Owen, Finberg among MCA Hall of Fame inductees

Longtime Polson wrestling coach Bob Owen and Columbia Falls native Craig Finberg are among the six members of the 2018 Montana Coaches Association Hall of Fame class.

The head coach at Polson since 1975, Owen has amassed more than 400 wins, tops in the state. The Pirates have won eight divisional championships and two state championships in his 43-year tenure.

Owen is a two-time MCA coach of the year and was a finalist for National High School Athletic Coaches Association wrestling coach of the year honors in 2011. In addition to his coaching duties, Owen also currently serves as the chairman of the Montana High School Association sports committee.

Like Owen, Finberg, who will be inducted posthumously after succumbing to cancer in 2009, was also a two-time MCA coach of the year.

He enjoyed a stellar playing career as a basketball player at Montana State before joining the coaching ranks.

Finberg served as the head boys basketball coach at Dillon for 19 years, in which he made 12 appearances in the state tournament and brought home two state championships. He was also an assistant to head coaches Casey Keltz and Steve Keller at the University of Montana-Western.

Larry Lucero (Great Falls), Pat Lynch (Manhattan), Linda Paull (Helena) and Daniel Weber (Missoula Loyola) are the other four Hall of Fame inductees in the 2018 class.

All honorees will be recognized at the MCA Awards Ceremony at 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 2 in the CMR High School auditorium in Great Falls.

Family and friends are invited to attend.