Merle Ahrens – WHS Class of 1952

High School Activities
Football – three years

Basketball – three years

Activities – WHS Band; Class Officer sophomore and senior year; Student Council

Awards – Earned scholarship (football) to University of South Dakota

Other – 3 years US Marine Corps (serving 1 year in Korea); played football at the Marine Base in San Diego, CA; Marine Band 2 years; Little League coach and umpire; Active in Special Olympics of California

Merle and his wife, Sylvia, have 6 children: Greg, Susan, Martha, Jeffrey, Nancy, and Wesley. Merle worked for Construction Plumbing in West Covina. He founded Ahrens Corporation in 1981 with his son, Greg. Merle retired in California. He was inducted into the Trojan Hall of Fame in 2002.

Posted on Wed, April 22, 2020 by Clasine Lester

Rick Brandl – WHS Class of 1977

Cross Country – 4 years; MVP 3years; All-SW Conference 4 years; All-Region 2 3 years; 4th at State Meet ‘76

Basketball -2 years; MVP ‘76; All-SW Conference ‘76; 2nd Team All-Area ‘76

Track – 4 years; All-Conference 4 years; All-Region 2 years; 5th at State Class AA Two-mile run ‘77; School record in 3200 M Run (9:13:6)

Academics – National Honor Society; Number 17 in class of 282

College – Worthington Community College; Concordia College (Moorhead), Graduated 1st out of 482 graduates; Cross Country, 2 years, MVP ’81, Division III All-American; Track, 3 years, MVP as a senior; University of Chicago Graduate School of Business ‘82, Graduated Magna Cum Laude

Other: Marathon time 2:24

Rick is currently Vice-President and General Manager of Datex-Ohmeda operation, a medical equipment and supplies manufacturer, near Boulder, Colorado. He and his wife, Bonnie, have 2 children: Lucas and Travis. He was inducted into the Trojan Hall of Fame in 2002.

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Clarence Benson – WHS Class of 1949

High School Activities
Football ’47, ’48, ‘49 – Co-captain ‘49; Conference champions ’48, ‘49

Basketball ’47, ’48, ‘49 – Conference and District champs in 1949; Region Runner-up

Baseball ’47, ’48, ‘49 – Captain ‘49; District champs; Region Runner –up

Activities – Junior Class Play; Trojan Yearbook; W-Star Paper; W-Club

College – Worthington Community College ’49-50 – Baseball; Arizona University ‘50 – Baseball; University of Minnesota Degree in Business Administration ’52-55 – Baseball

Awards – Jaycees Distinguished Service ‘61; Community Service ‘73; NJCAA Distinguished Service ‘74

Other – Chairman of Worthington United Fund 1958; President of Worthington Jaycees 1958; Worthington Planning Commission; President of Worthington Chamber of Commerce; Co-Director of National Junior College Wrestling Tournament from 68-72.

Clarence and his wife, Mareileen (Neen) had 7 children: JoEllen (deceased), Greg, Jeff, John, Paula, Bill and Roger. Clarence served as General Sales Manager for Schroeder Milk Co. in Maplewood. He is now retired. He was inducted into the Trojan Hall of Fame in 2001.

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Bruce Campbell – WHS Class of 1971

Wrestling – 3 time letter winner; 2 time Conference Champion; 2 time Region Champion; 2 time State Runner-up; Member of Southwest Conference Champs and Region 2 Champs team; Most Valuable in 1971

Football – All Southwest Conference; All-Area; WCCO State Team of the Week

College – Pillsbury Bible College, Wrestling; Worthington Junior College, National Tournament qualifier, Most Valuable; St. Cloud State University, NIC Champion; NCAA Division II qualifier

Other – Competed in numerous Greco Roman and Freestyle Wrestling Tournaments; Assistant Wrestling Coach at St. Cloud Apollo High School 1976, Ran in the Twin Cities Marathon in 1990 with his wife, Mary

Bruce and his wife, Mary, have four children: Josh, Jinger, Jaclyn, and Jeff. Bruce is a General Contractor with Campbell Construction Company. He was inducted into the Trojan Hall of Fame in 1998.

