ISU inducts six alumni into Sports Hall of Fame

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - This past weekend, Idaho State University inducted six new members into their Sports Hall of Fame.

The new members include Dr. Kristin Fenwick, from Boise, Idaho; Candice Cordingley Starr, Rexburg, Idaho; Gordon Henderson, Manson, Ohio; Ardena “Ardie” McInelly, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Alison Verona-Castles, South Lake Tahoe, California; and Joseph Saratore, Buchanan, Michigan who received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades of support for Bengal student-athletes.

Here are some details on this year’s ISU Sports Hall of Fame inductees:

Kristin Fenwick – Softball, 1975-1979

Fenwick attended Idaho State from 1974-1979. While a student-athlete, she worked as a security guard for the mini-dome and library to help pay for her tuition and housing expenses. Fenwick graduated from ISU with a Bachelor of Science degree in dental hygiene and moved to Boise to practice as a dental hygienist until 1990. She was then accepted into the Idaho Dental Education Program, a collaborative dental education program with Creighton University. Upon graduation she opened a dental practice in Boise and practiced until retirement in 2017. While softball is Fenwick’s first love, she has been an avid golfer for the past 40 years and has won several state and regional golf tournaments. She now spends her winters in Palm Springs and summers in Idaho.

First female to receive an athletic scholarship at ISU
Conference championship team in 1978
Holds No. 8 in career record book for the best batting average at .326
Was a member of the first-ever softball teams at Idaho State
Split win with nationally ranked Utah State 2-1 in 1978
Earned a Masters in Counseling in 1982

Candice Cordingley Starr – Women’s Golf, 1994-1995

Candice Cordingley Starr took up golf at a very young age. She played in the Idaho Junior Golf Association where she won numerous medals. While Starr played many sports and was an amazing athlete, her true passion was golf. Starr turned down a track scholarship after she was offered an academic and golf scholarship at Idaho State University by Dr. David Adler. After one year at Idaho State, her success in golf led her to become a golf pro. She studied hard and passed her Players Ability Test in Provo, Utah. In 1997 she began working as an assistant pro at Logan River Golf Course under the supervision of Jeff John. She married Brian Starr in 1999 and they built their home in Plymouth, Utah. They raised three girls who all enjoy playing golf. One of Starr’'s many accomplishments was serving as coach for the girls and boys golf programs at Bear River High School in Tremonton, Utah. Starr was tough and fought a hard battle with cancer until her passing on February 5, 2019.

Only women’s individual Big Sky Champion won as a freshman
She and her team won the 1994 Big Sky Women's Golf Championship
Earned medalist honors
She played in four tournaments in 1994-95 and came away with one victory
Her success in golf led her to pass the requirements to become a golf pro

Coach Gordon Henderson – Women’s Soccer, 1998-2003
Gordon Henderson coached the ISU women’s soccer team for six seasons. His achievements set the foundation and expectation for the future of the women’s soccer program. Henderson is a standout coach for his accolades, character, and dedication to the soccer program. He had great pride and passion for the game and for ISU. He taught his players to persevere and instilled a work ethic that his players will forever remember. Henderson created an atmosphere of “team” where he formed a family-like, unbreakable bond. He demanded excellence on and off the field, setting high expectations for each of his players to follow. Henderson left a legacy at ISU and has exemplified what a college coach should be. He is currently the Executive Director of Ohio South Youth Soccer Association.

First-ever coach for Idaho State women's soccer
His six seasons record was 55-51-11… Won 71 percent of his games at Davis Field
Named Big Sky coach of the year in 2000, 2001, 2003
Had 37 all-conference players over the course of his career in Pocatello
Won three straight Big Sky Conference titles, 2001, 2002, 2003
2003 team earned the program’s first and only NCAA tournament win over No. 14 Utah. The Bengals won 5-4 on penalty kicks

