Two Rivers and South St. Paul Secondary
Hall of Fame inductees 2025

Warrior Hall of Fame names newest inductees
By Tim Spitzack | Editor | November 2025

School District 197 and Two Rivers High School recently inducted four new members into the Warrior Hall of Fame. The honor recognizes individuals who have significantly contributed to ISD 197 and excelled in various fields.

Tom Johnson, a 1961 Henry Sibley High School graduate, was a standout student-athlete. He captained the football, basketball and baseball teams, earned the Male Sportsman of the Year Award, and served as president of the Key Club. He went on to earn degrees from the University of Minnesota and St. Thomas University and became a teacher and coach. He worked his entire 34-year career in ISD 197, serving in multiple elementary schools and coaching football and basketball. He has been active in the community through his church service, youth coaching and career mentorship with Best Prep. After retiring, he continued to maintain and improve the animal habitat displays in the science department at Heritage Elementary, including building the school’s 700-gallon aquarium.

Brenda Corbett has served in many roles in ISD 197 over the past five decades, including teacher, gifted and talented coordinator, student services coordinator, club advisor and school board member. Her deep dedication to teaching has shaped countless programs, from launching Odyssey of the Mind in the district to leading reading clubs and supporting young leaders. After retiring from the classroom in 2012, she served three terms on the school board.

Jim Probst, a 1979 Henry Sibley High School graduate, has spent decades strengthening the local community through service and leadership. As a Kiwanis Club member and advisor, he has supported the Two Rivers Key Club for more than 10 years, donating prizes, snacks and supplies out of his own pocket. He played a key role in the school’s transition to the Two Rivers name, securing funding so every student and staff member could receive a T-shirt to mark the occasion. He has also worked to secure thousands of dollars in scholarships for seniors at Two Rivers and other local high schools through the Kiwanis Club. He is a recipient of the Minnesota-Dakotas Key Club District’s Gold Key and Creativity in Leadership awards, and currently serves as president of the South Robert Street Business Association and is active with countless student activities.

Tori Nelson, a 2019 Henry Sibley High School graduate, distinguished herself as a multi-sport athlete and exceptional scholar. A five-time basketball MVP and Metro East Conference Player of the Year, she became the school’s all-time leading scorer (2,516 points) and set records in rebounds, blocks, steals and single-game scoring, while also captaining the team for three years. In softball, she earned four letters, captained as a senior, and was twice named Defensive Player of the Year. Academically, she maintained a straight-A average, earned Academic All-State honors, was inducted into the National Honor Society, and received the Athena Award. At South Dakota State University, she played basketball and contributed to multiple championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. She was Freshman of the Year, joined the 1,000-point club, graduated summa cum laude in exercise science and community & public health and co-founded the nonprofit Her Turn, which provides athletic camp scholarships for young girls.

Five inducted to South St. Paul Hall of Fame
By Jake Spitzack | Staff Writer | November 2025

In early October, South St. Paul Public Schools inducted five new members into its storied Hall of Fame. From helping claim state tournament championships to excelling in the classroom, the recognition is reserved for those who have significantly contributed to the school district and left a mark in various fields, including athletics, academics and philanthropy. The inductees are Gerald Avenriep, class of 1956; Bruce Veldman, class of ’86; John Young, class of ’87; Ashley (Albrecht) Stewart, class of ’02, and David Palmquist, coach.

Gerald Avenriep was a star on the basketball team that won the 1956 St. Paul Suburban Conference Title with an undefeated record of 14-0. He was conference scoring champion that year, averaging 23.2 points per game (prior to the 3-point era), and was named to the All-Conference team. He was a team captain, four-year letter winner and recognized as a Kiwanis Club Honor Athlete. After a wrist injury ended his basketball career, Avenriep became a professional bowler and went on to become a North Carolina Bowling Doubles Champion.

Bruce Veldman was a three-sport athlete, earning letters two years in football, three in basketball and three in track. He was named All-Conference and All-Metro in each sport, including multiple events in track. He was a two-time captain and MVP in basketball and received All-State honors. Veldman was named South St. Paul High School Honor Athlete in 1986 and won the Army Scholar Athlete Award, graduating in the top 10 of his class. Following high school, Veldman played basketball at Augustana College, where he set a top 10 field goal percentage record. He was a member of the 1989 NCC Championship team and was inducted into the Augustana Athletic Hall of Fame. He has since chalked up 38 seasons of coaching football, basketball, baseball, softball and track in Prior Lake. He has also been a board member of that city’s P.L.A.Y. youth athletic club for a decade.

John Young was the top scorer for the hockey team in 1986 and 1987 and named Packer Athlete of the Year in 1987. He was a multiple time All-Conference honoree and was named All-Metro and All-State in 1987, when he was the top scorer in the state tournament and was named to the All-Tournament team. He also lettered two years in basketball. After high school, Young played hockey at Michigan Tech, where he was a 2-time MVP and inducted into the Michigan Tech Hockey Hall of Fame. He also participated in the U.S. Olympic Hockey Festival in 1990 and 1991 and was a top scoring team member on several amateur hockey teams, including St. Paul Vulcans, Cornwall Aces and Minnesota Moose. He was also a player and assistant coach for Minnesota Arctic Blast Professional Roller Hockey in 1994-1996, and coached youth boys hockey for six years, boys high school hockey for two years, and youth boys football and youth girls fastpitch. He claimed three state championships with South St. Paul youth girls hockey.

Ashley (Albrecht) Stewart was named Ms. Hockey MN in 2002. She was also named South St. Paul Honor Athlete and won an Athena Award that year. She went on to play hockey at the University of Minnesota, where she helped the team win two national championships, earning the prestige of Big Ten All Star in 2005. After college, she was the girls hockey head coach at Orono High School for two years and Simley High School for five years.

David Palmquist has been a teacher and coach in South St. Paul for 32 years. He has led teams to 17 state tournament appearances and four state titles. Most of his success has been in girls hockey but he has also coached golf. Palmquist holds the girls hockey state record winning streak of 86 games and is the longest serving girls hockey coach in state history, with more than 670 wins. He was named Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2001 and has been a six-time section coach of the year. He is a member of the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame and Minnesota Girls Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame.