By Grady Higgins, Great Falls Tribune
August 4, 2024
The second class of C.M. Russell High’s athletic hall of fame is set.
This year’s group of Rustler Legends consists of 12 players, coaches and those who have made significant contributions to CMR athletics over time – dubbed “Legendary Rustlers.”
This year’s nominating committee members consist of already inducted Rustler Legends in Brock Sunderland, Jon Knutson, Lynda Morin and Mike McLean, as well as current CMR coaches Aaron Jensen (wrestling), Brian Greenwell (track and field), Val Scheevel (tennis) and Alex Hurley (softball), and administrators Nate Achenbach and Paul Soldano.
Nominees require 70 percent of the committee vote and once selected are sent to the principal for final approval. The committee is also responsible for recommendations of upkeep of the Rustler Legends Hall of Fame and suggesting means of fundraising as necessary.
CMR Vice Principal and committee member Nate Achenbach said the Rustler Legends enshrinement was not the original goal of the group, as they first wanted to simply update and clean up the existing displays. The project continued to grow, and in the process, there was some oversight on worthy candidates in the first year last fall, Achenbach said.
“These aren’t second-class citizens or second best,” Achenbach said. “We did (the Rustler Legends) and we did it in such a short window…you’re going to miss people. As a committee, we apologize missing some people the first time around. This group is just as deserving as the class before. The committee recognizes that and is excited that we’ve expanded the criteria.”
Achenbach said he’s sure there are still hall of fame candidates that meet the criteria that haven’t been recognized, and the committee hopes the community will continue to reach out with nominations.
The following is the criteria for athletes, coaches and contributors to be considered, with changes implemented this year shown in italics.
Athletes
- MHSA Hall of Fame
- Professional athlete
- Played on national team
- World champion in an event
- At least two years attending CMR
- All-American status in college
- All-American in high school recognized by national organization
Coaches
- National Coaches Hall of Fame
- Professional coach
- Coach of an Olympic or national team
- Montana Coaches Hall of Fame
- Longevity coaching at CMR may be a consideration
- Must be retired but still may be coaching as an assistant
Legendary Rustlers (contributor)
- Has made or is making contributions to CMR athletics over a period of time
This year’s group will be honored on Oct. 3 during CMR’s Homecoming week. Here are this year’s inductees into the Rustler Legends Hall of Fame.
Athletes
Patrick Dwyer, hockey: Dwyer graduated from CMR in 2001 and became the first and still only athlete from Great Falls to play in the NHL. The former Great Falls American is also thought to be the first NHL player to play most of his junior hockey career in Montana. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2002 NHL entry draft by the Atlanta Thrashers (now Winnipeg Jets), he spent the entirety of his career at the top level with the Carolina Hurricanes, from 2008-09 to 2014-15, playing seven seasons for the club. A right wing on the ice, he played in 416 games with Carolina and scored 42 goals along with 51 career assists. He previously coached in the NHL’s developmental league – the American Hockey League – and is currently an assistant coach for the NHL’s Minnesota Wild.
Michele (Buresh) Chalmers, distance running: A 1986 graduate of CMR, Chalmers was a qualifier for the Olympic trials in the 10,000 meters in 1996 and competed internationally for the U.S. national cross country team after a college career with both the University of Montana and University of Washington. She was a part of Mountain West Conference champion teams with the Grizzlies and then helped lead the Huskies to a Pac-10 championships in 1989-90. Chalmers was also a captain of the Pac-10 champion women’s track team in 1990, taking third in the 10k. In 1999, Chalmers was named the Montana Sports Woman of the Year by the Montana Women’s Sports Committee. In her senior year with the Rustlers, Chalmers was the Eastern AA divisional champion in both the 1600 and 3200, winning the state title in the latter and setting the school record.
Wanda Jewell, Olympian: Jewell, who graduated from CMR in 1972, reached some of the highest levels of sport as a member of the U.S. rifle team. After winning two gold medals at the world championship in 1978 and three gold at the Pan American Games in 1983, Jewell not only made the 1984 Olympic shooting team but made the podium with a bronze medal in three-position shooting. She also led the women’s national team to a silver medal at the 1998 World Championships before being named the head coach of the U.S. National Rifle Team in 2000, becoming the first woman to coach a national rifle team in the world, according to a 2002 Tribune article. She was named National Coach of the Year for shooting sports by USA Shooting in 2002 and the same year was named director of operations for the organization. She retired from the U.S. Army Reserves in 2000 as a lieutenant colonel.
Paul Schafer, football: Schafer was a member of CMR’s inaugural graduating class in 1966 and during his time with the Rustlers was an All-State running back and state champion wrestler. He was an honorable-mention All-American at running back for Montana State in 1968, producing one of the most legendary performances in Treasure State history against rival University of Montana. In that year’s Cat-Griz game, Schafer carried the ball 58 times for 234 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown with 12 seconds left as the Bobcats rallied back to beat the Griz 29-24 after trailing 24-7. Author Pat Kearney wrote in his book on the rivalry, “The Divide War,” that Schafer played the game with a still-healing separated shoulder and a blown-out knee, according to his Montana State University bio. His MSU bio quotes his quarterback Dennis Erickson — the veteran NFL and college football coach who won two national championships with the Miami Hurricanes — about Schafer: “Paul Schafer might have been the toughest human being I ever played with or coached or anything.” Also a world-class bow hunter, Schafer died in a skiing accident in 1993.
