Patten, Briggs UNI Wrestling Reunion set for Sept. 14-16
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The Chuck Patten and Don Briggs UNI Wrestling Reunion is set for the weekend of Sept. 14-16, 2007, in Cedar Falls/Waterloo. Join the fun golfing and sharing old 'war' stories from the Patten-Briggs Era of Panther wrestling.
The weekend will include:
FRIDAY - Welcome Back Open House Social @ Dan Gable International Wrestling Musuem (5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.) Cocktails @ Toad's Bar & Grill (Cedar Falls - immediately following the open house)
SATURDAY - CP Celebrity Golf Tournament @ Fox Ridge Golf Course in Dike
(8 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
UNI Athletics' Facilities Tour (3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.) Cocktails (5:30 p.m.) and Dinner (8 p.m.) at Briggs' House
For more information on the weekend contact Kevin Finn at (319) 988-3470 (kevin.finn@uni.edu) for your housing questions and Jim Sweither (972) 743-6534 (jimswieter@zoomsports.net) for your golfing questions.
Check the events you plan to attend (Cost for golf is paid ahead of time to secure golf course reservations).
Name _____________________
Friday Night Social (free) ____
Golf Tournament ($40 per player) ____
(includes green fees and goodie bag)
UNI Facilities Tour (free) ____
Hog Roast ($25 per person) ____
TOTAL ____
Please return this form and your check by August 15 to:
Amy Mohr
Office of Alumni Relations
University of Northern Iowa
1012 W. 23rd Street
Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614-0284
CHUCK PATTEN
Chuck Patten became Head Coach of the UNI wrestling team in 1965. By the end of his 18 years here, he had ranked up 217 wins and only 87 losses, coached 58 All-Americans and 16 national champions, and produced two championship teams.
In eleven of his eighteen years at UNI his teams placed in the top three at the Division II national championships.
Team Placing at National Championships
1st Place (2) - 1975, 1978
2nd Place (4) - 1970, 1972, 1974, 1980
3rd Place (5) - 1967, 1969, 1976, 1977, 1979 4th Place (1) - 1973 7th Place (1) - 1971 8th Place (1) - 1968 10th Place (2) - 1966, 1982*
12th Place (1) - 1981*
NCAA Division I
From 1964 through 1978, UNI participated in the North Central Conference (NCC) championships. While Patten coached the Panthers, the team won ten NCC championships and placed second all the remaining years.
Outstanding wrestlers during this period included three-time national champions Gary Bentrim and Kirk Myers. Bentrim placed first in Division II national tournaments in 1976, 1977, and 1978, while Myers placed first in 1978, 1979, and 1980. By Myers' senior year, he was also the only wrestler to have won 30 or more matches in four years of competition.
Two-time national champions during Coach Patten's reign included Don Parker, who won in 1966 and 1967, and Kent Osboe in 1968 and 1969. In
1974 and 1975, both Jim Miller and Ken Snyder placed first.
One-time national Division II champions under Patten included Clint Young (1971), Tom Garcia (1974), Randy Omvig (1975), Keith Poolman (1978), and Ken Gallagher (1980). Mike McCready, 1972 national champion, also won the gold medal at the 1975 Pan American Games.
DON BRIGGS
Don Briggs became Head Coach of the UNI wrestling team in 1982 after the previous coach, Chuck Patten retired. At the end of his fifteen years in this position, Briggs had coached 29 All Americans among them four two-time and three three-time All-Americans. He had a winning record of 164-98 and his teams had placed in the top twenty at the NCAA meet twelve years. The Panthers had also performed well at the West Regional Championships, placing first from 1986 through 1997, and second in 1983, 1984, and 1985.
Team Placing at National Championships
10th Place (2) 1983, 1992
11th Place (4) 1984, 1990, 1991, 1994
13th Place (2) 1987, 1988
14th Place (1) 1989
16th Place (1) 1995
17th Place (1) 1986
18th Place (1) 1985
22nd Place (1) 1993
27th Place (1) 1996 (tie)
41st Place (1) 1997 (tie)
Outstanding wrestlers during this period include three-time All-Americans Gary Steffensmeier at 150 pounds, Rich Powers at 177 pounds, and Justin Greenlee at heavyweight. Steffensmeier placed second in 1990, and fourth in 1991 and 1992 at the NCAA Championships. Powers placed fifth in 1990 and 1992, and fourth in 1991. Greenlee placed eighth in 1993 and second in 1994 and 1995.
