Four Former Multi-Sport Athletes Headline 2025 Class of the National High School Hall of Fame
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Four former standout multi-sport high school athletes, along with three high school coaches who have combined for 38 state titles in 133 years of service, highlight the 2025 class of the NFHS National High School Hall of Fame.
Joining the four former athletes and three high school coaches are one contest official, one former state association administrator, one fine arts educator and one contributor. The 11 honorees will be inducted June 30 during the 42nd induction ceremony of the National High School Hall of Fame, which will be held at the 106th NFHS Summer Meeting in Chicago, Illinois.
The four athletes include Prince Amukamara, who was an outstanding three-sport (football, basketball, track and field) athlete at Apollo High School in Glendale, Arizona, before his exploits at the University of Nebraska and his 11-year career in the National Football League, and Tim Dwight, a football and track and field standout at City High School in Iowa City, Iowa, before his days at the University of Iowa and his 10 years in the NFL.
The other record-breaking athletes in the 2025 class are Anna Maria Lopez, a multi-sport star at St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, Oregon, who later excelled in both volleyball and basketball at the University of Southern California, and Caryn Schoff-Kovatch, the leading scorer in the history of girls basketball in the state of New York from St. Johnsville High School who now coaches the sport at Assumption High School in Louisville, Kentucky.
The three highly successful high school coaches include Jim Ciccarello, the girls track and field coaching legend from La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, who has won 11 state titles and is still going strong at the age of 82; Linda Lampkin, who led Hermann (Missouri) High School to 13 state girls volleyball championships during her 39-year career; and Phil Savitz, who retired last year after 45 years as the winningest high school soccer coach in South Carolina history and fifth-best all-time nationally.
The official in this year’s class is Lloyd Hisaka of Hawaii, who in his 51st year and at the age of 81, officiated his final football game this past November. The inductee this year in the Administrators category is Ron Laird, who retired in 2023 after 26 years as a coach and administrator at Powell (Wyoming) High School and 19 years as commissioner of the Wyoming High School Activities Association. Joining the hall of fame in the Performing/Fine Arts category is Jane Berry-Eddings, who coached speech and debate at Sprague High School in Salem, Oregon, for more than 45 years and had tremendous contributions at the state and national levels.
The final member of the 2025 class is Diane Wolf, who in addition to serving as a teacher, multi-sport coach, activities administrator and state administrator in Idaho for 33 years, was a major contributor nationally with high school spirit rules for 25 years.
The National High School Hall of Fame was started in 1982 by the NFHS to honor high school athletes, coaches, contest officials, administrators, performing arts coaches/directors and others for their extraordinary achievements and accomplishments in high school sports and performing arts programs. This year’s class increases the number of individuals in the Hall of Fame to 540.
The 11 individuals were chosen after a two-level selection process involving a screening committee composed of active high school state association administrators, coaches and officials, and a final selection committee composed of coaches, former athletes, state association officials, media representatives and educational leaders. Nominations were made through NFHS member associations.
Following is biographical information on the 11 individuals in the 2025 class of the National High School Hall of Fame.
ATHLETES
Prince Amukamara
Arizona
Prince Amukamara was a standout three-sport athlete at Apollo High School in Glendale, Arizona, before moving on to a stellar football career at the college and professional levels. He was a two-way performer as a running back and defensive back in football, was the starting point guard on the basketball team, and was a sprinter and high jumper in track and field during his high school career (2004-07).
In football, Amukamara rushed for 2,106 yards and scored 24 touchdowns as a senior, while registering 95 tackles and two interceptions on the other side of the ball. During his career, Amukamara rushed for 3,820 yards on 335 carries for an amazing 11.4 yards per carry, and he scored 58 touchdowns. He graduated in 2007 as the school’s all-time rushing yards and touchdowns leader. Following his senior season, Amukamara was selected as the Arizona Republic Football Player of the Year.
In one playoff game against Scottsdale Chaparral in 2006, Amukamara rushed for 366 yards and scored four touchdowns, and he also caught four passes and had a 45-yard punt return.
As the point guard and top defender on the Apollo High basketball team, Amukamara helped his team to three consecutive Arizona Interscholastic Association State Basketball Championships. He shot 63 percent from the field and averaged 2.6 steals per game during his high school career.
