Congratulations to those who were recognized in the Marion Athletics Hall of Fame at the Homecoming Game on Friday, October 15, 2021. You can read more about these athletes by visiting the online kiosk at Marion High School or here. If you are interested in submitting a potential addition to the Hall of Fame visit this website.
Wendy (Sumner) Robinson- Class of 1977
Wendy (Sumner) Robinson, class of 1977, was outstanding in track and basketball during the earliest years of girls’ athletics at MHS.
In track, Wendy competed in the 220- and 440-yard individual events, ran anchor leg on the sprint relays, and competed in the long jump.
During her track career, Wendy was a member of several relay teams that placed high in state meets, and the 1977 440 relay squad that won the Drake meet.
Nearly 45 years after the fact, the times of 440 and 880 relay teams that Wendy ran on rank first all-time in the school record book when converted to equivalent metric times, while the bests in other relay and individual events that Wendy competed in still rank in the Top 10.
Wendy played basketball at MHS when the game was 6-on-6 and divided into forward and guard courts. Playing guard, Wendy was named 2nd Team All-Wamac as a junior, and as a senior was named 1st Team All-Wamac and All-Metro.
Wendy was co-winner of the Indian Award as the MVP of the girls’ track team in 1975 and 1976, finished high school with a perfect 4.0 grade point average, and was a member of the National Honor Society.
After high school, Wendy accepted a DI track scholarship to UNI. Academic requirements in her major conflicted with track, forcing Wendy to give up the sport after one season. She went on to earn bachelor and master’s degrees in speech pathology, graduating magna cum laude.
Wendy works at Heartland Area Education Agency in Des Moines where she is Director of Instructional Services. She and her husband Rick live in Johnston, Iowa.
Frank McLeod- Coach
Frank McLeod was born in Traer, grew up in Cedar Rapids, and attended Coe College, receiving his Commerce and Finance degree in 1940. He then earned a Masters of School Administration from the University of Iowa. During World War II, Frank served with distinction as an officer with Patton’s 3rd Army from 1942 through 1946, earning a bronze star among other decorations.
Following the war, Frank took a job as a math teacher at MHS where he was also assistant varsity coach to Les Hipple for five years, from 1947–1948 through 1951–1952. As such, he contributed greatly to Marion’s record during the glory years of Hipple’s reign.
In his role, in addition to assisting during varsity games, McLeod also coached the junior varsity football team and the freshman-sophomore basketball team.
Both squads had extraordinary records.
His basketball teams won five consecutive WaMaC Conference championships, with three of the teams going undefeated. McLeod’s record was 83–7 and included an undefeated streak of 41 games over three seasons. His junior varsity football team won most or all of its games, too, but no record seems to exist.
McLeod left Marion to coach and teach at Roosevelt High School/Middle School in Cedar Rapids where he spent 28 years.
Frank resided in Marion for many years and passed away in 2014 at age 97.
Greg Hall- Class of 1985
Greg Hall excelled in football and track at MHS and graduated in 1985.
Greg was a two-year letter winner in football, starting as a running back. At 6′-0″ and 180 pounds as a senior, Marion went 7-0 in the Wamac, and finished 8-1 overall, losing in the first round of the playoffs. As a junior, Marion was again 7-0 in the Wamac, and finished 9-1 overall, again losing in the first round of the playoffs in a game in which Greg rushed for 200 yards on 28 attempts and scored three touchdowns.
The Register named Greg Class 3A 2nd Team All-State in 1984, while he earned all-class All-State honorable mention from the INA. He was also named 1st Team All-Wamac and All-Metro in 1984.
Greg’s name features prominently in the football record book in many rushing and scoring categories, and an abbreviated listing includes – 8th in career touchdowns (32), 6th in career rushing touchdowns (32), 8th in career points scored (196), and 4th in career points per game (10.32).
A three-year letter winner in track, Greg set the school record in the 200 meter dash.
In 1985 Marion won the Wamac track title, taking first in the 400 meter, 800 meter, and 1600 meter medley relays, with Greg running on all of those units, while he also took 2nd in the 200 meters. In the 1985 Class 3A state meet, Greg placed 4th in the 200 meters and was a member of the 3rd place 800 meter relay. In the 1984 Class 3A state meet Greg ran on the 1600 meter medley relay that placed 6th.
