National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Latino American Wrestling Experience

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LATINO WRESTLING EXPERIENCE NATIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM | 9 DOMINIC "NICK" CAROLLO Wrestled 1966-1968 Adams State University 191lbs Dominic "Nick" Carollo, of Redondo Beach, California, has to be one of the most highly decorated of all Latino champions in the history of U.S. wrestling, having won crowns at numerous levels, though he is most likely remembered for one of his few losses. Carollo finished first, second and third in the state tournament in his years as a Redondo Beach High School Sea Hawk. Dominic also earned first and third-place finishes in AAU competition at the state level. He then moved on to El Camino College, and continued to pile up championships, claiming two California Community College heavyweight titles for the Warriors in 1965 and 1966 (and being named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler his final year). Finally, Carollo transferred to Adams State College (now Adams State University) in Alamosa, Colo. and became a dominant force at the NAIA level. In addition to winning various conference crowns, he won the heavyweight title in 1968, and was part of ASC's national championship team during that campaign. At the NCAA Division I level, he slimmed down to compete at 191 pounds and triumphed over Cal-Poly's Tom Klein to win at the national tournament. His efforts helped Adams State earn an impressive 17th place finish at that tournament. Overall, as a collegiate, Carollo was a four-time All American. As a result, he has been inducted into numerous Halls of Fame including: the NAIA Wrestling Hall of Fame (1977), the Adams State University Hall of Fame (2002) and the California Wrestling Hall of Fame (2004). Finally, he also notched a gold medal in the 1971 Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia, defeating Cuban grappler Francisco Lonchan at 100 kg. All of these accolades, though well deserved, did not bring Carollo the national attention that he earned when, as a college junior, he lost to the legendary Curley Culp of Arizona State University in the 1967 NCAA heavyweight finals. The match was very short, as Culp (who went on to play in the NFL for various teams), and who outweighed Carollo by more than 50 pounds, pinned the ASC Grizzly in a mere 51 seconds. While defeat at the hands of a football and wrestling legend is what many remember, it is impossible to overlook the tremendous success and consistent excellence of Dominic "Nick" Carollo; one of the greatest Spanish-surnamed wrestlers in the sport's history.

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