LINCOLN — With Scott and Larry Frost and Danny Woodhead being honored, this year’s Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame ceremony should test the capacity of the Lincoln East auditorium.
The Nebraska football coach and his father, who was a record-setting eight-man player in high school, will join mother Carol Moseke Frost — an Olympic discus thrower — in the hall on Sept. 22.
Woodhead played nine seasons in the NFL after winning the Harlon Hill Trophy twice as the best player in NCAA Division II at Chadron State.
Also to be honored are athletes Damon Benning, Andrea Conner, Aaron Golliday, Jenny Green, Jina (Johansen) Douglas, Sheila (Miller) Estes, Richie Ross, Jennifer (Warner) Ramsey and Colby Wissel; coaches Doug Denson, Gwen Egbert, Jack Guggenmos, Curt Shockey and Tim Turman; contributors Hub Foster and Gene Haynes; and official Joe Wells.
Scott Frost, Woodhead, Golliday and Ross are past winners of The World Herald’s Nebraska high school athlete of the year award. Denson and Egbert have been World-Herald coaches of the year.
Ticket prices for the 1:30 p.m. ceremony, which follows a dessert reception, are $25 for adults and $10 for K-12 students. Preschool students are admitted free. For more information, go to www.nebhalloffame.org or call 402-476-4767.
Athletes/coaches
Damon Benning, Omaha Northwest (1992): A four-year football letterman at Nebraska, he played on its national championship teams in 1994 and 1995 and was MVP of the 1996 Orange Bowl in his final game. Rushed for 1,562 yards in his career. At Northwest, he was All-Nebraska in football and baseball.
Andrea Conner, Millard South (1991): The state’s first three-time all-around champion in girls gymnastics, she swept all five golds at the 1990 state meet to finish with 13 in her career. She made the Junior Olympic national team and lettered at Missouri.
Larry Frost, Malcolm (1965): The only eight-man player to be MVP in the Nebraska Shrine Bowl, he lettered three years at NU and started on its 1969 Sun Bowl team. He was a 12-letterman at Malcolm whose 121 touchdowns were an eight-man national record. He won 180 games in his prep football coaching career.
Scott Frost, Wood River (1993): Nebraska’s football coach started his athletic career as a Parade All-American in football, a World-Herald athlete of the year (he won a gold and three class titles in state track in his career and also started in basketball) and the state record-holder in total offense in football while at Wood River. He started at quarterback at NU for two years and led the Huskers to the 1997 national title. He played six years in the NFL.
Aaron Golliday, York (1998): Named The World-Herald’s athlete of the year after making All-Nebraska in football and Class B all-state in basketball and winning the shot put gold at state track. Lettered 12 times. Lettered four years in football as a tight end at NU.
Jenny Green, Grand Island Central Catholic (2003): While completing a career sweep of the girls pole vault gold medals in state track, she set the untouched state record of 13-3. Also was all-state in volleyball and was a state qualifier in diving. At NU, she was a two-time All-American and four-time Big 12 pole vault champion.
Jina (Johansen) Douglas, Centura (2001): A two-time All-Nebraska first-team pick in girls basketball, she scored 2,064 points in her career and her teams were state runners-up twice. She was a four-year letterwinner at NU, starting 63 consecutive games, and now is the women’s basketball coach at Hastings College.
Sheila (Miller) Estes, Omaha Central (1977): A three-sport standout at Central who was Class A girls shot put champion as a senior, she established Creighton’s career scoring record with 644 points from 1977 to 1980 and led the Bluejays in rebounds as a freshman.
Richie Ross, Lincoln High (2000): The two-time All-Nebraska wide receiver and the honorary captain of the 2000 All-Nebraska basketball team won gold in the triple jump as a senior. After going to South Dakota State for basketball, he switched to UNK for football and was a Division II record-setting receiver.
Jennifer (Warner) Ramsey, St. Paul (1993): Warner was an all-state basketball selection at Greeley (1990 and 1991) and All-Nebraska at St. Paul (1992 and 1993), leading each school to a state title, while lettering in volleyball and track. She played basketball for two years at Iowa State and two years at UNK, where she was an NCAA Division II All-American and twice conference player of the year.