Greg attended St. Ambrose College on a football scholarship, where he was a three-year letter-winning running back. An injury before the first game of his senior season ended Greg’s football career. After obtaining his degree, Greg began teaching in the Linn-Mar schools, where he also coached football at the high school for about 20 years.
Greg and wife Sha live in Marion.
Dusty Albaugh- Class of 2011
Dusty Albaugh excelled in four sports at Marion – participating in football, basketball, track, and baseball in each of his four years at the school, an achievement that earned him the 2011 Tom Begley Memorial Award. He will be welcomed into the Athletics Hall of Fame on October 15th.
In football, as a senior on a 2010 team that finished 2nd in their district with 5-2 record, and 7-3 overall with a 1st round loss in the Class 3A playoffs, Dusty was selected to the Iowa Sports Connection Class 3A Preseason All-State team, and named INA Class 3A 2nd Team All-State, 1st Team All-District, and 1st Team All-Metro – all at the defensive back position. He was also selected to play in the 2011 Shrine Bowl where he recorded an interception.
For the 2009 football season, Dusty was named 1st Team All-District and 2nd Team All-Metro at defensive back on a team that won their district with a 7-0 record and finished 10-1 overall, losing in the 1st round of the Class 3A playoffs.
In the school football record book as of 2019, Dusty ranks 2nd for career interceptions with 12 and is tied for 5th with most interceptions in a season with seven.
Dusty was a 3-year regular on the varsity basketball team, starting as a junior and senior. Those teams compiled a 56-17 overall record, won a Wamac West Division championship in 2010 and co-championship in 2011, and advanced to the Class 3A State Finals in 2009 and 2011, losing in the first round in both instances. As a senior, Dusty was named 1st Team All-Wamac West Division, All-Metro Honorable Mention, and was selected for the IBCA Class 3A Substate 4 All-Tournament Team. He also played in the Wamac Senior Shootout game.
As of 2019, Dusty’s 492 career points scored ranks tied for 43rd place in the school basketball record book, and the 303 he scored as a senior ranks tied for 46th for most scored in a season. His 81 career 3-point goals ranks tied for 8th all-time, and the 56 treys he made as a senior ranks 3rd.
During his junior track season in 2010, Dusty was a member of the 4×200 relay team that placed 8th in the Class 3A state meet and the 4×400 relay that was a state qualifier. As a senior in 2011, he ran on the medley relay that took first place in the districts, qualified for state, and set a new school record; as well as being a member of the 4×400 relay that also qualified for state.
In baseball, Dusty was a four-year varsity player at the designated hitter and right field positions. As a junior he was named 1st Team All-Wamac and his senior team advanced to the Class 3A state semi-finals in 2011.
Dusty was a four-year honor roll student at MHS, was inducted into the National Honor Society as a sophomore, and received all-district/conference academic honors in football and basketball as a junior and senior, and in track as a junior. He was a member of several school organizations, received a number of awards and scholarships, including the Principal’s Award in 2008-2009, and was named Homecoming King his senior year.
Dusty received a BA degree in movement and exercise science, and an MA in kinesiology – both from the University of Northern Iowa. As of 2020, he was an assistant sports performance coach at the University of Connecticut.
Brittany Fish- Class of 2010
A 2010 graduate of Marion High School, Brittany Fish participated in basketball, soccer and softball at MHS.
She was a four-year starter and two-year team captain on the basketball team which posted an overall record of 87-14, won three consecutive Wamac titles and earned two trips to the Class 3A state finals – in 2008 when they reached the semis, and 2010 when they lost in the first round.
Brittany was named INA Class 3A 3rd Team All-State in 2008 and 2010, a 1st Team All-Wamac West Division pick for four years, and selected 2nd Team All-Metro as a junior and senior.
Brittany’s name is well represented in the girls’ basketball record book. She ranks 7th all-time in career points with 1072, ranks 2nd with 250 career 3-point goals, is tied for first for most 3-pointers in a game with eight on two occasions, and is high on the list in several other categories,
In softball, Brittany played first base for three years, and was a forward in soccer for two years. As an 8th grader playing varsity, she set the school record for most put outs in softball with 419, a mark that still stands.
Brittany accepted a scholarship to play college basketball at D2 Maryville University – St Louis. She finished her college career with over 100 3-point goals and was team captain her senior year. After graduation, she helped coach her alma mater for four seasons, two of those while attending graduate school at St Louis University.
