Sammie Henson
Samuel "Sammie" Henson is a World Champion wrestler, winning a gold medal in freestyle for the USA at the 1998 FILA Wrestling World Championships, held in Tehran, Iran. He was also a silver medallist at the 2000 Summer Olympics in the freestyle 54 kg category, losing to Abdullayev in the finals of that event, held in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. At the age of 36, he competed at the 2006 FILA Wrestling World Championships held in Guangzhou, China, earning a bronze medal. He was named USA Wrestling's Man of the Year in 1998.
He is formerly the head coach at West Virginia University. He was also head coach of the Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club. Henson was born in St. Louis, Missouri. In 2015, Henson was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member.
High school career
Henson attended Francis Howell High School in St. Charles, Missouri. In high school, he was coached by Roger Hodapp, and Judd Hofmann. Henson and his brothers Chuck and Kevin, helped lead the Francis Howell Vikings to four Missouri Team State Championships in the 1980s. Henson was a member of the 1986 and 1987 State Championship teams. Individually, he placed fourth in state as a freshman, followed by being a three-time Missouri Class 4A State Champion. In 1989, he was named Missouri Class 4A High School Wrestler of the Year, and was a First-Team Asics High School All-American.College career
Henson began his college wrestling career at the University of Missouri, in Columbia, Missouri. He was coached at MU by Wes Roper. He chose Missouri because it was close to home, and because he wanted to prove that he could win for his in-state school. He proved the point by becoming a Big 8 champion, and an All-American in his freshman year, winning fifth place at the 1991 NCAA Wrestling Championships. He achieved this despite being the seventh seed in the tournament. Ironically, to win fifth place, he defeated second seeded Donnie Heckel, of Clemson University, by a score of 13-2.After his freshman year, Henson transferred to Clemson to wrestle under Coach Gil Sanchez. He ended his college career as the most successful wrestler in Clemson history, going 71-0 over his last two seasons. He won back to back NCAA titles at 118 pounds in 1993 and 1994. In 1994, he was also named ACC Wrestler of the Year. He then returned to the University of Missouri to finish his degree, graduating in 1995 with a degree in Park, Recreation and Tourism Management. He was inducted into Clemson's Hall of Fame in 2000. Henson was one of Clemson's last wrestlers and named one of ACC's Top 100 athletes in a conference more known for basketball.