How Close Were The 3 Timers To Winning 4?!

[PinDoxRico]

Brock Rathbun, Center Point-Urbana, 2016:

Brock won 3 titles as a Sophomore, Junior and Senior. He placed 2nd as a Freshman to Junior, Patrick Woods of Manchester-West Delaware. Woods pinned Rathbun fairly quickly in that match, but Rathbun proved the next year as a Sophomore that not only did he belong in the finals, but he belonged in there with Woods, for he defeated him 1-2 times during the season and defeated him again in the quarterfinals at state as a Sophomore on his way to winning his 1st state championship.



Ryan Leisure, Clear Lake, 2017:

Ryan won 3 titles as a Sophomore, Junior and Senior and did so in rather dominant fashion. The closest he got to losing at state in his last 3 years was in his finals match his Junior year against Wyatt Thompson from Creston. In that match, Leisure infamously spladled Thompson in OT and pinned him. Leisure was a funny dude and had epic celebrations. I miss having him around. Oh yeah, the only time he didn’t win state was his Freshman year. He finished 2nd to Brock Rathbun that year.





Ryan Morningstar, Lisbon, 2005:

Morningstar won 3 titles as a Sophomore, Junior and Senior. Out of everyone that I have written about or covered, he seems to be the biggest fan-favorite of his age group. Everyone around his age and younger seems to really look up to him and/or considered him to be an inspiration for their own careers. His dad, Scott Morningstar won 4 state titles. How crazy is that? A father and son combo with 7 total state championships. Nuts! The only year Morningstar did not win state was his Freshman year in which he was in that bracket that Senior Mario Galanakis was the favorite to win, but was upset by Freshman, Chad Beatty. Morningstar was defeated by Galanakis for 3rd and 4th that year. I want to say that it was Justin Bohlke from Kingsley-Pierson who put him on the backside, but I could be wrong. Bohlke won that bracket that year, though.





Travis Paulson, Lewis Central, 2002:

Travis is one half of the infamous Paulson twins, the other one being Trent. Travis won state as a Freshman, Junior and Senior. He defeated the defending state champion, Brian Hessenius from Le Mars to win his first state title as a Freshman, which was a huge feat. The only year he didn’t win state was his Sophomore year in which he placed 5th, I believe. I don’t recall who beat him in the consolation semifinals, but I know that the guy to put him on the back side was Cory Connell from IC High who defeated Travis by a score of 1-0.





Cullan Schriever, Mason City, 2020:

Cullan is one of the most technically sound wrestlers to ever come through the state of Iowa, IMO. One of the greatest to grace the mat in our state. He won state titles as a Freshman, Sophomore and Senior. He beat Drake Ayala from Fort Dodge in the finals his Sophomore season and if time sorts things the way I believe they will, that will go down as one of the best combinations of talent when you combine state champs with their runner-up counterparts. Cullan was injured in the semifinals at state his Junior season and had to settle for 6th place. I consider him to be as good as anyone who has ever wrestled in this state.

 

[PinDoxRico]

How Close Were The 3 Timers From Winning 4 Titles Part 2
by RICO SWAFFon JUNE 10, 2020
JIMMY WATERS, LEWIS CENTRAL

Let’s start with Jimmy Waters. Does anyone remember watching how elite he was as a Junior and Senior? He was incredible. I’m really not sure I’ve seen anyone better when he was at his peak. One of the best ever, IMO. Won it every year except his Freshman season, but he deserves a break there… he was a middle weight sized Freshman who was up against one of the most talented kids in the entire 2004 graduating class, Bryce Carruthers, from CB Thomas Jefferson. And he did fine against him. I wish I had access to more than just his Freshman match. He’s definitely one of my favorites… especially with me being a big multi-sporter fan… Jimmy is the poster boy for “elite multi-sporter wrestler.”



IKE LIGHT, LISBON

Ike was a 3 timer going into his Senior season and lost in the semifinals to Dr. Dan Gabrielson from Belmond-Klemme, who is also a great wrestler. It is impressive that Ike won the 3 he did with the insane talent pool that those guys had year in, year out in that weight range. There are a few unfortunate things about how all this went down. For one, since Ike was from Lisbon, a powerhouse, the entire auditorium excluding the Lisbon fans, many of whom were crying due to feeling so bad for Ike, essentially gave Dan a standing ovation after the match when it was anticipated that Ike would have been the one receiving that ovation had he made the finals and won that match. It’s also unfortunate that a large part of his legacy seems to be defined by that one tournament and he has been inquired about it by countless media sources including myself to weigh in on the matter, in which it’s likely not something he wants to re-live. Prior to Adam Allard this year, he was the only 3 timer to get beat at state his Senior year. Those Senior season tournaments should not define their legacies by any means. Ike was a great wrestler.



THE NEXT 3 ALL HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON…. THEY HAD RUN-INS WITH THIS GUY WHEN THE STAKES WERE HIGH:

Sawyer Farris, New London



DYLAN PETERS, DENVER-TRIPOLI

Peters was a fan favorite because he was so fun to watch and had the world’s most deadly pancake or whip-over. If a guy shot and Peters sprawled and locked up a front-headlock, the moment the opponent would lift their right arm up or the moment Peters would manually lift the guys right elbow up, BOOM! Peters would strike like a Cobra with that pancake and put them away. He placed 2nd at state behind Alex Spooner as an undersized Freshman. Crazy thing was, Peters was undersized in that match (I heard he weighed 88 lbs) and he had spent some time switching off on varsity with his teammate and now fellow coach at Simpson, Gunnar Wolfensperger. Peters basically blew through everyone his final 3 years, but Farris was an exception. Those two met in the quarters their senior years and Peters pinned Farris in OT. It was CLOSE though… if there were just one more second on the clock in the 3rd period, Farris may have won the match with the spladle he executed right at the end. One of the best matches to ever take place at Iowa State tournament.



