Dave Schultz

[CentralPoke]

Just watched Foxcatcher and then looked the Schultz's up to get their background (I was really young when they came through). Dave's Wikipedia said he wrestled for OSU for a year and OU the others. Does anyone know why he transferred after winning as much as he did here his first year?

 

[OSUMatFan]

I was at OSU at the time. He just did not seem to fit in at Stillwater. I also think he wanted to be closer to home so he transferred to UCLA and redshirted, then they dropped the program and he an Mark came to Oklahoma.

Pretty sure he was on the team when we won the Big 8 in Stillwater. I seem to recall he took third. I cannot recall who beat him, but the Big 8 was just loaded.

 

[Old Number Nine]

Dave lost to ISU's Joe Zuspann (9-4) who was ranked 2nd nationaly in the finals (I think Dave was ranked 4th). Dave defeated Zuspann for 3rd at the NCAA on criteria.

I was at the last Bedlam match and the Big 8's that year and Dave is one of the reasons I got hooked on wrestling; he wrestled and acted like a man possessed. After he won his match at bedlam (SD 21-3), he put on a plastic sweat suit and jumped rope for two matches and then road a stationary bike, full speed, for two. He was ridiculously, intense.



To let you know how good Dave was as a freshman his only losses that year were as follows:

Lee Kemp (3 – 1); National Champ, 158

Kelly Ward (2 – 0); Runner Up, 158

Joe Zuspann (9 – 4); 4th place, 150 (Dave beat him for 3rd

Mark Churella, (13 – 10); National Champ, 150



When he was in high school he beat two-time NCAA champion Chuck Yagla of Iowa by a fall in the finals of the Great Plains Open.




This post was edited on 3/9 8:37 AM by Old Number Nine

 

[OSUMatFan]

What a brutal weight class. I did not have any perspective as to how tough the competition at 158 was. I knew that Lee Kemp was a beast, but forgot that he was at that weight. Those guys were probably all seniors and I think Dave was a true freshman.
That team had some real studs on it with Jimmy Jackson and Eric Weis. Iowa State was also very tough with Frank Santana and Mike Land. The Big 8 tournament was easily the most memorable athletic event I have ever witnessed. I would venture to say that mankind has witnessed as well.

This post was edited on 3/10 11:06 AM by OSUMatFan

 

[crl]

Traber seemed to think that Mike Sheets and Kenny Monday had a lot to do with Dave transferring. Was Monday or Sheets even on campus at the time Schultz was?

 

[gyppoke]

My brother was stuck behind Monday and Sheets while at OSU. It must have been rough as he gave up wrestling after a couple of years and got married. Of course, having to spar with those two every day would make someone reanalyze their life choices.

 

[Old Number Nine]

In response to Dave transfering because of Sheets and Monday:

First of all, Dave transferred to be with his brother. I don't think OSU was interested in Mark as he had few high school credentials; he was All-Around Gymnastic Champion until his junior year when he switched to wrestling. He transferred schools and was declared ineligible after a 4-6 record. He didn't win any tournaments his senior year until states where he amazingly won league, region, section and state. While at UCLA he went two-and-out at the NCAA (I don't know his record).

Second, Sheets and Monday's first year was 1981 which was Dave and Mark's first year at OU.

Third (and most important), by 1981, Dave was arguably the best college wrestler. After Stewart lost to Dave in Stillwater, he and Sheets (158 and 167) switched weights to wrestle Dave and Mark in the bedlam match at Norman and both lost (at one point, I thought Dave was going to ripe Mike's leg of his boby). He was at 158 lbs and would have had little or no fear of two small (142 lb) wrestlers from Oklahoma.

Of course it was this lack of fear that led to Stewart beating him at the NCAA that year by pushing his way into a fireman's carry to a fall.
This post was edited on 3/10 10:43 AM by Old Number Nine