Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Lebanon Valley

Located in the small southeastern Pennsylvania community of Annville, Lebanon Valley makes up about half of the town's population. A Division III school, the Flying Dutchmen have had success in various athletics throughout the years.  Competing in the ECAC (Eastern Collegiate Athletic conference), the Commonwealth Conference & the MAC (Middle Atlantic conference) Lebanon Valley has won team titles in Men's basketball, football, Men's Tennis, Women's basketball, Women's Field hockey, softball, Women's Tennis, Women's Track & Field and Women's Volleyball.  Men's basketball even won the the NCAA Division III title in 1994.  So as you can see, the Flying Dutchmen have a great history in athletics. 

One of the teams that was quite successful in it's own right & brought home a lot of honors was the men's wrestling team that was discontinued after the 1999-2000 season.  Today we take a look at some of the best wrestlers in Flying Dutchmen history. 

Steve Sanko
190 lbs 

Sanko was a NCAA Division III All American in 1975 earning a fifth place finish.  Post college he became a gynecologist. 

Rich Kichman
177 lbs 

A three time MAC runner up for the Flying Dutchmen, Kichman took fourth place honors at the 1986 NCAA Division III championships. 

John Truscello
190 lbs 

Truscello earned NCAA Division III All American honors with a sixth place finish in 1977. 

Gary Reesor
126 lbs 

Gary Reesor was a three time MAC champion for the Flying Dutchmen earning 117 victories, 62 of which came via fall.  He placed eighth at the 1983 NCAA Division III championships. 

Dave Mahler

Mahler was the first NCAA qualifier for the Dutchmen in 1965.  He was also very competitive on the Flying Dutchmen's track & field team, throwing the Pole Vault. 

Joe Howe
190 lbs 

Joe Howe won a MAC title for the Blue & White in 1996.  He later became head financial advisor at Ephrata National Bank. 

Paul Pritcher
190 lbs 

A 1979 MAC finalist, Pritcher later became a Fire Commissioner. 

Mike LaPorta
142 lbs 

After earning MAC runner-up honors in 1982,  Mike LaPorta later became head coach at Muhlenberg College.  His son wrestled for King's College.  

Ted Kemmerling
150, 157 lbs 

A two time MAC champion, Kemmerling twice earned NCAA Division III All American honors for the Flying Dutchmen.  In 1998 he lost a pigtail match & worked his way through the consolations to a fourth place finish.  In 1999 he made the NCAA Division III finals. 

Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Ripon

Ripon is a small NCAA Division III school with less than 1,000 students located in Wisconsin.  Known as The Red Hawks, they sponsored varsity wrestling up through the 1993-1994 season. 

Mike Van Boxel
167 lbs 

Going 58-5 during his final two seasons on the mat, Van Boxel won an NCAA Division III title in 1974 & followed it up with a fifth place finish in 1975.  With his wrestling eligibility out, Van Boxel pulled a Steve Mocco & played one year of football while finishing up his degree. That season he made All conference. 

Kurt Searvogel
177 lbs 

After taking runner-up honors at the Wisconsin high school state championships, Searvogel came to Ripon to become the school's first to graduate with a degree in computer science. As a wrestler he took sixth place All American honors at the 1983 NCAA Division III championships. 

Today if you obtain a copy of The Guinness Book of World Records, you will find Kurt Searvogel under the most amount of miles ridden on a bicycle in one year.  He rode 75,065 in less than 365 days.     

Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = RPI

Known as the oldest technological university in the English speaking world, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a small school in Troy, New York where all athletics compete at the NCAA Division III level with exception to men & women's hockey which both compete in NCAA Division I. 

As to when RPI wrestling began or why it came to an end after the 1985-1986 season, I do not know.  I've been able to find very little about Engineer wrestling but I do believe I can tell you their best wrestler. 

Tim True 

True narrowly missed becoming a four time ICAC (Independent College Athletic Conference) champion winning titles his freshman, sophomore & senior season, taking runner-up honors as a junior.  In 1975 he captured sixth place All American honors at the NCAA Division III tournament. 

