Haines High School alum Kyle Fossman is one of the newest members of the Alaska High School Hall of Fame.
Fossman, who graduated in 2010, is one of 13 inductees this year out of about 20 people nominated statewide, said Sandi Wagner, associate director of the Alaska School Activities Association.
Fossman was nominated by school athletic director Tiana Taylor and then chosen by a selection committee. Taylor said Fossman fits all the criteria to be in the hall of fame. “It’s a no brainer,” she said.
“I was pretty surprised. I didn’t know I was nominated,” Fossman said.
Fossman led the Haines High School boys’ basketball team to state championships in 2008 and 2010, and he may hold the school record for career points, according to CVN records.
He was named Gatorade Player of the Year in Alaska, and tallied around 30 points per game at his peak. He then starred at the University of Alaska Anchorage, where he broke several three-point records.
After graduation, Fossman played one season of professional basketball for the Fraport Skyliners in Frankfurt, Germany before returning to Haines.
In 2015, Fossman became the first Glacier Bear to have his jersey number retired. His No. 42 is now framed and displayed in the Haines School trophy case and a banner with his name is hanging in Karl Ward Gymnasium.
Fossman is now in his third year coaching middle school basketball and his first assisting with the high school teams.
“It is fun to be back to coach junior high and high school and see the kids develop while going through the same program I did,” Fossman said. “It’s cool to be a part of it, having been through it as a player, to now see it through the perspective of a coach.”
Fossman is the owner and founder of AKtive, created to get Alaskans of all ages to be “AKtive” by participating in recreational and athletic events. Through AKtive, Fossman often hosts youth basketball camps.
The athletes will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame at a ceremony on Sunday, April 29 in Anchorage.
Other Haines High School Hall of Famers include Sarah Swinton, class of 1986, and Carl Blackhurst, class of 1996, both inducted in 2007.
Swinton led the Glacier Bears girls’ basketball team to a state championship in 1985 against Wrangell in triple overtime. The team was runner-up in 1986. She went on to play basketball at Western Oregon State College.
Blackhurst was best known for his accolades in cross-country and track. In 1993 and 1995, he won the state championship in 1A-2A-3A cross-country running and in 1994, while suffering from the flu, finished in third place. Blackhurst was the Southeast Alaska champion for four consecutive years and went on to be a seven-time All-American runner at Adams State College. He finished 18th in the 2004 Olympic Trials.
Alum Richard Cooper, class of 1984, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012 for his work in music and video production. During his high school career, he was best known for his skills as a trombone player and was selected as first chair in America’s Youth in Concert, touring Europe and performing in Carnegie Hall. He majored in music at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, but became involved in video production. He was awarded an Emmy in 2009 for his work on the television movie, “There’s No Place Like Home.”
Wagner said the Hall of Fame was created in 2006 “to identify and honor in a permanent manner those individuals who have exhibited high ethical standards and integrity.”