In his senior track and field season, Amukamara won the 100-meter and 200-meter races at the AIA state meet and finished second in the high jump.
In addition to his accomplishments on the field and court, Amukamara excelled in the classroom with a 3.25 grade-point averaged and was involved with Student Council and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Amukamara continued his football career at the University of Nebraska, where he was an all-conference defensive back as a junior and senior. Following his senior year, Amukamara was consensus All-American and Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants in 2011 and was a part of the team in 2012 when the Giants won the Super Bowl. Amukamara enjoyed an 11-year career in the NFL with six different teams and finished with 417 career tackles and 10 interceptions.
Known as a person of great humility and character, Amukamara has been involved with Up2Us, an organization involved in promoting sports as the solution to the critical challenges facing America’s youth. Most recently, he created a YouTube channel (Mr. Adventures) to help educate kids about the importance of eating nutritious foods and being active.
“After making a name for himself at the highest level of professional football, Prince could have easily distanced himself from his roots,” said David Hines, AIA executive director. “Instead, he chose to give back to the very communities that helped shape his career. He has remained deeply connected to high school, frequently returning to offer guidance, support and mentorship to current students and athletes.
“In addition to his involvement with his high school community, Prince has consistently worked to improve the lives of others in the communities where he played collegiately and professionally. Whether through charitable foundations, youth programs or community outreach efforts, Prince has always prioritized helping those in need, using his platform as a professional athlete to inspire and create lasting change.”
Tim Dwight
Iowa
As a football and track and field standout performer at City High School in Iowa City, Tim Dwight was one of the top all-around athletes in state history. While small in stature at 5-8 and 180 pounds, Dwight excelled in both sports during his four years of competition.
In football, Dwight led City High to a 23-1 record in his final two seasons, which included helping City High win its first state football championship in 1993 by scoring four touchdowns in the state final. He set state records with 40 touchdowns as a senior and 83 for his career. Dwight led Class 4A rushers with 2,113 yards and scored 488 points. And he played on the other side of the ball as well, grabbing 11 career interceptions.
Amazingly, his football accomplishments paled in comparison to his exploits on the track. He remains the state’s only able-bodied 12-time champion in Iowa boys track and field history. He won the 200 meters at the state meet four times (1991-94), the long jump three times (1992-94), the 400 hurdles (1992) and four relay titles. Not surprisingly, Dwight’s feats helped City High to three consecutive Iowa High School Athletic Association team track and field championships.
Thirty years later, Dwight remains on Iowa’s all-time top 20 list for 200 meters and 400 low hurdles, and he is the only Iowa boy to win the 200 meters four times at the state championships.
Dwight was named Gatorade Player of the Year once in football and three times in track and field. He has previously been selected for the Iowa City High Hall of Fame, Iowa Association of Track Coaches Hall of Fame and the IHSAA Football Hall of Fame. In 2007, the Cedar Rapids Gazette voted Dwight the all-time greatest athlete in eastern Iowa.
Dwight began to attract national attention at the University of Iowa, where he was a wide receiver and kick returner for Coach Hayden Fry. He helped the Hawkeyes to three bowl games and was a consensus first-team All-American in 1997 as a returner when he led NCAA Division I with a 19.3-yard punt return average. He also ran track at Iowa, where he was a four-time Big Ten Conference champion in 100 meters (1999), 4×100 relay (1998, 1999) and 4×400 relay (1999).
Dwight played 10 years in the NFL for five teams, beginning with the San Diego Chargers and ending with the Oakland Raiders. The most memorable moment during his NFL career occurred in Super Bowl XXXIII for the Atlanta Falcons when he had a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos.
“Tim has taken the lessons of education-based activities and applied them in his home state as a philanthropist and entrepreneur, passionate about renewable energy and young people,” said Tom Keating, IHSAA executive director. “He has long run the Tim Dwight Foundation, a nonprofit with almost all funds going toward the University of Iowa’s Children Hospital and Cancer Center. The foundation hosts youth football camps and is active at City High, adding to his past involvement and spokesperson roles for Salvation Army, Make-A-Wish Foundation and the nonprofit Iowa Games.”
Larry Brown, the football coach at City High during Dwight’s years, said Dwight’s “combination of speed, power, discipline, enthusiasm, intelligence and leadership made him basically unstoppable. I also have fond memories of how much Tim respected his coaches and his teammates.”
