John Harris III

  • Married to Diane, Daughter Meredith and Son John Harris IV
  • Serves as an officer on the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Board of Governors
  • Three year starter at Battle Creek Central High School (Michigan)
  • Posted a 59-20 record from 1969-1972
  • Most improved wrestler award winner junior year (1971)
  • Co-Captain senior year (1972)
  • State qualifier senior year (1972)
  • Team was state runner-up, senior year (1972)
  • Four year starter and Graduated with a BS Degree at Grand Valley State University (Michigan) 1977
  • Posted a 117-19-5 record from 1973-77
  • Three time Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (GLIAC) champion
  • Two time NAIA National Runner-Up in the 1975-76 and 1976-77 seasons
  • Two time All-American
  • Received the Suggitt Award, given to the team member who was most “brutally aggressive while being uninhibited by adversity” (1976)
  • Receive the team Most Valuable Wrestler award (1977)
  • Won multiple tournament and invitational titles, including being a two-time winner of the Michigan Open, where all Michigan colleges participated
  • Team was NAIA runner-up senior year (1977)
  • Part of a team that had a 45-4 dual meet mark during my four years
  • Inducted into the Grand Valley State University Athletic Hall of Fame, class of 1988 (the second class inducted)
  • Qualified for the 1973 US Junior World Final Trials
  • Qualified for the 1976 Olympic Trials
  • Wrestled on the NAIA Cultural Exchange team that competed in Japan and South Korea with a personal record of 5-1
  • National Wrestling Hall of Fame Board of Governors 2014 to present, currently serving in the office of Secretary
  • Assistant Wrestling Coach at the University of Toledo for the 1977/1978 season
  • Head Coach of the St. Josephs of Sylvania (Ohio) grade school and junior high wrestling program, 994 –2006
  • Overcame a childhood learning disability to become an outstanding student
  • Master’s Degree in education from the University of Toledo in 1982
  • Career Accomplishments
  • Established the first wellness program at Owens-Illinois during the late 1970s and early 1980s
  • Founded Harris HealthTrends in 1987, which grew to have over 400 employees, working in all 50 states, and in 6 other countries, on three different continents.  
  • Merged Harris HealthTrends with four other companies to become Axia Health Management in 2005, and sold Axia to Healthways
  • John has written two books addressing improving health, and has published numerous other articles on the topic
  • John serves on five profit and/or not-for-profit boards, both in the health industry and in other areas of interest, and several more advisory board or groups
  • Founding Chairman, of the Ohio Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports


Awards:

Year
2021
Award
Outstanding American
Chapter/Region
Michigan

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