Gardner to be Inducted into National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Responsible for one of the greatest Olympic upsets of all-time, former Husker wrestler Rulon Gardner will be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum at a ceremony this Saturday evening in Stillwater, Okla.

Gardner's shining moment came in the 2000 Olympics, when he shocked the sports world with a 1-0 overtime victory over Russia's Alexander Karelin in the Greco-Roman super heavyweight gold medal match. Karelin was a three-time Olympic gold medalist and had not lost an international match in 13 years, including the last six without giving up a point. Gardner's upset helped the former Husker earn numerous prestigious honors, including the 2001 Jesse Owens Award, a 2001 ESPY (U.S. Male Olympic Athlete of the Year) and the 2001 United States Olympic Committee's Sportsman of the Year honor.

At Nebraska, Gardner was a 1993 All-American after he finished fourth in the heavyweight division at the NCAA Championships, helping the Huskers to a third-place team finish. A native of Afton, Wyo., Gardner lettered two seasons for the Big Red after he transferred to Nebraska from Ricks Junior College in Rexburg, Idaho, where he was an NJCAA national champion (1991) and two-time All-American (1990-91).

Along with his 2000 Olympic gold medal, Gardner was a four-time U.S. Nationals Greco-Roman champion (1995, 1997, 2000 and 2001), earned bronze at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and won international titles at the 1996 World Cup, the 1998 and 2000 Pan American Games and the 2001 World Championships. He most recently contributed as a television analyst for NBC during the 2008 Olympics.

David Auble, Russell Camilleri and Lincoln McIlravy join Gardner in the 2010 class.