University of Wisconsin-River Falls

Fran Polsfoot
Fran Polsfoot served as athletic director and football, basketball and track coach at UW-RF from 1954-62. He coached the 1958 football team to the conference championship. He played professional football with the Chicago Cardinals and Washington Redskins and coached in the NFL with the St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Oilers, Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos from 1962-84.

David Ruhsam
David Ruhsam lettered in football at UW-RF in 1942 and 1946-48 and helped the Falcons win the 1947 conference championship. He also lettered in basketball in 1942-43 and track in 1947. He was R Club president in 1948. He coached basketball, football and track at the high school level. He coached basketball for 28 years at Osceola High School where his team's compiled a 404-179 (.70 percentage) record. He coached the Wisconsin High School all-star team in 1981. His teams won 14 conference titles and six regional championships. He is a member of the Wisconsin High School Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.

Kirby Symes
Kirby Symes was a high school athletic director and coach for 34 years. He coached track, cross country, football and wrestling. In wrestling his teams compiled a 142-30-2 (.82 percentage) record and won nine conference championships. His teams also won four sectional titles and 12 regional championships. He coached six individual state championships. He is a charter member in the George Martin Wrestling Hall of Fame and is a highly respected Wisconsin sports official.

Dr. Lavernia Jorgensen
Dr. Lavernia Jorgensen participated for four years (1935-39) in field hockey, tennis, basketball, volleyball and softball at UW-RF. She scored the most points given in women's competition during her years at the university. She has coached and taught at the secondary and university level since 1941. She is listed in Who's Who in American Education, Who's Who of American Women, World Who's Who of Women, the National Register of Prominent American and International Notables and the International Register of Profiles.

Fred Mattson
Fred Mattson played basketball at UW-RF from 1932-35 and was co-captain of the 1934 team. He also played baseball the same years and established the team's highest batting average for a season, a record that stands today. He is a former vice president of the J.A. Baldwin Mfg. Co. and has developed and owns four US patents related to environmental protection.

Esther Moe
Ester Moe had an illustrious career in field hockey, basketball and track at UW-RF. In field hockey she lettered four years (1973-76), was co-captain for three years (1974-76) and the team's most valuable player in 1975 and 1976. In basketball she was the team's leading rebounder and scorer four straight years (1974-77) and was co-captain each year. She was the team's Most Valuable Player in 1975, 1976, and 1977 and was named to the all-State team in 1977. She competed in track (1974-77) and was co-captain from 1975-77. She was the team's Most Valuable Performer in 1975. She coached at Cuba City from 1978-81 and at Waldorf College, Iowa. Her softball teams have been conference champions in 1983, 1984, and 1985.

Jack Omer
Jack Omer lettered in basketball at the university from 1957-60 and in football from 1956-59. He was named to the all-conference team in 1957 as a fullback and was a member of the 1958 conference championship winning team. He coached football, basketball, baseball and track and his lifetime football record is 155-54-5 (.76 percentage). His teams won 11 conference championships in 25 years and made the state football playoffs in 1980, 1982 and 1983. He is a member of the Wisconsin High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame.

Gene Cardinal
Cardinal earned four letters in football from 1946-49. He was captain of the 1948 and 1949 teams and was named to the all-conference teams those years. He played in all 32 games during his four-year career. He also earned letters in basketball (1947-50). He won an American Legion Award in 1950. He has coached soccer, football and baseball at UW-Whitewater. He has coached eight football conference championship winning teams and four baseball conference championship teams at the high school level.

Osborne Cowles
Osborne Cowles was the director of athletics and head baseball, football and basketball coach at UW-RF from 1932-36. He also coached for six years at Carleton, 10 years at Dartmouth, two years at the University of Michigan, and 11 years at the University of Minnesota. He led basketball teams to championships at Carleton, River Falls, Dartmouth and Michigan. His 1936 Falcon basketball team won the conference title.

George Holland
George Holland lettered in baseball at the university form 1956-58. He has an excellent coaching record at the high school level. He coached at Nekoosa High School from 1959-83 and had a 276-100 record. His teams won 12 conference titles and three straight state class B titles (1980-82). His teams put together a 64-game winning streak from 1980-83. He was selected the Wisconsin High School baseball Coach of the Year three times (1977 1981, 1982), and is a member of the state's High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.

Byron James
Byron James has been the wrestling coach at UW-RF since 1959. He has coached 11 WSUC championship teams (1960, 62-63, 67, 72, 81, 83-87). He has coached 78 individual conference place winners and 53 all-Americans. He is a member of the George Martin, the NAIA District 14, the Div. III and the NAIA Wrestling Halls of Fame.