Kit Salness-Howser from Anaheim High Class of 1972 was a nationally ranked platform diver and was a member of the 1980 United States Olympic team.
While at Anaheim High, Kit participated in cheerleading, swimming, diving, track, volleyball, basketball and archery. Runner up for the G.A.A. Girl of the Year in 1972, Kit competed in the Indoor National Diving Competition and placed 12th in the 10-meter and 37th in the 3-meter board.
Kit’s family members were all Colonist, either as students or ardent supporters. Head of family Gordon Salness, a practicing physician in Anaheim for numerous years, was Anaheim’s football team doctor.
Matriarch Betty worked for the Anaheim Union High School District starting in 1964, first as a Braillist at Fremont and Anaheim High, then as a special education teacher for Oak, Los Alamitos and Lexington.
Her brother Ty is a doctor of internal medicine in the Indian Service Hospital in Kiletrken, Alaska. Ty was a USC teammate of OJ Simpson and was on the 1967 National Championship football team. Now part-time doctor and spends his retirement hours at him home in Panama. For 22 years he was a high school football coach at six schools.
Another brother, Kym, is a doctor who had a fellowship at UC Irvine and studied pulmonary diseases. He became UCI’s medical director and later held the same position at Pennsylvania State in Hershey. Now retired and living in Pennsylvania.
Sister Jo Salness Waldman, now retired was a physical education teacher in the Fullerton district and for 25 years was a high school volley ball coach at University High School in California. She’s now retired on a 70-horse ranch in Elk Washington.
Brother Lad is a high school teacher and head coach at Sunset High School in Portland, Oregon.
