EVERETT, SEPT. 30: The Snohomish County Sports Hall of Fame inducted five athletes, a coach, sports contributor and team at last week’s celebration and banquet, held at the Edward D. Hansen Conference Center at Angel of the Winds Arena. The commission also introduced a surprise new award in honor of the commission’s founding chair Frank Foster.
The Sports Hall of Fame exists to recognize and honor athletes, coaches, teams and/or special individuals, who have distinguished themselves as outstanding contributors to their sport or vocation.
Before the induction, two high school students were honored with the KRKO Russell & Hill 2024 Male and Female Athlete of the Year. Jackson High’s Yanina Sherwood for her accomplishments in softball and volleyball and Lake Stevens David “Boogy” Brown for Football and Track.
Two collegiate athletes were honored as well, Everett Community College’s Denna Gibb for volleyball and Track & Field and Edmonds College’s Sheldon Egger for baseball.
The keynote speaker was Everett business owner and former Everett Aquasox owner Tom Hoban. His speech centered around the intersection between sports and business. He encouraged local business owners to invest in sports in the community.
2024 Induction Class:
2006 Jackson High School Baseball
The 2006 Jackson Timberwolves were nationally ranked before their season began, boasting one of the finest prep baseball roasters in Washington State history. They had a 27-0 record, culminating in a 4A State Championship. They are ranked second nationally by Baseball America. The state championship game at Safeco Field drew nearly 7,000 spectators, a testament to the team’s impact on the community.
Nearly the entire team was present to accept their award with a few words from Head Coach Allan Briggs and team Captain Travis Snider. Snider played Major League Baseball after his time in high school with Toronto, Pittsburgh and Baltimore.
“I am the most proud of the lifelong connection…” Snider said. Snider and Briggs both dubbed the team “The best team in Washington State History.”
Rachele Stohl (Kloke), Basketball and Track & Field, Stanwood High School
Stohl was a standout athlete at Stanwood High School (SHS) from 2003-2007. She lettered in four sports- basketball, track, cross country and golf- earning 11 out of the 12 possible varsity letters. To this day she still holds the SHS records for the Triple and Long Jumps. She also set records as the highest scorer for a basketball game (35 points), season (465), and career (1273) at SHS. She continued her career at the University of Idaho on a full scholarship. She joined the prestigious 1,000 Point Club and was selected to the WAC Second Team during the 2009-2010 season. After college Stohl played professionally for the Bunbury Southwest Slammers in Australia.
Stohl talked about her decision to take her husband’s, Jared Stohl, last name and raising her three children in her acceptance speech. Stohl said she never understood the sacrifice her parents made until she became a parent herself. She thanked her parents, brother and children.
Her advice for young athletes is, “You are capable of more than you give yourself credit for so surround yourself with people who are willing to work towards hard goals and stay consistent because one day you can achieve what you once thought impossible.”
Whitney ReeAnn Sullivan (Hooks), Track & Field, Cascade High School
Sullivan was a Track & Field standout earning varsity letters in track & field, volleyball and basketball. She holds four state titles in shot put and two in discus, including a record-setting shot put mark of 47’3’ that remains unmatched. She won the Oregon vs Washington Meet of Champions every year from 2002-2006. She also received All-State hitter for Cascade’s volleyball team and All-Conference honors in basketball. At one point she was ranked second in the nation as a high school athlete. Her impact was seen at Cal State Northridge where she contributed to the team’s victory in the Big West Championship. As a sophomore she achieved a career-best shotput throw of 50’6” in the NCAA West Regional. In 2012 she was inducted into the Cascade High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
Sullivan found this to be a “full circle moment” in her acceptance speech. She said in coming back to Washington she had time to reflect on who she really was. She announced she started a non-profit and continues to find her journey with God as a pastor at a church in Temple, Texas.
Peter T. Lee, Swimming, Everett High School
Peter’s competitive journey began at Everett High School, where he clinched his first State Swimming title as a sophomore in 1939. He set the 50-yard freestyle state record in 1940, holding it for over a decade, and briefly held the 100-yard freestyle record. Over his high school career Lee never lost an individual race. Lee was a standout on the University of Washington frosh team. His career paused in 1941 to join the Navy following the attack on Pearl Harbor. One duty of his was to teach recruits how to swim. He achieved All-American status and was part of the 400-yard freestyle relay team that finished fifth in the nation. In 1956 he went back to Everett High School as a coach. His coaching earned him recognition from the Washington State High School Swim Coaches Association in 1978 and induction into the Everett High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 1992.
Lee’s grandsons, Steven and Jamie, accepted the award on Lee’s behalf. Lee passed away 24 years ago and was known as a “Gentle Giant”.
“He would have probably said someone else deserves it,” Jamie said.
