National Wrestling Hall of Fame celebrating Distinguished Members

greatly benefited the development and advancement of the sport.

Stephanie Landaverde News and Lifestyle Editor

On Friday and Saturday the National Wrestling Hall of Fame will celebrate the Class of 2023.

The Distinguished Members include Rich Bender, Jimmy Jackson, Patricia Miranda and Joe Williams. Also honored are Meritorious Official honoree Ed Kelly, Order of Merit recipient Frank Popolizio, Medal of Courage recipient Richard Perry and outstanding American honoree Bob Bowlsby.

The Hall of Fame Board of Governors approved the selections on October 26.

The Social & Presentation of Plaques will be Friday at 4:30 p.m. at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. It is free and open to the public.

The Honoree Tribute Breakfast will be Saturday at 9 a.m. at the McKnight Center. The cost is $40 for adults, $20 for children ages 6-15 and free for children under six.

The Induction Ceremony will be Saturday at 7 p.m. at the McKnight Center. The cocktail reception begins at 6 p.m. and the cost to attend is $95.

To purchase Honors Weekend Tickets, visit https:// bit.ly/3w2CQOM.

Distinguished members are wrestlers who have achieved extraordinary success in national and/or international competition; coaches who have demonstrated great leadership in the wrestling profession and have compiled an outstanding record; or contributors whose long-term activities have

Bender was named acting executive director of USA wrestling in November 2000 and permanent director in February 2001. He is the longestserving Executive Director in organization history. Under his leadership the United States has won 26 Olympic medals with nine gold, five silver and 12 bronze, and 100 World Championship medals with 27 gold, 26 silver and 47 bronze.

Jackson was a three-time NCAA champion and Big Eight Conference champion for Oklahoma State University. He died in 2008 at 51 years old after suffering from diabetes and congestive heart failure.

Miranda was the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in wrestling at the first games to include women’s wrestling. She is the fifth woman to be inducted as a Distinguished Member. Miranda represented the U.S. in four Senior World Championships, earning silver medals in 2000 and 2003 and a bronze in 2006.

Williams was a threetime NCAA champion and four-time All-American for the University of Iowa. Williams finished fifth at the 2004 Olympics and competed in six World Championships, winning bronze medals in 2001 and 2005 while placing fourth in 1999 and fifth in 2007. He won gold medals at the Pan American Championships in 1999 and 2003 and was a four-time World Cup champion.

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

Perry suffered a head injury on August 27, 2018, during a USA Wrestling National Team racing camp at Marine

Corps Base Camp Pendleton. Perry was participating in a drill with foam-padded buttons, and he took a shot to the face and the foam protection dislodged. The central rod slipped, struck and shattered his eye orbit and the pieces penetrated his brain tissue. Initially doctors did not believe he would recover and said if he did survive, he would be bedridden or in a wheelchair for life. But Perry was determined to walk, and so he did.

In November of 2018, Perry walked out of his hospital without any assistance. After countless doctor visits, cognitive, speech and physical therapy and specialized strength and mobility sessions, Perry was able to continue wrestling in

December of 2020.

The Order of Merit goes to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the sport but is not an athlete or coach.

Frank Popolizio is the founder of “Journeymen Wrestling”, which he created in 1999 after the excitement of watching his brother Pat wrestle in a home dual for OSU.

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

Ed Kelly officiated for 27 years and then served 22 years as an evaluator for the NCAA Division I Championships.

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.

Bowlsby used his wrestling background, skill, expertise and leadership throughout his career to help the programs he has overseen achieve growth and financial success. Under his leadership, the Big 12 won 32 national team championships, including an all-time high eight national titles in 2021-22, and 175 NCAA individual event crowns. Read the full biographies here.