Hall of Fame weekend honors athletes, coaches, advocates

The second annual Hall of Fame weekend honored coaches, athletes, and musicians who came through Chanute High School’s halls. The events were put on by the USD 413 Foundation, starting with a community tailgating party at Katy Park, Friday, Sept. 26.

A big screen displayed the Chanute football game against Nemaha Central, community members gathered with lawn chairs in front of a stage, and food trucks provided a dinner option near the festivities.

Music began with Timmy Ray and the Dry Counties opening for Hall of Fame inductee Jennifer Knapp. Timmy Ray and the Dry Counties is a local duo featuring Tim Tarkelly and Tommy Rodriguez. Rodriguez is also a After their performance, Rodriguez introduced Knapp and highlighted the inductees, including: Paul Lindblad, a Major League Baseball pitcher and three-time World Series Champion of the Oakland A’s and the New York Yankees; and Carolyn Kensett, a CHS state women’s tennis champion, Pittsburg State University’s first female athletic scholarship recipient, and a Boston Marathon qualifier.

“This year we honor four incredible individuals who have brought pride to Chanute and inspired generations,” Rodriguez said.

He said that when he joined the Hall of Fame committee, his goal was to see Knapp inducted.

“I’ve wanted her to have a homecoming concert here for a very, very, long time. She has inspired millions and millions of people.

She’s a great person, and tonight we’re going to celebrate that through music, and I really appreciate you all being here,” Rodriguez said.

Knapp said that it was fantastic to be back.

Hall of Fame weekend continued the next morning at the SEK Impact Center with a breakfast made by the Family Community and Career Leaders of America club and a ceremony featuring more music from Chanute High School’s Select Ensemble, and shared stories.

David Petersen introduced Chanute High School administration, Principal Zack Murray, Assistant Principal Jessie Fewins, Assistant Superintendent Heather Burris, and Superintendent Matt Koester.

“It’s awesome to see people who just really support Chanute, support Chanute Schools,” Koester said to attendees. “I hope that you, as you sit out here, that you’re as proud of our school system and our community

as I am.”

Petersen introduced the Hall of Fame committee before recognizing the inductees.

“This year’s class includes champions on the field, pioneers in athletics, a beloved coach and mentor, and an artist whose voice touches lives across the world,” Petersen said. “Together, they represent the very best of what it means to be a Blue Comet.”

Petersen first recognized Paul Lindblad, a class of 1959 graduate.

“His love for baseball began on the field at Katy Park, where he played Little League, American Legion, and semi-pro ball on the Kansas prairies,” Petersen said. “It was there that he fell in love with the game of baseball, and also the woman who would later become his wife, Kathy.”

Petersen said Lindblad, also known as “Junior,” was a standout athlete during his time at CHS. Chanute did not have a baseball team at the time; he lettered in basketball and was the 1959 Javelin State Champion. He went on to Chanute Junior College, then the University of Kansas. He later withdrew from school and joined the Kansas City Athletics in 1963, marking the beginning of his baseball career.

He made his major league debut on Sept. 15, 1965, and competed in the major leagues for 14 years. During his baseball career, he went 385 games without error, setting a major league record.

“Paul finished his career with a 68-63 record, and 64 saves, and 385 games with a 3.29 Earned Run Average, and the admiration of many who remembered him as the perfect teammate.

Lindblad passed away in 2006 from Alzheimer’s. In 2008, the baseball field at Katy Park was renamed Paul Lindblad Field in his honor.

Lindblad’s nephew, Adam Nielsen, accepted the Inductee award on his behalf.

“It’s an honor to accept this on behalf of Paul,” Nielsen said.

Nielsen highlighted that Lindblad had a big impact on his early life and that he treasured the time he got to spend with him.

Next, Petersen introduced Carolyn Kensett. Kensett graduated in 1971 from CHS and had an undefeated season in tennis during her senior year, which was also the first year CHS had a girls’ tennis team. To this day, she is the only individual state title holder for tennis in Chanute history, according to Petersen. Kensett went on to play at Arizona State University, Park College, and then Pittsburg State University, where she won conference and division titles in singles tennis. Kensett was the first woman to ever earn an athletic scholarship at PSU.

Since then, Kensett has taught youth tennis and volunteered with the CHS tennis team.

Her athletic pursuits have not stopped; today, she is a long-distance runner and is setting new records. In 2024, she was recognized as a Kansas Road Running Runner of the Year, and set five records in the 70-74 age group with a two-mile record of 15:20, 5K time of 24:12, 10K time of 49:27, half-marathon time of 1:54:06, and 3:59:12 in the marathon.

Petersen said she is the first woman over 70 years of age to complete a marathon in under four hours.

“I don’t have anything planned to say. I was just hoping the spirit would tell me what to say, but I’m not getting anything,” Kensett joked with attendees.

Kensett said that this award means a lot to her and that she was grateful to be honored in such a way.

Kent Frazell, the next honoree, was actually a 1972 graduate of Iola High School and attended PSU. Frazell became a physical education teacher at Royster Middle School in 1976. He coached track for 21 years and coached 41 seasons of football at CHS. As head coach, the team won district championships in 2001 and 2002. For 33 years, he coached wrestling at RMS.

“Coach Frazell’s influence in USD 413 was and continues to be profound. Under his leadership, teams won championships, athletes discovered their potential, and lifelong bonds were formed,” Petersen said. “His legacy can be measured in decades of devotion and in the generations of athletes who still carry his lessons.”

Frazell, during his acceptance speech, congratulated the other inductees.

“The diversity is perfect, it’s awesome in Chanute, that we have that many things going on and that many people who have done very well,” Frazell said. “Today really is a day to celebrate Chanute. It’s not about any one person or anything like that; it’s about celebrating Chanute and the community. Together we have done some great things, and we’re going to continue to do some great things.”

Frazell highlighted that Chanute’s facilities are excellent and that the community supports the local students by voting for bond issues and by making it a positive community to live in. Frazell also told the story of how he came to work at Chanute.

The last inductee to be honored was 1992 graduate Jennifer Knapp. Knapp is most known for her music, having been nominated twice for a Grammy award and having been a recipient of four Dove awards. She is also an LGBTQ advocate and theologian.

“Jennifer is a trailblazer in advocacy, notably becoming the first major artist in the Christian music realm to openly discuss LGBTQ identity,” Petersen said. “Her advocacy led her to found Inside Out Faith, a nonprofit dedicated to LGBTQ inclusion within faith communities.”

In her acceptance speech, Knapp highlighted how it was great to see the investment the community makes in the students.

“It’s not just a job that you do educators… but it’s watching what you’ve put into people that allows them to go on and be who they are, and then watching that thing perpetuate itself. The energy, love, passion — that’s what makes me so genuinely proud of where I’m from,” Knapp said.

She noted that small does not mean insignificant, and that small communities can have a large impact.

“We all have an opportunity to do one small act today that will, in some way, beyond our imagination, reverberate in somebody next by paying it forward,” Knapp said.