Four people with Central Nebraska ties included in Nebraska Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame class
Four people with ties to central Nebraska are among those set to be inducted into the Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame this year.
By News Channel NebraskaGRAND ISLAND, NE — Four people with ties to central Nebraska are among those set to be inducted into the Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame this year.
The NSWCA announced Monday that four coaches, six competitors and three contributors make up the organization’s 2023 hall of fame class. Coach Terry Owens of Harvard and competitors Michael Klinginsmith of Kearney Catholic, Michael McClaren of Grand Island Central Catholic and Keenan McCurdy of UNK will represent Central Nebraska.
Owens is currently the head coach for the boys and girls wrestling programs at Harvard High School. According to The Clay County News, he has been involved with Harvard athletics since 1984 and also started as head football coach in 2022.
Klinginsmith won three state championships at Kearney and finished his high school career in 2009 with a 168-7 record. He went on to wrestle at 165 pounds for Nebraska. He made four Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll lists, finished with a 4.0 grade-point average twice and garnered Academic All-Big Ten status in 2013. He posted winning records in three seasons, including an 8-2 mark as a redshirt junior.
McClaren won a Class C state title in 1982 at 105 pounds for GICC. He won state the next year at 112 pounds. He went on to wrestle and run track and cross country at Chadron State. McClaren returned to Grand Island after college and coached high school wrestling in the area. He died in a car accident in 2009.
McCurdy won multiple state championships at Lincoln East before becoming at Loper. At UNK, he was part of the 2008 national championship team and earned Academic All-American honors four times. He is currently the head coach at Lincoln East.
The Class of 2023 will be inducted into the NSWCA Hall of Fame on Friday, June 9 at the annual NSWCA banquet at 5:00 PM at Boarders Inn & Suites in Grand Island.
Category: Coach 1. Jim Meyer - Fort Calhoun 2. Terry Owens - Harvard 3. Randy Schroeder - Rushville, West Holt 4. Brett Shuler - Plattsmouth, Louisville
Category: Competitor 1. Dan Hilario - Omaha Burke, UNO 2. Michael Klinginsmith - Kearney Catholic, UNL 3. Dante D. Lewis - Om Benson, Om Bryan, University of Minnesota-Morris 4. Michael McClaren (deceased) - GI Central Catholic, Chadron State 5. Keenan McCurdy - Lincoln East, UNK 6. Mike Shoff - Sutton, Cambridge, SDSU
Category: Contributor 1. Bill Booth - Logan View 2. Danny Daniels - Ainsworth 3. Bill Gubbels –Randolph