The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Thursday announced that its Class of 2027 is Distinguished Members Afsoon Roshanzamir Johnston, Iris Smith, Thad Turner and Joe Warren; Meritorious Official honoree Michael Chase; Order of Merit recipient Dan Russell; Medal of Courage recipient Ben Kjar; and Outstanding American honoree Retired United States Navy Admiral Richard W. Mies. 

The Hall of Fame’s Board of Governors approved the selections at its annual fall meeting on October 27. 

The Class of 2027 will be honored and officially inducted during the 50th Honors Weekend on June 4 and 5, 2027 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. For more information on Honors Weekend, please email info@nwhof.org. 

“The National Wrestling Hall of Fame is proud to announce the Class of 2027, an exceptional group of individuals whose accomplishments, character and service have left an enduring impact on the sport of wrestling and society,” said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. “Together, this class represents the very best of wrestling's rich tradition and the profound influence the sport has in shaping champions both on and off the mat.” 

Johnston, Smith and Warren were chosen as Distinguished Members for the Modern Era while Turner was selected by the Veterans Committee. The newest honorees will bring the number of Distinguished Members to 224, since the Hall of Fame began in 1976. 

Johnston and Smith become the eighth and ninth females to be inducted as a Distinguished Member, joining Clarissa Chun (2022), Kristie Davis (2018), Sara McMann (2022), Patricia Miranda (2023), Toccara Montgomery (2024), Tricia Saunders (2006) and Shannon Williams-Yancey (2026). 

Russell becomes the second member of his family to be honored by the Hall of Fame as his brother Joe Russell received the Medal of Courage award in 2007. 

Johnston becomes the first wrestler from the University of California Davis to be inducted as a Distinguished Member while Turner becomes the seventh from Lehigh University. Oklahoma State has more Distinguished Members than any other college with 39 followed by Iowa with 18 and Iowa State and the University of Oklahoma tied for third with 14 each. 

Distinguished Members can be a wrestler who has achieved extraordinary success in national and/or international competition; a coach who has demonstrated great leadership in the profession and who has compiled an outstanding record; or a contributor whose long-term activities have substantially enhanced the development and advancement of the sport. Wrestlers must have been retired from active competition for a period of five years to be eligible for consideration as a Distinguished Member. 

Born in Tehran, Iran, Afsoon Roshanzamir Johnston was 11 years old when her family fled Iran in the early 1980s and settled in California. Supported by her father, she gravitated towards wrestling and competed as a member of the Independence High School boys wrestling team. One of the first girls to wrestle on a boys varsity team in California she nearly qualified for the boys state high school tournament, a single-class tournament format, meaning all schools, regardless of enrollment size, compete together in one unified state bracket per weight class rather than being split into multiple divisions or classes like in many other states. Just eight days after celebrating her 17th birthday and still in high school, Johnston won the bronze medal at the 1989 World Championships, the first to include women's wrestling alongside the men, to become the first American woman to win a World Championship medal and the first American woman to medal at any international wrestling championship. She won a silver medal at the 1990 World Championships while finishing fifth in 1992 and competing in 1997. She was also a medalist in international competitions in Canada, France and Russia. Johnston was also the first female rostered athlete on the men's varsity wrestling team at University of California, Davis. She was named USA Wrestling Women's Coach of the Year after being a member of the coaching staff then led the United States to a third-place finish at the 2014 Women's World Championships. Johnston was a member of the U.S. coaching staff for the 2016 Rio Olympics, where Helen Maroulis became the first American woman to win a gold medal. She also coached Team USA at additional world championships, Pan American championships, Golden Grand Prix Finals, and the 2021 Captain's Cup. A licensed wrestling official, Johnston made history when she officiated a UC Davis dual meet, becoming the first woman to referee an NCAA Division I men's wrestling match. Johnston has served as a board member for USA Wrestling, Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, the New York Regional Training Center and the California Wrestling Hall of Fame. She also served on multiple USA Wrestling committees, including women's sports, sports, and diversity, equity and inclusion. Throughout her career Johnston has helped shape policies and programs that strengthen opportunities for girls and women in wrestling. A widely respected ambassador for women's wrestling both nationally and internationally, Johnston has served as a mentor and role model for generations of female wrestlers and is known for advocating for athletes while maintaining integrity, professionalism and humility. She received the Lifetime achievement award from the California Wrestling Hall of Fame and is a member of the Cal Aggie Athletics Hall of Fame, the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame, and the Independence High School Hall of Fame. Wrestle Like A Girl established and annually presents the Afsoon Courage award. One of the earliest pioneers of women's wrestling, Johnston has devoted her post-competitive career to ensuring future generations have greater opportunities than those available during her own career. 

