The Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame will honor seven outstanding individuals at its 2025 induction ceremonies in Edmond in October.

Coaches Jack Hornbuckle, Michael Lightner, Dan Pettigrew and John Smith, as well as longtime wrestling sports reporter Mac Bentley will receive the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award. Colonel Kelly Laughlin will be presented the Outstanding American Award and former highway patrolman Robert Nale, Jr. will receive the Medal of Courage.

In addition to these traditional awards sanctioned by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Chapter will present its Madalene and Lee Roy Smith Family Award to the Roller family from Bixby.

The 2025 inductees will be honored on Oct. 5 at the Hilton Garden Inn, 2833 Conference Drive in Edmond. A reception begins at 3 p.m., followed by a banquet at 4 p.m. and the induction ceremony at 5. Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased HERE or by contacting Howard Seay at c4dcowboys@aol.com or 918-639-8868.

The Lifetime Service Award is presented to coaches, officials and contributors who have devoted a minimum of 20 years of service to wrestling. The Outstanding American Award is presented to individuals who have used the disciplines of wrestling to launch notable careers in other walks of life such as science and technology, business and industry, and the arts and humanities. The Medal of Courage is presented to a former wrestler who has overcome what appear to be insurmountable challenges, which may be physical, mental or other disabilities that make their achievements all the more uplifting.

The Oklahoma Chapter’s Madalene and Lee Roy Smith Family Award is given to a family with two or more members who have achieved significant success in wrestling and brought credit to the sport in the state.

2025 Honorees

Mac Bentley—Lifetime Service—From 1982 until 2004, Mac Bentley provided outstanding press coverage for every level of wrestling as a sportswriter for the Daily Oklahoman. During this 22-year period, he traveled the state and across the nation, writing about high school tournaments, collegiate matches, conference tournaments and NCAA Championships at both the Division I and II levels. He wrote numerous feature stories about wrestlers from the University of Central Oklahoma, the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. He chronicled some of the greatest Bedlam matches in the rivalry’s storied history and reported on Olympic greatness from both the Cowboys and the Sooners. In 1997, Bentley received national recognition for his outstanding coverage and dedication to the sport, as he was honored with the Bob Dellinger Media Award, presented by Amateur Wrestling News to the nation’s best wrestling writer.

Jack Hornbuckle—Lifetime Service—Jack Hornbuckle started his coaching career in Sallisaw and was the head coach for both the junior high and high school teams from 1970 until 1974. In 1974-75, he served as a volunteer coach for the Oklahoma City Athletic Club’s freestyle team and in 1975 was the head coach of the Oklahoma National Junior Freestyle Team. In 1975-76, he coached in Marietta, Georgia, before starting his long and successful career at Poteau. Hornbuckle was the first head coach for Poteau High School and continued to be an integral part of the program for the next 40 years. Starting in the 1976-77 school year, Hornbuckle served as the head coach for both the junior high and high school teams until retiring in 2007. He continued to support the team and returned during the 2009-2010 school year to serve as an assistant coach and then served as head coach from 2010 to 2015. Following his last stint with Poteau, Hornbuckle served as a volunteer coach at Northside High School in Ft. Smith, Arkansas from 2021-2023. During his 40-year career, Hornbuckle coached 124 state qualifiers with his teams winning 419 duals and 11 conference championships.

Kelly Laughlin—Outstanding American—Before Colonel Kelly Laughlin served for over 30 years with the U.S. Army, he was an honor student and standout wrestler for Shawnee High School. Following graduation, he excelled at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, graduating in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Laughlin went on to earn both master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Oklahoma. His distinguished career includes a long list of command and staff positions, including Deputy Commander DCMA Afghanistan, Director of Plans for the Joint Contracting Command in Iraq and Afghanistan, Military Deputy to the Advanced Engineering Technology Board and Commanding General for the Tank and Automotive Command. He was awarded the Bronze Star, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal (with oak Leaf Cluster), Army Commendation Medal (with three Oak Leaf Clusters), Meritorious Service Award (with four Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Achievement Medal (with five Oak Leaf Clusters), Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal and many other decorations for service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. 

Michael Lightner—Lifetime Service—Michael Lightner was a four-time junior high state champion, a four-time high school state champion and a four-time All-American and national champion at the University of Oklahoma. A graduate of small-school powerhouse Marlow High School, Lightner compiled a 128-4 career record in winning state titles from 1993-1996. Undefeated in his sophomore and junior seasons, he twice was named Outstanding Wrestler of the state tournament. Competing at the University of Oklahoma, Lightner became only the 10th Sooner wrestler to earn four All-American finishes. A three-time finalist, he won the 2001 national title at 141 lbs. to complete the season with a perfect 37-0 record. Lightner was also a four-time Big 12 Conference champion and ended his collegiate career with a 144-16 record. Lightner coached at OU from 2008-2022 and currently serves as the wrestling coach at Noble High School. While at OU, Lightner coached several All-Americans including national champions Cody Brewer and Kendric Maple and in 2021, helped lead OU to its first Big 12 Conference championship since 2002.  

