Scott Swanson
Former Sweet Home wrestler Brent Belveal, who went on to a career as a wrestling coach and school principal at South Albany High School, will be inducted into the Oregon Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Saturday evening, May 2, in Tigard.
Belveal, who coached wrestling at South Albany for 23 years, is being honored for “lifetime service to wrestling.”
Belveal wrestled at Sweet Home from 1972 to 1976 under legendary Coach Norm Davis, who himself was named to the Oregon Hall of Fame in 1997. During Belveal’s senior season the Huskies won a state championship.
“I wish I could tell you I played a huge role in that,” Belveal joked. “I didn’t score any points at state.”
He played football at Western Oregon, then started his coaching career at South Albany in 1983 as an assistant to Lamont Simons. After “six or seven” years, he took over as head coach.
Belveal served 15 years as head coach at South Albany, his 2004 team going undefeated in league, and he was named league Coach of the Year four times. His teams finished in the top 10 at state several times. As athletic director at West Albany High in 2008 he was named Oregon Administrator of the Year. Two years later he was named principal at South Albany.
“It’s pretty humbling,” Belveal said of the honor. “Those guys on that list are all my heroes, the ones I tried to emulate. As an administrator, it’s a different type of coaching, but it’s still coaching.”
The ceremony will take place Saturday at the Washington Square Embassy Suites Hotel in Tigard. A reception begins at 4 p.m., with dinner at 6:30. Reservations are available on TicketLeap.
Also to be honored are: longtime Centennial coach Bob Akers, now retired; retired Enterprise and Pine Eagle coach Chuck Corak; Jim Jackson, who coached U.S. military academy teams that included Olympians Dan Mello and Matt Lindland, and world champions Lloyd Keaser and Greg Gibson, at Clackamas Community College, and who served as a wrestling official; longtime Oregon and Washington official Stan Kawamoto; and former Portland State University coach Howard Westcott, who will be honored posthumously.
Also, Trevor Knowles of Mt. Vernon will receive the Outstanding American award. Knowles is best known for his professional rodeo accomplishments. He has been a finalist in the National Rodeo Finals in steer wrestling for 11 consecutive years, including a championship in 2011. He was the Calgary Stampede champion in 2009, 2012 and last year.
Knowles’ “roots” as a two-time state wrestling champion at Grant Union High School in John Day have led to his continuing involvement as a volunteer coach for the Grant County freestyle club and active supporter of the the USA Wrestling building blocks program.
Belveal was introduced along with other honorees at this year’s state wrestling championships in February.
“It’s really mind-boggling to be held in esteem with all those guys,” he said, noting that his success was a result of a lot of teamwork. “Very seldom does one person earn an award. There were a lot of people involved.”