Mooresville's Zach Errett Named Wrestling Official for 2012 Olympic Games

Provided by Mooresville Athletic Department

FILA, the international wrestling federation, has announced that Mooresville High School science teacher and wrestling coach Zach Errett will be one of three wrestling officials from the United States named to work the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, England.

“It is a great honor to be selected,” said Errett in a press release. “There are a number of great referees who have made it to the Olympic Games and a number of others who were not selected. I feel very privileged to have this opportunity.”

Officials were evaluated along with the best referees from across the world over the last two years. As part of the evaluation process, they worked the 2011 World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, the 2011 Olympic Test Event in London, England and the 2012 European Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. Errett, who was named USA Wrestling Officials of the Year in 2010, will be working his first Olympic Games as an official.

“This is a high honor and we are excited for and proud of Mr. Errett,” said Superintendent Brad Lindsay in a press release. “Zach is a person of strong character and is very talented.  He has a passion for students and for the sport of wrestling.  For Zach to be selected as one of only three Americans to officiate wrestling in the 2012 Olympics is evidence of his character and skill.  This is not only a high honor for Zach and his family, but for Mooresville Schools as well.  This experience will only enrich Zach’s perspective vision for the highest level of wrestling in the world and this will translate positively into Mooresville High School and our outstanding Pioneer wrestling program!”

Errett is ranked as a USA M1 official, and has received the FILA Olympic category rating, one of four U.S. referees with this classification. Errett has been officiating since he was in middle school, working tournaments in which he competed as an athlete. He received his first official’s license in 1993.

Errett has been head wrestling coach at MHS for 10 years and also serves as a football coach.

Errett received the prestigious FILA Golden Whistle Award at the 2010 World Wrestling Championships in Moscow, Russia. The award is presented to the outstanding referees at the competition.

Among the top international events he has worked are the last two Senior World Championships, the European Championships, the Olympic Test event, the Pan American Games, the Junior World Championships and the Freestyle World Cup. He has travelled to Venezuela, Brazil, Poland, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Germany, Serbia, Russia and Azerbaijan as a referee.

“I appreciate a lot of people who have helped me get where I am. They were instrumental in my development. I thank Rick Tucci, Bill Stecklein, Tom Clark, my dad. They deserve a lot of credit. People in Mooresville Schools, including Superintendent Brad Lindsay, Principal Chuck Muston, and Athletic Director Chad Briscoe, have also been great to me. I appreciate everybody who has helped,” said Errett.

Wrestling has been a family tradition for Errett, whose father Dave received the USA Wrestling Official of the Year in 1996.

Errett has worked the World Team Trials and U.S. Olympic Team Trials for the last eleven years. Included were the 2004 Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, Ind, the 2008 Olympic Trials in Las Vegas, Nev. and the 2012 Olympic Trials in Iowa City, Iowa.

Errett worked the U.S. Open for 13 straight years. He has officiated for many years at the Junior and Cadet Nationals in Fargo, N.D., only missing a few years when he had international assignments. He also worked the Espoir National Championships, in additional to numerous regional and local competitions.

The Olympic wrestling competition will be held August 5-12 at London’s ExCel Center.

The other U.S. officials selected to work at the 2012 Olympics are Rick Tucci of Pembroke Pines, Fla., and Stacey Davis of Powder Springs, Ga.