Class of 2006

Steve Welter
Fox Lake (Grant)

One of ten children, Steve Welter was a 1965 graduate of Grant Community High School in Fox Lake, Illinois. He set the tone for four wrestling brothers who followed him at Grant High
School.

Steve was 2nd in the state tournament as a sophomore and was a state champion at 133 pounds in his junior year. He
followed up with a state title at 138 pounds his senior year. He was coached in high school by I.W.C.O.A. Hall of Fame member Bud Weick. During his junior year at Grant High School, Steve won his weight class in the 1964 Greco-Roman Olympic sectional tryouts. He advanced to the finals in New York, but suffered a knee injury. After reconstructive surgery, he returned to win the state title, but much of his future athletic career was curtailed. Steve was Athlete of the Year for three years at Grant High School. He competed in football, wrestling, and track. He was selected to numerous all-star teams.

2006 I.W.C.O.A. Hall of Fame Inductees Steve enrolled at Indiana State University, but he was drafted into the U.S. Army. After a two-year tour of duty and a trip to Vietnam, Steve returned to Indiana State. Upon graduation from Indiana State University, he became the head coach at Lake Zurich High School. Steve left the education field for two years to pursue private business. He returned to teach and coach at Crystal Lake High School. One year later, he took a job at Waukegan High School. He is presently the head coach at Waukegan. He has also coached football and lower level of wrestling at Waukegan. He has thirty-two years of coaching and teaching and will retire after this year.

Steve and his wife, Judy, have been married for thirty-six years and have three children and six grandchildren. Steve and Judy are active members in the Villa Desiderata Retreat Community and they head the scholarship committee.