The South Carolina Chapter Inductees into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame are as follows:

Charlie Clay - Lifetime of Service

-volunteer wrestling coach at Huntington HS in WV 1967-70

-youth wrestling coach in WV and VA 1990-91

- volunteer wrestling coach at Myrtle Beach HS 1993-1998

- head wrestling coach at North Myrtle Beach HS 1998-2008

-volunteer wrestling coach at North Myrtle Beach HS 2008-10

-3A Team State Dual runners-up in 2006 and 2007

-coached 10 individual state champions

-coached 27 state placers

-coach of the 2008 SCWCA SC Wrestler of the Year

-coach of 3 USA All-Americans in 2008

-in 2004 became Director of the SCWCA North/South All-Star Wrestling Classic

Ben Connell - Outstanding American

-4x SC HS individual State Champion

-3x SC HS team State Champion

-NHSCA National Champion in 2000

-SC Wrestler of the Year in 2000

-Mr. Wrestling SC in 2000

-SC Winner of the Dave Shultz award 2000

-Southeast Winner of the Dave Shultz award 2000

-National Winner of the Dave Schultz award 2000

-Starter in the Shrine Bowl for team SC

-Student coach and then Grad assistant coach at UNC-Chapel Hill

-Recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in America 2023 and 2024

-Recognized in the South Carolina Legal Elite for 2023 and 2024

-Member of the Kershaw County Council 2016-2022

-Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives 2022-24

-Chairman of the Kershaw County Legislative Delegation 2022-24

George Dixon - Lifetime of Service

-1st South Carolina wrestling official to referee an NCAA Finals match (2013 D2)

-1st Father/Son (Ty Dixon) team to referee a SCHSL Dual Final (2A in 2024)

-One of only six in SC History to wrestle in a State Final, coach a State Final and to referee a State Final

-Refereed the 1st ever wrestling event on an aircraft carrier, Battle on the Midway in San Diego, CA

-Refereed HS/college events in 26 different states

-Initiated Video Review at NHSCA Nationals

-Initiated Video Review at Super 32 (sole video review person)

-Designed the SC Wrestling Officials Association logo

Coaching;

-Hilton Head HS assistant wrestling coach 1984-86

-Hilton Head HS head wrestling coach 1992-2000

-coached several SC State finalists and multiple State Champions

-Hilton Head HS Coach of the Year

-SCWCA Noth/South All-Stars coach

-Region Coach of the Year

-The first coach in Beaufort County with a female wrestler (Ethel Mitchell)

-Hilton Head HS assistant football coach 1992-2000

-H.E. McCracken MS football, wrestling and track coaching

-H.E. McCracken MS assistant AD

-District Coordinator for Wrestling 2000-present

HS Officiating;

-SC and GA HS wrestling referee having officiated 50+ State events

-Head Referee for the Super 32 Challenge, 16 times since 2008

-Beast of the East Official 12 times

-NHSCA Senior Finals referee 14 times (Head Ref in 2011)

-NHSCA National Duals 10 times (Head Ref 3 times)

-NHSCA Coordinator of Officials (Nationals and Duals) for the past 9 years

-AAU Scholastic Duals (Disney Duals) 14 times

-AAU Nationals 2 times

-Reno TOC HS 2 times

-NHSCA National Open 3 times

-NHSCA Preseason Nationals 3 times

-Clash Duals in Minnesota 2010

-SCWCA North/South All-Stars

-UA Ultimate's in Las Vegas (Head Ref 3 times)

-Militia Duals in Atlanta (Head Ref all 3 years)

-Knockout Christmas tournament in FL 4 times

-Eastside SC Southern Slam 5 times (Head Ref 2 times)

-May River Shark Inv (Head Ref 3 times)

-Holy Innocents Prep Slam in GA 6 times

-Hilton Head HS Seahawk Slam/Coastal Clash (Head Ref 7 years)

-Super 32 qualifiers in GA and FL

-Jazz Town Duals in New Orleans (Head Ref all 11 years)

-King of the Hills Duals in TN (Head Ref all 3 years)

College Officiating;

