This article previously appeared in the October 2024 edition of The Commuter.
On Sept. 21, some of LBCC’s greatest athletes and coaches assembled with current student-athletes in the Activities Center. Together the group celebrated the induction of the 2024 class of the Linn-Benton Athletics Hall of Fame.
The gym, usually home to Linn-Benton’s volleyball and basketball programs, was refashioned into an elegant banquet to honor those who had made significant athletic contributions to the school.
The banquet helped connect current Linn-Benton athletes from across its four sports programs to those who had paved the way for their teams in the ’70s and ’80s.
The event marked the fourth induction ceremony the school has hosted since the creation of the Linn-Benton Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021. The need for the Hall of Fame and subsequent induction banquet had been long overdue, with Linn-Benton having created its first athletic programs back in 1970 under then-Director of Health and Physical Education Dick McClain.
Once guests finished enjoying their dinner and conversations with their fellow Roadrunners, each nominee in attendance had a chance to speak to the crowd about what their time at Linn-Benton was like and what the induction meant to them.
1972-73 Men’s Basketball Team
The 1972-73 men’s basketball team captured Linn-Benton’s first Oregon Community College Athletic Association title in just their third season since inception. Coached by Butch Kimpton, son of 2024 LB Hall of Fame inductee Ford Kimpton, the Roadrunners’ high-flying tempo led them to a conference record of 15-3 and an overall record of 26-7. The team was known for their powerful offensive play, scoring over 100 points in 13 games, including the OCAA title game against Lane.
Linn-Benton’s impressive season gave them a spot in the 1973 NJCAA Region 18 tournament. In the tournament, Linn-Benton made it to the title game before falling to the fifth-ranked team in the nation, Southern Idaho. The team featured three all-conference selections, Craig Martin, Gary Michael, and Jim Davidson. Martin’s season included setting school records for field goal percentage, points, and rebounds, while Davidson set the school record for most career points.
1988 Baseball Team
Coached by 2022 LB Hall of Fame inductee Greg Hawk, Linn-Benton’s 1988 baseball team won the school’s first Northwest Athletic Conference title. The team finished with an overall record of 26-12 and won their third straight NWAC South Region title. Pitcher Ken Nielsen, centerfielder Dennis Kluss, and left fielder Gary Boyer put up impressive performances for the Roadrunners.
Nielsen won MVP of the championship tournament after a dominant 13-strikeout showing in the title game. Boyer earned a spot on the NWAC South Region first team after hitting .382 and stealing 18 bases. Kluss won MVP for the South Region after tallying an emphatic five home runs and 35 RBIs. The 1988 baseball team earned a spot in the NWAC Hall of Fame, forever immortalizing their achievements. Both the scoreboard and the announcer’s booth at Dick McClain Field pay homage to the team’s historic season.
Steve Binns – Baseball, 1978-80
Steve Binns was an integral part of the 1980 Linn-Benton baseball squad that won the OCCAA Championship and the Regional 18 title. Binns played left field and finished with a batting average of .393 during his time at Linn-Benton. Binns’ outstanding 1980 season earned him a spot on the OCCAA All-Star team and a selection to the All-Region 18 second team.
Following his time at Linn-Benton, Binns played at Portland State University, where he set school records for most hits, runs, and at-bats in a season. The NWAC honored Binns’s legacy by inducting him into the NWAC Hall of Fame in 1999.
Lee Bradish – Men’s Basketball, 1976-78
Lee Bradish was a key member of the 1977-78 Linn-Benton men’s basketball team that reached the final of the OCCAA tournament. Bradish earned back-to-back spots on the all-conference first team during both seasons at Linn-Benton.
Bradish was the third-highest scorer in the entire OCCAA during his sophomore season. He holds the spot for third-most career points for men’s basketball at Linn-Benton, tallying 1,102 points during his tenure. After graduating from Linn-Benton, Bradish played for the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Steve Carothers – Baseball, 1970-72
Steve Carothers was a starting pitcher for the Linn-Benton baseball program during their first two seasons in 1971 and 1972. Carothers led the Roadrunners to back-to-back OCCAA Championships, a feat that inducted the 1971 baseball team into the Linn-Benton Hall of Fame.
Carothers maintained his exuberant support for Linn-Benton athletics following his playing career, contributing to the reinstatement of the Linn-Benton baseball and women’s basketball programs. Carothers has also generously helped with multiple upgrades to the school’s baseball facilities. Carothers’s contributions to Linn-Benton on and off the field earned him an induction into the NWAC Hall of Fame.
Casey Pape (Cosler) – Women’s Basketball, 1983-85
Casey Cosler was a pivotal member of the 1984-85 Linn-Benton women’s basketball team that took third place at the NWAC Championship tournament. She was named South Region MVP during her sophomore year and amassed 40 wins during her Linn-Benton career.