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John Curran – Coach

High School – Lettered in Basketball, Baseball and Track; participated in Speech and Boxing

College – St. Cloud State Teachers’ College – Football, Captain; Basketball; Baseball

Teaching – Taught Physical Education at Worthington High School in the 1940’s until 1951

Coach – Head Cross Country, Track, and Gymnastics; Cross Country team finished second in the state in 1946; Track team finished second in the state in 1947; Coached one state champion in cross country and one state champion in track; Gymnastics teams finished in the top five in the state from 1945 to 1950

He was inducted into the Trojan Hall of Fame in 1998.

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Richard Adel – Coach

Tyndell High School Class of 1953

College – University of South Dakota Springfield Class of 1957; University of California Santa Barbara Masters Degree

Teaching – Dell Rapids, SD – 4 years; Worthington High School – Math teacher from 1961-present, Driver Education Teacher

Coach – Worthington High School – Head Cross Country for 22 years, SW Conference Champs 1969; Assistant Boys Basketball for 28 years

Other – Director of Trojan Relays for 20 plus years, high school and college baseball umpire for 15 years; Honorary Referee at Trojan Relays in 1993

Rich and his wife, Shirley, live in Worthington. They have 11 children: Valerie, Cheryl, Clifford, Shannon, Conrad, Peter, Victoria, Robert, James, Lynel, and Ryan. He was inducted into the Trojan Hall of Fame in 1998.

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Scott Basche – WHS Class of 1978

Football – All Conference ‘77; All Area ‘77

Basketball – All Conference ‘78; All Area ‘78; Minnesota All Star Game Participant ‘78

Tennis – 2 time MN State Tournament Participant

College – Augustana – letter winner in Basketball,Tennis and Golf

Scott and his wife, Lori, have 2 children; Danielle and Joseph. Scott was a general agent with Lutheran Brotherhood responsible for 34 sales associates in Central and Northern Illinois. Scott passed away in 2007. He was inducted into the Trojan Hall of Fame in 1997.

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Teresa (Basche) Tate – WHS Class of 1980

Tennis – 3 Team Conference Championships; 4 Sub Region Team Championships;State participant in ‘78; Conference Doubles Champ ‘77

Basketball – Team Conference Championship; 2 Sub Region Championships; Region Runner-up ‘79; All Conference (3 times); All Area (3 times); Most Valuable Player

Golf – Team Conference Championship; 2 Region Team Championship; 2nd & 3rd Place Individual Championships in Conference; 2nd in Region; 13th at State Tournament; Most Valuable Player

Awards – WHS Outstanding Female Athlete in 1980

College – Augustana – Basketball, Hustle Award

Teresa has two daughters; Samantha and Madeline. She was inducted into the Trojan Hall of Fame in 1997.

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Kenneth Droegemueller – Coach

Windom High School Class of 1960

Wrestling – 3 years; Placed 2nd in region each year, Soph. -98lbs, Jr. -112lbs, Sr.- 120lbs.

Football

Track

College – Mankato State University, Graduated 1965 – Wrestling, Jr. – NCAA – 4th place, Sr.- NCAA- 2nd Place, NIC- Champion – 130lbs; “Outstanding Athlete of the year”, 1960

Coach – Northfield – Assistant Coach and grade school programs;Worthington High School Wrestling 1968-1977, 8 consecutive Southwest Conference Championships, 64 Consecutive conference dual wins; 7 straight District 8 titles; first Individual State Champion was Dalen Wasmund at 119 lbs; Osseo High School – Wrestling

Other – Former president MSHS Coaches and Officials Association. Ken is the 4th winningest wrestling coach in the state of Minnesota. His combined wins while at the Worthington and Osseo are 384-89-4

Ken and his wife, Barbara, had 3 children, David, Darren, and Deanne. He was inducted into the Trojan Hall of Fame in 1994.

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Charles “Corky” Brace – At Large

College – St. Cloud – teaching degree

Corky was Sports Editor and columnist for Worthington Daily Globe 1956-1968

Corky was “stricken by polio in childhood, an illness which left him with a limp that precluded the possibility of an athletic career. Undaunted, he was to spend the rest of his life challenging and encouraging others to practice the qualities of sportsmanship and athletic excellence which he could only preach.” (Daily Globe, 1969)

“..Corky’s work represented a lifetime devotion to teaching young men the highest examples which can be learned from athletics. They were his boys” (Daily Globe, 1969)

Corky died December 20, 1968. Following his death, the Corky Brace Sportsmanship Award is presented to 15 area individuals in respect for the 15 years he spent trying to bring athletics to its highest example through his writing. He was inducted into the Trojan Hall of Fame in 1994.

Posted on by Clasine Lester