HOF Inductees

May 14, 2005
2005 HOF INDUCTEES


These 12 individuals will be inducted into the California Wrestling Hall of Fame on May 14, 2005.

Stephen Abas - 1993 California State 4th place medalist - 1994, 95 & 96 California State Champion, National High School Champion and Most Outstanding Wrestler, 1996 Junior National Freestyle Champion and Most Outstanding Wrestler, 1997 Jr. World National Freestyle Champion, 1998 Jr. World National Freestyle Champion, 1999 Jr. World National Champion, 1999 United States Jr. World Freestyle Team member- Gold Medalist at Jr. World Championships. In high school Stephen Abas was a three-time California State champion. At that time he was only the seventh wrestler in history to win three state titles in California. At Fresno State, he compiled a 144-4 overall record. He completed two perfect seasons with no losses. His junior and senior years Abas went 34-0 and 35-0, respectively. Abas won the NCAA Championships three-times (1999, 2001, 2002) in the 125 division. He became the 40th wrestler in NCAA history to win three national titles. He is a four-time All-American and conference/regional champion. Abas broke almost every stat in the Bulldog record books. He holds the record for career wins (144) and career winning percentage (.973). Abas has been on Team USA for four years. He is currently ranked first at 55 kg. He won the World Team Trials from 2001-03. He is the 2003 U.S. Nationals champion. He took fourth in the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Abas took fifth in the 2003 World Championships and won the Pan American Games. He is the 2002-03 World Cup Champion and he took second in the 2003 Cup of Independence in Uzbekistan. Finally, Abas traveled as part of team USA to Athens for the 2004 Olympic Games, where he won a silver medal.

Armand Brett - Armand wrestled at the South San Francisco High School (1967) and College of San Mateo (1969). He was an outstanding wrestler. He won the Northern California Community College Championship in 1969. He wrestled at Chico State at 118 lbs. Armand was the head wrestling coach at Chico State University from 1974-1991. His teams won seven Far Western Conference and Northern California Athletic Conference Championships. He was named Far Western and Northern California Athletic Conference coach of the year six times. He was a member of the NCAA rules committee from 1983-1989. He coached 52 conference champions and 29 NCAA Division II All-Americans. His team won the NCAA Division II Western Region Team Championship in 1991. His teams and wrestlers were awarded 105 Academic First Team Awards and the most Academic All-Americans in the Nation (Division II Wrestling). The National Collegiate Wrestling Officials Association presented him the President's Award for his distinguished service in 1991.

BUCK DEADRICH - Buck was a dual sports competitor at Chabot College in wrestling and football. He served as the ASB President in 1965. Buck received a scholarship to Southern Illinois University for wrestling and football. He received All-American honors in athletics and academics in 1958. He was the 1969 National AAU Freestyle Champion, 1969 United States Greco-Roman World Team Member - 6th place, 1970 United States World Team - University Games (silver medalist), 1971 Unites States World Freestyle Team Member, 1972 AAU National Freestyle Champion, 1972 National U.S.W.F. Freestyle Champion, 1972 United States Olympic Greco-Roman Team, 1973 National U.S.W.F Freestyle Champion, 1973 National Sambo Championship, 1973 United States World Team member – Sambo and head coach Cal State Stanislaus.

Dale Deffner - wrestler at Morningside HS placing 2nd in the Section, El Camino College (State JC champion (1960), and Long Beach State. PCI Champion at Long Beach and 4th in NCAA (1963). Coached at Long Beach State (65-69), coached at Jordan HS (69-70), and started coaching at Golden West College in 1970 until the present time. He coached 9 state JC Champions, 2 outstanding state JC wrestlers, 25 AA and has 200 wins.. He has been a wrestling official at the high school, college and international level since 1963. He is a category 1 FILA official & Pairing Master & has officiated Regional Olympic Trials and AAU Nationals. Dale was named Orange Co Coach of the Year and is also a member of the Orange Co HOF and the National HOF. He was the National AAU Association Chairman of the Year & the So California Wrestling Association Chairman (1973-2000)

