UW Wrestling All-Americans
Isaac Jordan
- 2014: 7th, 157
- 2015: 7th, 165
For Ben Jordan, the 2011-12 season was full of individual success. During the season he was ranked as high as No. 8 at 165 lbs., and had a 28-12 record on the year, including two wins by pin and two by major decision. He earned his All-America honors with a seventh place finish at the NCAA championships at 165 lbs. after going 5-2 at the tournament.
Ben Jordan
- 2012: 7th, 165
For Ben Jordan, the 2011-12 season was full of individual success. During the season he was ranked as high as No. 8 at 165 lbs., and had a 28-12 record on the year, including two wins by pin and two by major decision. He earned his All-America honors with a seventh place finish at the NCAA championships at 165 lbs. after going 5-2 at the tournament.
Travis Rutt
- 2011: 7th, 184
Ranked in the top 12 all season, Travis Rutt was certainly one of the nation's best in 2011-12. He had a 34-4 record on the year for Wisconsin, including one win by pin and five by major decision. Rutt went 4-2 at the NCAA championships to place seventh and earn All-America honors.
Trevor Brandvold
- 2011: 4th, 197
- 2010: 6th, 197
Trevor Brandvold wrapped up his collegiate career with his most successful season as a Badger in 2010-11 and earning fourth place at 197 lbs. With his sixth place finish in 2009-10 Brandvold finished his final season as a two-time All-American with an overall record of 18-2. Brandvold was also a two-time Big Ten champion at 197 lbs. at Wisconsin.
Tyler Graff
- 2013: 3rd, 133
- 2011: 5th, 133
- 2010: 5th, 133
Tyler Graff earned the third All-America honor of his career at 133 lbs. at the 2013 NCAA championships with a 5-1 record and third-place finish. In 2009-10 Graff went 31-9 with a fourth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships and a fifth-place finish at the NCAA championships. Graff followed that up with a 31-5 record in 2010-11, including a second place finish at the Big Ten championships and a second-straight fifth-place NCAA finish with a 4-2 record.
Andrew Howe
- 2011: 3rd, 165
- 2010: 1st, 165
- 2009: 2nd, 165
Andy Howe, a three-time All-American, capped off a perfect season in 2010 with a conference and NCAA title. Howe defeated Penn State's Dan Vallimont, 9-3, for the 2010 NCAA championship title at 165 lbs. He compiled a 37-0 record, including four wins by pin, two by tech fall and 13 by major decision. He was just the fourth Badger to go undefeated in a single season.
Kyle Ruschell
- 2010: 4th, 149
- 2009: 3rd, 149
Kyle Ruschell moved up to 149 lbs. for the 2009 season, and became a two-time All-American for Wisconsin as a result. Ruschell became only the third All-American from the state of Kentucky in 2009, and the third place finish also made him the highest finishing Kentucky native of all time. The following year in 2010 Rushcell put together a brilliant season with a record of 35-5, culminating in a 6-2 effort at the NCAA championships and a fourth place finish.
Zach Tanelli
- 2009: 4th, 141
After going 31-6, including and undefeated 7-0 mark in the Big Ten, in 2008-09, Zach Tanelli recorded a 6-2 record, including five straight victories, at the 2009 NCAA championships in St. Louis to place fourth and earn All-America honors.
Dallas Herbst
- 2008: 6th, 197
In 2008 Dallas Herbst, the Badgers' all-time pins leader, became just the second UW wrestler to be named an All-American at 197 lbs. After a season in which he led Wisconsin in wins with 31 and opened the season with a 13-match winning streak, Herbst qualified for the NCAA championships and went 3-3 with two pins to take sixth place.
Kyle Massey
- 2008: 8th, Hwt.
With his eighth place finish at the 2008 NCAA championships Kyle Massey became Wisconsin's fifth heavyweight All-American, and the first since 1996. Massey had his best overall season for the Badgers in 2008, finishing with an overall record of 30-10 and ending the season on an 11-match dual winning streak.
Tyler Turner
- 2007: 6th, 149
Tyler Turner entered the 2006-07 NCAA championships as an underdog, but he left as an All-American. Turner was an unseeded wrestler heading into the tournament but he turned away four seeded opponents to place sixth and found his way to the awards stand as an All-American.
Craig Henning
- 2007: 2nd, 157
- 2006: 8th, 157
Henning, a two-time All-American at Wisconsin, finished his Badger career with a stellar overall record of 105-29. Henning qualified for the NCAA championships in each of his first three seasons for the Badgers, finishing in eighth in 2006, before taking down the second and third seeded wrestlers en route to a second place finish in 2007.
