Rasmussen to speak at banquet

COEUR d'ALENE - Bud Rasmussen, longtime throws coach with stops at several levels in the area as well as nationwide, will be the featured speaker at the 53rd North Idaho Sports Banquet, scheduled for April 11 at the Best Western Coeur d'Alene Inn.

Rasmussen is a USATF Level 2 instructor and co-founder of the popular Iron Wood Thrower Development Camp.

Back in the late 1990s, Rasmussen spent seven years as throws coach at North Idaho College, coaching 82 NJCAA All-Americans, 18 national champions and five NHCAA record holders.

In 2002 Rasmussen moved on to become throws coach at the University of Washington, a post he held for two years. He then was named throws coach for USA Track and Field at the USOC Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., where one of his throwers was former Post Falls High, Washington State star and two-time U.S. Olympian Ian Waltz.

He also spent one season as head track and field coach at Coeur d'Alene High.

Since 2010, Rasmussen has owned the Ultimate Athlete Training Center in Coeur d'Alene, where he works with local athletes who have progressed to the high school, college and professional level.

Tickets for the banquet are available at the Best Western Coeur d'Alene Inn.

North Idaho high school and college athletes will be honored, and four people will be inducted into the Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame - Van Troxel, Orlando Lightfoot, Mindy (Rice) Madsen and the late Robert "Marz" Marzulli.