National Wrestling Hall of Fame announces Lifetime Service to Wrestling award winners for Wisconsin

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Mike Clair (National Wrestling Hall of Fame)
11/12/2002


Stillwater, Okla.  - The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has announced the 2002 class of Wisconsin coaches, officials and contributors to be recognized with a "Lifetime to Service to Wrestling Award. "This award is given annually to coaches, officials, or contributors who have given a lifetime of service to wrestling, their communities, and most importantly, to the young people they have coached, taught, motivated and inspired.    Four individuals will be honored this year: Joe Kind, Emil Kuhn, Larry Marchionda, Keith Swett.    The honorees are:    JOE KIND  Joe Kind accepted a teaching position at Pulaski in 1969 and has been there ever since.  His first assignment was freshmen wrestling coach and initiated a grade school wrestling program.  In 1978, Coach Kind succeeded Jim Richie as head coach and since that time his teams amasses a 265-46-3 dual meet record.  They have won 10 conference championships, eleven regional titles and in 1995 his team was the unofficial champion of the WIAA State Individual tournament.  Coach Kind is the Wisconsin state editor for Wrestling USA magazine and a long-time contributor to The Crossface publication.    EMIL KUHN  Emil Kuhn accepted a job in the Luxemburg-Casco School District as an elementary teacher and assistant wrestling coach in 1973.  Upon the retirement of head coach Frank Chalupa in 1973, Emil was named head coach, a position he would hole for the next 25 years.  In his 25 years at Luxemburg-Casco, his teams compiled a 318-55-2 dual meet record.  His teams won state championships in 1992, 1993, 1996, and 1999.  In 1991, Luxemburg-Casco finished second in the state.  Coach Kuhn has had 78 individual state qualifiers and 9 individual state champions.    LARRY MARCHIONDA  Larry Marchionda has been involved in just about every aspect of wrestling. His coach assignments have been at Cochrane-Fountain City, and Fond du Lac High Schools. At the present time he is the coach at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh.  His 31-year record at Fond du Lac High School was 362-61 and his teams won 13 team conference champions as well as 19 regional and 20 sectional team champions.  In 1991 the Cardinals were team state champions and in 1998 they were runners-up.  Larry has coached six individual state champions and 38 state medallists.  In 1988, 1991, and in 1993 Coach Marchionda was named Wisconsin Coach of the Year.  In 1999 he was hired to revitalize a once-proud wrestling program at the University ofWisconsin-Oskosh.    KEITH SWETT  Keith Swett accepted a position as English teacher and football, wrestling and power lifting coach in 1973.  The following year he was named head wrestling coach at Seymour High School, a position he still holds.  At Seymour, his wrestlers have won three team conferences and five regional titles.  He has coached 58 regional champions, 18 sectional champions, 18 WIAA state medallists and one state champion.  In 1974 Coach Swett was introduced to international style wrestling and has been very active in the W.W.F. Greco-Roman wrestling program.  His Greco wrestlers have won 16 national championships and a total of 117 All-American honors.  In 1991, USA Wrestling Magazine named Keith Man of the Year.    For their dedication and lasting influence on wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, Stillwater, OK, class of 2002, will present these men the "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" award.  The Wisconsin Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame will honor these men on November 30th at the Starlite Club in Kaukauna.  For additional information concerning this event, please contact Chapter President Mr. Joe Kaster at 608-758-8758.