Wrestling Leader Bob Siar to be inducted in Slippery Rock University Athletic Hall of Fame, March 31

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Slippery Rock Sports Information ()
03/29/2001


SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa.  - Bob Siar of Glenshaw, Pa., one of the officers in the U.S. Wrestling Officials Association, and a long-time USA Wrestling  leader, will be among a group of seven individuals selected as the 18th class of inductees into the Slippery Rock University Athletic Hall of Fame.    Siar (football and swimming)  joins a pair of Academic All-Americans and a former professional women's basketball player that headline the class. Darlene Bullock received first-team College Division Academic All-American honors as a senior softball player in 1983. George Spetar earned Academic All-American honors in baseball in 1975. Patti Bucklew, played three seasons in the Women's Basketball League. They are joined in the Hall's Class of 2001 by Rudolph "Rudy" Corona (athletic training), John "Jack" Denbow (tennis and basketball) and Jeanne Powell Furrie (women's sports). This year's class of inductees raises the Hall of Fame's roster to 117 members.     Induction ceremonies will be held March 31 at the Warrendale Sheraton Inn. The event will start with a 5:45 p.m. cocktail hour, followed by a 7 p.m. dinner.  Tickets are $30 each and can be purchased from the SRU athletic office at (724) 738-2021. All tickets must be purchased in advance.    Robert Siar ('55) lettered in football and swimming at Slippery Rock before starting a coaching career. He served as assistant football, basketball and track coach at Kane Union and Johnsonburg between the years 1955-60 before becoming a head coach.  As head coach, Siar led the football, wrestling and track programs at Brookville and wrestling programs at Shaler Area and Hampton Area. He was also an assistant football and track coach at Shaler. He retired in 1997 after 42 years as a teacher and coach.    As a wrestling coach, Siar compiled a 315-108-7 record in 29 seasons. He was the WPIAL Coach of the Year in 1974 after leading Shaler to its only league championship. Siar also guided Shaler (1979) and Hampton Area (1993) to state PIAA state runner-up finishes,    Siar was president of the WPIAL Coaches Association from 1968-75 and was inducted into both the Western Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches hall of fame in 1993. He served as a PIAA wrestling official from 1963-80 and an EWL wrestling official from 1990 to the present. He was selected as the Pennsylvania Wrestling Official of the Year in 1984 and Man of the Year in 1986.    He is a USWOA Category 1 Exceptionnelle Official and a FILA International Wrestling Official. He has been involved with officiating for more than 30 years. He has officiated all levels of USA Wrestling competitions, including national, regional, state and local competitions. He has been the clinician for USAREUR Wrestling officials and championships in Germany since 1990.     Siar also served as the FILA Secretariat to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and was honored by FILA during the event for Outstanding Contributions to the 100 Year Olympic Games. He served as FILA Secretariat at the 1998 Junior World Championships in Primm, Nev. and the Assistant Secretariat at the 1995 World Freestyle Championships.    He was named 1999 USA Wrestling Junior Division Leader of the Year, sharing the award with his wife Sue. He was also named USA Wrestling Official of the Year in 1995.    Away from wrestling, Siar  a native of Brookville and resident of Glenshaw -- was honored in 1958 by Johnsonburg Area Schools for saving the life of a student. He was also honored in 1989 by  PHEAA for outstanding contributions to Pennsylvania Education and received the Shaler Area Schools' "American Teacher Award" three successive years, 1987-89.