Five to be Inducted into EIWA Hall of Fame

Five men will be inducted into the EIWA Hall of Fame on Sunday, March 9, prior to the final round of the EIWA Championships at Franklin & Marshall.

The five standouts are Bill Oberly of Penn State, Howell A Scobey, Jr of Lehigh, Wayne Ctan of Syracuse, Brian "Nip" Brown of Franklin & Marshall, and Andy Noel of Franklin & Marshall and Cornell.

Bill Oberly (Penn State) 
Oberly was the captain of the 1956 Penn State wrestling team and competed for them at both 191 pounds and heavyweight in the midst of the EIWA's greatest era. Wrestling for Hall of Fame Coach Charlie Spiedel, Oberly twice placed third in the league  and won a heavyweight title in State College in 1955. He was an NCAA champion in 1955 at heavyweight for the team runner-up, at the event hosted by Cornell. Bill also earned two third place medals at Nationals, as a sophomore 191 pounder and senior heavyweight. He was the second of fifteen Nittany Lion three-time All-Americans.

Oberly's remarkable career record at the EIWA and NCAA tournaments was 22 wins with just four defeats. Two of the losses came against NCAA champions and the other two were to a national finalist.  His career mark at NCAAs of 11-2 is Penn State's Lion's 4th-best ever. During his three years of competition at the EIWA Tournament, five conference wrestlers reached the national finals at Unlimited or 191 pounds, even though the league didn't wrestle the latter weight in dual or conference competition.

Oberly made an unusual TV appearance in 1955 on the popular Omnibus show on CBS to help demonstrate the difference between amateur and pro wrestling. On the show, he wrestled an exhibition bout against Navy rival Pete Blair, Navy's two-time NCAA Champion who later earned a bronze medal at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956. The Midshipman had defeated Oberly at the 1954 Nationals. Bill's brother Johnston was a two-time EIWA champion in 1960-61 and placed 3rd and 4th at Nationals.  

Howell A. Scobey, Jr.  (Lehigh) 
Scobey is the only NCAA heavyweight champion in Lehigh wrestling history. After placing second in 1935, he became Lehigh's third national champion in 1936 by pinning Gordon DuPree of Oklahoma State in 58 seconds. He was a two-time EIWA champion who placed second as a sophomore to 2-time champion Henry Snowden of Yale. He pinned all six rivals to win his two titles and was the Outstanding Wrestler in 1936, one of just three heavyweights to earn the award. His career record was 34-7 with 28 pins in an average time of 3:40, and he owns the highest pin percentage in Lehigh history.  

The two-time All-American was also an alternate on the 1936 United States Olympic Team and traveled with them to the Berlin Games. The senior wrestling captain was also a Lehigh football captain in 1935. He started and played three years at offensive tackle and was inducted into the Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997.  Scobey was one of seven linemen named to the All-Time Lehigh Team for the school's first six decades.

Born in Neptune City, NJ, Howell attended and competed for Asbury Park High School. Following graduation from Lehigh, he worked three decades at Bethlehem Steel Corp, where he was General Foreman. In 1968, he moved to Naples, FL where he established a business highly appropriate for the Sunshine State, eventually known as Howell and Son Sprinklers, Co. 

Wayne Catan (Syracuse) 
Catan was a three-time All-American for Tennessee and Syracuse University. After placing 7th nationally for the Volunteers, he was a two-time EIWA champion at 177 and 2-time NCAA finalist for the Orangemen in 1985 and 1986. One of the league's best-ever scorers, Wayne's 8-0 post-season record featured five technical falls and a pin and he averaged an amazing 21.7 points per bout. Catan's NCAA finals losses came against future Olympian, Melvin Douglas of Oklahoma, whom Wayne also faced in the East-West All-Star Classic.

Catan placed fourth in the 1984 Olympic Trials. In 1987, he wrestled for Team USA and competed in Russia, earning a silver medal.  As a junior, he toured Europe as a member of the 1985 College World Team. He wrestled against the Russians in Madison Square Garden, Iowa City and Chicago. After Syracuse, Catan was a graduate assistant for Lehigh in 1986-1987.

A native of Bellport, NY, Wayne placed in both freestyle and Greco at the Junior Nationals for Bellport High School.  Today, he runs Catan Communications, a public relations firm, working with athletes like Shaquille O'Neal and Adrian Peterson. Other clients have included PEANUTS (Charlie Brown) for six years; Nike, NBC Olympics and Scholastic Books. He has also reviewed books for The New York Times and music for Cover Magazine. 

For his work in the public relations field, Catan has won numerous awards including PR Week's Solo Practitioner of the Year in 2001. A regular contributor to Amateur Wrestling News, he received their Robert Dellinger Award in 2003 as National Writer of the Year. Catan resides in Mine Hill, NJ with his wife Jessica and two children, Francesca and Nico.

