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NATIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAMEWest Virginia State Chapter |
NATIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME
West Virginia State Chapter
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President: William Archer Vice President: Garry Bender Treasurers: Wayne and Diana Bennett Secretary: Diana Archer |
Wayne Bennett, Banquet Chairman Dr. William Welker Jenny Hannan, Photographer, Website Manager Dr. Timothy Miller |
 Liberatore Ciccolella (left) receives his award from Jim Isaac, (WV HOF '18) |
Liberatore Ciccolella -- "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" Liberatore Ciccolella was a 1969 Graduate of Follansbee High School (now Brooke Co. HS). He went on to graduate from Marshall University with a BA in 1972 and a MA in 1976 in Biological Sciences. In 1972, he began his teaching and coaching at Barboursville Jr. HS. His teams won several county team and individual championships with proudly one - Ernie Sparks (WVWHOF 2009). Then he moved on to Barboursville HS and later Cabell Midland HS as a Freshman Coach. These teams won the Freshman Division at the WSAZ Tournaments 7 times. Lib was also the Assistant Varsity Coach. The 1998-99 season had the Cabell Midland HS Team finish as AAA State Runner-Up. Lib has also coached Golf both Freshman/Jr. Varsity from 1989-94 and later Assistant from 1995-97. As head Golf Coach at CMHS from 1998-2001, the 2000 Golf Team won the AAA State Championships. Prior to and since retiring, he has continued his involvement with wrestling serving as an announcer for Dual Meets, the WSAZ Tournament, Regionals and State Tournaments. More recently he has had duties as a Poster of Team Scores for the WSAZ and the WV State Tournaments. In 2007, Lib retired from CMHS, but still teaches as a substitute. He is active in community service through his involvement with the Barboursville Lions Club. Lib resides in the Village of Barboursville with his wife, Candy of 52 years. They have two sons, Jared and Jacob with his partner Josh Campbell. Lib and Candy have 4 grandchildren: Rayen, Ellis, Sebastian and Braxton Ciccolella. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame honors Liberatore Ciccolella with a "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" award, class of 2023. |
 The children of the late Joe Giovengo receive the award from Ray Marling (WV HOF '18) |
Joseph Giovengo (Deceased) -- "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" Joe Giovengo began wrestling as an elementary student in a local youth league team. His father, the late Thomas Giovengo, Sr., was Joe's head coach on the "Benwood (wv) Bruisers" small-fry wrestling team. He and his two brothers - Josh and Tom, Jr. - excelled on the youth wrestling mats of West Virginia. Later, Joe had a very successful mat career for Bishop Donahue (WV) High School for Emil Nardone (2006 National Wrestling Hall of Fame - West Virginia Chapter Member) and his father (2021 National Wrestling Hall of Fame - West Virginia Chapter Member). Like so many dedicated wrestlers, Joe Giovengo wanted to give back to the sport that has meant so much to him. He assisted his father, producing many future champions on the Benwood Bruisers' youth wrestling team. Joe also coached at the high school level at Bishop Donahue High School. Joe was the founder of the Ohio Valley Wrestling League which consists of 300 participants, including a girls' division. The League was the 2023 State Champions. He also coached the Valkyrie Wrestling Club, the first girls-only wrestling team in West Virginia. He later coached numerous student-athletes at Linsly School, a private secondary institution in Wheeling, West Virginia. Unfortunately, after a long battle with cancer, Joe passed away in 2022. Joe is survived by his loving wife, Michelle, and his four children: Juliana, Isabella, Nico and Romeo. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame honors the late Joseph Giovengo with a "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" award, class of 2023. |
 Todd Grass (center) receives his award from Rob Archer and Jim Lemaster, (WV HOF '12) |
Todd Grass -- "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" Todd Grass was a 1989 graduate of Milton High School. He began his wrestling career at 6 years of age wrestling for Mike Ellis (WVWHOF Class of 2012). As a member of the Milton High School Wrestling Team, Todd was a state placer in 1988. He was coached by Bane McCracken (WVWHOF Class of 2012). In 1994, Todd graduated from Marshall University. After college graduation, he started his officiating career in 1990-2005 following his father Joe (WVWHOF Class of 2004}. In 1991, he called his first regional tournament. Todd was and still is the youngest referee to ever officiate the Wv High School State Wrestling Tournament in 1996 at the age of 21. In 2000, he was honored as the WV State Official of the Year and received a standing ovation from the fans and his colleagues at the state tournament arena. Todd began coaching his son in 2003 at Milton Youth League until 2005. He then built a garage next to his house and turned it into a Wrestling Room for his son and several other kids who named it the MONSTER GARAGE. Several of his youth Wrestlers became State Champions in Youth and High School Tournaments. From 2009 - 2011, he was the Assistant Coach for Milton Middle School where the team was 3x WSAZ Champions and 3X number 1 Team in WV. He became a fan during his son's wrestling career at Huntington High School and college career at Mercy Hurst University. Currently Todd is coaching the Huntington Elite (HAMMERS) with Rob Archer. Todd and his wife, Dari reside in Culloden, WV. They have 2 children Logan and Caden. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame honors Todd Grass with a "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" award, class of 2023. |
 Shane Kildow (center) receives his award from Mike Stalnaker, (WV HOF '21) and Ray Marling, (WV HOF '18) |
