Cheney schools host Hall of Fame ceremony

CHENEY – Cheney high school hosted an Oct. 17 ceremony in its auditorium, where eight alumni were inducted into the school's Hall of Fame, marking the first-ever class of honorees.

The inaugural class included Tom Oswald (Class of 1966), Michael Anderson (Class of 1977), Sandy Williams (Class of 1979), Launi Meili (Class of 1981), Terri Schmitt (Class of 1984), Brian Quinnett (Class of 1984), Steve Emtman (Class of 1988) and Ryan Gray (Class of 2002).

Emcee Vice Principal and Cheney alumnus Tim Kennedy praised the group.

"This inaugural class is an impressive one," he said.

Among the honorees, two have landmarks named after them:

• Tom Oswald, former Blackhawks quarterback and later football coach, led the team to 167 victories, achieving a .641 winning percentage and taking 16 teams to the playoffs. Cheney High's stadium is named in his honor. Oswald also coached Steve Emtman, another inductee, during his high school career.

• Michael Anderson, who died in the 2003 Columbia Space Shuttle disaster, was honored for his achievements. Anderson flew on two space shuttles - Endeavour and Columbia - and rose to the rank of U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel. Kennedy highlighted that "two schools and a highway" now bear Anderson's name.

Others recognized duirng the event included:

• Sandy Williams, recognized posthumously after being killed in a 2022 plane crash, was a prominent black activist. She founded the Pride Center at Eastern Washington University, the Black Lens newspaper and served on the state Commission on African American Affairs.

• Olympic gold medalist Launi Meili made history in the 1992 Barcelona Games by setting three world shooting records. Kennedy celebrated her achievements, noting she broke over 100 national records throughout her career.

• Terri Schmitt's career at NASA was highlighted as she worked on multiple space vehicle programs, including the Constellation Space Launch System and the Mars Sample Return Mission. Kennedy noted that Schmitt overcame barriers. "She was told women couldn't be engineers, let alone at NASA - she proved them wrong," he said.

• Brian Quinett, a basketball standout who led the Blackhawks to two state appearances, went on to play for Washington State University before being drafted by the New York Knicks in the second round of the NBA Draft. Reflecting on his time at Cheney, Quinett joked during his speech. "For some reason, Coach Oswald didn't want me to play football because I was too small, so I played basketball instead," he said.

• Steve Emtman, another professional athlete in the group, played football at University of Washington, where he led the Huskies to a Rose Bowl championship. In 1992, he was the first overall draft pick by the Indianapolis Colts in the National Football League.

• Ryan Gray of Reardan, a national rodeo star, was honored for his achievements at Texas Tech University, where he became the National Collegiate Champion Bareback Rider. Gray went on to win eight National Finals Rodeo Bareback Rider Championships.