Central to induct four in hall of honor
Central College
PELLA — Three NCAA Division III national champions and the college’s winningest men’s basketball coach are set to become the newest members of the Central College Athletics Hall of Honor.
Long-time men’s basketball coach Jack Walvoord ‘54, softball pitching all-American Emily Grimes Rottinghaus ’94 and wrestling champs Tim Hackel ’87 and Jon McGovern ’92 will be inducted as part of the college’s homecoming activities Sept. 28-29.
Central’s hall of honor is intended to recognize those who were exceptional performers in the athletics arena as a student-athlete, coach or administrator, and who have distinguished themselves in life after graduation through service and leadership. To be eligible for consideration, a nominee must have graduated or served as a Central coach/administrator at least 15 years earlier.
Walvoord, winningest coach–Walvoord coached for 29 seasons (1966-95), piloting the Dutch to 10 Iowa Conference championships while earning eight NCAA Division III tournament berths. From 1975-95, Walvoord’s clubs won more conference titles and made more NCAA tourney appearances than any other league team. He was named the conference coach of the year five times. Walvoord posted a 375-317 record, with more than twice as many wins as any other Central coach.
A standout guard and team captain for the Dutch as an undergraduate, played two years of U.S. Army basketball at Fort Dix, N.J., then coached at Georgetown, Colo.returned as head men’s basketball coach in 1966 before spending eight years at Bellflower (Calif.) High School. His Bellflower teams qualified for the California Interscholastic Federation Tournament six times, reaching the semifinals five times and capturing the 1965 CIF state championships.
He returned to Central in 1966, taking over for his college coach, Marinus Kregel. He also served as head baseball coach from 1966-67 and was head men’s cross country coach from 1966-73.
A native of Sheboygan Falls, Wis., Walvoord earned a master’s degree from the University of Colorado and served as an associate professor of physical education at Central. He and his wife, Joan, have two daughters and several grandchildren.
Rottinghaus, two-time softball champion—With a sparkling 64-14 record, Rottinghaus has the highest career winning percentage (.820) in Central softball history. A four-time NCAA Division III tournament participant, she was instrumental in Central’s 1991 and 1993 national championship runs. Rottinghaus was a two-time first-team all-conference and all-America honoree (1992, 1993) and was the 1993 league MVP.
Rottinghaus was Central’s MVP in 1994, leading the Dutch to a fourth-place national finish. She also served as a team co-captain and won the squad’s most improved player award in 1992.
At the time of her graduation, Rottinghaus ranked second in school history in career earned run average (0.87), wins (64) and strikeouts (363), was third in innings pitched (547.1) games (85) and complete games (69) and was fourth in shutouts (25).
An assistant coach at Central in 1995, Rottinghaus was head coach at Pella Christian High School from 1996-98 and at Grand View University in 1997. She was an assistant at Drake University from 1998-99 before serving as head coach from 2000-03. She was also the head volleyball coach at Grand View from 1999-2000.
Rottinghaus continues to serve as a volunteer youth coach and was volunteer coordinator with the Central Iowa Aquatic Swim Club. A Newton, Iowa native, Rottinghaus and her husband, Jimmy, live in Johnston with their two sons.
Hackel, Central’s first wrestling NCAA champ–Hackel was Central’s first wrestler to claim an NCAA Division III title, taking the 126-pound crown in 1986-87. He was the national runner-up in 1985-86 and was also a two-time Iowa Conference champ. Hackel posted a combined 72-11 record over two seasons, including a 37-4 mark in 1986-87. A three-time letterwinner, Hackel was Central’s 1986-87 MVP. The Dutch finished eighth in the NCAA Division III team standings in the years of Hackel’s two national appearances.
The tournament MVP at the St. Cloud State (Minn.) Invitational in 1986, Hackel set a school season reversals record (57) in 1986-87.
He is a production planning logistics manager at Hormel Foods Corp. in Austin, Minn.. He is also a volunteer in youth activities and with his church, and for four years was a leader with AWANA, a non-denominational youth ministry. He coached two youth soccer teams this past year. Hackel and his wife, Kristin, have three children.
McGovern, Central’s first two-time NCAA wrestling champ—McGovern is the most successful wrestler in Central history, winning back-to back NCAA Division III championships (1991, 1992) at 167 pounds after placing fourth at 158 pounds in 1990, and claimed conference titles all three years. He’s tied for first at Central in career wins and his 123-17-1 record gave him the school winning percentage record (.958). He also set a school record for most season falls (24) in 1991-92. His 46-2 record in 1991-92 is Central’s best ever.
McGovern won team awards for most valuable freshman (1988-89) and most improved wrestler (1989-90), received the Lawrence Award for work ethic and dedication (1990-91) and was the 1991-92 MVP. He was captain of Central’s 1991-92 squad that won the conference team championship.
Following graduation, he continued competing and placed third at the prestigious Midlands Open in 1992 and 1993.
He earned a master’s degree at the University of Iowa in 1996. An assistant coach at the University of Virginia in 1997-98, McGovern also served as an assistant at the University of Pennsylvania (1998-99). He spent the following year at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. and finished fourth at the 2000 Olympic Trials in Dallas, Texas. A 1998 U.S. national team member, he finished third at the 1998 U.S. national tournament and third at the 1998 World Team Trials.
After returning to coaching as an assistant at the University of Chicago, McGovern also volunteered to operate a freestyle wrestling club for area high school youth.
In 2002 McGovern became head coach at the University of Dubuque and is entering his 11th season with the Spartans. He’s coached seven all-America honorees at Dubuque, including two national champs.
McGovern has developed the Beat the Streets Dubuque youth outreach program, modeled after Beat the Streets New York, to help develop youth on and off the mat.
McGovern and his wife, Lis, are expecting their first child in February.
