Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/279748
LATINO WRESTLING EXPERIENCE NATIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM | 17 Mike Gallego began his wrestling career at McLane High School in the San Joaquin Valley city of Fresno, Calif., where he would return to compete at the collegiate level. He also wrestled for (and graduated from) Pacific Grove High School, where he earned a championship in the North Coast Section. When he moved on to college, he wore the singlet for the Fresno State University Bulldogs, and became one of the most decorated grapplers in the program's history. In his junior campaign, Gallego made it all the way to the NCAA finals, but lost convincingly to Michigan State University's George Radman, by a count of 17-8. Coming so close to a national title drove Gallego, and he succeeded in claiming the crown in his senior year with a finals victory against Lamoin Merkley of Central Washington, 4-2. In addition to his triumphs in Division I, he claimed two national titles at 167 pounds in Division II. As a final honor to his collegiate career, he was named Fresno State University Athlete-of-the-Year in both 1967 and 1968, becoming one of only four male athletes to win the award twice. Gallego also represented his nation as an alternate for the 1972 Olympic Greco-Roman team in Munich, losing his spot on the team to Gary Neist after a grueling six-match struggle at the Olympic training camp. He also placed sixth in the National AAU freestyle competition in 1971, was a World Freestyle Team member that same year, and finally, a Greco-Roman Team member in 1973. Part of what makes Mike Gallego important to the Latino history of collegiate wrestling is the fact that he did exceptionally well in his academics while competing at the highest levels of the sport both in the US and internationally. He became Dr. Gallego, D.D.S when he graduated from dental school in 1972. He still runs his own practice in Grass Valley, Calif., and keeps in touch with the sport by assisting the wrestling program at Nevada Union High School. For all of his success on the mat and his contributions to the continuation and propagation of the sport, Dr. Gallego was inducted into the California Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2001. Mike Gallego is a shining example of a Latino who has succeeded in both athletics and academics at the highest level. MIKE GALLEGO Wrestled 1964-1968 Fresno State University 167lbs