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Hall of Fame inductions feature touching speeches from honorees

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by Gary Abbott

  • Hall of Fame Weekend Photos

    STILLWATER, Okla. - The 2008 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Honors Weekend ended with the induction ceremony at the OSU Student Union Ballroom. The Distinguished Members and special award winners gave speeches, sharing their thoughts about their careers and the honors bestowed upon them.

    The announcer for the evening was "the voice of wrestling" Sandy Stevens, who read biographies of each recipient and introduced the award presenters and special guests of each honoree. The night started with a rousing version of the national anthem, sung for the first time in history by one of the honorees, when Mike Houck belted out a stirring rendition.

    The Class of 2008 featured an Olympic freestyle champion, a World Greco-Roman champion and a pair of three-time NCAA champions who were dominant performers of their eras.

    First off was the dynamic lightweight from Bloomsburg, Ricky Bonomo, who won swept the NCAA 118-pound class from 1985-87, manhandling his competition. Bonomo, who shared his wrestling experience with his twin brother Rocky, a two-time All-American at Bloomsburg, had trouble holding back the emotion of the evening.

    Bonomo spoke about the support he received from his family, his wife and his children. He also spoke about the role of his faith in his life. But Bonomo was especially thankful about the coaches who led him to success on the mat.

    "As for my coaches, I had a unique situation. My high school coach Shorty Hitchcock was instrumental in getting me to go to Bloomsburg. He was a motivator and an inspiration in my life," said Bonomo. "My college coach was also unique. He coached Shorty. I am honored to have him here tonight, Roger Sanders. He knew the kind of coaching that could the best out of me. He was someone who wouldn't let me relax in practice. Coach Sanders did more for me than he will ever know."

    Bonomo said that the best part of his journey through wrestling was meeting the people in the sport and the relationships he has developed.

    "The sport is easily the greatest sport. It breeds the best people. I want to thank the Hall of Fame. Thank you for allowing me to come here and basically come home," said Bonomo.

    Mike Houck, who made history as the first U.S. Greco-Roman World champion with his stunning victory in 1995 in Norway, talked about his great triumph and his experiences in helping develop the nation's Greco-Roman program.

    "My life's greatest privilege was representing my country. Being part of Greco-Roman wrestling in the 1980's was an exciting time. It is an amazing thing to see a dream begin. On my Hall of Fame plaque, it said I was 'blazing the trail.' I loved that. I loved the idea that in the 1980's, we were pioneers."

    Houck told the story of the day in which he won his World gold medal, and the fact that before his match, he has fears and doubts which flooded his mind. Instead of letting it disrupt his focus, Houck thought about his family, his coaches and his training partners, and his college coach, two-time Olympic medalist Ben Peterson.

    "When I thought about those things, something clicked inside. In some strange way, it gave me tremendous strength. I thought that this day, I am going to represent all of those people well and represent my country well. The rest was history," said Houck.

    The late Wayne Martin, a three-time NCAA champion for Oklahoma, was represented by his sons Mickey and Robert. It was Mickey who took the microphone and gave a heartwarming speech on behalf of his father. He mentioned that his father would have loved to have been there, and that they had brought some of his ashes with them so their dad would actually be there with them.

    Wayne talked about how the Martin family could stack up with some of the nation's top wrestling families, such as the Peery family and the Smith families, also from Oklahoma.

    "Dad was never a bashful, shy man. It was quite the opposite," said Mickey Martin. "He never met a stranger he did not reach out, shake his hand and say 'I am Wayne Martin. I was a three-time national champion at the University of Oklahoma. Had he been here when he was alive, he would have said, 'I am Wayne Martin. I am a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater.'"

    1984 Olympic champion Bobby Weaver was unable to attend the ceremonies, as he is battling an illness that has affected his blood and is not yet diagnosed. Doctors would not let Weaver travel, but Bobby gave a speech to the crowd on a video which was played for those in attendance. Also there on his behalf was retired Lehigh coach Greg Strobel, who also made a few comments on Bobby's behalf.

    "My greatest achievement was winning the Olympics in Los Angeles," said Weaver on the tape. "My Olympic coaches Dan Gable and Bill Weick had me in such great condition, I didn't just win, I dominated."

    Weaver also talked about how much wrestling means to him, and how he enjoys passing it along to the young athletes he coaches.

    "Wrestling has been such a positive in my life, even as I struggle with my health. I have been active, teaching wrestlers in camps, clinics and clubs. I know the value that wrestling has played in my life. It is my life ambition to have others see the same things that I see," said Weaver.

    The night also featured speeches from the special award winners who are honored each year for great achievements within wrestling.

    Starting the evening was high school senior Jason Chamberlain of Utah, winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, which recognizes wrestling success, academic achievement and community service. Chamberlain, a four-time state champion, as well as a Junior Nationals champion, was grateful for the honor.

    "Wrestling has taught me discipline and a hard work ethic. It has influenced my entire life. Because of my involvement, I have met and been influenced by outstanding people. I have had excellent coaches throughout my career," said Chamberlain.

    Lifetime Achievement for Officials winner Jerry Wager talked about the many people who had influenced his career, not only as an official, but also as a coach and a wrestling leader. He thanked many people, including his mentor Joe Scalzo, along with numerous coaches and officials who helped him along the way.

    Wager also took great pride in being an official from the United States and the way that his peers conduct themselves around the world.

    "We have the best officials in the world, bar none," said Wager. "When Russia and the former Communist countries wrestle each other, they call for an American referee. They know if we make a mistake, it will be an honest mistake. We have the best prepared, best skilled and most honest officials in the world."

    Order of Merit winner Richard Small, who was a member of the 1947 Cornell College wrestling team which won the NCAA and AAU National championships, talked about his wrestling career and his love for the sport. He jokes that he was never much of an athlete, telling the crowd that "I am the first person who will admit that I was a lousy wrestler." Small explained how the legendary coach Paul Scott convinced him to join the team, in spite of his lack of experience as a wrestler.

    "I can admit that my conference championship and being a member of the national championship team means as much to me as any gold medal meant to an Olympic athlete," said Small. "My involvement in wrestling has been very meaningful to me. There are great people and I have enjoyed all of them. It is the only sport where being big is not always better. I have enjoyed every minute of it. I have also enjoyed all I have done for Cornell College and for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

    Medal of Courage recipient Dr. James Mastro told the story about how he, as a blind person, was able to get involved in wrestling and pursue his passion for the sport. He also explained how he learned to love Greco-Roman wrestling, that "weird style" which "seemed super for a guy who is blind." He explained how he learned the sport from the great Alan Rice, and told stories about his career in Greco-Roman wrestling.

    "When we talk about courage, I never felt that it was courageous for me to wrestle. I thought it was what everybody who wrestled did. It is courageous for everybody who wrestles, when you put your ego, your confidence against his," said Mastro. "I learned how hard I had to work to do well. It is a tough sport. There isn't anything tougher. You learn about yourself. You learn how hard you have to work to succeed, not just in wrestling but in everything."

    Outstanding American Dan T. Cathy, the president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, Inc., talked about the life values he learned from his father Truett Cathy, as well as from his high school wrestling coach. He was proud that his high school coach, his college coach and one of his high school teammates were there to share the moment with him.

    He talked about what he learned from his father about the three most important words in life, all which started with "M." First was who is your master, and he explained his strong faith. Second was who is your maid, and praised his wife Wanda for her love and support throughout his life.

    "Third is what is your mission in life," said Cathy. "I learned to use what we learned on the mat, teamwork, dedication and commitment, and that we can take it to the workplace."






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