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Darrel LauderdaleSoutheastern |
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Is a High School Teacher and Coach who has successfully taught within the public school system for 32 years, coached high school and college athletics for 37 years, and administered athletic programs for 32 years.
AAU History
Wrestling events Served as Tournament Director and Site Director for the following national wrestling events:
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Dick TorioOhio |
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High School: Lincoln High School - Jersey City, New Jersey, 1947
Sports: Football, Gymnastics, Swimming & Track
Captained both Gymnastics and Swim Teams
Interstate Interscholastic Gymnastic Long Horse Champion 1946
College: University of Toledo, Bachelor of Business Administration, 1954
Sports: Football and Wrestling
Wrestling: Four-I -Champion 191 lbs. wt. class, 1953; Mid-American Champion Heavyweight class 1953; Three time NCAA All-American at three different weight classes - 1951 third 177 lbs, 1952 fourth Heavyweight & 1953 third 191 lbs.
Who's Win in American Colleges, 1953
National:
U.S. Army Officer, Korea, 1955-1957
Founded Torio Health Club in 1957 - Producing National and World contenders in three different sports: Wrestling, Football, and Weightlifting (Olympic style and Powerlifting)
Assistant Coach at University of Toledo Wrestling, 1959 - 1963
Coached NCAA three-time All Americans Merril Solowin, Dick Wilson and Greg Wojoiechowski
Coached U.S. World Team Greco Roman, Sweden, 1963: Produced first U.S. medal ever at Heavyweight in World competition
Manager of U.S. Olympic Team, Mexico 1968
Member of U.S. Olympic Committee from 1968 - 1978
Secretary of U.S. Olympic Committee from 1972 - 1976
Member of National AAU Committee from 1959 - 1977
Executive Committee member of National AAU from 1968 - 1977
Editor of the Olympic (FILA) rules summary that helped popularize Olympic style wrestling competition throughout the USA from 1969 - 1986
Editor of National AAU Wrestling rule book, 1975 - 1977
Recipient of National AAU's Official of the Year Award, 1976
Inducted into US National Wrestling Hall of Fame, 1995
International:
Exceptional Category FILA Official 1960 - 1978
Officiated in 22 Olympic and Senior World Championships in 13 nations around the world
Recipient of award for officiating work in Munich Olympics, 1972
Awarded all three of the top International FILA Wrestling honors:
1964 - Order of the Golden Knight
1966 - Order of the Commander
1972 - The Golden Cluster
Tournament Director of 1962 & 1966 World Freestyle and Greco Roman Championships in Toledo (marking the first time these events were held in the western hemisphere)
Tournament Director of World Cup Freestyle Championships in Toledo, 1973 - 1986
Served as an official or team manager in five consecutive Olympics - Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964, Mexico 1968, Munich 1972 and Montreal 1976
Miscellaneous:
Fifth Place Winner Mr. World Physique, Philadelphia 1951
Wrestled Professionally, winning several Championship Belts, 1953 - 1958
President of Ohio AAU for all sports 1976 - 1977
Four times honored as one of Toledo Area Chamber of Commerce's ten most outstanding young men 1958, 1960, 1961 and 1962
Faculty of Holy Spirit Seminary 1964 - 1972
Voted into University of Toledo Athletic Hall of Fame 1964
Voted into Greater Toledo Area Athletic Hall of Fame 1965
Recipient of University of Toledo's Highest alumni honor - Gold T Award, 1978
Voted into American-Italian Hall of Fame 1996
Married to Barbara, and father to 7 children (4 boys, 3 girls), all graduates of Toledo Public School System
All 9 family members earned degrees from the University of Toledo, for a total of 15 degrees
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Kurt WeinbergerPennsylvania |
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Officiating History: |
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Greg M. Wojciechowski "The Great Wojo"Ohio |
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An only child born to parents Richard and Elaine Wojciechowski on Nov. 13, 1951, in Toledo, Mr. Wojciechowski was one of the best athletes ever produced by the University of Toledo, or by the city itself.
He was a protege of local wrestling icons Dick Torio, Joe Scalzo, and UT coach Dick Wilson while working out as a youth at Mr. Torio’s health club. He won back-to-back heavyweight state wrestling championships with unbeaten seasons for Whitmer High School in 1967 and ’68. He posted a 55-2 career record in three seasons for UT, reaching the NCAA heavyweight finals each year, winning the national championship as a junior in 1971, and ending as runner-up in 1970 and 1972. He also became 4-time AAU champion in the heavyweight division winning the championship in 1970, 1971, 1974, and 1975 Between 1969 and 1979, he also won eight freestyle national AAU championships and five Greco-Roman titles. Starting during his senior year at Whitmer, Mr. Wojciechowski competed for a spot on the U.S. Olympic freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling teams four times (1968, 1972, 1976, and 1980), three times ending as runner-up in one or both to become the team’s heavyweight alternate three times, before finally earning a spot as the U.S. freestyle heavyweight in 1980.
International politics nixed his chance to compete at the 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow because then-President Jimmy Carter had called for a U.S. boycott of the games in protest of the host Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. He later transitioned to the world of professional wrestling, competing for 12-plus years in the Indianapolis-based World Wrestling Association under the moniker “The Great Wojo.” He first won the WWA heavyweight championship in 1984 and later regained the title in 1985 and 1987 before retiring. In 2009, Mr. Wojciechowski’s life took an unexpected turn when he suffered a dissected aorta while working out and had life-saving open-heart surgery. He recovered, but was forced to retire on medical disability. Although unable to lift heavy weights, wrestle, or coach wrestling after his surgery, he remained involved in the sport well into his 70s.
Labeling himself a wrestling “booster,” he helped young wrestlers with everything from equipment necessities to transportation to workouts and tournaments. Mr. Knepper said that Mr. Wojciechowski was most proud of what he did for underprivileged students at Bowsher and Libbey high schools. Having earned his degree in education from UT in 1972, Mr. Wojciechowski was a teacher for more than 30 years, all but one year in Toledo Public Schools. He also served as head wrestling coach at Archbold, Libbey, and Bowsher high schools. |
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