Bruce Burnett Inducted Into California Wrestling Hall of Fame
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Jessica Raber (Navy Wrestling)
05/12/2004
Annapolis, Md. -- Navy wrestling head coach Bruce Burnett was inducted into the California Wrestling Hall of Fame last weekend in San Jose, Calif. The ceremony honored the nine members of the fifth class of inductees. "It's always an honor to be honored by your peers," noted Burnett. "Success in wrestling takes a lot of people helping you along the way. I'm very proud and honored to be in the California Wrestling Hall of Fame." Burnett wrestled for North Bakersfield High School (Calif.) and became a two-time South Yosemite League Champion, placing first, second and third in the Central Section Championships. He wrestled for Bakersfield College and was a two-time JC State Champion with a 55-3 record. Burnett was named the state's outstanding wrestler in 1970. Burnett finished his collegiate career at Idaho State University. He went undefeated in dual meets in 1971 and '72 and was the Big Sky Conference Champion and the MIWA Champion. After graduation, Burnett coached for 12 years at Meridian High School (Idaho), where his teams compiled a 142-13-2 dual meet record, with four state champions and five runners-up. The Idaho Coaches Association voted him Coach of the Year seven times, and in 1987, he was inducted into the ISU Athletic Hall of Fame. After serving as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State University from 1987-90, he served as the USA Wrestling full-time national freestyle coach from 1992-00 and was an integral member of the coaching staff for the 1996 and 2000 Olympic teams. In 2000, he became the head coach at the U.S. Naval Academy, and Burnett has guided the Navy program to a 41-23 in his first-four seasons in Annapolis. This year, five Mids placed at the EIWA Championships and three advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The fifth class of inductees also included: Wayne Branstetter, Jim Root, Bill Grant, Buck Deadrich, Mike Remer, Bob Smith, Dominic Carollo and the late Ed Jalli.