#17 Women's Wrestling 6/2/2018 3:46:00 PM

Former OCU wrestler makes National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Davis became two-time national champion with Stars

STILLWATER, Okla. – Oklahoma City University alumna Kristie Davis has been inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a distinguished member.
Davis became the most decorated women's freestyle wrestler in American history and is tied with Bruce Baumgartner for the most World Team medals in U.S. history with nine. Davis collected two Women's College Wrestling Association individual championships competing for the Stars in 2010-12.
Davis joined Tricia Saunders as women inducted as distinguished members. Saunders was a four-time World champion and women's wrestling pioneer and a National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee in 2006. Saunders is the namesake of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award, which is presented annually to the nation's most outstanding high school senior girls for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service.
At OCU, Davis went 70-7 with 28 falls while contributing to the Stars taking two WCWA championships and two NWCA National Duals titles. She won the 147-pound WCWA individual championship as a junior with a 6-0, 6-0 technical fall over Christen Paysse from Cumberlands (Ky.) on Jan. 29, 2011 in Atherton, Calif., and the 155-pound crown as a senior by pinning Sydney Nelson of Cumberlands in 56 seconds on Jan. 28, 2012 in Bristol, Tenn. Oklahoma City owns WCWA championships won in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 and five NWCA National Duals crowns won from 2008-12.
The Albany, N.Y., native holds the American records in women's freestyle for most world teams, most medals and most finals appearances. Davis competed in 10 World Championships and was a seven-time finalist, winning gold medals in 2000 and 2003 and silver medals in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2007. She captured bronze medals in 2002 and 2006. Davis helped the United States capture the World Championship team title in 1999, which is the first and only American women's team to accomplish the feat.
She was named women's wrestler of the year by USA Wrestling five times (1998, 2000, 2002, 2006 and 2007), which is more than any other wrestler since the award began in 1993. Davis was a nine-time U.S. Open champion who competed in four Olympic Trials, placing second once and third twice. She most recently wrestled in the Olympic Trials in 2016. She is a four-time University Nationals champion.
Davis also competed as Kristie Stenglein, which is her maiden name, and as Kristie Marano, which was her first married name. She was named head women's wrestling coach at Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, Ga., her husband, Link, is the men's coach.
Other members of the 2018 National Wrestling Hall of Fame induction class were Stephen Abas, Lee Allen and Henry Cejudo, Meritorious Official Gary Kessel, Order of Merit recipient Nancy Schultz Vitangeli and Medal of Courage recipient James McCloughan.

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