Friday, February 21, 2008

Eight to be Inducted into NEWA Hall of Fame
Former USM Coaches Ted Reese, Bryan Brunk Among the Inductees

     GORHAM, Maine  -- As part of this weekend's New England Wrestling 
Association (NEWA) Championships being held at the University of Southern Maine, 
the NEWA will induct eight individuals into its Hall of Fame.  
     Being inducted into the Hall of Fame this year are Jim Balella, a former 
All-American at Springfield College; four-time All-American Mike Gaeta from 
Springfield College; two-time New England champion and All-American Kevin 
Sheehan of Plymouth State University; two-time New England champion and current 
Messiah College head coach Bryan Brunk; former University of Southern Maine head 
coach Ted Reese; veteran Massachusetts high school coach Jim Maher; former All-
American Ken Staten of Norwich University; and two-time All-American Tom 
Rainville of Norwich University.  The induction ceremonies will take place this 
Sunday prior to the championship finals.  
     The opening session of the 2008 NEWA Championships tournament gets underway 
Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m.  The second session Saturday begins at 5:00 p.m.
     On Sunday, the morning session commences at 9:30 a.m.  The final session, 
starting with the Hall of Fame ceremonies and followed by the championship 
bouts, is slated to begin at 5:30 p.m.
     Jim Balella ended his career at Springfield College on the highest level.  
He finished as an All-American in 1998 at 126 pounds, reaching the national 
championship match.  His outstanding second-place finish allowed his team to 
finish in seventh place at the NCAA Division III Nationals Championship.
     "Entering his senior season, Jim had some lost time to make up for," said 
Springfield College Head Wrestling Coach Daryl Arroyo. "Jim had not been able to 
complete his sophomore and junior seasons.  But he came on with a vengeance as a 
senior, finishing with an exceptional 38-3 record, and becoming Springfield 
College's ninth national finalist."
     During the 1998 season, Jim won the New England title in the 126-pound 
weight class, allowing him to advance to the nationals.
     "Jim was one of the toughest kids that I've ever coached", added Arroyo. 
"He did not necessarily step out onto the mat to dazzle his opponents with 
technique. He stepped out to physically and mentally dominate his opponents."
     Since graduating from Springfield College in 1998 with a degree in 
recreation management, Jim has moved back home to Hackettstown, N.J., and 
changed his career paths. He acquired his teaching certificate in health and 
physical education, and is now working at West Morris Central High School where 
he teaches health and physical education, and coaches volleyball, wrestling, and 
baseball. 
     "In the 92 years of wrestling at Springfield College, few wrestlers can say 
they were as successful as Mike Gaeta", said Springfield College head wrestling 
coach Daryl Arroyo.
     In 2007, Gaeta became just the second wrestler in Springfield College 
history (and the first since the school moved to NCAA Division III competition) 
to obtain All-America status four straight years. The only other Springfield 
competitor to achieve that feat was Rich Monroe, from 1973 through 1976, when 
Springfield was part of the Division II ranks.
     Gaeta finished his New England Wrestling Association career winning three 
consecutive conference championships in the 141-pound weight class his freshman 
through junior seasons (2004 through 2006).  Gaeta's excellence, helped propel 
Springfield to the team title in each of those seasons. 
     As a senior (2007), Mike finished second as an individual in that same 
event and weight class. But it was because of his achievements at nationals that 
Mike became immediately eligible for the NEWA Hall of Fame as a four-time All-
American.  Gaeta finished fifth in the nation as a freshman, seventh as a 
sophomore, fifth as a junior, and fifth again as a senior. 
     "Mike was an outstanding leader, helping the team achieve a great deal of 
success in his time at Springfield College", said Arroyo. "Much of his 
individual success was due to his phenomenal ability to get stronger as the 
match went along. One of my greatest joys in coaching was watching him come from 
behind and dismantle an opponent in the last period.  Wrestlers with his ability 
are not easy to find in the Division III ranks."
     A former standout wrestler at Plymouth State, Sheehan finished his career 
as a two-time New England champion and two-time All-American at 118 pounds.  
Sheehan earned All-American honors, twice finishing in the top three in his 
weight class at the NCAA Division III National Championships.
     A native of Lowell, Mass., Sheehan was a four-time All-New England wrestler 
for the Panthers, finishing in the top six at the New England championships 
every year of his collegiate wrestling career (1989-92). He captured the 118-
pound weight class at the 1991 and 1992 New England Championships, earning the 
Most Outstanding Wrestler Award in 1991.
