Allie Morrison
Allie Morrison has the distinction of being the first Olympic gold medal winner the state of Iowa ever produced. At the 1928 Games in Amsterdam, Morrison won six straight matches to capture the United States’ only wrestling title that year. He even won two matches over Kustaa Pihlajamäki of Finland, the defending champion who…
Ben Peterson
Ben Peterson has the rare distinction of being a member of three different Olympic wrestling teams. In 1972 Peterson won a gold medal in Munich. Four years later, at the 1976 Olympics, he turned in a silver medal performance. Peterson made his third Olympic team in 1980 but was denied a chance at another…
Bill Smith
In 1952 Bill Smith reached the ranks of wrestling’s elite by winning a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland. Four years later, Smith qualified for the 1956 Olympics but was stripped of his opportunity to compete because of the strict amateur policy in place. He had taken money for being the…
Bob Steenlage
High School: Britt
State titles: 4
1959 – 1st at 95 pounds
1960 – 1st at 103 pounds
1961 – 1st at 112 pounds
1962 – 1st at 120 pounds
College: West Point
1966 – 3rd at 123 pounds
Did you know?
Bob Steenlage was the first four-time state champion in Iowa High School wrestling history.
Chris Campbell
In 1977, after his senior year in college, Chris Campbell made his first World team at the age of 23. In 1980 he made his first Olympic team but was unable to compete because of the United States’ boycott of the the Games. The following year Campbell won a gold medal at the World…
Dan Gable
In 1972 Dan Gable became the first American to win a World and Olympic title in consecutive years. After winning the World Championships in 1971, Gable won the gold medal at the Munich Olympics without surrendering a single point in his six matches.
Collegiately, Gable wrestled at Iowa State University and won two NCAA titles…
Dan Knight
High School: Clinton
State titles: 4
1984 – 1st at 98 pounds
1985 – 1st at 112 pounds
1986 – 1st at 126 pounds
1987 – 1st at 126 pounds
College: Iowa State University
1990 – 4th at 126 pounds
Did you know?
Dan’s brother, Steve, was a two-time state champion for Clinton
Ed Banach
Ed Banach won an Olympic gold medal at the 1984 Olympics in dominating fashion. The Port Jervis, NY, native went 4-0 and won in the finals 15-3 over Akira Ohta from Japan.
Banach’s career at the University of Iowa was equally impressive. From 1980-1983 the Hawkeyes star made it to the finals of the NCAA…
Eric Juergens
High School: Maquoketa
State titles: 4
1993 – 1st at 103 pounds
1994 – 1st at 112 pounds
1995 – 1st at 119 pounds
1996 – 1st at 125 pounds
College: University of Iowa
1998 – 3rd at 118 pounds
1999 – 3rd at 133 pounds
2000 – 1st at 133 pounds
2001 – 1st at 133 pounds
Did you know?
Juergens was named Big…
Glen Brand
Brand was a standout athlete at Clarion High School and gained national attention at Iowa State University in the late 1940s. He was a three-time All-American for the Cyclones with an overall record of 54-3, earning a reputation as a fierce competitor and pinner.
In 1948 he was NCAA champion at 174 pounds. The crowning…
Greg Randall
High School: Mount Vernon
State titles: 4
1979 – 1st at 98 pounds
1980 – 1st at 112 pounds
1981 – 1st at 126 pounds
1982 – 1st at 132 pounds
College: University of Iowa
1984 – 2nd at 134 pounds
1985 – 5th at 134 pounds
1986 – 2nd at 134 pounds
Did you know?
Greg is currently the head wrestling coach at…
Jason Keenan
High School: Ogden
State titles: 4
1992 – 1st at 103 pounds
1993 – 1st at 112 pounds
1994 – 1st at 119 pounds
1995 – 1st at 125 pounds
Did you know?
Jason Keenan was the first of two four-time state champions from Ogden. The second was Jesse Sundell, who accomplished the feat in 2001.
Jeff Kerber
High School: Emmetsburg
State titles: 4
1976 – 1st at 98 pounds
1977 – 1st at 112 pounds
1978 – 1st at 119 pounds
1979 – 1st at 126 pounds
College: University of Iowa
1982 – 6th at 134 pounds
1983 – 5th at 134 pounds
1984 – 6th at 142 pounds
Did you know?
Jeff Kerber’s son, Justin, was a two-time state champion…
Jeff McGinness
State titles: 4
1990 – 1st at 103 pounds
1991 – 1st at 112 pounds
1992 – 1st at 125 pounds
1993 – 1st at 130 pounds
College: University of Iowa
1994 – 5th at 126 pounds
1995 – 1st at 126 pounds
1998 – 1st at 142 pounds
Did you know?
