Five individuals, a doubles team and a full tennis team were introduced as new members of the Cotter Athletic Hall of Fame at a ceremony in the Gostomski gymnasium at the John Nett Recreation Center on Cotter’s campus on Saturday, October 10.

The new inductees included Bob Allaire’ 66, Bill Allaire ’61, Terry Fleming ’75, Damien Fair ’94, Nikki (Lynch) Peterson ’99,  Kelli (Leaf) Redinger ’97 & Sharon Miller ’99, and the 1999 Minnesota Class A state champion boys tennis team.

Prior to the individual inductions Cotter president Sr. Judith Schaefer and athletic director Shane Hedeen gave welcoming remarks.

Aimee Benz introduced her father Bob Allaire, focusing on his success as an athlete, professional, and family man. Mr. Allaire spoke of his coaches in his formative years in Winona, including Boobie Hargesheimer, Max Molock, Bob Welch and John Nett.  He also spoke about his memories of Cotter sports in the 1960s.  He then introduced his brother Bill, noting their close friendship and how he imitated his older brother on and off the ball fields. Bill also spoke of Cotter traditions and the influence of sports in his life.

Mike Fleming’s introduction noted his mother’s scrapbook of the 74-75 basketball team that Terry starred on, which he joked was “kept right next to the bible” and he also said their whole family, which includes 13 siblings, would be involved in the games.

Terry Fleming ’75 spoke about his time playing football, basketball and track for Cotter.  Fleming worked in a few humorous anecdotes, including his ‘welcome to Winona” moment when some classmates took him hunting and he accidentally discharged the gun,  a time a classmate who left football by running away from a drill to escape practice and his customary finish to his 800 meter races.  Fleming also recalled the quick hands of his opponent from St. Paul  Cretin , Paul Molitor.

Mr. Costello introduced Damien Fair ’94 and recalled his performance in the sub-section basketball tournament as a junior which earned him a full scholarship to Augustana.  He also noted his off the court accomplishments, including running a brain research lab and being honored by President Obama last year.

Fair’s talk focused on the influence of his ‘second families’ at Cotter, including the Gudmastads, Kierlins, and Wilzbachers.  He also noted how his time at Cotter prepared him for his career and how much he matured in his time here, thanks in part to his support system.

Mr. Bowlin, who coached Peterson in basketball and softball, focused on her intensity and value as a role model to her teammates, noting that she was one of the best shortstops in Cotter softball history.

Peterson, like most inductees, spoke of her debt to her parents for developing her love of sports and taking her to all the games,  her teammates, and to Mr Bowlin, whom she imitated quite convincingly a couple of times in her talk.

Former Cotter tennis coach Jeff Hallberg introduced Redinger and Miller and went through the battles they fought in getting to their State championship.

Kelli  and Sharon both praised each other’s value, as well as that of their other teammates, and the other teammates and doubles partners they had, before noting the “clean winner” that Miller struck to secure the title.

John Thomas spoke for the large contingent of 1999 tennis players who made the trip back to Winona for the event.  Coach Jeff Prondzinski praised the depth, posie, and balance of the team on their way to the title.  He also mentioned how he had assitant coach Mark Stingley doing two training runs a day to make sure the team wasn’t parked at Kwik Trip instead of running the lake.

There wqs a brunch served at the event and a large crowd in atttendance.  The next hall of fame ceremony will be at homecoming 2017.