MIDLAND HALL OF FAME NOMINATIONS SOUGHT
The Midland Hall of Fame is set up to honor everyone who has made Midland what is it. It will honor not only athletics but fine arts, contributors to Midland, and distinguished graduates. Please understand this will be a Hall of Fame for Midland, not just Midland athletics.
Anyone wishing to nominate an individual or group for the Midland Hall of Fame can do so at any time by completing the nomination form and submitting it to Midland High School, ATTN: Hall of Fame, PO Box 109, Wyoming, IA 52362
The Hall of Fame committee will be getting together each year in August to look over all nominations received. The hall of fame inductions will take place at a scheduled event during the following school year. If questions contact the Activities Director at the high school 319-259-5340 x 2420.
PAST RECIPIENTS
2021 – Phil Coppess, Kirk Park, Shirley Petersen
2020 – Betty Anderson, Jerry Carstens, John Byers, and the 1993-94 Girls Basketball Team
MIDLAND HALL OF FAME 2021
We would like to congratulate the following inductees to the Midland Hall of Fame Class of 2021!
PHIL COPPESS – Oxford Junction Graduate
Phil Coppess was inducted into the Hall of Fame during the fall of 2021 at a football game. He graduated from Oxford Junction High School in 1972. Phil was a runner! There was a rumor that after track meets the bus would drop him off in Lost Nation and he would run home to OJ. Phil held 5 state individual titles in track and cross country. Phil won the Class C outdoor 2 mile run in 1971 and 1972. He won the Class E one mile and Class D 2 mile in cross country in 1971 and the indoor Class C 2 mile in 1972. He held the state indoor 2 mile record 9:56.9 and 2 mile outdoor run 9:45.1.
His love for running continued into his adult life winning the Drake Marathon and Chicago Marathon (beating Olympic champion, Frank Shorter) and the Huntsville, AL Marathon in 1981. In 1985 he was ranked #1 marathon USA runner by Track & Field News and ran the Twin Cities Marathon where he set a record that stood until 2016 at 2 hr. 10 m 5 sec. He also set course records in the Lincoln Marathon and the Winstone People’s Marthon in Auckland, New Zealand. In 2014 Mr. Coppess was inducted into the Iowa Track and Cross Country Hall of Fame.
We welcome Phil to the Hall of Fame, he has shown other Midland athletes that you can stay competitive for many years and should always give your best. We hope your love of running goes on and on and on…
KIRK PARK – Administrator/Coach/Teacher
Kirk Park came to Midland in 1974 and taught business, computers and PE over his 39 years here. He also coached football, boys’ basketball, softball and golf. He became Athletic Director in 1983 and served as Dean of Students for a couple of years.
Kirk’s football teams participated in the Class 1A football playoffs in 1983, 1985 and 1994. As a golf coach he has had state qualifiers two years.
Kirk is currently the boys’ golf coach and officiates in both basketball and softball. He has officiated in the Iowa girls’ state softball tournament for 14 years and the Iowa girls’ state basketball tournament one year.
Kirk was a Class 1A Athletic Director of the Year in 2014 and was inducted into the Iowa Girls Coaches Association Softball Officials Hall of Fame in 2020. Kirk also currently mows all of the athletic fields for Midland.
Thanks for your efforts over these past 47 years Kirk, you have touched a lot of lives here!
SHIRLEY PETERSEN – Contributor/Teacher
Shirley Petersen taught in the Midland District for a total of 38 years (5 in Wyoming and 33 in Lost Nation). She retired from teaching in 1994 and has remained active in our community helping others in countless ways. She is 91 years young and still volunteering when needed.
She has been involved with the Zion Lutheran “Piecemakers” for 21 years, making quilts for those in need. She has been involved in the local food pantry and in serving “Sparks” kids supper for the past 9 years. She has volunteered for Community Vacation Bible School for as long as she can remember.
She says her biggest contribution to the Midland School District has been her family. Five children graduated from Midland, 5 of her 8 grandchildren are Midland grads as well. Two great grandchildren are current Midland students with 2 more in the near future.
We thank Shirley for her efforts in the Midland District for all of these years! We love to see her out helping!
2020 MIDLAND HALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS
On Friday, January 31st we made our final 2020 Hall of Fame Inductions by recognizing Jerry Carstens and the 1993-94 Girls Basketball Team!
