NC State Announces 2026 Induction Class for NC State Athletic Hall of Fame
Individuals from seven different sports, a team that won back-to-back national titles, a pioneer for women’s athletics, and a legendary coach comprise the 2026 induction class of the NC State Athletic Hall of Fame, McMurray Family Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan announced today.
The 10-member class is the eighth overall since the establishment of the Hall of Fame in 2012 and will be inducted at a gala in Reynolds Coliseum on Saturday, April 25, 2026.
The 1979 and 1980 NC State cross country teams that repeated as AIAW national champions will be inducted, alongside 1973 ACC Football Player of the Year Willie Burden, Olympic gold medalist Kenny Carr from men’s basketball, and 19-time All-American swimmer Beth Emery. Joining them will be National Champions Matt Hill (men’s golf), Tyrell Taitt (men’s track & field) and Scott Turner (wrestling), along with a national award winner, Marc Primanti (football).
Longtime NC State and ACC administrator Nora Lynn Finch will be honored for her contributions, alongside legendary wrestling coach Bob Guzzo, who led the Wolfpack to 13 ACC titles. “I’m very excited about this induction class because it represents many sports, many decades, and so very many accomplishments,” Corrigan said. “We look forward to recognizing their legacy and their achievements in April and congratulate them on this great honor.”
Ticket sales information for the Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be shared at a later date.
NC STATE ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME
Class of 2026
Scott Turner, Wrestling (1984-1988)
During his highly successful Wolfpack career, Scott Turner helped lay the foundation for the success that NC State Wrestling still enjoys today. The third national champion in program history, Turner allowed only one point scored on him in the NCAA Tournament, cementing him as the 1988 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler, an award that only one other from NC State has claimed. At the conference level, he won the individual ACC Championship crown three times, as well as the 1984 ACC Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler award as a freshman. He is just one of 13 in program history to earn an individual ACC Championship at least three times. At the national level, Turner was a two-time All-American, earning the honors in 1986 and 1988.
Bob Guzzo, Special Contributor/Wrestling (1974-2004)
A pillar of the NC State wrestling program, Bob Guzzo was named the eighth head coach in program history in 1974 and led the team for the next 30 seasons. A six-time ACC Coach of the Year (’88, ’89, ’91, ’96, ’01, ’02), he led NC State to 13 league titles, a mark that still ranks second for a head coach in ACC history. Four of his athletes were national champions in three different weight classes and those under his direction earned 24 All-America honors. In his three decades at NC State, he amassed an impressive team record of 356-183-7 with a 117-53 mark in ACC competition, mentoring 86 individual ACC Champions and his athletes won ACC Wrestler of the Year honors three times. … more at … https://gopack.com/news/2025/12/15/football-nc-state-announces-2026-induction-class-for-nc-state-athletic-hall-of-fame
USA Wrestling leader Al Bevilacqua, 85, passed away Sunday.
USA Wrestling received word from his family that long-time USA Wrestling leader Al Bevilacqua, 85, passed away on Sunday, August 10.
Bevilacqua gave a lifetime of service, commitment and love to the sport of wrestling, impacting the lives of thousands of people along the way. He was a staff member and a volunteer leader with USA Wrestling for decades, going back to its roots as the U.S. Wrestling Federation. A respected coach on the high school, college and international levels, his work extended to leadership in many other areas, including his ground-breaking work in the creation of Beat the Streets in New York. He was named USA Wrestling Man of the Year in 2005. He received the Order of Merit from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012. Services: There are two viewings at the Massapequa Funeral Home located at 4980 Merrick Road, Massapequa, NY on Wednesday, August 13th … more at … Themat.com/news/2025/august/11/usa-wrestling-leader-al-bevilacqua-85-passed-away
And …
Legendary Long Island wrestling coach immortalized by ‘Seinfeld’ dies at 85
The legendary Long Island wrestling coach immortalized in an iconic “Seinfeld” scene has died — and everyone from celebrity former students to athletes recalled Tuesday how he went to the mat for them.
