Char Duff earned a bachelor's degree with honors in physical education from the University of Wisconsin in 1948. After teaching at the high school and collegiate levels, Char went on to earn a master's degree at the University of Michigan in 1956. That same year Char began 34 years of dedicated service at Albion College as a faculty member and as field hockey and women's tennis coach.
Char was one of the founders of the Ann Arbor Field Hockey Association and the Michigan College Field Hockey Association, serving both organizations as president for many years. She also served the Michigan Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation as president and as the assembly representative to the MAHPER. In 1977 Char was awarded the Distinguished Honor Award by the MAHPER. Char served on numerous other women's athletic association boards and most recently has been a member of the NCAA's National Field Hockey Committee, serving as the chair for the Great Lakes Field Hockey Committee. She has been a driving force in women's athletics for the State of Michigan and nationally.
At the helm of the Britons, Char's career wins in field hockey rank her first among all MIAA coaches in that sport. From 1976 to 1980, the field hockey teams captured five straight league titles.
In May 1990, Char retired as professor and chairman of physical education and as a coach, but she continues to be involved in the community and with Albion alumni.
During his 11 years on the faculty at Albion (1962-73), Bob Wikstrom led his swim teams to victory 76 times, often against large university competitors. In 1970, the Briton swim team won the first ever MIAA Swimming Championship. Prior to that time, there had been no formal league competition in swimming. The Britons repeated their championship ways in 1971. In addition to coaching swimming and teaching physical education, Bob served as football backfield coach, and he coached the men's tennis team from 1963 to 1969.
While he was an Albion student, Bob was the MIAA's 1952 Most Valuable Player in football and held the Briton season and game rushing records for many years. He went on to earn his master's degree at the University of Illinois. After service as a U.S. naval aviator from 1954 to 1958, Bob began his career in higher education. After leaving Albion, he joined the faculty at Pierce College in Seattle, from which he retired in 1987.
Individuals
A member of the Albion College tennis team from 1938 to 1941, Hazel Caukin Burris was selected as one of eight players representing the College at the state tournament in 1939. Hazel, along with doubles partner Margaret Richardson, played in the MIAA doubles championship in 1941, defeating two teams but losing in the final round. Hazel also played field hockey for each of her four years at Albion and intramural volleyball. hazel was a member of the Women's Athletic Association throughout her four years at Albion and served as both treasurer and president.
Hazel was employed as a secretary for the War Department from 1942 to 1946, working in various offices at Fort Custer in Battle Creek. After graduate study in recreation at Colorado State College of Education in 1946, Hazel organized community group activities for the Grand Rapids Public Recreation Department until 1948. She married Elton Burris in 1948 and concentrated her energies on raising their three children. Hazel stayed involved in the physical education field and served as a volunteer in summer camps as well as volunteering as a 4-H leader and for the March of Dimes and other organizations involving young people.
J.B. Elzy combined both strength and speed to become one of Albion's greatest running backs and sprint champions. He was a four-year letterwinner in both football and track. An All-MIAA football selection in 1961 and 1963, he was tabbed as the MIAA Most Valuable Football Player in 1963. In both 1961 and 1963, J.B. was also selected as a member of the Methodist All-American team. Rounding out his football honors, in 1961, he was chosen as a member of the Michigan All-State Small College Team. Briton Most Valuable Player in his senior year, he established two Albion College records: the single season rushing record of 772 yards and the career rushing record of 2265 yards.
During his track career, J.B. won the 100-yard dash at the MIAA field Day in 1964 and the 220-yard dash at the MIAA Field Day in 1963 and 1964. He was both the co-captain and the Briton Most Valuable Performer in track for 1963 and 1964.
Currently vice principal of Beloit (WI) Memorial High School, J.B. has held a number of administrative posts in colleges and secondary schools in Michigan, Virginia and Delaware.
Bill Feduniak earned distinction with Albion's 1940 basketball team when he became the first Briton to earn a place on the All-MIAA squad for the third year in a row. He began his athletic honors with a place on the All-MIAA team in 1938 as a sophomore and went not only to place on the All-MIAA team in 1939, but to earn the league scoring champion title as well. Upon graduation, Bill joined the U.S. Army which made use of his considerable talent as a basketball center on its team at Fort Mason (CA) from 1941 to 1945.
Bill left the U.S. Army Transportation Corps with the rank of major in 1946. He began his civilian career with the Kaiser Steel Corporation as a personnel representative in 1953. In 1960, Bill accepted a position as an employee relations manager with the Kaiser Permanent Medical Group where he remained until his retirement in 1983. Bill passed away in 1988.
