NWCA Award Winners Announced

(Manheim, PA) The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) is proud to announce their 2002-03 award winners that were presented at the 2003 NCAA Championships in Kansas City, MO. The award winners were recognized at the NCAA Opening Ceremonies and NWCA Social.

Each year the NWCA presents an individual or individuals with the NWCA Meritorious Service Award.  This is the highest honor that the NWCA presents each year.  This annual award is to recognize those individuals who have given significant time and effort to the preservation and promotion of the sport of wrestling.  This year’s recipients were Ron and Jan Mirikitani and Stan Zeamer.

Ron and Jan Mirikitani of Kirkwood, MO earned the honors for the countless hours they have volunteered to the NWCA to see that wrestling thrives on all levels.  They have been the key people behind the success of the NWCA annual membership drives, NWCA Convention, and NCAA Tournament activities.  In addition, Ron Mirikitani has served the past fourteen years as the President of the NJCAA Wrestling Coaches Association. He is a member of the Board of Directors for USA Wrestling and an executive board member of the National Wrestling Coaches Association.

Stan Zeamer of Manheim, PA was a head college coach at Franklin and Marshall College before leaving coaching to go into a lucrative business. He is a former College Division National Champion for Northwest Missouri State University.  He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Governors for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame while also serving on the board of USA Wrestling and the National Wrestling Coaches Association.  He and his family have very generously donated office space for the NWCA national headquarters in Manheim, PA.  He was also the catalyst and founder of the NWCA Building Leaders for Life Program. 

At the NCAA Opening Ceremonies, the NWCA also recognized the coaches and wrestlers of the year for the collegiate and scholastic level for 2002. 

The 2002 Head College Coach of the Year was Ohio State University’s Russ Hellickson.  Coach Hellickson guided the Buckeyes to a 20-3 dual meet record and a second place finish in the National Duals.  The Assistant Coach of the Year was Chris Bono of Iowa State University.  Bono was instrumental in leading the Cyclones to a second place finish at the NCAA Championships with three champions. Iowa State University’s Cael Sanderson was the recipient of the Carl Grant Award, which is given to the 2002 outstanding wrestler from the NCAA Championships. 

The 2002 Scholastic Head Coach of the Year was Lou Gianni of Huntington High School in Huntington, NY.  Gianni lead his team to the New York State Championship with four champions.  The 2002 Scholastic Assistant coach of the Year was Manuel Martinez, who helped guide Sunnyside High School in Tucson, AZ to a State Championship.  Earning Scholastic Wrestler of the Year honors was Matt Herrington of LaSalle Institute in Cambridge, NY.  Herrington set a new high school record for wins in a career with 243.

The remaining of the NWCA awards was presented at the NWCA Opening Social that was sponsored by ASICS, Cliff Keen. Resilite, Kansas City Visitors and Convention Bureau and the movie Reversal.  

The NWCA social was highlighted by the NWCA honoring Bill Lam of the University of North Carolina and John McHugh of the University of Maryland with the NWCA Lifetime Service Award.  The two retiring coaches are now etched in the history of the NWCA as honorary members.  As an honorary member, they are given a free NCAA ticket and a lifetime membership.  They are honored for the years of service to wrestling and the NWCA. 

The NWCA handed out for the first time the Robert Budd Coaching Excellence Award. The purpose of this award is to recognize outstanding accomplishments of collegiate coaches in each division who epitomize the qualities and characteristics of a role model and mentor for developing young student-athletes.  This year’s award winners are as following: 

            Division I          Roger Reina                 University of Pennsylvania

Division II         Don Henry                   Gannon University

Division III       Heath Grimm                Upper Iowa University

NAIA              Steve Costanzo            Dana College

CAJC              Joe Ismay                     Palomar College

JUCO              Mark Ostrander           Iowa Central College

Each year the NWCA recognizes coaches who have given at least 25-years of service to the sport of wrestling.  This year’s 25-year service award winners are as following:

Name                          School                                                

Robert Lorence Sr.       Plymouth Whitemarsh HS (PA)

Merle Tournay Montour HS, Mckees Rock (PA)        

Ed West                       John Marshall HS, Glendale (WV)

Greg Zavala                  Franklin HS, Stockton  (CA)

John Sacchi                  Rutgers University (NJ)

John Allen                    Seton Hall Prep (NJ)

Frank Lasagna              Glades Central HS (FL)

The NWCA was also honored to mark the achievement of three coaches who earned milestones for career coaching wins.  For the first time, the NWCA recognized these achievements at the NCAA Championships.  These recipients included:

John Sacchi – Rutgers, NJ – 400 Wins

Jim Husk – Miami Southridge High School, FL -595 Wins (former Waynesburg High Wrestler)

George Bossi, Lowell H.S., Lowell, MA - 600 Wins

While the national scholastic head and assistant coach of the year were honored at the NCAA Opening Ceremonies, the NWCA presented plaques to the regional winners at the social.  The scholastic regional winners were chosen from the state winners in their respective region.  The 2002 regional coaches of the year were as following:

Scholastic - 2002 NWCA Regional “Coach” of the Year

Reg.        Name                                  School                                                 State  

            I           Lou Giani                     Huntington H.S.                                    NY    

II          Guy Pritzger                 Owing Mills H.S.                                  MD         

III        Greg Frey                     JM Moorehouse H.S.                           NC         

IV        Roy Hall                       Davidson H.S.                                      MI          

VI        Roman Gutierrez           Moffat H.S.                                          CO       

VIII      Manny Yubeta              San Manuel H.S.                                  AZ        

Scholastic – 2002 Regional “assistant Coach” of the Year

Reg.                Name                          School                                     State

I                       Gary Tilbe                    Danbury H.S.                           CT

II                      Mike Mazza                 Hartford Technical School        MD

III                    Ashley Brooks              Soddy Daisy H.S.                     TN

IV                    David Rowan               Perry H.S.                                OH

VI                    Mark Richardson          Ark City H.S.                           KS

VIII                  Manny Martinez           Sunnyside H.S.                         AZ

Jack Maughan, NWCA President said, “We would like to congratulate all of the award recipients for this year.  We will also be forever grateful to the NWCA members who nominated these outstanding and deserving people and the members of our Board of Directors who serve on the various selection committees.”

The NWCA accepts nominations on its website at www.nwcaonline.com for all of these awards.  Please visit the website to nominate a coach who may be deserving of these achievements.