TYLER SHULISTA, ALBURNETT

When Shulista was in youth, Alburnett and Mepo dominated the AAU state tourneys every year. It was cool seeing a couple small-town, homegrown programs consistently make the most noise at those tournaments. Alburnett was awesome. Had a great run and the Shulista family may be THE biggest reason for that considering the practice facility and atmosphere they produced. The only year Tyler did not win state was his Freshman season. He was defeated by Sawyer Farris at state that year. Those two met several times in HS and I think that’s the one time Farris beat Shulista. Tyler also has a connection with Ike Light. Ike helped coach Tyler and I believe they became such good friends that Shulista was in Ike’s wedding. It is likely that Ike coached Shulista to try to prepare for Farris.



TOPHER CARTON, DAVENPORT ASSUMPTION

I personally classify Topher Carton along with Adam Allard and Ike Light as guys who were 3 timers, that did not win state as Seniors, but several don’t, for Topher won 2 of his titles in (gasp!) Illinois. I grew up literally a couple miles across the bridge from Illinois and still live there and I can say with confidence, wrestling in the Illinois HS scene is not a knock on a guy’s resume. I wrestled Illinois guys since I was a kid and wrestled with many of them in college. They were and still are legit. Great wrestling in Illinois. So many people wanted to see Carton lose when he transferred to Assumption, for he was the “transfer student” of his class that harshed some of our Iowans on the mat. I was included in this group. After he lost his finals match to future 4 timer, Brandon Sorensen as a Senior, the crowd cheered loud, for our Iowa guy defeated the Illinois guy. And what did Carton do? He looked Sorensen in the eye, shook his hand and did the same with the DT coaching staff. It was classy as hell and in retrospect, I feel like a jackass for ever rioting against him without knowing him. Oh! And the guy he beat in a close match in the finals his Junior year in Iowa? None other than Sawyer Farris.

* Sawyer Farris won state as a Freshman and then placed 3-2-3 the following years. He had 3 losses total at state those final 3 years and they had a combined 9 state championships. Kinda crazy.

 

[PinDoxRico]

How Close Were The 3 Timers To Winning 4? Part 3
by RICO SWAFFon JUNE 16, 2020
When reviewing the 3 timers in Iowa high school state wrestling history, it’s interesting how some of these guys are connected. I will try to post the “connected” wrestlers in the same articles.



Jason Kelber: State Center-West Marshall/University of Nebraska

When having the GOAT debate, it is natural for people to select a 4X state champion as who they believe to be the GOAT Iowa HS wrestler, but I don’t know if it is quite that simple. There are some things that all state champions and wrestlers have that are either within or out of their control… for example; who they wrestled, when they wrestled and when they peaked. With that said, Jason Kelber went 2-1-1-1 and certainly has a case for being the Iowa HS GOAT. He was defeated in the finals in 1983 by Don Bosco’s Scott Mangrich, but went on to win it all the next 3 years, defeating John Ites (Iowa Falls), Tom Brands (Sheldon) and Dan Sinnott (Albia) in the finals. Mangrich was in the bracket he won as a Sophomore and placed 4th. Had Kelber won that state finals match his Freshman year, he would certainly be a more popular pick for the GOAT. I mean, the man went on to win an NCAA title in college, so he was most certainly legit. I will say this, I don’t think anyone has ever wrestled at a higher level than Kelber did in HS in Iowa. He’s in about every discussion you concoct.




Derek Moyer, Oskaloosa HS/University of Nebraska

Speaking of GOAT’s and Cornhusker wrestlers, Moyer has been referred to by 2-3 Southern Iowa wrestlers as who they believe to be the GOAT in their RTW articles and he also happened to wrestle at Nebraska. He infamously defeated Montell Marion in the state finals as a Freshman and Sophomore and according to those who watched him a lot, was one of the best ever. The only year he did not win ways his Junior season…he was out with an injury… That’s pretty close!



Joshua Portillo: Clarion-Goldfield-Dows/University of Nebraska-Kearney

Joshua is another guy who wrestled at the collegiate level in Nebraska, but he was not a Husker. He is maybe the best 125 lber at the D2 level at U of Nebraska-Kearney. Why did he not win 4? Because he only wrestled in Iowa as a 10th-12th grader… There is a good chance he would have won 4 if he were in Iowa as a Freshman. He defeated some of the state’s best ever in his journey for 3 titles in Iowa, as you will read below. He and his twin brother, Justin are a couple of the best HS wrestlers to grace the mat on the state of Iowa and you will be up against a roided-out elephant trying to convince me otherwise. They are great for Iowa wrestling.



Bryce West: Highland and Solon HS/Northern Illinois University

The West Twins were fun and there isn’t really anything that I’ve seen that is quite like them. Very unique. They are acrobatic, perform low percentage moves and get them to work against upper-tier competition, dominant, athletic, mentally tough, etc. Bryce and Drew West were able to rack up the scores and win big against guys who were accomplished on the National stage. The only year Bryce did not win state was his Freshman season… he was defeated by a guy who was also a twin, whose twin brother wrestled Bryce’s twin brother, Drew in the finals that year. His name was Joshua Portillo.





