Class of 2025 to increase the HOF Membership to 517

At its annual spring meeting on Sunday, May 18, the Executive Board of the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association met for its annual Spring meeting. One of the many items on the lengthy agenda was the election of the Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

Gene Waas, the PWCA Hall of Fame chairman, and PWCA President Pat Berzonski jointly announced the names of the eleven new members to the Hall of Fame, Class of 2025. The 56th annual Hall of Fame class consists of eleven members – nine wrestlers, and two contributors. They are: (in alphabetical order): Joe Carr (Wrestler/Coach – District 10), Matt Ciasulli (Wrestler – District 11), Jeff Cook (Contributor – District 7), Bob Greenly (Contributor – District 4), Joe Kemmerer (Wrestler – District 2), Dave Morgan (Wrestler – District 1), Lester Peterson (Wrestler – District 7), the late Mikey Racciato (Wrestler – District 11), Tony Reed (Wrestler – District 4), Ed Ruth (Wrestler – District 3) and Ken Whitsel (Wrestler – District 6).

The Class of 2025 will be enshrined on Sunday, October 26 in the induction ceremonies at the Mountain View Golf and Country Club in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania. The festivities will begin at 12:30 PM with registration and hospitality hour followed by the banquet meal at 1:30 PM and the induction ceremony beginning at 2:45 PM.

Tickets cost $45 per person and can be reserved by calling Hall of Fame chairman Gene Waas at 610-428-4686.

Here’s a brief biographical sketch of each of the ten PWCA Hall of Fame, Class of 2025 (in alphabetical order):

Joe Carr (Wrestler/Coach – District 10): Joe Carr is a 1972 graduate of Erie East High School and a 1976 graduate of the University of Kentucky. Joe wrestled for the University of Kentucky where he was a 3-time SEC Champion and a two-time NCAA All-American for the Wildcats. Carr was undefeated in dual meets all three seasons. Internationally, Carr was a silver medalist in the Pan American games, won a pair of USA Wrestling national championships, was a Junior World silver medalist and a USA Wrestling World Team alternate. After leaving the Wildcat program, Carr began coaching at Woodford County High School. He served Woodford County for thirty years, winning 14 state team championships while coaching 56 individual state champions. In Carr’s final season in 2006, Carr coached five Woodford County wrestlers to individual state championships.

Jeff Cook (Contributor – District 7): Jeff Cook is a 1982 graduate of Hopewell High School and attended West Chester University before getting his Bachelor of Chemistry degree from Cabrini College in 1987. After those two years, got an opportunity that would change his life. After graduating from West Chester, he began officiating wrestling matches on the junior high school, high school and collegiate levels where he became one of the nation’s elite referees. Cook officiated seven PIAA team and individual state championship tournaments and nine NCAA Division I Championships from 2008-2016. Cook got collegiate compliment when he was chosen to referee the “Grapple on the Gridiron” dual meet between Oklahoma State and Iowa at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, an event that was witnessed by 42,287 fans. Cook now lives in Gilbert, Arizona with his wife, Teresa.

Matt Ciasulli (Wrestler – District 11): Matt Ciasulli is a 2002 graduate of Easton High School where he won a pair of District 11 championships, three Northeast Regional titles and three PIAA state championships during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. Ciasulli captured his first state title after blanking West Allegheny’s Chris Lape in the 2000 finals at 112, 5-0. In 2001, he blanked Moon’s Dan Paciiti in the state finals at 119 by a 8-0 score. In 2002, edged Greensburg-Salem senior Brian Sticca in the 125 lb. state finals, 4-2 in overtime. Ciasulli finished his high school career with a 133-11 won-loss record. He attended Lehigh University where he was a three-time NCAA qualifier for the Mountain Hawks. He presently owns and operates Sonic Excavations, LLC.

