A Stanley-Boyd alumnus now of Verona is due to be honored for his lifetime service to wrestling.
Bob Wozniak, S-B Class of 1985 but now of Verona and Verona High School has been selected to the 2025 Wisconsin Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (NWHoF) in recognition of a Lifetime Service to Wrestling.
The induction ceremony for Wozniak will take place at the Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells Sunday, May 18, 2025. An 11:30 a.m. social will precede the 12:30 p.m. dinner followed by the 2:00 p.m. induction ceremony. An informal social will take place Saturday, May 17th from 6-8 p.m. at Chula Vista with a visit to the Wisconsin Wrestling Hall of Fame display at the Woodside Sports Dome in the Dells.
Other 2025 Wisconsin inductees receiving a Lifetime Service to Wrestling recognition May 18 include Greg Aprahamian, Chris Curtis, Dennis Giaimo, Chuck Graziano, and Kirk Layer. Mike Borden will be recognized as an Outstanding American. Wisconsin NWHOF High School Excellence Award recipients, Hailie Krueger and Dan Heiser will also be recognized. A get together will be held May 17 from 6:00 p.m to 8:00 p.m. for those who wish to get together before the ceremony.
Ticket information is available on the National Wrestling Hall of Fame website at https://nwhof.org/state-chapters/wisconsin/news/2025-wisconsin-chapter-induction-set-for-may-17-18. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
A biography of Wozniak was shared by the Hall of Fame laying out Wozniak’s accomplishments and path to recognition:
Bob Wozniak was raised on a dairy farm in central Wisconsin by his parents, Dorothy and John. As the youngest of nine siblings, with six brothers who all wrestled, Bob was surrounded by the sport from an early age. He began his wrestling journey in kindergarten with the Stanley-Boyd wrestling program and quickly developed a passion for the sport. Bob was especially inspired by watching his older brothers and their teammates compete for Stanley-Boyd in the Cloverbelt Conference, as well as at tournaments in Chippewa Falls and Medford. His love for wrestling was further fueled by the support of the Stanley-Boyd community, and, above all, by his mom, who drove him to youth tournaments across Wisconsin and to several national-level events during his youth and high school years.
Bob wrestled under Stanley-Boyd Wrestling Hall of Fame Coach Lee LaFlamme. As a four-time letter winner and team captain, Bob earned the title of Most Valuable Wrestler and qualified for the WIAA State Tournament twice, finishing 4th as a junior. He was also a freestyle state champion and represented Team Wisconsin at the Freestyle Nationals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Bob takes pride in the fact that several brothers, multiple high school teammates, multiple college teammates, multiple wrestlers he has coached, and multiple nephews, all have gone on to become wrestling coaches.
Bob is considered one of the most successful wrestlers in University of Wisconsin Eau Claire history, despite competing for just three seasons under Hall of Fame Coach Don Parker while completing pre-engineering coursework at UWEC. Afterward, Bob transferred to UW Madison to finish his education and joined the Badger wrestling team with Coach Andy Rein. He earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from UW Madison. With over 30 years of experience, Bob has built a career as a consulting engineering expert.
When Bob left UW Eau Claire, he held the record for the most wins in Blugold wrestling history, finishing his career with an impressive 109-23-2 record. A standout wrestler from Stanley-Boyd High School, he claimed the WSUC (Now WIAC) 190-pound conference Championship in both his sophomore and junior years, after earning a third-place finish as a freshman. Bob went on to become a three-time NAIA All-American, placing fourth at the NAIA Championships in both 1988 and 1989, and securing the national runner-up spot in 1990 with a remarkable 38-3 overall record. He also recorded 35 wins as a freshman and 36 as a sophomore.
Bob wrestled for the UW Madison Badgers for one year, but due to his two years at the technical school, he was not granted eligibility to compete for the Badgers during the regular season. Despite this, he participated in several open tournaments, including the prestigious Midlands Open Tournament hosted by Northwestern University, where he earned two wins.
For nearly 30 years, Coach “Woz” has been dedicated to the Verona wrestling community, starting as a volunteer at the youth level before becoming the head coach of Verona Area High School, where he led the team for 19 seasons. Over his 30+ year coaching career, he has guided three state champions, eight finalists, 22 top six finishers, and 45 state qualifiers.
Bob’s 30-year coaching career also includes three years as an assistant at Madison LaFollette, where he assisted Head Coaches Doug Sanchez and Gary Skiles. He also contributed to the wrestling club at Verona alongside Gary Grimm and Rick Grimm. Currently, Bob serves as a volunteer coach at VAHS under current head coach Jason Ott.
Bob is the proud parent of three children: daughters Jaedyn and Jacobi, and son Cael. All three were actively involved in helping their dad with the Verona Wrestling program. Both daughters worked as wrestling managers, while Cael earned recognition as a two-time Conference Champion and a WIAA State Qualifier.
Bob is deeply grateful for the sport of wrestling and all it has taught him and provided for him over the past 50+ years. Many of his closest friends are those he has met through wrestling, and he takes great pride in seeing the young athletes he has coached grow into exceptional individuals and give back to the wrestling community. He acknowledges that without the support and encouragement he received, his coaching career would not have lasted for over 30 years. Bob would like to express his sincere thanks to everyone involved in nominating him and welcoming him into this prestigious Hall of Fame.