Michael Blockhus: Crestwood and New Hampton HS/ UNI Panthers

It took me way, wayyyy too long to jump aboard the Blockhus Train. Every year, it seemed like he was proving me wrong. I don’t know if I was selling him short, not giving him enough credit, late to the party or what, but his Freshman season I predicted Noah Fye or Gable Sieperda to win his bracket. Blockhus won. As a Junior, I predicted Drew West to win his bracket. Blockhus won that too. The only year I predicted him to win was his Senior season and that was a no-brainer. The only year he did not win was his Sophomore season. He was beaten in the finals by none other than Joshua Portillo. The kid is no longer capable of proving me wrong. I believe in the guy 100%.

 

[Mendoza77]

You mentioned that Jason Kelber beat Tom Brands to win a state title. I was in Carver when Kelber beat Terry Brands to win an NCAA title. That's a great resume highlight, beating both of the Brands brothers, for a state and NCAA title!

 

[PinDoxRico]

You mentioned that Jason Kelber beat Tom Brands to win a state title. I was in Carver when Kelber beat Terry Brands to win an NCAA title. That's a great resume highlight, beating both of the Brands brothers, for a state and NCAA title!

Here is the HS finals match:



What is interesting is if you watch to the end when they are standing on the podium. A lot of haters will label the Brands bros as maniacal, hot-headed poor sports, but look at how Tom acted on the stand.... some of the best sportsmanship ever displayed on the awards stand. You could tell there was genuine respect there.

 

[Hawky42]

Austin Blythe lost 3-1 too Avery Fuhs of Chariton as a Fr. at HWT. Fuhs was a 280 lbs guy.

Nate Moore was a two timer who lost two upset close ones too Mark Ballweg and James Nicholson.

 

[PinDoxRico]

AUSTIN BLYTHE, WILLIAMSBURG/IOWA HAWKEYES FOOTBALL AND WRESTLING

Austin Blythe from Williamsburg was a 4X finalist and 3X State champion from 2008-2011. He finished with a record of 188-11 with 146 career pins. Last I knew, that number is in the top 5-10 ever. The only year he did not win state was as a Freshman in HS, which was the year he placed 2nd. He lost 3-1 to a Sr. named Avery Fuhs from Chariton. He was a 285?guy all 4 years. He went on to play football for the Iowa Hawkeyes and is still currently a Center in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams.

BRIAN MORETZ, NORTHWOOD-KENSETT/UNI PANTHERS FOOTBALL

Brian Moretz from Northwood-Kensett won 3 state titles from 1989-1991 and placed 4th his Freshman year. What makes this more impressive was the fact that he started out as a Freshman at 285 and stayed there his entire career. He finished with a career record of 116-7. He finished with an winning streak of 88. He chose to play football at UNI and was an AA lineman. His accomplishments are incredible.





MARK SINDLINGER, CHARLES CITY/IOWA HAWKEYES FOOTBALL AND WRESTLING

Mark Sindlinger from Charles City is one of the most prolific multi-sport athletes to come out of the state of Iowa. He wrestled at the HWT Division all 4 years in HS and win state titles in 1981, 1982 and 1983. He went on to play football for the Hawkeyes AS WELL as wrestled for them. He was a 2X Big 10 Champ wrestle and placed 4th and 6th at NCAA Nats. He only had one full season of wrestling to work with, the other two seasons were shortened from football where he was a 3-year started and a member of a Hawks football team that went to 4 Bowl games. The only year he didn’t win state was his Freshman year.

 

[Toolio2]

Cliff Moore was a 4 time finalist and lost by one point his freshman year I believe. He had the takedown to tie it up but decided to release and try for another takedown instead of ride him out to go to OT.

 

[PinDoxRico]

Cliff Moore was a 4 time finalist and lost by one point his freshman year I believe. He had the takedown to tie it up but decided to release and try for another takedown instead of ride him out to go to OT.

Against Joe Lucci?

 

[Toolio2]

Against Joe Lucci?

You are correct

 

[ibahwkfan]

Jeff Theiler, Dowling Catholic. 3,1,1,1 at State. Two time All American at Arizona State. Cadet world team member. Would have absolutely thrived in today's era of wrestling as well with his high motor and physicality.

 

[PinDoxRico]

http://thepindoctors.com/index.php/2020/07/22/11812/

Ryan Cummings, Mediapolis

Ryan Cummings won 3 state titles. He won them in 1991, 1992 and 1993. The interesting thing with him was that the title he won in 1991 was in Minnesota. Being a vocal Mepo Wrestling alumni and lifelong fan myself, I idolized Ryan. The entire community did. He filled up the stands by being so fun to watch. Some Mepo people who didn’t normally follow wrestling would make it a priority to watch home meets so they could witness him wrestle. He was a big deal back then. In 1992 and 1993 he was so dominant that sometimes it just looked like he was able to control every facet of the matches he wrestled. It was magical. The only year he did not win state was when he was a Freshman in 1990… He did qualify, though. This was at Mepo. The only year he wrestled in Minnesota was 1991.







Tom Peckham, Cresco

Tom Peckham won state titles in 1960, 1961 and 1962. The only year he did not win it was his Freshman year. He got defeated first round at state against Bill Block from Maquoketa by a score of 4-4… referees decision. The ironic thing is that the referee was Harold Nichols… Peckham’s future college coach at Iowa State.





Dan Gable, Waterloo West

Dan Gable. We all know pretty much everything about him because he is an icon in the sport of wrestling. Ok fact, I would say that he is THE icon I The sport of wrestling. He has influenced everyone from Royce Alger to Ashton Kutcher to The Brands Bros. to Tom Cruise. He is a universally respected guy and crosses the line from the wrestling world to the mainstream to a certain extent. Gable only had one loss in his high school and college career combined. This was not in high school. He was undefeated for Waterloo West. So how did he not win 4 state championships? To my understanding, it’s because Waterloo West would not let Freshmen wrestle varsity. He is the first flawless wrestler to come from the state of Iowa in terms of record.