Anna Maria Lopez
Oregon
Anna Maria Lopez has spent the majority of her life at St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, Oregon – first as a multi-sport athlete and since 1991 as the school’s athletic director – and has been proclaimed by many as the best female athlete in the state’s history.
Within the St. Mary’s walls, Lopez was a highly successful volleyball, basketball, and track and field athlete, and she enjoyed equal success in softball on a local women’s team outside school because the sport wasn’t offered in Oregon high schools until 1979.
In volleyball, Lopez was a four-year letterwinner and led St. Mary’s to the Oregon School Activities Association state title in her junior and senior seasons while playing for Coach Rick Lorenz, the former St. Mary’s volleyball coach who was inducted into the NFHS National High School Hall of Fame in 2015. She earned three all-state honors, three first-team All-Metro League honors and made the OSAA state championship all-tournament team three times.
Lopez also claimed four letters in basketball and led St. Mary’s to a third-place finish in 1976 and a second-place finish in 1977 in the OSAA State Basketball Tournament. She was named all-state twice, was a three-time selection for the All-Metro League first team and a Parade All-American in 1978.
Lopez’s achievements extended to the spring as well as she was a two-time state champion in the discus for the St. Mary’s track and field team. As a junior, she qualified for the discus, shot put and long jump, and was in line for a medal in the shot put as a senior but had to depart the competition to catch a plane to New York for the Parade All-American basketball game.
As a culmination of her high school career, Lopez received the Oregon Sports Awards Johnny Carpenter Prep Athlete of the Year (not gender-specific).
“In all my years of watching women’s high school sports, I’ve never seen a better blocker (volleyball) or rebounder (basketball) than Anna Maria,” Lorenz said. “Her strength and timing were amazing. But best of all, she remained humble, caring and always put the team above any of her individual accolades.”
Kathy Kinyon, Lopez’s basketball and track and field coach at St. Mary’s, had the following summary of Lopez’s high school career: “I can honestly say she was St. Mary’s Academy and the state of Oregon’s Caitlin Clark of the day.”
Lopez’s amazing multi-sport dominance continued at the University of Southern California (USC). She led the Trojans to two national volleyball titles (one AIAW, one NCAA), and she played two years on the USC women’s basketball team. She was named Women’s Collegiate Athlete of the Year by the California Latino Broadcasters in 1981 and played in the World University Games for USA Volleyball that same year.
In addition to a long professional volleyball career in which she was a five-time Women’s Division All-American, Lopez returned to St. Mary’s in 1985 as a teacher and coach, and she has been the school’s athletic director for almost 35 years.
Among her many awards, Lopez was named to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2009, and she received the Women’s Sports Foundation Flo Hyman Award in 1989. She is a two-time Oregon Athletic Directors Association Athletic Director of the Year and is currently serving a term on the OSAA Executive Board.
Caryn Schoff-Kovatch
New York
In the storied history of girls high school basketball in the state of New York, which includes the likes of Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird, Chamique Holdsclaw, Missy West and Tina Charles, Caryn Schoff-Kovatch of St. Johnsville High School outscored them all during her amazing six-year varsity career.
Schoff-Kovatch joined the varsity basketball team at St. Johnsville as a seventh-grader in 1989 and never looked back. She went on to score 3,548 points to set the state’s scoring record – and that record has stood for the past 30 years. Until Joe Girard III of Glens Falls eclipsed her mark in 2018, Schoff-Kovatch was the state’s all-time leader – male or female.
And all those points led to team success as well as Schoff-Kovatch helped St. Johnsville to a 146-7 record during her six years, two New York State Public School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Class D State Basketball Championships and two New York State Federation Championships. The two state titles came in her sophomore and junior seasons when the team registered a perfect 64-0 record.
As a senior in 1995, Schoff-Kovatch averaged 36 points and 16 rebounds a game and was selected Co-Miss Basketball in New York with Chamique Holdsclaw. She also set the single-game girls record with 51 points in a 1994 game, and she graduated holding 25 NYSPHSAA Section 2 records, including season and career points, and season and career rebounds.
Among her many honors, Schoff-Kovatch was selected USA Today All-State Player of the Year in 1993 and the New York State Sportswriters State Player of the Year in 1994. She was inducted into the New York State Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2009 and the NYSPHSAA Hall of Fame in 2024, and her No. 32 jersey was retired following her career.
