Illinois Chapter
Official State Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
2023 Illinois Chapter Honors Banquet Details
2023 NWHOF Illinois Chapter Honors Banquet Info
The Illinois Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame will induct eight (8) new individuals this coming October at its annual Honors Banquet to be held on Sunday, October 22, 2023.
Here are the details:
WHEN: Sunday, October 22, 2023
WHERE: DoubleTree by Hilton Alsip
5000 W 127th St, Alsip, IL 60803
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS
CLICK HERE FOR HOTEL RESERVATIONS
Agenda for the Banquet:
3:00 - 4:00 PM - Arrive, Appetizers, Social
4:00 PM - Opening Remarks, Dinner
5:00 PM - Presentation of Awards
Who is being inducted?
2023 NWHOF Illinois Chapter - Lifetime Service Awards
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SEAN BORMET
3x IHSA State Placewinner; 3rd in 1987 & 1988; IHSA State Champion (1989)
Asics Dream Team Member (1989)
IHSA Team State Champions 1988, 89
IHSA Single Season Pin Record – 48 pins with 53-0 record 1989 (Record still stands)
3x IWF Freestyle State Champion 1987, 1988, 1989
3x USAW Junior Freestyle All-American
2x NCAA All-American (158 pounds, 1993, '94)
NCAA finalist (1994)
NCAA Gorriaran Award winner (1993 NCAA Championships), most falls in least time
2x Big Ten Champion (1993, '94); Midlands Champion (1993)
Career record of 125-21 with 44 career pins; 2x Michigan team captain
Service Record (28 Years Total)
Wrestling Coaching: (1995-Present)
Assistant Collegiate Coach: Univ. of Wisconsin (1995-99; 4 years); Univ. of Michigan (1999-01, 2011-17; 8 years)
Overtime School of Wrestling (Founder 2001-2011; 10 years) - 38 USAW Cadet & Junior Freestyle National Champions
221 USAW Cadet & Junior Freestyle All-Americans; 95 High School State Champions
Head Coach at Univ. of Michigan (2019-Present; 4 years)
USAW/International Coaching: (2006-Present; 17 years)
2008 & 2012 USA Olympic Team Coaching Staff
Coached four Olympians, including 2020 bronze medalist Myles Amine (86kg)
Coached five senior world medalists in Adam Coon (silver, 130kg Greco), Jake Herbert (silver, 84kg), J'den Cox (silver, 92kg) Donny Pritzlaff (bronze, 74kg), Stevan Micic (bronze, 57kg)
Awards
3X Terry McCann USA Freestyle Coach of the Year
USA Wrestling Developmental Coach of the Year (2004)
Amateur Wrestling News Rookie Coach of the Year (2019)
2022 Big Ten & NWCA Coach of the Year
IWCOA Hall of Fame 2008
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MIKE BUKOVSKY
4 Years Wrestling/Football/Track at Montini Catholic
2X Conference Champ, Team Captain & MVP in Wrestling
All Conference, All Area, Special Mention All-State in Football
North Central College Wrestling (1983-85); CCIW Placewinner
Service Record (38 yrs Total)
Wrestling Coaching:
Assistant Wrestling Coach - Montini Catholic HS (1985-94; 9 yrs)
Head Wrestling Coach - Montini Catholic HS (1994-2010; 16 yrs)
8 IHSA Team State Championships
11 IHSA Team State Trophies
13 IHSA State Qualifying Teams
15 IHSA Regional Championships
460-39 Overall Team Record
3- 4X Individual State Champions (Chase Beebe, Conor Beebe, Mikey Benefiel)
140 IHSA State Qualifiers, 81 State Placers, 32 State Champs
IWCOA Executive Board Member 1999-Present (25 yrs)
IWCOA Hall of Fame Selection Committee 2008-Present (16 yrs)
IWCOA Past President 2008 & 2009
Awards
IWCOA Hall of Fame 2008
IWCOA Man of the Year 2010
3X IWCOA Coach of the Year (1998, 2002, 2008)
NHSACA “National Wrestling Coach of the Year” 2009
IWCOA/IHSA Grand Marshal 2017
IWCOA Lifetime Service Award 2020
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BILL HONEYCUTT
4 Years Wrestling and Football at Morton East
Monmouth College - Football & Wrestling 1970-71
Service Record (55 yrs Total)
Asst. Wrestling Coaching: Morton East HS - 1966-70 (4 yrs)
