By Chris Abdelmalek
The Pueblo Chieftain
Nov. 15, 2024

The 2024 Greater Pueblo Sports Association Hall of Fame night commenced on Thursday evening at the Occhiato Center Ballroom on the campus of Colorado State University Pueblo.

The night was filled with excitement, as seven new members joined the ranks of the Hall of Fame.

“This is my fourth year doing this, but every year, it gets more exciting,” GPSA president Jerry Sisneros said about the night's events.

“We keep adding things with staging the inductee and adding the gift baskets as well, so it's just gotten better,” Sisneros said. “We want them to have the most fun and exciting night. It's not like your high school hall of fame — it's like the overall Hall of Fame for Pueblo, and I don't think there are very many communities in Colorado that do what we do.”

Among the 2024 inductees were some very talented and important sports figures from Pueblo’s past.

Prim Ivan was part of the ceremonies Thursday night and was excited about the call to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“This means the whole world to me because of my services to the golf industry,” Ivan said. “I just love helping people and all the tournaments that I ran at Hollydot and all the people that I taught. It's just a culmination of all that is really important to me. To help people out to be a better golfer.”

Alexa Sandoval (Snyder) was the only woman elected to the Hall of Fame this year (41 overall) and she was taken back by all the support she received to be inducted.

“It's just an honor and super humbling,” Sandoval said. “You know, the sports community is a community of people, and you meet so many amazing people who join your journey. Today is a testament to that. I was kind of in shock, I didn't really know what to think. I am very humbled again by feeling good enough for someone to nominate me like that. That was kind of them.”

Sandoval also spoke about the impact of another woman making it into the Hall of Fame and what she hopes to inspire future generations.

“I think the biggest thing is, sports are so much more than just the sport itself,” Sandoval said. “It teaches you a lot about life. I think for women, that could be resilience and being able to do whatever you want in life. I think that this is a testament to that as well.”

Another member who was inducted on Thursday was former Chieftain sportswriter and editor Joe Cervi.

“It's pretty amazing. For 23 years, I wrote the feature stories of people going in, and I never thought I would be one of those people going into the Hall of Fame,” Cervi said. “I'm of that age where I still think it's a big deal, and I still appreciate the people who put it on and the GPSA to honor all of the Puebloans, and not just athletes, but coaches, administrators, officials and contributors. It's a neat thing to be a part of it.”

Cervi recalled what it was like to get the phone call.

“It was on a Monday night, and it was kind of late, and it was a number I didn't recognize, and I usually don't answer those,” Cervi said. “I don't know what made me answer it, so I answered it, and it was Gary Adamson who I covered forever. He told me this and I kind of started laughing I said, ‘Man, did they open up a wing for JV players?’ and he said, 'You know you're going in as a contributor,' I was joking, he goes, 'You're going in as a contributor and congratulations.' It was a very special phone call.”

Before the introduction of the Hall of Fame Inductees, awards were handed out to high school and college athletes.

The Brian Macartney Winners for 2024 included Pueblo South’s Maurice Austin and Pueblo Central’s Hadli Welsby.

The Sollie Raso Championship Award winner for the best school overall for athletics over the past year was Pueblo West.

The Jessie Banks and James "Spank" Blasing award winners were Kylie Severin, Shjon Andrews and Kenshin Uneo.

The Joe Bonaqusita family at the annual Joe Rossi Hall of Fame Banquet, Feb. 2023, in Lakewood, CO

Joe Bonaquista was enshrined into the Colorado High School Baseball Umpire's Association (CHSBUA) at their annual Joe Rossi Hall of Fame Banquet Feb. 4, 2023, in Lakewood, CO.

Bonaquista, is a long-time Puebloan and a 1977 Inductee of the Greater Pueblo Sports Association (GPSA) and current committee member. Joe was honored for his achievements over a 10-year period, both high school and summer ball, winning 17 championships.

He was named the South-Central League (S-CL) high school "Coach-of-the-Year" three times and amassed 175 wins in that period. Bonaquista also added another 60 wins coaching youth baseball.