Tom Clum
- 2006: 5th, 133
- 2005: 3rd, 133
Tom Clum was a much decorated wrestler during his time at Wisconsin. Clum was both a two-time All-American and a two-time Big Ten champion for the Badgers. Clum earned third place honors at the NCAAs in 2004-05 and followed that up a year later with a fifth place finish.
Ryan Flaherty
- 2005: 8th, 197
After a 21-6 junior season in 2004-2005, Ryan Flaherty went 4-1 at the 2005 NCAA championships in St. Louis to finish in eighth place and garner All-America honors.
Tony Black
- 2003: 5th, 125
A four-year starter at UW, Tony Black made the most of his first trip to the NCAA championships as a senior during the 2003 season. Black wrestled to a 5-2 record at the 2003 NCAA tournament, earning a fifth place finish and ending his season with a 27-10 record and his career with a 78-44 mark.
Kevin Black
- 2002: 4th, 133
Kevin Black qualified for the NCAA tournament in each of his first three seasons wrestling for Wisconsin, and finally broke through for All-America honors in his junior season with a fourth place finish at the 2002 tournament, the same year that he took third place at the Big Ten championships.
Grant Hoerr
- 2001: 4th, 141
Grant Hoerr, a two-time NCAA qualifier, broke through to All-American honors on the back of a Cinderella run through the tournament. Hoerr was a No. 11 seed at the NCAA championships, but behind a string of upsets of some of the nation's top-ranked wrestlers, found his way to the podium with a fourth-place finish.
Kole Clauson
- 2000: 7th, 174
After a career that included two disappointing trips to the NCAA championships -- ruled ineligible as a freshman, and failing to place in the top-eight as a senior -- Kole Clauson broke through to earn All-America honors as a fifth-year senior in 2000. Clauson went 31-6 that season and placed seventh at the NCAA tournament.
Cory Wallman
- 2000: 4th, 157
Cory Wallman built a 42-20 career record as a three-year letter winner at Wisconsin. Wallman earned trips to the NCAA Championships in 1999 and 2000. He garnered his All-America honors with a fourth-place finish at the 2000 NCAA tournament to cap his senior campaign. Additionally, the Badgers twice awarded Wallman with the team's Pat Terry Most Dedicated Award.
Donny Pritzlaff
- 2001: 1st, 165
- 2000: 1st, 165
- 1999: 5th, 165
- 1998: 6th, 150
A two-time NCAA title holder, Donny Pritzlaff boasted a career record of 135-16 (.894), putting him second all-time in winning percentage at Wisconsin. He earned All-America status four times in addition to claiming three Big Ten titles and being named an NWCA All-Star in 2001. Pritzlaff was a junior world champion in 1998 and was a member of the United States National Team in 2002-03. Pritzlaff was inducted into the UW Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010.
Kevin Wilmot
- 1997: 4th, 167
Kevin Wilmot put together a senior season to remember in 1996-97. Wilmot had a superb 30-3 record on the year and was consistently ranked in the top-five wrestlers nationally in his weight class. He went on to win a Big Ten title at 167 lbs. and finished fourth at the NCAA championships.
Eric Jetton
- 1998: 2nd, 126
- 1997: 3rd, 126
- 1996: 3rd, 126
Eric Jetton was twice crowned a Big Ten champion during his Badger career, as well as a three-time All-American. No season was more dominant for Jetton than his 1998 senior campaign where he was the No.1-ranked wrestler at 126 pounds and finished second at NCAAs. At the time his career ended Jetton's 115 career wins and .865 career winning percentage ranked sixth and third, respectively, in UW wrestling history.
Jeff Walter
- 1996: 1st, Hwt.
- 1995: 4th, Hwt.
Jeff Walter finished his Badger career with a national championship at heavyweight in 1996. Walter was a two-time All-American and a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. A 1996 NWCA All-Star, Walter finished seventh on UW's all-time falls list with 29, 14 of which came in 1995-96, tying him for sixth on the single-season record list.
Keith Davison
- 1994: 5th, 190
- 1993: 3rd, 190
After a sophomore season that he considered subpar, Keith Davison sat out his junior season in order to move up a weight class in hopes of achieving better results. The move paid off and Davison was an All-American in the two seasons following his self-imposed redshirt year. Davison's 114 career wins rank him eighth in UW wrestling history.
