All-time favorite Hawkeye wrestlers
- Thread starter Mendoza77
- Start date
Received this (attached) in recent University of Iowa alumni newsletter (June). Some may have seen this announcement, others may not have seen. Dan Holm was certainly one of my all-time favorites. Apparently was also a favorite of the University of Iowa athletic department.
A tougher blade was never forged. Those who saw Dan Holm wrestle for the University of Iowa will remember, and know well, this honor is deserved.
Congratulations to Dan Holm on his induction into the Unversity of Iowa Athletic Hall of Fame.
Dan Holm was a three-time All-American for the University of Iowa. Placing third at the NCAA tournament in 1973 & '74, Holm won an individual NCAA title in 1975. His title was part of the first NCAA team wrestling championship in school history. Holm wrestled for Libertyville High School in Illinois, winning a state title in 1971. His high school coach was 1972 Olympian and Glen Brand Hall of Famer Bob Buzzard.
A tougher blade was never forged. Those who saw Dan Holm wrestle for the University of Iowa will remember, and know well, this honor is deserved.
Congratulations to Dan Holm on his induction into the Unversity of Iowa Athletic Hall of Fame.
Dan Holm was a three-time All-American for the University of Iowa. Placing third at the NCAA tournament in 1973 & '74, Holm won an individual NCAA title in 1975. His title was part of the first NCAA team wrestling championship in school history. Holm wrestled for Libertyville High School in Illinois, winning a state title in 1971. His high school coach was 1972 Olympian and Glen Brand Hall of Famer Bob Buzzard.
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Enjoyed quit a few duals at with Dan at Carver. He’s a great guy and real character. Don’t ask Dan something if you don’t wanna hear brutal honesty, that’s for sure. Lol. Very well earned and deserved.
Wow ! Nice list, brings back a lot of memories looking at these names. Fk I’m getting old, we all are. 🙂I was going to skip this one like the Favorite Matches thread, because there are just too many. But Chief's format got me to thinking, and even that is very hard to narrow down, but I set a limit of five per decade. Then I put together wildcard guys that were never champs or 1-time champs but were favorites or really fun to watch. They're not necessarily the next best after the top five, but they were fun. A non-champ or two even made my top fives, so here goes;
1970s
Chris Campbell
Bruce Kinseth
Chuck Yagla
Dan Sherman
Mike DeAnna
Wildcards
Brad Smith
Dan Glenn
Tim Czewski
John Bowlsby
1980s
Ed Banach
Royce Alger
Barry Davis
Randy Lewis
Jim Zalesky
Wildcards
Greg Randall
Rico Chiapparelli
Brad Penrith
1990s
Tom Brands
Lincoln McIlravy
Joe Williams
Terry Brands
Troy Steiner
Wildcards
John Oostendorp
Chad Zaputil
Bart Chelsvig
Mike Mena
Daryl Weber
Mike Uker
2000s
Eric Juergens
Steve Mocco
Brent Metcalf
Mark Perry
Jody Strittmatter
Wildcards
Cliff Moore
Dan Dennis
Jessman Smith
Phil Keddy
2010s
Spencer Lee
Matt McDonough
Cory Clark
Derek St John
Tony Ramos
Wildcards
Montell Marion
Bobby Telford
Sam Stoll
2020s (so Far)
Austin DeSanto
Alex Marinelli
Michael Kemerer
Wildcards
Kaleb Young
Tony Cassioppi
All-time wildcards (83%ers)
Joey Slaton
Brody Grothus
A lot of great wrestlers, multi-time champs and multi-time AAs didn't make this list, but I still loved watching them. It took a great guy to make the '80s and 90's Top 5 when people like Lou Banach and Mark Ironside, TJ Williams, and Jeff McGinnis didn't make it
Randy Lewis. To me, one of the top 10 wrestlers of ALL TIME.
You all amaze me, where is Duane Goldman's name? Duane was in the finals all 4 years, but only won it his senior year. I think he was 131-10 in his career. I believe after his 3rd year lose it stormed of the mat and threw a trash can thru a window. He was a very good wrestler for Iowa. Also, Randy Lewis was a pleasure to watch. I have attended so many Iowa matches that I cannot just pick one as a favorite.
I failed to mention R. Lewis. Bad on me. Also, the Zelesky, Trizzino or Williams brothers. Plus S. Lee or Kemmerer simply due to recency. Lewis, Lee & Kemmerer would all likely be top 10 for me & possibly J. Zelesky. Again, too many good/fun ones to remember ALL in one sitting.
Was reading up on an old PA favorite Iowa wrestler. Any chance someone can tell me why Ray Brizner wrestled 167 in 93-94 between 3rd place finishes at NCAAs at 177 in 92-93 and 94-95?
Ray Brinzer, one of the best Hawkeyes not to win. Couldn’t get past Les Gutches. His matches were always fun to watch
Some other old timers that you young-ins forgot were Bruce Kinseth (Bruiser) and Mike DeAnna.
Kinseth pinned his final 9 guys enroute to the championship, and DeAnna could squirrel around like very few - ok maybe, like Chiaparelli, Lewis, Brinzer...all excellent wrestlers to watch and learn from.
One year I saw Kinseth beat the tar out of Dave Schultz in a freestyle match - maybe 8-0. The next year Schultz returned the favor about 10-0.
Kinseth pinned his final 9 guys enroute to the championship, and DeAnna could squirrel around like very few - ok maybe, like Chiaparelli, Lewis, Brinzer...all excellent wrestlers to watch and learn from.
One year I saw Kinseth beat the tar out of Dave Schultz in a freestyle match - maybe 8-0. The next year Schultz returned the favor about 10-0.
It's a tough thread when you can go 4, 2,1,2 and barely get a mention (Heffernan) or 2, 1, 1 (Marty Kistler) and not a peep!
Easy...Matt McDonough.
It was watching Matt that my son developed a love for wrestling as a sport and for the Hawkeyes.
It was watching Matt that my son developed a love for wrestling as a sport and for the Hawkeyes.
Saw your son at a couple open practices. Scrapper. Woulda been cool to see him in the Iowa room in college
