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"Wow! Fun! Wow!"
Posted:
Thu, Aug 30, 2012 11:35 AM
<script type="text/javascript"> $(document).ready(function($){ var yturl3430 = $("#youtube3430 iframe").attr("src"); var yturl3430 = yturl3430.replace('?rel=0',''); var ytwmode3430 = yturl3430+"?rel=0&wmode=transparent&modestbranding=1"; $("#youtube3430 iframe").attr("src", ytwmode3430); //$("#youtube3430 iframe").addClass("video"); }); </script> <div class="mainimagecontain no" style="width: px"><a rel="lightbox-no" href="/uploads/images/2012/08/wl-640xhl-480xq-95~Image01_5161236.jpg" title="" target="_blank"><img src="/uploads/images/2012/08/w-xq-95~Image01_5161236.jpg" border="0" width="" class="ui-corner-all"></a> <div class="mainimagedesc ui-tabs-pic ui-widget ui-widget-content ui-corner-all no"></div></div> <p class="">Luther College President Rick Torgerson on Thursday presented Kent Finanger with the Spirit of Luther Award.<br><br>Torgerson noted Finanger's "infectuous" personality--as well as his fondness for exclamation marks. But Torgerson also credited Finanger for being ahead of his time in promoting wellness programs and for coaching during a total of 93 athletic season at Luther.<br><br>Finanger, a 1954 Luther graduate, is being honored for his commitment to, love of and support for Luther College and the Decorah community. "Luther College has always viewed athletics as an integral part of the total student experience. Coach Kent is a living example of that philosophy," said Torgerson in prepared remarks. "He poured his heart and soul into teaching, coaching and mentoring young people at Luther and continues to personify the spirit of Luther."<br> <br>While a student at Luther, Finanger was named all-conference in football and basketball his junior and senior seasons, a Small College all-American in Football his junior season and conference long jump champion his senior season.<br> <br>After graduation, Finanger joined the military service for two-years. He earned the master's degree in physical education from the University of Wisconsin, and the doctoral degree in physical education from the University of Iowa. He became a professor in Luther's health and physical education department, chairing the department from 1964-1996.<br><br>As a coach at his alma mater, he logged nearly 90 seasons of coaching in five sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, and track and field.<br>He coached football for nine seasons, served as assistant basketball coach for 10 seasons, head basketball coach for 15 seasons, assistant baseball coach for 17 seasons, assistant track and field for two seasons, head track and field coach for 7 seasons and head cross country coach for 27 seasons.<br><br>Finanger's cross country teams won 21 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles over a 27 year period and won the 1985 NCAA Division III cross country national championship. Finanger's track and field teams won five Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team titles, placed second in the 1965 NCAA College Division National Championships in Long Beach, Calif. and received five all-America honors that season.<br> <br>Finanger was inducted into Luther's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Iowa Association of Track Coaches Hall of Fame in 1998.<br><br>Finanger served on the Decorah Community School Board for 12 years, and was an active member of Rotary, Winneshiek County Red Cross, the Decorah All-Sports Club and other organizations.<br><br>He is now retired; his days are filled with visits to and from his children and grandchildren.<br></p> <div class="linkit forward no"><a href="" target="_" title=""></a></div> <div class="linkit pdf no"><a href="/uploads/2012/08/" target="_blank" title=""></a></div> <div style="clear: both;"> <div class="imagecontain ui-tabs-pic ui-widget ui-widget-content ui-corner-all yes"><a rel="lightbox-yes" href="/uploads/images/2012/08/wl-640xhl-480xq-95~Image02_13445127.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/uploads/images/2012/08/w-217xh-162xbg-FFFFFFxq-95xfar-C~Image02_13445127.jpg" border="0" width="217" height="162"></a><div class="imagedesc yes">(Left to right): SPirit of Luther Award recipient Kent Finanger and Luther College President Rick Torgerson</div></div> <div class="imagecontain ui-tabs-pic ui-widget ui-widget-content ui-corner-all yes"><a rel="lightbox-yes" href="/uploads/images/2012/08/wl-640xhl-480xq-95~Image03_60876662.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/uploads/images/2012/08/w-217xh-162xbg-FFFFFFxq-95xfar-C~Image03_60876662.jpg" border="0" width="217" height="162"></a><div class="imagedesc no"></div></div> <div class="imagecontain ui-tabs-pic ui-widget ui-widget-content ui-corner-all no"><a rel="lightbox-no" href="/uploads/images/2012/08/wl-640xhl-480xq-95~" target="_blank"><img src="/uploads/images/2012/08/w-217xh-162xbg-FFFFFFxq-95xfar-C~" border="0" width="217" height="162"></a><div class="imagedesc no"></div></div> <div class="imagecontain ui-tabs-pic ui-widget ui-widget-content ui-corner-all no"><a rel="lightbox-no" href="/uploads/images/2012/08/wl-640xhl-480xq-95~" target="_blank"><img src="/uploads/images/2012/08/w-217xh-162xbg-FFFFFFxq-95xfar-C~" border="0" width="217" height="162"></a><div class="imagedesc no"></div></div> <img src="/uploads/images/2012/08/w-250xh-250xfar-Cxbg-FFFFFFxq-95~Image01_5161236.jpg" style="display:none;"> </div> <div style="clear:both"></div> </div> <!-- End Content --> <!-- PRINT: stop --> <div style="clear:both"></div> </div> <!-- End Center Column --> <div style="clear:both"></div> </div> <!-- End Body --> <div style="clear:both"></div> <!-- Begin Footer --> <div id="footer"> <!-- Begin Footer Content--> <div class="footercontent"> Copyright © <script>document.write(new Date().getFullYear())</script> - decorahnewsarchive.com. 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