Congratulations Joe! All of us at the GPSA are proud of you!

Pat LaughlinPat Laughlin, a 2019 Greater Pueblo Sports Association (GPSA) Inductee, and retired head wrestling coach at Pueblo East High School was recently nominated as one of the eight finalists for the 2024 National High School Coaches Association (NHSACA) "Coach-of-the Year" in the sport of wrestling.

Coach Laughlin was nominated for this national honor by the Colorado State High School Coaches Association (CSHSCA). This selection is based on longevity, service to high school athletics, honors, championship years and winning percentage. The nominees and finalists are evaluated by experts in the field of coaching using a sports-specific rubrics to assign points in each category.

The last nominated finalist from Pueblo for this prestigious award was Jerry Sisneros, the current GPSA president. Sisneros was a finalist for the award in 2006 as a wrestling coach at Pueblo South.

Eight finalist from across the United States will be honored during the NHSACA national convention which will take place at the Bismarck Hotel and Convention Center in Bismarck, ND on Wed., June 26, 2024.

The NHSACA is the oldest coaching association in the nation formed by coaches, for coaches, and has been recognizing national coaches of the year since 1978.

By Chris Abdelmalek
Pueblo Chieftain USA TODAY NETWORK
Nov. 16, 2023

Athletes and coaches, along with other distinguished members of the Pueblo sporting world gathered together Wednesday night at CSU-Pueblo’s Occhiato Center Ballroom to welcome the newest members to the Pueblos Sports Hall of Fame.

The Greater Pueblo Sports Association hosted its annual Hall of Fame night inducting six new members into its organization — John Loia, Dale Cresswell, Casey King, Dan Sanchez, Todd Kelly and Kory Sperry.

Along with the new inductees, the GPSA also awarded its annual Brian Macartney Award which is given to the top male and female high school athletes in Pueblo. This year’s recipients were Weston Dalton and Grace Helzer, both of whom graduated this past year from Pueblo East High School.

Dalton is currently attending the University of Nebraska for wrestling while Helzer, who was in attendance to receive her award, is attending Western Colorado and is playing volleyball and basketball.

“I’m very proud of myself for this one. It means a lot that they would choose me out of everyone in the city,” Helzer said. “I just wanted to be the best. I wanted to be better than all my teammates, better than all the city schools, and at East, we aren’t always the best, so I wanted to be the one that would push us, so that’s kind of what drove me.”

Helzer spoke about how she is not only proud that she won but also proud that Dalton won, saying that East was able to really represent this past year and show that they have a lot of talent at the school. She also touched on what it means to win this award and what future generations can do to try and achieve the same accolades.

“It’s kind of basic, but always just keep working no matter what,” Helzer said. “I know it’s hard, but you got to practice you got to do all that and just try to get better every day and always be competitive, always want to win.”

To round up the individual awards, CSU Pueblo Outstanding Athletes awards went to JaNaiya Davis and Jazzy Espinoza on the women’s side, and Reggie Williams on the men’s side.

The GPSA also honored two high schools this year for the Sollie Raso Award which honors the top area high school whose athletic teams excelled the best in their season. This year’s award winners were Pueblo Central for their unified bowling team and Pueblo West.

After the high school and team awards were handed out, the newest inductees were called up to give their speeches; many recipients recalled stories of their past lives that led them to get into the Hall of Fame.

Each year, the GPSA puts on the Hall of Fame dinner to honor those people who have made a significant contribution and impact in the world of sports either in Pueblo or outside but still representing the city as a whole.

The association will be accepting applications for 2024, which can be found on the GPSA website. The deadline for applications is Aug. 1, 2024. There is also information on the website about becoming a sponsored donor. For more information about the GPSA or how you can be involved in helping the association, please visit their website at pueblogshof.com.

Greater Pueblo Sports Association inducts 6 local legends into hall of fame

By Ben Cason
The Pueblo Star Journal
Nov. 3, 2023

The Greater Pueblo Sports Association has announced their six inductees into their Hall of Fame who will be enshrined at their 51st annual banquet Nov. 15.

