Ray Bousman began his wrestling career in eighth grade at Norview High School in the mid-60s, but moved to the new Lake Taylor High School as a sophomore, beginning a string of notable high school “firsts.” At their inaugural district tournament, he and teammate Bill Wicks became Lake Taylor’s first district champions; a week later, he was the Titans’ first regional champion. His third high school, Fork Union Military Academy, saw him at the initial Virginia Independent Schools State Tournament, wrestling at 185 pounds and making school history by joining Stan Ford as the first two state champions for the Blue Devils. After high school, his life took some interesting turns, as his time at Lenoir Rhyne was interrupted by the draft, which led to a 20-year career in the USMC. Along with military service, he was for 25 years a Virginia Beach police officer. Ray’s second and longest period of service to wrestling was his tenure as an official, starting in 1976. He sees his “breakout” moment as his assignment, turned down by several officials, to a high-profile dual between two undefeated rivals, Great Bridge and Cox, in the mid-80s. After this performance under pressure, he went on to many A, AA, and AAA state tournaments and an elite assignment to officiate the High School National Division of the Virginia Duals. After his retirement from active officiating in 1998, Ray and the late Larry Johnson worked together to create a smoother system of overseeing rules and officiating at the state level, which included the creation of two new positions, Rules Interpreter and Coordinator of Officials. Completing his “wrestling trifecta,” Ray, motivated by his son’s entry into the sport, volunteered for what turned into 11 years (1996-2007) as an assistant wrestling coach at Great Bridge Middle School. This venture was another success: his teams won eight consecutive City Championships and the first four Virginia Challenge Team Dual titles, while crowning 61 City Champions. Recently, Ray finished what he started in 1971, earning his undergraduate degree at Cambridge College and adding for good measure a Master’s Degree.