Scott Russell, who was born in Canada, didn’t even know joining the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame was possible for him.
He was shocked when he found out he was going to be inducted.
Russell thought the calls from the Hall of Fame representatives were the work of a scammer, so he didn’t answer or reply to any messages, he said. To his surprise, it was not a scam, and he is set to join the hall of Kansas athletes and coaches in October.
He said it was shocking to see his name with the other sports legends being inducted, including Kansas City Chiefs offensive guard Will Shields and Olympic gold medalist high jumper Erik Kynard.
Russell was selected for the following achievements:
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Two-time NCAA track and field national champion: 2002 outdoor javelin and 2002 indoor weight throw. Six-time All-American selection: indoor hammer throw in 1998, 1999, 2001, and 2002; outdoor javelin in 1999 and 2002
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Won three indoor conference titles in hammer throw in 1999, 2001, and 2002; won six outdoor conference titles in javelin in 1998, 2000, and 2002, and hammer throw in 1999, 2000, and 2002
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Set a KU school record in javelin in 2001 with a throw of 81.66m (267-11 ft.). Named 2002 Big 12 Conference Outdoor Performer of the Year
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2002 CoSiDA Academic All-American.
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Set Kansas Relays javelin record in 2011 with a throw of 268-11
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Finished 10th in the 2008 Olympics in the javelin representing Canada
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Inducted to the KU Booth Family Hall of Athletics and the Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall of Fame in 2015
Despite these prior hall of fame inductions, he said the Kansas selection came as a surprise. Kansas has been his home since 1997 when he came to KU.
“Being that I’ve lived now in Kansas longer than I did in Canada – I lived in Canada until I was 18, and now I’m 45 so you know, I’m as much a Kansan as I am Canadian, or even just American now,” Russell said.
He said it was cool to see his name next to the other sports icons on the induction list.
“In terms of some of the nominations, there are some pretty big Kansas athletic names,” he said. “It’s an honor to be mentioned with a lot of those people’s names,
He said he knows this recognition comes with a lot of hard work and achievement so is proud to be included in it.
Russell has spent the past few years as the strength and conditioning coach at Eudora High School, as well as serving as head coach of the powerlifting team that took home a handful of state titles and records this year.
Athletic Director Cara Kimberlin said seeing a Eudora person receive this accolade is an honor.
Having many talented javelin student athletes see him accomplish these goals is also special, she said.
“I can tell you, from a teaching and coaching standpoint, he’s very dedicated to our kids, does a great job of building relationships with our kids, and just loves working with them,” Kimberlin said.
Russell is a dedicated leader to students year-round and it’s clear he loves what he does, which rubs off on the students, she said.
Candace Dunback is on the board for the hall of fame, and is a former college teammate of Russell’s.
Since it is an Olympic year, many of the inductees have Olympic ties like Russell, she said.
“With all of his accolades – from being an Olympian to an NCAA champion to having a pretty extensive pro career, multi-time All-American athletically, but also an academic All-American – kind of an all-around pick,” she said.
She calls Russell her brother and gets to see this accomplishment from the perspective of a family and a professional.
“He chooses to live in the Kansas community still and pour into the state with him working at the high school. My own children have been able to benefit from his expertise,” she said.
The 12 honorees will be inducted during a ceremony in Topeka this fall. Here is the full list:
Dave Bingham – NAIA national champion baseball coach at Emporia State and head coach for College World Series participant Kansas
Erik Kynard – Olympic Gold Medalist High Jumper at Kansas State
Melvin Lister – National champion in the Long Jump at Leavenworth H.S., Butler County CC, and Arkansas
Mark Mangino – National Assistant Football Coach-of-the-Year at Oklahoma; and Head Coach for Orange Bowl Champion at Kansas
Ron Neugent – Swimming Gold Medalist in World University Games; and American Record-Holder at Kansas
Kelly Rankin – He’s the only American to be the head starter for two Olympic Games
Scott Russell – NCAA champ and Olympic qualifier for Canada in the Javelin at Kansas
Kevin Saunders – Bronze Medalist and Record-Holder for U.S. in Paralympic Games
Will Shields – Native Kansan, 14-year NFL veteran Kansas City Chiefs. Member, College & NFL halls of fame
Sean Snyder – Consensus All-American punter and national special teams coach of the year at Kansas State
Mark Turgeon – All-State basketball player at Topeka Hayden H.S., four-time NCAA Tournament qualifier at Kansas, Missouri Valley (Wichita State) and Big Ten Champion (Maryland) coach and conference Coach-of-the-Year.
Annette Wiles – Two-time NAIA Basketball All-American and NAIA Tournament MVP at Fort Hays State
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