Watch: First Big Ten Wrestling Title of a Historic Three-Peat for Michigan State University’s Hall of Famer

David Morgan is still a name that commands respect on the MSU campus. Morgan qualified for the NCAA Championships as a freshman. But his 20-0 overall record against Big Ten opponents would see him become a Hall of Famer and for good reasons! The historic three-peat started in 1996 as he took down Mike Mena in the 118-pound category.

While Morgan’s legacy is established firmly now, his rise to fame wasn’t anything short of meteoric. Morgan still holds the record for most wins in a season (44, in case you were curious) and he managed to do it twice! While his 129-10 overall record makes him the 3rd best wrestler coming out of MSU, his first win over defending champ Mena remains an iconic one.

David Morgan’s first Big Ten title came as a major upset

Mike Mena of Iowa Hawkeyes won the 118 Big Ten wrestling title in 1995 and was a favorite to secure first place once again next year. However, there was one massive hurdle in his way: David Morgan, who joined Michigan State University in 1995. Morgan won the Class A State title in 1993 and was considered a formidable force in the sport by 1996. In a recent video, his bout against Mena in 1996 shows just how good he was.

Morgan can be seen wriggling out of Mena’s grapples with relative ease and then proceeds to shoot his opponent. The exciting match makes even the commentators feverish and they can’t stop talking about Morgan’s skills on the mat. The defending champion was trailing as time slipped by and Morgan’s possible win was being hailed as a major upset in the tournament.

The Sophmore transfer from Morgan State University held his ground and made the clock chime at the end of the match as he swooped in to claim his title in the 118-pound category. The crowd went berserk as Morgan claimed his first Big Ten title, and he did it by upstaging the defending champion nonetheless!

MSU will look to reclaim its status

The MSU Spartans are one of the most coveted teams in the Big Ten Championships. While the university was not a founding member of the Championships, its record in the tournaments is pretty solid and commands reverence among connoisseurs. However, 2023 hasn’t been a good year and the Spartans are placed low on the table with a 10-6 overall record. Still, the Spartans did manage the clean sweep against Iowa last week, making some damage control.

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Morgan’s three-peat is the stuff of the legends and is considered a milestone for the Spartans’ journey in the NCAA. Now, as his first win over Mena makes the rounds on social media, MSU Spartans will look to take notes from his performance and turn the tides on their side once again in the coming days.

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