Oklahoma State University Athletics
A Century of Cowboy Wrestling: 1960s
October 08, 2015 | Cowboy Wrestling
After back-to-back national championships in 1958 and '59, Oklahoma State expanded its dominance on the mat to an international level.
During the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, Doug Blubaugh, 160.5 pounds, and Shelby Wilson, 147.5 pounds, began the decade by winning gold medals – the fourth and fifth time that an OSU wrestler won Olympic gold.
Back in the United States, Myron Roderick's Cowboys found themselves at the beginning of an 84-dual unbeaten streak – the longest in program history.
During the streak, OSU won three national championships and 10 individual titles. One of the Cowboys' leaders during the seven-year unbeaten streak was Yojiro Uetake-Obata.
Uetake won all 57 of his matches and is the only OSU wrestler to finish his collegiate career undefeated. He won three Big Eight Conference titles, three national championships and was voted the Outstanding Wrestler of the NCAA tournament as both a junior and senior, becoming the first Cowboy to win the award twice.
After his sophomore year in 1964, Uetake returned home to Japan to win the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo. Four years later, in Mexico City, he repeated this achievement and became both the first Japanese wrestler, as well as the first OSU wrestler, to ever win two Olympic gold medals.
Uetake was honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1980.
There are three other wrestlers from the 1960s that are honored as Distinguished Members of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
After transferring to OSU, Bobby Douglas won the Big Eight, but was knocked out of the 1965 NCAA Tournament due to injury. He closed his collegiate career with a record of 72-2.
Douglas won three national Freestyle titles and represented the United States on two Olympic teams, which included captaining the '68 Olympic team. He was the first black American to wrestle in the Olympics, the first to captain the Olympic team, and the first to coach wrestling at a major university.
Douglas was honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1987.
J Robinson wrestled at OSU from 1966-68 and finished with a career record of 20-15. Despite the unimpressive record, he honed his collegiate-style skills during his time at OSU and translated them into a successful coaching career.
In 1986, Robinson was named the head coach at Minnesota and has led the Golden Gophers to three NCAA titles in his 29 years as head coach. He is also the leader for All-Americans coached among active head coaches.
Robinson was honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2005.
Fred Fozzard is the most recent wrestler from the 1960's teams to be honored.
As a junior, the top-seeded Fozzard won the 1967 NCAA Tournament. In his senior season, the standout from Oregon entered the tournament undefeated, but lost to the eventual champion in the semifinals.
After the loss, Fozzard stormed back with two pins in the consolation round to place third. His bonus point wins were what allowed OSU to win the team championship in 1968.
Fozzard finished with a collegiate record of 55-4-3 and was honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012.
The 1968 NCAA Championship was the last team title OSU won during the decade.
Dwayne Keller was honored as the Outstanding Wrestler of the 1968 tournament as he won the first of his two championships. He finished his career with a record of 64-1.
Keller is one of just six Cowboy wrestlers to finish their collegiate careers with one loss or fewer. His career winning percentage of 98.46 percent ranks second in program history, trailing only Uetake.
During the 1960s, OSU won eight conference championships, five national championships, which included 15 individual titles and 61 All-America honors, four Olympic gold medals and posted a team record of 118-7-3.
After the decade's final season, Myron Roderick stepped away from coaching.
In his 13 years at the helm, Roderick produced seven NCAA team champions. His wrestlers won four gold medals in the Olympic Games, 20 individual NCAA titles and received All-America honors 79 times.
Roderick finished his coaching career with a record of 140-10-7. He is also credited with introducing recruiting on a major scale into college wrestling.
After leaving OSU, Roderick served as the first executive director of the U.S. Wrestling Federation, where he established the foundation of USA Wrestling, the sport's national governing body.
Roderick also helped to establish the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, where he was honored as a Distinguished Member of the inaugural class in 1976.
One of Roderick's former wrestlers, Tommy Chesbro, was chosen to succeed him as coach and lead the Cowboys into the 1970s.
During the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, Doug Blubaugh, 160.5 pounds, and Shelby Wilson, 147.5 pounds, began the decade by winning gold medals – the fourth and fifth time that an OSU wrestler won Olympic gold.
Back in the United States, Myron Roderick's Cowboys found themselves at the beginning of an 84-dual unbeaten streak – the longest in program history.
During the streak, OSU won three national championships and 10 individual titles. One of the Cowboys' leaders during the seven-year unbeaten streak was Yojiro Uetake-Obata.
Uetake won all 57 of his matches and is the only OSU wrestler to finish his collegiate career undefeated. He won three Big Eight Conference titles, three national championships and was voted the Outstanding Wrestler of the NCAA tournament as both a junior and senior, becoming the first Cowboy to win the award twice.
After his sophomore year in 1964, Uetake returned home to Japan to win the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo. Four years later, in Mexico City, he repeated this achievement and became both the first Japanese wrestler, as well as the first OSU wrestler, to ever win two Olympic gold medals.
Uetake was honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1980.
There are three other wrestlers from the 1960s that are honored as Distinguished Members of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
After transferring to OSU, Bobby Douglas won the Big Eight, but was knocked out of the 1965 NCAA Tournament due to injury. He closed his collegiate career with a record of 72-2.
Douglas won three national Freestyle titles and represented the United States on two Olympic teams, which included captaining the '68 Olympic team. He was the first black American to wrestle in the Olympics, the first to captain the Olympic team, and the first to coach wrestling at a major university.
Douglas was honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1987.
J Robinson wrestled at OSU from 1966-68 and finished with a career record of 20-15. Despite the unimpressive record, he honed his collegiate-style skills during his time at OSU and translated them into a successful coaching career.
In 1986, Robinson was named the head coach at Minnesota and has led the Golden Gophers to three NCAA titles in his 29 years as head coach. He is also the leader for All-Americans coached among active head coaches.
Robinson was honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2005.
Fred Fozzard is the most recent wrestler from the 1960's teams to be honored.
As a junior, the top-seeded Fozzard won the 1967 NCAA Tournament. In his senior season, the standout from Oregon entered the tournament undefeated, but lost to the eventual champion in the semifinals.
After the loss, Fozzard stormed back with two pins in the consolation round to place third. His bonus point wins were what allowed OSU to win the team championship in 1968.
Fozzard finished with a collegiate record of 55-4-3 and was honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012.
The 1968 NCAA Championship was the last team title OSU won during the decade.
Dwayne Keller was honored as the Outstanding Wrestler of the 1968 tournament as he won the first of his two championships. He finished his career with a record of 64-1.
Keller is one of just six Cowboy wrestlers to finish their collegiate careers with one loss or fewer. His career winning percentage of 98.46 percent ranks second in program history, trailing only Uetake.
During the 1960s, OSU won eight conference championships, five national championships, which included 15 individual titles and 61 All-America honors, four Olympic gold medals and posted a team record of 118-7-3.
After the decade's final season, Myron Roderick stepped away from coaching.
In his 13 years at the helm, Roderick produced seven NCAA team champions. His wrestlers won four gold medals in the Olympic Games, 20 individual NCAA titles and received All-America honors 79 times.
Roderick finished his coaching career with a record of 140-10-7. He is also credited with introducing recruiting on a major scale into college wrestling.
After leaving OSU, Roderick served as the first executive director of the U.S. Wrestling Federation, where he established the foundation of USA Wrestling, the sport's national governing body.
Roderick also helped to establish the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, where he was honored as a Distinguished Member of the inaugural class in 1976.
One of Roderick's former wrestlers, Tommy Chesbro, was chosen to succeed him as coach and lead the Cowboys into the 1970s.
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