The Class of 1999: ATHLETES

JIM "TIGER" NICHOLSON (1965-1969)

Jim “Tiger” Nicholson ’69 (South Salem High School 1965 graduate, who now lives in Salem) led the Northwest Conference in rushing as a sophomore (1,085 yards) and a junior (1,138 yards). The latter mark remains as the single season school record at Willamette. Following his junior season (1967), he was named NWC Player of the Year and first-team NAIA All-American. Both his freshman and senior seasons were cut short due to injuries. Nicholson is the only running back in school history to record two 1,000-yard rushing seasons. After college, he played two years (1969-1970) for the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League. Nicholson joins his coach (Ted Ogdahl) and 1968 teammates Mike Shinn, Gib Gilmore and Calvin Lee in the Hall of Fame. The 1968 squad was inducted in 1993.

GARY RAID (1955-1959)

Gary Raid '59 (Woodburn High School 1955 graduate, who now lives in Mt. Angel, Ore.) lettered all four years as a tackle and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 1959 National Football League draft. Hr played one season (1959) for Green Bay- Vince Lombardi’s first year as head coach-until an injury forced him to retire. Raid was a first-team All- Northwest Conference and All-Little Northwest selection in 1957 and 1958. He was named-second team UPI Little All-Coast in 1957 and first-team All- Coast in 1958. Following his senior season (1958), Raid was named to the NAIA All-American second team and played in the All-American Bowl and College All-Star game; both games featuring the best players in the nation from all levels.

DAWN LIEN BETTS (1977-1981)

Dawn Lien ’81 (Sprague High School, Salem, Ore., 1977 graduate, now living in Bangkok, Thailand) became the first women at Willamette to win an individual national championship. As a junior, she won the 200-yard butterfly at the 1980 AIAW national swimming championships in Allegany, Penn. Her time of 2:12.45 set a national record and remained a school record until it as broken in 1994. In her four-year career, Lien won five Northwest Conference titles and placed second three times. She placed third at the AIAW national championships in her specialty, the 200-yard butterfly, as a sophomore and a senior.

The Class of 1999: TEAMS

1975 WOMEN'S FIELD HOCKEY

The 1975 field hockey team won the Women’s Conference of Independent Colleges (WCIC) title with a perfect 10-0 record. Two all-conference members led the Bearcats statistics-Kelsey Bunker in scoring (17) and Lynne Crosett in assists (23). Joining those two on the all-WCIC team were Sue Ruff, Carla Piluso and Ginny Daquil. Willamette also competed in the Willamette Valley Field Hockey Association. Bearcat all-stars in the WVFHA included Daquil, Crosett and Katie Walwyn. Head Coach Fran Howard also served on the U.S. Field Hockey Association governing committee that year. Howard, inducted into the Hall Fame in 1994, was selected into the NAIA District II Coaches Hall of Fame in 1986. Crosett and teammate Holly Brown were inducted into the Willamette Hall of Fame in 1992 and 1997, respectively.

1958 FOOTBALL TEAM

The 1958 football team was ranked as high as number two in the nation. The Bearcats, under Hall of Fame coach Ted Ogdahl, won the Northwest Conference with an undefeated record (5-0) and finished 8-1 in the season. The only loss was in the final game of the season, 7-0 to Arizona State of Flagstaff (now Northern Arizona University). Only one opponent during the entire season scored more than a touchdown against the Bearcats as they outscored their foes 282-41. Willamette was led by tackle Gary Raid, center Bill Long, and halfback Stan Solomon. The trio won numerous regional and national honors after the season. Raid will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year as an individual; Solomon and Long were inducted in 1992 and 1996, respectively. The 1958 Bearcat offense averaged an amazing 366.3 yards per game, 281.4 of which came on the ground. Their top ground-gainers were Solomon (753 yards) and Denny Sarver (555 yards). Option quarterback Keith Driver ran and passed for a combined 571 yards. Lee Weaver led the receivers with 17 catches for 374 yards. All-conference performers Bill Wall, Howard Stroebel, Earl Jambura, Dale Shumway and Denny Sarver led Willamette’s defense, which limited its opponents to just 163.9 yards per game. Joining Raid, Solomon and Long on the all-conference team for the offense were Weaver and Dennis Mihm. After the season, Raid and Long played in the All-American Bowl on January 3, 1959. Both Bearcats started and played on both sides of the ball for the Small College Stars, which lost 14-12 to the Major College Stars.

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