Dewey Bellisle
Dewey Bellisle was a versatile athlete who played and excelled at four sports during his remarkable career. He played baseball as a Little Leaguer, Babe Ruth, and two years of Legion Baseball. He ran track for three years and his 1966 team won the U.P. Championship. He played football for Coach Ken Hofer helping produce two GNC titles, a Barber trophy for the best team in the U.P. and was named to the All—GNC team and All-U.P. Team following the 1968 season. He started on the basketball varsity team as a freshman, being a featured player on the 1967 State Championship team. He is also a member of the 1,000 point Club at MHS. He and his teammates were inducted into the Menominee High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018.
Fred Matz
Fred Matz lettered in four sports at MHS. His career began as a 10 year old boy playing center field in Little League Baseball, and as a 12 year old, was part of the team that came within one game of representing the North in the Little League World Series. He was also the starting 1st baseman as a freshman on the Menominee High team, earning his first varsity letter. Menominee discontinued baseball after Fred’s freshman season.
He played #1 doubles on the tennis team in his junior and senior years. Fred played four years of football, one for Coach Fran Mellinger’s JV team as a freshman and three years of varsity football, earning All-GNC honors his junior and senior years. During his junior and senior years he was a starting forward on Bob Krysiak’s varsity teams where, in 1967, Fred was part of the State Championship experience.
Chuck Patrick (Mikolasek)
Chuck Patrick (Mikolasek) graduated from Menominee High School in 1958, joining WAGN Radio in 1957 where he is still employed today and on the air daily Monday through Friday. Chuck first did Maroons football and basketball play-by-play broadcasts starting in 1961. After five years at WMAM in Marinette, he returned to WAGN in 1970. During the time when he was not doing the radio broadcasts, Chuck handled the PA announcer duties at Menominee football and basketball home games.
He returned to the play-by-play microphone in 1983 where he covered the Maroons in football and basketball through 1999. Chuck’s broadcasts of Little League and American Legion youth baseball included the Menominee Little League team that came within one game of the National Little League World Series. He has served as the voice of the Northernaires Drum and Bugle Corps since the days of Drums in the North. Chuck was also player and manager for local slow pitch and fast pitch softball teams and men’s league basketball in Menominee. It’s been said that Chuck has probably logged more miles following Maroon athletics than anyone.
Denise Gentile James
Denise Gentile James won 13 major M’s as an athlete and a member of the band while a student at Menominee High School. She was the first female athlete to win the Barbara Silverthorn Award. Denise won gold medals in both track and cross country, individuals and team medalist for gymnastics, as well as the most outstanding senior athlete award in 1983. She won 53 medals during her high school career. She also held the mile and two-mile records for women’s track for numerous years. In 1986, she was a Green Bay Packer Cheerleader. She is a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and rebuilding Together in Oklahoma where she also has managed men’s soccer teams from 2009 through 2014. She has been a Physical Therapist’s Assistant since 1989.
Janet Hallfrisch Sbar
Janet Hallfrisch Sbar (Class of ‘77) was a member of every sports team offered to women at MHS. Janet excelled in track & field, and was a member of the record-setting All-State Class A-B Mile Relay Team. Janet also set several school records in the discus and scored the most team points (103). Janet was the first female student-athlete to compete in two Varsity sports in the same season, as a #1 Singles Tennis player while a member of the Basketball team. She also competed in Gymnastics and Golf. Janet was named 1977 MHS Superstar Female Athlete of the Year.
As a member of the first University of Michigan Women’s Varsity Track Team in 1978, Janet had a successful career and was also able to throw javelin. She was inducted into the University of Michigan Women’s Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2009. She received a B.A. (Education) in 1981, and M.A. (Guidance and Counseling) in 1982, with Honors. She is a Michigan Licensed Professional Counselor, and worked as a U.S. Department of Education Drug/Violence Prevention Program Coordinator, a University Instructor a science teacher, and guidance counselor. She has coached high school track & field, tennis, basketball and golf.
Brent Nerat
Brent Nerat was a 1991 graduate of Menominee High School. During his years in school he was a member of the School’s football, basketball, and track teams. He was the winner of the Barbara Silverthorn Award in 1991 and holds the record in the high jump at 6’8’' along with Brady Schultz, who he is proud to coach. Brent led the Maroons to the U.P. Championship in track in 1991 and was part of the UP District Championship team. In 1990 he posted the highest jump by a prep athlete in the state. He was recognized as All-Conference, and All-State 3 consecutive years for his efforts in the high jump.
He was also All-Conference in football his junior year and All-Conference in basketball in his sophomore through senior years. In basketball, Brent is a member of a very small club. He is 2nd all time in basketball scoring, with over 1,200 points. He was a threeyear starter on Coach Pete Pericolosi’s varsity team and went on to star at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, where he played for Ted VanDellen and was a three-year starter, and captain. In his senior year, his team went on to make the NCAA tournament and win more games in a season than any previous Oshkosh team. He was awarded the UW Oshkosh Outstanding Senior Athlete award to conclude his collegiate career.
Tyler Tafelski
Tyler Tafelski achieved many distinguishing feats while participating in varsity wrestling and cross-country at MHS, graduating in 1997. He is a two-time wrestling U.P. State Champion, earning All American status by capturing his 100th win. He has a career record of 122-27, earning the most wins in school history as of 1997. He served as team captain his last two years and voted most valuable wrestler. “Amateur Wrestling News” named him to the 125-pound class “All American Team” in May of 1997 and “Wrestling USA” magazine named him top Army recruit as a wrestler for West Point during his plebe (freshman) year. Tyler’s cross-country team won the UP State Championship his senior year. He is currently a member of the United States Army achieving the rank of Lt. Colonel.
Drew Buyarski
Drew Buyarski was a multi-sport athlete graduating in 2000. He was a member of the 1998 State Championship football team. In 1999 he was names the GNC offensive and defensive player of the year, AllU.P. offensive player of the year, Class B All State team and to the All State dream team. In basketball he received All GNC honors his junior and senior year including All GNC defensive player of the year as a junior. In track, he was a two-time U.P. Champion high jumper and a U.P. long jumper as a senior. Drew was the recipient of the Barbara Silverthorne Award in 2000.