We are excited to announce that Bill Rex, Class of 1964, will be inducted into the IHSAA Wrestling Hall Of Fame on Saturday, February 22, at the IHSAA State Wrestling Finals. Bill is the first Leon or Central Decatur athlete or coach to be inducted into an IHSAA Hall of Fame.

BILL REX, Leon – The only two-time state champion ever at Leon or Central Decatur, Rex went undefeated as a junior to win the Class B title at 133 pounds in 1963, then the Class A crown at 138 in 1964. The 49-0 mark across his junior and senior seasons lifted his overall varsity mark to 68-6 in an era with just eight state qualifiers per weight across 12 classes. He continued his wrestling at Iowa State, then Northwest Missouri State, qualifying for nationals twice and placing fifth in 1967. He jumped into teaching and coaching in 1968 at Pekin, serving as an assistant football coach for two years, head wrestling coach for 21 years, and assistant boys’ track coach for 57 years. As wrestling coach, Rex’s teams won 12 Blackhawk Conference titles and one Southeast Iowa Conference dual title. Pekin finished as high as second in 1970, and his dual record finished at 151-40-1. Rex continues to be a bus driver and assistant track coach at Pekin. He and his wife Wanda have been married for 57 years and have a son, Sterling (Sara), four grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.