February 22, 2007

Former Loper Selected for Hall of Fame

Two-Time National Champ

      Kearney, Neb. –  The Hall of Fame Committee for the NCAA II Wrestling Coaches Association has announced that on Thursday, March 9^th, five individuals --- including Nebraska-Kearney/Kearney State standout Ali Elias --- will be inducted into the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame. 

      The NCAA II Wrestling Coaches Association feels that it is important to honor the NCAA II coaches and wrestlers that have achieved greatness. These five inductees will join the 71 inductees from the first eleven induction classes as Division II

      The Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame Ceremony will take place at Kearney's Ramada Inn, beginning at 7:00 p.m. The event precedes the start of the 45^th Annual NCAA II National Wrestling Championships hosted by UNK at the Health & Sports Center March 9-10.

      The 12th class of inductees includes Elias, Bill Dotson (Northern Iowa, 1960-63); Todd Drake (Central Oklahoma, 1990-93); Mike Keim (UCO, 1992-95) and Wes White (UCO, 1992-94).\

      Known as Ali Amiri-Eliasi in his Kearney days, Elias was the Lopers' first four-time All-American. He won the 1990 NAIA national title at 150 lbs., then was first the following year at the NCAA Division II Championships.

      Battling serious injuries, he was then runner up in 1992 and placed third in 1993.

      The only Loper to win two national titles, Elias still has the best career win percentage (94.1 pct/121-7-1) in school history and, at the time of his graduation, held UNK records for wins in a career and a single season (34/1992).

      Prior to coming to UNK, Elias was an eight-time Iranian team member and a five-time Iranian national champion. Holding undergraduate and graduate degrees from UNK, he know is teaching and coaching in Potomac, Maryland.      

      The NCAA II National Wrestling Championships were first held in 1963.  For the first eleven years it was called the "NCAA College Division Tournament".  In 1974, when the NCAA started the divisional concept, approximately half of the College Division schools continued competing in the NCAA II Wrestling Championships and about half went into NCAA III. 

      Since 1963, 44 teams have been crowned National Champions and 444 individual National Championships have been awarded.