Ackerman’s win recognized by magazine

Simpson College Sports Information

NCAA Champion Magazine has named Simpson College wrestler Nick Ackerman’s 2001 National Championship victory the No. 1 most dramatic championship victory in NCAA history. Ackerman, who lost his legs due ot bacterial meningitis as a baby, won the 174-pound national championship 13-11 over Nick Slack of Augsburg. At the time, Slack was the defending national champion and entered the contest on a 60-match winning streak.

NCAA Champion Magazine’s top 10 list encompasses championships over since the start of the 1982-83 season, which also marked the beginning of NCAA Women’s Championships.

‘Don’t call me disabled. Call me national champion.’
When fans of your conference rival are standing to applaud, you know you’ve accomplished something great.

Simpson wrestler Nick Ackerman’s 13-11 victory in the final of the 174-pound weight division over defending Division III national champion Nick Slack of Augsburg, winner of 60 straight matches, was an upset in itself.

But what makes this the most memorable championship performance of the past 25 years is that Ackerman won the title despite having his lower legs amputated when he was 18 months old to stop an aggressive form of bacterial meningitis.