Colony grad tabbed an All-American

June 10, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/Frontiersman

PALMER - Hollan Gravley had no idea why he was sitting in the Colony High School cafeteria Friday night.

Among a few friends, family members and former coaches Gravley was informed of an unexpected honor.

The 2007 Colony graduate is now a high school All-American.

Gravley, the first four-time state champion in the history of the Colony High School wrestling program, also became the school's first All-American in wrestling.

After Colony activities director Mike Boyd handed him the honor awarded by USA Wrestling, Gravley said he knew he was eligible for the award, but had no idea he'd actually receive it.

Since he capped his high school career with a fourth individual state title, while captaining his Knights squad to the large-schools team title, Gravley continues to be recognized for his work on the mat. The Western State College bound athlete was also selected to receive the 2007 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award for the state of Alaska.

Gravley's father Ed said the wrestlers selected by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum are considered the blue-chip athletes in the sport.

&#8220They're the cream of the crop,” Ed Gravley said.

In addition to winning the Dave Shultz award, Hollan Gravley earned a chance to participate in the Dave Shultz High School Excellence Leadership Camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. next week.

The Dave Shultz camp is just one of the events on Gravley's summer wrestling agenda as he prepares for his first season at the collegiate level. Gravley said he will attend a camp on Fort Richardson after returning to Alaska later this summer, and then it's off to the ASICS/Vaughan Junior Nationals /Accelerade Cadet Nationals in Fargo, N.D., in July.

Ed Gravley has watched his son dominate in Alaska and enjoy a considerable amount of success in tournaments across the country, but certainly didn't expect his youngest son to be garnering such prestigious honors.

&#8220We're not out there promoting ourselves or (Hollan), so it came out of the blue for us,” Ed Gravley said. &#8220It's a real honor.”

Wrestling is a sport central to the Gravley family. Ed Gravley competed and now coaches. His oldest son Hunter, now 23, wrestled during his days at Colony. And Hollan said he followed in the footsteps of his father and other brother.

Ed Gravley said he sees a few reasons why Hollan has been able to have so much success on the mat, most notably his enthusiasm for the sport and dedication to wrestling.

&#8220We knew early he had a passion for it,” Ed Gravley said.

As a coach, Ed Gravley said he parents as the primary reason for children to compete. But with Hollan, he said, it was different.

&#8220When the parents pull the kids along it doesn't work, but when the kids pull the parents along, that's when they do real well,” Ed Gravley said. &#8220At a young age, Hollan would come to me and say, ‘these kids are going to a wrestling tournament, can I go?',” Ed Gravley said.

Fred McKinney, the head coach of the Colony wrestling program, said if anyone is deserving of awards of this caliber, it's certainly Hollan.

McKinney said he feels Hollan Gravley's weight class included arguably the toughest competition in the state. And Hollan pinned his way through the Northern Lights Conference tournament, pinned his way through the state tournament and was the captain of the state championship team.

&#8220I can't remember anybody doing that. Maybe there's somebody in the past, but it's rare,” McKinney said.

Hollan Gravley finished a tremendous four-year career at Colony with 154-9 record, 85 pins, four region titles and four state championships. McKinney said Gravley should most certainly be recognized as one of the best ever to wrestle in Alaska.

&#8220He deserves it,” McKinney said. &#8220He's worked hard enough. He's done as much as he possibly could.”

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.