Bob Greenly (Coach/Contributor – District 4): Bob Greenly is a 1976 graduate of Milton High School and a 1980 graduate of Bucknell University with a degree in Civil Engineering. In high school, Bob was a District 4 runner-up and a PIAA state qualifier in his senior season. At Bucknell, Bob was a two-time East Coast Conference champion and Outstanding Wrestler in 1980. Greenly was the wrestling coach at Milton High School for 23 years where he guided his Panther teams to five District 4 team titles and four District Team Dual Meet championships. Individually, he coached 21 sectional champions, 40 District 4 champions, 6 Northeast Regional champions, four PIAA state champions (Bobby Crawford) and nine other PIAA state medalists. He was named District 4 Coach of the Year five times. He served as President of the District 4 Coaches Association and was active in the PWCA as chairman of the Scholarship committee for a number of years.

Joe Kemmerer (Wrestler – District 2): Joe Kemmerer is a 2004 graduate of Crestwood High School and a 2009 graduate of Kutztown University. In high school, Kemmerer was a District 2, Northwest Regional and PIAA Class AAA state champion at 119 pounds in 2004. Kemmerer finished his senior season with a perfect 32-0 and completed his scholastic career with an outstanding 101-7 won-loss record. Kemmerer attended University of North Carolina – Greensboro before transferring to Kutztown University. While at Kutztown, Kemmerer became the first-ever Golden Bear to win two NCAA Division II national championships at 133 lbs. in 2007 and 2009. In 2009, Kemmerer was voted the Division II tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler. He closed out his two-season career at KU with a 60-4 record and two NCAA titles. Kemmerer was a two-time Kutztown Male Athlete of the Year and is a member of the Kutztown University Hall of Fame, inducted in 2014 and a 2025 inductee into the NWCA Division II Hall of Fame. Kemmerer is married to his wife, Laura, and is the founder and head coach of Hammer Wrestling in Morristown, Tenn.

Dave Morgan (Wrestler – District 1): Dave is a 1983 graduate of West Chester East High School where he competed for head coach Mike Colley. He was a two-time PIAA medalist, placing 4th at 132 in 1983 before winning the PIAA state title at 138 pounds in 1983. Morgan finished his scholastic career with a 79-18 record including an undefeated 33-0 as a senior. In the 1984 Challenge of Champions, Dave defeated three-time PIAA champion Joe Cesari in the 138-pound match. Morgan was a standout on the wrestling mat at Bloomsburg finishing his career with an overall record of 127-26-6 giving him a winning percentage of .817 for the Huskies. Morgan was a two-time All-American for Bloomsburg, finishing third in 1987-88 and sixth in 1988-89, both years at 150 pounds. A four-time NCAA qualifier, Morgan was also a two-time Eastern Wrestling League and PSAC champion. He helped the Huskies to the 1988-89 PSAC championship.

Lester Peterson (Wrestler – District 7): Lester Peterson is a 1969 graduate of Canon-McMillan High School where he competed for Hall of Fame coach Andy Puchany. Peterson, who started his wrestling career in 8th grade, was a three-time WPIAL champion and a three-time PIAA state qualifier, participating in the 1967, 1968 and 1969 state championships. In 1967, Lester was forced to default in the 112-pound semi-finals to state champion Ed Osborne from Commodore Perry due to severe leg cramps. The following year, in 1968, Peterson met and lost a 16-5 decision to state champion Norm Palovcsik from Clearfield in the 120-pound semi-finals. In his senior season, Peterson returned to the PIAA state tournament for the third straight year where he defeated Clearfield’s defending state champion Dave Clark in the 120-pound state finals, 10-9. Peterson became Canon-McMillan’s first-ever state champion. Peterson completed his high school career with a 55-2-1 record with both losses coming at the hands of eventual state champions.

