Charlotte, NC - The NJCAA has announced three honorees to be inducted into the NJCAA Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame including a coach, former student-athletes, and athletic trainer. Scott Norton of Highline (WA), Rashad Evans of Niagara (NY), and Randy Boswell of North Idaho have been admitted in the respectable 2021 class.
Rashad Evans
Student-Athlete - Niagara County (NY)
At Niagara County, Evans was a two-time NJCAA All-American, finishing fourth in 1999. In 2000, Evans was the 165lb NJCAA Wrestling National Champion. Evans transferred to Michigan State and earned a degree in Psychology. A two-year starter, Evans finished 4th (2002) and 3rd (2003) in the Big Ten Tournament and was a 2X NCAA National Qualifier.
Following Michigan State, Rashad started his MMA career and made his break by winning the heavyweight division of "The Ultimate Fighter" in 2005. Rashad went on to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for 15 years, fighting in 3 different weight classes and winning the UFC light heavyweight championship belt in 2008. A veteran of 33 professional fights during his successful career, Evans compiled a record of 24-8-1 (14-8-1 UFC).
In 2019, the Niagara Falls native and former Niagara-Wheatfield and Niagara County star was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame's 'Modern Wing'.
Evans is using his wrestling experiences as a combat sports analyst with ESPN and an accomplished coach, as he continues to help train up-and-coming Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athletes in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Scott Norton
Coach - Highline (WA)
Scott Norton attended Oregon, where he saw much success and became an NCAA Division I All-American. Today, Norton is one of six Ducks to join the Century Club (100 wins). Head coach at Highline from 2003 - 2019, Norton is credited for keeping collegiate wrestling relevant in the state of Washington.
The Thunderbirds program, located in Des Moines, is the only NJCAA team with the sport offering. In 16 years at the helm, Norton has coached a National Champion, 5 National Runner-Ups, and 31 All-Americans. Norton was named the Region 18 Coach of the Year on four separate occasions. A mentor, recruiter, coach, and leader, the long-time coach was committed to the success of his student-athletes and the Highline wrestling program. In addition to coaching full-time, Norton held a full-time position as a fifth-grade teacher.
In 2011, Norton received the national Bob Bubb Award which is presented annually to one coach across each division of collegiate wrestling. It is intended to recognize an outstanding coach who epitomizes the qualities and characteristics of a role model and mentor for developing young student-athletes.
Norton is proud that during his tenure with the Thunderbirds, the team saw success both athletically and academically. Under Norton, the team won 4 National Academic Team of the year awards and saw an 86% graduation rate from Highline.
Randy Boswell
Contributor, Athletic Trainer - North Idaho
Randy Boswell is in his 28th year as North Idaho's Certified Athletic Trainer. Along with serving as the head athletic trainer at the 2011 and 2014 NJCAA Wrestling Championships, Randy has worked at the past 28 NJCAA Wrestling Tournaments.
Regardless of the school affiliation, Boswell has put forth countless hours towards assisting wrestlers to better the overall student-athlete championship experience. Boswell is proud to have been the head athletic trainer for the Cardinals wrestling team in 1998, 2001, 2003, and 2013 when they won the NJCAA Wrestling National Championship.
In addition to serving as North Idaho's Head Athletic Trainer, Boswell has worked very closely with USA Wrestling and has traveled to numerous events throughout the world. Among them are: The World Cup of Wrestling in 1999, 2002, and 2003, The Pan-American Wrestling Championships in Mexico in 2010 and 2014, the 2011 Jr. Pan-American Wrestling Championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil and the 2012 Ivan Yariguin Golden Grand Prix in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
In 2013, Boswell was selected to travel with the World Freestyle team to Russia and Armenia. That same year, he was the Athletic Trainer for the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Boswell was requested to work the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada and the 2017 World Championships in Paris, France. In 2019 he went to Lima, Peru with USA's National Wrestling Teams for the Pan American Games.