An earlier press release did not mention a possible suicide but stated, no suspects are being pursued at this time and that the investigation into Dammion Heards death is ongoing. He made the 1960 and 1964 Olympic Team. [10] On July 22, 1960, Hodge defeated Savoldi for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship at the Stockyards Coliseum in Oklahoma City. The car flipped, and the crash broke his neck and shattered his teeth upon impact. You certainly would want to investigate the physical altercation, to see if someone wanted to harm him, Garrett said. Bradlee LaMontagne, 21, was on his uncles yacht near Cozumel when he jumped into the water to go for a swim and was struck by another boat going by at a high speed, reports WAVY.com. [5] Hodge's first major feud was with National Wrestling Alliance Junior Heavyweight Champion Angelo Savoldi. Joey Marella (WWF Referee/Gorilla Monsoon's Son): July 4, 1994--Died in motorcycle accident. The University of Cumberlands did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on the lawsuit against the school or its coaches. Other discontinued light weight classes included 121 and 123-pounds. Family members said LaMontagne was kind and worked hard to make the world a better place. The documents claim that Brace was then heard saying, "I need water, somebody help me" and "I feel like I am going to die, I feel like my head is going to explode," the newspaper reports. He made appearances in WWE on Raw in 2005 and 2012 in which he honored fellow Oklahoman Jim Ross. . Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday. This pattern applies to all athletes who lose in the first round they have a chance to wrestle back to All-American honors, but if they lose again, they will be out of the tournament. 2023 Cable News Network. . Maria Carrasco August 26, 2021 Last year, Grant Brace, a student wrestler from the University of the Cumberlands, died after wrestling practice. They will lose their ability to continue an activity. We've received your submission. 133: Roman Bravo-Young: Penn State: 2019, 2020, 2021 NCAA All-American Michigan Athletic Director Tom Goss said Reese was trying to lose six pounds to qualify in the 150-pound class. 2019 UWW Junior World Champion, 2019, 2021, 2020 NCAA All-American When a teammate began to wrap ice in a towel to cool Brace off, a coach intervened, citing Braces poor sprinting performance, the report said. If he wins his consolation match, his tournament run will continue, and his chance to be an All-American stays alive. He was born May 13, 1932, and died on Dec. 25, 2020, at 88. . The lawsuit alleges that head coach Jordan Countryman and assistant head coach Jake Sinkovics didnt give Grant water. However, the coach stopped the teammate from helping Brace citing his poor performance. Countryman and Sinkovics are accused of gross negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent infliction of emotional distress, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. Following Brace's death, Williamsburg Police Department interviewed more than 40 members of the wrestling team who were present on the first day of conditioning. On Dec. 9, University of Michigan wrestler Jeffrey Reese, 21, died after exercising in an overheated room for two hours while dressed in a rubberized sweat suit, officials said. His parents Gary and Jamie Heard say police told them he took his own life. Under Oklahoma State head wrestling coach E.C. Matsuda eventually faced Hodge again and lost, where Hodge defeated him for the championship on March 2, 1976. His home burned down when he was 9, and his mother suffered severe burns over 70 percent of her body, necessitating blood transfusions. [15], Danny won the 1958 Chicago Golden Gloves at Heavyweight, then won a Chicago-NY Intercity bout in October, beating Charley Hood. Scherr said a committee of experts, including physicians and high school and college coaches, will review the deaths and look for ways to make the sport safer. [5] At the Melbourne Olympics freestyle middleweight, he won the silver medal, losing the final to Bulgarian Nikola Stanchev. His family, friends, and teammates were all devastated to hear the news. [5] Hodge finished outside the top seven in the Helsinki Olympics freestyle middleweight, losing two of his three bouts. A pigtail match serves as a "wrestle-in" match where the winner advances to the first round, and the loser moves into the consolation bracket. [11], On March 5, 1976, and just three days after defeating rival Matsuda for the championship, Hodge was driving his car when he fell asleep at the wheel causing him to crash through a bridge and into a lake. and, 2005, InterMat's analysis of the NCAA 75th Anniversary Team of the fifteen top college wrestlers of all time, commemorating the first NCAA . Born and raised in Perry, Oklahoma, he was the son of an alcoholic father and a mother who dealt with severe depression. Dino Bravo: March 11, 1993--Died of gunshot wounds in his living room. Heard, a scholarship wrestler at Western State Colorado University, was found dead in a field two weeks ago, his SUV located nearby. