June 19, 2012

Garrett South, a 2005 graduate of Luther College, will be inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division III Wrestling Coaches’ Association’s Hall of Fame.

The induction ceremony will take place on Thursday, March 14, prior to the 2013 NCAA III National Wrestling Championships in Cedar Rapids, March 15-16.

A native of Cumberland, Iowa, Garrett exemplified the phrase “student-athlete”. During his Luther College career, he was a four-time national qualifier, earning All-America honors three times, placing fourth at 157 in 2003, was the national runner-up at 165 in 2004.

As a senior, he won the 165 lb. national championship, placed second at the University of Northern Iowa Open and placed seventh at the Midlands Championships. He was undefeated against NCAA III opponents that year as well.

During his career he also won three Iowa Conference titles and was named the league’s Outstanding Wrestler in 2002.

Academically, he was named a NWCA Scholar All-America three times and CoSIDA Scholar All-America twice. He was also awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and was named the Iowa Conference Male Scholar Athlete of the Year.

His career record of 127-32 with 58 falls stands as one of the best in Luther College history.

South will become the fourth Luther wrestler to be inducted into the NWCA Division III Coaches’ Association Hall of Fame. He will join Jeff Bouslog ’81 who was inducted in 1993, Dan Boos ’80 who was inducted in 2001, and Garrett Kurth ’03 who was inducted in 2008. Paul Solberg ‘61 was inducted as a coach in 2005 following an outstanding career leading the Norse for 16 years.