Rice Lake Sports Hall of Fame Foundation Candidates for Induction 2015

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1 Rice Lake Sports Hall of Fame Foundation Candidates for Induction 2015 Mike Bearman Nominated for Officiating Mike graduated from RLHS in 1962 earning letters in baseball and football. Mike tried out for the football team in his senior year and by sheer determination and total commitment cracked the starting line-up as a defensive tackle for the final 4 games of the season. He was very proud to wear the Warrior colors on his letter sweater and letter jacket. He was also the school sports editor for the Northern Light for 4 years. In 1966 Mike graduated from UW-Eau Claire with a teaching degree. While at Eau Claire, he was sports editor of the campus newspaper and an accomplished bowler for the Blugolds school team. After working in the insurance industry in New York and then as a teacher in Illinois and Arizona, Bearman settled in Reno and made a living with his two passions, sports and poker playing. He was an umpire, and as a poker player, loved strategy and crossing wits with his opponents. Mike began his umpiring career in Rice Lake in the 1970 s. After moving to Reno in the late 70 s it is estimated that he worked 17,000 athletic contests in the 25 years he called Reno his home. He also umpired in Lake Tahoe. He combined a tireless work ethic with a hard line on integrity in a career as a baseball/softball umpire and basketball official. Mike loved the rules and abiding by them was his mission. He was a colorful character who had a flair for controlling a game. He prided himself on knowing how to run a game, using common sense and a sense of humor to manage players, coaches and fellow umpires. Student-athletes, coaches and school administrators became part of Bearman s extended family, not adversaries in a contest. Mike died in June of 2004 and was posthumously inducted into the Nevada Interscholastic Assoc. Hall of Fame in February of His induction biography described Bear, as he was affectionately known, as one of the most dedicated and talented high school officials with which the Silver State has ever been blessed. Bob Buergi Nominated for Hockey A 1951 graduate of Rice Lake High School, Bob was one of the original founders of the Rice Lake Hockey Association. In 1969, he served on the first board of directors, held several office positions on the board and was an officer of the Wisconsin Amateur Hockey Association. Bob helped plan and personally supervised the actual construction of the Rice Lake hockey arena; erected the existing bleachers, the concession area and, along with his father Adolph and others, built the foundation of the inside hockey rink. In addition, Bob spent many enjoyable hours coaching several youth hockey teams, including assisting the 1980 State Champion Rice Lake A Bantam team. Bob loved baseball and coached many amateur teams including the 1962 Barron County League Champion Rice Lake Robins, also finalists of the W.B.A. State Tournament. Bob Curtis Nominated for Fastpitch Softball Born in Long Lake Township in 1926, Bob attended Spooner High School through his sophomore year, and graduated from Belvidere in After WWII he moved back to Rice Lake and pitched fast-pitch from 1950 through the mid 60 s, accumulating over 300 wins, dominating the County Fast-pitch League and the Rice Lake Municipal League. Bob played for Sockness Shoe Company, Breunig s Lager, Manson s Clothing Store, Grouchy Don s Café, Mathison Tire, Corners Bar and Club 48. Curtis Field, a softball diamond at Tate Park was named after him on June 10, He was also instrumental in organizing many chapters of Ducks Unlimited in Northwest Wisconsin. Jessica Jessie Emerson Nominated for Basketball & Softball A 1988 graduate of Rice Lake High School, Jessie earned 11 varsity letters for the Warriors in basketball, softball and volleyball. In basketball, she was voted MVP in both her senior and junior years as the Warriors were 17 & 3 all in and 18 & 3 all in She was first team all-conference in her senior season averaging 15 points per game and scoring 31 points in one game good for third on the school s all-time list. She averaged 15.4 points as a junior and 12.5 points per game as a sophomore. In softball, Jessie lettered all four years. She was co-captain and 1 st team all-conference her senior year and was a leading hitter all four years. Jessie helped lead the Warriors to four conference championships with a combined record of 34 & 4 and 54 & 13 in all games. In tournament playing against Division I competition she was on three regional championships in 1986 through In volleyball, Jessie was team MVP in both her senior and junior years. She was the leading spiker as a sophomore and junior and was the leading digger her senior and sophomore seasons. Jessie was awarded the Most Outstanding Athlete award by the Jaycees for females during the school year. After high school, she attended UW-Barron County where she played basketball and volleyball. Since 1984, Jessie has played women s slowpitch in Rice Lake where she currently resides. Bud Epp Nominated for Horse Racing In the 1950 s, Bud started working with harness horses in Rice Lake. He was an owner, trainer, driver and advisor to anyone that needed his help. During this time he had hundreds of winners. His first horse was named Monte Ota,

