Four individuals and one team will be recognized during the Whitehall Sports Hall of Fame 2023 induction banquet this Saturday (Nov. 19) at American Legion Post 69 in Whitehall.
Tracy Brandel, Tyler VanBergen, Greg Boughton, and Whitehall’s 1968 boys golf team will be inducted in the Hall of Fame, while Rick Lighton will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award.
Social hour begins at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 p.m. and the ceremony at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $50 and are available by emailing Whitehall Sports Hall of Fame president Kirk Mikkelsen at kirkmikkelson@whitehallschools.net.
Several current Whitehall student-athletes will serve and socialize with alumni, friends, family, and sports fans at the banquet.
Here’s more info about the 2023 honorees:
TRACY BRANDEL, Class of 1982
Brandel was an outstanding two-sport athlete in basketball and track and field, competing in the era before Title IX created opportunities for girls to compete inthree sports. Brandel was a four-year varsity basketball player who excelled on the track. She was part of the 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams that won state titles and set state meet records, one of which still stands.
TYLER VANBERGEN, Class of 2010
VanBergen was a standout in three sports: Football, basketball, and track and field. With plenty of speedon the football field, he could escape defenders on the offensive side of play while locking down opponents on the defensive side. On the court, VanBergen was nearly impossible to guard and always defended the other team’s best player. On the track, he was one of the best sprinters in the area and was a state qualifier multiple years.
1968 BOYS GOLF TEAM
This incredible team won Whitehall’s third state title in golf and third state title in school history. The team endured a delayed regional meet because of inclement weather and went on to win the regional meet the following week. This pushed the state meet out a week, but the team overcame that obstacle and tied for the title with Marshall. Coached by Hall of Famer Jerry Jacobson and led by Bob Funnell, the Vikings made 1968 a year to remember.
GREG BOUGHTON, Coach 1972-2018
Boughton took the helm for the Vikings in 1972 and led the golf program for 50 yers. He was a wildly popular teacher and play director at Whitehall High School. Boughton has also emceed the induction banquet for the Whitehall Sports Hall of Fame every year since its inception. In the 90-year history of the West Michigan Conference, Boughton is recognized as the longest tenured coach.
RICK LIGHTON, Class of 1971, Distinguished Alumni Award
Lighton was a three-sport standout for the Vikings, who would go on to master the art of drawing and create amazing portraits for professional athletes. He is widely revered by some of the best athletes in the history of professional sports.
