WRESTLING USA Magazine / National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Utah’s Jason Chamberlain Wins the 2008 Dave Schultz High School Excellence National Award

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Jason Chamberlain, a high school senior from Springville High School in Springville, Utah has been selected as the national winner of the 2008 Dave Schultz High School Excellence National Award presented by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum.

The High School Excellence Award is named in honor of Olympic and World Champion Dave Schultz. Each award recipient is evaluated on excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, character, citizenship, and community service.

Chamberlain was selected from the 49 state winners and five regional winners that were announced earlier this week.

“I was shocked when they told me I had been selected for this award,” Chamberlain said. “There are so many good wrestlers, to be selected is such an honor.”

His career record of 191-2 includes 98 pins and four state championships. He was a captain on his high school wrestling team and was honored by USA Utah as the “Wrestler of the Year” in 2007. He was a USA Wrestling Junior National Freestyle champion and Greco-Roman runner-up in 2007. In both 2006 and 2007, he was the National High School Coaches Association wrestling national champion. He has been the recipient of the Academic All-Region award from the Utah High School Activities Association the past four years.

He has served as a Teachers Aid in Sports Medicine classes and as a volunteer youth leader at his local church. He has spent numerous volunteer hours coaching and officiating youth wrestling activities, and was a camp counselor for the Rulon Gardner summer camp. He carries a 3.75 G.P.A. and will be attending Boise State University next fall as a student-wrestler. He is projected to wrestle at 141 pounds in college.

“The selection committee felt that Jason combined an impressive balance of excellence in his academic and wrestling credentials while being an active participant in school activities and giving back to his community in the form of community service,” said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum.

Chamberlain will attend Honors Weekend on May 30-31 to personally accept the award. Following is a list of previous award winners:

Dave Schultz High School Excellence National Winners

1996 David Kjeldgaard, Lewis Central High School, Council Bluffs, Iowa

1997 Jeff Knupp, Walsh Jesuit High School, Akron, Ohio

1998 Garrett Lowney, Freedom High School, Appelton, Wisconsin

and Justin Ruiz, Taylorsville High School, Slat Lake City, Utah

1999 Zach Roberson, Blue Valley North West High School, Overland Park, Kansas

2000 Ben Connell, Lugoff-Elgin High School, Lugoff, South Carolina

2001 Steven Mocco, Blair Academy, Blairstown, New Jersey

2002 Teyon Ware, Edmond North High School, Edmond, Oklahoma

2003 C. P. Schlatter, St. Paul Graham High School, Urbana, Ohio

2004 Coleman Scott, Waynesburg High School, Waynesburg, Pennsylvania

2005 Troy Nickerson, Chenango Forks High School, Chenango Forks, New York

2006 David Craig, Brandon High School, Brandon, Florida
2007 Zachary Sanders, Wabasha-Kellog High School, Wabasha, Minnesota
Black History Month Announcement
STILLWATER, Okla.--In honor of Black History Month in February, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum has created a new exhibit that will commemorate 50 years of African American success on the mat.

"On behalf of the Hall of Fame Board of Governors, I want to express our collective excitement for this project that celebrates the heritage of African Americans who have contributed so much to the success of our sport both at home and abroad," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "We believe this exhibit will help inspire young African Americans to follow in the footsteps of these extraordinary individuals who have been successful in both sport and life."

It was half a century ago, in 1957, that Simon Roberts from the University of Iowa claimed the first NCAA Wrestling Championship by a black athlete at 147 pounds. Since then, 45 other African American wrestlers have joined him at the top of the podium. Blacks have also won national, world and Olympic wrestling medals and become successful coaches and officials.

Wrestling ranks among the most successful individual sports in medals won by black athletes at the NCAA and Olympic levels of competition. "The Wrestling Hall of Fame has been collaborating with the organization that initiated black history month (Association for the Study of African American Life and History) to bring attention to the tremendous historical impact that blacks have had upon the sport," Smith said.

The exhibit, which will be on display at the museum in Stillwater for the remainder of 2008, will feature individual biographies and photos of each wrestler along with a narrative chronicling the African American wrestling experience. A traveling exhibit will be featured at the NCAA Division I Championships in St. Louis this March and the Olympic Trials in June in Las Vegas. The Hall of Fame's annual on-line trivia challenge prior to the NCAA Championships will also focus on the legacy of African American wrestling champions in the United States.

A Press Kit of materials for the exhibit is attached to this e-mail. If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Lee Roy Smith at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame at 405-377-5243 or lsmith@wrestlinghalloffame.org. You can also visit our website: www.wrestlinghalloffame.org.
National Wrestling Hall of Fame Announces Distinguished Members and Award Honorees for 2008

STILLWATER, OKLA. - The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum has announced the selection of the Class of 2008 Distinguished Members, as well as its special award honorees for the year.

They will be inducted during the Honors Weekend Banquet and Induction Ceremony in Stillwater, Oklahoma, May 30-31, 2008. The event will mark the 32nd anniversary Class of the Hall of Fame & Museum.

Four wrestling greats will be added as Distinguished Members in 2008. They are:
* Ricky Bonomo of Harrisburg, Pa.
* Mike Houck of Victoria, Minn.
* Wayne Martin of Tulsa, Okla. (deceased)
* Bobby Weaver of Easton, Pa.

Houck and Weaver made their mark within international wrestling. Weaver was a gold medalist in freestyle wrestling at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Calif. and was a 1979 World silver medalist. Houck was the first U.S. wrestler to win a gold medal at the World Greco-Roman Championships with his historic victory at the 1985 World Championships in Kolbatn, Norway.

Bonomo and Martin were among the best collegiate wrestlers of their eras, both winning three NCAA individual titles during their illustrious careers. Bonomo captured three NCAA titles for Bloomsburg University (1985-87). Martin was a three-time NCAA champion for the Univ. of Oklahoma (1934-36), also winning the Outstanding Wrestler at the 1936 NCAA Championships.

Additional honorees to be inducted during the 2008 Honors Weekend will be:
* Outstanding American recipient Dan T. Cathy of Atlanta, Ga.
* Order of Merit recipient Richard Small of Tulsa, Okla.
* Medal of Courage recipient Dr. James V. Mastro of Bemidji, Minn.
* Lifetime Achievement for Officials award recipient Jerry Wager of Las Vegas, Nev.

