Sonja Duncan, Dan Rambo Are Inducted Into U.P. Sports Hall of Fame
By David Latva

The Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame new inductees include (front, from left) Francis L'Huiller, Dan Rambo, Bob McGinn, Marvin Aho for Clifford Erickson, John Ricci; (back) Terry Ahola, Sonja Duncan, Shana Ojala, Kathy LeDuc for Joe LaFleur, and Don Jacobs.

Sonja Duncan of Cedarville and Dan Rambo of Sault Ste. Marie were two of the 10 members inducted into the 37th Annual Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame during ceremonies at Danfourth Place in Escanaba Saturday, April 26.

Mrs. Duncan, alumnus of Cedarville High School, was a standout for the Trojans basketball, track, and volleyball teams before taking her athletic ability to Saginaw Valley State University, where she was named All- American and Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

She now coaches Cedarville's girls basketball team, which, this season, advanced to the Class D state semifinals during the 2007- 08 season. She was named Upper Peninsula Coach of the Year.

She teaches at Rudyard High School.

"I thank the committee for this honor and my parents, Charlie and Dorothy, my brother, John, and future husband, David Duncan, for practicing with me and making me a tougher basketball player while in high school, and John Duncan, then athletic director at Cedarville for his influence and encouragement to continue playing after high school," she said.

Members of Cedarville girls basketball team (from left) Katie Bowlby, Billie McLeod, Jillian Collins, Coach Sonja Duncan, Jessie Duncan, and Caitlin Wright surprised Mrs. Duncan with their appearance at the Hall of Fame induction.

David, her husband, her children, Jordan, Jason, Jessie, and Joey, and girls basketball players Caitlin Wright, Katie Bowlby, Jessie Duncan, Billie McLeod, and Jillian Collins, as well as many of her friends, were in attendance to see Mrs. Duncan receive the award.

Dan Rambo, a Sault Ste. Marie high school graduate in 1984, played baseball for four years at Central Michigan University while earning second-team Mid- American Conference honors in 1988 before being drafted by the Major League Baseballe's San Franciso Giants in 1989.

David Duncan escorts his wife, Sonja Duncan, into the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.

He later pitched for seven years at the professional level in Class AAA. In 1990, he was named California League Pitcher of the Year for San Jose.

"It is a great honor to be recognized with this group of athletes," said Rambo, a state police officer stationed in DeTour. He is presently coaching the Pickford/ Cedarville baseball team.

His family includes his parents, Jim and Lonia, his wife, Rachel, and two daughters, Kelsey and Cayla.

Remaining members of the induction class included Terry Ahola of Gladstone, Don Jacobs, Bob McGinn, and the late Joe LaFleur of Escanaba, Francis L'Huillier of Marquette, Shana Ojala of Trout Creek, Joe Ricci of Hancock, and the late Clifford Erickson of Newberry.

The Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 1972. Thirty-three members are from the Eastern Upper Peninsula. They are:

St. Ignace: Jim Lamoreaux, Barry Pierson, and Ed Lester.

Pickford: Web Morrison and John Bennin.

Rachel Rambo escorts her husband, Dan Rambo, into the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.

DeTour: Angus Goetz. Rudyard: Edward Maki.

Newberry: Karl Parker, Tom Villemure, Morley Fraser, Jeff Bender, Burt Gustafson, John Hammes, John Ludlaw, Rob Rubick, and Tom Talor.

McMillian: Len St. Jean.

Sault Ste. Marie: Taffel Abel, Bruce Martyn, Tom Ludwig, James Alford, Bob Brawley, Russ Bruce, Bud Cooper, Victor DesJardins, Fred DeVuono, Frank Fazi, Bob Gilray, John Goetz, William Hamilton, Carl Lackey, Dan Rose, and Archie Weston.

Hall of Fame Academic/

Athletic Scholarship Winners

Kim Tweedale of Munising and Dave Ellis of Negaunee, both with 4.0 grade point averages (GPA), and Jessica Racine of Westwood and Dan Sjoquist of Kingsford, both with a 3.9 GPA, were selected as the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame Academic-Athletic Scholarship winners for the 2007- 08 school year.

Each year, two female and two male student athletes are selected and each receive a $500 scholarship per year for four years.

The Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame lies in Pine Mountain Resort in Iron Mountain.