My vote for single most important recruit would go to a guy Gary Kurdelmeier lured away from Ames. I know it was a different kind of recruit. Spencer choosing Iowa was huge!
Must Read on Spencer - this kid is amazing
- Thread starter oldhawk56
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Lets give this young man some time. I believe that by the time Spencer is done he will have made an impact on Iowa wrestling and beyond similar to what Gable has done! I know that may be putting the cart before the horse but this "kid" is polarizing. There have been great wrestlers on the mat that weren't necessarily great people off the mat [I've met a number of them] but I personally have never seen a wrestler so talented yet so likable off the mat! In a time when the whole country seems to want to argue about everything it seems the whole country likes this kid, and it's easy to see why!! I for one am just enjoying the fact that he is on my team!!!
if not for GABLE there would not have been a dynasty to revive,but yea that lee kid is in good company.
Agreed, Spencer is impossible to cheer against. Iowa has always had the reputation for tough, in your face wrestling that opposing fans love to cheer against. Spencer's personality seems to be contagious and this team is a blast to watch. Sure, winning helps but this team is well spoken and appears to be having fun. The momentum is building, results and recruits will hopefully follow.
Hopefully there is mutual interest for him to be involved with the team after he graduates.
LOL! You beat me to it!
I guess I was fortunate that this was happening at the time I was just a kid, not old enough to drive yet, so the timing was great! My Dad made it clear we were a Hawkeye Family early on, even though he and Friends would drive to Ames and watch Dan Gable compete more than they got to Iowa City (as memory serves anyway!).
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The issue here is the “unknown” we are relying on China for much of the information so far. Not good. At this point it is very contagious and more deadly than the flu. It may flame out soon or it may hit pandemic status. There is a difference between panic city and appropriate precautions.
I took him to mean recruited to wrestle, not coach. And in that respect, he is right. Lee should be groomed after college as an assistant and as Brands’ eventual successor.
Love that man more each day!! I want to see him on our coaching staff no matter what it takes. I'll personally pitch in for his salary.
The craziest thing about this kid is that I’d not think we’ve seen him at 100% health yet. His freshman year at nationals might have been the closest we will ever see.
Freshman year he takes it slow and when he does come out of redshirt he’s wearing the big knee brace. He finally sheds that and goes with a knee pad for nationals.
Sophmore year he comes in healthy but a month into the season he gets a bad virus that affects his stamina and strength. Then he gets decked by picc from ok st. He gets booted from a few individual workouts by our coaches. This is what Tom and Terry are talking about this year when they mention that his menatality has gotten so much better. Fights through that adversity and wins his second title. All while wearing a small knee pad.
This year he comes back wearing the huge knee brace. The same knee brace he’s said himself that he hates wearing. He’s not wearing that for cosmetic reasons!!! I think he hurt his knee this summer, everything I’ve been told indicates that’s he’s injured. You haven’t heard a peep out of him and he’s only not bonused one wrestler that stalled his ass off not to get majored. And he tore through the US open. Imagine what he’d be doing if he were healthy.
He’s wrestling this year because he thinks he can help Iowa win and become an Olympic gold medalist.....on one knee.
Freshman year he takes it slow and when he does come out of redshirt he’s wearing the big knee brace. He finally sheds that and goes with a knee pad for nationals.
Sophmore year he comes in healthy but a month into the season he gets a bad virus that affects his stamina and strength. Then he gets decked by picc from ok st. He gets booted from a few individual workouts by our coaches. This is what Tom and Terry are talking about this year when they mention that his menatality has gotten so much better. Fights through that adversity and wins his second title. All while wearing a small knee pad.
This year he comes back wearing the huge knee brace. The same knee brace he’s said himself that he hates wearing. He’s not wearing that for cosmetic reasons!!! I think he hurt his knee this summer, everything I’ve been told indicates that’s he’s injured. You haven’t heard a peep out of him and he’s only not bonused one wrestler that stalled his ass off not to get majored. And he tore through the US open. Imagine what he’d be doing if he were healthy.
He’s wrestling this year because he thinks he can help Iowa win and become an Olympic gold medalist.....on one knee.
I think he is healthy this year. I believe he ditched the knee brace at the US Open this year. He is wearing it as a precaution. I think he will get rid of it at Nationals and the Olympic Trials.
It’s something I’ve been told. You can believe it or not. The us open threw me for a loop too. I think there must be a rule about not wearing a leg brace. Maybe it has to do with the ability to perform a leg lace. Best I could deduce...though I’m not sure about freestyle rules. He’s not healthy...which makes him more incredible, that was my long winded point with my first post.
