The Class of 2013 includes Joe Heskett, Troy Steiner, Terry Steiner, Kirk Myers, and Dale Brand.
The Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa was established in 2002 to honor the people who have made an impact on the sport on a national level, or who have done extraordinary work in the State of Iowa. The hall recognizes native-born Iowans, and those who achieved their fame while wrestling or coaching for an Iowa school.
Heskett was an NCAA champion and a four-time All-American (1999-2002) for Iowa State. He placed third at the NCAA tournament as a freshman, second as a sophomore and as a junior, and first as a senior. The former Cyclone compiled a 143-9 career college record with 58 pins. He also placed fifth at the 2007 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. Heskett is the current head wrestling coach at Army.
Troy and Terry Steiner, identical twins who wrestled at the University of Iowa, each won an individual NCAA championship. Troy was a four-time All-American and an NCAA champion for the Hawkeyes, placing fifth, second, first, and third at the NCAA tournament (1990-1993). Terry was a three-time All-American an NCAA champion, placing third, fifth, and first at the NCAA tournament (1991-1993).
Troy currently serves as an assistant wrestling coach at Oregon State. Terry is the U.S. National women’s head wrestling coach for USA Wrestling.
Myers was a three-time Division II NCAA champion for the University of Northern Iowa (1978-1980) and a three-time Division I All-American. He placed sixth at the NCAA tournament in 1979, third in 1980, and fifth 1982. Myers set the single season record for pins at Northern Iowa in 1982 at 21. He was also a state champion for Algona in 1977.
Brand was an NCAA champion for Cornell College in 1937 and a runner-up in 1936. He was also an alternate on the 1936 Olympic wrestling team that competed in Berlin, Germany. Brand was the head wrestling coach at Clarion High School from 1946 through 1976, compiling a 252-76-2 dual meet record. He coached 23 individual state champions and six runner-up teams.
Dale’s most famous wrestler at Clarion was Glen Brand, 1948 Olympic champion and namesake of the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa. Dale and Glen were first cousins. Dale Brand died in 2004 at the age of 90.
Three other special awards will be given during the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa.
The Huff family of Waterloo will receive the Family Legacy Award. Lewis and Louise Huff had four sons and one daughter, all of whom attended West Waterloo High School. Charles was a two-time state runner-up (1951-1952), Dale finished third as a senior (1954), Don was a state champion in 1956 and 1957, and Tom was a state champion in 1957, 1958, and 1959.
Don wrestled for Northern Colorado from 1957 through 1959, and at the University of Iowa during the 1961 season. He qualified for the NCAA tournament in 1958. Don was the head wrestling coach at West Waterloo from 1978 through 1998. In 1989 his team won the 3A state championship. The West Waterloo wrestling room in named in his honor.
Tom was an NCAA runner-up for the University of Iowa in 1963 and a third place finisher in 1962. He wrestled post-collegiately for Air Force. Diane graduated from West in 1971. She married Steve Yagla, a former wrestler for Waterloo Columbus and at the University of Iowa. Steve’s brother, Chuck, was a two-time NCAA champion for Iowa and is a member of the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa.
Wyatt Schultz will receive the Russ Smith Community Impact Award. The award is given to a person demonstrating exceptional local impact on wrestling within the state of Iowa. Schultz is the owner and publisher of The Predicament, a publication that covers wrestling within the state of Iowa. He is a sports photographer, covering wrestling tournaments statewide. His photographs have appeared in Wrestling USA, USA Wrestler, Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine, and Sports Illustrated. Schultz also helped coordinate the High School Dream Team dual (Iowa versus the United States) at Iowa City West in 2008 and 2012.
Jason Christenson will receive the first Bob Siddens High School Coaching Excellence Award. The award is given to an Iowa high school wrestling coach who exhibits the high standards that Bob Siddens set during his legendary coaching career. Siddens coached West Waterloo to 11 state team titles and a 327-26 dual meet record.
Christenson has been the head wrestling coach at Southeast Polk High School since 2001. He led his team to a second place finish at the 3A Iowa High School State Wrestling Championships, which was the first team trophy at the traditional state tournament in program history. Christenson has also served as Iowa’s junior director for USA Wrestling since 2002. He was named USA Wrestling’s Developmental Coach of the Year in 2007.
A banquet honoring all award winners will be held at Sunnyside Country Club in Waterloo on Sunday, June 9. For more information contact the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum at (319) 233-0745 or dgmstaff@nwhof.org.
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum is a not-for-profit organization based out of Waterloo, Iowa. The mission of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame is to preserve history, recognize excellence, and inspire future generations.
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