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National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Florida Chapter

The President’s Podium

The year 2019 is behind us, and what a great year of expansion for

the Florida Chapter it has been. We held our first all-girls wrestling event,

hosted Ohio State Wrestling Coach Tom Ryan who spoke at the Wrestling

State Championships, celebrated our 20th anniversary with a reception at

Honors Weekend in August, and expanded our Florida Museum of

Wrestling. Now we move on to 2020, and our goal is to continue

preserving the history and supporting the growth of Florida Wrestling.

Five years ago. I realized high school wrestling in Florida had existed

for fifty years. There had to be great coaches and memories and we needed

to save this time in history. I approached Bill and Melanie Combs and Pete

Collins to take on this project. Bill and Melanie concentrate on the History

of the Florida Chapter; Pete focuses on Florida Wrestling. Four years ago,

we introduced our first table display of photographs. This year at the State

Wrestling Tournament, you must come and see the unbelievable job these

folks have done in securing Florida wrestling history past and present.

Last year's Tom Ryan event was a great success, so we felt the need to

hold it again this year. The Florida Chapter is hosting the World Champion,

two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, legendary John Smith to speak the

evening before the Florida High School Wrestling Championships.

As I mentioned, we will continue to grow and support Florida

Wrestling. The Florida Chapter will also give a $1000.00 Scholarship to a

wrestler at the State Championships. This year’s scholarship will be the first

awarded, and it will be an annual commitment of the Florida Chapter.

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum and their State

NEWSLETTER

Volume 4, Issue 1 Winter 2020

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Chapters program is not just about honoring and preserving the history of

our great sport, it's also about preserving the existence of wrestling - to

continue to grow and maintain the sport. Our chapter is committed to

supporting the development of grass roots wrestling programs to help in

the development of Florida Wrestling.

We have a great year planned! Watch for announcements for

upcoming events and programs.

Remember, when we do it, we do it with class,

for we are honoring the best of the best.

Thank you,

Gary Townsend

On behalf of the Florida Chapter Board of

Directors, we congratulate all Florida wrestlers for the

hard work and dedication you have put in for the

2019-2020 wrestling season. Whether or not you

make it to the finals, wrestling is one of the toughest

sports in history, and to wrestle a full season is an

honor. Be proud of what you have accomplished!

To those wrestlers in the State Championships, we

wish you the best. Stand proud for who you are and

who you represent.

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In This Issue

President’s Podium - pages 1-2

Class of 2020 - page 4

John Smith at State Tournament - page 5

Spotlight on Alumni - pages 7-8

2021 Nomination information - page 9

Coaches’ Corner - page 10

Officials’ Position - page 12

Wrestler Pin Down - FAWA – page 13

Wrestler Pin Down - Girls - page 14

Museum Memo - pages 16-19

Website Wonders - pages 21-22

A Memory from Ira - pages 24-25

Chapter Information - page 27

NWHOFM - page 28

Mark your calendar

Honors Weekend for the

Class of 2020

is August 14-15, 2020!

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THE NWHOF FLORIDA CHAPTER CLASS OF 2020

Marc Allison - Official / Coach

Tom James – Coach

Dominick Mandicott – Official

Nate Richardson – Coach

Mike Turner – Coach

Ernie Withers – Official

This year’s class will be introduced before the Finals at the State Wrestling

Tournament on Saturday, March 7th. Information about each inductee and

Honors Weekend will be in the next newsletter.

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JOHN SMITH

THURSDAY, MARCH 5TH (night before State Tournament)

DINNER - $40

STUDENT TICKET (after dinner) - $10

TICKETS – FL-NWHOF.TICKETLEAP.COM

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Attention Alumni:

If you are interested in representing

the Florida Chapter during the

Finals at a Regional Tournament, or

will be at attendance at one of these

tournaments, please contact Don

Smith at djs4track@gmail.com

Raising your level of performance requires

a proper mentality and meaning from

within. This gives you the ability and drive

to work on the things necessary to go to a

higher level. When people ask me how to

raise their level of performance, the first

thing I ask is How important is it to you?