The Hall of Fame's Board of Governors approved these selections at its semi-annual meeting held in Las Vegas in December 2007.

"I want to thank our Board of Governors and the various screening and selection committees involved in the six-month process that determines our honorees for induction. This is another exceptional class of inductees whose merits transcend our sport," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum.

The four Distinguished Members were among the dominant athletes of their era.

Bonomo was the greatest wrestler in the history of Bloomburg Univ., a Div. I program in Pennsylvania. For three straight years (1985-87), Bonomo won all of the major events on the schedule, capturing the NCAA Div. I title, along with the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) title and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) title at 118 pounds. He was named the EWL and PSAC Wrestler of the Year all three of those seasons. Ricky's career record was a stellar 116-12-3. Ricky and his brother Rocky were the first twins to win Pennsylvania state titles side-by-side in 36 years when they won Class AA titles for Lake Lehman High in 1981, wrestling for the legendary Floyd "Shorty" Hitchcock. Rocky was also an All-American for Bloomsburg, making the Bonomo brothers the most feared lightweight tandem in college wrestling at the time.

Houck made U.S. wrestling history in 1985, when he became the first American Greco-Roman wrestler to win a gold medal at the World Championships with his dramatic victory in Kolbatn, Norway. He competed on three U.S. World Teams during his career, and won three U.S. National titles. He also won an AAU National Greco-Roman title in 1981. Twice, Houck placed second at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. He competed for Maranatha Baptist Bible College, winning two Christian College National titles and three All-American honors. Houck worked as USA Wrestling's National Greco-Roman Coach from 1990-95. He coached the USA to two individual medals at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. Houck was a founder and coached for the U.S. Olympic Training Center Greco-Roman Resident Program, which was created in 1993 and has become internationally respected for developing champion athletes.

Martin won three NCAA titles for the Univ. of Oklahoma, competing for Coach Paul Keen. He was the first three-time NCAA champion in Sooner history, and the first athlete to win NCAA Div. I wrestling titles in three different weight classes. Martin was the 134-pound champion in 1934, the 145-pound champion in 1935 and the 135-pound champion in 1936, winning the Outstanding Wrestler as a senior. He was a three-time Big Six champion and had a career record of 39-2 with 21 falls. Martin won two Oklahoma state high school titles for Tulsa Central under its legendary coach Art Griffith. His son Mickey was a two-time NCAA champion, and they were the only father-son combination to win NCAA Outstanding Wrestler awards, when Mickey was honored in 1963. Wayne was also a coach for Elk City High School for a number of years and was inducted into the Helms Hall of Fame in 1962.

Weaver was one of the nation's greatest lightweight freestyle wrestlers ever, capped off with his gold-medal victory at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Calif. He was one of seven U.S. freestyle champions in Los Angeles, competing under Dan Gable. Weaver also qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team, which did not compete in the Moscow Olympics due to the U.S. government boycott. He was a silver medalist at the 1979 World Championships and fifth at the 1983 World Championships. Weaver won World Cup titles in 1980 and 1984, and was a 1977 Junior World silver medalist. Weaver won four AAU National titles and two USWF national titles. He competed at Lehigh Univ., where he was third in the 1982 NCAA Championships. Weaver won three Pennsylvania state titles for Easton High School (1975-77) and was a Prep School national champion for Blair Academy.

The special honorees represent tremendous achievements both within wrestling and in society.

Business giant Dan T. Cathy will be inducted as a 2008 Outstanding American, which honors past wrestlers for their success in other walks of life. Since 2001, Cathy has served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Chick-fil-A, one of the nation's largest family owned businesses. Cathy has led the Atlanta-based quick-service chicken restaurant chain to continued success in the industry. The chain was founded by his father S. Truett Cathy, and Dan participated in the business throughout his life. He also served as director of operations, senior director of operations, vice president of operations, and executive vice president before assuming his current duties. In his quest to provide customers with "2nd Mile Service" (exceeding even the highest expectations of a typical fast-food restaurant), Dan has defined a special role for himself - humbly saying, "I work in customer service."

Dan and his brother Donald "Bubba" Cathy were high school state champions for the Woodward Academy. Dan won the state title at 119 pounds in 1971 and had a 40-4 record his last two years. He later wrestled for Furman University. For 20 years, Chick-fil-A and the Cathy family sponsored the state wrestling awards banquet.

The 2008 Order of Merit, given for contributions that further the sport and elected by Hall of Fame Distinguished Members, goes to Richard P. Small, a former wrestler and successful businessman who has been a leader within the sport. Small was high school wrestler in Illinois, and a member of the legendary 1947 Cornell College team which won both the NCAA and AAU team championships. He was a Midwest Conference champion for Cornell.

His corporate business career included serving as chairman and CEO for Cheker Oil Company, as well as president/CEO for Tri-Star Aerospace. Small has served many years on the Board of Governors of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. His leadership has helped the Hall of Fame to raise substantial funds to expand its facility, exhibits, and endowment fund. He remains the most benevolent benefactor of all-time to his alma-mater at Cornell College.

The 2008 Medal of Courage recipient is Dr. James Mastro, who has been blind since birth, has been an outstanding wrestler and athlete, along with a lifetime of achievement in education and community work. He is a tenured full professor of professional education and physical education at Bemidji State University. Mastro is the first individual with a visual impairment to earn a Ph. D. in physical education in the United States. As a tenured full professor at Bemidji State, Dr. Mastro has authored or co-authored 47 published articles and 26 national and international presentations on adapted and developmental physical education for state and national organizations as well as athletes with disabilities. He is past president of the National Beep Baseball Association and was a member of the USABA Board of Directors.

Mastro was a varsity wrestler at Augsburg College from 1968-73, winning a conference title. He also became nationally ranked in Greco-Roman. He won a bronze medal at the AAU Senior Greco-Roman Nationals, and qualified to compete in U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 1972 and 1976. He won numerous medals competing in goalball, judo, track and field, and wrestling in the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) National Championships. In 1995, he was named U.S. Olympic Committee Blind Athlete of the Year. Mastro was chosen flagbearer for the United States Paralympics Team at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He won a gold medal at the 1995 World Judo Championships for the Blind. Mastro has been a wrestling coach since 1970, coaching on the youth, middle school, and high school levels.

