UNI Athletics Hall of Famers
Since its founding in 1985, 41 individuals and teams have been inducted into the UNI Athletics Hall of Fame. Inductees include legendary athletes, record breakers, three historic teams and contributors who have helped advance the legacy of the program.
Gary Bentrim
FULL BIO - Gary Bentrim can hold his own amongst the illustrious history of successful UNI wrestlers.
During his high school career at Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Jefferson, he compiled a career record of 82-8-1. He recorded a 28-1 record as a junior while finishing runner-up at the state tournament. He went undefeated his senior year with a 27-0 mark, winning the state title. He placed third in freestyle and fourth in Greco-Roman at the Junior Olympic Nationals his junior year. He also finished second in the 1972 Regional Olympic try-outs in Iowa City.
Bentrim became a Panther upon his high school graduation, continuing his phenomenal wrestling career. He lettered from 1976-78. He was honored as a three-time North Central Conference Champion and was just the third three-time NCAA Division II champion. He was part of the 1975 Division II National Championship team and the third place teams in 1976 and 1977. He ended his collegiate career with a record of 63-9-4 and graduated with a bachelor's degree in industrial technology, physical education and safety education.
After graduation, Bentrim worked in various engineering positions, including the engineering manager at Musco Lighting of Muscatine, Iowa. Bentrim also has been an active volunteer in his community, serving as a volunteer coach and an official for soccer and wrestling. He has served as a Boy Scout leader, has been a member of the School Board Advisory Council, and served as President of Solon's Beef Days Celebration for several years.
He was inducted into Jefferson's Hall of Fame in 1974 and was named to the North Central Conference's All-Century Team at 142 pounds in 2001.
Raymond Cheney
FULL BIO - With a dual record of 18 wins, one loss and one tie, Raymond Cheney was one of the most successful wrestlers in Iowa State Teachers College history. Cheney excelled in both athletics and the classroom. He participated in wrestling from 1933-37 and track in 1933-34. He was voted the Most Valuable Wrestler his sophomore year.
In 1937, Cheney was the NCAA wrestling champion at 135 pounds. He was president of the Blue Key National Honor Society. Cheney and his efforts were recognized in the "Who's Who" of Iowa State Teachers College. He graduated in 1937 with a Bachelor of Science degree. After graduation, he continued his wrestling career by becoming the National AAU wrestling champion in 1940. Cheney was also inducted into the Greater Miami Valley Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame and the Cresco Hall of Fame.
James Fox
FULL BIO - Waterloo native James Fox lettered in football and wrestling at then Iowa State Teachers College (ISTC) before entering a very successful coaching career. In 1943, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in commerce from ISTC. He continued his education at the Colorado State College of Education, where he earned a Master of Arts degree in health and physical education.
His coaching career began in 1946 at Britt High School, where he coached football and started a wrestling program during his two-year stay. Fox moved to Davenport High School where he was the head wrestling coach and a football assistant. His wrestling squads won state titles in 1954 and 1956, and were second-place finishers in 1955.
His coaching success continued when he shifted to Davenport Central High School in 1960. Fox's football teams won state championships in 1972, 1976, and 1983. While his teams were winning state tiles, he was garnering individual honors. In 1963, he was named State College of Iowa Alumni Football Coach of the Year. He was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame in 1971, and was received into the Iowa High School Officials Hall of Fame in 1982. The Des Moines Register named him Coach of the Year in 1973.
The following year, Fox was selected to coach the Shrine Bowl. He accepted the athletic director's position at St. Ambrose University in 1984. The Quad City Sports Hall of Fame made him a member in 1989, and he was named NAIA Administrator of the Year later that year.
Bill Koll
FULL BIO - After winning a state wrestling high school title, Bill Koll enrolled in what was then Iowa State Teachers College in 1941. He served in the Army from 1943-45 but returned to ISTC and an amazing career. In three years, he recorded a 72-0 dual record with six national titles – three from the NCAA and three from national freestyle. In 1948, he won the U.S. Olympic trials and placed fifth in the London Games. Upon graduation, he turned to coaching at Chicago and Cornell College. He replaced Dave McCuskey at UNI in 1953, recording a dual mark of 71-42-6 in 11 years. He then moved to Penn State. He retired from coaching in 1979.
Mike McCready
FULL BIO - A seven-time All-American, Mike McCready was honored in the shot put (1970-71-72) and discus events, as well as a wrestler, as was the first athlete in Panther history to gain All-America status in more than one sport. He received is B.A. (1972) and M.A. (1975) in Physical Education at UNI and completed his doctorate in Education Administration from the University of Iowa (1981).
McCready went on to serve as the wrestling coach and director of athletics at Upper Iowa University. A 1968 graduate of Dubuque Senior High School, he was a four-year (1969-70-71-72) letterwinner in both wresting and track at UNI. McCready, a two-time NCAA college division heavyweight champion, is a five-time AAU national titlist, and claimed the heavyweight championship in the 1975 Pan American Games. He has represented the United States abroad, competing as a wrestler in Iran, Poland, the former Soviet Union, Turkey, Blugaria, Mexico, Switzerland and Canada.
McCready began coaching in 1978 as a UNI graduate assistant in wrestling. McCready served as a coach at Lock Haven University, West Branch (Iowa) High School, Valley High School, in the Waterloo School District, and he coached the Iowa Intensive Wrestling Camp.
