Recognizing Cowboy Legends Buddy Arndt and Shelby Wilson

David "Buddy" Arndt, 1941-1946

To walk away from the mat for three years just to come back and dominate without skipping a beat is something truly exceptional. Buddy Arndt did just that, becoming the only wrestler to win NCAA championships on both sides of World War II.

Arndt never knew anything but pure dominance on the mat, even from a young age - losing was simply not an option for the nation's best wrestler. Arndt etched his name throughout Tulsa Central High record books, never losing a match and winning two state championships. Only illness was able to stop his quest for a third title.

His undefeated ways carried over into his time at Oklahoma State, where he again never lost a single match. Arndt won his first NCAA championship at 145 pounds as a sophomore and won six bouts in the National AAU Tournament, ultimately settling for second place due to international scoring rules. The ruling only fueled Arndt the following season, as he swept both the NCAA and AAU titles and won the most outstanding wrestler at each event. Arndt is just one of 14 wrestlers throughout Oklahoma State's storied history to receive the NCAA Outstanding Wrestler award, doing so while wrestling a full class above his normal weight to make room in the lineup for another national champion.

After his second championship, Arndt left Stillwater to serve the United States in the second world war for the next three years. He served as a P-38 fighter pilot and flew over 100 combat missions over Italy with the 15th Air Corps. Arndt was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, along with four clusters and six bronze battle stars for his action in major battles.

Following his heroics throughout the war, Arndt still felt the drive to compete. In 1946, he won his third NCAA championship at 136 pounds. Arndt was the eighth Aggie to achieve three national titles, but is the only wrestler in United States history to do so on each side of the war.

In 1981, Arndt's legacy in the sport was solidified when he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member.

A man like Arndt exemplifies what it means to be a Cowboy, serving his school and country in unbelievable ways. A warrior both on the mat and in the air, Arndt is recognized as a member of the Oklahoma State University Athletics Hall of Honor class of 2023.

Shelby Wilson, 1957-59

Shelby 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 inducted into the Oklahoma State University Athletics Hall of Honor in 2023

Wilson was the ultimate humanitarian and athlete, who dedicated his life to helping others pursue their dreams just as he did.

Oklahoma State University Athletics

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