Brittany works as an Environmental Health and Safety Manager in St. Louis where she also coaches club basketball.
Brenda (Folkmann) Johnson- Coach
Brenda (Folkmann) Johnson was the outstanding coach of the MHS girls’ track and field team during the early years of the program.
A native of Williamsburg, Brenda attended the U. of Iowa where she competed intercollegiately in field hockey, basketball, and track.
Brenda arrived at MHS in the 1973-74 school year, taking positions as girls’ P.E. teacher and coach of the girls’ track and field team, a program only in its second year of existence.
Brenda quickly turned the track team into a powerhouse during her first year as coach, winning four consecutive Wamac titles in 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1977. The team was dominant in dual and triangular meets, fielding strong all-around squads. But, the team was particularly talented in the sprints, with multiple individuals and relay teams placing high in state meets and winning the 440 relay event at the 1977 Drake meet.
One noteworthy achievement is that the best times turned in by Brenda’s girls in several events rank first all-time in the school record book as of 2021 (with times being converted to metric equivalents), while many other marks still rank in the top 10. It’s remarkable that these records still stand nearly 45 years after the fact.
Brenda took maternity leave for the 77-78 school year, and then returned for a final year of teaching and coaching, after which she moved to Solon. She remained active in coaching, and eventually took over as coach of Solon’s girls’ track and cross country teams – positions she held until 2000. Under Brenda, the Solon teams won multiple conference titles and advanced numerous athletes to the state meets.
Brenda and her husband Dave are retired and living at North Liberty with Brenda still volunteering her time with the Solon cross country program.
Rich LeHew- Class of 1976
Playing offensive tackle and linebacker, Rich LeHew was the first Marion player to be named 1st Team All-State in football.
In his senior season in 1975, Rich, at 6′-2″ and 203 pounds, led the team in tackles with 82 from his linebacker position and his offensive lineman play was dominant as he earned the rare honor of being named Gazette Prep of the Week not once, but twice, in addition to being named to the
WMT Honor Roll. As an offensive tackle, he was a unanimous 1st Team All-Wamac selection, 1st Team All-Metro, IDPA 1st Team All-State (All-Class), and the Des Moines Register named him to the Elite All-Class Team as well as to the Class 3A 1st Team. Rich was selected to play for the North in the Iowa High School Shrine Bowl All-Star game, and was also named as an Honorable Mention selection to an All-American high school team.
Coach Bob Thurness said Rich was one of, if not the best, lineman he had ever coached.
As a junior in the 1974 football season, Rich ranked second on the team in tackles, and, again as offensive tackle, was a unanimous 1st Team All-Wamac selection and named to the 2nd Team All-Metro squad.
In the school football record book, Rich is tied for 3rd for most fumble recoveries in a season with 4, and ranks 1st in career fumble recoveries with 7.
After high school, enrolled at Ellsworth Community College where he played football for one season. Starting at defensive end, Rich helped lead Ellsworth to an undefeated season until they lost to a team from California in the Junior College Rose Bowl.
Rich spent his working career as an engineer, general contractor, and developer at Siemens, and resides in Chewelah, Washington.
Steve Roth- Class of 1974
Steve Roth graduated from MHS in 1974 and since his retirement from his job as a structural engineer has devoted a considerable amount of time to researching the athletic history of his alma mater. He is being recognized in the Hall of Fame at the 2021 Homecoming Game.
In 2012, Steve began work on a history of boys’ basketball at MHS, an ongoing project that now consists of over 6,700 pages of material including a 200-page record book, a player encyclopedia giving the statistics of over 900 varsity players, box scores and newspaper articles for the over 2,000 games played since 1907, along with photographs and videos.
Steve has also been involved with the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame and was co-chairman of the Old Timers’ Committee that nominated deserving athletes and coaches from earlier years. He has also researched and nominated athletes and coaches on his own, interviewed nominees, fact-checked material, and written many of the inductees’ citations.
The development of the school’s “kiosk” website has also kept Steve busy, he being a primary contributor of the research that documented the credentials of the over 600 athletes and teams that have been honored to date in the website’s Wall of Fame and State Champion sections.
Steve has also spent time helping to update the school’s record books in different sports, is the author of various articles and studies pertaining to Marion, Wamac, and Metro-area athletics, and has supplied research material to the IHSAA.
Steve and his wife Mary are the parents of a son and daughter, are both retired, and reside in Omaha.