Summerville Journal Scene ®
A former Green Wave athlete received national recognition last month for his contributions to the sport of wrestling.
Ken Veronee, a 1975 graduate of SHS and former Summerville wrestler, was inducted into the Florida Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame during an August ceremony held in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
“Naturally, I’m humbled by this,” Veronee said. “I didn’t realize what a big honor it is until I went to the ceremony and saw the other people who have been inducted.”
Veronee and six others made up the Florida chapter’s 2009 class.
They were selected for their long-term commitment to wrestling and the influence they have had on the lives of young athletes, parents, coaches and referees.
Veronee wrestled in the lightweight divisions at SHS under the guidance of coach Jim Flowers from 1971 until 1975.
“We had some good teams,” he said. “I never was the star, but we had some guys on those teams who were very talented – Guys like Ken Bolemen, Tony Turkett and James Young. Those were good times.”
After he graduated from Clemson with an electrical engineering degree in 1979, he moved to Florida, where he has worked with the Florida Power & Light Company every since.
He has been a wrestling referee for 28 years, starting in Miami/Dade County and continuing when he and his wife, Patricia, moved to Jupiter, Fla. in 1986.
He has worked several state tournaments, even serving as head referee at one.
Veronee has been an officer in the Palm Beach Wrestling Officials Association since it was formed in 1988.
As the association’s current booking officer, he supervises high school wrestling officials, makes assignments for schools countywide, fields complaints from coaches and handles various administrative duties – on top of officiating matches.
“I still like getting out on the mat the most,” Veronee said. “There are three basic reasons why someone chooses to officiate: they love the sport, they like working with kids, and they want to give back to something that meant so much to them. Nothing is better than to see a kid who struggles as a freshman develop over the years until they become a state champion. That’s why I do it.”
In 2000, the National Federation of Officials Associations named Veronee "Wrestling Official of the Year.”
He was inducted into the inaugural class of the Palm Beach County (Fla.) Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Broward County (Fla.) Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2009.
He still stays in contact with many of his high school friends in the Lowcountry and with members of Bethany United Methodist Church. His parents, Eleanor and Maurice Veronee, still live in Summerville.
Contact Roger Lee @ 873-9424 ext. 213 or rlee@journalscene.com.
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