Van Atherton is a 1972 graduate who was a three sport athletes for the Warriors, competing in
Football, Basketball & Track. In Football, Van was a two year letter winner & started for the Warriors
his Junior & Senior year as Quarterback & Middle Safety. Van was the starting Quarterback when
Norwalk played their first game on Mineart Field on October 30, 1970 beating Panora Linden 21-3.
He was a Co-Captain his senior year and lead the team in scoring & was 2nd overall in tackles. He
broke the school record with 14 touchdown passes in one year. His senior year the Warriors finished
the season with an 8-0 record which is the only undefeated football team in Norwalk History and at
that time there was no playoff structure in the state of Iowa. They outscored their opponents 288-23
and were the Conference Champions. Van was a 1st Team All-Conference selection and a 1st Team
All State Honorable Mention selection.
Van was a three year letter winner in basketball for the Warriors. He was Co-Captain his Junior &
Senior year, a unanimous 1st Team All-Conference pick his Junior & Senior year and was named to
the All County & All District teams. In his Junior year Norwalk finished the regular season with a 22-1
record. Van lead the Warriors averaging 17.6 points & 14.2 rebounds per game. He was voted Most
Valuable Player, was a 1st Team All-Conference & All State Honorable Mention selection by the Des
Moines Register & the Iowa Daily Press. During his senior season the Warriors finished with a 22-2
record, were Conference Champs & qualified for the Boys State Tournament for the first time in
school history. Van established a school record his senior year scoring 545 points in that season, a
record which stood for 47 years until current senior Bowen Born broke it during the 2018-2019
season. During his senior year, Van averaged 22.7 points, shooting 54.1 percent from the field and
pulled down 16.6 rebounds per game.
Van was also a four year letter winner in track. As a junior he set the school record in the High Jump
at 6 ft. He qualified for the State Track Meet his junior year in the High Jump and during his senior
year he qualified for the state meet in the High Jump, 440 yard relay and 880 yard relay. Van placed
second in the State in the High Jump at the State Indoor Track Meet.
Van lives in Norwalk with his wife Cheri. He is retired from Super Valu & currently works for Indianola
Community Schools. They have three children that graduated from Norwalk, Troy, Todd and Trisha &
8 grandchildren, Kyra, Dalton & Laina of Boone, Macie, Preston & Millie of La Crosse, Wisconsin &
Logan & Blake who are currently students at Norwalk.