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A Look at Some Significant Firsts Accomplished by OSU’s African-American Wrestlers

With Martin Luther King day on Monday I thought it’d be interesting to take a look at some of the significant marks that have been set in the sport of wrestling by Oklahoma State wrestlers. Naturally with the incredible legacy in the sport that OSU has, it’s been the program that’s set many of the firsts in the sport for African Americans.

Joe James

Joe James was the first African American to wrestle at Oklahoma State University. He was the first African-American wrestler to win a Big 8 title. James also won a Pan-American gold medal in 1963.