The winner of the Lifetime Achievement for Officials award goes to veteran international wrestling official Jerry Wager, who also had a distinguished coaching career. Wager was a Mid-American Conference champion at Toledo University, and competed in the 1956 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Greco-Roman. He was a coach with the Las Vegas YMCA from 1970-1980 and also coached seven age-group World Championships teams for the USA. Wager was a college wrestling official from 1960-1963 and was also the head official for the Southern Nevada High School program from 1963-66.

His major achievements were on the international level, where he was a FILA Referee from 1962-1998. Wager officiated in over 50 major international meets, including the World Championships, Junior World Championships, Pan American Championships, and European Championships. Wager was the first U.S. official selected as a mat chairman, when he worked the 1985 World Greco-Roman Championships in Norway. He was head official for the World Police and Fire Games for 10 years. Wager was recognized as a FILA Lifetime Exceptionelle Referee, and was presented with the FILA Gold Medal. He also won national Official of the Year and Coach of the Year awards and served as National YMCA Wrestling Chairman for 10 years.

The final award to be presented at Honors Weekend 2008, the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, will be announced later in the spring.
All Star Classic Trivia Challenge

EUGENE, Ore. - The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum announced that Joe Koch, Head Wrestling Coach of the University of Wisconsin Parkside in Kenosha, Wisconsin has won the 2007 All Star Collegiate Wrestling Classic Trivia Challenge.

"Coach Koch scored 24 out of 25 correct answers to win the challenge," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum, who announced the winner during the All-Star Classic dual meet Monday night at the University of Oregon's McArthur Court Arena. "There were 221 individuals who took the online challenge this year."

For winning the challenge, Koch will receive an autographed copy of Jay Hammond's book the History of Collegiate Wrestling published by the Hall of Fame.

The next trivia challenge will be introduced three weeks prior to the 2008 NCAA Division I Championships March 20-22, in St. Louis, Missouri.

"All of our trivia contests are designed to help promote the event and to test one's knowledge on the history of the sport," Smith said. "I want to thank our Hall of Fame Historian Jay Hammond for once again putting together an informative and challenging trivia questionnaire."

Anyone interested in purchasing the History of Collegiate Wrestling should visit the Hall of Fame's website at www.wrestlinghalloffame.org. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded in 1976 to preserve the history of the sport, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations to lofty goals.
State Chapters Program

Two state chapters of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, Massachusetts and West Virginia, held banquets last Saturday, October 27. As you can see from the attached photo from the Massachusetts banquet, I am presenting The History of Collegiate Wrestling to keynote speaker, Robert Kraft, President and Owner of the New England Patriots football team along with chapter committee members Steve Biondollilo and Rod Buttry (former Boston College Coach who now works for the Kraft Group). The banquet was held at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.

In the West Virginia photo, you will find Distinguished Member Bobby Douglas presenting a posthumous lifetime service award to the wife of former West Virginia Wrestling Coach A. James Manchin and their sons Mark and Joe Manchin. Joe (on the far left) is the current Governor of West Virginia.

Currently there are 32 State Chapters of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum that are active across the country. Not all chapters host a banquet each year. By the end of November 2007, we will have honored 148 individuals while hosting 28 state chapter banquets. With 6,400 people attending award ceremonies in 2007, the State Chapters are achieving an important mission of recognizing extraordinary individuals at the grass roots level and promoting the impact the sport has upon our communities and in the lives of those who participate.
National Wrestling Hall of Fame Honors Weekend
Stillwater, Okla.
Friday, June 1 and Saturday, June 2

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum will be hosting its 31st annual Honors Weekend in Stillwater, Okla., June 1-2.

Four new Distinguished Members, who are among the greatest athletes and coaches in the sport's history, will be inducted this weekend. In addition, there will be a number of special annual awards presented to successful and inspirational leaders within the sport.

Journalists can interview any of these inductees while they are in Stillwater attending the festivities by contacting Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling at 719-659-9637 or call the Hall of Fame office at 405-377-5243.

2007 WRESTLING HALL OF FAME HONOREES
Distinguished Member - Barry Davis of Madison, Wis.
Distinguished Member - Greg Gibson of Fontana, Calif.
Distinguished Member - Larry Kristoff of Anna, Ill.
Distinguished Member - Bill Weick of Chicago Ridge, Ill.
Outstanding American - General Ronald R. Fogleman, USAF retired of Durango, Colo.
Outstanding American - Michael E. Novogratz of New York, N.Y.
Order of Merit - Mike Chapman of Newton, Iowa
Medal of Courage - Joe Russell of Vadais Heights, Minn.
Lifetime Service Award for Officials - Mike Allen of Waterloo, Iowa
Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award - Zachary Sanders of Wabasha, Minn.

As part of the weekend there will be a celebration the state of Oklahoma Centennial, with a focus on its traditional of wrestling excellence. There have been 33 native Oklahomans who have been inducted as Distinguished Members of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. They are listed below, with their year:
Stan Abel (1990), David "Buddy" Arndt (1981), Wayne Baughman (1982), Doug Blubaugh (1979), Conrad Caldwell (1981), Tommy Chesbro (1995), Fendley Collins (1976), Kendall Cross (2002), Tommy Evans (1976), Ross Flood (1978), Art Griffith (1976), Josiah Henson (2006), Stanley Henson (1978), Danny Hodge (1976), Jess Hoke, (1977), Dick Hutton (1995), Dr. Melvin Jones (1996), Clifford Keen (1976), Paul Keen (1977), Frank Lewis (1979), Guy Lookabaugh (1983), Joe McDaniel (1979), Kenny Monday (2001), Bobby Pearce (1981), Rex Peery (1976), Grady Peninger (1987), Port Robertson (1977), John Smith (1997), Pat Smith (2006), Ray Swartz (1990), Jack Van Bebber (1976), Wayne Wells (1982), Shelby Wilson (1982). Some of the native Oklahomans who have been inducted may attend the Honors Weekend.

There will also be a reunion of the 1947 NCAA Championships team from Cornell College of Iowa going on during the weekend.

Information on the four Distinguished Members:

Davis won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in freestyle wrestling and competed on the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team. Gibson won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Greco-Roman wrestling. Kristoff was a member of two U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestling teams.

Kristoff won five medals at the World Championships representing the United States, while Davis was a two-time World medalist during his career. Gibson won three World medals in freestyle wrestling, and was also a World champion in the sport of Sombo. Weick served on the coaching staff of a number of U.S. World and Olympic teams.

