Steele Starren receives Dave Schultz High School Excellence State Award

Two-Time State Champion, Steele Starren has been selected as the 2021 recipient of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence State Award for the state of Washington. This announcement was made this morning by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

The award was established in 1996 to honor Olympic and World Champion Dave Schultz. The award recognizes and celebrates the nation’s most outstanding high school senior male wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service. Winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: (1) Success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; (2) A review of GPA and class rank; (3) Academic honors and distinctions’ and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community.

The Hall of Fame accepts nominations for its high school excellence awards from state chapters and coaches. The nominations are reviewed by a committee, which selects state and regional winners. The committee then determines the national winners from the regional winners.

National winners of the DSHSEA award have combined to win 20 NCAA Division I individual titles led by four-time champion Logan Stieber (2010), three-time winner Zain Retherford (2013) and two-time winners Steven Mocco (2001), David Taylor (2009) and Teyon Ware (2002). The 2018 winner David Carr won a title in 2021 while 2016 winner Mark Hall won an NCAA title as a freshman in 2017 and 2015 winner Zahid Valencia won back-to-back championships in 2018 and 2019.

Steele is the first Tahoma Bear to win this prestigious wrestling award. “We are very proud of what Steele has accomplished in his time at Tahoma,” said Coach Feist. “He is the epitome of what it means to be a Tahoma wrestler and is a phenomenal teammate.”