Scott Swanson
The Sweet Home High School Booster Club named Zach Luttmer and Allison Miner its Booster Club Boy and Girl of the Year in a virtual presentation hosted by wrestling Coach Steve Thorpe and club members Shari Melcher-Smith and Jim Hagle.
Award winners were later honored in a live presentation at Husky Field.
“This is a really exciting time, that we are finding a way to do this,” said Thorpe, who emceed the event.
Both of the Booster Club winners received a $250 award. They were introduced by Hagle and Melcher-Smith.
Hagle described Luttmer as “one of the hardest-working kids I’ve ever met while coaching Luttmer in youth football and baseball.
Basketball wasn’t Luttmer’s “greatest” sport, he said, but “he never stopped.”
In high school, Luttmer developed into a baseball player who, Hagle said, would have had a shot at playing in the All-Star Game as a shortstop this year.
Melcher-Smith introduced Miner as someone who is “in the heart of every activity she participates in, whether it be cheering on fellow classmates in activities or celebrating with her teammates on the court. “She gives, gives and gives of herself so she can say in the end she did everything she could do with every opportunity she was given.”
Miner loves her community, and volunteers as a youth volleyball and softball coach.
Melcher Smith said she could attest from personal experience that when the Booster Club needed help with its fundraiser booth during basketball season, “She’d jump right in.”
MMA Star Speaks
Mixed Martial Arts star Randy “The Natural” Couture spoke to the seniors, also remotely, from his home in Las Vegas, Nev. Thorpe said they had planned for over a year to have Couture, who appeared at SHHS’s 2004 banquet, speak at the event, until the coronavirus derailed those plans.
Thorpe introduced Couture as a two-time All-American for Oklahoma State University who was a two-time Olympic alternate in Greco-Roman wrestling, and a six-time Pan American Games medalist, including two golds.
Following a stint in the Army, he transitioned to MMA and won six world titles, the last when he was 44, before retiring to appear in movies and found the Xtreme Couture GI Foundation, which
“He is a patriot,” Thorpe said. “He is one of the humblest, kindest, nicest people for being one of the baddest men on the planet.”
Couture told his listeners that athletics is “one of the most important endeavors you chose to be part of,” that teaches “every valuable lesson you need to succeed in life.”
That, he said, includes learning to “win graciously,” but more importantly, also learning to lose with dignity. “Both are critical skills you learn as you move on to face life’s ups and downs.”
Couture said he’s paid more attention to his losses than his wins in his 19-11 professional career.
“I never watch the fights I won. Why? I got the outcome that I wanted. But I guarantee you, I watched the ones I lost over and over and over. Because that was where I was going to learn, to become a better athlete and, at the end of the day, a better human.”
He told his listeners to embrace struggle and be resilient, “the strength that enables people to move through hardship and become better. No one escapes pain, fear and suffering. Yet from pain can come wisdom, from fear can come courage, from suffering can come strength if you have resilience.”
Noting that he’d lost “some of the biggest competitions in sports,” he said he believes everything happens for a reason, noting that his entry into MMA was a result of those experiences.
He warned his audience against “self-limitation.”
“We need challenges to master and problems to solve. If we’re trapped in a life where everything is provided for us, our minds fail to grow and our spirits deteriorate. We all need something to struggle for.
“The aim of life is not to avoid struggles, but to have the right ones; not to avoid worry but to care about the right things; not to live without fear but to confront worthy fears with force and passion.
“What you will become is a result of what you will endure.”
Couture finished by highlighting the importance of humility, “the most important thing athletics breeds.
“With humility I now have an open mind and an open heart to figure out what that is and grow in wisdom.”
He said people see him as a fighter, but he also has a bachelor’s degree in foreign language and literature, and has been writing prose and poetry since his college days, some of which he quoted to his listeners.
Marine Corps Award
Couture introduced Lexi Schilling and Jackson Royer, the winners of the U.S. Marine Corps Award, which goes to athletes who can be trusted to do the right thing. The award demonstrates athletic excellence, recognizes leadership and being a role model.
Schilling finishes with a 3.70 GPA and was a two-time regional champion and two-time state placer in girls wrestling. She was also a freestyle and Greco state champion, a three-time state team member, and traveled with Oregon’s international exchange team to South Africa.
