The Oregon Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame celebrated it's 25th Annual Honors Banquet on Saturday, May 4, 2019, at the Embassy Suites-Portland Washington Square.  It was a fantastic night highlighted with the induction of these great people:

Lifetime Service to Wrestling

♦  Dan Anson, Official, Salem

♦  Norm Berney, Coach, Oregon City

♦  Dean Dixon, Coach, Eugene

♦  Rick Herrin, Coach, Salem

♦ Trent Kroll, Coach, Hood River

♦ Chris Lucas, Coach, Eagle Point and South Umpqua

♦ Larry Owings, Coach, Canby

♦  Dan Williamson, Coach, Milwaukie

Outstanding American from the State of Oregon

♦  Craig Woodward, CEO/Philanthropist, Prineville

After the ceremonies, Jim Pond, President of the Oregon Chapter for 20 years was presented with a plaque showing our appreciation of him:

Jim Pond Wrestling Award

 

Lifetime Service to Wrestling

Danny Anson, Official, Salem, Oregon

• Officiated high school and college wrestling for 48 years


• Officiated 31 OSAA State Tournaments


• Held all positions on the Salem Wrestling Officials Association (President, Vice-President and Secretary)


• Two-time Oregon HS Coaches Association Official-of-the-Year

Norm Berney, Coach, Oregon City, Oregon

• 1963 High school state champion from Canby


• BS from Eastern Oregon College, Master’s from Portland State


• Head Coach at Community College 1975-89


• His wrestlers won 13 All-American awards, including one National Championship


• Five-time Oregon Community College Coach-of-the-Year


• 1987 National Junior College Coach-of-the-Year


• 127-35 dual meet record


• Clackamas Community College Athletic Hall-of-Fame

Dean Dixon, Coach, Eugene, Oregon

• Graduated from the University of Oregon


• Four-year letterman


• PAC-8 Champion


• U of Oregon Wrestling Team Captain


• 20 years as U of O assistant coach under Ron Finley


• Board Member U of Oregon Letterman’s Club


• 25 years as wrestling camp clinician (Camp Lane, U of O, Port Townsend, Southern Oregon

Rick Herrin, Coach, Salem, Oregon

• Graduated from Pacific University


• Pacific NW Champion and NAIA National placer (4th in 1984)


• 31 years coaching at Forest Grove, including head coaching jobs a Sutherlin and McKay


• 1996 Valley League team champions


• 1996 Valley League Coach-of-the-Year


• His teams won 26 total OSAA medals and 11 top three OSAA finishes including one OSAA 4A team title.

Chris Lucas,  Coach, Eagle Point, South Umpqua and Mazama High Schools

• Graduated from Eagle Point High School, where he excelled in football. wrestling and track


• Graduated from Southern Oregon College in 1975


• Coached wrestling at Eagle Point and South Umpqua for over 30 years


• Named SOC Coach-of-the-Year three times


• His wrestlers earned 32 OSAA state medals, including 9 individual state titles


• Member of OSAA Wrestling Competition Committee since 2007


• Founded South Umpqua youth wrestling program in 1975


• Finished his teaching and coaching career as Vice-principal/Athletic Director at Mazama High School in Klamath Falls

Trent Kroll, Coach/Athletic Director, Hood River, Oregon

• Graduated from Pacific University. Coached by Mike Clock


• Coached wrestling for 24 years at Tualatin, Madison, Centennial and Hood River Valley high schools


• His wrestlers have won 84 total OSAA state medals including 21 individual championships, 80 state freestyle & greco-roman medals including 19 individual titles


• 246-169 dual meet record


• His wrestlers have won eleven USAW All-American Awards


• Has coached OWA Cultural Exchange teams to Japan twice, Canada & South Africa


• Is current Oregon Scholastic rep to the National Wrestling Coaches Association


• Is current OACA wrestling rep to the OSAA


• 7 years as Beach Wrestling Director for the OWA


• Currently serves as Hood River Valley High School Athletic Director

Larry Owings, Coach/Official, Canby, Oregon

• Graduated from Canby High School where he was a two-time OSAA champion


• Earned a BS and a Master’s in Education the University of Washington


• NCAA Champion and Outstanding Wrestler
  
  
  
  • His 1970 NCAA finals victory over Dan Gable cemented his place in wrestling history
  
  
  
  


• Pac-8 Champion, three-time NCAA finalist


• Inducted into University of Washington Athletic Hall of Fame


• USWF Greco-Roman and freestyle champion and Outstanding Wrestler


• Coached high school wrestling in Washington (Seattle) and Oregon (Clackamas CC,Oregon City, Molalla, Canby and Woodburn) for over 25 years


• Licensed Building Contractor

Dan Williamson, Coach, Milwaukie, Oregon

• Two-time State Champion at Corbett High School in 1973 and 74


• Graduated Portland State University in 1979 with a BS in Biology and a Master’s in Teaching


• Coached high school wrestling for 34 years in Newberg and Milwaukie


• Officiated high school wrestling for 13 years


• Coached Oregon Cadet and Junior National teams for 20 years


• Coached Cultural Exchange teams to Japan and Brazil


• Two years as Cultural Exchange Director


• His wrestlers won a combined total of 28 individual state individual folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman championships


• Inducted into the Corbett High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016

Outstanding American from the State of Oregon

Craig Woodward, CEO, Prineville, Oregon

• Graduated from Crook County High School in 1965


• Earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Eastern Oregon College in 1969


• Two-time NAIA All-American, four-time Oregon Collegiate Conference Champion


• Inducted into the Eastern Oregon University Hall of Fame for Outstanding Achievement as a an Athlete


• CEO and owner of Woodward Companies and Evergreen West, which include highly successful logging, timberland management and forest salvage operations in the United States and Latin America