— From staff reports
The Maine Sports Hall of Fame will induct its eight-member class of 2008 on June 1 at the Italian Heritage Center in Portland.
Here are the inductees:
Joanne Palombo McCallie was a standout basketball player at Brunswick High. Her first head-coaching job was at the University of Maine, where she coached eight seasons and had a record of 167-73. She then went to Michigan State and is now at Duke. Her career record is 341-158.
Jack Flynn was born in Dan-vers, Mass., and was one of the state's best football coaches at South Portland, where he went 112-72 with eight division titles from 1966-84. He later coached at Scarborough, where he led the Red Storm to the Class B state championship in 2002.
Charles Katsiaficas was born in Lowell, Mass., and arrived at Ellsworth High in 1951. His basketball teams there went 92-15 in five years, winning two state championships. He is best known for introducing man-to-man pressure defense and the one-handed push shot to Maine.
Jerry Perkins was perhaps the state's best-known wrestling coach. In a 28-year coaching career, his teams at Rumford High and later Mountain Valley High produced five state titles and nine second-place finishes. He coached 49 individual state champions.
Richard ''Sonny'' Conley was one of his era's best all-around athletes, starring in both basketball and baseball at Cheverus High in 1947 and 1948. He went on to become a highly-respected high school and college basketball official.
Arnold Biondi, born in Wilmer, Pa., came to Maine in 1957 as the golf pro at Augusta Country Club. He won many titles both in Maine and New England and also designed and built Springbrook Golf Club in Leeds.
Richard Desmarais is regarded as one of the finest athletes to ever come out of Sanford, where he was a 1956 graduate. He played football at Boston University and in the Canadian Football League for Ottawa.
Robert Hews was one of the finest defensive tackles to come out of the state, starring at South Portland (a 1966 grad) and Princeton. He later played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills.
The induction ceremony will begin with a social hour at 11 a.m., followed by dinner at noon. Tickets cost $35 and can be purchased by calling Bill Daviero at 899-0569.