Barry Davis
Barry Davis won three state titles at Cedar Rapids Prairie and three NCAA titles for Iowa. Davis won the 118-pound crown in 1982, then captured the 126-pound title in 1983. He redshirted in 1984 to make the Olympic team, and came back in 1985 for his third title. He was voted Outstanding Wrestler of…
Bill Koll
Bill Koll was the first wrestler from an Iowa college to win three NCAA championships. Koll won titles at 145-147 pounds in 1946, 1947, and 1948 for Iowa State Teachers College (now Northern Iowa). He was named Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA tournament in 1947 and 1948 and he never lost in college. He…
Bill Nelson
Bill Nelson won three NCAA titles during his great career at Iowa State Teachers College. In 1947, he won his first title at 165 pounds as a freshman but was slowed by injury in 1948. He came back in 1949 and 1950 to win titles at 155 pounds. Nelson is originally from Eagle Grove,…
Bob Siddens
A star wrestler at Eagle Grove High School, Bob Siddens wrestled at Iowa State Teachers College and then became one of the nation’s top coaches. He led West Waterloo High School to 11 state team titles and an overall record of 327-26, including 88 straight wins. He officiated 26 NCAA tournaments and is one…
Bobby Douglas
Bobby Douglas had a long and distinguished coaching career that includes stints at Arizona State and Iowa State. While at Arizona State, Douglas led the Sun Devils to an NCAA team title in 1988. In 1992 he took over the Iowa State wrestling program, leading the Cyclones to three runner-up finishes. Douglas’s career coaching…
Cael Sanderson
Cael Sanderson became the first four-time undefeated NCAA Division I wrestling champion when he defeated Jon Trenge of Lehigh in the finals of the 2002 NCAA tournament at 197 pounds. His 159-0 collegiate record included four NCAA titles, four Big 12 titles, and four Outstanding Wrestler awards at the NCAA tournament.
Dave McCuskey
Dave McCuskey enjoyed a 40 year head coaching career that included stints 20 year stints at Iowa State Teachers College (now known as the University of Northern Iowa) and the University of Iowa. McCuskey compiled a 102-31-7 dual meet record from 1931-1952 at Northern Iowa, and a 160-69-7 dual meet record at the University…
Gary Kurdelmeier
Although his head coaching career at the University of Iowa was brief, Gary Kurdelmeier’s vision for the program would have a last effect. Kurdelmeier coached the Hawkeyes for four seasons (1973-1976), leading Iowa to two NCAA team titles. He was also an NCAA champion for the Hawkeyes in 1958 at 177 pounds.
Harold Nichols
From 1954-1985, Harold Nichols coached Iowa State to six NCAA team titles and a 456-75-11 dual meet record during his distinguished career. From 1965-1973, the Cyclones won five NCAA team titles and placed second three times—one of the best eras for any team in college wrestling history.
Jim Gibbons
Jim Gibbons holds the distinction of collecting all of his major titles in the same city. Gibbons won state titles for Ames High School in 1975, 1976, and 1977, an NCAA individual title for Iowa State in 1981, and he coached Iowa State to an NCAA team title in 1987. After compiling a 96-32…
Jim Leach
A native of Davenport, Jim Leach was a star athlete in football and wrestling and won an Iowa state high school championship in 1960. He also wrestled at Princeton University. He was elected to the United States Congress in 1976 and served 15 terms. He continues to be a staunch wrestling fan and supporter.
Jim Zalesky
Jim Zalesky wrestled at Cedar Rapids Prairie High School and went on to win three NCAA titles for the University of Iowa (1982-1984), all at 158 pounds. He was named the Outstanding Wrestler at the 1984 NCAA tournament, ending his college career on an 89 match winning streak.
Joe Williams
After winning four state titles for Mount Carmel High School in Illinois, Joe Williams captured three NCAA titles for the University of Iowa. He won his first title in 1996 at 158 pounds, and repeated in 1997. His senior year, he moved up to win title number three at 167 pounds. Williams also owns…
Keith Young
He never placed in the high school state meet for Algona, but Keith Young hit his stride in college. Not only did Young win three NCAA titles for Iowa State Teachers College (now Northern Iowa), He never lost a match during that time. He won his first title at 145 pounds in 1949, and…
Larry Hayes
In 1961, Larry Hayes became the first three-time NCAA champion in the history of Iowa State University. The native of Des Moines beat a future Olympic champion to win his first title in 1959 at 137 pounds, then moved up to win at 147 pounds as a junior. He repeated in 1961 to claim…
Lincoln McIlravy
A five-time state champion in South Dakota, Lincoln McIlravy was a four-time NCAA finalist at Iowa. As a true freshman, he won the 142-pound crown in 1993, then moved up to win at 150 pounds in 1994. He took second in 1995, redshirted in 1996, and won his third championship in 1997—where his was…
Lowell Lange
A car accident possibly stopped Lowell Lange from becoming the first four-time NCAA champion in wrestling. After an outstanding career at West Waterloo High School, Lange won the 1947 NCAA title at 137 pounds for Cornell College as a true freshman. The accident sidelined him for the entire 1948 season, but he came back…
Nate Carr
Nate Carr came from a tremendous wrestling family to win three NCAA titles for Iowa State, all at 150 pounds. Known for his great quickness, Carr claimed NCAA titles in 1981, 1982, and 1983. Carr did his high school wrestling in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Paul Scott
Paul Scott holds the distinction of being the first coach outside the state of Oklahoma to lead a team to an NCAA title. In 1947, Scott led tiny Cornell College (enrollment 600) to the state of Iowa’s first NCAA team title. Scott coached from 1941 to 1950, compiling a 55-8-1 dual meet record.