Brian "Nip" Brown (Franklin & Marshall) 
Brown placed 4th and 5th in the nation in 1978 and 1979 to become one of four Franklin & Marshall All-Americans. He is the only Diplomat wrestler to place twice nationally. He was a sophomore EIWA champion at 134 pounds in 1978, F&M's first winner since 1972.  Nip then reached the semi-finals of the NCAA Championships as an unseeded entry. He won his first bout in overtime, 14-14, 6-0, and later upset the tournament's number three seed.

Brown was narrowly thwarted in his bid to defend his league title in 1979 by an exciting 9-7 finals margin against Lehigh four-time NCAA finalist, Darryl Burley. Seeded sixth at Nationals, Brian again reached the semi-finals only to lose to the Burley again, the eventual champion. The bout was one of just three EIWA match-ups in the national semi-finals in the last 37 years.

As a senior hampered by knee surgery just before the post-season, Nip still reached his third EIWA finals--and placed second. Seeded 10th at Nationals, Brown went 2-and-2 and didn't place. His defeats came against the 3rd and 4th place finishers and he managed to beat a future two-time All-American from Wisconsin.

An unheralded recruit out of Manheim, PA, Nip Brown compiled a four-year record of 84-14-4. The three-time team MVP graduated in 1980 with a dual major in chemistry and business administration. Today he works in sales for Keystone-Peterbilt, Inc., where his boss remains familiar to him: his college wrestling coach, Stan Zeamer.

Andy Noel (Franklin & Marshall) 
Noel attended Lancaster Catholic High School, where he won a PCIAA state championship in his undefeated senior year. Competing for Franklin & Marshall from 1970-1972, his career dual mark was 31-5 and he placed 2nd in the EIWA as a senior 142 pounder behind future World Champion, Lloyd Keaser, of Navy. Noel was a two-year Diplomat co-captain and following graduation earned a master of arts in counseling and guidance from Colgate University in 1973.

After assisting at Colgate, Andy was Cornell's head wrestling coach from 1974 to 1988, then served two years as an assistant director in the athletics public affairs office, implementing annual giving programs. His Cornell teams won four Ivy championships and placed second four times.

After a stint in fitness enterprises, Noel became Cornell's athletic director in 1999 after three years as their associate athletic director. His fund-raising leadership helped raise $66 million to support capital projects and endowments. Cornell's total of 30 endowed athletics positions leads the nation. During his tenure, Cornell's athletic teams have won 41 Ivy team titles and 10 national championships

Andy is a member of the Franklin and Marshall Sports Hall of Fame and its Council of Mental Health and Welfare. In 1992 he was inducted into the NY State Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Noel served on the wrestling committee of the NCAA from 1997-2001, was a member of the NCAA Championships Cabinet from 2003-06 and serves on both the Misconduct Appeals Subcommittee and the Playing Rules Oversight Panel.  In 2006, he was named to the Wells College Board of Trustees.

Noel is married to Dr. Betsy Mead Noel '86, and has a son Jonathan (Cornell '04) and two daughters, Amanda (CU '07) and 2-year-old Amelie.

EWL ANNOUNCES HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2008
Five Pitt alums, two former Penn State grapplers join distinguished group
	
PITTSBURGH - The Eastern Wrestling League will welcome seven new members into its Hall of Fame on Saturday, March 8, as the Class of 2008 will be formally inducted at the 33rd annual EWL Tournament at Fitzgerald Field House. The seven new members will swell the EWL Hall of Fame membership to 73 inductees.

This year's group includes five University of Pittsburgh representatives: Mark Bodo, Carl Fronhofer, Rob Loper, head coach Rande Stottlemyer and John Withrow, and two former competitors from Penn State - Dan Mayo and Tim Wittman.

"This is a tremendous Hall of Fame class and an outstanding group of men," commented Bruce Baumgartner, the EWL's tournament director. "The University of Pittsburgh and Penn State have been very instrumental to the growth and success of the EWL and each of these men is certainly deserving of this honor."

Below is a synopsis of the seven inductees, in alphabetical order.

Mark Bodo (Pitt '98) 
A three-time All-American, Bodo was selected as team captain during his redshirt senior season. He compiled a 31-7 overall record in 1997 and placed fourth in the nation in the 190-pound weight class at the NCAA Championships. He helped the Panthers place 18th that year at the NCAA's, which was the team's highest finish since 1989. Bodo ranks fifth on Pitt's lists for most wins by a sophomore with 31 and finished his career with 106 victories, placing him 13th on the all-time list. He graduated from Pitt with a biology degree in 1998 and currently works for Natus Medical Inc. as a district sales manager. Bodo resides in Greenville, Pa. 

Carl Fronhofer (Pitt '03) 
A four-time NCAA qualifier, Fronhofer earned an All-America honor with a runner-up finish at the 2003 Championships. That same season, he was named as the EWL's Wrestler of the Year. Fronhofer claimed the EWL title in 2001 at 165-pounds after a fifth-place showing the previous year. He followed his championship run with a third-place finish at the 2002 conference tournament and completed his career with a second-place plaudit in 2003. He currently stands in fourth place on Pitt's all-time career wins with 123 victories. He also made his way into the school record books after compiling the sixth-most wins by a freshman (30) in Pitt history. Fronhofer is a 2003 Pitt graduate and currently works as an assistant wrestling coach at Bloomsburg University. He and his wife Amy reside in Danville, Pa.

