Woodward High School announces 2nd Hall of Fame class

Aug. 3—What does an art teacher, band director, wrestler, basketball player, business owner and track team all have in common?

They have all been nominated and selected for the second class of the Woodward High School Hall of Fame and will be inducted on Sept. 25 to cap off homecoming weekend.

This years selections are Joey Miller, Kala Bowers (now Gaines), Roxy Merklin, the 1959 boys state track champions, the late Oran Highley and the late Delbert and Evelyn Gentry.

It is a star-studded class by any measurement.

Miller and Bowers are two of the most decorated athletes in Woodward's tradition-rich history.

Miller, in fact, is one of the pioneers of women's wrestling.

While wrestling in the boys' division throughout her school years, Miller twice qualified for the Oklahoma State wrestling championships, medaled twice and earned All-State honors. This was well before girls wrestling was established as a separate division in Oklahoma.

At Oklahoma City University she was a two-time womens' national champion and is likely the only Woodward native to ever compete in the Olympic Trials.

She was recently honored for her work in women's wrestling at the first women's All-State match day.

Bowers was a standout from the moment she put on the Boomers' Black and Gold, leading the team in scoring as a freshman.

Over her four-year career, the Boomers qualified for state each year and won the state championship in 1991 and 2001. She earned All-State honors Gatorade Player of the Year in Oklahoma. She was also a two-time state champion in track competing in the long jump and high jump.

At the University of Texas, Bowers started a good portion of her career and helped the Longhorns to a Final Four appearance.

Woodward has only one state team championship in men's track and it came in 1959.

Coach Truman Medders and his squad consisting of Dwight Chaffin, Jack Vloedman, Don Derrick, Ron Derrick and Bill Harper dominated the state's second largest class with 30 points to second place El Reno's 19.

Don Derrick won the high and low hurdles and the Boomers won the 800 and mile relays, good enough to win the championship by a solid margin.

A Woodward High School graduate, Roxy Merklin taught art and advanced placement studio art in her hometown from 1983 to 2006, earning a number of honors along the way. Some of those honors include Oklahoma Art Educator of the Year, Woodward Educator of the Year, Recipient of the Governor's Art Awards: Art in Education, Oklahoma winner of the Christa McAuliffe Fellowship, Oklahoma Foundation Medal for Excellence in teaching and National Secondary Art Teacher of the Year.

After retiring she served on the Woodward Board of Education for a number of years.

A highly-decorated World War II veteran, Oran Highly was Woodward's band director for 18 years (1947 to 1965), building an award winning program. During his tenure, the band grew from one small group of 40-plus students in grades 7-12 into one high school band, one mid-high band, two junior high bands and four elementary bands.

He also formed the first pep-stage band for Woodward High School. He is credited with coining the name "Pride of Northwest Oklahoma" for the WHS band in 1954. It's a name that still holds true to this day.

Before his time at Woodward High School, Highly served his country during the war in Germany and surviving as a prisoner of war before being liberated in April of 1945.

It's difficult to put into words the impact Delbert and Evelyn Gentry had on the Woodward community and school.

As the owners of McDonald's for around 40 years, the Gentrys were supportive in every aspect, helping out the school whenever anything was needed. In fact, the Gentrys brought McDonald's to Woodward.

They made McDonald's more than just a business. They made it a part of this community in every way possible.

Their efforts will be remembered for generations.

As you can tell, this is quite a group.

As a member of the inaugural class, I can speak from experience that induction into the Hall of Fame is quite an honor. It's is one I will always remember and cherish.

This year's class and future classes will enjoy all of those same memories as time goes on.

The reception/banquet for the Hall of Fame Class of 2022 will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 25.

It is and event you should try and make plans to attend.