Meet the Class of 2013 for Gable Museum’s Glen Brand Hall of Fame of Iowa

Kirk Myers crafted an impressive wrestling career in the state of Iowa, first at Algona High School, where he won the Class 2A 185-pound title at the 1977 Iowa state wrestling championships. Myers then headed to the University of Northern Iowa, where he competed for Panthers head wrestling coach Chuck Patten from 1977 through 1982. He was a three-time NCAA Division II champ, winning the 190-pound crown in 1978-1980. In addition, Myers was a three-time NCAA Division I All-American at 190, placing sixth in 1978, third in 1979, and fifth in 1982.Photo of Kirk Myers as a University of Northern Iowa wrestlerRaised by his grandmother Evelyn in northeast Ohio, Joseph Heskett won three state titles for prep powerhouse Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit (1995 at 135 pounds, 1996 at 145, and 1997 at 157) – the first two by fall. After graduation, Heskett headed west to Iowa State, where he wrestled for fellow Ohioan Bobby Douglas (the first African-American state champ in the Buckeye State, in 1959). As a Cyclone, Heskett continued his winning – and pinning – ways, with a 143-10 career college record, with 58 falls. Heskett was a four-time NCAA All-American, placing third as a freshman, and second as a sophomore and junior before winning the 165-pound title at the 2002 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships (the same year teammate Cael Sanderson concluded his 159-0 college career with his fourth NCAA title). Heskett also found success in freestyle, placing fifth at the 2007 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. He was also a finalist in RealProWrestling, a paid form of amateur wrestling, in 2005. He served as an assistant coach at Cal Poly, then Ohio State before being named head coach at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 2010.Photo shows Joe Heskett as an Iowa State wrestlerDale Brand has an impressive record of accomplishment as wrestler and coach, spanning from the 1930s through the 1970s. Wrestling for Fort Dodge High School, Brand won the 105-pound title at the 1931 Iowa high school state championships. For college, he headed east, to Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, where he was a two-time NCAA All-American, placing second at 134 pounds at the 1936 NCAAs… then winning the championship at 126 at the 1937 NCAAs.  Brand also served as an alternate for the U.S. freestyle team at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. After World War II, Brand set roots at Clarion High School in north-central Iowa. From 1946 through 1976, as head wrestling coach, Brand and his wrestlers compiled an impressive 252-76-2 dual-meet record. Brand coached 23 individual state champions (including his first cousin, Glen Brand, and future Iowa State mat champ and assistant coach Les Anderson); six of his teams placed second at the Iowa state tournament. Dale Brand passed away at age 90 in 2004.Photo of Dale Brand in his 1936 Olympic wrestling gear.View the list »
National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum, home of the Glen Brand Hall of Fame of Iowa

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Five great former wrestlers – all with individual NCAA titles, and all with roots in the sport in the state of Iowa – will be welcomed into the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa this June, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum announced Tuesday.

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The Class of 2013 honorees include Dale Brand, Joe Heskett, Kirk Myers, and Terry and Troy Steiner.

These past mat champs will be inducted into the Hall – named to honor Glen Brand, 1948 Olympic gold medalist and NCAA champ for Iowa State – on June 9, 2013.

According to the Museum, its Glen Brand Hall of Fame was established in 2002 to honor individuals who “who have made an impact on the sport on a national level, or who have done extraordinary work in the State of Iowa. The hall recognizes native-born Iowans, and those who achieved their fame while wrestling or coaching for an Iowa school.”

Click on the "View the List" link to get to know each of these honorees, and see photos of them...

Want to know more? Check out the College Wrestling Examiner original report on the Class of 2013.