     Sheehan helped Plymouth State to a fourth place finish at the New England 
Championships in 1990 and a third place in 1992. He advanced to the NCAA 
Championships his junior and senior seasons, earning All-America honors at 118 
pounds. 
     Sheehan recorded a third-place finish in 1991 and added a runner-up finish 
in 1992, losing the championship bout, 2-1, in dramatic fashion. He completed 
his junior year with a 33-1 overall record and his senior season with a 35-1 
mark. His remarkable performance in 1992 earned Sheehan an invitation to the 
U.S. Olympic Trials.
     In four years as the head coach at Messiah College, Bryan Brunk has accrued 
numerous recognitions for his team's performances, including being named the 
2004 NCAA Division III Rookie Coach of the Year, the 2005 Bob Bubb Coaching 
Excellence Award for Division III, and 2005 Middle Atlantic Conference Coach of 
the Year.
     Brunk has coached three national qualifiers, 14 scholar All-Americans and 
30 conference or regional place winners in his career.  In addition, Messiah has 
finished first in 2006 and second in 2004 and 2007 in the country in team grade 
point average.
     Prior to taking the helm at Messiah, Brunk was the assistant wrestling 
coach for the University of Southern Maine from 1998-2003. He served at USM 
under long-time mentor Ted Reese, a Maine Amateur Wrestling Association Hall of 
Fame Coach and a National High School Coach of the Year. 
     Wrestling for coach Reese at Bonny Eagle (Buxton, Maine) High School, Brunk 
compiled a 112-8 record, won three state championships, and was named captain of 
the team his senior year. Bryan was named honorable mention All-American by 
Wrestling USA magazine and was named Academic All-American by Amateur Wrestling 
News. 
     From 1994-1996, Brunk wrestled for Wheaton (Illinois) College. He was a 
two-year starter and placed fourth and second in the NCAA Division III West 
Regional.  He was the first alternate to the NCAA Division III Nationals for his 
region.  He also placed second and first in the College Conference in Illinois 
and Wisconsin (CCIW) championships.
     After transferring to Western New England College (Springfield, Mass.), 
Brunk wrestled two seasons for the Golden Bears.  He won two New England 
Championships and qualified to the NCAA Division III Nationals both years. He 
was voted captain and attained Academic All-American status his senior year.  
Brunk holds a master's degree in teaching and learning from the University of 
Southern Maine. 
     In 19 years of coaching wrestling, Jim Maher has worked tirelessly to 
further the sport.  Maher began his coaching career at Randolph (Mass.) High 
School in 1982.  During his 10 seasons (1982-1992) at Randolph HS, Maher helped 
guide his teams to a trio of Division 1 South Sectional Championships (1989, 
1990 and 1991), and a Division 1 State Title in 1990.  During that time, Maher 
coached 14 individual sectional champs and three state champions. 
     Maher moved on to Brockton (Mass.) High School for six seasons (1994-2000).  
During that span, Maher coached seven section champion wrestlers and four state 
champions, including Sean Nelligan, the current Worcester Polytechnic Institute 
head coach.  
     After his time with Brockton HS, Maher helped develop future wrestlers 
serving as a youth wrestling coach after founding the Dedham (Mass.) Recreation 
Wrestling program in 2000.  Serving in this capacity since 2000, Maher has 
taught the sport of wrestling to athletes from first grade through eighth grade 
in the Dedham area.  
     Maher returned to the high school coaching ranks in 2005 and has been the 
head coach of Dedham High School the past three seasons.  
     Outside of coaching and teaching the sport, Maher has volunteered his time 
as the Wrestling Tournament Director at the Bay State Games since 1983.  The Bay 
State Games Wrestling Tournament is the largest summer tournament in New 
England, regularly featuring over 500 participants.  Maher has also volunteered 
as the Town of Dedham Parks and Recreation Commissioner since 2002, while 
devoting his time to providing college coaches around the nation information on 
prospective high school student athletes.  
     Maher has worked as a project manager for Verizon since 1982. He and his 
wife Kathleen have a son, Andrew, who is a wrestler. 
     When R. Kenneth Staten II enrolled at Norwich University, he set three 
goals for himself:  to achieve his personal best in academics, in leadership, 
and in wrestling.  He accomplished all three.  
