Late Northern Colorado and NFL star Vincent Jackson is among an eight-member class that will be inducted into the CHSAA Hall of Fame, the association announced Thursday.
Joining the Widefield High School grad in the Class of 2023 are Jan Anderson (Denver East), Sue and Al Snyder (Simla), Mike Palloto (Roosevelt), Jane Silver (Mancos), Linda Witt (University) and Abby Waner Bartolotta (ThunderRidge). The group will be officially inducted in a ceremony Monday, Jan. 30, at the Douglas County School District’s Legacy Campus.
Jackson, who was a straight-A student at Widefield before starring at UNC and playing 12 seasons in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will be inducted posthumously. He died in 2021 at age 38.
Waner Bartolotta averaged 27 points per game while leading ThunderRidge to a pair of Class 5A state titles as a two-time Ms. Colorado Basketball winner. She went on to play for Duke University, where she scored 1400 career points.
Sue and Al Snyder both won state titles as coaches at Simla, with Sue guiding the girls volleyball team to two state crowns (and four runner-up finishes) and Al leading the girls basketball program to a pair of Class 2A titles as well.
Palloto, a Lakewood and UNC grad, taught at Roosevelt and led the Rough Riders to three state wrestling championships, seven runner-up finishes and three third-place showings while coaching 33 state champions and 11 All-Americans.
Witt built a powerhouse girls gymnastics program at University from 1979-1993 that claimed 10 3A state championships and five runner-up finishes. She was named runner-up for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association (1994), Colorado Sportswoman of the Year (1985) and Gatorade “Coach Who Cares” Award (1993).
In addition to teaching, Anderson served as Denver East’s yearbook adviser and was a sponsor for student council and cheer. For the past 35 years, she’s worked as a CHSAA official for girls and boys swimming, been a statistician the past 25 years for the state boys and girls basketball tournaments, and volunteered for multiple other sports.
Silver worked for nearly 30 years leading the Mancos Marching Blue Jays. Under her direction, the “Pride of the Mancos Valley” won the Colorado Bandmasters Association (CBA) State Marching Band contest three consecutive years.
No other details on the induction ceremony were provided by CHSAA.
Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.
