Rich Powers (2016) - Hall of Fame

Rich Powers

Induction:
2016
Class:
1992

Rich Powers – Wrestling (1988-1992)

Rich Powers finished his Panther wrestling career tied for the most wins in school history with 134 and was a three-time NCAA Division I All-American.
Powers, a native of Harvard, Ill., put together a career mark of 134-25-1 from 1988 through 1992. Powers also notched 54 career falls to rank third on UNI’s all-time pins list – trailing only Kirk Myers (61) and Justin Greenlee (57).

In his freshman season, he earned a spot on the Amateur Wrestling News’ Freshman All-America Team. Powers went 25-9-1 in the 1988-89 season, which included seven wins by fall and five by technical fall. He captured titles at the UNO Open and UNI Open. He won his first NCAA West Regional Title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 11 seed in the 177-pound weight class. At the NCAA meet, Powers defeated Kevin Higgins (Baldwin-Wallace) in a technical fall at the 4:04 mark. Powers would go on suffer a pair of defeats to Jim Gressley (Arizona State), 12-11, and Larry Kaifesh (Indiana), 11-8.

Powers earned his first All-America honor as a sophomore with a fifth-place finish in the 177-pound bracket. Powers entered the 1990 NCAA Championships as the No. 6 seed in College Park, Md., and scored a 15-7 win over Dale Budd (Lock Haven) in the opening round. Powers dropped a 14-10 decision to Scott Brown (Bloomsburg) in the next round. Powers righted his ship and won four straight and earn his fifth-place finish and first All-America honor. Powers began his run with the fastest fall of the tournament – a :21 pin over Kyle Scrimgeour (Oklahoma). Powers posted a 10-4 decision over Mike Lantz (North Carolina State), and then scored a 7-4 win over Dominic Black (West Virginia). Powers topped Joe Wypiszenski (Nebraska-Omaha), 5-2, to clinch his fifth-place finish. Powers won titles at the UNI Open, Midwest Championships and the NCAA West Regional. He was ranked in the top-10 throughout the entire season. He notched a team-best 18 pins, which is the fourth-highest single-season total in program history.

Powers came back in 1991 as a junior with an overall mark of 44-4 and took fourth place in the NCAA’s 177-pound weight class. His 44 wins are tied for the second-most in a single-season in UNI’s history. He won his third consecutive NCAA West Regional title and was named the regional’s Outstanding Wrestler. Powers entered the 1991 NCAA Championship meet seeded No. 2 in his weight class in Iowa City. Powers would reach the semifinals after winning his first four matches of the tournament – fall in 1:09 over Ramond Diaz (Cal State Fullerton); fall in 0:55 over Joe Wypiszenski (Nebraska-Omaha); 5-0 decision over Mike Caro (Maryland); 9-7 decision over Matt White (Penn State). Powers was pinned by Iowa State’s Matt Johnson in the semifinals in 3:55, but Powers bounced back to score a 7-2 win over Michigan’s Lanny Green. Iowa’s Bart Chelesvig scored an 11-4 win over Powers in the third/fourth place match. He also won titles as the UNI Open, UNO Open and Northern Open. He placed third at Midlands. Powers defeated Iowa State’s Matt Johnson in the NWCA All-Star Meet, 4-2. Powers spent the first half of his junior season ranked No. 1 in the nation at 177 pounds.

Powers completed his senior season with a mark of 29-4 and another fifth-place tally in the 177-pound bracket. Powers entered the 1992 NCAA Championship in Oklahoma City, Okla., seeded No. 1. Powers blasted Cal State Fullerton’s Dwayne Buth in the first round, 18-2. Powers moved into the quarterfinals with a 13-3 major decision over BYU’s Rick Evans. Powers then topped No. 8 seeded Lanny Green (Michigan), 13-7. No. 5 seeded Corey Olson (Nebraska) scored an 18-8 major decision over Powers in the semifinals. Powers fought his way back in the back draw and notched a fall in 1:33 in his final collegiate match against No. 10-seeded Steve Williams (North Carolina State) in the fifth-place match. Powers is one of nine UNI wrestlers to be a three-time NCAA Division I All-American. He won his fourth consecutive NCAA West Regional title, and was named the Outstanding Wrestler for the second straight year. Powers also claimed crowns at the Northern Open, UNI Open and Midlands. He recorded 19 falls as a senior to rank as the third-highest single-season total in UNI history.

Powers served as a graduate assistant coach at Illinois State University and Wartburg College for one year each while earning a master’s degree at UNI before beginning as a teacher and coach in Rolling Meadows, Ill. He also served as an administrator in Palatine, Ill., and Cedar Falls. Powers earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Loyola University in Chicago in 2005.

He and his wife, Kristi, reside in Bondurant, Iowa, with their two children, Olivia and John, where he serves as the superintendent of schools for the Bondurant-Farrar Community School District.