Best lightweight 1-2 punch for the Hawks
- Thread starter so cal hawkfan
- Start date
Different answers for different folks, of course. Just depends on what metrics you want to use. I chose win % and NCAA placement points.
As it currently stands, its pretty much a toss-up between McD/Ramos and Zap/Brands.
Zap/Brands combined 95% wins. McD/Ramos 94.5%.
6 AA for both. Zap/Brands were all finals appearances, but McD/Ramos actually scored more placement points(82-80) at NCAAs.
Lee/Desanto have a lower win % at 86.7, but should inprove on that this year.
They are also on track to become the leaders in NCAA placement points among the groups listed. They currently sit at 65 points.
As it currently stands, its pretty much a toss-up between McD/Ramos and Zap/Brands.
Zap/Brands combined 95% wins. McD/Ramos 94.5%.
6 AA for both. Zap/Brands were all finals appearances, but McD/Ramos actually scored more placement points(82-80) at NCAAs.
Lee/Desanto have a lower win % at 86.7, but should inprove on that this year.
They are also on track to become the leaders in NCAA placement points among the groups listed. They currently sit at 65 points.
Crazy that Ramos/McD would be that high with both of them laying an egg at 1 NCAA. McD obviously with an injury didn’t get on the podium his Senior year and Ramos didn’t AA at his first NCAA ( we all remember anguishing over that loss to Sentes of Central Michigan)
I go by which ones I look for the most to watch in videos. Maybe because its more recent, but I can watch Lee and Desanto over and over again. Of course McD/Ramos are fun to watch but harder to find videos. By the way, anyone know of anyplace to bring up the Lee pinning Tomasello match, I cant find that match other than side by side with other semi final and no sound.
Did Barry Davis/Randy Lewis ever fill weights 1 and 2 the same year? I think not, but if so, they deserve a mention, maybe even the prize.
Zaputil and Brands only got 3 cracks at it, so that doesn't help them, but they are the best back to back duo on this list IMO. 6 NCAA's and six Finals is damn tough to beat (and who they lost to matters as well, Prescott, Henson & Jason Kelber, tough S.O.B.'s).
Not certain but I don't think they were ever 1-2 together. Lewis graduated in 1981 and Davis started his run in 1982 I believe.
In 81, it was Davis, Riley, Lewis.
I pulled up the NCAA bracket for that year. Holy smokes, forgot how stacked they were. All ten wrestlers were seeded in the top 5....
Oddly enough, Davis (118) and Lewis (134) both placed 7th in 1981. Lewis blew his elbow out wrestling Gibbons that year. It was at Hilton and you could have heard a pin drop when it happened, except Lewis was screaming in pain. Story was he did 1 arm push-ups with Gable standing on his back ( I don’t know if it is true or folklore) to battle back for an All American finish.
if you wanted to add names to the list, Dan Glenn (118)and Lewis (126) went 3,3 and 2,1 in ‘78 & ‘79.
In 1980 Lewis bumped up to 134. Jeff Kerber had to cut to 126 to make the team. Lewis took 1st and Glenn was 2nd at 118, in ‘80.
Kerber, as you know, married Lewis’s sister
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I'm leaning towards Zap/Brands in a tight race against McD/Ramos.
Lots of videos out there of the Brands and on through the 90s. TnT, Zap, Steiners, Lincoln, Williams, Fullhart, that Ironside guy, 1997. I'm way down the rabbit hole watching old matches lately.
Also recommend looking up RicoSwaff's youtube page (Pin Doctors) with all of the old IPTV Iowa HS Championship links...but only if you have HOURS to burn!
Well if you are gonna break the rules, make it a tough one:
Lee/Juergens or McD/Brands?
I wasn't sure if Davis redshirted, and his last Title came in 85, so I thought he started in 82. But he redshirted in 84, Olympic year.
His bracket his freshman year was crazy. He was the 3 seed, and got stuck the 2nd round by John Hartupee of Central Michigan, who eventually made the Finals and got stuck by Gene Mills. But on the same side of the bracket Randy Willingham of Okie State was the 2 seed. Willingham got beat 1st round by Tom Reed of SIU- Edwardsville, whom Willingham later beat for 3rd. End of the 2nd round the 2&3 seeds were in the consi's, don't see that very often!
I think the best metric isn't NCAA placement, but bonus points in Dual and NCAA Tournament competition. I don't have those stats, but every time I watched Zap/Brands it seemed like they were bonusing.
I think the exact opposite of what you think. You can go a whole dual season without wrestling top 10 guy.
Great topic, but man-alive this could be the eternal conversation. So, for you grey-beards out there, or those who are much older, this one is for you. Here comes the one-two-three middle-weight punch of the 1776* University of Iowa’s championship team. Brad Smith (142 lbs.), Chuck Yagla (150 lbs.) and Chris Campbell (177 lbs.), all NCAA Champions. Wish I could include Danny Holm, but 1975.
All Hawkeye Fans should remember that every celebrated Hawkeye wrestler, current or former, is standing on the shoulders of those greats who came before him. They built the foundation. Always had very high regard Verlyn Strelner, Richie Mihal, Steve DeVries and Joe Wells.
*I did say much older.
All Hawkeye Fans should remember that every celebrated Hawkeye wrestler, current or former, is standing on the shoulders of those greats who came before him. They built the foundation. Always had very high regard Verlyn Strelner, Richie Mihal, Steve DeVries and Joe Wells.
*I did say much older.
That could change this year with #4 for Lee and a trip to the finals for ADS.
As it stands ADS doesn't stack up against the other 2nd guys in the lineup.
Actually this one is clearly Zap-Brands- Brands unless LDE go 1-1-1 this season and I don’t know if that would do it.
Glad to see the shout out to Verlyn Strellner. I run into him every so often in Toledo, IA. Very colorful, and a heck of a nice guy. One of only a handful of wrestlers to have competed in the Midlands in three separate decades.
