08/05/2026
Our very own Scott Masingill will be inducted to the inaugural class of the Payette High School Athletic Hall of Fame in September 2026. The inaugural class spans six decades of Pirate athletics and includes state champions, collegiate record holders, professional athletes, a decorated combat aviator and a national recognized entertainer & entrepreneur. When you see Scott at the course, make sure you congratulate him on this great achievement.
Scott Masingill — Class of 1969
Scott Masingill built one of the most remarkable competitive golf careers in Idaho history — and it began in Payette. Masingill grew up showing talent across multiple sports, including basketball and baseball, the family sport played by his father and uncle in the town that raised Harmon Killebrew. But when Payette High School determined he could not play both sports because of the class time each would require, his parents arranged hitting lessons with Killebrew for Scott and his cousin Brad. The Hall of Famer, noting their slender builds, suggested they stick to golf.
Masingill had started playing at age nine, and when his father and a group of local men built Scotch Pines Golf Course in Payette two years later, he was hooked. He won his first junior tournament in 1967 and captured consecutive state titles with Payette High School before going on to Oregon State University, where he won the Pac-8 championship in 1971, finishing ahead of future major champions Tom Watson and Craig Stadler. He earned All-American honors as a Beaver.
Masingill won his first Idaho Men's Amateur title in 1972, beginning a run across four decades that became the signature accomplishment of his career. He stands alone with nine state Amateur titles, the last coming in 2001, with victories in 1972, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1990, 1993, 1996, 2000, and 2001. After winning his first junior tournament in 1967, he did not go a single season without a title until 1999. His career also included additional IGA victories, the 1997 PNGA Master-40 Championship, and time on the PGA TOUR Champions from 2001 to 2006.
In 2019, the Idaho Golf Association announced that the Men's Amateur trophy would be named in Masingill's honor; he has presented the Scott Masingill Cup to the champion every year since. He was a member of the inaugural class of the Idaho Golf Hall of Fame. Masingill still lives in Payette, plays most of his golf at Scotch Pines, and he sits on the Pacific Northwest Golf Association Board of Directors.
PAYETTE, Idaho — Payette High School is proud to announce the inaugural class of the Payette High School Athletic Hall of Fame, honoring alumni whose achievements in athletics — and in life beyond it — reflect the pride, perseverance, and excellence of the Pirate tradition. The first ten inductees will be formally recognized at an induction ceremony in September 2026.
The inaugural class spans six decades of Pirate athletics and includes state champions, collegiate record holders, professional athletes, a decorated combat aviator, and a nationally recognized entertainer and entrepreneur. The inaugural inductees include:
James L. Davis, DMD — Class of 1953
Born in Payette on August 1, 1935, Jim Davis grew up in a close-knit farming community where hard work, leadership, and athletics shaped his character. At Payette High School he excelled as a three-sport athlete in baseball, basketball, and football, earning numerous All-Conference, All-State, and National High School All-American honors. Among his favorite memories from those years was competing alongside teammate and future baseball legend Harmon Killebrew — including the day a professional scout walked into the Payette High School gym looking for Harmon, an early glimpse of the career about to unfold.
Davis went on to earn his bachelor's degree and his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Oregon where he played baseball and football. Before being accepted to dental school, he was drafted and served his country in the U.S. Army Dental Corps, stationed in Nürnberg, Germany, where he met his future wife, Erna. The two married in Reno, Nevada, before moving to Portland, Oregon, for his studies at Oregon Health Sciences University.
Returning to Reno, Davis built a distinguished dental career caring for generations of families and became a respected leader in organized dentistry, serving as president of both the Northern Nevada Dental Society and the Nevada Dental Association. His work earned numerous professional honors, including Lifetime Achievement awards and fellowships in several national dental organizations.
Above all, Davis's greatest pride has been his family. He and Erna built a loving home together, raising three daughters — Diane, Sandra, and Barbara — and enjoying the blessings of grandchildren Nicholas, Erin, Patrick, and Abby. His life has been defined by service, integrity, humility, and a genuine commitment to making a difference in the lives of others.
