By Gary Abbott
USA Wrestling/Themat.com
Shawn Sheldon (West Palm Beach, Fla./New York AC) has been named 2005 Greco-Roman Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. This is the first time Sheldon has won this prestigious award.
Sheldon currently works for the Palm Beach County Community Olympic Development Program, as its Wrestling Administrator and as a CODP Manager. Sheldon conducts wrestling training for local athletes of all ages in this Olympic-based community sports program.
He is a club coach with the New York Athletic Club, which won the 2005 U.S. Nationals team title in Greco-Roman and placed four athletes on 2005 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team. Sheldon coached at the U.S. Olympic Training Center for a number of years, assisting with the resident program, prior to accepting his position in Palm Beach County. He has also coached U.S. teams on international tours.
Along with Andy Seras of Sandy Hook, Conn., Sheldon has been named by USA Wrestling to serve as a 2006 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team coach, working at the Wrestling World Championships in Guangzhou, China in the fall.
`He was an assistant wrestling coach at his alma mater, SUNY-Albany from 1991-1993. Sheldon served as the Colorado State Junior National Team Head Coach in 2002 and the New York State Junior National Team Assistant Coach in 1993 and also coached the Florida Junior National team in 2005. Sheldon is a bronze-level certified coach in USA Wrestling’s National Coaches Education Program.
He was one of the most successful Greco-Roman wrestlers in American history, competing on the national and international levels for almost two decades.
Sheldon placed fourth in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, and competed in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. He was also a silver medalist at the 1991 World Championships. Sheldon competed in eight World Championships for the United States.
Sheldon also won the U.S. National Greco-Roman Championships nine times and was second in the U.S. Nationals eight times. He was a two-time World Cup champion, winning titles in 1989 and 1996. He was also third in the 1987 and 1991 Pan American Games. Sheldon won a U.S. record eight Greco-Roman World Cup medals during his career. He was a five-time Concord Cup gold medalist.
Sheldon was a 1986 NCAA Div. III national champion, competing for SUNY-Albany and a three-time All-American. He was third in the New York high school state championships in 1983, competing for Columbia-Voorheesville High School.
USA Wrestling will be announcing major award winners each day this week on TheMat.com.
PAST GRECO-ROMAN COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2005 “Shawn Sheldon, West Palm Beach, Fla., New York AC
2004- Andy Seras, Sandy Hook, Conn., Sunkist Kids
2003 – Shon Lewis, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
2002 – Shon Lewis, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
2001 – Andy Seras, Sandy Hook, Conn., Sunkist Kids
2000 – Dan Chandler, Minneapolis, Minn., Minnesota Storm
1999 – Dan Chandler, Minneapolis, Minn., Minnesota Storm
1998 – Jay Antonelli, Quantico, Va., U.S. Marines
1997 – Dan Chandler, Minneapolis, Minn., Minnesota Storm
1996 – Rob Hermann, Pensacola, Fla., U.S. Navy
1995 – Dan Chandler, Minneapolis, Minn., Minnesota Storm
1994 – Dan Chandler, Minneapolis, Minn., Minnesota USA Wrestling
1993 – Tony Thomas, Fort Benning, Ga., U.S. Army
1992 – Rob Hermann, Pensacola, Fla., U.S. Navy
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