“She never missed an opportunity to make herself better,” Couture said, quoting one of Schilling’s coaches.
Royer finished with a 3.40 GPA. He was an All-League selection in football as a senior and was a three-time regional champ, four-time state placer, and two-time state champ in wrestling. In his last two appearances in the state wrestling championships, Royer pinned all but one of his opponents, and “tech-falled” that one in this year’s final.
“He’s a leader on and off the mat and is just as hard-nosed,” Couture said, again quoting Royer’s coaches.
Coaches Award
Couture also presented the Coaches Award, which replaces the former U.S. Army Award.
Girls winner Megan Hager has been a two-time state competitor in track and is one of most decorated swimmers ever to come through Sweet Home,” he said, adding that Hager has been part of 13 state titles during her high school career, in individual and relay events. A high school All-American, she is headed to Colorado State University on a swimming scholarship.
Boys winner Travis Thorpe finishes with a 3.71 GPA. He competed in three sports all four years in high school, earning 11 varsity letters, Couture said. Thorpe was an All-League selection last fall in football and was a two-time All-League pick in baseball, in which he tied the school record at catcher for throwing runners out while stealing.
His baseball coach predicted he’d be First Team All-League and and All-Star Game candidate this year if they’d played this season out. Thorpe is a fun, fun kid to coach,” Couture said, quoting the Sweet Home coaches, and adding “that’s saying a lot.”
As a wrestler, Thorpe is a four-time state placer, three-time finalist and two-time state champion, along with a state title in freestyle and two in Greco. He finishes with the school record in wins (202), 132 by fall.
Quoting wrestling coach Tomas Rosa, he said, “Travis possesses incredible character charisma and dedication. He showcases talents in everything he does.”
Hall of Fame Honorees
Thorpe, Hager and Royer were also named to the Husky Hall of Fame, along with Nich James and Casey Tow.
Presenting the awards, Hagle noted that “It’s amazing in this year’s class to introduce this many people into the Hall of Fame.”
Membership is an honor extended to athletes who have excelled beyond just participation, who have been honored at the district or state level, most winning state championships in their sports.
Hager “is one of the most decorated swimmers to come through Sweet Home,” Hagle said. “Her work ethic and drive are evident through the results she has been able to achieve. She’s a role model to younger swimmers, Megan has helped younger swimmers rise to the occasion, earning first and second (team finishes) in last two years with mostly freshmen and sophomores.
She overachieves and works hard.”
Thorpe, Hagle said, “is one of those kids who never says no, who always put in extra time and effort.”
He said he agreed with the baseball coaches that Thorpe likely would have been an All-Star candidate this year.
“What people haven’t seen is the extra work put in both in wrestling and baseball,” Hagle said.
“He’s one of those fun kids to be around. Goofy, sense of humor. He lightens things up when things aren’t going very well.
“He’s an amazing young man who’s going to do great things in life.”
Hagle introduced James as “an absolute stud of a wrestler.”
James is a three-time state placer and three-time conference champion, who played a little soccer on the side.
He quoted a coach who called James “one of the smartest people I’ve been around. He fully embraced the opportunity to be a great wrestler. He’s done all the extras.”
James also has helped younger wrestlers on the team and works “very hard.”
“It makes me feel proud to introduce this young man into the Hall of Fame,” Hagle concluded.
Introducing Royer, Hagle noted that although they are distantly related, “the athletic genes come from the other side.”
Royer “never backs out of a pursuit and he gets what he worked for,” Hagle said, quoting coaches. “He’s been able to accomplish what very few have. He’s a leader for us and never afraid of facing a tougher competitor or situation. He’s an outstanding young man – one of the hardest workers you’ll ever meet.”
Hagle introduced Tow as a three-year letter winner in track who placed third at nationals in the decathlon and second in the state last year in the 400, and 4×400. Tow is a three-time all-state honoree in track, a four-year letter winner in basketball, and was an All-League first team pick on offense, and second team on defense in football.
“He’s a great student and a great representative of Sweet Home High School,” Hagle said, quoting coaches. “He has one of the greatest work ethics I’ve ever seen.”
Moe Award
Recipients of the award, which showcases character, were Torree Hawken, Jasper Korn, Miner and Isaac Schaffer.
