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Fuchs has been the assistant wrestling coach for the Paynesville Bulldogs for the past 18 years. He was named the Section 6A Assistant Coach of the Year in February. The statewide award, which was given for the first time this year, was presented to Fuchs at a banquet on Sunday, March 28.

Steve Fuchs (left) of Paynesville was named the Assistant Coach of the Year by the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association, while Greg Greeno (right) of St. Michael-Albertville, who led the Knights to the Class AA team championship, was named the Coach of the Year.

Fuchs, along with 38-year varsity coach Virg Vagle, is retiring from coaching after this season. In 18 years, Fuchs has coached the Bulldogs junior varsity team to a record of 311-62-2. The varsity, meanwhile, went 420-85-1 and won four state Class A titles.

Fuchs, a 1979 PHS graduate, wrestled on two state tournament teams for the Bulldogs, including their first state team in 1977. He placed third at state individually in 1977 and 1978 and won the first state individual title in school history in 1979 at 119.

Off the mat, Fuchs works as a farm supervisor for EBO Farms. Also at the banquet, St. Michael-Albertville coach Greg Greeno, who led the Knights to a Class AA championship this year, was named the Coach of the Year by the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association.

And five individuals were inducted to the Dave Bartelma Hall of Fame: contributor Dale Lund of Dassel-Cokato, wrestlers Gordy and John Morgan, and coaches J Robinson of the University of Minnesota and Jeff Swenson of Augsburg College.

The Morgan brothers are sons of Jim and Olive Morgan of Rice Lake. Gordy was a 1985 state champ for Bloomington Kennedy, a 1989 Big Ten champ, a three--time national champ, and an Olympian in 1996. John won a state title for Kennedy in 1981, earned Division II All America honors four times for NDSU, won three national titles, and was an Olympian in 1988.

The Morgan brothers join younger brother Marty, a Division II and Division I national champ and a Gophers assistant coach, in the Hall of Fame. Marty was inducted into the Hall in 2000.

Vagle was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.