MINNEAPOLIS -- Augsburg University men's wrestling alumnus Bill Schmidt '76, a three-time Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion and three-time NAIA All-American, will be honored by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame with its Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award presented by the Minnesota Chapter.

Schmidt was inducted into the Augsburg Hall of Fame in 1997 and is also a member of the Winona Wrestling and Bartelma (MWCA) Wrestling Halls of Fame.
 
A native of Renville, Minn., Schmidt has given back to the sport of wrestling for 42 years. He has been a long-time match teacher and coach of wrestling, cross country and softball. As the head wrestling coach at Winona High School, Schmidt coached 24 Minnesota State individual qualifiers, 12 state place-winners and one individual state champion. 
 
Schmidt became Augsburg's first three-time All-American, claiming a fourth-place finish in 1973, a fifth-place finish in 1974  and a national runner-up finish in 1975. All of Schmidt's All-American honors came at the 150 pound weight class. He is now one of 39 Auggies to have earned three All-American finishes during their Augsburg careers.

Schmidt joins an elite group of Auggies previously recognized by the NWCA Division III Wrestling Hall of Fame. Long-time Augsburg coach Donny Wichman '89 was a 2019 inductee, who joined former head coach and current Athletic Director Jeff Swenson, who was inducted in 2005, and longtime assistant coach Scott Whirley '82, who was inducted in 2016. Eight Augsburg wrestlers have been inducted -- Dan Lewandowski '97 in 2003, Gary Kroells '93 in 2005, John Beatty '90 in 2007, Steve Gliva '85 in 2010, Nick Fornicoia '93 in 2011, Joe Hoialmen '93 in 2012, Jesse Armbruster '96 in 2014 and Henry Gerten '98 in 2016.

Schmidt is one of seven honorees for the Lifetime Service Award. The ceremony will take place on Sunday, September 13 at the Austin Holiday Inn Conference Center.

The NWCA Division III Wrestling Hall of Fame has honored NCAA Division III wrestlers, coaches and contributors since 1989. Augsburg has been an NCAA Division III member since 1983. To be considered for Hall of Fame induction, wrestlers must be three-time All-Americans or two-time national champions.