“They’re telling me I only have 2 to 3 minutes to give a eulogy,” said Christopher Bevilacqua, the son of beloved late 85-year-old coach and mentor Al Bevilacqua, to The Post.
“I don’t know how you can describe his life in 2 or 3 minutes.”
Al Bevilacqua, who passed away Sunday, got his 15 minutes of TV fame when superstar funnyman Jerry Seinfeld famously name-dropped his former teacher in an episode of his wildly popular series — even though Al never really watched the “show about nothing,” his family said.
“He would go, ‘”Seinfeld”? What is that? A comedy?’ ” said the former coach’s son, Michael. … more at … https://nypost.com/2025/08/12/us-news/legendary-long-island-wrestling-coach-al-bevilacqua-dies/
Wrestling with the American Dream
Afghan refugees find a home on a San Antonio high school athletics team
by Brant deBoer
Elham Jalak and Mustafa Pashtoon met for the first time on a flight from Kabul in February 2016. Jalak was 6 years old, Pashtoon just 8. Their fathers had known each other in the Afghan Army, and their families came to the United States through the Special Immigrant Visa program, which has helped resettle Afghan citizens who worked with the United States during the war. In America, their dads hoped to find better jobs and education for their children.
It was a big plane, an Emirates double-decker, and the two boys sat next to each other. They didn’t know what to expect once they landed, aside from what they had seen in the movies, and neither spoke English. “Not even one word,” Pashtoon later told the Texas Observer. “I didn’t even know how to write my name.” After the 16-hour flight to Houston, they flew to San Antonio, their new home, where they settled in a northwest neighborhood known for its diverse immigrant communities. A couple years later, their families relocated to San Antonio’s West Side.
The pair started playing sports. “I played soccer, cross-country, track, golf, tennis, soccer, and then I did football and basketball,” Jalak proudly recounted. “We played together.” They sometimes speak about their experiences unemotionally, as if every teenager were forced to flee a war-torn country. Occasionally, they break into Pashto with each other, then switch back to English.
When I first met them at an away junior varsity tournament at Legacy of Educational Excellence (LEE) High School, they were wrestling. In the gym bleachers, Jalak and Pashtoon, now 15 and 17, were waiting for their next matches along with Saifullah Gul, another Afghan immigrant. Altogether, they were among five Afghan wrestlers on Sidney Lanier High School’s team at that point in the season, about a quarter of the entire team.
Traditional Afghan wrestling—known as Pehlwani—is a popular pastime for boys in the south-central Asian nation, so many Afghan refugees find a natural home on high school wrestling teams in America. This phenomenon is prevalent in California and Virginia, the states with the largest populations of Afghan immigrants. In Texas, the state with the third-largest concentration, it’s pretty much happening in one place: San Antonio’s West Side, and thanks to one person: Faridullah “Ferrari” Samsor. … more at … https://www.texasobserver.org/afghan-refugees-san-antonio-high-school-wrestling/
Wrestling with the American Dream
lham Jalak and Mustafa Pashtoon met for the first time on a flight from Kabul in February 2016. Jalak was 6 years old, Pashtoon just 8. Their fathers had known each other in the Afghan Army, and their families came to the United States through the Special Immigrant Visa program, which has helped resettle Afghan citizens who worked with the United States during the war. In America, their dads hoped to find better jobs and education for their children.
It was a big plane, an Emirates double-decker, and the two boys sat next to each other. They didn’t know what to expect once they landed, aside from what they had seen in the movies, and neither spoke English. “Not even one word,” Pashtoon later told the Texas Observer. “I didn’t even know how to write my name.” After the 16-hour flight to Houston, they flew to San Antonio, their new home, where they settled in a northwest neighborhood known for its diverse immigrant communities. A couple years later, their families relocated to San Antonio’s West Side.
