2009 NWCA National Scholastic Award Recipients

5/8/2009 2:28:00 PM

Manheim, Pa. – The National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholastic Board of Directors is proud to announce the 2009 Scholastic Awards.  The four award categories are:  National Coach of the Year, National Assistant Coach of the Year, National Wrestler of the Year, and National Prep Coach of the Year.

This year’s nominees for National Coach, National Prep Coach and National Assistant Coach of the year bring a combined total of 101 years of coaching experience to the mat. They have coached numerous state champions and hold impressive records in their respective states. 

Jerry Winterton of Cary, NC has been selected as the NWCA National Coach of the Year. Winterton is an accomplished coach with 36 years of coaching experience, and a career record of 608 wins and multiple state titles along with 48 individual state champions. He is a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame North Carolina Chapter, Class of 2004. Cary High School has won the last five State Individual Championships which brings their total to twenty. Winterton has coached for the last nineteen individual championships.

“I have been blessed to have this happen to me. I would like to thank the NWCA for recognizing me for this award, I greatly appreciate it. I am absolutely thrilled,” said Winterton.

“I am also very fortunate to have the support of my family, my assistant coaches, my principal Mr. Doug Thilman and Kurt Glendenning my Athletic Director as I know Cary High School is the best place to coach or be a student/athlete.   I'm also thankful for all the great wrestlers who have come through our program over the years especially the stars we've had in the last 5-6 years who have gone on to do such great things in National competitions as well as continuing with their education and wrestling in college.”

Winterton is also a Physical Education Teacher at Cary High School.

“Coach Winterton is a great example of the type of person that the NWCA continues to recognize. Not only is he an educator, but he has devoted his years in this sport to molding the next generation in the sport of wrestling. His longevity and accomplishments as a high school coach are remarkable,” said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director.

“Our goal as a coaches association is to continue to recognize coaches for their accomplishments along with promoting the areas of coaching education that are essential to a successful program.”

Harlan Hankins, the long-time assistant coach from Roosevelt High School in Colorado, receives the National Assistant Coach of the Year Honors. 

Hankins has spent the past thirty-five years of his life devoted to the Roosevelt High School Wrestling Team as the assistant coach.  His longevity in this position has surpassed many others, while he and Head Coach Mike Pallotto provide consistency at Roosevelt High School for their wrestling program.  He has also had the opportunity to coach his three sons throughout his time at Roosevelt.  Hankins has had the honor of coaching 31 state champions and 96 state place winners.

Coach Pallotto had nothing but gracious words for his long-time assistant, “I knew he wrestled for Colorado State University (CSU), when he moved out here. We talked about the Roosevelt program, from there we started a youth program, and Harlan began coaching at the middle school for ten years, a position that his son now has. Our coaching philosophy is the same, which is what puts us in this unique situation.”

“A lot of our success as a program is directly related to Hankins, he is a great guy and will do anything for the program. He is very deserving and any coach would give their right arm to have him as their assistant.”

Eric Grajales a senior wrestler from Florida Powerhouse, Brandon High School will receive this year’s National Wrestler of the Year honors. Grajales finished his senior season with a 62-0 record (217-0 career) and as a four-time state champion.  He was named the Outstanding Wrestler at the 2009 Dapper Dan Classic after he pinned three-time Pennsylvania State Champion Dane Johnson of Shady Side Academy. His most recently accomplishment on the mat was as a 2009 FILA Jr. National Champion in Greco Roman. 

Grajales currently holds a 4.9 GPA on a 4.0 scale as he is finishing up his senior year of high school.

“Eric Grajales is an exceptional student-athlete. Not only has he excelled on the wrestling mat, but he has also done extremely well in the classroom.  I look forward to seeing great things from Eric as he continues his wrestling career and education at the University of Michigan in the fall,” said Moyer.

Receiving the NWCA’s National Prep Coach of the Year award is Jeff Buxton of Blair Academy. Buxton has been a member of the Blair family for twenty-seven years as the wrestling coach and a math teacher, and has been coaching the sport of wrestling for thirty years.  Blair Academy has won twenty-nine National Prep Titles and has been ranked the number one team in the country nine times.  There have been a total of 149 Individual National Prep Champions under Coach Buxton. He is also currently the Cadet and Junior National Team Coach.

 “It is an honor to be associated with the NWCA. I attribute this coaching award to the support I receive from the Blair coaching Staff, the school, the wrestlers and parents. We had a tremendous year with great success in wrestling; but I am more proud of what our wrestlers have accomplished as students as they move on to Harvard, Princeton, Penn, Columbia, American, Michigan and Penn State,” said Buxton.

 This is the first year that the NWCA has sponsored the National Prep Coach of the Year Award as an NWCA National Scholastic Award.

 “Coach Buxton has accomplished great things in his time at Blair Academy, along with producing accomplished wrestlers on and off the mat. The NWCA was honored to have him as a guest clinician at the 2009 NCAA Championships. Where he was able to share some of his coaching techniques with the other coaches in attendance,” said NWCA President Jim Beichner.

Below are the selections for the NWCA Regional Coaches, Prep Regional Coaches, Assistant Coaches and Wrestlers of the Year. In order to be considered for National Honors, the nominee must have been selected as a Regional Award Winner:

The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a professional organization dedicated to serve and provide leadership for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on scholastic and collegiate programs. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling.

The NWCA, through its organizational structure, promotes communication, recognizes achievement, recommends rules and regulations, sponsors events, and serves as an educational and informational source. Additionally, the NWCA strives to foster the sportsmanship and integrity that are the cornerstones of athletic competition.

Tammy Tedesco

Roosevelt High School, CO Harlan Hankins Blair Academy Jerry Winterton Eric Grajales Brandon, FL National Award Winners Cary, NC Jeff Buxton