UWEC Athletics Hall of Fame
Derek Sikora was a NCAA national champion wrestler in addition to earning All-Conference First Team honors twice in football. After winning a WIAA state championship at Neillsville High School, Derek Sikora continued his wrestling success at UWEC, capped by an NCAA championship at 165 pounds his senior year when he compiled at 31-2 record. That followed a third-place national finish as a sophomore and a fifth as a junior. Sikora won two conference individual titles and was runner-up twice. He posted a 111-23 career record with 21 pins. He was the WIAC Wrestler of the Year in 2006 and served three years as a team captain.
Sikora was a four-year starter at cornerback for Todd Hoffner’s Blugold football teams which produced a 26-14 overall record and 18-10 conference mark with three runner-up finishes during his career. Sikora finished second on the team in tackles twice. His career stats include 270 total tackles with 188 solos, 10 tackles for loss, one sack, eight interceptions, 28 pass defenses, seven fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles and a blocked kick. He was named to the All-Conference First Team as a cornerback his junior season. In addition, he was All-Conference First Team as an all-purpose back his senior season when he averaged 11.2 yards on 24 punt returns and 20.9 yards on 13 kick returns. For his career, he averaged 9.2 yards for 71 punts returns, including one for 75 yards, and 18.4 yards for 50 kick returns including one for 50 yards. Sikora was a team captain as a senior in addition to being named the defensive MVP as a junior and special teams MVP as a senior. Twice, he was named to the All-Region Third Team.
After graduating in 2007 with a degree in kinesiology, Sikora spent time as a Blugold assistant wrestling and football coach before taking a position as assistant wrestling coach at UW-Oshkosh. He returned to Eau Claire to serve as a paraeducator and substitute teacher in the Eau Claire Area School district for two years. He became the UWEC head wrestling coach for the 2009-10 season, then went to St. Cloud State as the head assistant wrestling coach for the 2010-11 campaign. That year, he also became coordinator of state services for USA Wrestling and at the time of his induction had been Manager of State Services for USA Wrestling since 2011. For four years, he was also involved as an assistant wrestling coach with the Wisconsin Cadet/Junior National Team.
