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The IHSAA is proud to announce the 2023 honorees for induction into the IHSAA Wrestling Hall of Fame, IHSAA Officials Hall of Fame, and escort for the Grand March, to be recognized on February 18 before the state championship matches at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
Below is brief biographical
information on each Hall of Fame selection and award winner. More information
on IHSAA awards is available in the annual state tournament program, available
for $5 at Wells Fargo Arena or through the IHSAA website and office.
IHSAA WRESTLING HALL OF FAME
WRESTLERS
AUSTIN BLYTHE, Williamsburg
– Blythe was a rare
four-time finalist and three-time champion at heavyweight, graduating in 2011
with a career record of 188-11. The three-sport star won 146 of his matches by
fall – a state record at the time – and helped lead the Raiders to the State Dual
Team Tournament in 2010 and 2011. He went on to play college football at the
University of Iowa, starting 52 games over four seasons and earning All-Big Ten
and third team All-American honors in 2015. He has been an NFL offensive
lineman since, starting 72 games for the Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams,
Kansas City Chiefs, and Seattle Seahawks. The son of Curt and Mary Blythe,
Austin and his wife Kiley have three children: Reed, Callie, and Hayden.
JOHNNY GALLOWAY JR., Waterloo, East & Iowa City, City High – A
three-time state champion (2000-02), Galloway didn’t lose a match to an
Iowa-based wrestler in his final three varsity seasons. After winning at 145 as
a sophomore at Waterloo East, he went to City High and his title runs at 152
and 160 led the Little Hawks to runner-up finishes in both the traditional and
dual team tournaments. Galloway graduated with a varsity record of 154-8, four
MVC and district titles, and was believed to be the first African American
three-time champ since Paul Stinson (1963-65). He was named USA Wrestling first
team All-American in 2002 and went on to compete at Lindenwood and then
Northern Illinois, where he was a three-time NCAA tournament qualifier and MAC
champ. Galloway has worked in community and correctional services, currently
serving as a pre-trial conditional release agent in Minnesota, where he lives
with his wife Leticia and sons Jakai and Johnny III.
COLE WELTER, Don Bosco, Gilbertville – Welter
was the first Don Bosco wrestler to graduate with three state titles (2007,
2009-10) and helped lead the Dons to four titles in the traditional tournament
and dual team tournament during his varsity career. He graduated with career
record of 162-14 while also being a two-time all-state player in baseball.
Welter went on to wrestle at Wartburg College, going 113-24 in four seasons and
again winning four titles each in the NCAA Division III tournament and dual
team events. He capped three national tournaments with the 2014 championship at
165 pounds. He returned to Don Bosco as an assistant coach in 2016. Welter
works for Stryker Orthopaedics as a product specialist, traveling eastern Iowa
hospitals and assisting surgeons and staffs with total joint replacement
surgeries. The son of Rob and Jammi Welter now lives in Raymond with his wife
Nicole and daughter Blake.
COACH
DARIN SCHRECK, Norwalk – A state qualifier at
Des Moines East who went on to teach and coach at three schools – Carlisle
(1995-2000), Eagle Grove (2000-06), Norwalk (2006-12) – to great success over
17 total seasons. Schreck’s teams won nine total conference titles, with at
least three coming at each school. Eagle Grove qualified for the State Dual
Team Tournament three times under Schreck’s leadership. In total, he coached 44
state qualifiers, 27 place-winners, and six state champions. His career dual
team record was 287-67 before going into athletic administration, and he
currently serves as athletic director at Carlisle. Darin and his wife Jill live
in Norwalk and have three adult kids: Sarah, Rylie, and Nico.
GROUP
CRESCO HONOREES – Posthumous Hall of Fame
honors are being given to four former Cresco standouts for their
accomplishments. All four are prior selections to the Iowa Wrestling Hall of
Fame.
Bob Hess, 1928: A
champion in 1927 and runner-up in 1928 helped establish Cresco’s program and
clinch the team title in his senior season. Hess attended Iowa State University
and won National Collegiate titles in 1932 and 1933. Passed in 1998.
Dale Hanson, 1935: A
two-time champion at 85 pounds and 105 pounds in 1934 and 1935, Hanson went on
to win the 1939 NCAA championship with the University of Minnesota and was
unbeaten in three straight years of dual team competition. Hanson enlisted in
the Air Force in his senior year, serving at Pearl Harbor in 1941 and Midway in
1942 before losing his life as a co-pilot in October 1942 near current Papua
New Guinea.
