The Cheektowaga High School star wrestler, David Hickson, has certainly made a "big name" for himself not only in high school athletics and college athletics as both a wrestler and official, but also in the field of business.

While in high school, Dave was a stellar wrestler for the Cheektowaga Warriors which eventually resulted in University at Buffalo Coach Ed Michael to recruit Dave to wrestle for the Bulls. While at the University at Buffalo, Dave was a three-time NCAA qualifier and earned All-American status 2 times. He finished 4th and 6th place at the Division III championships.

Not only did Hickson excel on the mats but he was greatly esteemed by his teammates. He was one of only two athletes at Buffalo to serve as a team captain for three years during his illustrious career in wrestling. Additionally, in his senior year, he was named MVP for the Bulls.

Buffalo wrestling teams during the tenure of Hickson were SUNYAC champions and finished 5th at the Division III national championships. In 1985, he was selected by the NCAA Division III Wrestling Coaches Association for an all-star team to represent the United States in competition in South America. That year, Dave captured two gold medals for his country. Furthermore, Dave showed his athletic abilities by starting on the University's football team for two years as safety. His football team in 1986 finished the season with a very respectable 9-2 record.

There is no doubt that he was blessed with outstanding athletic abilities, but it should be noted that he epitomized the definition of a student leader as well. In his junior year, he was the Vice President of the Student Body, served as the Chairperson of the UB Athletic Governance Board as well on the President's Intercollegiate Athletic Board. In 1987, Dave was selected for the ECAC Medal of Merit Award. This award is generally bestowed upon a student/athlete who has combined excellence on the fields of competition and in the classroom or outstanding service to the institution.

Following graduation Dave stayed involved in wrestling by doing some coaching and officiating. During his official's career, he belonged to the Niagara Frontier Wrestling Officials Association, served as a member of the ACC, PAC 12 and Big Ten conferences and, as can be expected, he excelled to great height on both the high school and college levels. His accomplishments included several NYSPHSAA championships (the pinnacle for a high school official) and Division I, II, and III championships.

Fred Brown, EIWOA Hall of Fame Official stated, "Every official who witnessed Dave officiating knew that the sky was the limit for him. An official like Hickson does not come around very often." Many of the college coaches at the time felt the same way and were knocking on his door to do matches for them. Dave officiated at 11 Division I championships and was considered one of the best officials at each tournament. This was best demonstrated by the fact that he was selected to officiate a finals match for 10 of those events.

Professionally Dave has been a lifelong entrepreneur, building programs and supporting technology for enterprise clients and their fanatical audiences. Most recently leading and supporting NIL Collectives for Power Five programs, working on behalf of student athlete Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities. He also serves as a strategic advisor for PicX, a photo wire service solution for social media publishers and CEO of Solos, a provider of smart tag technology, for Sports 6 Entertainment merchandise companies, providing anti-counterfeit solutions and direct to fan connectivity for brands to deliver exclusive benefits and experiences.

Dave and his wife Diann live in Charlotte, North Carolina and have three very successful children: Matt, Kevin and daughter Kate. The Upstate New York Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame is honored to recognize Dave for his many contributions to the sport of wrestling.