Coach Ardie McInelly – Women’s Basketball, 1996-2001

Ardie McInelly coached the Bengals from 1996-2001. Growing up in Mackay, McInelly and her siblings always played whichever sport was in season, but ultimately she pursued her first love, basketball. Ardie originally walked on to play basketball for Boise State, but eventually earned a scholarship and played four years of Division I basketball at BSU. After graduation, McInelly coached at both the high school and college levels, spending 9 years as a Division I assistant coach. In 1996, McInelly was hired as the women’s head basketball coach at ISU. In the 2000-2001 season, her team went undefeated in the Big Sky Conference regular-season, earning the top seed in the Big Sky Conference tournament which was held in Holt Arena. In 2001, only the top four schools were allowed to participate in the tournament. ISU defeated Weber State in the semi-finals, earning the opportunity to play the University of Montana in the championship game. In front of 5,000 fans, ISU defeated the Lady Griz, and earned the program’s first-ever bid to the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. After the historic 2000-2001 season at ISU, McInelly moved on to coach at the United States Air Force Academy where she spent the next nine years before retiring.

In her final year, 2000-2001, the Bengals went 16-0 in Big Sky play and 25-5 overall to earn the program’s first-ever berth in the NCAA tournament.
Qualified for the Big Sky Conference Tournament 4 out of 5 seasons.
Earned Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year in 1999-2000 and 2000-2001.
The conference tournament championship in 2001 gave McInelly 77 wins, and at the time, tied her for the most career wins in program history.

Alison Verona-Castles – Women’s Basketball, 1984-1988
Alison Verona-Castles grew up mostly in California after living in four different places on the East Coast before the age of 9, due to her father’s service in the Navy. Her first love was swimming, but both her brother and sister were basketball players, so it was just natural that she would play too. Verona-Castles came to Idaho State in 1984, transitioning to a new size ball and a new position. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree, with a double major in Physical Education and Health Education. After graduation, she went to Switzerland to play professionally. At that time the opportunity did not include a paycheck, rather a chance to experience the country. She married Tom Castles in 1994 and they have two sons. In 2019, she was approached by an old friend to play in The National Senior Games in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was an amazing experience to see players from 50 years old playing a game they love. Verona-Castles and her family currently live in South Lake Tahoe, California where she is a registered nurse at the local hospital. Since moving to South Lake Tahoe, she has been a volunteer basketball coach for the girls’ high school program.
Honorable Mention all-conference in 1985-86
Second-team all-conference 1986-87, 1987-88
Big Sky player of the week in the 84-85 season
9th all-time leading scorer at Idaho State with 1,320 points
Ranked No. 10 for best career scoring average at ISU at 13.2 points per game
Ranked No. 3 for most field goals made at ISU with 568
Ranks No. 6 for most rebounds at ISU with 756
Finished her career with 25 double-doubles, the fourth-best mark in ISU history

Joseph Saratore - Lifetime Achievement Award, 1958
Joseph Saratore is a good friend of ISU Athletics and extremely deserving of the Lifetime Achievement Award, not only in recognition of his long support but in recognition of his extraordinary achievements as an alumnus of Idaho State University. Saratore was born and raised in Niles, Michigan. He played football beginning at the age of 6 and went to the Junior Rose Bowl while he played college football at Compton Jr. College. He received multiple football scholarships, but knew he wanted to accept Coach Babe Caccia’s offer with Idaho State in 1958. The day Saratore arrived on ISU’s campus, he met his beautiful wife, Judy. After his year at Idaho State, Joseph and Judy moved back to Niles where Joseph started a manufacturing business in 1966 as a one-man operation. He manufacturing business has now become a prime manufacturing facility with over 100 employees producing the most precision aerospace and medical parts to date. Saratore retired in 2020 and now spends his time enjoying the fruits of his labor and his family, which has grown to include four children, six grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. Saratore is not only a significant donor to ISU but a valued friend who cares deeply for ISU coaches and student-athletes. He demonstrates achievement in having built a highly successful global company on the ideals of hard work and integrity.

While a football player at ISU, he led the team in rushing in 1958 with 390 yards
Established the Joe and Judy Saratore Scholarship Endowment
Supports the Stephens Performing Arts Center, Bengal Athletic Boosters, Champions Fund, Papenberg Field, and is a generous supporter of ISU Athletics
Completed a significant gift to help construct the ICCU Practice Field