Green River recognizes Hall of Fame inductees

Green River High School recently added several new GRHS graduates into the Hall of Fame. The inductees were honored during halftime of the Wolves varsity football game against Worland Friday night and officially inducted during the 2023 Hall of Fame Banquet the next night.

Michael Clark

While Michael Clark was originally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012, he was re-introduced this year since more information can now be shared about his military service.

Michael graduated with the class of 1999 from Green River High School. After graduation he joined the Navy.

SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team -2 in Virginia Beach, Virginia became his first permanent duty station in October of 2000. With SDV Team -2, he made his first deployment overseas to Rota, Spain, in September of 2001.

In the fall of the following year Michael departed SDV Team – 2 to start BUD/S, which is Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training in Coronado, California. The training consisted of five weeks of indoctrination and pre-training before starting 24 weeks of intense training that develops the SEAL candidates' mental and physical stamina and leadership skills. His BUD/S class number 244 began with over 200 participants, but just over 30 graduated in July of 2003.

Michael completed a seven-month Selection and Training course at Naval Special Warfare Development Group in Virginia Beach. The United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), also known as DEVGRU, has a mission to provide intelligence, counter-terrorism operations, and hostage rescue services for U.S. Special Operations Command and overall the Department of Defense. After only one month into this deployment to Afghanistan with DEVGRU they were on a mission in the mountains of Kunar, Afghanistan, when one of Michael's teammates, Adam Brown, was killed in action. For Michael's actions that night he was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor. In May 2012, the biography "Fearless" was released about Adam.

In August of 2011, the helicopter, callsign "Extortion 17' was shot down in Afghanistan with 30 United States Special Forces and 1 United States Military working dog. Of the 30 men, 22 of them were Michael's teammates and close friends.

Michael and his team were called on for a hostage rescue mission of American, Dr. Dilip Joseph. Dr. Joseph was the medical director for Morning Star Development, a non-profit organization that trains health care workers in Afghanistan. The Taliban took him hostage and demanded a ransom for his release. Michael was part of this mission to save the doctor. During this successful mission, Michael would lose another friend and DEVGRU teammate, Petty Officer 1st Class Nicolas Checque who was killed in action during the rescue.

During his service he received four medals with the combat "V" for valor, the Combat Action Award, the Iraq and Afghanistan Campaign Medals, and five Presidential Unit Citations. Once he retired, Michael was awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.

Daniel Weeks

Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Weeks graduated from Green River High School with the Class of 2003. While in high school he was a three-time individual state champion swimmer, three-time all-state, a swimmer in multiple state relay teams and a key member of the 2001 GRHS team that won the team state title. He continues to hold the record in his part of the 2001 400 yard freestyle relay team. His senior year he was named Wyoming's most outstanding swimmer of the year.

After graduation, Danny graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. In 2007 he did the Air and Space Basic Course in residence at the Maxwell Air Force Base (AFB). He was promoted as Second Lieutenant in 2007 also, then First Lieutenant in 2009. Before he graduated in 2012 with a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington, and the Squadron Officer School, in residence at Maxwell AFB Danny was promoted to Captain. In 2017 correspondence at Air Command and Staff College and a promotion to Major and most recently in 2022 he received his Doctorate of Philosophy in Civil Engineering at the University of Texas in Austin and a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel.

Lt. Col. Weeks has served as a PhD student and the Operations Flight Commander in the 100 Civil Engineer Squadron at RAF Mildenhall, UK. He also served as an Executive Officer and an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at the US Air Force Academy. Lieutenant Colonel Weeks was deployed four times in support of operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria.

He is currently the commander of the 765th Air Base Squadron at Lajes Field, Portugal. He leads 290 people and oversees the installation, engineering, contracting, and force support functions supporting $1.7 billon in infrastructure. His squadron sustains air and space power in support of the United States and its NATO allies at a strategically located remote air base.

Bill Hodges

Bill Hodges grew up on a ranch outside of Green River.

He started wrestling over 50 years ago at the age of eight, going to national tournaments before he ever had a practice. Bill did not become serious about wrestling until the middle of his junior year in high school. He only lost one match the rest of his high school career. In his senior year he was the only undefeated wrestler in the State of Wyoming. After graduating high school, Bill entered the University Of Wyoming on an academic and athletic scholarship. Wrestling at the university for five years, he finished his senior year as WAC Champion. He was part of three WAC championship teams. One of these teams, the 1985 team, is being inducted into the Wyoming Athletic Hall of Fame this year.

In 1987 he returned to Green River where he began to coach and also teach social studies.

In 1970, while in high school, he coached the Green River Freestyle team. He helped coach Wyoming High School wrestlers heading to Nationals. From 1987-2017 he coached thousands of Green River Wrestlers. Bill coached at the high school level for 20 years, at the middle school, and the Green River Grapplers. While coaching high school as an assistant and as a head coach he had the opportunity to coach 48 high school state champions and 10 state championship teams.

