Local standouts from a variety of sports and eras are set to join the ranks of the Milton Sports Hall of Fame.
Following an extensive selection process involving public nominations, the board of directors today (July 3) announced Tina Braam, Kevin Iwasa-Madge, Larry Jaroslawski, Peter McMullen and Howie Scannell Sr. as the Class of 2024.
They’ll officially be added to the 36 previous inductees at the Nov. 21 induction ceremony at the FirstOntario Arts Centre Milton.
Here’s a look at this year’s inductees.
Tina Braam (Builder: Triathlon/Duathlon)
While competing both nationally and internationally in triathlon/duathlon, Tina Braam is best known for introducing the sport to thousands of newcomers through the province’s first women’s only event she established in 1995.
Looking to remove barriers of mixed-gender competition, she created a safe, welcoming environment for females of all ages and athletic abilities to give either the triathlon or duathlon a try.
Overcoming financial challenges, Braam and her volunteers built the event into a provincial series and added training clinics along the way.
Her list of accolades includes being one of only five women featured in the Sports 1960s-2000s section of the Canadian Federation of University Women book ‘Celebrating Milton’s Trailblazers’ and receiving the Syl Apps Special Achievement Award in 2002.
Kevin Iwasa-Madge (Athlete: Wrestling)
No matter the level, Kevin Iwasa-Madge wrestled his way to success – and an ultimate legacy at E.C. Drury High School.
Showing plenty of promise from the onset, he’d go on to set the school record for all-time wins (267), career medals (70) and career golds (41).
He’d enjoy three 50-win seasons and is one of just four Spartans to put together an undefeated season.
But the mat prosperity didn’t end there.
Along with being both a provincial and national amateur champion, Iwasa-Madge finished fifth at the Pan-Am Championships and 12th at the Junior Worlds.
At the University of Guelph, he was a five-time OUA medalist and two-time champion, as well as a CIS First Team All-Canadian and two-time Academic All-Canadian.
He punctuated his university career with a fifth-place finish at the FISU Games (International University Sports Federation).
Larry ‘Mooch’ Jaroslawski (Builder: Wrestling)
The architect of perhaps the greatest high school dynasty in Milton history, Larry ‘Mooch’ Jaroslawski elevated local wrestling to new heights of popularity and its E.C. Drury competitors to unrivaled success.
Taking over the team in the mid ‘80s, he’d soon establish the Spartans at Halton and GHAC champions – and just kept raising the bar from then on.
Putting as much emphasis on team success as individual victory, Jaroslawski would reach the high school wrestling summit in 2000 with OFSAA team gold – which the Spartans would successfully defend for the next four years.
He’d win one more in 2006 at Craig Kielburger, making him the only coach to win six OFSAA titles.
Jaroslawski’s Spartans were a 2017 Milton Sports Hall of Fame inductee in the team category.
Peter McMullen (Builder: Baseball/Hockey)
Instrumental in founding minor baseball and hockey in Milton, Peter McMullen was among the inaugural inductees of the Town of Milton Walk of Fame in 2007.
He was the president of the Milton Baseball Club and president of the Halton County Baseball Association from 1949 to 1963, and had a three-year run (1957-59) as president of the Ontario Baseball Association.
His impact on local hockey was equally notable.
McMullen was the Milton Merchants Junior hockey club president when he passed away suddenly in 1966 – at 54. Before that he served as both manager and president of the local intermediate team.
Howie Scannell Sr. (Athlete: Stock Car Racing)
Howie Scannell Sr. was among the first names on the Ontario stock car racing circuit in the 1950s – and didn’t take long to go from participant to standout.
In 1959 he travelled to Michigan and successfully negotiated the purchase of Joy Fair’s dominant super-modified yellow car that featured a Dodge Red Ram Hemi motor.
The sale took his success to the next level, as Scannell Sr. won in his first night in the car and had the loan for the car paid off in just a month.
He was the inaugural winner at the CNE Stadium Speedway, prompting The Globe and Mail to declare him among the most talented racers in Canada.
Scannell spent years experimenting with new designs and excelled on just about every track he raced on, twice winning the Flamborough Speedway championship over several Canadian Motorsport Hall of Famers.
He’d join their ranks in 2021.
Tickets are now on sale for the 2024 induction ceremony, and can be purchased here.
Visit miltonsportshof.com for updates and profiles on past inductees.