CHSAA inducts eight new members with 27th Hall of Fame class
AURORA — Eight new members joined CHSAA’s Hall of Fame on Wednesday night following an induction ceremony at the Radisson Hotel Denver Southeast.
Coaches Judy Beardsley (Merino/Sterling), Maurice “Stringy” Ervin (Littleton), Art Wollenweber (Sheridan); participants Natalie Hughes (Palisade), Amy Van Dyken-Rouen (Cherry Creek), Edward “Chuck” Williams (Denver East); sponsor Jess Gerardi (Durango/Englewood); and significant contributor Homer “Irv” Moss (Denver) were all honored on Wednesday.
Together, they comprise the 2015 class, which is the 27th in the history of the Hall of Fame.
Williams spoke for the group. In a speech, he said, “We all feel that it was essential to have the passion and the love for our respective endeavors.”
The CHSAA Hall of Fame was started in 1989.
Biographies of each new member are below, via the press release announcing the new members last October. With their inclusion the CHSAA Hall of Fame now has 180 members.
2015 CHSAA Hall of Fame class
Judy Beardsley (Merino/Sterling) – One of the finest volleyball coaches in the state, Beardsley’s teams have won 11 state titles, including 10 at Merino and one at Sterling. Her teams compiled records of 502-88 (85%) through last year. She was named Class 1A Coach of the Year on 10 occasions and has earned numerous other coaching honors, including induction last spring into the CHSCA Hall of Fame. Her teams were runners up four times, finished third on three occasions and earned three trips to the final four. Beardsley was named coach of the year on 16 occasions, including 2000 when she was the National High School Coaches Association’s National Coach of the Year.”
Jess Gerardi (Durango/Englewood) – The “godfather” of blending marching band and concert bands, Gerardi is recognized as the state’s most balanced instrumental music director. His bands have excelled at the highest level, at the state, regional and national levels. He served in nearly every role possible in the Colorado Music Educators Association and Colorado Bandmasters Association (CBA). He is an accomplished judge as well, judging strings and bands with aplomb. Gerardi is a member of the CBA’s Hall of Fame and the Colorado Music Educators Association’s Hall of Fame. He was named “Citizen of the Year” in Englewood and “Colroado’s Outstanding Music Educator” by the National Federation (NFHS) in 1994. In 2006, Gerardi received the covetous “Citation of Excellence” award from the National Band Association. Of note is that Gerardi served as director of entertainment for the Denver Broncos Football Club and was director of the Denver Broncos Band from 1967 to 1998.
Maurice “Stringy” Ervin (Littleton) – A coach for five decades, Erwin’s girls’ swimming teams won five state championships and his boys’ teams won another seven. He has coached 19 individual state champions, as well. He has also coached football and baseball. He has won too many honors to count and has been an integral part of the leadership team for the CHSCA. For a man who never learned to swim himself, Ervin can always be found at the pool coaching all levels of swimmer. He was a classroom teacher for LHS for over 30 years and is a meticulous record keeper. He was named the 1998 National Swimming Coach of the Year. He is the recipient of The Denver Post’s Dave Sanders Award (2001), as well as multiple other coaching and leadership awards. As a three-sport high school athlete at LHS, he led his teams to a state championships in football (quarterback) and basketball.
Natalie Hughes (Palisade) – One of the state’s most prolific runners, Hughes won 13 individual state titles in high school. She won three cross country titles (1997, 99, 00) and then won titles in the 800, 1600 and 3200 meters in track and field. She went on to run at Florida State where she was a seven-time All-American and eight-time All-ACC runner during her time with the Seminoles. She still holds the mile record at FSU.
Homer “Irv” Moss (The Denver Post) – Moss has been writing prep sports stories since 1955 and was in integral part of the early coverage for high school sports in Colorado. He and Manual Boody (CHSAA HoF 1990) were the first two newspaper writers to give life in the major papers to prep sports. He printed the CHSAA championship programs until 1988. He was hired as a part-timer while still a student at Denver West. If you are anyone in high school sports, you can’t pass on into the next world without an obituary from Irv Moss. He was instrumental in developing the Metro vs. Suburbs Baseball All-Star game at Bears Stadium and remains one of the state’s most compelling voices in sports, serving as a resource for prep, collegiate and professional sports in Colorado.
Amy Van Dyken-Rouen (Cherry Creek) – Van Dyken is now one of the world’s most recognizable athletes after a stellar swimming career at Cherry Creek High School and Colorado State University. In high school, she set the state record in the 50 free and 100 butterfly. Her teams won state titles each year from 1987-1991. She was named the 1991 Female Swimmer of the Year. She competed in the Olympics winning six Gold Medals. After suffering a serious injury several years ago, she has become a strong spokesperson for the Paralympic athletes and those with spinal cord injuries.
Edward “Chuck” Williams (Denver East) – An all-state basketball and track athlete at Denver East High School, Williams is one of the state’s finest basketball players. He played on three state championship teams, winning in football (1962), basketball (1964) and track (1964). He also played on a football and basketball team that finished runners-up. He earned All-State honors in football and basketball as a senior. He is a member of the DPS’s All-Century Teams in both football and basketball.
Art Wollenweber (Sheridan) – One of the state’s iconic coaches and administrators, Wollenweber baseball teams won over 300 games, captured seven league titles and made the state tournament eight times. As an administrator for SHS, Wollenweber played a key role in the Metro League, serving as the league secretary/treasurer from 1973-1989. He spent many years on the CHSAA Board of Control (Legislative Council) and was a member of the CHSAA Executive Committee (Board of Directors).