Don Nichols, 1935: A
state champ at 85 pounds in 1933 and 135 in 1935, the brother of Harold Nichols
lost only one dual match as a varsity wrestler. Nichols went on to wrestle for
legendary coach Cliff Keen at the University of Michigan, where he was a
two-time Big Ten champion and 1940 national champion. Nichols was named
outstanding wrestler of that tournament. Passed in 2007.
Gene Lybbert, 1948: A
two-time runner-up as an individual and part of Cresco’s team title in 1948,
Lybbert’s wrestling career peaked in college. He capped a run to three National
AAU tournaments with an undefeated and NCAA title run in 1952 for Iowa State
Teachers College. Passed in 2019.
IHSAA OFFICIALS HALL OF FAME
GREG BECKER, Waterloo: After
a successful run as a wrestler at Don Bosco capped by the record-breaking 1979
team, Hall of Fame coach Bob Siddens encouraged Becker to give back to
wrestling as an official. He started in 1980 and hasn’t stopped, officiating
for 41 seasons with consistent postseason honors. Becker has officiated 26
state tournaments, including 18 state finals, and 14 state dual team
tournaments. He also tallies 32 sectional tournaments, 28 district tournaments,
27 regional duals, and now three state girls’ wrestling tournaments. Becker was
named state official of the year in 2009 and was part of the Grand March escort
group from Don Bosco’s 1979 team. The son of Dick and Pat, Greg has four adult
children – Brianna, Carissa, Brett, and Erica – and he and his partner Kristin
live in Waterloo.
BRIAN GRAY, Winterset: The
son of Hall of Fame official Rich Gray was an early state wrestling tournament
attendee and even qualified twice for the tournament himself for Interstate 35.
Gray started officiating during his freshman year of college and was mentored
by his father and longtime official John Monroe during a rapid rise. He
received postseason assignments in his fourth and fifth seasons, then
officiated the state tournament at age 26. Gray is working his 24th state tournament 17th state finals this week, along with 12 state
dual team tournaments. He was also honored by IWCOA as state official of the
year this year. A co-founder of the Central Iowa Wrestling Officials
Association and served as president for seven years. Gray lives in Winterset
with his girlfriend Tiffany and son Cody.
CHAMPIONSHIP GRAND MARCH ESCORT
Brad Smith, Lisbon
The Iowa High School Athletic Association is honored to have
coach Brad Smith, Iowa’s all-time dual meet wins leader and a 12-time state tournament
team champion, lead the 2023 grand march ahead of Saturday night’s finals at
Wells Fargo Arena.
Smith’s legendary coaching
career has spanned 45 seasons at Lisbon and Iowa City, City High. The Illinois
native holds numerous state records and cross 700 career dual meet victories
this season, extending the top mark he set in 2020. Smith was a 2011 inductee
to the IHSAA Wrestling Hall of Fame and has also received career honors from
the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame and National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Smith was a two-time state
champion at John Hersey in Arlington Heights, Illinois in 1971 and 1972. He
then went to wrestle for coaches Gary Kurdelmeier and Dan Gable at the
University of Iowa, competing on NCAA championship teams in 1975 and 1976.
Smith won an NCAA title of his own at 142 pounds in 1976.
He dove into coaching, taking
the head job at Lisbon in 1978. Smith led the Lions for 13 seasons, then went
to City High in 1991 and spent the next 21 seasons there. Now 11 seasons into
his second stint at Lisbon, Smith has coached 63 individual state champions,
304 state qualifiers, and 174 place-winners. His teams have also won seven dual
team titles and claimed 18 total state runner-up trophies. A two-time Iowa
coach of the year and two-time National coach of the year, Smith has spent over
20 years on the Iowa coaching staff for the junior national freestyle teams.
Smith and his wife Connie
have three sons – Jacob, Cody, Colton – and six grandchildren.
The IHSAA sincerely
appreciates Smith’s contributions to Iowa high school athletics and wrestling
in our state. The grand march will begin following Hall of Fame and awards
ceremonies on Saturday night, and lead all place-winners into Wells Fargo Arena
ahead of the 42 state championship matches.
