STEVENS POINT, Wis. – Mel Dow, associate director of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, was one of nine individuals inducted into the Wisconsin chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Sunday, May 17, at Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells.
Dow was recognized for lifetime service to wrestling. The award honors individuals with at least 20 years of dedication to developing leadership and citizenship in youth through the sport.
He has served as the WIAA sport director for wrestling since joining the executive staff in August 2021. He is credited with helping grow girls wrestling participation in Wisconsin, planning and implementing the State Girls Individual Wrestling Tournament in 2022 and planning the launch of the State Girls Team Tournament in 2027.
Dow also helped guide the restructuring of the wrestling tournament series in 2026, the expansion of the State Boys Team Tournament to eight teams in Divisions 2 and 3, and the move of the state tournament to the La Crosse Center in 2026.
In addition to wrestling, Dow’s staff responsibilities since joining the WIAA has also included overseeing baseball, cross country, girls golf, and boys and girls tennis, as well a managing the administrative responsibilities related to eligibility, coaching contact, camps, out-of-season participation, foreign students and sanctioning requests. He also serves as staff liaison to the Sports Advisory Committee, 7% Committee, Sports Medical Advisory Committee and several coaches advisory committees.
Outside the WIAA, Dow has held leadership roles with several wrestling organizations. He served nearly 20 years as a developmental camp director and team leader for USA Wrestling national teams, including at the Pan American Games and World Championships. Dow has been a member of the Wisconsin Wrestling Federation board since 2000 and served as Cadet National Team coach from 2000-10 and kids director from 2000-22. He also has served as president, awards chairman and public relations director for the Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association.
Dow wrestled as a youth and at Prairie du Chien High School before competing at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. While at UW-La Crosse, he founded and coached Wisconsin’s first visually impaired national wrestling team in 1996-97 and later served as an assistant wrestling coach in 1999-2000.
After graduating, Dow worked as a physical education teacher and assistant coach in football, wrestling and track and field at Rampart High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., from 1997-99. He later spent 11 years at Prairie du Chien High School teaching physical education and adaptive physical education while serving as head wrestling coach and assistant coach in football and track and field. From 2010-21, Dow served as athletics and activities director in the Stoughton School District.
Among his honors, Dow was named Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association District 5 Coach of the Year in 2005, USA Wrestling Kids Person of the Year in 2012 and Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association Athletic Director of the Year in 2021.
# WIAA #