Jerry Carstens was a long time physical education teacher and coach. He coached girls basketball and is currently the 9th most winning coach in Iowa High School Girls Basketball history at 685 wins against 246 losses. He took teams to the state tournament in 1969, 1970, 1981, 1989, 1992 and 1994. Jerry was inducted into the Iowa Girls Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2002. He coached here through the 2004 year. Unfortunately Jerry passed away in October, so to accept the award were his wife Kathy and family members Scott, Barb and Jenna Harms, Brenda Leonard and her daughter Allison. Coach C touched a lot of lives during his time at Midland.
The Midland 1993-94 Girls State Qualifying Basketball Team was our final inductee into this inaugural Hall of Fame Class. They qualified for state under Coach Carstens. This tournament was a historic event for the state of Iowa as it was the first year that the girls state tournament was all 5 on 5 player games. Midland had the honor of playing in the first game of that tournament. The team finished with a 19-5 record and a first round loss at the state tournament to Armstrong-Ringsted 37-32. Unfortunately none of the team members were able to attend. Those on the team included: Julie Knake, Lisa Eganhouse Cantwell, Paula Brady Walsh, Kelly Erickson Ballou, Jessie Paarmann VonBehren, Nancy Tasker Davis, Tamara Ewoldt, Kelly Kleppe Doll, Kristy Loy
A 6 on 6 exhibition girls basketball game was held on January 31st and we had 14 alumni players come back to play. Tammie Widel Small did a mean imitation of Coach Carstens as coach. Everyone had a great time and no one got hurt. Thanks to Larry Meyer and Kirk Park for officiating the fun! Kathy Carstens enjoyed being surrounded by C’s girls!
Pictured: Front: Janice Widel, Lisa Ireland Burns, Tara Hay-Dusanek, Jodi Orris Suthers, Pam Widel Schoenthaler, Carrie Bahnsen. Middle: Tammie Widel Small, Angie McCarthy Gloeckner, Wendy Reade Bienemann Back: Larry Meyer, Nancy Petersen Collins, Kathy Carstens, Barb Westphal Hayek, Hilary Hansen, Kirk Park, Sharon Dirks Holmes, Kristina Doll, Mary Jo Nowachek Huston
Photos were taken throughout these fun events by Kim Buchholtz and everyone can check them out at this webpage: Photos from Midland Hall of Fame Induction 2020 from 1/31/20
On Saturday, January 25th during the John Byers Wrestling Tournament we recognized the first two Midland Hall of Fame recipients: Betty Anderson and John Byers.
Betty Anderson has been a long standing member of the Midland School District. Over the years Betty has been involved in so much with the district including driving bus, a regular at many Midland sporting events, chaperoning dances, and so much more. Known as Grandma Betty to most people in the district, Betty has always been willing to help any student in any way she can. To this day, Betty attends many events within the district and we look forward to having her around at our events for many years to come. Betty has contributed to the success of so many athletes, fine arts and general Midland students over the years. Needless to say we surprised Betty and she was a little overcome with emotion. Well deserved, CONGRATS BETTY!
John Byers, Mr. B as he was lovingly known, began his teaching career at Marble Rock, Iowa where he introduced the wrestling program to the district. He then came to work at Midland High School where he stayed for over 35 years teaching Industrial Arts and Driver’s Ed as well as coaching football, wrestling, and track. He was a compassionate and giving man who loved his family, students, players, and community. Aside from his many years in the classroom and athletics, he was strong in faith as a Deacon for the Wyoming Presbyterian Church, an EMT for the Wyoming Ambulance along with his wife Mary, and a Centurion of the Mason’s (St. Charles Cornerstone Lodge 141). In 1978 he was honored as the Class “A” Iowa Coach of the Year for Wrestling. In 1992 he was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Hall of Fame. Unfortunately John passed away on November 21, 2016 so his three children were back to accept his award, thanks to Joel, Mimi and Beth for making time to attend! CONGRATS B, we wish you were still here to receive your award!
Photos from Midland Hall of Fame Induction 2020 from 1/25/20
Thank you to all of these individuals and their families for all they have done for the Midland District over the years!
Thanks to John Meyer for coming out of retirement to announce these inductions and to Kim Buchholtz for her awesome photography skills so we can share this with everyone.