June 27, 2003
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – Georgia Tech head men’s track and field coach Grover Hinsdale is among nine athletes and a veteran coach that will be inducted into the Ferris State University Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame this fall.
Chosen as the Class of 2003 are: Paul Cochran of Lincoln Park, football and track (1987-90); Dick Dolack of Muskegon, baseball and officiating (1951-55); Charley Evans of Inkster, football (1974-77): Carmen Fanzone of Sherman Oaks, Calif., baseball (1960-61); Walt Franczek of Eastport, golf (1960-64); Grover Hinsdale of Duluth, Ga., track (1973-78); Paul Jungck of Silverthorne, Colo., wrestling (1981-85); Sam Ketchman, coach and athletics director (1953-68); Paul Lowden of Grand Rapids, hockey (1983-87); and Dave Surofchek of Colorado Springs, Colo., wrestling (1988-93). Ketchman is deceased.
The 10 will join 33 honorees already enshrined during the fourth annual Induction Banquet on September 19 at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center in Big Rapids. A 16-member Selection Committee of faculty, staff, alumni and community members chose the inductees from among 59 nominees. The Selection Committee also picked emeritus faculty member Joan Nelson to receive an Athletics Special Service Award.
Hinsdale, a former decathlete and assistant coach at Ferris, reached stardom as men’s track coach at Georgia Tech. Now in his 24th year as a Yellow Jacket, he has coached four Olympic gold medallists, three World Champions, seven USA Track and Field Champions, four Goodwill Games medallists, 13 NCAA Champions, 65 All-Americans, 69 Atlantic Coast Conference Champions and 114 All-ACC honorees. He received the 2000 USATF Outstanding Coach Award in honor of his coaching of 2000 Olympic goal medallist Angelo Taylor and was 2002 ACC Coach of the Year. The Sand Creek, Mich., native lettered four years in track at Ferris and was the conference discus champ and team MVP. He won the Coaches Award for excellence twice, was elected team captain three straight seasons and earned four letters. After graduating, he was an assistant coach for three years under Ray Helsing. He left FSU in 1978 for Eastern Kentucky University where he was an assistant for two years. He left FSU in 1978 for Eastern Kentucky University where he was an assistant for two years. Hinsdale has led Tech to a pair of top five and four top 10 finishes in NCAA title meets. After coaching field events for 14 years, he was promoted to assistant head coach in 1992 and became Tech head coach the next year. Hinsdale resides in Duluth with his wife, Laura, and three children.
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