Page 23 - 2019-20 Wrestling State Finals Program

Outstanding Official Award

Valparaiso’s Michael D. Golando Named Top Wrestling Official
The late Michael D. Golando of Valparaiso is the recipi- Michael was the assistant wrestling coach at Valparaiso
ent of the 2020 Interscholastic Athletic Official Award for University, an NCAA wrestling official, and a table worker
excellence in the sport of wrestling. at the Big Ten, MAC, and NCAA Wrestling Tournaments.
Each year, the Indiana High He was a licensed official for 42 years, and had worked
School Athletic Association, in 38 sectionals, 25 regionals, 19 semi-states, and eight
cooperation with the National (8) state finals assignments. He was a member of the
Federation of Interscholastic Calumet Officials Association, served as that group’s vice
Officials Association, recognizes president since 2014 and also volunteered for the IHSAA’s
and honors an outstanding official Sportsmanship Task Force.
in each sport during the school Golando was a 1977 graduate of Valparaiso High
year. Officials selected for this School and later graduated from the John Marshall Law
distinction have gone above and School at the University of Illinois-Chicago in 2007.
beyond to serve their association, Michael was selected for this honor by a committee
community, and the IHSAA. Each representing the officials associations. In Indiana there are
have shown exceptional qualities of leadership, dedication, 24 associations made up of men and women who assist in
and loyalty to their sport, our student-athletes, and their providing wholesome, worthwhile, and healthy activities for
fellow officials. the student athletes in our state. Statewide, there are more
Golando had been selected to be honored with this than 6,000 officials licensed by the IHSAA in 18 sports.
year’s award before passing away unexpectedly in October.
Tournament History

Many changes have been made to the Indiana state However, as the Great Depression gripped the country
wrestling tournament since its inception, and to this day it and the United States entered World War II, there was a
remains one of the most exciting and best-attended state gradual decline in the number of schools participating. That
finals events on the IHSAA calendar. forced the IHSAA to drop wrestling from its sponsorship
While not officially sponsored by the IHSAA, but held from 1944 to 1949. During this period, various participating
with special permission, the first state high school wres- schools kept the tournament going by holding an annual
tling tournament took place in 1922 at Indiana University. invitational state tournament.
A total of 19 wrestlers from seven schools participated The IHSAA resumed sponsorship of the tournament
in the first tournament. From 1922 to 1935, a regulation in 1950 and continues to do so today. From 1950 to
high school wrestling match called for one eight-minute 1959, Bloomington and Lafayette Jefferson high schools
period with both wrestlers starting in the neutral position alternated as the host school before the finals were moved
on their feet. No point system was in place, and the winner in 1960 to Southport High School’s 7,200-seat fieldhouse.
was determined solely on riding time or by a fall. For the The finals eventually required even more seating and
1935-36 season, a point system was installed and periods from 1981 to 1999 were held at Market Square Arena in
were added to make the matches more interesting for fans. Indianapolis before moving to what is now Bankers Life
From 1922 to 1951, the only IHSAA rules for wrestling Fieldhouse in 2000.
were the same ones that applied to all sports in the state, From 1996 to 2012, a separate team tournament was
mainly eligibility and age requirements. During this time, conducted in dual format to determine an overall team state
so-called gentlemens’ agreements were decided upon champion. The state finals were conducted at Southport
before meets by the coaches and these rules were en- High School in 1996 and then culminated at Center Grove
forced by the officials. High School for the next 16 years.
A new set of rules, written by coaches Chauncey Beginning in 2013, the state championship team was
McDaniel of Southport High School and Clifford Myers again determined by points accumulated by individual
of Bloomington High School, were adopted by the IHSAA wrestlers as it had been from 1936 to 1995.
beginning with the 1951-52 season. Modifications in the
standing rules, most notably those that helped to prevent
excessive weight loss, were made in time for the 1957-58
wrestling season. Finally in 1973, using Indiana’s rules as
a measuring stick, the National Wrestling Federation Rules
were written and adopted.
Due to the sport’s rapid growth, the IHSAA took
over sponsorship of the tournament from 1933 to 1943,
though the state finals were still held at Indiana University.

IHSAA - Pure Spirit. Pure Sport! 23