The pair started playing sports. “I played soccer, cross-country, track, golf, tennis, soccer, and then I did football and basketball,” Jalak proudly recounted. “We played together.” They sometimes speak about their experiences unemotionally, as if every teenager were forced to flee a war-torn country. Occasionally, they break into Pashto with each other, then switch back to English.
When I first met them at an away junior varsity tournament at Legacy of Educational Excellence (LEE) High School, they were wrestling. In the gym bleachers, Jalak and Pashtoon, now 15 and 17, were waiting for their next matches along with Saifullah Gul, another Afghan immigrant. Altogether, they were among five Afghan wrestlers on Sidney Lanier High School’s team at that point in the season, about a quarter of the entire team.
Traditional Afghan wrestling—known as Pehlwani—is a popular pastime for boys in the south-central Asian nation, so many Afghan refugees find a natural home on high school wrestling teams in America. This phenomenon is prevalent in California and Virginia, the states with the largest populations of Afghan immigrants. … more at … https://www.texasobserver.org/afghan-refugees-san-antonio-high-school-wrestling/
Akron’s Ken Dies receives honor from National Wrestling Hall of Fame
By Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal
When Ken Dies opened a letter at his Highland Square home on June 25, the message caused his wife, Carol, to shed tears of joy.
Dies learned he will have a place in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The letter from the Hall of Fame’s executive director, Lee Roy Smith, states the hall’s Ohio chapter nominated Dies to receive the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award, and the national HOF’s board selected him for the honor. “It’s just overwhelming,” Dies told the Beacon Journal by phone. “I did not expect this.” More on the Dies family: Akron Public Schools gives wrestling enthusiasts proper recognition
An Akron native, Dies is the face of a wrestling royal family Northeast Ohio has known for decades.
The Dies family started running high school and youth tournaments in the late 1970s. After Bill Dies died in 1987, Ken Dies inherited his father’s role as tournament director. His involvement with Ohio Youth Wrestling, the Walsh Jesuit Ironman tournament and the Bill Dies Memorial Wrestling Tournament held at Firestone CLC made him a popular figure in the sport throughout the state.
Now Dies, 81, is being honored at the national level. “My one brother, Steve, he’s a nut,” Dies said with a laugh. “He’s putting me in the same category as Dan Gable. He said, ‘You’re in the same hall of fame as Dan Gable.'” … more at … https://www.newsbreak.com/share/4075349339325-akron-s-ken-dies-receives-honor-from-national-wrestling-hall-of-fame?_f=app_share&pd=0IMTzHkC&lang=en_US&send_time=1750951613&s=i16&trans_data=%7B%22platform%22%3A0%2C%22cv%22%3A%2225.25.0.37%22%2C%22languages%22%3A%22en%22%7D&sep=ns_foryou_rank_exp_25q2-v7%2Cns_foryou_blend_exp_25q2-v7%2Cns_foryou_recall_exp_25q3-v4%2Cns_foryou_model_exp_25q2_v2-v8
Ribustello named the 2025 Lee Carroll Award winner
Stephen Ribustell0 of Tarboro High School has been named the 2025 Lee Carroll Award winner. He ended his junior season in sudden victory overtime in the 1-A State Championship match. It was a successful season as he scored his 100th career win and repeated as a State Runner-Up. In three seasons he has qualified for the State Championships each year while amassing a scholastic record of 109 wins and just 12 losses. He will receive the 27th Annual Lee Carroll Award for excellence in athletics, academics and sportsmanship in northeastern North Carolina later this year.
Lee Carroll started wrestling as a sophomore when Tarboro High School re-started their program in 1992. Lee won 112 matches in 3 years with the Vikings. Lee was state runner-up his junior year before becoming a record setting undefeated state champion in 1995 with a (50-0) record. Lee went on to start four years at North Carolina State qualifying for the Nationals 3 times. Lee has taught engineering graphics at N.C. State and has his own interactive design agency, Forged Media, in Raleigh. He is a member of the Tarboro High Athletic Hall of Fame.