-NCAA/NAIA/NCWA wrestling official

-NCAA D2 Finals 2013

-10 National Qualifiers

-Southern Scuffle 13 times

-NCWA Nationals 10 times

-NCWA National Duals 2 times

-Reno TOC College 2 times

-All Military Championships 2 times

-SoCon Championships

-NWCA National Duals in Ft. Wayne IN

-JuCo Regionals

-Hokie Open 5+ times

-Newberry Duals 5+ times

-Newberry Open 5+ times

-UNC-Pembroke Open 5+ times

-King College Open

-Parisi Open in MO

-Shorter College Open

Other Accomplishments/Positions;

-2005-present Savannah/Coastal Wrestling Officials Vice-President

-2004 SC Wrestling Officials Association Vice-President

-2005 SC Wrestling Officials Association President

-2006-07 SC High School League Wrestling Official of the Year

-2009-15 Southern Officials Association President (College Assoc)

-2010-present Savannah/Coastal Wrestling Officials Training Supervisor

-2011 NHSCA Senior Nationals Head Official

-2012 SC State Tournament Evaluator

-2014 SC State Tournament Assistant Head Official

-2015 SC State Tournament Head Official and Evaluator

-2015-present Beaufort County Wrestling Officials Training Supervisor

-2016-present NHSCA Coordinator of Officials (Individual and Duals)

-2020-present SC Director of Wrestling Officials

-2020 Resurrected the SC Chapter of the National Wrestling HoF (with Carlus Mansel and Mark Buford)

-2021 SC State Tournament Head Official 2A/3A (Covid year split)

-2023 Inducted into the Hilton Head HS Athletics Hall of Fame

-2025 SC State Tournament Head Official (Expansion year to 12 mats)

Rules Clinician;

-2022 Central Florida Officials clinic (with Carlus Mansel and Steve Wertz)

-2022 South Carolina Wrestling Officials clinic

-2023 Central Florida Officials clinic (with Carlus Mansel and Jay Cox)

-2023 Indiana Wrestling Officials clinic (with Carlus Mansel)

-2023 South Carolina Wrestling Officials clinic

-2023 Georgia Wrestling Officials clinic (with Carlus Mansel, Matt Sorochinsky and Mike Chase)

-2023 Hawaii Wrestling Officials clinic (with Deno White)

-2024 Georgia Wrestling Officials clinic (with Carlus Mansel, Matt Sorochinsky, Mike Hagerty, and Nick Grasso)

-2024 South Carolina Wrestling Officials clinic

Chuck Jones - Lifetime of Service

-Positive role model in the North Charleston Community

-1983-2003 Head Wrestling coach at North Charleston HS

-1987-88 assistant coach at The Citadel

-2003-14 Assistant Wrestling coach at James Island Charter School

-7 State finalists including one State Champion

-Dozens of State qualifiers over North Charleston and James Island

-One visually impaired wrestler who won the Hanahan Invitational and was awarded Most Outstanding Wrestler

-One of the first coaches in Charleston to allow female wrestlers to join

-Coached two NCAA National qualifiers while at The Citadel

-2003-07 North Charleston Little League Dixie Youth Coach

-2002 North Charleston Track and Field Individual Champions

-2012 James Island Charter School Track and Field Individual State Champions

-2013 James Island Charter School Track and Field Individual State Champions

-Inducted into the UNC-Pembroke Athletics Hall of Fame 2016

-SC Athletics Coaches Association (former member)

-SC Wrestling Coaches Association (former member)

-SC Track and Field Coaches Association (former member)

-1979 Recipient of the Art Shell Athletic Award

-1986-2014 Clinical technician at Summer Wrestling Camps

-2003-14 Special Olympics coach

-2005-13 AAU/Freestyle Wrestling coach

-Coached and Mentored students within a diverse and inclusive environment

-3-time Finalist and 2-time HS State Champion at Bonds-Wilson

-1980 UNC-Pembroke NAIA 5th place at Nationals

-1981 UNC-Pembroke NAIA Runner-up at Nationals

-1981 UNC-Pembroke NCAA D2 4th place

-1983 Appalachian State NCAA D1 qualifier

-1984 Appalachian State NCAA D1 qualifier

Jack Kosmicki - Lifetime of Service

-1994-95 Head Wrestling coach at Southside High School

-Started the program at Southside High School

-1995-present Head Wrestling coach at Eastside High School

-1st in South Carolina for the number of dual victories (700+)

