Glass humbled by latest Hall of Fame induction

Myron Glass had to pinch himself Monday night.

The former longtime Rochester Lourdes girls basketball coach was being inducted into the Minnesota High School Basketball Hall of Fame at the Courts at Mayo Clinic Center in Minneapolis, across from Target Center.

It was quite a night for Glass, who coached the Eagles for 31 years, ending with the 2013-14 season. In that span, his most famous accomplishment was his teams playing in eight state championship games and winning them all.

Glass’ teams reached 15 state tournaments overall, and he’s the second winningest coach in Minnesota girls basketball history at 719-143.

But he’s most prideful about having built a reputation as a pioneer for girls sports.

That started in 1970 when a bunch of Lourdes girls entered his classroom with a question.

"They asked me why they can’t have sports," Glass said. "So I told them, ‘Let’s have a track team.’ The next day, I had 70 of them show up for (practice)."

Glass was among 14 inducted Monday, including two teams — the Grand Meadow girls from 1929-39 and the 1960 Edgerton boys. The individual inductees were true Minnesota basketball giants, Glass being joined by such former high school megastars as Lindsey Whalen, Kevin McHale, Janet Karvonen-Montgomery, Lake City graduate Randy Breuer, Khalid El-Amin, Mark Olberding and coaches Bob McDonald and Faith Johnson Patterson.

"It was sold out and such an exciting and humbling experience," said Glass, who brought former Lourdes Activities Director Marv Peters as his guest. "There were a lot of heavyweights there. You’ve got to pinch yourself to think you’re a part of it. I don’t think that anyone believes they’re worthy of a Hall of Fame. But you realize how lucky and fortunate you are."

Glass spent the evening sharing stories with his fellow inductees and especially with former-Minneapolis North star point guard El-Amin, who in college led the University of Connecticut to a national championship.

Glass, a Minneapolis South graduate, and El-Amin, from North, were seated next to each other in one of three luxury boxes at Monday night’s Timberwolves game as part of the Minnesota High School Basketball Hall of Fame celebration, the inductees introduced at halftime.

"We chatted about everything," Glass said. "I really enjoyed Khalid; he’s just a very nice guy and appreciative of everything. He was just marveling at the accomplishments of so many of the inductees."

That included Glass himself: a 719-143 record, 15 state tournaments, eight state championships and one of Minnesota’s true pioneers for girls sports.

• Breuer was recognized for having led Lake City to back-to-back state championships in 1978 and ’79. The 7-foot-3 center scored 113 points in three state tournament games in 1979, a record that still stands. Breuer went on to star at the University of Minnesota, then had an 11-year career in the NBA.

• The Grand Meadow girls basketball program, from 1929-1939, won 94 consecutive games and outscored its opponents by an average of 38-12. Mildred Berg (in 1930) and DeVera Bratrud (1939) each had 50-point games during that streak. Beuhla Ankeny, who will turn 99 next month and lives in Stewartville, represented the teams at Monday’s induction. In addition to Ankeny, three other former Grand Meadow players from that era still are living.

The inaugural inductees for the Minnesota High School Basketball Hall of Fame:

Teams: Grand Meadow girls, 1929-1939; Edgerton boys, 1960 .

Girls contributor:Dorothy McIntyre, Edina.

Girls coaches:Myron Glass, Lourdes; Faith Johnson Patterson, Minneapolis North, DeLaSalle.

Girls players:Janet Karvonen-Montgomery, New York Mills, 1980 graduate; Lindsay Whalen, Hutchinson, 2000.

Boys coach:Bob McDonald, Chisholm.

Boys players:Jim McIntyre, Minneapolis Patrick Henry, 1945; Ron Johnson, New Prague, 1956; Mark Olberding, Melrose, 1974; Kevin McHale, Hibbing, 1976; Randy Breuer, Lake City, 1979; Khalid El-Amin, Minneapolis North, 1997.