In the discussion of the best Division II team that the sport of wrestling has ever lost, Nebraska-Omaha as it rightly deserves is often brought up. Yet a team that deserves as much attention for not only their success in Division II, but their success in wrestling period, is Portland State.
The Vikings at one time were one of the best wrestling programs in the entire country. I would go as far to say that they were the best program in the Western part of the United States of all time.
We're talking 10 top 10 finishes in NCAA Division II wrestling. Three championships, two runner up finishes, a third and a fourth. In 1989 they entered five wrestlers into the NCAA Division II tournament and all five walked out NCAA champions. They are the only team in all of collegiate wrestling, NCAA DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, NJCAA & CCCAA to where every wrestler entered at the national tournament won their weight class.
They also had success at the Division I level, placing in the top 10 on three occasions. To add to their success they finished in sixth place at the 1965 NAIA tournament.
Narrowing it down to there best wrestlers was extremely difficult. The Vikings produced so much talent that a book on PSU wrestling could easily be written. Today that acronym is associated with Penn State University but at one time if you said, "PSU wrestling" it stood for Portland State.
The best in Viking history....
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| 115, 123 lbs Rick Sanders |
Competing for the Vikings, Sanders earned All American honors on seven occasions, winning five national titles. As a freshman in 1965 he won the NAIA title. As a sophomore in 1966 he finished in third in Division II and won the Division I title. As a junior he won both the Division II and Division I title. As a senior in 1968 he won the Division II title and finished in second place at the Division I tournament.
During college Sanders placed at the World Championships during his sophomore and junior seasons taking a bronze in 1966 & a silver in 1967. Post his senior year, he took a silver medal at the 1968 Olympic Games. During this time, he faced Dan Gable and defeated him by a score of 6-0.
He would win a World gold in 1969 and then take another Silver medal at the Olympic games in 1972. Shortly after the Olympics, Sanders began hitchhiking throughout Europe. He was killed in an automobile accident in Yugoslavia.
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| 137 lbs Masaru Yatabe |
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| Clarence "Chuck" Seal 152, 145 lbs |
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| 134, 142 lbs Bob Bergen |
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| 167 lbs Junior Johnson |
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| 134, 142 lbs Mike Mathies |
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| 150, 158, 167 lbs Kevin Benson |
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| 142, 177 lbs Rick McReynolds |
A three time NCAA qualifier for the Vikings, McReynolds took eighth place at the 1983 NCAA championships as a senior. Post his collegiate career he stayed on with Portland State as an assistant to the athletic director helping out various PSU sports in various ways. He also coached wrestling and taught P.E. at both Estacada & Franklin high schools.
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| 150 lbs Charlie Lucas |
An assistant coach at Portland State when the program was dropped after the 2008-2009 season, Lucas also coached at Pacific University.
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| 150, 158, 167 lbs Dan Russell |
A two time Olympic alternate, Russell was a coach for the 2004 Olympics.
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| 177 lbs Scott Mansur |
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| 126 lbs Tony Amado |
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| Hiag Brown 126, 150 lbs |
A rather interesting and unique story, Hiag Brown's college wrestling career in itself would make a great Hollywood motion picture. Competing for the Vikings, Brown had a phenomenal freshman season winning the 1987 NCAA Division II title with a 39-3 record. As a sophomore in 1988 he placed third. Needing a change of scenery, Brown transferred to the east coast to compete for Virginia State. There he took fourth at the Division II championships as a junior. Virginia State dropped their wrestling program after the 1988-1989 season. Devestated and depressed, Brown quit school as well as wrestling.
He spent the next three years working until he was encouraged to finish up his degree at Portland State. Still having a year of eligibility he was talked into going back out for wrestling. At the time he had ballooned up to 200 lbs. He dropped fifty pounds and did the impossible by winning the 1994 NCAA Division II championship.
A two time state champion for John Marshall high school, Broderick Lee won three NCAA Division II titles for the Vikings in 1989, 90' & 91'. Post his collegiate career Lee won a bronze medal at the 1993 PAN-American championships and a silver medal in 1997. We unfortunately lost Lee in 2003.
An NCAA Division II champion as a junior in 1989, West would miss most of his senior season with an injury. Despite his hardship, he still made the Division II finals taking runner up honors. His sophomore season of 1988, he made the Olympic team.
A two time NCAA Division II champion in 1990 & 1992, Sisson finished as the runner-up in 1993. He had 85 career victories during his time as a Viking.
When Portland State first fielded a wrestling program the school was known as Vanport. During this time one of their brightest stars was Willie Bauer who won three conference titles.
Everyone knows the story of Dan Gable going into the NCAA Division I finals as a senior with a collegiate record of 117-0 in route become the first undefeated three time champion. Everyone knows that he lost 13-11 to Larry Owings of Washington. Every bit as dramatic and heartbreaking is the story of Tony Champion. A wrestler named appropriately if there has ever been one.
Champion was destined to become the second four time NCAA Division II champion in school history and the third overall when he lost his final collegiate match in the finals to Mike Leberknight a junior of Northern Colorado 5-3 sudden victory. Leberknight for what it is worth would repeat as champion in 1993.
As you can see Portland State Wrestling was a landmark in west. A part of the spirit of wrestling died when the program was dropped and a void the size of the Grand Canyon has been left. In my opinion which many will disagree, I feel what hurt PSU wrestling the most was the permanent move to Division I. Some schools thrive at the Division II level and have trouble adjusting to Division I.
He spent the next three years working until he was encouraged to finish up his degree at Portland State. Still having a year of eligibility he was talked into going back out for wrestling. At the time he had ballooned up to 200 lbs. He dropped fifty pounds and did the impossible by winning the 1994 NCAA Division II championship.
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| 118, 126 Broderick Lee |
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| 142, 150 lbs Travis West |
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| 142 lbs James Sisson |
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| Willie Bauer |
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| 177 lbs Tony Champion |
Champion was destined to become the second four time NCAA Division II champion in school history and the third overall when he lost his final collegiate match in the finals to Mike Leberknight a junior of Northern Colorado 5-3 sudden victory. Leberknight for what it is worth would repeat as champion in 1993.
As you can see Portland State Wrestling was a landmark in west. A part of the spirit of wrestling died when the program was dropped and a void the size of the Grand Canyon has been left. In my opinion which many will disagree, I feel what hurt PSU wrestling the most was the permanent move to Division I. Some schools thrive at the Division II level and have trouble adjusting to Division I.
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