Oklahoma State University Athletics
Shelby Wilson Named to 2024 Oklahoma Sports HOF Class
November 21, 2023 | Cowboy Wrestling
STILLWATER – Former Oklahoma State wrestler Shelby Wilson will be inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2024, the Hall of Fame announced today.
Wilson wrestled at Oklahoma State from 1957-1959 after winning three conference titles and suffering just three defeats while at Ponca City high school. As a Cowboy, Wilson's first season was cut short due to injury, but he rallied to achieve a 34-2 record and earned two Big Eight titles. He punched his ticket to the NCAA finals in back-to-back seasons, but suffered losses in both matches.
An Olympic gold medalist at the 1960 Games in Rome, Shelby Wilson was the only member of the U.S. world team that year to have qualified for a spot on both the Greco-Roman and freestyle Olympic rosters. He qualified for Greco-Roman first but relinquished his position in order to compete in freestyle. Once in Rome, he won all five of his bouts, including a standout fourth-round win over the reigning world champion, Volodymyr Syniavskiy of the Soviet Union.
After competition, Wilson went on to serve as head coach at the University of Colorado from 1969-74 before moving on to coach at Indiana University with OSU teammate Doug Blubaugh, then onto Owen Valley, where he coached middle school and high school wrestling for 20 years.
Away from wrestling, he and his wife of 60 years, Gretchen, launched the Stronghold Youth Foundation in Indiana to serve international students, a ministry that continues 50 years after its original inception. Along with the Stronghold Foundation, Shelby and Gretchen led a repair business and worked in property management as a way of ministering to the needs of others and sharing their faith.
In 1982, Wilson was honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He was also a member of the Oklahoma State University Athletics Hall of Honor class of 2023, which was honored in September.
The 2024 Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame class will be formally inducted on August 5, 2024 at the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame's Induction Ceremony at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The 2024 class also includes Steve Davis, Mike Metheny, Ryan Minor and Roy Williams, as well as fellow Oklahoma State student-athlete Patty McGraw-Coatney.
Wilson wrestled at Oklahoma State from 1957-1959 after winning three conference titles and suffering just three defeats while at Ponca City high school. As a Cowboy, Wilson's first season was cut short due to injury, but he rallied to achieve a 34-2 record and earned two Big Eight titles. He punched his ticket to the NCAA finals in back-to-back seasons, but suffered losses in both matches.
An Olympic gold medalist at the 1960 Games in Rome, Shelby Wilson was the only member of the U.S. world team that year to have qualified for a spot on both the Greco-Roman and freestyle Olympic rosters. He qualified for Greco-Roman first but relinquished his position in order to compete in freestyle. Once in Rome, he won all five of his bouts, including a standout fourth-round win over the reigning world champion, Volodymyr Syniavskiy of the Soviet Union.
After competition, Wilson went on to serve as head coach at the University of Colorado from 1969-74 before moving on to coach at Indiana University with OSU teammate Doug Blubaugh, then onto Owen Valley, where he coached middle school and high school wrestling for 20 years.
Away from wrestling, he and his wife of 60 years, Gretchen, launched the Stronghold Youth Foundation in Indiana to serve international students, a ministry that continues 50 years after its original inception. Along with the Stronghold Foundation, Shelby and Gretchen led a repair business and worked in property management as a way of ministering to the needs of others and sharing their faith.
In 1982, Wilson was honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He was also a member of the Oklahoma State University Athletics Hall of Honor class of 2023, which was honored in September.
The 2024 Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame class will be formally inducted on August 5, 2024 at the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame's Induction Ceremony at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The 2024 class also includes Steve Davis, Mike Metheny, Ryan Minor and Roy Williams, as well as fellow Oklahoma State student-athlete Patty McGraw-Coatney.
The Changing Face of College Athletics - Inside OSU Athletics with Chad Weiberg
Friday, May 08
Oklahoma State vs. TCU | Condensed Game Highlights (05-03-2026)
Sunday, May 03
Oklahoma State vs Kansas | Condensed Game Highlights 5-3-26
Sunday, May 03
Oklahoma State vs Kansas | Condensed Game Highlights 5-1-26
Saturday, May 02