Dan Flood
- 1992: 7th, 126
Dan Flood found his way into the record books at Wisconsin during the 1991-92 season. Not only did he finish the year as an All-American after a seventh place NCAA finish, but his 14 falls that year are tied for sixth most in a single season at UW. Flood's 30 career falls rank him seventh all-time for the Badgers.
Matt Hanutke
- 1995: 4th, 118
- 1994: 5th, 118
- 1993: 6th, 118
- 1992: 7th, 118
One of only three four-time All-Americans in Wisconsin wrestling history, Matt Hanutke ranks among the top all-time Wisconsin state wrestlers. Hanutke was undefeated in high school and a four-time WIAA champion, and continued that success upon arriving at UW. Hanutke battled multiple knee injuries as a Badger, but persevered to win a Big Ten title and earn four top-eight NCAA finishes.
Matt Demaray
- 1992: 1st, 150
- 1991: 1st, 150
- 1990: 7th, 150
Matt Demaray, a two-time national champion, three-time All-American and two-time Big Ten champion, is one of three Badgers to have an undefeated season (42-0 in 1990-91). He also racked up 150 triumphs in his career, putting him in second place all-time at UW. In 1992, Demaray was awarded the Big Ten Medal of Honor, and the following year he was named Academic All-Big Ten. Demaray was inducted into the UW Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.
Todd Seiler
- 1989: 4th, 190
The third time proved to be the charm in Todd Seiler's quest to become an All-American. After falling one victory short of All-American status in his two previous trips to the NCAA tournament, Seiler put together a 5-1 record at the 1989 tournament to take fourth place.
Dave Lee
- 1989: 1st, 167
- 1988: 6th, 167
Dave Lee was a two-time All-American and won a national title in 1989. He racked up two Big Ten championships in addition to being named a NWCA All-Star in 1988.
Kyle Richards
- 1988: 4th, 190
After a 1987-88 season that saw him win the Northern Open at 190 lbs. and finish as the runner-up at the Big Ten tournament, Kyle Richards wrestled to a 4-1 record at the NCAA championships to take fourth place.
Jeff Jordan
- 1988: 4th, 150
- 1987: 4th, 150
Jeff Jordan, the brother of two-time Badger national champion Jim Jordan, was a decorated wrestler in his own right during his time at Wisconsin. Jordan was a two-time All-American, finishing fourth at the NCAA championships in back-to-back seasons in 1986-87 and 1987-88, and was also a Big Ten champion in 1988. Jordan ranks eighth on UW's all-time career wins list with 114.
Paul McShane
- 1987: 4th, 158
Paul McShane put together a 1986-87 season for the UW wrestling record book to remember. Not only did McShane place fourth at the NCAA tournament to earn All-America honors, but his 45 wins that year rank third all-time for the Badgers for a single season.
Rudy Isom
- 1984: 6th, 167
Some unusual circumstances led to Rudy Ison gaining All-America honors in 1984. Isom wrestled to a 1-3 record at the NCAA tournament that year, but earned a sixth place finish after receiving two unexpected byes thanks to a pair of wrestlers being unable to compete. Isom returned the following season and registered 43 wins, a mark that is tied for fourth in a single season in Wisconsin wrestling history.
Jim Jordan
- 1986: 1st, 134
- 1985: 1st, 134
- 1984: 6th, 134
Two-time NCAA champion Jim Jordan finished his career with 156 wins, the most in school history. His 49 victories in 1985-86 also set the Wisconsin single-season record. Among his many accomplishments, Jordan was a three-time All-American, a two-time Big Ten titlist and a 1985 NWCA All-Star. Jordan was inducted into the UW Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.
Dennis Limmex
- 1984: 6th, 177
Dennis Limmex ended his Badger career as an All-American, going 4-2 at the 1984 NCAA championships to cap off his senior year.
John Guira
- 1985: 7th, 142
- 1984: 3rd, 142
- 1983: 8th, 142
Besides being one of Wisconsin's eight three-time All-American wrestlers and ranking seventh in UW history with 126 career wins, John Guira also excelled in the classroom at UW. After graduating Guira was awarded the NCAA Post Graudate Scholarship, an award given to student athletes who show a combination of athletic and academic achievement. Guira was also an accomplished musician at UW.
Mark Schmitz
- 1984: 2nd, 158
- 1982: 6th, 150
As a junior Mark Schmitz became an All-American after a season in which he won a Big Ten title, won 30 of his 39 matches, which included wins over two former NCAA champions, and led the Badgers in team points, falls, and won the team's most dedicated wrestler award. Two seasons later, as a fifth year senior, Schmitz was among the favorites for a national title and walked away with second at the NCAA tournament.