In addition, she was selected Player of the Year twice by the Albany Times-Union and Player of the Year three times by the Amsterdam Recorder.
Schoff-Kovatch also earned three letters in softball and four letters in soccer and garnered all-league honors in both sports. She also was salutatorian and class president at St. Johnsville and was first trumpet in the school band, a sportswriter on her school’s newspaper and a prom queen candidate.
Following her decorated high school career, Schoff-Kovatch earned a full scholarship to Syracuse University where she played basketball for four years and piled up 583 points and 429 rebounds. She was named a Big East Conference all-star, an Academic All-American and team captain her senior year.
After eight years as a varsity assistant basketball coach at Christian Academy of Louisville (Kentucky), Schoff-Kovatch just completed her second year as head girls basketball coach at Assumption High School in Louisville, Kentucky. In her first year, she was named 7th Region Coach of the Year, took her team to the regional semifinals, collected 23 wins and won the district championships. This year, she led her team to the Kentucky High School Athletic Association playoffs and won more than 20 games again.
“Beyond her athletic achievements, Caryn’s legacy extends into the positive influence she continues to have on student-athletes today,” said Dr. Robert Zayas, NYSPHSAA executive director. “As a coach and mentor, Caryn has dedicated herself to fostering the next generation of athletes, instilling in them the values of teamwork, dedication and discipline. Her commitment to the development of young athletes is reflected not only in their success on the field but in their growth as individuals.”
COACHES
Jim Ciccarello
New Mexico
There are two pretty distinct reasons for the growth and excellence of girls high school track programs in the greater Albuquerque area in New Mexico the past 50 years – the passage of Title IX in 1972 and the spirited coaching exploits of Jim Ciccarello.
When Albuquerque Manzano High School hired Ciccarello as its first girls track coach in 1976, he has already established himself for several years as the leader of the Albuquerque Track Club and the Duke City Dashers, which produced some of the top athletes in New Mexico.
And it didn’t take long for the hiring of Ciccarello to pay dividends as he led the Monarchs to back-to-back New Mexico Activities Association Girls Track and Field State Championships in 1977 and 1978.
After four years at Manzano, Ciccarello accepted a similar position at Sandia High School, followed by another move to Highland High School. In 2000, Ciccarello moved to La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, where he has established one of the most successful girls track programs in the state and nation – and he is still going strong 25 years later at the age of 82. Ciccarello has led La Cueva to nine state titles, with the first in 2000 and the most recent in 2023. In addition to his 11 overall state championships (two at Manzano, nine at La Cueva), Ciccarello’s teams have finished second 12 other times and have claimed 20 district championships.
In addition to his teams’ success, he has coached more than 300 individual champions, and his athletes have combined for more than 20 New Mexico state records. Ciccarello was a teacher and educator in the Albuquerque Public Schools, primarily serving as a physical education teacher at the elementary school level, for more than 45 years before retiring. Between the students he has taught in his PE classes and the athletes he has coached, it is estimated that Ciccarello has impacted the lives of more than 65,000 kids.
Among his numerous honors, Ciccarello was inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame in 2011 and the New Mexico High School Coaches Hall of Honor in 2014, and in 2012 he was selected NFHS National Girls Track and Field Coach of the Year – the same year he became a published author with his book, Coach, Coach, Look at Me! A Memoir of Teaching and Love.
Many years ago, using his own money, Ciccarello created jump rope teams that have been performing and entertaining New Mexico crowds for years. His jump-roping kids have performed before 17,000 fans at the University of New Mexico basketball games, among many other venues.
Sally Marquez, who recently retired after a highly successful career as executive director of the New Mexico Activities Association, was a student-athlete at Manzano under Ciccarello’s tutelage.
“He showed me what a coach and teacher can do in someone’s life to teach lifelong skills,” Marquez said. “He showed me that I could reach down deep inside and be the best version of myself. He pushed me to achieve, while staying humble and grateful. He raised me up to know that I could climb any mountain and stand tall on that mountain while helping others. He taught me how to be a leader.”
Linda Lampkin
Missouri
Hermann, Missouri, is a small town a little more than an hour west of St. Louis famous for its German culture, wine and girls high school volleyball led by the longtime Hermann High School coach Linda Lampkin.
