The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Thursday announced the state winners of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award (DSHSEA).
The Hall of Fame’s High School Excellence Awards are proudly sponsored by the Hyman Family, whose generous support and passion for the sport help ensure the continued recognition and development of wrestling’s next generation.
The DSHSEA was established in 1996 to honor Olympic and World champion Dave Schultz, whose career was cut short when he was murdered in January 1996. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1997 and as a member of the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016.
The DSHSEA recognizes and celebrates the nation’s most outstanding high school senior male wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service.
“The recipients of our Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award represent an exceptional group of young men who have set the standard for achievement — excelling not only in the classroom and on the wrestling mat, but also through leadership and service to their communities,” said NWHOF Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. “We are incredibly grateful to our selection committees for their thoughtful and dedicated efforts in choosing such outstanding ambassadors for our sport.
“It’s a privilege to honor these student-athletes, and we take great pride in following their continued success at the collegiate and international levels — both in competition and academics — as they grow into the next generation of leaders and role models in wrestling.”
DSHSEA winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community.
The Central Region, Midwest Region, Northeast Region, Southeast Region and West Region winners will be announced on April 24 and the national winner will be announced on April 30.
The Hall of Fame announced the state winners of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award (TSHSEA) on Wednesday. The TSHSEA recognizes and celebrates the nation’s most outstanding high school senior female wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service. The TSHSEA regional winners will be announced on April 23 and the national winner will be announced on April 29.
Regional winners for both awards are selected from state winners, and the national winners will be chosen from the regional winners.
The regions and the states that they are comprised of are:
West (11) – Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming
Midwest (10) – Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin
Central (7) – Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas
Southeast (11) – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia
Northeast (11) – Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont
The TSHSEA and DSHSEA national winners will be honored during the 48th Honors Weekend at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum on June 6 and 7 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. To purchase tickets for Honors Weekend, visit https://bit.ly/2025NWHOFHonorsWeekendTickets.
The Hall of Fame accepts nominations for its high school excellence awards from state chapters and coaches. The nominations are reviewed by a committee, which selects state and regional winners. The committee then determines the national winners from the regional winners.
Coleman Scott (2004) and Logan Stieber (2010) became the first DSHSEA national winners to be inducted as Distinguished Members of the Hall of Fame when they were inducted in 2024.
Cael Sanderson, who was the Utah and West Region winner of the DSHSEA in 1997, and Jake Varner, who was the California winner of the DSHEA in 2005, are also Distinguished Members of the Hall of Fame.
National winners of the DSHSEA have combined to win 20 NCAA Division I individual titles led by four-time champion Logan Stieber (2010), three-time winner Zain Retherford (2013) and two-time winners David Carr (2018), Steven Mocco (2001), David Taylor (2009), Teyon Ware (2002) and Zahid Valencia (2015).
2025 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award State Winners
State – Name, High School, Hometown, College Attending
Oklahoma – LaDarion Lockett, Stillwater High School, Stillwater, Oklahoma State University
The full release from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame is linked below.
Hall of Fame Announces Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award State Winners
