Rick Bollenbach’s contributions to wrestling will now be forever remembered in the sport’s most prestigious shrine.

It was announced recently Bollenbach is one of seven individuals named to the Class of 2019 by the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Joining Bollenbach are Mitch Brown, Gregg Evans, Todd Goolsby, Tony May and Malcolm Wade as recipients of the Lifetime Service to Wrestling. Also, Nick Mauldin will receive the Medal of Courage.

The Lifetime Service to Wrestling award is presented annually to coaches, officials and contributors who have given at least 20 years of service to wrestling.

The Medal of Courage is presented to former wrestlers who are highly successful and use the disciplines learned in wrestling and their profession.

Bollenbach is the son of Claude and Barbara Bollenbach of Kingfisher and attended school here before moving to Altus during his elementary years.

He graduated from Altus High School in 1980 before attending the University of Central Oklahoma.

Despite not qualifying for state at Altus, he was a four-year letterman and two-year starter for the Bronchos.

He won the 142-pound NAIA national championship in 1985 while also helping the Bronchos to their second straight NAIA team title.

Turns out, his contributions to wrestling were only beginning.

Bollenbach spent much of the next three decades coaching at the junior high and high school level.

He began his career at Edmond North Junior High School the season after his senior year at UCO.

After six seasons, Bollenbach became an assistant on the Edmond Memorial High School team.

Bollenbach returned to Edmond North to start that high school program in 1993.

His Huskies teams had a 107-61-2 dual record from 1993-2009 before Bollenbach spent the final four years of his career as an assistant for the program.

He was named the Oklahoma Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2001-02 when the Huskies were regional champions and state runners-up.

During his tenure, North had 15 individual state champions and seven high school All-Americans.

He also had multiple wrestlers earn All-American honors at the collegiate level, including Teyon Ware and Kyle Evans, who were national champions.

The seven new honorees will be inducted during a banquet set for Sunday, Oct. 13, at the former Jim Thorpe Museum and Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame at 4040 North Lincoln in Oklahoma City. A reception begins at 3 p.m., with dinner at 4 p.m. and the induction ceremony at 5 p.m.

Bollenbach will have another banquet to attend this fall.

The 1984 and 1985 national championship wrestling teams will be inducted into the UCO Hall of Fame’s 2019 class, it was announced.

Details for that induction ceremony have not yet been released.