Jeffco School District inducted its Class of 2014 at its 29th annual Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony Wednesday, June 4, at Mount Vernon Country Club. The three new inductees, pictured left to right, were Ed Stevens, Don Osse (widow Marie Osse pictured) and John Musciano. (Dennis Pleuss)
GOLDEN — The Jeffco School District held its 29th annual Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony Wednesday.
The Class of 2014 includes longtime principal John Musciano and coaching legends Ed Stevens and Don Osse. Jeffco has inducted 88 members into its Athletic Hall of Fame since the hall’s inception in 1986.
John Musciano
Musciano’s nearly 30-year career in Jeffco started at Bear Creek High School as a teacher along with coaching basketball and baseball. He later became the principal at Bear Creek before moving on to being the principal at Pomona High School and later Standley Lake High School.
“We always talked about the importance of athletics,” Musciano said. “Extracurricular activities are the glue to complete the academic experience.”
Ed Stevens
Stevens was a graduate of Arvada High School in 1970. He began his teaching and coaching career at Alameda High School in the mid-1970. His major coaching success came in the 1990s at Wheat Ridge High School. Stevens coached the Farmers to state football titles in 1994 and 1996, along with guiding the baseball team to a state championship in 1992.
“His influence over his players was remarkable to watch,” said Tom Dowd, former assistant football coach under Stevens. “What I learned from Ed was the love and loyalty his players had for him.”
Don Osse
Osse is credited for the tremendous growth in track and field in Jeffco during the 1970s and 1980s. He began the first organized Jeffco track club in 1972. He was a teacher, track coach and cross country coach at Lakewood High School for nearly 20 years. Osse passed away of brain cancer in 1985, but influenced many future Jeffco teachers and coaches.
“He was more than a track coach,” said Bill Wright, current track coach at Lakewood High School who was a student and assistant coach under Osse. “He was a philosopher. A teacher.”
Jeffco Athletic Hall of Fame Members
1986 (Charter)
Darrel Hafling
Tom Hancock
Vernon Heaston
Bill Lewis
Mel Schwartz
1987
Hugh Bradley
Joyce Davisson
Tom Nicholls
Paul Phillips
1988
Harvey Moore
Dean Pilcher
Don Solem
1989
Irv Brown
Paul Davis
Stan Pivic
1990
Angelo Bruno
Leslie Sabey
Bill White
1991
Red Coats
Bill Nicholas
Don Pyle
1992
Alice Barron
Ken Larson
Bob Meisner
1993
Pat Druggan
Max Osborn
Mike Pappas
1994
Fred Bradley
William Doig
Lou Rillos
1995
Robert McKendry
1996
Bob Brown
Lo Hunter
Joe Romig
1997
Vince Greco
1998
George Colbert
Don Cooper
Frank Palmeri
1999
John Hoskins
Brian McGregor
Mike Winant
2000
Jayne Gibson-McHugh
Al Morris
Dennis Shepherd
2001
Sheila Hasenkamp
Mary Kvamme
Gary Goings
2002
Rob Binford
Bob Ottewill
2003
Dennis Eckley
John Groninger
Don Shaw
2004
Tanya Haave
Dennis Hastings
2005
Byron (By) Hanson
Gary Klatt
Colleen Stradley
2006
Tom Beeson
Betty Krueger
2007
Freddie Joe Steinmark
2008
Laura Haase
Ed Kintz
Dr. H.H. Maruyama
Bob Stokes
2009
Christine Bullard
Carl Churches
George Heath
Dave Logan
Sherm Pruitt
2010
Kevin Land
Duane Lewis
2011
Sara Anundsen
Amy McDonnell
Rebekah McDowell
Gary Osse
2012
Ray Baker
Mark LaGrone
John “Jack” Ponis
Marilyn Wilcox
2013
Wendy Braye Davies
Jerry Madden
C. Thomas McCormick
John McGuire
Brian Schneider
G. Stanley Ward
2014
John Musciano
Don Osse
Ed Stevens