Britt Wrestling Legend Bob Steenlage Inducted Into Army West Point Sports Hall of Fame

Bob Steenlage, a Britt, Iowa native and Iowa’s first four-time wrestling champion, was officially inducted into the Army West Point Sports Hall of Fame on Friday, September 11, at a black-tie ceremony along with five other inductees.

As a wrestler at Army West Point from 1963 to 1966, Steenlage was undefeated in dual meets. In 1965, he was the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association conference champion at 130 pounds. The next year, he finished third at the NCAA tournament’s 123-pound bracket, earning him NCAA All-American honors, while also serving as a team captain. The 1966 West Point team finished 10th at the NCAA Championships, the highest ever finish of any West Point wrestling team. In both his junior and senior years, Steenlage received the Athletic Board Award as the outstanding performer on the West Point team.

Prior to West Point, Steenlage was a graduate of Britt High School, where he became Iowa’s first four-time wrestling champion and just the second four-time champion in the nation. He was a champion at four different weight classes, winning at 95 pounds in 1959, 103 pounds in 1960, 113 pounds in 1961, and 120 pounds in 1962. Over the course of his high school career, Steenlage had a record of 74-7-5 and helped Britt win the Class B state titles in 1961 and 1962.

Bob was unable to make the trip to New York for the Hall of Fame induction events, but his son John and John’s wife Jena were able to stand in on Bob’s behalf. Bob’s sons Keith and Timothy also attended the weekend’s events to surprise their father and show support.

Because Bob was unable to attend in person, he had recorded an online interview prior to Friday’s formal induction ceremony, where he gave several remarks, reminisced about his time at Army West Point, and told stories. Among the stories was that of Bob’s appendicitis attack in January of his sophomore season. Back then, appendicitis surgery would have typically been a season-ending procedure. However, being the competitor he his, Bob asked the Army doctors if it was possible for them to make a small three-quarter-inch cut and remove the appendix. The doctors did, and just ten days later, Bob was back on the mat helping his team.

On Saturday morning, a second ceremony for the inductees was held, with a parade on the parade grounds. Then, later that afternoon, a final recognition for the six new inductees was held at halftime of Army’s football game vs. South Florida. Bob’s son John was on the field representing his father, while his brothers enjoyed the game from the press box.

Prior to the game Saturday, Keith and Timothy were able to attend Army’s wrestling practice, while John and Jena stayed back and represented their father. While at practice, they were able to connect with Ted Smith and his two sons, Kellen, a sophomore, and Teague, who is currently at West Point Prep. All three were wrestlers for West Hancock, Britt. Paul Smith, Ted’s father, also wrestled for Britt and was a state champion at 165 pounds in 1960 and a teammate of Bob Steenlage.

Already a member of the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, Bob Steenlage now joins another exclusive club of fewer than a dozen Army West Point Wrestling Hall of Famers, further cementing his legacy as an athlete.