The new six inductees are Dale Cresswell, Todd Kelly, Casey King, John Loia, Dan Sanchez and Kory Sperry. With the addition of the 2023 class, the GPSA now has 376 members enshrined, with 336 of them men and 40 women.

The GPSA is a non-profit organization that promotes prominent athletes, sports teams and recreational activities in Pueblo County. 2022 was the 50th year of inductees, when seven were inducted.

This year’s Hall of Famers are:

Dale Cresswell

Dale Cresswell
(Photo courtesy of the GPSA)Dale Cresswell is a longtime football coach and player in Pueblo. He played college football at the University of Southern Colorado (now CSU Pueblo). He started for three years as linebacker. He was a starter on the first team in USC history to make the playoffs. He earned an honorable mention for All-American in 1984. He played on the Pueblo Crusaders from 1986-1989 and was a key player on their 1989 championship team.

Cresswell became a coach at East High School in 1990. He put together a 41-33 career record and three state playoff appearances. In 2008 when CSU Pueblo relaunched their football program, Cresswell became an assistant LB coach. He coached at CSU Pueblo until 2019 and coached five All-American linebackers in his time. He was a key coach on the 2014 championship team.

Longtime CSU Pueblo head football coach John Wristen said, “He helped establish a standard of playing championship defense. He would also come in early on Sundays and help grade the film. I don’t know if you can find people like that anymore.”

Todd Kelly

Todd Kelly
(Photo courtesy of the GPSA)Todd Kelly is a Pueblo native who played basketball, baseball and football at Centennial High School and has worked at CSU Pueblo as a Sports Information Director, Assistant Athletic Director and now as the President of the CSU Pueblo Foundation. Kelly was a key player on the 1983 basketball and football teams who won South Central League titles at Centennial. He was inducted to the Centennial HS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.

Kelly also played on the Pueblo Crusaders football team as a defensive back and on special teams. He recovered a key onside kick in the 1989 national championship game to secure the win for the Crusaders. At CSU Pueblo, Kelly raised over $24 million for CSU Pueblo Athletics and was a founding member of the CSU Pueblo Athletic Hall of Fame committee.

Kelly also negotiated with the Colorado High School Activities Association to bring the 6-man, 8-man, 1A and 2A football national championship games to Pueblo until 2028.

Dan DeRose, former CSU Pueblo Athletic Director, said, “His leadership enabled the construction of the $2,500,000 Art and Loraine Gonzales soccer and rugby stadium on campus. Most importantly Friends of Football upon their disbandment entrusted Todd with ownership and management of the Thunderbowl.

Casey King

Casey King
(Photo courtesy of the GPSA)King is a longtime Pueblo coach who now is the winningest volleyball coach in Pueblo West High School’s history. His record is 403-117. He started coaching volleyball in 1997 and coached until 2008. In 2013 he was brought back and still is coaching today. He has also served as the head baseball coach from 1997-2000 and head girls basketball coach in 2000 at Pueblo West.

King is now in the top 10 volleyball coaches in Colorado’s history in terms of wins. King has coached 18 South Central League championship volleyball teams and has now coached 30 All State athletes. Aside from coaching, King was a teacher at Pueblo West from 1997 to 2008.

Anna Martinez, Pueblo West’s lead ESS teacher and assistant volleyball coach, said, “The positive culture he creates everyday is what sets him apart from the others. For example, everyday, Coach King starts with a motivational quote for his players. The quotes are usually from professional athletes, but they go beyond any sport. It’s more about how to be a better teammate, a better leader, a better person, a better example etc.”

John Loia

John Loia
(Photo courtesy of the GPSA)John Loia, a longtime Pueblo coach and administrator, coached the Central Bulldog football team to three Bell Game victories among other accomplishments. Loia was a running back and a sprinter for Southern Colorado State College, now CSU Pueblo. In 1973 Loia was a part of the conference championship team for the 4x100 relay. Loia coached track at Central in 1984 with the team winning the city and regional championship.