Dennis Deliddo - Wrestling: Wrestled at Fresno City College and placed 5th at the California Community College State Championships. At Fresno State, he was the conference runner-up 2 times. Coaching: He coached Clovis High School for 10 years where they won 9 North Yosemite League titles, 5 Central Section Championships and 3 California State Championships(1974-76) and took one second place state finish (1973). They accumulated a 145-7-1 record DeLiddo was also crowned Valley Wrestling Coach of the Year five times. Two wrestlers went on and one won a NCAA division 1 championship and one won a NCAA division 2 championship. He is presently coaching at Fresno State University (23 years). Under his reign Fresno State has captured 11 Top 25 NCAA team finishes, 10 of them from 1992-02. While in the Western Athletic Conference the Bulldogs won seven straight championships from 1993-99. He was named WAC Coach of the Year four times. DeLiddo was also a two-time coach of the year while in the PCAA. In 1994 he sent a school-record eight wrestlers to the NCAA Championships (he has sent seven wrestlers five times). In 1993 DeLiddo was runner-up for the National Coach of the Year award when he led Fresno State to a best-ever eighth place finish at the NCAA’s and its first WAC title. In 1996 DeLiddo was asked to be an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic wrestling team. The 1999 season saw DeLiddo guide his team to its seventh consecutive WAC team title and he garnished his first national champion wrestler in Stephen Abas at 125 pounds. Fresno State set a West Coast attendance record when it attracted 9,750 fans to the dual against second-ranked Iowa State held in the Save Mart Center on Jan. 6, 2004. DeLiddo also earned his 300th career win when the Bulldogs beat Cal State Fullerton at home. DeLiddo’s winning record is among the best in the nation as he is believed to be only the 14th collegiate to reach 300 wins. During his 23 years at the helm, DeLiddo has produced 27 All-Americans, 55 individual conference champions, and has placed the Bulldogs at every NCAA meet since his second season in 1983. His 304-165-3 career record makes him the winningest coach in Fresno State history.

Eric Guerrero - ERIC WRESTLED AT INDEPENDENCE H.S., SAN JOSE, CA. HIS HIGH SCHOOL RECORD WAS 226-4. HE WAS A FOUR TIME LEAGUE CHAMPION, FOUR TIME SECTION AND THREE TIME STATE CIF CHAMPION. HE ATTENDED OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY WHERE HE WAS A THREE TIME NCAA DIVISION FOUR TIME NCAA ALL-AMERICAN AND I WRESTLING CHAMPION. AS AN INTERNATIONAL WRESTLER, ERIC WAS A TWO TIME PAN AM SILVER MEDALIST AND A MEMBER OF THE US WORLD TEAM WHERE HE PLACED 7TH.

TJ Kerr - He was a member of the Delmar High School varsity wrestling team. In college, he wrestled at San Jose State University. From 1972-1984,he was Head Wrestling Coach at San Jose State University. From 1984 to present, T.J. is the Head Wrestling Coach at Cal State Bakersfield. He was the former president of the National Wrestling Coached Association, co-coach of the NWCA All-Star Classic, PCAA Coach of the Year- 7 times, PAC-10 Coach of the Year- 3 times and National NWCA Coach of the Year in 1996. Highest Division I placement – third. The team had placed in the top 25 at the DIV I tournament 13 times. His overall college dual meet record 330-149-7. Coached three NCAA DIV I Champions & 29 NCAA AA. Won two PAC-10 Conference Championships. Won one NCAA DIV II National Championship and voted NCAA DIV II Coach of the Year. Coached 17 NCAA DIV II Champions and 17 All-Americans.

Bently Lyon - U.C. BERKELEY WRESTLER. 3-TIME P.C.I. CHAMPION. THE FIRST NCAA DIVISION I CHAMPION WEST OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS

Duane Morgan - Duane has been active in the sport of wrestling since he was introduced to the sport as a freshman at Oak Grove High School in 1967. After college wrestling at San Jose City College and two knee operations later his competition days were over. Graduation from San Jose State 1976 with a BS in Physical Education he became the head wrestling coach at his alma mater Oak Grove. There were no teaching positions available and after a year Duane became the head coach at Overfelt in 1981 and coached 6 consecutive league championship teams with a dual meet record of 101-1. During this time he produced 8 all-state wrestlers, 25 section placers and 10 All Americans. The greatest attribute that Duane considers is that he has 7 ex-wrestlers now coaching and teaching wrestling throughout the state. Currently, Duane is actively involved in USAW and California USA Wrestling. Duane is the Chairman of California of USA Wrestling. He has been the USAW National Junior Chairman since the inception of the position for 12 years ago. He has served as the 2nd vice president of USAW and is currently the First Vice President of USAW, the 2nd highest position on the Board of Directors for USAW. Duane also serves as the Chairman of the Junior Olympic Committee, which oversees the activities of the grassroots on the National level. He is the Commissioner of the Northern California Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association and the Assigning Secretary for the Santa Clara and Monterey Bay Area Wrestling Officials. He has officiated at numerous State Community College Championships and the past 14 State CIF Wrestling championships.

