Class of 2024

John started his wrestling career in 4th grade when he entered the Herkimer Pee Wee program. It was a natural outlet for the intense boy growing up on an East Herkimer dairy farm. During his high school career at Herkimer, John lettered as an athlete both in football and wrestling, competing his freshman and sophomore years for Hall of Fame wrestling coach Francis Hank Palczynski. John culminated his high school career by winning the 1986 Section 3 Wrestling Championship at 155 pounds and placing 4th in the NYS Championships.

After graduating from high school in 1986, John enrolled at the University of Rochester studying economics and finance. There he was a 4 year letter winner in football, captaining the 1990 team while pursuing his Masters in Education. In 1991 John graduated from the University of Rochester with a BA in Economics/Finance and a Masters in Education and entered the teaching world at Aquinas Institute. From 1991-94 John coached football and track at Aquinas, and was also the assistant varsity wrestling coach for Webster High School in Section V. In 1994 John moved back to the Mohawk Valley and took a teaching and coaching job at Mt Markham High School. At Mt Markham, John coached football, track and wrestling, and it was here that he met his wife and woman of his dreams, Gina Abraham.

At Mt. Markham, John worked to bring the Mustangs back to a championship program-winning the CSC league title in 2001. He also coached his first of many individual Section 3 Class tournament champions in Neil Case and Loren Winegard. After the 2001 wrestling season, John and Gina moved their family to Holland Patent where John continued his teaching and coaching career. At Holland Patent John was determined to create a championship program while balancing life as a family man. John's children, his son Hunter and daughter, Rory, were also competitive athletes. Hunter was a standout football player and championship wrestler, while Rory was a record breaking soccer player. John feels his children are his greatest accomplishment with Hunter graduating and wrestling for Cornell University and Rory pursuing a business degree and competing in women's soccer for Utica University.

John's involvement in wrestling has extended past the coaching realm, as he has been the NYS Modified Wrestling Coordinator since 2002 and has taught the NYS coaching classes for the past 25 years. Both of these endeavors have been very gratifying as they have allowed John to constantly give back to the sport communities. He has served as a past CSC and TVL representative for the Section III Wrestling Committee and has helped in the development of the Section 3 Girls wrestling program. John has been active in the offseasons running the Golden Knights Wrestling Club, providing year round wrestling clinics and opportunities for area wrestlers.

During John's 33 years of coaching, he has amassed over 420 dual meet wins and has coached two 3x NYS champions, his son Hunter Richard and Alex Herringshaw. He has a total of 31 NYS Qualifiers, 2 runner ups (Brian Stevens and Dan Fruscella), 19 NYS placewinners, 15 Section 3 champions, and 79 Section 3 placewinners. He has had 20 wrestlers with 100+ wins and 3 wrestlers achieving the 200+ wins mark. John's teams have been ranked six times in the top ten of NYS, and he has won 11 league team titles (7 TVL / 4 CSC) with his 2018 Holland Patent team winning the Section 3 Class C Team Championship. In 2020, John was awarded the George Peavey CNY Official's Award.

John feels his passion and intensity for competition has allowed many of his former athletes to be successful in their future lives. Some of his fondest wrestling memories include watching former athletes such as Trevor Hiffa and his son Hunter compete at the New York State and NCAA Wrestling Championships. He has fostered enduring relationships with his athletes and peers. He relishes the growth of so many of his pee wee wrestlers into successful wrestlers, professional young adults, and colleagues.

John knows it takes a community and family to create success. He wishes to thank the Mt. Markham and Holland Patent communities along with his entire staff over the years. Jordan Swalgin, Dylan Baird, Matt Rees, Marc Verri, Ren Szarek, Leroy Guyer, Brandon Lake, Jeremy Huntley, Chris Roth, and Ed and Brian Stevens and his daughter Rory who is always there to help put down mats, help with concessions and set line ups. He also wishes to thank his entire family, his mom and dad, his brothers and sister, and most importantly his wife Gina and his children. Without their unwavering support and guidance none of this would have been accomplished.