Wrestling National Champions
Three Purdue wrestlers have combined to win four NCAA individual national championships while donning the Old Gold & Black. Winning a national title is the highest achievement in collegiate wrestling and the ultimate goal for every wrestler.
Arnold Plaza (1948 & 1949)
Arnold Plaza became Purdue's first NCAA individual national champion by winning the 114.5-pound title in 1948 before repeating as champion at 121 pounds in 1949. He remains the only two-time national champion in program history.
The 1949 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, Plaza earned four varsity letters and is the only Boilermaker to capture four Big Ten individual titles, winning championships from 1947-50. He also helped lead Purdue to Big Ten team championships in 1948, 1949 and 1950.
In 1994, Plaza became the first Purdue wrestler inducted into the Leroy Keyes Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of its 13-person inaugural class.
Joe Patacsil (1950)
Joe Patacsil became the second Purdue wrestler to win an NCAA individual championship, capturing the 128-pound title in 1950.
A four-year letterwinner for the Boilermakers, Patacsil helped Purdue claim three Big Ten team championships from 1948-50. He was a two-time Big Ten individual champion at 128 pounds, earning back-to-back titles in 1949 and 1950, and was named the 1950 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year.
In 1999, Patacsil became the second Purdue wrestler inducted into the Leroy Keyes Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame, joining former teammate and fellow NCAA champion Arnold Plaza among the distinguished group of Purdue athletes, coaches and administrators.
Charles Jones (1992)
Charles Jones is the most recent Purdue wrestler to win an NCAA individual championship, claiming the 167-pound title in 1992.
A 1992 Big Ten champion, Jones earned two varsity letters for the Boilermakers in 1991 and 1992. He was an All-American in both seasons, finishing third at 167 pounds in 1991 before claiming the NCAA title in 1992. To date, Jones remains the only wrestler in Purdue history to complete a season with a perfect record, going 33-0 en route to his national championship. His career winning percentage of .944 (67-4) remains the highest in Purdue wrestling history, spanning more than 110 years of competition.
In 2003, Jones became the fourth wrestler inducted into the Leroy Keyes Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame, joining fellow NCAA champions Arnold Plaza (Class of 1994) and Joe Patacsil (Class of 1999), as well as legendary head coach Claude Reeck (Class of 2000).