Ellsworth Wrestling inducted four new Hall of Famers during a ceremony Saturday night at the Bluffs Bar & Grill in Hager City. The Hall of Fame has inducted members since 2014, with the 2025 class consisting of Gary Cain, Jon Lantz, Dick Fuller and Corey Bauer.

Gary Cain

Cain is a 1980 graduate who accumulated a 92-20-2 career record, the most wins in school history at the time. He is the son of Chuck and Mary Cain and sibling of Greg, Barry and Karen. He has two children, John and Allyson, who also grew up in Ellsworth.

During his speech, Cain shared many stories from his career including his most memorable matches and the relationships he built. Cain said there was always pressure during his matches, but he worried even more watching his brothers and his son, hoping for their success.

Cain is a three-time conference champion, two-time Regional champion and Section champion. He won the 1980 119-pound State Championship to cap off a historic career.

Jon Lantz

Jon Lantz became Ellsworth’s first 100-win wrestler, compiling a career record of 104-13-1. Lantz was also Ellsworth’s first four-time conference champion, was a member of the school’s first Team State Championship in 1985 and finished second and fifth individually at State. He also took fifth at the national tournament as a member of Augustana College’s team.

While he could not attend the ceremony, his oldest son Jens delivered a speech for him. Jens talked about how the program welcomed Jon at a young age, keeping him out of trouble and helping him become who he is today. He said the coaching staff let Jon and some other youth wrestlers practice around the high schoolers and the staff would always back them up.

Lantz coached for years and still volunteers in the Ellsworth Wrestling room when needed.

Dick Fuller

The late Dick Fuller was raised in Osseo and found his way to Ellsworth in 1960 as the junior high principal. Fuller spent two years of service with the Navy before establishing an Ellsworth legacy.

Attendees of the ceremony were asked to raise their hands if they competed in the Ellsworth Invitational or the junior high invitational. After the room was flooded with hands held high, it was mentioned that Fuller played a major role in both of those tournaments coming to life.

“Beyond administration, Dick was deeply involved in athletics, particularly within the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) and the Middle Border Conference. His unwavering commitment to student-athletes and the sport of wrestling led to the Middle Border Conference Outstanding Wrestler Award being named in his honor,” the Hall of Fame program states.

Fuller played a part in forming the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators and retired from the Ellsworth district in 1989. Each story told about Fuller throughout the evening showcased his kindness and pure heart to all.

Corey Bauer

Corey Bauer’s story differed from most in that he did not come into high school with high expectations. He spent his first two years not making the junior varsity squad. He recalled seeing the depth chart at practice each day with his name not even on it.

His junior year he expected to finally cement his spot on varsity but lost a wrestle-off for the spot. Throughout the year he earned his spot on varsity and would go on to establish a Hall of Fame career. Bauer placed sixth at State his junior season with over 30 wins on the year. He won 30 more times his senior year and took second at State.

Bauer then went on to wrestle at UW-Stevens Point, qualifying for the national tournament twice. He recently completed his 21st year coaching wrestling in the Milwaukee area.

His speech was one of gratitude, thanking his family, coaches and teammates for helping him reach the high heights.