Larry Knoblich and Dave Tews will be honored with the Rollie Greeno Award this weekend as part of homecoming festivities at Jamestown College.
The Rollie Greeno Award goes to JC alumni with outstanding commitment in the field of education and coaching. It was established in 1994 by the Jimmie Booster Club to honor Greeno's years of dedicated service as an instructor and coach at Jamestown College.
The award honors individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to youth through their careers in education or coaching.
Also to be honored this weekend are Rick Hack, Bonnie (Pfannsmith) Freije, Andy Wade and Cory Mantyka, who will be inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame.
The six honorees will be recognized at the Jimmie Booster Club's Athletic Hall of Fame breakfast on Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Nafus Center Level 2 Tickets for the event cost $8.
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Tews, a 1978 graduate of Jamestown College, has led the Jamestown High School gymnastics program for the past 33 years. The Blue Jay gymnastics program is perennially among the top in the state, producing numerous state place-winners, all-conference performers and state qualifiers during Tews's tenure.
Tews has been named conference coach of the year seven times in gymnastics. Last year, the Blue Jays finished third as a team at the state meet, which was held here.
He also is the diving coach at JHS and has coached several state place-winners and conference champions. The program has also produced Division I and II divers.
A history teacher at Jamestown Middle School, Tews also coaches the JMS girls' track and field team.
Knoblich spanned his coaching career from LaMoure to Newport, Ore., and then Jamestown High School. The 1958 JC grad also is the organizer of the successful Runnin' O' the Green, which celebrated its 33rd anniversary in March. The event has raised thousands of dollars to support Elks Camp Grassick and local cancer patients faced with large expenses.
Knoblich started the cross country program at LaMoure High School and the girls' track team. He then went to Oregon, where he coached cross country, basketball and track. He finished his career at Jamestown High School where he retired in 1997.
Hack, a 1988 graduate of JC, was a 4-year letterwinner in baseball and football for the Jimmies and a 1-year letterwinner in track and field. Hack earned All-American honors in football as a defensive back in 1979 and was a co-captain for the team that went undefeated, coached by Rollie Greeno.
Hack, who was the head football coach in Ellendale for more than 20 years before giving up the post last season, earned all-conference honors in baseball for the Jimmies in 1977 as an infielder and 1981 as a pitcher.
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Freije, of Devils Lake, is 16th all time on the JC women's basketball scoring list with 898 points. A 1988 graduate, she was a 2-time all-conference and all-district selection.
Wade, a 1991 graduate of JC, was a 2-time all-district and all-conference selection as a catcher for the Jimmies. Now living in Kennewick, Wash., Wade was named the NDCAC's Outstanding Graduating Senior in 1991.
Mantyka followed his successful career with the Jimmie football team with a 13-year stint in the Canadian Football League as an offensive lineman for the British Columbia Lions. Mantyka, of Winnipeg, was part of the Lions' Grey Cup Championship Tteams in 1994 and 2000 and was an all-star selection in 2003.
Mantyka, a 1993 JC graduate, started on both offense and defense for the Jimmies and earned all-conference honors in 1991-92.
