The Top 20 Most Influential People in Indiana Wrestling Today

[Drooke]

I lifted the idea for this thread from the Illinois Matmen site.

 

Who are the movers and shakers in Indiana wrestling? I was wondering that if we put together a list of the top 20 people that influence Indiana wrestling who would they be? The names can be current or former wrestlers, youth  to the World Stage, coaches, media, freestyle, folkstyle, greco, fans or the internet. The order does not matter just identify who the individual is...and what they have done.

 

Have fun with this....

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[cbarnett]

Tom Clark 

[consecobound]

ahh... you took my top pick. lol

[cewrestlingfan]

Ed Pendoski

[spiralride]

Bill Hawkins, Leroy Vega, Alex Tsirstis

[soup45]

Rex Peckinpaugh Indiana's winningest high school wrestling coach

[Drooke]

 

 

I'm going to update a list of the individuals mentioned.....the list is simply in the order they have been posted.

 

1. Tom Clark

2. Ed Pendoski

3. Bill Hawkins

4. Leroy Vega

5. Alex Tsirtsis

6. Rex Peckinpaugh

7. James Tanniehill

8. Jim Humphrey

9. Bob Kopnisky

10. Mike and Sharon Dowden

11. Jan and Sue Hesser

12. Dave and Jenny Errett

13. Phil Strader

14. John Smith

15. Trent McCormick

16. Jordin Humphrey

17. Royce Deckard

18. Scott Hinkel

19. J.D. Minch

20. Chauncey McDaniel

21. Coach Myers

22. John Hurrle

23. Larry Bergstrom

24. Tom Cameron

25. Dick Neal

26. Karl Deak

27. Rollie Hoover

28. Al Smith

29. Henry Wilk

30. Joe Caprino

31. Chris Lynch

32. Barry Humble

33. Tom Dolly

34. Andy Hobbs

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Possibly once we have recorded all of the nominations we may put it up to a vote to narrow down the field ...... or not.  We shall see...... I like how this is going however, I'm learning alot about the individuals that contribute to the success of the sport that we love.  Keep em' coming folks.

 

[twa123]

Coach James Tanniehill.  He has a program called Take Down Crime.  This program targets elementary-middle school kids.  He is teaching the importance of wrestling in there lives as to hanging out with the wrong crowd and getting into trouble.  It is an amazing program and Coach Tanniehill is an amazing person and coach.  Kudos to Mr. Tanniehill.

[Drooke]

VERY COOL twa123, thanks for posting the info on Coach Tanniehill.  I was completely unaware of his endeavors......Excellent Addition to the List!!!!

 

Wrestling club gains $49,000 grant

February 23, 2010 by Gretchen Becker | Star staff

 

A Westside wrestling club received a $49,000 grant to continue to teach kids life and wrestling skills.

 

The Tanniehill Wrestling Academy was one of 68 awarded a grants Monday as part of the $4 million in 2010 Community Crime Prevention Grants. Grants were awarded through Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard?s office during a presentation at Light of the World Christian Church.

 

Coach James Tanniehill operates Take Down Crime, a wrestling program that works with kids in high-risk areas or who financially wouldn?t be able to participate outside of school, said Laura Rader, Take Down Crime vice president.

 

Through wrestling, Tanniehill teaches kids how to be good citizens, keeps them off the streets and encourages them to do well in the classroom.

 

The program started last year in Pike and Haughville after Tanniehill received a $40,000 grant through the mayor?s Crime Prevention Grants, Rader said. They recently expanded to the Far Eastside with students at the Andrew J. Brown Academy, a charter school at 3600 N. German Church Road.

 

http://www.indy.com/posts/106220

 

[Coach McCormick]

In no particular order but all very influential

Jim Humphrey - Has coached kids at all levels in Indiana (and beyond) for decades.  Wealth of knowledge.

Bob Kopnisky - Has coached at several colleges around the country before settling in IN.  Then was willing to share

                                his knowledge after coming here.  Also contributed to ISWA in coaching development.

Mike and Sharon Dowden - Have guided the ISWA for many, many years.  In doing so, they have provided opportunities

                                for many wrestlers, coaches, officials and others in our sport.

Jan and Sue Hesser - Ambassadors from IN in the area of mat officiating and pairings.  Have shared their knowledge

                                from the grass roots level to the Olympic level.

Dave and Jenny Errett - Same credentials as Hesser's.

Phil Strader - Coach and visionary with respect to program, athlete and coaches' development.

John Smith - I believe the only man in IN to win a state title himself (2), coach a high school team to a state title

                                  (Muncie Southside-1990) and then go on to work the state finals as a mat official.

[IMAWRESTLER]

Jordin Humphrey

[Infolady]

I would like to add Royce Deckard to the list. Royce was taking kids to tournaments every week-end and coaching when I first became involved in 1981.

[CoachM]

I would have to add Purdue Coach Scott Hinkel. Finally has Purdue going after many in state wrestlers and gave IN a true freshman AA this year. His camps have also been instrumental in developing many hs wrestlers, not to mention his work with the Fargo teams every year. 

