The Richmond Sentinel looks back at the 2019 inductees of the Richmond Sports Wall of Fame.

Since the end of 2023, the Richmond Sentinel has highlighted past inductees and their journey into the Richmond Sports Wall of Fame. In this edition, we take a look at the sports contributions of the Richmond Sports Wall of Fame, Class of 2019. 

Carl Savage – Track and Field

Originally from the United Kingdom (UK), Carl Savage moved to Richmond in 1967. For 33 years, Carl worked as a teacher, vice-principal, principal, and coached the Kajaks up until 2000. He organized the very first BC Elementary Track and Field Championships and took on multiple roles at Kajaks. Carl attended many international competitions as a member of the Canadian National Track and Field coaching staff, including the Pan Am, Commonwealth, and Olympic Games. Some of the athletes he coached have won gold at the Pan Pacific Games and National Championships, a few hold national records as well. In 1974 and 1987, Carl was awarded by the City of Richmond and School District for coaching excellence.  He received the 3M Canadian Coaching Award in 1986 and inducted into the BC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.

Dolphin Classic – Basketball

The Dolphin Classic was just an idea that four graduates from Steveston High School had thought of, a basketball tournament at a local park for basketball players to faceoff outside of the school system. In 1986, the first ever Dolphin Classic was hosted at Dolphin Park. As tournament grew in popularity, so did the scale of the tournament. What was once held at Dolphin Park would be moved to Thompson Park in 2010, before being moved to South Arm Park in 2016 to accommodate the thousands that attended. The tournament has also included many different facets to the game including a tournament for women’s, youth, as well as slam dunk and 3-point competitions. Such a tournament has attracted many spectators including British Columbia native, two-time National Basketball Association (NBA) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Steve Nash.

Fred Pawluk – Track and Field

Fred Pawluk began his running career in 2003 after having run road races and relays between 1986 to 1989. He had not run in a competitive race prior to that year except for during High School. He competed as a Masters athlete and worked hard under Kajak’s Coaches Jean-Jacques Schmidt and others to develop his strengths in running events. Two years later, he was named Kajaks Outstanding Male Master Athlete of the year. The Richmond Sports Council named him Masters Athlete of the Year in 2010 and awarded him the 2012 Builder of the Year award. Through countless injuries between 2003 to 2018, Fred won 55 first places, 32 second places, and 17 thirds in various events. He continues to make it his utmost importance to help athletes reach their full potential when supported by their coach and athletic community.

Jamie Stoddard – Football

Born in Richmond, Jamie Stoddard attended Steveston High School and graduated in 1995. He was awarded the Top Male Athlete Award in 1992, and season Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1994. He attended the University of Alberta and received the 1999 Bill Woywitka Memorial award as MVP of the team. He joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2000, recording 151 games, 191 catches for 2808 yards, and 11 touchdowns over an 8-year career. His team were was the 2001 and 2007 Canadian Football League (CFL) Western Division Champions, and he would go onto start in both Gray Cup Championships. In 2008, Jamie would retire from the CFL and work as a teacher in the Richmond School District. He continues to give back to Richmond’s future athletes, coaching various school athletics including football, basketball, and soccer.

Jean-Jacques (JJ) Schmidt – Track and Field 

Jean-Jacques (JJ) arrived to Richmond in 1973, he attended his first Kajaks Track Meet in 1980, before joining Kajaks as an Assistant Junior Development Coach. JJ would coach for Kajaks until 2017, where he would coach athletes whose age ranged from 20 to 85. JJ’s athletes have accomplished many feats and won countless medals at Provincial, National, and International levels. In 2007, Kajaks awarded JJ with the Volunteer of the Year, one year after the City of Richmond had named him Coach of the Year. He was named Master of the Year in 1987, 2002, and 2003, in the Kajaks Track and Field category and Kajaks Track and Field Coach of the Year in 2009. Amongst successful athletes that Schmidt has trained, a few of them include fellow Richmond Sports Wall of Fame inductees Gwen McFarlan and Avril Douglas who were inducted in 2016, and fellow 2019 inductee Fred Pawluk.

