Peter Mehringer
Encyclopedia
Peter Joseph Mehringer (July 15, 1910 - August 27, 1987) is an Olympic
Gold Medal winning wrestler
from Kansas
. Nicknamed the "Kansas Whirlwind," Kinsley, Kansas
-native Peter J. Mehringer undoubtedly ranks as one of the greatest wrestlers ever to attend the University of Kansas
. After learning how to wrestle from a correspondence course, he went on to win two Kansas state championships, and three Missouri Valley Conference titles while at the University of Kansas. In 1932, the KU
sophomore won a gold medal in the Los Angeles Olympic Games
, being the first time a KU athlete ever won the gold.
Mehringer returned to KU in 1932 for his junior season and solidified his place among KU's all-time great athletes by earning All-Big Six Conference honors in football
as a 214-pound offensive tackle. Unfortunately, financial considerations prevented him from graduating from KU.
Mehringer then went on to a professional football career with the Chicago Cardinals
and the Los Angeles Bulldogs, and worked occasionally as a movie extra and stunt man. Although he declined to discuss it in his later years, he is KU’s only grappling
icon to pursue a career in professional wrestling.
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
Gold Medal winning wrestler
Amateur wrestling
Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA : Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style...
from Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. Nicknamed the "Kansas Whirlwind," Kinsley, Kansas
Kinsley, Kansas
Kinsley is a city in and the county seat of Edwards County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,457.-Geography:...
-native Peter J. Mehringer undoubtedly ranks as one of the greatest wrestlers ever to attend the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
. After learning how to wrestle from a correspondence course, he went on to win two Kansas state championships, and three Missouri Valley Conference titles while at the University of Kansas. In 1932, the KU
Kansas Jayhawks
The sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
sophomore won a gold medal in the Los Angeles Olympic Games
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
, being the first time a KU athlete ever won the gold.
Mehringer returned to KU in 1932 for his junior season and solidified his place among KU's all-time great athletes by earning All-Big Six Conference honors in football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
as a 214-pound offensive tackle. Unfortunately, financial considerations prevented him from graduating from KU.
Mehringer then went on to a professional football career with the Chicago Cardinals
History of the Arizona Cardinals
This article details the history of the Arizona Cardinals American Football Club. The Cardinals are the oldest existing professional football club in the United States.-Chicago years :...
and the Los Angeles Bulldogs, and worked occasionally as a movie extra and stunt man. Although he declined to discuss it in his later years, he is KU’s only grappling
Grappling
Grappling refers to techniques, maneuvers, and counters applied to an opponent in order to gain a physical advantage, such as improving relative position, escaping, submitting, or injury to the opponent. Grappling is a general term that covers techniques used in many disciplines, styles and martial...
icon to pursue a career in professional wrestling.
- 1932 NCAA All-American and National 2nd place finisher - Kansas JayhawksKansas JayhawksThe sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
. - 1932 Olympic Freestyle Gold Medalist 192 pound weight class - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. - National Wrestling Hall of Fame Distinguished Member - Class of 1983.
- Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame Member - Class of 1984.