STILLWATER, Okla. – The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum announced that the Class of 2016 inductees are Carlton Haselrig, Brandon Slay, William B. Harlow, Dick Wilson, Randy Bortles, Joseph Galli Jr., Marcia Haise, and Ron Good.
The induction ceremony will be held at the 40th Anniversary Honors Weekend on June 3-4, 2016 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. For more information on Honors Weekend, please telephone (405) 377-5243.
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum in Stillwater, Oklahoma, is currently closed while undergoing a $3.5 million renovation, scheduled to be completed in time to celebrate Honors Weekend.
“This group of extraordinary individuals have made a significant impact on the sport of wrestling,” said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum. “It is our privilege to honor them, but, more importantly, we appreciate the opportunity each year when we get to let people know what each of these remarkable individuals has done.”
Randy Bortles became a quadriplegic from a motorcycle accident in 2002. The accident could have taken Bortles away from wrestling, but he refused to let that happen and many believe that he has done more for the sport since the accident than he did before it. Following the accident, Bortles worked five years as an assistant coach at Mountain View High School before turning his focus to helping other areas of wrestling. He headed the coalition to bring college wrestling back to Georgia, and has led the implementation of programs at Shorter University (NCAA DII), Emmanuel College (NCAA DII), Brewton Parker (NAIA), Life University (NAIA), and Truett-McConnell College (NAIA). He has also worked with the Atlanta Takedown Association to host the Georgia Intercollegiate tournament. He is active on numerous boards of organizations that are focused on the success of wrestling, and has also been a co-tournament director for the Team Georgia USA Wrestling State Championships, held annually on 32 mats in the Georgia Dome. Bortles wrestled at Phoenix High School in Phoenix, New York which is currently coached by Gene Mills, who was inducted as a Distinguished Member in 2000. Bortles went on to wrestle at Auburn Community College in Central New York and Brockport State University. He began his coaching career at Baldwinsville High School in Baldwinsville, New York, under Leo Johnson, who was named the National High School Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1980. Bortles moved to Georgia in 1981 and began coaching at Newnan High School in Newnan, Georgia. He then coached at McIntosh High School in Peachtree City, Georgia, and Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia. Georgia USA Wrestling hosted a team from New Zealand in the mid 1980’s, and Bortles was asked to go to New Zealand to coach their national teams. Following a year in New Zealand, Bortles returned to Georgia and was a co-founder of the Metro Atlanta Wrestling Officials in 1994. He officiated Georgia High School Association events and NCAA meets, and continues to mentor the Metro Atlanta Wrestling Officials’ 112 members. The Georgia Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame presented Bortles with its Medal of Courage award in 2005.
