A tremendous athlete, Norvard "Skip" Nalan, known by his older peers as "Snip," was a two-time national champion at the University of Michigan, winning titles in 1953 and 1954 and being voted "Outstanding Wrestler" in 1953.

He went undefeated in 1953 and 1954 and college career record was 44-3, including 34 consecutive wins in an era when matches were not a plentiful as today.

As the head coach at Grand Rapids High School, he coached his teams to 13 region (section) team titles and nine Top 10 finishes at the state tournament, including a runner-up finish in 1977. His overall record was 188-59-3 in 25 years.

He also coached one year at Drake University, where he started the program before going back to Grand Rapids.

He is a native of Mason City, Iowa where he was a two-time state runner-up in the then tough Iowa State Tournament.

Skip was owner and operator of the Blue Water Wrestling Camp from 1976 to 1984. He was a great clinician at summer camps throughout Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Skip is a member of the National Amateur Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Dave Bartelma Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame Foundation, and the Grand Rapids Wrestling Hall of Fame.

He was also a long-time official, having worked the NAIA National Tournament, NCAA II dual meets, and the Minnesota State High School Wrestling Tournament.

Skip retired from coaching in 1984.

He served seven years the National Wrestling Coaches Executive Committee and three years as that organization's president.

Skip died of a heart attack in 1989.

He is one of wrestling's great legends!