Battle of Waterloo Hall of Fame

Monday, November 27th, 2017 | Awards, Wrestling

Mike is among the five men being inducted into the Battle of Waterloo Hall of Fame in early December. The Battle of Waterloo is a multi-class tournament that hosts 32 Iowa high school teams over two days in Young Arena. The tournament is collaboration between the Waterloo East and Waterloo West athletic departments.

A reception for the Class of 2017 will be held on Thursday, Dec. 14, from 5-7 p.m. at the Cedar Valley Sportsplex, located at 300 Jefferson Street in Waterloo, across the street from the Dan Gable Museum. The public is invited free of charge.

The formal induction will take place on Saturday, Dec. 16, around 3 p.m. at Young Arena, prior to the start of the championship rounds.

“Any time a hall of fame extends such an honor, it is deeply appreciated,” said Mike, who is now a member of 10 halls of fame. “I have spent 45 years trying to promote the sport in various ways, and since I am from Waterloo, this award has very special meaning.”

Members of the 2017 class are:

• Kyven Gadson, an East High graduate who was a three-time All-American at Iowa State, winning the NCAA championship at 197 pounds in 2015, and a two-time state champion at East High;
• Virgil Carr, a two-time All-American at Iowa State, who was a two-time state champion at East High in the late-1950s;
• Bill Andrew, state champion at West Waterloo in 1969 who wrestled at Purdue and later coached Osage High School to a state team title in 1981;
• Tony Cordes, a two-time state champion and three-time state finalist for West Waterloo, in the early 1970s;
• Mike Chapman, a graduate of East High who has written 29 books, including 17 about wrestling, and created WIN magazine and the Dan Hodge Trophy. In 1999, he and his wife Bev founded the International Wrestling Institute and Museum (now the National Dan Gable Museum)

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