Takedown Report

Firestone High School wrestling room named to honor the late Bill Dies

An old friend (who is not a sports fan) pointed out this piece of good news. I have wrestled with mixed feelings about having the old high school (not that old, -younger than I) torn down and replaced. Yet this news is a bright spot as the sport and the contributions of Bill Dies (pronounced deese) and his extended family. I admire their generosity and hard work in support of youth wrestling.
The Akron Board of Education on Monday voted to name the new wrestling room at Firestone Community Learning Center to honor Bill Dies and his family. The Dies Wrestling Room recognizes the efforts of the Dies family for their involvement in establishing several wrestling events that culminated in the annual Summit County Tournament hosted by Akron Public Schools at Firestone High School. The annual competition was renamed The Bill Dies Memorial Wrestling Tournament in 1987, after the death of Bill Dies. Dies established the Firestone High School Takedown Club in the 1970s as a way to encourage participation in the school’s wrestling program. He and his wife, Netta, supported the program in the early years by running the concession stands at sectional and district tournaments hosted at Firestone High. Dies, an electrical contractor, also co-founded the Ohio Youth Wrestling Association. The 30th annual Bill Dies Memorial Wrestling Tournament is scheduled for January 2017 in the Firestone gymnasium, with the continued support of the Dies family. The tournament is one of Ohio’s premier wrestling competitions, which includes 48 teams from across the state.
Rest of the story and a picture is at http://www.ohio.com/news/local/firestone-high-school-wrestling-room-named-to-honor-the-late-bill-dies-1.711266

September 13, 2016 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized