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Hall of Fame: 2021-2022 Archive

THE 2020/2021 PWCA WRESTLING HALL OF FAME CEREMONY

The PWCA celebrated it's combined 51st & 52nd Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies on Sunday, October 17, 2021 at Mountainview Country Club in Boalsburg, PA. The return of the annual event included a full Hall of Fame program with a Hospitality Hour, Banquet, and the official Induction Ceremonies.

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Thirteen individuals who contributed to the sport of wrestling either as competitors, coaches, referees, or as writers were inducted. Below is the list of the inductees and a short list of their accomplishments.

THE 51st & 52nd Annual PWCA Wrestling Hall of Fame Ceremony

Ciafre
Ferraro1
Ferraro2
Flynn
King
Kislin
Peppelman
Schleicher
Vulcano

The PWCA Hall of Fame Class of 2020

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Dave Ciafre, District 10, has coached wrestling since 1979, with the last 28 at Sharon High School. Over his tenure, Ciafre has coached 41 section champions, 82 district place winners, 40 regional place winners, 18 PIAA place winners, and three PIAA champions. Ciafre has also been active with Clarion Wrestling Camps and the PA Freestyle Junior National Teams. In addition, Ciafre served as a PA Freestyle Greco/Roman official and was named Official of the Year in 1989.

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Bobby Ferraro, District 4, is a 1990 graduate of Lewisburg High School, a four-year letterman. He was a two-time PIAA champion and a three-time PIAA place winner. After a sterling wrestling career at Bucknell University, where he earned All-American status twice. He was enshrined in the Bucknell Sports Hall Of Fame in 2004. He currently gives back to the sport by serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the NHSCA (National High School Coaches Association).

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Bob Ferraro, Sr., Districts 4 & 11, was a three-time District 11 champion at Easton High School. He was a two-time captain and All-American while at Indiana University. He served as the head coach of Bucknell University from 1973-1997. Ferraro founded the National High School Association in 1989 and served as the Executive Director and the Chief Executive Officer of that organization. His many wrestling accolades are induction into the Indiana State University, District 11 and 4, and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame PA Chapter Hall of Fames.

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Tim Flynn, Districts 6 & 10, was a walk-on at Penn State University but went on to accumulate a 105-32-2 record. Tim captained the 86-87 squad and earned All-American honors by placing 7th at the NCAA Championships. Coach Flynn has proven to be one of the top Division I wrestling coaches in the nation. He is Edinboro University’s winningest coach, with his teams posting a 223-95-5 record. Flynn has won several Coach of the Year awards such as NWCA NCAA Division I COY, WIN’s Dan Gable COY, and seven times captured the EWL COY. He led the Fighting Scots to 5 top-10 finishes at the NCAA Wrestling Championships and 14 top-20 finishes. Flynn was inducted as a distinguished member of the Edinboro Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. Flynn is currently the head wrestling coach at West Virginia University

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Jarrod King, District 7, This 2004 graduate of Connellsville High School was a three-time PIAA finalist and a two-time state champion while posting a 160-17 high school record. He continued his wrestling career first, at the University of Oklahoma, then transferred to Edinboro University. At Edinboro, he won three Wrestling Eastern League titles and the NCAA Division I title in 2009. King compiled a 103-16 record at Edinboro. He was inducted into the Southwestern Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012.

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Joel Kislin, District 2, wrestled for Wilkes-Barre GAR when the post-season was one loss and you’re done. He was a two-time District 2 Champion, Northeast Regional Champion, and a 1969 PIAA finalist. He attended Luzerne County Community College where he won two regional titles. In 1971 he won the NJCAA National Championship. His collegiate record was 123-8. Kislin has been inducted into several other Hall of Fames such as G.A.R.’s Wrestling Hall of Fame and the National Junior College Hall of Fame.

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Walter Peppelman, District 3, was the first of three brothers to win four PIAA medals. While wrestling for Central Dauphin High School, Peppelman earned third place, two runner-ups, and a PIAA Championship. Peppelman continued his wrestling career at Harvard University where he won three EIWA medals. He twice earned All-America honors while wrestling for the Crimson. A 2018 Harvard graduate, Peppelman won the prestigious John P. Reardon Award, an award presented to a senior male Harvard athlete who models the qualities of excellent scholarship, leadership, character, and athletic ability.

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Scott Schleicher, District 11, wrestled for Williams Allen High school, where he posted a 69-5 career record. He was a two-time AAA PIAA place winner and Allen’s second-ever state champion. Following graduation, Scott attended the United States Naval Academy, where he qualified to compete in the NCAA Championships all four years. He won one EIWA title, was a two-time All-American, and was an NCAA finalist. He posted a 111-21 record while at Navy.

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Frank Vulcano, District 7, did his schoolboy wrestling at Chartiers-Houston High School, where he amassed a 77-9 record, winning a WPIAL title and a PIAA third place his senior year. He attended Pitt and California University, where he played football. He served as a wrestling official from 1982-2004 and has officiated three NCAA Championships, five PIAA Championships, and the first-ever PIAA Team Championship in 1999. In addition, he has served as Powerade Tournament Director for 35 years, Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic Committee for 25 years, and co-chair for 20 years.

Hosage

The PWCA Hall of Fame Class of 2021

Dr. John Hosage, District 2, was a championship tournament, a three-year letterman in wrestling at G.A.R. Memorial High School. He co-captained the team his senior year. He continued his wrestling career at Wilkes College. It was as an official where Hosage made his biggest impact on the sport of wrestling. He officiated at the District, Regional, and State Championships on several occasions. "Doc" also served as PIAA statewide wrestling interpreter and supervisor of officials for the PIAA Championships. Hosage officiated college wrestling for 25 years and was named to the EIWOA Hall of Fame in 1994. He retired from officiating in 2019 after 56 years of refereeing wrestling.

Nathan Galloway, District 6, wrestled for State College High School, where he won three consecutive PIAA titles from 2001-2002. He was the 2002 NHSCA Wrestler of the Year after he won the NHSCA Senior National Tournament. He was a four-time NCAA Qualifier with over 100 career wins for Penn State and Rider University. Galloway won Cadet Freestyle and Greco-Roman titles and was a 5X Fargo All-American (3 in Freestyle, 2 in Greco-Roman).

Craig Phillips, District 10, graduated from Maplewood High School where he was a PIAA qualifier his senior year. He continued his wrestling career at the University of Pittsburgh. Craig coached at the junior high and varsity levels in Meadville from 1983-1992. He also lead the Frech Creek Freestyle Club which assembled some of the top wrestling talent in Pennsylvania during the 80s and 90s. Phillips served as a coach for the PA Junior National Greco-Roman team. Phillips's biggest contribution to the sport of wrestling came as a sportswriter. He wrote for the Meadville Tribune, Oil City Derrick, and Franklin News-Herald. In addition, Craig was a lead contributor to the PA Wrestling Round-Up for over 30 years. He won several awards for his sports writing, including the prestigious Dilinger award, (National Wrestling Sports Writer of the Year selected by Amateur Wrestling News). Phillips passed away at the age of 63 on Jan. 15, 2021.

Dr. Doug Wyland

Dr. Doug Wyland, District 7, was a three-time PIAA AAA qualifier for North Allegheny High School. He took third place at the PIAA Championships as a junior. As a senior, he became the 11th state champion in NA history on his way to a career record of 98-12. Wyland continued his wrestling career at the University of North Carolina where he won a pair of Atlantic Coach Conference titles, was a two-time NCAA All American, and posted a 74-4 collegiate record.

Galloway
Phillips
Wyland
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