Geoff Reece, Football, Cascade High School
Reece is a football standout from Everett, who started at Cascade High School. He played under coach Jim Sweeney for five years. He started for the first time in 1972 and helped the Cougars to a 7-3 record his sophomore year. He earned All-Conference honors his junior and senior seasons and clinched All-American honors as well in his senior year. In 1975, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the third-round, with the 61st pick of the NFL draft. Reece made his mark over three seasons in the NFL. He spent time with the Rams, Seahawks and Colts. His enduring impact earned him induction into the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.
Reece thanked his team, his brother and wife during his speech. “Football is a team sport, a lot of people in my life had an affect on me,” Reece said.
Ben Somoza, Soccer, Edmonds-Woodway High School
A product of Edmonds Woodway High School, Somoza’s athletic prowess was evident from the outset, earning him accolades as a three-time varsity letter winner in basketball and a four-year letter winner in soccer. His dominance on the field earned him three consecutive selections to the 1st team All-Wesco and the esteemed titles of Everett Herald All-Area Soccer Player of the Year in 1998 and Seattle Times North End Male Athlete of the Year in the same year. At the University of Washington Somoza earned two 1st team All-Pac-10 honors and a spot on the national amateur team in 1999. He guided the team to three league championships and the inaugural Pac-10 crown in 2000. Somoza’s impact on the field is immortalized in the UW record books, where he ranks 6th all-time in assists with 23. Somoza seamlessly transitioned into the professional ranks, embarking on a five-year career where he spent time with the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timber.
“Soccer has given me everything, but the credit isn’t mine alone,” Somoza said. Somoza thanked his dad and his brother in his speech and talked about his time growing up with the sport.
In an interview with the commission Somoza said “The community of my family being there for me and being supportive was huge. For me now, I’ve realized how important it is to be an advocate for kids and to be around what they’re doing.”
Frank Foster, Athletic Administrator
Foster was Chair of the Snohomish County Sports Hall of Fame from its inception in 2008 until November 2023. Frank’s academic journey began at Cascade High School, where he was a standout athlete, playing three years of varsity football and track. He was named All-Conference, qualified for State in the long jump his senior year, and was selected to the 1960s Cascade High School All-Decade Football Team. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in education from Western Washington University, eventually receiving a master’s in educational administration from Seattle pacific University. At Mariner High School, Frank was instrumental in shaping the athletic programs and supporting student-athletes’ academic and personal growth. He later became the Vice Principal and Athletic Director at Kamiak High School, further solidifying his impact on the community. As a coach, Frank led junior high boys and girls basketball, boys football, and girls softball teams. He also held other significant roles like being a trainer for the 1985 East-West All-Star Football game and event manager for the 2002 NCAA Seattle Bowl a football game featuring Oregon and Wake Forest. He also has sports announcing and broadcasting experience for football, basketball, and baseball games.
Foster recognized his wife, children and eight grandchildren. “I am pleased to say this event is the sports banquet of Snohomish County. I’m thrilled to join the legends in the Snohomish County Hall of Fame,” Foster said.
Foster was also presented with a new inductee award in “recognition of many years of dedicated service.” The commission plans to have the award ready for the 15th annual banquet in 2025.
Dan Parker, Cross Country Coach, Snohomish & Glacier Peak High Schools
Beginning as a volunteer at Snohomish High School in 1987, Dan quickly took the reins as head coach in 1988, inheriting a small team of fewer than 20 boys and five girls. In the 1990s, Dan established the “Great Pumpkin Race”, a popular event that attracted up to 700 young competitors from first to sixth grade. To fund extensive travel for his teams, Dan spearheaded various fundraising activities involving athletes, coaches, and parents, from running concessions at Mariners games to parking cars at concerts, painting houses, and selling corn at the Bigfoot soccer tournament. Under Dan’s leadership, Snohomish High School’s cross-country teams flourished from 1988 to 2008, securing 17 WESCO League Championships and 14 Northwest District Championships for the girls, alongside 11 WESCO and 9 District titles for the boys. His girls’ teams clinched four Washington State Championships in 1995, 1996, 2002, and 2003. Additionally, as the head girls’ track coach from 2000 to 2003, Dan led the team to state championships in 2001 and 2002 and a second-place finish in 2003. Dan’s coaching earned him numerous accolades, including Washington State Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1996, 2010, 2013, and 2018, and US Northwest Region 8 Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2014. In 2022, Dan’s outstanding contributions were recognized with his induction into the Washington State Track & Field and Cross Country Hall of Fame.
Parker said that he was “comfortable” about his induction and that it was an ongoing celebration of the athletes he’s coached who were inducted before him. He talked about his recent travels and reminded the audience to “Live life for all that it could be”.
