Six inducted in CT Chapter of National Wrestling Hall of Fame
LEDYARD, May 4, 2019 -- Six outstanding individuals from the state’s wrestling community were inducted into the Connecticut chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
The Connecticut Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame held an induction dinner on Saturday, May 4, 2019 at Foxwoods to honor these men for their contribution to the sport of wrestling and our communities. The six men are:
•
Colonel Charles Anderson, a Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient who has served in the Connecticut Army National Guard for more than 30 years, and as the head wrestling coach at both Trumbull High and Norwalk High
•John Bennett, a coach, official and four-time member of the U.S. Veterans World team
•Patrick Burns, former New Milford High coach, an official and CIAC wrestling committee member
•Carmen DelVecchio, one of the top officials in New England and in the nation
•Jason Shaughnessy, the high school coach at Fairfield Warde and Fairfield High and founder and coach with the Police Athletic League (PAL) youth wrestling program in Fairfield
•Dennis Siegmann, the former head coach at Bristol Central High for 22 years and an assistant coach at two junior colleges that won four national championships in six years
Bennett, Burns, DelVecchio, Shaughnessy and Siegmann received a Lifetime Achievement award for coaches, officials, or contributors with at least 20 years of service. Anderson was recognized as an Outstanding American, a former wrestler who is highly successful in his/her profession.
All six men will be permanently recognized in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (Stillwater, Oklahoma) with an embossed name plaque, and each receives a plaque and jacket to commemorate the very special occasion. These six will join 38 other inductees in the Connecticut chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Brief Biographies
Charlie Anderson: Colonel Anderson is currently a member of the Connecticut Army National Guard with more than 30 years of service. He has been mobilized three times in support of the Globe War on Terrorism, including a deployment in Afghanistan. He was awarded a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and the Combat Infantryman Badge. Charlie is currently the Commander of the 169th Regiment (RTI). Charlie has been coaching wrestling in Connecticut since 1986 when he spent three years as an assistant coach at Southern Connecticut State before becoming an assistant coach at Norwalk High. In three stints as the head coach with Trumbull and Norwalk High, Charlie has been awarded the Class LL Coach of the Year award and the FCIAC Wrestling Coach of the Year award twice. His teams have won 273 matches. His 2017 Trumbull team (20-1) had the best record in his career and the 2018 Trumbull team (26-3) had the most wins in a single season in his career.
John Bennett: Wrestling has been an integral part of John’s life for more than 30 years as a competitor, head coach, assistant coach, volunteer coach, a state tournament director and an official. He was the head coach at St. Bernard’s in Uncasville in 1975, where the Saints finished second at the State Open and in Class M, and in Newington (2011-16). He has been an assistant coach at Windham High, Berlin and Newington. John was a part of four state championship teams at Berlin and was named the CIAC Assistant Coach of the Year in 2001. He was the top assistant coach at Trinity College for four years (2008-11). John also helped found the Silverbacks Wrestling Club in Windham. As an athlete, John was a four-time member of the U.S. Veterans World team winning a gold medal in Toronto in 1993 at 68 kilograms (150 pounds). He won three U.S. Veterans championships in 2003-05. John, who lives in Berlin, was an official for 13 years.
Patrick Burns: Patrick has been involved in wrestling in New Milford for years. He helped found the New Milford Wrestling Association and was an assistant coach with New Milford High for 12 years before taking over as head coach in 2002. In four years as the head coach, his teams were 70-11-1, won two Southwest Conference titles and finished second in Class LL and the State Open behind Danbury in 2006. A former member of the CIAC wrestling committee, Patrick has been an official since 2011. As an official, he has been selected to work at the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) national championships. He also ran the Grizzly Wrestling Camp in Winsted for 11 years.
Carmen DelVecchio: Carmen’s wrestling career stretches over 40 years. He was a state champion on Daniel Hand's first state championship team. Carmen wrestled at Springfield College for two years and became a successful coach at Fermi High School in Enfield, leading Fermi to their first and only Class LL state championship (1980) before becoming a nationally-recognized official. Over the past 25 years, Carmen has held several positions on the executive board of Connecticut Interscholastic Wrestling Officials Association (CIWOA) including rules interpreter for Connecticut. He has worked at 30 State Open tournaments, 12 New England tournaments and five National Prep School Championship events. He has also been selected to officiate at several national events including the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) national championships in Virginia, the National Duals, Flo Nationals, the Beast of the East and the Super 32 tournament. He has been a member of the executive committee of the Connecticut Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame since 2009. Carmen lives in Clinton with his wife, Sandy, and they have two daughters, Brittney and Lexy.
Jason Shaughnessy: Jason, who graduated from Springfield College, has helped rebuild wrestling in Fairfield in his tenure as head coach at Fairfield High and then Fairfield Warde, where he has led the Mustangs to three Class L titles and a FCIAC championship in 2010, snapping a 23-year Danbury winning streak. Fairfield Warde has finished second in the Class L or Class LL tournament five times in the last six years and the Mustangs were third in New England in 2015. Jason’s teams have won 385 matches (385-71) in his career. He founded and runs the Fairfield PAL (Police Athletic League) wrestling program that provides opportunities for elementary and middle school students in Fairfield to become involved in wrestling – a building block for his program at Warde and cross-town rival Fairfield Ludlowe. Jason runs the Varsity Athletic Association at Warde, serving on hiring committees and mentoring new coaches.
Dennis Siegmann: Dennis was a member of the NAIA national championship team at Bloomsburg State. After graduation, he was the head coach at Bristol Borough (Pa.) for three years and Bristol Central for 22 years where he led the Rams to two Class L titles and 11 league championships. In Connecticut, Bristol Central was 348-109-12 under Dennis and he coached three All-Americans, 31 state champions and one New England champion. He was the chair of the CIAC wrestling committee for 10 years and the tournament director of the New England championships for four years. He founded and was the tournament director of the Bristol Central Invitational for years and founded the Gladiators wrestling program at the Bristol Boys and Girls Club. He was a member of the National Federation of State High School Association’s wrestling rules committee from 2006-09. Dennis was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He also coached girls track and field and girls soccer at Bristol Central and boys soccer at Nonnewaug in Woodbury, leading the Chiefs to the state finals. Dennis was an assistant wrestling coach at Labette Community College under head coach Joe Renfo in Parsons, Kansas from 2011-13 helping Labette win two NJCAA national championships (2012, 2013). Again with Renfo, he was an assistant coach at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College for three years (2014-17) helping lead Northeastern Oklahoma to two NJCAA national titles in 2014 and 2016.
