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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The all-time leader in career wins by a Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) wrestling coach, Chuck Tursky was recently selected as a member of the Slippery Rock University Athletic Hall of Fame's Class of 2014.
 
The Hall of Fame honor was the fifth earned by Tursky, who previously was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association, WPIAL, Southwestern Pennsylvania Wrestling and National Wrestling-Pennsylvania Chapter halls of fame.
 
Tursky lettered four seasons as a wrestler and played one season of football at Slippery Rock before embarking on his coaching career. As the head coach at Burrell High School and now Kiski Area High School, Tursky has led teams to more than 490 dual-meet victories in 35 seasons.
 
Included in that win total was an impressive string of 68 consecutive dual-meet victories.
 
Tursky-coached teams have also claimed three WPIAL championships, three WPIAL runner-up honors, one state runner-up honor and one fourth-place state finish.
 
The mentor to over 80 former student-athletes now serving as wrestling coaches, Tursky has led teams to section-tournament berths 15 times and guided teams to seven consecutive WPIAL tournament appearances from 1997-2003.
 
In recognition of his leadership abilities, Tursky was named as the 2003 state Coach of the Year, the WPIAL Coach of the Year in both 1997 and 2003 and has earned 15 section Coach of the Year honors. Tursky won the sectional honor 13 consecutive seasons.
 
A 1975 graduate of Riverview High School and a 1980 graduate of Slippery Rock, Tursky earned Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference runner-up honors in the unlimited weight class in each of his final two seasons of collegiate competition.
 
Tursky was also a place-winner in three consecutive Eastern Regional competitions.
 
In addition to his duties as wrestling coach, Tursky is currently employed as a health and physical education teacher and coached football for 23 years at Kiski Area High School.
 
Tursky, who is one of seven individuals included in the SRU Hall of Fame's Class of 2014, resides in Natrona Heights with his five children.
 
Joining Tursky in the SRU Athletic Hall of Fame's 31st induction class will be Matt Kinsinger (football, SRU Class of 1999), Jessica Bungo Livermore (women's tennis, SRU Class of 2004), Lori Robinson Nuzzo (women's basketball and track and field, SRU Class of 1997, 1999-M), Pat O'Hare (men's soccer, SRU Class of 1965), Nate Thimons (baseball, SRU Class of 2000) and Tom Wise (men's track and field, SRU Class of 1998).

The 31st annual induction event is scheduled for Sept. 6 at SRU's Robert M. Smith Student Center, beginning with a social hour at 1:30 p.m. followed by dinner and the induction ceremony at 2:30 p.m. The Class of 2014 will also be honored during halftime of The Rock's home football game at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium against Kutztown University. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
 
Tickets for the 2014 SRU Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony are $40 each if ordered by August 27 and $50 each if ordered after August 27. Tickets can be ordered online at the link above or through the mail by sending a request to Pearl Shaffer at: Slippery Rock University, Alumni House --  Attn:  Pearl Shaffer, Slippery Rock, PA 16057. Shaffer can be reached via telephone at 724.738.2768. There will be no tickets for sale on the day of the event.



Extended profiles of 2014 Hall of Fame inductees written by former sports information director and Hall of Fame committee member Bob McComas. For media inquiries, contact Jon Holtz at jonathan.holtz@sru.edu.