Peninsula Daily News
PORT ANGELES — Arguably the greatest team in Port Angeles history will be honored at the Port Angeles High School Hall of Fame dinner at Civic Field at 5 p.m. Aug. 26.
The Port Angeles Junior Badminton team won an unprecedented 11 national titles as well as three second-place finishers in the 1964 Junior Nationals Tournament in Pomona, Calif., competing against the 300 best junior players from across the country, and reaching the finals in an incredible 12 of 15 events.
Tickets for the event are $75 and can be purchased at www.pahshof.org, or by calling 360-417-7144.
Port Angeles was recognized as the powerhouse of junior badminton players in the country and became known as the “Badminton Capital of the U.S.”
They continued to reign over the junior nationals until 1987, when the program ended due to so many other opportunities for girls to participate in other sports.
Coached by Vern Burton, he unleashed his best players on unsuspecting adult players, too.
Not only did 17 year old Tyna Barinaga and Caroline Jensen win the 18-and-under Junior National Girls’ Doubles title in Pomona, they also competed in the U.S. Open Nationals in San Diego the previous week, stunning the badminton world by beating the top adult women in the country to take the U.S. Women’s Doubles title. They were the youngest players to ever to win an Open title. Barinaga also came in second in Women’s Singles.
Susie Wilson was a triple winner in the 15 and under division at the junior nationals, while Ken Nelson also swept all three events in the 13 and under.
When the team returned to Port Angeles in a caravan of cars, the town greeted them with a parade of waiting vehicles and escorted them into town as heroes.
The 22 member team members were Tyna Barinaga, Ann Bokamper, Judy Brodhun, Rory Buck, Ron Buck, Chris Burton, Brian Doherty, John Doherty, Pat Froude, Hester Hill, Kathy Hogan, Penny Jacobsen, Caroline Jensen, Laurie Judd, Ken Kienholtz, Karry Kreider, Ken Nelson, Randy Osborne, Ellen VanOs, Larry Wilson, Susie Wilson and Connie Young.
In addition to honoring the badminton team, 12 individuals and two PAHS teams will be inducted into the PAHS Hall of Fame at the dinner.
Organizers will honor the 1956 football squad, which ended the season ranked fifth in the state, six years after the Riders only won one game in two seasons. The 1972 swim team, which was the first PAHS team for girls after the passage of Title IX, finished ninth in the state under Coach Don Fairbairn.
The two teams will be joined by 12 individual members of the sixth Hall of Fame Class who excelled at Port Angeles High School, and also after their high school careers.
Three of the athletes were track stars. Two of them – Alison Maxwell and Frank Prince excelled on the national stage, while the third, Larry Beaty, is the most successful community college track and cross country coach in state history.
Five excelled in basketball – Kelley Berglund, Terry Clayton, Jon Madison, Mandy Wood and Dave Denny. Berglund, Clayton, Madison and Wood excelled at the collegiate level, while Denny was one of the most successful Washington State high school coaches in history.
Harry Leons was arguably the best interior lineman in PAHS history, and received a tryout with the Detroit Lions.
Joni Jacobs performed at a high level at both the high school and collegiate level in swimming.
Two others – Bruce Skinner and George Hill performed on a different stage after graduation from PAHS, going on to careers in athletic administration and broadcast television.
1964 Junior National Champions and Runner-ups
18-and-under
• Girl’s Singles — Tyna Barinaga, Caroline Jensen, runner-up.
• Girls’ Doubles — Tyna Barinaga and Caroline Jensen.
• Mixed Doubles — Caroline Jensen and Ken Crow, Seattle.
15 and under
• Girl’s Singles — Susie Wilson
• Girls’ Doubles — Susie Wilson and Judy Brodhun Vose, Hester Hill and Connie Young, runners-up.
• Boys’ Doubles — Karry Kreider and Rick Ferrell, Seattle.
• Mixed Doubles — Susie Wilson and Ken Ferris, Detroit.
13-and-under
• Girls’ Singles —Chris Burton, runner-up.
• Boys’ Singles — Ken Nelson
Girls’ Doubles – Chris Burton and Penny Jacobsen
Boys Doubles — Ken Nelson and Bob Jones (Seattle)
Mixed Doubles – Ken Nelson and Chris Burton
