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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – Four former athletes will be inducted into the Marshfield Tiger Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2023 on Saturday.
Elliot Ashbeck, Tom Breden, Dane Cordes and Bob Mason will be honored at Marshfield’s home football game on Friday, Sept. 15, and formally inducted into the Hall of Fame at 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Marshfield High School Auditorium.
Ashbeck, a 2012 Marshfield High School graduate, was a nine-time letter in football (two), basketball (three) and baseball (four).
In football, Ashbeck remains the all-time leader in passing yards for the Tigers with 3,587, and was the Wisconsin Valley Conference Player of the Year in 2011 while earning honorable mention all-state honors.
Ashbeck was also a three-time all-WVC basketball player, earning second-team honors in 2010 and 2011, and was a first-team pick in 2012. He finished his career with 967 points, which ranks fifth all-time at MHS.
On the baseball field, Ashbeck was the three-time all-conference selection as a pitcher and infielder. He went on to play collegiate baseball at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., and was a 16th-round draft pick of the San Diego Padres in 2015. He spent four season in the minor leagues before retiring. He now works and resides in Chicago.
Breden was a three-sport athlete from 1972-1976 at Marshfield High School, participating in cross country, swimming and track and field.
Breden was a 1976 WIAA Class A state champion in the 880-yard run after finishing fifth in 1975. He holds the program’s all-time outdoor 880 record (1:56.0) and indoor 880 record (2:00.2). Breden later competed on the University of Wisconsin track and field team and went on to coach track and Marshfield Middle School and Columbus Catholic.
Cordes earned six letters, three each on the Marshfield football and wrestling teams, from 2000-03. Cordes was a member of the 2001 and 2002 WIAA Division 1 state champion football teams, earning first-team honors on the All-Wisconsin Valley Conference teams both seasons while being named the conference Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-state as a senior.
Cordes qualified for the WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament in 2001 and 2003, finishing second at 189 pounds as a senior. He also was a member of Team State Tournament qualifying teams in 2002 and 2003.
Cordes went on to wrestle and play football at UW-La Crosse, graduated from the University of Dubuque, and now resides in Marshfield.
Mason was a three-time letter winner in basketball from 1959-62, earning all-conference honors as a senior when he averaged 21 points per game and a then school record of 489 points. His 137 free throws made in 1961-62 remains a program record. The Tigers reached sectionals that season, finishing with an 18-5 record.
Mason went on to play basketball at Carroll University in Waukesha for two seasons and served as an student assistant coach.