Hall of Fame Banquet Program Icon 2008 Banquet Program – Download Here

2008 Lifetime Service Awards

cal_calentinoR.L”Dr. Cal” CALENTINO
He helped start Tournament Masters (TMI) & the Orange County Wrestling Coaches Newsletter. Department Head at the1984 Olympics, performing in the top three percent of the 56,000 workers during the Olympic Games and worked three Olympic Festivals. He announced league, CIF, California JC State & Pac Ten Championships.


don_cawthonDON CAWTON
He began officiating Wrestling in 1960. Helped form SCWOA & SCCWOA, develop the Officials Rating System, Instructional Chairman & volunteer Security at ’84 Olympics. Wrestling officiating experiences include CIF Masters, Las Vegas Invitational, HS State, JC State, Five Counties, Pac-10, NCAA DII, NAIA, & ’72 Olympics Qualifying Trny.


bob_combsROBERT COMBS
He was a J.C. Champion, coaching record of 340-119 & 10 League Championships. Coach of the Southland Wrestling Club and was 2X YMCA, Greco- Roman, 4X Sambo National Champions & Coach of the Year.
He coached U.S.A Pan Am Sambo Team, published wrestling newsletter for California Colleges & won first state Girls C.I.F. in 1997.


frank_horpelFRANK HORPEL (deceased)
At Mater Dei he produced Orange County’s first SS CIF champion, volunteered for over 20 years as a wrestling official. Started a wrestling club at the OC YMCA in 1965 which won the Junior World Team Trials & took first place in Greco Roman and second in freestyle at the Junior Nationals. Inducted into the OC Wrestling Coaches’ Association & National Wrestling HOF.


paul_lablancPAUL LA BLANC
He was a National Jr. Freestyle & JC State placer, NAIA AA, YMCA, 2x Sombo, & 3x Veterans National Champion, Pan Am Games Silver Medal & World Bronze medalist. Coached for 29 years & received Coach of the Year awards in the Sunset, Seaview, & Western States Conference. He is a member of the OC Wrestling & Vanguard U. Athletic HOF.


art_michalikART MICHALIK
He was Athlete of the Year 1948 and 1949, undefeated in dual meets in college, Iowa Conference Champion 4x, & placed 3rd & 4th at the National AAU. Officiated 38 years (president or board member 12 years) including the CIF finals, Masters, CIF dual meet, 5 Counties & the state finals. He was OC Referee of the Year, CA Wrestling Coaches Assoc & the National Wrestling HOF.


ivan_olsonIVAN OLSON (deceased)
He was the head wrestling coach for many San Diego HS for a total of 33 years. At San Jose State, he was a Far Western, Pacific Coast Conference 2x, & National AAU Champion and placed 3rd in the 1936 Olympic Trails. He founded the San Diego Keylock Assoc., San Diego Coach of the Year several times, national pairing master & National Wrestling HOF Member.


john_ownesJOHN OWENS
At Pierce College, he was team captain, 4th in regionals & 5th at state. At CSU Northridge, he was 2nd & 3rd at CCAA, DII qualifier, team captain & MVP & 5x Senior Olympic Champion. Started coaching in 1964 and is currently coaching at San Clemente HS (44 yrs & still counting). He has run over 133 tournaments at San Clemente HS over the past 33 years.


dr_art_osborneDR. ARTHUR OSBORNE
He was the first & only Medical Director for the CIF State Tournament from 1973 until 2003, thirty-one years, the father of four sons, all place winners at the CIF State Tournament. Eric was a two time CIF State Champion and continued to wrestle for Cal Poly, placing 4th at the NCAA’s. He is a supporter of wrestling in West Covina & at South Hills HS.


2008 Hall of Fame Inductees

george_beresfordGEORGE BERESFORD – speech | interview
He attended the University of Pittsburgh where he was undefeated in duals and placed first in the Eastern Collegiate Tournament. He also placed first in the Western States Olympic Trials. George coached wrestling at Kennedy High School (Buena Park) and Upland High School where his coaching record was 100-4-0. His Upland teams enjoyed seven undefeated seasons in league duals and were the San Antonio League Champions. His overall high school coaching record stands at 124-5-0. George is the founder & coach of the Upland Blackwatch age group wrestling club. He also officiated both high school and freestyle competitions for many years.


gary_bowdenGARY BOWDEN – speech | interview
He has coached for 35 years; 20 years in California and the past 15 years in Oregon, and has a career record of 324-75-3. While at Canyon High School, his teams won five CIF Southern Section Championships, 19 league championships (including 14 in a row), and his teams were ranked No. 1 in Orange County at the end of the season on seven occasions. He had a five-year undefeated dual meet record of 86-0 while coaching 16 Section Champions, 12 state placers and three CIF State Champions. Gary’s Thurston High School (Oregon) team won the 4A State Championship in 2002. He has coached 88 Oregon state qualifiers and 22 Oregon state champs. He was selected as the Oregon Wrestling Coach of the Year in 2002.


