'04 Class of Legends Have Jan. 23 Induction
January 16, 2004

Class of '04 Ken Covell Soccer Roy Duncan Track & Field Les Habegger Basketball Debbie Halle Jackson Gymnastics Bob Thompson Tennis

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Induction Ceremony Details

SEATTLE (Jan. 16, 2004) – Some giants of Seattle Pacific University’s rich athletic past and present will return to the campus next Friday (Jan. 23) when the Falcon Legends Hall of Fame inducts its second charter class. Ceremonies will be held during an 11:45 a.m. luncheon in the Queen Anne Room of Gwinn Commons. Honorees will also be publicly acknowledged prior to the homecoming basketball game the next day in Brougham Pavilion. Luncheon reservations are $25.

The Class of 2004 includes soccer scoring sensation Ken Covell (1971-74), record-setting track & field sprinter Roy Duncan (1956-58), basketball coaching great Les Habegger (1956-74), gymnastics champion Debbie Halle Jackson (1974-77) and tennis ace Bob Thompson (1966-69). In addition, the late Jack MacDonald, a Falcon Legends cofounder, longtime booster and former basketball letterman, will receive the first Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously.

The list of presenting speakers is quite impressive and features longtime soccer coach Cliff McCrath presenting Covell. McCrath has guided the Falcons to 465 wins and five NCAA championships over the last 34 seasons. He is a member of the NAIA, U.S. Soccer and Wheaton College halls of fame and an exceptional motivator and public speaker, sought after nationwide.

Habegger, who made two speeches a year ago, will present Duncan. Joining McCrath and Habegger as presenters are former tennis coach, NCAA faculty representative and professor emeritus Dr. Wes Lingren (for Thompson); gymnast Jill Johnson Welker (for Jackson); basketball letterman Dr. Bob Hathaway (for Habegger) and former SPU board of trustees chairman Bud McDole (for MacDonald). Former KOMO TV sports director Bruce King will return as master of ceremonies and Dr. Philip Eaton, SPU president, will bestow inductees with their awards.

The Class of 2004 will bring the Falcon Legends Hall of Fame membership to 11. Last year’s inaugural class featured Loren Anderson (basketball/baseball), Doris Brown Heritage (track & field/cross country), Dr. Ken Foreman (track & field coach), Howard Heppner (basketball), Steve Gough (track & field) and Ben Moring (track & field).

Habegger fashioned the Falcons into a regional basketball power, qualifying for six trips to the NCAA tournament from 1962-72. The 1965 unit was long regarded as the best, winning the West Regional and advancing to the Elite Eight. Habegger, the career leader for coaching wins (267), later was an assistant coach for the 1979 NBA champion Seattle SuperSonics. He now lives in Phoenix.

Covell’s arrival coincided with a reversal of fortune in McCrath’s fledgling soccer program. The team went from winless before Covell to four consecutive trips to the playoffs, including a 1974 NCAA championship game appearance. A two-time all-region selection, Covell held every major scoring record upon graduation. He resides in Denver, where he graduated from Lincoln High School.

The accomplishments of Duncan have become more and more impressive over time. He remains the greatest sprinter to ever wear an SPU singlet, not just because he was the most decorated (three-time All-America in the 100 and 220-yard dashes), but because his school records (adjusted to metric) have gone untouched for 45 years. Originally from Wenatchee, Duncan now lives in Anacortes.

Halle Jackson was a member of the original gymnastics team which placed fifth in the national (all-division) championship, and she punctuated that first season by winning the school’s first national title, on the uneven bars. She graduated with each of the five school records and was a seven-time All-America. Married to Western Washington basketball coach Brad Jackson, she lives in Bellingham.

Thompson set the standard for all tennis players at Seattle Pacific. In the spring of 1969, his senior season, Thompson reached the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Championships in both singles and–along with partner Wilbert Look–doubles. The Vancouver, Wa., native and current Salem, Or., resident finished with a career record of 66-20 in singles and 56-23 in doubles–the most of any player.

MacDonald was a member of the Falcon basketball teams in 1945 and ‘46 but his demonstrated allegiance to his alma mater lasted well over 50 years and touched nearly every sport. He later became longtime president of the Falcon Club booster group and was the spearhead for creating the Falcon Legends Hall of Fame. He died Nov. 28, 2002 – two months before the first class was inducted.

Hall of Fame classes are limited to five inductees each year and must have no more than one non-athlete represented. Nominations for the induction Class of 2005 are now being accepted.