Bay City, Michigan – It’s been 30 years since Bay City Central’s glorious 1994 season.
And during that time, our soccer and volleyball teams achieved legendary status with their unparalleled accomplishments. You can now also add Hall of Fame status.
Central's 1994 state runner-up football and volleyball teams will headline the Bay County Sports Hall of Fame's 2024 inducting class. The Hall of Fame announced the election results Monday at its annual announcement party in Wannigan, recognizing seven individuals and two teams who will be inducted in November.
Football stars Pat Corcoran and Roger Zafranski, basketball hero Mark Witbrodt, boxing champion Scott Peterson, track and field standout Jeff Boks, diving sensation Justin Laskowski, and softball. 's ace, Angie Rosick Johnson, has been selected by over 700 lifetime voting members to join the Class of 2024. Hall of Fame.
The President's Award, selected by HOF President Jenny Thunberg to recognize dedication and commitment to the local sports scene, was presented to Mike Vincent, a longtime public address announcer at Bay City Central and other area sporting events. It will be done.
This year's inductees, along with six $1,000 scholarship recipients, will be recognized at the Hall of Fame Banquet on Sunday, Nov. 10, at the DoubleTree Hotel and Conference Center in downtown Bay City.
Let's take a closer look at the Class of 2024.
Jeff Box
The Boks, who became the first state champion in TL Handy track and field history in 1987, went on to earn NAIA All-American honors and win multiple GLIAC championships at Saginaw Valley State University. A pacesetter for the cross country team for most of his career, he was first team All-GLIAC with the league champion Cardinals in 1989. He led his two-mile relay and became NAIA indoor national runner-up in 1989 and in 1992 he won the GLIAC indoor 1500 meters. Boks won his GLIAC outdoor title in the 800 meters in 1988 and steeplechase in 1992. As a handicap cross country champion, he placed third at state in 1986. He won the 800 state title in 1987, joining Hall of Famer Joe Garrett as Handy's first state champions. He anchored his 3200 relay for the Michigan team at the Midwest Conference of Champions, where the final leg took him from third place to his first, capping off his prep career.
Pat Corcoran
The first player to go from Handy to star in Central football, he earned All-State honors as an offensive and defensive lineman in his first season and helped make the integration better in 1990. The 6-foot-3, 275-pound Bulldog who benches 430 pounds had nine sacks on defense and was selected to the MHSFCA All-Star Game. He spent his three seasons with the University of Colorado football program. He also had an illustrious career in wrestling. He won a national title at the youth level and was 102-21 at the collegiate level. He won two Bay County titles, a Saginaw Valley League title and qualified for state as a senior.
Justin Laskowski
A four-time high school All-American, Laskowski won the diving crown in 2001, becoming Bay City West's first state champion in swimming and diving history. He went undefeated as a senior, winning his third Tri-Cities Championship title and fourth Saginaw Valley League title. He continued to letter at Michigan State for his four seasons from 2002 to 2005 and served as the team's captain. Laskowski was named Big Ten Diver of the Week twice and qualified for the NCAA Zone Championships three times.
scott peterson
No fighter in the history of Michigan Golden Gloves Boxing has been to the top of the podium as often as Peterson. No one can match his accomplishment of winning six consecutive Golden Gloves state championships. He won the Open Division 147-pound title every year from 1993 to 1997, and the 156-pound title in 1998. In the national tournament he reached the semifinals twice and the quarterfinals four times. He also won three ABF state titles and finished as regional runner-up in 1993. He participated in the Olympic Trials box-off in 1996 and 1998, was the champion and most outstanding fighter at the Ohio State Fair, and won the 1989 American vs. American division. Puerto Rico showcase. He lost decisions to Olympic medalists Chris Byrd and Rosie Wells and national champion Jesse Briseno, but racked up more than 200 wins in his 30-year amateur career. The 1986 TL He Handy graduate was an outstanding runner in cross country and track. He will forever remain on Handy's school record board as part of his team's 3200 relay.
Angie Rosick Johnson
Rosick was the undeniable hero of Michigan's most historic and extraordinary high school softball state championship. She led Pinconning to the 1993 Class B state title with a 1-0 victory in her spectacular 20-inning shutout victory, allowing two hits while striking out a record 32 batters. The first-team All-Star set pinconning records that season with 31 wins, 369 strikeouts, nine no-hitters, and a 0.42 ERA. She was a four-year Division I starter at Western Michigan University from 1994 to 1997, earning All-Mid-American Conference second-team and All-MAC first-team academic honors. She graduated with a WMU record of 83 complete games and 669.2 innings pitched. Her 57 wins, 26 shutouts and 410 strikeouts all rank second in WMU history. She led the Broncos to three top-three finishes in MAC play.
roger zafranski
The University of Michigan was a Big Ten powerhouse in the mid-1970s, and Zafranski was a part of it for four seasons. He participated in his three conference championships, the 1976 Orange Bowl and he participated in the 1977 Rose Bowl. A letter winner for the second year in a row, he was established on the defensive line, but his participation was limited due to injury. He was named UM's strongest player twice for his bench press. Zafranski had a distinguished prep career as a 1973 John Glenn graduate. He was a two-time Gridiron Magazine All-American, a two-time All-Stater, received the most votes of any player in the 1972 UPI poll, and was a unanimous selection in the AP poll. . A two-time All-First Team member of the White Pine Conference, he was named the Bangor Optimist Club Athlete of the Year. After working in pharmaceutical sales for 20 years, he earned a master's degree and pursued a career in psychology, where he served as president of Cancer Patient Advocates, Inc. in New York. He recently returned to his hometown.
mark whittbrot
Wittbrodt set state records and broke nearly every school record during a whirlwind preparation period, leading Bay City Western to its first basketball championship. The 1993 graduate graduated as the program's all-time leader with her 1,408 points, which ranks fourth in Bay County history. He set a single-season record with 490 points and a single-game record with 51 points, one of only five times he has scored more than 40 points in a game. The energetic guard led Western to its first district championship in 1991 and its first winning season in 1993. He sank 70 consecutive free throws, setting a state record that stood for 16 years. Western's first All-Saginaw Valley League first-team honoree, he set school records with his career totals of 296 assists, 266 steals, 192 3-pointers and .842 free throw percentage. He is now an engineer at Consumers Energy and earned his 570 points at Michigan Technological University. He led the Huskies to their best season in 15 years and was named the team's Most Improved Player in 1995.
1994 Bay City Central Football
Coach Maury Frazier led the Timberwolves to a magical postseason run that took them to the Pontiac Silverdome. The Wolves earned the program's first playoff berth that fall, defeating No. 4 Muskegon, then Grand Ledge and Westland's John Glenn to advance to the Class AA title game. Although they lost to Troy and missed out on the title, they forever etched their place in Central football lore.
1994 Bay City Central Volleyball
Eight months before the football team was founded, Central was buzzing with the volleyball team. Coach Loreen Laracey's team excelled that season, winning the Saginaw Valley League championship. The Wolves compiled a record of 47-9-2, won district and regional titles, and advanced to the Class A state championship game, where they were stopped by Portage Northern Dynasty.
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