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Today RPI has both a men & women's club that compete in the NCWA & WCWA.  

Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Longwood

A small Division I school with less than 5,000 undergraduates, Longwood was NCAA Division II during the time they fielded a wrestling program.  I haven't been able to find out a lot of information regarding Lancer wrestling, but I do know that the program was dropped after the 2000-2001 season. 

Aaron Bradley
149 lbs 

A state champion out of Lee Davis High School, Bradley came to Longwood with a prep record of 109-6.  Competing for the Lancers he went 55-9 during his final two seasons capturing an eighth place finish at the 2001 NCAA Division II tournament.  Incidentally becoming the Lancers first All American, he also became their last as his performance at the national tournament would be the last for Longwood wrestling. 

Post College Bradley took over the program at Hanover High school where he led his team to four Regional Titles & a Virginia high School state championship. 

Tim Fitzgerald 

Fitzgerald accumulated 84 victories winning two Southern Regional runner-up finishes during his career as a Lancer. 
 

Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Anderson (South Carolina)

Anderson University wrestling went through many transitions before the program was dropped after the 2015-2016 season. They competed in the NJCAA, the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association), the NAIA & NCAA Division II with success at every level.  

Allen Jones aka A.J. Styles 

WWE/TNA superstar A.J. Styles whose real name is Allen Jones, qualified for the 2007 NAIA championships at 165 lbs. 

Shawn Meeks
HWT

Meeks twice earned NAIA All American status for the Trojans.  He placed sixth in 1998 & Fourth in 1999.  

Sean Turner
157 lbs 

Turner made the NCAA Division II finals in 2015. 

J.J. Jackson
157 lbs 

Truett-McConnell head wrestling coach J.J. Jackson won a NCAA Division II title for the Trojans in 2010. 

Cee Jay Hamilton
125 lbs 

MMA fighter "The Autobot" Cee Jay Hamilton earned NCAA Division II All American status with a fifth place finish in 2009. 

Antonio Young

Young earned NJCAA All American honors in 1993 with a seventh place finish. 

Jorge Cuevas
118, 126 lbs 

Cuevas was a two time NAIA All American for the Trojans finishing in eighth place in 1998 & in seventh place in 1999. 

Andre Dreher

Cumberland Assistant coach Andre Dreher won a NCCAA title for the Trojans in 1995.  

Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Grand Canyon

This one still hits close to home as two of their top recruits are still wrestling in college today.  Cory Crooks who was going to be an antelope will be a senior this up coming season for Arizona State.  Danny Vega who also originally planned to be an antelope spent two season with Iowa State before transferring to South Dakota State. He too will be a senior in the 2020-2021 season.  

As have been most discontinuations in our sport, the elimination of wrestling at Grand Canyon University made little to no sense.  The program had only been around for nine seasons but within that short period of time had more than established itself as a NCAA Division II powerhouse.  The Antelopes finished in seventh place in 2011 & in third place in 2012 at the national tournament. 

As it was announced that the school would soon be moving to NCAA Division I status, collegiate wrestling fans looked forward to some in state competition for the Sun Devils but it was not to be.  Without given reason wrestling was shown the way out after the 2015-2016 season.   

Victor Carazo
165, 174 lbs 

With talent like Victor Carazo a CCCAA champion for Modesto College, it didn't take long for the Antelopes to find their place in NCAA Division II wrestling.  Carazo placed fourth in 2010 & third in 2011 before capping his career off with a national championship in 2012. 

Todd Wilcox
133 lbs 

Todd Wilcox took fifth in the state of California before beginning his collegiate career at Sierra where he wrestled in the NJCAA.  Competing for the Antelopes he won the 2011 NCAA Division II championship. 

Ryan Becerra
184 lbs 

A two time Arizona high school state champion Becerra originally started his career at Cal State Bakersfield before transferring to Grand Canyon.  He placed seventh at the 2011 NCAA Division II tournament. 


  

Eli Arizmendez
197 lbs 

Arizmendez took fifth at the NCAA Division II championships in 2011. 

