Flagstaff Sports Foundation

06/15/2026

06/15/2026

Let's continue the countdown to Hall of Fame Weekend (August 7 & 8 ) by telling you about another of this year's inductees. Last week it was DAVID WINSLEY. This week let's talk about...

2001 & 2002 COCONINO VOLLEYBALL STATE CHAMPIONS.

Led by head coaches DAN KITTERMAN and KERRY KRIESEL, who were also graduates from Coconino, the Panthers of the early 2000s were playing the best volleyball in Arizona. The 2001 team went undefeated in Grand Canyon Region play and were region champions for the first time in 22 years. They ended up 24-2 and beat Catalina Foothills in a three-set final, with KRISTINA BRANCH's kill in the third sealing the deal. TESS CORONA was named the Arizona Daily Sun's Player of the Year.

After one year in charge, Kitterman handed the reins to Kriesel, and though they lost some leadership due to graduation and injury, the Panthers pushed through the 2002 season with a bullseye on their backs for every team in 4A to take a shot at. That team went 19-6 and repeated as champions with another thrilling title match, this time against Prescott. SARAH LOBSTEIN was Player of the Year.

You're invited to come to the Hall of Fame Banquet on Saturday, August 8, to meet Dan, Kerry, and their Panthers from those championship seasons. Special Thank You to both coaches for sharing images and clips from that era!

06/14/2026

The Flagstaff Sports Foundation would like to offer a birthday remembrance for ADRIAN GARCIA, who was born on this date in 1900 in Yurecuaro, Mexico.

Adrian is credited for reviving semi-pro baseball in Flagstaff after World War II and for being a youth coach in multiple sports, but he is beloved in town for serving the youth of Southside for 35 years.

It's difficult for someone in 2026 to describe the sort of impact this man made seventy years ago, so I will quote a letter written on his behalf by Clinton McNeal:

"During a time when information about events going on around Flagstaff was scarce and not open to minorities because of segregation there was an individual whom we called Mr. Garcia. He was responsible for many firsts. He was virtually the only voice for minority youths from the Southside with a desire to participate in organized sports... Many blacks (in) the city of Flagstaff as well as other disadvantaged youth owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Garcia. I am one."

He was on Fred Anderson's coaching staff when Flag High Boys' Basketball won the state title in 1955. He was also the coach for Grand Canyon Little League Baseball when they won the state championship in 1958 (pictured here, presenting the trophy to TONY CONTRERAS and CLYDE JOE).

Mr. Garcia passed away in 2001 at the age of 100. He was part of the Foundation's inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2008, receiving eleven nominations. His contributions to Flagstaff's underprivileged youth remains an inspiration to what the Foundation seeks to be.

06/13/2026

The Flagstaff Sports Foundation wishes to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Hall of Famer GREG TURNER, who turns 64 today.

Born in Toledo, Ohio, Greg attended Kinsey Elementary School and Flagstaff Junior High School, and by the time he enrolled at Flagstaff High School he had already established himself as a local star in football, basketball, and baseball. He was a three-year starter in all three sports (back then, freshmen attended the junior highs). By the time he was a senior he had earned All-State recognition in all three sports.

Greg played running back and defensive back for Eagles Football and still holds the city record for longest interception return, a 103-yard touchdown in 1978. His prowess in the secondary gained him a scholarship at the University of Arizona. He earned PAC-10 Player of the Week numerous times. As an undrafted free agent he signed with the Houston Oilers but was released in the final cut just before the 1984 season. From there, his football career resumed in the USFL, playing safety for the Arizona Outlaws, and the CFL with the Ottawa Roughriders and British Columbia Lions.

He switched from football to architecture, graduating from the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture in 1987 with a degree in computer-air design. He's been involved with the building of numerous projects around the country, including the Phoenix Civic Plaza Convention Center.

Greg was inducted with the Hall of Fame's Class of 2020, which held their banquet in 2022 because of COVID.