----Dan Gable

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Wili is happy, healthy, and busy, as he is still working in the Hillsborough County School District. He spoke with Alan Solomon (Class of 2016) and had these updates for us:

• Wili and Rebecca, his wife of almost 24 years, have two daughters, Kyrstin, a recent USF grad and a clerk in the accounting department at TECO and Cambree, a high school student.

• He has been at Riverview HS for 20 years and is the Health and PE Department Chair. Wili coached wrestling for 20 years, from 1998-2018. Now he mentors the coach (who was Wili’s assistant), and volunteers at practice sometimes. He also is teaching wrestling in a PE elective class.

• Wili and his daughter, Cambree, have become Savage Race participants, an event that combines running, obstacle courses, and teamwork. They will be participating in the Dade City event in March.

• His hobbies also include mountain biking, hiking (he has completed some portions of the Appalachian Trail), ski diving, zip-lining, and tennis (which he coached for 10 years and may go back to). Wili enjoys travel and adventure!

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Wili Sargable

Class of 2004

Determination is the strength needed to

succeed.

--Dan Gable

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Kevin is also healthy, busy, and happy, as he retired in 2013! He also

spoke with Alan Solomon (Class of 2016) and had these updates for

us:

• Kevin was the Head Wrestling Coach at Lake Brantley High

School for 36 years.

• Vicki, his wife of 45+ years, really did support him and his

teams, as she was the Wrestlerette team sponsor!

• Kevin taught in the Social Studies department and, for a time,

was even the department chair. Over the years he taught

American History, Civics, and AP Economics, as well as working

with Learning Disability students.

• He also spent a year as a Dean.

• Kevin started as the football and baseball coach when the school

opened. He also coached, at one time or another, volleyball,

track and field (the field part – shot put and discus), and

assisted with lacrosse.

• He was selected as Lake Brantley’s Teacher of the Year twice.

• Kevin was also honored to be included as part of the first class

of the LBHS Athletic Hall of Fame.

• Kevin and Vicki enjoy travelling, with New England and the

Four Corners area two of their favorite places. They love the

U.S. Southwest and frequent Native American culture and

historic sites.

• Kevin also reads and reads, mostly history.

Alumni Spotlight

Kevin Carpenger

Class of 2004

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Dear fellow alumni and wrestling supporters,

Please be advised that the closing date to submit nomination

applications will be Saturday, August 15th, 2020. Applications

received on or before this date will be considered for the

Induction Class of 2021. Applications received after August

15th, 2020 will be under consideration for the 2022 Induction

Class.

Nomination applications can be found on our website,

www.nwhof.org/florida. All applications need to include one

letter of nomination and at least two letters of recommendation.

Completed applications are to be sent to Robert Burns, 328 S.E.

2nd Court, Deerfield Beach, Florida, 33441.

If you have any other questions, please contact me at 954- 426-

6457.

Thank you in advance, and for your continued support of the

greatest sport in the world.

Bob Burns. Class of 2007

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Coaches Corner

By Sal Basile, Coaches Representative on the NWHOF FL Chapter Board

The NWHOF Florida Chapter is proud to announce that the legendary

John Smith will be speaking on Thursday, March 5th prior to the 2020 FHSAA

State Tournament. This will be the second consecutive year the Florida

Chapter has had a high-level guest speaker, and one you won’t want to miss.

This special event will be held at the Silver Spurs Arena- Osceola Heritage

Park.

John Smith is the current Head Coach for Oklahoma State University.

Since taking over the historic program in 1991, the team has captured five

NCAA Division1 team titles with an overall dual meet record of 426-62-6. He

has coached 32 individual national champions and 129 All-Americans. As a

competitor, John Smith wrestled for Oklahoma State University, where he

became a two-time national champion. Internationally, he won six

consecutive world gold medals, more than any other American. John also won

gold medals at both the 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympics. In 1997, he was

inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

The Florida Chapter is extremely excited about this opportunity, and

looking forward to seeing everyone in attendance. We also wish the best of

luck to all those competing in the post season!!