A three-sport letterwinner, Bob Friberg was a member of the 1952 MIAA Champion football team. The following year Bob was chosen for the all-league football team. All-MIAA in basketball in 1953-54, this versatile athlete also played on the Briton baseball team where he was named All-MIAA with a .361 average in conference play in 1953. He was also an all-league baseball selection in 1954.
Bob served in the U.S. Army from 1956. to 1958 and then began his career in education at Byron Center High School. In 1961, Bob moved on to a position at East Kentwood High School where he held the position of varsity basketball coach for five years and varsity football coach for 22 years along with his teaching responsibilities. The recipient of a master's degree from Western Michigan University, Bob currently serves as the assistant to the athletic director and coordinator of K-12 physical education at East Kentwood.
As a member of the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association, he was named Regional Coach-of-the-Year in 1973, 1978, 1980, 1981, and 19187. On April 20, 1985, he was elected to the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The Michigan High School Coaches Association later named Bob the Class A Football Coach-of-the-Year in 1987.
A member of three MIAA Champion football teams, Gary Jones was selected as an All-MIAA football player in 1965. He was chosen as an All-MIAA baseball player in 1964, 1965, and 1966. In 1965 and 1966, he served as a baseball co-captain and was voted the Most Valuable Player on the baseball teams in those years. He established three Albion College single season records in 1965: 25 RBIs, 53 total bases and 5 MIAA home runs. That same year he placed fifth in the nation as an independent slugging leader. In his senior year, Gary was selected as a member of the NCAA District 4 Baseball Team, the first Albion baseball player to be represented on this team.
During his career, Jones has held senior administrative positions with U.S. Senator Robert Griffin (1970-73), the American Enterprise Institute (1973-79), and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation (1985-88). He served with the U.S. Department of Education (1981-85) where he was under secretary for three years as well as actin g secretary for a brief time. he currently is president of Trinity IV, Inc. in Virginia. He holds master's and Ph.D. degrees from Michigan State University.
After spending his freshman year at Ohio State University, Carl Linborg transferred to Albion. Carl lettered in both football and track at Albion, particularly excelling in the javelin and pole vault. Carl captured the 1933 MIAA Javelin Championship after finishing second the previous year. In 1932, Carl won the javelin competition at the Michigan state meet and qualified for both the NCAA meet and Olympic tryouts. In the pole vault, he was the MIAA Champion in 1932, 1933, 1934 and established an Albion record by vaulting 12'4" with a bamboo pole. His multiple talents in track and field made him the leading scorer in each of his three years.
After serving in the Air Corps in World War II, Carl joined the Corry (PA) Public Schools and was a teacher and coach from 1945 to 1972. Since his retirement in 1972, Carl has helped coach the Youngsville (PA) High School team nearly every year. Carl had been a state pole vault champion for this high school in 1928 and 1929.
Ordell McElhaney transferred to Albion after spending two years at Adrian. Selected as an All-MIAA football end in 1938, he was also the first recipient of the MIAA Most Valuable Player award for football that same year. As a basketball player, Ordell received Honorable Mention All-MIAA in 1938 and 1939.
Ordell began his career in 1939 as a freshman football coach and teacher for the Albion Public Schools, before moving on to a position in the Packard Motor Car Company. He interrupted his career for service in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and then taught and coached football in Albion from 1946 to 1959. Ordell served as a principal in the Albion Public Schools for the next 10 years and became director of personnel there before retiring in 1975.
The community of Albion has benefited from Ordell's contributions as a volunteer as well. He has given of his time and talent to the Rotary Club, the United Way, and the County Special Education Board serving as president for all three organizations.
After an impressive freshman year, Lewis Moon served in the Army during World War II and was the recipient of a Purple Heart. On returning to Albion in 1945, he played four different sports: football, basketball, baseball and track. he led the Briton basketball squad to two MIAA Championships in those three years. In all three of those years Lew was selected as an All-MIAA performer. During his senior year, he was chosen as MIAA Co-Most Valuable Player in basketball and also served as captain of the team that year. In 1947 Lew was selected by the student body as the winner of the Adam Hat trophy for being the best athlete, team man and student.
Lewis Moon also played one year for the Cardinals' minor league baseball club.
After teaching in the public schools in Elkton, Sandusky and Clio, Michigan, he taught and was athletic director at Lawrence Technological University from 1964 until his retirement in 1989.
Gary Noble earned five letters as a member of the cross country and track teams, three in track and two in cross country. Four out of those five teams were MIAA Champions. Gary was the Most Valuable Performer on the 1955 cross country team, and placed 5th that year in the MIAA cross country meet. He also was an outstanding distance runner in track.
