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Discussion Topic: Ohio chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame - Inductees
Fred Feeney added to this discussion on September 8, 2015
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The Ohio chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame will induct 10 new members at their annual Hall of Fame Day Celebration October 18, 2015 at the Embassy Suites in Dublin.
The social hour begins at 2 p.m. that day followed by the awards dinner at 3 p.m.
The class to be inducted is –
The Class of 2015
Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award
Tony DiGiovanni Jamie Milkovich Michael Papouras
Melvin Peters Robin Rayfield Dave Riggs
John Storey Mary Terbay
Medal of Courage
Matt Hammill
Outstanding American in the State of Ohio
Paul Palivoda
Dinner reservations must be made by October 7, 2015 and tickets per person are $50. Tickets can be obtained by filling out a registration form or purchased at oh-nwhof.ticketleap.com.
Matt Hamill
Hamill is best known for being a contestant on the third season of “The Ultimate Fighter” and his subsequent career in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Hamill currently stands with a career record of 12-5 and is set to next compete for the World Series of Fighting on Nov. 17.
Hamill was born deaf. But that didn’t keep him from succeeding on the mat. He got into wrestling thanks to his stepfather Michael Rich, who was the coach at Loveland High School. After a successful high school career Hamill went to Purdue University, but after one year transferred to Rochester Institute of Technology. There he won three straight NCAA Division III wrestling titles. He won those titles in three different weight classes 167 lbs. in 1997, 190 pounds in 1998, and 197 pounds in 1999. He finished his career with an 111-3 record. Hamill also won gold medals in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1997 Deaflympics in Copenhagen, Denmark and in 2001 in Rome. He won the 1997 Pan Am Wrestling Champion in Havanna, Cuba
The film “The Hammer” chronicles Hamill’s life.
Mary Terbay
Mary Terbay is being recognized for her lifetime service to wrestling. She
has over 25 years of wrestling experience including involvement with USA
Wrestling-Ohio for over 20 years. Mary first became involved in
Wrestling in 1987. Mary Has been a pairer as well as the secretary for
USA-Ohio Since 1992. She has also been a part of Carroll high school wrestling
serving as the meal and travel co-coordinator from 1996 to 2002.
Robin Rayfield
Robin Rayfield is being recognized for his lifetime service to wrestling most notably for being the head coach at Delta High School from 1985-2000. Rayfield led Delta High school to four Div.-III Ohio State Team Championship in 1989, 1996, 1998, 1999. He was awarded Div.-III Ohio Coach of the year in 1998. Rayfield was inducted into the Ohio Coaches Hall of Fame in 2006 and inducted into the GTWCA Hall of Fame in 2013. Rayfield is currently a part of the Team Ohio junior and Cadet Freestyle/Greco coaching staff. While coaching at Delta High school Rayfield had 11 individual state champions and finished with a dual record of 203-34-2. During the 1999 season, Rayfield helped earn Delta high school a top-10 rank in the nation.
Since leaving Delta High School, Rayfield has volunteered as an assistant wrestling coach and joined the USA Wrestling Ohio Club as a coach and currently coaches juniors and cadets.
Michael Papouras
Michael Papouras is being recognized for his lifetime service to wrestling most notably for his work with Richmond Heights High School. Papouras was named Richmond Heights first ever wrestling coach. Papouras eventually led Richmond Heights high school to a dual meet record of 211-78-3 along with four state titles in 1979, 1980, 1983, and 1984. Richmond Heights also won 13 East Suburban Conference titles during his 23-year span as head coach.
Papouras was named the Cleveland Coach of the Year by the Plain Dealer in 1970 the GCWCOA Coach of the Year in the same season. He was inducted into the Ohio Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1983. Papouras’ had many of his senior wrestlers recruited by D-I universities including Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio University.
Melvin Peters
Melvin Peters is being recognized for his lifetime service to wrestling most notably for coaching career at Claymont High School. Peters served as the head coach from 1983-1997 leading Claymont to a dual meet record of 115-45-3 during that span.