Three had successful careers in coaching, as well. Weick made his impact on the high school level in Illinois, earning more than 700 dual meet victories for three programs over the last four decades, including five state champion teams. Kristoff was a champion coach at the NCAA Div. II level, leading SIU-Edwardsville to three consecutive NCAA titles. Davis currently serves as the head coach on the Div. I level at the Univ. of Wisconsin.

All four were outstanding college wrestlers. Davis won three NCAA Div. I national titles for Iowa and Weick claimed a pair of NCAA titles for the Univ. of Northern Iowa. Kristoff won two NCAA Div. II national crowns for SIU-Carbondale and was a Div. I runner-up. Gibson was a two-time NCAA All-American for Oregon, including a runner-up finish.

Distinguished Member - Barry Davis of Madison, Wis.
http://www.themat.com/index.php?page=showarticle&ArticleID=15916

Distinguished Member - Greg Gibson of Fontana, Calif.
http://www.themat.com/index.php?page=showarticle&ArticleID=15931

Distinguished Member - Larry Kristoff of Anna, Ill.
http://www.themat.com/index.php?page=showarticle&ArticleID=15937

Distinguished Member - Bill Weick of Chicago Ridge, Ill.
http://www.themat.com/index.php?page=showarticle&ArticleID=15942

Links to Biography information on the other inductees:

Outstanding American - General Ronald R. Fogleman, USAF retired of Durango, Colo.
http://www.themat.com/index.php?page=showarticle&ArticleID=16008

Outstanding American - Michael E. Novogratz of New York, N.Y.
http://www.themat.com/index.php?page=showarticle&ArticleID=16025

Order of Merit - Mike Chapman of Newton, Iowa
http://www.themat.com/index.php?page=showarticle&ArticleID=16032

Medal of Courage - Joe Russell of Vadais Heights, Minn.
http://www.themat.com/index.php?page=showarticle&ArticleID=16050

Lifetime Service Award for Officials - Mike Allen of Waterloo, Iowa
http://www.themat.com/index.php?page=showarticle&ArticleID=16068

Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award - Zachary Sanders of Wabasha, Minn.
http://www.themat.com/index.php?page=showarticle&ArticleID=16626
Dave Shultz High School Excellence National and Regional Winners Announced
Zachary Sanders from Minnesota named National winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence award; Gardner, Russell, Smith, and Yohn named Regional winners. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum has announced that five-time state high school champion Zach Sanders from Wabasha-Kellogg High School in Wabasha, Minnesota is the National winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award and will be invited to attend Honors Weekend to receive this award June 1 & 2 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Five Regional winners were selected from the 48 state-by-state winners announced last week. Each State and Regional winner is invited to attend the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Leadership Camp at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO, June 18-21, 2007.
In alphabetical order, the Regional winners are: Ø      Cody Gardner of Christiansburg High School in Christiansburg, Virginia (Southeast) Ø      Kellen Russell of Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey (Northeast) Ø      Zachary Sanders of Wabasha-Kellogg High School in Wabasha, Minnesota (Midwest and National) Ø      Kirk Smith of Centennial High School in Boise, Idaho (West) Ø      Sonny Yohn of Alamosa High School in Alamosa, Colorado (Central)
The Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award is presented by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame annually to a high school senior who has demonstrated outstanding wrestling success, scholastic achievement, and citizenship or community service.
This awards program is named in the honor of the late Dave Schultz, an Olympic and World champion, who set an example for excellence, both on and off the mat. Dave's wife Nancy Schultz has played an important role in supporting this award program. This year the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum will expand its Dave Schultz High School Excellence program to include a Leadership Camp for those individuals selected for the award. "Thanks to a grant from a private foundation, we are pleased to expand this program and provide the winners of our Dave Schultz Award with the opportunity to attend an all-expense-paid Leadership Camp at the United States Olympic Training Center from June 18-21, in Colorado Springs, CO," Smith said. The camp will be hosted and organized at the Olympic Training Center by USA Wrestling, the sport's governing body. A short biography of the Regional and National winners follows:
SOUTHEAST - Cody Gardner, Christiansburg High School, Christiansburg,Virginia Gardner is a four-time Virginia AA High School State Champion, with a 182-6 career record that includes a National Junior Freestyle championship in 2006 at 215 pounds. He also claimed championship titles at the Beast of the East in 2005 and 2006 and won the Ironman Tournament in 2005. He has a 3.1 grade point average and will attend Virginia Tech in the fall. He is a member of several student groups including SADD - Students Against Destructive Decisions, DECA - an association of Marketing Students, and FBLA - Future Business Leaders of America. He is also an active volunteer for Goodwill Industries.
WEST - Kirk Smith of Centennial High School, Boise, Idaho Smith is a two-time Idaho High School State Champion with a career record of 122-24 at 171 pound weight class. He won the 2007 Junior FILA National Championships and National Senior High School Championship at 189 lbs. He was champion of the 2006 National Junior Freestyle Championships and Reno Tournament of Champions and was a FILA Cadet National Champion. He has a 3.9 grade point average and will be attending Boise State in the fall. He is a volunteer Kids and Middle School Coach for the local Folkstyle, Freestyle, and Greco Roman Club and is a USA Wrestling Licensed Official. He serves as a Teachers Aid for Spanish and is an active volunteer for the High School Booster Club.
CENTRAL - Sonny Yohn of Alamosa High School, Alamosa, Colorado Yohn is a three-time Colorado High School State Champion at 189 pounds, with a career record of 153-15. He was a National Junior Freestyle runner up in 2006 and National Senior High School Runner-Up in 2007 at 215 lbs. He has a 3.8 grade point average and will attend the University of Minnesota in the fall. Yohn volunteers his time working with the local youth wrestling club in Alamosa.
NORTHEAST - Kellen Russell of Blair Academy, Blairstown, New Jersey His high school weight class is 130 pounds. Russell is a three-time National Prep School Champion with a career record of 145-7. He is a National Cadet and Junior Freestyle Champion, and the 2007 National Senior High School Champion at 135 lbs. Other major accomplishments include championship titles at the Beast of the East and Ironman Tournaments. He has a 3.2 grade point average and will attend the University of Michigan in the fall .
MIDWEST - Zach Sanders of Wabasha-Kellog High School, Wabasha, Minnesota Sanders' high school weight class is 119 pounds. He is a five-time Minnesota High School State Champion, with a career record of 223-5. He is a National Cadet and Junior Freestyle Champion, the 2007 National Senior High School Champion at 125 lbs. and an Asics All-American First Team Member in 2006. He has a 3.5 grade point average and will attend the University of Minnesota in the fall. Sanders serves as an assistant coach for the elementary youth program and has officiated several youth tournaments in Wabasha. He has accumulated many hours of community service through the Kellogg Legion and the Faith Lutheran Church in Wabasha.
Honors Weekend 2007
Honors Weekend is fast approaching and the excitement is building. We have a great Class of Honorees this year and are looking forward to seeing all of our wrestling family.
Distinguished Members: Barry Davis Greg Gibson Larry Kristoff William Weick
Outstanding Americans: General Ronald Fogleman Michael Novogratz
Lifetime Service for Officials: Mike Allen
Order of Merit: Mike Chapman
Medal of Courage: Joe Russell
Dave Schultz High School Excellence: Zachary Sanders
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Friday, June 1, 2007 6:00 p.m. ˆ Reception and Presentation of Plaques
Saturday, June 2, 2007 8:30 a.m. ˆ Golf Scramble 10:30 a.m. ˆ Country Club Faire 12:30 p.m. ˆ Luncheon
Saturday, June 2, 2007 6:00 p.m. ˆ Reception 7:00 p.m. ˆ 31st Honors Weekend Banquet
Anyone who wishes to attend Honors Weekend and has not received an invitation should call April Chipman at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame at (405) 377-5243. Remember to get your reservations in soon!
National Wrestling Hall of Fame announces the Class of 2007 Distinguished Members STILLWATER, OKLA. - The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum has announced the selection of the Class of 2007 Distinguished Members to be inducted at its annual Honors Weekend Banquet and Induction Ceremony June 2, 2007 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The event will mark the 31st anniversary Class of the Hall of Fame & Museum. Four wrestling greats will be added as Distinguished Members in 2007. They are: Barry Davis of Madison, Wis. Greg Gibson of Fontana, Calif. Larry Kristoff of Anna, Ill. William J. Weick of Chicago Ridge, Ill. All four of these wrestling greats had major achievements at the Olympic Games and World Championships, three as athletes and one as a coach. Davis won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in freestyle wrestling and competed on the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team. Gibson won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Greco-Roman wrestling. Kristoff was a member of two U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestling teams. Kristoff won five medals at the World Championships representing the United States, while Davis was a two-time World medalist during his career. Gibson won three World medals in freestyle wrestling, and was also a World champion in the sport of Sombo. Weick served on the coaching staff of a number of U.S. World and Olympic teams. Three had successful careers in coaching, as well. Weick made his impact on the high school level in Illinois, earning more than 700 dual meet victories for three programs over the last four decades, including five state champion teams. Kristoff was a champion coach at the NCAA Div. II level, leading SIU-Edwardsville to three consecutive NCAA titles. Davis currently serves as the head coach on the Div. I level at the Univ. of Wisconsin. All four were outstanding college wrestlers. Davis won three NCAA Div. I national titles for Iowa and Weick claimed a pair of NCAA titles for the Univ. of Northern Iowa. Kristoff won two NCAA Div. II national crowns for SIU-Carbondale and was a Div. I runner-up. Gibson was a two-time NCAA All-American for Oregon, including a runner-up finish. The Hall of Fame's Board of Governors approved these selections at its semi-annual meeting held in Las Vegas in November 2006. “I want to thank our Board of Governors and the various screening and selection committees involved in the six-month process that determines our honorees for induction. This is another exceptional class of inductees whose merits transcend our sport," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum. Davis becomes a Distinguished Member after a successful international career, as well as an impressive college background. He won a silver medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Calif., and earned a spot on the 1988 Olympic team which competed in Seoul, South Korea. Davis also claimed two World medals, a silver in 1987 and a bronze in 1985. He was a three-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American competing for the Univ. of Iowa, also winning four Big Ten titles. He currently serves as the head wrestling coach at the Univ. of Wisconsin. Gibson is considered one of the most versatile wrestlers in history, winning World medals in three international styles: Greco-Roman, freestyle and Sombo. He won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles in Greco-Roman wrestling, and added World silver medals in freestyle in 1981 and 1983 and a World bronze in freestyle in 1982. He won his Sombo World title in XXX. Gibson was a member of a the 1981, 1982 and 1985 Greco-Roman World Teams. He was a Pan American Games champion in 1983, and won three Freestyle World Cup titles. Gibson served in the U.S. Marines for more than 20 years, and is considered the greatest U.S. military wrestler, winning 19 Armed Forces titles in the two styles. He also won numerous national titles in both styles. Gibson had a successful college career, earning All-American honors twice for the Univ. of Oregon, including a runner-up finish in 1976 Kristoff was one of the greatest heavyweight wrestlers in American history, with dominant performances on the national and international levels during the 1960’s. He won five World medals for the United States in international freestyle wrestling, capturing silver medals in 1966, 1969 and 1979 and bronze medals in 1965 and 1967. Kristoff competed on two U.S. Olympic teams, placed seventh at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan and fifth at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. He won a total of 13 Senior-level national titles, competing in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. As a college wrestler, Kristoff was a two-time NCAA Div. II national champion, and placed second in the NCAA Div. I National Championships. As a coach, he led SIU-Edwardsville to three NCAA Div. II national titles, coaching numerous champions and All-Americans. Weick is regarded as one of the top wrestling coaches in the nation, with special achievements in international freestyle wrestling and on the high school level. He served on the coaching staff for a number of U.S. teams at the Olympic Games and World Championships. Weick was head coach of the 1975 Pan American Games team that won the team title, and also led U.S. teams to victory at the World Cup, the Junior World Championships and the World University Games. His high school coaching career is legendary, with a career record of 749-112-2 at Tilden Tech, Mount Carmel and Brother Rice High Schools in Illinois. Five of his teams won state team titles, and three were state dual meet champions, and Weick has coached 21 state champion athletes, three of which went on to win six NCAA Division IA Titles. He was a member of the first U.S. World Greco-Roman team in 1961. Weick won two NCAA titles competing for the Univ. of Northern Iowa. Complete biographies of the inductees will be posted each day this week on TheMat.com (<http://www.themat.com/>www.themat.com), with Davis on Thursday, Gibson on Friday, Kristoff on Saturday, and Weick on Sunday. Additional honorees will be announced in the categories of Outstanding American, Order of Merit, Medal of Courage, and Outstanding Official next week. Journalists seeking detailed biographies of any of the inductees can receive them by e-mailing Gary Abbott at <mailto:gabbott@usawrestling.org>gabbott@usawrestling.org or Krista Graff at <mailto:kgraff@wrestlinghalloffame.org>kgraff@wrestlinghalloffame.org. Lee Roy Smith Executive Director National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum 405 W. Hall of Fame Ave. Stillwater, OK 74075 Phone: (405) 377-5243 Fax: (405) 377-5244 <http://www.wrestlinghalloffame.org/>www.wrestlinghalloffame.org

