Lee Fullhart

2015 Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee

“It was just a passion… a mindset.” That was Lee Fullhart’s simple answer to how someone can wrestle at a championship level for so many years.

Fullhart started his wrestling career at Decorah, then followed that up at the University of Iowa and as an international wrestler—a span of 16 tough, grueling years.

Admitting to that aggressive mindset, Fullhart points to key elements for staying competitive, even now in his current job as a Border Patrol officer in the South. “I continue to test myself as an individual,” Fullhart admits. “I have been able to treat each accomplishment as its own and continue to push myself. You are a national champion for one day. The next day, you are a former national champion.”

Fullhart wrestled for Roger Williams at Decorah, where he was a three-time state champion. As a sophomore, he won the 160-pound title, followed by the 171-pound title as a junior. As a senior, he was the 189-pound champion and a four-time conference champion with a 140-7 record.

Perhaps another key moment in his career came early on. “As a freshman, I won the conference tournament in my weight class, and I won fairly easily. That’s when I decided I didn’t just want to win—I wanted to dominate.”

At the University of Iowa, Fullhart was a four-time All-American, winning the 1997 NCAA title as a sophomore for Coach Dan Gable. He then placed third as a junior and was runner-up at 190 pounds his senior year, wrestling for Jim Zalesky. Fullhart compiled a 107-18 record as a Hawkeye.

Internationally, Fullhart’s awards are too numerous to list, but highlights include: 2004 U.S. Nationals champion, two-time U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up, three-time U.S. World Team Trials runner-up, and four-time U.S. Nationals runner-up.

Fullhart admits he was fortunate to be able to transition from collegiate wrestling to international styles. “Some athletes from Europe have tried to come wrestle here in college and haven’t been that successful. I guess I was a good enough athlete to do it with some success.”

Now in the Border Patrol, Fullhart says he’s been able to apply a wrestling mentality to his job. “I was told when you’re chasing someone, you won’t catch them because they’re running for their life. I just keep chasing them until they quit.”

Fullhart was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2015, along with Ken Snyder, John Bowlsby, and Daryl Weber.