Cecil Mott
FULL BIO - Mason City native Cecil Mott came to Iowa State Teachers College in 1941 after a year at Mason City Junior College where he had excelled in football, was picked captain and was voted MVP. At ISTC, Mott joined the wrestling squad, where he lettered his first two years.
In 1943, Mott left ISTC to serve in World War II, but he returned to complete his degree and wrestle during the 1945-46 season. That year, he placed first in Division I at 121 pounds, earning him All-America honors, while the team placed second. Mott took part in the establishment of a wrestling program at the ISTC campus (Price Lab) in 1946.
After graduation, he went to Iowa Falls where he taught math, coached wrestling and sophomore football until 1959. While at Iowa Falls, he coached eight state champion wrestlers and six runner-ups. In 1957, he returned to school, this time to the University of Iowa, to obtain his master's in Administration. Mott moved back to Mason City in 1960, where he stayed until 1984, as a counselor and to coach wrestling at the high school he graduated from in 1939. He also coached sophomore football from 1960-66.
In 1971, Mott received an Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Hall of Fame Award. He was again recognized by the state in 1985 when he won the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame Foundation Award. In 1988, he received the Iowa Falls High School Coach of the Year Award.
Bill Nelson
FULL BIO - During the Golden Era of Panther wrestling, Bill Nelson played a key role. In 1947, he won the NCAA title at 165 pounds, the only UNI freshman to win the title. An injury during the 1948 tournament stopped him from becoming the NCAA’s only four-time champion, but he was a member of the 1948 Olympic team. As a junior and senior at 155 pounds, he again won both NCAA and NAAU titles. While in college, he was undefeated in dual competition. He was also named the nation’s Outstanding Amateur Wrestler in 1950.
Nelson was a state high school champion in Eagle Grove, Iowa, and after his collegiate career, he began coaching in the high school ranks in Colorado, Iowa and Michigan. From 1963-83, at which time he retired, he was an associate professor of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Arizona. He directed the prestigious Arizona Invitational Wrestling Tournament for 13 years and was coach of the West team at the East-West All-Star Wrestling Tournament held at Lehigh University in 1970. Nelson’s other hall of fame inductions include the Helms National Wrestling Hall of Fame (1963), the Arizona Wrestling Hall of Fame (1977), the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (1980) and the Iowa High School Wrestling Hall of Fame (1983).
He was president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association in 1976 and was a member of the Executive Committee of that organization for 12 years. He also was a wrestling official for many years.
Don Parker
FULL BIO - Don Parker was the 1966 and 1967 NCAA DII National champion and a three-time NCAA All-American at UNI. He won a pair of NCC Championships and was named the NCC Outstanding Wrestler for the 1966 season. He posted a career record of 65-16-3 and a 57-8-2 mark in his final two seasons. He earned an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship before beginning his coaching career. He was the head coach at Upper Iowa from 1973-1977 before moving on to Wisconsin-Eau Claire where he coached for 32 seasons. He coached 12 All-Americans and 18 conference champions during his time there and retired in 2007. He was paralyzed in a hunting accident in 1998 and continued to coach for another 10 seasons. He has been inducted into the D2 Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Mark Schwab
FULL BIO - Considered by the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame as a no-nonsense wrestler who took control of matches early and dominated his competition, Mark Schwab's career in wrestling was one for the record books as both an athlete and coach in Iowa. The Osage, Iowa, native compiled a career record of 114-18 at UNI with a .863 winning percentage, one of the highest in program history. A two-time all-American, he took fifth place at the NCAA championships after a 49-9 his true freshman season at 118 pounds, the most wins ever in a single season at UNI and the most in NCAA history by a true freshman. He went 30-0 in open competition during the 1986-87 season and a bronze medalist in Tblissi, Russia, which was deemed the world's toughest tournament as a redshirt sophomore. He would hold the nation's top ranking in his weight class after a 17-1-2 record before his season-ending injury. After nine knee operations and missing the equivalent of an entire season, Schwab reached the NCAA championships in1989 with a 14-4 record and 34-4 senior campaign earning his second all-American status.
Following his competitive career, Schwab entered the coaching profession. He made stops at Purdue and 10 years at the University of Minnesota, winning two NCAA team championships and seven top-three team finishes before taking over the head coaching role at Buena Vista University. He earned Iowa Conference Coach of the year in 2007. Schwab returned to UNI from 2011-2016. Schwab's coaching career included 71 all-Americans and eight NCAA champions.
He was an Iowa high school wrestling hall of fame inductee in 1997, entered the Glen Brand HOF in 2002 and a member of the Iowa Chapter of the Wrestling Hall of Fame. In 2008, he was inducted into the Iowa Coaches Hall of Fame. Schwab and his family were recognized in 2019 by the Dan Gable Museum with the Bowlsby Family Legacy Award. Schwab also earned a master's degree at the University of Minnesota in 2003.
Ken Snyder
FULL BIO - When coach Chuck Patten looked back on how his University of Northern Iowa wrestling team managed to win the North Central Conference with a record 154 points and then take the NCAA Division II wrestling championship for only the second time in school history, he had senior Ken Snyder to thank.
Once an Iowa Class 3A state wrestling champion at 138 pounds, Snyder left the halls of Columbus High School in Waterloo with a 55-6-1 prep record and hopes of accomplishing even more on the mats at the collegiate level. Snyder set out to achieve that goal by joining Patten, a fellow Waterloo native, at UNI.