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Andre The Giant: January 27, 1993--Died of a heart attack. (Hodge is only one of two three-time NCAA Division I champs to have done that, the other being Oklahoma A&M's Earl McCready in 19281930.) Eight years later Oklahoma State became the second team to accomplish such a feat, and Penn State added its name to this list in 2017 whenZain Retherford, Jason Nolf, Vincenzo Joseph, Mark Hall, Bo Nickal all became title winners. WWE extends its condolences to Halls family, friends and fans, the WWE said in a tweet on Monday. Discontinued middle weight classes include 125.5, 126, 128, 130, 134, 135, 136, 136.5, 137, 142, 145, 147, 147.5, 150,152, 155, 158, 160, 160.5, 167, 175, 177, 190 and191. Oklahoma State won the first tournament in 1928 without team scoring because the team had the most individual champions, but the Cowboys then won the first tournament to include team scoring, in 1934, under the same coach that led them to the first title in 1928. Following his death, Great Neck Wrestling Club created a scholarship in LaMontagnes memory that allows other local wrestlers to make an impact. The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, MLS player dead at 25 after Miami boating accident, Florida boater sentenced to prison for crash that killed wife and friends toddler, Greece: Dozens missing after boat carrying migrants sinks, 3 victims IDd in fatal New Zealand boat crash involving whale, WWE star opens up about mental health battle, Former Mets star has no regrets after long injury saga, The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast, The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Amazin' But True: A NY Mets Baseball Podcast, Gangs All Here: A NY Jets Football Podcast, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry have first night out since bombshell 'Spare' released, 11-year-old reads aloud from 'pornographic' book he checked out from library at school board meeting. I ask the entire Cumberlands family to join me in praying for Grant's family and friends.". Gallagher, the Cowboys claimed the first team title. He is the highest wrestler on the list with a loss. The man was swimming around 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan.. The 2011 NCAA wrestling All-Americans stand for the National Anthem to kick off the last session of the tournament. Brace was later found collapsed on all fours with what appeared to be vomit near his body. 20-Year-Old College Wrestler Died From Heatstroke After Coaches Refused Him Water: Report By Suneeta Sunny 06/03/22 AT 6:40 AM KEY POINTS Grant Brace died on Aug.31, 2020, during the first. [21] He made fewer appearances in public as it was announced that he suffered from dementia in his later years, starting in 2018. Scott Hall speaks during the WWE Hall of Fame Induction at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on April 5, 2014. Why Dammion Heard's parents don't believe he took his own life. His parents Gary and Jamie Heard say police told them he took his own life. In the lawsuit filed Monday, Brace's family calls the athlete's death "tragic and entirely avoidable," the newspaper reports. According to reports, Brace suffered from narcolepsy - a chronic sleep disorder characterized by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep. Abbott, Texas, Oklahoma denied early exit from The Big 12, University investigating hazing within football program. Michigan wrestler Jeff Reese, 21, died during a workout in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, the day before his first match of the season. 6. He died of exertional heatstroke, which is completely preventable, medical officials told the outlet. In a statement, the university said: In the wake of this tragedy, the University has tried its best to be sympathetic and respectful to Grants family and to ensure that all of its athletic programs, including the wrestling program, were and are being operated in a safe manner., The university questioned several of the allegations and said it does not feel that the complaint is a fair reflection of its wrestling program., 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Grant Brace, 20 died after 'begging' his coaches for water, a lawsuit filed by his family alleges, Grant said it felt like 'his pupils would explode' following the sprints up the hill, the lawsuit revealed, Family of college wrestler, 20, who died of heatstroke after desperately begging his coaches for water sues the school. [18][19], Hodge is also the subject of four books written by Mike Chapman: Two Guys Named Dan (Hodge and Dan Gable, 1976), The Toughest Men in Sports (1984), Legends of the Mat (2006) and Oklahoma Shooter: the Dan Hodge Story (2009). In a common practice called "cutting weight," many wrestlers try to lose weight to qualify for a lower weight class thinking they will have an advantage over their opponent. The first NCAA Division I wrestling tournament was in 1928. The wrestler, Billy Jack Saylor, 19, a native of Wellborn, Fla., who wrestled . Yeah, college basketball is ready for March. A three-time Florida state champion wrestler collapsed and died today during a predawn workout at Campbell University. Former wrestler and World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Famer Scott Hall, who reached stardom as Razor Ramon during the heyday of his career in the 1990s, has died, according to the WWE. Though he said he is unaware of the full details of the recent deaths, Smith said that "the types of practices" in which the three wrestlers were involved "are known to create problems with the body functions.". He was raised by his grandfather in later years. Two, an athlete can earn a technical fall against their opponent, meaning that they scored more than 15 points than the opposing wrestlerat any point during a dual. All Rights Reserved. Braces increasingly frantic requests were denied even as he began speaking gibberish, started twitching and said he couldnt see, witnesses told local police in Williamsburg, Ky., the report said. Brace was told to "get out" of practice and was later found dead outside, collapsed in the grass near a construction fence on campus, according to the family's complaint WATE reports. The team was tasked with running a series of sprints up Punishment Hill, a 200 foot slope at a 35% incline, the station said. Out of respect for all concerned and for the legal process, the University will not address individual allegations publicly but will instead present its defenses to the claims through the legal proceeding.". Some examples: InterMat's feature on top college wrestlers of all time or feature providing details of late historian Jay Hammond's three biggest upsets in NCAA Division I finals.