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nix
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i have ran across a 1939 kansas state year book with what it says is big six wrestling champions heres the names.


PICTURED SOME MEMBERS OF BIG SIX WRESTLING CHAMPIONS: KENNY YOOS - GERALD VAN VLEET - three sport, ELMER HACKNEY - LEON REYNARD - WALTER JOHNSON - CAPTAIN KELLERHORACE WATSON - CLIFF DUNCAN - ELVIS McCUTCHEN - GLENN DUNCAN - FARLAND FANSHER - LELAND PORTER


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jeff nix
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wasnt walter johnson a baseball player. i think he was from maybe humboldt. not for sure on that one but i do remember seeing a walter johnson field back in highschool baseball there. im not sure on the rest of the names.


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Richard D. Salyer
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The Big Six was the predecessor to the Big 8 and now the Big 12 conference.

The Big Six was formed in 1928 from former members of the Missouri Valley Conference. The members of the Big 6 were:
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Missouri
Nebraska
Oklahoma

The 6 expanded to 7 when Colorado joined the league and the 7 increased to 8 when Oklahoma State joined. The conference expanded to 12 with the addition of the four Texas Universities.

Next year the conference will again undergo change with the departure of Colorado and Nebraska.


Richard D. Salyer
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In 1939 Kansas State College won the Big 6 Wrestling Championship with 30 poinst to 29 for Iowa State.

Team members were: Names taken from an old photograph
Clarence Abell
Elvis McCutchen
Elmer Hackney
Ed Keller (Captain)
Leon Reynard
Ben Tempro
Walter Johnson
Clifford Duncan
Farland Fansher
Jim Barger
Lester Brown
Edwin Betz
R. V. Tye
Bob Belt
Horace Watson
Glen Duncan
Jim Brown
Kenneth Yoos

Coach: B. R. Patterson


Richard D. Salyer
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Cool history lesson. Thank you Richard.

Dean


D. Dean Welsh, Junction City
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nix
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yes very cool history lesson, thanks richard, now was there ever a big 4 or did it start out as the big 6.


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jeff nix
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I think it is amazing to read about these individuals that paved the way for Kansas wrestling...I continue to pray for wrestling to get back into the DIV I schools in Kansas as it should be!!


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nix
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"Saints should always be judged guilty until they are proved innocent"

jeff nix
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Nix,

Great photo. Isn't that guy in the lower left corner Jack LaLanne?


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Leon "Red" Reynard later was the coach at Kansas State and had a son or two that wrestled for Manhattan H.S.


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