Bruce Baumgartner

November 02, 1960 - Present

Although he had never won a high school state wrestling championship title, Bruce Baumgartner went on to become one of the most highly decorated and dominating wrestlers of the world.

He started his quest for world dominance after completing his collegiate wrestling career at Indiana State University where he was a three-time All-American and a 1982 NCAA champion.

It was in 1982 also that he became a world team member for the first time, winning a bronze medal for the United States at the 1983 World Championship in Kiev, Russia.

But it was at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games that the world began to take notice as he became the Olympic Champion and America's first gold medalist in 60 years of super heavyweight wrestling.

Four years after his silver medal performance at the Seoul Olympics, his gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics put him into the record book as the first American wrestler to ever medal in three consecutive Olympic competitions.

As he approached the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, he shared the record mark of 12 world medals with the legendary Alexandre Medved of the former Soviet Union. Bruce's medal count included two Olympic and three World Championship gold medals.

Prior to the start of wrestling competition in Atlanta, he was selected captain of the USA Olympic Team and honored by carrying the American flag for the opening ceremonies. He went on to a bronze medal performance providing the record-breaking 13 world medals, an honor he now shares with Alexandre Karelin of the Russian Federation. Bruce is one of just eight athletes in American history to medal in four different Olympiads.

Five times he was selected as one of the top 10 finalists for the James E. Sullivan Award to select the outstanding amateur athlete in the United States, winning the honor in 1995.

Bruce started his coaching career as a graduate assistant wrestling coach at Oklahoma State University before moving on to Edinboro University in 1984. He retired as head wrestling coach in 1997 to accept the University's Director of Athletics position. He currently serves as president of USA Wrestling.

For his record-breaking career and recognition as one of the world's all-time wrestling greats, Bruce Baumgartner is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Awards:

Year
2002
Award
Distinguished Member
Chapter/Region
National

All American Awards:

Season
1982
School
Indiana State
Tournament
Division I
Weight
UNL
Place
1
Season
1981
School
Indiana State
Tournament
Division I
Weight
UNL
Place
2
Season
1980
School
Indiana State
Tournament
Division I
Weight
UNL
Place
2

College Season Records:

Season
1982
School
Indiana State
Class
Senior
Bouts
44
Wins
44
Losses
0
Ties
0
Falls
0
Win PCT.
100
Place
1st
Season
1981
School
Indiana State
Class
Junior
Bouts
43
Wins
42
Losses
1
Ties
0
Falls
0
Win PCT.
97.67
Place
2nd
Season
1980
School
Indiana State
Class
Sophomore
Bouts
29
Wins
26
Losses
3
Ties
0
Falls
0
Win PCT.
89.66
Place
2nd
Season
1979
School
Indiana State
Class
Freshman
Bouts
30
Wins
22
Losses
8
Ties
0
Falls
0
Win PCT.
73.33
Place
DNW
Season
Career
Bouts
146
Wins
134
Losses
12
Ties
0
Falls
0
Win PCT.
91.78

All Coaching Dual Records:

Season
1997
School
Edinboro
Division
Division I
Duals
14
Wins
14
Losses
0
Ties
0
Win PCT.
100
Season
1996
School
Edinboro
Division
Division I
Duals
16
Wins
5
Losses
11
Ties
0
Win PCT.
31.25
Season
1995
School
Edinboro
Division
Division I
Duals
18
Wins
16
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
88.89
Season
1994
School
Edinboro
Division
Division I
Duals
17
Wins
15
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
88.24
Season
1993
School
Edinboro
Division
Division I
Duals
11
Wins
5
Losses
6
Ties
0
Win PCT.
45.45
Season
1992
School
Edinboro
Division
Division I
Duals
15
Wins
6
Losses
9
Ties
0
Win PCT.
40
Season
1991
School
Edinboro
Division
Division I
Duals
14
Wins
8
Losses
6
Ties
0
Win PCT.
57.14
Season
Career
Duals
105
Wins
69
Losses
36
Ties
0
Win PCT.
65.71

All Rankings:

Season
1982
Rank Date
01/18/1982
Weight
UNL
Rank
1
School
Indiana State
Season
1982
Rank Date
01/31/1982
Weight
UNL
Rank
1
School
Indiana State
Season
1982
Rank Date
02/15/1982
Weight
UNL
Rank
1
School
Indiana State
Season
1982
Rank Date
02/27/1982
Weight
UNL
Rank
1
School
Indiana State
Season
1982
Rank Date
03/13/1982
Weight
UNL
Rank
1
School
Indiana State
Season
1981
Rank Date
11/17/1980
Weight
UNL
Rank
1
School
Indiana State
Season
1981
Rank Date
12/15/1980
Weight
UNL
Rank
1
School
Indiana State
Season
1981
Rank Date
12/29/1980
Weight
UNL
Rank
1
School
Indiana State
Season
1981
Rank Date
01/12/1981
Weight
UNL
Rank
1
School
Indiana State
Season
1981
Rank Date
01/26/1981
Weight
UNL
Rank
1
School
Indiana State
Season
1981
Rank Date
02/09/1981
Weight
UNL
Rank
1
School
Indiana State
Season
1981
Rank Date
02/26/1981
Weight
UNL
Rank
1
School
Indiana State
Season
1981
Rank Date
03/12/1981
Weight
UNL
Rank
1
School
Indiana State

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