In a world of overexposure where mystery is a dying breed, the one place that it is alive and well, is in the state of Texas. Seems no matter what I'm researching as to wrestling, when it involves the state of Texas, I'm often left with rabbit trails, dead ends & roads that lead nowhere. It was the most challenging state to tackle in my Gone, Lost & Forgotten project as while some programs were a clear, "Had wrestling" & other programs were a clear, "Never had wrestling" I was left with a few that I still don't know whether they ever had varsity wrestling or not. Now in doing this new project Four (Or More) Time State Champions in College Texas of course has to once again be the state that puzzles me.
Here's the problem....
Officially, as in sanctioned, as in recognized by the THSADA, the first High School State tournament was held in 1999. Yet we all know that high school wrestling existed in the state & that championships were won, long before 1999. Brandon Slay NCAA finalist, Olympic Gold Medalist, three time Texas High School State champion. I know that the Texas Association of Private & Parochial Schools sponsors wrestling. I can't find out anything about its history, but I know that it does. According to an interview I heard with Dory Funk Jr, he claims that his father Dory Funk Sr, was instrumental as the one who got wrestling into private High Schools in Texas. Seems that 1965 or 1966 was agreeably the year that got started. I would imagine it probably had a championship too. Going from 1966 to 2022, that's 56 years worth of State tournaments. I'd imagine there's at least a handful of four timers within that timeframe.
To add to the confusion, Jason Bryant informs me that there was a different governing body that oversaw public high school wrestling in Texas before 1999. As to what year that started, or how many four timers do or don't exist, again, I have no idea. I could put Robert Stack, Perry Mason, Matlock and Columbo all on this case & still come up with nothing. We'll find Jimmy Hoffa before I find the answers to these questions.
Anyway, with all that said, here's what I do know....
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| Nick Herrmann |
Nick Herrmann won four Texas High School State titles for Amarillo Tascosa from 09'-12'. He competed collegiately for Virginia where he was a three time NCAA qualifier. Taking ACC runner-up honors in 2015 as a junior, he was 4th in 2014 & 3rd in 2016.
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| Nick Cobb |
Nick Cobb won four Texas High School State titles for Allen from 10'-13'. He did not wrestle in college.
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| Shelby Wilson |
Winning her first Texas High School State title for Tascosa in 2009, Shelby Wilson won her next three from 10'-12' for Bushland. Collegiately she wrestled for Oklahoma City, where she was a three time WCWA All American. Placing 7th in 2014 as a sophomore, she took back to back 4th place finishes in 2015 & 2016.
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| Hilary Samayoa Cordero |
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| Alex Liles |
Alex Liles won four Texas High School State titles for Allen from 15'-18'. She competed for Army collegiately.
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Braeden Redlin of Allen started off at Ohio State and is currently at Little Rock.
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