Northwest Missouri State Athletics

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Maryville, Missouri is not the typical college destination for high school students that grow up in New York state. Thankfully for the Bearcat wrestling program of the mid-1960s, that was the school of choice for Allan Packer.
 
Packer would go on to capture multiple titles during his tenure with the Bearcats, including a Graceland College Invitational title three times. He compiled an overall record of 58 wins and only 8 losses.  Twice, he was named the Northwest most valuable wrestler and was an MIAA Champion in 1966.  Packer was easily one of the most feared 167-pound wrestlers in the country. At one point in his career he reeled off a record 35 consecutive wins and registered 29 pins throughout his career.  Needless to say, he was a match-up no opponent looked forward to facing.  He earned All-American honors in 1965 by taking 4^th place in the NCAA Division II National Wrestling Championship and served as a captain on one of the many dominant teams during this era.
 
His teams were just as imposing as well, posting undefeated seasons, top ten finishes at the national tournament and regularly recording dominate wins against schools throughout the region, including Big Eight schools Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas.