Hall of Fame: Wasilla High activities director, girls basketball head coach among those honored by Alaska associations

WASILLA — Stacia Rustad, a former Kenai Central High School multisport standout who is now the activities director at Wasilla High School, received a special phone call recently. Craig Jung, Rustad’s head coach during her days with the Kenai girls basketball program and her mentor, had some news.

Rustad had been elected to the Alaska High School Hall of Fame.

“I am honored,” Rustad said earlier this week.

But the fact that Jung was able to deliver the news made it that much better, Rustad said.

“He was an important figure to me as a young athlete,” Rustad said. “He helped me pursue my dreams of playing Division I basketball. He and I are super close.”

Jung was inducted into the Alaska High School Hall of Fame in 2012, after he was nominated by Rustad. Now Rustad is a member thanks to a nomination from Jung.

Jung has also earned his place in another hall. He is one of four who will be inducted later in this month in the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. Jung, former Fairbanks basketball mentors Joe Tremarello and George Roderick will be inducted as coaches. Wasilla High School girls head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax, a star at both North Pole and Monroe Catholic as a high school athlete, will be inducted as a player.

In addition to her duties as activities director, Rustad is an assistant on the Hebert-Truax Wasilla girls. Before making the move to Wasilla High prior to the 2015-16 school year, Rustad was the head coach of the Kenai girls program for six years. During those six years, Jung was her assistant coach. Rustad just finished her fourth season coaching alongside Hebert-Truax, a member of multiple halls of fame as both a coach and a player. Rustad said she has been fortunate to be able to spend her basketball playing and coaching career in Alaska with the two of the most respected people in the Alaska basketball community.

“It’s the best of both worlds,” Rustad said. “I am very bias when it comes to Coach Jung. He was a huge part of getting me where I was as a player and a person. He’s a role model for me.”

Rustad said coaching alongside Hebert-Truax has been a great experience, and has learned a great deal while working with the state’s winningest high school girls basketball coach.

Rustad is one of seven athletes part of the Alaska High School Hall of Fame’s 2019 class. Chugiak’s Alev Kelter and Cody Tanner, Juneau-Douglas’ Justin Dorn, Homer’s Phil Engebretsen, Bethel’s Randy Hanson and Ninilchik’s Austin Vanderford will also be inducted.

Engebretsen is a former boys basketball head coach at Colony High School. His younger brother Ryan is currently the head boys basketball coach at Wasilla.

Rustad competed in basketball, cross-country running, volleyball and track and field at Kenai. Rustad, a 1992 graduate of Kenai Central, helped lead the Kards to the 1991 4A girls state title. She also earned a Region III individual title in cross-country running.

Rustad played Division I basketball at the University of Maine, where she helped the Black Bears advance to the NCAA tournament in 1995 and 1996.

Hebert-Truax, who played in four girls’ basketball state title games during her high school career, is the lone player this year to be inducted by the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches into its hall of fame. Hebert-Truax said she’s honored to be recognized and remembered for her work on the floor during her high school career. Hebert-Truax played in the 4A girls state championship game in each of the four years of high school. As a freshman and sophomore, she was part of a North Pole program that finished as the state runner-up. She helped Monroe win it all as a junior and senior in 1987 and 1988.

Hebert-Truax also helped Monroe with a state volleyball title in 1988.

Hebert-Truax played college basketball at Division I University of Miami (Florida), and finished her career ranked second in program history in assists, third in scoring, and fourth in steals. She also helped the Hurricanes earn their first berth into the NCAA tournament in 1989.

Hebert-Truax is also a member of the Alaska High School Hall of Fame, Alaska Sports Hall of Fame, University of Miami Hall of Fame and was named a Legend by the Atlantic Coast Conference.

As a coach, Hebert-Truax hit another milestone during the 2018-19 season. With a 50-48 win over Chugiak Feb. 18, Hebert-Truax earned the 500th win of her career as a girls basketball head coach in Alaska. Hebert-Truax, who recently finished her 24th season, is not only the first to hit 500 wins, but she is also the only coach in Alaska girls basketball history with at least 400 wins.

Hebert-Truax will be inducted into the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame April 13 at the Wells Fargo Arena in Anchorage, during the association’s day of senior all-star games. Jung, Tremarello and Roderick will also be inducted.

Jung spent 23 years coaching girls basketball at Kenai. He was named the Region III Coach of the Year three times, and was also the state coach of the year in 1991.

Tremarello, known best as ‘Coach T’, spent 17 years with Lathrop basketball. He also played and coached at UAF.

Roderick was the head coach of the UAF men’s basketball team for 20 years.

Contact Frontiersman managing editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.