Delaware wrestling, track and field halls of fame enshrine past greats
Two Delaware sports halls of fame have added a new crew of inductees.
The Delaware Wrestling Hall of Fame recently enshrined former Tatnall School standout Jim Krapf and a pair of Sussex Central High grads — Codey Combs and Keith Mumford.
Four new inductees — Walter Bailey, Howard Laws, Brian Sklodowski and Pat Walker — will join the Delaware Track and Field Hall of Fame during its Nov. 19 banquet at noon at the Du Pont Country Club. Contact Bstrusowski@verizon.net for tickets.
The 2023 Delaware Track and Field Hall of Fame inductees:
Walter Bailey
As a De La Warr senior in 1977, Bailey’s 47-3½ triple jump was the second best in state history. He was then a Division III All-American at Lincoln University in 1979 in the triple jump after going 47-5 at the NCAA Championships and again in 1980 in both the triple jump (48-1½) and 4 x 100-meter relay.
Howard Laws
The former three-sport athlete at Delcastle established an all-comers summer running series at Bellevue State Park in 1986 that is still held annually, providing middle school and high school runners with an outlet for training and competition preceding the fall season. Laws has also served as a cross country and track and field coach at numerous high schools, including Mount Pleasant presently.
Brian Sklodowski
Sklodowski was 2006 and 2007 winner of the Thomas H. Fort Award as the state’s boys track and field MVP and 2004, 2005 and 2006 recipient of the Victor Zwolak Award as boys cross country’s top performer. The Tatnall athlete set state track records at 1,600 (4:11.93) and 3,200 (9:16.80) meters while winning 10 individual and two relay state titles and was Delaware’s first three-time state boys cross-country champ. Sklodowski then won the Colonial Athletic Association cross-country title in 2009 and the 1,500-meter outdoor championship (3:47.22) in 2011 at William & Mary.
Pat Walker
Walker set state indoor records in the high jump and 50-yard hurdles at Newark in the mid-1960s and tied the state outdoor mark in the 120 high hurdles. He also set state pentathlon and decathlon records in 1966 and 1967. Walker then starred in football and track and field at the University of Delaware, setting UD marks in the 60- and 120-yard hurdles. He was Mid-Atlantic Conference 120 champion in 1969 and 1970. Walker was then a longtime coach at Newark.
The 2023 Delaware Track and Field Hall of Fame inductees:
Codey Combs
Four-time state champ Combs prevailed at 125 pounds in 2008, 140 in 2009, 145 in 2010 and 152 in 2011 for Sussex Central. He went 168-11. Combs was also a Beast of the East runner-up who wrestled in college at Arizona State and Clarion.
Jim Krapf
Krapf was a 3-time state wrestling champion for Tatnall, winning at 180 pounds in 1966 and 1967 and heavyweight in 1968. He was also a 4-time national prep school champ. Ninety-four of Krapf’s 104 high school wins came via pins. He was then a 3-time SEC heavyweight champ at Alabama, where he also was an All-American center in football.
Keith Mumford
After wresting at Sussex Central and Salisbury State, where he was a Mason-Dixon Conference runner-up, Mumford became a high school coach and then an accomplished referee. The Delaware Wrestling Officials Association member worked 28 state and 33 conference tournaments in Delaware and became head official at the Beast of the East and the NHSCA Nationals.
Have an idea for a compelling local sports story or is there an issue that needs public scrutiny? Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware wrestling, track and field halls of fame enshrine past greats
