Oregon Chapter

Official State Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame


Oregon Chapter Celebrates its 25th Annual Honors Banquet - May 4th, 2019

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


 

Our Mission: To honor the sport of wrestling by preserving its history, recognizing extraordinary individual achievements, and inspiring future generations