2 which brings back many memories, as well as the rest: Whiz By, Little Joker, John Allen, Bret s Blaze, Dorset, Little Alice, Billy Brooks, Minnesota Fats, Jenna Direct, Keyed Up, Steady Bo, Little Fiddler, Bestrow, Happy Wish, and many more. Bud did it all, including shoeing, both for himself and numerous others until his health would no longer allow him to do so. He continued to give advice, and check the angles and toe lengths before the farrier finished the job. This man thought like a horse at times and seemed to know what the horse needed or wanted. Earlier in his career, he drove as well as trained. Bud s last drive was in Rice Lake with Dorset. This horse went down near the front of the grandstand. Among other disappointments was the most devastating the fire in Elkhorn that burned his stable of horses. In that fire he lost Bestrow, Happy Wish and several other beloved horses. Like other horsemen, Bud picked up the pieces and continued in his beloved sport. Bud worked extremely hard to promote harness racing at the Barron County Fair. He did radio work, poster advertisements, obtained donations for the purse money and donations for the grandstand for between races, secured bedding for the horsemen and worked closely with the fair board. Bud tried in every way to make it enjoyable for the horsemen as well as providing a great show for the people viewing the races from the grandstand, and many railbirds around the track. Bud was a retired Rice Lake cattle dealer who came out of Nebraska as a teenager to join the Navy during World War II. Following the war he raised his family in Rice Lake. Bud Epp was inducted into the Wisconsin Harness Racing Association Hall of Fame in He passed away in November of Bonnie Faber Nominated for Girls Softball Coaching When Bonnie coached her final game for the Rice Lake Girls Softball Team in 2000, she became the winningest coach in the history of Rice Lake High School sports. It is a distinction she held from 1999 to She was the first coach of the Warrior girls softball team beginning in In her 18 years as coach, her teams won 215 games against 112 losses; a winning percentage of In her first 7 years of coaching, her teams won 6 Ho N conference championships. All told she won 7 conference championships, 5 regional championships and gained the sectional finals once in 1998, all against Division I schools. Bonnie graduated from Granton, WI high school in 1968 when there were no girls sports. She received her B.A. from UW-Eau Claire in 1973 and her Masters from UW-La Crosse in After 5 years in Medford, she began her career in Rice Lake in 1981 as a learning disabilities teacher. She retired from teaching in In addition to coaching the Warriors girls softball team, she helped the Warrior girls volleyball team for 25 years, either as head coach or as an assistant. Bonnie was also an accomplished softball player in the Rice Lake Slowpitch Association. Dean Harrington Nominated for Stock Car Racing Dean is one of the original founders of the Rice Lake Speedway, which was founded in He has been track president an unprecedented seven times and has held all the other board positions as well, some of them numerous times. Dean has done every job at the speedway and has never missed a race since its beginning in In 1963, Dean was a co-founder of the spectacular infield fireworks display now known as the Firecracker Special. Dean was also an excellent racer at the track. He began racing at the Rice Lake Speedpit in 1952 in his famous black and yellow #U2 car with the lightning bolt on the roof. He started out racing Modifieds, then Super Modifieds and then moved to the Late Models. Dean was the first Aquafest Race Super Modified feature winner in 1964 and won again in He was the Late Model Points Champion in 1973 and 1976 and the Mid-Season Champion in Dean is still involved at the speedway on a weekly basis, working the infield scale following each race. When he weighs in the first car of the 2012 racing season, it will make a remarkable 60 th consecutive year of involvement wit auto racing at Rice Lake. Dean is a 1946 graduate of Spooner High School, served with the U.S. Marine Corps, and then settled in Rice Lake in He was inducted into the Rice Lake Speedway s Hall of Fame in August of Pat Hauck Nominated for Snowmobile Racing The youngest of 12 children, Pat grew up on a dairy farm and graduated from RLHS in He is one of the most dominant drivers in the history of snowmobile racing. For over 38 years, Hauck and Yamaha have performed in ice racing to grass drags and everything in-between. Pat began racing snowmobiles in He is a Yamaha Factory Team racer and holds 9 NSSR World Records, was named ISR Driver of the Year, has been a continuous top ten racer and Pro Stock Hi-Points Champion. He won the Wisconsin Cup in 2004, the Wausau Cup, Minocqua Cup and the Minnesota Cup, along with numerous Manufacturer s Challenge races and 19 Worlds Championships. In the Minnesota Cup Haydays, generally regarded as the World s greatest grass drag, Pat has a winning streak no other driver can match by winning at least one class of racing a record 31 consecutive years. Also known as The Ice-Man, he holds the world record 4-stroke 1000 foot radar run with speeds in excess of 150 mph. Pat has been a Yamaha snowmobile owner and dealer since In 1996 he purchased a 20 acre site on the western edge of Rice Lake known as Hauck Power Sports where he is able to test sleds on a grass drag track, snow cross jumps and a ¼ mile asphalt strip. He also designs and manufactures snowmobile parts that are shipped all over the world. In addition to snowmobiles, Pat has also raced motorcycles, ATV s, and race cars.

