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Old Timer's Page

Photos from early 70's

Send your photos to Dave Gilbertson to get them posted:  Click for e-mail

Bill Finney '67

Rex Febus '67

Knightsor vs Finney '67

Kurt Browit '67

Randy Pickering '67

Randy Pickering vs Roger '67

Steven Kerola '67

Steve Mitchell '67

Mike Mangrum 79-80

  

1971 State AA Champs

1972 105 top 4

Carl Mangrum '76

Dave Jedlicka '78

Gary Cease (R) '75

Snohomish '73

Snohomish '74

Brad Raines '73

Gilbertson '74

  

Jeff Hall of Tahoma vs Fevergen of Peninsula

Jeff Hall vs Riggs of Prosser '73

Jeff Hall vs Parr of Burlington '72

Jeff Hall vs Johnson of Centralia '72

  

Moses Lake '57

Moses Lake '80 Champs

Moses Lake '59

 

Woody Taylor and Steve Tolley

Those wrestlers pictured represent 7 state titles and 3 runner-ups. It also represents the era known as the "Wolfe Brothers Era"." Back Row - Left to right - HARRY YAMAMOTO 59 state champ 115lbs, THAD WOLFE 2 time state champ 1959,1960--130,136lbs.-- WOODY TAYLOR district champion Hvywt,-- VERNON MERKLEY 1960 state champ 148 lbs--SPENCER WOLFE 2 time state champ 1957,1959 and runner-up 1958--123,130,136lbs. --PHIL CRAWFORD state champion 1959 123 lbs ,--He was also two time runner-up 1957 ,58. Front row BUDDY CLARK - 103 lbs, STEVE TOLLEY 191 lbs., DICK NANTO 141 lbs. Moses Lake went on to win 3 team titles in a row 1959-60-61.Thad Wolfe went on to wrestle at the Air Force Academy and qualified for the NCAA championships twice ,but didn't place. He later became a General in the United States Air Force before retiring. Spencer Wolfe Wrestled for WSU even though he had diabetes and later became an architect.  Vernon Merkley Wrestled for Central Washington under his old high school coach Eric Beardsley.

Dan Strode '67 was the first ever Washington 3 time state champ. He went on to start for Oklahoma State.

1961 State Champs

Lew Mason '65-67 of Moses Lake

Jamie Wise '80 of Moses Lake

 

 
Some Old Mount Baker high School Wrestling Pictures

First one is Duaine Hicks, school photo, he got 6th place at state, the first MBHS state placer ever, 1968. He died a few years back after a car accident claimed his life, I think it is appropriate for him to live on through this site. Duaine was a great guy, and helped anybody whenever needed, some 1,500 people were at his funeral, yet Duaine is not recognized at my high school because official records of his placings were never kept. On our board, the first placer is Dave Teshera, but according to Rolland Holterman, it was Hicks. I have plenty of them, and am glad that they can be recognized in this way. thank you!

The final one if of Rocky Leavitt, our first state finalist at 135 pounds, 1974.

The next one is of the team in '68 after winning the "A" Northwest Region Title, Hicks is in the front, on the left.

Rob Baisden, our first champion at 101 pounds, 1979.

The next is of Scott Strotz, 4th place at state 1974 at 115 pounds.

David teshera, one of the greatest heavyweights we have ever had, 3rd place 1970.

1978 AAA State Tournament for 101 pounds.  On this award stand are the following:

  1. Jamie Wise, Moses Lake (Sophmore, 1st of 3 state titles)

  2. Bob Turner, Bellarmine Prep (Junior, 1979 state champ at 101 pounds)

  3. Arlo Roth, Eisenhower (Sophmore, 1980 runner-up at 115 pounds)

  4. Brad Pickering, Issaquah (Junior)

  5. Pancho Dagan, Clover Park (1977 state champ at 101 pounds)

  6. Dave Delisle, Battle Ground (Junior)

Picture of the Washington Junior Nationals team from 1976

Three teams from Moses Lake in the 1960's.
 

The 1981 EIWA 118 pound award stand photo is interesting because there are 2 Olympians on that stand – Gene Mills of Syracuse (2X NCAA Champion + 1980 Olympian) and Bobby Weaver of Lehigh (1980 Olympian + 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist).  “By the Book” is hanging around in 6th place. 

Robert Turner

The 1979 AAA 101 pound award stand had the following:

 

1 – Bob Turner, Bellarmine Prep

2 – Larry Klopfstein, Kent Meridian (1981 state champ at 115)

3 – Duane Castleman, Rogers (Spokane)

4 – Tony Bartinetti, Evergreen (Seattle)

5 – Eric Seward, Auburn

6 – Scott Ramsey, Columbia River (1980 state champ at 108)

 

The people in that picture are, from left to right, front to back:

 

101 – Jamie Wise, Moses Lake

108 – Randy Reed, Clover Park

115 – Steve Hoglund, Sumner ###

122 – Tedd Cheng, Bellevue @@@

129 – Terry Herrel, Clover Park

135 – Gregg Bradley, Rogers (Puyallup)

141 – Mingo DeLeon, Moses Lake

148 – Keith Nix, Kennewick***

158 – Kent Stoll, Stadium

168 – Dennis Guthmiller, Davis

178 – Jeff Wilson, Mercer Island

190 – Rick Linblad, Issaquah

UNL – Chris Sewell, Ft. Vancouver

### Brian Higa, former coach of Tahoma, finished 3rd

@@@ Mike Mangrum, Michael’s uncle, finished 3rd

*** Brad Swartz, Rogers (Spokane) was runner-up.  Of course, he is the father of the Swartz boys from Auburn/Boise State.

 

Tom Brown (UW) vs Lee Kemp NCAA finals 1976

Tom Brown 2nd place NCAA finals 1976

1972 NCAA champions--Bill Murdock back row middle.

  

Here is a real gem for you.  A friend had them buried in a trunk in his house since 1970!  This is Darrell Keller winning his first NCAA title in 1970 at 134 lbs.  He is wrestling Joe Carstensen of Iowa and you can see he handled him pretty well.  The final score was 12-2 although the one photo makes me wonder if the ref was a little slow in getting to the mat. 

I spoke with Darrell about 2 weeks ago and told him about these photos.  Darrell still remembered the match well enough to know exactly what he did to get into each of those positions.   I’m sure his grandchildren will enjoy them – he has 5 now!

 
Dave,                                                              

OK – here are two more that might even top the others I sent.  These were taken right after Darrell Keller’s match and are live shots of what still has to be the greatest collegiate match ever wrestled – Larry Owings beating Dan Gable in the 1970 NCAA finals.   The first photo gives a pretty good picture of Owings’ physique.  He was clearly more than a match for Gable.  The second photo was taken the moment Owings caught Gable in what he called his sweep single where Owings took Gable down and held him on his back long enough to score.  This move won the match for Owings because Gable still had enough riding time at that point to put the match into overtime.

BTW – I learned that Owings lives just outside of Portland which isn’t terribly far from here.  I’m going to see if I can contact him and ask him to sign one of these photos.  If that’s possible, I’ll make sure to send you the signed copy so you can post it too.

Mike Stock

 		   

Ron Bessemer back at Illinois State in the 60's

Ron was the founder and head coach at USA Everett from 1985 until 2001