I have been involved in wrestling as an athlete, coach and official for 60 years. I wrestled for 4 years at Kelso HS for Jim Schall. I also wrestled 4 years in college and graduated from Central Washington University under coach Eric Beardsley. I coached wrestling and taught math at Hudson’s Bay High School for 30 years (1967-1997). I coached several state champs and some went on to be college national champions. I became a referee in 1967 while I was coaching and I am still refining the craft. I have done 20 state tournaments. In addition, I wrestled in the Olympic trials in 1968 and won 3 Pacific Coast Championships. I took the Washington team to Japan in 1979. I have refereed freestyle and Greco at the state level. I also coached at Clark College for two years.

Wrestling has been a big part of my life and it has taught me that an individual can overcome adversity of any kind. I was able to meet any of life’s challenges because wrestling was so difficult that even running a marathon was fairly easy compared to a 3-hour wrestling practice. Every difficult challenge in life was much easier to overcome because I had wrestled and knew that was the most difficult thing that I would ever do. Thanks to my coaches for allowing me to wrestle and become the man I am today.

I officiate because I enjoy seeing the development in our youth. Being involved affords me the opportunity to see wrestlers succeed on and off the mat. Officiating also gives me the opportunity to serve both athletes, coaches, and the community. I am excited to officiate in RMN tournaments because of the learning experience they provide. RMN gives me with the opportunity to learn and rub shoulders with nationally experienced Folkstyle officials. My goal is to develop step-by-step changes and overall improvement in my abilities.

8 years experience officiating folkstyle events.

Honored to have been selected to officiate 3 Idaho High School State Championships.

Served as Head Official for the Intermountain Warrior Challenge 6 years running.

10 years experience officiating Freestyle & Greco Roman events, including 20 National Championships and 18 regional events.

Served as Head Official twice for USA Wrestling Western Regionals, a tournament serving over 3000 youth.

Experience: high school official for 18 years, State wrestling official for 12 years, Washington state top 12 official several years in a row. Officiated the following tournaments: Best of the West Wrestling Championships, Hammerhead Wrestling Championships, Pacific Coast Wrestling Championships, Gut Check Wrestling Championships, Resers OR Tournament of Champions, Reno Tournament of Champions, Virginia Beach National Duals. Registered in 2018 as an NCAA wrestling official and look forward to a new challenge.

Philosophy: When I was a young wrestler, wrestling helped me work through many obstacles in my life. These obstacles would not have been conquered without the positive influences of several members of the wrestling family. I decided to give back as an official in hopes that I can have a positive impact in return. I’m very proud of being a part of the wrestling family in our communities.

I am a varsity official, with significant post-peason experience. Comfortable and cool-headed. Tournaments worked include:

Bigfoot (National Qualifier Kids Tourney)

Dream Duals (32-team dual tourney)

Best of the West (Tri Cities, WA)

Districts (multiple years/levels)

Regionals (multiple years/levels)

Personal growth, overcoming adversity, and achieving what is earned, is part of my DNA. That was instilled into me as a young wrestler, and has served me well throughout my life. I love to see other young athletes compete and achieve. It is a blessing to give back to this sport, via officiating.

Wrestling has been a part of my life for over 35 years; the lessons it has taught me have made me the person that I am today. My true passion for the sport came after my competition days were over, as I didn’t understand the lessons that it taught me until I started to coach: self-discipline, self-respect, work ethic. I didn’t understand why I did what I did until I tried to instill these qualities in other people; it was then I realized that wrestling is the vehicle that has driven me all my life.

I have a great passion for the sport; as such, I serve as the Governor of Montana AAU, I sit as the vice-chair of Montana’s Wrestling Committee, I am the Coaches Chair for Montana USA Wrestling, and I run Montana’s USA Junior and Cadet National Team. I am a MOA (Montana High School Official), as well as being a nationally licensed by the USWOA and AAU. As an adult in wrestling, we must show our passion for the sport in order to encourage the next generation of Athletes, Coaches, Officials and Parents. The ability to communicate and to commit to the sport – Athletes, Officials, and Coaches – is the essential role that we all must strive to fulfill.

This season marks my 27th year in the sport of wrestling. As an athlete I was blessed to have individual success as a two-time Nebraska State Finalist (champ and runner-up), along with a fifth-place finish and being a multiple District and Conference champion, finishing with a varsity record of 99-19. Experienced one season in college at ICCC before my athletic career came to an end. I was a part of a back-to-back State Championship high school team in Nebraska; the experience helped mold me to be who I am today.

