Donny Wichmann, NCAA Division III All-American wrestler and long-time assistant coach for Augsburg University, will be welcomed into the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Hall of Fame during a ceremony in August in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the Minneapolis-based school announced Monday.
The induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. Eastern at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina in Fort Lauderdale to coincide with the 2019 NWCA Annual Convention at the same hotel.
In addition to the official Florida ceremony next month, there will be a closer-to-home celebration to honor Donny Wichmann this Saturday, July 13 from 4-8 p.m. Central at Finnegans Brew Co. at 817 5th Avenue South in Minneapolis. There will be a cash bar and food trucks will be on-site.
Considered one of the top middleweight wrestlers in Augsburg history, Wichmann won 137 matches in his Auggie career, claiming three MIAC (Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) individual titles -- 1986 and 1987 at 142 pounds, and 1989 at 150 pounds -- while earning MIAC Tournament Most Valuable Wrestler honors in both 1987 and 1989, and the most falls award in 1987. Wichmann earned All-American honors with a fourth-place finish at 150 pounds in the 1989 NCAA Division III National Championships.
After completing his on-the-mat career, Wichmann served as an Augsburg men's wrestling assistant coach for 19 seasons. Teams he coached won 10 NCAA Division III national titles, while finishing second seven times, third once and fourth once. In addition, with Wichmann on the coaching staff, the Auggies could claim 134 Division III All-Americans and 34 individual national champions.
Four years ago, the start of Wichmann's toughest challenge …
In late summer 2015, Donny Wichmann received heartbreaking news: he had been diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Since that diagnosis, Wichmann has undergone surgery to remove the golf-ball-sized tumor from the right size of his brain. After the successful surgery, Wichmann has undergone radiation and chemotherapy treatments to stop the growth of this aggressive brain cancer.
A GoFundMe page has been established to help Donny, his wife Mindy, and their family with various expenses.
Want to know more about Donny Wichmann? Check out this 2015 InterMat feature story about the Wichmanns and their battle against glioblastoma.
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