Bloomington Kennedy High School will induct five teachers, coaches and former student athletes into its Hall of Fame during an induction ceremony Sept. 13 at Bloomington Stadium at 7 p.m.
Dave Dillon, Mike Dwyer, Connie Manuel, Steve Strommen and Ted Van Kempen are this year’s inductees.
Dave Dillon
Dillon played hockey for Kennedy from 1973-1977. As the first ninth grade student to play varsity hockey at Kennedy, he went on to become a four-year letter winner, captain and MVP of his senior squad, an all-conference and all-state selection and the National Hockey League’s Masterton Award winner. Dillon was Kennedy’s junior varsity boys hockey coach from 2001-03 and has been the head coach of the varsity team since 2009. Dillon was inducted into the Bloomington Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
Mike Dwyer
Dwyer, a 1970 Kennedy graduate, played soccer and baseball during his high school career. He was captain of the 1969 state championship soccer team and earned all-conference and all-state honors in soccer, as well as an all-conference designation in baseball. Dwyer attended the University of Minnesota, where he played baseball for two years.
Connie Manuel
Manuel, class of 1975, was selected Kennedy’s Athena Award winner her senior year. She attended St. Cloud State University on a track scholarship and earned a spot on the volleyball team as a walk-on. She went on to teach and coach volleyball, and boys and girls track for Waconia High School, leading the volleyball team to the state tournament in 1990. Manuel was named Minnesota Volleyball Coach of the Year in 1995 and Wright County Track Coach of the Year in 2002. A Waconia High School Hall of Fame inductee, Manuel also served as the district’s first certified athletic trainer.
Steve Strommen
Strommen attended Augsburg College to play football, basketball and baseball. An American history teacher at Kennedy for 32 years, Strommen was also head coach of Kennedy’s varsity boys basketball team (19 years), girls basketball team (four years) and baseball team (10 years). During his 33 years of coaching at Kennedy, Strommen posted 411 team victories, four conference championships and three region/section championships. Strommen was inducted into the Augsburg College Hall of Fame in 1981, the Bloomington Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, and the St. James High School Hall of Fame in 2013.
Ted Van Kempen
Van Kempen played football at Northern State College from 1961-1965. After graduating, he spent over 30 years as a math teacher in Bloomington schools and served as boys golf coach at Lincoln and Kennedy high schools for over 40 years. He led the team to conference, region and state championships and earned State Golf Coach of the Year in 1976. Van Kempen served as the president and vice president of the Minnesota State High School League Golf Association and was inducted into the Minnesota High School League Golf Coach Hall of Fame in 1996. He also served as a scoreboard operator at Kennedy football, basketball and wrestling games for many years.