By David Herder

When he took over the Northwestern wrestling squad in 1957, Ken Kraft was looking for wrestlers like himself.

He was the reigning Big Ten champion, having gone undefeated and won eight of his 14 matches by fall. He had been awarded the coaching job even before he graduated. And now, he needed to replenish the roster. So where better to start than the closest thing to himself: his brother.

Art Kraft was a sophomore during his brother's first year at the helm. Slotted in at 157 lbs., he soon began to outperform his older brother. After a solid 1959 season, Art was awarded a spot at the national championships, where he came into form, making a run to the semifinals and being named an All-American.

The next year, Kraft continued his dominance on the mats, and had a running mate for his exploits as well. Sophomore Rory Weber stepped into the heavyweight role, and behind the duo's performances the team set a program record by finishing 6-2-2. With a string of strong performances at the Big Ten tournament, Weber became Northwestern's first conference champion since his coach three years earlier.

At the NCAA championships, the Kraft and Weber duo continued their run. Weber became Northwestern's second All-American in as many years by reaching his semifinal. In what would be his final collegiate performances, Kraft was looking to surpass his previous year's finish. With a 5-3 victory in the finals, Kraft became the program's first national champion since Jack Riley thirty years earlier.

While Kraft graduated, Weber still proved a consistent winner, joined in that regard by Al Jacklich. Despite the team going 2-5, the 191-pounder emerged his sophomore season, dominating the upper weights alongside Weber. In the 1961 Big Ten championships, their dominance came to fruition. Each swept their way to a title, the first time Northwestern won multiple individual conference titles in 30 years, when in 1931, Wes Brown, Jack Riley, and Bob Miller all won. Their form continued at the NCAA championships, where Weber earned his second All-America nod with a third place finish.

The two returned as co-captains in 1962, hoping that after a successful individual season, they could help the whole team garner accolades. The team won 65 individual matches but only managed to win a single Big Ten dual meet, losing five of the seven by one match.

Despite the poor regular season luck, Northwestern was looking to have an All-American for the fourth consecutive year. After falling just short of a national title the year before, Weber was looking to reach the championship match for the first time, having reached the semifinals in consecutive years. But again, Weber was stymied in the semifinals, ending his career with a fourth place finish and being named an All-American for the third straight year. After the season ended, Weber traded Chicago's northern climate for sunny Tucson, becoming the head coach of another Wildcat wrestling program, this one the University of Arizona.

Jacklich returned in 1963 for his second year as captain, this time also as the team's top returning point scorer. But he wouldn't retain that honor, as new faces were breaking out. Bob Plaskas and Don Evans, 123 and 177 lbs., respectively, came into their own. Evans started the season at 167 lbs., but due to injuries to others, he moved up a weight class, and saw continued success. Behind that trio, having Plaskas go undefeated and Evans lose just once, Northwestern posted a 5-3 record, more wins than they'd had in the last two seasons combined.

In the postseason, the team continued its stellar form. At the Big Ten championships, Evans and Plaskas dominated their ways to Big Ten titles. While he missed out on a conference title, Al Jacklich had his sights on another big prize – being an All-American. With a strong performance, the 191-pounder reached the semifinals to be named an All-American, a first for him, and the school's sixth such honor in five years.

In 1964, although Jacklich had graduated, the team looked poised to build upon its solid season. With Evans and Plaskas still in the fold, they were looking to compete for a Big Ten title. Despite an injury to Evans that caused the team to forfeit a weight class for much of the season, the Wildcats still rolled through competition. Northwestern claimed a 13-2 record and was ranked in the nation's top-10 for almost the entire season.

Even with the injury, Evans finished his career 21-2-1, a mark that still holds up as the third best winning percentage in program history, and the best of the 20th century.

In seven years, Ken Kraft had coached five individual Big Ten champions, seven All-Americans and a national champion, putting the program on the national map. In the years to come, Kraft would continue to build his legacy, guiding his wrestlers to numerous more championships and cementing his place in wrestling lore with the Midlands.

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Northwestern University Athletics

Northwestern University Athletics

Building a Winner: Ken Kraft's Start at Northwestern

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