Class of 2024

Professor David N. Camaione was born and raised in Watertown, NY where he attended grades K-12. He earned nine varsity letters in three different sports. He has won three Sectional Three NYS shields in cross-country, two in wrestling and one in track and field. He finished with a 51-5 won-lost record in wrestling. His interscholastic accomplishments resulted in his being honored with the prestigious Wm I Graf Memorial Trophy as the top student-athlete in 1956. The Ohio State University offered him a wrestling scholarship in 1956.

For the Buckeyes, he achieved a 41-9 won-lost record during his three varsity years, freshmen were ineligible at the time. He was a two-time captain, a two-time team M.V. Wrestler and placed each year in the Big Ten Championships; third as a sophomore, runner-up as a junior and Champion at 123# and voted the Coaches Trophy as Outstanding Wrestler. In 2010 he was inducted into presumably the most prestigious collegiate Athletic Hall of Fame.

Hired in 1961 to be a coach/techer at MacMurray College, a small liberal arts college in Jacksonville, Illinois. As wresting coach, he established a nationally ranked wrestling program dominating dual meets and tournaments and developed four College Division All-America wrestlers, a national heavyweight champion and runner-up, a 137# runner-up and a 177# fourth place winner. While at MacMurray he was selected twice to be the expert commentator for the NCAA wrestling championships, the first for Wide World of Sports program in 1963 and again in 1966 at Iowa State University. In 1989, MacMurray College inducted him into their Athletic Hall of Fame.

From 1961 to 1986 he officiated high school and college wrestling. While in Connecticut, he served several years as the official rule's interpreter for the New England Intercollegiate program. He officiated several NEIWA championships as well as two EIWOA tournaments. Most importantly he officiated 15 NCAA wrestling tournaments, 5 Division III championships, 2 Division II championships and 8 Division I championships. In 1998 he was inducted into the oldest officials' organization in the U.S., the EIWOA Hall of Fame.

During his 42 years in higher education, he helped establish excellence at all three programs, first at MacMurray College, then at Central Connecticut State University, and finally at the University of Connecticut. As a result of his accomplishments, the City of Watertown, NY public school education system awarded him a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 and in 2019 the College of Education at tOSU awarded him an Award of Distinction. Tonight, this will be the SIXTH HALL OF FAME/ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.

Professor Camaione and his wife Judi have three daughters, three sons-in-law and seven grandchildren.