Defending The Title: 1960: Those Who Did and Those Who Didn't Defend Their Title

 Dave Auble of Cornell, Stan Abel of Oklahoma, and Larry Hayes and Les Anderson both of Iowa State all won title #2. 

1960 Champion 115
Gray Simons of Lock Haven 

The legendary Gray Simons competed mainly in the NAIA, but during a time when NAIA champions could compete in the NCAA championships.  As a result he won four NAIA titles in 1959 (the first year of the NAIA championships was 1958) 1960, 1961 and 1962, adding three NCAA titles in 1960, 1961 and 1962.  That's a total of 7 national titles he won, with a record of 91-2.  Along with his phenomenal collegiate career he also made Olympic teams in both 1960 and 1961.  Turning his attention to coaching, he coached at Lock Haven leading the team to two NAIA team titles, then at Indiana State, Tennessee and Old Dominion.  Accumulatively he won 324 duals. 

1960 Champion 157
Art Kraft of Northwestern 

Can you imagine being coached by your younger brother?  Well that's the case of Art Kraft.  By the time he returned from military service, his younger brother Ken had already gone through college and was now the coach for the Wildcats.  Art found himself an All American in 1959, placing fourth as he won the NCAA title in 1960.  Getting the coaching bug himself, Art coached at both Niles East and Wheeling High School as well as Triton College. 

1960 Champion 167
Dick Ballinger of Wyoming 

A three time Skyline Conference champion, Ballinger was the NCAA runner-up in 1958, followed by a fourth place finish in 1959.  In his final NCAA tournament as a senior in 1960, he captured the NCAA title. Later in life, Sports Illustrated conducted a list of the greatest athletes to ever come from the state of Wyoming. Ballinger was listed as 39th. 

1960 Champion 177
Roy Conrad Northern Illinois

Another wrestler who like Simons, wrestled mainly in the NAIA but was allowed to compete in the NCAA tournament due to outstanding performances at the NAIA championships.  In the NAIA Conrad took two runner-up finishes, before winning the NAIA title in 1960.  He also added both a Midlands title and the NCAA title in 1960 as well.  Post his collegiate career Conrad was very instrumental in getting youth wrestling programs started throughout the state of Illinois. 

1960 Champion 191
George Goodner of Oklahoma 

Not 100% positive, but believe Goodner was a senior when he won the NCAA title in 1960.  He later served in the Marines before opening up his own roofing business. 

1960 Champion UNL
Dale Lewis of Oklahoma 

Some people are just plain phenomenal athletes and Dale Lewis was one of them. A standout football and basketball player in high school, Lewis found wrestling while serving in the Marines.  He walked onto the mat and six months later he represented the United States at the 1956 Olympic games.  Enrolling at Oklahoma, his sophomore season of 1959 he won gold at the Pan-American championships.  He'd go on to win back to back NCAA titles in 1960 and 1961.  Post his collegiate career he had a successful career in professional wrestling spending a majority of his career working for the AWA.  

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Auble, Able, Anderson and Hayes previously mentioned. 

Simons and Lewis would both repeat

Kraft, Ballinger, Conrad and I believe Goodner all seniors