Two national publications are recognizing Colby Community College head wrestling Coach Steve Lampe as the inventor of a well-known wrestling move. Amateur Wrestling has an article in this month’s magazine detailing Lampe’s involvement. Wrestling USA has also indicated they will be publishing a similar article.

Lampe invented the Peterson Granby while wrestling for Iowa State University in 1969.

“Immediately after the 1969 NCAA Championships at Brigham Young University, I returned to Ames, Iowa, determined to figure out a way to secure a Granby cradle position without going over the shoulders in route as is with the original Granby Roll,” said Lampe. “Officials, then and now, many times award a two-point near fall as the wrestler who is doing the Granby roll proceeds through the maneuver.”

With the help of his partner Billy Nichols in about two one-hour sessions, Lampe came up with a great way to achieve the Granby cradle without rolling over the shoulders.

“In 1973 at the Junior World Freestyle Training Camp at Tuscaloosa, Ala., I showed the series to Lanny Bryant who documented the move and later featured it in a technique article in USA Wrestling. Lanny later sent me a letter saying, ‘I can’t tell you how many state championships we’ve won with your Granby.’”

After the 1976 Olympics, the move suddenly became know as “The Peterson.”

“Ben Peterson was my teammate–one class behind me–two classes behind Dan Gable,” said Lampe. “In a recent article, Peterson indicated that he was, ‘honored to have his family name on the move but in no way will claim to have invented it because he didn’t do so.’”

Peterson wrestled in the 1972-76 Olympics after his freestyle career (Olympic champion and Olympic silver). Lampe said Ben began working a lot of wrestling clinics and showed the “modified Granby” at these clinics and it soon became “The Peterson.” The move is also known as the “near leg Granby.

“This move is incredibly effective as it is almost always a four- or five-point move,” said Lampe. It is in every way as devastating to your opponent as the five-point takedown.. I really have nothing to do with nor do I have a qualm about the name ‘The Peterson’,” said Lampe. “I just feel after 37 years and as I’m nearing the end of a very long coaching career, that it be known that I am the real inventor of ‘The Peterson Granby.’

I know it works great for my son

"I am the real inventor of the Peterson" is an awful bold statement. How long has wrestling been around? No one before Steve Lampe ever did a Peterson? Even back in ancient Greece or in biblical times. He may have refined it, but to say he invented, I call BS. I remember back in my Sunday school classes the teacher talking about Jacob wrestling the Arch Angel and him hitting him in the "peterson", I mean the LAMPE. Come on. I aint buying it.

I dont know if he invented the peterson, but I am sure he was an innovator of the "call time out and puff on an inhaler" move.

Good call Mike, i agree!!!

Honestly, if anyone has a problem with it or Coach Lampe I'd suggest they take it up with him, I'm sure he'd be glad to show you.

He better not worry about showing me, he needs to show his athletes so they may have a better showing at the national tournamnet. Or as the old saying goes, clean up your yard before you start on mine.

Settle down boys, I wanna see Mike and Lampe hook it up in a match.. I can see it now, Lampe walks into the arena with the song "These boots are made for walkin." Who wins??? Can Lampe hit the peterson or im sorry the "Lampe" on ol' Mike???

WOW, made up a profile just to bash a college wrestling coach in Kansas. Impressive. We need more people like you. (please not the sarcastic tone in which I typed this).

Hey brother, I am not Lampe, I heard it.

What?

I just figured that you liked a little sarcastic humor based on your last response. Must have gone over your head.

but your screen name has not gone over my head!

define head...

oh snap!

I would imagine that Coach Lampe could still whip a lot of the people on this board on the mat. Most likely, he has forgotten more about wrestling than most of you will ever know.

And how many National Champion teams and individuals have you coached? No, I did not wrestle for him, but have known him long enough in various situations to know he is a class act, which is more than I can say for someone who takes cheap shots on a message board!

My sarcasm was not exactly intended to be funny, but rather, to show that a person who creates an account for the sole purpose of badmouthing a legend of Kansas wrestling is a classless punk. I wasn't laughing when I typed any of my posts under this topic.

I was.