Head Wrestling Coach: St. Viator HS - 1976-78 (2 yrs)
IHSA/IESA & NCAA DIII Wrestling Official: 1972-Present (51 yrs)
27 IHSA Individual Boys State, Girls State & Dual Team Tournaments
13 IESA State Tournaments
IESA Advisory Committee (2005-2008)
IHSA Officials Advisory Committee (2009-2012)
Awards
IWCOA Hall of Fame 2003
2007 NFHS Official Year of the Year for Illinois
2010 IESA State Tournament Grand Marshall
IWCOA Lifetime Service Award 2018
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ROB MURPHY
3 Sport HS Letterman in Football, Wrestling, Track at Coal City HS
IHSA All-State Football - Linebacker
2X IHSA State Qualifier; 3rd Place in 1981 (Team State Runner-up
Juco National Qualifier for Joliet Junior College
Olivet Nazarene University - 3X National Christian College Athletic Assoc. Champion
3X NAIA National Qualifier; Over 100 Career Collegiate Wins
NCCAA Team Champions 1987, 1988
Wrestled with Athletes in Action in Japan and S. Korea
Service Record (34 yrs Total)
Assistant Wrestling Coach: Lincoln HS - 1988-94 (6 yrs.)
Head Wrestling Coach: Wilmington HS - 1994-2022 (28 yrs.)
570 Career Head Coaching Wins
3 IHSA Dual Team State Championships
6 IHSA Dual Team State Trophies
9 IHSA State Qualifying Teams
10 Conference Team Titles; 12 Regional Championships
129 IHSA Individual State Qualifiers; 52 State Place Winners; 10 State Champions
IWCOA Executive Board Member 1998-2023 (25 yrs.)
IWCOA Past President 2016-2017
IWCOA Hall of Fame Selection Committee 2016-2023 (7 yrs.)
NHSACA Wrestling Chairman 2021-22 (2 yrs)
Awards
10 Times Conference COTY 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016
IWCOA COTY 2006, 2010
NHSACA COTY Finalist 2010, 2018
IWCOA Wrestling Hall of Fame 2011
IWCOA Silver Award 2014
IWCOA Man of the Year 2015; IWCOA Gold Award 2018
IHSA Wrestling State Finals Grand Marshal 2019
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MICK RUETTIGER
3 Sport Letterman (Football, Wrestling, Baseball) at Providence Catholic HS
PSL Conference Wrestling Champ 1972
Wrestling at Joliet Junior College (1973-75); Eastern Illinois University (1975-78)
Service Record (45 yrs Total)
Graduate Assistant Wrestling Coach: Eastern Illinois 1978-79 (1 yr)
Volunteer Assistant Wrestling Coach: Mt. St. Joseph Prep, Baltimore, MD (1979-81) (2 yrs)
Head Wrestling Coaching: Plano HS - 1981-82 (1 yr)
Head Wrestling Coaching: St. Charles HS - 1982-97 (14 yrs)
1997 3rd Place IHSA Dual Team State; Sectional Champs
44 IHSA Individual State Qualifiers; 21 State Placewinners, 2 State Champions
Head Wrestling Coaching: Neuqua Valley HS - 1997-2017 (21 yrs)
277 Dual Team Wins; 8 Conference Team Titles
99 Individual Conf. Champs; 54 State Qualifiers; 29 State Placewinners; 2 State Champions
Volunteer Assistant Wrestling Coach: St. Charles East HS - 2017-Present (6 yrs)
Awards
IWCOA Hall of Fame 2002
IWCOA Lifetime Service Award 2022
IHSA State Tournament Grand Marshal 2022
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MICK TORRES
3X IHSA State Placewinner; 108-17 HS Record at Yorkville HS
4th in State (1976); 3rd (1978); 2nd (1979)
Wrestled at Northern Illinois University (1979-80); Career ended by injury
Service Record (38 yrs Total)
Head Wrestling Coach, Lake Zurich HS: 1985-1992 (7 yrs)
23 Sectional Qualifiers, 4 State Qualifiers, 3 State Placers, - 2X State Champ (Al Strobl)
IHSA Tournament Management (ILWrestle.com) - 1994 - Present (29 yrs)
Tournament Director for over 200+ Individual IHSA Tournaments including 44 IHSA Individual Regionals & Sectionals; Also, multiple years at: Barrington (Moore-Prettyman), Buffalo Grove, Wheeling, Hinsdale Central (Rex Whitlatch), Dvorak, Hoffman Estates, MSL, NSC, MSC, Leyden, Lake County Annual Tournaments
IHSA Wrestling Official: 1992-94
Volunteer Assistant Wrestling Coach: Antioch HS (1995-2003); Vernon Hills HS (2004-2007)
NWHOF Illinois Chapter Board of Directors (Secretary) - 2015-Present (8 yrs)
IWCOA Executive Board Member - 2016-Present (7 yrs)
IHSA Individual, Dual Team & Girls State Tournaments Announcer: 2019-2023
NCAA Midlands Tournament Announcer: 2023
Awards
IWCOA Hall of Fame - 2016
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2023 Illinois Chapter - Medal of Courage
DARRELL GHOLAR
IHSA State Finalist (1980) at Chicago Dunbar HS
AAU National Runner-up
Both Football and Wrestling Team Captain at Dunbar
1981 Freshman All-American Team at Univ. of Minnesota
Minnesota Team Captain (1984, 85)
3x USAW Greco National Champion
1988 USAW Olympic Alternate
1986 USA World Greco Team Captain
Service Record
Gholar went on to become a successful professional fighter, going 5-6 between 1998-2001. As a pro fighter, Gholar was the 2000 World Vale Tudo Championship, middleweight champion vacating the title in 2001 when he retired from professional fighting.
Gholar was a finalist for a Jerome fellowship in playwriting. He was a Walt Disney Pictures screenwriting fellowship recipient, where after completion he was offered a position writing for Walt Disney Pictures Touchstone division. While writing for Disney Mr. Gholar wrote and directed The Dancer at the Ivar theater in Hollywood.
He then co-produced Looking for Bruce, a full length feature film starring Gil Gerard of TV and films Buck Rogers and Dan Clark of American Gladiators.
In 2003 Mr. Gholar was named one of the world’s top 200 living poets and was invited to read in Washington D.C. at the National Society of poets 2003 National Convention.
Darrell Gholar suffered a stroke in 2013. Here is his story… “Struggle to Survive, Thrive”
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2023 Illinois Chapter - Outstanding American
TERRY MCCANN
4 Years HS Wrestling at Notre Dame HS (Niles, IL)
Coached by IWCOA and NWHOF-IL Lifetime Award Winner Augie Genovesi
Service Record
“With close to 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, Terry McCann began his career at AIG. In 1999, he joined CRC Insurance Services as vice president. He later became senior vice president and ultimately president of the Chicago office. Under Mr. McCann’s leadership, CRC awarded Chicago as the “Office of the Year” on several occasions. The company also named Mr. McCann “CRC Broker of the Year” in 2008 and 2009.
In 2010, he had the opportunity to open RT Specialty’s Chicago office as well as lead the casualty practice for the firm. Today, the Chicago office of RT Specialty places over $1.5 billion in premium.
Mr. McCann’s expertise includes market rate, subsidized, and mixed-use schedules. He assists clients in placements where there is challenging loss development, the formation of new real estate portfolios, and forced place properties for financial institutions. He also assists his clients that have significant real estate development exposures in multifamily, hospitality or for sale projects.
He was named Wholesale Insurance Broker of the Year in 2017 by Business Insurance magazine. He was also named Casualty Insurance Broker of the year by Insurance Business America magazine in 2017.”
“Terry McCann has been recognized as one of the leading professionals in the US insurance industry by being listed in the 2018 edition of Insurance Business America’s Hot 100.” Article
“Terry McCann of RT Specialty is part of Insurance Business America Top Specialist Brokers 2019.” Article
2018 US Insurance Awards: R-T Specialty L.L.C., Wholesale Brokerage Team of the Year - Article
Terry McCann is also brother to Kevin McCann, a standout in wrestling and football at Notre Dame HS who was tragically killed in 2004. Article
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