Milan Inducts Four into Athletics Hall of Fame

Written by Michael Mezei

At halftime of the Big Reds September 12 home football game, Milan High School honored four alumni with induction into their Athletics Hall of Fame. Their careers spanned four decades of athletic success.

Chris Pope (1986) excelled on the basketball court, earning all-Southeastern Conference (SEC) and All State accolades as a team co-captain. He went on to compete at the collegiate level, attending Saginaw Valley State University. He is perhaps best remembered for a game-winning shot against Bishop Borgess his senior year. As a coach, he led the Milan boys to district and regional championships in 2015 as part of a 24 win season. Professionally, Chris is a successful mortgage broker.

Doug Woolard (1971) also achieved success in basketball. One of Milan’s all-time greats, Doug was a co-captain and earned all-SEC and All State honors. He was part of Milan teams that won four consecutive SEC Championships. He was a varsity girls basketball coach in Milan and had a long career at Ford Motor Company.

Luciana “Luci” Pope (1992) was included in the national “Who’s Who in Girls Basketball” during her playing days at Milan. As a four-year varsity player, she earned First Team All-SEC, All Monroe County, All Area (Washtenaw County), and All-State. She finished her career as Milan’s second all-time leading scorer with over 1,000 career points. In each of her four seasons, she led the SEC in scoring. She is tied for the program record with 35 points in a single game. She continued playing on the AAU circuit and in intramurals at Western Michigan University. Today, she continues in a career at Ford Motor Company.

Taylor Hosein (2016) was a four-time All-State honoree for the Milan Girls Swimming and Diving program. She was a two-time State Champion in 1 Meter Diving, never finishing lower than fourth at States.

All four were remembered for their legacy and leadership as well as their significant impact on their respective programs by a very proud Milan community.

Photos by Stephen Cook