IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa women’s wrestling associate head coach Gary Mayabb was named a 2024 inductee into the Missouri Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as the Lifetime Service Award winner, it was announced Monday.
Mayabb has a lifelong dedication to the sport of wrestling has been nothing short of extraordinary. His unwavering commitment, passion and contributions have not only shaped the wrestling community in Missouri but have also left an indelible mark on the sport itself.
For more than three decades, Mayabb served in various capacities with USA Wrestling and was an accomplished high school wrestling coach in Kansas City, Missouri, winning seven team state championships. As the head coach at Oak Park and Staley High Schools, he was a two-time National Wrestling Coaches Association Region Coach of the Year and State Coach of the Year, a five-time Missouri Wrestling Association State Coach of the Year and two-time Missouri State High School Activities Association Coach of the Year.
As a competitor, Mayabb competed at the University of Central Missouri, where he was a NCAA qualifier and the MIAA Conference Most Outstanding Wrestler. The two-time team captain was a U.S. Open finalist in 1990 and a four-time Olympic Trials qualifier (1980, 1984, 1988, 1992). He is a member of Central Missouri’s Hall of Legends and Athletic Hall of Fame.
Mayabb has been a member of the MWA, NWCA, Collegiate Wrestling Officials Association, National Wrestling Officials Association and United States Wrestling Officials Association. He was also a collegiate official from 1985-2017, and during that time served as a Big Ten Conference official from 2006-17, and an NCAA Championships official from 2000-17.
Mayabb will be honored on Sunday, October 20, during a ceremony in Jefferson City, Missouri.