John Henrich, Akron-Westfield

John Henrich was a 3X state champion who was undefeated in the state of Iowa. In fact, he only gave up maybe 15-20 points total in his entire Iowa career. 7 of those points were in one match. 2 of his 3 finals opponents are now 2X AA’s at the D3 and NAIA levels. He beat Jacob Krakow from Iowa Valley-Marengo in the finals as a Sophomore and Jacob has been an AA for D3 Loras 2 times now. He defeated Brennan Swafford from Mediapolis 8-7 In the finals his Junior year. Brennan was an AA as a Freshman and then won it as a Sophomore at the NAIA level. He defeated a Freshman named Carson Tenold from Don Bosco who likely will go on to do big things when he was a Senior in 2019. The only year John did not win state was his Freshman season. He placed 3rd in South Dakota. And before you try to say that SD doesn’t produce good wrestlers, I’d just like to tell you that Lincoln McClravy says, “hi!”



Nelson Brands, IC West

Nelson Brands won state titles his final 3 years of high school in 2016, 2017 and 2018. And he looked pretty dominant in the process, really. All 3 brackets he won had some tough guys in them. Nelson Brands did not win state as a Freshman in HS. He just hadn’t quite turned the corner and reached the level that most of us have seen from him since at that time. Nelson was not the same wrestler at the end of his Freshman year compared to the Wrestler he was when he won state as a Sophomore. He raised his game immensely in that one year. Heck, he wasn’t even the same guy from the first tournament of the year at Burlington compared to how he was wrestling at the end of the season. I watched him.. he had a nice win over Mepo’s Mason Buster at that one, but he and Mason were both kind of wrestling sloppy at various points of that match. Somewhere along the line that season, something clicked for Nelson Brands. I think there were two huge wins for him that helped him get the ball rolling. 1.) His victories over Clint Lembeck from Xavier at the MVC and state finals were huge. Lembeck was a proven badass. The real deal and everyone knew it and Nelson beat him twice. It was huge. Probably the biggest win of his career was his victory over Zach Barnes from SE Polk. This one was likely a big one for him mentally, for I watched Nelson a lot from the time he hit the AAU circuit in 6th grade and if it was one person that used to give him the worst fits, it was Zach Barnes. I’ve beliefs ever since that those two wins were integral for his development. Never underestimate the power of confidence.

His Freshman season, if memory serves me correctly, he was in a pretty stacked 126 lb district with Skylar DeJong from Osky, Colten Mertens from Mt. Pleasant and Cam Sadeghi from Keokuk. He placed 4th behind all 3 of those guys. Wasn’t the same kid a year later. If he had made that jump his Freshman year, who knows what would have happened?



INTERESTING CONNECTIONS/PARALLELS BETWEEN THESE FIVE:

* Tom Peckham and Ryan Cummings are 2nd cousins. Ryan Cummings is the son of Dan Cummings who is in the Iowa Wrestling HOF for his accolades of coaching Mediapolis for 38 years. Tom’s mom is a Cummings. She is the sister of Dan Cummings’s dad.



* Nelson Brands and Ryan Cummings are both sons of twins; Terry Brands and Dan Cummings. Both are legendary coaches and both are in the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame.



* Dan Gable and John Henrich were the only 3X state champions that I know of who capped off their wrestling careers in Iowa with undefeated records. Gable was 64-0. John Henrich tmoved to Iowa from South Dakota where he placed 3rd as a Freshman. He never lost a match as an Iowa HS wrestler and gave up a cumulative total of 15-20 points in 3 years.



* Tom Peckham has been referenced several times by Dan Gable as “an inspiration and the guy whose style he wanted to emulate.” Both were national champions for the Iowa State Cyclones.



* John Henrich and Ryan Cummings both wrestled one year of HS outside of Iowa. Henrich in South Dakota and Ryan Cummings in Minnesota. John’s grandpa is Jim Henrich who coached at Akron-Westfield for 36 years and Cummings’s father was Dan Cummings who coached at Mepo for 38 years. In 2018, Henrich defeated Mepo’s Brennan Swafford 8-7 in the finals. Brennan was coached by Dan Cummings (and Jason Payne).




* Peckham was the inspiration for Dan Gable who was the inspiration for Terry Brands who had a son named Nelson.



* In the 2018 160 lb. finals, Nelson Brands and John Henrich wrestled their finals match at the same time, Nelson for 3A, Henrich for 1A. The opponent Henrich defeated 8-7 in that match was Brennan Swafford who was coached by Dan Cummings. Brennan’s only other loss of that season was first tournament of the year vs. Nelson Brands.



* Ryan Cummings wrestled for the UNI Panthers and qualified for the NCAA tournament one year and met up with legendary Iowa Hawkeye, Lincoln McClravy first round, whom he lost to as most did. Lincoln’s Coach was Dan Gable and he was originally from the state of South Dakota, just like John Henrich.

 

[greenelite504]

Wow, you're a wealth of knowledge. Learned a lot from you, Rico, and these are unbelievably entertaining, even for someone who didn't wrestle in HS.

Can someone fill me in on the Sturm brothers from Emmetsburg's accolades in HS and college? They were the nastiest I wrestled as a youth. Those two were definitely a deciding factor of whether or not I should play basketball in high school.

 

[PinDoxRico]

Wow, you're a wealth of knowledge. Learned a lot from you, Rico, and these are unbelievably entertaining, even for someone who didn't wrestle in HS.