Presenting the award, Hagle noted that it is “one of my all-time favorites,” with previous recipients including Tomas Rosa, Tyler Holly, himself and Heather Mason – “now they call her Heather Thorpe.”
“One sentence depicts this award,” Hagle said: “That person you would be proud to call your own.”
Hawken is a valedictorian who competed in three sports and was a leader in the school.
“Coaches absolutely loved the work she would do. She made everybody else better, she did the extra time. You couldn’t ask her without getting a ‘yes’ answer.”
The multisport theme is a “common thread” among recipients of the award, Hagle said.
He introduced Korn, who “started off as a little guy playing football and basketball.”
Korn went on to develop into a “very good athlete,” Hagle said.” You didn’t have to worry about what he was going to do.”
Coaches described Korn as “having an exceptional work ethic, fun to be around. You can never find a bad thing to say about him.”
“I think that’s true,” Hagle added jokingly, “except when he permed his hair and wore those little round glasses all the time.”
Miner, he said, finishes with a 3.9 GPA.
Coaches described her as a “fierce competitor and hard worker,” who developed her game in both softball and volleyball, competing in both simultaneously.
“Although she didn’t get to play softball, that didn’t take away from her accomplishments,” Hagle said.
Referencing Couture’s remarks about resilience, Hagle introduced Schaffer as a young man who has “incredible resilience.”
Shaffer, he said, “did all the extra without getting a great deal of success, but continued to do that, qualifying for state in wrestling.
Quoting a football coach, Hagle said Shaffer “is that guy, the one you can always count on.”
“You see posters that say ‘Knock down seven, get up eight.’ That’s cliché when you’re talking about a guy like this.”
Larry Johnson/Bruce West
Sportsmanship Award
Honorees were: Torree Hawken, Iakona Howerton, Nich James, Allison Miner, Gavin Nichols, Travis Thorpe and McKenzie Wolfe.
Spirit of a Champion Award
Thorpe presented the Spirit of a Champion Award, which is often given to those who must overcome adversity or challenging situations, went to Hailey Miller, Bryce Porter, Ashtyn Walker and Zach Luttmer.
Miller, a cheer squad member, was actively involved in school and her sport, helping to lead her cheer team no matter what the situation was.
Porter had his season cut short by a knee injury but never complained and helped out as a coach in the wrestling room.
“He never, at any point, said ‘Woe is me’ or felt sorry for himself. Rather, he became a coach for us. He helped us every day in the room, doing everything he could.”
Walker was a multisport athlete who never backed out of tough situations, Thorpe said.
“She found ways to make herself better, not to make excuses,” he said, adding that coaches “teared up” when describing Walker.
Luttmer was a multisport athlete who fought through various types of adversities.
“He found ways to compete. He never let himself or his team down,” Thorpe said.
Steve Thorpe also introduced the three seniors who played a sport every season of every year of their high school career: Travis Thorpe, Zach Zanona and Torree Hawken.
Hawken played soccer in the fall, swam in the winter and played softball and then ran track in the spring.
Thorpe played football, wrestled and played golf one year and then baseball in the spring.
Zanona, he noted, actually did more than that.
“He never stopped doing,” Thorpe said. “He played soccer and ran cross-country in the fall, basketball in the winter, and baseball in spring.”
Scholarships and OSAA Awards
Royer was named recipient of the Norm Davis Scholarship.
Greg Hagle Scholarships went to Zoe James and Luttmer
The Pat Baxter Scholarship, for wrestlers, went to Travis Thorpe, Porter and Royer.
The John Seward Memorial Scholarship, an award for swimmers, went to Torree Hawken.
Melcher-Smith presented OSAA Scholar Athlete/Activity Awards, to those who finished with a 3.50 or better GPA, to: Elizabeth Adams, Jasmine Carter, Katen Edwards, Kayla Griffin, Davin Guzman, Megan Hager, Sarah Hanson, Moriah Harrington, Torri Hawken, Iakona Howerton, Nich James, Zoe James, Jasper Korn, Zack Luttmer, Allison Miner, Gavin Nichols, Jarrett Owen, Jayce Owen, Tristan Saultz, Lexi Schilling, Pippi Somatis, Travis Thorpe, Casey Tow, Payton Ullrich, Kirsten Watkins, Brook Womack and Zack Zanona.