Tiger Style Signee Rocky Elam Earns Major High School Wrestling Award
5/21/2020 2:00:00 PM | Wrestling
Elam is the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award Winner in the Central Region
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Thursday announced the regional winners of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award (DSHSEA), and Mizzou signee Rocky Elam (Kansas City, Mo.) was named the Central Region honoree. The Central Region consists of seven states: Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Elam's distinction comes on the heels of his DSHSEA for the state of Missouri, which was announced on May 18, recognizing him as the state's top high school wrestler. Incoming freshman Keegan O'Toole (Hartland, Wis.) also took home the DSHSEA in Wisconsin when that announcement was made.
Elam is a two-time Missouri state champion and four-time state qualifier, finishing third in 2018, for Staley High School and is the top-ranked wrestler in the country at 195 pounds. The younger brother of Mizzou heavyweight Zach Elam, Rocky won United World Wrestling's Junior Austria Flatz Open in 2020 and captured USA Wrestling's Preseason Nationals and Junior Folkstyle Nationals in 2019. Elam was USA Wrestling's Cadet Freestyle Nationals champion in 2018 and Preseason Cadet Folkstyle Nationals champion in 2017. He also trains at the Olympic Training Center as a member of USA Wrestling's Elite Accelerator Program. Elam was a member of the Missouri State High School Activities Association All-Academic team three times after placing in the Top Six in the state tournament and having over a 3.5 GPA. His older brother, Zach, was the Missouri state winner of the DSHSEA in 2018.
The DSHSEA was established in 1996 to honor Olympic and World champion Dave Schultz, whose career was cut short when he was murdered in January 1996. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1997 and as a member of the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016.
The award recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior male wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service.
Winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community.
The national winner of the DSHSEA will be announced on May 28.
For all the latest on Mizzou Wrestling, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on social media (@MizzouWrestling on Twitter and Instagram) and like the team on Facebook (University of Missouri Wrestling).
Players Mentioned