He was the head coach for Central football from 1985 to 1988 and again in 1990. His teams made the state playoffs in 1987 and 1988 with 7-3 records. He has served as an administrator at Risley Middle School and East High School since.

Rick Macias, Director of Athletics for Pueblo CIty Schools, said, “Mr. Loia’s best quality is his passion to help not only student athletes in any way he can, but he has a huge heart for every student he comes across in everyday life.”

Dan Sanchez

Dan Sanchez
(Photo courtesy of the GPSA)Dan Sanchez has been Pueblo West High School’s head baseball coach since 2003. In his 19 years of coaching he has led the Cyclones to 10 league championships, six regional championships, four state championship appearances and the 2019 state championship for 4A baseball. He’s sent approximately 60 student athletes to college baseball.

Aside from baseball, Sanchez has jumped into other sports at Pueblo West. He served as the Offensive Coordinator for the football team for 10 years and the head coach of the boys golf team since 2015. He also was an assistant coach on the girls basketball team in 2020 and 2021.

Longtime Pueblo West High School Athletic Director Jerry Ribaudo said, “While his coaching achievements speak for themselves, the most important thing is the character, integrity and dedication he has displayed toward his players, coaches and his school.”

Kory Sperry

Kory Sperry
(Photo courtesy of the GPSA)Sperry played basketball and football at County high school from 2003 to 2007. He played QB, DE and TE with the Hornets and was named first-team All State in basketball and football. He was named Athlete of the Year in 2004 by the GPSA.

He played football at CSU Fort Collins for the Rams and lettered all four years. He finished his career at Colorado State with the fourth most touchdown catches in school history. He played in the NFL as a TE from 2009-2013 between the Dolphins, Chargers and Cardinals. He totaled nine catches for 152 yards and a touchdown in his NFL career.

Since retiring from the NFL, Sperry works in the Broomfield Police Academy and is an instructor for a women’s defense class. He also coaches youth basketball and football.

Jarrod Lang, who worked with Sperry in Broomfield said, “His belief was always if you aren’t out there on the court or field giving your all, then you shouldn’t be there. I can see that drive and fire he has when he’s coaching his son’s football or basketball games.”

For more information on the hall of fame event on Nov. 15, visit the Greater Pueblo Sports Association website at pueblogshof.com.

Pueblo remembers legendary long distance runner Dennis Trujillo

By Josué Perez
The Pueblo Chieftain
March 5, 2023

Leonard Trujillo has four words that come to mind when he thinks about the legacy his brother, Dennis, left behind: heart of a champion.

Dennis, considered by some to be one of, if not the most, decorated cross-country runner in Pueblo’s history, died Nov. 28, 2022, at his home in North Carolina. He was 68 years old.

“He had the heart of a champion,” Trujillo said. “The endurance he had, the kind of person he was — he had all those qualities of being humble and considerate. He was just good with people and a good, wonderful person. I think that’s why he brought so much attention (to himself) in Pueblo.”

Dennis was in his own league as a runner during the latter portion of his high school career in the 1970s at Centennial on Pueblo’s north side. He won two state titles as a cross-country runner and captured back-to-back state track titles in the mile in his junior and senior seasons, according to a 2007 Chieftain article, which also stated that during those final two track and field seasons, he lost just one race.

The Greater Pueblo Sports Association Hall of Fame in 2007 labeled Trujillo’s back-to-back state track titles as one of the greatest moments in Pueblo sports history, according to the article. He was inducted into the GSPA Hall that same year.

Leonard, who was also a two-time cross-country champion, witnessed Dennis’ ascent as a runner as the pair sometimes trained together in the evenings during their teenage years on a dike by their house in Pueblo that stretched across the Arkansas River. They would run at least five miles and at times stretched that distance to 10.

Leonard, 71, said that type of training — independent of scheduled practices and done in their free time — made a “big difference” in their careers. Dennis trained “very hard,” he said.

“He was a real warrior,” Leonard said. “His endurance was tough. He would go so quick that he would break (other runners mentally). He was just mentally tough.”

