Manhasset head coach Stephon Sair was inducted into the Division III National Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Thursday, March 9 in LaCrosse, Wis.
Sair said it is an honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and gives credit to all of his former coaches and mentors.
“It is a testament to the great coaches and mentors that I have had throughout my career starting from the youth level all the way through college,” Sair said. “I was fortunate enough to be a part of a high school and college program that had high expectations and really set the bar high for the wrestlers.”
A three time All-American at SUNY Cortland, Sair was honored along with two other wrestlers and two coaches. Sair is the third representative of Cortland’s wrestling program to enter the Division III Hall of Fame.
Sair’s accomplishments at Cortland includes capturing a national title at 174 pounds in 2006 and a national runner-up finish at 184 pounds the following season.
Sair was also a three time Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference Champion, a two time Conference Wrestler of the year recipient and a 2006 Scholar Wrestling All American.
In his four year wrestling career, Sair finished with an 80-14 record including 12 pins, six technical falls and 22 major decisions. His record was 21-2 as a sophomore, 27-2 as a junior and 22-3 as a senior.
Sair also spent four years playing football for Cortland, in which he earned two All-American honors as a safety and punt returner.
He was also a first team All-East selection and was named to the All-New Jersey Athletic Conference team four times, as well as an All-Eastern College Athletic Conference selection on three occasions.
Sair began coaching at Manhasset in 2010, guiding the team to two conference titles in 2013 and 2016, as well as two runner up campaigns in 2014 and 2017. He boasts an overall 24-9 Conference Dual Meet Record.
The team, Sair said, finished the season ranked in the top 10 in Nassau County out of 49 schools.
He coached one state qualifier and 10 All County wrestlers. During the 2013 season, he was named Nassau County Conference 3 coach of the year.
Sair said as a coach it’s no different than facing the same challenges as a wrestler.
“I think the key is continuing to learn about the sport and be willing to adapt and try new things,” Sair said. “I also love the challenge of motivating young student athletes to be the best they can be in a sport as hard as wrestling. You learn so much about yourself and what you can endure through the sport of wrestling and that is something that I want to give to the wrestlers that come through my program.”
Sair said he is thankful for having the opportunity to lend his experience as a wrestler and share his knowledge of the sport to the Manhasset program.
“One of the goals of our program is to be able to create confident individuals that love challenges and are willing to put in the hard work to achieve their goals,” Sair said. “I have been blessed to be able to teach and coach in the Manhasset School District. The administration has been fully supportive of the wrestling program and they are a major part of our success.”
