MANHEIM, PA.- Former Central College wrestler Rick Stahl was one of seven individuals chosen by the National Wrestling Coaches Association for the Division III Hall of Fame in 2024.
Stahl was selected for his stellar career as a Division III wrestling official, working 23 NCAA Division III Championship meets. He also was an official for seven NCAA Division I Championships and two more at the NCAA Division II Championships.
“Division III wrestling has been a huge part of my life for over 35 years,” Stahl told the NWCA. “I love that academics come first and that wrestlers compete because they truly love the sport. I knew as an official that being an all-American or a national champion was just as important to these student-athletes as it was to a wrestler Division I or II.”
Stahl was a four-time varsity letterwinner for the Dutch, earning a trip to the NCAA Division III Championships as a junior in 1986. In that junior season, he finished 29-19 and placed second at 142 pounds at the Iowa Conference Championships. He was also a conference runner-up as a freshman in 1984.
Rick and his wife, Stepanie, reside in Marion, Iowa. They are the proud parents of daughters in Amanda and Madison and are excited for the arrival of their first grandchild.
The honorees will be officially inducted at the annual banquet held in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. on Friday, July 26, 2024 during the NWCA’s annual convention.