Lampkin’s career at Hermann began in 1979 when she returned to her alma mater as a physical education and health teacher, weightlifting coach and girls volleyball coach. She transitioned to the role of athletic director while continuing to teach, and in 1999 she became assistant principal and athletic director.
After her retirement from administration in 2009, Lampkin continued to direct the girls volleyball program until 2019, which concluded her record-breaking coaching career. In 39 years as the Hermann girls volleyball coach, Lampkin compiled a 943-344-50 record. During her time at Hermann, Lampkin led her teams to 32 district championships, 22 Four Rivers Conference titles, 24 final four appearances and 13 Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Girls Volleyball State Championships – the most by any MSHSAA girls volleyball coach.
Lampkin’s teams registered 30-win seasons on 12 occasions, including the remarkable 2002 team that finished 37-2-1. She coached 49 all-state players, 18 who played at NCAA universities and two who went on to play professionally in Europe. She also nurtured future coaches as several of her players pursued coaching careers, including two who went on to win state championships in Montana and Arkansas.
“Her high expectations never decrease, no matter how long it’s been since she taught or coached you,” said Tess Schannuth, who played for Lampkin at Hermann and now serves in the same position as the school’s girls volleyball coach. “She is someone who multiple generations talk about – within our town, and outside of it as well. Her reach is endless. Some would say – THE local legend. Any time I mention where I’m from, I’m either asked about wine, or Coach Lampkin and if I played for her. It is an honor replying with ‘yes.'”
Among her many honors, Lampkin was named Class 2 Coach of the Year by the Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association (MHSVCA) 12 times and NFHS National Girls Volleyball Coach of the Year in 2009. She was inducted into the MHSVCA Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.
Lampkin’s achievements not only have garnered individual accolades but recognition to Hermann High School. In 2022, the Hermann volleyball program was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, a tribute to Lampkin in building a powerhouse program.
“Linda Lampkin’s career is a shining example of the impact a dedicated educator and coach can have on a community,” said Dr. Jennifer Rukstad, MSHSAA executive director. “Her legacy is not only defined by her impressive win-loss record but by the countless lives she has touched, the athletes she has mentored and the standards of excellence she has set in high school athletics.”
Phil Savitz
South Carolina
When it comes to high school soccer dominance in South Carolina, Phil Savitz stands alone. Savitz, who transformed two high school boys programs into soccer powerhouses during his legendary 45-year career, retired last year as the most successful soccer coach in the state’s history and one of the top coaches nationally.
After playing soccer at A. C. Flora High School in Columbia and graduating from the University of South Carolina in Columbia in 1978, Savitz started his illustrious career two years later at Irmo High School – also in Columbia. In 33 years at the 4A school, Savitz’s teams appeared in the state final 23 of those years and won the state championship 14 times.
In his 33 years at Irmo, Savitz recorded a 634-83-5 record and was named Region Coach of the Year 17 times and South Carolina Athletic Coaches Association State Coach of the Year three times. Between 1987 and 1998, Irmo won four consecutive South Carolina High School League State Soccer Championships two times – from 1987 to 1990 and from 1995 to 1998. He is the only coach in SCHSL history to win four consecutive championships twice.
In 2013, Savitz moved to River Bluff High School, a brand-new school in Lexington, South Carolina, where he established and built the school’s soccer program from the ground up. He continued to expand his legacy and championships total before retiring in 2024. During his 12 years at River Bluff, Savitz won another 190 games with only 35 losses and two ties, which included winning the 2016 SCHSL Class 5A State Soccer Championship.
Combined at the two schools over 45 years, Savitz posted an 824-118-7 record – the most wins in South Carolina history and fifth-most all-time nationally according to the NFHS National High School Sports Record Book.
Other honors include NFHS National Boys Soccer Coach of the Year in 2016 and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) National Coach of the Year in 2016. He was listed among the Top 100 Greatest High School Sports Coaches of All Time by MaxPreps and was named Coach of the Decade (1980-1990) by High School Sports Report.
In 2007, he was inducted into the South Carolina High School Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and in 2012, he was inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Last year, Savitz was awarded the Order of the Silver Crescent by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. The Order of the Silver Crescent is South Carolina’s highest civilian honor for significant contributions to the community, which underscores Savitz’s lifelong dedication to youth development, sportsmanship and excellence in high school soccer, as well as his positive impact on countless players and coaches during his 45-year career.