Mononucleosis put Snyder’s plans on hold, as he missed his freshman campaign with the illness, but his collegiate career proved to be worth the wait. Snyder’s first campaign as a college wrestler saw him finish with an 18-5 record and a second-place finish in the Division II National Tournament at 142 pounds while qualifying for the Division I Tournament. Although it was an impressive season, Snyder’s best was yet to come.
During his final two years as a Panther, Snyder compiled an 80-10-3 record while becoming a North Central Conference champion and two-time Division II national champion. He also placed third in Division I as a junior and fifth as a senior.
Even though Snyder’s days on the mat came to an end upon graduating in 1976 with a degree in industrial technology, he took his knowledge of wrestling to Western State College in Gunnison, Colo., where he served as the wrestling coach while obtaining a master’s degree in education. In 1977, Snyder became the head coach at Jefferson High School in Alexandria, Minn. During his four-year stint, 14 wrestlers qualified for the state tournament and two were crowned state champions. He was selected twice as the Central Lakes Conference Coach of the Year.
While Snyder has spent the past 27 years as the professional investment advisor and senior vice president for Merrill Lynch, as well as manager of its Alexandria office, he still enjoys following high school and college wrestling.
In 1999, Snyder was inducted into the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame along with fellow UNI teammate Jim Miller and coach Mike McCready.
1974-75 UNI Wrestling Team
FULL BIO - Under the direction of head coach Chuck Patten, the 1974-75 UNI wrestling team captured the NCAA Division II team title championship in Stroudsburg, Pa. – it was the school’s first team national title since the 1950 wrestling team won the national championship.
The Panthers won two individual NCAA championships as Jim Miller (134 lbs.) and Ken Snyder (142 lbs.) put together perfect marks at the national tournament.
Dave Cunningham (118 lbs.) and Dick Erickson (174 lbs.) notched national runner-up finishes for the Panthers. UNI completed a second consecutive perfect dual string against North Central Conference competition.
The Panthers completed their full dual schedule with a mark of 15-4. UNI also won the NCC team tournament title behind six individual crowns – Cunningham (118 lbs.), Miller (134 lbs.), Snyder (142 lbs.), Jim Blasingame (150 lbs.), Dan Keller (167 lbs.) and Randy Omvig (HWT.). Omvig became the first man in NCC Tournament history to win four individual conference championships. Snyder was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 1975 NCC Championships.
Members of the 1974-75 UNI Wrestling Squad: Stanley Allen, Michael Asche, Gary Bentrim, Jeffrey Billerbeck, James Blasingame, Richard Briggs, Russell Clark, Stephen Coon, Thomas Cornally, David Coulter, David Cunningham, Larry Dawson, Dallas Deike, Joseph Deutsch, Randy Dodd, Michael Eremieff, Richard Erickson, Lowell Ewalt, Kevin Finn, Thomas Garcia, Al Garrison, Ron Gomis, Alan Halferty, Paul Herder, Thomas Hinschberger, Cassim Igram, Dan Keller, Dick Kennedy, Kurt Mattison, Bruce McClure, Nolan Meggers, Jeffrey Melvin, Gary Meyers, James Miller, Randall Omvig, Ronald Ott, Chuck Parsons, Stephen Pate, Kenneth Peterson, Lars Sacquitne, Lonny Silber, Michael Skopec, Kenneth Snyder, Lawrence Soderberg, Dana Sutherland, Randall Terpstra, Hal Turner, Russell Vermie, Paul Viktora, Paul Vornbrock, Mark Wakeland, John Wistey, Michael Woodall.
Head Coach: Chuck Patten
Bill Weick
FULL BIO - A two-time NCAA wrestling champion at 157 pounds in 1952 and 1955, William "Bill" Weick also played football for the Panthers from 1949-50. A native of Chicago, Ill., he graduated from UNI in 1956. He received his master's degree from Northern Illinois in 1973.
He coached at Tilden Tech High School in Chicago, Maquoketa (Iowa) High School and San Francisco State College. He also was head coach of the USA Junior World Team in 1969; assistant coach for the USA at the 1972 Olympics; head coach of the World Cup Team in 1974; head coach of the USA Pan American Team in 1975; assistant head coach of the USA World Cup Teams from 1976-82; and assistant coach for the USA team in the 1980 Olympics. He coached the USA team at the World University Games held in 1981; and, among other assignments, was head coach of the USA freestyle team at the America's Cup Tournament held in Panama City, Panama.
He was named Chicago High School Coach of the Year in 1970 and was inducted into the Helms World Hall of Fame the same year. In 1972, he was inducted into the Illinois Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Keith Young
FULL BIO - Six national wrestling championships and an undefeated dual and tournament record highlight Keith YoungÕs career. He won national titles in 1949, 1950 and 1951 and also captured three straight AAU firsts. He coached at the high school level and retired from Cedar Falls High School following the 1982-83 season. In his 27 years as head coach there, he recorded a 193-99-6 dual mark, led his team to the state title in 1968 and 1976 and coached 18 individual state champs and six conference team champions. He also has officiated at the high school and collegiate levels, including the NCAA championships.
Don Briggs
FULL BIO - As the head wrestling coach at UNI, Don Briggs became very familiar with winning.
During the 15 years Briggs spent at the helm of Panther wrestling, he amassed 164 dual victories while suffering just 98 losses. Under his tutelage UNI finished in the top 15 at the NCAA meet nine times including tenth place finishes in 1983 and 1992.
Briggs took over as the Panthers top man in 1983 and guided the Panthers to 12 straight West Region titles from 1986-1997. In addition, Briggs coached 15 wrestlers that earned All-America honors, including four wrestlers that earned the distinction twice and two being named three-time All-Americans.
