Park High School announces eighth Hall of Fame class

Park High School has announced the 2012 class for induction into its Hall of Fame. Steve DuVal, Donna Goenne, Mike Lence, Duane Sorenson and Al Wilke will be Park's eighth Hall of Fame class.

According to a release from the school, these alumni are being recognized for this prestigious award because of their athletic excellence while representing Park High School. The coaches and community members are being honored for their commitment to the youth in our community and their dedication and support of Park athletics. The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held Saturday, Nov. 17, at 5 p.m. at River Oaks Golf Course in Cottage Grove. For ticket information, call Park Activities Director Phil Kuemmel at 651-768-3758.

THE 2012 PARK HALL OF FAME CLASS

Steve DuVal (Class of ‘86): DuVal participated as an individual in the state wrestling tournament three times, and was a state champ in 1986. He received all-state and all-American honors and finished high school with a 4.0 GPA. He went on to wrestle at the University of Minnesota and continues to give back to his sport today as a volunteer coach.

Donna Goenne (Community Member): Goenne is the owner of Ed’s Trophies in Cottage Grove. She has provided financial support and outstanding service for Park athletics for over forty years. She received the Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce’s President’s Award in 1993 and Small Business of the Year in 2002.

Mike Lence (Class of ‘70): Mike was a ten-time letter winner at Park, participating in football, hockey, and baseball. He won numerous individual awards in all three sports and his teams won conference championships in both hockey and baseball. Mike went on to play hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

Duane Sorenson (Class of ‘73/Coach): Sorenson was a state meet participant in swimming two years and went on to earn All-American honors at Bemidji State University. He came back to the district to coach the combined Park/Woodbury swim teams, where he coached numerous state champions. He currently is the head swim coach at Iowa State University.

Al Wilkie (Class of ‘59/Community Member): Wilke was a baseball and basketball stand-out at Park, and he went onto play baseball at Hamline University where he played every inning of every game for four years. Wilkie was an original member of the Park Hall of Fame Committee, and was also instrumental in establishing the “Citizens for Lights” committee which raised money for lights at the Oltman field and is still giving away scholarship money to District 833 students today.

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