Sports Hall of Fame names 2022 inductees. 

Sports Hall of Fame names 2022 inductees. 

The Mason County Sports Hall of Fame (MCSHOF) has released the names of the Class of 2022 inductees. “It is extremely difficult, out of so many deserving athletes, to choose only six to be honored each year,” said Vic Burwell, president of the Mason County Sports Hall of Fame. “We have a couple hundred names on our list of athletes who have been nominated to the Hall and all seem deserving,” Burwell went on to explain.

The selection process takes several months as the board of directors spends significant time researching, reviewing and discussing qualified candidates before the efforts culminate in a selection night when those chosen for induction must receive a two-thirds vote of the directors.

The Class of 2022 includes a wrestling state champion who also excelled at the state and world level in fast pitch softball, where he received all American honors; an all-around athlete from Free Soil who played in the 50s and was twice named first team all-state in basketball and was a track state champion; an athlete who competed in four Iditarod dog sled races, braving the icy terrain in a race that takes the brave men and women who attempt it, with their sled dog team, across the great state of Alaska; a coach with 302 wins in softball and a .728 win percentage and is a fast pitch softball all-American; a track standout who threw javelin, discuss and shot put at Ferris State University, was a state champion in shot put with a state record in 1979, and a member of a softball state runner-up team; and a first team all-state high school basketball star who went on to play four years of basketball at Northwood College.

The Hall will induct Bob Cameron; Lyford Young; Al Hardman; Christy Christmas; Jill (Treml) Stickney; and Mike Evans as the Class of 2022.

“The MCSHOF Is proud to induct these outstanding athletes into their new home of honor and recognition.  The MCSHOF Class of 2022 certainly brings a level of athletic achievement that merits their enshrinement into this hall of honor.  We will be inducting individuals from Ludington, Mason County Central, Mason County Eastern, and Free Soil High Schools, and another who is a longtime resident of Mason County.  This Class of 2022 has experienced a degree of success in sports that ranks equal to those inducted previously in our hall of legacy.  The MCSHOF Board of Directors congratulates these athletes and looks forward to celebrating the enshrinement festivities on June 25, 2022; at noon for the unveiling of the plaques at Historic White Pine Village and the banquet at 6:00 pm at Lincoln Hills Golf and Country Club,” said Burwell.

Bob Cameron, of Scottville, graduated in 1979 from Mason County Central. His senior year he was undefeated at 167 pounds and went on to claim the state championship in wrestling as he assisted his team in claiming the state runner-up title that year. Cameron went to Western Michigan University intending to wrestle, but WMU dropped their wrestling program. Bob also participated in track and cross country in high school, earning three varsity letters in each. He ran a 4:30 mile his senior year. 

Cameron was also a standout fast pitch softball player after high school. He played on an ASA Class B State Championship team in 1988 and in the National Tournament in Las Cruses, New Mexico that same year. He also was a member of an ASA Class A State Championship team and played in Nationals in Sacremento, California. Cameron also played on two ISC State Championship teams and in the World Tourney in Victoria, British Columbia and in Sioux City, Iowa. These honors occurred while playing for Schoenherr Investments or Floracraft, both high caliber teams from Mason County.

Later, Cameron played with Kelder Poured Walls and that team won the NAFA National Championship in Mankato, Minnestoa and Cameron was selected as an All-American. 

Lyford Young played basketball and ran track at Free Soil high school, graduating with the Class of 1955. Lyford was a first team All-WMD Conference selection in 1953, 1954 and 1955. His team won the District Championship in 1954 and 1955. In the 1954-55 season, Young scored 420 points, averaging 19.1 points per game. Young went on to score 975 points in his high school career. In both 1954 and 1955 Young was selected to the All-State first team. Young played basketball in 1955-56 at Adrian College.

Lyford Young also excelled in track at Free Soil. He earned four varsity letters  in track and was WMD champion in 1953 in the 100 yard dash, the 220 yard dash, and was first at the CMU Relays in the Sprint Medley Relay. In 1954 he was again WMD champion in the 220 yard dash and in the shot put and the Medley Relay. 

Lyford Young passed away in January 2016 at the age of 79.