Can someone fill me in on the Sturm brothers from Emmetsburg's accolades in HS and college? They were the nastiest I wrestled as a youth. Those two were definitely a deciding factor of whether or not I should play basketball in high school.

Ryan won it and was runner up... I think Mark was runner up once or twice.

They were the same grade and same weight as me every year! Even in youth!

 

[greenelite504]

Ryan won it and was runner up... I think Mark was runner up once or twice.

They were the same grade and same weight as me every year! Even in youth!

Same here. They were mean as hell. How did you fare? They both won a couple titles at Wartburg, right?

Your name sounds really familiar to me, but I just can't put a finger on how I know you. I may have wrestled you when we were tykes.

 

[PinDoxRico]

Same here. They were mean as hell. How did you fare? They both won a couple titles at Wartburg, right?

Your name sounds really familiar to me, but I just can't put a finger on how I know you. I may have wrestled you when we were tykes.

Ben Strandberg would be a good interview. Super passionate about wrestling. He was an awesome competitor and all-around great guy. Kevin Besch as well.

I had some pretty big expectations coming into HS because I placed high in youth every year. Only placed once. Struggled with pre-match anxiety and my hips were always bothering me. I wrestled at Loras.. zsidnt really take it too seriously, but I’d say I won 75% of my matches there. I thought I hurt my back my junior year and they found that I had hip dysplasia like what dogs get my entire life. Usually that is cured with leg braces when you are younger, but it was too late for that. So my career was over and I had to get this surgery where they relocated the ball in my femur, cut my pelvis into 3 pieces and restructured it... my hips have felt awesome since lol!

 

[IAChief32]

That Fullheart/Cummings match was damn good.

 

[PinDoxRico]

That Fullheart/Cummings match was damn good.

Oh man... I still get nervous.

 

[PinDoxRico]

That Fullheart/Cummings match was damn good.

You watch the one with my bro and Henrich? Most missed that one because Brands was wrestling at the same time and he was like a celeb at state... That match was insane and obviously broke our hearts bad. His Senior season just couldn’t have gone worse for him. Broke his hand last week of football, re-broke it in January. Essentially wrestled the entire season with a broken hand. And then loses like THAT in the finals. That ride to our condo was eerie. A lot of crying from all of us. I’m not kidding when I say that Brennan winning NAIA Nats this last year relieved SO much pain for my entire family dating back to my brother Justin and I... felt like a curse was broken.

In this interview after finals when he says “I broke the curse, finally...finally.” He’s referring to what our friends have dubbed “The Swafford Curse” since like 2001.... I almost had to end the interview because I was real close to breaking down there.

 

[tosal563]

Look, I know that he's not too popular on this board, but to include Topher on this list and leave Fredy Stroker off is kinda ludicrous.

Fredy was a 4 time finalist, and #1 ranked in the nation his senior year. He only lost his freshman year 3-1 to a senior Phillip Laux (who was a 2x state cham btw), who went on to wrestle for the hawks.

He definitely deserves a mention.

 

[PinDoxRico]

Look, I know that he's not too popular on this board, but to include Topher on this list and leave Fredy Stroker off is kinda ludicrous.

Fredy was a 4 time finalist, and #1 ranked in the nation his senior year. He only lost his freshman year 3-1 to a senior Phillip Laux (who was a 2x state cham btw), who went on to wrestle for the hawks.

He definitely deserves a mention.

How many times do I need to remind people that this is a recurring series. I’ll get to EVERYONE. Pull the wedgie out your dungarees and settle down.

 

[dirt33]

PinDoxRico, outstanding work, and thank you for posting all of the great info on the various threads.

 

[PinDoxRico]

PinDoxRico, outstanding work, and thank you for posting all of the great info on the various threads.

My pleasure!

 

[Hicksy87]

Knee injury in football kept Trey Clark of Union HS in LaPorte CIty from being a 4 timer.

 

[Hawks...#1]

Not going to lie, seeing some of these makes me miss Vets...way more intimate and just a better feel than wells fargo

 

[OL119]

"I personally classify Topher Carton along with Adam Allard and Ike Light as guys who were 3 timers, that did not win state as Seniors, but several don’t, for Topher won 2 of his titles in (gasp!) Illinois. I grew up literally a couple miles across the bridge from Illinois and still live there and I can say with confidence, wrestling in the Illinois HS scene is not a knock on a guy’s resume. I wrestled Illinois guys since I was a kid and wrestled with many of them in college. They were and still are legit. Great wrestling in Illinois."

Do people in Iowa think Illinois guys are inferior or was that just the mindset at the time? I'm sure this will bring some heat my way, but its not the 90's anymore. In my opinion, Illinois has been superior at the high school level (depth/top level talent) for nearly two decades.

 

[UndercoverHawk]

"I personally classify Topher Carton along with Adam Allard and Ike Light as guys who were 3 timers, that did not win state as Seniors, but several don’t, for Topher won 2 of his titles in (gasp!) Illinois. I grew up literally a couple miles across the bridge from Illinois and still live there and I can say with confidence, wrestling in the Illinois HS scene is not a knock on a guy’s resume. I wrestled Illinois guys since I was a kid and wrestled with many of them in college. They were and still are legit. Great wrestling in Illinois."

Do people in Iowa think Illinois guys are inferior or was that just the mindset at the time? I'm sure this will bring some heat my way, but its not the 90's anymore. In my opinion, Illinois has been superior at the high school level (depth/top level talent) for nearly two decades.