Previous award winners include Holton Quincy in 2024, Ryan Mann in 2023, Caleb Beaty of Corinth-Holders (2022), Logan Tortual of Rosewood (2021). Javon Armstrong of Pamlico County (2020), Aaron Bancroft of Wilson-Fike (2019), Timothy and Christian Decatur of Rosewood (2018), Jaqwuez Norman of Farmville Central (2017), Kaleb Taylor of Rosewood (2016), Wilson Smith of Rocky Mount (2015 & 2014), Angel Najar of North Pitt (2013), Alexander Knight and Jacineto Williamson of Rocky Mount in 2012, Chris Fess of Beddingfield and Tamaris Lane of Nash Central in 2011, Chandler Phillips of Rocky Mount (2010), Landon Lucas of SW Edgecombe (2009), Corey Smith (2008) and Eric Sutton (2007) of Tarboro, Zach Shearin and Paul Horner (2006) and Pat Anstead (2004) of Southern Nash, Jimmy McNamara (2005) of Wilson Hunt and Sammi Hadi (2003) of SW Edgecombe.
Eastern Guilford’s Maurice Atwood named National Wrestling Coach of the Year
This past season, Atwood led Eastern Guilford to its first NCHSAA 3A dual-team state championship in school history. The Wildcats were a perfect 48-0 during the 2023-2024 season.
Eastern Guilford wrestling coach Maurice Atwood received a national honor from the National Federation of State High School Associations on Monday.
Atwood, who has coached wrestling for 24 years, was named the NFHS Wrestling Coach of the Year. The award is for the 2023-2024 school year.
The award winner is chosen after each state association nominates a coach of the year. Then, sectional coaches of the year are named. Atwood has now been named the national coach of the year. “Maurice Atwood focuses on the fundamentals as he leads his athletes, most of whom are socioeconomically challenged and come into the program as freshmen without prior wrestling experience. The foundation that Atwood instills has led to many of his former athletes becoming successful coaches, including eight current high school or club coaches,” the NFHS said.
This past season, Atwood led Eastern Guilford to its first NCHSAA 3A dual-team state championship in school history. The Wildcats were a perfect 48-0 during the 2023-2024 season.
Over his 24-year career, Atwood’s teams have posted 865 dual-team wins, including 12 team state titles. A total of 39 individual wrestlers have also won state titles under Atwood’s guidance. … more at … https://www.highschoolot.com/story/eastern-guilford-s-maurice-atwood-named-national-wrestling-coach-of-the-year/21806459/
Roanoke Wrestling wins all three at Gator ‘Boots’ Duals
The Facts:
Scores: No. 8 Roanoke 38, Mount Union 9, No. 8 Roanoke 22, No. 14 Loras 17, No. 8 Roanoke 51, Muskingum 3
Location: Hendersonville, Tenn., Hendersonville High School
The Short Story: The Roanoke College wrestling team earned three victories Saturday at the Gator ‘Boots’ Duals, hosted at Hendersonville High School (Tenn.). The Maroons, ranked No. 8 this week in dual match rankings by TheOpenMat.com, breezed to two non-conference victories and won a tight 22-17 decision over No. 14 Loras College (Iowa).
How it happened:
*Mark Samuel rolled to three wins at 141, with two pins and a technical fall.
*Isaic Paulino was 3-0 on the day at 125 with a major decision win.
*Vincenzo Corvetto won all three of his matches at 184, including one pin.
*Jonah Paulino was 2-0 at 133 with two technical falls.
Next Time:
Roanoke will compete at the Jim Crytzer Memorial at Washington & Lee University on Saturday, Jan. 4.
Men’s Gator ‘Boots’ Duals
Hendersonville High School
Hendersonville, Tenn.
