University of Toledo Wrestling - Modern Day
Toledo has a long-standing history with wrestling. Olympians have called Toledo home and the Glass City has hosted its share of world-class events. Shockingly, in 1994, the University decided to drop wrestling as an Athletic Department NCAA-D1 program to become more compliant with Title IX. In 1997, the long and arduous journey back to NCAA status began when the team re-formed under the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) banner. It has always been the NCWA team founder's (current head coach Bryan Knepper) goal to have the program reinstated to NCAA-D1, but as of the 2022-2023 season, that has not occurred. There is new hope as the NCAA has named Women's Wrestling as an emerging sport.
Meanwhile, the wrestling team has amassed 20 All-Americans within the NCWA since 1998, the last three in 2022 being Serenity Thomas (2nd-130 lbs, Women's Division), Zachery Snyder (3rd-157 lbs), and Matthew Abraham (3rd-197 lbs). Toledo also has a 3x undefeated NCWA National Champion to its name in Adam Murray from 2006-2008. Murray was named Most Outstanding Wrestling in 2008 and was recently added to the NCWA Hall of Fame in March of 2017. Zach Blevins became the second NCWA National Champion for Toledo in 2018 as a Freshman and finished as a 3x National Finalist only losing 3 career NCWA matches.
Toledo's NCWA All-Americans (National Finalists in BOLD):
2002 - Andrew Isler - 3rd at 285 lbs
2005 - Leon Lewis - 6th at 235 lbs
2006 - Adam Murray - 1st at 197 lbs
2006 - David Brighton - 4th at 149 lbs
2007 - Adam Murray - 1st at 197 lbs (undefeated)
2008 - Adam Murray - 1st at 197 lbs (undefeated and Most Outstanding Wrestler of Tournament)
2008 - Andrew Metzger - 3rd at 235 lbs
2010 - Tom Kiefer - 6th at 165 lbs
2016 - Taylor Workman - 4th at 165 lbs
2018 - De'Ante Evans - 2nd at 133 lbs
2018 - Zach Blevins - 1st at 149 lbs
2019 - De'Ante Evans - 4th at 133 lbs
2019 - Zach Blevins - 2nd at 149 lbs
2019 - Major Moore - 2nd at 174 lbs
2020 - Serenity Thomas - 2nd at 130 lbs (Women's Division)
2020 - Zach Blevins - 2nd at 149 lbs
2020 - Dominic Vasquez - 8th at 197 lbs
2022 - Serenity Thomas - 2nd at 130 lbs (Women's Division)
2022 - Zachery Snyder - 3rd at 157 lbs
2022 - Matthew Abraham - 3rd at 197 lbs
Most common NCWA AA Weights: 197 lbs (5x), 149 lbs (4x)
College open mats are currently on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7 - 8:30 PM at the TEAM TOLEDO facility (757 Warehouse Road
Unit E, Toledo, Ohio). The team is open to all University of Toledo students taking more than 6 hours of classes and matriculating towards a degree. The 2022-2023 season will be UT's fifth season in NCWA-D1 (Scholarship Division; note the 2020-2021 season was canceled due to COVID-19). Toledo will have as many as 8 athletes on a wrestling scholarship this upcoming season each provided by the Toledo Wrestling Foundation (501c3).
Meanwhile, the wrestling team has amassed 20 All-Americans within the NCWA since 1998, the last three in 2022 being Serenity Thomas (2nd-130 lbs, Women's Division), Zachery Snyder (3rd-157 lbs), and Matthew Abraham (3rd-197 lbs). Toledo also has a 3x undefeated NCWA National Champion to its name in Adam Murray from 2006-2008. Murray was named Most Outstanding Wrestling in 2008 and was recently added to the NCWA Hall of Fame in March of 2017. Zach Blevins became the second NCWA National Champion for Toledo in 2018 as a Freshman and finished as a 3x National Finalist only losing 3 career NCWA matches.
Toledo's NCWA All-Americans (National Finalists in BOLD):
2002 - Andrew Isler - 3rd at 285 lbs
2005 - Leon Lewis - 6th at 235 lbs
2006 - Adam Murray - 1st at 197 lbs
2006 - David Brighton - 4th at 149 lbs
2007 - Adam Murray - 1st at 197 lbs (undefeated)
2008 - Adam Murray - 1st at 197 lbs (undefeated and Most Outstanding Wrestler of Tournament)
2008 - Andrew Metzger - 3rd at 235 lbs
2010 - Tom Kiefer - 6th at 165 lbs
2016 - Taylor Workman - 4th at 165 lbs
2018 - De'Ante Evans - 2nd at 133 lbs
2018 - Zach Blevins - 1st at 149 lbs
2019 - De'Ante Evans - 4th at 133 lbs
2019 - Zach Blevins - 2nd at 149 lbs
2019 - Major Moore - 2nd at 174 lbs
2020 - Serenity Thomas - 2nd at 130 lbs (Women's Division)
2020 - Zach Blevins - 2nd at 149 lbs
2020 - Dominic Vasquez - 8th at 197 lbs
2022 - Serenity Thomas - 2nd at 130 lbs (Women's Division)
2022 - Zachery Snyder - 3rd at 157 lbs
2022 - Matthew Abraham - 3rd at 197 lbs
Most common NCWA AA Weights: 197 lbs (5x), 149 lbs (4x)
College open mats are currently on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7 - 8:30 PM at the TEAM TOLEDO facility (757 Warehouse Road
Unit E, Toledo, Ohio). The team is open to all University of Toledo students taking more than 6 hours of classes and matriculating towards a degree. The 2022-2023 season will be UT's fifth season in NCWA-D1 (Scholarship Division; note the 2020-2021 season was canceled due to COVID-19). Toledo will have as many as 8 athletes on a wrestling scholarship this upcoming season each provided by the Toledo Wrestling Foundation (501c3).