Fourteen of Savitz’s players earned State Player of the Year honors, and his teams regularly received the NSCAA Team Academic Award, highlighting their exemplary performance in the classroom as well as on the field of play.
“Phil Savitz’s career is more than a collection of titles and records; it is a testament to his deep commitment to cultivating well-rounded student-athletes,” said Jacob Smith, principal of River Bluff High School. “His impact on South Carolina’s high school soccer landscape is profound, inspiring generations of players, coaches and the wider community. Through his dedication, Savitz has elevated the standard of high school soccer and left an indelible mark on the sport.”
OFFICIAL
Lloyd Hisaka
Hawaii
No one has devoted more to the avocation of officiating in the state of Hawaii than Lloyd Hisaka. In addition to his 51 years as a high school football official, he has trained thousands of students in officiating intramural sports – many of whom have continued officiating careers in high school leagues in Hawaii and nationwide.
Hisaka’s impact on the officiating landscape in Hawaii began in 1970 when he became assistant director of Student Recreation Services at the University of Hawaii. During his 37 years in that role followed by the final eight years as director, he trained thousands of students in officiating. He also created classes at the university to train and educate officials.
To enhance his officiating instruction, Hisaka began officiating high school basketball and football in 1973, which marked the beginning of his legendary career. Hisaka officiated high school basketball for 36 years, which included numerous Hawaii High School Athletic Association tournament contests.
Hisaka continued on with football officiating another 15 years and worked his final game on November 8 of last year at the age of 81. He capped his 51-year career by officiating the Oahu Interscholastic League junior varsity championship game. Hisaka officiated many top-level interscholastic football games of the Oahu Prep Bowl and the HHSAA state championships.
Hisaka served as football and basketball rules clinician for the Big Island Interscholastic Federation, the Maui Interscholastic League and the Kauai Interscholastic Federation for seven years. He also founded the Hawaii Football Officials Clinic, which ran for six years, and he officiated in the Hula Bowl and taught a “Techniques of Officiating” class to senior physical education majors for 12 years.
However, his retirement only applies to the fields and courts. He continues to serve as an observer and evaluator for high school football and basketball, which includes assisting the HHSAA with its inaugural girls flag football season. He also will continue serving as a Mountain West Conference sideline assistant for replay during University of Hawaii football games.
In 1999, Hisaka became involved with the NFHS by attending the NFHS National Coaches and Officials Conference. He was appointed to a four-year term as the officials representative on the NFHS Football Rules Committee (1999-2002), and he also was selected to the NFHS Officials Association Board of Directors. During his term on the officials Board of Directors, Hisaka was instrumental in the development of an introductory course for officials in interscholastic football, which became the basis for online courses currently available on the NFHS Learning Center.
Hisaka earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Oregon State University, and later in 1989, he earned his doctorate from East Texas State University in Commerce. While pursuing his doctorate, Hisaka officiated football and basketball in Texas for two seasons.
Among his awards, Hisaka was selected the NFHS Officials Association Hawaii Football Official of the Year in 1999 and the 2002 Big Island Interscholastic Federation Citation Award for football in 2002. In 2023, he was inducted into the Hawaii Sports Officials Hall of Fame in recognition of his officiating career in football and basketball.
“Beyond all of his accomplishments on the basketball court and football field, Dr. Hisaka is just a really nice person who is easy to relate to and approach,” said Brent Mizutani, retired executive director of the Kauai Interscholastic Federation. “These qualities make him a very valuable role model to the group of officials and coaches when he demonstrates the ultimate example of professionalism and humility. He is admired by all of the officials he works with and is greatly appreciated by coaches and players when he has officiated their games.”
ADMINISTRATOR
Ron Laird
Wyoming
During his outstanding 45-year career in education-based activities, Ron Laird had significant contributions at the local, state and national levels. From his success as a high school basketball coach and athletic director, to his 19 years directing high school activity programs in the state of Wyoming, to his immense contributions nationally with the NFHS, Laird touched every aspect of high school sports and other activity programs.
Prior to becoming commissioner of the Wyoming High School Activities Association in 2004, Laird was an educator and athletic administrator at Powell (Wyoming) High School for 26 years (1978-2004), which included 20 years as boys basketball coach. During that time, Laird led his teams to two WHSAA State Boys Basketball Championships, three second-place finishes and several other regional and conference titles.
