Dan Gable Museum Will Host 2019 Battle of Waterloo Hall of Fame Inductions
WATERLOO, Iowa – The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum is honored to host the 2019 Battle of Waterloo Hall of Fame inductions on Thursday, December 19. The event begins at 5 p.m. with a social followed by the inductions at 6 p.m. Following the induction ceremony, SingleSpeed Brewing Co. will host a reception for honorees and attendees.
The Battle of Waterloo is an annual two-day wrestling tournament featuring 32 teams and more than 800 wrestlers from 18 different counties outside of Black Hawk County.
The Battle of Waterloo Hall of Fame Class of 2019 is Chuck Patten, Larry Sallis, Dave Cunningham, Dan Mashek, Jerry Springer, Rex Smith and Jamal Fox.
Chuck Patten – East High, 1956
Chuck Patten wrestled for Coach Dave Natvig at East High and was a two-time state qualifier, finishing third and fourth. He wrestled for three years at Iowa State Teachers College (University of Northern Iowa) for Coach Bill Koll, compiling a 28-5-2 dual meet record. Patten graduated from ISTC and earned his master’s degree from the University of Oregon in 1962. He began his coaching career at Exeter High School, guiding his team to the California state team title in only its second year of competition. Patten moved to Reedsport, Oregon, and coached his team to the state team title with three individual state champions.
He became the head wrestling coach at Northern Iowa in 1965 and guided one of the most successful programs in NCAA history to even more success, including 17 consecutive winning seasons and a pair of Division II titles. He retired in 1982 as the winning coach in UNI wrestling history with a career record of 218-86-8. Patten coached 58 Division I or Division II All-Americans and 16 national champions. His 1975 and 1978 squads won the Division II national title while the 1970, 1972, 1974 and 1980 teams achieved runner-up finishes.
Patten’s teams have the distinction of winning, placing or showing in 11 of the 18 years that he coached. He was named national Division II Coach of the Year twice and was Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 1982. In the 14 years his teams competed in the North Central Conference tournament they finished first 10 times and second four times. In the Mid-Continent Conference, the Panthers won five consecutive titles.
He has served as president of both the Division I and Division II Coaches Associations and was chairman of the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee from 1974 to 1978, the only Division II coach to hold the position. Patten was named Division II Coach of the Year in 1970 and 1978 and was USA Wrestling’s Coach of the Year in 1978. He was chairman of the U.S. Olympic Coach Selection Committee in 1980 and worked as a color commentator for Iowa Public Television broadcasts from 1983 to 1986. Patten was inducted into the UNI Hall of Fame in 1988, the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Dan Gable Museum’s Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa in 2008.
He and his wife, Lynn, reside in Everett, Washington. The couple has two daughters, Jamie and Cindi, who both also reside in Washington.
Larry “Punchy” Sallis – East High 1968
Larry Sallis has been involved in wrestling for more than 50 years, beginning as competitor on the mat and continuing as a coach and official. The 1968 graduate of East High competed in wrestling, track and cross country. He wrestled at North Iowa Area Community College and then at Northern Iowa for Chuck Patten.
Sallis was instrumental in the renowned Waterloo Boys Club wrestling program in the 1970s and early 1980s. Working with Bill Tate Sr. and others, he guided many young wrestlers during his seven years with the program, including many who won Iowa state high school championships and earned All-American status in college.
He worked 18 years at his Alma Mater as an assistant coach for Steve Knipp, helping coach the 1983 state championship team. Sallis also coached wrestling, football, track and basketball at Logan and other middle schools.
Sallis was also very active with USA Wrestling, attaining a high-level ranking in officiating in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. He refereed at the USA Junior National tournament for 15 years.
He continues to support local wrestlers and has worked extensively to recognize and display the rich wrestling tradition of East High School. His family includes his wife, Barb, and sons Derek, who resides in Colorado Springs, Ryan, who resides in Waterloo, and TJ, who resides in Cedar Rapids. Sallis currently is following the career of his grandson, Eli, who wrestles for East High.
Dave Cunningham – East High 1972
Dave Cunningham was a state champion in 1972 for Coach Bill Dotson at East High. He continued his career at Northern Iowa, wrestling for Coach Chuck Patten. He was a three-time All-American for UNI, including a runner-up finish in 1975 when the Panthers captured the Division II team title. The 1974-75 team was inducted into the UNI Athletic Hall of Fame.
Cunningham taught and coached in North Tama, Cedar Falls and Waverly-Shell Rock before settling in Forest City. He coached one state champion and 17 place-winners in 26 years at Forest City, where he also served as a teacher, counselor and administrator.
