Jim's wrestling career started at Durand High School in Durand, Michigan. After a runner-up finish in the Michigan State Championships as a senior in high school, he began his involvement with collegiate wrestling when he enrolled at Lake Superior State College in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan in the fall of 1970. In Jim's four years at LSSC he won three national championships and earned All-American honors in the sport of wrestling five times. As a freshman he placed second in the NAIA Nationals and as a sophomore he placed third. As a junior in 1973 Jim won the NAIA National Championship at 158 pounds. A snowstorm a week earlier had prevented Jim from competing in the NCAA College Division Nationals. In Jim's senior season he won National titles in both the NAIA Nationals and the first ever NCAA III National Championships. He was selected as the outstanding wrestler in the NCAA III tournament and he also won the Gorriarian Award for the most falls in the least time. His overall collegiate career record at LSSC was an impressive 142-19-1.
Following his graduation from Lake Superior State College in 1974, Jim was hired as the head wrestling coach at LSSC that same year. He served in that position for twelve years. His teams competed in the NCAA III tournaments for four years and the NCAA II tournaments for eight years. Five of the eight years that his teams competed in the NCAA II they finished among the top twenty teams nationally. Twice Jim was selected as the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Coach of the Year and in 1985-86 he was selected as the NCAA II Mideast Regional Coach of the Year. His dual meet record as the coach at LSSC was 77-56.
In 1986 Jim stepped down as the wrestling coach at Lake Superior State to become that schools director of athletics. He held that position for seven years prior to accepting his current position as the Director of Athletics at the University of Northern Colorado. In Jim's fifteen years as an administrator he has made many contributions to the sport of wrestling and NCAA II wrestling in particular. He served for six years from 1989-95 as the NCAA II representative to the NCAA National Wrestling Committee. He also spent four years from 1990-93 as a member of the NCAA II Championships Committee, and he currently is the chairman of the NCAA II Nominating Committee. In 1997 he helped develop the NCAA II Athletic Directors Association and was their first president. In all of Jim's positions of leadership he has been a strong voice for wrestling and in particular NCAA II wrestling.
As the Athletic Director at UNC Jim will be serving for the second time as the tournament director for the 2001 NCAA II National Tournament. UNC last hosted the tournament in 1996. Jim helped ensure the sport of wrestling at UNC by assisting in establishing a one million dollar endowment for the program, and overseeing the building of a one million dollar wrestling room.
Jim earned his master's degree from Northern Michigan in 1977. He was inducted into the NAIA National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1980. He and his wife Anna have two children, Tom and Natalie.
Mike Pantoya started his wrestling career at Thornton High School in Thornton, Colorado. He complied a high school career record of 90-9-1 placing fifth as a junior in 1985 and second at 126 pounds as a senior. Following graduation Mike enrolled at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. He wrestled there for two years and earned NAIA All-American honors both years. As a freshman he placed fourth in the NAIA Nationals and complied a 25-13 record. As a sophomore Mike again placed fourth in the NAIA's with an 11-2 record. He also was selected as an honorable mention Academic All-American by the NAIA Wrestling Coach Association.
Prior to his junior year in college, Mike transferred to the University of Northern Colorado. After redshirting his first year at UNC, Mike won back to back NCAA II National titles at 134 pounds in 1990 and 1991 wrestling for Coach Jack Maughan. During his junior season at UNC, Mike complied a 30-4 record and also won a North Central Conference Championship. As a senior he put together a 25-7 record. He was also selected to the NCAA II All-Academic Wrestling Team. His first place finish as a senior in 1991 helped his UNC team place third in the team championship race. Mike's two year record at UNC of 55-11 ranks him fourth on his school's all-time career winning percentage list. His combined record at both Fort Lewis College and the University of Northern Colorado was 91-26.
After graduating in 1991 with a teaching degree in biology,
Mike was hired as a teacher and the head wrestling coach at his
former school Thornton High School. His teams have been very successful
during his ten year coaching career. Five times his teams have
placed among the top five teams in the State meet, with a high
of third in 1995. His teams have won their conference championship
four times. Twenty nine of his wrestlers have placed in the state
meet with four of them winning State Championships and five placing
second. Mike and his wife Jacki live in Thornton, Colorado.
Al Rozman started his wrestling career as a sophomore at Paonia High School. His coach pulled him off the basketball court and convinced him to give it a try. As a senior in high school Al had an 11-2 record with eleven pins. Both of his losses were to the State Champion at 180 pounds Al Keller from Olathe High School. Keller went on to have an outstanding career placing fourth in the NCAA University Division Nationals for Colorado State.