After graduation from Albion, Gary went on to earn a master's degree from Oxford University, on a Rhodes Scholarship. While at Oxford University, Gary was a member of the rowing crew for Balliol College. He earned his M.D. degree from Harvard Medical School and later earned an additional master's degree in public health from the University of California, Berkley. In 1980-81, he was a visiting scientist in cellular immunology at Oxford.
In 1965, Gary joined the staff of the Centers for Disease Control and has held assignments in Alaska and Washington, D.C. as well as at CDC headquarters in Atlanta. During his tenure at CDC, he has been involved in investigations of the swine flu virus and Legionnaire's disease, and he is currently based in Atlanta as the deputy director of the HIV/AIDS Programs. He is also an assistant surgeon general in the U.S. Public Health Service.
A three-sport athlete, Mike Stone won three letters in football, two in basketball and two in track. He was a member of one MIAA Champion football team and two MIAA Champion track teams. During his junior year he was selected as an All-MIAA performer in football, and he was co-captain of the football team his senior year. In track, he was league champion in the 100-yard dash in 1959.
After graduation from Albion, Mike went on to earn master's and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan. Later, he served in administrative positions at the the University of Michigan and at Lake Michigan College and then as a captain in the Air Force (1973-77). He entered the business world in1977, and since 1983, has been president of the Texas Rangers Baseball Club. In 1989, the Rangers were selected as the Organization of the Year in major league baseball. During his tenure with the rangers, Mike has served on various committees for major league baseball, including the Committee on Social Responsibility and the All-Star Selection Committee.
Teams
1950 Baseball Team
Dropping only three games--two of them league encounters--the 1950 Briton baseball team under Coach Del Anderson battled through a 15-game schedule to bring to Albion College the first postwar MIAA Baseball Championship.
With Clark Wurm and Chappy Marvin on the mound, the Briton batters rapped out convincing victories and ran their undefeated string to nine games before bowing to Alma and Hillsdale. They carried into this season a list of seven wins.
Co-captain Marv Grostic, who patrolled left field, was chosen Briton Most Valuable Player by his teammates after the season was completed. Wurm shared the captain's duties with Grostic.
Other players included Roger Baer, Alvin Ballard, Michael Basha, Maxwell Berry, Bob Betz, Darrel Biggs, William Ferguson, Richard Gergle, Gerald Gervais, Burl Glendening, Robert Goodall, Rex Hoover, Guy Jameson, Frank Joranko, Alphonse Jueckstock, Jr., Bruce Kresge, Donald Little, David Marlowe, Fred McKimball, Kenneth Nelson, Arnold Pinkney, John Tincoff, Douglas Wagner, Hampton Wagner, Dave Wilcox and Edward Wolf. The manager was George Martin, Jr.
"Cagers tie for league title." This headline about the 1957 basketball squad surprised many. After losing three of the previous season's starting five players, the Britons had been considered longshots for the title. They jumped off to an early lead, lost it twice and bounced back in their last game to match Hope's record for the number one spot. Coaching the squad were Elkin "Ike" Isaac and Charles Balciulis.
Both veteran starters and co-captains, John Hannett and George Vivlamore, made the All-MIAA first team. In addition, Hannett was awarded a berth on the Methodist All-American team. Vivlamore took the team's individual scoring award for the second straight year with an average of 19.2 points per game.
Other team members were Kenneth Brog, Virgil Hall, Larry Hulce, Richard Johnson, Jerry Masteller, Dick Randolph, Garth Richey, John Scott and Conrad Stover. Managers were John Fought and Stewart Schultz.
Under the direction of Coach Char Duff, the 1977 women's field hockey team was undefeated (and unscored upon) in dual-meet league play. The team ended the season with an overall record of 11-2-2. Kim Rae Leonard was the team's leading scorer with 13 goals for the season and was chosen Most Valuable Player.
Selected to play for the Great Lakes Sectional Tournament were: (first team) Donna Beauregard, Nancy Heiber Hammond, Kim Rae Leonard, Lisa Daniels McKenna, Melissa Washburn; (second team) Jill Barry, Ellen Doetsch, Barb Rehmus Epperson, Mary Jane Lang Grunden, Carol Strecker, Kathy Feid Sturgis.
Other Britons contributing to the team's success throughout the season were: Ann Click, Susan Fisher, Janis Dillard Gleason, Boni Goodman, Loretta Rottenbiller Guynn, Kim Good Joboulian, Susan Lane, Elizabeth McCullough, Sharon Pontius, Barbara Schmitt, Leslie Gates Van Houten, Joan Pentecost Vestrand.
