Willy Wilson, you showed us the heights to which one athlete can
rise through that rare combination of natural skill and sheer
determination. You forged an unequaled record as a wrestler at WPI,
becoming one of the finest wrestlers ever to compete at the
Institute.
At WPI, wrestling in the 118 and, later, the 126-pound class,
you continued the winning ways you began as a high school wrestler.
With 29 career pins, you still hold the college record. You also
left with the best dual meet record, an amazing 58 wins and three
losses over four years, in WPI history. And, with a team record of
29 career falls, you were the number one team-point scorer in the
history of WPI wrestling.
Your prowess on the mat earned you the respect and admiration of
your teammates, who voted you co-captain three years, and your
school, which presented you with the Coach's award as a freshman
and the Varsity Club Award as a senior. As a result of your
second-place finish in four consecutive New England Tournaments,
you earned All-New England honors.
You were truly a force to be contended with and you put
everything you had into every match. Your resolve once led you to
continue wrestling after you separated your sternum-you ended that
match by pinning an Albany State wrestler in a come-from-behind
victory.
You competed in every national Division III championship during
your WPI career. As a senior, you gained national recognition with
a third-place finish in the national meet, something no other WPI
wrestler had accomplished before that night. You scored a pin in
the quarterfinals of that tournament to become WPI's first Division
III Wrestling All-American. It was a rousing finale to a brilliant
college wrestling career.
You were also a high achiever off the mat. You were elected
president of Skull, the senior honor society, and were also active
in your fraternity, Phi Kappa Theta.
Willy Wilson, tonight we proudly honor your outstanding athletic
achievements by inducting you into the WPI Athletic Hall of
Fame.
