African American wrestling firsts

<< Back to Articles
(National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum)
01/24/2008


-	1949 - Harold Hanson 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 Fame & Museum