Congratulations to Sal for being honored as Florida Wrestling Coach of the Year for 2018-2019 by the National Federation of State High School Associations. Coach Basile led Jesuit Wrestling to its best-ever season, as four Tigers captured Individual State Championships. In January of this year, the Jesuit Tigers won their first Class 2A State Duals Wrestling title! -NWHOF Florida Chapter Board of Directors

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Please support the NWHOF Florida Chapter sponsors

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Officials Position

by Jim Smoot, Officials Representative on the NWHOF FL Chapter Board

Greetings fellow officials,

The regular season is coming to an end and the post-season

(districts, regions and states) are ahead. I hope everyone is having a great

season, and ready for the three weekends of post-season. For those

selected to do the region and state tournaments, good luck. For the

younger officials not selected but wanting to officiate in the future, if you

are able, attend a regional tournament and watch other officials. Another

good way to learn is to volunteer to work the scoring tables at the State

Championships.

Tournament time is an opportunity to talk to seniors about

continuing their wrestling careers by becoming an official. There may be

fans at tournaments that may be interested also, so talk and recruit!

As we head into the off-season for high school wrestling, it is time

to start USA and AAU seasons. One of the best ways to get better and

keep improving as a referee is mat time. This is also a great way to stay

involved and make new friends. The club programs are the future of

wrestling and this is their season, so get out and be part of it.

Have a successful post-season, and I hope to see everyone at the

state tournament.

Thank you,

Jim

PS: Look for updates on when the HOF wrestling tournament will be held

this spring, as we will need officials!

Note: To referee at FAWA tournaments, you will need a USA official’s card,

available at https://www.usawmembership.com/login

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Wrestler Pin Down 1 – FAWA Summer Schedule

By Bill Crum, FAWA Representative on the NWHOF FL Chapter Board

The FAWA 2020 Florida Olympic Style Season is almost here! This year’s schedule includes a FREE Olympic Spirit Weekend, five Tour of Florida events, the Father Devine Championship and the State Championships in Freestyle and Greco Roman.

March 22-23 Inaugural “Olympic Spirit Members’ Weekend” Olympic Heights HS, Boca Raton

March 28 Tour of Florida #1 – Citrus High School, Inverness

April 4 Tour of Florida #2 – Palm Harbor U High School, Palm Harbor

April 4 Tour of Florida #3 – Westside High School, Jacksonville

April 11 Tour of Florida # 4 – St. Thomas University, Miami Lakes

April 18 Father Devine Championships, Osceola HS, Kissimmee

April 25 Tour of Florida #5 – Lake Gibson HS, Lakeland

May 1-2 Freestyle and Greco Roman Championships, Osceola HS, Kissimmee

Details for all events will be found on www.floridaameateurwrestling.org .

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Wrestler Pin Down 2 – Girls Wrestling Update

By Kirwyn Adderley, Girls Wrestling Representative on the NWHOF FL Chapter Board

Girls wrestling continues to be one of the fastest growing sports nationally.

The state of Florida continues to follow the same trend. The Girls State

Championship Tournament this year will be at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando,

FL on February 14-15. We are projecting the largest tournament ever this year

with anticipation of over 300 girls competing in the tournament. I hope that next

year Girls Wrestling is a sanctioned sport by the state.

Freestyle season begins in March. Freestyle is the style women wrestle in

college. We are looking for the similar growth in Florida girls’ freestyle that we

have seen in folk style wrestling. Team Florida Girls Freestyle teams have had All-

American performances at Junior Women’s National Duals Team with 5th place

2018 and 6th place 2019. Team Florida Girls hope to take two teams this year for

the national duals. This is will help Florida to continue as one of the top states

for women wrestling.