Colby Wissel, Kearney (2004): Won three golds in cross country after transferring from Elm Creek, where he played quarterback, and set state records in the 1,600 and 3,200 while getting triple gold in those races and the 3,200 relay as a junior and senior. At Kansas, he was a Big 12 cross country and indoor 3,000-meter champion.
Danny Woodhead, North Platte (2004): Only the third three-time All-Nebraska football player, he was on the All-Nebraska second team in basketball (setting school records) and soccer as a senior to be the first OWH athlete of the year from North Platte. At Chadron State, he won the Harlan Hill Trophy as Division II’s outstanding football player in 2006 and 2007, and went on to a nine-year NFL career with four franchises, scoring a touchdown in the 2012 Super Bowl for New England.
Doug Denson, Millard South: Took the Patriots to seven Class A wrestling team titles — plus three more state duals crowns — and six runner-up finishes during his tenure. He coached 11 Metro Conference championship teams and was the 2017 World-Herald Boys Coach of the Year. His coaching career included successful stops in schools in all four classes.
Gwen Egbert, Papillion-La Vista and Papillion-La Vista South: Her volleyball teams won six state titles, three each at Papillion and Papio South, were runners-up three times and went to state 19 times while she collected 700 wins in prep coaching. Her 2010 to 2012 Papio South teams that went a combined 119-1 are among the best in state history and were MaxPreps national champions in 2010 and 2011.
Jack Guggenmos, Aurora: He was inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame in 2014, and his football teams at Dorchester, Arlington and Aurora won 211 games over 30 years. Aurora went to the Class B finals three times. He coached 15 conference champions and 19 playoff qualifiers before finishing his career with 12 years as Waverly’s athletic director.
Curt Shockey, Ralston: He coached six state championship baseball teams between 1986 and 1999. He accumulated more than 1,000 wins over 23 seasons in high school and American Legion baseball. He was a finalist for national coach of the year.
Tim Turman, Wahoo Neumann: Recently retired after a career in football with 307 wins and state championships for Neumann in 2002 and 2003. Five more teams were state runners-up. His boys track teams were state champions from 1995 from 1997 and state runner-up in 1998.
Contributors
Hubert “Hub” Foster, York: As sports editor of the York News-Times from the 1950s to the 1970s, he promoted high school sports in the York area. After retirement, he continued to write articles for the paper until shortly before his death in 2013 at 95.
Gene Haynes, Omaha North (not pictured): His career as a teacher, coach, athletic director and administrator in the Omaha Public Schools began in 1967 when he was a teacher and coach at Omaha Tech. He was the first African-American head coach in OPS. Since 2001, he has been Omaha North’s principal.
Official
Joe Wells, Grand Island: In his 43-year officiating career, he’s worked more than 4,000 high school games, including 27 state basketball tournaments and five state baseball tournaments. Also has been a longtime assistant football coach at Grand Island and coaches the Islanders’ baseball team.
Other Awards
Great Moment in High School Sports: Jerry Motz, Lincoln Northeast. Made his last 23 shots in the Rockets’ 1964 win at South Sioux City while scoring a Class A record 57 points.
Dominant Dynasty: Amherst wrestling, 2005-17. In those 12 seasons, the Broncos won 13 Class D state championships (five dual) and four runner-up trophies.
Ron Gustafson Inspiration Award: Alex France, Millard North (2017). He competed in cross country for four years despite progressive visual impairment that required him to race with the aid of a guiding runner.
Fischer Family Award: Tim and Dianne Turman, Wahoo. Sons Matt and Seth and daughters Sara Vedral, Stephanie Jarrett, Krissy Turman and Jessica Schutt.
Golden Anniversary teams: Cozad boys basketball (22-0, Class B champion) and football (9-0, Class B ratings champion, outscored opponents 258-3) and Pawnee City boys basketball (26-0, Class C champion) in 1969-70.
Silver Anniversary teams: Cambridge football (13-0, Class C-2 champion) and girls basketball (24-0, Class C-2 champion) and Norfolk football (12-0, Class A champion).
