{"id":51,"date":"2022-11-20T22:51:22","date_gmt":"2022-11-20T22:51:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mtcstorm.com\/?page_id=51"},"modified":"2023-02-22T02:01:26","modified_gmt":"2023-02-22T02:01:26","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mtcstorm.com\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"

Olympic wrestling in Minnesota dates back to 1948 when Verne Gagne<\/a> (left in picture) became the first Minnesotan to make the U.S. Olympic team. He faced Henry Wittenberg (pictured, far right) in the finals of the freestyle Olympic team trials and lost in a controversial referee’s decision. Wittenberg went on to win the Olympic gold medal in 1948 and to be enshrined in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The selection process at that time made the freestyle runner-up the Greco Roman representative.<\/p>\n

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As a Greco Roman Olympian, Gagne traveled to London by ocean liner with the 1948 U.S. Olympic team and trained aboard the ship. When they arrived in London, the coaching staff decided the Greco Roman team would not be competitive and would not let the athletes compete. Gagne is still mad about this decision. As a student-athlete he was a two-time NCAA national champion for the University of Minnesota in 1948 and 1949.<\/p>\n

He became a professional wrestler near the end of his amateur career and quickly emerged as one of the most well-known stars in wrestling during the golden age of television. He was known around the world as a professional wrestler and he inspired several generations of Minnesotans to try amateur wrestling.<\/p>\n

Alan Rice<\/a> soon followed and became the first Minnesotan to compete in the Olympic Games when he qualified for the 1956 U.S. Olympic team. When Alan retired from competition, he became the driving force behind starting the Minnesota Amateur Wrestling Club. He received strong support from Verne Gagne in this effort.<\/p>\n

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Alan’s legacy as a contributor to the Olympic wrestling landscape has grown with each passing generation of wrestling in Minnesota.<\/p>\n

The history of wrestling in Minnesota, where many athletes have pursued their Olympic dreams, is highlighted by several Hall of Fame careers, individual and team national championships, and World and Olympic medals.<\/p>\n

Some of the many highlights of the history of wrestling in Minnesota include:<\/p>\n