Lifetime Service Bill Cartwright began his wrestling career at East Leyden High School under the tutelage of the late, legendary Charles Farina. He attended Wayne State College in Nebraska where he was All-Conference and wrestled on two national teams that placed 3rd and 4th in the NAIA. His teaching and coaching career began at Proviso East High School in 1970 where he taught special education and coached football, baseball and wrestling. Bill became the head wrestling coach in 1977, and remains a co-head coach today. His varsity teams have won nearly 350 meets, 13 Conference Titles, 13 IHSA Regional Titles and 9 IHSA Sectional Titles. Over the span of his career he has coached 100 State Qualifiers, 36 State place winners, and seven State Champs. He coached both his 1980 and 1981 teams to 2nd places when team scoring was based on individual performances. In 1984 the team format began, and he coached his teams to the "Elite Eight" six times, placing 4th in 1989, 3rd in 1990, and winning two IHSA State Championships with Proviso East's 1986 and 1991 wrestling teams. Bill has been nominated for "Coach of the Year" in the state of Illinois six times, and named as "Coach of the Year" in 1980, 1986, and 1991. He was also nominated for National Coach of the Year by the Illinois Coaches Association in 1992. He was inducted into the IWCOA Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1993, selected as a Grand Marshall for the State Finals in Champaign in 2003, received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006 from the IWCOA, and has received numerous awards from the community. In 2004 the Chicago White Sox organization honored him with the prestigious Roland Hemond Award for service to young men in the community. He served on the IHSA Wrestling Advisory Board from1992 to 1994, helped coach nine national teams and hosted foreign teams from Russia, England and Romania. Bill attributes much of his success to the support of his family. His wife, Bonnie, was always there to allow for the many hours that he was away coaching. His daughter Christy, who is now a successful business owner, wife and mother, was always there to help her mother, especially with her brothers. Bill's best wrestling memory was being so fortunate as to wrestle for the legendary Chuck Farina. His proudest memories are from his own sons, and the many young men from Proviso East who went on to wrestle in college and are now giving back to our sport and their communities. Over 25 Proviso East wrestlers have become "All Americans" at all collegiate levels, and many are coaching today.