Peter Mehringer

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Peter Mehringer
Medal record
Men’s freestyle wrestling
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1932 Los Angeles Light heavyweight

Peter Joseph Mehringer (July 15, 1910 – August 27, 1987) was an Olympic Gold Medal-winning wrestler from Kinsley, Kansas. Nicknamed the "Kansas Whirlwind," Mehringer undoubtedly ranks as one of the greatest wrestlers ever to attend the University of Kansas.[according to whom?] 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 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.

References[]

  1. ^ Pete Mehringer
  2. ^ Pete Mehringer Past Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards - databaseFootball.com Archived 2011-11-23 at the Wayback Machine

External links[]

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