Inaugural ‘Ronan Hall of Fame’ members announced
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News from School District No. 30 Ronan Community Hall of Fame Committee
RONAN — School District No. 30/Ronan Community Hall of Fame Committee is pleased and honored to announce the inaugural class for induction into the “Ronan Hall of Fame.” The Committee considered many worthy candidates before choosing the seven individuals and two teams making up the first class. Short bios of the selections are included below.
A community Induction Celebration will be held Friday, Feb. 4, 2022 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at the Ronan Community Center. The public is invited to take part in celebration activities. A short recognition ceremony will take place during the Ronan/Polson basketball games later that day in the Ronan Event Center.
“Distinguished Alumni” Category
Laverne Parrish
Technician Fourth Grade Laverne Parish of Pablo was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on Thursday evening, Aug. 2, 1945 in the Ronan City Park. The Congressional Medal of Honor is the highest award the nation can bestow upon its heroes. Sergeant Parrish was medical aid man with Army Company C during fighting in Luzon, Philippines on Jan. 18 and 24 of 1945. On the 18th, he observed two wounded men under enemy fire and immediately went to their rescue. On the 24th, while under heavy fire he carried five men to safety and treated nearly all of the 37 casualties suffered by his company before being mortally wounded himself. Mr. Parrish was born in Knox City, Missouri in 1919 and moved to Montana with his parents in 1934. He entered the Service in 1941 following graduation from Ronan High School in 1937.
“Distinguished Athlete or Coach” Category
Marvin Camel
Marvin Camel became boxing’s first Native American world champion in 1980 when he defeated Mate Parlov in Las Vegas for the World Boxing Council Cruiserweight Belt. In 1983 Camel added the International Boxing Federation’s Cruiserweight Title. Camel is the only world boxing champion to come out of the state of Montana. When he retired from professional boxing in 1990, Camel had compiled a 45-13-5 record. He also fought as an amateur, and in 1971 defeated eventual Olympic Gold Medalist Sugar Ray Seales in 1971.The seventh of 14 children, Marvin graduated from Ronan in 1970.Camel also excelled in football, basketball and track for the Chiefs, once scoring 34 points in a varsity basketball game.
Jim Darlington
A farm boy from the Round Butte community west of Ronan, Darlington received more postseason athletic honors than any other RHS athlete. From 1973-1976 he notched four state championships in three different weight classes in wrestling, winning his first title as a 145 pounder and finishing his junior and senior seasons as champion in the 185-pound class. He was the second Montana wrestler to accomplish this feat. He was named a High School All-American in wrestling his senior year. A member of the RHS State Champion football team in 1976, Darlington was named to the All-state teams on offense and defense. During his senior track season Darlington set a new state record of 57’ 1” in the shot put and still holds the Ronan record.
Darlington attended the University of Oklahoma on a wrestling scholarship and in 1979 was the Big Eight Champion at 177 lbs. his sophomore season. Injuries ended his collegiate wrestling career, but he did receive a degree from the University.
Jana (Smith) Streitz
Jana Smith graduated from Ronan in 1998 following a stellar three-sport career as a Maiden. An All-State selection in three sports, Smith was also an Academic All-Stater 11 times. She holds the Ronan career basketball scoring record with 1,289 points and the single game scoring mark with 37 points. In 1999, Smith was selected to participate in the Montana/Wyoming Basketball All-Star Game and the ABC All-Star Volleyball Classic. A high jumper in track, Smith still shares the school’s high jump record. Following graduation, Smith played collegiately at Northern Montana College and Montana State University. While at MSU she earned Big Sky Conference “All Academic Team” recognition in 2003 and 2004, and was named the Lady Bobcats’ “Best Defensive Player” in 2003.
David Edington
David Edington began his teaching and coaching career in Ronan in the fall of 1968 and that winter became the first head coach of boys’ wrestling at Ronan. During the 20 years he headed the program his teams produced 59 individual champions and eight team championships. His teams won 225 dual meets which ranks seventh all-time in the Montana High School Association’s record book. He was selected as the Montana Coaches’ Association Coach of the Year seven times. Additional honors for Edington include induction into the AAU National Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Montana Indian Hall of Fame. Edington contributed to our country’s Olympic wrestling efforts in 1976 as a member of wrestling coaching staff and in 1984 as a member of the administrative hosting staff.