gary_deveaubienGARY DEBEAUBIEN – speech | interview
Gary was State Freestyle Champion in 1964, Junior National AAU Champion in 1967 and a Senior Open Freestyle & Greco-Roman Champion. His coaching record is 245-50 after coaching stints at Mira Costa, El Toro, Irvine and Temecula Valley High Schools. In addition, he was the head coach at Santa Ana College where he started the wrestling program. On seven occasions, he was selected as both the Community College State Regional Coach of the Year and the Orange County College & High School Coach of the Year.


jack_giffordJACK GIFFORD – speech
He coached for 25 years at Brawley and Beverly Hills High Schools where his coaching record was 235-70-3.His teams won numerous league and invitational titles, and his 1969-70 teams won Southern Section Championships. He was selected as the Southern California High School Coach of the Year in both 1969 & 1970, and was named the National High School District 8 Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1980.


mike_hartMIKE HART – speech | interview
He wrestled at Mira Costa High School and Brigham Young University. In 1971, Mike was hired as a full-time faculty member and the first varsity wrestling coach at DOS Pueblos High School. He coached for 28 years with a dual meet record of 268-21. He had 15 league championship teams and 107 league individual champions. His teams won 37 team tournaments, three Southern Section Championships and also placed second twice and third once. He coached nine SS champions and 41 medal winners, as well as two state champions, 10 state medalists and one AAU Grand National Champion. Mike has been selected as the Southern California Wrestling Association Coach of the Year and the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table High School Coach of the Year.


olan_politeOLAN POLITE (deceased)speech
He wrestled at Boulder High School (Colorado) where he placed fourth in the state at 127 pounds. Olan started the wrestling program at Anvin High School in 1957, and, in 1959, he became the head wrestling coach at Bakersfield High School where he coached until 1976. His teams won numerous South Yosemite League titles and two Central Section Valley Championships. He coached a total of 21 Central Section Champions and his teams placed in the top-10 at the Section championships 15 times including two titles and a pair of second-place finishes. His career record was 189-37-2 He was selected as the District 8(13 states) Coach of the Year and, in 2006, the Kem High School District named the Bakersfield High School wrestling facility after Olan Polite.


jeff_robertsJEFF ROBERTS – speech | interview
He was a four-year letterman, two-year team captain and standout wrestler at Chino High School. He also was a CIF Sectional Champion. A shoulder injury ended his career prematurely during his freshman year at the University of Missouri. Jeff began his coaching career as an assistant at El Dorado High School and the team won the state championship. He was the head coach at Capistrano and his team placed second at state. He coached at Calvary Chapel and was responsible for bringing coach John Azevedo to Calvary and they won two state team titles. He then went to Bear River High School and onto Clovis West where he coached many outstanding wrestlers. Jeff coached 65 state qualifiers, 39 state placers and 10 state champions.


del_schwartzDEL SCHWARTZ – speech | interview
He has been involved in wrestling for 50 years as a competitor, coach and tournament organizer. As a competitor, he was a two-time high school state placer, a four-time college state champion and a two-time placer at the NAIA Nationals. He started coaching in 1966 at Pacifica High School where he developed over 300 tournament champions, seven varsity league championships (23 league championships overall). Del co-founded the Orange County Summer League which developed into one of the largest summer wrestling programs in the United States with over 35 schools involved. He was selected as the Orange County Wrestling Coach of the Year five times.


jeff_smithJEFF SMITH – speech | interview
He attended Bellflower High School and Cerritos College. At Cerritos, he was a State Champion and Junior College All-American with a 56-4 record. He attended Michigan State University where he had a record of 50-2 including being a two-time Midlands Champion, two-time Big Ten Champion and placed second & third at the NCAA Championships. He also was the 1971 AAU and USWF Greco-Roman Champion and won the Gold Medal at the 1971 Pan American Games. Jeff coached at Haslett, Arroyo and Artesia High Schools where his coaching record was 111-8-2. He was the head wrestling coach at Cerritos College where his record was 212-32-2 and he also coached 18 Community College state champions and 64 Community College All-Americans.


leon_tedderLEON TEDDER (deceased)speech
He was a four-year letterman at Oklahoma State University (1947-50) where he compiled a 35-0 dual meet record. In his senior year, he was undefeated and no points were scored against him, but was injured just prior to the NCAA Championships and unable to participate. Leon started his high school coaching at East Bakersfield High School and his teams were the powerhouse of the South Yosemite League & Central Section. His 1960 & 1968 teams placed second in the Section while his 1961 & 1962 teams were the Central Section champions. He also officiated most of the major high school and college wrestling competitions for 25 years.


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