Husson honoring CHS star
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
A 1995 Caribou High School graduate and Viking basketball standout is being inducted into his college’s Sports Hall of Fame.
Chris Funk will be honored along with three others – Shawn Bolden, Beth Miller and Jeremy Nelson – at Husson University in Bangor Saturday during Homecoming festivities.
“It is truly an honor to be inducted,” Funk said. “I have not only been fortunate to have some great coaches and athletic administrators guiding me along the way, but also a supportive family.
“It has been a wonderful journey and I look forward to seeing some of those important people at the ceremony.”
Funk had an outstanding career at Husson, where he played from 1995-99 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration/sports management. The 6-foot-6 forward finished with 1,560 points, which placed him seventh all-time. He also pulled down 663 rebounds (10th place), 266 assists (14th) and a 52.9 field goal percentage (seventh).
He is one of only two players in program history to have over 1,500 points, 650 rebounds and 250 assists. He was a 1998 NAIA All-American Honorable Mention and a 1999 NAIA Third Team All-American. His teams made the NAIA national tournament his sophomore and senior years.
One of his greatest memories came as a sophomore when he connected on the game-winning three-pointer in a 73-72 upset victory over NCAA Division I University of Maine.
His college coach, Warren Caruso, said that with all the impressive statistics, the best part of Funk’s game may have been his play on defense.
“It was his defensive abilities that impacted the game even more, as he is one of the best defenders that I have coached,” Caruso said. “Chris, with all his success, was always a team player and did whatever it took to help the program be successful and the people around him better.”
Funk moved to Caribou from Pennsylvania as a youngster and went on to star for the Vikings in the early-90s. A two-time Bangor Daily News first-team All-Maine choice and Mr. Basketball finalist as a senior, Funk was a four-year player under coach Jeff Holmes who finished his career with 1,287 points, 612 rebounds, 172 assists, 147 steals and 158 blocked shots. He missed only one game his entire career and was named player of the year in the Big East Conference his junior and senior seasons.
“I have fond memories of competing on various athletic teams in Caribou, especially the basketball team,” Funk said. “Work hard, play the game with sportsmanship and the rest will work itself out – that is what I was taught.
“We had to work harder to stand out above the southern teams and to this day, professionally, those values continue to be the foundation of my success.”
Following his college career, Funk went on to play professionally overseas for one season. During the 2001-02 campaign, his played 15 games for the BG Dorsten Club in Dorsten, Germany and averaged 26 points, 10 rebounds and three steals while shooting 66 percent from the field, including 47 percent from three-point land. He scored 42 points in his final game before moving back to the States and joining the workforce with a marketing position for Zippo Manufacturing Company in Bradford, Pa.
He remains with the company as its Western U.S. Regional Sales Manager. He is the president of the Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce and is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration at St. Bonaventure University in nearby Olean, N.Y. He and his wife, Theresa, also a Zippo employee, live in Bradford with his stepson, Brandon, and their daughter, Olivia.
His parents, Bill and Pat Funk, have resided in Smethport, Pa., Bill’s hometown, since relocating from Caribou in 2002. His brother, Dan, a 1998 CHS graduate, is married with two children and also lives in Pennsylvania.
