Former head coach of the men’s wrestling program, and current Missouri Valley College Athletic Director Mike Machholz, along with the men’s wrestling teams from 1996-2005 were inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield on Sunday February 5, 2023.
Machholz was selected for induction after his 30 years of work building and leading the men’s wrestling program at Missouri Valley. During his tenure, the program won three team National championships, finished as National runner-up four times, won 11 regional championships, produced 17 individual National champions, 37 National finalists, 168 All-Americans and compiled a duals record of 224-115-2. Machholz was a three-time National Coach of the Year award winner in the NAIA and was a nine-time Regional Coach of the Year.
In addition, Machholz was a two-time President of the NAIA National Wrestling Coaches’ Association. He also was a pioneer in developing the first varsity collegiate scholarship women’s wrestling program in the country at Missouri Valley in 1999. He guided the women’s wrestling program to a US Open championship, the first collegiate program to accomplish the feat. Machholz also produced 39 All-Americans in women’s wrestling. Earlier this year, Machholz was inducted into the Missouri chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He retired from coaching the men’s wrestling program following the conclusion of the 2021-22 season, and was promoted to Athletic Director at Missouri Valley, assuming the role on July 1, 2022.
The 1996-2005 era of Missouri Valley men’s wrestling is also being recognized for induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. This era featured three NAIA National championship teams (1996, 1997, 2003) and four National runner-up finishes (1998, 2000, 2001, 2005). A total of 91 All-Americans were produced during the stretch, which included 13 individual National championships. The era also finished in the top six or better, Nationally, each season, and won seven regional championships.
The 1996-2005 men’s wrestling era joins the 1941-48 football era from Missouri Valley as inductees into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. The football era was inducted in 2007. Machholz is the second head coach from Missouri Valley inducted for his work with Viking athletic programs, joining Volney C. Ashford, who was inducted in 1981.