Laird led the Panthers to Class 3A state championships in 1985 and 1998 before stepping down following a third-place finish in 2000. He concluded his career with a 262-186 overall record. For a number of those years, Laird was the school’s assistant principal and athletic director, and he then served seven years on the WHSAA Board of Directors, including a term as president, before being named commissioner in 2004.
During his 19 years as WHSAA commissioner, safety and risk minimization were at the forefront. The WHSAA was one of the first state associations to initiate a rule to not allow an unconscious athlete to return to play on the same day, and also one of the first states to offer concussion insurance to all participating athletes.
Laird took pride in being a servant leader, with a goal of assisting schools by having the WHSAA provide leadership to the member schools in advancing their programs. In 2008, he adopted the WHSAA Student Advisory Council to promote sportsmanship, and the student-led council initiated the “Join the Ride” slogan.
Other accomplishments during his tenure included adding indoor track, girls softball and girls wrestling to provide more opportunities for Wyoming student-athletes. Laird also secured matching funds to build a new office for the WHSAA that has been used by many of the activities, coaches and activity director groups. He has increased sponsorships over the years, which has allowed the WHSAA to not have to raise dues or ticket prices for culminating events.
While athletic director at Powell, Laird initiated a local Target-Champions Against Drugs role model program for high school athletes to visit the elementary schools, and he developed an Academic Letter Club to demonstrate the benefits of participating in education-based athletics.
Nationally, Laird served on the NFHS Board of Directors, including a term as president, and he served on – and chaired – many other NFHS committees. He was a member of the Athletic Directors Advisory Committee (twice), the National Citizenship/Equity Committee, Football Rules Committee, Summer Meeting Advisory Committee, Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, Strategic Planning Committee – and he chaired the NFHS Basketball Rules Committee for five years.
Laird also served on the NFHS Network HoldCo Board of Directors, and since retiring he has continued to work with the NFHS Network Advisory Council.
Laird has received numerous other awards during his career, including the NFHS Citation, the Wyoming Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Distinguished Service Award (three times), the NIAAA State Award of Merit, and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association (NHSACA) Distinguished Service Award. He also has been inducted into the NHSACA Hall of Fame and the Wyoming Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and he was selected Wyoming 3A Basketball Coach of the Year three times.
PERFORMING ARTS
Jane Berry-Eddings
Oregon
Jane Berry-Eddings coached speech and debate at Sprague High School in Salem, Oregon, for more than 45 years, but her involvement and leadership in high school speech and debate expanded throughout the state of Oregon with the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) and the Oregon High School Speech League (OHSSL), and nationally with the NFHS and the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA).
Berry-Eddings hosted the Sprague Invitational Debate from 1977 to 2005, which was a highly regarded event in the Oregon debate community. She retired from teaching in 2005 but continued to coach for an additional 15 years and today remains on the staff as an assistant coach to help mentor students and support the program.
Though retired, Berry-Eddings continues to serve as the state director for the OSAA’s Speech and Debate Championships – a role she has handled annually since 1986. And Peter Weber, the OSAA executive director, hopes she continues in that role.
“While a 40-year run is impressive, the impact she has had in this role is not limited to her longevity, but rather a testament to who she is as a person,” Weber said. “I can unequivocally state that Jane is the nicest human being I have ever met. She always has time for a coach, a student or a judge, and that person is always the better for the interaction. Jane’s a wealth of knowledge, a fantastic mentor and a calming presence.”
Within the OHSSL, Berry-Eddings has held various leadership roles, including a term as president in 1993. She was elected as a member of the OHSSL Rule Change Committee for four terms, helping to shape the future of high school debate in Oregon. Since 2008, she has created parliamentary debate topics, extemporaneous speaking topics and impromptu topics for numerous Oregon tournaments. She also created the new Oregon Coaches Handbook and contributed to ongoing updates and topics for Oregon tournaments.
Nationally, Berry-Eddings has served on host committees and as an Oregon representative for the Debate Topic Selection Committee meetings, contributing significantly to shaping national debate topics. In 1990, she co-presented the topic on Homeless which became the 1991-92 National High School Debate Topic. In 1993, she received the NFHS Outstanding Speech Educator Award.
