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<p><strong>From staff reports</strong></p>
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<p>Battery Creek High School held a Celebration of Life for former wrestling coach Mark Nathan “Nate” Day on Wednesday, Nov. 17 in the Performing Arts Center.</p>
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<p>Day died Friday, Aug. 27, three days shy of his 58th birthday after a battle with COVID-19.</p>
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<p>“It was too soon by any measure. The measure of a person’s life, thankfully, isn’t just counted in their years on Earth,” the event’s program read. “In just his time in both Beaufort and Liberty, Nate helped his wrestlers win six state team championships and coached 34 individual champions. He also helped thousands of licensed drivers become more comfortable on the road.</p>
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<p>“The most important title to him, though, was husband to Kim, father to Morgan and Ryan and granddad to RyLynn and Gracie. His legacy will live through them more than anyone else.”</p>
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<p>Back in 1998, with four state titles under his belt at Battery Creek, Day walked away from coaching to raise his kids. He returned to Battery Creek in 2013</p>
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<p>Among the speakers were former Battery Creek state champion wrestlers Kenton Richardson and Felix Richardson, former wrestling coach and Battery Creek assistant principal Gil Sanchez, former coach and Battery Creek principal Chad Cox, former Beaufort Gazette sports editor and editor Jeff Kidd, longtime Battery Creek girls basketball coach and athletic director John Drafts, and members of the family.</p>
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<p>Day’s six championships put Battery Creek fifth in S.C. history, tied with three other schools, and are fourth most in state history by one coach. His 475 coaching wins (475-122-2) place Day eighth all-time among S.C.-only head coaches. He is a member of the S.C. Wrestling Hall of Fame.</p>
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<p>At the time of his death, Day was the head wrestling coach at Liberty High School in the Upstate and a Physical Education teacher and the Athletic Director at Liberty Middle School.<br><br><em><br>Above: Jeremiah Webb speaks at the Celebration of Life for longtime Battery Creek High School wrestling coach Nate Day on Wednesday, Nov. 17 in the Performing Arts Center.</em></p>
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