Today we meet the Butte Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

The class was introduced during a press conference Wednesday afternoon at the Butte Civic Center. The event was broadcast live on KBOW’s Partyline, and this is a recording of the event.

This year’s class is the 20th since the Hall of Fame began in 1987. It includes 12 individuals and five teams. The individuals are Brian Bolton, Bernie Brophy, Shirley Chesterfield-Stanton, Susie Hogart-Harrington, John Kovacich, Scott Paffhausen, Kevin Parvinen, the late Jane Pascoe, Don Peoples Jr., the late Greg Salo, Butch Starin and Chunky Thatcher.

It is a great class full of some long-overdue inductees and some trailblazing women.

The state champion teams include the 1972 Mile High All-Star baseball team, the 1976 Northwest All-Star softball team, the 1995 Butte High wrestling team, the 2000 Butte Central softball team and the 2009 Butte High girls’ track team.

During the conference, we herd from Brophy, Hogart-Harrington, Kovacich, Paffhausen, Parvinen and Starin. We also heard from two daughters of Pascoe, Julie Pascoe and Becky Cianca, and Salo’s son, Steve. John Thatcher spoke for his brother Chunky, who is recovering from a surgery.

Kovacich came back up to the podium to speak for the 1972 Mile High All-Stars, and Meg Murphy spoke for the 1976 Northwest All-Stars and the 2000 Butte Central softball team.

Jim Street represented his 1995 wrestling team, and Gina Konen spoke for the 2009 Bulldog girls’ track team.

Close to 100, people showed up for what proved to be a great preview of what is surly to be a great weekend this summer. The class will be inducted July 24-25 at the Butte Civic Center.

Listen in to hear why John Thatcher calls the Mining City the best sports town in the world.

Today’s episode is presented by Casagranda’s Steakhouse. Eat where the locals eat.

Members of the Butte Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026 shown in the top photo are (back row from left), John Kovacich, Kevin Parvinen, Butch Starin, Don Peoples Jr., Bernie Brophy and Scott Paffhausen (front row from left) Susie Hogart-Harrington and Shriley Chesterfield-Stanton.