Dorothy Mayabb presented with 2018 Ed Aliverti Golden Microphone Award

USA Wrestling President Bruce Baumgartner presents the Ed Aliverti Golden Microphone Award to Dorothy Mayabb at the Kickoff Party in Pittsburgh. Photo by Justin Hoch.

Dorothy Mayabb of Kansas City, Mo. has been presented with the 2018 Ed Aliverti Golden Microphone Award, an award which is given annually to honor a public address announcer who has excelled in the craft and made a major positive impact on the wrestling community.

The award is named in honor of the late Ed Aliverti, the Hall of Fame public address announcer, who set the standard for how to announce wrestling competitions.

Mayabb received the award at the Kickoff Party, organized by Jordan and Lauren Burroughs, in Pittsburgh, Pa. on March 20.

Mayabb has been an active public address announcer at the local, state and national levels, working major events including high school and college levels, plus many USA Wrestling events on the Senior and age-group levels.

Her career began when she was asked to handle the microphone for the University of Central Missouri, when they had nobody to do the duties at a big tournament. She accepted the volunteer assignment and enjoyed it and has been calling events on the PA ever since.

“I always went down there to watch wrestling, because I love it. Robin Ersland was the coach at the time. Their announcer did not show that day. Robin had always been on me about announcing. He said, ‘he didn’t show, you are in.’ It wasn’t like dipping your toe into the shallow end. It was a big college open and go ahead and give it a shot. I loved it. It is a little nerve wracking; you want to do everything right. I’ve always said, it is the best seat in the house. It blossomed from there,” said Mayabb.

Mayabb quickly got involved with Missouri USA Wrestling, and was given other opportunities on the high school, college and national USA Wrestling levels.

For Missouri USA Wrestling, she has announced the state Freestyle and Greco State Championships from 2010 to the present. She has also worked the microphone at the Missouri USA Wrestling Kids State Championships three times.

“As I started doing more Missouri USA Wrestling stuff, then I was doing more NCAA stuff and NAIA stuff and was finally able to break into some USA Wrestling national stuff,” she said.

For USA Wrestling, Mayabb has been the announcer for the world’s largest tournament, the USMC Junior and Cadet Nationals in Fargo, N.D. four times (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018). She has been an announcer at the U.S. Open in Las Vegas for the last two years. She also announced the 2018 Greco-Roman World Team Trials in Tulsa, Okla.

Mayabb’s first major international event was the 2018 Freestyle World Cup in Iowa City, Iowa at the University of Iowa, one of the most successful World Cups the USA has ever hosted.

Mayabb’s major college resume has included calling the NCAA Div. II National Championships nine times (2011-present) and the NAIA National Championships six times (2014-present). She was the announcer for the NCAA Div. II Regional Championships in 2010 and 2019. She also worked the microphone at the 2015 NWCA Div. I National Duals finals in Iowa City in 2015. She has also been the regular PA announcer for home dual meets for the University of Central Missouri for 18 straight years (2002-present).

Her Missouri high school resume is also extensive. She was the wrestling PA announcer at Oak Park High School from 2000-2008, and has been the wresting PA announcer from 2008 to present. She also announced various high school wrestling events at Blue Springs High School. She has been the announcer for the MSHSAA State Wrestling Tournament at the University of Missouri from 2013 to the present, and has worked a number of district championships. There are many other major high school tournaments that she has worked.

Dorothy Mayabb is married to Gary Mayabb, the current USA Wrestling Manager of Greco-Roman programs, who for many years was a top high school wrestling coach in Missouri, an active USA Wrestling coach at the state, national and international levels, and one of the nation’s top college referees.

“My whole family in general has been unbelievably supportive. There are times now that I am at events that Gary is not at, or I am at events that Breeley is not at. They allow me that time away to do this thing that I am so passionate about and love so much. Having family support is huge,” she said.

With her selection, she became only the second woman to win this award, along with the inaugural winner Sandy Stevens, the 2010 winner. Mayabb has been mentored by the first three winners of this prestigious award, Stevens, Don Blasingame (2011) and A.L. Haizlip (2012).

“Sandy Stevens really took me under her wing early on. There is nothing she hasn’t done in our sport. She has been amazing. She recommended me for the National Duals when she couldn’t do them. Don Blasingame was huge for me, not just announcing-wise but with his personality. He is an incredible human. I have gotten to work so much more with A.L. Haizlip recently. He has done a lot of production work lately. Those three for sure have been unbelievable,” said Mayabb.

From her mentors and others in the craft, Mayabb learned what makes a successful event presentation.

“You can run a tournament without an announcer. Would it be a mess? Yes. But you can’t run it without other people. You can’t run it without table help, you can’t run it without volunteers and you can’t run it without the wrestlers. I have always felt my job as an announcer is to highlight them. You can’t do that if you don’t do your research and you are not knowledgeable about the sport. You have to say their names correctly. My maiden name was Milakovich and nobody ever said it right. It is important for me to do those little things well. If they don’t remember me, but they remember the event and the wrestlers, then I have done my job,” said Mayabb.

The last winner of the Ed Aliverti Golden Microphone Award was Jason Bryant of New Brighton, Minn., who was selected for the 2016 year. There was no recipient in 2017. Since the award was created, eight respected public address announcers who have made a big impact on the sport have been honored.

“I got to meet Ed a couple times early on. I got to listen to him. His national anthem is the stuff of legend. He is the guy for a long time. He was not only great ambassador for our sport but also a great human. He touched everybody he came in contact with and left such an impression,” said Mayabb.

ED ALIVERTI GOLDEN MICROPHONE AWARD WINNERS
2010 – Sandy Stevens, Glen Ellyn, Ill.
2011 – Don Blasingame, Midwest City, Okla.
2012 – A.L. Haizlip, Lenexa, Kansas
2013 – Ken Berger, Virginia Beach, Va.
2014 – Scott Casber, Des Moines, Iowa
2015 – Shane Sparks, Oshkosh, Wis.
2016 – Jason Bryant, New Brighton, Minn.
2018 – Dorothy Mayabb, Kansas City, Mo.