Sig T. Hansen Remembered As Tough Rival And Great Friend

Sig T. Hansen, for whom Central Valley High School’s football field is named, died Dec. 1 in Bremerton at age 92.

He taught history and coached football and track and field at CV from 1933 to 1954 and from 1940 to 1943 was the school’s principal.

Hansen also farmed 160 acres in the Valley.

After leaving the area, Hansen was a teacher and coach at Highland High School in Yakima and at Columbia Basin Community College in Pasco. He retired from Columbia Basin at age 65 as dean of students.

He remained active in the Pasco community until age 89, including as public utilities district commissioner until age 80.

Hansen was a respected figure during his 21 years at CV.

“In class he was a person who always said to give something back to the community,” said 1948 CV graduate and star athlete George Chalich. “He was a good one.”

It was Hansen and Ray Thacker who came to the Chalich household when George’s father passed away and convinced his mother to let him stay in school.

Former West Valley football coach Tom Ventris, recovering from recent heart surgery, and Hansen were competitors but close friends.

“I could write a book,” said Ventris, 83. “There were no two people with the rivalry we had who had the friendship we did.”

Although newspaper sportswriter Bob Johnson played up the fact that the two were enemies, said Ventris, they would often play poker the night before their games.

Once, during a CV-WV track meet, Hansen took an Eagle shotputter aside to help with his technique.

Hansen’s son, Sig T. Hansen Jr., is an orthopedic surgeon in Seattle. His daughter, Marilee Hansen, recently retired as principal of Bremerton High School.

He was preceded in death by his wife of almost 60 years, Beverley, in 1992 and a son in 1991.

A memorial celebration for family and friends will be at Hayden Lake next summer.

Unlikely heroes save Titans

Wrestlers with little big-match experience helped University rally from a 30-3 deficit to a 40-30 wrestling win Thursday night.

First-year wrestler Tim Buchanan was outweighed by 80 pounds, but his first-round pin at 275 pounds started the team on its way. And freshman Conor Jordan was not only victorious in his Greater Spokane League debut, but got a late pin at 115 that brought the Titans to within three points.

“Those were two monstrous wins,” said coach U-Hi Don Owen, “with Tim never having wrestled under this type of competition hardly at all and Conor wrestling his first match in the gym.”

Buchanan and junior Jared Osborn both had to gain weight during the day in order to wrestle two weights above their normal classification. Both won.

U-Hi had lost six of the dual’s first seven matches before Buchanan’s pin. The remaining Titans from 101 through 135 pounds added six more victories, including four pins.

Titan gymnasts have work cut out

University’s gymnasts won their initial GSL meet handily over last year’s third and second place finishing teams.

Still, they have their work cut out for them in order to win a fourthstraight league title. While the Titans scored 159.9 points in their debut, expected contender Ferris won its opener with a score of 161.7.

The two schools meet Thursday at Shadle Park and it will pit four-event winners Kim Meyers of the Titans against Liz Miller of the Saxons.

Meyers scored 35.75 and teammate Kalie Cossette was second all-around with 32.6. Meyers scored 34.0 in four events and Ferris had three others between 31.8 and 31.65.

Breaking up the quartet will be a must for U-Hi.

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