Mike enrolled at the University of Northern Iowa in the fall of 1968 to wrestle for Coach Chuck Patten. As a heavyweight, he was a three time North Central Conference Champion and a three time NCAA All-American. He placed third in the 1970 NCAA College Division National Championships and first in the 1972 Championships. He also placed third in the 1972 NCAA University Division Nationals, losing a 2-0 semi-final match to the legendary 450 pound Chris Taylor. Mike also competed in Track and Field and was a four time All American and an eight time NCC Champion. He won four titles in each the shot put and the discus throw. Mike is the only athlete in the history of the University of Northern Iowa to be a NCAA National Champion in two different sports. He was an NCAA National Champion Shot Putter. During his collegiate wrestling career, eighteen times the team result for the dual meet victory came down to the heavyweight match, and Mike won every one of them.
Following graduation in 1972, Mike started competing in Freestyle and Greco-Roman competition. From 1972-74 he wrestled for the Athletes in Action wrestling team that was located in Lancaster, PA and from 1975-1984 he represented the Hawkeye Wrestling Club of Iowa City, Iowa. During that time he won fourteen different National Championships and represented the USA in four World Championships-1973, 1974, 1975, and 1977. He also won the 1975 Pan American Games as a heavyweight in Freestyle Wrestling. He represented the United States as a wrestler in Iran, Poland, the Soviet Union, Turkey, Bulgaria, Mexico, Switzerland, and Canada.
Mike has coached wrestling for 25 years, the last fourteen at Upper Iowa University in Fayette, IA. At Upper Iowa, he has helped develop twelve NCAA III All Americans, three NCAA III National Champions and Four NCAA Scholar All Americans. Every wrestler at Upper Iowa that has competed for four years has graduated. He was also the Athletic Director at Upper Iowa University for ten years.
Mike has served wrestling as the Tournament Director of The USA Wrestling Open Freestyle Championships in 1985 and the NCAA Division III National Championships in 1999.
He has been inducted into the Dubuque Senior High School Hall of Fame, the University of Northern Iowa Hall of Fame and the NCAA Division III Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Mike and his wife Julie have three children. Jennie is a senior
in high school and wrestled in the 119 pound weight class. Dan
is a freshman and wrestled at 171 and Ben is a 7th grader and
is a heavyweight.
1999 NCAA II Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee
Jim graduated from East Waterloo High School in 1971, where he had placed third in the Iowa High School State Wrestling Championships. He enrolled at the University of Northern Iowa to wrestle for Coach Chuck Patten. Jim was a three time North Central Conference Champion and a five time NCAA All American. As a sophomore Jim earned his first All-American award by placing fourth in the NCAA II Nationals at 134 pounds. During his junior year Jim earned All-American honors twice by winning the 1973 NCAA II National Championships and by placing second in the NCAA I Nationals. He was also invited to participate in the National Wrestling Coaches Association All Star Meet. As a senior, Jim again earned All-American honors twice. He won his second NCAA II National Championship and then placed fourth in the NCAA I Nationals. He again was invited to participate in the NWCA All Star Meet. Jim's career record at the University of Northern Iowa was 136-28. He helped his team win the 1975 NCAA II Team National Championships as a senior. His UNI team also earned two seconds and a fourth place during his career. Jim also placed second in the 1976 National Open Freestyle Championships.
Following his graduation from UNI in 1975 Jim coached at Charles City High School for six years. His teams compiled a 55-10 record. In 1983 he returned to the University of Northern Iowa as the top assistant coach. While there he helped develop many fine wrestlers and also earned his Masters Degree. He was named the College Assistant Coach of the Year in 1989 by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. In 1991, Jim was hired by Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa as their head wrestling coach. He is currently in his eighth season at Wartburg. His teams have had a dual meet record of 119-17-1 in his first seven seasons. His teams have finished either first or second in the NCAA III Nationals in five of the last six years. He was selected by Amateur Wrestling News as the National Rookie Coach of the Year in 1992, and he was chosen as the NCAA III Coach of the Year in 1993 and 1996. He was an executive committee member of the National Wrestling Coaches Association during the 1997-98 season.
Jim and his wife Kathy live in Waverly, Iowa. They are the parents of three children. Christopher Clark, Christopher Miller, and Tyler Miller. Jim is also a faculty member at Wartburg College teaching in the Physical Education Department.
Rummy was born in Bettendorf, Iowa in 1922 and raised in Davenport, Iowa. He attended the University of Iowa where he graduated from in 1948. While a student at Iowa, Rummy compiled a 33-3 record on the wrestling team. He was twice a Big Ten Champion and as a senior he placed second in the NCAA Championships at 125 pounds. He also placed third twice in the National AAU Championships. Rummy never lost a match in a dual meet from his sophomore year in high school through his collegiate career.
Following graduation, Rummy spent two years as an assistant coach at Iowa while he completed his Master's Degree. In 1950 he was hired as the head wrestling coach at Mankato State University. For the next thirty eight years Rummy coached the Mankato State Indians to unprecedented success. His teams competed against wrestlers from more than 125 different universities. They dominated the schools of their size and went head to head against the likes of Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Illinois, Army and Navy, and often came away with a victory.
