Six Honorees Get a Call to the BHS Hall of Fame

Usually in high school, getting summoned to the hall means a lecture or other bad news. But for six local folks, it’s good news: an induction into the Burnsville High School Hall of Fame.

The BHS Hall is celebrating its sixth annual induction with a dinner and ceremony on Friday, Aug. 27, at Neisen’s Event Center, 4851 West 123rd Street, Savage. Tickets cost $35 and can be purchased from Marlys Dean at the high school.

The purpose of the Hall of Fame is to recognize people or organizations that have made exceptional achievements in their field, significant contributions to Burnsville High, or unique contributions to the community on a local, state, national or international level, said Vicki Roy, a former member of the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Board of Education who helped start the Hall of Fame in 2006.

“The Hall of Fame was started as a way to observe the high school’s 50th anniversary,” said Roy. “It’s gotten more and more popular every year.”

This year’s six inductees are:

• Mary Ajax, a 1970 graduate of BHS and the president and chief executive officer of 360 Communities, a Dakota County violence prevention program;
• Adam Bailey, who was named all-conference honorable mention in football in 1993 and 1994 and went on to play football at the University of Minnesota and now works as a police officer in St. Paul;
• John Bergman, class of 1965, who was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve where he served until his retirement in 2009 as Lieutenant General;
• Tom Osiecki, who started the Burnsville boys' hockey program in 1966 and coached at BHS for 24 years, earning two state championships and six sectional titles;  
• Amy Stromwall, a 1989 graduate who now works in the area of sports medicine for such clients as the Minnesota Twins, USA Swimming, Indy Racing League and the Indy 500; and
• John Sullivan, now deceased, who for more than 20 was a team manager for the school’s football, wrestling and track and field teams.

Inductees are chosen by board members from outside nominations. Roy said a highlight of the process is contacting the inductees.

“We’re relatively new at doing this, so most of the honorees were not even aware there was a hall of fame,” she said. “People are surprised and very pleased that they’re getting the recognition. In a lot of cases it’s been many, many years since they were affiliated with the high school.”

More information on the BHS Hall of Fame can be found at the school’s website.