African American wrestling firsts

on of San Diego State wrestles in the 1949 NCAA tournament
• 1954 – Simon Roberts of Davenport wins an Iowa state high school championship
• 1957 – Art Baker of Erie Academy wins a Pennsylvania state high school championship
• 1957 – Simon Roberts of Iowa wins an NCAA championship
• 1958 – Simon Roberts of Iowa wins a Big Ten championship
• 1959 – Bobby Douglas of Bridgeport wins an Ohio state high school championship
• 1959 – Art Baker of Syracuse wins an EIWA championship
• 1960 – Houston Antwine of SIU-Carbondale wins an NAIA championship
• 1960 – Hallow Wilson wins first AAU championship at heavyweight in Greco-Roman
• 1962 – Joe James of Oklahoma State wins a Big Eight championship
• 1962 – Rudy Williams and Hallow Wilson wrestle for the U.S. at the world championships
• 1963 – Joe James wins a gold medal in the Pan American games
• 1964 – Bobby Douglas, Charles Tribble and Robert Pickens wrestle for the U.S. in the Olympics
• 1964 – Don Benning becomes the head coach at Nebraska-Omaha
• 1965 – Jim Nance of Syracuse becomes a two-time NCAA champion
• 1965 – Charles Tribble of Arizona State wins the Gorrarian award (most falls) at the NCAA tournament
• 1966 – Bobby Douglas wins a world championship medal (silver)
• 1967 – Clarence Seal of Portland State and Willie Williams of Illinois State win NCAA College Division titles
• 1969 – Carl Adams of Iowa State becomes a true freshman NCAA All-American
• 1970 – Don Benning coaches Nebraska-Omaha to an NAIA team championship
• 1973 – Lloyd Keaser wins a world championship gold medal
• 1975 – Fletcher Carr of Kentucky becomes the first coach with a Division I All-American
• 1976 – Lloyd Keaser wins an Olympic medal (silver)
• 1978 – Leroy Kemp of Wisconsin and Jimmy Jackson of Oklahoma State win their third NCAA title
• 1979 – Darryl Burley of Lehigh wins an NCAA title as a true freshman
• 1980 – Howard Harris of Oregon State selected Outstanding Wrestler of the NCAA tournament
• 1988 – Bobby Douglas coaches Arizona State to an NCAA team championship
• 1988 – Kenny Monday wins an Olympic gold medal
• 1992 – Bobby Douglas named U.S. Olympic Freestyle head coach
• 1999 – T.J. and Joe Williams become the first brothers to win NCAA Championships
• 2001 – Toccara Montgomery wins a silver medal at the women’s world championships
• 2001 – Kevin Jackson named USA Wrestling National Freestyle Coach
• 2002 – Dremiel Byers wins first Greco-Roman world title for the U.S. in the heavyweight division
• 2004 – Toccara Montgomery wrestles for the U.S. in the Olympics
• 2005 – Iris Smith wins a gold medal at the women’s world championships


© 2008
National Wrestling Hall of

on of San Diego State wrestles in the 1949 NCAA tournament
• 1954 – Simon Roberts of Davenport wins an Iowa state high school championship
• 1957 – Art Baker of Erie Academy wins a Pennsylvania state high school championship
• 1957 – Simon Roberts of Iowa wins an NCAA championship
• 1958 – Simon Roberts of Iowa wins a Big Ten championship
• 1959 – Bobby Douglas of Bridgeport wins an Ohio state high school championship
• 1959 – Art Baker of Syracuse wins an EIWA championship
• 1960 – Houston Antwine of SIU-Carbondale wins an NAIA championship
• 1960 – Hallow Wilson wins first AAU championship at heavyweight in Greco-Roman
• 1962 – Joe James of Oklahoma State wins a Big Eight championship
• 1962 – Rudy Williams and Hallow Wilson wrestle for the U.S. at the world championships
• 1963 – Joe James wins a gold medal in the Pan American games
• 1964 – Bobby Douglas, Charles Tribble and Robert Pickens wrestle for the U.S. in the Olympics
• 1964 – Don Benning becomes the head coach at Nebraska-Omaha
• 1965 – Jim Nance of Syracuse becomes a two-time NCAA champion
• 1965 – Charles Tribble of Arizona State wins the Gorrarian award (most falls) at the NCAA tournament
• 1966 – Bobby Douglas wins a world championship medal (silver)
• 1967 – Clarence Seal of Portland State and Willie Williams of Illinois State win NCAA College Division titles
• 1969 – Carl Adams of Iowa State becomes a true freshman NCAA All-American
• 1970 – Don Benning coaches Nebraska-Omaha to an NAIA team championship
• 1973 – Lloyd Keaser wins a world championship gold medal
• 1975 – Fletcher Carr of Kentucky becomes the first coach with a Division I All-American
• 1976 – Lloyd Keaser wins an Olympic medal (silver)
• 1978 – Leroy Kemp of Wisconsin and Jimmy Jackson of Oklahoma State win their third NCAA title
• 1979 – Darryl Burley of Lehigh wins an NCAA title as a true freshman
• 1980 – Howard Harris of Oregon State selected Outstanding Wrestler of the NCAA tournament
• 1988 – Bobby Douglas coaches Arizona State to an NCAA team championship
• 1988 – Kenny Monday wins an Olympic gold medal
• 1992 – Bobby Douglas named U.S. Olympic Freestyle head coach
• 1999 – T.J. and Joe Williams become the first brothers to win NCAA Championships
• 2001 – Toccara Montgomery wins a silver medal at the women’s world championships
• 2001 – Kevin Jackson named USA Wrestling National Freestyle Coach
• 2002 – Dremiel Byers wins first Greco-Roman world title for the U.S. in the heavyweight division
• 2004 – Toccara Montgomery wrestles for the U.S. in the Olympics
• 2005 – Iris Smith wins a gold medal at the women’s world championships


© 2008
National Wrestling Hall of