The Montana High School Association announced its 2024 MHSA Athletes' Hall of Fame class Wednesday.
The class features seven inductees: Arie Grey, Lindsey Hall, Tuff Harris, Richard Kronebusch, Marc Mariani, Makena Morley and Luke Zeiger.
Kronebusch, from Conrad, is this year's legacy inductee. The legacy category is for nominees who have graduated at least 50 years prior to the induction year.
Writeups on each inductee provided by the MHSA are below.
Arie Grey, Powell County High School (1997)
The True warrior understands and seizes that moment by giving an effort so intense and so intuitive that it could only be called one from the heart. (Pat Riley)
Arie Grey has never learned the word quit. He believes that if you are going to do something you should do it with all your heart. Throughout his life, Arie has given new meaning to the term, leave it all on the field. Whether it be on the track, court or football field Arie Grey has always competed with intensity and grace.
Arie’s sporting career began as a Warden at Powell County High School in Deer Lodge. He graduated as an 11-time letter-winner. He was voted all-state in football as a junior and senior and in basketball as a senior. He was a three-time 400-meter champion in track and field. Arie went three years without losing a 400-meter race in Montana. His senior year, Arie swept the 100, 200 and 400 while also setting the Class B record in the 100 and 400. After graduation, Arie was given the opportunity to play football and run track at Montana State University in Bozeman. While there, he was voted captain of the football and track and field teams his senior year.
In 2008, Arie fulfilled his dream of giving back and becoming a head coach for the Butte High Bulldogs. He is currently the head football and track coach for Butte High School. He and his wife, Heidi, reside in Butte with their four children, Raeder, Saege, Tymber and Aece.
Lindsey Hall, Missoula Big Sky High School (2009)
Lindsey Hall began her prep career as an average freshman participant for the Big Sky track and field program, hardly garnering enough attention from her head coach to learn her name. By the time she set her blocks for her final State AA track meet in 2009, she was on her way to securing her legacy as one of the highest-scoring female athletes in the history of Montana Class AA state track and field. In 2008, her junior year, Lindsey led the Big Sky girls to a state title, contributing 36 points. Her senior year Lindsey would eclipse that mark and score 50 points at the State AA meet, becoming the only Class AA female to do so. While competing for Big Sky Lindsey set four school records (100-meter hurdles, 300 hurdles, long jump, 1,600-meter relay), earned six individual state championships, five runner-up finishes and one team title. Lindsey’s competitiveness pushed her to advance her understanding of each event she competed in and often led to long training days. Such days would remain the norm when she graduated high school and continued on as a heptathlete at the University of Montana. During her time as a Griz track and field student-athlete Lindsey won conference titles in the high jump, javelin, pentathlon (three times) and heptathlon (twice). Her 43 points at a single Big Sky championship meet are a league record, and her 205.5 career points are the most ever by a female. Lindsey represented Montana at the NCAA Championships in 2011 and 2014 in the heptathlon, finishing seventh in 2014 to earn first-team All-American honors. Lindsey and her husband, Lee, live in Missoula and enjoy fishing, camping and being on the river. She is an assistant coach with the Montana track and field program.
Tuff Harris, Colstrip High School (2002)
Tuff Harris, an extraordinarily gifted athlete from St. Xavier on the Crow Indian Reservation, left an incredible sports legacy as a multi-sport sensation. His high school career was nothing short of stellar, securing six state track titles across various disciplines, including the 100-meter dash, long jump, high jump and the 400-meter relay. Harris broke the all-class record (10.77 seconds) in the 100, becoming the “Fastest Man in Montana History”. He excelled on the football field as a wideout, running back and return specialist. His accolades on the basketball court included many memorable high-flying dunks from his 6-foot athletic frame. Beyond his athletic prowess, he maintained an impeccable academic record with a 3.9 GPA, exemplifying a commitment to both sports and education.
As a walk-on for the University of Montana football team, Harris left an indelible mark on the college football landscape. He contributed significantly to the team's success as a four-year starter and set team and Big Sky Conference records, including most punt returns (46), most punt return yards in a season (667), most punt return yards in a game (167) and the longest punt return in both school and Big Sky history (94). His 667 punt return yards broke the NCAA record. He was named an All-American punt returner.
Tuff went on to play in the NFL with the Dolphins, Saints, Titans and Steelers. Tuff Harris' legacy stands as a testament to his multifaceted talents, breaking barriers and redefining records at both the collegiate and high school levels.
Richard Kronebusch, Conrad High School (1965)
Being recognized as the best all-around male athlete to come out of Conrad, one would think he would have been born with football, basketball and running shoes in his crib. However, in spite of never having played organized sports before high school, Rik Kronebusch excelled in all sports offered at Conrad. He was a three-sport letterman in 1965, '66 and '67. As a football all-conference pick in ’66 and ’67, Rik received two KSEN Radio Golden Helmet awards and was then selected to participate in the Montana East-West Shrine Football Game.
In basketball, Rik took third place at state during his junior year. This was followed up by the team’s Class B basketball state championship in 1967, and Rik was a unanimous first-team all-state nod. He was the team’s leading scorer during the three-year span averaging nearly 20 points per game and is still the all-time season and career leading scorer at Conrad.
The Cowboys' fast break style of basketball transitioned into a successful track career, and Rik was the 1966 and 1967 Class B high hurdle champion and added a title in the low hurdles his senior year with a state-record time. In ‘66 and ’67, Rik ran a leg on the winning 880-yard relay. This performance helped Conrad collect two State B track titles. Rik completed the season with the title in the high hurdles at the all-class “Meet of Champions” track meet and tacked on a third place in the lows. His high hurdle time is still the fastest recorded in Cowboy history.
