Whitehall’s Dunn to wrestle for Arcadia’s Ruff in Kentucky


            Whitehall High School senior Wylie Dunn will be wrestling in Kentucky next year where he’ll be coached by Arcadia High School graduate Corey Ruff.            (File photo)

There will be at least a couple of familiar faces in Williamsburg, Ken. this fall. 

Last week, it was announced that former Whitehall High School wrestler Wylie Dunn had committed to wrestle at University of the Cumberlands, located in Williamsburg. There, he will be coached by an Arcadia High School graduate and former area coach Corey Ruff.

Dunn wrapped up his high school career in February with a fifth-place finish at 285 pounds in Division Three of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association State Wrestling Tournament. That came after a fourth-place finish in the 2021 tournament. 

Wylie has some intangibles that I really like. He’s not only strong, but incredibly flexible for a big man,” Ruff said. “He has gotten a taste of success and seems hungry for more.”

The Whitehall heavyweight had a career record of 115-25 (82.1 percent). He has the second most wins in school history, trailing only 2011 graduate Cole Myren, who was 135-27. Dunn might have passed Myren had the 2021 season not been cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he wrestled just 19 matches as a junior when he otherwise would’ve had between 40 and 50.

In college, he’ll join a former Arcadia wrestler who later coached at the school — working with four-time state champion Josh Miller — and went on to coach at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and at Lindsey Wilson College.  

Ruff just finished his first year at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) school after going 110-59 at Lindsey Wilson, a program he built from the ground up. 

“The University of the Cumberlands was the perfect fit for my family,” Ruff said. “The school has so many advantages compared to other institutions, and they’re providing me with the support needed to build a national championship program. We are very blessed to have this opportunity, and I’m thrilled we’re going to have some additional Trempealeau County bloodlines to help move this program in that direction.”

Ruff has also seen success at the national level. He raised the Blue Raiders as one of the top teams in the NAIA claiming two NAIA National Runner-Up finishes in 2017 and 2019. Ruff led the team to top-five finishes in 12 years and he coached nine NAIA National Champions. Fifty-two of Ruff’s wrestlers have earned All-American honors showcasing his ability to excel on the national stage.

The Patriots went 7-3 in Ruff’s first year. The coach sees the addition of Dunn as a significant one to the program he is building in Williamsburg. Not just because of what he can do on the mat, but also because of his character.  

“As a heavyweight, Wylie fulfills a big need for our program from a weight class perspective,” Ruff said. “From a team culture perspective, Wylie checks all the boxes for me. He’s a class-act, young man and instantly bonded with current members of our team. He has a very charismatic nature that people are drawn toward. Wylie is passionate about the sport, hardworking, and disciplined. I think he’s going to be an outstanding addition to our program.”

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