Team History - The NCAA Years
The University of Toledo had its first NCAA qualifiers in 1951 with Jack Shire (123), Earl Coutright (147), Floyd Gadt (167), Dick Torio (177-3rd place) and Harry Lanzi (heavyweight-3rd place). By 1952 they had their first NCAA National Champion when Harry Lanzi defeated George Myers of Iowa 7-5. UT had one more National Champion when Greg Wojciechowski took home the title in 1971. Wojciechowski also made the finals in 1970 and 1972. Dick Wilson was runner up three years in a row at 115 lbs from 1959-1961. The University of Toledo had 22 All Americans in its NCAA History. In 1951 the team finished 6th in the NCAA and in 1952 they finished 4th. That is still the highest finish of any traditional MAC school in NCAA History. The team won the MAC championship 7x (1952, 1953, 1954, 1962, 1963, 1969, and 1983).
Toledo's NCAA All-Americans (Finalists and Olympians in Bold):
1951 - Dick Torio - 3rd at 177 lbs
1951 - Harry Lanzi - 3rd at HWT
1952 - Harry Lanzi - 1st at HWT
1952 - Dick Torio - 4th at 191 lbs
1953 - Dick Torio - 3rd at 191 lbs
1953 - Ed Lanzi - 4th at 177 lbs
1955 - Don Wem - 4th at 177 lbs
1959 - Dick Wilson - 2nd at 115 lbs
1960 - Dick Wilson - 2nd at 115 lbs
1961 - Dick Wilson - 2nd at 115 lbs *** 1961 and 1962 US World Team in Freestyle (placed 5th in 1961)
***1956, 1960, 1961, 1962, and 1964 US World Team in Greco-Roman (dnp at 1956 Olympics, dnp at 1960 Olympics, placed 5th in 1961, placed 4th at 1964 Olympics)***
1963 - Merrell Solowin - 4th at HWT *** 1962 and 1963 US World Team Member
1964 - Merrell Solowin - 3rd at HWT
1967 - Phil McCartney - 6th at 152 lbs
1968 - Dave Keller - 4th at 115 lbs
1970 - Greg Wojciechowski - 2nd at HWT ***1970, 1978, and 1980 US World Team Member (placed 4th in 1970, 5th in 1978, and was not allowed to compete in the 1980 Olympics)
1970 - Ron Junko - 6th at 134 lbs
1971 - Greg Wojciechowski - 1st at HWT
1972 - Greg Wojciechowski - 2nd at HWT
1975 - Myron Shapiro - 3rd at 118 lbs
1976 - Brad Smith - 4th at 142 lbs
1979 - Chuck Biggert - 7th at 150 lbs
1986 - John Potts - 5th at HWT
Toledo's NCAA All-Americans (Finalists and Olympians in Bold):
1951 - Dick Torio - 3rd at 177 lbs
1951 - Harry Lanzi - 3rd at HWT
1952 - Harry Lanzi - 1st at HWT
1952 - Dick Torio - 4th at 191 lbs
1953 - Dick Torio - 3rd at 191 lbs
1953 - Ed Lanzi - 4th at 177 lbs
1955 - Don Wem - 4th at 177 lbs
1959 - Dick Wilson - 2nd at 115 lbs
1960 - Dick Wilson - 2nd at 115 lbs
1961 - Dick Wilson - 2nd at 115 lbs *** 1961 and 1962 US World Team in Freestyle (placed 5th in 1961)
***1956, 1960, 1961, 1962, and 1964 US World Team in Greco-Roman (dnp at 1956 Olympics, dnp at 1960 Olympics, placed 5th in 1961, placed 4th at 1964 Olympics)***
1963 - Merrell Solowin - 4th at HWT *** 1962 and 1963 US World Team Member
1964 - Merrell Solowin - 3rd at HWT
1967 - Phil McCartney - 6th at 152 lbs
1968 - Dave Keller - 4th at 115 lbs
1970 - Greg Wojciechowski - 2nd at HWT ***1970, 1978, and 1980 US World Team Member (placed 4th in 1970, 5th in 1978, and was not allowed to compete in the 1980 Olympics)
1970 - Ron Junko - 6th at 134 lbs
1971 - Greg Wojciechowski - 1st at HWT
1972 - Greg Wojciechowski - 2nd at HWT
1975 - Myron Shapiro - 3rd at 118 lbs
1976 - Brad Smith - 4th at 142 lbs
1979 - Chuck Biggert - 7th at 150 lbs
1986 - John Potts - 5th at HWT
The University
The University of Toledo has a highly regarded Law School, University Hospital, Engineering department and Pharmacy program which makes it very appealing to wrestling recruits. Whatever you are interested in doing in life we're sure the University of Toledo is the right place for you.
If you are interested in learning more info about the University of Toledo visit http://www.utoledo.edu/
If you are interested in learning more info about the University of Toledo visit http://www.utoledo.edu/
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