Jeffco Athletics inducts four new members into Hall of Fame

Mary Anderson, Ron Castagna, Sue Ellis and Rudy Martin were inducted into the Jeffco Athletics Hall of Fame on Thursday, June 6, at the Arvada Center. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics

ARVADA — Jeffco Public Schools held is 33rd annual Hall of Fame banquet Thursday, June 6, at the Arvada Center.

Mary Anderson, Ron Castagna, Sue Ellis and Rudy Martin joined the Jeffco Athletic Hall of Fame that now numbers 208 members. The hall of fame started in 1986 with the charter class of Darrel Hafling, Tom Hancock, Vernon Heaston, Bill Lewis and Mel Schwartz.

This year’s class includes several groundbreaking athletics, coaches and administers who have helped shape the long and rich athletic tradition in Jeffco.

MARY ANDERSON

Anderson was a physical education teacher at Wheat Ridge High School and North Arvada Middle School from 1983 to 2005. She was the Farmers’ varsity volleyball coach from 1983 to 1989.

In 1987, Anderson coached Wheat Ridge to the Class 4A state champion. Wheat Ridge was ranked 13th nationally by Volleyball Magazine. Anderson was named the Jeffco Volleyball Coach of the Year, Colorado High School Volleyball Coach of the Year and was the Volleyball All-State Coach in 1987.

In 2005, the new secondary gymnasium at Wheat Ridge High School was named the “Anderson Gymnasium”.

RON CASTAGNA

Castagna was the principal at Lakewood High School from 1996 to 2014. During his tenure at Lakewood there was tremendous growth in enrollment and the creation of the International Baccalaureate program.

Castagna always should his passion and support for his athletic programs that had several much success on and off the fields and courts during his nearly 20 years at Lakewood High School.

SUE ELLIS

Ellis was a trailblazer for female high school student-athletics in the 1970s when Title IX went into effect. The Golden High School graduate excelled in volleyball and basketball where she was a two-time all-state player in both sports.

During the 1975-76 basketball season, Ellis led the Demons to the AAA state championship title. It was the first year that girls basketball was a sanctioned sport by the Colorado High School Activities Association.

Ellis went on to play basketball at Colorado State University where she was a four-year starter and three-time captain. She also went on to coach in Jeffco for several years.

RUDY MARTIN

Martin first made a name for himself at Lakewood High School on the baseball field as an all-state catcher on the Tigers’ AAA state championship team in 1970.

He then went on to the University of Northern Colorado where he went into education with a focus on special education and physical education. Martin had a long coaching career that spans more than 40 years.

Martin coached Columbine High School’s boys basketball team to the Class 5A state title in 1997. He racked up 226 wins during his head coaching stint with the Rebels. Martin spent time at Green Mountain High School where he was the head boys basketball coach for four years and four more years as the head girls basketball coach.

Paul Davis Sportsmanship Award
Jeffco 4A: Wheat Ridge
Jeffco 5A: Columbine

Varsity Achievement Award
Valor Christian

Fred Steinmark Award
Jeffco 4A: Evergreen
Jeffco 5A: Ralston Valley

Assistant Coaches of the Year
Jeffco 4A
Coach of Female Sports: Crystal Reed, Littleton
Coach of Male Sports: Scott MacDonald, Golden
Jeffco 5A
Coach of Female Sports: Gary Lash, Lakewood
Coach of Male Sports: Ray Barron, Columbine

Coaches of the Year
Jeffco 4A
Coach of Female Sports: Liz Hudd, Evergreen
Coach of Male Sports: Jesse German, Green Mountain
Jeffco 5A
Coach of Female Sports: Tracey Boychuk, Pomona
Coach of Male Sports: Mark Stenbeck, Dakota Ridge

Athletes of the Year
Jeffco 4A
Female: Claudia Dillon, Evergreen
Male: Ryan Burdi, Green Mountain
Jeffco 5A
Female: Anna Hall, Valor Christian
Male: Logan DeArment, Columbine