-1st in South Carolina for the number of Dual State Championships (19)

-1st in South Carolina for the number of individual State Champions (107)

-1st in South Carolina wrestling playoff victories (95)

-South Carolina Team State Individual Titles (17)

-Individual State placers (198 1st through 4th)

-30 Region Championships in 30 years of coaching

-Region Wrestling Coach of the Year (26 times)

-2-time South Carolina Athletic Coaches Association State Wrestling Coach of the Year

-5-time National Wrestling Coaches Association SC Wrestling Coach of the Year

-4-time High School Sports Report SC Wrestling Coach of the Year

-One-time NFHS SC State Coach of the Year

-One-time South Carolina Athletic Director of the Year

-Eastside High School holds four of the six SC Team records

-Most Team State Championships: 19

-Longest Consecutive State Titles streak: 9 (ongoing)

-Most Playoff Dual Meet wins: 100

-Most Individual State Champions: 107

-Longest Consecutive Dual meet streak is 2nd longest at 75 and just 15 wins from the record of 89

-South Carolina Wrestling Coaches Association (30 years)

-South Carolina Athletic Coaches Association (30 years)

-South Carolina Athletic Administrators Association (6 years, current VP)

-National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (6 years)

Pat McCarthy - Lifetime of Service

-1982-98 USA Wrestling Freestyle official

-1988-present South Carolina High School official

-2004-present SCHSL State Tournament official

-Officiated several SCHSL State team dual finals

-Assistant official on several SCHSL State team dual finals

-Selected as the State Wrestling Official of the Year

-Super 32 Challenge official for 10+ years

-Past President and Vice-President for the South Carolina Wrestling Officials Association

-2005-present District 2 Director of Wrestling Officials

-2005- present Board Member for the South Carolina Wrestling Officials Association

-Coached Spring Valley freestyle club for 10 years through the 1980's into the 1990's

-Reached M2 Freestyle Officiating level

-Officiated Southeast Regionals a few times in Atlanta in the early 90's

Chip Sloan - Lifetime of Service

-1970-1993 South Carolina High School official

-College wrestling official at Clemson, Gardner Webb and Furman as well as the Sunshine Open in Florida

-1980-1993 Head Official for Upstate South Carolina

-1980-1986 Head Wrestling coach at Greer High School

-1987-1990 Volunteer Wrestling coach at Blue Ridge High School

Paul Spence - Lifetime of Service

-1986-90 Assistant Wrestling coach at Bishop England High School

-1991-present Head Wrestling Coach at Bishop England High School

-Region Wrestling Representative for 18 years

-South Carolina Wrestling Coaches board for 18 years

-Past President of the South Carolina Wrestling Coaches Association

-Past Vice-President of the South Carolina Wrestling Coaches Association

-160+ athletes have been State Wrestling Tournament qualifiers

-75+ athletes have placed at the State Wrestling tournament

-State Wrestling tournament Runners-up 3 times

-State Wrestling tournament 3rd place once

-14 times named as the Region Wrestling Coach of the Year

-2 wrestlers named as the State Wrestler of the Year

-2 wrestlers named as the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Individual State tournament

-10 wrestlers competed at the college level

-2 NCAA D1 qualifiers

-1 NCAA D2 qualifier

-1 NJCAA All-American

-35 years as a high school football coach

-7 years as a high school Boys and Girls track coach

-2 years as a high school soccer coach

-South Carolina Coaches Association

-South Carolina Wrestling Coaches Association

-South Carolina Football Coaches Association

-United Marine Corps veteran

-2017-18 SE Region Veterans of Foreign Wars Teacher of the Year

-2024 Bishop England High School Teacher of the Year

-Recipient of the Founders Award in the Boy Scouts of America

-Vigil Member of the Order of the Arrow in the Boys Scouts of America

-Boy Scouts of America volunteer for 35 years

-Eagle Scout