Louise Pound – Lincoln UNL Latin School
Contributor. Louise Pound was a pioneer among women athletes in the state of Nebraska, enjoying much success during her high school age years although never participating in structured high school athletics. Tennis and golf were her top sports, but she gained acclaim in figure skating, skiing, cycling, basketball, swimming, riding and bowling. She was captain […]
Vern Plambeck – Kearney
Official. It is enough said, perhaps, that Vern Plambeck has officiated high school sports since 1954. That’s six decades, and it would have been continuous except for a 1957 Army tour of duty. In the whistle-blowing fraternity, he developed into one of the best — calling seven state basketball tournaments, including the 1973 Class A […]
Stan Parker – Bellevue
Athlete. A 1982 graduate of Bellevue East, Parker excelled at football where he lettered for three years for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and was an Associated Press All-American Honorable Mention in 1986. At Bellevue East he excelled in wrestling and track as well, going undefeated (25-0) in wrestling in 1982 and winning the state championship. He […]
Jim Puetz – Columbus Scotus
Coach. Puetz compiled a 236-96-6 record coaching football for 34 years, 31 at Columbus Scotus. His teams won state championships in 1984 and 1993. A track coach from 1968 to 1993, his teams won two state championships, two state runner-up trophies, 18 district championships and 19 conference championships.
Ron Park – Millard North
Contributor. Park served as the Director of Athletics and Activities at Millard North from 1981 to 1995, overseeing 21 varsity sports and numerous junior varsity, sophomore and freshman programs. He developed the entire budget, ordered all equipment and uniforms and oversaw the construction and rental of the school’s athletic facilities. He also developed the schedules […]
Doug Phelps – Hastings
Athlete. A 1975 graduate of Hastings High School, Phelps was the first Nebraskan to clear the 7-foot barrier in the high jump. He won three straight gold medals in the high jump at the state meet and, his senior season, broke the state record five times. He also was a three-year, three-sport letterman for the […]
Gail Peterson – Crofton
Coach. Gail Peterson created a cross country dynasty in the little town of Crofton where his teams won 15 state championships and claimed the runner-up trophy another eight times. His girls teams won nine state titles, including eight straight from 1981-88. The boys teams won six state titles between 1977 and 1991. He coached two […]
Larry Pritchett – Perkins County
Coach. The driving force behind the Grant/Perkins County basketball dynasty, Larry Pritchett coached the Plainsmen to state championships in 1968, 1989 and 1990 and three state runner-up finishes, as well as 22 conference titles. He coached the Plainsmen from 1968-73 and again from 1987-2007. He was an assistant coach on Grant’s state championship team in […]
Maurice H. Palrang – Boys Town
Coach–Success as a coach in at least three different sports and at different high schools throughout a career from 1934-1972 shows the versatility of this fine coach. Prior to World War II, Maurice “Skip” Palrang helped develop the basketball skills of the Creighton Prep Blue jays in Omaha, leading them to winning state tournaments in […]
Gary Power – Gothenburg
Class of 1960 A “late bloomer,” Gary Power developed into a world-class hurdler after graduating from Omaha University. At age 23, he started to grow, adding an inch of height and nearly 20 pounds while shaving half a second off his 100-meter dash time. While living in California, he also became a devotee of weight […]
