The Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame will welcome 10 new members as part of its Class of 2027 during its 33rd Honors Banquet on Sunday, May 2, 2027, at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey, Pa.

Eight individuals — Dan Brown, David Gable, Earl Bright III, Jonathan Mitchell, Michael Bianco, Richard Wood, Robert Waller Jr. and Thomas Best — will receive the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award. Pennsylvania State Sen. Scott Martin has been selected as the chapter’s Outstanding American, while the late Cody Becker will be honored with the Medal of Courage.

The Lifetime Service to Wrestling award recognizes individuals who have given at least 20 years of service to the sport as a coach, official or contributor.

Brown spent 19 seasons as the varsity head coach at Mount Union, compiling a 144-136-2 record, in addition to four seasons as the school’s junior high head coach. He coached three state champions, including two-time champion Troy Sunderland, along with numerous other state place winners. Brown, who continued contributing to Mount Union’s junior high and elementary programs after his head coaching career, was also inducted into the District VI Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame.

Gable spent 28 years coaching at Dallastown, including 25 as the boys’ varsity head coach, compiling a 340-109-1 record. His teams won 14 YAIAA championships and three District III team titles while producing 26 boys state place winners. Gable, a former Dallastown wrestler who went on to compete at Franklin & Marshall, later helped launch Dallastown’s girls’ program and coached the team for three seasons.

Bright has spent more than five decades supporting wrestling in Middletown. A member of Middletown’s first wrestling team, he compiled a 56-14-4 varsity record before eventually becoming a fixture behind the scenes. Bright started Middletown’s elementary wrestling program in 1978, served 10 years as a PIAA official and has spent more than 31 years as a District III scorekeeper and more than 51 years as Middletown High School’s scorekeeper.

Mitchell has served the sport in numerous capacities, including 21 years as a coach at J.P. McCaskey. A former two-time Virginia high school state place winner, four-time MAC place winner and 1993 NCAA qualifier, Mitchell also spent four years on the Pennsylvania Wrestling Federation girls’ national staff and five years as a Sanction PA board member, contributing to the growth of girls wrestling in the state.

Bianco devoted more than two decades to officiating, serving 21 years as a PIAA wrestling official. His career included six assignments at the PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships as well as leadership roles within District 1 and Southeastern Pennsylvania wrestling. Bianco also served as a rules interpreter and spent 32 years as a principal in the Haverford School District.

Wood spent 52 years as a wrestling official after previously coaching for two years at Franklin High School. His lengthy officiating career included 32 PIAA regional tournaments, two PIAA State Dual Championships and nine PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships. Wood, a Philipsburg-Osceola graduate, was inducted into the District 6 Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Waller compiled a 319-100-7 coaching record during a career that included 33 team championships in 26 years as a head coach. His wrestlers produced 47 PIAA state qualifiers, 25 state place winners, 10 finalists and three champions. Waller also founded the All American Wrestling Club and has spent decades developing wrestlers beyond the scholastic season. As a competitor, he compiled a 203-23-3 career record, won a conference championship at Penn State and was a two-time Olympic Trials finalist.

Best compiled a 305-85-5 record during 35 years of coaching, with his influence extending well beyond the high school season. His wrestlers earned 52 spots in national Top 100 rankings and included 25 national champions, 19 Greco-Roman All-Americans and 12 Junior World team members. Best began his coaching career at Parkland before moving to Muhlenberg College and later Williamsport, where he built one of Pennsylvania’s most accomplished programs.

Martin, the chapter’s Outstanding American honoree, was a PIAA heavyweight state champion at Lancaster Catholic before competing in wrestling and football at Millersville University. He became a two-time football All-American and later spent time with the New York Giants and in the Arena Football League. Martin has since built a career in public service, first as a Lancaster County commissioner and, since 2017, as a Pennsylvania state senator representing the 13th District. He currently chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The Medal of Courage will be presented posthumously to Becker, a former Spring Grove and Millersville wrestler who became a decorated law-enforcement officer. Becker compiled a 118-35 record at Spring Grove, was a four-time District III qualifier and two-time PIAA qualifier before winning 84 matches and qualifying twice for the NCAA Championships at Millersville.

Becker’s impact, however, extended far beyond wrestling. During his law-enforcement career, he was recognized for acts of bravery that included responding to a house fire in 2010, climbing to the second story of the burning home and helping rescue a family by catching children escaping through a window.

Becker, 39, was killed in the line of duty on Sept. 17 while serving an arrest warrant. He remained connected to wrestling throughout his life as a coach, mentor and supporter of the sport.

The May 2 banquet will begin with honoree and family photos at 10 a.m., followed by a social at 11 a.m. The meal will begin at noon, with the induction ceremony to follow at Hershey Lodge, 325 University Drive in Hershey.

Click here to purchase a banquet ticket, https://nwhofpa.ticketspice.com/2027-nwhof-pa-honors-banquet

For additional information, contact the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame at pachapter@nwhof.org.