July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Campbell to join wrestling Hall of Fame (02/19/05)
By By RAY COONEY-
Kurtis Hess was the only Jay County wrestler competing in the state wrestling tournament. But there is another Patriot being honored as part of the weekend’s activities.
Craig Campbell, a vocational and industrial technology teacher and former JCHS wrestling coach, is being inducted to the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame Sunday for his accomplishments as a wrestler at Delta High School.
“I’m humbled by it,” said Campbell, the 1985 state champion at 119 pounds, said in an interview Thursday. “It’s a neat recognition for something that happened 20 years ago.”
Ron Anderson, the long-time coach at Winchester, will be inducted as well. Also on the list of inductees this year is 1995 Bloomington North graduate and three-time state champion Pat Cassidy, 1985 132-pound champion Elbert Starks of Fort Wayne Snider, coaches Dave Geyer of Penn, Robert Kelly of Bloomington, Bill Yozipovich of Greenfield and contributor Don Hunter of Fort Wayne North Side.
Campbell had an outstanding career at Delta, accumulating a 145-6 record. But he didn’t break through for a state title until his senior season.
He lost in the semifinal match each of the three years before that. He was third at 98 pounds in 1982, third at 105 pounds in 1983 and third at 112 pounds in 1984. He was favored to win the state title as a freshman, and was undefeated heading into the tournament in each of his sophomore and junior seasons.
He said it was a couple of losses early in the 1984-85 campaign which allowed him to get over the tournament jinx.
“That was a lot of discouragement, a lot of heartbreak,” said Campbell of the three consecutive semifinal losses. “But it culminated my senior year.
“(The losses) allowed me to refocus what I was doing and to accomplish my goals.
“My senior year was a dream come true ...”
He said after being beaten a couple of times early in his senior season he began to work even harder. He started getting to school at 5:30 every morning and putting in the extra work he thought it would take to finally stand atop the state podium.
It paid off.
“I think that’s what did it in my mind,” said Campbell. “I had to convince myself to know that I could accomplish what I wanted to accomplish. I didn’t go into (the tournament) conservatively. Instead of wrestling to not lose, I was wrestling to win.”
And win he did, which was almost expected at Delta during that era.
The Eagles won state championships during each of Campbell’s four seasons under coach Don Patton, who was inducted in 1983. It was a run of five straight state titles from 1981 to 1985. His brother, Chris, who was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2000, was a part of the beginning of that run as he won the 126-pound state championship in 1981.
“Coming through that Delta program at that time was a unique and enormous experience. ...
“To come through a program that never experienced a loss — five state championship teams — was a unique experience,” said Campbell. “That was a tremendous experience to look back on.”
From high school Campbell went on to wrestle at Indiana State University and then Eastern Illinois University, racking up more than 100 victories along the way.
He has been teaching at Jay County for 13 years, and began coaching wrestling as an assistant in 1992. He took over as head coach of the program in 1994 and coached through the 2000-01 season.
His teams ended an eight-year drought when Shawn Jordan (152) and current Patriot coach James Myers (125) made the state tournament in 1997. Jordan finished sixth, and Myers seventh.
Campbell sent two more wrestlers — James Brewster (215), who finished seventh, and Joe VanSkyock (103) — to the state tournament in 1999.
“I still get chills thinking about taking James Myers and Shawn Jordan to Market Square Arena their first time,” said Campbell. “I told James when he was a freshman I expected to see him at Market Square Arena. To see him win that Friday night match to assure him a placing was golden.”
Campbell was not eligible to be inducted until this season, because of Hall of Fame rules. Four-time state champions are eligible five years after graduation, three-time champs after 10 years, two-time champs after 15 years and one-time champs after 20 years.
Once eligible, a wrestler must be nominated and then be approved by the Hall of Fame committee.
New Castle coach Rex Peckinpaugh, a 1998 inductee and member of that committee, had nothing but good things to say about Campbell.
“Craig was on the great Delta teams there in the 80s. He was a tremendous wrestler,” Peckinpaugh said. “He just dominated his weight class really.
