We continue our top 40 Most Impactful local sports figures 

At number 24, we honor Chenango Forks' own, Troy Nickerson. Troy Nickerson is one of the greatest high school wrestlers ever, full stop. The Forks Blue Devil racked up five New York State Championships throughout his high school career, going 213-6. Nickerson's dominance earned him the Junior Hodge Trophy in 2005, awarded to the best high school wrestler in the country. 

After dominating anybody who came his way in high school, Troy traveled up the road to Cornell and joined one of the best wrestling programs in the nation.

Nickerson earned the Ivy League Wrestler of the Year honors as a Freshman and competed all the way to the NCAA Championship bout where he lost in an 8-3 decision. In his sophomore campaign, Troy went 22-3 and lost in the NCAA Semifinals. Nickerson took a redshirt injury year in 2007 before returning as a redshirt junior in the 2008-2009 season.

Still nursing injuries and with his father in poor health, Nickerson had his best year yet, going 20-0 heading into the NCAA Tournament before claiming his first, and only, National Championship, one month later, Troy's dad, Robert, passed away. Nickerson would undergo shoulder surgery in the offseason and wrap up his Cornell career with a 97-8 record, earning All-American honors all four years and top-four finishes at the NCAA Tournament each season as well.

Since hanging it up, Nickerson has joined the coaching ranks where he's dominated with the University of Northern Colorado. Troy has rejuvenated the program, coaching one national champ, four all-Americans, and has turned the team into a top-25 program year in and year out.

For being as dominant as anybody in high school, being inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a senior in high school, winning an NCAA title, persevering through injury and grief then coaching another wrestler to a national chip, Troy Nickerson comes in at number 24 on Fox 40's Top 40.

Be sure to tune in every weeknight at 6 and 10 pm as we feature one sports figure per night.

Left photo sourced from Troy Nickerson on X/Twitter. Right photo sourced from Press & Sun-Bulletin.