Berry-Eddings served on multiple tournament committees for the NSDA and was actively involved in Public Forum and Individual Event Committees for the NSDA National Tournament from 1999 to 2023.
A graduate of Oregon College of Education (now Western Oregon University) in Monmouth, Oregon, Berry-Eddings was named the OHSSL Oregon Speech Educator of the Year in 1993-94. She received the OSAA Distinguished Service Award in 2005 and was inducted into the OHSSL Speech Coach Hall of Fame as well.
“Beyond her ability to facilitate fantastic events, Jane has been an invaluable mentor to new and veteran coaches across the state for nearly 50 years,” Weber said. “She has a unique talent for fostering growth and confidence in others, providing guidance that is both insightful and encouraging. Jane’s willingness to share her extensive knowledge and experience has cultivated a generation of coaches who are now carrying forward her legacy in speech and debate. Talk about having an everlasting impact!”
CONTRIBUTOR
Diane Wolf
Idaho
Through her 33 years at the local and state levels in Idaho and her 25 years at the national level with the NFHS, Diane Wolf has been one of the major contributors to the cheerleading, dance and spirit activities available to hundreds of thousands of high school students across the nation.
Wolf’s 45-year career began as a teacher, multi-sport coach and activities administrator in the Meridian (Idaho) School district from 1974 to 1998. She coached cheerleading (12 years), gymnastics (nine years), cross country/track and field (10 years) and tennis (five years).
The workload intensified when she accepted the assistant executive director position with the Idaho High School Activities Association (IHSAA) in 1998 as she administered cheerleading, dance, cross country, track and field, tennis, softball, speech, and various student and scholarship programs. She also was involved with two landmark programs – Schools of Excellence and Legends of the Game.
While she wore many hats at the IHSAA, it was during the 1990s when the focus shifted to the development of cheerleading and dance programs nationally. Beginning in 1994 and for the next 25 years, from developing spirit safety rules, to co-authoring NFHS education courses and mentoring coaches and administrators across the country, Wolf’s efforts have had a transformative impact on spirit activities in our nation’s schools.
Wolf was named to the NFHS Spirit Rules Committee in 1994 and contributed to the development of national standards for spirit programs during her four-year term. She re-joined the committee in 2004 and served another four-year term as committee chair. In between those two terms, she served on the NFHS Spirit Advisory Board, concluding with a year as chair in 2003.
After she retired from the IHSAA in 2007, Wolf served another 12 years as the Officials Liaison on the NFHS Spirit Rules Committee. She played a crucial role as liaison between coaches, officials and the NFHS, working to ensure consistent rule development and enforcement as well as addressing the evolving needs of spirit program nationwide.
Wolf worked tirelessly to change the perception of cheerleading and to ensure that every athlete under her direction earned – and was treated with – the respect they deserved. This philosophy led to her groundbreaking work on the NFHS Spirit Rules Committee and her advocacy for safety, training and the overall professionalism of spirit programs.
Locally, Wolf was named Meridian High School Teacher of Excellence in 1985 and Centennial High School Teacher of the Year in 1988. At the state level, she was inducted into the Idaho Spirit Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Idaho High School Activities Association Hall of Fame in 2008. Nationally, Wolf received the NFHS Citation for Section 8 in 2007, and she was selected NFHS Spirit Association National Contributor of the Year in 2009.
“Diane’s commitment to the minimization of risk for cheerleading and dance team participants was evident in all aspects of her work on the Spirit Rules Committee,” said Kent Summers, former NFHS director of performing arts and spirit rules liaison. “Through her tireless work and dedication, Diane significantly elevated the standards of excellence in spirit activities. Her contributions have left an enduring legacy, positively affecting the experience of countless participants and minimizing risk for future generations.”
Online link to article: https://www.nfhs.org/articles/four-former-multi-sport-athletes-headline-2025-class-of-the-national-high-school-hall-of-fame/
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About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 18 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,800 high schools and 12 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 8 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS:Bruce Howard,
Director of Publications and Communications
National Federation of State High School Associations
bhoward@nfhs.org
Chris Boone,
Assistant Director of Publications and Communications
National Federation of State High School Association
cboone@nfhs.org
Jordan Morey,
Manager of Communications and Media Relations
National Federation of State High School Associations
jmorey@nfhs.org