Football 11/8/2012 2:57:00 PM

Bulldogs Selected For Missouri Sports Hall Of Fame

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The next induction ceremony for the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame will have a Truman-flair to it, as four of the eight individuals and three legendary Bulldog Football teams will be inducted on the Truman campus on Wednesday December 5th.

Bulldog letterwinners Shane Cavanah and Gerald “Shag” Grossnickle will be joined by long-time team physician Dr. John Bailey, former assistant men's basketball coach Ben Pitney and the Russ Sloan-led Bulldogs of 1969, 1970 and 1971 as inductees this year to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

Cavanah was a member of the Bulldog Football team in the early 1960s and was a second generation Bulldog, as his father Ralph was team captain and a two-time all-conference selection for Fred Faurot in 1935 and 1936. Cavanah later became one of the top high school football coaches in the state after accumulating 17 conference championships, 16 district championships and the 1968 state title while at Princeton High School. He retired with a record of 255-119-3.

Grossnickle was inducted into the Truman Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984 and was a letterwinner in football, baseball and track at the university from 1938-1942. He earned all-MIAA honors as a fullback during his senior season. Known as “Shag” throughout members of the Kirksville community, has been a pillar of the Kirksville and Northeast Missouri area throughout the years serving as sheriff and being a proud supporter of both Truman Athletics and Kirksville High School. Grossnickle is being recognized by the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame for his work as a master conservationist in the northeast portion of the state. He is also being inducted into the hall with his son Gary “Skip” Grossnickle, a standout Kirksville High and University of Missouri product.

Dr. Bailey has been the team physician for the Bulldogs since 1997 and has been named one of the region's top orthopedic surgeons. Dr. Bailey also has served as a deputy sheriff for Adair County and is a key advocate in the county's campaign against drug use.

Pitney served as assistant coach for the Bulldog men's basketball team from 1971-1994 under the guidance of Willard Sims and then returned to his hometown of Hannibal to become Director of Athletics for Hannibal-LaGrange College. Pitney received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Truman and also served as coach for the men's golf and tennis teams.

Compiling a 22-5-1 record with three MIAA championships, Russ Sloan's football teams from 1969-1971 epitomized the term “Bulldog”. Picked to finish no higher than fourth in each season, the Bulldogs were co-MIAA champions in Sloan's first two years of 1969 and 1970 before winning the title outright with a 6-0 record in 1971.

Five players – Lenvil Elliott, Tom Geredine, Larry Jones, Craig O'Sadnick and Marvin Robinson – went on to play in the pro ranks, highlighted by Elliott's Super Bowl title with the San Francisco 49ers. Geredine was a national champion in the long and triple jumps, while Jones was one of the fastest men in the 400 meter dash. Mike Berentes, one of the team's top receivers, was a top decathlon competitor as well. Don Cummings and Bob Gibson were the team quarterbacks during those seasons.

Sloan was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.

The Enshrinement Ceremony will take place on Wednesday, December 5th at 6:00 p.m. in the Georgian Room located in the Student Union Building on Truman's campus. Tickets for the event are $75 and can be purchased by calling the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame at (417) 889-3100.

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