The Bluejacket Hall of Fame inducted its first class of six individuals and one team during an Aug. 20 ceremony held at the Spirit River Community Center in Isanti.
The inaugural members include Jerry Carlson, Deb Hegquist, George Larson, Jack Peterson, Bill Smrekar, Lois Tureen, and the first team to be inducted is the 1978 Class AA State Championship Softball team.
Jerry Carlson
Carlson was an all-conference baseball and football player from Hector High School. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1963 with a degree in physical education and social studies.
After beginning his career in Slayton, CIHS hired Carlson as a teacher and coach in 1968.
Carlson served as the head baseball coach from 1969-1977, where he won 73 of his 140 career wins. He was the assistant football coach from 1968-1993, and the head softball coach from 1985-1999 where he won 175 games.
In 1967, Carlson was named the Region 2 Baseball Coach of the year. He was also named the Region 7AA softball coach of the year in 1986.
After moving from physical education to the athletic director’s office, Carlson was named the Athletic Director of the Year in 1997. He was also inducted into the Minnesota Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 2013.
Deb Hegquist
Hegquist graduated from Cooper High School in 1972, before the creation of girls sports teams. She did; however, participate in GAA activities year round.
As a senior, she was named her school’s top female athlete. At Bemidji State, Hegquist starred in gymnastics and track.
Upon graduation from college, she was hired at CIHS and became the varsity gymnastics coach. She won 14 Regional championships with the Bluejackets from 1977-2001.
Hegquist was inducted into the Minnesota State High School Gymnastics Coaches Hall of Fame in 2003. The following year, she was inducted into the BSU Athletic Hall of Fame for gymnastics and track.
Hegquist founded and coached Rum River Gold Gymnastics in 1997, and became an assistant from 2001-2004. In those four years, the Jackets won four more titles.
She retired from the club in 2015, but has served as a volunteer the past two seasons.
George Larson
Larson graduated from Bryant High School in South Dakota in 1950. After graduating from Northern State University in 1956, he began his coaching career at Jeffers high School.
Larson was hired by CIHS in 1958, where he spent the remainder of his career. He also earned a degree from the University of Minnesota in 1969.
For over 20 years, Larson held the state record for his 307 wins. He was named Minnesota High School Coach of the Year in 1971 and 1986.
He has been inducted into the following hall of fames: Minnesota Football Coaches, Minnesota Athletic Directors, and Minnesota State High School League. During Larson’s time as head coach, the Bluejackets won 25 conference titles, 16 section titles and three state championships.
Jack Peterson
Peterson graduated from Baldwin High School in Wisconsin in 1944. He played basketball in high school, and at the collegiate level at River Falls. He graduated from River Falls in 1952 and began his coaching career in Wisconsin.
Peterson coached at two school in Wisconsin and at Cosmos and Waconia High School in Minnesota before coming to CIHS in 1965.
Once at CIHS, Peterson coached basketball and baseball until he retired in 1985.
Peterson’s basketball teams reached great heights with district championships from 1970-1975, and sub-region championships from 1976-1981.
During his career, Peterson received several outstanding recognition of service awards in District 911 for his work in community education.
In 2015 he was inducted into the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Minnesota State High School League Hall of Fame in 2016.
Bill Smrekar
Smrekar was an all-conference baseball player, and honorable mention hockey player at Ely High School where he graduated in 1963.
He continued his hockey career at Bemidji State until he graduated in 1969.
Smrekar began coaching in 1971, as the CI JV baseball coach. In 1973, Smrekar began building the CIHS hockey program.
In 1981, hockey was established as a high school sport, and Smrekar was named head coach from 1981-2002. Smrekar was named coach of the year in 1992, when the Bluejackets won their section and took fourth in the state tournament.
Smrekar was inducted into the Minnesota State Hockey Coaches Hall of Fame; however, his pride and joy is starting the hockey program for all of the youth in the community.
Lois Tureen
Tureen left her small town of Arlington, Minnesota in 1949 when she attended Gustavus Adolphus College.
At Gustavus, she was part of a performance swimming team. She graduated with a degree in physical education and health in 1953.
In 1972, Tureen organized the first official girls sports team at CIHS. Her track team attended the state’s first large event called the, “Trackorama.”
Tureen’s team won four straight conference titles from 1984-1988. The team also took first in Section 7AA in 1985.
In 2002, Tureen was inducted into the Minnesota State High School Track and Field Hall of Fame.
1978 Girls Softball Team:
The 1978 softball team brought CIHS their first ever State Championship.
The team was led by coach Al Boeshe, and assistant Jo Ailmes. The team finished with a record of 21-2, while outscoring opposing teams 209-93.
They defeated Tartan High School in the championship game 7-2.
Pitchers Marcia Ledin (12-1) and Lori Walberg (9-0) led the team on the mound, with dominate pitching all season.
Michelle Patterson led the team at the plate with a .481 average, while Laurie Pepin produced 26 hits.