The easiest thing to do in the world is pull

the covers up over your head and go back

to sleep

-Dan Gable

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Please support the NWHOF Florida Chapter supporters

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Museum Memo

by Pete Collins, Class of 2012, Museum Director for the Florida Chapter

The Florida Chapter will be again be displaying its mobile museum at the FHSAA State Tournament on March 6th and 7th. Stop by the museum display on the upper level of the Silver Spurs Arena to view banners, videos, photographs, and wrestling memorabilia of Florida’s wrestling history, including the following

items.

1. Our first museum artifact is an example of the many pieces of exceptional wrestling artwork donated by Dr. Omar Mubaidin.

2. Thank you, Rick Tucci, Class of 2000, for the donation of your FILA Star

Award, and the London 2012 Olympics memorabilia.

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3. Thank you, Johnny Rouse. Class of 2001, for the UCF wrestling jacket.

4. A few of many articles contributed by Dot Curtis, Class 2014. Dot and her husband Don, Class of 2014, were important figures in the founding of amateur wrestling in Florida in the 1960s and 70s.

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The Florida Chapter thanks our alumni and all those who have donated memorabilia to the museum. We are continually adding to our collection. If you would like to make a donation, please contact Pete Collins at

petecollins52@gmail.com .

**********

Best wishes for a great post-season!

On behalf of everyone here at MyHOUSE, we wish you all – wrestlers, coaches, officials, booster clubs, and fans – a great final three weeks of the 2019-2020

wrestling season!

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Please support the NWHOF Florida Chapter sponsors

561-245-4722

**********************

239-936-9006

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Website Wonders By Bob Thomas, Class of 2017, Media Services Chair for the Florida Chapter

Our Museum and Web Pages

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum (NWHOFM) has its

roots and existence in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In keeping with the

NWHOF’s mission of “preservation, recognition, and inspiration”, our

Florida Chapter has established a ‘traveling’ museum that, when not on

the road, lives in the home of Museum Curator, Pete Collins (Class of

2012). Our collection relies on memorabilia and the history we can glean

from our State Championship programs. From these programs we can

follow the evolution of state classification, venues, and bracketing.

In October 2019, we began posting championship programs to tell

the story of Florida high school wrestling. Over time, we will continue to

upload entire programs for viewing on our website:

https://nwhof.org/florida/. Curator Pete Collins’ research has

uncovered some interesting history and we want to share with you a little

of what we have learned.

• A copy of the first state program, published in 1965, is in the hands of a

private collector

• Our collection begins with the 1976 program.

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• After 13 years, 1978 became the first tournament with two divisions, 3A

and 4A.

• Our programs tell us that, in 1993, Florida added 2A to complete a three

divisional championship (3A, 4A). Two years later, in 1995, the state

labeled the divisions 4A, 5A, and 6A.

• Change came in the form of the FHSAA’s newest classifications of 1A,

2A, and 3A for the 2000 tournament, as they remain to this day.

• For you old timers, from 1965 through 1996, championship brackets

where known as “follow the leader” and only awarded 4 places. This

meant that, if you lost in the first two rounds, a wrestler only qualified

for the consolation bracket if their loss was to an eventual finalist.

• In the years ‘97’ and ’98, the tournament reflected what other states

had been doing, which was a double elimination bracket, but still

placing only 4 wrestlers in each weight class.

• In 1999, the tournament brackets were set to award the top 6 place

finishers. Many states today are awarding the top 8 placers.

• 1988 was a bellwether year for the FHSAA. Both divisions were held at

the Manatee County Civic Center. Up until that point, finals were

hosted in high school and community college gymnasiums. Since that

time, all classifications have competed at one venue.

• The St. Petersburg Bayfront Center had four turns as the host while the

West Palm Beach Auditorium was host twice. The Lakeland Civic Center

hosted 10 years before the state shifted to the Silver Spurs Arena in

Kissimmee.

• For at least 6 years, 1998 -2003, the championship was held over a

three-day period. No doubt it was considered too costly in the long run

and it rolled back into a two-day event.

