LIFETIME SERVICE TO WRESTLING

1979-2003 Elma High School

2008-2010 Elma High School

Rick Rakevich wrestled for Elma High School from 1970 - 1974. After graduation, he wrestled for Centralia College for two years and the University of Puget Sound for 2 years. He was a two time NCAA Division II National Tournament qualifier at U.P.S. and was the team captain his senior year. After his graduation in 1978, Rick returned to his alma mater, Elma High School, to begin his teaching and coaching career.

Rick coached at Elma High School for 26 years. He was an assistant coach under Hall of Fame Coach, Rich Graham, for the first 10 years, and was the head coach for the next 16 years. His teams had a dual meet record of 115-35-1 and collected six top ten placings at the State Tournament, including the 1A Team Championship in 1995. Rick coached 11 state champions and 49 state placers. His teams won 9 District titles and 6 Regional championships.

While coaching, Rick always emphasized the “student” athlete. 16 Eagle wrestlers won

WSWCA Academic State Championships and 5 of his teams were WIAA Academic State Champions. In 1995, the Elma wrestlers became the first team in WIAA history to win both the Wrestling Team State Title as well as the Academic State Title in the same year.

Rick has been very active in helping wrestlers throughout the state during the freestyle season. He was the Elma Wrestling Club coach from 1979-2010. He coached the State Junior and Cadet teams at the National Tournament 10 times and served as a freestyle official with WSWF/USA Wrestling from 1977-2008. Rick ran one of the largest freestyle tournaments in the state, the Elma Freestyle Tournament, from 1979 until 2002. In 1981, he and his wife Shawnie took a Cultural Exchange team to Germany.

For his dedication and commitment to the sport of wrestling, his peers selected Rakevich as the 1994 1A Wrestling Coach of the Year. Rick was inducted into the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2008.

Rick and Shawnie currently reside in Chehalis, Washington. They have one adult son, Jamie, who wrestled for Oregon State University and is currently the head wrestling coach at W.F.

West High School in Chehalis, WA. They are also proud grandparents to three grandsons, Ryker, Ronan, and Royce.