Men

Winners of the Raymond Vincent Borleske Trophy

Awarded Annually to the Outstanding Male Athlete
at Whitman College

 

2011 -- Justin Artis (basketball), Etienne Moshevich (tennis)

2010 -- Matt Solomon (tennis)

2009 -- Brett Axelrod (soccer)

2008 -- Clint Collier (swimming), Max Weber (soccer) 

2007 -- Steven Ly (tennis)

2006 -- Greg Ricker (basketball)

2005 -- Bradley Bowen (soccer)

2004 -- Sam Spiegel (tennis), Tyler Chisholm (soccer)

2003 -- Travis Exstrom (soccer)

2002 -- Tim Mullin (tennis)

2001 -- Tucker Jackson (swimming)

2000 -- Charlie Woodruff (alpine skiing)

1999 -- Haroon Ullah (tennis)

1998 -- Andy Olsson (alpine skiing)

1997 -- Alex Rolfe (track & field, cross country)

1996 -- Nathan Engman (swimming)

1995 -- Bryan Brown (track & field, cross country); Brian Stark (baseball)

1994 -- Joe Beatty (baseball)

1993 -- Joel Keller (baseball); Jason McDonald (basketball)

1992 -- Flip Herndon (cross country, track & field)

1991 -- Keith Orchard (basketball)

1990 -- Matt Farley (cross country); Ky Haverkamp (basketball)

1989 -- Scott Brady (basketball)

1988 -- Rod Daron (basketball); Mike Wilcox (track & field)

1987 -- Dave Mastin (basketball)

1986 -- Brian Nash (tennis)

1985 -- Mike Reid (basketball)

1984 -- Rick Rose (baseball)

1983 -- Thaddeus McCamant (track & field, cross country)

1982 -- David Wetter (basketball)

1981 -- Nicholas Walker (soccer)

1980 -- Lane Loland (track & field, cross country)

1979 -- Chuck Porter (basketball)

1978 -- Theopolis Williams (wrestling)

1977 -- Edward Clendaniel (tennis)

1976 -- Mark Ralston (swimming)

1975 -- Randy Wooton (baseball)

1974 -- John Leier (track & field)

1973 -- Jim Volz (baseball, basketball, football)

1972 -- Bob Reisig (baseball, track & field, football)

1971 -- Cleve Larson (baseball, football)

1970 -- John Adkison (track & field, football)

1969 -- Doug Allen (baseball, football)

1968 -- Tony Barkauskas (football, tennis, basketball)

1967 -- Evan Smith (track & field, cross country)

1966 -- James Moore (baseball, football)

1965 -- James Lucke (football, wrestling); Terry Pancoast (track & field)

1964 -- Stephen Ronfeldt (tennis, basketball)

1963 -- No award given

1962 -- Herman Mize (track & field, football, golf, basketball)

1961 -- Jerry Hillis (track & field, football); Robert Hough (track & field)

1960 -- Terry Lofsvold (track & field, football)

1959 -- Max Johnson (basketball, baseball, track & field, football)

1958 -- Robert Becker (baseball, basketball, football)

1957 -- Ted Hansen (football); Donald Poe (track & field, basketball)

1956 -- Gary Fowler (track & field, football, basketball)

1955 -- Gene LePage (baseball, football)

1954 -- Morris Robinett (track & field, basketball)

1953 -- Richard Neher (baseball, football)

1952 -- Melburn Kight (baseball, basketball)

1951 -- Howard Childers (basketball, football, track)

1950 -- Donald Miller (baseball, football)

1949 --

1948 --

1947 --

1946 -- Robert Rhay (track & field, cross country)

1945 -- Robert O’Dell (baseball, basketball)

1944 -- Ray O’Dell (baseball, basketball, football)

1943 -- Kenneth Husby

1942 -- Gordon Frear

1941 -- Frank Davis (track & field)

1940 -- Weston Price (football)

1939 -- Henry Fairbank (track & field)

1938 -- William O’Brien (football, baseball)

1937 -- John Bury (baseball, basketball)

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Raymond Vincent Borleske

First as an athlete and later as a coach, Raymond Vincent Borleske achieved legendary status at Whitman College during the first half of the 20th century. Borleske was raised in Hope, Idaho, and came to Whitman in 1907 as valedictorian of his high school class in Spokane, Wash. As a football running back, Borleske became the first Northwest player ever recognized by Walter Camp’s Spaulding Football Guide. Had Borleske played on one of the stronger teams on the East Coast, his supporters argued, he would be now remembered as one of college football’s all-time greats. He also was a star player on Whitman’s baseball teams.

Although working part-time to help pay his Whitman tuition, Borleske found time for activities other than athletics. Borleske was also active in student politics, serving as president of both the junior class and the student body as a whole. He was associate editor of Waillatpu, the college yearbook, and he competed as a member of the debate team. He also taught mathematics to younger at Pearsons Academy.

After graduating from Whitman and while coaching high school teams in the Seattle and Portland areas, Borleske completed his law degree at the University of Oregon in 1914. Rather than begin a law practice, however, Borleske acceded to Whitman president Stephen Penrose’s request and returned to campus in the fall of 1915 to revitalize the school’s athletic program. That he did, leading Whitman to a Northwest Conference title in football in 1921, when the league still included the region’s largest colleges and universities. Other football crowns followed in 1928, 1930 and 1931, and his basketball and baseball teams also fared well against stiff competition. Whitman wore the conference crown in basketball in 1921, and its baseball teams of the 1930s were imposing. Baseball highlights that decade included a 32- 9 won-loss record and a conference title in 1932, a 43-12 record in 1936, and another league title in 1938 as the Missionaries rolled to a 41-10 record.

Borleske retired from coaching in 1947 and then served two terms as mayor of Walla Walla. He was manager of the Marcus Whitman Hotel when he died in 1957, six days before his 70th birthday.

Borleske Stadium, where Whitman and local high schools still play baseball and football, was named in his honor in 1940. He was inducted posthumously into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Hall of Fame. Shortly after his death, he also became the first person inducted into the new Washington State Sports Hall of Fame.