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum will host an All-Star Reunion in conjunction with the 41^stNWCA Marines All-Star Classic

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum will host an All-Star Reunion in conjunction with the 41^stNWCA Marines All-Star Classic at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas on Nov. 20.

All former All-Stars and NCAA Champions are invited to join this year’s participants for a dinner following the 7 p.m. dual at the Blue Mesa Grill in Dallas.

“We have mailed invitations to those former All-Star participants and NCAA Champions for whom we could find an address,” said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the NWHOF&M. “Hopefully we will get a good response and they will be able to join us for the dual meet and post-match reunion/dinner.”

“We are pleased to provide free admission to the match and dinner to all former All-Star participants and NCAA Champions thanks to our reunion sponsors Paul Martin (Boettcher, Martin, Jean, & Jackson Law Firm) from Ponca City, Okla. and Billy Martin (Martin Screen Prints & Embroidery) from Virginia Beach, Va., both of whom were past participants in the All-Star Classic.”

The Hall of Fame will host the event with the All-Star Classic organizers: National Wrestling Coaches Association, Wrestling Association of Arlington, and Team Monday.

“Some of these participants are very likely to go on to distinguished college and post college careers and become future Hall of Fame inductees,” said Jim Keen Sr. Chairman of the Board of Governors. “It’s a natural for the Hall of Fame to join the NWCA in making this a memorable event for the fans and participants.”

Smith said in addition to the alumni reunion, the NWHOF&M will release its second annual Trivia Challenge. The 23 question challenge was compiled by Hall of Fame and Museum historian, Jay Hammond to “test your knowledge” of Texas collegiate wrestling history.

Winners of the Trivia Challenge will be announced during the dual meet at the Dallas Convention Center. Prizes for the winner(s) will include a copy of the 2006 NWCA All Star Classic program (autographed by participating wrestlers and coaches), a NWHOF lapel pin and hat, and a copy of the book The History of Collegiate Wrestling signed by the book’s author, Jay Hammond. Winners need not be present to win.

“Wrestling historian Jay Hammond has put together a very challenging trivia questionnaire with a Texas twist that will test anyone’s knowledge of the history of the sport in that state,” Smith said. “Those who complete the most number of questions correctly will win.”

For participating contestants to be eligible for prizes, the All Star Classic Trivia questionnaire must be received by post, fax or email to the NWHOF, 405 West Hall of Fame Avenue, Stillwater, OK 74075, Fax: 405-377-5243, E-mail: info@wrestlinghalloffame.org before 5 p.m. CST on Nov. 14.

Information on the Trivia Challenge can be found on the NWHOF website at www.wrestlinghalloffame.org or by phone at 405-377-5243. All Star Classic Event and ticket information can be found at: www.lonestarduals.com

Ashmore, Hall, Craig, Lewnes, Reader named Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award Regional winners

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum has announced the five Regional winners of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Awards for 2006.

In alphabetical order, the Regional winners are:
Ben Ashmore of Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas, Texas (Central)
Adam Hall of Bonners Ferry High School in Bonners Ferry, Idaho (West)
David Craig of Brandon High School in Brandon, Fla. (Southeast)
Mack Lewnes of Mount Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore, Md. (Northeast)
Jon Reader of Davison High School in Davison, Mich. (Midwest)

One of these five outstanding student-athletes will receive the national Dave Schultz High School Excellence Awards for 2006, which will be announced in May.

The Regional winners will be announced and recognized at the Las Vegas Convention Center, as part of USA Wrestling's U.S. Nationals Championships weekend, which also includes the FILA Junior Nationals, the Veterans Nationals and the Western Junior Regionals.

The Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award is presented by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame annually to a high school senior. The award program is based equally on outstanding wrestling success, scholastic achievement and citizenship or community service.

Last week, the Hall of Fame announced its state-wide winners, as a winner of the honor was awarded for each state. The five Regional winners were selected from this pool of outstanding individuals.

This awards program is named in the honor of the late Dave Schultz, an Olympic and World champion, who set an example for excellence, both on and off the mat. Dave's wife Nancy Schultz has played an important role in supporting this awards program.

A short biography of each Regional winners follows:

CENTRAL - Ben Ashmore, Bishop Lynch High School, Dallas, Texas
His high school weight class is 119 pounds. Ashmore is a two-time Prep School National champion, and has won four Texas state high school titles, with a 186-5 career record. He has a 3.5 grade point average (GPA). He has won the Beast of the East Tournament twice, and was a winner of the Dapper Dan Classic this year. He also made the ASICS All-American First Team in 2005. He will attend Oklahoma State in the fall. He is a coach of the Dallas Firecrackers youth club and a member of three Athlete In Action International Mission Tours. Ashmore volunteers for the Special Olympics hosted at Bishop Lynch High School. He is presently involved in senior project with the Brady Center in Dallas, Texas, and a member of Vansickle Baptist Church.

WEST - Adam Hall, Bonners Ferry High School , Bonners Ferry, Idaho
His high school weight class is 152 pounds. Hall is a three-time Idaho state high school champion, and was also a state runner-up. He has a 3.81 grade point average (GPA). He won the NHSCA High School Senior Nationals and was named Outstanding Wrestler. He also placed second in freestyle at the 2005 ASICS/Vaughan Junior Nationals, and was a two-time All-American at the Cadet Nationals. He will attend Boise State in the fall. He is an Eagle Scout, a member of the National Honors Society and a youth program member at Trinity Lutheran Church. Hall is a Bonners Ferry Youth Club Coach, and a member of the Foreign Language Club.

