Lowry’s newest Hall of Fame inductees

Lowry’s newest Hall of Fame inductees

By Alexis Galarza Posted March 10, 2023

This year Lowry inducted four new members to the Hall of Fame. Each of the members has been involved in the Humboldt County community for years upon years. Within their time in Winnemucca, inductees have found a way to leave their mark on the community members of Humboldt County. On behalf of the athletic department, each inductee has a short biography on how they left an impact. 

Jim Salmi from the 1999
yearbook. /Winnada
Jim Salmi from the 1999 yearbook. /Winnada

One of the inductees was Jim Salmi. He came to Winnemucca with his wife. Their plan was to make it a short stay. High school sweetheart, Charlene supported the family while Jim finished college at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Initially, Salmi was hired as a PE teacher and assistant football and track coach. However, throughout his 39-year career in Humboldt County he also taught health and weight training classes; coached cross country, and boys and girls basketball; and, was a highly respected football and basketball referee. Sadly, Jim passed away in 2017 leaving behind his wife Charlene, two children Vickie and Jim, and four grandchildren.

Another inductee was Megan Duffurena. Magen Dufurrena was a 2004 graduate of Lowry High School. She was one of Lowry’s best athletes during her high school career. She won multiple state championships for a wide range of sports. She was also the 2004 Florence Murphy Award winner as the Greater Nevada Female Athlete of the Year, and she was a Nevada state finalist for Wendy’s High School Heisman Award. Besides being an outstanding athlete, Magen was an outstanding student winning numerous academic all-state awards during her high school career. She was a member of the National Honor Society for four years and a Nevada Silver Scholar. After graduating from Lowry, Magen attended the College of Idaho. She built a successful career with the Forest Service, first in Fire and now in Fuels, and was featured In National Geographic’s Explorer in 2019.

 Dr. Raymond Hooft. 1984-yearbook
Dr. Raymond Hooft. 1984-yearbook

Another inductee was Dr. Raymond Hooft. Raymond Hooft was a 1971 graduate of Lowry High School. He was one of Lowry’s best athletes during his high school career. He only played on JV for one year in multiple sports and made varsity the rest of his three years at Lowry. Besides being an outstanding athlete, Raymond was a prominent student as a member of Block W for four years, the National Honor Society in his senior year, and the student body president his senior year. Raymond played wide receiver at Boise State for four years. He graduated from the UNR medical school in 1981 doing his internship in Spokane, Washington. He did his family practice residency at the University of Illinois-Rockford and was voted the outstanding teaching resident his senior year. He was the director of the emergency room at Franciscan Medical Center in Rock Island, Illinois.

The final Inductee was Jace Billingsley. Jace Billingsley was a 2012 graduate of Lowry High School. He was one of northern Nevada’s best athletes during his high school career. He

was a three-year letter winner in football and a four-year letter winner in wrestling and baseball. He was a four-time state champion during his wrestling career. He also earned all-state honors in baseball in 2011. He was the Raymond Hooft Award winner for being the best male athlete at Lowry in 2012. After high school, he attended Eastern Oregon University where he played football. He was 2nd team all-American in 2014 and was all-conference all four years. After he left EOU, Jace became the first Winnemucca athlete to play in the NFL as he played for the Detroit Lions. With his NFL career behind him, Jace returned to Winnemucca to live and work.

Magen Dufurrena (32)
from the 2004 yearbook./ Winnada
Magen Dufurrena (32) from the 2004 yearbook./ Winnada