National Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2026 to be inducted at Honors Weekend June 5-6 in Stillwater, Okla.
Share:
by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be honored and officially inducted this weekend during the 49th Honors Weekend on June 5-6 in Stillwater, Okla.
The Hall of Fame will induct four new Distinguished Members, bringing its total to 220 since it began in 1976. Also being inducted are recipients of the Order of Merit, Outstanding American, Medal of Courage, Meritorious Official, Dave Schultz High School Excellence and Tricia Saunders High School Excellence awards. Biographies of each inductee are available below.
The weekend begins on Friday evening with the Presentation of Plaques at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. On Saturday, the Honoree Reflection Program will be held at 10 a.m. at the McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, followed by the Induction Ceremony at 7 p.m.
Both Saturday functions—Honoree Reflection Program and Induction Ceremony—will be broadcast live on the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s Rokfin Channel.
Distinguished Members can be a wrestler who has achieved extraordinary success in national and/or international competition; a coach who has demonstrated great leadership in the profession and who has compiled an outstanding record; or a contributor whose long-term activities have substantially enhanced the development and advancement of the sport. Wrestlers must have been retired from active competition for a period of five years to be eligible for consideration as a Distinguished Member.
Distinguished Members being inducted this year are Ben Askren, Tervel Dlagnev, Lee Roy Smith and Shannon Williams-Yancey. Askren, Dlagnev and Williams-Yancey were chosen as Distinguished Members for the Modern Era while Smith was selected by the Veterans Committee.
2026 NWHOF Distinguished Member: Ben Askren Biography
2026 NWHOF Distinguished Member: Tervel Dlagnev Biography
2026 NWHOF Distinguished Member: Lee Roy Smith Biography
2026 NWHOF Distinguished Member: Shannon Williams-Yancey Biography
The Medal of Courage recipient is a wrestler or former wrestler who has overcome what appear to be insurmountable challenges while inspiring others.
Patrick Morrissey has demonstrated extraordinary perseverance, determination, and courage throughout his life, both on and off the wrestling mat.
The Order of Merit is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the sport of wrestling but is not an athlete or a coach. The Order of Merit recipient is determined in a vote of Distinguished Members.
James L. Porter has devoted more than five decades to wrestling as an athletic trainer, medical coordinator, educator, and advocate for athlete safety.
The Meritorious Official award recognizes outstanding service as a referee, judge, or pairing official.
Zach Errett has dedicated more than three decades to wrestling as an internationally respected official, educator, coach, and mentor.
The Outstanding American award is presented to an individual who has used the disciplines of wrestling to launch notable careers in other walks of life, such as science and technology, business and industry, government and the military, and the arts and humanities.
Major General (Ret.) Mike Nardotti has lived a life defined by leadership, service, courage, and excellence on and off the wrestling mat.
2026 NWHOF Outstanding American: Major General (Ret.) Mike Nardotti Biography
The Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award was established in 1996 to honor Olympic and World champion Dave Schultz, whose career was cut short when he was murdered in January 1996. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1997 and as a member of the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016.
The DSHSEA recognizes and celebrates the nation’s most outstanding high school senior male wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service.
Austin Collins of Wray, Colorado, is the 2026 national winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, one of the nation’s highest honors for senior male high school wrestlers.
2026 NWHOF Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award: Austin Collins Biography
First presented in 2014, the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award is named for Tricia Saunders, a four-time World Champion and women’s wrestling pioneer. Saunders was the first woman to be inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006 and was inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011.
The award recognizes and celebrates the nation’s most outstanding high school senior female wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service.
Natalie Radecki of Newark, Delaware, is the 2026 national winner of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award, one of the nation’s highest honors for senior female high school wrestlers.
2026 NWHOF Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award: Natalie Radecki Biography
America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation while the Waterloo, Iowa, location reopened in March 2019 after undergoing a $1.4 million renovation. Both museums now feature interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. Stillwater also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African-Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.
