African American wrestling firsts
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(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