Maine Wrestling Hall of Fame

2002   Steve Nokes [Competitor & Coach, Rumford, Me]

Nokes paid his dues early on, but stuck with the sport and eventually proved untouchable in Maine en route to winning Class A state championships in '76-77. Nokes also placed second and third respectively, in the New England championships

"Success doesn't suddenly appear,"Nokes said. "I've found that in order to get by in life, it's necessary to surround yourself with good people. If you do, there's a good chance that you'll be able to rise above (obstacles) that are encountered."

The lure of wrestling never escaped Nokes and he returned as an assistant coach at Rumford a decade later. The Rumford-Mexico school systems merged in the late 1980s and Mountain Valley H.S. was created. Nokes became the head coach and won 74 meets, exactly the amount of matches he'd won while competing.

Nokes followed a great philosophy that he had learned early on in his coaching career. A group of several veteran coaches expressed that utilizing your eyes and ears, not your mouth, was the best way to succeed in the profession.

Award presented by Jerry Perkins                                       Thanks to MAWA for article