John Ianuzzi
- 1981: 5th, 126
Conventional wisdom says freshman athletes need time to make the adjustment from high school to collegiate competition, but that wasn't the case for John Ianuzzi. As a rookie wrestler for Wisconsin in the 1980-81 season, Ianuzzi placed second at the Big Ten championships, and fifth at the NCAA tournament. Following the season Ianuzzi -- who led the Badgers with 56 team points that year -- was awarded the team's Most Valuable Wrestler Award, becoming the first freshman to do so in the Duane Kelven and Russ Hellickson coaching era at UW.
Mark Zimmer
- 1980: 8th, 118
Mark Zimmer put together a 3-2 record at the 1980 NCAA tournament to finish in eight place, the same year that he was the runner-up at the Big Ten tournament.
Dave Evans
- 1980: 3rd, 167
- 1979: 3rd, 158
Dave Evans didn't take up wrestling until his freshman year of high school, but apparently he was a fast learner. Evans was a four-time letter winner at Wisconsin and finished third at NCAAs in back-to-back years in 1979 and 1980. In 1980, after moving up a weight class, Evans was the Big Ten champion as well as Midlands Wrestling Tournament Champion at 167 lbs.
Mitch Hull
- 1980: 6th, 190
- 1979: 4th, 190
Mitch Hull shined on the mat during his days at Wisconsin, twice garnering All-America honors and winning a pair of Big Ten titles, but he continued to standout on the international wrestling stage following his Badger career. Hull won two national freestyle titles and represented the U.S. in both freestyle and Greco-Roman at the World Championships. In 1981 Hull earned a bronze medal in the World University Games in Romania.
Mike Terry
- 1980: 6th, 158
- 1979: 5th, 150
With Andy Rein preventing him from wrestling regularly at the 142 lb. weight class, Mike Terry made the decision to move up to 150 pounds before the 1978-79 season and it paid off in the form of All-America honors after a fifth place NCAA finish. Another shift up to 158 lbs. the next season yielded a second All-American finish in 1968 for Terry.
Jim Hanson
- 1978: 4th, 126
After losing his second match at the NCAA tournament, Jim Hanson went on a tear, winning four straight matches to earn fourth place honors and helping the Badgers to a fourth place team finish.
Ron Jeidy
- 1978: 1st, 190
Ron Jeidy closed out his senior season by winning an NCAA championship in 1978, the same year in which he earned an All-America nod and a Big Ten title. Just the year before, he competed in the World University games in freestyle.
Andy Rein
- 1980: 1st, 150
- 1979: 6th, 142
- 1978: 2nd, 142
The 1979-80 season proved to be a good one for Andy Rein, as he went a perfect 40-0 en route to the national title. Four years later, Rein went on to earn the silver medal at the Olympic Games. In addition to being a three-time All-American and two-time Big Ten champion, Rein took home gold at the 1979 Pan American Games in freestyle and at the 1983 Tbilisi Tournament. Rein was inducted into the UW Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.
Jim Haines
- 1977: 1st, 118
Jim Haines completed his Badger career with a national championship and an All-America award in 1977. An active member in national and international competition, Haines was a 1976 Olympian, won the gold medal at the 1977 and 1978 World Cup of Freestyle and took home silver at the 1975 Pan American Games, the 1979 World Championships in freestyle and the 1979 Tbilisi Tournament.
Steve Lawinger
- 1977: 6th, 167
Steve Lawinger put together a 4-2 record at the 1977 NCAA tournament, earning him a sixth place finish and All-America honors.
Pat Christenson
- 1976: 1st, 167
In 1976, Pat Christenson won an NCAA title, earned All-America honors, was named an NWCA All-Star and was awarded the Big Ten Medal of Honor. His 32 career falls are tied for third most in UW history, and his 14 in the 1975-76 season are tied for sixth most in a single season.
Lee Kemp
- 1978: 1st, 158
- 1977: 1st, 158
- 1976: 1st, 158
- 1975: 2nd, 150
Three-time NCAA champion Lee Kemp sits atop UW's record book in three categories-single-season falls (18), career falls (47) and winning percentage (.957). Kemp, who also was a 1980 Olympian, won the World Cup of Freestyle in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982; the Pan American Games in freestyle in 1979 and 1983; and the World Championships in freestyle in 1978, 1979 and 1982. Kemp was inducted into the UW Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991.
