Just saw this thread. Jftx, I'll shoot you an email. A plaque would be pretty simple and I would just get a local trophy shop to etch in it whatever kind of title/layout you want. I'll email you this weekend sometime. I have some natural edge Mesquite shorts that would work pretty well if you like that style.
East, do you want a natural look/color? My go-to is just spray a coat of shellac then a topcost. Waterlox if you want a low profile/thinner finish is good, or you could do a poly if you want a thicker finish. You could do ok without the shellac, but you would need to do more topcoats of waterlox or poly. Those are the simplest finishes but there are tons of other options too.