Greg Wojciechowski
November 13, 1950 - Present
Greg Wojciechowski was an NCAA Division I champion and three-time NCAA finalist, competing when freshmen were not eligible, at heavyweight for the University of Toledo.
By the age of 21 he had won an NCAA title, a freestyle national title and a Greco-Roman national title.
Standing 6-foot tall and weighing approximately 250 pounds, Wojciechowski regularly gave up height and weight to his opponents, including 1972 NCAA champion and Hall of Fame Distinguished Member Chris Taylor, who was 6-foot-5 and weighed over 400 pounds throughout much of his wrestling career.
Wojciechowski had a career college record of 55-2 with his only losses coming in the NCAA finals to Taylor and Oregon State’s Jess Lewis in 1970. A three-time Mid-American Conference champion, he wrestled at Toledo for Hall of Fame Distinguished Member Dick Wilson and was also coached by Distinguished Member Joe Scalzo and Meritorious Official honoree Dick Torio.
Wojciechowski was the first alternate for the United States Greco Roman team in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and the first alternate for both Greco-Roman and freestyle in the 1972 Munich Olympics and the 1976 Montreal Olympics. In the final Olympic tryouts in 1976, he was beaten by Hall of Fame Distinguished Member Jimmy Jackson, who was 6-foot-6 and 350 pounds, in freestyle and by Pete Lee, who was 6-foot-2 and 330 pounds, in Greco-Roman. In the 1980 Olympic tryout tournament, Wojciechowski beat Jackson in freestyle and Lee in Greco-Roman to become the last American to win both styles. The 29-year-old defeated 20-year-old Bruce Baumgartner in the final Olympic tryouts. Baumgartner, a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, would go on to win 13 Olympic and World medals during his career.
Wojciechowski won the 1980 Olympic Trials in freestyle and Greco-Roman, the last American to win in both styles, but chose not to compete in wrestle-offs for Greco-Roman team. Wojciechowski was unable to compete in the 1980 Moscow Olympics because of the United States boycott.
He was a 13-time AAU champion, winning eight freestyle titles and five Greco-Roman titles. Wojciechowski finished fourth in freestyle at the World Championships in 1970 and fifth in freestyle at the World Championships in 1978. He was a gold medalist in Greco-Roman and a silver medalist in freestyle at the Pre-Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada in 1975. Wojciechowski was a silver medalist in freestyle at the World Cup in 1974 and a bronze medalist at the World Cup in 1976.
He was a two-time Ohio state champion for Whitmer High School in Toledo, Ohio. Wojciechowski was the first Junior World Team Trials freestyle champion in 1967.
He coached high school wrestling for 15 years and coached youth wrestling in Toledo for many years. Wojciechowski competed in professional wrestling as "The Great Wojo" for over 10 years. He is a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum George Tragos and Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame, and the University of Toledo Varsity T Hall of Fame. Wojciechowski received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Ohio Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2013.
He has a master's degree in guidance and counseling and worked almost 30 years as a high school teacher and counselor.
Awards:
Year
2025
|
Award
Distinguished Member
|
Chapter/Region
National
|
Year
2015
|
Award
George Tragos and Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Inductee
|
Chapter/Region
National
|
Year
2013
|
Award
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
|
Chapter/Region
Ohio
|
All American Awards:
Season
1972
|
School
Toledo
|
Tournament
Division I
|
Weight
UNL
|
Place
2
|
Season
1971
|
School
Toledo
|
Tournament
Division I
|
Weight
UNL
|
Place
1
|
Season
1970
|
School
Toledo
|
Tournament
Division I
|
Weight
UNL
|
Place
2
|
College Season Records:
Season
1972
|
School
Toledo
|
Class
Senior
|
Bouts
17
|
Wins
16
|
Losses
1
|
Ties
0
|
Falls
0
|
Win PCT.
94.12
|
Place
2nd
|
Season
1971
|
School
Toledo
|
Class
Junior
|
Bouts
20
|
Wins
20
|
Losses
0
|
Ties
0
|
Falls
0
|
Win PCT.
100
|
Place
1st
|
Season
1970
|
School
Toledo
|
Class
Sophomore
|
Bouts
20
|
Wins
19
|
Losses
1
|
Ties
0
|
Falls
0
|
Win PCT.
95
|
Place
2nd
|
Season
Career
|
Bouts
57
|
Wins
55
|
Losses
2
|
Ties
0
|
Falls
0
|
Win PCT.
96.49
|
All Rankings:
Season
1971
|
Rank Date
02/24/1971
|
Weight
UNL
|
Rank
1
|
School
Toledo
|