Fremont high school’s ‘Wall of Fame’ causes a stir

The alumni wrestling community of Mission San Jose has been pulled even closer after word spread of the team’s infamous ‘Wall of Fame’ was taken down. The Wall of Fame, which was started by then-wrestling coach Thomas Thomsen, contained photos of NCS Wrestling Champions from the 1980s.

According to former Mission wrestlers, only those who placed in the top five of NCS were hung on the ‘Wall of Fame.’

“You would see [the wall] and think ‘these are the greats.’ Many of them went on to go to state and that’s a big, big deal,” said Siwen Dickstein, Class of 2011, and the first female to be inducted into the Wall of Fame.

“The fact that I was on [the wall] was a big point of pride for me,” Dickstein shared, “To the point where I still put it on my resume as part of my interests and hobbies.”

When returning from Thanksgiving break, students and staff noticed the photos had been taken down from the Mini-Gym where wrestling practice is held.

The word began to spread on Facebook where many MSJ wrestling alumni first found out about the changes to the wall. “I remember one of the guys that I grew up with, he posted on Facebook, ‘Did you know that the wall came down?’” shared Dickstein.

The biggest question for the former wrestlers was: Why was the wall removed?

Another wrestling alum who wished to remain anonymous, shared his confusion when he and others who reached out to the athletic director and principal weren’t receiving a clear answer to that question. “The answer that was given was that it was a safety concern. Then students, athletes and coaches reached back saying, ‘actually there is no glass, it’s all plexiglass and paper photos.’ The principal then started sending out short emails, saying, ‘it’s not just security and safety, it’s also equity.’”

However, according to the alumni, over half of the inductees on the wall are BIPOC. As for the lack of women wrestlers on the wall Dickstein said, “I thought that’s silly because of course women are going to be underrepresented. There weren’t really any women wrestlers before a certain year.” 

The school’s athletic director did not respond to requests for comment. However, the school principal Amy Perez responded with a link to the school’s website. On the website a statement was posted on Dec. 20, 2024.

The post by Perez says, “Our Superintendent has agreed to temporarily showcase the wrestling memorabilia as MSJHS prepares for its renovation and considers alternate locations that are safe for the memorabilia and the students.”

Team photos and trophies are currently on display in a back hallway at the Fremont District Office. According to a Fremont District employee they have been on display since early February. However, the photos of individuals that were in the Mini-Gym are not on display due to “lack of space.”

Although the photos are no longer on campus there may be some hope for future collaboration with coaches, students and alumni as the post also states, “As we finalize our Measure M facility plans, I look forward to exploring new exhibit options with our community.”