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Inaugural Hall of Fame at Hazelwood West High School to Induct 6 Honorees
Hazelwood West High School inducted six honorees at its inaugural Hall of Fame ceremony on Sept. 17.
HWHS Hall of Fame honorees include Al Nipper, baseball and basketball; Dan Boudria, head wrestling coach; Kyle McClellan, pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals; Marjorie Baiter, head girls’ softball coach; Morgan Burkhart, baseball, basketball, football; and Trevor Gaylor, football, basketball, track and field.
The honorees were recognized at a luncheon in the cafeteria, followed by the induction and presentation ceremony during half-time of the Hazelwood West vs. Hazelwood East High School football game.
Nipper, a 1977 graduate of HWHS, played baseball at Truman State University. He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 1980 and made his debut in 1983. Nipper also played for the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians. He worked as a scout, a pitching coach and a bull pen coach for the Reds, and was a pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals. He is currently working with the minor league system in Boston.
Boudria, a retired teacher and coach, was inducted to the Missouri Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011 as a wrestler, coach and official. In 1985, he was named the Missouri State High School Wrestling Coach of the Year; in the same year, HWHS won the state championship in wrestling. In 2000, he was named the Missouri State High School Assistant Wrestling Coach of the Year. Under his leadership, HWHS earned other wrestling state titles, including second place in 1984 and third place in 1986. As a student, he was the captain of the Hazelwood wrestling team, and was a state champion and a runner-up in the 112-weight class. Boudria’s coaching experience includes college wrestling, and high school golf and freshman football at HWHS.
McClellan graduated from HWHS in 2002 and was drafted by the Cardinals in the same year. He made his major league debut in 2008. While in high school, McClellan was a member of the National Honor Society and also played basketball and football. He was named to 1st Team All-Conference in 2001 and 2002. Also in 2002, he was the Suburban North Conference Player of the Year, and named to 1st Team All-State and 1st Team All-Metro.
Baiter is a retired teacher and coach. She served as the head girls’ softball coach for six years. In 1977, she coached the team to the state championship in softball, and in the same year, she was named Coach of the Year by the Missouri Athletic Club.
Burkhart is a 1990 graduate of HWHS. While in high school, he was named to All-Conference as a senior, and to 2nd Team All-Conference as a junior. He attended Crowder College, Southwest Texas State University and Central Missouri State University, where his team earned the Division II World Series Championship. As a professional, Burkhart played for the Boston Red Sox, the Kansas City Royals, Japanese Baseball League and Frontier League Baseball.
Gaylor graduated from HWHS in 1996 and played football as a wide receiver at Miami University of Ohio. He holds the university’s career record in receiving yards, catches and touchdowns At HWHS, he was an honor roll student and earned a Hazelwood West Academic Achievement Award. He won gold medals in state competition in the 300-meter hurdles and triple jump in 1996, and in 1995, he won a silver medal in the high jump. In the Suburban North Conference, Gaylor was 1st Team All-Conference Wide Receiver, Defensive Back in 1996 and 1st Team All-Conference in basketball in 1995-1996. As a professional, he played football for the San Diego Chargers, Atlanta Falcons and Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League. Gaylor is the co-owner of two businesses focused on sports management and training.
