Anthony Robles of Arizona State after winning the 125-pound NCAA title in Philadelphia on March 19. Larry Slater photo 2011 NCAA Div. I wrestling champion Anthony Robles will be the keynote speaker for the Colorado Night of Champions, set for the Denver Athletic Club in Denver, Colo., Friday, May 20. Robles, who was born with one leg, captivated the nation and the world when he won the NCAA title at 125 pounds on March 19. A senior at Arizona State, Robles beat defending NCAA champion Matt McDonough of Iowa in the finals, which was aired nationally by ESPN. Anthony Robles was born without a right leg and a right hip. Amazingly, with just one leg, he learned to ride a bike at age 5, play football at age 14, and now has become the only athlete in history with a missing limb to win a NCAA Div. I National Wrestling Championship. Robles delivers a message that helps each of us to be unstoppable. Keys to his vision are developing the right mindset, looking beyond obstacles and focusing on what you can control. You can learn from this inspiring athlete and person that there is a champion within you. The Colorado Night of Champions benefits the missions of USA Judo, USA Wrestling and Excel Wrestling. Major leaders within the wrestling and judo community will be honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards. USA Wrestling will honor Scott Beck and Arno Niemand with the USA Wrestling Lifetime Achievement Award. Beck was the Team Leader for the 2000 U.S. Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Team which competed in Sydney, Australia. He was also Team Leader for U.S. World Teams. He served on USA Wrestling’s Board of Directors and led the Campaign for Wrestling, a capital campaign which benefitted USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Beck was USA Wrestling Man of the Year in 1998. Niemand has served as the official sponsor for USA Wrestling’s Women’s National Team since 2003. His leadership has helped the United States become a world power in women’s freestyle wrestling. He has also been a major benefactor for his alma mater, Cornell University, as well as other wrestling projects. He has written a book about the 1947 Cornell College NCAA champion team. Niemand has received the FILA Gold Star and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s Order of Merit. USA Judo will give its Lifetime Achievement Award to Leonard “Buck†Wessell and Dr. Dennis McGuire. The Honorary Chairman of the event is Honorable U.S. Senator Hank Brown of Colorado. Brown, a former wrestler, also served as the president of the University of Colorado system for a number of years. The Colorado Night of Champions will be hosted at the historic Denver Athletic Club. A reception will be held from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. followed by the official program from 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. A post reception is scheduled from 8:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. A live auction featuring Olympic Memorabilia and Special Opportunities will also be part of the program Those who wish to participation should please RSVP by April 15, 2011 to: Larry Nugent (719) 598-8181 lnugent@usawrestling.org Sherrie Wilson (719) 491-9682 sherrie.wilson@usajudo.us The cost for the Colorado Night of Champions is $500 per plate, or a table of 10 for $4,500. There are also sponsorship opportunities available at the Gold, Silver and Bronze levels. Join USA Wrestling, USA Judo and Excel Wrestling for this special evening, when we take time to recognize true leaders within the Olympic Movement. Scott Beck USA Wrestling Lifetime Achievement Award When Scott was a Board Member of USA Wrestling, his vision of how technology/internet would impact the way we all do business was the key to the development of USA Wrestling’s official web site TheMat.com. TheMat.com has become the ultimate resource for wrestling, and is a digital leader among the Olympic Family. Scott was also the Team Leader of the Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Team in 2000. That team won 4 medals that included one gold medal, one silver medal and two bronze medals. Arno Niemand USA Wrestling Lifetime Achievement Award As the Founder of Body Bar Systems, Arno Niemand became a strong proponent of women’s wrestling when in 2003, the company became the official sponsor of USA Wrestling Women’s National Teams. Since then, Arno’s dedication to women’s wrestling has been instrumental to its continued growth. Body Bar sponsored USA Wrestling’s women’s clinics and events. Arno’s comprehensive support began with his alma mater, Cornell University. Joining with his fellow Big Red alumni, Cornell Wrestling has become a consistent NCAA powerhouse. Arno is also the author of the acclaimed book, The Dream Team of 1947, recipient of the FILA Gold Star and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s Order of Merit. Anthony Robles Wrestling Achievements Mesa High School • Freshman & Sophmore: 33 Wins, 15 Losses • Junior & Senior Year: 96 Wins, 0 Losses • State Champion: Junior & Senior Year • National High School Champion: Senior Year Arizona State University • Three-Time All American • Gene Autry Award for Courage • Three-Time PAC 10 Conference Champion • 2011 National Collegiate Championship Anthony the Person • “You define yourself by what you CAN do, not by what you CAN’T.†Anthony Robles • “His heart! I can’t begin to tell you about the size of his heart!†ASU Coach Tom Ortiz quoted in Sports Illustrated article about Anthony Leonard “Buck†Wessell USA Judo Lifetime Achievement Award Leonard “Buck†Wessell is a successful businessman in Colorado whose professional accolades are too many to name. He is also the largest individual donor ever to USA Judo. He was the Olympic Team leader in 2004. He founded both the Boulder Judo Training Center in Boulder, CO, and the Team FORCE program for elite athletes training in Colorado and Massachusetts. Through both programs numerous athletes have been awarded scholarships and financial assistance to help them with their participation in judo. Dr. Dennis McGuire USA Judo Lifetime Achievement Award Dr. Dennis “Doc†McGuire is a well known optometrist who founded one of the longest lasting and most successful judo clubs in the country, over 40 years ago; Northglenn Judo Club in Northglenn, CO. Through Dr. McGuire's efforts, this program has produced and regularly supported some of the country’s top judokas including Kenny Hashimoto, an alternate on the 2008 Olympic Team, Lance Nading, President of USA Judo and 1992 Olympic Team alternate, and Craig Agena, a member of the 1984 Olympic Team. Dr. McGuire has also been given numerous civic awards for his outstanding work in the community.