Kurt Howell
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Kurt Howell
| image =
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| nationality = American
| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|15|1983|4|13}}
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| education = Clemson University
St. Cloud State University
| height =
| weight = 126 lb
| sport = Wrestling
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| collegeteam = Clemson Tigers
}}
Kurt Howell (born {{birth based on age as of date|15|1983|4|13|noage=1}}){{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news/171692381/|newspaper=The Morning News|via=Newspapers.com|date=April 14, 1983|page=81|title=Wrestling weights|author=Peter, Carolyn M.}} {{Open access}} is an American former wrestler and coach. He was a four-time Delaware state champion at Newark High School and later was an All-American at Clemson University. After his competitive career, he served as a high school coach and developed 19 state champions. He was selected for induction to the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame in 2025.
Biography
Howell has two brothers who also competed in wrestling: Dicky and Brad. After watching his brother at the Newark YMCA, he began wrestling at age seven and "started winning" in events in fifth grade.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/171698172/|newspaper=The News Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=November 16, 2005|page=146, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/171698654/ 147]|title=Brothers wrestle to the top|author=Allison, Jon}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news/171693772/|newspaper=The Morning News|via=Newspapers.com|date=February 5, 1984|page=46|title=Wrestler Howell has grip on stardom|author=Hughes, David}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news/171694951/|newspaper=The Morning News|via=Newspapers.com|date=March 13, 1986|page=96|title=Wrestler Kurt Howell ends a 108-0 career|author=Zabitka, Matt|author-link=Matt Zabitka}} {{Open access}} At age 12, he started weightlifting, and in 1982, won two wrestling gold medals at the AAU Grand Nationals and one at the National Junior Olympics.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/171693264/|newspaper=The News Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=January 6, 1983|page=36|title=Howell mighty mite on mat|author=Hughes, David}} {{Open access}} Later that year, at age 14, he won the U16 World Schoolboy Tournament in his weight class in the freestyle event.{{Cite web|url=https://desports.org/new-inductees-2025/|publisher=Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame|date=March 10, 2025|title=2025 HOF Inductees}}
Howell attended Newark High School and as a freshman in 1983 went undefeated and won the state title in his class, at {{convert|98|lb|kg}}.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news/171694303/|newspaper=The Morning News|via=Newspapers.com|date=June 19, 1984|page=11|title=Howell never lets up|author=Tresolini, Kevin|author-link=Kevin Tresolini}} {{Open access}} He remained undefeated and won further titles in 1984, 1985 and 1986, at {{convert|105|lb|kg}}, {{convert|112|lb|kg}} and {{convert|119|lb|kg}}, respectively.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/171694795/|newspaper=The News Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=February 28, 1984|page=31|title=Howell makes it 2-for-2}} {{Open access}} In addition to his state titles, he was also a four-time winner of the Blue Hen Conference championship and was a three-time MVP of the state tournament. Although most high school wrestlers at the time fought "20 or 25 bouts a season", Howell noted that he was sometimes fighting over 100 bouts a year and winning nearly all of them. He finished his high school career as one of the most decorated wrestlers in Delaware history with a perfect record of 108–0.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/171695323/|newspaper=The News Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=February 13, 1986|page=39|title=No. 100, and Howell!|author=Tresolini, Kevin|author-link=Kevin Tresolini}} {{Open access}} At the same time, he won the Greco-Roman World Schoolboy title in 1984 and was also selected to the national high school all-star team.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/171695822/|newspaper=The News Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=March 17, 1986|page=20|title=Kurt Howell comes to grip with success|author=Tomashek, Tom}} {{Open access}}
