An esteemed foursome of former Enumclaw coaches – who account for a combined 131 years of shaping young lives – will be welcomed Friday night into the EHS Athletic Hall of Fame.
During halftime of the Jan. 24 basketball game in Chuck Smith Gymnasium, the doors to the Hall will swing open for Bob Kilmer, Dan Hennessy, Tim Nelson and Rob Christensen. Immediately following the game there will be a social gathering in the EHS commons.
There will be no admission fee specifically for the ceremony, but those attending will pay the normal admission fee to the EHS sporting event.
Here’s a look at the four members of the Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
BOB KILMER
Bob Kilmer retired following 32 years of coaching both wrestling and golf at Enumclaw High and Enumclaw Middle School.
On the wrestling side, he was an assistant at EHS in 1985-86 then took over the head coaching duties until 1992. Highlights include being named league Coach of the Year in 1988, regional Coach of the Year in 1989 and guiding his Hornets to a fourth-place finish at the 1991 state meet.
Kilmer did double duty from 1986-89, serving as an assistant wrestling coach at Enumclaw Middle School.
He headed the EHS golf program from 1999 to 2017 after joining the program as an assistant in 1994. He was twice named the league Golf Coach of the Year and guided the Enumclaw High girls’ team to a 2008 state championship.
In all, Kilmer’s wrestling and golf teams collected 51 championships and placed in the state’s top four a dozen times. He has been nominated for the Washington State Coaches Hall of Fame.
DAN HENNESSY
A fixture on the Enumclaw High baseball scene, Dan Hennessy enters the EHS Hall of Fame with 147 career victories to his name.
He began coaching the EHS program in 1976 as a volunteer assistant under the legendary Frank Osborne. He headed the Hornet junior varsity program through the 1992 season and then took the varsity reins. He was EHS skipper from 1993 until retiring from coaching and teaching in 2005.
Honors came Hennessy’s way through the years, including being named Pierce County League Coach of the Year in 1994 and South Puget Sound League Coach of the Year in 2003.
His Hornet teams made four regional appearances and twice (1997 and 2003) placed fifth in the state tournament. His teams took ninth-place state honors in 1998 and 2002. All four showings came when EHS competed at the Class 4A level.
TIM NELSON
Tim Nelson built a lengthy resume during his 32 years as a coach in the district, heading up programs in baseball, football, basketball, wrestling and softball at both the high school and middle school levels.
From 1988 to 1994 he helmed the EHS girls’ softball team, taking the Hornets to five state appearances while capturing three league championships and a trio of district titles.
From 1992 to 1998 he directed the EHS girls’ basketball team and was on the bench for 147 Hornet victories. In his final season his squad earned league and district championships before heading off to the state tournament and returning home with a second-place trophy. That wasn’t the only state-level success story: Nelson’s EHS teams placed third in 1995 and seventh in 1997.
During his career Nelson received numerous Coach of the Year accolades and in 1998 was named head coach for the Washington-Oregon Girls Basketball All-Star Game.
ROB CHRISTENSEN
All told, Rob Christensen spent the better part of four decades molding young athletes, primarily at the middle school level.
The record shows he served 38 years as head wresting coach at Enumclaw Junior High/Middle School. Additionally, there were 37 seasons with the school’s football team, 28 of those years as head coach. And then there were 20 seasons as a seventh-grade baseball coach, five years as head track coach at EMS and two years at the high school, serving as an assistant in both the football and wrestling programs.
Through the years, Nelson’s teams delivered numerous league championships, posting undefeated seasons in both football and wrestling.
The years of dedication and success did not go without recognition. At Enumclaw Middle School, the Christensen Award was created in 2012 and is bestowed each year upon the male Athlete of the Year.
THE EXISTING HOF ROSTER
The current EHS Athletic Hall of Fame roster looks like this, listed by year of induction.
1998-1999: Wes Borreson, Frank Lancaster, Frank Osborne, Gary Radliff, Tommy Thompson.
2000-01: 1915 basketball team, 1936 football team, 1937 basketball team, 1977 baseball team.
2001-02: Charles J. (Chuck) Smith, Robert D. Campbell, Tom Poe Jr., 1982 golf team, Resa (Watterson) Bolton.
2002-03: 1930-31 boys’ basketball team, Doug Dickson, 1933-34 football team, Fred West, 1988-89 girls’ swim/dive team.
2003-04: 1989 girls tennis team, Guy Hanson, Sheldon (Shelly) Thiel, Ed Annas Wozeniak, Harold Lokovsek.
2004-05: Ray DeJong, Mary (Anderson) Holland, Whitney (Sleigh) Jorgenson, Ron Miller, Joy (Harmon) Safakish.
2005-06: Neil Balsley, Dick Kovacevich, Charles Basteyns, 1978 state champion girls’ 800-meter relay team, Lewis Lobdell.
2006-07: 1958 boys’ basketball team, Vance Spangler, Dale Ehler, Rob Paschich.
2007-08: 1984 state champion 200 medley relay team, Dan Shannon, Ed Stricherz, Gary Sambila.
2008-09: 1985 slowpitch team, Dale Blad, Dave Van Hoof.
2009-10: Pele (Houk) Godkin, Kevin Knutson.
2010-11: Kevin Abramson, Rich Hall, Tori (Hall) Ammons, Alan Hall, Warren Lokovsek.
2011-12: 1969 football team.
2012-13: 1998 girls’ basketball team.
2013-14: Dennis Hagan, Sue Fallen-Campanoli.
2014-15: Tim Tubbs.
2015-16: Mike Hanson, Dorothy (Lokovsek) Sleigh.
2017: Lee Reichert.
2018: Jeremy Oliver, Jill (Callero) Mestler.
2019: Bill Hawk.
2020: Ty Watterson, Allison (Tubbs) Mandi.
2021-22: No inductions.
2023: 2008 girls’ golf team, 2012 gymnastics squad, Alda McNeeley.
2004: Jake Gonzales, Chase Smith, 2008 wrestling team.
