There were about 20 people most of the morning at the athletics reunion, the first gathering of the day (9 a.m.).
We talked to Ben Peterson, wrestling coach at Maranatha for 28 years. He still lives in Watertown and is still involved in wrestling through Camp of Champs. "God blessed me by being able to take my hobby and also make it my ministry and livelihood," Peterson said. He will work with about 500 wrestlers each year through both weekend camps during the school year and week-long camps during the summer.
Peterson will travel to Chico, California, for a weekend camp next month. He recently finished one in Albert Lea, Minnesota. Peterson said he normally stays in the town after a Saturday camp to speak at a Sunday church service. He rents facilities in Medord, Wisconsin, and Juneau, Wisconsin, for the week-long summer camps.
"I miss the personal touch, watching a kid develop day-by-day, but I don't miss the daily grind of coaching," Peterson said.
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Brent Biddle ('90) and wife Diana (McDonald '90) were here for the reunion and to visit with their daughter. Hannah, a freshman, has studied string, piano and harp at Indiana University but is also training for the World Association of Benchers and Dead Lifters Championships weightlifting event in Las Vegas. Hannah has already won weight-class championships in five different organizations, including the WABDL. Brent is conducting a strength clinic tonight at the Fitness Center Gymnasium weight room.
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Jerry Williams is here. He was coach of the 1972 football team that recorded the first victory in school history. He was also coach later that year when, during a road trip to Appleton, Maranatha coaches and players were able to lead 19 people to the Lord and help establish a church there.
"I still have the book where we wrote down all 19 names and addresses," Williams said. "A lot of them were teenagers. I was able to lead the coach of the other team to the Lord as well as the owner of the restaurant we ate at."
Williams was a missionary to Papua, New Guinea, with wife Marilyn (Arrowood '70) for 32 years. They now live in Illinois.