Howell competed in college at Clemson University on a wrestling scholarship, where he battled injuries during his collegiate career. He compiled a record of 23–6 as a freshman and was named the school's outstanding wrestler as well as the second-best freshman nationally by the publication Amateur Wrestling News.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news/171696218/|newspaper=The Morning News|via=Newspapers.com|date=May 10, 1987|page=42|title=Wrestler Howell rated nation's No. 2 freshman}} {{Open access}} He redshirted as a sophomore and then compiled a record of 24–10–1 as a junior, placing third at the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) tournament; he later competed at the NCAA Tournament and finished one point away from eighth, which would have made him an All-American.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/171696558/|newspaper=The News Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=July 22, 1989|page=13|title=Howell barges in on Festival wrestling|author=Tresolini, Kevin|author-link=Kevin Tresolini}} {{Open access}} He was an alternate for the U.S. World Cup team in 1989 and in 1990, won the ACC championship in his weight class ({{convert|126|lb|kg}}).{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/171696896/|newspaper=The News Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=August 24, 1989|page=93|title=Newark wrestler named alternate on World Cup team|author=Zabitka, Matt|author-link=Matt Zabitka}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/171697004/|newspaper=The News Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=March 22, 1990|page=27|title=Clemson's Howell sets his sights on national mat title|author=Tomashek, Tom}} {{Open access}} In his final year, 1991, he placed eighth at the NCAA Championships and thus became an All-American.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/171697209/|newspaper=The News Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=March 17, 1991|page=37|title=Area Sports Shorts}} {{Open access}} He concluded his collegiate career with a record of 100–22.{{Cite news|url=https://baytobaynews.com/stories/from-the-sports-editor-wrestling-will-still-be-a-big-part-of-howells-life,9689|newspaper=Delaware State News|title=Wrestling will still be a big part of Howell’s life|date=March 17, 2018|author=Walter, Andy}} After graduating from Clemson, Howell attempted to qualify for the 1992 Summer Olympics in the Greco-Roman discipline, but lost in the Olympic trials to Dennis Hall.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/171697543/|newspaper=The News Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=May 28, 1992|page=98|title=Mental errors floor wrestler|author=Tomashek, Tom}} {{Open access}} He was named an alternate for the Olympics but did not travel to the games.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/171697543/|newspaper=The News Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=May 28, 1992|page=98|title=Mental errors floor wrestler|author=Zabitka, Matt|author-link=Matt Zabitka}} {{Open access}} Later that year, he competed for the U.S. at the World Cup but was defeated in the finals.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/171697723/|newspaper=The News Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=March 18, 1993|page=103|title=Howell takes position in Minn.|author=Zabitka, Matt|author-link=Matt Zabitka}} {{Open access}}
Afterwards, Howell became a coach, starting as a graduate assistant at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.{{Cite news|url=https://baytobaynews.com/stories/hall-of-fame-inductee-howell-a-winner-as-both-a-newark-wrestler-and-smyrna-coach,216227|newspaper=Delaware State News|title=Hall of Fame inductee Howell a winner as both a Newark wrestler and Smyrna coach|date=March 15, 2025|author=Walter, Andy}} He later returned to Delaware in 1998 as the wrestling coach at Indian River High School.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/171698527/|newspaper=The News Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=December 23, 1999|page=32|title=Oh brother, Caesar Rodney rolls|author=Murphy, Ed}} {{Open access}} He moved to Smyrna High School in 2004. He served as Smyrna's coach for 14 seasons and led them to five team state championships, as well as coached 19 wrestlers who won a combined total of 29 state championships.{{Cite news|url=https://archive.ph/wmatD|newspaper=The News Journal|via=archive.today|title=Smyrna's Howell honored by state wrestling community|date=April 13, 2018|author=Myers, Brad}} He stepped down as Smyrna's coach in 2018 and was inducted into the Delaware Wrestling Hall of Fame the following year.{{Cite news|url=https://archive.ph/vMtN1|via=archive.today|title=Howell steps down as Smyrna wrestling coach|date=March 14, 2018|author=Myers, Brad|newspaper=The News Journal}} He was ranked 85th on The News Journal's 2023 list of the "125 Greatest Coaches in Delaware History".{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/138588693/|newspaper=The News Journal|author=Tresolini, Kevin|date=August 6, 2023|page=C1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/142220308/ C3], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/142220328/ C4], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/142220359/ C5]|title=Best Of The Best|author-link=Kevin Tresolini|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} In 2025, he was selected for induction to the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame.{{Cite news|url=https://archive.ph/QvV7A|newspaper=The News Journal|via=archive.today|title=Delaware Sports Hall of Fame to induct 9 new members. See who will be enshrined|author=Tresolini, Kevin|date=March 12, 2025|author-link=Kevin Tresolini}}
References
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Category:Newark High School (Delaware) alumni
Category:Clemson Tigers wrestlers