Briggs continued to be highly respected among his peers, winning 10 NCAA West Regional Coach of the Year awards and serving a two-year term as president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association.
Prior to becoming the Panthers head coach, Briggs spent time as a graduate assistant and assistant coach at UNI, coaching 14 national champions at the Division II level.
Tony Davis
FULL BIO - Tony Davis captured the 149-pound title at the 2000 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo.
Davis became the first UNI Panther to win a Division I national title in 37 years in 2000.
Davis compiled an overall mark of 46-5 in his two years as a Panther, which included an NCAA national runner-up status as a junior in 1999.
Prior to coming to UNI, Davis won two junior college national championships at Iowa Central Community College. Davis posted a 111-10 collegiate wrestling mark.
Davis entered the 2000 NCAA Championships as the No. 1 seed in the 149-pound draw and started his run to the title with a fall (6:46) over Harvard’s Max Odom. David reached the quarterfinals with a 12-2 major decision over Ohio State Brian Roskovich. Davis dispatched No. 8-seeded Quinn Foster of Arizona State, 8-4. Davis returned to the championship match with a 9-4 win over No. 4-seeded Jared Lawrence of Minnesota. Davis won the title in sudden victory with a 5-1 triumph over No. 2-seeded Adam Tirapelle of Illinois.
Davis is originally from Chicago, Ill., and Mount Carmel High School. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in K-12 Physical Education from UNI.
He now resides in Raleigh, N.C. He is an elementary physical education teacher at Wake County Public School.
Franc Freeman
FULL BIO - In more than three decades as an athlete and coach, the name Franc Freedman was synonymous with wrestling success. As a prep at Davenport (Iowa) High School, he placed second in the state tournament as a member of the 1956 state championship team. From there he went on to great success at the University of Northern Iowa, earning all-America honors in 1961 and 1962.
He qualified for the NCAA championship both years, placing fourth as a junior and second as a senior. After concluding his UNI career in 1962, Freeman coached two years at Billings (Mont.) West High School, highlighted by a third-place finish in 1964. Next came 27 years as head coach at Bettendorf (Iowa) High School, during which time he compiled a dual meet record of 250-72-7.
In between victories, he managed to squeeze in a master's degree from Northeast Missouri State Teachers College in 1970. Freeman's emphasis on mental as well as physical toughness produced 131 state qualifiers, 68 state place winners and eight state champions. Throughout the years, his teams won three Little Six Conference titles, three Mississippi Valley titles, 10 Mississippi Eight and MAC Conference championships, and 10 district team championships. He earned Iowa Coach of the Year honors in 1975 and 1988, and served as President of the Iowa High School Wrestling & Officials Association in 1979. He was named District (eight states) Coach of the Year in 1989, an honor he was nominated for in 1976 and again in 1992.
His teams at Bettendorf qualified for the state tournament seven times, placing third or higher six times. His career was highlighted by the 1982 team, which set a state tournament record at the time with 167.5 points (10 place winners) en route to its second consecutive state title.
In 1988, Freeman was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame. In 1995, he was inducted into the Cresco (Iowa) Hall of Fame.
Freeman is the co-author of the book "Concepts in Coaching Wrestling" and several wrestling videotapes.
Gerald Leeman
FULL BIO - Gerald Leeman won his first national wrestling title while still in high school, in addition to claiming three Iowa state titles. He suffered only one collegiate defeat while at UNI but had an undefeated dual meet mark. IN 1946, he captured the 128 pound national title and grabbed another national crown and a spot on the Olympic team, bringing home a silver medal in the 1948 London Games. He began his coaching career in the high school ranks and in 1953 was named head coach at Lehigh where his teams captured six Eastern team titles in 18 years. After retiring from wrestling in 1970, he remained active in other athletic programs.
Dave McCuskey
FULL BIO - A 1930 graduate of what is now UNI, he produced 122 wins, 31 losses and seven ties in 21 years as head coach. In 1950, he guided the Panthers to an NCAA title and added amateur crowns in 1949, Õ50, and Õ51, along with four national runners-up. In 1953, he moved to Iowa and built that foundation for the future. His Hawkeyes posted a mark of 160-69 with a third place national finish in 1962. In 1956 he coached the U.S. Freestyle Olympic team. In 25 years, his pupils won 25 individual crowns and two Olympic Golds. He retired in 1973.
Kirk Myers
FULL BIO - UNI has had a tradition of great wrestling over the years, and Kirk Myers helped make it so.
Myers graduated from Algona (Iowa) High School in 1977. He was a member of the wrestling team, but didn't wrestle varsity until his senior season. He then made good, finishing 32-0 with a state title.
It was this hard work and determination that caught the eye of then head Panther wrestling coach Chuck Patten. Myers' brother, Wayne, was competing in track at UNI, and not long after, Myers decided to come to Cedar Falls. It didn't take long for him to make his mark as he finished first in the NCAA Division II National Championships that year at 190 pounds. He also placed sixth in Division I at the same weight. 1979 brought about much of the same success for Myers, as he once again took home the Division II title at 190 pounds and a third-place finish in Division I.
In 1980, Myers brought home his third Division II title in the same number of years, but did not place in the Division I tournament. He redshirted the 1980-81 season, the first year the Panthers moved up to Division I competition. During his last season in 1982, he rounded out his collegiate career with a fifth-place finish in the Division I tournament at 190 pounds.
