Southwestern Michigan College is launching Room to Grapple, a mini-campaign within its larger Room to Grow initiative, with the goal of naming the college’s new wrestling facility in honor of legendary coach James J. Judd.
According to SMC officials, the wrestling room is nearing completion as part of broader campus improvements that will later include upgrades to the Dale A. Lyons Building’s choral and instrumental music areas. The Room to Grapple effort specifically seeks to recognize Judd, SMC’s first and only wrestling coach from 1968 to 1992 and a foundational figure in the college’s athletic history.
Judd, a New Baltimore, Ohio native born Dec. 29, 1937, spent 38 years at SMC, continuing to teach physical education until 2006. He was one of the college’s three original coaches, alongside Ron Gunn in cross country and track and Jim Tansey in basketball. In 1990, Judd was inducted into the National Junior College Athletic Association Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Beyond wins and titles, Judd’s legacy is defined by academics and mentorship. He coached 85 academic All-American wrestlers, with more than 150 student-athletes going on to four-year colleges and universities. He also served as SMC’s first golf coach.
That legacy continues today under Todd Hesson, one of Judd’s former wrestlers and the current Roadrunners head coach. Hesson stepped into the role just weeks after Judd’s passing in December 2021, following the revival of SMC wrestling in 2022 after a 30-year absence.
Since then, the Roadrunners have enjoyed rapid success. SMC captured three straight Michigan Community College Athletic Association championships and won the 2025 Great Lakes District Championship. The team has qualified the maximum 10 wrestlers for the NJCAA national tournament in each of the past two seasons.
At the 2025 NJCAA Division I National Championships in Council Bluffs, Iowa, SMC finished 14th in the nation, with sophomores Colby Klinger and Nathan Andrina earning All-American honors. The program finished 17th nationally in 2024. Hesson was named Great Lakes District Coach of the Year and National Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the Year.
Hesson says naming the new wrestling room for Judd is the natural choice.
“He laid the foundation for everyone — myself included,” Hesson said. “He was a very impactful man. He cared about the kids as people, not just as wrestlers.”
That philosophy continues to shape the program. In 2024, five Roadrunners earned NWCA NJCAA Scholar All-American honors: Nathan Andrina, Hector Garcia, Hunter Heath, Colby Klinger and Vinny Patierno.
The program has also grown with the addition of a women’s wrestling team, led by head coach Ashley Courtney, a former NAIA wrestler at the University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky.
Emily Schrock, manager of development and executive director of the SMC Foundation board, said the campaign aims to raise $200,000 for naming rights to the wrestling room.
“There are still alumni who resonate with Coach Judd and want to honor what he did for them,” Schrock said. “People talk about how much he cared about their success in school. You see that same passion in how Todd runs the program today.”
Judd’s son, Todd Judd, who wrestled for SMC and followed his father into coaching and physical education, called the naming effort fitting.
“It’s a great honor, and well-deserved,” he said. “He didn’t like a lot of accolades, but I think he would appreciate it in his own humble way.”
As Judd’s longtime mat-side motto still echoes through the program — “Gotta Love It” — supporters say the new wrestling room will ensure his influence continues for generations of student-athletes.
Donations to the Room to Grapple campaign can be made at givebutter.com/roomtograpple. For more information, contact Emily Schrock at eschrock02@swmich.edu.