3 Bob Jacobson Nominated for Baseball 1965 RLHS graduate. Three sport athlete earning 7 letters. Baseball 3 year letterman, Captain in As a catcher hitting from the left side, Bob led the Warriors to 3 Ho N conference championships, 3 sectional finals and Rice Lake s second berth in the WIAA State Baseball Tournament in He played 5 years of American Legion baseball for Post 87 of Rice Lake earning MVP honors in Bob attended UW-River Falls and lettered 3 years, graduating in He then served in the U.S. Army in Germany from 1969 to From 1972 to 2004, Bob established himself as one of the finest catchers in the Province of Alberta, Canada, playing for the Calgary Odeons National team from 1972 to 1978 and major senior baseball teams annually representing Alberta in the years of age and older World Series of Baseball Finals in Phoenix, AZ. He was instrumental in the promotion and founding of the Little League Baseball program in Vermilion, Alberta Canada during the early 1980 s. Football 2 year letterman for the Warriors playing on both sides of the line as the team quarterback and 1 st team All Ho N Conference cornerback in Basketball 2 year letterman. As a guard, Bob led Rice Lake to consecutive 10 and 4 Ho N conference records in 1964 and 65 and a 5 and 1 run in the WIAA tournament in 1965 for a 16 and 6 record. Dann Kann Nominated for Running in Competition Dann competed in football, wrestling and track at Stratford High School in the 1960 s, setting a school record of 4:37.1 in the mile and advancing to State three times in the mile event. He went on to compete in track at UW-Stout, setting the fieldhouse record in the mile. Kann rekindled his athletic career by entering the Superior to Rice Lake 83-mile World Championship Snowshoe Race in Dann won the race in a record time of 13 hours, 24 minutes, more than 9 hours better than the previous winning time. Kann then turned to cross country skiing. After only one year, Dann placed 23 rd at the Birkebeiner and the next year won the Birkebeiner Citizen s Class as the first American finisher not associated with the U.S. Ski Team. In 13 Birkebeiners, Kann was often the top Wisconsin finisher. Twice he placed 3 rd in his age group and 7 th overall in Through the 80 s Dann won 17 ski races throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan and took two firsts in the 1986 Badger State Games. Internationally, Kann finished as the top North American in both the 30-k and 15-k event, placing 3 rd in the world at 30 k and 4 th at 15 k. Also at the World Masters Championships, Kann had the fastest N. American time on the US 10-k relay team. His 3 North American firsts at the world games earned him the US Ski Assn. Masters Championship crown for LeRoy Husky Kline Nominated for Track LeRoy graduated from Rice Lake High School in He was a two sport athlete in track and basketball for the Lakers. (Rice Lake didn t field a football team at the time.) But it was in track that LeRoy excelled. As a junior he won a WIAA State Championship in the 220 yard dash in a time of As a senior he won a state championship in the 100 yard dash in a time of During his senior year he set school records in the 100 yard dash at 10.0 and in the 220 yard dash at These school records stood for 65 years and were never broken because the WIAA moved to the metric system in Once as a junior LeRoy scored 35 points by himself, which was more than any team scored in the track meet. Following graduation, LeRoy was invited to compete in the Chicago Tribune s track meet for the top high school sprinters in the United States. He placed second. LeRoy went on to Hamline University to become a dentist, but in the meantime set two outdoor track records that were never broken; 9.45 in the 100 yard dash and in the 220 yard dash, both in John Leary Nominated for Hockey John Leary graduated from RLHS in 1981 as a three-sport athlete in football, hockey and baseball. In football, John was a two-year letter winner as a right guard and middle linebacker. In his junior year, John helped his team to their first and only State Football Championship with an 11-0 record. As a senior he was team MVP, All-Conference guard for the second time and Eau Claire Leader Telegram All-Northwest linebacker as the Warriors were State runners-up with a 10-2 record. John was a three-year letterman for the hockey team as a first line left wing. In his junior year he scored 59 points which advanced Rice Lake to their only WIAA State Hockey Tournament appearance which resulted in a State runner-up and a 20-2 record. In his senior year he was named NHC All-Conference, All-State and Team MVP for the 14-5 Warriors. He is the 5 th leading scorer in Rice Lake hockey history with 126 points. John was a letter winner in baseball his junior year and played American Legion baseball as a shortstop and third baseman. Post high school sports include playing adult hockey for teams in the Chippewa Valley and the Hayward Muskies at the local, State and National levels. Teams he has played on have won 5 gold medals, 7 silver, and 1 bronze in the Badger State Games. John graduated from the University of Notre Dame and the University of Wisconsin Law School. Fred Lee Nominated for Basketball and Baseball

