Four former Republic Tigers have joined the Republic Tiger Sports Hall of Fame as members of the second class of inductees. Jack Trogdon, Leland Brown, John Wakeman, and Cindy Wise were inducted into the Hall during the 2nd Annual Republic Tiger Sports Awards ceremony on June 16.
Jack Trogdon was an all-state basketball player in 1948 and 1949 — the first Republic player to earn that honor. He led the Tigers to the 16-team state tournament back when there was only one classification for all schools in Missouri. The 1948 team advanced to the state quarterfinals.
Trogdon was known for his jump shot at a time when it was still a rarely used offensive weapon. He also owned the school single-game scoring record for nearly three decades. He scored 53 points in a game against Ash Grove.
See Jack Trogdon’s Hall of Fame page here.
Leland Brown coached the Republic basketball team from 1960-66. He led the Tigers to their first-ever state championship in 1963. His teams won 155 games and lost only 36 (a winning percentage of .812).
Brown has also helped keep the history of Republic athletics alive with his research and writing on the subject. His book, Looking Back…A Memoir of Republic Sports, includes 200+ pages of stories, stats, and photos.
See Leland Brown’s Hall of Fame page here.
John Wakeman was an all-state athlete in three sports: football, basketball, and track. He still holds basketball records for field goals and points in a game (56 vs. Buffalo in 1989) and field goal percentage in a season (69% in 1988-89).
Wakeman earned his all-state football honors as a defensive back. He placed fourth in the triple jump at the state track meet in 1989.
See John Wakeman’s Hall of Fame page here.
Cindy Wise was an all-state basketball player twice, in 1993 and 1994. She was a member of the Lady Tigers’ first state championship team in ’94, and still holds school records for steals in a single game, in a season, and in her career.
Wise was also an all-state softball player as a catcher in 1994. She still holds the school record for runs in a game.