His team captured the first two NAIA National Championships in 1958 and 1959, before turning their attention on the NCAA College Division. Prior to that his teams had competed in the NCAA University Division Nationals with considerable success, as his wrestlers earned All-American honors eleven times. Four of his wrestlers were University Division National Finalists. In the NCAA College Division and the NCAA II Nationals his wrestlers earned All-American honors 67 times and won twelve National Championships. His teams finished among the top ten teams in the Nationals seventeen times, including seven times in the top four, and they won the National Championship in 1965. His teams also won eight Northern Intercollegiate Conference Championships and one North Central Conference Championship. His teams overall dual record at Mankato State was 317-241-11.
Rummy served the sport of wrestling in many ways. He served
as the president of the NAIA National Wrestling Coaches Association,
the NCAA College Division Wrestling Coaches Association, and the
National Wrestling Coaches Association. He authored two books
on wrestling that were widely used among coaches and wrestlers.
Many of his former wrestlers went on to become coaches. At one
time, over half the high school coaches in Minnesota were former
wrestlers of Rummy.
Because of his outstanding record and service to the sport of
wrestling, his induction into the NCAA II Wrestling Hall of Fame
will be his seventh induction into a Hall of Fame. He currently
is a member of the NAIA Hall of Fame, the Minnesota Wrestling
Hall of Fame, the Helms Hall of Fame, the Mankato State University
Athletic Hall of Fame, the NIC Conference Hall of Fame, and the
NCC Conference Hall of Fame.
Rummy is currently retired and lives with his wife Ruth in
Singer Island, Florida. He is the father of three children Pam,
David, and Brett. He still officiates wrestling in Florida and
he
very much enjoys the sport of golf.1999 NCAA II Wrestling Hall
of Fame Inductee
Mike graduated from Dakota Wesleyan University in 1969 after an outstanding athletic career where he was a four year letterman in both football and wrestling. His career record in wrestling was 60-13. Following graduation, Mike moved to Omaha and taught and coached at William Jennings Bryan School. During that time he earned his Masters Degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and he played semi-professional football for the Omaha Mustangs for seven years. He also competed for many years in judo competitions and in 1982 he won the National Masters Judo Championship at 209 pounds. He holds a third degree black belt in judo.
In 1979 Mike was hired as the head wrestling coach at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Prior to Mike's arrival, UNO had a very rich wrestling tradition, but he has taken it to new heights. Since 1980 no NCAA II Wrestling team has had more top ten finishes (17), more top five finishes (14), or top three finishes (11). His 1990-91 team won the NCAA II National Championships. Prior to the 1998-99 season his teams carried a 181-80-5 dual meet record. He has coached 97 NCAA II All-Americans and fourteen NCAA II National Champions. Three of his wrestlers also earned NCAA I All-American honors. Mike's teams have also won the North Central Conference three times and finished second nine times. Three of his athletes have won the very prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
Mike has served the sport of wrestling as a member of the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee, President of the NCAA II Wrestling Coaches Association, and as the Chairman of the NCAA II Wrestling Championship Committee. Mike is a frequent motivational speaker for youth and Christian groups. Two times Mike has been selected as the NCAA II National Coach of the Year. He currently is a member of the Dakota Wesleyan Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Metro Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame.
Mike and his wife Bonnie have three children: Michealene, Luke and Rocky, whose wife's name is Shannon.1999 NCAA II Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee
Ken was born and raised in Waterloo Iowa. He graduated from Columbus High School in 1971. His high school career record in wrestling was 55-6-1. He won the Iowa State High Championship as a senior with a 24-0-1 record. He enrolled at the University of Northern Iowa to wrestle for Coach Chuck Patten. His collegiate career got off to a slow start as he suffered from mononucleosis and was not able to wrestle as a freshman. During the next three years Ken earned All-American honors a total of five times. In 1972-73 as a sophomore he compiled an 18-5 record and placed second in the NCAA II Nationals at 142 pounds. As a junior, Ken improved to 39-4-1, won the National Championship at 142 pounds in the NCAA II's and placed third in the NCAA I's. Ken's senior year saw him win his second NCAA II Championship at 142 pounds and place fifth in the NCAA I. He was selected as the Outstanding Wrestler in the North Central Conference as a senior and he also helped UNI win the 1975 NCAA II National Team Championship. Ken's senior season was 41-6-2 and his career record at UNI was 95-15-3.
Ken graduated from UNI in 1976 with a degree in Industrial Technology and minors in Spanish and Coaching. He enrolled at Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado, where he helped Tracy Borah coach the wrestling team and he earned his Masters Degree in Education in 1978. Ken spent the next three years as the head wrestling coach at Jefferson High School in Alexandria, Minnesota. In his three years he had fourteen wrestlers qualify for the state tournament and ten of them earn medals. Two of his wrestlers were State Champions. He was twice selected as the Central Lakes Conference Coach of the Year.