4 Fred graduated from Rice Lake High School in 1967 after having earned 8 letters in basketball, football and baseball. In basketball, the 6 3 guard earned 3 varsity letters and played without the benefit of the 3-point shot, nevertheless scoring a career 938 points with 356 points his senior year and 328 as a junior. He earned All Ho N honors in both his junior and senior years and co-captained the Warriors to a record of He was also All-Northwest and All-State Honorable Mention as a senior, which gained him a scholarship to Mankato State. In football, Fred was the leading scorer for the undefeated 1966 Ho N champions with 44 points on 5 TD receptions and 14 extra point kicks. As a tight-end, he caught 17 passes for 277 yards and also handled the kick-off duties. He was First Team All Ho N and named to the second team Eau Claire Leader All-Northwest team. In baseball, the 3-year letter winner helped lead the Warriors to 2 Ho N championships in 1965 and In 1966, the left-handed hitting power-hitter hit 5 homeruns in 6 games, a school record, and ended the season with 6. Fred received All Ho N accolades in both his junior and senior years. In addition, he played four years of Class A American Legion Baseball for Post 87 of Rice Lake. In the field, he played center field and had the ability to quickly get to the ball and possessed a strong arm. As a result of his success in baseball, he was drafted by the Cincinnati Red Legs in In the fall of 1967, Fred suffered a serious leg injury while trying out for the Mankato State football team that prevented him from playing any further competitive sports. He briefly played amateur league baseball and fastpitch softball in Rice Lake and then chose the U.S. Army as a career. He passed away at the age of 55 in March of Michael (Mort) Miller Nominated for Basketball Graduating from Rice Lake High School in 1980, Mort was a nine varsity letter winner. He lettered in cross-country, track, baseball and basketball. He captained his senior year, leading the Warrior Basketball team in scoring with a 14.6 average and was 3 rd in the Ho N scoring race. He was an outstanding ball handler and passer, giving out 6.8 assists per game, which was 3 rd in the Conference. Mort shot an outstanding 48% from the floor and even more impressive was his 84% free throw accuracy. Never to be forgotten was his last second shot to beat Hayward, and his downtown bombs, which amazed the crowd and opposing coaches. His coach, Bruce Anderson, always said the 3 Point Shot came too late in time, as Mort would have feasted on it. He played basketball at Southern California College in Newport Beach. Mort is presently a Learning Disability teacher in the Eau Claire school system. Dave Morgan #500 Nominated for Stock Car Racing Dave holds the career record at the Rice Lake Speedway with 103 Feature wins. Known as the King, he also holds the record of longest consecutive years of racing at the Speedway at 43 years, from 1961 to Morgan holds the record for most feature wins for one season at Rice Lake in the Late Model class with 12. He has won 6 Season Championships in Late Models and Modifieds, and has been Season Points Champion 3 years for Late Models and 1 year for Modifieds. Morgan has won 6 mid-season championships including three in a row. He has won 2 Labor Day Invitationals, 4 Aquafest Features and has won the Best Appearing Car award 6 times. In 1968 Morgan competed in the Canadian Dirt Track Championships in Thunder Bay, Ontario and was voted the top driver from the United States. In 1969 he won that Championship. Morgan won the first Punky Manor Memorial race in Menomonie and the first Russ Laursen Memorial race in Eau Claire. He has won the Wisconsin State Dirt Track Championship, raced at the Minnesota State Fair, and at tracks in Northwestern Wisconsin, Minnesota, Florida and Canada. Dave has been a life-long resident of Rice Lake. Ron Parker Nominated for Basketball After graduating from Spooner High School in 1957 where he was starting guard on Spooner s 1956 State Basketball Tournament Team, Ron Parker attended UW-La Crosse and was starting guard and two-year basketball letter winner. He taught and coached at St. Croix Central ( ) with outstanding win-loss records: Basketball, ; Baseball, 41-18; Football, Ron then taught and coached at UW-Barron County from 1969 to His basketball record ( ) was , with 5 Division Titles and 2 Conference Championships. In 1981 he was voted Wisconsin Collegiate Conference Basketball Coach of the Year. As golf coach, ( ), Ron s teams won 3 Conference Championships and were State runners-up twice. All of his varsity teams