The 1947 NCAA tournament was unique for a variety of different reasons. Perhaps best known and certainly most celebrated, the small private school of Cornell College winning the NCAA team title. As notable three of the NCAA champions being from the same high school and two of the champions crowned that night that many feel could have been our first four time champions had it not been for injuries.
It should also be noted that four of the NCAA champions were freshmen. Post World War II there was a small period of time where freshmen were eligible, until they went back to being ineligible , until gaining back their eligibility in 1968.
As to returning champions, Northern Iowa's Bill Koll repeated at 145 lbs as the other seven champions were crowned for the first time.
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| 1947 Champion 121 Dick Hauser of Cornell (IA) |
One of the three Waterloo West High school graduates crowned that day, Hauser was a sophomore for the Rams. He would come back as a senior in 1949 to place third at the NCAA's.
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| 1947 Champion 128 Russ Bush of Northern Iowa |
Another Waterloo West High School graduate, Bush had made the NCAA finals as a freshman in 1946 losing to Bud Arndt of Oklahoma State. As a sophomore in 1947, he took the NCAA title. Unfortunately hurt during his junior year of 1948, Bush made a comeback in 1949 to finish third at the NCAA tournament as a senior. Post college Bush coached at various colleges including Purdue, Eastern Michigan and Army.
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| 1947 Champion 136 Lowell Lange of Cornell (IA) |
And yet a third Waterloo West high school graduate to win an NCAA title, Lange was only a freshman in 1947. Many believe that Lange might very well have been our first four time NCAA champion had it not been for missing the 1948 collegiate season due to an automobile accident. Fortunately, Lange was healed up enough to make the Olympic team that summer as he came back to win two more NCAA titles in 1949 and 1950.
Post College Lange revived the Yellowjacket wrestling program at Georgia Tech that had been previous dropped. He coached from the 1963-1964 season up until the program was unfortunately dropped again after the 1986-1987 season.
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| 1947 Champion 155 Gale Mikles of Michigan State |
It is said that if the NCAA had sponsored racketball in the 1940's, Mikles likely would have been a national champion in two sports. The Tulsa, Oklahoma native won his NCAA title as a junior, finishing as the NCAA runner-up in 1948.
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| 1947 Champion 165 Bill Nelson of Northern Iowa |
Like Lange, Bill Nelson was only a freshman when he captured his first NCAA title for the Panthers in 1947. Ironically also like Lange, he missed out on the 1948 season due to injury, but was healed up enough in time to make the 1948 Olympic team. Like Lange, Nelson came back strong to win two more NCAA titles in 1949 and 1950 and like Lange, many believe had it not been for missing his sophomore season due to injury, Nelson would've likely been a four time NCAA champion. Post college, Nelson coached at Arizona up until the Wildcats dropped their program.
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| 1947 Champion 175 Joe Scarpello of Iowa |
Another freshman to be crowned NCAA champion that day, the Omaha Central high school native would finish third in 1948 and NCAA runner-up in 1949, before being crowned champion again in 1950. Post college Scarpello enjoyed a career in professional wrestling where he was known as "Jumpin'" Joe Scarpello.
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| 1947 Champion UNL Dick Hutton of Oklahoma State |
Although a down year for Oklahoma State, the cowboys were still able to finish in third place, crowning four All Americans, one of which, Dick Hutton won the NCAA title. He'd go on to win two more titles in 1948 and 1950, taking NCAA runner-up honors in 1949, the only loss of his entire collegiate career. Losing on riding time 1-1 to Minnesota's Vern Gagne. Post his outstanding collegiate career Hutton had success in professional wrestling.
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1947 Whoa! What a noteworthy year in NCAA wrestling!
Bill Kill wins his second of what would eventually be three titles
Dick Hauser, Russ Bush and Lowell Lange all teammates at Waterloo West High School win the first three titles. Hauser and Bush (who had finished 2nd in 1946) would both finish third in 1949.
1948 was obviously a bad luck year for injuries as Bush, Lowell Lange and Bill Nelson all had to miss the collegiate season because of them. Yet, both Lange and Nelson heal up enough in time to become Olympians in 1948.
Lange, Nelson, Joe Scarpello and Dick Hutton all win NCAA titles as freshmen. Lange and Nelson go on to win two more titles, many believing that had it not been for injuries, both could have likely been our first four time champions. Hutton also wins two more titles, missing out on what could have been a fourth NCAA title by a nose hair.
Gale Mikles finishes as the NCAA runner-up in 1948.
Both Scarpello and Hutton go on to successful careers in professional wrestling
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