May 13, 2008 07:04 pm The Traverse City Central High School Trojan Hall of Fame will induct three new members, to be recognized during the Central High School graduation ceremony on June 7. The Trojan Hall of Fame was established in 2003 to honor past graduates and staff who have excelled in their fields, given back to their community and brought honor to Traverse City Central High School. This year's inductees are: •John Lober was a teacher at Traverse City Central High School from 1969-2000 where he coached track and field and football. Lober graduated from DeVilbiss High School in Toledo, Ohio in 1960 and received a bachelor and master's degree from Bowling State University. He also studied at Michigan State University. His 37 year teaching career began in Bellaire and Sylvania, Ohio, before joining the staff at Central High School. He earned the Outstanding Young Educator Award in Sylvania in 1969. He is the tournament director for the TCJGA in-school golf program and co-founder and director of the National Cherry Festival "Golden Mile". He has served as a track and field official during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and is a member of the USATF National Pole Vault Committee. He was the Ken Bell Invitational, Record-Eagle Honor Roll Meet and GTA Indoor Track Meet manager for more than 30 years. Lober was the MITCA track Coach of the Year three times and was inducted into the MITCA Hall of Fame in 2001. He was also named the Michigan High School Coaches Association Track Coach of the Year twice and was named to the Michigan High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1996. He was the USA Track and Field National High School Coach of the Year in 2001. Coaching highlights included 14 years coaching football and 20 years coaching cross country earning the 1996 state runner up in class A and had 10 top ten finishes at the state finals, five conference and seven regional championships and 65 individual titles. His teams set a Division 1 record with 17 state finalists in 18 years and had 22 undefeated seasons. His dual meet record was 297-32-3 with 52 consecutive wins. He coached 17 conference and seven state regional titles, 106 invitational titles, two national champions, seven high school All Americans, nine state champions and 36 All State athletes. -- Al Lockman was born in Boyne City in 1920 and graduated from high school in 1939. He attended Michigan State University until World War II when he enlisted in the Army Air Corp. He was a decorated pilot, flying the "Hump Route" -- lndia, Burma and China. He was the lead pilot in acrobatic air show to raise war bond money. After the war he attended Central Michigan University from 1946-1948 and was the baseball team's most valuable player in 1946. Lockman joined the staff at Traverse City Central High school in 1948 and taught industrial arts, aviation, was a student counselor, attendance director and bus driver during his 30 year career. He helped organize and participate in a state wide TV program called "16" that emphasized safe driving habits for teenagers, helped develop Traverse City driver's education program and was the director of Traffic Safety School. He started the Youth Traffic Court and was a member of the Civil Air Patrol. Lockman was head baseball coach, assistant football coach and an MHAA football and basketball referee. He received Teacher of the Year honors in 1961 for establishing a unique outdoor education laboratory that received national and international recognition. Lockman helped start the Grand Traverse County Marine Patrol and was a caretaker of Marion Island for four years. He received the Julian W Smith Michigan Outdoor Education Award in 1977 and is a member of the Toastmaster Club. He helped start the TBA Credit Union in 1955 and is a member of the State Advisory Council to Department of Education-State of Michigan. -- Ross Biederman attended Traverse City public schools K-12 at Oak Park Elementary, Central Junior and Senior High and was a member of the class of 1958. He lettered three years in tennis and won conference and Class A Regional doubles title. He received a bachelors of arts from Michigan State University and was a charter member Sigma Phi Epsilon. Biederman began his radio career in radio advertising sales in Petoskey in 1962 and became president of Midwestern Broadcasting Company radio stations in Traverse City in 1983. He expanded the four-station group to 10 stations in northern Michigan and was the leader in radio audience ratings for 25 years. He worked with the city of Traverse City, developed Radio Centre commercial buildings downtown beginning in 2000. Professional activities include president, Michigan Association of Broadcasters; board member, Michigan Broadcasters Foundation and National Association of Broadcasters; president, Traverse Ad Club. Civic activities include Petoskey City Council, mayor pro tem; president, Biederman Foundation, Petoskey Winter Sports Club and Petoskey JayCees; board member, Grand Traverse Regional Foundation, Munson Healthcare Foundation, Traverse City Downtown Development Authority and National Cherry Festival; chairman, Garfield Township-City of Traverse City Recreation Authority. He has earned the Lyle DeYoung Downtown Award and Michigan Broadcasters Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.
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