Hazelwood West Inducts Alumni into Hall of Fame

Hazelwood West High School (HWHS) Athletics Department has added several names to its Hall of Fame. The department recently inducted the 2013 Hall of Fame class which includes Steve Mayes, Frank Burkhart, Rob Riti, LaMark Brown and Ben Solari.

Here is some additional information on each athlete courtesy the Hazelwood School District:

• Steve Mayes – HWHS class of 1993. While at HWHS Mayes played soccer and baseball. In 1992 and 1993, he made the All-Conference Second Team and recorded 17 shutouts. He went on to play soccer at Missouri State University from 1993-1996. He was an 8th Round Draft Pick, 52nd overall, by the Pensacola Flyers in the 1998 Eastern Indoor Soccer League.

• Robert Riti, – HWHS class of 1995. Riti was a three-sport athlete while at HWHS. He was a member of the track and field, wrestling and football teams. He was selected to the All-Suburban North Conference football team and the All-Metro football team. He went on to play football at the University of Missouri-Columbia from 1996 through 1999. In 1998, he was the All-Big XII Center and in 1999, he was the All-Big XII Center, Consensus All-American Center, Walter Camp Foundation – All-American Center and the Coaches – All-American Center. In 2000, he was undrafted free agent with the St. Louis Rams.

• Frank E. Burkhart – Served as a coach and administrator at HWHS from 1974 to 2006. He was inducted into the Hazelwood West Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. Burkhart served as the HWHS head baseball coach from 1974 to 1981 with a record of 91 wins and 49 losses. He led the 1977 team to a Conference Championship, the team had a record of 16 – 6. In 1978, he led the team to a third place finish in the state tournament with a record of 18 – 7. This three sons, Morgan, Lance and Damon all graduated from Hazelwood West High and all went on to play professional baseball.

• LaMark Brown – HWHS class of 2007.  Brown was a three-sport athlete at HWHS. He was a member of the track and field, basketball and football teams. He was named to the First Team All-Conference for offence, First Team All-Conference for defense, First Team All-Metro, First Team All-State Defensive Back in 2005. In 2006, he was named to the First Team All-Conference for Defense, First Team All-Metro and the First Team All-State Defensive Back teams. In 2007, he was named a Prep Star All-American. He was a two time State Champion in the 4x100 meter race in 2005 and 2006, he also finished third in the long jump competition in 2006. He went on to play football at Kansas State University and Minnesota State – Mankato. He was signed as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons in 2012. He went on to play with the Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Minnesota Vikings.

• Ben Solari – HWHS class of 2008. Solari was a member of the swimming and diving teams all four years at HWHS. He was a two time state swimming champion in the 100 meter breast and 200 meter individual medley. In 2008, he received The Ernie Vornbrock Award for Outstanding Male Swimmer; he was named “Athlete of the Year” by the North County Journal and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, was awarded Swimmer of the Meet at the Missouri State High School Champion swim meet and was a Hazelwood West Scholar Athlete.  He went on to swim for the University of New Orleans and University of Pittsburgh. While at both schools he was a CSCAA Scholar Athlete All-American. He holds the University of Pittsburgh record in the 200 meter relay. 

Do you know any of the inductees? Send some well-wishes their way in the comments section.