Fulscher to receive another honor -- in his wrestling career

[March 08, 2011]  Dan Fulscher, director of the Logan County Emergency Management Agency, will be honored as a grand marshal at the Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation state tournament in Rockford at the end of the week. He will be the first official in Illinois history to hold that honor at all three levels: IHSA, IESA and IKWF.

Fulscher was a four-year wrestler for Lincoln Community High School under Hall of Famer Floyd Bee. He was a Big 12 Conference champion and set several team records.

Fulscher has also completed 36 years of IHSA officiating, with 33 regionals, 29 sectionals, 18 individual state tournaments and 11 dual team state finals. He has worked 16 IESA state finals. He has worked six IKWF state finals, five Prairie State Games, eight Illinois/Indiana Classic Duals, six Illinois National Middle School Duals and five years with NCAA Division 1.

He implemented and has conducted wrestling clinics for the Illinois Wrestling Coaches & Officials Association of Central Illinois since 1990. In 1998 he was appointed IHSA head clinician for wrestling and oversees all clinics statewide. He also serves as an IHSA rules interpreter. He served six years on the IHSA's officials advisory board and three years on the IESA wrestling advisory board. He was appointed rules director for the IKWF in 2008 and since then has implemented the online rules modifications.

With the Illinois Wrestling Coaches & Officials Association of Central Illinois, he has been an executive board member since 1990, served as president in 2000 and 2001, was IWCOA Official of the Year in 1994, received the Friend of Wrestling recognition in 1998 and 2001, was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2000, was IWCOA Man of the Year in 2003, and received the association's Gold Medallion Award in 2010.

He was also National Federation Official of the Year for Illinois in 1997 and 2003.

Fulscher often says that when he started officiating for IKWF it changed him. He realized that the younger wrestler would require a softer side. He had to look at the sport through their eyes and learned a lot from these young wrestlers. Watching them and seeing the desire in their eyes is something that he will hold in his heart forever.

"What you give, you get back 10 times more!" he said. "For whatever small part I have given, I have received so very much more. I would like to thank the wrestlers and their families, the coaches, the fans and the IKWF for this great honor."

[Text from file received]