PHILADELPHIA – Prior to the final session of the 119th Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) a pair of former Penn grapplers were inducted into the EIWA Hall of Fame. Clint Matter C'97 W'97 and Rick Springman EAS'02 Gr'09, made up half of the EIWA Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

The two of the newest members of the EIWA Hall of Fame were surrounded by their family and friends as well as many former teammates and admiring fans.
 
Clinton Matter, C'97 W'97
 
Clinton Matter, from Delran, NJ, was twice elected captain and led the program capture back-to-back EIWA team titles in 1996 and 1997, and was ranked as high as #2 in the nation. He won two consecutive EIWA individual titles at 177 pounds and in doing so, he, along with his father Andrew (Penn State) and brother Brett (Penn), have the distinction of being the EIWA's first father/son/son title holders. Matter captained the record setting 1997 EIWA championship team, which set records in The Palestra for most points ever scored and largest margin of victory with an 80.5 point advantage over second-place Lehigh, with eight finalists and six champions.
 
Clinton was named an NWCA Academic All-American and the Class of 1915 Award winner as the top male student-athlete in Penn's 1997 graduating class. He earned dual degrees from the Wharton School of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences.
 
Following graduation, Clinton has remained an active member of the Penn, Philadelphia, and national wrestling communities. He currently serves as a member of Penn's Grapplers' Club Board, the Vice Chair and founding member of the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center, and the Vice Chair of the University of Pennsylvania's Athletic Board of Advisors. Matter is also deeply passionate about the Beat the Streets collective mission to empower youth through the sport of wrestling. He is a founding board member of Beat the Streets Philadelphia, has served as the Board Chair since BTSP's inception in 2007, and is currently the Board Chair for Beat the Streets National.
 
Professionally, Clinton has pursued a career in finance, operating in various roles across the global credit markets over the last 25 years. At present, he works as a Senior Investor Associate Fellow at Bridgewater Associates. Clinton and his wife Kourtney (Penn '98 and captain of the Penn women's swimming team) live in Summit, NJ and are blessed with four children.
 
Richard M. Springman, Ph.D., CAS'02 
 
Richard Springman attended Norristown Area High School in Montgomery Country, Pa., where he recorded a 149-15 overall record. Always in pursuit of the pin, his record included 102 falls, placing him third in state history. He was a 3x State place winner in Pennsylvania AAA States, State Champion in 1997, and a 2x All-American in USA Wrestling's Junior National Freestyle Championships, among others. Off the mat, Springman attained academic success named as a 4x All-State Academic Team, 2x NHSCA Academic All-American, and 1st Team USA Wrestling Academic All-American in 1997.
 
Springman's combined athletic and academic prowess enabled him to pursue his collegiate career as a highly touted recruit at the University of Pennsylvania. Springman was a 4x EIWA Finalist, only the 16th wrestler in EIWA history with that achievement. He claimed the EIWA crown once while being a 4x NCAA Qualifier, 2x NCAA Semi-Finalist, and 2x NCAA All-American at 174 pounds. He would also earn two of the four EIWAs special championship awards in 2002, the John Fletcher Memorial Trophy (for most career EIWA points) and the Bill Sheridan Memorial Award (for most falls in the least time). His undergraduate wrestling accolades also include being a Senior US Open All-American, placing fifth in freestyle, and qualifying for the US Senior World Team Trials where he placed fifth once again in freestyle.
 
Springman obtained his Bachelor of Science and Engineering (BSE) in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM) from Penn's School of Engineering and Applied Science and would follow in fellow inductee Clinton Matter's footsteps by winning the Class of 1915 Award as the top male student-athlete in Penn's 2002 graduating class. His academic achievements were recognized by the wrestling community by appointment in two separate years to both the Academic All-Ivy and NWCA All-Academic Teams. Soon after his undergraduate degree, Springman returned to the University of Pennsylvania to obtain his MEAM doctoral degree, during which time he was a volunteer coach for Penn's wrestling team and ran his own wrestling clinic to give back to the sport that had given him so much.
 
Dr. Springman entered the energy sector where he quickly advanced to the position of Senior Vice President of International Projects and Executive Committee Member at Holtec International, responsible for Holtec's international business and five oversees operations centers. He also holds three patents at the company and has contributed to the development and (nuclear) licensing of numerous products. Springman now lives in Media, Pa. with his wife Laura of 11 years and their three children.