I think they weren’t counting him because he wasn’t going to be a 4 time IOWA State champion. Not that illinois is inferior or superior just that he wouldn’t have won all 4 in Iowa

 

[IAChief32]

"I personally classify Topher Carton along with Adam Allard and Ike Light as guys who were 3 timers, that did not win state as Seniors, but several don’t, for Topher won 2 of his titles in (gasp!) Illinois. I grew up literally a couple miles across the bridge from Illinois and still live there and I can say with confidence, wrestling in the Illinois HS scene is not a knock on a guy’s resume. I wrestled Illinois guys since I was a kid and wrestled with many of them in college. They were and still are legit. Great wrestling in Illinois."

Do people in Iowa think Illinois guys are inferior or was that just the mindset at the time? I'm sure this will bring some heat my way, but its not the 90's anymore. In my opinion, Illinois has been superior at the high school level (depth/top level talent) for nearly two decades.

I think there is a to hell with "outsiders" thing in Iowa. Many didn't consider a guy like Stroker to be an Iowan because they transferred in from PA before he started high school. To me, those creds are good enough.

BTW...Spencer considers himself an Iowan now...who I am I to argue.

 

[wasdt21]

yea joe williams pretty much chump change

 

[PinDoxRico]

"I personally classify Topher Carton along with Adam Allard and Ike Light as guys who were 3 timers, that did not win state as Seniors, but several don’t, for Topher won 2 of his titles in (gasp!) Illinois. I grew up literally a couple miles across the bridge from Illinois and still live there and I can say with confidence, wrestling in the Illinois HS scene is not a knock on a guy’s resume. I wrestled Illinois guys since I was a kid and wrestled with many of them in college. They were and still are legit. Great wrestling in Illinois."

Do people in Iowa think Illinois guys are inferior or was that just the mindset at the time? I'm sure this will bring some heat my way, but its not the 90's anymore. In my opinion, Illinois has been superior at the high school level (depth/top level talent) for nearly two decades.

I’ve met Illinois guys who perceive Iowa as a wrestling Mecca and consider us superior. So certainly some Iowans think that way. They are wrong, though. Iowa HS Wrestling is not superior to Illinois. You are wrong too, though. Illinois isn’t superior either. They both get their licks in when they meet up and both have valid arguments.

 

[GG121AND2]

"I personally classify Topher Carton along with Adam Allard and Ike Light as guys who were 3 timers, that did not win state as Seniors, but several don’t, for Topher won 2 of his titles in (gasp!) Illinois. I grew up literally a couple miles across the bridge from Illinois and still live there and I can say with confidence, wrestling in the Illinois HS scene is not a knock on a guy’s resume. I wrestled Illinois guys since I was a kid and wrestled with many of them in college. They were and still are legit. Great wrestling in Illinois."

Do people in Iowa think Illinois guys are inferior or was that just the mindset at the time? I'm sure this will bring some heat my way, but its not the 90's anymore. In my opinion, Illinois has been superior at the high school level (depth/top level talent) for nearly two decades.

A story from an old fart. In the late '50s or early '60s (I can't remember the exact year) Rock Island wrestled Davenport (now Davenport Central). Rock Island was coached by Iowa State Teachers College great, Olympic gold medalist and Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Bill Smith. Davenport was led by Jim Fox. Rock Island won easily. Both teams would go on to win their respective state championships that season. The border rivalry has been going on for more than 20 years.

 

[PinDoxRico]

http://thepindoctors.com/index.php/...g-tanner-weatherman-andrew-long-chase-shiltz/

How Close Were The 3 Timers To Winning 4 And How These Guys Are Connected: Bart Chelesvig, Tanner Weatherman, Andrew Long, Chase Shiltz
by JOSHUA SWAFFORDon JULY 23, 2020 EDIT

Bart Chelesvig was the son of Tom Chelesvig, who was a state champ himself a couple decades earlier. Bart won state in 1985, 1986 and 1987. It is thought that he only gave up 4 offensive points total in his entire 1985 season. He went on to wrestle for the Hawkeyes and was an AA for them.

The only year he did not win it was his Freshman year in 1984. I don’t know what happened that year, but it appears he didn’t place.

In 1985, the guy he beat in the finals was Tim Weatherman from Ballard. Tim had a son who would win 3 state championships of his own in 2009-2011. His name was Tanner Weatherman.

Tanner Weatherman from Ballard won state 3 times in 2009, 2010 and 2011. He finished with a record of 173-9. He wrestled for Iowa State in college and was a 4X National qualifier for them.

The only year he didn’t win state was his Freshman year when he took 2nd at 2A 125 to 3X State champion, Andrew Long of Creston.

Andrew Long of Creston was a 3 time Iowa HS State Champion in 2006-2008. He compiled a record of 175-13 in high school and was a Junior Greco and Freestyle National Champion. He was a runner-up at the NCAA D1 Championships in college for the Cyclones. He also wrestled for Penn State and Grand View. The only year he did not win state was his Freshman season in 2005. He placed 8th at 103 lbs.

Andrew was Creston’s first 3X State Champ and since then they have added a 4Xer (Jake Marlin) and another 3Xer named Chase Shiltz.

Chase Shiltz getting his picture taken with fellow Iowa HS 3X State champ, Dan Gable

Chase Shiltz won state championships for Creston in 2015-2017. He finished with a career record of 189-7. The only year he did not win it was his Freshman season when he was defeated in the state finals by Zach Skopec by a score of 5-2. Shiltz chose to play football in college for North Dakota State University.

Chase’s father is a man named John Shiltz. I don’t know if it’s him or not, but in 1987, a wrestler named John Shiltz from Sioux City East placed 4th at 3A 167… The wrestler to win that bracket was none other than Bart Chelesvig.