Alvin “Al” Hardman loved adventure and when he was in his 50s, he competed in his first of four Iditarod sled dog races, one of the most grueling sports events in the world. The Iditarod is 1,151 miles long. Hardman’s best  finish was in 2002 when he was 21st. His last Iditarod was run in 2004 when he was in his early 60’s. Hardman competed in races across the United States, finishing fourth in “Race to the Sky” in Montana in 2011 and 10th in the “Can Am” in Maine in 2012, at the age of 69.

Hardman built a successful construction company in Amber Township, Hardman Construction, and was generous in giving back to his community.  He demonstrated and cultivated great leadership at the company. 

Hardman had a love for the outdoors and enjoyed hunting, fishing and loved the adventure of a good whitewater rafting run. Hardman passed away in March 2021, at the age of 78.

Christy Christmas, of Ludington, graduated in 1979 from Mason County Central. Christmas coached softball at Mason County Central where the team accumulated 302 wins during her tenure. She had seven West Michigan Conference titles, six district titles, three regional titles, and twice took her team to the state semi-finals, each time losing by one run to the eventual state champion. Christmas was a six time District Coach of the Year and three-time Regional Coach of the Year. She was selected to coach in the Muskegon Community College and Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association All-Star softball games and was selected All-Area Softball Coach by the Muskegon Chronicle. Christmas also coached volleyball at Mason County Central where her teams were ranked as high as eighth in the state coaches poll.

As a sophomore, Christmas was a starter on the 1976 MHSAA Class C State Runner-up basketball team. She played softball, basketball and volleyball at Grand Rapids Baptist College, now Cornerstone University, where she was an All-Conference selection and MVP. She scored 1,109 points in basketball and is a member of the Cornerstone University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Playing ASA fast-pitch softball, Christmas played on state championship teams with Scottville Scotties and Metalworks. The Metalworks team competed in three National ASA tournaments with a runner-up finish in College Station, Texas, where Christmas was selected as All-American, second team.

Jill (Treml) Stickney, of Custer, played basketball and softball and ran track at Mason County Eastern. In 1979, her senior year, Stickney was a state champion in shot put, setting a new state record that year with a throw of 41′ 7 3/8″ (12.68 meters). She also placed fifth in the discus with a throw of 107′ 2″ and was the Mason County track champion in shot put and discus. The 1979 track team was the state runner-up.  Stickney also took second place in shot put at the state meet and fourth in 1977 and second in 1976, all in shot put.

Stickney also excelled in softball, first as a member of the 1977 state runner-up softball team at MCE, when she pitched and played center field and then as a member of the ASA state champion Scottville Scotties team, where she played left field and received numerous honors for her outstanding defensive and offensive play. Stickney was also a WMD All-Conference selection in 1978 and 1979.

Along with throwing shot put and discus, Stickney began throwing javelin while a member of the track team at Ferris State University. Upon graduation from Ferris, Stickney held numerous college records at Ferris. Her best throw in shot put was 41′ 6″, still the fifth best throw in FSU history.

Jill (Treml) Stickney also coached softball at Mason County Central, from 1983-1994. She also had a teaching career in special education and was assistant principal at the high school for a couple years.

Mike Evans graduated from Ludington High School in 1963. He played basketball and baseball for the Orioles and in 1963, was a Free Press all-state first team selection. He averaged over 18 points per game in 1963 and was chosen to Wood TV’s West Michigan All Star Team. In both 1962 and 1963, Evans was selected to the North Central Conference first team.

Evans was considered to be on the cutting edge for guards in the state with his amazing ability to do two things on the hard court that made him stand out amongst point guards of his time.  One, his ability to see the entire court and to snap a “no look” pass to a cutting teammate for a classic assist.  Second, to bring the ball up the court, and pull up for a mid range “jump shot” that other point guards in the state, at that time, could not accomplish.  A coach of an opposing team once stated, “Evans was just smooth.”

Evans went on to play four years of varsity basketball at Northwood College, starting three of those years.

The Mason County Sports Hall of Fame, located in Ludington, Michigan, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, honoring and enshrining those who have made outstanding contributions to sports in Mason County. The Hall of Fame is housed at Historic White Pine Village, as is the newly renovated, interactive Beyond the Game: The Value of Sports exhibit. This exhibit is dedicated to educating individuals about the life lessons learned through sport and the positive life-long impact sports has on those who compete. 

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