Dan Calhoun will be among seven 2017 inductees
Former Washington Township High School wrestler Dan Calhoun will be among the 2017 inductees to the South Jersey Wrestling Hall of Fame during a ceremony at Masso’s Catering in Glassboro on Nov. 11. A 1995 graduate, Calhoun was a three-time District 30 champion, a Region 8 champion and a two-time state qualifier for the Minutemen. He posted a 94–14–1 career record.
Wrestling at 152 pounds in the NJSIAA Tournament in 1994, Calhoun won this first match against Andrew Dixon of Eastern (10–3) and won a 5–3 decision over Jason Brown of Oakcrest, before dropping his quarterfinal match, 3–0, to Jefferson’s top seed Jeremy Bailer. He was eliminated in the wrestleback round by Ken Olive of Mahwah.
Up two weight classes in 1995, Calhoun began his run at states by defeating Eddie Ramos of Millville (11–5) and Rutherford Pasteur of Essex Catholic (10–2) before losing to Oakcrest’s Cory Bird in the semifinals (6–3). Calhoun claimed wins in the wreslebacks over Joe Peila of Bergen Catholic (5–2) and Greg Grigelski of Pequannock (802), capturing a bronze medal.
He was a two-time Junior College All-American at Gloucester County Community College and a member of the 1996 GCC team that placed third in the JUCO National Tournament. Following his graduation, he enrolled at the University of North Carolina in 1998 where he won the East Stroudsburg Open and the Sunshine Open, finishing in third place twice in the Atlantic Coast Conference to qualify for the NCAA Division 1 Tournament. His UNC squads won the ACC championship in both 1998 and 1999. His combined career record at GCC and UNC was 117–27.
Calhoun joined the coaching ranks serving as an assistant coach at Delsea and Williamstown High Schools before moving into the head-coaching role at Williamstown for seven years. He earned District 30 Coach of the Year and Region 8 Coach of the Year honors in 2004 and 2006 while head coach at GCC. He was inducted into GCC’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
Calhoun is currently a health and physical education teacher at the Ocean City Primary School and is an assistant wrestling coach at Ocean City High School.
Calhoun will be inducted alongside: Mike Ahern (Paul VI), John Atkinson (Rahway/Woodbury), Greg Austin (Ocean City), Ryan Bridge (Absegami), Doug Umbehauer (Lenape), Ivan Miggins (Sterling) and Kyle Young (Cherry Hill West).
