One of area’s more well known names in Wrestling received another honor in December. Dale Hodkiewicz was notified that he will be inducted into the 2017 National Wrestling Hall of Fame this Spring. That announcement was made in front of friends and family at a celebration that was supposed to take place after the Shawano Holiday Wrestling Classic. The announcement was scheduled to be made during the tournament, but bad weather threats cancelled the event.
“This is the first time since I started running the Tournament, that it has been cancelled” said Hodkiewicz.
Bonduel Wrestling Coach Chris Rank made the presentation at the Launching Pad that evening.
“I was really looking forward to the Tournament this year, because we had a special announcement we wanted to make, but we had to go to Plan B. We tried to get you into the Wisconsin Wrestling Hall of Fame, but that did not happen yet, but I think something happened here that is bigger and better” said Rank.
With that, Rank presented a shocked Dale Hodkiewicz with the news.
“You are looking at a 2017 inductee to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame”
“That’s crazy” exclaimed Hodkiewicz. “I love this sport and I love all the guys in it, even the guys I hate I love.”
The induction is for a lifetime achievement, and Rank went through Dale’s Road in the sport of wrestling.
“It is a lifetime commitment what he has done. He deserves to be in there and I could not be more thrilled than to have the opportunity to notify him that he is going in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.”
Hodkiewicz wrestled at Seymour High School, spent time coaching at Bonduel and Shawano, and is currently an assistant coach at Menominee Indian High School. Along with being a wrestler and a coach, Hodkiewicz has spent time running multiple tournaments and even spent time behind the mic, broadcasting the State Wrestling Tournament on radio.
“Total shock, just a total shock. I am so humbled and even being considered for something like this is just unbelievable. I do what I do because I love to do what I am doing” said Hodkiewicz. I am not looking for awards, that is not even in my thought process. I do it because I love the sport. ”
Dale is going to be inducted with many people that he knows, including his College roommate.