Three-time UTC Southern Conference wrestling champion and Murray County High School state champion Chris Thornbury is one of six members of the class of 2017 for the Georgia Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame to be honored April 30 in Marietta.
Thornbury won SoCon titles in 1986-87 and 1989 after being a three-time state medalist at Murray County HS, including winning a state title in 1985.
The Chatsworth, Ga. native was head wrestling coach at Murray Co. HS for 24 years (1991-2014) and led the Indians to Georgia state traditional team titles in 1983 and 1984.
He coached 12 state champions and 60 state medalists, his teams won more than 300 dual matches in his 24 seasons and he was selected as the Georgia high school wrestling coaches association coach of the year in 1993 and 1994.
“I am excited and humbled to be selected for the hall of fame,” said Thornbury. “I am appreciative of all those who were part of our success at Murray County High School, including assistant coaches, wrestlers and numerous volunteer workers."
Chris and his wife, Beth, have three sons, David, Clayton and Blaine.
The Georgia inductees into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame are as follows:
Lifetime Service to Wrestling (in recognition of contributing for at least 20 years to the sport of wrestling as a coach, referee or contributor.
Chris Thornbury - current administrator and former coach at Murray County HS
Roger Burkett - active GHSA wrestling official … founder of Wrestling U of Georgia
Kevin Higgins - current athletic director at Creekview HS … former coach at Sequoyah and Creekview
Arturo Holmes - founder/owner of The Wrestling Center in Smyrna, Ga.
Robert Neu - long-serving volunteer and youth/high school coach in Florida and Georgia
Clark Rich - coach at LaGrange HS and Calloway HS
Medal of Courage
Adam Pitt - Former head coach in north Atlanta schools and current assistant at Chattahoochee HS
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net