finished with a win/loss record above 500. Ron is Associate Professor Emeritus, UW-BC, Department of Physical Education/Athletics. He was Athletic Director from 1980 to 1997 and received the Wisconsin Collegiate Conference Meritorious Service Award. Ron was a WIAA Basketball official for 17 years; WIAA Volleyball official for 15 years; Youth Basketball program volunteer official, and was assistant coach for the 1989 State Championship Rice Lake Fastpitch Softball Team for the Boys 18 and Under League. Ron is a member and past president of the R.L. Curling Club. He participated in the 2005 and the 2006 State and National Senior Curling Championships. Julie (Lola) Piepenburg Nominated for Track and Basketball Julie graduated from RLHS in She was a four-year starter in volleyball, basketball and track. She averaged 17 points per game in basketball her senior year and an overall record of 12 and 4. As a senior in track, she was undefeated in both the shot and discus events through regionals. She led the Warriors to an undefeated Heart of the North

5 Championship and a regional championship. Julie placed 4 th in State in the discus with 124.8, then a school record. Her shot of 41 1 ½ is still a school record. Julie graduated from UW-La Crosse in 1980 and won one conference shot put title at 42 9 ¾. She played slowpitch for many years in Rice Lake and Rochester. Currently, she and her husband run marathons and do long distance walks for charities. She is a surgical nurse in Willmar, MN. Gary Richie Nominated for Courage Award Gary Richie was a two-time state qualifier in high school wrestling, continued his wrestling career at the collegiate level at UW-river Falls and then became Rice Lake High School s head wrestling coach in the season. But for all his accomplishments in a short time as a wrestler and coach, it was a brain injury in the summer of 1984 that became the springboard for Richie s most remarkable contributions to his sport and as an inspiration for many people. After coming out of a coma, Richie began a long journey of rehabilitation. Throughout that journey, he has written a number of books and pamphlets on the plight of the brain-injured, while also serving as an assistant wrestling coach at Rice Lake High School, a volunteer at St. Joseph s school in Rice Lake, and an organizer, along with his father Jim, of the Rice Lake Brain Injury Support Group. Richie s efforts and accomplishments, much of which he credits to his physical and mental training in sports, earned him induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame with a Courage Award in early Darell The Horse Russeau Nominated for Football Darell is a 1958 graduate of RLHS and a three year letter-winner in both football and track. He was a high powered running back for the Warriors who averaged 5.35 yards per carry during his senior year. Russeau s 738 yards and his running mate Ron Skip Scheurer s 734 yards combined for ¾ of the team s total yards. Nicknamed The Horse, Co- Captain Darell led Rice Lake to an undefeated conference record of 6-0 in 1957 and their first undisputed Ho N football championship since His 12 touchdowns in 1957 and his 25 career touchdowns were Rice Lake s best since His 166 career points set a Warrior record which held until In three years as a starter, The Horse led the Warriors to a conference record. In track, Darell s primary event was the pole vault, where he achieved heights of over 10 when they used the straight metal pole. His grandfather, Indian John Russeau was inducted into the Rice Lake Sports Hall of Fame in Bob Scheurer Nominated for Basketball A member of the Rice Lake High School class of 1952, Bob participated in football, basketball and track. He scored a touchdown per game as a rangy receiver in football and was noted as a long jumper and high jumper in track. But it was in basketball where he excelled. Bob changed the look of local basketball for all time. While his coach was promoting the two-hand set shot, Bob showed what one hand could do. He personified the jump-shot when it was just coming into the game. He had marvelous jumping ability which allowed him to play center, at just a shade over six feet tall. He could hook with either hand and his outside one-hander was deadly. He scored 656 points as a Warrior a school record at the time. Bob was called up to the A-squad in January of his sophomore year. During that brief stint, he averaged 11 points and had a high of 19 points in one game. Bob scored 43% of his team s points during his senior year. In a game against Ladysmith, Bob had the most brilliant performance ever turned in on the hardwood court of Rice Lake s gym. He scored 39 points on an array of jump shots, hook shots and long bombs, which was a school record. He also had games of 25 points twice and one of 27 points. Mike Strandlund Nominated for Journalsim A graduate of Rice Lake High School in 1975, while participating in several school