Members of the 2025 U.P. Sports Hall of Fame Class pose for a photo on May 10, 2025 at the Island Resort and Casino. Front row (from left to right) Janice Mills for the late John Prokos, Denise Porath, Lesley (Noel) Delvaux, Barb Sickler, Rachel (Folick) McClure and Jeanie Thoren. Back row (left to right) David St. Onge, James “Jamie” Angeli, Nick Baumgartner and Jeff Olsen. (Adam Hinch/Daily Press)

HARRIS — For the 10 Upper Peninsula sports hall of fame inductees, Saturday night was filled with emotion and look back in the past as they received their induction at the Island Resort and Casino. Over 300 people came out to honor the inductees of the class of 2025.

Here is a look at the 2025 Upper Peninsula Hall of Fame class.

James “Jamie” Angeli, Iron River

James graduated from West Iron County High School in 1980. He led the conference in scoring twice in his high school career. He was a two-time unanimous All-U.P. First Team selection. He graduated from UW-Stout and went on to a 40-year coaching career. He was the NCAA Coach of the Year at City College of New York in 2016. He was also an assistant coach for 12 years at the Division one level most notably with UCLA from 1998-2004, competing in the NCAA tournament five times advancing to the Sweet 16 on three occasions.

“It is an honor to be in this class,” Angeli said. “I had some good basketball players in my family and I’m fortunate and incredibly blessed to be here.”

Nick Baumgartner, Iron River

A four-time US Olympian, Baumgartner is best known for winning a gold medal at the 2022 olympic games in Beijing in the inaugural mixed snowboard cross event standing alongside his teammate Lindsey Jacobellis.

“I’m so proud to be a yooper,” Baumgartner said. “When I returned home from the Olympics the love and kindness from the people in the UP made me proud to be from the U.P.”

Baumgartner played football and wrestling at West Iron County High School where he graduated in 2000. He went on to play football at Northern Michigan University and compete in the winter X-Games on ESPN.

“Im Humbled to be a part of this group of inductees, Baumgartner said. “I’m proud to represent my friends and family who have helped me along the way and the awesome people from the U.P. that makes this area so special.”

Lesley (Noel) Delvaux, Escanaba

Delvaux was a dominating pitcher at the Little League, high school and college levels. She was a pitching coach for Bay College when the program started in 2019. She was All-Region and All-State at Escanaba High School and was 68-8 with a career best .019 ERA as a junior

“Some of my most memorable moments include winning the first state championship for the Gladstone 9-10 All Stars and being runner-up in the high school state championship in 2003,” she said. “It’s hard to feel so deserving of such an honor, and I share this with all my teammates that were there with me.”

Delvaux attended Michigan State University and had an overall record of 42-40 with a 3.02 ERA

She is still in the top 10 all time at MSU for career wins (42), innings pitched in career (569), complete games in career (46), saves in a career (7) and shut-outs in a career at (15).

Rachel (Folick) McClure, Carney

McClure helped Carney-Nadeau High School win a Class D state basketball title as a sophomore. She scored 1,749 points with the Wolves, she was an All-State selection as well as the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan (BCAM) Player of the Year as a senior. She went on to play basketball at Ferris State University where she scored 1,705 points and was a two-time All American.

“I love the game of basketball,” McClure said. “If you asked me back then ‘who are you?’ I would have replied ‘I’m a basketball player’. It was my identity, my drive and my comfort zone. But when the game ended I wrestled with a harder truth we aren’t what we do it’s taking the time to see the bigger picture in hindsight life doesn’t always follow your plan in those moments you ask yourself who am I my answer came in my mid 20’s when i formed a relationship with Jesus.”

Following her playing days she coached in the Division 1 and Division 2 college level as well as a high school coach at Oxford, OH and at Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay.

Jeff Olson, Ishpeming

Olsen spent 37 years coaching football for the Hematites as well as 30 years coaching basketball. He was the varsity coach at Ishpeming for 27 years with a record of 200-91. Jeff won three Division 7 State Championships in (2012, 2013, and 2015) and was runner-up twice (2010 and 2014) and won five regional championships along with 12 district championships. He was named Coach of the Year four times as well as U.P. Coach of the Year four times and Regional Coach of the Year nine times.

“I always said if you want to be successful at something, set goals,” Olson said. “But set them high enough that you’re always chasing something. One of my goals was to win enough games to be inducted into the U.P. Sports Hall of Fame, and this past August I found out that the goals were achieved. I’m proud of all my players and assistant coaches of whom I have had the pleasure to work with over the years.”

Olsen also coached freshman and JV basketball before taking over as the varsity coach for three seasons compiling a 47-20 record and one district championship.

Denise Porath, Escanaba

One of the first athletes to take advantage of Title IX, Porath was an outstanding athlete that turned to coaching. She began playing softball at the age of 13 before the days when girls were allowed in Little League. She played fast pitch softball for over three decades and was a part of two state championship teams. She played on the first girls basketball team in Escanaba and was a vaunted sprinter on the girls first track team in 1974. She went on to Northern Michigan University where she played field hockey and had a single-season record of 31 goals. She tried out for the Olympic team in 1979 but the USA boycotted the Olympics in 1980. She was inducted into the NMU Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.

“I feel honored to receive this induction,” Porath said. “I ask all of you to take time out of your busy life, your accomplishments, your good deeds, your kindness to others and you yourself will find your own Hall of fame.”

Porath went on to coach basketball and golf at Powers North Central and won five Highland Golf Club women’s titles.

John Prokos, Powers

Prokos was an outstanding pole vaulter for nearly 40 years, a career that included a third place finish in the Master’s division of the 1977 national track championships. Prokos was the Class A-B record holder in the pole vault at 11′ 7″ until Mike Stemec of Holy Name scored an 11′ 8″ in 1960.

His love for the sport led him to be a coach where he used his talents to inspire pole vaulters at North Central High School in Powers.

In addition to coaching, John loved to announce football games and discharge the starter gun at local cross country meets.

In 1944 Prokos organized the first Little League baseball team as a sixth-grader in Escanaba.

Barb Sickler, Lake Linden

Sickler was a physical education teacher in Gwinn and Munising Schools. She began her coaching career at Lake Linden-Hubbell in 1964. At that time there were no high school girls teams, just three “Sports Days” allowed for girls by the MHSAA. There could be no winner. It was days like these where girls from local high schools could get to participate in sports related activities.

From 1966 until 1985 she was head coach for both gymnastics and track and field at Lake Linden-Hubbell, guiding them to a Class D U.P. Track Championship in 1983 after finishing runner-up in 1982. Sickler was inducted into LL-H’s inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2017.

Dane St. Onge, Marquette

St. Onge spent 53 years officiating high school and college basketball games. He also officiated State Final games for both boys and girls. He was selected to the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Hall of Fame in 2010. He also officiated football for 24 years, and mentored young officials and worked numerous U.P. All-Star Games.

Jeanie Thoren, Marquette

Thoren was one the 100 most influential skiers of the last century by SKI Magazine. Thoren is respected around the globe as the catalyst for women’s skiing. From the building of the first women’s-specific ski with a forward binding location in Austria in 1986 or working with Dynastar in France to design their exclusive carve-ski.

In 2009 Jeanie Thoren’s Women’s Ski Center opened as the first ever women’s only ski shop in the United States located in Vail, Colo.