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Southwest Miami Senior High School celebrated the school’s first Sports Hall of Fame induction dinner on Saturday, February 25, 2023. Nearly 150 people attended the event in the school’s gymnasium, which was presided over by Southwest Principal Jorge Bulnes (Class of ’91) and Athletic Director Jorge Diaz. As the school’s jazz band played and members of the junior varsity cheerleaders cheered, dozens of former student athletes renewed friendships and reminisced about their glory days on the court, field or track.
“Of the 45 former Eagles athletes who were nominated for the inaugural class of Southwest’s Sports Hall of Fame, eight individuals and a four members of a championship mile relay team were selected,” said Angel Menendez, former athletic director, teacher and coach at Southwest who also sits on the Sports Hall of Fame Committee. “These were all outstanding student athletes and after graduating went on to even greater achievements.”
According to Mike Rosenthal, who graduated from Southwest in 1975 and serves as president of the Sports Hall of Fame Committee, 1961 grads Norm Roth and Florian Stolfi came up with idea for the HOF. Jorge Diaz, the athletic director, suggested Mike get involved and the principal Jorge Bulnes approved the plan in the fall of 2022.
A call for nominations was put out via social media last fall, and the names were considered during weekly meetings by the 14-member Hall of Fame Committee. Ultimately, eight individual alumni and the four members of the 1961 State Championship Mile Relay Team were selected for the inaugural class. That team, which posted a 3:27 time that was unbroken for 10 years, included Florian Stolfi, Luis Carreras, (passed away in 2017), Ken Wieand and David Cameron. The only teammate who wasn’t present at the ceremony was Carreras, who passed away in 2017.
The eight Eagles who were inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame individually are Don Soldinger (’62, football star) Ron Pascarella (’62, discus throwing champion whose school record still stands), Steve Tannen (’66, first Eagle to play in the NFL who was drafted in the first round by the NY Jets), Johnny Williams (’71, Miami Herald high school athlete of the year 1970-71 who never lost a dual meet wrestling match), Andre Dawson (’72, inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame after a 20-year professional career), Kathy Moore Anguish (‘77, three-time state champion in cross country, mile and two mile), Martha T. Rodriguez Juareguizar (‘87, five sport athlete) and Missy Penna (‘05, state champion softball pitcher and Miami Herald scholar athlete of the year in 2005).
Members of the Southwest Sports Hall of Fame Committee include President Mike Rosenthal (‘75), Vice President Norman Roth (’61), Secretary Martha Rodriguez Juareguizar (’87), Cheryl Golden (former trainer and athletic director), Florian Stolfi (’61), John Hammontree (’63), Jim Kiltie (’64), Richard Rump (’65), Cokes Watson (’72), Oscar Angulo (’85), Stephanie Nuñez (’87), Maritza Diaz (’89), Judy Erwin Sanchez (’00), Angel Menendez (former coach and athletic director) and Jorge Diaz (former coach and current athletic director).
Candidates who didn’t get selected for the 2023 Sports Hall of Fame will be considered for the 2023 class, along with new nominations.
“It was a powerful and emotional evening…there were 80 year old guys walking around the gym with their buddies, showing them where they were when they took the shot that won the high school game,” said former Southwest Athletic Director Angel Menendez. “I can’t wait until next year to experience it again.”
For more information about Southwest Miami Senior High School’s Sport Hall of Fame, please visit www.sweaglessports.com
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