Bio

When the subject of UW-Oshkosh wrestling comes up, the name Rick Gruber cannot be far behind. After a standout high school career in Campbellsport, Gruber continued his winning ways on the college level and went on to become the winningest wrestler in UW-Oshkosh history with a 131-13 record.

Gruber came to UW-Oshkosh in 1980 and established himself early. He compiled a 32-3 record, won the WSUC title, won the NCAA Division III Midwest Region title and finished fourth at the NCAA Division III Championship to earn All-America honors.

As a sophomore, Gruber had another dream season as he collected the WSUC and NCAA Division III regional championships and helped the Titans to their first league wrestling title. He also received All-America honors by finishing second in the NCAA Division III Championship. He concluded the season with a 32-1 record.

In his last two seasons, Gruber added to his collection with two more conference championships, a regional championship and two additional All-America titles. He finished third at the NCAA Division III Championship as a junior and fifth as a senior in 1984, the year he was named the Outstanding Wrestler in the WSUC. He tallied a 33-3 record in 1983 and a 34-6 record in 1984.

Gruber has also been able to pass on some of his wrestling expertise. He served as an assistant wrestling coach at Oshkosh North High School from 1984-87. He also coached wrestling at Merrill Middle School from 1985-87.