2007 UW-Oshkosh Hall of Fame
The UW-Oshkosh Athletic Hall of Fame increased its membership to 147 with the May 6 inductions of two former athletes in a ceremony held at UW-Oshkosh's Reeve Memorial Union.
The 2007 inductees were Marty Petersen and Jim Wild.
The UW-Oshkosh Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1974 to give tribute and deserved recognition to former athletes, coaches and friends of the university. It is also intended to enhance school tradition by honoring those people who have shown exceptional ability while on the UW-Oshkosh campus and since graduation.
Marty Petersen earns a rightful place in UW-Oshkosh’s Athletic Hall of Fame after pacing the sidelines as the school’s head women’s volleyball for nearly a quarter-century.
Petersen retired from coaching in 2004 after a distinguished 22-year career that included 630 wins, five WIAC championships and three NCAA Division III Final Four appearances.
Petersen replaced Betty Ralston as the head women's volleyball coach at UW-Oshkosh in 1983. Since then, the 1975 UW-Oshkosh graduate guided her alma mater to a 630-368 record (.631 winning percentage), including 12 30-plus-win seasons. The Titans reached 40 wins six times under Petersen's guidance, going 42-21 in 1984, 41-20 in 1988, 44-5 in 1990, 42-8 in 1991, 41-5 in 1995 and 40-5 in 1996.
UW-Oshkosh qualified for NCAA Division III postseason play nine times during Petersen's tenure, highlighted by a second-place finish in 1994 and fourth-place finishes in 1991 and 1996. The Titans also participated in NCAA Division III postseason action in 1990, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2000 and 2001 and NAIA postseason competition in 1988 and 1989.
In the WIAC, Petersen ranks as the league’s second-winningest coach. She led UW-Oshkosh to WIAC titles in 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995 and 2001. The Titans also finished second in the league in 1993.
Petersen is a four-time Coach of the Year award winner. She was named NCAA Division III Coach of the Year by Asics in 1994 and 1996 and WIAC Coach of the Year in 1990 and 1996.
Members of the UW-Oshkosh women's volleyball program combined to receive 14 NCAA Division III All-America, one NAIA All-America and 38 All-WIAC selections under Petersen's leadership. Among the honorees were Amy Ward, who was named the NCAA Division III Player of the Year in 1996, and three-time All-Americans Amy Cayemberg (1989-91) and Christina Southward (1999-2001).
Petersen has inspired several former players and assistant coaches to pursue volleyball in many different areas, including current head coaches Dave Boos at Ball State University (Ind.), Jim Boos at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Chad Schreiber at Lakeland College, Brian Schaefer at UW-Oshkosh and Kelly Witte at Ripon College.
Petersen participated in volleyball at UW-Oshkosh from 1972-74. She also competed for the Titans in basketball from 1972-74, field hockey from 1973-74 and track & field from 1973-74.
Petersen lives in Oshkosh, where she serves as the director of intramurals at UW-Oshkosh. In her spare time, the Fond du Lac High School graduate donates countless hours to the Oshkosh Area Humane Society.
With impeccable hands and a powerful leg, UW-Oshkosh’s Jim Wild established himself as one of the top football players in the WIAC during the early 1980s.
Wild played both wide receiver and punter for the Titans from 1980-83. In doing so, the Dodgeland High School graduate became the third member of his family to play football at UW-Oshkosh, following the footsteps of brothers, Gary and Bruce. Wild’s brother, Gary, was inducted into the UW-Oshkosh Hall of Fame in 1988.
Wild was a four-time All-WIAC award winner at UW-Oshkosh. In 1983, he was named WIAC Player of the Year after earning all-league first team accolades at both the wide receiver and punter positions. Wild also received All-WIAC first team status in 1981 and All-WIAC second team mention in 1982 as a punter.
Wild caught 10 passes for 140 yards and punted the football 21 times for an average of 35.0 yards per kick in 1980. The following year, Wild caught 13 passes for 162 yards and one touchdown while punting the football 60 times for an average of 38.4 yards per boot. He led the WIAC in punting that year and ranked 15th in the NCAA Division III.
Wild had a big season for the Titans in 1982 by catching 51 passes for 534 yards and six touchdowns. He led UW-Oshkosh in all three pass receiving categories while punting the football 58 times for an average of 36.8 yards per kick.
Wild authored a distinguished season in 1983 when he caught 41 passes for 871 yards and eight touchdowns to lead UW-Oshkosh in all three areas. He also punted the football 59 times for an average of 38.2 yards per kick.
Wild had two exceptional games for the Titans in 1983. In a 28-7 loss to UW-Eau Claire, he caught a career-best nine passes for 114 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown grab from quarterback Kevin Reichardt. In a 28-7 win over UW-Stevens Point, he hauled in seven passes for a career-best 203 yards, including touchdown receptions of 37 and 84 yards from quarterback Mark Baalke.
Wild finished his UW-Oshkosh career with 115 pass receptions for 1,707 yards and 15 touchdowns. In school history, he ranks fifth in career pass receptions, eighth in career pass receiving yardage and ninth in career touchdown catches. Wild punted the football 198 times during his career for an average of 37.5 yards per kick.
Successful in business and active in the community, Wild is currently the president of Jim Wild Painting in Reeseville and an assistant football coach at Dodgeland High School. Wild and his wife, Denise, are the parents of three children, Samantha, Alexandra and Stephanie.