LSHOF celebrates 2022 inductees

By Lethbridge Herald on October 28, 2022.

The Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame induteess from left, Dennis Chief Moon, Errol Smith , Jody Fisher Meli, Heather Steacy, Jim Steacy , and Kinsmen Sportspersons of the Year Kacie Bosch and Paige Crozon. Missing: Taylor Austin.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge Sports of Hall of Fame celebrated its 2022 inductee class at the Enmax Centre Canadian Western Bank Lounge on Friday night.

The 2022 class included Dennis Chief Moonfor his boxing career, Errol Smith in the Builder’s Category and his efforts with Lethbridge Soccer Association, Jody Fisher Meli in curling, Scott Oikawa and his impact on the baseball community and  Jim Steacy and Heather Steacy’s success in track and field.

Oikawa has and still devotes countless hours to building life and baseball skills in the hundreds of American Legion players he has coached over three decades.

Oikawa began coaching with the Norcrest Little League program in 1985 and led the 13-year -old NorCrest All-star Team to the 1987 prairie championship and a third place finish at the national championship.

Oikawa moved up to the American Legion program in 1989, and a place he was familiar with as a player.

He became coach of the single ‘A’ Miners in 1989 before moving up to the AA Elks in 1995, where has coached for 25 years.

“Under Oikawa’s guidance, the Elks have become one of the most stable and successful American League programs in the Montana circuit,” as read in the inductee program.

“Truly humbling,” said Oikawa.

“It’s such a prestigious honour. I mean you get the call and you know as a builder , (and) to say you kind of hopefully helped out some of the players and the organizations throughout the years, like I say is truly humbling.”

Oikawa credits having elite players, support of boards and great guys coaching with him that made it easier to coach.

“(I’ve) always had  a passion for the sport,” said Oikawa.

“I think it’s great I still continue to pursue that passion within by own community where I’ve grown up.”

Jim Steacy  is considered one of the best hammer throwers in Canadian history and is a multi-time Olympian.

He has had success at the university, national and international levels.

When a member of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, Jim was under the guidance of Larry Steinke and went undefeated in the weight throw in five seasons with the Horns.

He won five Canadian Interuniversity Sport Championships and three  shot put championships, along with 11 Canadian senior hammer throw championships and represented Canada 17 times during a 17-year career.

“It’s an incredible honour,” said Jim.

“This is definitely not why I chose to pursue sports or athletics. Obviously, any athlete gets into sports to compete and better themselves and to learn about themselves. And to be at this stage of my journey in sports and in life, it’s an incredible honour and something I never dreamed would happen.”

He chose the track and field path after being cut from junior high school basketball and volleyball and motivation from a teacher back then.

“Doug James, the Physical Education teacher (at Gilbert Paterson), said why don’t you try track and field ,and gave me a bucket full of discuses and sent me to the baseball diamond,” said Jim.

“And something clicked and I was like, hey I can do this … That got me hooked and it  showed me that I belonged in a sport. And the  technical challenge for any of the events really, but especially the throws really grabbed me. Once I got a taste of that, I knew that was  the route I wanted to go, was to get far as I could in track and field.”

His last competition was the Pan-Am Games in 2015.

Following his hammer-throwing career, he joined the Lethbridge Police Service.

Heather is a two-time Olympian who did her first hammer throw at 17 years old at the 2005 IAAF World Youth Championships.

 It was in 2007 that she won a bronze medal at the Pan American Junior Championships and followed that with a gold medal at the 2009 Canada Games.

She joined her hometown U of L Pronghorns and became the first woman in Canadian Interuniversity Sport history to throw further than 20 metres in the weight throws.

She won four Canada West championships, two national championships and CIS silver and bronze medals and three  straight national hammer throw championships from  2010 to 2012.

“It’s an incredibly meaningful honour because I know the kind of effort that goes into nominating athletes and to have that happen on my behalf from the board is incredibly meaningful ,” said Heather.

“And like just coming from the community, there are so many high caliber athletes. So it means a lot to be recognized in that capacity.”

The Kinsmen Sportspersons of the Year were Kacie Bosch and Paige Crozon for 3×3 basketball and Taylor Austin for bobsleigh.