In 1980 Ken started his career as a stockbroker. For the past eighteen years he has been a stockbroker in Alexandria, Minnesota and is currently the manager of a Merrill Lynch office. He has been married for twenty five years to his wife Shelly who is also a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa. They are the parents of five daughters Erica(19), Stef(18), Katie(15), Lindsay(10), and Maggie(9). They are all very involved in sports and especially volleyball. Erica and Stef were both starters on Alexandria's 1997 undefeated State Championship Volleyball Team.1999 NCAA II Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee
Mark grew up on a farm in Vermillion, South Dakota with eleven brothers and sisters. He graduated from Vermillion High School in 1980. He had been an All-State halfback in football and a three-time State Champion in wrestling. Mark originally enrolled at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, but after one year transferred to the University of Nebraska at Omaha to compete for Coach Mike Denney. His career at UNO resulted in earning All-American honors three times, including two NCAA II National Championships and a fifth place finish. Mark won his first National Championship as a sophomore in 1982-83 at 150 pounds. As a junior he recorded a fifth place finish at the NCAA II nationals, but as a senior he won his second NCAA II National Championship, again at 150 pounds. During Mark's three year career at UNO, his record was 121-20. His 121 wins is number five on the school's all-time win list and number one for a three year career. Mark was a three time NCC All-Academic team member and he was selected as a recipient of the prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship.
Following his graduation from UNO in 1985, Mark moved to the University of North Carolina where he earned his Masters Degree in Sports Administration and served as an assistant coach for eight years. He continued to compete while at North Carolina and was a member of the USA Freestyle Team from 1986 to 1989. He won a silver medal at the 1989 Pan American Games. In 1993 Mark was hired and spent four years as the head assistant coach at Oklahoma, where the Sooners posted three top ten NCAA I finishes. In 1997 he became the head coach at the University of Northern Iowa. His first recruiting class was ranked second in the nation by Inter Mat. Mark has coached many teams in international competitions. He was an assistant coach for the USA Freestyle Team at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. He was also an assistant coach for the US World Team in 1993, 1995 and 1997.
Mark lives in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He has a ten year old son Matthew who lives near Charlotte, North Carolina. He is one of six UNO wrestlers that have been inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame.1999 NCAA II Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee
R.J. graduated from Millard North High School in 1984. He was recruited by Coach Mike Denney to wrestle at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He went on to become the winningest wrestler in the history of the school and a five time All-American. As a freshman in 1984-85, wrestling in the 190 pound weight class, R.J. placed third in the NCAA II Nationals to earn his first All-American award. He earned his second All-American award by again placing third in the NCAA II Nationals at 190 pounds. As a junior, R.J. cut down to the 177 weight class and moved up to second place in the NCAA II Nationals. During his senior season in 1987-88, R.J. won the NCAA II Nationals Championships at 177 pounds and placed sixth in the NCAA I Nationals to become UNO's first five time wrestling All-American. R.J.'s career record was 153-31-4 with 58 pins. His number of wins is the most ever for a UNO wrestler and his 58 pins in the second most ever. He was twice an NCC Champion. As a senior, he was selected as his school's most outstanding athlete.
R.J. graduated from UNO in 1988 with a degree in Criminal Justice.
He currently is employed by Omaha Division Insurance in insurance
sales. For the past five years he has been the co-head wrestling
coach with former UNO teammate, Brad Hildebrandt at Omaha Skutt
High School. In the school's fifth year of existence, R.J. and
Brad led them to the 1998 Nebraska Class B Championship, and they
are one of the favorites again in 1999. R.J. and his wife Mary
live in Omaha. He is one of six UNO wrestlers that have been inducted
into the schools Athletic Hall of Fame.
1999 NCAA II Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee
Mark graduated from Central High School in Omaha, Nebraska where he was an outstanding student athlete in 1979. He was an All-State lineman in football and a State Champion in Wrestling. He was recruited to wrestle at UNO by their new first year coach Mike Denney. During his four year career there he set a standard of excellence that will be difficult to match. He earned All-American honors four times, was a three time North Central Conference Champion and established a career record of 113-26-1 wrestling at heavyweight. Mark earned his first two All-American awards as a junior during the 1981-82 season. He won the NCAA II National Championship and then followed that up with a sixth place finish in the NCAA I Nationals. His season record as a junior was 36-8. As a senior he improved his season record to 36-3-1 and again won the NCAA II National Championship. He followed that up with his fourth All-American award by placing fourth in the NCAA I Nationals. Mark's career record of 113 wins at UNO is the sixth most ever at that school and his 43 falls is the fourth most. During Mark's senior season he was selected by the National Wrestling Coaches Association to participate in the East/West All- All-Star Classic. His win in the unlimited weight class over Tab Thacker the 1984 NCAA I National Champion from North Carolina State secured the victory for his West Squad. Thacker weighed almost double the amount that Mark did. Mark was a three time NCC All-American team member and he was selected as a recipient of the prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship.
Following graduation in 1985 Mark has gone into Pharmaceutical sales. He and his wife Molly have two children and they live in Omaha. He is one of six UNO wrestlers that have been inducted into the schools Athletic Hall of Fame.