Inductee Class of 2022
Bruce “Cukie” Coppo
(Calumet)
Has spent eight decades on U.P. hockey rinks as a player, coach, and official. He is the only person to officiate Michigan High School Athletic Association hockey for at least 40 years. He won 13 Gibson Cup titles as a player and coach and coached the Wolverines to the National Championship in 2003 and three runner-up finishes. He was also an assistant coach at Finlandia University for two years.
Mike Dellangelo
(Iron River)
Led Ishpeming to the Class C state football title in 1975 when the Hematites snapped Hudson’s state-record 72-game win streak in the finals. He ran for 4,267 yards as a three-year starting tailback and won seven U.P. individual track gold medals as a four-year member of the track team. He was also a four-year basketball player, then played on Northern Michigan University’s football team and ran for 1,093 yards and caught 82 passes for 762 yards. He has also served as a varsity assistant football coach for 30 years, assisted in track, and coached freshman basketball and Little League baseball.
Dale Hongisto
(Gladstone)
A four-sport star at Wakefield, where he earned 17 varsity letters. He earned five gold medals at the U.P. track finals and was Gogebic Range’s offensive football player of the year in 1984. He is fourth in basketball career scoring (1982-85) at Wakefield with 1,064 points. He also was a Mid-American Conference all-star catcher-designated hitter at Western Michigan University. Hongisto spent 15 years coaching basketball at Gladstone, including seven years as the boy’s varsity coach and two years as a girls’ assistant coach.
John Jewell
(Laurium)
A co-captain of UM’s hockey team with past UPSHF inductee John Sherf, had a 28-12-4 record as the Wolverines’ goalie, with seven shutouts. His goals-against average was 1.84. He played every minute of every game until late in his senior season when an operation sidelined him for one game. He is in UM’s Dekers Hall of Fame with Sherf and former president Gerald Ford.
Vernon “Moose” Johnson
(Crystal Falls)
Played minor league and independent baseball for many years and was renowned as a slugger. He played for a black team that visited Crystal Falls, was the winning pitcher and hit a home run in a 1-0 victory. He batted .469 for a black team in one lengthy stretch playing with Baseball Hall of Famers Satchel Paige and Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe. That team won the National Semi-Pro championship in what is now called the National Baseball Congress Championship. He died in 1965.
Sam Kokko
(Sault Ste. Marie)
Tried out for the 1932 U.S. Olympic hockey team and coached hockey teams with legendary Taffy Abel of Sault Ste. Marie. He played and coached for various teams, from 1909-1951. He died in 1992 at age 93. He helped Ironwood win the senior hockey McNaughton Cup in 1929, then helped Hancock win three straight McNaughton Cups in 1930-32.
Chris Nance
(Newberry)
A three-sport star at Newberry, where she established 20 school records, including 1,277 career points. She was part of Newberry’s three-time U.P. Class C track champions while earning all-state laurels in three events. Nance, who later coached basketball at her prep alma mater, received a scholarship to play basketball at Lake Superior State University, but knee injuries limited her effectiveness.
John Pistulka
(Manistique)
A first team all-state football and basketball selection at Manistique High School. He was U.P. Lineman of the Year in 1977 and a 1,000-point scorer in basketball. He was recruited as a tight end by over 50 schools. He played basketball at LSSU and in the 1982-83 season set the school’s single-season rebounding record, finished 5th in Division II rebounding, was named first team All-GLIAC and team MVP. Upon graduating he signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL and played in the first NFL game in Europe called the Global Cup in 1983.
Jerry Root
(Escanaba)
Will begin his 48th year this fall as a U.P. play-by-play broadcaster in football, basketball, baseball, and softball. He has also coached girl’s basketball, boy's and girl's cross country and boys track. His North Central cross country teams won four U.P. titles and his track teams claimed two U.P. titles. His track teams never had a practice facility and he built one of the finest cross country courses in the Upper Peninsula. He also coached at Cedarville and was a sportswriter for the Cedarville Weekly Wave and hosted coaches radio shows in Sault Ste. Marie and Escanaba.
Tom Russo
(Negaunee)
Spent 24 years coaching varsity basketball teams at four schools and directed Negaunee to the 2000 Class C state championship, compiling a 319-210 career record. He directed Ishpeming (1989) and Negaunee (1999) to U.P. Class C team of the year honors and brought both schools to state championship games. His basketball teams won six regional championships and seven Mid-Peninsula Conference titles. He was special mention state basketball coach of the year in 2000. Russo was Negaunee’s freshman football coach in 2002 when the varsity Miners won the Class C state football title.