“Also, since he wrestled and graduated, he’s led a very exemplary life. He’s been a coach and a teacher and he’s done things the right way.”[[In-content Ad]]
Craig Campbell, a vocational and industrial technology teacher and former JCHS wrestling coach, is being inducted to the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame Sunday for his accomplishments as a wrestler at Delta High School.
“I’m humbled by it,” said Campbell, the 1985 state champion at 119 pounds, said in an interview Thursday. “It’s a neat recognition for something that happened 20 years ago.”
Ron Anderson, the long-time coach at Winchester, will be inducted as well. Also on the list of inductees this year is 1995 Bloomington North graduate and three-time state champion Pat Cassidy, 1985 132-pound champion Elbert Starks of Fort Wayne Snider, coaches Dave Geyer of Penn, Robert Kelly of Bloomington, Bill Yozipovich of Greenfield and contributor Don Hunter of Fort Wayne North Side.
Campbell had an outstanding career at Delta, accumulating a 145-6 record. But he didn’t break through for a state title until his senior season.
He lost in the semifinal match each of the three years before that. He was third at 98 pounds in 1982, third at 105 pounds in 1983 and third at 112 pounds in 1984. He was favored to win the state title as a freshman, and was undefeated heading into the tournament in each of his sophomore and junior seasons.
He said it was a couple of losses early in the 1984-85 campaign which allowed him to get over the tournament jinx.
“That was a lot of discouragement, a lot of heartbreak,” said Campbell of the three consecutive semifinal losses. “But it culminated my senior year.
“(The losses) allowed me to refocus what I was doing and to accomplish my goals.
“My senior year was a dream come true ...”
He said after being beaten a couple of times early in his senior season he began to work even harder. He started getting to school at 5:30 every morning and putting in the extra work he thought it would take to finally stand atop the state podium.
It paid off.
“I think that’s what did it in my mind,” said Campbell. “I had to convince myself to know that I could accomplish what I wanted to accomplish. I didn’t go into (the tournament) conservatively. Instead of wrestling to not lose, I was wrestling to win.”
And win he did, which was almost expected at Delta during that era.
The Eagles won state championships during each of Campbell’s four seasons under coach Don Patton, who was inducted in 1983. It was a run of five straight state titles from 1981 to 1985. His brother, Chris, who was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2000, was a part of the beginning of that run as he won the 126-pound state championship in 1981.
“Coming through that Delta program at that time was a unique and enormous experience. ...
“To come through a program that never experienced a loss — five state championship teams — was a unique experience,” said Campbell. “That was a tremendous experience to look back on.”
From high school Campbell went on to wrestle at Indiana State University and then Eastern Illinois University, racking up more than 100 victories along the way.
He has been teaching at Jay County for 13 years, and began coaching wrestling as an assistant in 1992. He took over as head coach of the program in 1994 and coached through the 2000-01 season.
His teams ended an eight-year drought when Shawn Jordan (152) and current Patriot coach James Myers (125) made the state tournament in 1997. Jordan finished sixth, and Myers seventh.
Campbell sent two more wrestlers — James Brewster (215), who finished seventh, and Joe VanSkyock (103) — to the state tournament in 1999.
“I still get chills thinking about taking James Myers and Shawn Jordan to Market Square Arena their first time,” said Campbell. “I told James when he was a freshman I expected to see him at Market Square Arena. To see him win that Friday night match to assure him a placing was golden.”
Campbell was not eligible to be inducted until this season, because of Hall of Fame rules. Four-time state champions are eligible five years after graduation, three-time champs after 10 years, two-time champs after 15 years and one-time champs after 20 years.
Once eligible, a wrestler must be nominated and then be approved by the Hall of Fame committee.
New Castle coach Rex Peckinpaugh, a 1998 inductee and member of that committee, had nothing but good things to say about Campbell.
“Craig was on the great Delta teams there in the 80s. He was a tremendous wrestler,” Peckinpaugh said. “He just dominated his weight class really.
“Also, since he wrestled and graduated, he’s led a very exemplary life. He’s been a coach and a teacher and he’s done things the right way.”[[In-content Ad]]
Top Stories
9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit
Chartwells marketing
September 17, 2024 7:36 a.m.
Events
250 X 250 AD