Myers' wrestling career definitely puts him among the best that have ever participated in the sport. He was the first wrestler in UNI history to win 30 or more matches in four consecutive years. He finished his career with 134 victories, including 61 pins. In 1981-82, he set the school record for pins in one season with 21. He also was voted MVP of the 1982 Midwest Regional Tournament. Myers graduated from UNI in 1982 with a degree in education.
Randy Omvig
FULL BIO - Randy Omvig captured four North Central Conference titles and was a four-time All-American at UNI from 1970-1975. He came to UNI after earning a state championship at Eagle Grove High School. He became the first individual to win four NCC title in the history of the league. He won the 190-pound NCC title as a freshman in 1970-71. After redshirting, he came back in 1972-73 and moved to heavyweight where he won his second NCC title, while placing fifth at the NCAA championship. He went 35-7 as a junior and placed fourth again at the NCAA meet. He capped his collegiate wrestling career with an individual national championship and team national championship in 1974-75. Omvig posted a career record of 116-29-1.
Chuck Patten
FULL BIO - Chuck Patten took over as head wrestling coach at UNI - one of the most successful mat programs in NCAA history - in 1965, guiding UNI to even more national recognition with 17 consecutive winning seasons and a pair of Division II titles. At the time of his retirement, his 218-86-8 career caching mark made him the winningest coach in the history of UNI wrestling. His guidance helped enrich that history by yielding 58 Division I or II All-Americans, along with 16 national champions. His 1975 and '78 squads earned Division II crowns, while the 1970, '72, '74 and '80 grapplers achieved second place finishes.
His teams have the distinction of winning, placing or showing in 11 of the 18 years he coached. He twice was honored as the Division II Coach of the Year and was named Midwest Regional Coach of the Year after his 1982 squad took the regional championship. In the 14 years his teams participated in the North Central Conference tournament, his wrestlers brought back the first place trophy 10 times and the runner-up award four times. In the Mid-Continent Conference, the Panthers won five consecutive titles. He retired from coaching in 1982.
Patten is a 1956 graduate of Waterloo East High School where he wrestled under Dave Natvig. He posted a 28-5-2 dual meet record in three years at State College of Iowa, including a 10-0-2 mark as a junior. He graduated from SCI in 1961 and received his master's from Oregon a year later. He began his coaching career at Exeter (Calif.) High School, guiding that team to the state title in only its second year of competition. He then moved to Reesport, Ore., for the 1963-64 season and again won the state title, with three state champions. His other accolades include receiving UNI Alumni Service and Achievement Awards in 1974 and 1975.
Bob Siddens
FULL BIO - With a dual record of 327 wins, 26 losses and three ties, Bob Siddens is one of the most successful high school wrestling coaches in Iowa history.
While coaching at West High School in Waterloo, Siddens' teams won 11 Iowa team championships, placed second seven times and took third place three times. He coached 51 individual state champions, 33 runners-up and 24 third-place finishers. His teams won 19 conference championships and 20 district championships.
Wrestlers coached by Siddens have had a great deal of success after high school, winning nine NCAA championships. The most recognizable wrestler he coached is University of Iowa coach Dan Gable.
For his achievements as a coach, Siddens has earned awards too numerous to list. Most notable among these are his Iowa Coach of the Year award in 1970, his National Scholastic Coach of the Year ared in 1974, his National High School Athletics Coach of the Year award in 1977, his Max Rappoport Masters of Wrestlers National Award in 1985, and his Iowa Athletics Coaches Association Recognition Award in 1987.
But, Siddens has been far more than a coach in his 41-year career. In his 'spare time,' Siddens has worked as an official for football, baseball and wrestling. He officiated 25 NCAA tournaments, along with many Big 8, Big Ten, North Central Conference and Mid-Continent tournaments. He also has written articles for several wrestling and officiating publications, including Amateur Wrestling News, Scholastic Wrestling News and Iowa High School Athletic News.
In 1969, he was elected to the Helms Hall of Fame, in 1977 he was inducted into the All Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, in 1979 to the Iowa Officials Hall of Fame, in 1980 to the USA Wrestling Hall of Fame, in 1988 to the National High School Hall of Fame and in 1990 to the Iowa Athletic Directors Hall of Fame.
In 1990, Siddens retired from the Waterloo School District, where he had served as a coach, teacher and athletic director since 1950.
Gary Steffensmeier
FULL BIO - Gary Steffensmeier wrestled for UNI from 1988-92, earning All-America honors at 150 pounds in each of his final three seasons.
He claimed his highest national finish as a sophomore in 1990 when he took second place at the NCAA Championships, and he followed up with fourth-place finishes in 1991 and 1992.
Steffensmeier concluded his career at UNI ranked No. 4 all-time in wins, holding a career record of 115-29-3. He was named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Team in 1991 and 1992.
As a senior in 1992, Steffensmeier became the first UNI wrestler to earn Academic All-America honors when he was named to the GTE Academic All-America third team.
1977-78 UNI Wrestling Team
FULL BIO - The 1977-78 UNI wrestling team captured the NCAA Division II national title for head coach Chuck Patten. The squad boasted three individual national champions – Gary Bentrim at 158 lbs., Keith Poolman at 167 lbs. and Kirk Myers at 190 lbs. UNI tallied seven place-winners at the 1978 NCAA Division II national championship meet. The Panthers went 12-4 in dual competition and claimed the North Central Conference title.
Wendell Williams
FULL BIO - A native of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, Wendell Williams is been considered one of the best defensive guards in Northern Iowa history.
