Milford Native Elected to National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Four outstanding individuals from Connecticut’s wrestling community have been selected for induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

The Connecticut chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame will hold an induction dinner on Saturday, April 16, 2016 at Aria’s in Prospect to honor these men for their contribution to the sport of wrestling and our communities.

The four men are:

• Daryl Arroyo, a Milford native and former head coach at Springfield College
• Mark Cammisa, a youth wrestling coach and coordinator in Danbury and with USA Connecticut Wrestling
• John Lawless, the former head coach and athletic director at Nonnewaug in Woodbury
• Lieutenant Colonel Michael P. Morris, Jr., a former youth wrestling coach and coordinator in New Milford, Colchester, Hebron and Danbury and an assistant coach at Bacon Academy

Daryl Arroyo has been Athletic Director at Delta College in Stockton, Cal. since 2013. He had been Director of Athletics, Physical Education, Recreation and Intramurals at Alfred State University in New York since 2011; prior to that, he had worked at Springfield College for 21 years.

He chaired the Department of Physical Education and Health Education at Springfield since 2008 and coached the college’s wrestling team since 1990. As chair of the department at Springfield, Arroyo oversaw the largest academic department at the institution. The department consisted of 34 fulltime faculty and over 400 graduate and undergraduate students.

In his coaching career on the mats, Arroyo accumulated a 302-167-6 record, coached 70 national qualifiers, 27 NCAA All-Americans, 67 Scholar All-Americans, and 45 conference champions. He is a New England Wrestling Association Hall of Fame member and was named NEWA Coach of the Year five times, as well as being named the NCAA Division II Northeast Region Coach of the Year in 1991.

Arroyo has a PhD in sport, leisure, and exercise science with a concentration in educational sport psychology from the University of Connecticut; an MS in physical education with a concentration in sport psychology from California State University – Fullerton; and a BS in health fitness from Springfield College.

Other past experiences include: assistant business manager at Central Connecticut State University; assistant wrestling coach at Central Connecticut State; and assistant wrestling coach and physical education instructor at California State University – Fullerton. Arroyo also is the president/director/owner of the Springfield Wrestling School.

As a collegiate wrestler, Arroyo was a NCAA Division II All-American with a 6th place finish at the 1984 National Championships. In 1980, he was a Connecticut High School Wrestling State Champion.

Arroyo, Cammisa and Lawless will receive a Lifetime Achievement award for coaches, officials, or contributors with at least 20 years of service. Morris is being recognized as an Outstanding American, a former wrestler who is highly successful in his/her profession.

All four men will be permanently recognized in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (Stillwater, Oklahoma) with an embossed name plaque, and each receives a plaque and jacket to commemorate the very special occasion. These four will join 34 other inductees from Connecticut in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Tickets for the banquet are on sale now for $85 each and are available online soon through cwhof.ticketleap.com or by contacting chapter treasurer Dr. Erich Doubek by phone (860-354-8583) or email at drdoubek@sbcglobal.net.

Learn more about the Connecticut chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the 2016 inductees and the 2016 induction dinner by going to its website at ctwrestling7.homestead.com/halloffame.html