Mel Olson inducted into Inland NW Hall of Fame 

Storied broadcaster Mel Olson was inducted into the Inland Northwest Hall of Fame yesterday  for his service and dedication to prep wrestling in the State of Washington. Whether he was broadcasting games for KBSN in Moses Lake, coaching at Chief Moses Middle School or starting a kids wrestling program, Olson has been an influential member of of the wrestling community in the Northwest. 

For 50 years, he has been the play-by-play broadcaster for KBSN radio in Moses Lake, on the call for Chiefs football, basketball and of course wrestling; which he was probably best known for. With his wife and assistant Vicki handing him information during the events, Olson was a remarkable presence at prep wrestling events throughout the region. 

As coach of Chief Moses Junior High from 1958-75, he compiled a 140-10 record and had equal success coaching football. Twenty of his junior high wrestlers went on to become state champions at the prep level. He went on to help start the Moses Lake kids' wrestling program in the early 1960's. 

In addition to his commitment to local youth sports, Olson was also a former national sailing champion, National Ski Patrol member,  and  a bicyclist. Mel spent over three years in the Army where he was awarded a Purple Heart during the Korean War. His roots are truly tied to the area, as he graduated from Davis High School in  Yakima in 1946 and went on to graduate from Washington State University in 1950. He was inducted into the Washington Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004. 

For the past five decades the famed broadcaster has touched the lives of athletes young and old throughout the basin and yesterday he was deservingly honored by the Inland Northwest Sports Hall of Fame when he was inducted to the hall at the awards luncheon and induction ceremony at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Olson has left his mark on the state's wrestling community and Moses Lake and his legacy will continue on through prep sports for years to come.