Dick BallingerAs a Wyoming wrestler for head coach Ev Lantz, Ballinger was a three-time NCAA All-American. As a sophomore, Ballinger made it to the 167 finals at the 1958 NCAA championships in his home gym at Wyoming, losing to Oklahoma State's Duane Murty, 4-2. At the 1959 NCAAs at University of Iowa, Ballinger placed fourth in the 167-pound bracket, losing in the third-place bout to familiar foe Murty.
Ballinger helped guide his team to a sixth-place finish in the team standings at the 1959 NCAAs, and a Wyoming all-time best third-place finish in 1960.
A three-time Skyline Conference Champion, Ballinger led Wyoming to three straight conference championships while never losing a regular-season match as a Cowboy.
In 1999, Sports Illustrated named Ballinger one of "The Fifty Greatest Sports Figures from Wyoming," ranked No. 39. (Other native Wyoming wrestlers who made the list: Rulon Gardner and David Zuniga).
Ballinger was welcomed into the University of Wyoming Hall of Fame as a member of its inaugural class in 1993.
Ballinger is survived by his wife Sharon.
No funeral service is planned.
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