Jan. 30, 2001

COLUMBUS, Ohio– The Ohio State wrestling program will honor members of its 1951 Big Ten Championship team prior to the start of the Northwestern dual at 2 p.m. Sunday. Awards will be presented to 11 members from the championship team which will be celebrating its 50th anniversery.

“This group of men deserves to be honored for their accomplishments in a very tough conference,” Russ Hellickson, OSU head coach, said. “It is a tremendous accomplishment and I think it is a great gesture to honor them and recognize their success.”

Those being honored are coach Casey Fredericks, Sam Christ (manager), Bryce Keough (captain), Dean Sangalis, George Molodet, Jack Lardis, Ronald Lax, Fred McLean and Jack Milligan. They also will be joined by David Ewart, captain of the 1949-50 team, and Carl Abell, mentor to heavyweight Bill Miller, a two-time Big Ten individual champion and All-American in 1951.

Fredericks, the OSU coach for 29 years (1948-76), compiled a 135-140-13 career record with the Buckeyes and helped produce six All-Americans, one individual national champion (Dave Reinbolt, 167, 1966) and eight Big Ten individual champions. His 1951 squad finished 8-0-1, only the second time in OSU history a team has finished undefeated. The other was the 1923 team, which finished 8-0-0.