WI LEGENDS KEMP

KEMP

LEE

Few Badgers athletes can say they were as productive at UW as wrestler Lee Kemp during his four seasons in Madison. Starting his collegiate career with the lofty goal of four national championships, Kemp nearly delivered by winning the NCAA title three straight seasons. Kemp didn’t let a second-place finish as a freshman blunt his drive, doubling down on his passion for the sport as he came into his own with a record of 110-1-1 over the next three seasons while dominating Big Ten and NCAA competition.

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TROPHY CASE

NCAA championship/ Big Ten Conference champion

1978

NCAA championship/ Big Ten Conference champion

1977

NCAA championship/ Big Ten Conference champion

1976

The Badgers weren’t Kemp’s first choice, but a scholarship delay from Michigan State led him to UW, where he built a hall of fame career with a mark of 143-6-1. Kemp left UW with his sights fixed on the 1980 Summer Olympics, where he’d have been a favorite to win gold. But his Olympic dreams were derailed when the U.S. boycotted the Games in Russia.

Former UW wrestling coach Duane Kleven reflects on coaching Kemp and the impact the former star had on the Badgers program.

State Journal archives

Christopher Doyle

State Journal archives

Kemp (left), who earned a bachelor’s of business administration in marketing at UW before earning his MBA in 1983, was unable to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team in 1984 and didn’t reach the Olympic stage until 2008, when he coached Team USA in China.

State Journal archives

TROPHY CASE

KEMP BIO

AFTER UW

KEMP BIO

AFTER UW

TOP 5 MOMENTS WITH THE BADGERS

VS. Chuck Yagla

March 15, 1975

Kemp fell to Iowa’s Chuck Yagla in the NCAA title match in overtime as a freshman.

VS. Dan Gable

Nov. 28, 1975

Kemp defeated 1972 gold medalist Dan Gable at the UW Field House.

VS. Kelly Ward

March 19, 1977

Kemp won back-to-back NCAA titles after beating Iowa State’s Kelly Ward 9-5 in Oklahoma.

March 13, 1976

Kemp won his first NCAA title, defeating Washington’s Tom Brown 4-0 in Arizona.

VS. Tom Brown

VS. Kelly Ward

March 18, 1978

Kemp took home his third straight NCAA crown, besting Iowa State’s Kelly Ward for a second time.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Kemp compiled a 110-1-1 record over his final three seasons at UW, recording a single tie and loss after dropping five matches as a freshman.

Kemp’s success at UW

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READ FULL WRESTLING STORY

UW wrestler Dave Evans talks about the influence Kemp had on him both on and off the mat during their time as Badgers.

Christopher Doyle

THE LEGENDS

WRESTLING, 1974 to 1978

Born: Darnell Freeman on Dec. 24, 1956, in Cleveland, Ohio Hometown: Sacramento, Calif. High school: Chardon High School (Chardon, Ohio), 1971-74 Family: Adoptive parents Leroy and Jessie Kemp (deceased); children Jordan, Mercedes and Adam

Olympics: Kemp missed a shot at Olympic gold when the U.S. boycotted the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow after the USSR invasion of Afghanistan. He competed but failed to earn a spot on the 1984 U.S. team. On the mat: The three-time gold medalist in World Freestyle Wrestling (1978, 1979 and 1982) became the youngest American to win the title at the World Championships at age 21 in 1978. He also was the first American to win four World Cup of Wrestling titles, taking the gold medal from 1979 through 1982. Coaching: Kemp coached the U.S. freestyle wrestling team in the 2007 World Championships in China before leading the U.S. freestyle team at the World Junior Championships in 2007 and serving as coach of Team USA at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Hall of Fame: He was inducted into the Wisconsin Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1983, National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1989 and UW Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991.

Women’s hockey, 2007 to 2012

SEE MORE BADGERS LEGENDS

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• Kemp wrestled at 158 pounds after his freshman year at UW and refused to move weight classes as a sophomore, forcing rival Dan Gable to alter his weight for the two to square off in a match Kemp went on to win.

The streak included a perfect sophomore campaign in 1976, when Kemp won 39 matches without a loss or a tie.

103

Kemp went 103 consecutive matches without a loss during his time with the Badgers.

Big Ten Tournament title

1977

VS. MINNESOTA

March 15, 1975

Kemp fell to Iowa’s Chuck Yagla in the NCAA title match in overtime as a freshman.

Games with 200 or more yards rushing. Dayne again is a victim of the 2002 cut-off. He should hold the NCAA record for 200-yard games. UW’s Jonathan Taylor holds the recognized record (12 from 2017-19).

Dayne accounted for 40.2% of the Badgers’ total offense during his four-year career. He had 7,429 of UW’s 18,485 total offensive yards from 1996-1999.

Rose Bowl MVP

1976

NCAA championship/ Big Ten Conference champion

1978

• Kemp, a three-time world champion, became the youngest American to win the title when he achieved the feat at 21 years old in 1978.

READ FULL WRESTLING STORY

Kemp was featured in Sports Illustrated three times during his wrestling career, including a February 1977 appearance while competing at UW.

After enrolling at UW with the goal of winning four national titles, Kemp went on to win three NCAA championships after falling in the final his freshman year on a referee’s decision in overtime.

The streak included a perfect sophomore campaign in 1976, when Kemp won 39 matches without a loss or a tie.

After enrolling at UW with the goal of winning four national titles, Kemp went on to win three NCAA championships after falling in the final his freshman year on a referee’s decision in overtime.

Kemp was featured in Sports Illustrated three times during his wrestling career, including a February 1977 appearance while competing at UW.

READ FULL WRESTLING STORY