06/08/2026

We're nine weeks away from the Hall of Fame Banquet. Once a week, from now until the event, we'll be presenting each of this year's honorees, letting you get to know them a little with a summary of their accomplishments and a few pictures.

Allow me to begin the countdown by telling you a little bit about...

DAVID WINSLEY

Before he enrolled at Flagstaff High School, David was already well-known around Flagstaff for his football prowess. His father John and uncle Moe were outstanding athletes at Flag High a generation before. He exhibited both exceptional speed and strength, even when playing in the youth leagues. He played for Rick Smith for two of the Eagles' four straight state championships, sharing the running duties with TIM GILL in 1983; once Tim graduated, David flourished, running the ball for over 2000 yards in both his junior and senior years, the first runner in state history to do that.

Nearing the end of his senior season in 1985, he ran for 329 yards against Washington; in that game, he surpassed Carver legend GEORGE GREATHOUSE to be Arizona's all-time leading rusher. He graduated with 4,880 yards and 62 touchdowns.

After receiving D-I offers from around the country, David chose Arizona State to continue his football ambitions. Injuries hobbled him in his early years as a Sun Devil, but with relentless determination he trained and got himself onto the field, first as a kick returner, then as their feature runningback. He led the Devils his senior year (1989) with 470 yards on the ground, his shining moment coming against Missouri, gaining 139 yards in a 19-3 win.

06/07/2026

Hall of Fame Weekend is two months away, but you can buy tickets right now to ensure you get a seat. Last year we packed the NAU High Country Convention Center, and this year may be bigger than last!

Tickets are $75 per seat or $700 per table for eight.

The best way to reserve your seat right now is to go to our website, flagstaffsportsfoundation.org. Find "Hall of Fame" in the header and scroll down to where it says "Purchase HOF Tickets".

Or you can just use this QR code to go directly there.

06/07/2026

If you're coming from out of town for the Foundation's Hall of Fame Weekend (August 7-8), consider staying at EMBASSY SUITES BY HILTON. Located at 706 S. Milton, it's right next to the NAU campus and a short walk from the High Country Convention Center and everything going on in Downtown Flagstaff. You can reserve a single or double occupancy room for $189 plus tax.

Don't wait. Embassy has rooms on hold for this occasion, but you must make your reservation by July 8, any rooms not booked by then will go back into hotel inventory.

You can book your room by calling 1-800-EMBASSY and mentioning the Flagstaff Sports Foundation. You can also make your reservation online with the following link:

https://group.embassysuites.com/eb0jns

06/02/2026

The Flagstaff Sports Foundation's Hall of Fame Bouquet is a little over two months away. Tickets are still available, but don't wait too long. Last year's event was our biggest ever!

06/02/2026

The Flagstaff Sports Foundation would like to present STURGEON CROMER for their Hall of Famer for the month of June.

Sturgeon was born in 1908 and raised in Globe, Arizona. He got his degree in education in 1932 from what is now Northern Arizona University, excelling in basketball and football. He began his career as an educator and coach in Globe and holds the distinction of coaching in the first Arizona high school football all-star game in 1935. He became principal at Globe High School and was the district superintendent from 1942 to 1947, after which he moved to Flagstaff and became Superintendent at FUSD.

Flagstaff takes pride in being ahead of the curve when it comes to integrating its public schools, and thanks to the work of Sturgeon and WILSON RILES, they were able to accomplish the feat two years before the US Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education made it the law of the land.

Sturgeon was Superintendent until 1971. He oversaw the growth of public schools in Flagstaff during its postwar boom. Coconino High School was built during his tenure. He was also the President of the Arizona Interscholastic Association.

He was inducted into the NAU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Flagstaff Sports Foundation's Hall of Fame in 2013.

06/01/2026

The Foundation offers a belated birthday remembrance for the late BOB BLAIR, who was born on May 26, 1937. He was a stand-out multi-sport athlete at Flag High who coached and taught at Coconino for decades.

Bob was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016. He passed away this past December at the age of 88.