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WRESTLING: Lange, Needle elected to Hall
BUFFALO — Long-time former Roy-Hart and Newfane coach Dick Lang and one of his top Newfane grapplers Ryan Needle were both inducted into the Western New York Wrestling Hall of Fame this past weekend during the sixth annual WNY Wrestling Coaches Association luncheon at the Woodlawn Fire Hall.
Lang, who compiled a 294-43-4 record during two decades of coaching led the Roy-Hart program for 10 years (1978-88). He then served as an assistant coach at Newfane from 1988-98 before becoming the Panthers head coach from 2000-07. During that stretch his Rams and Panthers teams won a total of 17 Niagara-Orleans League championships.
A founder, three-time past president and current advisor of the WNY Wrestling Coaches Association and a four-time recipient of the WNYWCA’s “Coach of the Year” honor, Lang coached 96 N-O champions, 20 AA sectional champs, 12 state qualifiers, five state place finishers and two state championships during his tenure at Roy-Hart and Newfane.
Needle, who is one of those two state champions, fittingly was inducted with Lang.
He was a four-time Section VI (1999, 2001, 2002, 2003) and a three-time state champion (1999, 2002, 2003) who went on to earn All-American honors at the University at Buffalo placing fifth at the nationals his junior year.
Others inducted on Sunday were Walt Thurnau, Don Schoch and Bob Sloand.
Small school champions from this past season were also honored.
That group included Roy-Hart’s Zach Bickle (96), Medina’s Dominic Montesanti (145) and Tristan Hamner (152) and Roy-Hart’s Theo King (285).
Wild card recipients from the section included Newfane’s David Ciaramella (119).
Team awards were handed out to each league’s champions, including Roy-Hart (N-O).
Coach of the Year Awards were also handed out for each league. This year’s winners included Newfane’s Sal Montesanti.
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