Grappling honor

A virtual lifetime of dedication to wrestling -- and plenty of success as both an athlete and coach -- has put Bruce Thomas in a place he never could have imagined.

Thomas, a former standout wrestler at Southeast Missouri State and coach at Jackson High School, will soon become a part of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

On June 18 at Sunset Hills Country Club in St. Louis County, Thomas will receive the "Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award" from the Missouri Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

National Wrestling Hall of Fame officials said the State Chapter Program, started several years ago, was designed to "recognize people in each state for years of dedication to the development of leadership and citizenship in young people through the sport of wrestling."

As a result of the honor, Thomas will have his name engraved on a plaque that will be permanently displayed at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Stillwater, Okla.

"It's an honor that I never dreamed of," Thomas said. "You look at the all the great athletes that get in ... I never had any clue that I would be mentioned in the national hall of fame. I am so proud of it."

Thomas, 54, recently retired after 26 years of teaching for the Jackson Public Schools.

As Jackson High School's head wrestling coach from 1982 through 1995, his teams compiled a 105-10-3 dual-match record -- including a 52-match winning streak -- while capturing eight district titles and five conference titles, along with numerous high state finishes, including second place.

Thomas has also served as a wrestling official for many years, which, along with his coaching days, followed a standout career at Southeast Missouri State when the university had a wrestling program. He was inducted into the Missouri State Wrestling Hall of Fame in March, an honor he also is proud of.

"I'm the only guy in that hall of fame as a wrestler, coach and official, which I think is pretty neat," he said.

Thomas, a native of Hopkinsville, Ky., had been out of high school for a few years when the opportunity to attend Southeast -- and compete in both wrestling and football -- presented itself in 1973.

"I wanted to wrestle in college, but nobody thought much of Kentucky wrestling, and so I just kept wrestling after I got out of high school," Thomas said. "Finally, a buddy of mine from high school, David Means, who went to SEMO to play football and later played with the Buffalo Bills, talked me into coming to SEMO because I could wrestle and play football."

As a wrestler at Southeast from 1973 through 1977, Thomas won four consecutive titles in the old Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association while never suffering a conference loss -- he's the only wrestler to ever accomplish that feat -- and he was a two-time NCAA Division II All-American, finishing second and fifth in NCAA national tournaments.

Thomas, competing at 220 pounds, was also a member of the USA National Wrestling Team in 1983 and 1984. He finished third in the Olympic Trials, third in the Pan Am Games Trials and third in the World Games Trials.

"When I was at SEMO I wrestled against some of the top wrestlers and programs in the nation, and I did well," Thomas said, proudly.

Thomas began his coaching and teaching career at Scott City High School, where he directed the wrestling program in 1977 and 1978, before coming to Jackson in 1979. He also served as an assistant football coach for many years at Jackson.

"I stayed in the area because I loved it," Thomas said. "It was so much like where I grew up."

Thomas laughed when recalling how he was notified by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame about being selected for recognition.

"After I first found out I had been nominated, I got a letter and I let it sit around for a few days," Thomas said. "My wife asked me if I was going to open it, and I said, 'I guess I will, but I'm sure it's just to say thanks but no thanks.' Then when I opened it, I was shocked I was picked."