Year Inducted: 1996
Nominated By: M. Kay Aguilar
Sports Competed In: Basketball, Girls Sports
Athlete, Coach or Contributor: Athlete, Coach, Contributor

Jessie BanksJessie Banks

High School:
Attended Lindsay H.S. in Oklahoma, graduated in 1954...Two year letter winner playing basketball (1953-54).

College:
Went to Central Oklahoma State, graduating in 1962...Played field hockey, volleyball, basketball, softball, badminton and golf for four years (1958-62).

Achievements:
● Five time All-American (1954-58) for the "Red Heads" basketball team.
● Inducted into the Lindsey High School Hall of Fame in 1987.
● Received the Recipient of Recognition - Contributions to USC Athletics (1987).
● Recipient of the 1988 School District #60 Service Award for Girls Sports.
● Named in the 1993 publication "Pioneers in Sports" as a major contributor to Women's athletics as a player, coach, supporter, and administrator of Women's Athletics.
● Made outstanding contributions to sports in the State of Colorado and the Nation.
● Officer and Founder of the Intermountain Association Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (IAIAW).
● President of the Region VII IAIAW in 1968.
● Inducted into the "Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame" in Springfield, Mass.. (Sept. 2012) as a member of the "Red Heads" women's Basketball team who toured the United States playing men's teams in the 1950's.

Coaching Career:
● Sidewinders softball coach for four seasons (1966-70).
● Assistant Basketball Coach at Adams State College for a season (1965).
● Spent 19 years (1966-85) as a coach at the University of Southern Colorado (USC) coaching volleyball, softball, basketball and track & field.
● Inducted into the USC Basketball Hall of Fame (1996).

Contributions:
● Spent 14 years as an Colorado H.S. Volleyball Official (1966-80).
● Held Basketball/Volleyball Clinics All over Colorado for 10 years (1970-80).
● Worked for nine years as USC's (now CSU-Pueblo) Women's Sports Assistant Director: Coordinator for Women's Sports and as a member of the NAIA Women's Committee (1975-84).
● Served for six years (1979-85) on the Board of Directors of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
● Chairperson of the NAIA District VII Basketball Committee (1980-82).

Honors:
● Volleyball "Coach-of-the-Year" (1979).
● Region VII, Division II NAIA (1979).
● Inducted into the Colorado Coaches of Girls and Women's Sports Hall of Fame (1985).
● Honored by Colorado General Assembly: A tribute to Contributions in Girls and Women's Sports in Colorado (1985).

Occupation:
Teacher and coach

Personal:
Lives in Pueblo.


GPSA "B" By The Numbers

LEGEND: p = awarded posthumously; ^= attended first meeting; * = deceased;+ = charter member (placed after year inducted)

 1

All Sports
Ernest E. "Ernie" Ballotti (1981*)

Athlete/Contributor
Dave Baxter (1981*)

Attended Pueblo East H.S.
Jordan B. Berge (2000)

Basketball/Football Offical
Dave Baxter (1981*)

Boxing
Jim Blanc (1989)

City Parks Supervisor of Recreation
Leonard Butler (1998)

Coach
Tom Brockman (1994)

Coach/Contributor
Raymond T. Baker (2009)

Contributor
Ross Beatty (1977*)

Cross Country
James A. "Spank" Blasing (1979)

Girls Sports
Jessie F. Banks (1996)

Honorees Awarded Posthumously
Robert "Bob" Busia (2017*p)

Radio Announcer
Ross Beatty (1977*)

Tennis
Anne D. Beblavi (1995)

Wrestling
Jim Blanc (1989)

 

2
Basketball
James "Christy" Bivin (2010)
Jim Bongirno (1987*)

Softball
Robert "Bob" Bonner (2022)
Raymond T. Baker (2009)

Track
Richard Michael Busia (2017)
James A. "Spank" Blasing (1979)

Athlete
Michelle R. 'Shelly' Borton (2014)
Jeff Bonacquista (2007)
Anne D. Beblavi (1995)

3
Basketball
Michelle R. 'Shelly' Borton (2014)
James "Christy" Bivin (2010)
William F. "Bill" Brown (1994)

 

4
Attended Pueblo Central H.S.
Richard Michael Busia (2017)
Robert "Bob" Busia (2017*p)
Raymond T. Baker (2009)
Leonard Butler (1998)

Attended Pueblo South H.S.
Richard Michael Busia (2017)
Robert "Bob" Busia (2017*p)
Michelle R. 'Shelly' Borton (2014)
Jeff Bonacquista (2007)

Athlete/Coach/Contributor
Robert "Bob" Bonner (2022)
James "Christy" Bivin (2010)
Jim Blanc (1989)
Jim Bongirno (1987*)
James A. "Spank" Blasing (1979)

Attended Pueblo Centennial H.S.
James "Christy" Bivin (2010)
Anne D. Beblavi (1995)
Jim Blanc (1989)
Jim Bongirno (1987*)

Attended H.S. Inside Colorado
Dave Baxter (1981*)
Lamar H.S., Lamar, CO
Tom Brockman (1994)
Thomas Jefferson H.S., Denver, CO
Joe Bonacquista (1997)
Trinidad H.S., Trinidad, CO
William F. "Bill" Brown (1994)
Wray H.S., Wray, CO

Attended H.S. Outside Colorado
Jesse F. Banks (1996)
Lindsay H.S., Lindsey, OK
Ernest E. "Ernie" Ballotti (1981*)
Mooseheart H.S, Mooseheart, IL
James A. "Spank" Blasing (1979)
Manhattan H.S., Manhattan, KS
Ross Beatty (1977*)
Chicago H.S, Chicago, IL

Football
Richard Michael Busia (2017)
Robert "Bob" Busia (2017*p)
Tom Brockman (1994)
Jim Blanc (1989)

 

 

 

5
Honorees Deceased
Ernie Ballotti (1981*)
Robert "Bob" Busia (2017*p)
Jim Bongirno (1987*)
Dave Baxter (1981*)
Ross Beatty (1977*)

Baseball
Robert "Bob" Busia (2017*p)
James "Christy" Bivin (2010)
Jeff Bonacquista (2007)
Jordan B. Berge (2000)
Joe Bonacquista (1997)

 

6
Athlete/Coach
Richard Michael Busia (2017)
Robert "Bob" Busia (2017*p)
Jordan B. Berge (2000)
Leonard Butler (1998)
Joe Bonacquista (1997)
William F. "Bill" Brown (1994)

 

21
Honorees in "B" Section

Remembering Our Fallen GPSA Inductees

The Greater Pueblo Sports Association (GPSA) has announced a list of honorees that have passed since the 2022 induction ceremony on Nov. 16.

 

Dennis TrujilloDennis
Trujillo

11/28/2022
Class of 2007

Knafelc obitGary L.
Knafelc

12/19/2022
Class of 1973

Don StuttersDr. Donald
Stutters

01/20/2023
Class of 1993