Dick Edge was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame-West Virginia Chapter on Oct. 30, 2016 in Charleston.
Edge, a 1954 Wheeling High graduate, has the distinction of starting wrestling programs at two local high schools — Triadelphia in 1964 and Warwood three years later.
His tenure with the Vikings proved successful. His 1971 squad went undefeated in dual competition while winning an OVAC team championship.
Edge coached the school’s first state champion in 145-pounder Joe Matyskiela. He also guided John Vdovjak to two state crowns while also setting an Ohio Valley record for consecutive victories, a mark that has since being broken.
Edge has been active in local wrestling circles for more than a half of a century. He has been a key cog in the annual OVAC Ron Mauck Wrestling Tournament at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling.
The OVAC Hall of Famer was named Ohio Eastern District Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1975 and received the OVAC’s prestigious ‘Mr. Mat’ Award in 1979. He was enshrined in the West Liberty Hall of Fame in 1997.
Edge served as president of the OVAC during the 1986-87 and 1987-88 school years. He represented Wheeling High in the 1954 OVAC All-Star Football Game and then went on to West Liberty State College where he was a four-year letterman, two-time All-West Virginia Conference football selection and the team’s co-captain as a senior.
He and his wife, Pat, have three daughters: Lynn, Jenny and Holly.