Kyle McCrite
125 lbs 

A two time Washington high school state champion for Lakeland, McCrite began his career in the NJCAA competing for North Idaho where he had back to back sixth place finishes at the national tournament.  Competing for the antelopes, McCrite won the NCAA Division II crown in 2012. 

Bobby Ward

Ward was a four time state qualifier in high school, who originally began his career at Nassau Community college competing in the NJCAA.  He then transferred to North Carolina State where he qualified for the NCAA Division I tournament.  For his final season he transferred to Grand Canyon where he took third at the 2012 NCAA Division II championships.

Cecil Bell 
197 lbs 

Bell began his career in the NJCAA competing for North Idaho where he took third in 2009 & made the finals in 2010.  Transferring to Grand Canyon, Bell placed eighth at the 2012 NCAA Division II championships. 

Tyrell Fortune
HWT

MMA star Tyrell Fortune wrestled for Grand Canyon.  A two time Oregon high school state champion for Lakeridge, he began his collegiate career at Clackamas Community College where he made NJCAA All American two years running.   

Transferring to Grand Canyon,  Fortune won an NCAA Division II title for the Antelopes in 2013. 

Collegiate Wrestling in Texas

Collegiate wrestling in the state of Texas has always fascinated me for a variety of reasons.  I've always been shocked as to what I've found regarding amateur wrestling in the lone star state. From learning of how Dory Funk senior a state champion out of Indiana & Hall of Fame professional wrestler got wrestling into the private school system back in the early 1960's & of how it took until the 1998-1999 school year for wrestling to finally be sanctioned in the public schools. 

Fritz Von Erich aka Jack Adkisson claimed once that he tried to get amateur wrestling into schools in the Houston, Fort Worth area but was never able to.  I once asked his son Kevin about it & he said that what his dad was able to accomplish was getting amateur wrestling taught in a unit in P.E. courses within the district.  

The University of Texas, Texas A&M and Texas El Paso all had varsity programs at one time.  While today their are many Texas schools with clubs in the NCWA, Southern Methodist's team goes all the way back to the 1930's.   

Texas Christian never competed in any post season tournaments but did have a period of time where they had 1-3 dual meets against varsity programs per season.  

And today I find out the varsity history of Richland Community College.   A team that reinstated its club status at the NCWA in 2016 & has done quite well. 

The school had varsity wrestling at the NJCAA level from the 1972-1973 season through the 1983-1984 season.   As to NJCAA qualifiers and All Americans, that I do not have as of now but hope to get soon.  

Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Carson-Newman

When we talk about the best in Southern collegiate wrestling Tennessee-Chattanooga & their dominance within the Southern Conference is usually brought up.  There is a lot of love for the Mocs & rightly so.  Yet another school in Tennessee had as much to do with the Volunteer State being known as college wrestling's best in the South as did Chattanooga.  With six top ten finishes in the NAIA, three top ten finishes in NCAA Division II & three titles in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) the Eagles of Carson-Newman was a school well known for its wrestling program from the start in 1963-1964 to the end in 2008-2009. 

Allen Koors
118 lbs 

A two time State Champion out of Morristown West high School, Koors had an outstanding career for the Eagles. He took NAIA All American honors in 1982 with a sixth place finish & finished up his career by making the NAIA finals in 1983.  In addition to these honors, he was also a two time NCCAA champion. We sadly lost Koors in 2013. 

Maury Vanderpool
142 lbs 

Known by teammates, opponents & officials for his exceptional sportsman ship, Vanderpool came to Carson-Newman from Florida where he made the state finals for Seabreeze High school.  Competing for the Eagles he earned NAIA All American status on three occasions.  In 1982 he finished in third place, with a sixth place finish in 1983 & a seventh place finish in 1984. 

Brian Nelson 
134 lbs 

Nelson began his career at Richland Community College in Texas where he was an NJCAA qualifier.  Wrestling for the Eagles Nelson took seventh place honors at the 1984 NAIA tournament before being crowned NAIA champion in 1985. 

Jeff Pratt
177, 167 lbs 

Pratt took NAIA All American honors twice during his career.  He placed seventh in both in 1985 & 1986. 

