Turnbull Named to PWCA Hall of Fame

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (January 19, 2014) – Coach Craig Turnbull of the West Virginia University wrestling program has been named to the Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2014.

“I am very humbled and proud to be recognized by one of the finest wrestling states in the country,” says Turnbull. “This recognition is shared by all of the outstanding men that have worked with me, including Mark Cagle, Bill Bailey, Nate Carr, Zeke Jones, Greg Jones, Cary Kolat, Tony Robie and all of the young men that I have had the privilege of working with over the years.”

At the annual fall meeting of the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association (PWCA) held in October 2013, the executive board elected 13 former wrestlers, coaches and contributors to be inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Over the past 35 years, Turnbull has built WVU into one of the nation’s finest collegiate wrestling programs. The four-time Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) Coach of the Year has mentored five NCAA champions, coached 26 of the program’s 29 All-Americans, 42 EWL champions and more than 160 NCAA Tournament qualifiers.

Turnbull is the seventh winningest active coach with 285 victories as well as 12 top-25 finishes at the NCAA Championships. Turnbull’s most successful wrestler was three-time NCAA champion Greg Jones, who now serves as the Mountaineers' associate head coach. Jones’ brother Vertus, was the program’s first three-time NCAA All-American (1998-2000). Scott Collins (1991) and Dean Morrison (1994) also wrestled to national championships under Turnbull's tutelage.

Turnbull was a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) state qualifier while competing for Iroquois High School and competed at Clarion University for Hall of Fame coach Bob Bubb.

The Class of 2014 consists of the following individuals: Bob Bach, Eric Brugel, Andy Fitch, Tim Giel, John Heacock, Brian Hills, James Horner, Joe Kiefer, Travis “Trap” McCormack, Robert Parker, Barry Snyder, Craig Turnbull and Ernie Yates.

The Hall of fame induction will be held on Sunday, May 11, 2014, at the Ramada Inn in State College, Pa. A buffet luncheon will precede the formal ceremonies with brief acceptance and brief recognition speeches by the inductees.

The 2014 PWCA Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized by having their names listed in the program at the PIAA State Championships, as well as having their names read prior to the state final matches.

The Class of 2014 marks the 45th consecutive year that individuals have been inducted since the Hall’s inception in 1970.

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