Former Hermiston High School head wrestling coach Curt Berger will be inducted into the Oregon Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 6, in recognition of his lifetime service to wrestling.
Berger was the HHS head wrestling coach for 21 years, during which time he led the team to six state championships, five of which were consecutive. Hermiston earned 294 team wins and placed in the state’s top 10 14 times under his leadership. His individual wrestlers racked up 33 state titles and 111 state placers. Berger also coached tennis for HHS, and many of his teams won state titles.
As a student athlete at Burns and Crook County high schools, Berger was a four-time state placer and two-time state champion. His own children earned a total of 13 state titles in tennis and wrestling.
“Curt Berger understands what it takes to establish a winning tradition,” said former HHS assistant wrestling coach Jerry Carlson. “He embodies the traits typically displayed by National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductees, where winning and sportsmanship is a time-honored tradition.”
A plaque will be hung in Berger’s honor at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Stillwater, Okla.
The 2013 Honors Banquet will be held on Saturday, April 6 at the Embassy Suites, Washington Square, 9000 SW Washington Square Road, in Tigard.