Williams played football for the Panthers from 1958-61 and wrestled from 1960-62. He graduated in 1963 with a degree in Physical Education and later received his Masters and his Administration Certification in 1981.
Football was his primary sport as a Panther. He earned his first varsity letter as a sophomore, playing guard and wearing No. 60. In 1960, he helped UNI to nine straight victories and the North Central Conference Championship while being named first team all-conference and to other all-league teams. In 1961, as the school changed its name from Iowa State Teachers College to State College of Iowa, Williams was named All-American. As a team co-captain, he was named first team guard on the Little All-America Team by the Associated Press, as well as repeating his All-North Central Conference selection.
Williams went on to coach high school football for a number of area schools. He was named 1A District Coach of the Year in 1964 after his Gladbrook High School team won the conference championship. He then moved to Cedar Falls High School as a defensive coach from 1967-73, during which the school compiled a 41-21 record. After moving to Charles City, he became the head football coach from 1974-80 and was also an assistant wrestling coach.
Russell Bush
FULL BIO - Northern Iowa has tradition on the wrestling mat. It takes time to develop tradition.
In 1946, Russell Bush helped start this tradition.
Bush went to Waterloo West High School where he made a name for himself on the mat. In 1946, Bush decided to attend UNI, then State College, where he could put abilities under the national spotlight. His first season of action, Bush made it to the NCAA tournament, finishing third, losing to three-time champion David Arndt. The following year, Bush won the NCAA title at 128 pounds. Bush continued his wrestling career in 1949, seeing it end up much the same way as his first season, finishing third at the NCAA tournament.
Bush didn't give up when his college career ended, becoming national champion at the NAAU level. He is one of seven wrestlers to be named three-time Division I all-American. His achievements in the sport earned him a spot in the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Finn Eriksen
FULL BIO - One cannot begin to list the lifetime accomplishments of Finn Eriksen. A native of Denmark, Eriksen received his bachelor's degree from Iowa State Teachers College in 1931 and his master's from Columbia University in 1932. An outstanding gymnast in his native country, he spent over 50 years as a competitor, coach, official and educator of wrestling. He was one of the first ISTC wrestlers to win the then prestigious Midwest AAU 135 pound titles, in 1929 and 1931, and captained the Panthers in 1930. While studying for his master's he wrestled for the exclusive New York Athletic Club, going undefeated in two weight classes.
Eriksen started his coaching career at New Hampton (Iowa) High School, leading the team to its first state title. He left New Hampton in 1935 to take a teaching and coaching position at Waterloo West, becoming that school's first fulltime wrestling coach. He led Waterloo West to its first state title in 1942, with several more titles to follow.
Following World War II, he returned to Waterloo and was appointed Director of Health and Physical Education for the school system in 1947. Eriksen has officiated numerous high school and college wrestling meets, including the NCAA tournament, and served as official and judge at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland. He was appointed to the National Federation High School Rules Committee in 1960, serving 12 years. He also was appointed Metropolitan Athletic Director in 1971. In 1983, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and is a member of several other Halls of Fame and national organizations. In addition, he is the author of my articles published in professional journals and magazines.
Joel Greenlee
FULL BIO - Joel Greenlee wrestled for UNI from 1986-89, racking up more dual-meet wins than any other Panther in school history.
He never lost a match in a collegiate dual meet, putting up a record of 58-0-3 to become the school’s all-time leader. Greenlee also established the best career winning percentage ever for a Panther wrestler with his 127-16-4 (.864) record. His 127 total wins rank him fourth all-time in school history.
For his senior season, Greenlee went 44-2 and tallied 18 pins on his way to All-America honors for the second time.
He qualified for the NCAA National Championships all four seasons, taking fourth as a junior and second place as a senior at heavyweight.
Gene Lybbert
FULL BIO - A member of the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, Gene Lybbert lettered four years (1948-52) with the Iowa State Teachers College Panthers.
He was a Purple and Gold Award winner in 1952 after winning the NCAA championship. He finished third in the NCAAs in 1951 after claiming the NAAU title that same year. He placed second and fourth, respectively, in the NAAU Championships in 1949 and 1950.
Lybbert, a 1948 graduate of Cresco (Iowa) High School, earned his bachelor's degree at ISTC in 1952 and was one of the original members of the Panther Athletic Club. His coaching career included four seasons at Blue Earth (Minn.) High School where he guided the wrestling team to three first-place finishes (1956-57-58) in state competition. His 1955 squad was a state finalist.
Born Jan. 9, 1930, he served two years in the U.S. Army in Korea.
Jim Miller
FULL BIO - Jim Miller, a 1971 graduate of East Waterloo High School, didn’t travel too far from home to attend college.
A high school standout, he compiled a 43-11 record and finished third in the state at 134 pounds in 1971. He came to UNI and became one of the team’s premier wrestlers, where he accumulated 128 wins and a meager 22 losses while wrestling for head coach Chuck Patten. During his stint at UNI, he was a NCAA Division II champion in 1974 and ’75, when he also was a Division I All-American with second- and fourth-place finishes. Miller was selected twice for the National Wrestling Coaches Associations All-Star Meet, and in 1976 was the National Open Freestyle runner-up. He earned his B.A. degree in 1975 and a M.A. in 1988.
After earning his B.A., he went on to coach at Charles City (Iowa) High School, serving as head coach from 1978-83, compiling a 55-10 record. In 1979, he was selected Iowa’s High School Coach of the Year for class 3A. His team finished in the top 10 five out of the six years. He returned to UNI in 1983 to become an assistant coach, serving until 1991. In 1989, he was named the Top Assistant Coach by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.
