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Hall of Fame Members Inducted

By Admin, 05/21/18, 1:00PM EDT

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Class of 2018 Inspires Crowd at Annual Celebration

The North Carolina Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame added six new inductees Sunday at their annual Awards Banquet and induction ceremony. The gala event, held at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill each year, drew together wrestlers, coaches, and supporters from across the state to celebrate this year's class.

To start the evening, First Flight High School senior Alex Nguyen was presented with the Tricia Saunders Award of Excellence, while Quincy Monday of Carboro was awarded the Dave Shultz Award of Excellence. Both wrestlers excelled both on the mats, and in the classroom their senior season. Alex, who is also a world class Jui jitsu competitor, will take next year to train full time, while Quincy will be continuing his wrestling career and  attending Princeton University.

Longtime wrestling legend Jerry "Mousey" Daniels was honored with a special presentation, featuring a video tribute from many former wrestlers who had the honor of being coached by him at some point in his over fifty years on the mat! CLICK HERE to check out the tribute video.

The class of 2018 included:

Andy Chappell- His thirty four year coaching career has resulted in five state championship teams, over 440 career dual meet victories. He has coached numerous state champions, including a 4x, 3x and 2x state champion. Chappell is still active as the head coach of Ledford High School.

John DeWeese- DeWeese earned 402 career dual meet victories, 13 conference championships, and was part of four state championship teams.

Martin Flemming- Founder and editor of the Takedown Report, Flemming has been instrumental in the promotion and broadcasting of wrestling events, including the NCHSAA State Championships.

Melton Hardee- Coach Hardee was a stand out high school and college wrestler at West Forsyth and WSSU, and went on to coach for over thirty years, including five seasons at WSSU, and eighteen season at Carver HS. Hardee is still actively coaching in Georgia.

Leigh Harris- Harris began an over fifty year career in wrestling in North Carolina as a wrestler at WCU. Harris has coached and taught in the Asheville area since 1987, but he is perhaps best known for his work as a mat official. His twenty one years in coaching and over thirty four years of officiating have made him one of the pillars of Western NC wrestling.

Vaughn Johnson (Outstanding American Award)- Johnson was a state runner up for West Carteret HS in 1980, then went on to NC State to play football. He played eleven seasons of professional football, including nine years with the New Orleans Saints, where he was a 4 time pro-bowl selection and selected as a member of the Saints Hall of Fame. He currently lives and works in Morehead City, where he is an active member of the community and a big supporter of local youth sports and activities.

Thanks to everyone who attended and supported this year's banquet. If you would like to learn more about the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, make a donation, or nominate deserving members of the North Carolina wrestling community, visit the Hall of Fame by CLICKING HERE.