Dennis later replicated his high school success at U.S. Military Academy, or West Point, where he earned 10 varsity letters between cross-country and track. He was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American, and his cross-country teammates at West Point named him team captain in 1975, according to his obituary.

Dennis won an Ivy League outdoor track title that year in the men’s 5,000-meter event and followed that with another title the year after, in the 10,000 meter.

"When you watched Denny run competitively at West Point, against world class runners, everyone knew they were watching someone special," wrote Keith Sims under Dennis' obituary online. "His running style was fast, smooth, relaxed, fluid and without any wasted motion. His work ethic was off the scale. He was a great teammate."

Dennis left West Point with several other accolades and accomplishments on his resume. He capped his competitive career as a runner in 1980 with one last significant feat as his finish at the Dallas White Rock Marathon qualified him for the Olympic Marathon trials. But he couldn’t compete in them because of his deployment to Korea during his stint with the U.S. Army, according to the Chieftain article.

After a pair of extensive stints as an infantry line officer and area expert and numerous awards while serving with the Army, Dennis became a math teacher and took his first job in that field in Puyallup, Washington. He later taught at an international school, Indianhead School, in South Korea.

Around that time, Dennis continued to participate in long-distance competitions, including 5K and 3K races. When he would visit Leonard and other family members, Dennis continued to wake up early in the morning and run.

“There was never a day he didn’t run,” Leonard said. “His whole life, he never stopped running.”

Dennis’ passion for running continued until doctors, eager to protect his health, advised him to stop, Leonard said. But even then, Dennis felt he could still run.

Leonard said he wants others to remember Dennis for his “humble” nature and the respect he showed other people. He said the family wants to invite people who ran alongside Dennis to a ceremony they plan to hold this summer that will celebrate Dennis’ life and his accomplishments as a runner and military member.

“He wasn’t just my brother, “Leonard said. “He was everybody’s brother.”

Chieftain reporter Josué Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @josuepwrites.

Pueblo sports legend and NFL player remembered for storied career

By Josué Perez
The Pueblo Chieftain
Jan. 1, 2023

Gary Knafelc, a Pueblo sports legend who went on to star for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League, died Dec. 19 at his home in Florida. He was 90, and according to the Packers’ team historian, Cliff Christl, was one of two surviving starting players from Vince Lombardi’s first game as an NFL head coach. h “I think (people should remember) what a wonderful person he was,” said Mike Leonard, Gary’s nephew who resides in Pueblo. “He had that infectious laugh, and he was just a great person.”

Leonard, 66, was close with Knafelc, who in 1950 graduated from Pueblo Central High School, where he was a four-sport athlete and football standout under head coach Sollie Raso.

Knafelc in 1973 was inducted into the Greater Pueblo Sports Association Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class. He was the fifth member to be announced as an initial inductee, according to a Chieftain article at the time.

After graduating from Central, Knafelc attended the University of Colorado on a football scholarship. He was a star at the university for four years and was an All-American defensive end in 1953, adding 22 catches for 451 yards and eight touchdowns that season.

The Chicago Cardinals, now Arizona, chose Knafelc with the 14th pick in the 1954 NFL draft. He played one game for them before being cut and was later picked up by the Packers, where he became a fan favorite and had his most signature moments.

“He was tough,” Leonard said of Gary’s playing style on the field. “Not only did (the Packers players) become good football players, but they were excellent in life. They all remembered what Lombardi taught them.”

Before playing under Lombardi, Knafelc had what’s considered one of the most memorable moments in Packers history. With 20 seconds remaining in the 1955 season opener against the Detroit Lions, Knafelc caught a game-winning touchdown pass. The moment motivated hundreds of fans to storm the field, and some of those fans carried him off of it and to the Packers’ bench.

“He’s the only Packer that’s ever been carried off the field,” Leonard said.

Knafelc caught another game-winning touchdown two years later at Green Bay City Stadium, now known as Lambeau Field, and in 1959 caught his third during Lombardi’s first season as Green Bay’s head coach.

Knafelc was the starting tight end for the Packers before serving as their backup during their NFL Championship winning seasons in 1961 and 1962 under Lombardi, who went on to win three more titles in 1965, 1966 and 1967 before the start of the Super Bowl era. The Super Bowl trophy was named in Lombardi’s honor following his death in 1970.

