Mark Schultz (wrestler)

Mark Philip Schultz
Born October 26, 1960 (1960-10-26) (age 51)
Nationality American
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight 203 lb (92 kg; 14.5 st)
Style Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Fighting out of Lindon, Utah
Rank NCAA Division I Wrestler
Mixed martial arts record
Total 1
Wins 1
By knockout 1
Losses 0
Olympic medal record
Men's freestyle wrestling
Gold 1984 Los Angeles – 82 kg
World Championships
Gold 1985 Budapest – 82 kg
Gold 1987 Clermont-Ferrand – 82 kg

Mark Philip Schultz (born October 26, 1960) is an Olympic and 2-time World champion freestyle wrestler and a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.[1]

Contents

Biography

He is the brother of the late Dave Schultz, who also won a Freestyle Wrestling Gold Medal at the 1984 Olympics. The Schultz brothers are the first brothers in U.S. history to win Olympic titles in the same Olympics and are the only brothers in U.S. history to win Olympic and World titles. Between them, the Schultz brothers won more NCAA, World, and Olympic titles than any American brother combination in history.

Mark Schultz attended Palo Alto High, coached by Ed Hart.[2] He only started wrestling his junior year in high school and ended that year with a 4-6 record. The next year he didn't win any tournaments until the state qualifying meets where he won the league, region, section, and the state.

Mark went to UCLA his freshman year and went 18-8. He transferred to the University of Oklahoma, redshirted, and in the following three years (1981-83) won three NCAA Championships. Schultz was the NCAA Champion his sophomore year at 167 lbs but moved up a weight class to challenge two-time NCAA Champion Ed Banach. Mark was named the NCAA Outstanding Wrestler his junior year for defeating everyone in his weight class, including NCAA Champion Matt Reiss and Banach, whom he beat by a score of 12-4. [3] The next year Schultz went undefeated and set the University of Oklahoma record for most victories without a loss in a single season.

In 1984 Mark and Dave Schultz both won Olympic Gold. Dave Schultz is the only 1984 Olympic Champion to win the 1983 World Championships and Mark is the only 1984 Olympic Champion to win the 1985 World Championships. When Mark won another World Championship in 1987, he became the first Olympic Champion to add two additional World titles, and also tied Lee Kemp's U.S. record for World golds.

Mixed Martial Arts

After 8 years in retirement Schultz competed in UFC 9 in 1996, facing off against the Canadian Gary Goodridge. Schultz won the bout by technical knockout due to Goodridge sustaining a bad cut. Schultz retired from competition following UFC 9 with a 1-0-0 (W-L-T) record.[4]

As well as being a wrestler, he has trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Rickson Gracie. He trained under Pedro Sauer for 4 years in BJJ.

Accomplishments

References

  1. ^ National Wrestling Hall of Fame
  2. ^ Brown, George; Prioleau, Cassie (19 Feb 2010). "Palo Alto High School wrestlers Dave and Mark Schultz remembered for Olympic gold medals, love of wrestling". The Paly Voice. Palo Alto High School. http://palyvoice.com/node/22384. Retrieved 2 January 2012. 
  3. ^ "Mark P. Schultz, Distinguished Member, Class of 1995". wrestlinghalloffame.org. Stillwater, OK: National Wrestling Hall of Fame. http://www.wrestlinghalloffame.org/bio.php?id=100. Retrieved 2 January 2012. 
  4. ^ What a medal can mean to mixed martial artists

External links

Paly Green. Olympic Gold. Fade to Black.