Six to Be Inducted Into Forest City Athletics Hall of Fame

Six former Forest City athletes will be inducted into the Forest City Community School District Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the district’s 2026 class.

Erich Erdman, Brett Putz, Marisa (Jensen) McEldowney, Crystal (Anderson) Orf, Matt Eckerman, and Bill Gahan will be honored during Forest City’s Homecoming festivities this week.

The Hall of Fame was established in 2023 to recognize former athletes, coaches, teams, administrators, and patrons who have made significant contributions to Forest City athletics.

The 2026 inductees will be formally recognized during a public ceremony at the Boman Fine Arts Center at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17. The inductees will also participate in the Homecoming parade at 1:30 p.m. that day and be recognized during halftime of Forest City’s football game Thursday night.

The ceremony will also be livestreamed on the Forest City Sports livestream here on KIOW.com.

Erich Erdman

Erdman, a 2015 Forest City graduate and Brooker Cup winner, was a three-sport athlete in basketball, baseball and cross country.

He earned three first-team all-conference selections, two North Iowa Conference Player of the Year awards and was named IBCA Class 2A Player of the Year. In basketball, Erdman ranks third in school history with 1,739 points and second with a 19.1 points-per-game scoring average.

He was also a two-time all-conference baseball selection and finished his high school career with a .338 batting average.

Erdman continued his basketball career at Briar Cliff University, where his collegiate accomplishments earned him induction into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2025.

Brett Putz

Putz, a 2008 graduate and Brooker Cup recipient, starred in both basketball and football.

On the basketball court, Putz was named Class 3A Player of the Year and earned two first-team all-state selections. He finished his Forest City career as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,791 points.

Putz led all Iowa classes in scoring in 2007 and led Class 3A in scoring again in 2008. During his career, Forest City won four conference championships and finished fourth at the state tournament.

He continued his playing career at St. Cloud State University, helping the program make three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Final Four.

Putz later moved into coaching. He led DMACC to a national championship and currently serves as an assistant coach at St. Louis University.

Marisa (Jensen) McEldowney

McEldowney, a 2003 graduate, was a four-sport athlete who competed in cross country, basketball, softball and track.

Her most significant accomplishments came in softball. As a pitcher, she helped Forest City compile a 112-24 record, win four conference championships and make two state tournament appearances.

Jensen recorded 1,138 career strikeouts, along with 12 no-hitters and seven perfect games. She was a three-time all-conference, all-district and all-state selection.

She continued her softball career at Waldorf University, earning four NAIA All-American honors and helping the program win multiple conference championships.

Crystal (Anderson) Orf

Orf, a 2001 graduate and Buckley Award winner, was a standout in basketball and softball.

In basketball, she ranks second in Forest City history with 1,186 career points and 251 steals. She holds school records for assists, with 462, and free throws made, with 276.

Her all-around contributions also placed her among the program’s career leaders in rebounds and blocks. She earned all-conference and all-state recognition during her high school career.

Orf was similarly accomplished on the softball diamond, earning multiple all-state selections and four first-team all-conference honors. She finished her career near the top of the school’s statistical rankings in hits, RBIs, doubles and batting average.

She went on to compete in both basketball and softball at Waldorf College.

Matt Eckerman

Eckerman, a 1993 graduate and Brooker Cup winner, competed in football, wrestling and track at Forest City.

He won a Class 2A state wrestling championship at 189 pounds and was part of a state championship 4×800-meter relay team. In football, he rushed for 970 yards during the 1992 season, placing him among the school’s top career and single-season performers.

Eckerman continued wrestling at the University of Chicago, where he finished third at the NCAA Division III level.

His success across three sports, including both team and individual competition, helped establish his place among Forest City’s notable multi-sport athletes.

Bill Gahan

Gahan, a 1977 graduate, was part of one of the most successful stretches in Forest City basketball history.

He contributed to teams that made three consecutive state championship appearances from 1975 through 1977. Although detailed individual statistics from that era are limited, Gahan was an important member of teams that established a sustained tradition of success at Forest City.

He continued his basketball and academic career at Waldorf College.