The ceremony will be held Saturday, May 9, at the Island Resort and Casino in Harris, 15 miles west of Escanaba. Banquet reservations are $40 per person.

The evening begins with a social hour at 5 p.m. Eastern time followed by a brief introduction and meal at 6 p.m. The induction ceremony follows dinner.

Gary Sparpana of Iron Mountain is one of 10 inductees into the UPSHF Class of 2026. A noted ski jumper in the 1960s, Sparpana won the 1967 Junior Class National Championship in Leavenworth, Washington.

Three weeks later he was a double winner in Junior Class at Pine Mountain. He landed a berth on the 1968-69 U.S. Ski Team, but in the summer of 1969 he was drafted into the U.S. Army and was sent to Vietnam, which ended his ski jumping career.

The late Burt Angeli combined knowledge, humor and heart through decades of captaining the sports pages of The Daily News in Iron Mountain. (Daily News photo)

Sparpana then became a national ski jump judge in 1978 and in 1985 became an international FIS (International Ski Federation) judge. His FIS assignments took him to eight countries to officiate 69 Continental Cup tournaments, seven World Cup tournaments, seven ski-flying competitions, and 10 national championships.

The highlights of his 29-year career included judging the prestigious four-hill competitions in Germany and Austria, and being named Chief of Officials for the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. Sparpana was inducted into the American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame in Red Wing, Minn., in 2012.

Burt Angeli is also being welcomed into the UPSHF Class of 2026 this year.

Angeli was a respected, award-winning (six Michigan Press and one Associated Press award) journalist and longtime sports editor of The Daily News in Iron Mountain. For decades, he was the voice of local sports across the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin, covering high school rivalries, championship runs, and the everyday triumphs of athletes and coaches.

His writing blended knowledge, humor, and heart, earning him the admiration of readers, colleagues, and the many athletes whose stories he told.

Angeli believed local sports were about more than games–they were about tradition, pride, and connection. His work not only chronicled athletic achievements but also celebrated the character of the people behind them. Beyond the newsroom, he was known for his kindness, quick wit, and loyalty. His legacy endures through the thousands of stories he penned and the countless lives he touched, making him a true cornerstone of the area.

The eight remaining UPSHF Class of 2026 inductees are Andy Crouch (football, Lake Linden-Hubbell), Stephanie (Boyer) Lovell (track/basketball, Rapid River,), David Miller (basketball coach, DeTour), Erica Helmila Smith (track and field, Marquette,), Lori Juntila Rupert (basketball, Ishpeming), Janet (Hallfrisch) Sbar (track, Menominee), Mark Simon (basketball, Stephenson) and Fred Teddy (track/cross country, L’Anse).

For more information or to reserve a seat, please call one of the following Council members: Terry Duval (906-286-1371), Chuck Vercoe (906-396-2271) or Mike Caruso (906-396-9270).

The deadline for making reservations for seats is April 22. Council members encourage UPSHF inductees from previous years to join the celebration.

A block of rooms has been reserved for those interested in staying overnight. To book your room, call the Island at 1-800-682-6040 and tell them that you’re attending the U.P. Sports Hall of Fame banquet to obtain the special rate. Reservations for rooms must be made no later than April 24.

Do you know someone that should be considered for induction into the UP Sports Hall of Fame? Anyone can nominate a candidate for membership in the UPSHF by completing the nomination form that can be found on the UP Sports Hall of Fame website at upshf.com. Nominations are due by June 1 annually.