Former longtime Newton-Conover wrestling coach Eddy Clark among 2024 selections
In recognition of their achievements in sports in Catawba County, the Hickory Metro Sports Commission is proud to announce five new members and a team of distinction to the Catawba County Sports Hall of Fame (CCSHOF) for the class of 2024.
This year’s inductees include former NewtonConover High School wrestling coach Edward (Eddy) Clark, longtime area baseball umpire and football referee William (Bill) Cline, Hickory High and NC State track athlete Ryan Hill, former Lenoir-Rhyne University and Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) baseball coach Frank Pait, and former Newton-Conover baseball player and wrestler and longtime auto racing and football analyst Dr. Jerry Punch.
The CCSHOF also selected this year’s “Team of Distinction for 2024, the 1978 Maiden High School Football Team.
“The committee is extremely honored to recognize this year’s outstanding class of individuals and team,” said Frank Snider, chairman of the CCSHOF committee. There was a very competitive pool of candidates to choose from and we feel the group chosen covers a broad spectrum of sports in Catawba County. An official and umpire, a long-distance track champion, a sportscaster and analyst recognized as one the best in the country, a college baseball coach who left an indelible mark in the county and a state champion wrestling coach make up a great group of inductees. We hope the public will come out to honor these men.”
A native of Avery County, Clark was the head wrestling coach at Newton-Conover from 1999 until his retirement following the 2022-23 high school wrestling season. Clark led the Red Devils to four state championships in dual-team wrestling (2013, 2014, 2016 and 2023), as well as three consecutive runnerup finishes (2007-2009).