Duane Poppen

Poppen is a 1953 graduate of Madison High School, having fulfilled an active career in football, basketball and track, as well as student government, drama, chorus and tumbling. He won the 110-yard high hurdles and the 180-yard low hurdles in both 1952 and 1953 at the State Track Meet in an era when -there one class of competition at state meets. While winning those events, he set a state record in the 180-yard event at 19.8 seconds and in the 110-yarder at 14.6. Poppen held those records until 1969, and he kept those marks intact at MHS until another Hall of Famer, Don Larson, came along in 1971 to break the 110-yard record. Poppen excelled in football, basketball and track. He lettered and started in football for four years, track five years and lettered and started in basketball for three years. He was undefeated in both hurdle events his entire junior and senior years.