Rutgers Wrestling to Honor N.J. Members of National Wrestling HOF at MSU Match Scarlet Knights host Spartans on Friday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. at Rutgers Athletic Center PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Jan. 5, 2016) – Rutgers wrestling will honor and recognize members of the New Jersey Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum at its home match against Michigan State on Friday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Rutgers Athletic Center. Numerous Hall of Famers are expected to attend the match, a list that includes countless all-time greats from the “Garden State.” Representing Rutgers among the honorees will be the program’s best NCAA Championships finisher in Mike Leta and former longtime head coach, John Sacchi. The No. 8-ranked Scarlet Knights (10-2, 1-1 Big Ten) return to the RAC following a third-place finish at the 53rd Annual Midlands Championships, where eight wrestlers (one unattached) finished on the podium in their respective weight classes. Read below for more information about the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and New Jersey Chapter Hall of Famers that will be honored in Piscataway Friday night. The list is organized by wrestlers and coaches involved with Rutgers on the top, followed by other N.J. all-time greats. Leroy Smith, Executive Director, National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Lee Roy Smith, the Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum will attend the Rutgers vs. Michigan State wrestling match at the Rutgers Athletic Center Friday. Smith wrestled at Oklahoma State University from 1977-80, compiling a 114-13-4 overall record. A four-time conference champion, Smith won the NCAA championship at 142 pounds in 1980. He helped the Cowboys to a team conference championship in 1978 and is ranked among the top 50 Oklahoma State wrestlers of all time in terms of winning percentage (88.55%). On the international stage, Smith brought a silver medal home from the 1983 World Championships. From 1992-2001, Smith served as head wrestling coach at Arizona State, where he was recognized four times as the Pac-10 Coach of the Year during his time with the Sun Devils. He also served as National Freestyle Coach for USA Wrestling from 1989-1992; coached in Martigny, Switzerland; and coached at Oklahoma State. Dennis Smith, Class of 2011 Smith was the N.J. State Champion for Lenape Regional HS in 1968 and then went on to Rutgers, where he captained the team while earning his degree in physical education. He became the head coach at Delran High School where he would stay until his retirement in 2012. At Delran, Smith compiled a record of 578-164-5 and retired as the winningest wrestling coach in South Jersey history. His teams won 24 League and 10 District Championships and the South Jersey Group II titles in 1986 and 1992. Coach Smith had 65 District, 24 Region, and four State Champions, including future NCAA Champion Brett Matter. Mike Leta, Class of 2009 Leta is the most successful wrestler in Rutgers history. He wrestled in high school at North Plainfield where he placed third and fourth in the NJ State Tournament. Leta placed third at the Eastern Championships as a freshman in 1958. The following year, Leta went undefeated in the regular season under Coach Dick Voliva. He captured first at Easterns by defeating NCAA Champion Larry Lauchle, 14-13, in the finals in a bout voted the Match of the Century for the Easterns. Mike capped off 1960 with a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships, the highest All- America finish in RU history. Leta graduated from Rutgers in 1962 and started his coaching career at Hillside HS where he remained until 1969 when he took over the reins at Bridgewater-Raritan West. At West, Leta’s teams went 260-156-11. Leta returned to his roots in 1994 to coach North Plainfield HS and in 1995 he became John Sacchi's assistant coach at Rutgers for the next 10 years. Tony Grifa, Class of 2009 Griffa began his long career in wrestling at Plainfield High School when he captained the football, wrestling, and baseball teams as a senior. At Rutgers, Griffa would continue his wrestling career. While on active duty as an Army Intelligence Officer, Griffa coached the freshman wrestling team at Springfield College and crowned four NE freshmen Champions. Griffa would go on to coach wrestling and football at Scotch Plains- Fanwood and later was an assistant football coach at Wall Township HS. An outstanding official on both the HS and college level in numerous sports, Griffa officiated wrestling for five decades from the 1950's-1990's. He refereed the NJ State Tournament for 20 consecutive years and the Districts for 30-straight years. Gene D’Alessandro, Class of 2008 D’Alessandro