Kansas Sports Hall of Fame 2023 class headlined by former Negro Leagues star slugger
A Negro Leagues slugger, a top soccer defender and former Kansas State pitching ace lead the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame class for 2023.
Oscar “Heavy” Johnson, born in Atchison, joined the Kansas City Monarchs in 1922 and spent 11 seasons with the Monarchs and six other teams. He won the league batting title in 1922 and 1923, hitting .406 each season, and won the triple crown in 1923. Johnson helped the Monarchs to the 1924 Negro Leagues World Series title.
Kim Roentved was a 17-time all-star selection in indoor and outdoor soccer, playing 731 indoor games with the Wichita Wings and Kansas City Comets. He was named defender of the year twice in the Major Indoor Soccer League and once in the National Professional Soccer League. Roentved went on to coach the Wings, Comets and Kansas City Attack.
Ted Power was a five-sports athlete at Abilene High who set Kansas State’s single game strikeout record in 1976 with 19 and season record with 99. He spent six of his 13 MLB seasons with the Cincinnati Reds and led the National League with 78 appearances in 1984.
Also part of the 12-member class that will be inducted on Oct. 1 at Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane:
Kansas softball All-America Jill Larson Bradley; All-America decathlete and three-time Division II track and field coach of the year Russ Jewett of Pittsburg State and Olathe; three-time All-Missouri Valley basketball star Lynbert “Cheese” Johnson from Wichita State; longtime Wichita State baseball assistant coach Brent Kemnitz.
Also, eight-time cross country and track All-America selection Christie Allen Logue from Pittsburg State; Ryder Cup golfer and 17-time PGA Tour winner Harold “Jug” McSpaden from Kansas City; Pittsburg’s Ray Mueller, who spent 14 major league season with four teams; Wichita’s Ricky Ross, a two-time All-Missouri Valley basketball player at Tulsa; and Sara Lungren Walkup from Caldwell, an All-America volleyball player at Wichita State