Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Mount St. Clare

The history of Mount St. Clare wrestling is quite confusing.   For one the school has gone through an assortment of different names as well as divisions.  From 1918-1979 it was a junior college.  To my understanding a junior college without athletics.  In the fall of 1978 it turned into a four year institution.  

Not only has the school been known as Mount St. Clare, but it has also been known as The Franciscan University, The Franciscan University of Prairies & Ashford.  I think at the time the school had a wrestling program it was always Mount St. Clare.  However, what confuses me about that is in NAIA records they're listed as Ashford.   To make things even more confusing according to the Wikipedia page, the school never had a wrestling program.   

What I do know is that they did indeed have wrestling.  The wrestling program was started by the legendary Dan Knight of Clinton High school who went 128-0 winning four Iowa state titles.  He took All American honors for the Iowa State Cyclones as a freshman in 1989, but had his career cut short due to a neck injury he suffered in the BIG 12 finals in 1990.    The Saints to my knowledge were always NAIA & they competed in the Midwest Collegiate Conference (MCC).  Although some claim they were also NCAA Division III.  If so, I have yet to find any information of them wrestling at the D3 level. 

Today Ashford is strictly an online University.  

Rick Moreno
149 lbs 

A two time state champion out of Glenwood High school, Moreno finished up his high school career with a record of 134-11.  He began his collegiate career at North Idaho where in 1995 he finished seventh at the NJCAA's.  Competing for Mount St. Clare he won a NAIA title in 1999 as a junior.  He opted to not wrestle his senior season.  

Today Moreno works in Forest Service. 

Clint Long
HWT

The story of Clint Long is an inspiring one.  He graduated from North Scott High school in 1984 & had already been coaching both wrestling & football at the high school level when Dan Knight coaxed him into getting his college degree & joining the wrestling team.  Thirteen years post high school graduation, Long entered Mount St. Clare as a freshman.  Say what you will about old age & rust, Long made the NAIA finals in 1999 & in 2000.  He finished his career with a fifth place finish in 2001. 

Charlies Bishop
177 

Bishop earned All American at the NAIA level with a fourth place finish in 2001

Hiram Heysinger
165 lbs 

Heysinger who today runs a wrestling club in Dubuque, earned a third place finish at the 2001 NAIA tournament.