For Craig Butrym, the timeless adage “Good things come to those who wait” applies perfectly to both his journey to basketball greatness and the formal recognition of his achievements.

As a Junior, the 6’11” Butrym patiently accepted the role of key reserve behind a starting lineup of five Seniors on future Nicolet Hall of Fame Coach Tom Puls’ first Braveland Conference championship team in 1970-71. After waiting for his turn, the following season he was the only Senior starter on a young but hungry team that was eager to make its own mark. Although expectations for the 1971-1972 Knights team were uncertain, the ascension of Butrym as a dominant force and the rapidly emerging play of his young teammates turned the season into one of the most memorable runs in Nicolet basketball history.

The Knights raced to a 15-3 conference record (19-4 overall), breaking a tie with their archrival Homestead in a thrilling 71-68 home victory in the next-to-last regular season game. Butrym led the way with 28 points and 19 rebounds in what the Glendale Herald called “one of the most exciting and important games in Nicolet history”. After scoring 27 points to clinch the conference title in the final regular season game and earning the Milwaukee Journal “Prep Player of the Week” award for his 55 points in those two games, Butrym led the team to a memorable post-season run that ended in an upset loss to Milwaukee King in the Sectional semifinals.

Despite the immense pressure of being the only Senior starter, standing nearly 7 feet tall, and having opposing defenses constantly focused on stopping him, Butrym played his best when the stakes were high. He averaged 24.0 points and 21.4 rebounds per game in the five playoff games, numbers which far exceeded his remarkable regular season averages of 18.8 points and 13.2 rebounds per game. Butrym was the team’s MVP, received 1st Team All Braveland Conference honors, and was only the second Nicolet basketball player to receive All State honors during the school’s first 25 years of existence.

After high school, Butrym earned a Division I basketball scholarship to Marquette University and played for legendary coach Al McGuire. He was a member of Marquette’s 1977 NCAA Championship team and later played professional basketball in Europe. Although his Nicolet Athletic Hall of Fame induction was over half a century after his unforgettable Senior season, a gracious and appreciative Craig Butrym was proud to celebrate this honor with his wife, three children, and nine grandchildren.

Destiny Huven stands as one of the most decorated track and field athletes in Nicolet High School history. A four-year WIAA State qualifier and multi-time state champion, Destiny’s impact on the program was both historic and enduring. Her dominance in hurdles, relays, and sprints helped elevate Nicolet to state prominence and set a standard of excellence that continues to inspire future generations of student-athletes.

Destiny’s track accolades are some of the strongest Nicolet High School history, earning a plethora of WIAA State Meet qualifications and capturing four state titles in the 100-meter hurdles (2017, 2018), 4x100 relay (2018), and 4x200 relay (2019), along with three additional podium finishes. She holds four school records—100m dash, 100m hurdles, 4x100 relay, and 4x200 relay—and ranks in Nicolet’s Top 5 All-Time in six other events. A four-time conference champion in the 100m hurdles and record-setter in the 300m hurdle shuttle relay, her time in that event remains the fastest in Wisconsin history. Her 100m hurdle time ranks 2nd all-time in state history, and she consistently appeared on Wisconsin’s Top 50 All-Time lists. Destiny’s excellence continued post-high school at both UW-Madison and the University of Arkansas. Her post high school accomplishments included being a Big Ten Champion, All-American, and U.S. Olympic Trials semifinalist.

Despite her national success, Destiny Huven’s legacy at Nicolet High School remains unparalleled. Her name, records, and championship performances symbolize the pinnacle of athletic achievement. She is a model of dedication, determination, and humility, and we are proud to welcome her into the Nicolet High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Tim Koppa is one of the most successful and longest tenured coaches in the history of Nicolet High School. He was also a beloved Wellness teacher at Nicolet until his retirement in 2024. At the time of his Hall of Fame enshrinement in 2025, Coach Koppa was still serving as head coach of both the boys and girls tennis programs.

Coach Koppa became the Head Boys Tennis Coach at Nicolet in 1995 and he became the Head Girls Tennis Coach at Nicolet in 1997 after two years working under his mentor J. Cary Bachman. His combined 60 seasons as a head coach at Nicolet represents the most ever in school history.

In his tennis coaching career at Nicolet, he won an amazing team total of 9 WIAA State Championships, 4 State Runner-ups, 20 WIAA Sectional Championships and 21 Conference Championships.

On the boy’s side, he contributed to Nicolet’s WIAA All-Time total of 26 state championships by guiding his teams to 6 team state titles in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Two times his boys teams finished as State runner-ups. His boys tennis teams also won 9 WIAA Sectional titles (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006) and 14 Conference Championships (1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2023). Individually, he coached 6 singles state champions, 5 singles runner-ups, 3 doubles state champs and 3 doubles runner-ups.

On the girl’s side, Tim guided 3 of the school’s WIAA record 17 Girls State Tennis Titles in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Two times his girls teams finished as State runner-ups. His girls tennis teams also won 11 WIAA Sectional titles (1998, 1999, 2000, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) and 7 Conference Championships (1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2014, 2015, 2020). Individually, he coached 1 singles state champion, 2 doubles runner-ups, 2 doubles state champs and 3 doubles runner-ups.

Two times, Tim’s teams won both the Girls and Boys State Titles in the same year: 1998 and 1999.

Tim was a 2-time State Tennis Coach of the Year and a National Coach of the Year runner-up. He served as President of the Wisconsin State High School Coaches Association for two years and was a 3-time Speaker/Presenter at the Wisconsin State High School Coaches Clinic.

Tim Koppa came to Nicolet and was tasked with following a coaching legend in J. Cary Bachman but Tim forged his own tennis legacy at Nicolet and continues to be a positive influence on not only Nicolet High School Tennis but high school tennis state wide.

There are basketball players that are elite offensive scorers. Then there are those that are dominant enforcers on the defensive end. And then there those that are exceptional at both. This would be the case regarding Joah Tucker. Be it rim-shaking thunder dunks on one end or booming blocked shots on the other, Tucker would leave a lasting imprint on the minds of basketball fans across southeastern Wisconsin for three seasons as a star on the hardwood. Known for his fierce determination and intense competitive spirit, Tucker established himself as a powerful force during his sophomore season in helping lead the underdog Knights to the conference title. He followed that up with a WIAA regional title as a junior and another North Shore championship as a senior, including an unblemished 14-0 mark. He would be named North Shore All-Conference after each of his varsity seasons. During this span, he would be the overall team leader in points scored, rebounds, and blocked shots. As a senior, Tucker would receive a host of additional accolades: North Shore Conference Player-of-the-Year, CNI

Newspapers Suburban All-Area, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel All-Area, WBCA Division I All-Star, and WIAA All-State. A 1000-point career scorer in high school, Tucker would continue to shine on the court beyond. A member of the 2014 Hall of Fame class at UW-Milwaukee, Tucker was a 2-time All-Horizon League selection, led the Panthers to three postseason appearances, and tallied 32 points against Illinois in a memorable Sweet 16 run in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. After college, Tucker would play professionally in France and had a stint with the famed Harlem Globetrotters. Without question, Joah Tucker will be remembered as an all-time great in the history of Nicolet hoops.