National champion, Olympic medalist, international coach ... he has written his name into the most exalted records of wrestling. But perhaps no other in our sport has touched as many lives as Gene Davis has with his personal ministry.

In 17 years as wrestler and coach for the Athletes in Action, a division of the Campus Crusade for Christ, Gene and his colleagues have used the forum of athletics to carry their message to groups of sports fans across the nation. That the AIA wrestlers, always "on the road," won 188 of 224 dual meets and two national team championships is noteworthy, but incidental to their primary goal.

Davis was a four-time high school champion at Missoula, Montana, undefeated in 66 matches. At Oklahoma State, he was an NCAA titlist and three-time All-American at 66-3-1, also outstanding wrestler in the Big Eight. Upon graduation, he joined the AIA as wrestler and coach. He continued his spectacular athletic career for 11 years, winning four national freestyle titles and placing fourth and sixth in the World. A member of the 1972 Olympic team at Munich, he returned four years later as Olympic captain and earned a bronze medal at Montreal.

Davis' lifelong attitude of placing his team and his teammates before personal goals caused him to make a difficult and painful drop to 136.5 pounds for the 1976 Olympics. He had dominated the 149.5-pound class throughout the year, but felt he could strengthen the team by making way for another U. S. candidate. Despite victories over the reigning world champion and the world silver medalist, the strain of severe weight-cutting thwarted his bid for a gold medal.

In 1979, Davis coached the United States to a sweep of 10 gold medals in the Pan Am Games. Two years later he was World team coach.

As a wrestler of outstanding achievement and as an example of sportsmanship and leadership, Gene Davis is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.