Best of the Week 2018-2019: Holy Cross Values

ST. ED'S RECOGNIZES WRESTLING COACH GREG URBAS WITH FIRST-EVER LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

On Tuesday, May 14, the school's most prestigious awards will be presented at the 2019 St. Edward High School Recognition Dinner at The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland. Coach Greg Urbas will be honored with the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award. This award celebrates a forty-year commitment to excellence and service at St. Edward High School. This special recognition was created to honor Coach Urbas's outstanding leadership and dedication to students while modeling Holy Cross values. His impact on students spans from his work in the classroom as a Math teacher to coaching for the St. Ed's wrestling and football teams. He is a role model for students, faculty, and staff, and a witness of Christ-like servant leadership for the St. Edward Community.

Coach Urbas will be recognized alongside other 2019 honorees, including: Sean Hennessy '75 (Br. James A. Everett, C.S.C. Benefactor Award); James F. Wallenhorst '74 (Alumnus of the Year Award); Michael Joyce '70 (Bronze Eagle Award); Mai Schneider (St. Andrè Bessette, C.S.C. Award); and Geoff Morton (Br. Thomas Henning, C.S.C. Award). Born and raised in Collinwood, Coach Urbas went to St. Mary grade school and then to St. Joseph High School where he wrestled and played football. After playing football for four years at Grove City College, he served four years as a Marine Corps officer, years that positively shaped his character and work ethic.

As a role model for thousands of students, and a recipient of the Br. Thomas Henning, C.S.C., Award, Coach Urbas makes sure that student athletes know where he stands; God first, family second, academics third, and then your athletics and extracurriculars. Coach Urbas sees sports as a metaphor for life, teaching students responsibility, time management, preparation for challenges, and above all, "no excuses." In the spirit of Holy Cross values, Coach Urbas lets his students shine when he is complimented for his character, legacy, and accomplishments. "It's about the kids first, not the adults," says Coach Urbas. He shows great humility as he fulfills his life's mission to teach, motivate, and lead.

Coach Urbas was the wrestling program's head coach for 29 years. In that time, he won 24 state titles and four national titles, produced 76 individual state champions, and is able to claim at least one NCAA All-American wrestler in each of the past 35 years. He coached wrestling and football every year since he started at St. Ed's in 1978, an unprecedented accomplishment and an amazing commitment of time and energy. He was named National Wrestling Coach of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association in 1998, and was inducted into the St. Edward Hall of Fame in 2015 and into the Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. Though he recently retired, Coach Urbas is still present at the school as a Math tutor and in the wrestling room where he continues to inspire student athletes every day as an Assistant Wrestling Coach and Freshmen Football Coach. "Greg Urbas is a man of incredible character, integrity, and wisdom," says President Jim Kubacki. "He is the model for generations of students for living a life rooted in faith, genuine relationships, and a commitment to service. It is a privilege to have Coach Urbas as a colleague. He is a true servant leader. The excellence he has achieved speaks for itself."

Thank you Coach Urbas for all that you have done and continue to do for St. Ed's, and congratulations on this well-deserved honor!