RICK WELKER

WHEELING – A local high school wrestling coach has received a national honor for the success his team achieved last winter.

Wheeling Central’s Rick Welker has been selected as Wrestling USA Magazine’s National co-Coach of the Year for 2024. It was announced in the June issue.

In the fall of 2022, Wheeling Central reinstated the wrestling program and named Welker as head coach. The sport had been absent from the school’s athletics programs for nearly two decades. What he and his coaching staff have accomplished in two seasons is remarkable.

In his second year at the helm, Wheeling Central posted an impressive dual meet record of 24-5. It won three invitational tournaments during the course of the regular season and capped the season by winning the W.Va. Class A state title with just four state qualifiers. They included two freshmen, wrestling at 120 pounds (Braxton Burch) and 157 pounds (Eli Tedrow), and two sophomores, competing at 165 (Wyatt Brady) and 215 (Isaac Martin).

The quartet produced three state runners-up and a state champion, Martin, who was later named the Class A Most Outstanding Wrestler.

In his first year as head coach, the Maroon Knights sent two qualifiers to the West Virginia State Wrestling championships held in Huntington. They produced a third-place finisher in the Class A/AA division.

“This is a great honor and it’s very humbling. But honestly, we wouldn’t have had the success we did without (my assistant coaches) Chet (Tedrow), Tyler (Jenkins) and Marcus (Baptiste), as well as Canon (Welker) during the first season we were back in action. Their commitment to this team was amazing and they were huge assets for development of the entire team.”

Welker was quick to point out that it took a total team effort to get the job done in Huntington.

“Let’s not forget about the alternates and the rest of the team that continued to work their butts off to get Isaac, Wyatt, Eli and Braxton ready to compete at the state tournament. This entire team worked tirelessly for their success and they all deserved and were part of that win.

“I am proud to be a part of this school and to work with the administration. Our wrestling parents and supporters of the program also share in the team’s success.”

Welker is the son of Bill and Peggy (Bainbridge) Welker of Wheeling.