Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Southwestern Oklahoma State

 When it comes to collegiate wrestling the state of Oklahoma with the domination of the Oklahoma State Cowboys & the Oklahoma Sooners at NCAA Division I & the competitiveness of Central Oklahoma at NCAA Division II, it more than holds its place as a "wrestling state."  Had the Bulldogs of Southwestern Oklahoma State never dropped their wrestling program, they too would be in the discussion. 

An hour and a half from Norman & two hours from Stillwater, the Bulldogs used to dual the both the Sooners & and Cowboys on regular occasions.  

Arnold "Swede" Umbach 

One of the most prolific names in the sport of wrestling,  Arnold "Swede" Umbach wrestled collegiately for Southwestern Oklahoma State.  During his time as a Bulldog he won four conference titles.  He then coached wrestling at the high school level for a while, before taking over the program at Auburn.  He led the Tigers to an impressive dual record of 249-28, winning twenty five of twenty six Southeastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (SEIWA) titles & producing 128 individual SEIWA champions.  

He was also the brain-child behind the SEC (Southeastern Conference) deciding to officially sponsor wrestling, which they did from 1969-1970 through 1980-1981.  In many ways Swede Umbach was the father of growing wrestling in the south as during his time many colleges & universities took up wrestling.  

Unfortunately & some will blame Title IX as others like myself will blame greedy football coaches like Charlie Pell & Pat Dye, much of the work Umbach did was erased through the discontinuations of many of these wrestling programs.   Nearly every team that competed in the SEIWA tournaments & every team that competed in the SEC, no longer has wrestling.   

Nevertheless there was a time when the schools in the south DID have wrestling programs & coach Umbach had a lot to do with why. 

Ralph Teague

A three time conference champion, Teague went 50-3 during his career at Southwestern Oklahoma State.  He earned a spot on the 1936 Olympic team, but was unable to compete due to a knee injury. 

Arthur Sweet

Arthur Sweet got the job done regardless of the location.  In the classroom Sweet recorded the highest GPA of any student that had ever attended Southwestern Oklahoma State when he graduated.  On the football field he helped the Bulldogs to a 1933 conference championship.  As a wrestler, he won PAN-American gold.  He later stated the wrestling program at Northern Oklahoma College. (Unfortunately it too has since been dropped). 

Ernie Stout 

Stout won the 1937 NCAA wrestling championship & later became heavily involved in the Los Angeles Athletic Club's wrestling team before going into a life of teaching & eventually taking on the role of Superintendent. 

Foy Stout

Foy Stout earned two NCAA All American honors during his time as a Bulldog.  After taking runner-up honors in 1933, he finished third in 1934. 

He would then spend the next 38 years at Sulphur High school where he taught science & industrial arts while coaching football, wrestling & baseball. 

M.L. Sims 

M.L. Sims was a force to be reckoned with on both the gridiron and the wrestling mat.  Named All-Conference in Football, he won a conference title in wrestling in 1939.  Post college he served our country as a member of the Navy in World War II.  He later became Principal at  Roosevelt High School. 

Orville Long 

Long spent three years in the Navy During World War II before enrolling at Southwestern Oklahoma State on the G.I. Bill.   Taking up football, wrestling & baseball, he excelled at all three.  On the football field, he once caught a 95 yard pass & scored a touch down in a victory over Central Oklahoma. A record that stood long after it happened.   As a wrestler he won a conference title.  

He then taught & coached at Cordell High school, where he reinstated the wrestling program that had laid dormant for over twenty years.   We sadly lost Long in 1995. 

Steve England 

Another standout athlete for Southwestern Oklahoma State was Steve England who stood out as much on the mat as he did on the gridiron.  As a football player, he was named All-Conference in 1932, 1933 & 1934.  He helped lead his team to conference titles in 1932 & 1933.  He was so good that the Detroit Lions offered him a contract immediately after his senior season was complete, but England turned it down because he had his heart sat on teaching and coaching instead. 

As a wrestler he won four conference titles & earned NCAA All American honors twice.  In 1934 as a junior he finished in third place, making the NCAA finals as a senior in 1935.  The next year he was a member of the Olympic Team.