Three first-year names highlight the 10 finalists for the West Central Tribune Sports Hall of Fame.
Professional golfer Aaron Barber, who narrowly missed being inducted each of the past two years, is again one of finalists selected by a seven-person panel. Also on the ballot again are former Renville-Sacred Heart four-time state wrestling champion John Miller, former Willmar and Minnesota Gophers football standout Norm Sixta, former Morris and University of North Dakota basketball star Becky Moen, former Granite Falls football great Rick Meyer, Litchfield boys basketball coach John Carlson and former Atwater and Minnesota Gophers offensive lineman Jon Lilleberg.
The three first-time finalists are former Benson and North Dakota State football star Jerry Dahl, former Montevideo wrestling and baseball coach Jeff Gallagher, and former Central Minnesota Christian volleyball coach Traci Grussing.
Gallagher retired as wrestling and baseball coach after last season. Grussing announced her retirement after the volleyball season this year.
A biographical sketch of each of the finalists will be sent out to a voting representative from each of the 21 school districts in the coverage area, plus five West Central Tribune employees. The top two vote-getters will get into the Hall of Fame. Results will be announced on Dec. 28.
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The Hall of Fame began in 1999 with Barry Wohler, Brad Rheingans, Mike Kingery and Bob Bruggers being inducted. Bonnie Henrickson and Larry Cole were enshrined in 2000, Virg Vagle and Roy Minter in 2001, Jeff Nordgaard and Carrie Tollefson in 2002, Mike Dreier and Dave Klug in 2003, Michele (Marthaler) Perkins and Val Swanson in 2004 and Tim Piechowski, Wayne Brabender and Chari (Nordgaard) Knueppel in 2005.