From the hard work, discipline and sacrifices in the wrestling room, to the conduct, integrity and will to be the best we could be at all times as a whole, are all lessons taught to me through the sport of wrestling and which I carry with me all day, every day. To this day, I have yet to come across a better method to mold youth into successful young adults. Finishing one year of wrestling could very easily reflect three to five years of reality as an adult! If you can survive a wrestling career, there is a pretty good chance one can survive anything.

As an official, I am entering my 9th season, with 7 years of WA State Regional Tournament experience and 2 years at the WA State Mat Classic. To me, officiating is a great way to give back to the sport that has pulled me through life. Without officials, there would be no wrestling. The sport itself teaches one to not give up, never quit, always work hard at your best to be even better, discipline and integrity to choose right over wrong ... just a mentality that makes one a winner in life. I look forward to being a part of RMN; it is an exciting opportunity to continue to grow, learn, and gain experiences with officials from all around the country.

I have volunteered to Clark County Youth Wrestling, entering my 10th season as a youth coach. I enjoy watching the growth of the youth in wrestling, helping all I can along the way. This will also be my 3rd season as a middle school coach as well. The part I enjoy most about being a coach is seeing the kids grow, being humble and having success, but all due to their own hard work. One is not successful in wrestling without putting in work – and a lot of it. To see kids fight, then work to be their best makes me keep believing that they will each individually be successful and have a good life ahead of them if they continue down the path I help instill in them at an early age.

16 Years - Folkstyle Official
2x Washington State Championships
5 years college official (NCWA NW Regional 1X)

10 Years - Freestyle Greco (USA Wrestling)
International Level - Dave Schultz; National - US Open - Schoolboy\Cadet National Duals - Body Bar Women's Championships - Cadet\Junior & Kids National Championships

I wrestled 4 years in high school, two years in college. Qualified for NJCAA nationals while in college. Coached in Oregon under two Hall of Fame coaches. This will be my 41st year as a wrestling official and 32nd as a football official. I have worked state tournament finals in both Idaho and Oregon, seeing a lot of excellent young men and women excel in our sport. This will be my first RMN event and I am excited to see some of the best in Vegas.

Wrestling has always been a passion of mine. This sport has contributed more to my life than I will ever be able to give back to this great sport. After I finished my competitive career in high school and college, I knew that I wanted to stay in the sport. I coached high school wrestling for 8 years but needed to step away due to a change in my career as an educator. I still knew that I needed to stay involved in this fine sport. A very wise coach/ official introduced me into officiating. That was 20-plus years ago. I instantly grew to love this aspect of the sport because I was right in the middle of the action. Being on the mat either wrestling or officiating is the best place to be.

As an administrator in an Idaho High School, I get the opportunity to supervise many home wrestling meets. I hate to say this, but I find that I don’t enjoy myself as much if I’m just watching a wrestling match. I want to be the one calling the match and raising the winner’s arm at the end of the match. I have had the opportunity to travel the United States officiating wrestling. I have been on the East and the West Coast in high-level matches and have even officiated some of the best 5 and 6-year-olds in the country. I love every match that I am asked to officiate. I have been invited to referee in numerous RMN events. Each time I get the chance to participate in an RMN event, I find that the level of competition only improves. The tournaments get better and better each year at RMN. Thank you all for allowing me to be a part of this fine sport and be a part of RMN tournaments.

I have 20 years of wrestling officiating experience, including 12 Washington State Wrestling Championships, and 1 Mat Classic Championship at the Tacoma Dome. I love officiating because it gives me the opportunity to both give back to the wrestling community and to impact the youth in the sport. Wrestling provides so many great benefits both on and off the mat.

DICK STORTS – WA
• 28 years high school level referee.
• Post-season certified in Oregon and Washington.
• Worked 3 Oregon State Championships.
• Rated among the top 5 officials in my association.

Bob Garcia has been involved with wrestling as a competitor as a coach and as an official. After a few years coaching and officiating Bob pursued other combative sports participating in several martial styles, again as a competitor, as an instructor and as an official. After many years away from wrestling Bob joined the Evergreen Washington Wrestling Officials Association in the state of Washington. Bob has a wrestling family as both his boys wrestled, his daughter provided table support and his wife not only attends wrestling events and loves them, she only dates and marries wrestlers. Bob is very excited to be part of the sport he and his family love once again and especially excited to have the opportunity to be associated with RMN Events and Officials.