Harmon Killebrew — Class of 1953
Harmon Clayton Killebrew Jr. is the most celebrated athlete in Payette High School history and one of the greatest to ever come out of Idaho. Born in Payette on June 29, 1936, Killebrew earned twelve varsity letters in multiple sports and was named an All-America quarterback at Payette High School, which retired his uniform number. He became a varsity baseball, basketball, and football player as a freshman, and also played on a state championship American Legion baseball team. A quarterback for the Pirates with a powerful throwing arm, his athletic reputation had spread well beyond Idaho by his senior year.
Killebrew was offered an athletic scholarship by the University of Oregon but declined it. Playing in the semi-professional Idaho-Oregon Border League the summer after graduation, he drew the attention of major league scouts, and Idaho Senator Herman Welker — a Payette native — urged Washington Senators owner Clark Griffith to investigate the young slugger. Killebrew signed a $30,000 contract with Washington just before his eighteenth birthday.
He went on to play 22 seasons in Major League Baseball, retiring with 573 home runs — fourth-most in major league history at the time — second only to Babe Ruth in American League home runs, and the American League career leader in home runs by a right-handed batter. A 13-time All-Star, Killebrew was named American League MVP in 1969, led the league in home runs six times and in RBIs three times, and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984. Nicknamed "Hammerin' Harmon" and "The Killer," he was named to the Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players and was a finalist for Major League Baseball's All-Century Team. He was inducted into the Idaho Sports Hall of Fame in 1979, received the Idaho Distinguished Citizen Award in 1980, and was named Idaho Male Athlete of the Century in 1999.
Off the field, Killebrew was known for a generosity that outlasted his playing career. He once said that the most important reason we are here on Earth is to love and help one another, and the Harmon Killebrew Foundation continues that work today. Killebrew passed away on May 17, 2011, following a battle with esophageal cancer; his Idaho funeral services were held in the Payette High School gymnasium. Payette High School's baseball facility is now Harmon Killebrew Field.
Kenneth L. Tams — Class of 1967
Born July 7, 1949, in Ontario, Oregon, Ken Tams attended Payette schools from kindergarten through graduation and became one of the most dominant wrestlers in Pirate history. A four-year football and wrestling athlete who also competed three years in track and one in baseball, Tams captured back-to-back Idaho State Wrestling Championships at heavyweight in 1966 and 1967, compiling a career record of 50-0-1. He served as a delegate to American Legion Boys State and was honored with Payette High School's Harmon Killebrew Award as Outstanding Athlete his senior year.
Tams earned a full wrestling scholarship to Brigham Young University, where he competed from 1967 to 1971 — four years on the varsity wrestling squad plus one season of football. At the Western Athletic Conference championships he finished second at heavyweight in 1970 before winning the conference title in 1971, earning All-Conference honors and a first-place finish at NCAA District 7.
He completed his Bachelor of Science in Education at Boise State University in 1972-73, serving as an undergraduate assistant wrestling coach, then began a career in education at St. Maries High School teaching history and social studies. Over the decades that followed, Tams gave back to the sport that shaped him — seven years as an assistant football coach, two years as an assistant high school wrestling coach, and twelve years as a head wrestling coach, along with four years as athletic director. He founded and ran a youth wrestling program for 25 years and was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Idaho Chapter.
Tams married Kathy Dorendorf in 1974, a partnership now in its fifth decade. They are the parents of two children: son Chris, a civil engineer with the Washington Department of Transportation, and daughter Amanda, a paramedic and captain with Northern Lakes Fire.
Scott Masingill — Class of 1969
Scott Masingill built one of the most remarkable competitive golf careers in Idaho history — and it began in Payette. Masingill grew up showing talent across multiple sports, including basketball and baseball, the family sport played by his father and uncle in the town that raised Harmon Killebrew. But when Payette High School determined he could not play both sports because of the class time each would require, his parents arranged hitting lessons with Killebrew for Scott and his cousin Brad. The Hall of Famer, noting their slender builds, suggested they stick to golf.
Masingill had started playing at age nine, and when his father and a group of local men built Scotch Pines Golf Course in Payette two years later, he was hooked. He won his first junior tournament in 1967 and captured consecutive state titles with Payette High School before going on to Oregon State University, where he won the Pac-8 championship in 1971, finishing ahead of future major champions Tom Watson and Craig Stadler. He earned All-American honors as a Beaver.