Jeff Lochbaum – Football

Born and raised in Richmond, Jeff Lochbaum attended Palmer Secondary school before transferring to Richmond High. He was very athletic growing up, playing a multitude of sports in the community and at school. At the young age of 16, Lochbaum began coaching and would go onto teach and coach in Richmond School district for the next 37 years. In 22 years, Lochbaum would go onto lead the Richmond Colts football teams to four provincial championships in 1976, 1996, 1997, 1998. As an assistant coach, his team won the 1976 Provincial/Western Canadian Championships, a 1976 AAA High School Varsity Championships. 20 years later, as a head his team would three-peat from 1996 to 1998, winning the AAA High School Varsity Championships three times. In the community, Lochbaum co-coached the Richmond Raiders football team to becoming 1986 BCJFL Provincial Champions.

Jim Mills – Football

Jim Mills was born in 1961, he grew up in Richmond and attended Palmer, Cambie, and Richmond High in 1979. He went onto play for the University of Hawaii on a football scholarship. He would make it into the National Football League (NFL) and play for the Baltimore Colts in 1983. In 1986 he would join the Canadian Football League (CFL) to play for his hometown team the BC Lions from 1986 to 1993. Mills would play in the 76th Grey Cup Championship against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers but his team would fall short by one point. After 1993, he would spend on year in the nation’s capital playing for the Ottawa Rough Riders before returning home to play for the BC Lions for one more season to finish his career. Throughout his career, he was recognized as a three-time All Star, Most Outstanding Offensive Linemen, and the DeMarco-Beckett Memorial Trophy.

Kim Young – Track and Field

Kim Young had been an educator in the Richmond area for more than 20 years, he’s been a teacher, Vice-Principal, Principal, and Director of Instruction. His coaching career started in the 1960s, when he joined Richmond Kajaks as a development coach, he would go onto hold many roles including President, meet director, running coach, and many more. In 1968 he co-founded the BC Elementary School Track and Field Championships, which was organized by fellow 2019 Wall of Fame Inductee Carl Savage. In the 1980s, as Head Coach of the Canadian National Team, he led one of the first teams to compete in East Germany at the Pan Pacific Games. From the 1980s till now, Kim currently serves as the Meet Director of the Harry Jerome Track Classic, he was inducted into the BC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.

Marshall Shields – Fastball

Marshall Shields has been coaching boys softball for 20 years, coaching athletes of all ages and skill level he and the team’s he has coached has experienced success at many levels. Between 2001 and 2006, he was named Coach of the Year in the Steveston Men’s League, his 2012 senior team and 2013 youth team was recognized as provincial team of the year by Softball BC. Those two teams recorded gold medal finishes in their respective years. He currently serves as a coach in the Steveston’s Mens Fastball league. He attributes his success to passion, persistence, and commitment. Dating back to 2000, he’s accumulated 10 gold medals at the Provincial and Western Canadian level, the boys fastball team won five gold medals and accomplished a three-peat from 2011 to 2013. He continues to coach and is currently working towards his 11th medal.

Novell Thomas – Basketball 

Novell Thomas grew up playing soccer, basketball, and football in Richmond. His friends had introduced him to the Dolphin Park Classic and that opened a door of opportunities that would lead to him having a full basketball career. He was named First Team All-Star in 1993 and Langara College – Versa Freshmen Student Athlete of the Year. In 1996 and 1997, he was selected as an All-Star to the Pacific Northwest Athletic Conference (PNWAC) and named Honourable Mention at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. To this day he still holds the Simon Fraser University All-Time Career Assist Leader, holds the record for all time assists in a single season, and recorded the first and only Triple Double. After his career, he coached basketball for five years and was a Board Member when Basketball BC had founded the Western Youth Basketball Association.

Richmond High Colts Football – Football

Coached by fellow Richmond Sports Wall of Fame Jeff Lockbaulm, Richmond Colts won their first provincial championship in 1976, seven years after their inaugural season. The team would go on a 20 year provincial championship drought before capturing their second provincial championship in 1996 in an overtime game against Vancouver College. This team would carry on that momentum for the next two years, winning two more consecutive provincial championships. To this date, the school has four provincial championship trophies, all four coming during Lockbaulm’s tenure with the colts. Fighting budget cuts, the colts relied on the growing popularity of the team to achieve success. As mentioned before, they are the only team to ever record a three-peat in which they had won three consecutive AAA BC High School Championships in a row.  A feat that even professional players find difficult to accomplish in their own respective sports.