By Andy Walter

CAMDEN — Alex Meade was one of the most accomplished wrestlers the state has ever produced.

But the former Caesar Rodney High standout’s life was cut short on Sunday.

According to news reports, the 32-year-old Meade was found with multiple gunshot wounds on Sunday evening at a home in Virginia Beach, Va. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The city’s police department is investigating the shooting as a homicide and are asking for any information in the case.

A funeral service will be held for Meade on April 26 at 11 a.m. at Calvary Church at 1141 East Lebanon Rd. in Dover. 

Meade was a three-time DIAA state champion at CR, winning titles in 2005, ‘07 and ‘08. Probably the only reason he didn’t win four state championships was because, as a sophomore, he transferred to Easton, Pa. High — although he didn’t compete there.

He also won a pair of Beast of the East individual crowns against some of the best competition in the country while in high school. He was ranked No. 1 nationally at 145 pounds in 2007 and ranked No. 10 in the country overall.

Meade finished with a record of 125-4 for the Riders.

“It’s a dream come true,” Meade said after winning his third state title. “I would have liked four but this is all I can get. That’s fine. It was a great weekend.”

“He’ll still go down as maybe the greatest ever (at CR) because of what he’s done in three years,” said former Riders’ coach Dicky Howell.

“The best,” former teammate Todd Koch said when they were seniors. “I mean we’ve had good guys but not of that caliber.

“He goes, ‘I can’t see my life not wrestling,’” Koch said at the time. “He wants to wrestle forever. He wants to go to the Olympics.”

In college, Meade wrestled for both Oklahoma State and West Virginia.

With the Cowboys, Meade went 29-10 as a redshirt freshman 157-pounder, He had four victories over eventual All-Americans.

He also beat eventual national champion Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota and No. 4 Ryan Morningstar of Iowa.

Meade finished fourth in his weight class in the Big 12 tournament. He qualified for the NCAA Tournament that season, going 1-2 in the event.

Meade and his wife, Kerryann, had three children. He also has a son who lives in Camden and a daughter living in  Florida.

His father, Alex Meade, Sr., is the head wrestling coach at Dover High.

Sports editor Andy Walter can be reached at 741-8227 or walter@iniusa.org.
Follow on Twitter @DSNSports.