Nov. 26, 2012
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — Former University of Iowa wrestling national champion Simon Roberts will serve as honorary captain Saturday when the Hawkeyes host Iowa State in the ninth annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series.
Roberts, a native of Davenport, Iowa, won the 1957 NCAA championship at 147 pounds. He became the sixth wrestler in school history to win a national title, and the first African-American national champion in NCAA wrestling history when he defeated Iowa State’s Ron Gray, 2-2, 2-0, in overtime.
Roberts compiled a 62-8-4 record at Iowa from 1956-58. He placed third at the Big Ten tournament in 1956 and finished runner-up the following year. He eventually won the conference title at 147 pounds in 1958.
While wrestling for Davenport Central High School in 1954, Roberts won the 133 pound state title to become Iowa’s first African-American state champion. He was a member of Central’s 1989 Hall of Fame class and inducted into the Iowa Wrestlers Hall of Fame in 1988 and the National Iowa Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 1994.
Roberts will be recognized prior to the start of the dual meet at 7:30 p.m.