Jack Reinwand
- 1976: 1st, 126
- 1975: 4th, 126
An NCAA title holder and two-time All-America selection, Jack Reinwald also was a great wrestler on the national and international levels. He took home bronze at the 1977 World Championship in freestyle, as well as bronze (1978) and silver (1979) at the World Cup of Freestyle. In addition, Reinwald was a 1976 NWCA All-Star.
Laurent Soucie
- 1975: 3rd, 190
An All-American in 1975 after a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships, Laurent Soucie also ranks 12th all-time in UW wrestling history in career winning percentage with a .788 mark. Following his Badger career Soucie was a two-time USA Freestyle champion and a professional wrestler in both the NWA and WWF. Soucie is also an inductee in the George Martin Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Rich Lawinger
- 1974: 1st, 142
- 1973: 2nd, 150
Rich Lawinger has the distinction of being Wisconsin's first NCAA champion. In 1974, Lawinger boasted a whopping 39-1 record and took home the second of his two All-America awards and the second of his two Big Ten titles en route to being named an NWCA All-Star. In 1973, Lawinger earned the bronze medal at the World University Games in freestyle.
Mike Gluck
- 1967: 2nd, 145
The 1967 national runner-up at 145 lbs., Mike Gluck excelled both on and off the mat at UW. Gluck won a Big Ten championship in 1969 and was the titlist at 137 pounds at the 1966 Midlands Tournament. Following his career, Gluck was awarded the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor for exhibiting a proficiency in both scholarship and athletics during his varsity career for the Badgers.
Elmer Beale
- 1966: 4th, 160
Elmer Beale finished his Badger wrestling career with a season to remember in 1965-66. Beale won the Wisconsin State Collegiate Wrestling Tournament that year, as well as a Big Ten title and finished second at the Midlands Tournament before going 4-2 at the NCAA championships and earning a fourth place finish.
Dan Pernat
- 1965: 2nd, 191
Dan Pernat went 4-1 at the 1965 NCAA championships and earned a second place finish, the same season that he was the champion at 191 pounds at the Wisconsin State Collegiate Championships.
Ron Paar
- 1964: 5th, 191
- 1963: 3rd, 191
- 1962: 3rd, 177
Ron Paar, one of only seven three-time All-Americans in Wisconsin wrestling history, also applied his trade on the football field as an offensive lineman for the Badgers. Paar placed third at 177 pounds in 1962 before moving up to 191 pounds, where he finished third in 1963 and fifth in 1964.
Roger Pillath
- 1962: 2nd, Hwt
Roger Pillath shined on two fields of play during his Badger career. Not only was Pillath a standout wrestler - he won two Big Ten titles, he was the national runner-up in the heavyweight division in 1962, and his .963 winning percentage during the 1961-61 ranks eighth all-time for a single season at UW - but he was also a lineman for the UW football team.
Bob Konovsky
- 1956: 2nd, Hwt.
- 1955: 3rd, Hwt.
- 1954: 2nd, Hwt.
Bob Konovsky was a three-time Big Ten heavyweight champion and two-time national runner-up in his time wrestling for the Badgers. An inductee in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, Konovsky also played 49 games over four season as a guard in the NFL and AFL for the Chicago Cardinals and Denver Broncos following his collegiate wrestling career. After college he also wrestled professionally under the nickname "Killer" Karnovsky.
Earl Haeger
- 1941: 4th, 175
Earl Hager put together a 3-1 record at the 1941 NCAA tournament, good for a fourth place finish. Hager is Wisconsin wrestling's only All-American at the 175 lb. weight class.
John Roberts
- 1941: 2nd, 165
A two-sport star at Wisconsin, John Roberts both wrestled and played football for the Badgers. Roberts was a guard on the No. 3-ranked 1941 UW football team. When he wasn't on the gridiron Roberts was also a standout wrestler. He was a two-time Big Ten champion at Wisconsin and placed second at the 1941 NCAA Championships. Roberts was also inducted to the University of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994.
Ferdinand Hammer
- 1929: 3rd, 155
Ferdinand Hammer, the 1929 Big Ten champion at 155 lbs., went 2-1 at the NCAA championships that year to earn an automatic third place finish.
Leland Heywood
- 1929: 3rd, 175
Leland Heywood, one of four wrestlers to compete at 175 lbs. at the 1929 NCAA Wrestling Tournament, went 1-2 at NCAAs to earn his spot on the medal stand in third place.
Selmer Swenson
- 1929: 2nd, Hwt
Selmer Swenson went 2-1 at the 1929 NCAA tournament and defeated Ohio State's Russ Fairall in the second place match to earn All-America honors.