In 1991, he became the head coach at Wartburg College, where he put together an amazing run as head coach of the Knights, having been named NCAA Division III Coach of the Year numerous times, and annually competing for the NCAA national championship. In 1994, he was inducted into the East Waterloo Hall of Fame, the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1999, and into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2000.
Davis Natvig
FULL BIO - Davis "Dave" Natvig was a wrestler for Iowa State Teachers College from 1934-38. During his three years on the varsity squad, he made quite a name for himself in Panther history.
Natvig came to ISTC already with many accomplishments. At New Hampton High School, he was undefeated his junior and senior seasons and won the state 85-pound title as a junior and 95-pound title as a senior. His team tied Cresco for the state crown. At ISTC, Natvig lost only one dual match during three years of varsity competition and placed high at nationals, earning All-America honors twice. In 1937, he placed second in the 118 pound class and followed that up with a third-place finish in 1938. As a senior, he set six records and tied one.
After earning his bachelor's degree, he was named head coach at Gilmore City where he coached on champion in his one season. To many wrestling fans around Iowa, Natvig always will be remembered as the former coach of Waterloo East High School. His accomplishments there are extraordinary. From 1946-70, Natvig coached 40 individual state champions, including his son, Steve, in 1969, and led the Trojans to seven state titles and three runners-up status. He finished with a 217-40-8 record. Natvig also officiated, working meets at both the prep and collegiate levels.
Kent Osboe
FULL BIO - Kent Osboe, a native of Fort Dodge, Iowa, was a two-time national champion and a three-time All-American as a Panther heavyweight wrestler from 1966-1969.
Osboe posted a career mark of 67-9 with 35 falls.
Osboe placed second in the NCAA Division II tournament as a sophomore in 1967. Osboe then won back-to-back heavyweight Division II national titles in 1968 and 1969. Osboe was the first heavyweight to win a national title at UNI.
In 1967, Osboe posted a 10-4 record with five pins. Osboe went 28-2 with 15 pins in 1968. Osboe finished his career as a senior with a mark of 29-3 with 15 falls in 1969.
At the 1969 NCAA Division I Championship meet in Provo, Utah, Osboe placed sixth overall in the heavyweight division.
Osboe won three consecutive North Central Conference heavyweight titles in 1967, 1968 and 1969. He never lost an NCC match in his collegiate career.
He participated in the 1969 NCAA East-West All-Star meet hosted by Penn State University in State College, Pa.
He was inducted into the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2000.
After graduating from UNI in 1970 with a degree in physical education and health, he taught and coached at St. Ansgar High School in St. Ansgar, Iowa and St. Edmond’s High School in Fort Dodge, Iowa. He also served as a production supervisor for Hormel Foods, Inc., in Austin, Minn.
Rich Powers
FULL BIO - 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.
Bill Smith
FULL BIO - Bill Smith powered his way to two NCAA wrestling titles in 1949 and 1950 and added three national freestyle firsts while compiling an undefeated dual record of 52-0-1. He won the Olympic Gold Medal at 160.5 pounds in the 1952 games in Helsinki. As a coach, his Rock Island, Ill., team produced a 57-5 record and a state title. Moving to the collegiate ranks, he coached Nebraska to four winning seasons and then spent 10 years as mentor to the Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif., winning seven titles. In 1968, he was named coach of the Canadian Olympic team. He then returned to high school coaching in California.
1950 SCI Wrestling Team
FULL BIO - The 1950 wrestling team accomplished a feat no other team in UNI history had ever done, claim a national championship.
Not only did the 1950 Iowa State Teachers College wrestling team win the NCAA team title, but it also won the AAU championship.
The Panthers outlasted Big Ten Champion Purdue by a final dual score of 30-16 to claim the NCAA Championship. At the AAU championships, the Panthers took the title at the expense of then intrastate rival Cornell College by a score of 44-40. In addition to the two team titles, three of the Panther wrestlers – Keith Young, Bill Nelson and Bill Smith – won NCAA individual championships that year.
Under the direction of head coach Dave McCuskey the 1950 Panthers finished with an unblemished 11-0 record in dual matches, including wins over Oklahoma, Purdue, Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa State.
The Panthers had placed second in the NCAA meet three times prior to the 1950 national championships and had previously captured the AAU title in 1949. The 1950 team still remains as the only team sport at UNI to win a Division I national title.
Following their wrestling careers at Iowa State Teachers College, many of the 1950 team members continued to contribute to the sport of wrestling, including many with illustrious coaching and officiating careers.
Members of the championship 1950 wrestling team included: Head Coach Dave McCuskey, Assistant Coach Paul Cameron, Frank Altman, Luverne Klar, Floyd Oglesby, Fred Stoeker, Bill Smith, Keith Young, Bill Nelson, Martin Lundvall, Gene Lybbert, Chuck Edwards, Lowell Cook, Dick Eisenlauer, Clyde Bean, Glen Salzbrenner, Walt Sherman, Cloyce Smith, G.K Blenderman, Lee Wachenheim, Lindy Solon, Don Miller, Russ Fullbright, John Harrison and Max Long.
Lee Wachenheim
FULL BIO - It is a wonderful gift of a collegiate athlete to give back to the younger generation that follows. Lee Wachenheim is one of these special people. He attended Iowa State Teacher's College from 1947 to 1951, where he was a member of the wrestling and football teams.