Steve Wright
118 lbs 

A two time NAIA All American Wright took fifth place honors in 1986 & third place honors in 1987. 

Hugh Meek
177 lbs 

Hugh Meek was a two time Georgia State champion for Wheeler High School where in 79 matches during his final two seasons, 61 of them came by fall.  Starting his collegiate career off at Clemson, Meek soon transferred to Carson-Newman.  Competing for the Eagles he placed fourth at the NAIA tournament in 1987, making the finals in 1988 & capping his career off with a third place finish in 1989. 

Jeff Wright 
118 lbs  

Wright won an NAIA national championship for the Eagles in 1988. 

Paul Neuber
190 lbs 

A Florida state champion out of Winter Park high school, Neuber earned All American honors with a third place finish in 1988. 

Abe McKinnon
158 lbs 

McKinnon took third place honors at the 1991 NAIA tournament. 

Robby Benjamin
HWT

Benjamin was an NAIA finalist in 1991. 

Berhnard Durham

Durham started his career off in the NJCAA competing for Wilkes Community College.  Transferring to Carson-Newman he won an NAIA national championship in 1993. 

Jeff Bedard
126 lbs 

Bedard had an outstanding career for the Eagles placing fourth at the 1991 NCAA Division II championships & winning the 1992 NCAA Division II crown. In addition to being a national champion that season, he also won the Gorriaran award for the most amount of pins in the least amount of time. 

 Post college he became a Sergeant in the Army & taught wrestling as a defense to the soldiers.  He also coached at Carson Newman, Georgia State, Cumberland, Cornell & Reinhardt

Tim Croft
HWT

Croft made the NCAA Division II finals in 1998. 

Tony Morgan
157, 165 lbs 

Morgan was a two time All American for the Eagles placing fourth in 2000 & sixth in 2001. 

Danny Giammo
158 lbs 

Giammo was a Florida high school state finalist wrestling for Lyman High school.   Competing for the Eagles he made the 1996 NCAA Division II finals. 

Lazaro Reinoso
150, 149, 157 lbs 

Reinoso grew up in Cuba where he never knew his father & his mother died at a young age.  Wrestling was his sanctuary away from the harsh life that he had to endure.  Winning a junior World championship, he was then trained to compete at the 1992 Olympics.  While there he not only earned his country a bronze medal, but he also defeated the Gold Medalist, John Smith by a 3-1 decision.  

Noticed by Oklahoma head coach Jack Spates, whose daughter spoke Spanish, he was offered a position to help out at the Sooner wrestling club.  He deflected from Cuba, coaching at the club for five years before deciding to get an education & compete for the Eagles while doing so. 

In his freshman season of 1998 he took sixth at the NCAA Division II nationals.  In 1999 as a sophomore he made the finals & in 2000 as a junior he won the NCAA Division II championship.  His senior season he once again finished in second place. 

Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Virginia State

An historically black college, Virginia State wrestling was dropped & reinstated & then dropped again for the final time in a period throughout the late 80's & early 90's.   They were at the time & still are a NCAA Division II institution that competed in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).  

William Wansley
167 lbs 

Wamsley took All American honors at the NCAA Division II championships in 1985 with a seventh place finish & in 1989 with another seventh place finish. 

Tim Pennie
HWT

A state champion out of Hampton High school, Pennie earned NCAA Division II All American status for the Trojans on three occasions.  He placed eighth in 1988, seventh in 1989 & sixth in 1990. 

Hiag Brown

Brown had one of the most unique stories ever known to wrestling.  He started his collegiate career off at Portland State where he won an NCAA Division II title as a freshman in 1987.  He in 1988 he finished in third place.  Transferring to Virginia State he then took All American honors for the Trojans placing fourth at the NCAA Division II championships.  He then left school & began working back in the Portland area.  Three years later, encouraged by family & friends to finish both his degree & his wrestling career, Brown once again suited up as a Viking for Portland State.  He won his second NCAA Division II crown in 1994. 

Warren Tucker
190 lbs 

Tucker twice made All American status for the Trojans making the NCAA Division II finals in 1991 & capturing a sixth place finish in 1992.