Borderite Hall of Fame Class of 2025 inductees announced

A flurry of legendary Blaine High School athletes, teams, coaches and supporters will be inducted into the Borderite Hall of Fame Class of 2025 at 1 p.m. Saturday, October 11 in the Performing Arts Center.

The Blaine Hall of Fame Committee recently announced its Class of 2025 inductees, which includes one state championship team, one superfan, two head coaches, four athletes and two distinguished honorees. Here are the 2025 inductees:

• The 2005 boys golf team won league and district titles en route to earning Blaine’s first-ever state golf championship, which was the fourth state championship for the school.

• Jacquie Robbins was, as Hall of Fame Committee treasurer Gary Clausen wrote, “Probably the most well-known Borderite fan,” supporting Blaine teams from the late 1950s through the early 2000s. Robbins was considered a “team mom” and was known for her delicious homemade cookies.

• Stan Bianchi started the Borderite tennis program and was its head coach for its first two decades. Bianchi coached both the boys and girls tennis programs and led the 1997 boys team to a second place finish at the state tournament.

• Phillip Claymore was one of Blaine athletic program’s pioneers. Claymore served as head football coach for several years, but he is most known for starting the track and field and wrestling programs.

• Two distinguished honorees will also be inducted into the Class of 2025: Joan (Auld) Clair, Class of 1966, and Jack Bulger, Class of 1943. Clair participated in every sport offered to girls during her high school days and went on to play both basketball and volleyball at Washington State University (WSU). Bulger was another multi-sport athlete, playing football, basketball and baseball. Bulger would go on to receive a scholarship to play baseball at WSU and played with the Seattle Rainiers.

• Kristina (Francis) Thayer, Class of 2004, earned 12 varsity letters across her high school athletic career from soccer, basketball and softball. Thayer was an integral part of a dominant Blaine girls basketball program that earned three state titles. Thayer would go on to play basketball for four seasons at Whitman College and set multiple program records.

• Sherry (Hackman) Andersen, Class of 1988, earned 13 varsity letters in volleyball, basketball, softball and tennis. Anderson made it to second place in state in volleyball, third place in state in softball, and set the Blaine school record for rebounds in a basketball season with 220.

• Tyler Swinburnson, Class of 1993, earned 11 varsity letters in five sports, excelling most in baseball. A member of the state champion 1990 team and third-place 1991 team, Swinburnson would go on to pitch for three years at Oregon State University. Swinburnson was selected in the 15th round of the 1997 Major League Baseball draft by the Cleveland Indians and pitched professionally for seven seasons.

• Ryan Wallen, Class of 2013, played four stellar seasons on the boys golf team, where he earned four trips to the state tournament. Each year, Wallen brought home a medal, placing second three times and earning a state title his sophomore year in 2011. Wallen went on to play four years of golf at the University of Wyoming.