Trey Clark, center, receives his IHSAA Wrestling Hall of Fame plaque during the 2021 State Wrestling Championships in Des Moines on Feb. 20. Clark was a three-time state champion for the Union Knights from 1997 to 2000. He is pictured with his wife Samantha, their three sons Trevor, Weston and Owen as well as his parents Jim and Lori Clark. He joins retired Knights wrestling coach Dick Ingvall as the only two Union inductees to the IHSAA Wrestling Hall of Fame. Allison Graham/North Tama Telegraph

DES MOINES – The Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) announced the 2021 class for the IHSAA Wrestling Hall of Fame last week.

Union alum Trey Clark (2000) was honored as a member of this year’s Hall of Fame class, joining his former Knights coach Dick Ingvall who was inducted in 2004.

The first three-time state champion in his high school program’s proud wrestling history, Clark was also a Cadet world team member and a Junior national freestyle champion in a title-filled run from 1997-2000.

Bursting on to the Class 2A scene as a 171-pound champion as a freshman in 1997, he won titles at 189 as a junior and senior. Clark was a four-time conference champion and four-time state qualifier, graduating with a varsity record of 135-3.

After leading the Knights to a runner-up finish in 2000’s Class 2A team race, he went on to win a Junior freestyle national championship and earn USA Wrestling’s Junior wrestler of the year honors.

Clark wrestled at the University of Iowa from 2000-03. He returned to his hometown after college and has delivered milk for Anderson Erickson Dairy for the last 12 years. He remains around wrestling, serving as a volunteer youth coach for the Knights Wrestling Club in LaPorte City.

The son of Jim and Lori, Trey and his wife Samantha have three children: Trevor, Weston, and Owen.

Incoming members into the hall of fame were inducted before the championship matches of the State Wrestling Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 20 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

It was a full circle moment for Union Knights fans as Clark was honored on the same night his former teammate, now Union head coach, Bart Mehlert coached another Knights former state champ in the finals later that evening.

Joining Clark in the 2021 Hall of Fame class are coach Tom Hildreth of Rockwell City, coach Ron Peterson of Clarksville and Derek St. John of Iowa City West.

Trey Clark stands atop the Class 2A 171-pound podium at Veteran’s Auditorium in Des Moines after capping a 35-1 freshman season with a championship. Clark stunned the Iowa high school wrestling community by taking the championship despite being unranked throughout his freshman season. Dysart Reporter Archive Photo

The IHSAA began honoring top wrestlers and coaches for their accomplishments in 1971, with selections nominated through their schools, picked by the Wrestling Hall of Fame selection committee, and approved by the Board of Control this winter.

In 2000, Trey Clark (top) of Union captured his third state title with a pin over Brian Milbert of Beckman Catholic (bottom) just over three minutes. Dysart Reporter Archive Photo