ROANOKE, Va. – The Kip Nininger Scholarship Fund (KNSF) awarded two more scholarships to local athletes during Saturday night’s Rail Yard Dawgs hockey game. Drew Browning of Cave Spring and four-time state wrestling champion Chase Miller of Glenvar were the recipients. KNSF honors the legacy of the late wrestler who has brought inspiration to many.
“He was a very giving person. He’d give you the shirt off the back,” said Kip’s dad Chris Nininger. “One of his famous quotes was, ‘Wrestling is a brotherhood of enemies.’ He was a fierce competitor. When he was on the mat, he was your enemy. But off there, he would give you the shirt off his back. So us being able to help kids in his honor and carry on that tradition really means something special.”
Virginia Tech and Roanoke College wrestling teams were on hand to show support. Saturday marked the 164th and 165th scholarships KNSF has awarded. All of the proceeds from the Rail Yard Dawgs Yellowstone jersey auction went to KNSF.