SOUTHEAST - David Craig of Brandon High School, Brandon, Fla.
His high school weight class is 171 pounds. Craig is a four-time Florida high school state champion, with a career record of 136-0. He has a 3.58 grade point average (GPA). He was a double champion at the 2005 ASICS/Vaughan Junior Nationals, winning both freestyle and Greco-Roman titles. He was also a 2003 Cadet National champion. He was a winner at the Dapper Dan Classic this year. He will attend Lehigh Univ. in the fall. He is a member of the Academy of Finance Club and the St. Andrews Community Methodist Church. He works as a youth councilor during the Russ Cozart Summer Wrestling Camps in Brandon, Fla.

NORTHEAST - Mack Lewnes of Mount Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore, Md.
His high school weight class is 160 pounds. Lewnes is a two-time National Prep School champion, and won four Maryland state high school titles, with a 137-12 career record. He has a 4.23 grade point average. He has won titles at major tournaments including the Ironman, the Beast of the East and the Powerade Championships. He will attend Cornell in the fall. He is involved in a Peer Education Mentorship Program as a speaker. He has provided 40 hours of community service with recreational sport in Annapolis, Md. Lewnes is a member of the St. Constantine and Helne Greek Orthodox Church and is a Maryland Distinguished Scholar.

MIDWEST - Jon Reader of Davison High School in Davison, Mich.
His high school weight class is 160 pounds. Reader is a three-time Michigan state high school champion, with a career record of 171-6. He had 54 consecutive pins during his career. He has a 3.65 grade point average (GPA). He was a 2005 FILA Cadet National champion, winning both freestyle and Greco-Roman, and was named Outstanding Wrestler in Greco-Roman. Reader placed second in the 2006 NHSCA High School Senior Nationals. He will attend Iowa State in the fall. He is a Peer Mediation Councilor at Davison High School and a member of Michigan DECA (a marketing and leadership association). Reader serves 10 hours a week as a volunteer youth wrestling coach in Davison, Mich.

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is presenting a "Test Your Collegiate Wrestling Trivia Challenge"

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is
presenting a "Test Your Collegiate Wrestling Trivia Challenge" in
conjunction with the 2006 NCAA Division I Championships slated for Mar.16-18
in Oklahoma City.

All answers to the Collegiate Wrestling Trivia Challenge can be found in the
new book The History of Collegiate Wrestling published by the National
Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum.

Winners of the Trivia Challenge will be announced during the Hall of Fame's
Champions Reunion on Thursday, March 16, from 4-5:30 p.m. in Room No. 1 of
the Cox Convention Center (adjacent to the Ford Center, site of the
championships).
Those who complete the most number of questions will win two complimentary
tickets to the Champions Reunion, a copy of the NCAA Div. I Wrestling
Championship official program and the book, The History of Collegiate
Wrestling signed by author Jay Hammond and several Hall of Fame legends who
will attend this years Reunion. Winners need not be present to win.

"Wrestling historian Jay Hammond has put together a very challenging trivia
questionnaire that will test anyone's knowledge on the history of collegiate
wrestling and the NCAA Championships," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive
Director of the NWHOF.

For participating contestants to be eligible for prizes, the Collegiate
Wrestling Trivia questionnaire must be received before 5 p.m. CST on March
15 by post, fax, online or email to the NWHOF, 405 West Hall of Fame Avenue,
Stillwater, OK 74075, Fax: 405-377-5244, email:
info@wrestlinghalloffame.org.

Tickets for the Champions Reunion may be purchased by clicking on the
Champions Reunion logo online at www.wrestlinghalloffame.org, or by
contacting the Hall of Fame at 405-377-5243.

Click one of these options for taking the test
Online Test:
Word Document:
PDF Document :

National Wrestling Hall of Fame Expands Hours of Operation for Division I NCAA Wrestling Championships

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum will extend its hours of operation during the week of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Oklahoma City, March 13-19.

"We want to make it as convenient as possible for fans that are coming to the NCAA Wrestling Championships to visit the sport's Hall of Fame & Museum in Stillwater," said Executive Director, Lee Roy Smith.

On Monday and Tuesday March 13-14, the Hall will be open from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. On Wednesday, March 15, the Hall will open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. to accommodate those arriving in Oklahoma who would like to visit before the championships begin.

During the championships, on Thursday and Friday, March 16-17, the Hall will open from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

After the championships, the Museum will accommodate visitors on Sunday, March 19, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Admission to the Hall is $5 for adults, $2 for students and $10 for families. Groups of 8-25 people will be admitted for $25, and groups larger than 25 are $1 per person. Children under five are free.

Fans interested in traveling to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum from I-35 should take the Highway 51 exit (No. 174) east toward Stillwater. From Highway 51, known as 6th Avenue in Stillwater, fans should turn north (left) onto Duck Street, go approximately a mile and turn left onto Hall of Fame Avenue. The Hall of Fame will be on the left.

Anyone needing more information should contact the Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum at (405) 377-5243 or visit the website at http://www.wrestlinghalloffame.org

email to:jchill@okcallsports.org>

National Wrestling Hall of Fame announces 2006 winners of four major awards; Day, Sciacchetano, Meyer and Williams to receive special honors

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum has announced the winners of four of the major awards that it presents each year during its annual Honors Weekend. Each of these awards recognize special contributions to the sport in specific areas.

The 2006 award winners are:

·       Outstanding American Pat Day of Louisville, Ky.
·       Order of Merit - Larry Sciacchetano of Baton Rouge, La.
·       Medal of Courage - Randy Meyer of Sheboygan Falls, Wis.
·       Outstanding Official - Sam Williams of Fall Creek, Pa.

These award winners will be recognized during the annual Honors Weekend Banquet and Induction Ceremony June 3, 2006 in Stillwater, Okla. They will be honored along with the four new Distinguished Members of the Hall of Fame that will be inducted this year: Terry Brands, Josh Henson, Tricia Saunders and Pat Smith.

Kentucky Derby winning jockey Pat Day has been named to the Hall of Outstanding Americans, which demonstrates wrestling's pride in those who have used the disciplines of the sport to launch notable careers in other walks of life, such as science and technology, business and industry, government and the military, the arts and humanities, among others.

