WATERLOO, Iowa — The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum has announced its Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa Class of 2026 which features three NCAA champions, 18 individual state championship titles, multiple collegiate and freestyle national champions and All-Americans, a coach who won 13 national titles, one of the most dominant high school teams in Iowa state wrestling history with six individual state champions, and three major contributors to the sport of wrestling. 

Scheduled to be inducted on June 19, 2026, the Class of 2026 is Nick Mitchell, Kyven Gadson, Jesse Whitmer, Derek St. John, and the 2001 Council Bluffs Lewis Central (LC) High School wrestling team. The Dickey Family will be presented with the Bowlsby Family Legacy Award, James Biscoglia will receive the Bob Siddens High School Coaching Excellence Award, and Greg Stockdale will be presented with the Russ Smith Community Impact Award. 

Named in honor of Glen Brand, a 1948 Olympic gold medalist from Clarion, Iowa, the Hall of Fame is located inside the Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo. It was established in 2002 to honor native-born Iowans and those who wrestled or coached for an Iowa school who have made an impact on wrestling on a national level or who have done extraordinary work in Iowa. 

A banquet honoring the Class of 2026 will be held at Prairie Links Golf & Event Center in Waverly, Iowa, on June 19, 2026. Click here to purchase tickets. For more information, contact the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum at (319) 233-0745 or dgmstaff@nwhof.org 

Nick Mitchell, a native of Johnston, Iowa, built a lifelong legacy in wrestling through excellence as both a competitor and a coach. A standout at Wartburg College, Mitchell won 114 career matches and was a three-time All-American with a runner-up finish in 1999 and two third-place finishes. A 2001 inductee into the Wartburg Hall of Fame, Mitchell transitioned into coaching, beginning as an assistant at Wartburg from 2001 to 2008 before becoming the first head wrestling coach at Grand View University in 2008. Over 17 seasons, Mitchell transformed Grand View into a national powerhouse, compiling a 205-12 dual meet record and winning 13 of the last 14 NAIA National Championships. He coached 157 All-Americans and a record-setting 45 individual national champions while leading teams to multiple national records, including a 162-match dual win streak and the NAIA team scoring record. Known for emphasizing a “Championship Lifestyle,” Mitchell focused on developing champions on and off the mat, a philosophy that defined his program and impact. He received numerous honors, including being named USA Wrestling Coach of the Year and NAIA and NWCA National Coach of the Year multiple times. When he retired in 2025, Mitchell left behind one of the most dominant dynasties in college wrestling history and a lasting influence on the sport. 

Kyven Gadson of Iowa City, Iowa, rose from standout high school wrestler to one of the United States top collegiate and freestyle wrestlers. While redshirting in 2010-11 for Iowa State University, Gadson made an immediate impact by winning the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open while wrestling unattached. He overcame a shoulder injury that cut his redshirt freshman season short in 2011-12 to become one of the nation’s elite wrestlers. Gadson finished sixth at the NCAA tournament and won the Big 12 Conference in 2013 and repeated as a Big 12 champion, finished fourth at the NCAA tournament and was named First Team Academic All-Big 12 in 2014. Gadson capped his career with the 197-pound title at the NCAA tournament, pinning future Olympic and World champion Kyle Snyder in the finals, while also winning multiple tournament titles. He quickly established himself as one of America’s top freestyle wrestlers by winning the 2017 and 2019 U.S. Open. Gadson won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Cup and competed successfully in prestigious international tournaments, including the Dave Schultz Memorial International, the Cerro Pelado International, and the World Team Trials Challenge. 

Jesse Whitmer of Eagle Grove, Iowa, rose from a standout youth wrestler to an NCAA national champion and key member of the University of Iowa’s 1997 national championship team. Whitmer began wrestling in the seventh grade and quickly made his mark with a third-place finish at the Iowa state tournament as a freshman. He compiled a 112-3 record over the next three years while winning a state title and being a multiple podium finisher. Whitmer began his career at Iowa behind four-time All-American Mike Mena, but through perseverance and guidance from Dan Gable, he developed the confidence and skill to succeed at the highest level. His career culminated with the NCAA title at 118 pounds, which included several victories over higher-seeded opponents, as he helped Iowa win its 17th national title with a record 170 points. Whitmer credits his success to great coaching, supportive teammates and a strong family foundation. He was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2019. 

Derek St. John is recognized for his outstanding impact on wrestling as both a competitor and a coach. A Parnell, Iowa, native, St. John won the NCAA title at 157 pounds in 2013 and became the 17th four-time All-American for the University of Iowa. A two-time Big Ten champion and four-time finalist, he received the Mike Howard Most Valuable Wrestler Award as a senior. St. John is entering his ninth season as an assistant coach for Iowa State University having helped rebuild the program alongside head coach Kevin Dresser. Since 2017, the Cyclones have won the 2024 Big 12 team title and finished fourth at the NCAA tournament while developing 11 Big 12 champions and 14 NCAA All-Americans. St. John, who previously coached at Virginia Tech and North Dakota State, also helped coach David Carr to two national titles and four conference championships. 