sports, Mike s passions were the outdoors, hunting, nature and writing. He began his journalism career in Barron after graduating from UW-Eau Claire. He was editor of the Barron News-Shield for five years in the early 1980 s. While he was editor, the News-Shield won a first place award in state-wide newspaper competition for a series he wrote on the challenges facing the rural farm economy. Strandlund left the newspaper in the mid 80 s to accept a position as writer and editor for the National Rifle Association s magazine and books detailing the how-to and outdoor experience of hunting. His love of bowhunting led him to join the editorial staff of Bowhunting World and Archery Business magazines in Minnetonka, MN. He was named editor of both publications in 1993 and was named editorial director of Grandview Outdoors in His bowhunting assignments and adventures took him across North America, to Canada and to Africa. His writing and expertise in the bowhunting field earned him induction into the prestigious Bowhunters Hall of Fame in Through the years, Mike continued to hunt and fish in northwestern Wisconsin. Mike Strandlund s life was cut short as he passed away in the waters off the beach of a remote island in the Philippines on March 31, 2013, at the age of 56. Bruce Tasker Nominated for Fishing Guide Bruce fished the Chippewa Flowage for 70 years, beginning in 1931 with his father. He began his career as a guide on these same famous waters in 1946 and continued showing anglers the muskies, walleyes and panfish of the Big Chip through He was born in Minneapolis and graduated from Elmwood high school in Wisconsin. He served in the

6 Navy from 1940 to 1946 and received his B.A. from UW-Eau Claire in 1949 and his M.A. from UW-Superior in Prior to coming to Rice Lake he was a teacher at Gilman and Northwestern-Maple high schools. From 1957 to 1980 Bruce was a guidance counselor at RLHS and that career served as a perfect complement to guiding fisherman all summer long and during weekends in the fall. He also designed and distributed the Bon-Net, a very popular musky lure in the 50 s and 60 s. Bruce became a legendary guide and was recognized as such by his induction into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in April of Gerald Skip Wick Nominated for Football Skip graduated from Rice Lake High School in 1948, lettering 3 years in football, basketball and track. During his senior year Skip qualified for the State track meet in the pole vault. He was a 2 way starter on the football team that won 3 consecutive conference championships in 1945, 46, and 47, playing wide receiver and linebacker/defensive back. During his football career, Skip scored on many long pass plays as a receiver but it was as a defensive player that Skip really stood out. He was proficient at turnovers and turning them into scores for the Warriors. He was mentioned in several newspaper articles of the time as an outstanding tackler who was consistently in the opposing teams backfield messing up their plays. Skip was an integral member of the basketball team that also won 3 consecutive conference championships. Playing point guard in his senior year, Skip was the third leading scorer on the team. After graduation, Skip attended UW-Eau Claire, playing football for two years before enlisting in the U.S. Army and serving for 3 years mostly in Korea. He rose to Platoon Sergeant and was decorated for his service in the Korean War. After leaving the service, Skip returned to Wisconsin and enrolled at UW-Stout, playing football as a running back and defensive player. He was selected as Team MVP, elected Captain and was selected for All-Conference both years. After his college career was over, Skip was offered a tryout with the Chicago (Phoenix) Cardinals. He turned down the opportunity and stayed at UW-Stout as an Assistant Football Coach. In 1958, Skip moved to Hurley, Wisconsin as a teacher and football coach, serving many years as a JV and Varsity Coach. In 2011 Skip Wick was inducted into the UW- Stout Athletic Hall of Fame and in 2012 was inducted into the Hurley High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Skip currently resides in Hurley, Wisconsin. Earl Zimmerman Nominated for Football and Basketball Coaching Head football, basketball and track coach at RLHS from 1943 to 1951, he was the final coach at Rice Lake to be a head coach in both basketball and football. In 8 seasons, his Laker squads captured four football championships, three basketball titles and three track championships. In conference games his football team was going undefeated in 1943, 46 and 47. In basketball, he was all and in the Heart of the North. Zimmerman graduated from Oconto high school and Oshkosh State College in 1932 where he starred in football and basketball. He came to Rice Lake after 6 years in the coaching field at Elcho, WI where his teams won two football titles and one basketball title.