Origins

of Wrestling

Wrestling is probably the oldest of all sports and has been depicted in cave paintings
dating back 15,000 years. It was a sport practiced in many ancient societies. The first
wrestling matches were likely part of military training. The Ancient Greeks were the
most prolific wrestlers, and they elevated it to a physical art form. They realized that
wrestling is like playing chess with your body, utilizing techniques and moves to outwit
your opponent and, in the process, dominate him.

The Greeks also created the Olympic Games, and wrestling was one of only a few events
featured in the very first Games in the eighth century B.C. Later, with the fall of the
Greek Empire in the fifth century A.D., the Olympic Games ceased, and the sport
became less of an art form (reverting to its more militaristic beginnings). In time, both
styles spread to the Roman Empire and beyond. When the Olympics resumed in 1896,
one of the first sports offered was wrestling.

1904 Olympic Wrestling Match


Wrestling in the Americas
Many Native American tribes practiced wrestling, but little is known about their distinct
styles, which are likely to have varied from tribe to tribe. While the styles may have
been different, the goal was the same -- to become skilled warriors.

During the 1700s, wrestling graduated from a form of combat into a genuine spectator
sport. It was the major contact sport among men of all classes in America. The
wrestling style of the day was collar and elbow, named for the starting position.
Standing face to face, each wrestler placed one hand behind his opponents neck and
the other hand behind his elbow. This form did away with dirty tactics, such as bull
rushing and throwing dirt in the opponents eyes, and allowed for different techniques
specific to a wrestlers size and strength.

Interestingly, George Washington was one of our countrys first champion wrestlers; at
age 18, he held a collar-and-elbow wrestling championship that was at least county-
wide and possibly colony-wide. Washington wrestled through much of his youth and
continued to hold a winning record. Even at the age of 47, ten years before he became
President, the Commander of the Continental Armies was able to defeat seven
consecutive challengers from the Massachusetts Volunteer Guard.

Abraham Lincoln was also well known for his wrestling skills and was the wrestling
champion of his county as early as 1830, at the age of 21. Lincoln was an imposing
physical specimen, with a tall (64), thin and muscular body strengthened by years of
manual labor. Lincoln was likely the best and toughest of the wrestling Presidents.
Sometimes he deviated from the formal collar-and-elbow style, opting for the catch-as
catch can, which was more hand-to-hand combat than sport.






More American Presidents have been wrestlers than any other type of athlete,
including:
John Adams Abraham Lincoln
Chester A. Arthur Franklin Pierce
Calvin Coolidge Theodore Roosevelt
Dwight Eisenhower William H. Taft
James Garfield Zachary Taylor
Ulysses S. Grant John Tyler
Andrew Jackson George Washington


Modern Wrestling in America
The first organized national wrestling tournament was held in New York City in 1888,
and the first AAU championship was held in 1895. Soon after, many wrestling clubs were
formed around the country.

In 1905 the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles began to standardize
and formulate rules. Freestyle wrestling dbuted in the 1904 Olympic Games held in
St. Louis. Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University) launched the first college
wrestling program just before World War I, and they went undefeated for a decade in
various competitions.

After World War I, many high schools across the country introduced wrestling to their
programs. The NCAA held the first championships in 1928. Throughout the 20th century
folk-style wrestling (high school and college) has been the most popular version of
wrestling in America.

It wasnt until the late 1970s that American participation in Olympic wrestling was
publicized and respected. Since then, the U.S. has produced many talented Olympic-
style wrestlers. However, Americas folk-style has remained the most popular form of
wrestling in the country. Today, many folk-style wrestlers go on to compete very
successfully in Mixed Martial Arts and International styles of wrestling.


History of Wrestling at Loomis Chaffee

Loomis Chaffee wrestling has a rich history of championship wrestling that dates back to
the 1930s. In the 1950s, three Pelicans brought home individual New England titles in
the same season. Over the past six decades, Loomis has consistently had one of the top
programs in NEPSAC wrestling and, since 2001, has won four New England titles and
three league titles.


1954 Thomas Burns 115 1993 Josh Woodward 130
David Stainton 147
Peter Howard 167 1994 Arshad Chowdhury 112
Dan Oppenheimer 145
1956 Tim Thrall 177
1995 Chris Thompson 145
1960 Alexander Grannis 133
1998 Greg Stanislaus 145
1974 Dennis Watson 145
1999 Alexander Kozmin 103
1975 Dennis Watson 167
2003 Mike Powers 119
1977 Richard Schneiderton 167 Jonathan Moyet 145

1980 Johnnie Coles 98 2004 Patrick Feeley 119
Robert Ginsberg 127 Mike Powers 135

1986 Alfred Inghram V. 145 2005 Ravid Chowdhury 119
Corey Stewart 135
1987 Fred Hartung Jr. 167 Curtis Roddy 160

1988 Ken Greene 135 2006 Sean Boyle 112
Scott Carlsten 160 Corey Stewart 145
Fred Hartung Jr. 189 Mike Powers 152
David Bernstein 215
1989 Huw Price 171
2010 Ryan Harding 152
1992 Charles Melendez 135 Johann Roebelen 160