Hammond Sports Hall of Fame - The Inductees Class of 2022

Hammond Sports Hall of Fame
The Class of 2022 Inductees

Jermaine Boyette	Joseph "Fletch" Fletcher	Portia Fultz Archer	Gary Hayes
Terri Meier Fech	Mark Peters	James K. Whitaker (Veterans Category)

2022 Inductees:

JERMAINE BOYETTE

This Hammond High basketball standout and 1998 NWI Times & Post-Tribune All-NW Indiana Area Player of the Year went on to star in college at Weber State (Class of ’03). A 3-time All-Big Sky point guard, Big Sky Player of the Year (‘03) and All-America Honorable Mention, this WS Hall of Famer was voted the school’s Player of the Decade for 2000-10. Professionally, he played briefly with the NBA’s Utah Jazz, 10 years overseas, and in the former Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and United States Basketball League (USBL).

JOSEPH “FLETCH” FLETCHER

A standout pitcher at Hammond High, this 1981 alumnus was drafted by the New York Yankees in ’82 and pitched for Yankees’ and Montreal Expos’ farm teams until ’85. The St. Joseph’s College alumnus went on to become a collegiate pitching coach at St. Joe, Jacksonville (FL) and Michigan State. In ‘02, he started a business as a pioneering pitching instructor. Fletch’s Pitching Essentials Network earned acclaim for its effective focus on mechanical consistency, body control, recovery, health and nutrition.

PORTIA FULTZ ARCHER

A respected athlete and leader, this 1986 Hammond High alumna excelled as a basketball point guard & volleyball setter. She continued her hoops career at the University of Chicago (Class of ’90) where she was a 3-time all-conference selection and active in campus organizations. In addition to serving as COO of the NBA G League and as an Executive Board Member/Trustee of the Women’s Sports Federation, she has been recognized by Adweek among the “Most Powerful Women in Sports” and as a “Game Changer” by Sports Business Journal.

GARY HAYES

Wherever he coached—spanning 7 decades (1968-2021) over 102 competitive seasons—this 1964 Clark graduate succeeded. As a 33-year head basketball coach, he led Lake Station HS boys & girls, Griffith HS boys, Purdue Calumet men & women and Calumet College of St. Joseph men to a combined record of 474-253. He guided Griffith to the Indiana Class 3A 2015 state championship game. His Purdue Calumet teams were 214-116, earned 4 conference titles & an NAIA D-I women’s national tourney berth. His boys & girls tennis teams at Lake Station, Portage, Gary West Side & Gary Wirt were 540-215 and won 16 sectional & conference titles.

TERRI MEIER FECH A versatile, multi-sport Gavit High standout, this 1985 alumna earned 12 varsity letters competing in volleyball (setter/outside hitter), basketball (point guard), cross country and was especially impressive as team MVP in track & field, setting a school record in the long jump and contributing to 2 other school marks in the 400-meter & 800-meter relays. She went on to star in softball at St. Joseph’s College (Class of ’89, magna cum laude), earning all-conference and team MVP honors as a stolen base and pitching strikeout leader 4 consecutive years.
MARK PETERS This 2-sport, 1973 Morton graduate starred as a football quarterback and baseball pitcher/3rd baseman. In football, he earned all-state honorable mention and NWI Times’ Region Offensive Player of the Year recognition. For his baseball prowess, he was drafted by the Texas Rangers. Choosing to continue his football & baseball careers at the University of Evansville, on the gridiron he ranked among the top 10 NCAA Division III quarterbacks nationally in passing and total offense as a junior. On the diamond, the ’78 alumnus set 5 school pitching records.
JAMES K. WHITAKER (Veterans Category) This year’s initial Veterans Category inductee is a 1951 Hammond High alumnus who excelled for the Wildcats in swimming and golf. Competing on 2 state championship swim teams, he broke the state record in the 100-yard backstroke. As a golfer, he won The Post-Tribune Lake & Porter County Junior championship in ’51, went on to play for the University of Illinois and continued thereafter to compete & excel in the sport.