He and his wife, Deb, still reside in Forest City. His son, Ryan, and his family live in Okoboji while his son, Kyle, and his family live outside of West Des Moines.
Dan Mashek – West High 1965
Dan Mashek wrestled for legendary coach Bob Siddens at West High, placing third in the state tournament in 1965 to help the Wahawks capture the team title. He was a multi-sport athlete for West and was named the school’s Outstanding Athlete in 1965.
He continued his wrestling career at Northern Iowa, where he was a three-year varsity wrestler for Coach Chuck Patten.
Mashek started the wrestling program at Don Bosco in 1971 and was head coach for 30 years. The Dons became a perennial power, winning four traditional state team titles and one state dual team title while amassing a 421-69-5 dual meet record. His teams won 23 sectional titles, 19 district championships, 138 state qualifiers and 85 state place-winners. Mashek coached 22 individual state champions and Tom Hogan and Daryl Weber went on to win NCAA Division III and NCAA Division I national championships.
He took over the program at North Scott in Eldridge and compiled a record of 93-30. Mashek holds the record for the most dual victories in the history of Iowa high school wrestling with an overall career record of 519-105-5.
Mashek was named Iowa Coach of the Year numerous times and is a member of both the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Iowa High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame. He received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Iowa Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008 and was inducted into the Dan Gable Museum’s Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa in 2008.
He resides in Eldridge with his wife, Linda. His son, Tom, is the head wrestling coach at Louisa-Muscatine while his daughter, Liz, is a principal for North Scott Community Schools.
Jerry Springer – West High 1958
Jerry Springer wrestled for legendary coach Bob Siddens at West High, winning a state championship as a senior following a runner-up finish as a junior. He helped the Wahawks win the state team title as a senior and was a multi-sport standout, including being named Athlete of the Year in 1958.
He wrestled for Coach Frank Powell at Adams State College in Colorado where he was a runner-up in the Rocky Mountain Championships.
After receiving his degree in physical education and coaching, Springer began a long and successful coaching career at Logan Junior High School in 1964. He began his high school career at Davenport Assumption High School before moving to Waverly-Shell Rock. WSR won its first Northeast Iowa Conference wrestling championship under Springer, a feat it would not repeat until the mid-2000s.
Springer became an assistant coach at Southeast Missouri State before taking over as head coach at McCook College in Nebraska, where he led his teams to eight undefeated seasons and numerous individual and tournament championships. He then returned to Waterloo as head coach of Columbus Catholic High School and then Central High School.
He was extensively involved with USA Wrestling, serving as Junior World Champion and serving on the USA Olympic Committee. He coached the USA Junior World team to a third-place finish and also took a USA Wrestling team on a historic trip to Mongolia.
Springer currently resides in Waverly, where he is very active in his church and operates a thriving firewood business. His son, Todd, and daughter, Jamie, live in Clearwater, Florida.
Rex Smith - Orange Township 1967
Rex Smith began wrestling in junior high school when Coach Ron Burnell began a wrestling program. Each evening the wrestlers would roll out canvas mats on the stage in the gymnasium and then roll them back up after practice. Smith, who also played football and golf in high school, was undefeated as a senior and won a state championship.
He attended Iowa State University on a wrestling scholarship, competing four seasons for Coach Harold Nichols and alongside Dan Gable and Chris Taylor. Smith also played golf all four years for Coach Dale Anderson, receiving three awards and captaining the team.
Following graduation, Smith began working in the marketing division of John Deere. He later married, Randi Berning, and began his career at a John Deere dealership in Reedsburg, Wisconsin. Smith resides in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin, and has two children, Katie and Billy, and four grandchildren. He sells final expense insurance, measures the snowfall way up north and enjoys working as a greeter at Walmart.
Dr. Jamal Fox – West High 1992
Jamal Fox wrestled at West High for Coach Don Huff and assistant coach Steve Gillen, finishing third in the state tournament in 1991 and 1992.
He continued his wrestling career at Wartburg College under Hall of Fame coach Jim Miller, an integral part of Wartburg’s rise to Iowa Conference dominance and multiple NCAA Division III championships. Fox was a three-time Iowa Conference champion and a three-time All-American, finishing third, second and first in 1994, 1995 and 1996. His win at 142 pounds in 1996 clinched Wartburg’s first national team title in any sport and he remains the all-time winningest wrestler in school history with a 158-36 career record.
Fox graduated from Wartburg with a biology degree and then earned his Doctor of Optometry degree from Pennsylvania College of Optometry. Dr. Fox practiced optometry in Greensboro, North Carolina, and St. Louis. He owns and is an optometrist at JJ Optical in Florissant, Missouri, while also serving as an adjunct professor of optometry at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
His wife, Abiola, is a pharmacist and they have three children, Addison, Jacobi and Jonathan.
