Iowa History Daily: On April 6, 1954, Simon Roberts of Davenport captured a high school state wrestling championship. A barrier-breaking achievement, Roberts went on to a dominant career on the mat at the University of Iowa where he continued to advance the sport while capturing a national championship in 1957.
Wrestling for Jim Fox at Davenport, Roberts stood out as a part of Blue Devil team which also featured state champ Vince Garcia at 95 pounds. Roberts won sectional and district titles in 1953 and 1954 on his way to racking up a high school record of 43-6-3. After capturing the 1954 state title at 133 pounds, Roberts committed to head west to wrestle in Iowa City.
Roberts proved stalwart for the Hawkeyes, as well. Over his career, Roberts posted a 62-8-4 record while serving as a team captain and helping the Hawkeyes to a Big Ten championship in 1958. In 1957, Roberts broke barriers while claiming the NCAA title at 137-pounds.
After his career ended in the circle, Roberts gave back by serving as the wrestling coach at Alleman High School in Rock Island, Illinois. An inductee of the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1988 and National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2007, Roberts left a legacy of pushing wrestling to new heights. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
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