After high school, Rik went on to play at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He subsequently transferred to Montana State. Even though a spring practice football injury ended his career, he went on to be chosen for many Independent Basketball Tourney All-Star teams. Later, he played competitive handball to wind out his sporting career on a more leisurely note. Now as a retired general contractor, Rik and his wife, Sheryl, live in Helena enjoying golf and skiing.
Marc Mariani, Havre High School (2005)
Marc Mariani was a standout multi-sport athlete for the Blue Ponies and a 10-time letterman: four tennis, three football and three basketball. Marc was part of four straight divisional and state team tennis championships from 2002-05. With doubles partner Gary Wagner, the duo placed second in the state their sophomore year and were undefeated state champions as juniors and seniors. Marc was a three-year starter at point guard on the basketball court and garnered team MVP, all-conference and all-state honors during his career. Mariani excelled on the football field. As a junior he earned first-team all-state honors as both a free safety and wide receiver and was selected to the Great Falls Tribune Super State team on defense after breaking the school record with nine interceptions and having 105 tackles. As a senior he again earned first-team all-state honors at both positions and was named a Great Falls Tribune Super State receiver after having 48 receptions for a school record 1,237 yards and 16 touchdowns. Mariani was named a captain and the MVP of the Ponies' undefeated 2004 state championship football team. Mariani would then walk on at the University of Montana where he would break school records for catches, yards, touchdowns and all-purpose yards for the Griz. He attributes his success to his parents (Steve and Julie), his sisters (Stephanie and Katie), his many amazing high school coaches and his classmates who were all absolute ballers and pushed each other to be the best.
Makena Morley, Bigfork High School (2015)
Makena’s love for running started with her mom, Jill Morley, who got the whole family into running. Morley trained with her mom before her first cross country season with Bigfork Middle School. Throughout middle school and high school, Morley trained with her two younger siblings, Logan and Bryn Morley, and father, Steve Morley. She competed in cross country and track and field all four years at Bigfork High School from 2011 to 2015.
During Morley’s time running at Bigfork High School she won 13 state titles in track and field and cross country. In her high school track career she won nine state titles along with earning All-American honors in 2014 for her performance in the New Balance indoor and outdoor national two-mile races. Cross country was Morley’s favorite season throughout high school. She was a four-time state champion and held the Montana cross country course record. She qualified for the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships all four years of high school with three top 10 finishes (her third-place finish as a senior was her highest). Morley also represented Team USA in January of 2015 during her senior year and won the Great Buppa Cross Country Championships in Scotland.
Morley started her collegiate running career at the University of Montana where she qualified for her first NCAA cross country championship in 2015. Morley then transferred to the University of Colorado where she competed from 2016-2020. At the University of Colorado, Morley qualified for the NCAA track and field and cross country championships 13 times. In 2018 she helped lead the Buffs to win the NCAA cross country championships and had her highest cross country finish, placing eighth. The University of Colorado’s women’s team placed third at the NCAA cross country meet both years prior to its win in 2018. She went on to set the University of Colorado school record in the 10,000 meters with a time of 32:28 and was in the top six all-time list for the indoor track 3,000 meters, indoor track 5,000 meters and outdoor track 5,000 meters. Morley graduated in 2020 during the COVID pandemic with a double major in anthropology and English creative writing.
She signed a professional running contract with Asics in the summer of 2020 and continues to run professionally for Asics. She has qualified for two U.S. Olympic Trials. She raced the 10,000 meters during the 2021 USA Olympic track and field trials and will race in the USA Olympic marathon trials in February of 2024. Morley won the US 25km road championships in fall of 2021, placed second at the US 20km road championships in the fall of 2021, and placed second overall in the US road circuit championships for 2021. She placed 10th in her debut at the Chicago Marathon, placing in the top five Americans, and has gone on to finish in the top five of many other long distance races. Along with running professionally, Morley helps out with Montana State cross country and track teams and occasionally works at a local running store. She currently lives in Bozeman with her partner and fellow Montana runner, Zach Perrin, and their little dog and running buddy, Nevie.
Luke Zeiger, Glasgow School (2012)
Luke Zeiger was a multi-sport star out of Glasgow. For the Scotties, he was an all-state cross country runner, helping the Scottie boys to multiple state team trophies. In track and field, he was a three-time state placer in the pole vault and was the 2012 State B champion in the event with a winning height of 13 feet, 6 inches. During the summer months, he was a high-level club swimmer, setting numerous Montana Federation records while earning high point honors at the state meet in nine out of 13 years.
His wrestling accolades at Glasgow High School are legendary. Zeiger was known for his tough competitive nature. From 2008 to 2012, Luke wrestled for the Scotties and accumulated a career record of 175-5, an incredible 97.2% winning percentage. His career mark included 93 consecutive wins from 2009 to 2011. He is one of the most dominant high school wrestlers in state history and is the only four-time state champion to come out of the storied wrestling program at Glasgow High School. He helped lead the Scotties to State B/C team titles in 2009 and 2010. His wrestling career was highlighted by two high school All-American finishes, including a national championship at the 2011 NHSCA Junior National Championships in Virginia Beach. His 175 wins and 136 career pins are both ranked top five in Montana high school history, regardless of classification. After high school, he competed collegiately at the University of Great Falls, North Idaho College and Chadron State College.
He resides in Glasgow where he is a current co-owner of Ziggy’s Prime Cuts.