Bill coached at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs as a head coach from 2002-2008. He coached the first two National Champions and finished fourth at Nationals in 2006. Bill stepped down in 2006 due to injuries and went on to coach middle school wrestling in Green River. He returned to help the high school in Green River from 2013-2017. He then retired from teaching and coaching in 2017 and returned as an assistant coach for Western Wyoming. From 2017-2023 Western has had four more National Champions and in 2023 they became the first national championship team in WWCC history.

Bill taught at Green River High School from 1987-2017 and then again in 2020. During this time he taught almost every social studies class and taught other school academic activities such as Close-Up, We the People, Model United Nations, and student council.

Tom Seamans

Tom Seamans graduated from Swink High School in Swink, Colorado, in 1979. Tom accepted a wrestling scholarship from the University of Wyoming to compete as a varsity wrestler. He was a two-time conference runner-up and a conference champion his senior year. After graduating, he became a graduate assistant coach for UW during the 1983-84 season.

In August of 1984, he was hired to teach social studies at Green River High School and was also hired as a junior high assistant high school football coach and assistant wrestling coach.

Tom was hired in the spring of 1986 as the head wrestling coach for the Green River Wolves. His teams went on to win 10 conference championships, 10 regional championships, and five state championships between 1987 and 1999.

In July of 2001, he accepted the position of Head Wrestling Coach/Social Studies Teacher for Campbell County High School, where he was head coach from 2001-2017. His team won 13 consecutive State Wrestling Championships from 2003-2015.

Tom Seamans was a head coach for wrestling for 29 seasons as a Head Coach (13 years in Green River, 16 years in Gillette). His teams won 18 class 4A Wyoming State Wrestling Tournaments, 24 Regional Tournament Championships, and 23 Conference Championships during his reign. He was awarded the Wyoming Coaches Association Coach of the Year a total of 16 times. Twenty times Tom was awarded the 4A Conference Coach of the Year, while also being awarded the 2017 National High School Athletic Coaches Association Coach of the Year.

Throughout his tenure as head coach, he achieved the dual meet record 284-74, Teams, and won 117 Tournament Championships in WY, CO, UT, ID, MT, SD, NE. He coached 347 state place winners, 91 individual state champions, 11 2x champions, 6 3x champions, 3 4x champions. Only one team in his 29 years finished below third place at the state competition.

Championship Wrestling teams

There were two teams that were Regional Champions, State Champions, and ranked 15th in the nation, the 1996 Green River High School Wrestling Team and the 1997 GRHS Wrestling Team.

Members from teams include: John Ashley, Dallas Balzly, Mike Barrera, Scot Brady, Greg Bybee, Art Castillo, Joe Chacon, Eric Christiansen, Ben Compos, Johan Dana, Joey DuPuis, Jeiremy Gomez, Nathan Gomez, Travis Graham, Blake Gunter, Derek Hamel, Iyron Hamel, Ryan Harmon, Cory Hintz, Teddy Hodges, Gordon Lee, Jaime Lewis, Trenton McDowell, Bryan Merrick, Willie Montoya, Levi Montoya, Jake Owens, Ryan Paulovich, Jeremy Potter, Josh Rollins, Justin Salas, Robbie Schamber, Brad Setzer, Todd Stapelton, Damien Taylor , Justin Taylor, Matt Tieman, Jeremy Twitchell and Eric Wright. Coaches were Tom Seamans and Bill Hodges and Wade Discher.

The 1996 team was regional champions, state champions, and ranked in the top 15 in the country. They led the state with a score of 219.5 followed by Kelly Walsh in second with only 152 points and Gillette in third with 151.5 pts. Green River had 11 individuals that placed at state: 2nd FR. Blake Gunter 103 lbs, 3rd SO. Dallas Balzly 112 lbs, 2nd JR. Jeremy Potter 119 lbs, 2nd JR. Travis Graham 125 lbs, 2nd JR. Jaime Lewis 135lbs, 1st SR. Trent McDowell 140 lbs. 1st JR. Greg Bybee 145 lbs, 3rd JR. Cory Hintz 152 lbs, 3rd SR. Art Castillo 160 lbs, 6th SR. Gordon Lee 189 lbs & 3rd SR. Josh Rollins Hwt.

The 1997 team was regional champions, state champions, and ranked top 15 in the country. Green River won state by a score of 215 followed by 2nd place Campbell County with a score of 186. Individuals placing at state were 2nd SO. Eric Wright 103 lbs, 3rd SO. Blake Gunter 112 lbs, 1st JR. Dallas Balzly 119 lbs, 3rd Ryan Harmon 130 lbs, 3rd SR.Travis Graham 135 lbs., 5th SR. Derek Hamel 140 lbs, 1st SR. Greg Bybee 145 lbs., 34d SR. Cory Hintz 152 lbs, 4th SR. Joe Chacon 171 lbs, and 3rd Justin Taylor Hwt.