3A 167

1. Bart Chelesvig, Sr., Webster City
2. Steve Sparbel, Sr., Muscatine
3. Wade Lamont, Sr., Eldridge-North Scott
4. John Shiltz, Sr., Sioux City East
5. Tim Lewis, Sr., Oskaloosa
6. Greg Fitzharris, Sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy

 

[cloverhawk]

Cliff Moore was a 4 time finalist and lost by one point his freshman year I believe. He had the takedown to tie it up but decided to release and try for another takedown instead of ride him out to go to OT.

Didn’t Cliffs workout partner Ryan Heim win 3 too?

 

[Toolio2]

Didn’t Cliffs workout partner Ryan Heim win 3 too?

I believe he only won twice but could be wrong. He was a pinning machine though. He always seemed like he wrestled with a chip on his shoulder type attitude whereas Cliffy was more confidence and pedigree if that makes sense. I was so sad when I heard the news about him.

 

[PinDoxRico]

How Close Were The 3Xers To Winning And How These 3Xers Are Connected: Trent Goodale, Josh Watts, Julien Broderson, Trey Clark
by JOSHUA SWAFFORDon JULY 24, 2020 EDIT

TRENT GOODALE, OSAGE, ‘01

Trent Goodale… He has always looked like someone who resided in the mountains and fought mountain lions for fun, considering most humans weren’t able to force him to do much more than move his pinky finger without getting pinned by him. He was good… really, really good. One of the best of that early 2000’s era. You can’t think of Osage wrestling without thinking of the Goodales. Trent finished with a HS record of 159-6 and won 3 titles in 1999, 2000 and 2001. You can watch those here:







The only year he did not win state wasn’t his Freshman season in 1998. He lost in the state finals against a wrestler from Assumption named Josh Watts who also became a 3X State Champ. That match was back and forth and was so close that I would consider Goodale along with Kent Streicher, Adam Allard and Ike Light as the 3Xers that were closest to winning 4 titles, but fell barely short. You can watch Trent Goodale vs. Josh Watts here:

JOSH WATTS, ASSUMPTION, ‘01

Josh was a pretty big deal in my grade. He was in my grade and my region and was always a weight range lower than me, so we never met up, but I remember well who and how rare it was for him to run into anyone who ever gave him fits since the time we were in 3rd grade. From 3rd grade all the way through high school, I remember Chris Wernimont from Pocahontas giving him trouble when we were real young and Keith Peyton from Wapsie Valley besting him at AAU another year… that was about it. He won titles in 1998, 2000 and 2001 and finished his career with a record of 190-4 which broke the career wins record at the time.




I don’t know who the 4 people that beat him were, but I know they all took place when he was a Sophomore in 1999. That season, he battled a severely injured ankle and the injury was at it’s peak at the state tournament. I know that he lost to Dustin Dunton from South Tama and he placed behind Dave Dyke from Eddyville-Blakesburg for 3rd and 4th, but I don’t know if they wrestled. He was on crutches on the podium. He was hurt bad.

119

1. Adam Kramer, Sr., New Hampton
2. Dustin Dunton, Sr., South Tama
3. Dave Dyke, Sr., Eddyville-Blakesburg
4. Josh Watts, Sr., Davenport Assumption
5. Kirk Artist, Fr., Glenwood
6. Josh Atwell, Jr., Perry

Watts became Davenport Assumption’s first 3X State champion and he was the only one in the school’s history until Julien Broderson joined him in 2019.

JULIEN BRODERSON, ASSUMPTION ‘19

Julien Broderson won his first state title as a Sophomore in 2017. His season finished in a cool way, for he had two losses that season early on and avenged both. He avenged his loss to Dyersville-Beckman’s like Hageman in the district finals and avenged his loss to New Hampton’s Luke Gorman in the finals at state… so he got them when the stakes were highest. His Junior and Senior seasons consisted of just…dominance. He just seemed to kill everyone. He finished his career with a record of 171-18. 2 of those losses were in his Sophomore year, the other 16 took place when he was a Freshman, in which he competed at 170 that year…a notoriously difficult weight to compete at for a Freshman. That was the only year he didn’t win it. He was a district qualifier though. The last 3X State champion who began his career at 170’as a Freshman was a guy from Union who graduated in 2000. His name was Trey Clark, and back then, the weight was 171, but same difference.




*Note: I made this highlight reel for Julien last year. If you want one of these done or know someone who might want one, get at me because they are my favorite thing to do. What sets them apart from other highlight reels are the intros, parodies and stories I try to tie into them. I am currently working on one for possible 3X State Champ if he wins it next year, Aidan Norman from Cascade.

TREY CLARK, UNION ‘00

Wrestlers can talk all the smack they want about basketball players, but you what they have on us? Their athletes would undeniably be better at wrestling than our athletes would be at basketball. Our guys are typically short. You got a lotta these dudes who win their 4th titles at 126 lbs, but if you put them into a basketball game, the 6’4 dudes will block every brick they try to put up. And their 6’4 dudes, if they wrestled would resemble 6’4 Trey Clark from Union. Trey won 171 lbs as a Freshman in high school, which is a rare feat. He finished with a record of 126-3. H won state in 1997, 1999 and 2000. The only year he didn’t win state was his Sophomore year… he was eliminated from state that year. He was injured…therefore he and Watts have that in common. If we were to pick a basketball team as we only had the group of Iowa HS wrestlers past and present to choose from, I’d pick Trey Clark first. I think he could compete on the basketball court.

 

[Inthecircle]

This is a good thread can't wait for your stories on the guys from Britt in the late 60's early 70's.

 

[SalAunese]

Talk about a time machine of a thread. My older cousins would take me to watch Sidlinger wrestle when I was 8-9 years old. I hadn’t seen the ‘99 Trey Clark match in years. I’m sure I have it on a VHS tape somewhere. That’s my little cousin he beat that night. I think he was giving up about 15# as he weighed in at 176 prior to the tournament.

