Jefferson-Scranton graduate Brent MacLagan was inducted into the Greene County High School athletics hall of fame Jan. 16 in Jefferson. The former Ram starred in both football track and field.  BRANDON HURLEY | JEFFERSON HERALDJefferson-Scranton alumnus Trisha Waugh Pipkin addresses the crowd during her GCHS hall of fame acceptance speech Jan. 16 in Jefferson. BRANDON HURLEY | JEFFERSON HERALD

Greene County Hall of Fame: A FIRST CLASS STUNNER

Inaugural hall of fame class shares love of community and success

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor
sports@beeherald.com
@BrandonJHurley

The stories, oh the magnificent tales of years gone by.
If anything, the inaugural Greene County Hall of Fame inductions were quite the spectacle.
Sure, rare athletic abilities can often give high schoolers a leg up above the rest.
But the overlaying theme of the first hall of fame class focused primarily on family and a sense of community. Specifically, the parents who picked those talented kids up from practice each day. The ones who made sure their uniforms were cleaned and they awoke on time.
Greene County honored the 1994 girls track and field team along with football coach Bill Kibby, six-on-six stars Trisha Waugh and Kristi Kinne, as well as multi-sport athlete, Brent MacLagan during the 2020 inductions Jan. 16.
It was almost as if each inductee agreed to honor the community as well, conveying their respect and gratitude for a county that came out in droves to witness the exceptional display of athletics.
The first class is always the greatest, in many minds, and this one sticks out for obvious reasons. They were the poster men and women for a golden era of Jefferson-Scranton athletics which likely won’t be matched for some time. Several district and conference titles, state championships and records galore. These really are the measuring stick for future Greene County athletes.

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Video Vicki deserves a lot of credit.
The mother of Kristi Kinne Hayes filmed every one of her daughter’s game, not out of necessity, but per request. See, Kristi was the definition of a student of the game. She thrived off studying film, even as a high schooler alongside her parents. She never sought out criticism – besides, there’s not much to criticize when you score more than 3,000 career points and average 52 points your senior year. No, remarkably, she cherished those small moments with her family.
The 1991 Jefferson-Scranton graduate and all-time Jeffette six-on-six leading scorer, was beyond appreciative of what her parents did for her some 30 years ago.
“It felt so good to play well for them,” Kinne Hayes said, who now has a son, Jaxon, an NBA rookie with the New Orleans Pelicans.”
Kinne Hayes played a pivotal role in each of Jefferson-Scranton’s only two state tournament appearances, first taking a secondary role to Trisha Waugh in company during the 1988 run before becoming Iowa’s leading scorer in 1991. She later went on to star at Drake University, earning Missouri Valley player of the year honors before securing a few coaching gigs throughout the region.

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Trisha Waugh Pipkins was the leading school and model of Jefferson-Scranton basketball success when Kinne first pulled on the Jeffette jersey. She was an absolute stud, averaging 45 points a game her senior year while drilling almost 75 percent of her shots. The former Jeffette helped power the school district to their first-ever state tournament appearance, later signing a scholarship to play basketball at the University of Iowa. She was honored with a first team all state honor in 1988, which also paved the way for a fourth team All-American selection.
Pipkins also spoke of her special relationship with her parents, all the time they invested in her. She credited a majority of her success to her dad, breaking down in tears when she reminisced on her late father.
Those personal memories, as well as the ones on the court are what stood out most.
“I remember incredible crowds every night,” she said. “Messages on store fronts and the autograph lines. The bond the community had with us was really, really unique.”
Pipkin also has a professional athlete for a son. Trey Pipkins, was drafted by the LA Chargers as an offensive lineman in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.

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Brent MacLagan was a multi-sport superstar in his own right. The former UNI Panther won four state track and field titles, including a run of three straight 400-meter hurdle championships from 1993-95, later becoming the owner of a rare feat that has not been matched since. MacLagan is the only athlete in Iowa history to win both the 400 meter hurdles state title and the 1,600-meter championship in the same year. He also set the 2A state meet record in the 400 meter hurdles, recording a blazing fast time of 51.82, which is sixth all-time in Iowa.
The 2000 Northern Iowa graduate was also quite the football player, compiling an exceptional stat line as a running back under head coach Bill Kibby. He was a two-time, first team all-state selection, and compiled 22 career touchdowns, guiding the Rams to a 21-7 record over a three year span. He also went on to win multiple conference titles in college, helping the Panthers win a pair of outdoor conference team titles.
MacLagan spoke of his admiration for Waugh Pipkins and Kinne Hayes while growing up as a Jefferson-Scranton youngster.
“It was essentially must-see TV as a kid,” he said Jan. 16. “I’m very fortunate to grow up in this community. We were encouraged to play everything.”
In closing, current Greene County activities director Todd Gordon, the driving force behind the hall of fame, spoke of his appreciation for the great athletes of the past.
“We will achieve (future) success because of the bar you set,” he said inside the high school gymnasium.

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