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John “Topper” Ricci and current Bulldogs Athletic Director Chris Salani will be inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame tomorrow evening.
Ricci graduated with the class of 1955, with three varsity football letters, four varsity track letters, and a portfolio filled with honors, including four Hancock and three U.P. track records. He went on to a distinguished career as a hockey official, and as an amateur fast pitch softball player. Ricci was inducted into the U.P. Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.
Salani graduated in 1992, with three football letters, four hockey letters, one golf letter, and two track and field letters. He earned All State honors in football and hockey. He earned four varsity football letters at Michigan State University, and also skated for the Spartans hockey squad. Salani served as athletic director for Finlandia University from 2002 to 2016, and now is the AD for the Hancock School District.
The induction ceremony will take place at approximately 8:00 PM Friday, July 26th at the Hancock All-School Reunion Mixer at the Houghton County Arena. Tickets to the mixer, and the ceremony, will be available at the door.
Full resumes have been provided by the Hancock Athletic Department:
John “Topper” Ricci
Class of 1955
– Football 3 Year Letter winner 1952-1955
– Co-Captain Junior and Senior Season
– Rushed for over 2,000 career yards
– Second in scoring throughout the UP his Senior year
– All-Conference and All-UP selection Senior Season
– Track & Field 4 Year Letter winner 1951-1955
– Held HCH Records
– 100 yd Dash
– 180 Low Hurdles
– Long Jump
– 440 Relay Team
– Held UP Records
– 100 yd Dash
– 180 Low Hurdles
– Long Jump
– 18 Year Career in Fastpitch Softball
– Copper Country Record for 376 home runs
– .382 lifetime batting average
– WCHA, CCHA and High School Hockey Official
– Over 600 NCAA games officiated and 1300 total
– WCHA Playoffs for 15 seasons
– Inducted into the U.P. Sports Hall of Fame in 1996
John lives in Hancock with wife Kay, where they raised their four
children, Mary Kay, Mary Jo, Brien and Ray.
Chris Salani
Class of 1992
– Football 3 Year Letter Winner 1989 – 1992
– Team MVP 1990, 1991
– All-State 1st Team Punter 1990, 1991
– All-State 1st Team Linebacker 1991
– All-UP Dream Team Punter 1990, 1991
– All-UP Dream Team Linebacker 1991
– WestPAC Defensive Player of The Year 1991
– Played in the Michigan High School Football Coaches
Association All-Star Game
– Hockey 4 Year Letter Winner 1988 – 1992
– Team MVP 1990-91(co-MVP) & 1991-92
– All-State 1st Team Defenseman 1990-91, 1991-92
– All-Conference Elite 1989-90, 1990-91, 1991-92
– Played in the Michigan ‘All-Stater’ Game 1992
– Played for Team Michigan 1992
– Golf 1 Year Letter Winner 1991
– Member of the U.P. State Championship Team, 1991
– Track & Field 2 Year Letter Winner 1989, 1990
– U.P. State Discuss Champion 1990
– Michigan State University Football 4 Year Letter Winner
– Started 46 Games
– 2 Year Academic All-Big Ten, 1993-94, 1995-96
– F. Ward ‘Potsey’ Ross Senior Scholar-Athlete Award
– Michigan State University Hockey Team Member 1994 -1996
– Director of Athletics, Finlandia University 2002 – 2016
– Director of Athletics, Hancock Central High 2017 – Present
Chris lives in Hancock with wife Melissa, where they are raising their
three children, Colton, Austin and Kaisa.
