Ray Thomas

Thomas, a 1962 MHS graduate, will be joined at the front table by Dennis Halseth who, along with Doug Fields and Roger Olson, teamed up to form Madison's celebrated medley and mile relay foursomes in the early 1960s. The mile relay team set a state record of 3:26.9 in 1961, which lasted for five years. The Halseth, Thomas, Fields, Olson foursome produced state championships in both relays in 1961. In addition to Halseth and Thomas, Maureen (Green) Casey and Dan Johnson comprise the Class of 2000. By the time Thomas graduated in 1962, he had garnered 10 MHS letters in three sports -- track and field, boys' basketball and football. Thomas was an honorable-mention all-state selection in both football and basketball. Academically, he was a writer on the Maroon newspaper staff, sang in both the boys’ glee club, and mixed chorus. Following his high school career in Madison, Thomas attended then-Dakota State College for four years, obtaining his bachelor's degree. He was a four-year player on the Trojans' basketball squad. Later, Thomas earned his master's degree at South Dakota State University.