Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum will be hosting its 29th Honors Weekend in Stillwater, Okla., June 3-4.
The Hall of Fame will induct a new class of Distinguished Members, as well as recognize a number of major award winners within the sport of wrestling. The Honors Weekend has become a tradition within the wrestling community, as the Hall of Fame celebrates the history of the sport and rewards special achievements in a number of categories.
Those who have attended past Honors Weekends will recognize a change in the schedule from past years. The new schedule is condensed over two days, rather than three, and is organized to provide an enhanced experience for the inductees and their families, as well as for the guests who are attending the program.
“The chairman of our Board, Jim Keen, has done a great job by naming Jeff Levitetz as chairman of Honors Weekend,” said Wrestling Hall of Fame Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. “Jeff has been a great leader, as we are making changes in the schedule with a continued emphasis of making it an exceptional experience for the honorees and all the guests who attend.”
Levitetz is a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Board of Governors, and a previous winner of the Hall of Fame’s Outstanding American award.
“Jim Keen asked me to chair Honors Weekend this year,” said Levitetz. “We have decided that a change might be in order to build on what is there already. Most people only have 48 hours to invest. We decided to have a reception at the Hall of Fame on Friday night for the first time. Moving the golf tournament to Saturday is brand new, and it is a sell-out, something that we are excited about. We have made some changes in the banquet, as well. We want everybody to have a great time while they are here, without much down time. We hope everybody likes the changes.”
Smith has indicated that there could be record numbers of participants in each of the activities on the schedule. He noted large number of people attending the Friday night “Presentation of Honoree’s Plaques” and Saturday morning’s golf tournament and fashion show. He noted that the 29th Honors Banquet will have over 250 invited guests this year.
“We have had a very positive response from the wrestling community for this year’s weekend,” said Smith.
Those being honored during the 2005 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Honors Weekend include:
Distinguished Members
Chris Campbell of Fairfax, Calif.
Zeke Jones of Morgantown, W.Va.
J Robinson of Plymouth, Minn.
Bob Bubb of Clarion, Pa.
Outstanding American
James Ravannack of Metarie, La.
Order of Merit
Stan Zeamer of Manheim, Pa.
Medal of Courage
Kyle Maynard of Suwanee, Ga.
Lifetime Achievement Award for Officials
Bobby Walton of Midwest City, Okla.
Dave Schultz National High School Excellence Award
Troy Nickerson of Chenango Forks, N.Y.
For more information, contact the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum at 405-377-5243.
2005 HONORS WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, June 3
All Day “Arrivals and Open House at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
6:00 p.m. “Reception at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
7:30 p.m. “Presentation of Honoree’s Plaques at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
Saturday, June 4
8:30 a.m. “Golf (shotgun start) at the Stillwater Country Club
10:30 a.m. “”Country Club Faire” at the Stillwater Country Club
12:30 p.m. “Luncheon at the Stillwater Country Club
6:00 p.m. “Reception at the French Room in the Oklahoma State Univ. Student Union
7:00 p.m. “29th Honors Banquet at the Ballroom in Oklahoma State Univ. Student Union
**The banquet will be webcast on TheMat.com, a link from the home page will be posted when the broadcast is available.
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