STEPHEN NEAL - 1994 Senior Year, record 45-2, CIF SDS Champion 189 lbs. Calif. State Championships 4th 189 lbs. COLLEGE: CSU Bakersfield; 3x Pac 10 “wrestler of the year”, Undefeated in Pac 10 Competition, 4x Pac 10 Champ, 4x NCAA All-AMERICAN, 4x 1st Team academic All American, 1998 & 1999 NCAA National Hwt Champion. Freestyle: 1994 Ca FS State Champion, 1994 Jr. National FS Champion, 1995 & 1996 Espoir FS National Champion, 1999 University FS National Champion, 1999 National FS HVY Wt. Champion, 1999 Pan American FS HVY W. Champion, 2000 World FS HVY Wt. Champion Awards: 1999 Dan Hodge Outstanding Wrestler, Wade Schalles Most Pins in a Season Award, finalist for the Sullivan Award, Fila Worlds Best Freestyle Wrestler, Most Valuable Wrestler US Open

Doc Peterson - Hal is a graduate of Oregon State University, 1955. Art Acker former Dean and Head of the Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Athletic Program hired him at Chico State to teach Health in 1956. Dr. Peterson also served as the Athletic Trainer at Chico State for many years. Hal Peterson is known as the "Father of Northern California High School Wrestling". Doc's work and effort in promotion wrestling via clinics and workshops is how wrestling was started in the Northern High School Section. Dr. Petersen coached wrestling at Chico State from 1958-1968. His teams were outstanding. Under his leadership, Chico State University dominated the Far Western Conference through the 1960's. Coach Peterson's team won five Far Western Conference Team Championships. His team placed 2nd once, and 3rd twice in the Far Western Conference. He coached numerous individual championships. In 1964, his team won the NCAA Pacific Coast Regional Tournament.

J ROBINSON - J Paul Robinson graduated from Mt. Miguel High School, Spring Valley, CA, in 1964, winning the San Diego C.I.F Wrestling Championship in 1963 and 1964. He was a member of the California State International Team in 1964. J attended Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, on a full wrestling scholarship, graduating in 1969. Following graduation, J served the U.S Army as a Captain in the Airborne Rangers in Viet Nam. He also participated in international wrestling; 1970 was National Free-style Champion, World Team Greco-Roman, 4th place; in 1971 World Team Greco-Roman, 5th place. In 1972 and 1973, he was the National Greco-Roman Champion, and in 1972 represented the U.S at the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. In 1973, J entered the coaching profession, as a Graduate Assistant Coach at Iowa University. In 1984, J was the Interim Head Coach at Iowa when they won the Big 10 and NCAA Championships. 1983 and 1987 represented the U.S as the Pan-American Coach. In 1976, 1980, 1984, and 1988, he was the Assistant U.S Olympic Team Coach. 1990 and 1991 he was the Assistant World Wrestling Coach. Since 1986, J has been the Head Wrestling Coach at the University of Minnesota. His teams have placed in the top 3 in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. In 1998, they were the National Team Duel Champions and in 1999 ended Iowa U.’s string of Big 10 championships. J was recognized by his peers as Big 10 Coach of the Year in 1989, 1994, 1997 and 1999. He was selected as NCAA Co-Coach of the Year in 1999. He has been involved in numerous wrestling support organizations, serving both as a spokesman and officer. He has had an impact in the desire to achieve of countless numbers of young wrestlers through his nationally recognized J Robinson Intensive Wrestling Camps.

May 14, 2005
2005 HOF LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD


This is a new addition to the California Wrestling Hall Of Fame. This new award is to honor those individuals that have given a lifetime of hoorable service to the sport of wrestling.



Sam Boyd
Western State College, Gunnison, Co. Played 3 sports; football, wrestling, and tennis. Placed 4 times in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference as Heavyweight Champion in 1956 as well as the runner-up one year (even though he never wrestled in high school). Coached wrestling at Gunnison, Co, Carpinteria, and Morro Bay HS. he started youth wrestling programs in Morro Bay, Atascadero, and Paso Robles. He coached Craig Troxler (CIF State Champion-1976 and Mike Hartman, the outstanding wrestler in the CIF SS. He has helped raise thousands of dollars for youth, high school and college athletics. He is the director of the California Invitational Tournament. After teaching and coaching for 36 years, he now owns Pacific-Resilite Mat Company who, along with Resilite Sports, sponsors the State CIF Tournament each year.