Cosler ventured to Western Oregon State College (now Western Oregon University) after Linn-Benton and won NAIA District II Player of the Year while breaking multiple school records. Cosler belongs to several Hall of Fames, such as the Cascade Collegiate Conference Hall of Fame, the NWAC Hall of Fame, and the Western Oregon University Hall of Fame.
Tom Daniels – Baseball, 1981-83
Tom Daniels was the starting catcher for the Linn-Benton baseball team during their 1983 OCCAA title-winning season. Daniels’ accomplishments included back-to-back appearances on the All-OCCAA first-team and the All-District 18 first-team. Daniels earned All-American distinctions following a sophomore season during which he hit eight home runs and achieved a batting average of .392.
After Linn-Benton, Daniels played baseball for Oregon State University from 1984-86. Over the years, Daniels has helped fund the Linn-Benton Athletics Advisory Board and hosts an annual poker tournament as a fundraiser for the Linn-Benton baseball program. Daniels’s continued support for the Linn-Benton baseball team has led to important facility renovations for the program.
Steve Douglas – Baseball, 1974-76
Steve Douglas was the starting first baseman for the Roadrunners when they captured the OCCAA title in 1976. During his sophomore season, Douglas tallied 45 RBI and 10 home runs. That same season, Douglas was second in the conference for hitting, recording a .400 batting average.
His accolades included an appearance on the All-OCCAA first team, the All-District 18 first team, and a regional Big Stick Award from the sports equipment company Rawlings for having the highest batting average in the Northwest. Following his career at Linn-Benton, Douglas joined the University of Oregon’s baseball program. Douglas’ wife Joy was a member of last year’s class of inductees into the LB Hall of Fame.
Rick George – Baseball, 1970-72
Rick George was a member of the first two Linn-Benton baseball seasons in 1971 and 1972, where he started in the outfield. George played a huge role in the Roadrunners’ journey to consecutive OCCAA titles, batting .390 and leading the team with three triples. George couldn’t compete in the 1972 OCCAA postseason due to injury but still earned honors on the All-OCCAA first team.
His achievements at Linn-Benton earned him a spot on the baseball team at Eastern Oregon State College (now Eastern Oregon University). George was a unanimous selection to the Albany Democrat-Herald’s all-decade team for his high school and collegiate playing career. George, alongside the rest of the 1971 Linn-Benton baseball team, earned induction into the NWAC Hall of Fame.
Rachel Beers (Heisler) – Cross Country, Track, Women’s Basketball, 1983-85
Rachel Heisler competed in cross country, women’s basketball, and track & field during her time with Linn-Benton from 1983-85. Heisler joined the cross country team following the insistence of her coach, 2021 LB Hall of Fame inductee Dave Bakely. In 1985, she was named LB’s most outstanding runner for cross country. For the basketball team, Heisler played a significant part in the 1984-85 team that finished third in the NWAC.
After Linn-Benton, Heisler went to Gonzaga University, earning a degree in business administration. Heisler saw her three-sport contributions honored with an induction into the NWAC Hall of Fame in 1999.
Ford Kimpton – Equipment Room and Athletics Event Manager
Ford Kimpton served as equipment and athletics event manager for eight years at Linn-Benton. Kimpton was crucial in supporting all Linn-Benton athletic programs and helping student-athletes. Kimpton worked as a manager at Sears Roebuck for 30 years before returning to Linn-Benton as an athletic assistant and equipment supervisor.
While at Linn-Benton, Kimpton was a part of the Northwest Athletic Association of Community College’s honor roll. Kimpton served in World War II, earning a Purple Heart after being wounded in combat. Following Kimpton’s passing in 1995, Linn-Benton established the Kimpton Scholarship, awarded to second-year student-athletes dedicated to their team and academics.
Dan Segel – Baseball, 1984-86
Dan Segel played first baseman for the Linn-Benton baseball program in 1985 and 1986. An injury forced an early end to his second season with the Roadrunners, but Segel joined Northwest Missouri State University’s baseball program the following year. Segel is a part of the Linn-Benton Athletics Advisory Board and has helped provide financing and leadership for Linn-Benton’s athletic programs. Segel contributed immensely to the effort to reinstate the baseball and women’s basketball programs at Linn-Benton.
Segel is the current CEO and president of the Corvallis Knights Baseball Club, a team co-founded in 1990. Under his guidance, the Knights have won ten West Coast League Championships since 2007. Segel’s contributions led to his induction into the NWAC Hall of Fame in 2005. Segel’s son, Kellen, was a part of LB baseball’s NWAC Championship-winning team in 2024.