Following his graduation from high school, Al enrolled at Western State College to participate in wrestling under the guidance of the legendary coach Tracy Borah. From 1961-65 he was a fixture at the 191 pound weight class for the Mountaineers. He participated in the first three NCAA College Divisions Nationals and reached the finals each time. As a sophomore he placed second and won the Gorrarian Award for the most pins in the least amount of time. Al's next two years saw him win NCAA College Division National Championships in both 1964 and 1965. During those three years he helped his team win the first ever team championships in 1963 and then repeat again in 1964. The Western State College team placed third in 1965 Al's senior season. In 1965 he also participated in the NCAA University Division Nationals placing fifth and earning his fourth All-American title.
In 1964 Al was one of 60 wrestlers in the country selected to participate in the Olympic Training Camp. Al was a two sport athlete at Western State College. He was a member of the Mountaineers football team and was on the 1965 Rocky Mountain Athletic conference championship team.
Following his graduation from WSC in 1966 with degrees in math and English, Al taught and coached at Camelback High School in Phoenix, Arizona for one year. His team compiled an 8-2 record and placed third in the state. He currently is a pilot for the American Eagle Airlines. He and his wife Marty live in Paonia, Colorado and have three children Curtis, David and Robin. Al was inducted into the Western State College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997.
Dale Stryker was the second wrestler in the history of Colorado wrestling to win four high school State Championships. Dale won championships in 1960, 1961, and 1962 while wrestling at Montrose High School. In 1963 Dale won his fourth State Championship wrestling for Grand Junction High School. He finished his high school career with a 120-4 record.
After his illustrious high school career, Dale enrolled at Western State College to wrestle for Coach Tracy Borah. He compiled a 15-0 record in his first season, but in that era freshman were not eligible to compete in the NCAA Nationals. As a sophomore in 1965 Dale went 24-1 and won the NCAA College Division National Championship at 130 pounds. The following year he put together a 20-4 record, but an illness at the national tournament prevented him from defending his title. As a senior in 1967 placed second in the NCAA's. Dale's overall collegiate wrestling record was 81-7. He helped lead his team to third , fourth and seventh place finishes in the NCAA College Division Nationals. He was a three time Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Champion and twice a Mountain Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Champion. In 1968 he was invited to the Olympic Training Camp.
Dale graduated from WSC in 1970 with degrees in sociology and physical education. He taught and coached wrestling at Montrose Junior High School from 1970 to 1974. In 1974 he left the teaching profession to start his own business. For the past eight years he has been the construction superintendent for the G.A. Western Construction Company. Dale and his wife Carol live in Montrose, Colorado and have two children, Jerry and Launa. He has been inducted into Western State College Athletic Hall of Fame and the Colorado High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
Glen Younger began his wrestling career at Grand Junction High School in Colorado. Following his high school graduation in 1964 he enrolled at Western State College to be a member of the wrestling team under Coach Tracy Borah. While a member of the WSC wrestling team Glen earned All-American honors three times. In his era freshman were not allowed to compete in national tournaments. As a sophomore in 1966 Glen placed fourth in the NCAA College Division Nationals losing to the legendary Rick Sanders from Portland State in the third place match. The following year Glen reached the national finals but lost to Warren Crowe from Albany State in placing second. As a senior in 1968 Glen earned his third All-American award by defeating Jerry Smith of South Dakota State University to win the 130-pound National Championship. Following his win in the NCAA College Division Nationals, Glen advanced to the NCAA University Division Nationals where he was awarded the number three seed. In that tournament he reached the quarterfinals, but was defeated by Pete Nord from the University of Colorado. He was eliminated from further competition when Nord lost his semi-final match to the eventual champion Dan Gable from Iowa State. During Glen's career he complied a 23-8-1 dual meet record and won the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championship twice and the Mountain Intercollegiate Wrestling Association once.
Glen graduated from WSC in 1968 with a degree in Business Administration. He spent two years in the military and was able to continue his wrestling career by placing first in the interservice freestyle championships and second in the Greco-Roman championships. In 1971 Glen earned his masters degree at Western State and then founded the Colorado Bonding Company in his hometown of Grand Junction, Colorado. For the past thirty years he has worked as a bail bondsman. For many years Glen was also a professional rodeo bull rider. Three times he won the Mountain States Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association Bull Riding Championship and in 1988 and 1989 he was the Senior Pro World Bull Riding Champion. For the past twenty five years Glen has produced the Younger/Sankey Rodeo School for bull riders, bare back riders and saddle bronc riders.
Glen and his wife Becky have two children Mandy and Pake. They
live in Grand Junction, Colorado.