Hall of Fame
Kevin Walzak won the 1981 NCAA Championship at 177 pounds, helping Trenton State to the team title that season, as well. In that year’s bracket, Walzak won four matches, and he seemed to get stronger as the tournament progressed and the competition stiffened.
After winning his preliminary round match, 13-9, against UW-Stout’s Jim Hunter, he pinned Coe’s Larry Atwater in the quarterfinals just 43 seconds into the match. That put Walzak into the national semifinals against Brockport’s Tony Connetta, a wrestler coming off a huge 24-6 quarterfinal victory of his own. Walzak was undeterred, though, and earned a 12-4 victory to advance to the finals against Minnesota-Morris’ Tom Beyer. That championship match was a runaway victory for Walzak, defeating Beyer, 19-6.
His efforts helped Trenton State to the team national title, finishing with 111.75 points, ahead of Brockport’s runner-up total of 100. Those 1981 victories were the culmination of a great career for Walzak.
He was also part of the 1979 national championship team and the 1980 national runner-up team. In his career, Walzak won 97 matches and posted a 47-9-1 record in dual meets. In his final two seasons, he posted a 30-2-1 record in dual meets and was twice a Metropolitan Conference champion.