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  • Dale Brand has an impressive record of accomplishment as wrestler and coach, spanning from the 1930s through the 1970s. Wrestling for Fort Dodge High School, Brand won the 105-pound title at the 1931 Iowa high school state championships. For college, he headed east, to Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, where he was a two-time NCAA All-American, placing second at 134 pounds at the 1936 NCAAs… then winning the championship at 126 at the 1937 NCAAs.  Brand also served as an alternate for the U.S. freestyle team at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. After World War II, Brand set roots at Clarion High School in north-central Iowa. From 1946 through 1976, as head wrestling coach, Brand and his wrestlers compiled an impressive 252-76-2 dual-meet record. Brand coached 23 individual state champions (including his first cousin, Glen Brand, and future Iowa State mat champ and assistant coach Les Anderson); six of his teams placed second at the Iowa state tournament. Dale Brand passed away at age 90 in 2004.Photo of Dale Brand in his 1936 Olympic wrestling gear.
  • Raised by his grandmother Evelyn in northeast Ohio, Joseph Heskett won three state titles for prep powerhouse Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit (1995 at 135 pounds, 1996 at 145, and 1997 at 157) – the first two by fall. After graduation, Heskett headed west to Iowa State, where he wrestled for fellow Ohioan Bobby Douglas (the first African-American state champ in the Buckeye State, in 1959). As a Cyclone, Heskett continued his winning – and pinning – ways, with a 143-10 career college record, with 58 falls. Heskett was a four-time NCAA All-American, placing third as a freshman, and second as a sophomore and junior before winning the 165-pound title at the 2002 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships (the same year teammate Cael Sanderson concluded his 159-0 college career with his fourth NCAA title). Heskett also found success in freestyle, placing fifth at the 2007 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. He was also a finalist in RealProWrestling, a paid form of amateur wrestling, in 2005. He served as an assistant coach at Cal Poly, then Ohio State before being named head coach at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 2010.Photo shows Joe Heskett as an Iowa State wrestler
  • Kirk Myers crafted an impressive wrestling career in the state of Iowa, first at Algona High School, where he won the Class 2A 185-pound title at the 1977 Iowa state wrestling championships. Myers then headed to the University of Northern Iowa, where he competed for Panthers head wrestling coach Chuck Patten from 1977 through 1982. He was a three-time NCAA Division II champ, winning the 190-pound crown in 1978-1980. In addition, Myers was a three-time NCAA Division I All-American at 190, placing sixth in 1978, third in 1979, and fifth in 1982.Photo of Kirk Myers as a University of Northern Iowa wrestler
  • Terry Steiner, along with his identical twin brother Troy, share a number of common achievements... but each has a unique set of wrestling and coaching accomplishments.Born in Bismarck, N.D., Terry was a two-time North Dakota state wrestling champ for Century High School in 1987 and 1988. He headed south to the University of Iowa, where he compiled a 124-27-2 overall record competing for Dan Gable. Terry was a three-time NCAA Division I All-American from 1991 through 1993, winning the 150-pound title -- and Outstanding Wrestler honors -- at the 1993 NCAAs. He also won back-to-back Midlands championships in 1991 and 1992. After serving as an assistant coach at University of Wisconsin, then Oregon State, Terry Steiner was named head coach of USA Wrestling's national women's freestyle wrestling team in 2002.Photo shows Terry Steiner as USA Wrestling women's coach.
  • Troy Steiner, identical twin brother to fellow Glen Brand Hall of Fame honoree Terry Steiner, has his own unique set of accomplishments on the mat, and on the sidelines as a coach.A product of Bismarck, N.D., Troy wrestled at Century High School, where he was a three-time North Dakota state champ in 1986-1988. After graduation, Troy joined his brother at the University of Iowa, competing for the legendary Dan Gable. As a Hawkeye, Troy Steiner was a three-time Big Ten conference champ (1991-1993), a four-time NCAA All-American (1990-1993) who won the 142-pound title at the 1992 NCAAs. In addition, Troy won a title at the prestigious Midlands annual tournament in 1991. Since hanging up the headgear, Troy has coached at Iowa, University of Wisconsin and University of Minnesota before becoming head assistant coach at Oregon State in 2006. 
  • Glen Brand, whose name adorns the Hall of Fame honoring individuals connected to wrestling in the state of Iowa, built an impressive mat resume. Wrestling for his first cousin Dale Brand at Clarion High School in north-central Iowa, Glen Brand was a runner-up at the Iowa state wrestling championships in 1942. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. In 1946, Brand enrolled at Iowa State University, where he competed for head coach Hugo Otoplik. Brand compiled a 54-3 record, winning two conference titles (Big 7 in 1947, Big 8 in 1948). He was a three-time NCAA All-American, winning the 175-pound title at the 1948 NCAAs by defeating cross-state rival Joe Scarpello in the finals. Later that year, Brand brought home the gold medal in freestyle middleweight competition at the 1948 Olympics in London. Glen Brand passed away in 2008.Photo shows Glen Brand as an Iowa State wrestler.
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Mark is a staff writer for InterMatWrestle.com, as well as Wrestling USA, Amateur Wrestling News, and The Guillotine magazines, and has contributed to the books "Family Ties: An American Wrestling Tradition" and "The Ultimate Guide to Wrestling Camps." Mark received the Bob Dellinger Award from...

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