BLATNICK, CHURELLA, MARTORI, REESE ELECTED TO NATIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME 
  STILLWATER, OK.--  The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has elected an Olympic champion, a three-time NCAA champion, a key contributor, and a legendary coach as Distinguished Members.  The quartet will be inducted Saturday, June 5 in Stillwater. 
  At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Jeff Blatnick claimed the gold medal in Greco-Roman.  Mark Churella capped an illustrious career by becoming the University of Michigan's only three-time champion after placing third as a freshman. 
  Art Martori competed at Arizona State University before founding one of the best international wrestling clubs in the United States and perhaps the world, Sunkist Kids.  John  G. Reese became only the second coach to reach 500 dual victories.  Reese also has the longest tenure of any wrestling coach at one institution after spending 42 years at Wilkes University. 
  Honors Weekend will also be highlighted by the opening of the new John T.Vaughan Hall of Honors.  The new wing will house the four new honorees as well as the 112 Distinguished Members they will join in the Hall.   
  Prior to winning Olympic gold, Blatnick was a state champion at Niskayuna High School in 1975 at the 215-lb. weight class.  He then competed at Springfield College  where he compiled a Dual meet record of 72-9-1.   In 1978, Blatnick won the NCAA Division II championship and earned All-American honors at the Division I level.  Blatnick repeated the feat in 1979.   
  Blatnick was a member of the 1980 Olympic team.  He overcame his greatest opponent prior to the 1984 Olympic Games.  Blatnick conquered Hodgkins Disease, a form of cancer, en route to his triumph in Los Angeles.  He was elected by the gold medalists to carry the U.S. flag at the closing ceremonies. 
  In 1985, Blatnick was named USAW Man of the Year, for which he served on the Board of Directors for three terms.  Blatnick was appointed to the President's Council of Physical Fitness and Sports as well.  He has also become a noted broadcaster, commentating for three Olympic Games and several NCAA championships. 
  By the time his career was complete, Mark Churella had become the most successful  wrestler ever at the University of Michigan.  In addition to winning three NCAA titles, he  captured four Big Ten championships.  Churella also claimed the 1977 Junior World crown. 
  From 1979 to 1984, Churella served as head coach at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.  He returned to his alma mater as an assistant in 1986.  Churella founded the Las Vegas pre-season tournament, one of collegiate wrestling's top competitions.  He has continued to direct the event for 16 years.   Churella is a member of the University of Michigan "Hall of Honor" and was a charter member of the state of Michigan's Wrestling Hall of Fame. 
  Art Martori has created a "dynasty in the desert" with the development of the Sunkist Kids club team.  Sunkist has won all 15 national freestyle team titles since 1983.  Sunkist has thrived due to stars such as John Smith, Dave and Mark Schultz, three other Olympic champions and five World champs.  In 1992, 12 of 20 U.S. Olympians came from Sunkist.  In 1996, eight of the 20 wrestlers were Sunkist products. 
  On the mat, Martori was a Western Athletic Conference champion at Arizona State University in 1965.  As a member of Wristlock Wrestling Club in Phoenix, he twice won state Freestyle and Greco-Roman titles.  He has been awarded the Gold Star by FILA.  Martori was elected to the Arizona Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1976 and served as president of USA Wrestling from 1992 to 1994. 
  In a career that spanned 44 years, John G. Reese collected 541 wins as a coach.  From 1953 to 1996, he led Wilkes University to five undefeated seasons, 38 consecutive winning seasons, and 15 Middle Atlantic Conference titles in 19 years at the Division III level.  His 1974 team won the NCAA III title and his 1966 team placed second.  In 1976, He moved the program to Division I and produced four All-Americans, eight EIWA champions, and 74 other placers.  During his tenure at Wilkes, he began the Wilkes Tournament, one of the nation's longest running tournaments. 
  Reese served as a member of the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee for six years and was a member of the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Committee for eight years.  He has been elected to the EIWA Hall of Fame, the Wilkes University Hall of Fame, Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.   Reese has received the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Pennsylvania State Chapter Lifetime Service Award.  In 1988, he was honored as the Penn St. Alumni Wrestling Man of the Year.