RBS&HF Names 2024 Scholarship Recipient

Jake Glade earned the 2024 RBS&HF Scholarship. He’s committed to wrestling at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs.

The Ray Barron Strength & Honor Fund is proud to announce the recipient of its third-annual scholarship. Established in 2020 in honor of legendary Colorado wrestling Coach Ray Barron, the scholarship recognizes Colorado wrestlers who demonstrate strength and honor in all they do, on and off the mat.

The 2024 scholarship goes to Jake Glade of Mead High School in Longmont, Colorado, nominated by Mead High School wrestling coach Ty Tatham. Glade spent his youth playing many sports, but in high school he committed himself to wrestling and his goal of being a four-time Colorado High School Athletics Association State Wrestling Tournament place winner. This February, he achieved that goal, earning his second state title in the 4A classification and his fourth placing overall, having finished fifth and sixth in his freshman and sophomore years, respectively.

Glade’s qualifications for this recognition go beyond the mat, as leader of his team; a member of his community; and a source of strength for his mother, Bonnie, and sister, McKenna, a junior at Mead High School.

“Beyond his skill on the mat, Jake is great young man,” Coach Tatham shared in his nomination of Glade. “This year as a senior, he’s making a significant impact on our team by his leadership. He’s selfless, kind, caring, and a positive role model to all kids on our team. He’s always the last one to leave, helping clean up a locker room or after a tournament; no task is beneath him. Jake has had more than his share of challenges off the mat, and I’ve never heard him make excuses or complain about any of these. He comes from a great family who supports him tremendously. Jake is a kid who Ray Barron would have loved to have on his team—gritty, tough, but willing to help others without concern.”

Glade rose to the top of an incredibly impressive group of seven applicants (of 11 nominees). Each wrestler is nominated by their coach, and then the wrestlers must complete an application. All materials were evaluated by the RBS&HF Board of Directors, and the top three finishers were interviewed by the board. In his application, Glade explained how wrestling has shaped his life and what he believes strength and honor mean in his day-to-day life.

“My coaches are more than just coaches; they’re mentors and like father figures to me,” he shared. “I’ve had the same youth coach since I was four years old. He even volunteer coaches at my high school. Without him and his support and guidance, I wouldn’t be the wrestler or young man that I am today. Their support means everything to me and has taught me so much about mental toughness, to never give up, and to always believe in my abilities.

“First and foremost, living with strength and honor means that we live each day grateful for this life and the bodies we’ve been given,” he continued. “Taking care of my body and fueling it with healthy foods and exercising it daily helps to keep my mind and body in prime form. Living a life of integrity also comes to mind when I think about living with strength and honor. Being someone who people can trust and look up to and rely on is huge to me. Making sure that I conduct myself with kindness, compassion, and empathy while showing strength in my leadership skills is a must. My belief and faith that I get from God is something else that gives me strength. Knowing that I am a piece of something greater can help me lead, but also help me stay humble. When I think about competing with strength and honor, I think about how my performance is about more than just me. It’s also about every coach who has ever poured their skill and energy into me. It’s about all the teammates who have drilled with me and worked with me to make me the wrestler I am today. It’s about all my friends, family, and supporters who have watched and supported my journey. When I wrestle and compete, I put forth my best, not only for myself, but for all of them as well. As a single mom, my mom has done so much and sacrificed so much for me and my sister. I try to honor her and make her proud every day with my daily actions and the way that I treat others. I know as the only male in the house that I too provide a source of strength for my mom and my sister. We have definitely had our share of highs and lows through injuries, deaths in the family, and daily challenges. I am grateful to be someone they can lean on for strength and comfort. Over the last couple years, I have noticed that I have had quite a few peers, teammates, and friends come to me, and confide in me with some of their struggles, fears, and questions and are seeking my advice. It means a lot to me that they feel open and willing to talk to me about their struggles, and even successes. It shows me that they value my opinion, ideas, and advice. I hope to always be someone people can feel comfortable enough to come to with anything. I feel honored to be able to serve my peers in this way. I’ve had so much support from coaches, mentors, and parental figures that I always want to make sure that I pay it forward to others in my life as well.”

The seven applicants came from all over the state and included both boys and girls from all kinds of backgrounds. They’ve all overcome adversity in their own ways. All are deserving of applause for their commitment to being the best they can be, under all circumstances.

“It’s difficult for me to express how proud we all are—the RBS&HF Board and my family—of the 2024 class of scholarship applicants,” said board president and Coach Barron’s daughter, Jennifer Paulson. “On top of reading their applications, it was a great honor to learn more about three of our applicants when we interviewed them. They all presented themselves with great poise, professionalism, and an open demeanor. The future of Colorado wrestling is bright with programs producing individuals of this caliber. My dad would be excited to congratulate each of the nominees.”

Glade will attend Western Wyoming Community College, where he’ll wrestle and pursue a trade, with plans to transfer to a university to earn a business degree.

The Ray Barron Strength & Honor Fund is a 501(c)3 organization that raises funds to provide scholarships to universities, junior colleges, and trade schools to graduating Colorado wrestlers. Ray Barron was a wrestling coach for nearly 50 years, leading teams in Fort Lupton, Colorado; Worland, Wyoming; and Littleton, Colorado, at Heritage and Columbine High Schools. He received numerous honors, including being inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame and being named the 2020 5A Wrestling Coach of the Year. He passed away in 2020 due to glioblastoma brain cancer. Learn more about the Ray Barron Strength & Honor Fund and Coach Barron at www.RayBarronStrengthAndHonorFund.com, by following the fund on Facebook, and by donating at https://gofund.me/9ec2ba72.