later won the MSHSAA Cross Country Championship in 1997. For eight consecutive seasons, Coach Finnerty led a qualifying cross-country team from KHS to the state meet. This run began in 1993 and ended in 2000. In addition, Finnerty coached several track and field distance athletes to medal finishes in the state meet, meaning top 9 finishes. The 1997 First Place Team is part of this 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame induction class.

Jerry Warren
Coach Jerry Warren is a beloved coach by both football and wrestling athletes at KHS. Warren is valued and appreciated for his multiple resuscitations of the KHS wrestling program in the 1980s. His legacy is several State wrestling champions and developing the KHS program that continues to be one of the most respected wrestling programs in the state. Countless former athletes and colleagues credit him for his guidance of young men to become better people through the principles he taught his athletes through sports.

 Kirkwood High School Hall of Fame Pioneer Award Recipients

Recipients of the Pioneer Award made significant contributions to Kirkwood High School athletics.

Dave and Jill Haring
Dave and Jill Haring are beloved members of the Kirkwood community as business owners, philanthropists, and engaged and active parents. During their time supporting  Kirkwood schools, the Harings worked tirelessly to raise money for KHS athletic programs. The Harings were instrumental in the stadium renovation program and preserved the old nostalgic bleachers into a fundraising opportunity for the Pioneer Boosters Program. The Harings continue to volunteer their time in coaching and supporting kids across the community.

**Honorees who are recognized posthumously.

September 6, 2024 Hall of Fame Tailgate Party and Halftime Recognition

Saturday, September 7 Induction Ceremony