[Coach Peck]

One name I do not see listed is my friend J.D. Minch.  He has done so much for Indiana Wrestling and given of himself unselfishly time and again.  Without him we would probably not even have a Caoches Association.  He has also worked tirelessly with the ISWA.

 

I am not sure if this is supposed to be current or an all-time sort of thing, but Chauncey McDaniel and Coach Myers are two people who may have influenced Indiana Wrestling more than about anyone.  Two other names that would deserve a high ranking would be John Hurrle and Larry Bergstrom.

 

I would also consider Tom Cameron.  There have been very few better leaders in our sport.

[Y2CJ41]

I nominate my good buddy Dick Neal.  I hope his house never burns down or we will lose just about every historical note in Indiana wrestling.

[SlickRodz]

I would like to add Royce Deckard to the list. Royce was taking kids to tournaments every week-end and coaching when I first became involved in 1981.

 

He was awarded the Distinguished Hoosier award on December 9th 2008 for his 30 year contribution to the youth of indiana thru wrestling and instilling discipline, character, work ethic and self-confidence. I too think he makes the list!

[Coach Peck]

Pray that it does not burn down with Dick in it because if that happened we would also lose our most ancient piece of Memoribilia.

[busstogate]

I nominate the following coaches:

 

Karl Deak of Hammond High (decades of excellence in the region as a wrestler and coach)

 

Rollie Hoover of Elkhart/Elkhart Central High Schools (Elkhart wrestling's excellence is for the largest part coming from here)

 

Al Smith of Mishawaka (nuff said)

 

Henry Wilk of Mishawaka/Penn High Schools (Mishawaka's first champ(?), longtime coach of champs and placers, excellent official and media contributor; all around indispensiblity to the state in wrestling)

 

 

[AJ]

some that I dont think have been mentioned yet:

 

TAE - his historical contributions are second to none

Y2- his computer know how and other indianamat duties really make our sport look good to "outsiders"

Chris Lynch - his presence at a tournament sends the wrestlers in a frenzy.  he has supported wrestling like few others

[infowrestling]

I would nominate Barry Humble.  He has done a ton for the sport of wrestling and has an impressive resume to back it up.

[WaltHarris]

I would definitely nominate Tom Dolly.  Tom is one of those behind the scenes guys that only hardcore wrestling people know.  He won the iswa John Hurrle Memorial Award in 2007.  He also was the Central Regional Developmental Coach of the Year in 1997.  He knows as much about technique and mat attitude as anyone I know.

 

Tom has also coached at Mishawaka HS, Penn HS, South Bend Adams HS, Mishawaka Marian HS and 2 or 3 different elementary school teams.  Moreover, for the last 20 years Tom has virtually been the lone person running an active FS/GR club in the South Bend-Mishawaka area.  There have been other clubs in this area, but they go in and out of existence and often don't have much quality of instruction.

 

If it wasn't for Tom Dolly, wrestling in South Bend and large parts of Mishawaka would be quite different; in a really bad way.  Almost every state qualifier in the last 20 years from South Bend and Mishawaka (and some from Elkhart and Michigan) has been a member of one of the incarnations of Tom Dolly's club. 

[Smooth34]

I thought the original purpose of the list was most influential contributors TODAY....

 

I think several people who are nominated aren't huge contributors anymore.  They might have been titans of Indiana wrestling and huge contributors in the past. 

 

Maybe we need two lists.  A current list and an all-time list.

[jcook]

Tom Cameron would be near the top of my list.  He coached with Chris Joll.  He coached coach P. and Tharp.  I remember that my dad and he were always talking and discussing better ways to approach kids and kids.  I think about him all the time when I am coaching, and when I am not thinking of things he did or said, I am usually thinking of people who were also influenced by him.

[IMAWRESTLER]

Andy Hobbs founder of HYWA.

[Drooke]

I'm going to update a list of the individuals mentioned.....the list is simply in the order they have been posted.

 

1. Tom Clark

2. Ed Pendoski

3. Bill Hawkins

4. Leroy Vega

5. Alex Tsirtsis

6. Rex Peckinpaugh

7. James Tanniehill

8. Jim Humphrey

9. Bob Kopnisky

10. Mike and Sharon Dowden

11. Jan and Sue Hesser

12. Dave and Jenny Errett

13. Phil Strader

14. John Smith

15. Trent McCormick

16. Jordin Humphrey

17. Royce Deckard

18. Scott Hinkel

19. J.D. Minch

20. Chauncey McDaniel

21. Coach Myers

22. John Hurrle

23. Larry Bergstrom

24. Tom Cameron

25. Dick Neal

26. Karl Deak

27. Rollie Hoover

28. Al Smith

29. Henry Wilk

30. Joe Caprino

31. Chris Lynch

32. Barry Humble

33. Tom Dolly

34. Andy Hobbs

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50.

 

 

Possibly once we have recorded all of the nominations we may hold a vote to narrow down the field ...... or not.  We shall see...... I like how this is going however, I'm learning alot about the individuals that contribute to the success of the sport that we love.  Keep em' coming folks.