The programs we have acquired add up to 24, leaving us woefully shy of

the 55 years of programs we wish to preserve. Also keep in mind that for

10 years there were two separate locations for 3A and 4A, each with its

own program. For those years we only have the 3A programs.

The factoids presented in this piece are only a small part of what

we could learn if we had all of the programs. We ask each of you to help

fill in the program gaps with the donation of one we could keep, or you

may have one to loan that could be scanned and returned.

Please visit us on the web at https://nwhof.org/florida/ and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NWHOF.FloridaChapter/

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Please support the NWHOF Florida Chapter sponsors

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Memories of Great Matches Involving Florida Wrestlers by Ira Fleckman, Class of 2006, Contributing Writer

DENNIS GITZ, Cypress Lake HS VS HARVEY ADAMS, Sarasota Riverview HS

Dennis was a fellow who could light up a room. He was about 145,

5'6" and had a big mop of blond curly hair that just seemed to explode up

off his head. Dennis bounced rather than walked. He was always smiling.

He always had a unique way of dealing with situations and an

interesting way of looking at events around him. One time, when we were

trying to locate one of our missing wrestlers, I asked Dennis to see if the

little ones were in the bathroom. Dennis went to the bathroom door,

opened it an announced,” Everyone out, hurricane!"

The era was mid-1970 and there were a great many problems in the

public schools of that day. I can't say for sure which of my wrestlers

attended certain parties and which did not. I worked all the wrestlers extra

hard in the hope that if I couldn't get them too tired to misbehave; at least I

could make them sweat enough to clean them up a little. Dennis wasn't a

problem and even though he was hyper at times I never saw him do

anything wrong. Dennis was sharp and seemed to do well in his classes

Dennis loved to live by the overhook (Wizzer). He used it offensively

and defensively and once he secured this hold, he felt he was in charge of

the match. Dennis sported the nickname “The Animal" because he

appeared and wrestled just a little wildly.

Harvey Adams was well mannered, even quiet. He was always

respectful, but a hard-nosed competitor on the mat. Sarasota Riverview

had a solid team, and I thought that the competition would be good for my

Cypress Lake club. The bout attracted a great deal of attention, especially

the match-up of Dennis Gitz and Harvey Adams.

The bout began with the wrestlers both attacking and Dennis fighting

to secure his overhook. There were some early scrambles but neither

wrestler seemed able to gain the position he wanted. Then Dennis just

jumped into Harvey and overhooked his arm. Harvey stepped in front of

Dennis and hip threw him as high and far as he would go. With his arm still

holding tightly to his overhook grip, Dennis sailed through the air and

landed flat on the mat.

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I did argue with the referee to consider calling a slam but, to be honest, I

wanted to buy time to see if Dennis would get up. Dennis got up, but

Harvey dominated the match. When the match ended, Harvey's

teammates announced that his new nickname would be "THE TAMER".

Dennis graduated and I never did hear from him or about him. Harvey

Adams went on to wrestle at Central State in Ohio and was a four-time

NAIA All-American from 1978 through 1981. He was a teacher/coach at

Palatka HS for a while, and their teams did as well as they have under any

coach they have had. I saw Harvey down in Sarasota some years back

and he said he was looking to coach wrestling again.

Since those days not too many wrestlers have full bushy hairdos but

whenever I see a great crop of blond hair going in every direction, I can't

help but think of Dennis and wonder what he is doing these days.

More enduringly than any other sport, wrestling

teaches self-control and pride. Some have

wrestled without great skill – none have

wrestled without pride.

----Dan Gable

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Qualified Charitable Contributions from IRAs

Retirement Plans

Certain IRA holders have the opportunity to make tax-free distributions from their IRAs to qualified charitable

organizations. For tax-free eligibility, the qualified charitable distribution (QCD) must be sent directly from the

IRA payable to the receiving qualified 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Eligibility and Donation Limit IRA holders must be at least 70½ years of age before the distribution. In addition, beneficiaries of inherited IRAs who meet the age requirement can also take advantage of QCDs.