Mikey Racciato (Wrestler – District 11): Mikey Racciato graduated from Pen Argyl High School in 2013 and attended the University of Pittsburgh. In Racciato’s high school career, he was recognized as the Express Times and Allentown Morning Call Wrestler of the Year in both 2012 and 2013. During his career he amassed a won-loss record of 186 wins against just 8 losses. In his career, he captured four District XI championships and three Southeast Regional titles. As a freshman in 2010, Racciato earned the bronze medal before claiming consecutive state titles in 2011, 2012 and 2013. He was named the PIAA Class AA Outstanding Wrestler in 2013 by a vote of the media. Mikey went on to the University of Pitt, where he was a 3-year starter for the Panthers. At Pitt, Mikey was a two-time ACC finalist and ACC champion in 2015 along with being a two-time NCAA Division I qualifier.

Tony Reed (Wrestler – District 4): Tony Reed is a 1985 graduate of Shikellamy High School and a 1990 graduate of Bloomsburg University. At Shikellamy, won back-to-back state championships in 1984 and 1985. Reed finished his junior season with a 36-1 record and defeated Mt. Pleasant’s Joey Yancosky in the 105-pound state finals, 8-4. Reed moved up to 119 pounds the following season, posting a perfect 35-0 record including a pin over Cumberland Valley’s Keith Helfrick in 2:39 to claim his second gold medal. Reed finished his scholastic career with an impressive 108-7 won-loss record. Tony was voted the Pennsylvania team’s Outstanding Wrestler at the 1985 Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic after topping Iowa’s Mark Schwab at 119, 14-9. Reed attended Bloomsburg University where he won the 1990 PSAC championship at 134 pounds and was voted the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler. He was a three-time NCAA qualifier (1988-90) for the Huskies and finished his collegiate career at 100-35-5.

Ed Ruth (Wrestler – District 3): Ruth was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He wrestled at Susquehanna Township High School prior to transferring to Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey for his senior year and graduating in 2009. At Susquehanna Township, Ruth was a two-time state placewinner, finishing 5th in 2007 and 4th in 2008. Ruth won the 2009 National Prep School championship while competing for Blair Academy. Ruth competed for Penn State from 2010-2014, where he was a four-time NCAA All-American, a three-time NCAA champion and four-time Big Ten champion at 184-pounds. In his freshman year in 2011, Ruth garnered a third-place finish at 174 pounds before claiming the 174 lb. NCAA title in 2012, defeating Stanford’s Nick Amuchastegui in the finals, 13-2. In 2013, Ruth moved up to 184 where he won his second NCAA title, defeating Lehigh’s Robert Hamlin in the finals, 12-4. As a senior in 2014, Ruth became the Nittany Lion’s first three-time NCAA champion after topping Maryland’s Jimmy Sheptock in the finals, 7-2. He completed his Nittany Lion career with an impressive 136-3 record. Following his time in State College, Ruth was a representative for team USA at the 2014 World Wrestling Championships and was also a Silver Medalist at the 2015 USA World Team Trials before becoming a professional MMA fighter.

Ken Whitsel (Wrestler – District 3): Ken Whitsel is a 1978 graduate of Lewistown High School and Lock Haven University. At Lewistown, Whitsel qualified for the PIAA state championships all four years, earning PIAA medals in his final three years. Whitsel’s scholastic record of 103 wins and only five losses with 72 of his wins coming by pin. He was 52-0 in dual meets in his career. Whitsel is a four-time District 6 champion, earning Outstanding Wrestler honors all four times. At the regional level, he mirrored this achievement with four championships and three Outstanding Wrestler awards. In 1977, as a sophomore, Whitsel finished as the state runner-up, losing to Easton’s Bobby Weaver, 7-5. The following year, in 1978, the Lewistown junior won the 105-pound state championship, beating Erie Prep’s Jeff Sciabetta in the finals, 3-2. Whitsel finished third in 1979, after being upset in the semi-finals by Shaler’s Kraig Nellis, 5-5, 7-1 in overtime. In freestyle competition, Whitsel won the 1977 AAU National Championship and took the silver medal at the World Championship in Santo Domingo. In 1978, Whitsel continued his success by winning the AAU National Championship once again. He earned a spot on the World Team and toured Europe, compiling a 9-0 record against international competitors.