Kenny Monday
November 25, 1961 - Present
No matter what the calendar said, when he stepped onto a mat it was always "MON-day night!" Poise, patience and mental toughness propelled Kenny Monday to Olympic gold in 1988, silver in 1992 and sixth in 1996. He made winning a habit and wrestling a pleasure to watch.
At Booker T. Washington, Kenny's coach characterized his passage from "scrawny to awesome," as Monday chalked up an almost unblemished record of 140-0-1. He amassed four state high school championships at four different weights , tucking in a 1977 Junior Nationals title along the way. In seven trips to the Junior Olympics, he won five times.
At Oklahoma State University, the 150-pounder became a teammate of the only wrestler to tie him in high school duals, a fierce competitor named Mike Sheets. At OSU, Kenny ran up a career record of 121-12-2. Twice a runner-up, Monday captured an NCAA title in 1984. He ranked second on OSU's all-time list for falls. In 1986, he won the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Classic and took both the Sunkist International Open the the World Cup the following year.
International victories came at the 1988 Tblisi Tournament, the 1989 World Championships, the 1991 Pan American Games and the President's Cup in Turkey, the 1992 Roger Coulon in France and the 1996 Dan Kolov Tournament in Bulgaria. At the grueling Tblisi in Soviet Georgia, he was honored with the prized animal-skin cloak at the Outstanding Wrestler. One American coach summed up the Tblisi as "probably five times as tough" as the Olympics. O.W. honors also went to Kenny in 1989 and 1990 at the Grand Masters Tournament.
Four times Kenny posted wins at the U.S. National Championships and also captured the 1989 U.S. Olympic Festival crown. His 1988 Olympic Games success brought Monday the USA Wrestling Athlete of the Year award, as well as the Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year in 1989.
For his dual achievements as a stellar wrestler at every level and for his encouragement of youth wrestling, Kenny Monday is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Awards:
Year
2001
|
Award
Distinguished Member
|
Chapter/Region
National
|
All American Awards:
Season
1984
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Tournament
Division I
|
Weight
150
|
Place
1
|
Season
1983
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Tournament
Division I
|
Weight
150
|
Place
2
|
Season
1982
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Tournament
Division I
|
Weight
150
|
Place
2
|
College Season Records:
Season
1984
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Class
Senior
|
Bouts
34
|
Wins
33
|
Losses
1
|
Ties
0
|
Falls
18
|
Win PCT.
97.06
|
Place
1st
|
Season
1983
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Class
Junior
|
Bouts
39
|
Wins
37
|
Losses
2
|
Ties
0
|
Falls
15
|
Win PCT.
94.87
|
Place
2nd
|
Season
1982
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Class
Sophomore
|
Bouts
28
|
Wins
25
|
Losses
2
|
Ties
1
|
Falls
10
|
Win PCT.
89.29
|
Place
2nd
|
Season
1981
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Class
Freshman
|
Bouts
35
|
Wins
27
|
Losses
7
|
Ties
1
|
Falls
8
|
Win PCT.
77.14
|
Place
DNP
|
Season
Career
|
Bouts
136
|
Wins
122
|
Losses
12
|
Ties
2
|
Falls
51
|
Win PCT.
89.71
|
All Rankings:
Season
1984
|
Rank Date
11/21/1983
|
Weight
150
|
Rank
1
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Season
1984
|
Rank Date
12/12/1983
|
Weight
150
|
Rank
1
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Season
1984
|
Rank Date
12/26/1983
|
Weight
150
|
Rank
1
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Season
1984
|
Rank Date
01/16/1984
|
Weight
150
|
Rank
1
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Season
1984
|
Rank Date
01/30/1984
|
Weight
150
|
Rank
1
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Season
1984
|
Rank Date
02/13/1984
|
Weight
150
|
Rank
1
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Season
1984
|
Rank Date
02/27/1984
|
Weight
150
|
Rank
1
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Season
1984
|
Rank Date
03/08/1984
|
Weight
150
|
Rank
1
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Season
1983
|
Rank Date
03/10/1983
|
Weight
150
|
Rank
1
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Season
1982
|
Rank Date
01/31/1982
|
Weight
150
|
Rank
1
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Season
1982
|
Rank Date
02/15/1982
|
Weight
150
|
Rank
1
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Season
1982
|
Rank Date
02/27/1982
|
Weight
150
|
Rank
1
|
School
Oklahoma State
|
Season
1982
|
Rank Date
03/13/1982
|
Weight
150
|
Rank
1
|
School
Oklahoma State
|