Bill Zadick voted the GOAT for Great Falls athletics

The fan vote is in for the Greatest of All-Time (GOAT) for Great Falls athletics.

Great Falls High’s Bill Zadick has been named the winner by the voters after three rounds of voting, starting with a selected top 10 for both former Bison and C.M. Russell High greats, and down to a top three from each school.

Zadick took around 60% of the final vote as he was squared against former Rustler great quarterback Dave Dickenson.

A four-time state wrestling champion at Great Falls High from 1988-1991, Zadick showed he was also among the best-of-the-best in the nation. At the University of Iowa, Zadick helped lead the Hawkeyes under head coach Dan Gable to back-to-back NCAA national championships, earning All-American status in 1995 and an individual national title the following year.

Zadick several times was on the cusp of making the Olympic team in the ensuing years and in 2006 earned a world title at the 2006 FILA World Championships in China, the same tournament in which another Great Falls legend and brother Mike was a silver medalist.

Since retiring from competition in 2008, Zadick has been on the USA Wrestling coaching staff starting with the developmental program before taking over as the men’s freestyle head coach in 2016. The men’s freestyle team has won three world titles under Zadick, including back-to-back in 2022 and 2023.

A member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Zadick leads the freestyle team into the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, qualifying six grapplers including Spencer Lee (57kg), Zain Retherford (65 kg), Kyle Dake (74 kg), Aaron Brooks (86 kg), Kyle Snyder (97 kg) and Mason Parris (125 kg). The wrestling portion of the Olympics kicks off on Aug. 5.

Dickenson was likewise a champion at all levels, leading CMR to consecutive undefeated championship seasons in 1989 and 1990 before quarterbacking the University of Montana to its first national title in 1995 and winning a Grey Cup and game MVP in the CFL with the BC Lions in 2006.

Thanks to all who voted and followed along with the Tribune’s GOAT Vote, and here’s to all the young athletes who are looking to make a name for themselves with the Bison and Rustlers in the coming months.