History of K-State wrestling

I've been contacted by a former coach and author who is writing a fictional story that includes a wrestler competing at Kansas State University in the mid 70's. He wants to include historically accurate information in the book and is asking for information on the state of wrestling at Kansas State at that time and the circumstances and effects of the decision to drop the program. If anyone has any information that you would be willing to share with him, email it to me at mikejuby@usawks.com and I will forward it to him.

Someone needs to contact dean sheets a coach of desoto youth wrestling. He wrestled at ksu around that time I believe.

William Knorr, coached at Silver Lake High School for years in the 80's and 90's he also wrestled for Kansas State.

He would be a good one to call. Would probably have to call the High School to get his number, I am sure he is retired by now.

Truth is stranger than fiction. Get ahold of Wayne Jackson. He can tell you how he had to hitch-hike to Nationals, because K-State would not even buy him a bus ticket, let alone send a coach with him. When the Press found out and did a story on it, Wayne got called into the President of the University and reprimanded for making the school look bad. Ridiculous, Fiction and K-State go together well.

Ron Taha, Dick Cramer, and Bill Keller all wrestled for K-State during the 70's. I remember hearing the story about a determined K-State wrestler that hitch-hiking to Nationals...

My last year as head coach for the K-State Club team we got stuck in traffic on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. We were on our way to the quarter finals after a break in rounds. I phoned the Head Executive Director to inform him of our circumstances. We then made the decision to get out and run the last 6 or so miles with wrestling shoes in hand in 40 degree rain. I watched as my team chased down their medals against all odds in the freezing rain not knowing if they would make it. They never hessitated and never looked back. Once traffic broke I anxiously searched on the way to the venue, but not one wrestler was found. I ran into the arena and looked from the second level and found my guys drilling hard, soaking wet, with one goal in mind...win! I got on the floor and grouped them up. Speechless the only thing that I could mutter with confident tears was that nothing and nobody is going to get in our way...I believe we won 6 out of 7 that round.

Joey Heersche, Keaton Taylor, Thomas Pipes, Tim Dunham, Nick Newell, Joey Martinez, Asha-Abu-Ali... You guys are warriors, I will never forget that day.

How's that for fiction

Dennis Switzky, former Seaman/Royal Valley High head coach. Topeka address.

Raymond Glaze,former coach WRHS, coached Switzky and many more Wrestled at KSU back in the day. Topeka address. If you need help contacting him let me know.

Beau, wish we had a "like" button! Great story.

Agreed Tim!

Hi All!

I'm the guy Mike mentioned in this post: Jeff Holmes, Immaculata 1998-2002, Maur Hill 2003, Atchison (assistant) 2004 and would-be author!

Thank you Mike for posting this and thank you all for your responses so far. I hope to at least reach Coach Jackson as well as Bill, who was helping Harry out at SL when I was down there. The hitch hiking story just makes me sick. I have found bits and pieces about that, but nothing definitive.

The circumstances surrounding the program being dropped are weird. I know that '75 was the real start of programs being cut and I know what a train wreck the K-State budget was in those days, but in what I've been able to find out, the whole firing of Fozzard in May, followed by dropping the program in July is suspicious to me.

Anyway, thank you so much for what I have so far, and I look forward to whatever else you might have for me. It's early in the writing process, but I'm already pretty excited about it!

Best always,
Jeff Holmes

Dale Samuelson, Oakley, could give you great insight. He still lives there and is probably in the phone book. He was actually an interim coach at K-State for a season.

Thanks Tim...

Thanks Doug! I'm guessing Dale filled in the year after Fritz died, correct?

That is correct.