May 2, 2006
NORFOLK, VA--In celebration of the 75th anniversary of Old DominionUniversity, Olympian Buddy Lee (`82), along with national champions Wayne Bright('70) and Carl Ragland ('69) headline the 12-member all-time ODU wrestling squadas voted by the fans on the ODU athletic website, announced today by the athleticdepartment.
Lee who competed for the United States in the 1992 Olympics in Greco Roman wrestling, appeared on 43 of the 59 ballots, while Bright and Ragland were on 17. Rounding out the first team are: Roger Randall('81), Lou Curra('70), David Lindhjem('69), Mike McCarthy ('76), Peter Horst ('92), Ben Ward ('84), David Todd ('68), Terry Perdew ('74) and Brad Anderson (`83).
Anthony "Buddy" Lee was a two-time NCAA All-American at Old Dominion, placing fourth in 1980 and seventh in 1982. Lee compiled a 122-13-2 record at ODU, after graduating he served in the U.S. Marines and became a 10-time world medalist and three-time National Greco Roman Champion. He competed and finished sixth in the 1992 Barcelona games in Greco-Roman wrestling. After the Olympics, Lee toured the world with his aerobatic jump rope skills and techniques. He currently has his own line of high performance jump ropes and training programs. Lee was the 126-pound Virginia State AAA wrestling champion in 1977 for Highland Springs HS in Richmond, Va. The three-time NCAA East Regional champion was inducted into the ODU Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.
Wayne Bright was ODU's first Division I All-American athlete. Hebecame a two-time All-American with a three-year varsity record of 65-11. He placed fourth in the NCAA Division I championships in 1970 after wrestling his way to the NCAA Division II national title at 142 pounds. The legendary Dan Gable of IowaState stopped Bright's bid for a double crown in 1970. Bright earned a fifth place finishat the NCAA Division II championships the year before. Bright was a two-time VirginiaCollege and University Division Champion. He was also a standout wrestler, baseballplayer and football star at Deep Creek High School in Chesapeake. Bright wasinducted into the ODU Sports Hall of Fame in 1982.
Terry Perdew established himself as one of the nation's top wrestlers as hecompiled an 47-10-1 record. In 1971 and 1972 he won the Virginia FreestyleWrestling championship at 125-pounds. In 1974, Perdew compiled a 34-3 record, winning the Virginia Intercollegiate State championship, and the Virginia FreestyleTitle. He capped off the season by winning the NCAA Division II, 118-pound National Championship. Perdew was named ODU's Most Outstanding Wrestling and the ODU Alumni Association's Male Athlete of the Year. A native of nearby Chesapeake, Va., Perdew Was a two-time Eastern Regional Champion and two-time Virginia State runner-up at 103 pounds for Oscar Smith High School. Perdew was inducted into the ODUSports Hall of Fame in 1990.
Carl Ragland was ODU's first wrestler to win a national championship whenhe captured the NCAA College Division 152-pound title in 1969. He also won the Gorriaran Trophy as the outstanding wrestler at the national championships. The championship capped a brilliant career which included two All-American honors and a three-year varsity mark of 89-6. Never pinned and defeated only six times in three years, Ragland finished 22-2 in 1966, and second nationally at 130 pounds. After red-shirting the following year, Ragland returned in 1968 to post a 30-2-1 record, then 37-2 in 1969.Ragland was inducted into the ODU Sports Hall of Fame in 1983.
Roger Randall compiled a 64-14-2 record in two seasons at ODU. He capturedthe Virginia Intercollegiate Wrestling Championships in 1980 and 1981. Randall was runner-up in the NCAA East Regionals, and was awarded an at-large bid to the NCAAChampionships where he placed seventh to earn All-American honors while compiling a 36-9 record at 150 pounds. Randall was inducted into the ODU Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.
Lou Curra quietly compiled a 44-13-1 record at ODU,and earned All-American honors three times. The Cedarhurst, NY native made his mark at ODU in 1968 as a sophomore placing fourth at 115-pounds at the NCAA College Division Championships. In 1969 he took fifth and in 1970 he placed fourth, and advanced to the University Division championships. Curra captured the Mason-Dixon Conference championships in 1968 and 1969, and was inducted into the ODU Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.
Peter Horst was the 1992 co-winner of the ODU Alumni Association MaleAthlete of the Year. As a junior in 1991, Horst compiled a 33-9-1 record. He won the Matt Town Championship, and the NCAA East Regional title at 134-pounds. Horst advanced to the NCAA National Championships in Iowa City, IA, and would finish sixth and earn All-American honors. That same year, ODU placed 20th nationally. Horstcompleted his career at ODU with a 57-14-1 mark. Horst was inducted into the ODUSports Hall of Fame in 2001.
Ben Ward compiled a 83-33-1 record at ODU. He earned All-American honors, captured an NCAA Regional championship and Virginia Intercollegiate state champion.In 1984 Ward compiled a 34-11 record, and placed seventh at the NCAA National Championships at 150-pounds. Ward also won the Virginia Intercollegiate state titleand the NCAA East Regional. As a team, ODU was 20-3-1 and finished ranked 21stby AMATEUR WRESTLING NEWS. That year, ODU went undefeated in Virginiaand beat nationally ranked North Carolina and tied Missouri. Ward was inducted intoThe ODU Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.
David Lindjhem placed fourth at the 1967 NCAA College Division National Championships at 145 pounds. He compiled a 35-9-2 career mark, including a 19-2record in 1967.
Mike McCarthy earned All-American honors for the Monarchs in back-to-backseasons. At 126 pounds, McCarthy placed fifth at the nationals as he compiled a 25-10 record. McCarthy then took fourth at 142-pounds in 1976 as he was 21-8. That same year, McCarthy qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials and commanded the University's ROTC detachment. He later becam a major in the Virginia Air National Guard, and was inducted into the ODU Sports Hall of Fame in 1994.
Brad Anderson was a two-time NCAA East Regional Champion in 1982and in 1983 at 167 pounds. Anderson captured the 1982 Virginia IntercollegiateState Championship and the Maryland Open. He won the prestigious SouthernOpen in 1983.
David Todd earned All-American honors in 1968 after placing sixth at177-pounds. He compiled a 13-1-1 record with three pins that season.
Receiving honorable mention votes were: Jeff Rusak('02), Jody Staylor (`95), Adam Wright ('06), Derrell Lorthridge ('04); Nick Hall('96), Scott Giacobbe ('85), Mark Strickland ('98), Erick Shaw ('96), Rich Castano ('89), Nick Garone ('91), Ray Pond ('75), Paul Cote ('66), and Wayne Gibson ('89).
The next all-time team will be baseball.