Takedown Report

Induction for The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum – Elizabeth Ross Carpenter Shelton

May 17, 2026 · W.C. Friday Center in Chapel Hill, NC.
2026 honorees for “Lifetime Service to Wrestling”:

(Butch Ross, Elizabeth Ross Carpenter Shelton & Rex Wells)

Elizabeth Ross Carpenter Shelton – A native of Lincoln County, Shelton grew up in a wrestling family and started keeping score for her father’s West Lincoln Middle School wrestling team when she was just eight years old. She attended West Lincoln High School, where she was a cheerleader, softball player, and wrestling team manager. After graduating from West Lincoln in 1995, she earned a degree in elementary education from Lenoir-Rhyne University in 2001 and a master’s degree in school administration from Appalachian State University in 2015. She worked as an educator in Lincoln County Schools, in both teaching and administration, from 1997 to 2018.

Elizabeth has been involved with wrestling at all levels, from youth through college. She got her start with North Carolina USA Wrestling by running the Top Dawg freestyle tournament in 2006 and remains active in the organization today. From 2008 to 2015, she served as an Executive Board Member and Secretary for NC USA Wrestling, and from 2006 to 2015, she served as the State Pairings Director. She was the recipient of the Frank Rader “Person of the Year” award in 2010 and the Southeast Regional Kids/Cadets Person of the Year award for USA Wrestling in 2011. In addition to her work with USA Wrestling, Elizabeth oversaw registration and pairings for the Appalachian State University Wrestling Camp from 2013 to 2021.

Recruited by Sara Koenig and Leigh Hebbard, Elizabeth joined the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state wrestling tournament staff in 2008 and continues to play a vital role in planning and coordinating the event today. In addition to overseeing tournament operations, she trains regional directors in the use of Trackwrestling and serves as a resource for tournament directors and coaches across the state during both the regular season and post season. Elizabeth was among the first to bring Trackwrestling to North Carolina, first with NC USA Wrestling and later in the NCHSAA state tournament. She was recognized with the NCHSAA Region 6 Special Person Award in 2019. With the goal of growing wrestling at the grassroots level, Elizabeth and Rusty Carpenter founded and began operating Priorities Wrestling in 2010. Her organization, supported and operated by her family, manages multiple wrestling tournaments across the Southeast, conducting between 50 and 75 events annually. Through her work, she helps teams conduct successful events while providing athletes, coaches, and fans with a high-quality tournament experience.  Currently, Elizabeth serves as a customer service representative for FloSports in addition to operating Priorities Wrestling. Her sons, Hunter and Will both wrestled for, and currently coach the West Lincoln wrestling
team with their grandfather, Butch Ross. Elizabeth and her father, Butch, are the first father and daughter inducted into the North Carolina chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

National Wrestling Hall of Fame website.  https://nwhof.org/hall_of_fame 

May 28, 2026 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | history, olympics, sports | Leave a comment