Iris Smith was the first African-American woman to win a gold medal in wrestling, capturing gold at the 2005 World Championships in Budapest. She was also the first American female wrestler to win a world title after women's wrestling was officially announced as a sport in the 2004 Athens Olympics. Smith is also the only woman in United States military history, in any sport, to earn both a military world championship title (2010) and a civilian world championship title (2005). A member of Team USA for 16 years, Smith was U.S. World Team Trials champion four times, runner-up four times and third-place finisher five times. After a seventh-place finish at the 2000 World Championships, Smith was forced to miss the 2001 World Championships due to her commitment to attend basic training with the United States Army. She is a two-time Pan American champion and also a silver medalist while also winning seven national championships, senior and university combined. Smith was a member of the boys varsity wrestling team and also played basketball at Dougherty Comprehensive High School in Albany, Georgia. A staff sergeant in the U.S. Army, Smith is a member of USA Wrestling’s Board of Directors and serves as the Chairperson of the Women’s Sport Committee.

Thad Turner was the head wrestling coach at Lehigh University from 1970 to 1988. Without the benefit of athletic scholarships, Turner coached seven wrestlers to 10 national titles, including Hall of Fame Distinguished Members Darryl Burley and Mark Lieberman, and had 43 All-Americans, including Hall of Fame Outstanding American honoree Colin Kilrain. Under Turner's tutelage, the Mountain Hawks finished in the Top 10 at the NCAA tournament 14 times, including a third-place finish in 1979 and four fifth-place finishes. Lehigh never finished below third in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association, winning eight championships and finishing second three times. His wrestlers combined to win 62 EIWA titles and six outstanding wrestler awards, and in 1975 captured seven of the 10 weight classes at the conference tournament. Turner was named EIWA Coach of the Year in 1975 and National Coach of the Year in 1979. In nine seasons as head wrestling coach at Phillipsburg High School, Turner had a 98-14-4 dual meet record, including wins in the last 51 matches in a row, and led his teams to the East Penn League championship in six of his last seven seasons. Lehigh's wrestling facility is named Leeman-Turner Arena in honor of Turner and his predecessor Hall of Fame Distinguished Member Gerald Leeman. Turner was instrumental in establishing and helping to grow youth wrestling throughout the Lehigh Valley and western New Jersey, which became and remains one of America's premier wrestling regions. Turner served 14 years as associate director of the Lehigh University Alumni Association. Turner was a finalist at the 1960 NCAA tournament and an Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association champion in 1960 and 1961, when he was named outstanding wrestler. Competing at five different weight classes during his career, he had a career dual meet record of 31-1-2 and an overall record of 49-6-2 while also being team captain for two seasons. Turner is a member of the Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame and the EIWA Hall of Fame, and was a member of the Charter Class of the Phillipsburg High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Turner is also a Lifetime Service to Wrestling award recipient from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. 

Joe Warren won a gold medal at the 2006 Greco-Roman World Championships to become only the fifth American to win a Greco-Roman world title. The other four - Dremiel Byers, Rulon Gardner, Dennis Hall and Mike Houck - are all Distinguished Members of the Hall of Fame. A three-time U.S. World Team member, Warren finished ninth at the 2005 Greco-Roman World Championships and was a two-time gold medalist at the Pan American Championships and also a gold medalist at the World Cup. Following a runner-up finish at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 2004, Warren won back-to-back Greco-Roman national championships in 2005 and 2006. Warren was a finalist for the Sullivan Award, presented annually to the best amateur athlete in the United States, in 2007. Competing for the University Michigan, Warren earned All-America honors with a third-place finish at the 2000 NCAA Division I Championships and finished sixth at the 2000 World University Championships. Warren was a Michigan state wrestling champion and a three-time state place-winner for East Kentwood High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As a senior, he had a perfect 52-0 record and set the national high school record for takedowns with 487 while being named Mr. Michigan as the state's best male athlete. A three-time MMA Bellator World Champion and the first two win titles in two weight classes, Warren was the first athlete to be a wrestling world champion and an MMA world champion. Warren continues to coach both wrestlers and MMA fighters and currently helps coach many USA Wrestling National Team Greco-Roman athletes. 

