Peter Mehringer

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 [ [http://www.nfl.com/players/petemehringer/profile?id=MEH692150 Pete Mehringer ] ] [ [http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=MEHRIPET01 Pete Mehringer Past Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards - databaseFootball.com ] ] 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.

External links

* [http://www.usawks.com/KWCA/awards_HallOfFame.htm Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame]
* [http://www.wrestlinghalloffame.org/champions/?names&wrestler=3482 National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum]
* [http://www.kuhistory.com/proto/story.asp?id=28 KUhistory.com Biography]
* [http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Movies/2008/08/09/6400111.html SLAM! Sports: Overcoming the odds: Pete Mehringer's 1932 gold medal]

References