SCMAT Exclusive Wrestling Article 11-27-07
40th anniversary year of sanctioned wrestling in SC
Photos submitted by Coach Rusty Hamilton
South Carolina high school wrestling began in our state in the 1960's. And though clinics were held,
dual matches were wrestled and tournamnets started between 1965-1968, the first SC State Tournament
for high school wrestling did not begin until the 1968-1969 season when the South Carolina High School
League (SCHSL) first sanctioned the sport. The Citadel had been running their collegiate wrestling
team since the early 1950's and Furman University would later add their wrestling program in the late
1960's, providing a classic struggle in those days for bragging rights and state supremacy between the
Greenville-Spartanburg area and Charleson area. Furman and The Citadel were instrumental in organizing
clinics and tournaments for the high school programs, as well as sending college wrestlers over to help
the local schools with their technique and drills. Charleson area teams would win the State title quest
during the first three years and we can recognize the first state champions from St. Andrews (above)
as well as the first Individual champions.
1969 State Tournament Results and teams participating
4A-3A-2A-1A @ St. Andrews Junior H.S. February 21-22 (23 teams)
St. Andrews 130 pts. (Coach Rusty Hamilton) – 4A
James Island 93 pts. (Coach Doyle Swafford) – 3A
Check back later in December when we look at the entire list of the 23 teams that started wrestling here
in South Carolina and cover the growth of the sport over the first 5 years.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I realize the coverage above for the first 40 years of South Carolina wrestling was light,
but more articles will follow soon.
Instead, for a solid week I was on a quest to build the only list I'm aware of that lists when each state
began their state high school wrestling tournaments. I searched for this list, hoping it had been developed
at some point, but I soon realized I was going to have to build it myself and it took considerable time which
kept the coverage above lighter than I had intended. But to me, the significance of the list below was more
important. I wanted to know where South Carolina fit in with the national scene in those days, as well as how
it compared with some of our southern neighbor states. I was surprised to say the least. More humbled than
expected, realizing North Carolina had a 38 year jump on South Carolina, and yet South Dakota followed North
Dakota's lead in only one year ('59 and '60). Only 7 states were left to start their state tournaments after
South Carolina arrived on the scene, and many of those states probably had wrestling far longer than we did
but did not get the state tournament organized as swiftly. Even New York fell into that category (surprised me!)
and started their first state tournament in 1969 (same year as SC) after NY went many years with just
Inter-sectionals.
Please keep in mind, these starting dates (I believe to be accurate), were pulled from web sites record books at
the High School League/Association sites in most cases, and from some phone calls to the various High School
Leagues/Associations to verify questionable start dates. In most cases the start date coincides with the first
sanctioned year of high school state wrestling tournaments, though in some cases when the state tournaments
appeared to be organized by a solid organization (a University, Coaches Association, etc.) I went with the
date that state History books were indicating was the well-organized start date for state tournaments.
When possible, I list more than one of the web links for each state that factored into the research.
If anyone believes these dates to be slightly off, please e-mail me with more information (scmat@hotmail.com).
I hope the list and links below are of interest and continue to motivate our state to strive for greater
achievements. In 40 years we have come a long way, especially being a very small state that started in the
sport later than most, but we have so much more to go. I'm thankful that out-of-state talent continues to
come into our state (coaches and wrestlers), and I'm thankful to see in-state talent developed and successfully
competing on a national level (again, both coaches and wrestlers).
A motivation for me was the depth of state record books and the growing number of states which have history
books on the sport of wrestling (Ohio, New Jersey, Oregon, Louisiana, etc.) With the assistance of many of
our state's early pioneers in the sport we will continue developing this record of our history in the next
few years and have a past to appreciate as much as the states below which documented their history.
Enjoy reading about success in other states for the next half hour and then get back to working on ours.
Some big tournaments this weekend across the state await the best of our rising champions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
High School Wrestling by State - Inaugural years for the first State Tournaments
1921 - Iowa - IAHSAA and Records
1922 - Indiana - IHSAA and Records
1922 - Oklahoma - OSSAA and Team Results
1924 - Oregon - OSAA and Team Results and Individual Results (link on right side)
1928 - Nebraska - NSAA and Records (bottom of page)
1930 - Kansas - KSHAA and Records
1931 - Missouri - MSHSAA and Team Records and Indiviudal Records
1931 - North Carolina - NCHSAA and Results
1933 - Colorado - CHSAA and Records
1934 - New Jersey - NJSIAA
1937 - Illinois - IHSA and Records
1938 - Minnesota - MSHSL and Records
1938 - Ohio - OHSAA and Records
1938 - Pennsylvania - PIAA and Individual Results and Team Results
1938 - Utah - UHSAA and Team Results
1940 - Wisconsin - WIAA and Results
1942 - Rhode Island - RIIL and Team Results
1945 - Louisiana - LHSAA and Records and Additional Archives and Comprehensive State Results
1947 - California - CIF and Records - waiting for a call back from CIF to confirm this date
1948 - Michigan - MHSAA and Annual History and Records
1948 - West Virginia - WVSSAC and Team Results
1949 - Virginia - VHSL and Records
1953 - Washington - WIAA and History Results
1956 - Alabama - AHSAA and Past State Champs and Records
1956 - Montana - MHSA and Team Results and Records
1957 - Delaware - DIAA and Individual Records and State Dual Records
1957 - New Mexico - NMACT and Team Results and Individual Records
1958 - Idaho - IDHSAA and Results and Team Records and Individual Records
1959 - Maine - MPA and Results and State Tourney Results
1959 - North Dakota - NDHSAA
1960 - South Dakota - SDHSAA and Records
1961 - Georgia - GHSA and Records
1961 - Tennessee - TSSAA and Records
1964 - Kentucky - and State Champions and Records
1964 - Massachusetts - MIAA and Records - 1964 is a best guess since a call to MIAA and Massachusetts wrestling web sites have no list of team champions
1965 - Florida - FHSAA and Records
1966 - Connecticut - CIAC and Records
1966 - Hawaii - HHSAA and Team Tournament results
1967 - Texas - TUIL and Results in TUIL era and Other Results dating first state tourney back to 1967
1968 - Vermont - VPA and Team Results
1969 - Nevada - NIAA
1969 - New York - NYSPHSAA and Records
1969 - South Carolina - SCHSL and Year Wrestling Sanctioned and Palmetto's Finest Recordbook - link being updated by SCHSL
1970 - Maryland - MPSSAA and Team results and Dual results and Individual results
1972 - Alaska - ASAA and Team Results and Individual Results
1972 - New Hampshire - NHIAA
1974 - Wyoming - WHSAA and Annual Results
1977 - Arizona - AIA and Team Results and Individual Results
2009 - Arkansas - AHSAA - Wrestling becomes Sanctioned with the 2008-2009 season
N/A - Mississippi - MISSHSAA - Wrestling has not been sanctioned yet
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hopefully in this SCMAT exclusive article for 2007-2008 the history of SC wrestling is defining itself as
an exciting past with a future awaiting more greatness.
These historical articles at SCMAT will hopefully provide accurate facts though we may always have missed
some data at some point. If you notice a correction, addition or just want to comment please send a reply
to scmat@hotmail.com
thanks,
Mark Buford