Hall Of Fame Inductee: Danielle (Rankin) Salm
This is the first in a 14-part series that introduces the 14 members of the 2024 UW-Oshkosh Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Class. Their inductions will take place Friday, August 2 (3:30 p.m.) at the Culver Family Welcome Center (625 Pearl Avenue) on the UW-Oshkosh campus. Tickets ($45 each, aged five and older) for this event are open to the public and will be on sale through July 1. Tickets are required to attend and will not be available for purchase at the event. All purchased tickets will be available for pick up at the event. Click here to purchase tickets.
UW-Oshkosh then celebrates 50 years of inductions into its Athletics Hall of Fame during a special event held Saturday, August 3 (3:30 p.m.) at the Oshkosh Convention Center (2 North Main Street). Hall of fame members in attendance will be recognized and receive a variety of commemorative items. The keynote speaker is Iowa State University Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard, a 1999 UW-Oshkosh Hall of Fame inductee. Tickets ($45 each, aged five and older) for this event are open to the public and will be on sale through July 1. Tickets are required to attend and will not be available for purchase at the event. All purchased tickets will be available for pick up at the event. Click here to purchase tickets.
An 11-time All-American in the throwing events, Danielle (Rankin) Salm was a member of UW-Oshkosh women's track & field teams that captured five NCAA Division III and three WIAC titles from 2003-06.
Salm earned three All-America awards in each of the indoor shot put, indoor 20-pound weight throw and outdoor hammer throw events and was a two-time All-American in the outdoor shot put.
Competing at the WIAC Indoor Championship, Salm was a top-three finisher in the shot put and a top-four finisher in the 20-pound weight throw three times each. The 2002 Algoma High School graduate was a three-time second-place finisher in the shot put and a three-time top-four finisher in the hammer throw at the WIAC Outdoor Championship.
Salm began her UW-Oshkosh career in 2003 by placing sixth in the 20-pound weight throw and seventh in the shot put at the WIAC Indoor Championship and fifth in the shot put at the WIAC Outdoor Championship.
During the 2004 indoor season, Salm placed third in the shot put and fourth in the 20-pound weight throw at the WIAC Championship before earning All-America recognition with her fifth-place finish in both the shot put and 20-pound weight throw at the Division III Championship. Salm's performance helped the Titans win their fourth Division III indoor title.
Later that spring, UW-Oshkosh won both the WIAC and Division III outdoor titles. Salm helped the Titans to their conference victory by finishing second in the shot put and third in the hammer throw. Salm then assisted UW-Oshkosh to its sixth national outdoor title by picking up an All-America citation with her seventh-place finish in the hammer throw.
In 2005, Salm finished second in the indoor shot put, fourth in the indoor 20-pound weight throw, second in the outdoor shot put and fourth in the outdoor hammer throw at the WIAC championships.
Nationally, Salm helped UW-Oshkosh to the 2005 Division III indoor title with her fifth-place All-America finishes in both the shot put and 20-pound weight throw. She then placed sixth in the hammer throw and seventh in the shot put to register All-America listings at the Division III Outdoor Championship.
Salm played a big role for the Titans in 2006 as the Titans swept the WIAC and Division III indoor and outdoor titles for the third time in program history.
Salm helped UW-Oshkosh to its 2006 conference indoor title by finishing second in both the shot put and 20-pound weight throw. She then helped the Titans to the conference outdoor championship by placing second in both the hammer throw and shot put and seventh in the discus.
Salm produced a pair of indoor All-America performances in 2006 with her finishes of third in the 20-pound weight throw and sixth in the shot put. Her efforts helped the Titans to their third straight Division III indoor title.
Salm closed her UW-Oshkosh career a few months later with a pair of All-America throws at the Division III Outdoor Championship. She helped the Titans to their second national outdoor title in three seasons by finishing third in the hammer throw and sixth in the shot put.
Salm, a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll, was named to league's Women's Track & Field All-Centennial Team in 2012.
Salm graduated from UW-Oshkosh in 2007 and has been a first grade teacher in the Kaukauna Area School District since 2017. In 2022, the Kaukauna Area School District named Salm as its Elementary Certified Staff Employee of the Year.
The former Little Chute High School assistant track & field coach lives in Kaukauna with husband Matthew, son Eddie and daughter Morgan.
2024 UW-Oshkosh Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Announcements
Wednesday, April 24: 10 a.m. • Danielle (Rankin) Salm, 2 p.m. • TBA
Thursday, April 25: 10 a.m. • TBA, 2 p.m. • TBA
Friday, April 26: 10 a.m. • TBA, 2 p.m. • TBA
Monday, April 29: 10 a.m. • TBA, 2 p.m. • TBA
Tuesday, April 30: 10 a.m. • TBA, 2 p.m. • TBA
Wednesday, May 1: 10 a.m. • TBA, 2 p.m. • TBA
Thursday, May 2: 10 a.m. • TBA, 2 p.m. • TBA
The UW-Oshkosh Athletics Hall of Fame was established in 1974 to enhance school tradition and give lasting recognition to those student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and friends of the university who distinguished themself at an exemplary level.
Each hall of fame member represents greatness, with their accomplishments built on campus, after graduation or through meritorious efforts that benefit the UW-Oshkosh athletics program.
The first UW-Oshkosh Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held April 28, 1974, at The Pioneer Inn & Marina. The five inductees were Edward Boguski, Edward Hall, Burton Karges, Robert Kolf and Robert Williams.
Four venues have hosted the UW-Oshkosh Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony – The Pioneer Inn & Marina (1974-2001), Hilton Garden Inn Oshkosh (2002), UW-Oshkosh's Reeve Memorial Union (2003-13) and UW-Oshkosh's Culver Family Welcome Center (2014-19, 2021-Present).