Knafelc in 1964 retired from the NFL after 10 seasons. Between 1964 and 2004, he was the public address announcer at Packers games. He also owned an interior design company, Leonard said.

When he would discuss his playing career, Knafelc usually brought up Lombardi.

“He always talked about how much Lombardi did for all of them,” Leonard said.

In 1976, Knafelc was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, according to Christl.

Knafelc in 2013 told The Denver Post that he was in support of former players of his era asking the NFL to increase its financial and medical assistance.

“You couldn’t ask for a nicer guy,” Leonard said.

BY Chris Abdelmalek | The Pueblo Chieftain | NOV. 17 , 2022

 The 2022 Greater Pueblo Sports Association hosted its 50th Hall of Fame induction ceremony Wednesday night at the Occhiato Ball Room on the campus of CSU-Pueblo. This year's inductees included some great names in Pueblo history.

Also included in the night's festivities were the awarding of the Outstanding High School Athletes (Brian Macartney Awards), the Sollie Raso Award, and the CSU-Pueblo Outstanding Athletes. The ceremony also recognized three of the greatest moments in the past 50 years of Pueblo sports history.

The inductees for this 2022 Hall of Fame Class include an all-world wrestling coach and a former big leaguer for the Cincinnati Reds.

Here are this year’s inductees, in no particular order:

The 2022 Greater Pueblo Sports Association Hall of Fame inductees were introduced during the annual banquet at the Colorado State University Pueblo on Wednesday. [Zachary Allen/The Pueblo Chieftain]Bobby Bonner
Richard “Dick” Hime (posthumous)
Cliff Laughlin
Mike “Veech” Marcoveechio
Marie Mass (posthumous)
Mike Salardino
LeRoy Snook

The Sollie Raso Award winner for the Pueblo school whose athletic teams excelled in three sports seasons was Pueblo South High School.

The Outstanding High School Athletes award winners were Xavier Freeman and Leyah Martinez, both of Pueblo East High School.

The CSU-Pueblo Outstanding Athletes award winners were Kansas Watts on the girls basketball team and Ty Lewis on the baseball team.

The two winners of the high school awards were thrilled to be a part of this historic night and spoke on what it means to win this award.

“It shows me that all my hard work paid off,” Freeman said. “Hearing my accomplishments, I never really looked back and saw all the things I did. But hearing someone else tell me all the stuff is pretty amazing. It just makes me kind of feel like it wasn't for nothing.”

Martinez was especially happy to win this award and spoke about what it means to her.

Xavier Freeman, left, and Leyah Martinez pose with their Brian Macartney Outstanding High School Athlete Awards at the Greater Pueblo Sports Association Hall of Fame banquet on Wednesday. [Zachary Allen/The Pueblo Chieftain]“It really is special,” Martinez said. “I’m representing more than just myself as a person, I am representing a community of people who want to keep this sports association going, and so just bringing the youth into it is an honor, and I'm very grateful.”

Greater Pueblo Sports Association President Jerry Sisneros delivers a welcome address to start the 50th anniversary Hall of Fame induciton banquet on Wednesday. [Zachary Allen/The Pueblo Chieftain]Finally, the great moments in Pueblo sports history over the last 50 years were honored at this event. These events include Jerry Kersey winning the Steinmark Award in 1980, Mike Zaremba winning the 1980 Colorado Open with a birdie on the final hole, and the Pueblo County High School wrestling team winning back-to-back Colorado State wrestling championships in 2016 and 2017.

Greater Pueblo Sports Association President Jerry Sisneros delivers a welcome address to start the 50th anniversary Hall of Fame induction banquet on Wednesday.
Jerry Sisneros, the president of the GPSA, who was a big player in putting this event together, was pleased with the turnout and the outcome of the evening’s events.

“It was a great evening overall, Sisneros said. “All of the inductees were great, and it was a great night for the 50th anniversary of the Greater Pueblo Sports Association.”