[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 10592-10593]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      TRIBUTE TO 2007 INDUCTEES TO THE MEDFORD SPORTS HALL OF FAME

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GREG WALDEN

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 25, 2007

  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
the 10 talented men and women being inducted into the Medford Sports 
Hall of Fame on April 28, 2007, at the Skyline Plaza in Medford, OR. 
The Medford Sports Hall of Fame was established to ensure that local 
athletes, coaches, and contributors would be rightfully recognized for 
their significant support of athletics in southern Oregon both on and 
off the field. Today, I would like to share some of the stories that 
depict the inductees' illustrious athletic achievements.
  Larry Binney has spent over 40 years coaching and teaching students 
the fundamentals of softball, the importance of good sportsmanship, and 
the values of teamwork. In his last 20 seasons as the head coach of the 
North Medford Black Tornado, he produced 16 conference championships 
and 4 State championships. In 1998, he was named the ``National High 
School Coach of the Year.'' Mr. Binney concluded his distinguished 
coaching career at Southern Oregon University in 2006.
  Dick Entinger's appreciation for sports began at an early age and his 
enthusiasm for promoting athletics continued as he moved to the 
community of Medford in 1976. As a two-time president of the Medford 
Linebackers, Mr. Entinger played a key role in raising money to support 
numerous community athletic programs and projects. Perhaps two of his 
most recognizable contributions include his role in raising $700,000 to 
install FeildTurf and a new track at the Spiegelberg Stadium and 
another $800,000 to open the stadium to local soccer, band, and Pop 
Warner football teams. Today, many are able to participate in sports 
and utilize the fields, tracks, and stadiums that stand as a result of 
Mr. Entinger's hard work and commitment to the sporting community.
  BG Gould has served as the team statistician for Medford area high 
school baseball, basketball, football, and softball teams since 1967. 
The 1970 Medford High School graduate spent 13 years as an official 
scorer for the Oakland A's minor league team, the Southern Oregon 
Timberjacks. BG also worked as an umpire in the Rogue Valley for over 
35 years. Today, he continues to put his statistical and historical 
knowledge to work as the sports information director for School 
District 549-C in Medford.
  Whitney Grant, a Klamath Falls native, started 4 years as a point 
guard on the University

[[Page 10593]]

of Portland women's basketball team. By the time her collegiate career 
with the Pilots ended, Whitney ranked second in three-point baskets, 
seventh in assists, and twelfth in points scored on the team's all-time 
leaders list. Whitney was also a tremendous all-seasons athlete at 
South Medford High School, where she excelled in track, soccer, and 
volleyball. Whitney is currently working in Portland, OR, for Adidas.
  Angie Jacobs, a Medford native and a graduate of Medford Senior High 
School, led Medford to their first State softball championship in 1984 
as an all-state catcher. On scholarship at the University of 
California, Berkeley, she helped lead the softball team to a third-
place finish in the 1986 NCAA tournament. As a senior, Angie was 
selected to the All Pac-10 team, a remarkable feat considering 6 months 
prior she had her right thumb reattached following an accident. Jacobs 
is a two-time Amateur Softball Association All-American and currently 
is finishing her first season as the head softball coach at the 
University of Utah.
  Dr. Robert McIntyre is well known in Medford for his contributions to 
the medical community, where he has practiced medicine for 28 years. 
Others in the region know him for his flashing speed, State titles, and 
the track scholarship that led him to Stanford University. Among his 
many accomplishments, Dr. McIntyre was the State titleholder in the 
440-yard dash with a time of 49.2 seconds. At Stanford, he ran a leg on 
Stanford's world record breaking 4 100 yard relay team, and his 1965 
AAU All-American Team still holds the all-time Stanford relay record. 
Dr. McIntyre rounded out his athletic career participating in 
decathlons and twice finished as a national runner-up in his age group.
  Dennis J. Murphy is one of the most successful coaches in South 
Medford High School history. He spent 19 years coaching the South 
Medford High School boys' basketball team, where he compiled 11 
conference championships, four semifinal appearances, one state runner-
up finish, and a state title. He has over 500 career victories since he 
started coaching in 1975. Dennis' ability to teach and coach spans 
further than just the hardwood. Prior to his time at South Medford High 
School, Dennis coached at St. Mary's as the offensive and defensive 
line coach where he guided St. Mary's to three state championships, and 
also won a title on the baseball diamond as the head coach in 1982.
  Kevin Towers, a 1979 Medford High School graduate, became the 
Executive Vice President/General Manager of the San Diego Padres in 
1995. His 27-year professional baseball career began when Towers was 
selected in the first round of the 1982 draft by the San Diego Padres. 
He pitched for the Padres' minor league teams until arm operations 
forced him to retire. Upon retirement, Kevin moved to the front office 
where he is the longest-tenured general manager in Padres history. 
Under his guidance, the Padres won the National League West titles in 
1996, 1998, 2005, and 2006, and won the National League pennant in 
1998.
  Dr. Steven J. Wisely spent 18 years as the superintendent of the 
Medford School District. He also represented the region as the school 
district's athletic director from 1990 to 2003. Whether he was working 
with the local YMCA to ensure elementary sports were available to 
students or assisting in the development of soccer fields at North 
Medford High School, Dr. Wisely played a significant role in providing 
athletic opportunities for all youth in the community.
  Robert ``Bob'' Wolcott, a North Medford High School graduate, made 
the jump from high school to pro baseball in 1992. Selected by the 
Seattle Mariners in the second round, he spent three years in the 
minors before advancing to the big leagues in 1995. Bob may be most 
notable for his winning decision in Game 1 of the 1995 American League 
Championship Series, where he led his Mariners to a 3-2 victory over 
the Cleveland Indians. He finished the 1995 season with a victory over 
Roger Clemens and twice as many victories as losses. He currently works 
as a contract engineer for Intel.
  These highlights are just a few of the remarkable accomplishments 
made by these ten outstanding athletes and sports enthusiasts. However, 
they help illustrate the impact each has contributed to the community 
and the younger athletes that will follow in their footsteps.
  My colleagues, please join me in congratulating the newest inductees 
into the Medford Sports Hall of Fame.

                          ____________________