By Staff
Jim Mooney, a Niles High School graduate and former Williamston high school wrestling coach was recently inducted into the Michigan Wrestling Association Hall of Fame in a ceremony in Kalamazoo on Friday evening.
In attendance, in addition to his family, were friends from Niles, Williamston, and Indiana as well as his former high school coach, Ed Weede.
Mooney graduated from Niles high school in 1957 and wrestled for Weede and with fellow classmate and friend, Shorty Jones (both inductees into the
Hall of Fame). Mooney graduated from Central Michigan University in 1962 and started teaching and coaching at Williamston Community Schools in the fall of the same year, retiring from his career in the spring of 2000.
Mooney coached wrestling at Williamston for 30 years, was the athletic director for 15 years as well as coaching football, baseball and golf.
Mooney believes it is an honor to be selected as an inductee into the Michigan Wrestling Association Hall of Fame but states the support of the great assistant coaches, wrestlers, parents and friends of the Williamston wrestling program as well as a strong Booster's Club are what helped make the program a success.
During his tenure as wrestling coach he had 19 state champions, more than 46 state qualifiers, one Olympic wrestler in Tom Minkle and one wrestler training for the Olympics in Athens in 2004 -- Nick Simmons. His teams were ICL champions nine times; district and regional champions six times; state champions once; runners-up once; he was selected Regional Coach of the Year six times; Class C/Division III Coach of the Year three times; Lansing State Journal Coach of the Year once; Co-Coach of the Lansing State Journal team once. His record stands at 305 wins, 125 losses and three ties.
Mooney is married to the former Barbara Mudd and they have three children and six grandchildren.
Murray among first inducted into Track Hall of Fame
Brandywine High School cross country coach Jim Murray was inducted into the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame in Kalamazoo last weekend.
Murray was among the first class of inductees into the newly-created Hall of Fame which is housed at the Michigan High School Athletic Association headquarters in East Lansing.