HOMECOMING 2002

Basketball, Wrestling Greats Inducted to Hall of Fame

A former wrestler known for never giving up and a former girls’ basketball player known for her pioneering spirit were inducted into the Dana Athletic Hall of Fame in October.

Trent Gutschenritter ’87 and Donna (Layton) ’62 Locher were chosen for their outstanding contributions to Viking Athletics.

Trent Gutschenritter

At the end of his senior season, Viking wrestler Trent Gutschenritter earned a sixth place finish at NAIA Nationals. But had he wrestled in any other weight class in any other year, Gutschenritter probably would have placed even higher.

At the time, the NAIA was considered the best wrestling division outside of the NCAA Division I, and Gutschenritter’s weight class, 150 pounds, is still considered by many to be the toughest. Gutschenritter also received All-American honors that year.

“Trent improved every year and had 30 wins as a senior,” said Ron Beaman, Gutschenritter’s coach at Dana. He qualified for the national tournament three times, and went on to share his love for wrestling as a high school official from 1990-97.

Beaman still remembers the perserverance and commitment Gut-schenritter showed at his final national tournament. “Trent took the hard way, winning five straight and avenging a first round loss in the process,” Beaman said.

Gutschenritter earned a degree from Dana in business/computer science. He has worked for First Data Resources for 10 years, and has received the company’s Fat Cat Award, the most prestigious honor available.

Gutschenritter and his wife, Tina, live in Pacific Junction, Iowa, where they raise four children, Katelyn, 11; Steve, 9; Sydney, 6; and Sara, 5.

Donna (Layton) Locher

Donna (Layton) Locher was clearly the dominant player during an era of great success for Dana in “girls’ basketball,” a distant cousin of the women’s basketball played today. Dana played in an amateur league (Midwest AAU League), sponsored by packing plants, hospitals and other entities. Her entire career is not documented, but she scored at least 1,023 points during her four years of competition. The former Twin Rivers High (Livermore, Iowa) stand-out played on three Dana teams invited to the AAU National Tournament in St. Joseph, Mo.

Although she preceeded the development of full-court basketball for women, she was no less a great player in her time than those players of today. Her skills and accomplishments brought positive attention and exposure for Dana, which is generally considered to be the first college in Nebraska with a women’s (or girls’) basketball team.

Locher earned a degree in English from Dana in 1962. She is married to Fred Locher, and they live in Clayton, Calif., near San Francisco. She and her husband enjoy sailing in San Francisco Bay and Donna continues her education, including attending workshops on photography.