Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Ball State

I don't know if you could have ever referred to them as "Mat State" but at one time the Ball State Cardinals had a pretty respectable wrestling program. Through the early 70's through the early 80's, they produced some quality talent.

Allen Thomas

An NCAA participant in 1962, Allen Thomas ended his career with a record of 50-14.  Out of those 50 victories, 35 of them were by fall.

167 lbs
George Beene

George Beene began his career at Triton Community College where he won NJCAA titles in 1970 & 1971.  Wrestling for the Cardinals, he qualified for the NCAA championships in 1972 & 1973.

126 lbs
John Smith

Yes believe it or not, in wrestling their is another John Smith & this one competed for Ball State.  Smith had an outstanding senior season in 1973 going 24-6, taking sixth place at the NCAA championships.

HWT
Pete Lee 

A standout on the Cardinal football team who lettered three times, Lee won a regional championship in wrestling in 1973.  He later made the 1976 Olympic team & was an alternate to Jeff Blatnik, when Blatnik won the Gold medal.

177 & 190 lbs
Al Manning 

A graduate of Miamisburg High school in Ohio, Manning made an immediate impact for the Cardinals by qualifying for the NCAA championships his freshman year in 1975.  Failing to make it back to the NCAA's as a sophomore and junior, Manning dropped down to 177 lbs for his final season.  He won the Mid-American Conference championship, qualified for this second NCAA appearance and finished his career with a 75-12 record.

He later went on to become the head coach of Wright State (Nebraska) a program we no longer have.

Dennis Lewis
126 & 134 

A two time state champion from New York, Lewis qualified for the NCAA championships on three occasions for the Cardinals.  Winning a Mid-American Conference title as a junior in 1978, he finished as the runner up in 1977 & took third place in 1979.

Post College Lewis would go on to be a long time coach at Northwood High School where he would end his career with 205 dual meet victories.

Craig Newberg 

An NCAA qualifier for the Cardinals in 1981 & 1982, Newberg would go on to coach at Northmont high school post his collegiate career.