Peter Mehringer
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| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men’s Freestyle wrestling | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 1932 Los Angeles | Light heavyweight | |
Peter Joseph Mehringer (July 15, 1910 - August 27, 1987) is an Olympic Gold Medal winning wrestler from Kansas. Nicknamed the "Kansas Whirlwind," Kinsley, Kansas-native Peter J. Mehringer undoubtedly ranks as one of the greatest wrestler ever to attend the University of Kansas. After learning how to wrestle from a correspondence course, he went on to win two Kansas state championships, and three Missouri Valley Conference titles while at the University of Kansas. In 1932, the KU sophomore won a gold medal in the Los Angeles Olympic Games, being the first time a KU athlete ever won the gold.
Mehringer returned to KU in 1932 for his junior season and solidified his place among KU's all-time great athletes by earning All-Big Six Conference honors in football as a 214-pound offensive tackle. Unfortunately, financial considerations prevented him from graduating from KU.
Mehringer then went on to a professional football career with the Chicago Cardinals[1][2] and the Los Angeles Bulldogs, and worked occasionally as a movie extra and stunt man. Although he declined to discuss it in his later years, he is KU’s only grappling icon to pursue a career in professional wrestling.
- 1932 NCAA All-American and National 2nd place finisher - Kansas Jayhawks.
- 1932 Olympic Freestyle Gold Medalist 192 pound weight class - United States.
- National Wrestling Hall of Fame Distinguished Member - Class of 1983.
- Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame Member - Class of 1984.
[edit] External links
- Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame
- National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
- KUhistory.com Biography
