by Mike McQueen

On November 4th, 2006 we welcomed 5 new members into the Texas Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

This was a great road trip for me with Bob Maughan, Executive Director for the Texas Chapter of the Hall of Fame, Tim Marzuola, Charter member of the Texas Chapter of the Hall of Fame and Wendy Gallatin, Vice President of PR for the Texas Chapter. I got to be the emcee for the second time and it was a great honor to participate and be able to induct these deserving recipients.

Tim Marzuola spoke to the significance of this achievement and how it later hit him that his name was and those below would be in the same Hall of Fame as the greats of our sport. Dan Gable, Danny Hodge and Doug Blubaugh. That is pretty good company.

The event was hosted by Westside High School Coach Ron Baker and he and his staff did a great job. The meal was exceptional and the evening was a total success. Each of the acceptance speeches was video-taped prior to the induction ceremonies and it was a great idea that Ron had. The recipients weren’t worrying about what they were going to say and they could just sit back and bask in the glory of the evening.

This event brought our total of National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductees to 16.

North Texas Region

Paul E. Aubrey-Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Lelan Brotherman-Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Jim Giunta-Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Terry Knouse-Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Tim Marzuola-Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Rick Ortega-Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Stephon Breedlove-Medal of Courage

West Texas Region
Johnny Cobb-Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Eldon Jackson-Lifetime Service to Wrestling
James Kyle-Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Scott Tankersly-Medal of Courage

And Now for the South Texas Region

Bill Dushane
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Bill graduated from Oakland University in Michigan in 1980 where he competed in the sport of wrestling for two years. He was also a High School Wrestling Official during his college career.

As a pioneer of our great sport he started 3 High School programs. He started the team at St. Thomas of Houston in 1985. He then started the Notre Dame Prep School in Pontiac Michigan in 1998 and returned to Texas to establish the program at Cinco Ranch High School where he remains as a teacher and a coach.

Bill served as the South Texas representative of the Executive Committee of Texas Interscholastic Wrestling Association and the Texas Wrestling Coaches Association from 1987 until 1998.

While at St. Thomas he had a dual record of 153-20-2 and his teams were Gulf Coast Regional Champions in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1998.

As coach of Cinco Ranch he has a Dual meet record of 125-45 has 6 consecutive District Championship teams from 2001 to present. He also had 6 State Champions and 13 All State wrestlers in the last four years.

Bill was voted by his peers as the District Coach of the year in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006 and was Region Coach of the Year in 2005.

In 2004 he was named the National Federation High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year.

Bill was inducted into the Texas Wrestling Hall of Honor in 1998 for Outstanding Contributions to the sport of wrestling as a leader and a coach.

Craig T. Grace
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Craig attended the University of Texas and graduated in 1972. He competed on the UT club team and was the Texas Collegiate Champion in 1971 at 167 pounds.

Craig has coached wrestling at Lanier High School for the past 31 years. He helped form the first Austin ISD District and the Capitol Area Region, and served as President of the South Texas Coaches association for 6 years.

Craig has compiled a Dual record of 158 wins and 60 losses while at Lanier. He also had 12 District Team Titles and 3 Regional Titles and has had 36 All State wrestlers including 4 champions. 2 of his State Champs were named Outstanding Wrestler.

He coached Tabithia Ramsey to a State Championship in 2002 and she was named Outstanding Wrestler. She was a Collegiate All American in 2004, FILA-Juniors National Champion, placed 4th in the Pan Am Games and 7th in the World Games in Poland.

Craig was inducted into the Texas Wrestling Hall of Honor in 2006 as a leader and a coach.

Steve Leisz
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Steve founded the wrestling program at the University of St. Thomas in Houston in 1984 and was a Texas Collegiate Champion. He graduated in 1989.

Steve was a high school wrestling official for three years 1989-1991 and was elected by the Coaches Association to officiate two State Tournaments.

He was the Head Wrestling Coach at the Kinkaid School from 1992-2006 and his Dual meet record is 234-68. He coached Regional Team Champions in 1997 and 1998, Gulf Coast Team Dual Champions 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2002.

His teams were Gulf Coast Team Dual Runners-up in 1993-94-95-99-00-03. His teams also had a top two finish every year in the Southwest Prep Tournament. He has coached 67 state placers, 18 state champions, 26 state runners-up, 43 Southwest prep champions, 8 prep All Americans and 3 National Academic All Americans.

Steve also served as the Gulf Coast Regional Representative to the Texas Wrestling Interscholastic Wrestling Association for 10 years.

Steve was inducted into the Texas Wrestling Hall of Honor in 1998 for outstanding contributions as a leader and a coach.

He is currently the head wrestling coach at the Episcopal High School of Houston.

Russell Clarence Pederson
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Russell graduated from Mankato State College in 1961. His exposure to wrestling was limited to wrestling classes he took while at Mankato. In 1962 he was recruited by the Superintendent of Houston Minnesota to coach the wrestling team. He was also the football and baseball coach.

While at Houston, he coached many district champions, three regional champions and 3 state placers.
In 1977 he coached his team to the school’s 100th Dual meet victory.
He was named District Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1979.

In 1979 Russ and his family moved to San Antonio, Texas. Russell founded the Madison High School wrestling team and coached there until 1993. He coached many of the wrestlers from schools that didn’t have a program. At tournaments they represented their own school but worked out with Russell’s team at Madison.

Russell coached 15 All State wrestlers and 37 Regional Champions and served as the Gulf Coast Regional representative to the State Wrestling Coaches Association from 1983-1988.

He is extremely proud that his son Blaine is now the head wrestling coach at Madison to carry on the Pederson tradition.

Russell helped coordinate the AAU Junior National Tournament in San Antonio in 1988 and in 1991 he worked at the Olympic Festival in Los Angeles. In 1993 he coordinated practice times, equipment and venues for Greco and Freestyle teams for the San Antonio Olympic Festival.

In 1991 Russell was named Gulf Coast Wrestling Coach of the Year and received the North East ISD Recognition for Devoted Service to Wrestling in 1999. Look for him at any NCAA tournament or off the Coast of Corpus Christi fishing for the “big ones.”

Sharyl LeAnn Pederson
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Sharyl lists her special honor as being married to a man that started a wrestling program in Minnesota and then came to Texas to do it all over again on a volunteer basis with no school funding.

When the program at Madison was founded by her husband Russell, she sold candy bars and t-shirts and helped organize parents groups to aid the program. She served as chaperone on overnight trips and attended all of the state tournaments every year with the Madison team.

Sharyl was the assistant principal at Lee High School in San Antonio from 1987 to 1997 and encouraged the coaches there to start a wrestling program. When the UIL adopted wrestling in 1998 she immediately called former Madison wrestlers and two were hired at Churchill and Madison.

In 1983 she and Bill Gillespie ran the State Tournament in San Marcos and in 1989 she ran the State Tournament in San Antonio. Sharyl got the reputation and was asked to do the State Tournament team scores in 1990 in Amarillo and in 1991 in Dallas.

She continues to support wrestling by working tournaments in the San Antonio area and in 1997 her daughter Marcia caught the “wrestling bug” and works tournaments with her.

Sharyl was also honored in 1999 by the North East ISD for Devoted Service to Wrestling.

Congratulations to all of these distinguished honorees.