     Staten's dedication in the classroom and the mat paid off when he was 
selected to the NCAA All-American Scholar Wrestling Team.  He also achieved All-
American honors on the mat by placing fifth at 126 pounds in the NCAA 
Championships.  Staten also competed in the Espior Greco nationals where he 
became an All-American.  He was a two-time captain of the Norwich wrestling team 
and represented the Cadets at the 1994 NCAA Championships where he defeated the 
no. 1 seed and finished fifth in the nation.  Staten was a New England finalist 
and a two-time All-New England at 126 and 134 pounds.
     In leadership, he attained the rank of cadet major and was the Headquarters 
Company Commander.  In his junior year, Staten served as cadet first sergeant 
for the Echo Company, which earned the Freshman Platoon of the Year award.
     Staten has continued in his passion of wrestling by coaching the 
Wethersfield (Conn.) wrestling team for the past seven years.  Staten was 
selected to coach the Connecticut national team which travels to Fargo, North 
Dakota, this summer.  He works as a marketing manager at Pratt and Whitney and 
resides in Glastonbury Ct.
     A four-year letterman for Norwich University in the late 1980's, Rainville 
was the first Cadet wrestler to earn All-New England honors four straight years, 
the school's first All-American wrestler and the first to collect 100 career 
wins.
     In his first year, Rainville became the first NU freshman ever to earn All-
New England honors.  As a sophomore, he won the Northern New England 
championship and finished second overall in New England.
     Tom served as the team's co-captain as a junior and senior and won the New 
England championship at 167 pounds in both years.  He went undefeated in dual 
matches during his junior year and posted a 33-3 record while finishing fifth at 
the NCAA championships.  A year later, Tom collected a school record 35 
victories and earned his second All-American honor with a sixth place showing at 
the NCAA championships.
     Tom was a member of the Senior Honor Committee and the History Honor 
Society as an undergraduate.  Since graduating with a degree in history, Tom has 
served 17 years in the Navy.  He has won numerous medals and honors including 
the Navy Commendation Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement 
Medal and two Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals.  Tom is currently a commander 
in the Navy Seals.  His last deployment was in Iraq from June 2006 to November 
2006.
     Tom and his wife Karen have two sons; Joshua 10, and Jacob 8.  The family 
resides in Chula Vista, CA.
     Currently a volunteer coach at Bonny Eagle, Ted Reese founded the 
University of Southern Maine varsity wrestling program and guided it for six 
years before handing it off to current USM head coach Joe Pistone.  Since his 
departure from USM, Reese has remained an active supporter of the Huskies.  
     A pioneer of the sport in Maine, Reese has helped to develop Maine's 
wrestling programs, founding high school programs at Camden-Rockport, Georges 
Valley, Scarborough and Bonny Eagle.  
     During his tenure at Bonny Eagle, the Fighting Scots were State Champions 
eight times, runners-up four time and winners of the Sportsmanship banner twice.   
Reese's Bonny Eagle clubs were Class A State Champions four of his last five 
years, and his 1993 Bonny Eagle team was ranked 21st in the nation by Wrestling 
USA magazine.  Due to Reese's leadership, the Fighting Scots were also listed as 
the 29th most successful high school program of the decade.  
     Reese wrestled for Yale, winning the Gleason Trophy, and was the New 
England Freestyle Champion four times.  After receiving his bachelor of arts in 
English from Yale, Reese served in the Marine Corps.  He later earned masters 
degrees at Harvard and Brandeis before being awarded a Ph.D. in English from 
Brandeis.  Reese also holds a national certification as a Strength and 
Conditioning Trainer.  
     During his coaching career, Reese has coached numerous New England school 
and freestyle champions as well as three honorable mention scholastic All-
Americans and three Maine All-Class Most Outstanding Wrestlers.  While at USM, 
Reese coached Adam Farrington who was the national leader in pins and was named 
the Most Outstanding Wrestler in New England. 
     Reese was the first person in the United States to earn the coveted 
designation of Master Coach from FILA, wrestling's international ruling body. 
Reese also earned a certificate of achievement from the Moscow Institute of 
Sport in 1987.   He has helped with several World Cup and Olympic teams.  During 
the 1984 Olympics, Reese served as a scout for several of the U.S.'s gold 
medalists, including legendary wrestler and friend Dave Schultz.  
     Knowledgeable in technique and a fanatic for detail, Reese worked 
extensively on USA Wrestling's National Wrestling Syllabus and is currently 
compiling a technique book, accompanied by a video, entitled "Tangatook 
Wrestling Techniques." 

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