2019 Hall of Fame Inductees

Post date: Nov 7, 2019 5:23:20 PM

Jerry Waugh

Outstanding Achievement (Athletics) - Class of 1963

Jerry Waugh graduated from Mount Ayr Community High School in 1963.

Responsibilities on the family farm limited his opportunities to participate in athletics. But with free time during the winter, he focused on basketball and soon developed into one of the top players in the state. Throughout high school he set numerous school, conference, and state records in both scoring and rebounding.

During his senior year, the Raiders finished with a record of 19-3. He averaged 29.6 points and 20.6 rebounds per game that year, leading the state in both categories. In his final high school contest (sub-state game vs Atlantic) he had 36 rebounds.

He was named to the All-State Basketball team, and was selected by Sports Illustrated as an All-American candidate.

He accepted a scholarship to Iowa State University and played on their freshman team before transferring to the University of Northern Iowa.

He became a starter during his junior year at UNI, and averaged over 20 points per game during his final 2 seasons. His average of 23.4 points per game as a senior is still the school record, and his career scoring average of 20.8 is second on the all-time list at UNI.

He was named to the All-American team, and was one of 36 college players selected for the Olympic tryouts. He passed up an opportunity to join the new NBA team in Minnesota in order to begin his teaching & coaching career in Eldora. He later moved to Atlantic, where his Trojan teams made 2 trips to the state tournament and were the state runner-up in 1977.

In 1978 he moved into school administration. He was state principal of the year in 1996, and won the Millikan Family Foundation Award for Outstanding High School Administrator in 1998. He finished his career as the Superintendent of schools at Grundy Center, and served as interim superintendent for several districts in retirement.

In 2002 he was inducted into the Iowa Boys Basketball Hall of Fame. His daughter Trisha is a member of the Iowa Girls Basketball Hall of Fame, and they are believed to be the only father-daughter Basketball Hall of Fame members in the state of Iowa.

Duane Miller

Outstanding Achievement (Athletics) - Class of 1966

Duane Miller is a 1966 graduate of Mount Ayr Community High School. He grew up on the family farm near Kellerton, and entered the Mount Ayr school system in 3rd grade.

He was a versatile and multi-talented athlete in high school, earning 15 varsity letters – 5 in baseball, 4 in track & field, 3 in basketball, and 3 in football.

During his senior football season he rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored 132 points, (second highest season point total in Iowa history at that time); and he was selected to the all-state football team.

He was the Drake Relays High School Long Jump Champion, setting a Drake record with a jump of 22 feet, 7 and 1/4 inches. 53 years later, that jump remains the best ever recorded in school history.

He was heavily recruited and ultimately accepted an offer from Drake University. He came to Drake as a defensive back, and was a starter at that position during his sophomore and junior years, He set school records for most interceptions and interception return yards, and he also established a reputation as one of the most outstanding kick and punt returners in the country.

He switched to the offense as a senior, and became a starting receiver for the Bulldogs. He set school records for receiving yards and touchdown catches, as well as numerous kick and punt return records.

He left Drake with over 10 school records, and at this time he still holds the record in 4 categories: most receiving yards in a season, most punt return yards in a season, most career punt return yards, and the longest punt return. He is one of 32 Bulldogs named to the All-Time Drake Football Team.

Carey Crowson

Outstanding Achievement (Music) - Class of 1972

Carey Crowson graduated from Mount Ayr Community High School in 1972.

He grew up in a musical family, and soon began making a name for himself in the music industry.

He started performing professionally in the Des Moines area in the late 70s, and was a member of several highly successful bands.

Throughout his career, he opened for some of the biggest acts in rock music, including Blood, Sweat, and Tears; The Monkees, The Young Rascals, Peter Noone (Hermans Hermits), Fabian, and Del Shannon.

In addition to his skills as a concert performer, he has written, arranged, and performed commercial jingles for both local and national ad campaigns such as McDonalds, Disney, Farm Bureau, Fareway, Josephs Jewelers, The Iowa State Fair, The Woodsmith Store, as well as numerous banks, insurance companies, and agricultural suppliers.

In 2001 he was inducted into the Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Cavaliers. In 2015 he was inducted a second time as an Individual Contributor in honor of his lifetime achievements in the music industry and his dedication to making music special for all Iowans as well as those beyond our borders.

1963 Football Team

Many veteran observers consider the 1963 squad to be the best football team in Mount Ayr school history.

The team finished the season with a record of 9-0, and were the Tall Corn Conference Champions.

They outscored their opponents 277-30, and the defense recorded 6 shutouts during the year.

They scored on the first play from scrimmage in 4 straight games, and they did not allow a point to be scored against them until the 7th game of the season.

The homecoming game that year was played before “the largest crowd to ever see a football game in Mount Ayr” according to the local newspaper writer. That crowd went home very happy as they saw the Raiders defeat Bedford by a score of 19-0.

The seniors on that team finished high school with a career record of 32-3. During their sophomore, junior, and senior seasons they outscored their opponents 764-63, and the defense racked up 19 shutouts.

Head coach Joe McNeill was named the Des Moines Register Coach of the Year for his efforts that season, and was later selected to the Iowa High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame. The quarterback of that team was Dave Still, who would later become a highly successful coach at his alma mater and was also selected to the Football Coaches Hall of Fame. Both Still and McNeill, as well as assistant coach Chet Roed are members of the Mount Ayr Community Schools Hall of Fame.