Jeff McGinness was the first Iowa high school four-time state champion…
Jesse Sundell
High school: Ogden
State titles: 4
1998 – 1st at 103 pounds
1999 – 1st at 112 pounds
2000 – 1st at 112 pounds
2001 – 1st at 119 pounds
College: Iowa State
Joe Gibbons
Class of 2002
High School: Waterloo Columbus and Ames
State titles: 4
1977 – 1st at 98 pounds (Columbus)
1978 – 1st at 105 pounds (Columbus)
1979 – 1st at 126 pounds (Ames)
1980 – 1st at 132 pounds (Ames)
College: Iowa State University
1982 – 4th at 126
1984 – 4th at 142
1985 – 1st at 142
1986 – 3rd at 142
Did you…
Kevin Jackson
Kevin Jackson is considered one of the best freestyle wrestlers in U.S. history, winning a gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain at 180.5 pounds, and claiming World Championship gold medals in both 1991 and 1995. Jackson is one of only five U.S. wrestlers to claim three career World-level titles.
In college,…
Lou Banach
Lou Banach reached the height of his career at the 1984 Olympics when he won a gold medal at the 220 pound weight class in dominating fashion. Banach won the Olympic title at Los Angeles with four falls and an 11-1 decision. The final, against an American competing for Syria, lasted 61 seconds.
At the…
Mark Schwab
High School: Osage
State titles: 4
1982 – 1st at 98 pounds
1983 – 1st at 105 pounds
1984 – 1st at 112 pounds
1985 – 1st at 119 pounds
College: University of Northern Iowa
1986 – 5th at 118 pounds
1990 – 6th at 118 pounds
Did you know?
Mark’s brothers, Mike and Doug, were both state champions for Osage.
Mike McCready
A native of Dubuque, Iowa, Mike McCready won 15 national titles in wrestling—more than any other Iowan. After earning All-American honors at the University of Northern Iowa, he became one of the nation’s top heavyweights in freestyle and Greco-Roman. He also won a gold medal at the Pan-American Games.
Norman Borlaug
A native of Cresco, Iowa, Norman Borlaug became world famous in 1970 when he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in helping alleviate world hunger through research in new types of wheat. He was an all-state wrestling at Cresco High School from 1929 through 1932 and is one of the state’s finest…
Randy Lewis
At the 1984 Olympic Games Randy Lewis won the gold medal in dominating fashion. Of the four opponents he faced in the tournament none lasted the entire match. Lewis also made the 1980 Olympic that was boycotted by the United States.
Lewis was a four-time All-American and a two-time NCAA champion at the University of…
Sandy Stevens
A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Sandy Stevens has covered the globe as a wrestling announcer. She has worked at hundreds of kids wrestling events—from kids level to the NCAAs to the Olympic Games. Stevens has become one of the top ambassadors in the sport of wrestling.
Scott Morningstar
High School: Lisbon
Two-time all-American (3rd-2009, 7th-2010)
Four-time Big Ten placewinner (2nd-2009, 4th-2010, 5th-2007, 7th-2008) and NCAA qualifier
Four-time Midlands placewinner (1st-2008, 3rd-2009, 5th-2007, 7th-2006)
Career record of 110-40, included a 65-21 dual record and 21-11 Big Ten dual mark
College: University of Northern Iowa
Shane Light
High School: Lisbon
State titles: 4
1987 – 1st at 98 pounds
1988 – 1st at 112 pounds
1989 – 1st at 125 pounds
1990 – 1st at 125 pounds
Did you know?
Shane Light was the second wrestler to win four state titles at Lisbon. The first was Scott Morningstar.
Terry Brands
From 1993 through 1995 Terry Brands was the best 125.5 wrestler in the world. In 1993 Terry won the World Championships in his first attempt. He and his identical twin brother, Tom, became the first brother combination from the United States to win a World title in the same year.
In 1994 Brands made his…
Terry McCann
Terry McCann was a two-time NCAA champion at the University of Iowa and placed third once, with an overall college record of 36-3-1. He won three AAU national titles and was 6-0-1 against the touring Russians. He won the gold medal at the 1960 Olympic Games at 125.5 pounds. He had an estimated overall…
Tom Brands
Known as one of the most intense competitors in any sport and of any era, Tom Brands reached the pinnacle of amateur wrestling by winning the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Competing at 62 kg (136.5 pounds), Brands gave up only one point on his way the gold medal.
Prior to his victory at the…
Warren DePrenger
A native of Newton, Iowa, Warren DePrenger earned his degree at Cornell College, where he was a four-time conference wrestling champion. As the owner of MATMAN Wrestling Company, he has been a tremendous supporter of wrestling at all levels.