Park Rapids' first baseball coach and Park Rapids' first female to qualify for state in three different sports will be inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame during this year's All Sports Banquet on May 25 at the Area High School gym.
Don (Mac) McDowell and Allison (Reich) Kallevig will be the 12th and 13th members of the Hall of Fame. Those two will join Amber (Bohman) Olson, Mark Costello, Darril Larison, Tammy (McGrane) Fox, Jane Besler, Andy McCarty, Beth (Morris) Hirt, Dick Carpenter, Gene Nei, Jason Deitchler and Joe Harvala.
McDowell started the Park Rapids baseball program in 1952 and had 15 winning seasons as the head coach. McDowell also was the Panthers' head coach in boys basketball and compiled 23 wins during the 1948-49 season. In addition to coaching for 25 years, McDowell served as a starter at high school track meets for 45 years.
During her four-year varsity career, Reich qualified for state in girls tennis, gymnastics and track. Reich became the first member of the Park Rapids girls tennis team to qualify for state in singles in 1991. Reich qualified for state in gymnastics in vault in 1990 and was a member of the first Park Rapids gymnastics team to qualify for state in 1992. Reich also qualified for state in track as a member of the 4 x 100-meter relay team in 1990.
Mac McDowell
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Mac McDowell's life in athletics started at Soldiers Grove High School in Wisconsin.
In high school, McDowell was a member of the smallest team in Wisconsin to play in a state basketball tournament in 1940 and was a member of the track team that tied for first place at the Wisconsin state meet in 1940 and won the state title in 1941.
McDowell attended Luther College and earned 12 letters, competing in basketball, track and baseball. McDowell was the Iowa College Conference champion in the 100 dash three years, the leading hitter on the baseball team for three years and captain of the basketball team two years.
After college, McDowell taught American history at Park Rapids for 34 years and coached 25 years. During that time, McDowell received an Outstanding Coaching Award from the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association in 1973, was inducted into the Luther College Hall of Fame in 1980 and was honored by the Minnesota State High School League as a starter in track for 45 years in 1981.
McDowell also served as a football and basketball referee, working more than 400 football games and 800 basketball games. McDowell's crew worked five state championship games in football
Allison Reich
Allison Reich was a four-year letterwinner in three sports and a state participant in all three.
In tennis, Reich just missed qualifying for state multiple times after finishing third in singles at the Region 8A tournament as a sophomore and junior. Reich advanced to state as a senior as the region runner-up.
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In gymnastics, Reich qualified for state as a sophomore by placing second in vault at the region meet. Reich finished 17th at the state meet in that event. After missing a return trip to state by placing fifth in vault as a junior, Reich helped the Panthers qualify for state as a team her senior year. The Panthers finished eighth in their state debut.
Reich earned Mid-State Conference honors as a freshman and sophomore in track and joined Shelly Hinkley, Trista Olander and Jami Koepsell on the 4 x 100 relay team that won the region title in 1990 and placed fifth at the state meet. Reich also contended for state berths in the 100 hurdles by placing fourth as a sophomore and third as a junior.
Reich went on to play tennis at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and has competed in numerous triathlons and marathons.
