BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Bridgewater State University head wrestling coach and former standout grappler, Frank Cammisa '11, will be inducted into the New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2023.
Cammisa is the Bears' fourth NEWA Hall of Fame selection as he joins Craig Buckley '04, John Marsh '10. and James Quinlan '08. Buckley was inducted in 2014, while Marsh was a member of the 2020 class and Quinlan was inducted just last season.
A native of Danbury, Connecticut, Cammisa is the only grappler in BSU wrestling history to compete in the NCAA Division III Championships in each of his four seasons with the team.
Frank came to Bridgewater in 2006 and immediately made an impact on the Bears' wrestling program. In his freshman season he set school rookie marks for wins with 35 and pins with 21 on his way to capturing the New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) 149-pound title and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
Cammisa repeated as the 149-pound champion and made a return trip to the NCAAs in 2008. In 2009, he placed second at the NEWA Championships and was awarded a wild card to the NCAA Tournament. In his senior season, Frank moved up a weight class and captured the 157-pound NEWA title as he made his fourth straight appearance in the NCAAs.
All told, Cammisa is tied for third all-time at BSU in career wins with 110, and ranks second in pins with 46. He is a four-time All-NEWA selection and was named the NEWA Rookie of the Year for the 2006-2007 season.
Frank graduated from Bridgewater State in January of 2011 as he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education with a concentration in Recreation. Following graduation, Frank served as an assistant coach at BSU for four seasons before becoming the 12th head coach of the wrestling program in September of 2014.
Cammisa was inducted into the Bridgewater State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019.
Frank is currently the Milieu Coordinator at the South Shore Educational Collaborative in Hingham, Massachusetts. He presently resides in Braintree, Massachusetts with his wife, Katie, and son, Vinny.
The NEWA Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place before the NEWA Dual Meet Tournament finals on Sunday, January 22nd at Springfield College.
New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) | ||||
Hall of Fame Class of 2023 | ||||
Name | School | Category | ||
Jefferson Ajayi | Wesleyan University | Student-Athlete | ||
Frank Cammisa | Bridgewater State University | Student-Athlete | ||
Brandon Gauthier | Rhode Island College | Student-Athlete | ||
Jay Jones | Rhode Island College | Coach | ||
Corey Paulish | Williams College | Student-Athlete |