Mark Schultz the Wrestler

When he captured his third National Collegiate championship, a notable achievement in itself, that was only the beginning. Mark Schultz then stepped into the international arena and reached heights of which few athletes can dream. His Olympic gold medal and two additional World championships place him among a mere handful of America's elite wrestlers. During high school at Palo Alto, California, wrestling wasn't even his primary sport. Schultz was an accomplished gymnast and, years later, he would celebrate epic wrestling victories with spectacular back-flips at center mat. A year after he enrolled at UCLA, the school dropped wrestling. With his older brother, David, he transferred to the University of Oklahoma and won the NCAA championship at 167 pounds in 1981. The highlight match of his collegiate career came in his junior season. Instead of defending his 167-pound crown, he rose to 177 to challenge two-time champion Ed Banach of Iowa. Schultz scored a landmark 12-4 victory in the finals, was voted the tournament's outstanding wrestler, and blocked Banach's bid to become a four-time champion. Mark and Dave Schultz were 1984 Olympic teammates of the Banach twins, Ed and Lou, at Los Angeles, where all four won gold medals. Mark and Ed became the first American wrestlers in 52 years to cap three NCAA titles with Olympic gold medals. Mark returned to the Olympic Games in 1988, placing sixth after an injury. He won four national Freestyle titles, two World championships and a Pan American gold medal. After several years as a collegiate coaching assistant, Schultz became head coach at Brigham Young University. In recognition of achievements which forever mark him one of the best wrestlers in the world, Mark Philip Schultz is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Accomplishments

-1984 Olympic Champion
-1985,87 World Champion
-1981,82,83 NCAA Champion
-1984,85,86,87 National Open Freestyle Champion
-1987 Pan American Games Champion
-1982 World Cup Champion
-1983,85,87 National Sports Festival Champion
-1978 California High School State Champion
-1976 Northern California Age (14-15) Gymnastic Champion
-100th Distinguished member inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
-1982 Unanimously voted "Outstanding Wrestler" at the NCAA Championship
-1987 USA Wrestling Athlete of the Year
-1987 Sullivan Award Nominee
-1987 Olympic Magazine Sportsman of the Year
-1985 Wrestling Masters Magazine "International Wrestler of the Year"
-1983 Captain of the University of Oklahoma wrestling team
-1983 Set the University of Oklahoma record for most victories in a single season without a loss