Masingill won his first Idaho Men's Amateur title in 1972, beginning a run across four decades that became the signature accomplishment of his career. He stands alone with nine state Amateur titles, the last coming in 2001, with victories in 1972, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1990, 1993, 1996, 2000, and 2001. After winning his first junior tournament in 1967, he did not go a single season without a title until 1999. His career also included additional IGA victories, the 1997 PNGA Master-40 Championship, and time on the PGA TOUR Champions from 2001 to 2006.
In 2019, the Idaho Golf Association announced that the Men's Amateur trophy would be named in Masingill's honor; he has presented the Scott Masingill Cup to the champion every year since. He was a member of the inaugural class of the Idaho Golf Hall of Fame. Masingill still lives in Payette, plays most of his golf at Scotch Pines, and serves as president of the course's board of directors, and he sits on the Pacific Northwest Golf Association Board of Directors.
Mark Heleker — Class of 1975
Mark Heleker left Payette High School with an SRV Basketball Championship, a District Golf Championship, and both a State Runner-Up finish and a State Championship in tennis — the sport that would define his life. He went on to compete at Boise State University, win a Region 18 Championship at Treasure Valley Community College, and earn multiple All-Conference and MVP honors playing first singles and first doubles at the College of Idaho. As a touring professional in the Southwest, Heleker captured more than 20 titles, trained alongside former world No. 1 Ken Rosewall, and played exhibitions against world No. 2 Roscoe Tanner. A USPTA Elite Level Teaching Professional since 1988, he served as a top pro at some of the nation's premier tennis resorts before returning home to Payette in 1994 as PHS Assistant Principal. His coaching career includes four Arizona large-school state championships at Greenway High School and 27 years at the collegiate level with Treasure Valley Community College and Northwest Nazarene University, earning multiple conference championships and Coach of the Year honors.
Sarah Schroeder-Matzkin — Class of 1987
A three-time Idaho A-2 Player of the Year in basketball and recipient of Payette High School's prestigious Harmon Killebrew Award. Sarah Schroeder-Matzkin earned academic and basketball scholarships, graduated with a degree in finance, and went on to play professional basketball in Perth, Australia. She still holds the single season record at Northwest Nazarene University for points in a season with 548. She also holds the career points per game record with 17.4. After founding and selling a successful Northwest finance company, she dedicated herself to the arts as an award-winning actress, singer, songwriter, and producer. Her creative partnership with husband and producer Steve Matzkin has contributed to acclaimed projects including the six-time Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe-winning film "The Trial of the Chicago 7." She co-starred opposite legendary actress Gena Rowlands in "Unfortunate Circumstances" and starred in the award-winning feature "Not Alone," which features her original song "Look to the Stars." A dedicated philanthropist, she is the founder of the FACE Foundation — "Faith And Charity Every Day" — supporting veterans, domestic violence victims, and medical research. She continues to proudly call Payette home.
Rochelle Hair — Class of 1992
One of the most accomplished distance runners in Idaho high school history, Rochelle Hair earned twelve state meet placements — including nine Idaho State Championships — as a four-year varsity letter winner in cross country and track and field, and won the prestigious Bob Firman Invitational in 1991 while graduating Magna Cum Laude. On a full athletic scholarship at the University of Nevada, Reno, she won the 1994 Big West Women's Cross Country Championship and became the first cross-country athlete in school history named Big West Athlete of the Year, later setting a university indoor mile record (4:54.13) that stood for over a decade. Her post-collegiate career included winning the 2009 USA Triathlon Halfmax National Long Course Championship, qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, earning a Professional/Elite Triathlon License, and representing Team USA at the ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in Dubai. Today she owns Eastern Sierra Tree Service in Bishop, California, where she works as an ISA Certified Arborist.