Day, is one of the greatest professional jockeys in history. In 2005, after a 32-year riding career, he retired after he won 8,804 races, fourth on the all-time list. He earned an estimated $297,941,912 through racing, and passed the retired Chris McCarron as the all-time earnings leader in 2002. He won the 1992 Kentucky Derby aboard Lil E. Tee and was a runner-up at the Kentucky Derby four times. As a wrestler at Eagle Valley High School in Gypsum, Colo., Day posted a career record of 77-7, winning a state title and two state runner-up finishes.

Former USA Wrestling president Larry Sciacchetano has received the Order of Merit, which is presented to an individual who has made significant contribution to the advancement of wrestling, other than success as an athlete or coach. The winner is selected by a vote of the Distinguished Members of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Sciacchetano is currently the United States' representative on the FILA Bureau, which manages international wrestling. He is currently the President of the FILA Hall of Fame Commission, and was a driving force for the development of a Hall of Fame for international wrestling. Sciacchetano served two terms as president of USA Wrestling, from 1994-98. Under his leadership, USA Wrestling had success in international wrestling and experienced growth in its membership. Sciacchetano was a respected coach on the college and international levels. Sciacchetano coached nine years at Louisiana State (1975-85), leading the Tigers to seven Southeast Conference titles. He served as assistant coach of the 1993 U.S. World Team, which won the first World Team Title for the United States.

Meyer, who was blinded at the age of two by retinal cancer, is currently the mayor of Sheboygan Falls, Wis. and has achieved remarkable success in many endeavors. He receives the Medal of Courage, which is presented annually to a wrestler or former wrestler who has overcome what appear to be insurmountable challenges, which may be physical, mental or other handicaps that make his or her achievements all the more uplifting.

In spite of this blindness, Meyer overcame great challenges in his academic development. He wrestled at Sheboygan Falls High School, where he qualified for the state championships three times, placing fifth in the state during his senior year. He then wrestled at the Univ. of Wisconsin-Whitewater, earning Div. III All-American honors, placing eighth at the national tournament in 1989. Meyer owns RM Financial Resources, a successful financial planning business. He served as an Alderman on the Sheboygan Falls City Council for five years, prior to his election as mayor. In 2005, the U.S. Junior Chamber named him one of the year's Ten Outstanding Young Americans.

Williams. a top official in international, high school and college wrestling for almost 40 years, was selected for the Lifetime Achievement for Officials award, which recognizes outstanding service as a wrestling or pairing official or judge. Inductees are honored in the Vince Zuaro Officials Room at the Museum.

Williams was one of the founders of the U.S. Wrestling Officials Association (USWOA), the national organization for international wrestling officials. He was considered one of the top referees in the East, and worked matches at many levels, both in the international style and the U.S. collegiate styles. Williams worked major collegiate competitions, including the NCAA Div. II and NCAA Div. III National Championships. In Olympic-style wrestling, Williams officiated international dual meets and exchanges and served as head of officials for three states (Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut).

Complete biographies of the inductees will be posted each day this week on TheMat.com (www.themat.com), with Day on Tuesday, Sciacchetano on Wednesday, Meyers on Thursday and Williams on Friday.

Journalists seeking detailed biographies of any of the inductees can receive them by e-mailing Gary Abbott at gabbott@usawrestling.org

Wrestling Hall of Fame - DISTINGUISEHD MEMBERS CLASS OF 2006 SELECTED

Pictures are of Tricia Saunders, world freestyle champion Terry Brands, Olympic medallist Josiah Henson and the first four-time NCAA Division I champion, Pat Smith.

STILLWATER, Okla. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame will induct four of the United States' greatest champions as new Distinguished Members next June, including its first woman and three wrestlers whose siblings have already been enshrined in the Hall.

The 30th anniversary class of 2006 includes women's freestyle world champion Tricia Saunders, world freestyle champion Terry Brands, Olympic medallist Josiah Henson and the first four-time NCAA Division I champion, Pat Smith.

The four will be inducted in ceremonies scheduled for Honors Weekend, June 2-3, 2006 in Stillwater. The Board of Governors of the Hall of Fame approved the selections at its semi-annual meeting in Las Vegas on Dec. 1.

"I want to thank our Board of Governors and the various screening and selection committees involved in the six-month process that determines our honorees for induction," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. "This is another exceptional class of inductees whose merits transcend our sport."

Saunders, a pioneer of women's freestyle wrestling who compiled many firsts during her long career, becomes the first woman inducted as a Distinguished Member. She won four World gold medals and a World silver medal, and completed her freestyle wrestling career without ever having lost to an American opponent. She was the first female U.S. wrestler to win a World title and coach of the first U.S. Olympic team in women's wrestling at the 2004 Games in Athens. Married to Olympic silver medallist Townsend Saunders, she lives in Phoenix, Ariz.

Brands, of Colorado Springs, Colo., was a World champion in freestyle wrestling in 1993 and 1995, and captured an Olympic bronze medal at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia. He won World Cup and Pan American Games titles and was a three-time finalist and two-time NCAA champion for the University of Iowa. He joins twin brother Tom Brands as a Distinguished Member.

Henson won a bronze medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland. He went on to be a respected international wrestling official, becoming the first American to officiate at the Olympics in the 1956 Games in Melbourne, Australia. He was a long-time leader in U.S. wrestling and the Olympic movement. Henson, who currently resides in Tulsa, Okla., was an undefeated wrestler and two-time EIWA champion for the U.S. Naval Academy. His older brother, Stanley Henson, is a Distinguished Member.

Smith, who wrestled for Oklahoma State University, became the first wrestler in history to win four NCAA Division I national titles with his historic fourth championship at the 1994 NCAA tournament in Chapel Hill, N.C. He was a member of two Oklahoma State teams that won NCAA team titles. Along with brothers Lee Roy and John, the Smiths became the first set of three brothers to claim NCAA titles. He won four conference titles, and holds the Oklahoma State record for consecutive matches without a loss. Smith placed second in the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials to three-time Olympian Kenny Monday. He serves on the coaching staff at Oklahoma State, which has won three straight NCAA team titles. Smith joins older brother John as a Distinguished Member of the Hall of Fame.

Complete biographies of the inductees will be posted each day this week on www.wrestlinghalloffame.org, www.themat.com) and with Brands on Tuesday, Henson on Wednesday, Saunders on Thursday and Smith on Friday. Additional honorees will be selected and announced in January in the categories of Outstanding American, Order of Merit, Medal of Courage, and Outstanding Official.

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum at 405-377-5243