Claudell Ruffin, a two-time NJCAA All-American and the 1998 National Champion at 118 lb. for Muskegon Community College, will be inducted into the National Junior College Wrestling Hall of Fame on Feb. 23.
The ceremony will take place at the NJCAA Wrestling Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.
He graduated from Flint (Mich.) Northern High School, where he placed four time in state and won the 1994 state title. He posted a 160-10 record under Northern Coach Al Collins. Ruffin helped the Vikings win their second-ever team state championship and a national fifth place ranking.
At Muskegon Community College, Ruffin was a two-time Region XII champion and a two-time NJCAA All-American. He placed fourth nationally in 1997 before taking the 1998 national championship. Under Coach Ron Gaffner, he had a 21-1 dual meet record that season and a 46-4 overall win-loss mark, the highest winning percentage (.920) for the MCC wrestling program. He was a two-time recipient of the MCC Outstanding Wrestler Award.
Ruffin received a full athletic scholarship to attend Eastern Michigan University. Competing for EMU between 1999-2001, he placed eighth in the prestigious Midlands Tournament, and was voted EMU Team Captain and Most Outstanding Wrestler. As a senior, He was ranked 15th in the nation until he suffered a season-ending injury. He earned a bachelor of science degree from Eastern Michigan University in 2002.
Currently, he is production manager for Cliff Keen Wrestling Products in Ann Arbor. MI. He is in his 10th season as head wrestling coach at Ypsilanti High School, where his teams have recorded over 150 wins. He has coached over 25 state qualifiers with multiple place winners.
He resides in Ypsilanti with his wife Monica and two sons, Isaiah and Xavier.