For those who qualify, the maximum IRA charitable distribution is limited to $100,000 per tax year. Any distribution in excess of this limit will not qualify for the tax exclusion benefit and will be treated as ordinary income. The provision applies for Traditional, Roth, and inherited IRAs, but does not typically apply to distributions from “active” SEP or SIMPLE IRAs.

Benefits of a QCD If a taxpayer makes the donation as prescribed by the IRS, then the distribution will be excluded from gross income and counts toward:

• The taxpayer’s $100,000 exclusion limitation for the year the distribution occurs and • The taxpayer’s required minimum distribution (RMD) for the current year

With the increase in the standard deduction for 2018 and future tax years to $26,600 for married filing jointly age 65 or older and $13,600 for single filers age 65 or older, more Americans will be using the standard deduction rather than itemizing deductions on their tax returns. QCDs are excluded from taxable income, but do not allow for an itemized deduction. If more individuals age 70 ½ or older use the standard deduction, the QCD is a great way to keep taxable income lower when satisfying an RMD and still get the full benefit of the standard deduction. By using the standard deduction, a taxpayer will receive no benefit for their charitable contribution unless it is processed as a QCD from an IRA. In addition, by not including a charitable donation from an IRA as ordinary income, an individual’s adjusted gross income is not increased, which could affect the ability to:

• Qualify for Roth IRA contributions

• Avoid other potential tax ramifications, such as:

1. The 3.8% health care surcharge. (Even though distributions from IRAs are exempt from the 3.8% health care surcharge, taxable distributions from IRAs could push income over the threshold amount, causing other investment income to be subject to the surtax.) 2. Paying more for Medicare Premiums. 3. Taxation on Social Security Benefits.

QCD Tax Reporting

Typically, the custodian of an IRA will report a QCD as a normal distribution on the 1099R tax form, while QCDs from inherited

IRAs are reported as death distributions. This gives the IRS no notification that an IRA holder intended to make a tax-free

distribution from the IRA to a charity. It is the responsibility of the IRA holder or his or her tax preparer to properly report the

QCD on a 1040 tax return. It is also strongly suggested that the IRA holder obtains a receipt from the charitable organization.

Is a QCD the right strategy for you?

Please seek the aid of a competent tax advisor or tax attorney for guidance.

One Financial Plaza | 501 North Broadway | St. Louis, Missouri 63102 Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated | Member SIPC & NYSE | www.stifel.com

PCR# 032018-01 Stifel does not provide tax advice. You should consult with your professional tax advisor regarding your particular situation.

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About the Florida Chapter

The Florida Chapter for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame was established in 2000.

Our mailing address is: National Wrestling Hall of Fame - Florida Chapter 1505 Crowberry Lane, Sebastian, FL 32958

Our email address is nwhof.fl@att.net

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS Gary Townsend, President gltownsend@bellsouth.net

Don Smith, Vice President djs4track@gmail.com

Jane Townsend, Secretary jpt49@bellsouth.net

Emily Drews, Treasurer emilydrews@msn.com

Sam Agresti slagresti@comcast.net

Robert Burns hofwrestle07@yahoo.com

Pete Collins petecollins52@gmail.com

Bill Combs mcbmbc@aol.com

Jeff Malavsky jmalavsky@aol.com

Robert Matyskiel rem@pbcwhof.com

BOARD MEMBERS (one year terms) Sal Basile, Coaches basile554@aol.com

Bill Crum, FAWA billcwrestling@gmail.com

Robbie Lindeman, FHSAA rlindeman@fhsaa.org

Kirwyn Adderley, Girls kirwynadderley@yahoo.com

Bob Thomas, Media Services rtownsendt@1791.com

Jim Smoot, Officials jim_smoot@hotmail.com

VISIT WEBSITE: http://nwhof.org/florida/

ON FACEBOOK

https://www.facebook.com/NationalWrestlingHallOfFameFloridaChapter/

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