Holy Innocents' Coach Gets Top Honors

’ assistant wrestling coach Stacey Davis has been named 2011 USA Wrestling Official of the Year. This award is presented annually to an outstanding official within USA Wrestling for achievements and service to the sport.

Davis is currently officiating at the 2011 World Wrestling Championships in Istanbul, Turkey and is scheduled to work the Olympic Test event in London, England in December, which is the event where the referees for the 2012 Olympic Games are selected.

Despite his success as an official, it was coaching that led him to his recent successes.

“I wanted to be a better coach and I felt if I knew the rules, I could train athletes better,” Davis, who resides in Powder Springs, said. "Somebody told me I couldn’t do it and that’s how I got in. That didn’t sit well with my nature. As a ref, I’m around the best athletes in the world. What better way to learn technique than to be out on the mat? Wrestling helps my officiating and officiating helps my wrestling.”

Davis has worked numerous international events, including the 2010 Junior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary and the 2009 Women’s World Cup in Tijuan, China. He also has experience at the Pan American Championships in the Senior, Junior and Cadet levels.

Locally, he has been active as coach within Team Georgia since 1996. Currently, he is an assistant coach under Jeff Walrich at Holy Innocents’, where the Class A squad is picked to be one of the teams to beat in Class A in the 2011-2012 school year.

As a wrestler, he was an NCAA qualifier for North Carolina and was a high school state champion for Andrews High School in High Point, NC.