Robert Nale, Jr.—Medal of Courage—Robert Nale was a two-time state placer for Sapulpa High School, placing fourth as a junior and earning a runner-up finish his senior year in 1978. He was a member of the 1982 national championship team for Central State (now UCO), a team that was inducted into the UCO Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018. Nale graduated from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Academy in 1989, beginning a career as a law enforcement officer. On March 28, 1992, he was assisting another trooper at the scene of an accident in Oklahoma City when his left arm went numb and his head felt like it was going to explode. Unable to speak and with limited movement, he signaled for assistance and was transported to the hospital. After viewing the bleeding in his brain, the neurosurgeon at Presbyterian Hospital in Oklahoma City told Nale’s parents he had moments to live, but his mother refused to accept it. Whispering an often-used mantra from his wrestling days, “It’s time to let the tiger out!”, she motivated her unresponsive son back to life.

Dan Pettigrew—Lifetime Service—Dan Pettigrew developed winners on and off the mat during his 40-year career as a coach at Lexington, Madill, and Ada.  A 1979 graduate of Ada High School, he was a three-time state qualifier and member of the 1980 Northern Oklahoma Junior College team that placed third at the national tournament before injuries ended his competitive career. He coached three seasons at Lexington before moving to Madill, where he coached from 1986 until 1991. He then returned to coach his alma mater for over 30 years, retiring in 2023. At Ada, he served as head high school coach from 1991-2001 and as assistant high school coach and head junior high school coach from 2002-2023. Pettigrew compiled a 151-75 dual record as high school head coach, including winning three district titles to qualify for Dual State. He coached three state champions, eight state runners-up, 27 state placers, 106 state qualifiers and 13 All-State wrestlers. As a junior high coach, Pettigrew led his teams to a 285-120 dual record and coached 23 junior high state placers, including 10 junior high state champions. 

John Smith—Lifetime Service—From 1986-1992, John Smith won six consecutive World championships, something no other American wrestler has ever done. A winner at every level, Smith was a two-time high school state champion and four-time state placer, finishing with a 105-5 career record. Competing for OSU, he was a three-time finalist and two-time NCAA champion. Smith ended his collegiate career with a 90-match win streak and a career record of 154-7-2. From 1987-1992 he dominated the 62 kg. weight class (136.5 lbs.) in freestyle wrestling, winning four World and two Olympic gold medals. In 1990, Smith became the first wrestler to win the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, presented each year to the most outstanding athlete at the collegiate or Olympic level in the U.S. Immediately upon retiring from competition, Smith took the reins as head coach of the OSU wrestling program and guided them until 2024. He led the Cowboys to five NCAA titles while coaching 33 individual national champions and 152 All-Americans. During this time OSU won 21 conference titles and crowned 129 individual conference champions. OSU’s dual record under Smith was 490-73-6.

The Roller Family—Madalene and Lee Roy Smith Family Award—The Roller family of Bixby will be honored with the 2025 Family Award. Patriarch Jack Roller, who passed away last November, provided inspiration to wrestlers of all ages as the visionary and tournament director behind the massive World of Wrestling events, including the Tulsa Nationals, the Kickoff Classic and the Reno Worlds. He received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award from the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1995. Roller raised four sons, all of them successful wrestlers for Bixby High School. Keith Roller won the 1988 4A state championship at heavyweight but played football in college. Jimmy Roller won a state title in 1991 and wrestled collegiately for the University of Oklahoma. Michael Roller won two state titles, in 1992 and 1993, and wrestled collegiately for Nebraska and OU. And finally, Shane Roller won four state titles from 1995-1998. He wrestled for Oklahoma State University where he was a three-time NCAA All-American, three-time Academic All-American and Big 12 Conference champion. He was captain of the 2003 NCAA Championship team and served as an assistant coach for three more championship teams. Shane’s son, Jace, is entering his redshirt freshman season at the University of Missouri. He won three high school state championships for Bixby High School where he broke his father’s pin record with 88 career falls. Jadyn, Shane’s daughter, was only the second female wrestler in Oklahoma to win four state titles, matching her father’s four high school championships. She was awarded the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award for the state of Oklahoma and will continue her wrestling career at OSU.