39th Annual National Wrestling Hall of Fame Honors Weekend concludes with inspiring acceptance speeches

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame class of 2015 honored in  Stillwater, Okla. Saturday night. Photo: Larry Slater.

VIDEO: 2015 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Honoree Interviews


STILLWATER, Okla. – The 39th annual Honors Weekend for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame concluded with a moving induction ceremony for the 10 honorees at the Oklahoma State University Student Union Ballroom on Saturday night.


A memorable evening was capped by the induction of four new Distinguished Members of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Sammie Henson, Joe Gonzales, Frank Bettucci and Gregory Johnson.


Three of the new Distinguished Members represented the United States at the Olympic Games, Henson winning an Olympic silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Gonzales competing at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Calif. and Bettucci competing at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia.


Henson, a native of St. Charles, Mo., won the World Championships in 1998 at 119 pounds in Iran and won a silver medal at the Olympic Games two years later. He was a two-time NCAA Champion for Clemson and is currently the head wrestling coach at West Virginia University.


“I really am humbled. You don’t really set out to do this,” Henson said. “Really it is more about the people who have helped me get here and the people who have been through it with me.”


Gonzales won a bronze medal at the 1982 World Championships in addition to winning two NCAA Division II titles and a NCAA Division I title for California State University, Bakersfield. The Montebello, Calif. native, “Gonzo” competed in one of the defining matches in NCAA history against Gene Mills in the 1979 NCAA finals.


A lighthearted Gonzales arrived at the podium Saturday night, adjusted the microphone and set the tone for a memorable speech by saying, “don’t worry Sammy this is already set,” referring to lowering the mic.


“It’s an honor and I’m humbled to be among such great wrestlers and great people in general,” Gonzales said. “I always kept in touch with my friends but I kind of got away from it all. Coming today, getting back to seeing all my friends in 25 years, we just started talking like I just saw them yesterday. Like I tell everybody we are all brothers.”


Bettucci is a native of Ithaca, N.Y. and wrestled collegiately for Cornell University where he won the 1953 NCAA championship. Off the mat he was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army and spent his post-college days serving overseas with the Agency for International Development.


Although Bettucci was unable to make the ceremony he was watching a live feed from Stillwater in his home in Virginia. Accepting the award on Bettucci’s behalf was his college teammate Arno Niemand.


“I think it speaks volumes for Frank that so many of his friends, family and teammates are gathered in Virginia to celebrate this occasion. Frank was a gold standard. He was a true warrior,” Niemand said.


Johnson had a legendary career for his hometown Michigan State Spartans winning three consecutive Big Ten and NCAA titles. The Lansing, Mich. Native was the first three-time NCAA champion in Big Ten history and is the Spartans only three-time NCAA champion.


Johnson was awarded the honor of Distinguished Member posthumously after passing away in 2001 at the age of 52. Accepting the award on Johnson’s behalf was his college teammate Pat Milkovich.


“Greg would probably feel that accepting this award would be somewhat selfish because it really belongs to those in his life that provided him with wisdom, challenges and discipline,” Milkovich said. “Whether he was winning championships or suffering a rare defeat he always shook his opponents hand and walked off the mat just as you would expect of any athlete with class.”


Mike Golic was awarded the Outstanding American honor for his advocacy of wrestling. He is the co-host of ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike show that currently simulcasts on ESPN2. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Golic is a former NFL defensive lineman and television football commentator. Golic wrestled and played football for Notre Dame.


“Wrestling is one of the best sports out there. I will promote it. I will back it. I will do everything I can within my power to always help the sport of wrestling because all of you, whether on the mat or off the mat, are very special people because of this sport and what it helps to do for everybody,” Golic said.


The medal of courage award went to current Oak Park River Forrest High School coach Mike Powell who has coached 10 individual state champion and 31 all-state wrestlers during his tenure. Powell was diagnosed with polymyositis in 2009, a chronic inflammation of the muscles and a progressive autoimmune disease that has affected the physical aspects of his coaching duties. He was an All-American for Indiana University in 1996.


The Order of Merit was awarded to great wrestling contributor Dave “Doc” Bennett for his advancement of wrestling through work in coaches education and videography. He created numerous instructional videos, and producing television shows. Bennett served as the National Developmental Freestyle Coach from 2000-2009.


The Lifetime Achievement for Officials award went to Moore, Oklahoma native Kenny Ritchie. A remarkable officiating career for Ritchie includes 33 years of dedication to the sport. Ritchie has officiated 12 NCAA DI National Championships, eight NCAA DII National Championships and eight NCAA/NWCA National Dual Tournaments.


California product Zahid Valencia was awarded the Dave Schultz High School Excellence award for his valor on and off the mat. Valencia is a three-time California State Champion for St. John Bosco High School in addition to claiming two USA Wrestling Freestyle Junior National titles and one Greco-Roman Junior National title. He will attend Arizona State University in the fall.


The Tricia Saunders High School Excellence went to three-time Washington state high school champion Marizza Biruetta. She was the first girl to ever win a state title for Grandview High School and won a USA Wrestling Junior National title last year followed by a UWW Junior National title this spring. She will attend Oklahoma City University in the fall.