Peters also led Claymont High school to their first and only playoff game.
Peters graduated from Ohio Northern University in 1965 where he was later inducted into the Hall of Fame for football and track. He was awarded the Wrestling State Media Award for Ohio in 2008.
Jamie Milkovich
Jamie Milkovich is being recognized for his lifetime service to wrestling not only as an athlete but as a coach as well. Milkovich attended Auburn University where he was a two-time NCAA D-I All-American in both 1980 and 1981 at 167 pounds. Following his collegiate career, Milkovich began coaching at Maple Heights high school in 1981. Since then he has recorded 434 wins, the most of any Div-I coach in Ohio history. Milkovich also led Maple Heights to 18 conference championships including 13 sectional tournament championships. He has been named Coach of the year four times by the Plain Dealer and the GCWCOA.
As a coach, Milkovich has had nine individual state champions and 21 state finalists. He was inducted into the Ohio Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003 and won Ohio Coach of the Year in 2001.
Tony DiGiovanni
Tony DiGiovanni is being recognized for his lifetime service to wrestling most notably as a head coach at Solon High School. During his tenure at Solon High School, DiGiovanni has led his teams to well over 300 wins along with a State Championship in 1990. Solon High School had eight teams receive a national ranking while producing 24 high school All-Americans. DiGiovanni was awarded Ohio Div-II Coach of the Year in 1991. DiGiovanni recently retired from coaching in 2015.
DiGiovanni attended Cleveland State University where he was a three-time team captain as well as a two-time All-American. He earned a 3rd seed in 1976 at the NCAA D-1 Championships.
Dave Riggs
Dave Riggs is being recognized for his lifetime service to wrestling, most notably as a head coach at Massillon Perry High School. Riggs has spent 28 years as the head coach at the school accumulating 24 Team top-10 finishes. Riggs holds a 272-46-1 record in dual meets while coaching at Perry including an Ohio High School Coach of the Year award in 1996-97. During his tenure, Perry has produced over 30 high school All-Americans including 16 wrestlers who have earned All-American honors in the NCAA. Three of those wrestlers have gone onto to win National Championships at their respective schools. Riggs was named 2014 National Coach of the Year by the NWCA.
Before coaching at Massillon Perry High School, Riggs attended the University of Arizona where he was a PAC-1o runner up and a NCAA national qualifier. Riggs was also nominated for Senior Athlete of the Year.
John Storey
John Storey is being recognized for his lifetime service to wrestling most notably as the head coach at Saint Josephs High. Storey coached at St. josephs from 1965-1991 where he led his teams to 204 total dual meet wins. While coaching he led St. Joseph’s to two state championships and 11 individual state champions. Storey helped lead the program to 22 consecutive years of qualifying for the state qualifiers. Storey was named the Greater Cleveland Coach of the Year as well as the Lake County Coach of the Year.
Before coaching at St Josephs High School, Storey attended the University of Dayton graduating in 1963.
Paul Palivoda
Paul Palivoda is being recognized for being an Outstanding American in the State of Ohio. Palivoda attended North Royalton high school placing 2nd and 3rd in state competitions. After gradutating high school, Palivoda attended Cleveland State for two years. While wrestling at Cleveland State he defeated three-time NCAA Champion Barry Davis and at one point was ranked as high as 3rd in the nation.
Palivoda served in the Air Force earning four commendation medals and three achievement medals. Palivoda served two terms in Desert Storm and one term on Southern Watch before earning a National Defense Service medal.
After retiring from the military, Palivoda began coaching at Marysville High School where he stayed for 12 years before becoming an assistant at Central Crossing before ending up at Dublin Coffman.
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Discussion Topic: Ohio chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame - Inductees
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on September 8, 2015
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Congrats to all. Hard to believe Mike Papouras is just getting in.
Many legends on this list in my estimation.
Paul Palivoda was a great wrestler. I believe that injury kept him from winning state.
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