| Carl Ragland |
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Carl Ragland, a Norfolk wrestler became the first national champion at Old Dominion
University in 1969. He captured the NCAA College Division 152-pound title in 1969 and
also earned the Gorriaran Trophy as the outstanding wrestler in that national tournament.
The championship capped a brilliant career which included two-time All-American honors
and a three-year varsity record of 89-6.
Never pinned and defeated only six times in three years, Ragland finished 22-2 in 1966 and second nationally at 130 pounds. It was the highest finish of any Old Dominion wrestler
at that point. After red-shirting the following year, he returned in 1968 to post a 30-2-1
record and a NCAA National Championship in 1969 with a 37-2 record.
Named as Old Dominion's outstanding athlete in 1969, Ragland was also selected the
outstanding Tidewater athlete by the Virginia Beach Sports Club and was a finalist in the
Sigma Nu national fraternity for their athlete of the year award.
Three times named as the outstanding wrestler in the Mason-Dixon Tournament, Ragland was
also an Eastern Regional Olympic Trials champion in 1968, First Colonies AAU champion in
1965, Georgia Invitational champion and outstanding wrestler in 1968 and Towson Invitational
champion and outstanding wrestler in 1965.
A 1970 graduate who earned a bachelor of science degree in Civil Engineering, Ragland is
now a traffic safety engineer in the U.S. Department of Transporation.