 

[just_somebody]

Opened this thread and was visually assaulted with that image of white supremacy...

 

[Gobblin]

I had some pretty big expectations coming into HS because I placed high in youth every year. Only placed once. Struggled with pre-match anxiety and my hips were always bothering me. I wrestled at Loras.. zsidnt really take it too seriously, but I’d say I won 75% of my matches there. I thought I hurt my back my junior year and they found that I had hip dysplasia like what dogs get my entire life. Usually that is cured with leg braces when you are younger, but it was too late for that. So my career was over and I had to get this surgery where they relocated the ball in my femur, cut my pelvis into 3 pieces and restructured it... my hips have felt awesome since lol!

Did you happen to be a teammate of Travis Morehead?

 

[Spoons]

How Close Were The 3Xers To Winning And How These 3Xers Are Connected: Trent Goodale, Josh Watts, Julien Broderson, Trey Clark
by JOSHUA SWAFFORDon JULY 24, 2020 EDIT

TRENT GOODALE, OSAGE, ‘01

Trent Goodale… He has always looked like someone who resided in the mountains and fought mountain lions for fun, considering most humans weren’t able to force him to do much more than move his pinky finger without getting pinned by him. He was good… really, really good. One of the best of that early 2000’s era. You can’t think of Osage wrestling without thinking of the Goodales. Trent finished with a HS record of 159-6 and won 3 titles in 1999, 2000 and 2001. You can watch those here:

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The only year he did not win state wasn’t his Freshman season in 1998. He lost in the state finals against a wrestler from Assumption named Josh Watts who also became a 3X State Champ. That match was back and forth and was so close that I would consider Goodale along with Kent Streicher, Adam Allard and Ike Light as the 3Xers that were closest to winning 4 titles, but fell barely short. You can watch Trent Goodale vs. Josh Watts here:

View embedded media

JOSH WATTS, ASSUMPTION, ‘01

Josh was a pretty big deal in my grade. He was in my grade and my region and was always a weight range lower than me, so we never met up, but I remember well who and how rare it was for him to run into anyone who ever gave him fits since the time we were in 3rd grade. From 3rd grade all the way through high school, I remember Chris Wernimont from Pocahontas giving him trouble when we were real young and Keith Peyton from Wapsie Valley besting him at AAU another year… that was about it. He won titles in 1998, 2000 and 2001 and finished his career with a record of 190-4 which broke the career wins record at the time.




I don’t know who the 4 people that beat him were, but I know they all took place when he was a Sophomore in 1999. That season, he battled a severely injured ankle and the injury was at it’s peak at the state tournament. I know that he lost to Dustin Dunton from South Tama and he placed behind Dave Dyke from Eddyville-Blakesburg for 3rd and 4th, but I don’t know if they wrestled. He was on crutches on the podium. He was hurt bad.

119

1. Adam Kramer, Sr., New Hampton
2. Dustin Dunton, Sr., South Tama
3. Dave Dyke, Sr., Eddyville-Blakesburg
4. Josh Watts, Sr., Davenport Assumption
5. Kirk Artist, Fr., Glenwood
6. Josh Atwell, Jr., Perry

Watts became Davenport Assumption’s first 3X State champion and he was the only one in the school’s history until Julien Broderson joined him in 2019.

View embedded media

View embedded media

JULIEN BRODERSON, ASSUMPTION ‘19

Julien Broderson won his first state title as a Sophomore in 2017. His season finished in a cool way, for he had two losses that season early on and avenged both. He avenged his loss to Dyersville-Beckman’s like Hageman in the district finals and avenged his loss to New Hampton’s Luke Gorman in the finals at state… so he got them when the stakes were highest. His Junior and Senior seasons consisted of just…dominance. He just seemed to kill everyone. He finished his career with a record of 171-18. 2 of those losses were in his Sophomore year, the other 16 took place when he was a Freshman, in which he competed at 170 that year…a notoriously difficult weight to compete at for a Freshman. That was the only year he didn’t win it. He was a district qualifier though. The last 3X State champion who began his career at 170’as a Freshman was a guy from Union who graduated in 2000. His name was Trey Clark, and back then, the weight was 171, but same difference.

View embedded media

*Note: I made this highlight reel for Julien last year. If you want one of these done or know someone who might want one, get at me because they are my favorite thing to do. What sets them apart from other highlight reels are the intros, parodies and stories I try to tie into them. I am currently working on one for possible 3X State Champ if he wins it next year, Aidan Norman from Cascade.

TREY CLARK, UNION ‘00

Wrestlers can talk all the smack they want about basketball players, but you what they have on us? Their athletes would undeniably be better at wrestling than our athletes would be at basketball. Our guys are typically short. You got a lotta these dudes who win their 4th titles at 126 lbs, but if you put them into a basketball game, the 6’4 dudes will block every brick they try to put up. And their 6’4 dudes, if they wrestled would resemble 6’4 Trey Clark from Union. Trey won 171 lbs as a Freshman in high school, which is a rare feat. He finished with a record of 126-3. H won state in 1997, 1999 and 2000. The only year he didn’t win state was his Sophomore year… he was eliminated from state that year. He was injured…therefore he and Watts have that in common. If we were to pick a basketball team as we only had the group of Iowa HS wrestlers past and present to choose from, I’d pick Trey Clark first. I think he could compete on the basketball court.

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One thing I will never forget is Josh’s dad flying over the ropes at the barn and telling the coaches he’s not done when he obviously was due to a serious injury.