2011 Coach Sportsmanship Award

Keith Piccirilli - Albion

                 Keith has coached the Albion Purple Eagles wrestling squad for 29 years, guiding them to 275 victories, 4 Niagara-Orleans League title 4 times, with 75 League Champions, 23 Class Champions, and 6 Section 6 Champions. He came to Albion in 1982, after graduation from Ithaca College, where he played football as well as wrestled.  Originally from Rush-Henrietta HS, where he excelled in football (All Monroe County guard and offensive end, and All Greater Rochester offensive guard), and wrestling (District champion, and Section 5 place winner).  He has also served as Assistant Varsity Football coach for 30 years. Keith has been greatly appreciated by the NFWOA officials over the years for his gentlemanly conduct at the corner of the mat.

photo courtesy of Cheryl Wertman(Medina-Journal Register)

2011 Wrestling Contributor Award

Richard Lang

          Dick Lang exemplifies exactly what this award is all about.  It is hard to find a coach or wrestler in the area that is not aware of his contributions to the sport, as a participant, official, coach, and for all practical purposes cheerleader.  Dick wrestled at Orchard Park back in the early days (before 1960), then shortly thereafter spent 24 years as an official, doubling toward the end of his officiating career as a coach.  He founded the Junior Wrestling Program at Roy Hart, then coached there for the next nine years, bringing the team to the number 1 status in Section 6 in 1988, then moved on to Newfane for the next nineteen years, gaining the same status for several years. His wrestlers included Lou Rosselli, 2x NYS Champ, 2x Division 1 All American, 3x US Open National Champ, and 1996 Olympic team member, who is presently Assistant Coach at Ohio State University, Ryan Needle, 3x NYS champion, Nelson Colley, 2x place winner at NYS championships and All American at Division 3 Brockport SUNY, and Willie Cunningham, All American at NCCC. It is no wonder that many of his wrestlers had given him the nickname "Pops Lang".  He also has been 3x Past President of the Western NY Wrestling Coaches Association, and a member of the Ranking Committee for Section 6. During almost all of this involvement  with wrestling, he was also a full time NYS Conservation Officer, retiring after 34 years, and now serving as the Town Supervisor for Royalton.

Dick (Pops) Lang with Dan Hanley (NFWOA President)