Dr. Floyd "Doc" Buchanan
Doc is an icon of California's K-12 wrestling community. Since the 1960s Doc led the way in creating a solid elementary and secondary wrestling program in Clovis Unified, which helped promote the sport throughout the state. Under his direction, Clovis Unified was one of the first school districts in the state to purchase regulation wrestling mats for each of its elementary schools. Doc encouraged the creation of strong feeder programs at the elementary level to ensure equally strong secondary teams. In the mid-1960s Doc made sure that Clovis Unified administrators were involved in building the statewide K-12 wrestling program through service on the CIF State Committee, culminating in the creation of the California State Championships. Clovis Unified Schools (Clovis High and Clovis West) have won more state wrestling titles than any other school district. Doc's support of the wrestling program led to Clovis High earning state titles in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1990, 1991, 1992 and 2003. Clovis West holds titles from 1983, 1984 and 1989. The prestige and attention these titles have brought to Clovis Unified's wrestling program has continued to draw students into the field of athletics and wrestling in particular. Clovis Unified wrestlers are always well represented at the state tournament. To perpetuate Doc's wrestling legacy in the state Rene Errotabere and Doc collaborated on the creation of the Doc Buchanan Invitational Wrestling Tournament. Since 1978, this tournament has been an important proving ground for wrestlers intent on a state title. In addition, Clovis West High and Buchanan High also sponsor major wrestling invitationals that attract teams from not only California, but from the entire western United States. Doc's impact on the California wrestling community is such that he is a natural contender for induction to CIF's California Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Paul Conner
Paul was an unpaid volunteer wrestling coach at Arcata HS from 1974-96. He was always available for counsel in all aspects of life and was especially skilled at the psychology of athletics which helped his athletes excel in sports and life even after they graduated. Paul led the daily warm-ups by example, performing stretching, push-ups, and sit-ups until the age of 75. Paul is the Co-founder of the Arcata Rotary Invitational Wrestling Tournament. He was inducted into the Arcata HS Hall of Fame for his contributions as a volunteer coach with wrestling, cross country & track and field. A fund was established through the Humbolt Area Foundation titled the Mr. C Fund in Paul’s honor. This fund helps wrestlers who qualify for national teams and t-shirt purchases for the high school Rene Errotabere - Rene was the Valley Wrestling Champion at Roosevelt High School, Fresno, California 1965; entered the field of education as an instructor and coach at Fowler High School, Fowler, California 1971-73, originating and developing Fowler High School’s wrestling program; was instructor, Head Wrestling Coach and North Yosemite League wrestling representative at Fresno High School, 1973-79. It was at this time, 1979-86, that Rene pursued his ongoing commitment to education through the personal realization of high school and intermediate administration with the exemplary Clovis Unified School District, while concurrently serving in the capacities of 1983 Director of the California State Wrestling Tournament and Chairman of the Central Section Wrestling Committee; 1987 Co-director, California State Wrestling Tournament, and President, North Yosemite League, 1988-89. Rene has continued to provide ongoing athletic leadership as an active member of the state’s California Interscholastic Federation Wrestling Advisory Committee. In 1986 Rene was appointed Principal of Clovis High School and the following year (1987) the high school received its first national recognition as a Blue Ribbon school. Rene remained in this, his favorite, leadership role until 1991. The growth and rise to excellence of a statewide wrestling program can be contributed to Rene’s leadership during this period in 1991 when it was decided that California State University, Fresno’s originally titled Clovis Wrestling Invitational could no longer be offered by the college as an area tournament. Rene Errotabere became the driving force behind Clovis Unified School District accepting the responsibility of this event, elevating the standards of the tournament and renaming it the “Doc B” Tournament. The community of Clovis and it’s high school students have experienced ongoing benefits from Rene’s exemplary leadership in wrestling throughout the state as exampled by Clovis High and neighboring Clovis West High garnering four State Wrestling Championships throughout the 1990’s, increasing this total with a 2003 State championship. From 1993 to the present Rene Errotabere has administratively served as Assistant Superintendent of the Clovis Area (one year) and, Assistant Superintendent of the Buchanan Area (nine years). This position entails complete administrative responsibility for all aspects. He was still actively involved in the wrestling programs. He was also the Central Section Wrestling Commissioner through these years.

Irv Olinder
Contributor- Mr. Oliner served wrestling well through the years. A Pharmacist and avid photographer, Irvin was the official photographer for the CIF State Championships for many years. He was generous beyond measure as he has donated his time, expertise, and photographs, without charge too countless wrestlers during his time of service to the sport of wrestling.

Kirby Page
Was one of the fathers of San Joaquin Valley wrestling. He coached for 58 years (Football 50, Basketball 17, Baseball 25, Wrestling 41, & track 3 for a total of 136 seasons). He coached most of his career at Linden HS. He won many league champions in Football, Basketball, Baseball, Track & Wrestling. Kirby was the weigh master and head timer for the State CIF Wrestling Tournament in Stockton for 18 years. He hosted and was director of the league twice, Sub-Section twice and the San Joaquin Sections 3 times. He is currently 88 years old.

Roy Spomer
Roy has been active in the Madera wrestling community for 40+ years. He was Valley rankings for 30+ years.