Westonka Athletic, Fine Arts Halls of Fame Welcome 2025 Inductees

The Westonka High School Athletic Hall of Fame and the inaugural Fine Arts Hall of Fame officially inducted the Class of 2025 on Oct. 3 at a morning ceremony at the Westonka Performing Arts Center. Receiving athletic awards were Casey Curson, Class of 1997; Jeremy Berg, Class of 1998; Chet Horne, Class of 1976; Lynn Nelson Stott, Class of 1980; and Larry Nygaard, Coach. Accepting fine arts awards were Mary Todd Kaercher, Theater Director; Linnea Maas, Class of 1998; and Dr. Jennifer Bill, Class of 1996.

The Induction ceremony was held during Homecoming Week in conjunction with the annual Homecoming Alumni Breakfast at WHS. Westonka Activities Director Jeff Peterson highlighted the accomplishments of each member in front of a crowd of alumni, family members, and staff.

“We are so excited to honor and recognize the 2025 inductees in the Athletic and Fine Arts Halls of Fame,” said Peterson. “It’s so great to connect the past with our future. Congratulations to all!”

Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees

Casey Curson – Class of 1997

• Casey Curson was pitcher for the 1997 softball state championship team – the school’s first state championship in softball.
• With her grit and composure, Curson delivered one of the most remarkable performances in program history at state.
• She was a four-sport athlete in softball, basketball, volleyball, and soccer, earning All-Conference honors in softball.

Jeremy Berg – Class of 1998

• Jeremy Berg was a five-year letter winner in basketball, moving up to varsity in 8th grade for his exceptional 3-point shooting. He had 1,307 career points. He was two-time All-Conference and two-time Team MVP in basketball and was an Academic All-State honoree.
• Berg also played golf for Mound Westonka and earned All-Conference Honorable Mention in cross country, helping the team win conference in his senior year. He also won the ExCEL Award and the Outstanding Young Leader of the Year Award.
• Since graduating, Berg has served the community by coaching basketball, substitute teaching, providing driving instruction, and this year marks his 20th year as a hometown pastor.

Chet Horne – Class of 1976

• Chet Horne was a member of the 1973-74 basketball team that played for the state championship.
• Horne was a two-time All-Conference winner in both football and basketball, and a one-time All-Conference honoree in baseball. He was co-captain of all three teams.
• Horne went on to be a two-year starting offensive guard for the Western Kentucky University football team.

Lynn Nelson Stott – Class of 1980

• Lynn Nelson Stott was a standout athlete at Westonka in cross country, basketball, and track. She was a state competitor in track and cross country, placing 11th at state in cross country in 1979. She was an All-Conference honoree in both basketball and track and won the 1980 Athena Award.
• Stott went on to set 5,000m and 10,000m records at Arizona State University. She was the 1984 Western Collegiate Conference champion in the 10,000m and the 1985 champion in both 3,000m and 5,000m. She was named All-American in the 5,000m in 1984.
• She represented Team USA in the 10,000m at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and was an alternate for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
• Stott was inducted into the Minnesota Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2016.

Larry Nygaard - Coach

• Larry Nygaard served as varsity softball coach at Mound Westonka in the 1980s and early 1990s.
• In 1991, Coach Nygaard became the first head coach of any girls’ team to make the state tournament, finishing second in state that year.
• Nygaard coached other sports and taught science in the Westonka district for many years.
• Coach Nygaard led his softball teams with kindness and created a fun and positive atmosphere at practices and games while also challenging his players to become the best they could be. He was known for his sportsmanship, integrity, professionalism, work ethic, and compassion.

Fine Arts Hall of Fame Inductees

Mary Todd Kaercher – Theater Director

• Mary Todd Kaercher has been the director of middle school productions in Westonka for over 30 years.
• Kaercher has provided decades of dedication to developing the Westonka Middle School Theater program, giving hundreds (if not thousands) of Westonka students the ability to participate in theater and music initiatives. 
• She shares her magic, wonder, creativity, passion and commitment to educating, empowering and inspiring students in the art of theater.
• She takes athletes and artists, introverts and extroverts, students who are considered gifted and students who have disabilities (both seen and unseen) and she makes sure they all belong.

Linnea Maas – Class of 1998

• Linnea Maas has spent the past 25 years making art under a skylight in south Minneapolis. Her projects include acrylic and oil paintings, murals, commissions, virtual reality, and freelance illustrations. 
• Linnea was an outstanding Westonka student, graduating near the top of her class and going on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communications from Washington University.
• She ventures from the easel to the stage for action painting collaborations with rock bands, classical saxophonists, and electronic music DJs. Her previous projects include furniture design, botanical illustration, and a coloring book. She founded "Inside the Robot" in Minneapolis and her robots have been featured in exhibits locally and around the world.
• For over a decade, she has engaged in an innovative exploration of the aural-visual in partnership with visual artist Dr. Jennifer Bill, giving rise to the distinctive endeavor known as BRUSH|REED.

Dr. Jennifer Bill – Class of 1996

• The other half of BRUSH|REED, Dr. Jennifer Bill, is a dedicated and multifaceted musician and educator. She has performed as a solo artist and a chamber musician in Asia, throughout Europe, and the United States collaborating with a diverse group of artists.
• During her time at Westonka, Jennifer was a standout athlete, student, and musician.
• Dr. Bill is currently faculty at Boston University, performance faculty at Boston College, applied faculty at Rhode Island College, adjunct professor of saxophone at Stonehill College, and part time faculty at Fitchburg State University. Since 2010, she has led the Boston University Concert Band.
• She serves on the Board of Directors for World-Wide Concurrent Premieres and Commissioning Funds, Inc. Dr. Bill is also the sole organizer, director, and officer of Music Performance & Education, Inc.

To nominate a standout alumnus or coach for the Athletic HOF, please fill out the Google Form. Nominations for the Fine Arts HOF can be submitted via this Google Form. Paper forms are also available at the WHS Activities Office.