The articles, photos, and annals of history paint the picture of Jim Hanson.  The stories help honor Hanson — an alumnus of Adams City HS, the Univ of Colorado, and the Air Force Academy — as a legend both on and off the wrestling mat.  Hanson was one of the best to don the black and gold back when CU had a wrestling program.  His accolades included Big Eight championships, a pair of top-four finishes in the NCAA (2nd and 4th), legendary battles with future Olympic champions, and flirtations with the Olympic team in his own regard.  He finished at CU with a record of 57-10-1, which was good for the second best in school history. His nickname, according to articles preserved by family members over the years, was “The Ice Man.”  Pretty fitting for someone who later served in the U.S. Air Force and competed on the mat like he was the Top Gun.  “Hanson one of best CU wrestlers ever,” reads the headline from an old newspaper article written by Ken Tagawa. His coaches and teammates praised Hanson’s abilities as well, calling him “the best scrambler” on the team and someone with a “knack for doing things right and being able to think under pressure.”

In 1964, Hanson grappled with Japanese wrestling legend and soon-to-be-Olympic Champion

Yojiro Utake, then wrestling for Oklahoma State, at the NCAA championships.  By 1967-68, Hanson was aiming for his own Olympic dreams. After picking up wrestling as a junior in HS, Hanson’s mat prowess and knack for leadership led him to the Air Force Prep Academy, where he balanced his duties as a 2nd Lieutenant while also aiming for international glory.

While he also competed in freestyle, Hanson’s focus was Greco-Roman, and his success spread to the National AAU circuit where he was named the Outstanding Military Wrestler in 1968.  Though his bid for the ‘68 Olympic Games in Mexico City was cut short due to injury, Hanson’s career continued while in service.  The following year, Hanson won the Air Force Worldwide Championships and competed against other military grapplers during the Inter-Service Competition, where he finished with runner-up honors.  He again won the AF Championships in ‘71, and went on to compete alongside other military

wrestling all-stars at the Conseil International du Sport Militaire (CISM) tournament in Greece,

where he walked away with a silver medal on the international stage.

During and long after his active duty, Hanson continued to give back to the sport of wrestling as a coach and a teacher. He guided several future champions while at Air Academy Prep School, Wasson, Skyline, Berthoud, Lamar, John Mall, Pueblo East, and Woodland Park.  And there’s no doubt that the “Ice Man” left a warm legacy on the Colorado — and international — wrestling communities.