Mike Allen of Waterloo, Iowa, has been selected to receive the Lifetime Achievement for Officials Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum.

This award recognizes outstanding service as a wrestling or pairing official or judge. Inductees are honored in the Vince Zuaro Officials Room at the Museum.

Allen is considered one of the top college and high school wrestling referees in the nation. He has worked numerous of the major wrestling competitions in the nation, and is distinguished for his efficiency and skill in officiating.

Allen has been a referee at 15 NCAA Div. I National Wrestling Championships. He has worked many of the other major college wrestling events, including the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and other conferences. Allen is often selected to referee many of the most important college wrestling dual meets each season because of his abilities, integrity and professionalism on the mat.

He has been a wrestling referee for more than 26 years, also working on the high school level. Allen has worked 20 Iowa State High School Championships, as well as a number of national high school wrestling competitions.  He was voted Iowa Wrestling Official of the Year in 1980, 1987, and 1992.

Allen was the first African-American in Iowa to officiate wrestling at any level, and the first African-American in Iowa to be selected to the Iowa State Officials Hall of Fame.

Allen wrestled for Chuck Patten at University of Northern Iowa where he was a 1970 North Central conference champion at 190 pounds.

He has also coached the Central High School wrestling team for eight years, producing five state champion athletes. Allen serves as athletic director at his alma mater of Waterloo East High School.