Ashlie Irene Christian — Class of 2000
A sixth-generation Idahoan and third-generation Payette graduate, Ashlie Christian was a four-year varsity starter for Pirate softball, earning four team MVP awards and four first-team all-conference selections in the A-2 Snake River Valley Conference while leading Payette to two state tournament appearances. She continued her career at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where she pitched 464.1 innings over four seasons, served two years as team captain, and earned a place in Army's record book in career wins, innings pitched, ERA, strikeouts, appearances, saves, and winning percentage. A two-time All-Patriot League selection and Dean's List honoree all eight semesters, Christian was commissioned in 2004 as an Army aviator. Over 22 years of active-duty service, she flew UH-60 Blackhawks, deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and earned decorations including the Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal, and Army Commendation Medal with Valor, along with the Combat Action Badge and Master Aviator Badge. She retired in June 2026 as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Dominic Bolin — Class of 2009
Dominic Bolin left Payette High School as a nine-time Idaho State Champion. He served three years as captain of the Boys' Soccer team, ruling the midfield and leading the team in goals scored as a striker in 2007, guiding the Pirates to the 3A State Runner-Up finish that year and the 3A State Championship in 2008. In cross country he was a three-time all-state (Top 20) finisher. During the 2008 track season, Bolin broke a Payette High School 800m record that had stood for more than 30 years and joined teammates to win the 3A Medley Relay. He swept the individual 3A state titles in the 800, 1600, and 3200 meters in 2008, then returned as a senior to defend all three — contributing to Payette's 3A Boys' Track State Championship team title in 2008 and state runner-up finish in 2009.
At The College of Idaho, Bolin became one of the most decorated male track athletes in school history, earning numerous All-Cascade Conference honors, qualifying for multiple NAIA championships, and serving two years as team captain. He was a five-time NAIA All-American — in cross country, twice in the indoor mile, in the indoor distance medley relay, and in the outdoor 1500 meters. His school records in the 1500 meters, indoor distance medley relay, and outdoor 4x800 meter relay still stand, and many of his other marks remain among the program's all-time top ten.
Bolin began his coaching career at Payette High School as an assistant girls soccer coach under his father, longtime Payette head coach Shaun Bolin, who led the Pirates to multiple district titles and coached the 2008 State Champion and 2009 State Runner-Up teams. In his first season, Dominic was named 3A Girls Soccer Coach of the Year by the Third District Coaches Association. He returned to The College of Idaho in 2015 as an assistant cross country and track & field coach; over seven seasons, the Coyotes won 12 Cascade Conference championships, produced 10 NAIA individual national champions and more than 70 NAIA All-Americans, and twice finished national runners-up in women's cross country.
Named head coach in 2022, Bolin guided the women's cross country team to the first NAIA National Championship in program history in 2023, becoming the first College of Idaho alumnus to coach a national championship team at his alma mater. One year later, he led the men's cross country team to its own first NAIA national title — the first back-to-back national championships by any Coyote athletic program. His honors include multiple NAIA National Coach of the Year awards, USTFCCCA NAIA National Coach of the Year, USTFCCCA West Region Coach of the Year, and Cascade Conference Coach of the Year on both the men's and women's sides.
Tyler Kuder — Class of 2010
A four-sport varsity athlete in football, basketball, track and field, and cheer, Tyler Kuder went on to play offensive tackle at the University of Montana Western before transferring to Idaho State University, where he converted to the defensive line. Kuder earned Second Team All-Big Sky honors as a junior and First Team All-Big Sky honors as a senior. Following the 2016 NFL Draft, he signed with the Green Bay Packers as a preferred free agent, completing offseason programs, training camp, and the preseason before a knee injury in the final preseason game sidelined his NFL career. He continued professionally with the Montreal Alouettes before retiring from football in 2017 to focus on family. Today, Kuder serves as a Police Officer in Twin Falls, Idaho, specializing in traffic enforcement and collision investigations, where he lives with his wife, Lindsey, and their son, Bridger.
Induction Ceremony
The Hall of Fame inductees will be introduced to the Payette community on Friday, September 11th before the Pirates home football game against Nyssa. The inaugural induction ceremony will be held on Saturday, September 12th 2026 at Holiday Inn Banquet Room, in Ontario, OR. Tickets for the ceremony will be limited and will go on sale one month prior to the event.
For more information, contact Tracy Bratcher at 208-642-3327
Payette School District
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By Cody Smithies
