NIAA Hall of Fame selects eight Southern Nevada inductees

Eight Southern Nevadans were announced Tuesday as 2009 inductees to the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association Hall of Fame.

The NIAA’s 17th Hall of Fame class will be inducted at 11 a.m. Feb. 26 at the Orleans Arena.

The class features Larry Burgess, Jim Duschen, Carol Leavitt, Bruce Miller, Bruce Momsen, Aldeane Ries, Martin Taggart and Evan Wilson.

“They have made a positive impact on the young men and women of our state in some very important ways and have helped make many of their dreams come true,” NIAA executive director Eddie Bonine said. “This is an exceptional class we are very pleased to honor.”

Here is a look at the inductees:
Larry Burgess — Spent 27 years teaching and coaching in Clark County, 26 at Basic High.

His boys cross country teams won five state titles in the large-school division and finished second five times.

His boys and girls cross country teams combined for 15 region titles. Basic’s boys qualified for 21 consecutive state meets under
Burgess, who also served 10 years as president of the Southern Nevada Cross Country & Track Coaches Association.

Burgess was voted the Southern Nevada 4A Coach of the Year eight times. He was named Region 8 National Track and Field Coach of the Year in 1985, and National Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1992.

Jim Duschen — Spent 29 years as a teacher and wrestling coach at Basic, and led the Wolves to three state team championships.

Duschen produced one four-time individual state champion and one three-time champ.

Duschen was a team captain of Iowa State’s 1968 NCAA championship wrestling team and an alternate for the 1972 U.S. Olympic team.

Carol Leavitt — During her 35-year career in the Clark County School District, she served as a teacher, coach, dean, counselor and principal.

Leavitt began as a girls basketball and softball coach, and later served as cheer coach, student council advisor and athletic administrator.

She also served as tournament director of NIAA region championship events. Leavitt was on the NIAA Board of  Control from 1999-2002.

Bruce Miller — Miller helped structure the Clark County School District athletic program. He was a member and president of the NIAA Board of Control, president of the Nevada Athletic Director’s Association and an advisor to the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA).

Miller earned a Distinguished Service Award from the NIAAA, and won the National Federation of High School Association’s Citation Award.

Miller also served as an assistant baseball and football coach at Rancho, and as principal at Western.

Bruce Momsen — Spent 26 years coaching football, boys soccer, girls basketball bowling, cross country and track at Boulder City.

Momsen led the school’s boys cross country team to two state titles and four runner-up finishes. Boulder City’s girls cross country team won one state title and was second twice.

His boys track teams won nine state titles and finished second eight times.

Momsen was named the Class 3A Coach of the Year 20 times in cross country or track by the Southern Nevada Coaches Association.

Aldeane Ries — An outstanding supporter of athletics, Ries served as a member of the NIAA Board of Control for six years.

She was an assistant principal at Chaparral for eight years and also was principal at Valley and Silverado.

Ries hosted various state student council meetings on her campuses, and was inducted to the Clark County School District’s Excellence in Education Hall of Fame.

Martin Taggart — Began teaching and coaching at Moapa Valley in 1971. He guided the Pirates to eight consecutive state wrestling titles from 1975 to 1982.

Taggart coached one four-time individual state champ and three three-time champs.

He also spent 13 years as head football coach, winning three state titles and seven division titles. In all, Taggart spent 33 of his 35 years in education coaching football and wrestling.

Evan Wilson — Spent 28 years as a teacher and football coach, and seven as an administrator.

Wilson led Virgin Valley to eight state football titles, including five in a row from 1981 to 1985.

Wilson finished with 174 career victories, including 31 in a row from 1981 to 1984.