Greatest College Pinner Pulled this from the EWL Wrestling Forum:
WADE SCHALLES ? Consummate pinner. Wade Schalles, from Holidaysburg, PA, always wrestled for the PIN. Wade was a consummate pinner, who was known for his spladle.
Wade won the PIAA Tournament in 1969, beating highly favored John Chatman of Trinity in the 154-pound finals. The crowd went wild when Schalles got the pin, and Wade later called that PIAA match his greatest wrestling thrill of all time.
After high school, Schalles matriculated at East Stroudsburg, but did not stay long, moving on to Clarion State College, where he was coached by the legendary Bob Bubb. Wade wrestled four years for Clarion and was eligible to compete in the NCAA Tournament three times. Wade qualified for the 1971 NCAA?s as a freshman, but did not place that year.
Schalles, however, really blossomed in 1972. That March sophomore Schalles pinned five of six opponents at the NCAA College Division Tournament (at 150 pounds) and was named OW. A week later Wondrous Wade pinned four of five at the big NCAA Tournament (at the Univ of Maryland) ? decking Michigan?s Jarrett Hubbard in the finals ? and again was voted OW. In Dec of 1972 Wade gained OW at the powerful Midlands Tournament, there pinning four of six foes on his way to the 158-pound title.
In 1973 Wade, a junior, again won both the NCAA College Division and University Division tournaments, wrestling at 158 pounds. Wade, who could not compete in the 1974 NCAA Tournament, capped his senior year by wrestling up at 177 pounds at the Pennsylvania State College Conference Tournament, wrestling his final college match at Slippery Rock (I think that?s where we were for the PSAC?s), on February 23, 1974.
No one who saw that 1974 PSAC final between Schalles and Bloomsburg?s Floyd ?Shorty? Hitchcock, as ex NYAC freestyler, and one of the best college 177 pounders in the country, will ever forget it. Fans questioned whether Wade could go up two weight classes and handle the bigger, stronger Hitchcock. The bout ended in 4 minutes and 26 seconds, with Schalles trapping Hitchcock?s arm, stepping over him for a reversal, and securing the pin. [Side Bar on Hitchcock - A week later PSAC runnerup Hitchcock easily won the NCAA CD Tournament and was voted OW. Two weeks after winning OW at the NCAA CD event, Hitchcock plowed his way through the big NCAA Tournament, scoring three falls, a 15-7 decision, and beating Mel Renfro 10-4 in the finals. For his efforts, Hitchcock was voted the NCAA Outstanding Wrestler.]
Schalles loved to compete. After college he concentrated on freestyle (163/180.5), but also continued to wrestle in some open folkstyle events, usually at 167 or 177 pounds. After 1973, Schalles placed second at the 1974 National AAU Freestyle tournament; third at the 1975 Tbilisi tournament; and third at the 1975 National AAU?s. Perhaps the highest point of Wade?s international freestyle career came in late January 1976, by winning the incredibly powerful Tbilisi Tournament at 163 pounds. That year Wade was the only non-Soviet wrestler to win a freestyle gold medal, pinning five opponents, including Russia?s world champion, Ruslan Ashuraliev, and earning the award for most falls.
In March 1976, Wade won the U.S. Wrestling Federation Tournament at 180.5, pinning 5 in 7 matches, and winning the most-falls award. In April 1976 Schalles finished second in the National AAU?s, again up at 180.5. Schalles returned to 163 pounds in May, qualified for the final Olympic team try-outs, but was hampered by a significant injury and did not make the 1976 team. (That year former PSAC/SRU grappler Stan Dziedzic represented the U.S. at 163 and won the bronze medal at Montreal.)
Schalles wrestled on, winning the Nov 1976 Oklahoma Open, the Nov 1976 Great Plains Tournament, and the Dec 1976 Midlands. Schalles then copped the silver medal at the March 1977 World Cup matches at 163, finished third at the April 1977 USFW?s at Eugene, Oregon (pinning 4 of 7 opponents). The fall of 1977 Schalles traveled to Sofia, Bulgaria, there winning the gold at the World University Games (pinning 5 of 6).
The fall of 1977 Wade was named head wrestling coach at Clemson University, coached there until 1983, elevated that program to national recognition, and developed NCAA champ and 1984 bronze-medal winner for Great Britain Noel Loban. (Wade later also headed Old Dominion in Norfolk.) Coaching did not stop Wade from competing. Wade won the 1977 Wilkes Open, pinning 5 of 5, and won most falls and OW. That spring Schalles won the silver at the 1978 World Cup at Toledo, and in December grabbed the OW at the Midlands.
In Nov of 1979 Schalles won OW at the Great Plains Tournament at 167 and in December of that year dropped to 158 and won the Midlands, beating Dave Schultz 9-4. (That was during Dave?s transfer-to-Oklahoma year; and by then the 20-year-old phenom Schultz was already a Tbilisi vet.)
Wade also held a black belt in judo and reportedly was a national college champion in that discipline. Further, Schalles became proficient at Sombo, and made the U.S. Sombo team. That September Wade gained the silver medal at the 1981 Sombo World Cup held in Spain. In 1984 Wade won USA Wrestling?s National Sombo Open, competing at 163 pounds.
Wade Schalles has been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the wrestler having the most pins ? 530 ? and most wins ? 821 ? during a career. At Clarion, Wade finished 153-5-1 win 106 falls. WADE SCHALLES ? CONSUMMATE PINNER. ?Stove Pipe
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