He made his presence known from day one on the football team. In 1947, he was named honorable mention all-North Central Conference for his outstanding play at tackle. He was an all-conference selection from 1948-51. He also was honorable mention Little All-America his senior year. Perhaps his most impressive statistic was that during his last two seasons, he played all but 2:09 of all of the games on both offense and defense.
Wachenheim also was a letterwinner on the wrestling team from 1949-1951. In 1950, under Coach Dave McCuskey, ISTC finished first in the nation. His other achievements include being named to Who's Who in American Universities and Colleges in 1950-51, to the 1950-51 House Council, an officer in the LettermanÕs Club from 1948-51, he was on the Interfraternity Council, and has been a Phi Delta Kappa Life Member since 1952.
Wachenheim graduated in 1951 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Education. He then went on to Corning, Iowa, where he was the physical education and industrial arts teacher from 1951-54, was well as an assistant football and basketball coach. He established that school's wrestling program in 1952, and he was the head coach until 1954. He then went to Colorado State College of Education in Greeley, Colo., where he received his Master of Arts degree in educational administration.
From 1954-55, he went to Guttenburg High School in Guttenburg, Iowa, where he was the physical education and health teacher. He went on to establish that school's football program, serving as head football and basketball coach. Wachenheim then moved to York Community High School in Elmhurst, Ill., in 1955, as a physical education and mechanical drawing teacher until 1988. He also was a driver's education teacher and Director of Driver's Education. He was named Who's Who in American Education in 1955-56. During his tenure there, Wachenheim was an assistant football and wrestling coach, head wrestling coach, and freshman/sophomore baseball coach.
Kaye Don Young
FULL BIO - Kaye Don Young has been a staple in the state of Iowa's wrestling success for 50 years.
A graduate of Waterloo East High, he placed third at the state meet in 1953 before representing UNI (then Iowa State Teachers College) in the 1954 AAU tournament where he won the championship.
His career at UNI was interrupted when he was drafted into the United States Navy in 1956. He went on to wrestle for the Naval Training Station in San Diego for two years. In 1958, he returned to UNI, finishing his degree in physical education in 1959. He received his M.A. from UNI in 1969.
Young began his coaching career early at Maquoketa (Iowa) High School. He was assistant football coach and head wrestling coach as well as starting the golf program for both men and women. His golf teams advanced to the state tournament seven out of the 11 seasons he coached, crowning one state champion. He posted an overall record of 77 wins and 14 losses. His teams won the conference championship six times and the sectional championship six times.
In 1966, Young took a job at Wartburg College as the interim wrestling coach and an assistant football coach. Along with teaching duties, he was the Assistant Dean of Students and a counselor.
Young went to North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) in 1968, hired to initiate a wrestling program. In their inaugural year, the Trojans placed 14th at the National Junior College Tournament. In the second year of their program, they finished 10th. The next three years saw the Trojans place second in back-to-back-to-back years before taking home the big trophy in 1973 in dominating fashion, scoring almost double the points of the second-place team. Young coached a wrestler by the name of Joe Hatchett who went on to become a two-time national champion and Joe Corso, who represented the United States in the 1976 Olympics.
The wrestling program at NIACC was shut down in 1977 due to a financial crunch. In the nine years that the program operated, Young's teams placed in the top 25 nationally eight times. The Trojans brought home trophies six of those seasons by placing in the top six. His overall record was 115-16-2. In 1973, he was named National Junior College Coach of the Year. In, 1981, he was inducted into the National Junior College Hall of Fame, and in 1985 into the Waterloo East High School's Hall of Fame.
Sandy Stevens
FULL BIO - Sandy Stevens is one of the top ambassadors for the sport of wrestling. She is recognized globally as the voice of wrestling, but she has never forgotten her UNI roots.
Stevens earned her bachelor of arts in English teaching from the State College of Iowa. She and her late husband, Bob “Bear” Stevens, moved to Cedar Rapids after earning their collegiate degrees. Bear was beginning his job as the first wrestling coach at Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School and the night before a meet he realized he needed an announcer. He asked Sandy if she would do it and she has not looked back.
Nearly a half century has passed since that night in Cedar Rapids and Sandy has enjoyed every stop along the way including announcing the NCAA Division I Championships for 34 years, multiple world championships, numerous independent and high school tournaments along with a pair of Olympic games (1984 – Los Angeles; 1996 – Atlanta).
She has received the Order of Merit from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Meritorious Service Award from the National Wrestling Coaches Association and the International “Exceptionelle” ranking from United World Wrestling. She was also a 2002 inductee into the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Sandy started the “Pledges for Pins” initiative at UNI in the fall of 2007. The program has generated more than $132,000 and has drawn wrestling support from 17 states.
In the fall of 2015, Stevens helped create the Bear and Sandy Stevens Head Wrestling Coach Endowment at the University of Northern Iowa. Funds from this endowment will be used to support the salary of the UNI wrestling coach position. This isn’t the first time that Stevens has given back to UNI as she was the lead donor in the wrestling room renovation project in the West Gym and has endowed two wrestling scholarships.
Stevens is a board member of both the UNI Foundation and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. She continues to represent UNI in the Chicago area in a variety of capacities, including assisting UNI’s admissions counselors in recruiting Chicago-land residents to attend UNI.
When she is not behind the microphone, she enjoys spending time with her children (Scott and Summer) and her grandchildren (Ben, Julia, Allison, Madeleine and Cameron).