Defending the Title: 1958: Those Who Did and Those who Didn't Defend The Title

 Dick Delgado of Oklahoma and Bob Norman of Illinois both won title #2 to end their collegiate careers. 

1958 champion 123 
Paul Powell of Pittsburgh 

Thankfully the rules of yesteryear are different than the rules of today or we might not have gotten to see Paul Powell win the NCAA title.  You see he missed the EIWA championships due to the flu.  A junior in 1958, Powell had to injury default to a fourth place finish at the EIWA's in 1959, missing the NCAA's as senior. 

1958 Champion 130 
Les Anderson of Iowa State  

Competing for Dale Brand, Anderson won a state title for Clarion high school before coming to Iowa State. Winning the NCAA title as a sophomore in 1958, Anderson would settle for runner-up honors in 1959, winning his second NCAA title in 1960.  He then coached wrestling at both the high school and collegiate level.  He led Blue Earth to top finishes of third and fourth at the Minnesota state championships, coaching at both Washington and Iowa State later on.  Anderson is credited as one of the brains behind the idea of running wrestling camps at Universities and colleges. 

1958 Champion 137
Paul Aubrey of Oklahoma 

After finishing 4th at the NCAA's in 1957 as a sophomore, Aubrey won the NCAA title as a junior in 1958. He'd finish in third place for the Sooners as a senior in 1959.  Post college, Aubrey became a Marine flying A4-Skyhawks during the Vietnam war. Retiring from the military, he later flew for UPS. 

1958 Champion 147 
Ron Gray of Iowa State 

A three time State Champion out of Eagle Grove, Gray won his first NCAA title for the Cyclones in 1958. He'd repeat again in 1959.  He later coached at Franklin and Marshall as well as Kent State, where he led the Golden Flashes to 6 Mid American Conference titles. 

1958 Champion 157 
Dick Beattie of Oklahoma State 

Already an Olympian in 1956, Beattie won the NCAA title in 1958, repeating again his senior season in 1959. 

1958 Champion 167 
Duane Murty of Oklahoma State 

Winning the NCAA title as a junior, Murty finished third at the NCAA's in 1959. 

1958 Champion 177
Gary Kurdelmeier of Iowa 

A two time state champion of Cresco High school, Kurdelmeier won the NCAA title for the Hawkeyes as a senior in 1958.  He later coached at both Iowa Falls and Cedar Rapids Jefferson before taking over at Iowa where he led the Hawkeyes to three BIG 10 titles and 2 NCAA titles going 51-7 in duals.  As much as Kurdelmeier achieved as both a wrestler and as a coach, perhaps his greatest contribution to the sport of wrestling was being the main culprit responsible for bringing Dan Gable to Iowa.  It should also be noted the Kurdelmeier was instrumental in trying to grow collegiate wrestling in the south, having started and coached at Georgia State. 

1958 Champion 191 
Ken Maidlow of Michigan State 

A state champion for nearby Lansing Sexton high school, Maidlow was a senior when he won the NCAA title for the Spartans.  His son Steve would later play football for the Spartans, being named All BIG 10 in his final two seasons. He later played in the NFL for both the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills. 

=== 

Delgado and Norman previously mentioned 

Anderson would not repeat in 1959 but would repeat in 1960.  

Gray and Beattie repeated in 1959. 

Powell, Aubrey and Murty did not repeat as champions 

Kurdelmeier and Maidlow were both seniors