The 2024-2025 season marks the 30-year anniversary for the Warsaw Wildcats Wrestling program. The inaugural induction was held during the Wrestling Tournament on January 18th, 2025, to celebrate 30 years of commitment, dedication and hard work exhibited by every athlete, coach, parent, grandparent and community member that has been a part of the program.
The Hall of Honor represents the very best of what it means to be a Warsaw Wildcat wrestler—character, integrity, loyalty and class. The inductees that were honored have left a mark on the Warsaw Wildcats Wrestling program that will still be felt for many years to come.
Coach John Dunham
In 1994, Coach John Dunham came to Warsaw and started the now 30-year legacy of the Warsaw Wildcats Wrestling program. Dunham’s first team had only 4 kids with very little to no experience, but that didn’t stop Dunham and his team from finding quick success. Under his reign, the very first state medalist was crowned in 1995 when Nathan Steenburgen claimed a 4th place finish. The program’s very first state championship was claimed in 1998 by David Lemon.
By 2007, the program was ahead of the times with two female wrestlers, Ashley Larson-Gutierrez & Erica Poe-Haddad. Both girls qualified for the boy's state tournament multiple years only to fall short of the medal stand after losing in the third wrestleback consolation matches.
In the 7th year of the program, the 2001-02 season, the ‘Cats finished in 4th place at the state tournament. The team was composed of finalists Richard Vaughn, Brian Jordan and John Steenburgen, along with medalists Jared Wallut and Billy Daleske. That year marks the highest team finish in the state tournament since the inception of the program.
Coach Dunham believes wrestling is more than just a sport. He shared, “We attempted to produce young people who were going to be successful and productive members of whatever community they ended up in. We tried to instill grit to overcome and lessons in that room that would serve them later as spouses and parents. Not every kid was going to be a state champion, but we wanted each one to be successful in life.”
Dunham gives credit to the amazing support system he had to start the program, sharing that the school was already composed of some great athletes during his time who simply bought into the program. From those athletes, to his assistant coaches, to administrative and parent support; Coach Dunham gives credit to the amazing Warsaw community for the quick success of the program.
Dunham and his wife, Sarah, are both retired school administrators and have been married for nearly 18 years. They currently reside in Marceline and are proud parents to 5 children; Linzy, Livia, Tucker, Kate and Abbie and 8, soon to be 9 grandchildren.
Mr. David Lemon
David Lemon was one of the initial 4 athletes who made up the very first Wildcats Wrestling team. Only a freshman at the time, he was not a complete stranger to the sport. In his early years, Lemon travelled to Clinton for youth wrestling. He spent his middle school years playing football, basketball, baseball and running track.
Lemon was a true leader of the new Wildcats Wrestling program. He viewed the first year as a building block for the success he and the team would soon find.
In 1998, Lemon made his biggest mark for Wildcats Wrestling when he became the program’s very first-ever state champion.
Lemon attributes the lessons learned in wrestling to who he is today. He shared, “It was tough, but it taught me a lot. You learn how to work hard and you’re responsible for your own results, good or bad. These lessons have stuck with me well beyond wrestling.”
No stranger to success, Lemon now holds a position as president of a cybersecurity software company. He’s been married to his wife, Hilary, for 17 years. Together, they have three children; Avery who is 16, William who is 13 and Jackson who is 9.
On behalf of the Warsaw Wildcat Wrestling program and the entire community, THANK YOU gentlemen for your contribution to Warsaw Wildcats Wrestling & the Warsaw community throughout the years!