The Medal of Courage recipient is a wrestler or former wrestler who has overcome what appear to be insurmountable challenges, providing inspiration to others. 

Born with Crouzon Syndrome, a rare craniofacial disorder, Ben Kjar used wrestling to overcome bullying and harsh scrutiny. He was the first three-time Utah state wrestling champion at Viewmont High School and had a career record of 121–6 and helped lead his team to the school's first-ever state team championship. Kjar was a five-time USA High School wrestling national champion. Kjar finished fourth at the 2011 NCAA Division I Championships to become Utah Valley University's first NCAA Division I wrestling All-American. In the semifinals of the national tournament Ben was beaten by eventual NCAA champion Anthony Robles, who received the Medal of Courage award from the Hall of Fame in 2012. Kjar is UVU's career leader in wins with 129, including a school record 39 victories as a freshman in 2007-08. At age 40, and wrestling for the United States, Kjar was a gold medalist in Greco-Roman and a silver medalist in freestyle at the 2023 Veterans World Championships in Loutraki, Greece. Kjar is an international professional speaker and thought leader, inspiring people and organizations around the world to set bold goals and achieve what once seemed impossible. Through his message of "Call Your Shot," Ben helps individuals and teams clearly define their goals, surround themselves with accountability, and create timelines that drive real results. His remarkable career and life were captured in the award-winning film, Standout: The Ben Kjar Story, one of the top-grossing documentaries of 2026. Winner of the Spirit of Slamdance award at the Slamdance Film Festival, it later won Best Documentary and Audience Choice honors at the San Diego International Film Festival and was a Critics Choice Nominee for Best Sports Documentary. As the Medal of Courage recipients who went before him, Kjar has chosen to rise above every challenge and become a victor, not a victim. 

The Order of Merit is presented to an individual that has made a significant contribution to the sport of wrestling, but who is not an athlete or a coach. The Order of Merit recipient is determined in a vote of Distinguished Members. 

Dan Russell is the founder, executive director and chairman of Wrestling for Peace, a non-profit that is continuing the Wrestling for Peace legacy originally established by National Wrestling Hall of Fame Distinguished Member Steve Fraser and USA Wrestling. He and his brother Joe, who received the Medal of Courage award from the Hall of Fame in 2007, were both presented the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award by the Oregon Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2026. Russell served as a USA Wrestling Ambassador for Peace from 2017-24, with a focus on engaging the US wrestling community in diplomacy and humanitarian efforts around the globe. Wrestling for Peace works to continue diplomatic and humanitarian efforts through partnerships with USA Wrestling, the Olympic Committee, United World Wrestling, the United States Wrestling Foundation, global wrestling federations, and international national governing bodies. Wrestling for Peace annually partners USA Wrestling world teams with local federation teams at each of the world age-group championships, working alongside diplomats and community leaders to address basic human needs, raising awareness, supporting sports development, offering medical assistance, and more. Wrestling for Peace and USA Wrestling are scheduled to host 16 global humanitarian projects leading up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Russell was a four-time NCAA Division II All-American and a two-time NCAA Division I All-American for Portland State University. He was named the outstanding wrestler and scored the most points at the NCAA DII tournament and helped PSU win the national team championship in 1989 and 1990. In the first match that Pat Smith of Oklahoma State University wrestled, Russell pinned him. Smith would become the first four-time NCAA DI national champion and is a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Russell was named PSU's outstanding wrestler four times and earned Academic All-America honors four times. An alternate for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Russell was a member of the USA Wrestling National Greco-Roman Team from 1990 to 1996. He was a gold medalist in Greco-Roman at the 1995 Poddubny Tournament, one of only two Americans to win the tournament that is called the "Unofficial Champion of the World," and was a silver medalist at the 1991 Vantaa Paini Cup in Finland. Russell was Guam's head coach for the 2004 Athens Olympics and Olympic Solidarity instructor/coach for Palau & Micronesia from 2000 to 2004. He was an assistant coach for PSU from 1992 to 1994, for Rampart High School from 1995 to 1999, and at the United States Olympic Training Center from 1997 to 1999. Russell was a volunteer coach for USA Wrestling at 1998 Greco-Roman Junior World Championships, 1999 Greco-Roman Sweden Cup (1 gold and 1 silver medal), 1999 Greco-Roman Pan-American Games (2nd place with three gold and three silver medals), and the 2000 Greco-Roman Junior World Championships (one silver medal). He coached at the 2002 World Cup (5th place with one gold, one silver and one bronze medal) and at the 2003 Takhti Cup (Greco-Roman finished third with one gold medal while freestyle had one bronze medal). A self-employed motivational speaker and clinician since 1986, Russell is a United States Wrestling Foundation board member and serves as the emcee for "Living the Dream Medal Fund" gala events. He is a consultant for the Jordan Wrestling Federation and served on the Fellowship of Christian Athletes board from 2018 to 2024. Russell has served as a pastor at Battle Ground Fourspace Church and International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. 

