Coleman and Moore Inducted to Hall of Fame
By Joe Walker
ALTOONA-Prior to the start of Saturday night’s District 6 wrestling championships, two former Clinton County wrestlers were inducted into the District 6 Hall Of Fame by the District Coaches Association.
Former Lock Haven High wrestler and coach Eric Coleman, along with former Bald Eagle-Nittany wrestler and coach Mike Moore were both inducted to the District 6 Hall of Fame, as they joined six other inductees.
Coleman wrestled for Lock Haven High School and later became an assistant coach for the Bobcats in 1984 and through 1999 he held the positions Junior High assistant and then Head Junior High coach. Coleman then became head coach and was the last head coach of the Bobcats before the consolidation of Lock Haven, Bald Eagle-Nittany and Sugar Valley High Schools in the now Central Mountain.
Coleman then became a varsity assistant for the Central Mountain Wildcats under Head Coach Mike Rogers. Coleman then became head Jr High coach from 2003 to 2006 and then served as an assistant Jr High coach from 2007 to 2021. During his coaching on the Jr High squad, Coleman helped guide the Little Wildcats to a dual meet record to 307-52 and 9 Big 7 Junior High League titles. Eric still serves as a volunteer assistant coach on the Wildcats Junior High team and has been coaching for a total of 38 years.
Moore is a former Bald Eagle-Nittany wrestler where he was a two-time District champ, two-time Regional champion and a two-time PIAA state AA 3rd place finisher and finished with a 87-5-1 career high school record at BEN. After high school, Moore went to wrestle for legendary Pitt University coach Randy Stottlemyer, for which he still owns the Pitt record for most falls in a single season with 18.
Moore got started in his coaching career by coaching the Bald Eagle-Nittany Junior High and then the Central Mountain Junior High. Moore later accepted the head varsity coach position at Hollidaysburg High School, where he coached for 15 years. He saw 15 of his wrestlers become District 6 champions, one Regional champion and one PIAA state place winner.
Others inducted into the Hall of Fame were longtime Bald Eagle Area coach and currently into his eighth season as head coach, Ron Guenot. Hollidaysburg assistant coach Mitch Johns who has coached wrestling at Hollidaysburg for 37 years and 15 of those years as assistant coach to Mike Moore.
Also going into the Hall is former Mount Union wrestler Steve Beeler and former Altoona standout Ernie Bonsell. Former Lewistown wrestler and Juniata Head Coach Mike Robinson, along with former Cambria Heights wrestler and Central Cambria Head Coach John Strittmatter round out the inductees.
Inductees in the class of 2025 were also announced, as former Bald Eagle-Nittany wrestler and coach Dave Pick and former Lock Haven wrestler Randy Brungard will be among the inductees. Brungard also wrestled for Frank and Marshall University and has been a longtime wrestling official.