Shane Kildow -- "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" Shane Kildow has been a registered wrestling official in West Virginia and Ohio for three decades. He has officiated the West Virginia State Wrestling Championships in Huntington, West Virginia. He has also arbitrated numerous sectional and district tournaments in Ohio, as well as overseeing the mats at the Ohio State Championships in Columbus, Ohio. Shane Kildow was selected as the West Virginia Wrestling Official of the Year in 2010. He was also selected as the Larry Deaton Ohio Valley Athletic Conference (OVAC) Wrestling Official of the Year in 2014, the largest athletic conference of its kind in the country. He has officiated 27 West Virginia State Championships, four Ohio State Championships, 27 West Virginia Regional Tournaments, and 29 Ohio District Tournaments. Shane and his devoted wife, Patty, reside in Belmont, Ohio. They have three beautiful children: Taylor, Luke, and Katie. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame honors Shane Kildow with a "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" award, class of 2023. |
 Rick Newman (center) receives his award from Dale Hinkle, (WV HOF '09) as daughter Terri looks on |
Richard "Rick" Newman -- "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" Richard "Rick" Newman is a 1963 graduate of Huntington East High where he played baseball and ran track. He was a Merit Scholarship Semi-finalist. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1963 and served 3 years active (and 21 total.) He attended Marshall University where he acquired his Bachelor and Masters degrees. Newman started his wrestling coaching career at Ravenswood High School as a volunteer coach, then Dale Hinkle's assistant coach. He not only kept immaculate score for the Red Devils, but was head scorer for two LKC Tournaments, Two Regionals and other large tournaments. After leaving Ravenswood, he became coach of Fairland, Ohio High School , and then coach at Dawson- Bryant High School in Ohio, when he was informed that he was the only Librarian Head Wrestling coach in Ohio. He then coached at Barboursville Junior High where he won a county championship, had two runner-up teams and coached 13 county champions. He then joined Ernie Sparks at Barboursville High and later Cabell Midland as Freshman/ Assistant Coach. His Freshman teams won 4 WSAZ titles. At Midland, he assisted on two teams who were state Runners-Up. After retiring from coaching, he returned to keeping score at various matches, tournaments, WSAZ's, and state tournaments, still known for his accuracy. His daughter, Terri Wilson, lives in South Carolina. She works in medical records. His hobby is Trivia. He was NTN WV trivia champion in 1991. He coached Cabell Midland to a state academic state championship in 2006, and his pub trivia team finished 2nd in the state I out of 230) in 2023. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame honors Richard "Rick" Newman with a "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" award, class of 2023. |
 Rick Price (left) receives his award from Dr. Vince Monseau, (WV HOF '03) as daughter Shannon and wife Che Che look on |
Rick Price -- "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" A graduate of Oak Glen (W.Va.) High School. Rick Price was the FIRST West Virginia State Wrestling Champion coached by Vince Monseau in 1967 . Price then came to West Liberty State College in the late 1960 and immediately began carving out an impressive athletic career. A three-time West Virginia Conference individual champion and a three-time captain of the Hilltopper wrestling team, Price set a career record for winning percentage (57-5-1, .913) which still stands today. He also excelled as runner and earned AII-WVIAC honors in track and field. Rick holds a BA from West Liberty and a MA from West Virginia University. Rick Price joined Dr. Vince Monseau (2003 NWHOF-West Virginia Chapter Charter Member) as his assistant coach and had a hand in building the West Liberty University "Hilltopper" mat program to national prominence. He was a West Liberty University assistant wrestling coach from 1990 until 2010. Rick Price has been helping Hilltopper wrestlers reach their full potential on and off the mat for the better part of two decades. Upon retirement, the wrestling locker room was named in his honor as both a dynamic wrestling coach and educator at the University (2011). Rick and his devoted wife, Che Che have three children: Holly, Shannon, and Matthew. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame honors Rick Price with an "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" award, class of 2023. |
 Racine Thompson (right) receives his award from Wayne Bennett (WV HOF '03) |
Racine Thompson -- "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" Racine Thompson graduated from Beckley's Woodrow Wilson High School in 1960, where he participated in football, wrestling, and track. He was team captain, regional champion, and the 106 pound West Virginia State Wrestling Champion his senior year. He later received a B.A. degree from Glenville State College (now University) and an M.A. degree from Marshall University. After a short stint in Roane County, he took a teaching job in Raleigh County where he became the first, ever, full time elementary physical education instructor. During the 1970's he officiated college and high school wrestling and served one year as an assistant wrestling coach at Independence High School. He also coached girls and boys basketball at the elementary and high school levels. After becoming a school administrator he hosted several wrestling tournaments and served on the Board of Trustees for the WVSSAC. He was an administrator at five different high schools in Raleigh County. In 1981, he was inducted into the first class of the Raleigh County Wrestling Hall of Fame. In 1990, he became assistant superintendent of schools and served as project manager overseeing the construction of six new schools and the renovation of several others, (Including wrestling rooms). He always stated that, "wrestling contributed to his work ethic and discipline required of him to perform such an important and phenomenal task." Racine retired after forty-six years of service but continues to support a variety of sports and charitable organizations. He and his wife, Doris, are the proud parents of Jaime, Jenine and Jennifer and grandparents of Garland, Jacinda, Aiden, Alexis, and Jillian. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame honors Racine Thompson with a "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" award, class of 2023. |