While in high school in Saratoga, Wyoming, Edington was a four-time state champion and a member of the school’s first state wrestling championship.
“Distinguished Team” Category
1976 State Championship Wrestling Team
Team members: Ron Gleason, Jim Anderson, Rick Clary, Mike Jore, Roger Jore, Randy Hakes, Dick Jungers, Dan Wadsworth, Randy Cote, Jim McCready, Jim Darlington and Pat Meagher. Coaches: David Edington and Chris Tyree. Managers: Dan Miller, Margaret McCready.
Ronan wrestling dominated Class A in 1976 despite the high school having one of the smallest enrollments in the Class. In addition to a perfect 9-0 record in dual meets, the Chiefs took home first place trophies from the Laurel Invitational Meet, the Tri-State Tournament and the Ronan Invitational. At the Divisional Tournament, Ronan advanced all 12 wrestlers to the State Meet and had eight Divisional champions. At State, the Chiefs amassed 133 points doubling the score of second place Choteau with 66.5 points. Two members of the team, Roger Jore and Jim Darlington, were named High School All-Americans.
1960 State Championship Boys’ Basketball Team
Team members: Kent Dresen, Nels Jensen, Roger Cheff, Homer Courville, Ron Richwine, Don Hall, Duane Martin, Harold Fullerton, Leonard Schacher, Gary Bocksnick, John Lindburg, Jim Hurt. Head Coach Art Previs, Assistant Coaches Gene Boyles; manager Nick Nielson.
A 60-37 demolishing of Fort Benton in the State Boys’ Basketball title game in Cut Bank in March of 1960 put the cap on a 24 win and three loss season for the Chiefs. The Ronan squad was coached by Art Previs, who was in his fifth and final year at Ronan. After finishing third in the regular season, the Chiefs defeated Columbia Falls, Thompson Falls, and Libby in the divisional tournament. The divisional championship game in Kalispell was viewed by 3,300 fans and the Daily Interlake described the game as, “the most exciting final game ever played in the Northwestern B tournament.” Ronan prevailed 76-69 and used only five players in the contest.
The Chiefs knocked off Forsyth and Havre Central on their way to the championship. Carloads of Ronan fans, as well as those who chartered a plane, flocked to Cut Bank for the contest. The Daily Interlake reported that the crowd of almost 5,000 fans who witnessed the final game was the largest ever to watch a game in a Montana high school gymnasium. Seniors Harold Fullerton, Jim Hurt, and Leonard Schacher were selected to the State All-tournament team.
The championship remains the only one in Ronan boys’ basketball history.
“Distinguished Community Member” Category
Dorothy and Keith Lundvall
Born in Massachusetts, Dorothy came to Ronan in the 1950’s and the family bought a farm in the Round Butte area before eventually moving to the city. Mrs. Lundvall worked many years for the Ronan School District as lunchroom cook, ticket taker, and as a teacher’s aide in the Special Education Program. As the mother of a special needs child, she became quite active in Special Olympics, helping with events and fundraisers. A talented writer, she wrote news articles for the Ronan Pioneer and Mission Valley News and often submitted poetry to be published. The summer baseball program was of particular interest to Dorothy and the Lundvall family donated land to be developed into ballfields next to the Lake County Fairgrounds. Dorothy passed away in 2013 at age 92.
Keith was the son of Dorothy and Godfrey “Bud” Lundvall, the youngest of seven children. Born with Down’s Syndrome, his parents were encouraged to place him in an institution, but the family determined to rear him. Keith loved Ronan sports and bled orange and black. He was a fixture at all sporting events cheering on the Chiefs and Maidens. During the summer he lived at the ball fields and as youngster he enjoyed chasing after foul balls. In his honor, the north diamond in Ronan was named “Keith Lundvall Field.”
Keith graduated from Ronan High School in 1978. Following high school he served on the Board of Directors of Mission Mountain Enterprises and worked part time at the “Twice But Nice” thrift store. Keith passed away in 2014 at age 54.
