BUTLER TWP — While he was the first Butler High School wrestler to reach 100 career wins and become a four-year WPIAL qualifier, T.J. McCance doesn't want to be known as a record-setter.

Trend-setter suits him much better.

“I proved that a kid from Butler can come through and accomplish those things,” McCance said. “Records are established to be broken. You want people to come along and surpass what you've done.

“That's how successful programs are built.”

McCance also became the first Butler wrestler to compete at the NCAA Division I level. He was a three-year starter at Clarion and served as team captain there.

McCance, who compiled a 3.82 grade point average as a scholar-athlete at Clarion, attained a Top 25 national ranking at 149 pounds his senior year before an injury ended his career. Now he is being inducted into the Butler Area School District Athletic Hall of Fame.

He will join Mike Seybert, Mickey Haley, Cliff Diehl, Donnie Brown and Howard Hammonds in forming the 2015 HOF class. The group will be formally inducted during a ceremony at 5 p.m. Sept. 18 in the high school cafeteria.

The group will be presented on the field prior to the Golden Tornado football game against North Hills that night. McCance becomes the second Butler wrestler to reach the Hall, joining 2014 inductee Lyneil Mitchell.

“T.J. was an inspirational wrestler,” Butler coach Scott Stoner. “He went at it hard, all the way, all the time. He was an exciting athlete to watch.

“By nature, this sport can wear the body down. You hope to stay healthy at the end for a postseason run. T.J. wasn't always lucky that way.”

Despite nagging injuries, McCance fashioned a 103-20 career won-loss record at Butler. He won 10 individual tournaments, two section championships and was a PIAA state qualifier. In two of his four years, he was named the Tornado's outstanding wrestler.

When he graduated from Butler in 2002, McCance held nine school records in wrestling. Among them were wins, tourney titles, 48 career pins and 51 reversals.

“I like to think what I did paved the way for Cole Baxter, Mike Crawford, guys like that. Cole broke a lot of those records,” McCance said. “Hopefully, someone will come along and surpass his achievements. Keep raising the bar.”

McCance admitted to wondering at times what his prep career might have looked like had he stayed healthy throughout.

He appreciates those injuries nonetheless.

“What I went through mentally through adversity in wrestling helped get me where I am,” McCance said. “I may not be here otherwise.”

McCance is employed as a financial planner locally and serves as an assistant coach on the Butler High School wrestling staff.

“Wrestling has always stayed close to his heart,” Stoner said. “I may have taught T.J. some things about wrestling, but I didn't teach him a thing about toughness.

“He's the toughest kid I've ever coached.”

McCance credited his work with fellow state qualifier and Butler teammate Garrett Boarts in the wrestling room every day for furthering his career.

“All we did was push each other. We didn't want to lose to each other ... Neither of us ever gave an inch in there,” McCance recalled. “That attitude helped both of us.”

Stoner agreed.

“The wrestling room can be a battleground. It definitely was in the case of those guys,” the coach said.

McCance credits Stoner and then assistant coach (now Butler athletic director) Bill Mylan for much of his success on and off the mat.

“Those two individuals had more of an impact on my life than just about anybody,” McCance said. “They knew how to push me and always knew the right thing to say to me at the right time.

“They knew when to pick me up and when to knock me down. They are two of the best coaches in the WPIAL, in my opinion.

“I'm thrilled to be back in the Butler community, coaching and giving back. I want to make an impact on kids. That's important to me,” McCance added.