Rob Loper (Pitt '01) 
Loper was a two-time EWL Champion and four-time place-winner at the EWL tournament from 1997-2001. He qualified for the NCAA meet four times during his career, one of only 11 Pitt wrestlers to achieve this feat. Loper garnered All-America honors in 2000 at 133-pounds, going 38-6 with 14 major decisions and eight technical falls. He was honored as the EWL Freshman of the Year in 1997 and recorded the third-most career wins in Pitt history with 131 during his four year career. He also ranks fifth for most wins in Pitt history by a freshman (31 in 1997); eighth for most wins by a sophomore (30 in 1998) and second for most victories by a junior (38 in 2000). Loper graduated in 2001 with a degree in communications and currently works as a Regional Manager for Providence Insurance. He currently lives in Sewickley with his wife Holly and their new-born daughter, Dulcinea.

Dan Mayo (Penn State '88) 
Mayo won three consecutive EWL Championships from 1986-88, making him one of only 21 men to have been crowned three times. He grabbed a runner-up showing at the NCAA Championships in 1988. He currently ranks 12th on Penn State's all-time wins list with 110 career victories and is tied for first on the dual winning percentages list for a season with a 14-0 (1.000) record in 1987-88. Mayo is tied for eighth-place on PSU's list for most wins by a senior with 34 victories during the 1987-88 season. He captured 47 career dual meet victories, placing him in a tie for 14th place on Penn State's all-time list. Mayo graduated from Penn State in 1988 with a B.S. in public relations. He currently works for Inventiv Health in their sales department and has two children, a daughter Logan, 14, and a 10-year old son, Daniel. Mayo resides in Skillman, N.J.

Rande Stottlemyer (Pitt '78) 
As a student-athlete, Stottlemyer qualified for the NCAA Championships in each of his four years at Pitt, making him one of only 11 Panthers to accomplish the feat. Out of those four appearances at the national tournament came three All-America honors, including two sixth-place finishes at 134 pounds. Stottlemyer served as a team captain in each of his varsity seasons and is one of only seven Pitt wrestlers to have been named an All-American on three separate occasions. He became Pitt's first EWL Champion after claiming the 134-pound crown in the conference's first year of existence. In his 28 years as head coach of the University of Pittsburgh, Stottlemyer has produced a two-time national champion in Pat Santoro, 26 NCAA All-Americans, 111 national qualifiers and 28 Eastern Wrestling League Champions. In 18 of the past 24 years, Stottlemyer's teams have finished in the top-30 nationally and have seen at least one wrestler achieve the status of All-American. His teams have finished in the nation's top-25 in six of the past 11 seasons. He graduated from Pitt in 1978 with a B.S in physical education. Stottlemyer and his wife Regina have four daughters: Tara, Rebecca, Jaclyn and Kelsey. The Stottlemyers currently reside in Charleroi, Pa.

John Withrow (Pitt '98) 
Withrow, a three-time NCAA qualifier, returned as an All-American after each visit to the national tournament. He was a three year place-winner at the EWL Championships, finishing third in three different weight classes from 1995-98. He completed his collegiate career with 122 victories, placing him fifth on Pitt's all-time list. A four-year letter-winner and team captain in 1997 and 1998, Withrow compiled a 26-6 record as a fifth-year senior. He was a two-time National Wrestling Coaches Association tour participant and was selected to the 1997-98 GTE Academic All-America Third Team. Withrow was also a 1998 National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic First Team honoree and the recipient of the University of Pittsburgh Athletic Department's Blue and Gold Award for his academic and athletic achievement. Withrow graduated with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and obtained his Master's Degree in bio engineering from Pitt and later received his MBA from Duke. He is currently working for Old Lane as a Head Fund Portfolio Manager on Wall Street. Withrow and his wife Jessica live in Scotch Plains, N.J., with their 18-month-old son, J.T., and are expecting another son in June.

Tim Wittman (Penn State '92) 
A three-time All-American from 1990-92, Wittman was also a two-time EWL Champion in 1991 and 1992. At the 1992 conference tournament, he was honored with the Outstanding Wrestler Award. His best showing at the national tournament was a fourth-place finish in 1990. The following year he came in seventh before finishing his career with a sixth-place plaudit in 1992. He occupies ninth-place on Penn State's list for career victories (14) at the NCAA Championships. Wittman helped the Nittany Lions to back-to-back third place finishes at the NCAAs and their second-highest point total (89.25 points) in school history at the 1992 championships. He earned a B.S. in landscape contracting from Penn State in 1992 and is currently employed by Landscaping Management Services. He and his wife Alley reside in Hibernia, N.J.

The 2008 EWL Championships will begin at 10 a.m. at Fitzgerald Field House. For ticket information, please call (800) 643-PITT or log on to www.pittsburghpanthers.com.