Dec. 21, 2024
Final Results: Roanoke 38, Mount Union 9
125 – Isaic Paulino (Roanoke College) over Mason Taylor (Mount Union) Maj 15-4
133 – Jonah Paulino (Roanoke College) over Nolan Frye (Mount Union) TF 17-2
141 – Mark Samuel (Roanoke College) over Mason McCarty (Mount Union) TF 17-2 … More at … https://roanokemaroons.com/news/2024/12/21/roanoke-wrestling-wins-all-three-at-gator-boots-duals.aspx
Dispelling the myths about Lincoln’s wrestling days
By Mike Chapman
Well, it’s happened again. I recently read a story online that claims Abe Lincoln wrestled 300 matches and lost just once. As a huge fan of Honest Abe, I was disappointed that such a ridiculous claim keeps popping up from time to time.
One can also read some places that Lincoln not only won hundreds of matches but was a state and regional wrestling champion. But none of that is true. It is a part of the myth or folklore that has been built up around this great man for decades.
Lincoln was born on Feb. 6, 1809, and raised in Kentucky. When he was seven, the family moved to Indiana. He grew into a strapping young man nearly six-foot, four-inches tall and weighing about 180 pounds. He developed a strong, lean physique from years of splitting logs and hard work on a farm.
He first strolled into the tiny village of New Salem, Ill., in 1831 as a 22-year-old looking for a new start in life. And soon after his arrival, he was entangled in an event that was destined to play a very important role in his career. It was called scuffling or grappling, and in modern terms … wrestling.
First of all, we need to define what type of contest Lincoln and others would have participated in back then. There were almost no rules, no time limits and no referees, which are the three basic requirements for any type of official wrestling match today.
It was just a good, old-fashioned scuffle with each man trying to throw the other to his back and make him quit. Foot stomping was a frequent tactic as was hair pulling and thumbing of the face. It was a wild and ruckus engagement with little resemblance to wrestling as we now know it.
In that summer of 1831, Lincoln wound up in a scuffling contest with Jack Armstrong, an older man who was considered the toughest fellow in the area. They tangled on a small slice of grass between two small buildings, and by all accounts Abe got the better of it. I have stood on that very spot many times through the years and have conducted two seminars there about the event. I even appeared on a national radio show several years ago to talk about it.
The most thorough discussion of Lincoln’s wrestling background comes in the book “Honor’s Voice: The Transformation of Abraham Lincoln,” written by historian Douglas L. Wilson, in 1999. The book offers an entire chapter – nearly 32 pages — devoted to Lincoln’s wrestling prowess, appropriately entitled “Wrestling with the Evidence”. … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2024/12/12/dispelling-the-myths-about-lincolns-wrestling-days/
USA Wrestling launches Grow Greco campaign to support development of Greco-Roman wrestling in the U.S.
USA Wrestling has kicked off a year-long fundraising campaign entitled Grow Greco to further the growth and development of Greco-Roman wrestling in the country.
The U.S. Greco-Roman coaching staff has earmarked a $250,000 fundraising goal for 2025 to support Greco-Roman specific initiatives that include national and international training and competition opportunities, developmental camps across the U.S., and building pipelines for youth athletes to pursue a career in the specialized international discipline. “Supporting Greco-Roman wrestling is more than just a contribution to our program; it’s an investment in the future of our athletes and a legacy of excellence. Every dollar donated helps us build a stronger, more competitive team, providing athletes with opportunities to reach their full potential on the global stage,” said Herb House, U.S. National Greco-Roman Head Coach.
The U.S. qualified four athletes to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Greco-Roman wrestling, a feat only nine countries achieved for Paris.
2024 was a banner year for the U.S. age-group World Team’s. The U17 team finished in fifth place with two medalists, including one champion. The U20 team earned three medals and placed sixth as a team. Additionally, the U.S. won its first Greco-Roman medal at the U23 level.
Contributions put directly toward the Greco-Roman program will help continue the upward trajectory seen in 2024 and assist in providing the necessary resources for sustained international success in the style. “Your support fuels athlete training and competition, … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2024/december/06/usa-wrestling-launches-grow-greco-campaign-to-support-development-of-greco-roman-wrestling-in-the-u-s-
TDR blog
After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
Martin Fleming, Editor
Takedown Report
Takedown Report 