The Battle of Waterloo is an annual two-day wrestling tournament featuring 32 teams and more than 800 wrestlers from 18 different counties outside of Black Hawk County.
The Battle of Waterloo Hall of Fame Class of 2019 is Chuck Patten, Larry Sallis, Dave Cunningham, Dan Mashek, Jerry Springer, Rex Smith and Jamal Fox.
Chuck Patten – East High, 1956
Chuck Patten wrestled for Coach Dave Natvig at East High and was a two-time state qualifier, finishing third and fourth. He wrestled for three years at Iowa State Teachers College (University of Northern Iowa) for Coach Bill Koll, compiling a 28-5-2 dual meet record. Patten graduated from ISTC and earned his master’s degree from the University of Oregon in 1962. He began his coaching career at Exeter High School, guiding his team to the California state team title in only its second year of competition. Patten moved to Reedsport, Oregon, and coached his team to the state team title with three individual state champions.
He became the head wrestling coach at Northern Iowa in 1965 and guided one of the most successful programs in NCAA history to even more success, including 17 consecutive winning seasons and a pair of Division II titles. He retired in 1982 as the winning coach in UNI wrestling history with a career record of 218-86-8. Patten coached 58 Division I or Division II All-Americans and 16 national champions. His 1975 and 1978 squads won the Division II national title while the 1970, 1972, 1974 and 1980 teams achieved runner-up finishes.
Patten’s teams have the distinction of winning, placing or showing in 11 of the 18 years that he coached. He was named national Division II Coach of the Year twice and was Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 1982. In the 14 years his teams competed in the North Central Conference tournament they finished first 10 times and second four times. In the Mid-Continent Conference, the Panthers won five consecutive titles.
He has served as president of both the Division I and Division II Coaches Associations and was chairman of the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee from 1974 to 1978, the only Division II coach to hold the position. Patten was named Division II Coach of the Year in 1970 and 1978 and was USA Wrestling’s Coach of the Year in 1978. He was chairman of the U.S. Olympic Coach Selection Committee in 1980 and worked as a color commentator for Iowa Public Television broadcasts from 1983 to 1986. Patten was inducted into the UNI Hall of Fame in 1988, the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Dan Gable Museum’s Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa in 2008.
He and his wife, Lynn, reside in Everett, Washington. The couple has two daughters, Jamie and Cindi, who both also reside in Washington.
Larry “Punchy” Sallis – East High 1968
Larry Sallis has been involved in wrestling for more than 50 years, beginning as competitor on the mat and continuing as a coach and official. The 1968 graduate of East High competed in wrestling, track and cross country. He wrestled at North Iowa Area Community College and then at Northern Iowa for Chuck Patten.
Sallis was instrumental in the renowned Waterloo Boys Club wrestling program in the 1970s and early 1980s. Working with Bill Tate Sr. and others, he guided many young wrestlers during his seven years with the program, including many who won Iowa state high school championships and earned All-American status in college.
He worked 18 years at his Alma Mater as an assistant coach for Steve Knipp, helping coach the 1983 state championship team. Sallis also coached wrestling, football, track and basketball at Logan and other middle schools.
Sallis was also very active with USA Wrestling, attaining a high-level ranking in officiating in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. He refereed at the USA Junior National tournament for 15 years.
He continues to support local wrestlers and has worked extensively to recognize and display the rich wrestling tradition of East High School. His family includes his wife, Barb, and sons Derek, who resides in Colorado Springs, Ryan, who resides in Waterloo, and TJ, who resides in Cedar Rapids. Sallis currently is following the career of his grandson, Eli, who wrestles for East High.
Dave Cunningham – East High 1972
Dave Cunningham was a state champion in 1972 for Coach Bill Dotson at East High. He continued his career at Northern Iowa, wrestling for Coach Chuck Patten. He was a three-time All-American for UNI, including a runner-up finish in 1975 when the Panthers captured the Division II team title. The 1974-75 team was inducted into the UNI Athletic Hall of Fame.
Cunningham taught and coached in North Tama, Cedar Falls and Waverly-Shell Rock before settling in Forest City. He coached one state champion and 17 place-winners in 26 years at Forest City, where he also served as a teacher, counselor and administrator.
He and his wife, Deb, still reside in Forest City. His son, Ryan, and his family live in Okoboji while his son, Kyle, and his family live outside of West Des Moines.