started his wrestling career as a lightweight AAU Champion while wrestling for St. Benedict's Prep in Newark. After High School he attended Rutgers, where he would reach the NCAA quarterfinals for Hall of Fame Coach, Dick Voliva. After college, D’Alessandro coached for the next 23 years at Essex Catholic, Raritan and finally Belleville High Schools where he would end Pascack Hills unbeaten streak in one of the state’s biggest matches of the year. His teams won 11 District titles, and ranked No. 1 in their region five times. On an individual basis, Gene coached six state finalists, 15 regional champions, and 92 district champions. John Sacchi, Class of 2007 Saachi enjoyed a successful wrestling career at Ithaca College following a stint in the Marines. Middlesex County College was Saachi’s first coaching position, where he developed a nationally-ranked wrestling program at the JUCO level. While at Middlesex, Saachi became the second winningest coach in national JUCO history with a 280-59-4 record, recording undefeated seasons in 1970, 1986, and 1990. After retiring from Middlesex, Saachi moved to Rutgers, where he coached for the next 17 years posting a 167-102-5 record. In his second year at Rutgers, his team went 17-4-1, at the time setting a school record for dual victories. In 2002 Saachi became the 16th college coach in wrestling history to reach the 400 win plateau. He coached Tom Tanis, future Naval Academy Assistant Coach, to All-America status at Rutgers. Judge Julio Fuentes, Class of 2005 Fuentes was born in Puerto Rico and raised on a chicken farm in Lakehurst. At Toms River under Hall of Fame Coach John Nemetz, Fuentes excelled in wrestling and in 1964 was undefeated until losing a close battle in the state finals. His overall career record was 32-3 at Toms River. After graduation, he attended Southern Illinois University and in 1975 received his J.D. from the State University of New York. After two Masters Degrees from NYU and Rutgers, he opened his Law Firm , Fuentes, Plant, and Velázquez in Newark. The first Hispanic to be appointed to the Circuit Court, he is one of a dozen Judges that hears appeals from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the Virgin Islands. Gary Kehler, Class of 2004 After graduating from Hackettstown High School and Rutgers University, the late Kehler joined the Westfield coaching staff in 1957 and retired as its athletic director in 1993. During his coaching career at Westfield his football, wrestling, and golf teams had a total record of 732-115-23 for a .864 winning percentage. His 24-year wrestling coaching record is 232-37-10 with 14 conference, 16 district and 22 county or holiday tournament championships. New Jersey Wrestling Hall of Fame Honorees Chet Dalgewicz, Class of 2015 A former assistant wrestling coach at Princeton University for 22 years and an All-American while wrestling at East Stroudsburg in 1966. Resident of Stockholm, N.J. Mike Buggey, Class of 2015 Seventeen-year head wrestling coach at South Plainfield HS. Resident of South Plainfield, N.J. Rick Iacono, Class of 2015 Began his coaching career as an assistant coach in 1971 at Rutgers Preparatory School, and later assumed head coaching positions at Jonathan Dayton Regional, Middlesex, and Governor Livingston High Schools. Resident of Basking Ridge, N.J. Frank Mosier, Class of 2015 Recognized as one of the co-founders of the New Jersey Wrestling Hall of Fame in the year 2000, later serving as the chapter’s president for nine years. Wrestled at Moorhead State University in Minnesota. Resident of Millburn, N.J. Dennis D’Andrea, Class of 2014 A former New Jersey high school wrestler, later a head and assistant coach, applied his skills also in the administrative component of the sport through active involvement as a district and regional chair. Resident of Brick, N.J. Joel Melitski, Class of 2014 A former Bloomsburg University wrestler and Wilkes Tournament Champion, Melitski has long been realized as the successful head coach and mentor for the Bernards High School wrestling program. Resident of Bedminster, N.J. John Harmon, Class of2014 A former Lehigh University graduate, and avid supporter of its wrestling program, may be better known as the founder, and author of the EIWA Newsletter from 1990-2013. Resident of Lawrenceville, N.J. Bernard Reider, Class of 2013 Reider is a 1963 Penn State University graduate. Reider became head coach at Jackson in 1966 and over 15 years led his teams to a 160-59-3 record. Reider’s teams won seven district and six conference championships. Resident of Lawrenceville, N.J. David Icenhower, Class of 2012 After working as an assistant under Mike Curry at Trenton State (later named The College of New Jersey), the late Icenhower would take on the head coaching duties for the next 33 years.