Hoops coach nets honor

WASILLA — Jeannie Hebert-Truax has found success wherever she’s been.

As a youngster growing up in Alaska’s chilly Interior, the current Wasilla High School girls’ basketball coach heated up the hardwood at both Monroe Catholic and North Pole high schools, winning three Alaska Player of the Year awards. She led North Pole to two consecutive title game appearances as a freshman and sophomore before transferring to Monroe, where she helped the Rams to state titles in 1987 and 1988.

She also helped the Rams to a state volleyball crown in 1988. Throw in a state individual title in the shot put in 1986, and Hebert-Truax’s credentials as a legendary figure in Alaska prep history are as solid as they come.

For her achievements, Hebert-Truax will be honored Sunday night as a member of the third class inducted into the Alaska High School Hall of Fame.

“It’s pretty exciting,” Hebert-Truax said from her WHS classroom Thursday.

Now a math teacher and basketball coach, Hebert-Truax didn’t just find success at the high school level. She was the first Alaska girl to go on to play Division I college basketball at the University of Miami, where she became one of the greatest Hurricanes to ever don the orange and green. She currently ranks second in Miami history in career assists and games started, third in points scored and fifth in steals.

Hebert also set Miami’s single-season assist record during the 1991-92 season.

She’s a member of the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame, and last year was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference Legends team.

After leaving Miami, she returned to Alaska, where as the Wasilla girls varsity coach she’s also been a record-setter. Her Warriors recently had a conference-record string of consecutive Northern Lights Conference victories end at 100, and Hebert-Truax led the Warriors to the program’s second state title in 2007.

Hebert-Truax will be inducted alongside eight other Alaska high school legends, including Annie Berdahl, a standout athlete at Nikiski who graduated in 1997; longtime Alaska football coach Bob Boudreaux (Service, Kenai, Soldotna); former Kake basketball coach Dwayne Davies; former Juneau football coach Reilly Richey; Chugiak wrestler Gary Steeby; Homer athletics coach Alice Witte; longtime Lathrop coach/contributor James Whisenhant; and John Tobin, a wrestling and football coach at North Pole.

Hebert-Truax said she’s looking forward to Sunday’s banquet, especially since she’ll be inducted alongside Tobin, who was at North Pole when she was coming up.

“That will be fun,” she said.

This year’s inductees will join such legendary Alaska sports figures as Trajan Langdon, Mark Schlereth and Nina Kemppel, to name just a few.

This year’s induction ceremonies will take place at the Mariott Hotel at 5:30 p.m. in Anchorage. The public is invited to attend.

Hebert-Truax said the awards ceremony is likely to bring back a flood of memories from her playing days.

“To be acknowledged by the state for stuff that I did a long time ago, that’s pretty exciting,” she said.

Since Hebert-Truax graduated, a host of Alaskans have gone on to ply Division I hoops, including Colony’s Jessica Moore, who won three consecutive national titles at the University of Connecticut.

Hebert-Truax said the most meaningful part of being inducted to the hall isn’t necessarily the recognition for her individual accomplishments, but the fact that she’s been able to help move women’s basketball in Alaska to new heights.

“To help pave that road is just an awesome accomplishment.”

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@

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