Of all seven inductees selected for the 2017 University of Indianapolis Athletics Hall of Fame class on Feb. 11, alumnus Greg Matheis was the only one to also be inducted into the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Feb. 19 in back-to-back weekends.
Each year, the UIndy Athletics Hall of Fame board chooses five athletes, one team, and a Person-of-the-Year to induct into the hall of fame. This year, Kenneth Borden, James Bruce Jr., Elizabeth Ramsey and Ron Rutland along with Matheis were the individuals selected, the 1972-1973 men’s track and field team was the inducted team and Dennis Reinbold was inducted as person of the year. Many of the athletes and teams selected over the years are vastly different in sports and reasons for induction, but they all share the common characteristic of being some of the best athletes from UIndy, according to Assistant Director for Athletic Development Gina Dacy.
“[The inductees are] very outstanding individuals who left a strong mark on their legacy,” she said. “We have two wrestlers, two basketball players, and then Dr. Kenneth Broden, who wasn’t an athlete but was very involved in the athletic department. It’s just about their commitment to their program and the school and just the overwhelming impact they had as a student athlete here.”
Dacy also acknowledged Matheis’ accomplishments of getting inducted to two halls of fame in such a short amount of time.
“I do think it is pretty remarkable, and it does speak to the kind of athlete he was,” Dacy said. “He was committed to football and wrestling, and for his wrestling achievements to be acknowledged by not only UIndy but the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association just goes to show how accomplished and focused of an athlete he was.”
Matheis was a two-sport athlete in football and wrestling during his time here at UIndy and is the only athlete in Greyhound history to be an All-American in both sports. In football, Matheis led for three years in tackles and sacks, earned All-Conference honors and was named to the Kodak All-American Football Team. Not only was he physically talented, he also was a leader among his fellow teammates. He was voted Male Athlete of the Year twice, served as team captain of both teams and received a total of six MVP awards.
Matheis said he began wrestling in fourth grade when the high school wrestling and football coach influenced his father to let him join the wrestling team. Originally, the coach had hoped that wrestling would improve Matheis’s game in football, but eventually realized that Matheis also was an exceptional wrestler.
After receiving athletic offers from many different universities, Matheis chose to come to UIndy where he would have the opportunity to be a two-sport athlete, pursue his education in accounting, and he eventually went on to coach high school wrestling in his community.
“A big reason I liked UIndy was that I could play football and wrestle and continue both into college. It[the best part] was the camaraderie and team atmosphere, plus you get to know some people on campus before school started. You weren’t coming in and not knowing anybody. It [playing sports] helps [you] integrate with the student body because you meet quite a few of them.”
The following weekend after Matheis was inducted to the UIndy Hall of Fame, he also received the honor at IHSWCA Hall of Fame on Feb. 19 for his wrestling achievements during his high school career.
IHSWCA member Scott Schwarz said that the board chooses people from different categories of athletes and coaches, and the board chose to recognize Matheis his accomplishments as an athlete, for his time in high school.
“[Alumnus]Matt Eviston made the nomination, so it was kind of a combination of what Matheis had accomplished at Jasper [as a coach]. First and foremost for us it was his accomplishments as a wrestler in high school, but also his accomplishments at the University of Indianapolis culminated into the nomination.”
Currently, Matheis is pursuing his career as Vice President at Springs Valley Bank and Trust, serves as a board member for the Habitat for Humanity of Dubois County and is coaching the Jasper High School wrestling team.
