From the age of 11, when he won his first national age group title at 65 pounds, Randy Lewis was destined for stardom. He won two NCAA championships at the University of Iowa and reached the ultimate goal of an Olympic gold medal in the 1984 Games at Los Angeles.

But his personal yellow brick road was not without its hazards.

Lewis was a three-time state high school champ at Rapid City, South Dakota, going 89-0 those three years with 83 falls--including a national prep record, since broken, of 45 in a row. He was outstanding wrestler of the Junior Nationals and won the Junior Worlds in 1977.

As an Iowa freshman, Lewis reached the NCAA finals at 126 pounds, and he returned the next two years to win championships. But during his senior year, he was riding a winning streak of 74 matches when he suffered a horribly dislocated elbow. Wrestling the rest of the season virtually with one arm, he still had enough left to place at the national tournament and become a four-time All-American.

Throughout his career, Lewis was known for wrestling with style and flair. His collegiate record for the Hawkeyes of Dan Gable was 127-11-1 with 64 falls. Lewis made the 1980 Olympic team, which was stymied by the boycott. He placed fourth in the 1982 Worlds and won Pan American championships in 1983 and 1990.

Even his path to the Los Angeles Games was difficult. He won the key series of the final trials, only to have one of his victories overturned on protest. Beaten in the rematch, then injured, Lewis used the Olympic Committee's appeals procedures and rejoined the team after arbitration. He then won the gold medal with a string of one-sided victories.

Lewis made a serious run at the 1988 Olympics, upsetting World champion John Smith in the early trials before Smith rallied to win.

One of America's most dynamic and decorated wrestlers, Randy S. Lewis is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.