Dan Mashek – West High 1965
Dan Mashek wrestled for legendary coach Bob Siddens at West High, placing third in the state tournament in 1965 to help the Wahawks capture the team title. He was a multi-sport athlete for West and was named the school’s Outstanding Athlete in 1965.
He continued his wrestling career at Northern Iowa, where he was a three-year varsity wrestler for Coach Chuck Patten.
Mashek started the wrestling program at Don Bosco in 1971 and was head coach for 30 years. The Dons became a perennial power, winning four traditional state team titles and one state dual team title while amassing a 421-69-5 dual meet record. His teams won 23 sectional titles, 19 district championships, 138 state qualifiers and 85 state place-winners. Mashek coached 22 individual state champions and Tom Hogan and Daryl Weber went on to win NCAA Division III and NCAA Division I national championships.
He took over the program at North Scott in Eldridge and compiled a record of 93-30. Mashek holds the record for the most dual victories in the history of Iowa high school wrestling with an overall career record of 519-105-5.
Mashek was named Iowa Coach of the Year numerous times and is a member of both the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Iowa High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame. He received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Iowa Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008 and was inducted into the Dan Gable Museum’s Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa in 2008.
He resides in Eldridge with his wife, Linda. His son, Tom, is the head wrestling coach at Louisa-Muscatine while his daughter, Liz, is a principal for North Scott Community Schools.
Jerry Springer – West High 1958
Jerry Springer wrestled for legendary coach Bob Siddens at West High, winning a state championship as a senior following a runner-up finish as a junior. He helped the Wahawks win the state team title as a senior and was a multi-sport standout, including being named Athlete of the Year in 1958.
He wrestled for Coach Frank Powell at Adams State College in Colorado where he was a runner-up in the Rocky Mountain Championships.
After receiving his degree in physical education and coaching, Springer began a long and successful coaching career at Logan Junior High School in 1964. He began his high school career at Davenport Assumption High School before moving to Waverly-Shell Rock. WSR won its first Northeast Iowa Conference wrestling championship under Springer, a feat it would not repeat until the mid-2000s.
Springer became an assistant coach at Southeast Missouri State before taking over as head coach at McCook College in Nebraska, where he led his teams to eight undefeated seasons and numerous individual and tournament championships. He then returned to Waterloo as head coach of Columbus Catholic High School and then Central High School.
He was extensively involved with USA Wrestling, serving as Junior World Champion and serving on the USA Olympic Committee. He coached the USA Junior World team to a third-place finish and also took a USA Wrestling team on a historic trip to Mongolia.
Springer currently resides in Waverly, where he is very active in his church and operates a thriving firewood business. His son, Todd, and daughter, Jamie, live in Clearwater, Florida.
Rex Smith - Orange Township 1967
Rex Smith began wrestling in junior high school when Coach Ron Burnell began a wrestling program. Each evening the wrestlers would roll out canvas mats on the stage in the gymnasium and then roll them back up after practice. Smith, who also played football and golf in high school, was undefeated as a senior and won a state championship.
He attended Iowa State University on a wrestling scholarship, competing four seasons for Coach Harold Nichols and alongside Dan Gable and Chris Taylor. Smith also played golf all four years for Coach Dale Anderson, receiving three awards and captaining the team.
Following graduation, Smith began working in the marketing division of John Deere. He later married, Randi Berning, and began his career at a John Deere dealership in Reedsburg, Wisconsin. Smith resides in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin, and has two children, Katie and Billy, and four grandchildren. He sells final expense insurance, measures the snowfall way up north and enjoys working as a greeter at Walmart.
Dr. Jamal Fox – West High 1992
Jamal Fox wrestled at West High for Coach Don Huff and assistant coach Steve Gillen, finishing third in the state tournament in 1991 and 1992.
He continued his wrestling career at Wartburg College under Hall of Fame coach Jim Miller, an integral part of Wartburg’s rise to Iowa Conference dominance and multiple NCAA Division III championships. Fox was a three-time Iowa Conference champion and a three-time All-American, finishing third, second and first in 1994, 1995 and 1996. His win at 142 pounds in 1996 clinched Wartburg’s first national team title in any sport and he remains the all-time winningest wrestler in school history with a 158-36 career record.
Fox graduated from Wartburg with a biology degree and then earned his Doctor of Optometry degree from Pennsylvania College of Optometry. Dr. Fox practiced optometry in Greensboro, North Carolina, and St. Louis. He owns and is an optometrist at JJ Optical in Florissant, Missouri, while also serving as an adjunct professor of optometry at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
His wife, Abiola, is a pharmacist and they have three children, Addison, Jacobi and Jonathan.
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