Coaches
Branch Brady, cross country: Brady’s own athletic career was something to behold, setting the state record for the mile for Great Falls High as well as setting the 880-yard record for Montana before becoming the captain and two-mile indoor record-setter for the University of Wisconsin. A member of the MHSA and Montana Coaches Association halls of fame, Brady was one of the most successful coaches in the state in any sport in his tenure at CMR. In over 20 years leading the cross country program, Brady’s teams captured eight state championships across boys’ and girls’ competitions and finished in at least the top three more than a dozen times. Also the longtime head coach for girls’ track and field, the Rustlers won three state championships. A local advocate for recreational running, Brady reportedly ran at least one mile every single day for over 34 years, a streak that was briefly broken in 2016 due to a health episode. Still an assistant for CMR distance running, a bronze statue of Brady was dedicated in Gibson Park in 2019.
Terry Graham, softball: The C.M. Russell High softball program started in 1990, and for its first 12 years under Graham it rarely knew anything but success. The Rustlers finished second at the state tournament in the team’s inaugural year and continued to build, winning several conference titles and another second-place showing in 1995. In 1997, the streak began as Graham led CMR to the first of five straight state championships. The first four came with his daughter Lindsay – herself a Rustler Legend inducted last year – at pitcher before a decorated career at North Dakota State. Graham coached his final games in the 2001 state tournament as the Rustlers battled through the elimination bracket to beat top-ranked Billings Senior twice in the title round for the trophy. Over 12 seasons, Graham never had a losing season and finished with a career mark of 226-90. He was inducted into the Montana Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2003.
Jerry Kuntz, golf: A coach in Great Falls for nearly 30 years, Kuntz had great success over 26 years with the CMR golf programs. Dubbed “The Dean of Class AA golf coaches” by the Tribune upon his retirement in 2009, Kuntz led the Rustlers from 1980 through the 2007 season in 1989, 1994 and 2003 on the boys’ side. Combined with boys and girls, Kuntz’s teams also finished runner-up at state five times while his girls’ squads finished third four times. Kuntz spent 39 years in all with Great Falls Public Schools, and coached at Great Falls High in his final three seasons.
Sparky Kottke, football: Kottke was a CMR legend in his own right before joining the Rustler coaching staff in the mid-1970s, becoming the first player in program history to break 1,000 rushing in a season with over 1,500 as a senior in 1968. Named by the school in 1999 as a member of the all-time CMR team as a running back, Kottke served as an assistant football coach for 29 years from 1974 through the 2002 season. In his time with the Rustlers and head coach Jack Johnson, he was a part of 11 Class AA state championship teams and six runner-up squads, first as running backs coach and then quarterbacks and receivers. The Rustlers were 256-61 in his years on staff and he was also a longtime track and field assistant. In 1998, he was named the Assistant Coach of the Year by the Montana Coaches Association.
Gary Lowry, football: Similarly to Kottke, Lowry was a Rustler football great as a player who was named by the school to the all-time team in 1999 as a defensive back. A 1980 graduate, Lowry played in college at the University of Montana before returning to CMR where he was an assistant to Jack Johnson for 30 years. He was a winner of the Assistant Coach of the Year from the Montana Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 2010 and was the 2002 AFLAC Assistant Coach of the Year for Montana. As an assistant, Lowry was a part of staffs that won nine state championships and made it to the title round two more times. He took over as head coach of the Rustlers for five years following Johnson’s retirement in 2013, leading CMR to the state title game in his first season in 2014 as running back Andrew Grinde won the Montana Gatorade Player of the Year award and set the school record for rushing yards (2,180). During his 35 years at CMR, he also served as an assistant track and field coach for many years and also had stints coaching tennis and freshman boys’ basketball.
Legendary Rustlers (contributors)
Wiley Kendle, athletic trainer: For over three decades, Kendle tended to injuries and helped athletes get back on the playing field as CMR’s athletic trainer. Over the course of 34 years with the school, Kendle also taught health classes and worked with CMR’s med-tech program before retiring after the 2007-08 school year. After graduating from the University of Montana, Kendle received his Master’s from the University of Arizona before being hired at CMR. In 2013, Kendle was inducted into the University of Montana Hall of Fame with the 1972 Griz track team, of which he was a student athletic trainer. Among the many other honors he received as an educator, Kendle was named to the Montana Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame in 2008 and also received a “30 Years of Service” distinction from the Montana Coaches Association.
Jim Grant, athletic director: Speaking of longevity, Grant came to Great Falls from Minnesota as the athletic director for Great Falls Public Schools starting in 1969 and remained in that position until 1997. As the lead administrator for both high schools, Grant was responsible for hiring a number of CMR greats, including Jack Johnson and fellow Rustler Legend classmates Kuntz, Brady and Graham. Grant was considered a strong advocate for the growth of girls’ sports in the state and was the GFPS Title IX coordinator. As noted in his retirement announcement in 1997, there was one sport available for girls when he started in 1969 and by the end of his tenure, there were nine for boys and girls. He was named the Montana Athletic Director of the Year three times in 1974, 1977 and 1987 and was also a finalist for National Athletic Director of the Year in 1987, the same year he was awarded the Regional 7 AD of the Year by the National Coaches Association. He was an executive board member for the National Council of Secondary School Athletic Directors and served a term as the president. In 1997, he received an Exemplary Service Award from Montana Special Olympics.
Jim Bergene, principal: Bergene was the first principal of C.M. Russell High when it opened its doors in 1965, before becoming the assistant superintendent of secondary education in 1977, a position he served in through the 1984-85 school year. He was instrumental in decisions in choosing the school’s name and choosing team colors and the mascot while also instilling “Rustler Pride” from the beginning. Bergene was also president of the MHSA for several years.