The weekend will include:
FRIDAY - Welcome Back Open House Social @ Dan Gable International Wrestling Musuem (5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.) Cocktails @ Toad's Bar & Grill (Cedar Falls - immediately following the open house)
SATURDAY - CP Celebrity Golf Tournament @ Fox Ridge Golf Course in Dike
(8 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
UNI Athletics' Facilities Tour (3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.) Cocktails (5:30 p.m.) and Dinner (8 p.m.) at Briggs' House
For more information on the weekend contact Kevin Finn at (319) 988-3470 (kevin.finn@uni.edu) for your housing questions and Jim Sweither (972) 743-6534 (jimswieter@zoomsports.net) for your golfing questions.
Check the events you plan to attend (Cost for golf is paid ahead of time to secure golf course reservations).
Name _____________________
Friday Night Social (free) ____
Golf Tournament ($40 per player) ____
(includes green fees and goodie bag)
UNI Facilities Tour (free) ____
Hog Roast ($25 per person) ____
TOTAL ____
Please return this form and your check by August 15 to:
Amy Mohr
Office of Alumni Relations
University of Northern Iowa
1012 W. 23rd Street
Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614-0284
CHUCK PATTEN
Chuck Patten became Head Coach of the UNI wrestling team in 1965. By the end of his 18 years here, he had ranked up 217 wins and only 87 losses, coached 58 All-Americans and 16 national champions, and produced two championship teams.
In eleven of his eighteen years at UNI his teams placed in the top three at the Division II national championships.
Team Placing at National Championships
1st Place (2) - 1975, 1978
2nd Place (4) - 1970, 1972, 1974, 1980
3rd Place (5) - 1967, 1969, 1976, 1977, 1979 4th Place (1) - 1973 7th Place (1) - 1971 8th Place (1) - 1968 10th Place (2) - 1966, 1982*
12th Place (1) - 1981*
NCAA Division I
From 1964 through 1978, UNI participated in the North Central Conference (NCC) championships. While Patten coached the Panthers, the team won ten NCC championships and placed second all the remaining years.
Outstanding wrestlers during this period included three-time national champions Gary Bentrim and Kirk Myers. Bentrim placed first in Division II national tournaments in 1976, 1977, and 1978, while Myers placed first in 1978, 1979, and 1980. By Myers' senior year, he was also the only wrestler to have won 30 or more matches in four years of competition.
Two-time national champions during Coach Patten's reign included Don Parker, who won in 1966 and 1967, and Kent Osboe in 1968 and 1969. In
1974 and 1975, both Jim Miller and Ken Snyder placed first.
One-time national Division II champions under Patten included Clint Young (1971), Tom Garcia (1974), Randy Omvig (1975), Keith Poolman (1978), and Ken Gallagher (1980). Mike McCready, 1972 national champion, also won the gold medal at the 1975 Pan American Games.
DON BRIGGS
Don Briggs became Head Coach of the UNI wrestling team in 1982 after the previous coach, Chuck Patten retired. At the end of his fifteen years in this position, Briggs had coached 29 All Americans among them four two-time and three three-time All-Americans. He had a winning record of 164-98 and his teams had placed in the top twenty at the NCAA meet twelve years. The Panthers had also performed well at the West Regional Championships, placing first from 1986 through 1997, and second in 1983, 1984, and 1985.
Team Placing at National Championships
10th Place (2) 1983, 1992
11th Place (4) 1984, 1990, 1991, 1994
13th Place (2) 1987, 1988
14th Place (1) 1989
16th Place (1) 1995
17th Place (1) 1986
18th Place (1) 1985
22nd Place (1) 1993
27th Place (1) 1996 (tie)
41st Place (1) 1997 (tie)
Outstanding wrestlers during this period include three-time All-Americans Gary Steffensmeier at 150 pounds, Rich Powers at 177 pounds, and Justin Greenlee at heavyweight. Steffensmeier placed second in 1990, and fourth in 1991 and 1992 at the NCAA Championships. Powers placed fifth in 1990 and 1992, and fourth in 1991. Greenlee placed eighth in 1993 and second in 1994 and 1995.
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