Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame announces Class of 2011

WATERLOO, Iowa -- Four former NCAA champions and a historic championship team will be inducted into the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa on April 16, 2011. The Hall of Fame is located inside the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo.

Included among honorees are two great freestyle stars and a top USA Wrestling volunteer leader.

The Class of 2011 includes Bill Zadick, Doug Schwab, Jason Smith and Joe Scarpello. 

Zadick and Schwab wrestled for the University of Iowa and both were NCAA champions. Zadick won his title at 142 pounds in 1996 and Schwab won his title at 141 pounds in 1999. Both were highly successful freestyle wrestlers as well. Zadick was a World champion at 145.5 pounds in 2006 while Schwab made the 2007 World team and the 2008 Olympic team at the same weight.

Zadick currently serves as USA Wrestling's National Freestyle Developmental Coach.

Smith was a three-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion for Iowa State. Smith won individual titles in 1969 & ’70 and was part of team championships both years. 

Scarpello was a four-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion for the University of Iowa. Scarpello placed first in 1947, third in 1948, second in 1949, and first in 1950. He will be the first person to be inducted into two halls of fame at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. Scarpello was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003.

In addition to the four individual inductees, one Iowa high school or college championship team will be selected for induction into the Hall of Fame. The Cornell College team that won the 1947 NCAA championship was chosen by the selection committee as the inaugural team inducted.

In addition to the individual and team inductions, Steve Knipp, former head wrestling coach at East Waterloo, will be presented with the Russ Smith Community Impact Award at the induction ceremony. The award is given to a person demonstrating exceptional local impact on wrestling. Knipp has been a longtime leader within USA Wrestling.

The 13-member selection committee includes 10 past Glen Brand Hall of Fame inductees and three members of the media. Committee members are Les Anderson, Bobby Douglas, Jim Duschen, Dan Gable, Jim Gibbons, Tim Johnson, Randy Lewis, Jim Miller, Bill Nelson, and Chuck Yagla. Members of the media include Jim Nelson (Waterloo Courier), Andy Hamilton (Iowa City Press Citizen), and Mike Finn (WIN Magazine).

“The addition of the first hall of fame team makes this induction class special,” said Kyle Klingman, director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. “All the inductees have contributed to Iowa’s unique wrestling heritage.”

The Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame was established in 2002 to honor the people who have made an impact on the sport on a national level, or who have done extraordinary work in the State of Iowa. The hall recognizes native-born Iowans, and those who achieved their fame while wrestling or coaching for an Iowa college. This is the tenth class.

The hall is named after Glen Brand, an NCAA champion for Iowa State in 1948, who won an Olympic gold medal the same year, at 174 pounds in London. He graduated with a degree in civil engineering and by 1983 he owned two companies in Omaha – Brand Hydraulics and Brand Fluid Power. He passed away on Nov. 15, 2008, in Omaha, at the age of 85.

The committee selected three living inductees from 47 nominees and one posthumous inductee from 17 nominees. Committee members may also nominate candidates for future classes. 

C.J. Ettelson, Dan LeClere, Jay Borschel, T.J. Sebolt, Bart Reiter, Barron Bremner, John Bowlsby, Mark Perry, Brent Metcalf, Jake Varner, J Robinson, Dale Brand and Dick Hauser were nominated by committee members and will be placed on next year’s ballot for the first time. Nominations may be submitted by anyone. 

The Class of 2011 will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 16, 2011, at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum located at 303 Jefferson St. in Waterloo, Iowa. For more information contact the museum at (319) 233-0745 or info@wrestlingmuseum.org. A full schedule of events will be made available at a later date.

Biographies

Bill Zadick was a two-time All-American for the University of Iowa, placing fifth in 1995 and first in 1996. He also wrestled competitively through 2008, making World teams in 2001 & ‘06. Zadick won the 2006 World Championships in Guangzu, China, at 145.5 pounds. A native of Great Falls, Mont., Zadick was a four-time state champion for Great Falls High School from 1988-1991. He currently serves as the National Freestyle Developmental Coach and Assistant National Freestyle Coach for USA Wrestling.

Doug Schwab was a three-time All-American for the University of Iowa, placing first in 1999, third in 2000, and second in 2001. He made a freestyle World team in 2007 and an Olympic team in 2008, both times at 145.5 pounds. A native of Osage, Iowa, Schwab was a state champion for Osage High School in 1996. He is currently the head wrestling coach at the University of Northern Iowa.

Jason Smith was a three-time All-American for Iowa State University, placing third in 1968, and first in 1969 & ’70. He was a Big Eight champion for Iowa State in 1970 and was an integral part of NCAA team championships for the Cyclones in 1969 & ’70. Smith was a state champion for Ankeny High School in 1966.

Joe Scarpello was a four-time NCAA All-American for the University of Iowa, placing first in 1947, third in 1948, second in 1949, and first in 1950. Scarpello was Iowa’s first two-time NCAA champion at Iowa and the third wrestler in Big Ten history to win four consecutive conference titles. He also wrestled professionally and was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003. Scarpello died on Nov. 9, 1999. 

In 1947 Cornell College, located in Mount Vernon, Iowa, became the first team outside the state of Oklahoma, and the first in the state of Iowa, to win an official NCAA wrestling tournament. The private liberal arts school – with an enrollment of 415 male students at the time – defeated all teams entered at the tournament by a sizeable margin. Of the eight weight classes contested, Cornell had two NCAA champions (Dick Hauser and Lowell Lange) and four other place winners (Leo Thomsen, Rodger Snook, Fred Dexter, and Dale Thomas). 

Steve Knipp will receive the Russ Smith Community Impact Award for his years of service to wrestling. Knipp was the head wrestling coach at East Waterloo High School for 26 years, leading his wrestlers to the Iowa state team title in 1983. During his tenure he coached 30 state place winners and eight state champions. Knipp is best known for his work as a USA Wrestling volunteer at local, state, and national wrestling events. USA Wrestling named him Kids Person of the Year in 2002 and National Events Person of the Year in 2007.