Ted Ducray's description of wrestling is short and to the point: "My definition of wrestling is it is a discipline with an attitude," the legendary Grand Junction Central coach said. "You stand out there alone. That is what the sport is about. You are accountable for what you did to prepare to be out there." Ducray was quite successful in helping his wrestlers prepare. In his 32 years at GJCHS, he coached two team state champions, 17 individual state champions, 51 state placers and produced a 287-32 dual meet record. The Warriors also won 42 tourney titles in his tenure, and he was was twice selected as the state Coach of the Year. "Those numbers are just a small part of what the sport meant. The bigger picture is what wrestling does for participants long after their competitive days are finished. It's not about the coach or the school," Ducray said. "It's about what wrestling can do for these kids later on in life. I followed many of my kids later on in life and most of them have been very successful, whether they were state champions or not. To me, that's the great thing, what wrestling did for these kids because of the discipline and attitude that they had to build to be a wrestler." Ducray, a Colorado native, graduated from Grand Junction Central before attending Northern Colorado, where he wrestled for John Hancock for two years. "The sport," he said, "has been in my family's blood" "” a great uncle was a celebrated wrestler and Ducray grew up hearing about his exploits. He then worked in Greeley Colorado for two years after graduation, but when the chance arose to return to Grand Junction Central in 1967 as the head coach, he jumped at the opportunity. He built the Warriors into a powerhouse, competing against some of the best teams not only in Colorado, but also New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Ducray also became intimately involved in USA Wrestling during his tenure, and became a Category One USA Wrestling official. One accomplishment of which he is still quite proud is starting the annual Warrior Classic, a tournament that began in 1976 and is still being held. It is believed to be the longest-running tournament in the state. Ted never considered being inducted into the Hall of Fame. "It's a great honor, probably the best honor a high school coach can have," Ducray said. "It's great to be recognized, but it's really a reflection of my program, my kids, the school and the community "” all of those things. The school and community always meant a lot to me, and I just wanted to give whatever I could."