The Meritorious Official award recognizes outstanding service as a referee, judge, or pairing official. 

Michael Chase served as an NCAA wrestling official from 1998 to 2023, working 19 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships during his career, including eight championship finals. He served as the head official for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for eight years and currently serves as the supervisor of officials for both the ACC and the Southern Conference (SoCon). Chase also officiated for three years in the Big 12 Conference and 14 years in the Big Ten Conference. He served as an official at the prestigious Virginia Duals for 25 years and officiated at multiple National Duals Championships. From 1999 to 2011, Chase officiated high school wrestling in North Carolina, working 10 state tournaments and officiating 10 state finals. A native of Pennsylvania, Chase was a three-time Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) state qualifier at Council Rock High School in Newtown, Pennsylvania, compiling a career record of 97-13 that broke the school’s previous wins record. He was a two-time sectional champion, a district champion, and a regional champion, finishing as a runner-up at each level in additional appearances. Chase served as wrestling team captain during both his junior and senior years under head coach Vic Stanley. He was also a two-year starter on the varsity football team, recording 11 sacks during his senior season. Chase began his collegiate wrestling career at North Carolina State University, where he placed fourth at the ACC Championships as a true freshman. He then transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he became a two-time Individual ACC champion at 158 pounds and a three-time NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships qualifier under head coach Bill Lam. Across his collegiate careers at NC State and UNC, Chase recorded 101 victories and was a two-time place-winner at the prestigious Midlands Championships. Chase is also a member of the Bucks County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Athletic Hall of Fame and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Hall of Fame.

The Outstanding American award is presented to those individuals who have used the disciplines of wrestling to launch notable careers in other walks of life, such as science and technology, business and industry, government and the military, and the arts and humanities. 

Retired United States Navy Admiral Richard W. Mies, who served as Commander in Chief of the United States Strategic Command, lettered in wrestling as a freshman at Ohio State University before transferring to the United States Naval Academy in 1963. Mies was an Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association champion at 152 pounds as a senior in 1967 and was a member of Navy's EIWA dual meet championship team in 1966. He was also the recipient of the Thompson Trophy presented for contributing the most to the promotion of athletics at the Naval Academy. Wrestling for Lane Tech College Prep High School, he was a medalist all four years at the City Public League Championships, including winning the championship at 95 pounds as a freshman, and helped Lane Tech win the team title as a senior. After graduating from the Naval Academy with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, ranking first in both academic and lineal seniority in his class, Mies was a graduate student at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. Upon completion of his submarine training duty, Mies served on two nuclear attack submarines as well as a ballistic submarine. He commanded nuclear attack submarine USS Sea Devil and was involved in nuclear power training, reactor control, weapons, nuclear propulsion, guided missile school, and undersea warfare. Mies held U.S. and Allied commands at senior military levels, and is one of the few flag officers to complete qualification as both a submariner and a naval aviation observer. Mies, who became a rear admiral in 1993 and an admiral in 1998, served as commander in chief of U.S. Strategic Command after serving as commander of Submarine Group Mediterranean and Submarine Force Atlantic. Mies received numerous awards and commendations, including the defense distinguished service medal, the Navy distinguished service medal, the defense superior service medal, the national intelligence distinguished service medal, the Navy commendation medal, and the Navy achievement medal. Following his retirement from the Navy, he served as CEO and president of The Mies Group while also serving as chairman of the department of defense threat reduction advisory committee, the board of the Navy mutual aid association, and the naval submarine league. Mies was also a member of the National Academy of Sciences committee for international security and arms control and a member of the board of governors for the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Mies was honored as an Outstanding American by the Illinois Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2009.