Defending the Title: 1929: Who Did and Didn't Defend their titles

 As discussed in the article concerning the 1928 champions, only one of the seven crowned in Ames, Iowa that day would go on to win another title.  Canadian Earl McCready of Oklahoma State was only a sophomore at the time. He'd go on to win two more titles in 1929 & 1930 before becoming a superstar in professional wrestling. 

1929 Champion 115
Joe Sapora of Illinois 

Sapora who was a junior at the time would repeat as champion again in 1930. 

1929 Champion 125
Laurence Mantooth of Oklahoma 

Like Sapora, Mantooth was a junior and would repeat as champion in 1930. 

1929 Champion 135
George Minot of Illinois 

Minot who was a senior at the time of his NCAA title first began wrestling at the University of Illinois as his high school did not have a wrestling program. 

1929 Champion 145
George Bancroft of Oklahoma State 

Not 100% positive but believe that Bancroft was a senior when he won the NCAA title. 

1929 Champion 155
Jack Van Bebber of Oklahoma State 

One of the first products of the legendary Perry, Oklahoma team Van Bebber was destined for greatness from the start. 1929 marked his first NCAA title as a sophomore.  He'd go on to win two more in 1930 and 1931. 

1929 Champion 165
Conrad Caldwell of Oklahoma State 

Ed Gallagher was such a good wrestling coach that he could take a kid that had only wrestled two matches in his entire life, enter him in the NCAA tournament and see him walk out as champion. 1929 would be the first of Caldwell's titles, as he went on to win two more in 1930 and 1931. 

1929 Champion 175
Glen Stafford of Cornell 

Seeing East coast schools win NCAA titles is a year in an year out event in the modern era. With schools like Penn State, they often win more than one weight class.  It wasn't always like that. In fact, it wasn't until Glen Stafford of Cornell won the NCAA title that a east coast school crowned it's first champion.  A two time EIWA champion, who had also placed at the EIWA championships in 1927 before the first NCAA tournament in 1928, Stafford was a senior at the time of his NCAA title. 


Previously mentioned in the article regarding 1928, Earl McCready was our champion at the UNL weight class. 


1929's stats? 

Of the 8 champions...

5 went on to recapture more NCAA titles 
3 Were Seniors