The 2000-01 Council Bluffs Lewis Central (LC) High School wrestling team is being honored as the Team of the Year after having one of the most successful seasons in Iowa high school wrestling history. The Titans set several state records and qualified 10 wrestlers for the traditional state tournament where they had nine individual state place-winners and scored a record 188 points. The team also won 38 dual meets, which is the most in a single season, and crowned six state champions with Blake Anderson, Chad Davis, Travis Paulson, Trent Paulson, Gabe Rostermundt, and Brandon Mason. Lewis Central made history as the first Class 3A team west of Fort Dodge to win the individual state tournament and the first Class 3A team to capture a State Dual Championship. The team also earned recognition as Public School National Champions, and WIN Magazine’s third-ranked team in the country. 

The Dickey Family will receive the Bowlsby Family Legacy Award in recognition of their lasting impact on wrestling in Waterloo and across northeast Iowa. Marty Dickey began his wrestling career in 1963 at Edison School and went on to become a state champion at West High School in 1966 before competing at Iowa State University and in the U.S. Army while stationed in Germany. In 1983, Marty co-founded the Junior Wahawk Wrestling Club with Don Huff to expand opportunities for youth wrestlers through the introduction of freestyle techniques. Focusing on mental and physical preparation, the program grew to more than 100 participants each season and helped develop countless athletes who went on to become state champions, state place-winners, and college wrestlers. Marty volunteered until 1994 and helped Matthew Dickey qualify for the state tournament four times at West High School. Matthew won two state titles and finished as a fifth-ranked ASICS Tiger All-American with a career record of 114-12. He competed at the University of Iowa, served as a member of the All-Army wrestling team, competed internationally and placed eighth at the Olympic Trials. Dan Dickey was a two-time state finalist and Jay Dickey was a third-place finisher at the state tournament. The Dickey Family’s achievements and commitment to giving back to wrestling exemplify the values honored by the Bowlsby Family Legacy Award. 

The Bowlsby Family Legacy Award is named after the Bowlsby Family from Waterloo. John Bowlsby and Bob Bowlsby wrestled for legendary coach Bob Siddens at Waterloo West High School while their parents, Bob and Pat, and sisters, Ann, Sarah, and Jane, were instrumental in their careers. 

Greg Stockdale will receive the Russ Smith Community Impact Award for his longstanding support of athletics and wrestling across the Cedar Valley and Iowa. Stockdale has consistently supported the wrestling programs at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, the University of Northern Iowa and Wartburg College as well as the athletic programs at Waverly-Shell Rock and the Dan Gable Museum. After moving to Waverly in 2008, Stockdale began coaching junior high school football and was an announcer for football games. He also served as the volunteer announcer for Waverly-Shell Rock wrestling meets and officiated basketball and baseball. His commitment includes supporting state baseball, basketball and wrestling events while making a lasting impact on the Iowa sports community. He and his wife Ali have two sons, Gavin and Dylan, and he is the general manager at Roling Ford in Shell Rock Iowa. 

James Biscoglia has built a distinguished coaching career across multiple Iowa high schools and programs. Serving as an assistant coach at Waukee High School from 2006 to 2020, he helped the program have 45 state qualifiers, eight state finalists and four state champions. In 2018, Waukee finished second in the state tournament and was ranked in the Top 50 nationally by Intermat while the coaching staff was named Coaching Staff of the Year by the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association. Biscoglia coached at Van Meter High School from 2020 to 2022 before helping launch the Raccoon River High School girls wrestling program in 2022. Under his leadership, RRW finished second at the 2024 Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union state tournament and his coaching staff was nominated for Girls Wrestling Staff of the Year. RRW won the girls state championship team title in 2025 and was ranked fifth in the final USA Wrestling rankings. Biscoglia’s son, Kyle, was a three-time high school state champion and a two-time NCAA qualifier and a Big 12 finalist and fourth-place finisher for the University of Northern Iowa. He was also a three-time NWCA Scholar All-American. Biscoglia’s daughter, Katie, is a three-time Iowa state champion who is committed to wrestle for Wartburg College. 

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to Iowa high school wrestling, Biscoglia will receive the Bob Siddens High School Excellence Award, presented to a current Iowa high school wrestling coach who exemplifies the high standards set by Siddens during his coaching career at Waterloo West. Siddens was inducted into the GBHOF in 2003 and was the inaugural recipient of this award in 2012.