I understand there are outliers (Lee/St. John). The hurdles some of you jump through to justify mediocrity is annoying.
Otto Black commits to Iowa
- Thread starter Todd Conner
- Start date
Stockpiling all this talent is nice for old Tom, but if he doesn’t start finishing above teams with less talent, it may be his undoing.
love those kids. and i've wanted to connect them to Iowa but if JR is 197 and Ty 184 then there might be some reluctance with Gabe/Angelo having to be 184 at some points
Yes, far more useful to look at the overall body of work on the national level/vs. elite competition. There are 0x champs in PA that are better than 3 or 4xers in Iowa.
Only rivaled by the mental gymnastics some compete in to find reasons to be negative.
Like it isn’t enough to say the class lacks star power a national achievements, so you also have to make an at best rube point about state titles? So odd.
Come again buddy!?!?!?! What did you NOT understand? I will rewrite it more clearly for you?
It states it here in this article. Take it up with the rubes at the Des Moines Register. https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/s...ting-class-grows-with-otto-black/73340451007/
Well…
For better or worse, I am now posting on this bbs…
Otto Black is my younger son…
I am going to try and be on my best behavior in here for obvious reasons…
If anyone has any questions, I will be happy to give whatever insight I am able to share…
For better or worse, I am now posting on this bbs…
Otto Black is my younger son…
I am going to try and be on my best behavior in here for obvious reasons…
If anyone has any questions, I will be happy to give whatever insight I am able to share…
The absolute main reason is Tom and Terry…
They both are the type of personalities he has been around since the womb…
We never considered folk as his path since he was very young, but, when he visiting after he competed at the Farrell last fall he became very inspired…
And because it seems to be a thing here and other places…
No windows is a plus…
No windows is a plus…
Welcome to Iowa to Otto, you and your fam. There is a term we sometimes use to describe our state: “Iowa Nice.” Unfortunately, that shit doesn’t seem to fly on this forum…just cold, black hearts 😂. Just know that Iowa City is a great place to live and your boy has picked an awesome place to pursue his dream. Disregard the few haters…they have zero say in your son’s success. Good luck to him! He’s a Hawk now and we’ll be rooting for him.
Thank you brother…
We are all excited…
We are very familiar with the state…
He has spent time in TJ and Carew’s room in the past…
Obviously competed in state many times…
He is excited to wrestle in front of Hawkeye nation and he will be bringing gold medals to this program…
As far as online shenanigans, I am well versed…
I have a bit of an online rep (willie and a few others here can verify) because of very strong opinions and my family’s absolute love and respect for International Greco…
Again…
I will try and play nice…
Just know gold medals and a team title are why he is there…
He knows he can achieve it in that room…
I have a bit of an online rep (willie and a few others here can verify) because of very strong opinions and my family’s absolute love and respect for International Greco…
Again…
I will try and play nice…
Just know gold medals and a team title are why he is there…
He knows he can achieve it in that room…
welcome! what weight do you anticipate otto competing at?
is he planning on continuing to compete in greco during college?
He has to be a full size 67kg for LA in 28, so, 49 sooner rather later…
And 100% he will still be competing in Greco…
the staff guaranteed they would support his Greco fully…
Once that was on the table it was a no brainer…
A little background…
Otto’s freshmen year as a 6lber (walk around) he got into the state finals…
He then decided to focus solely on Greco that summer…
Blew his MCL that winter and was on the couch for 8 weeks… he was convinced by his former team to come back for regionals and state… shed 20lbs of couch weight in 2 weeks and ended up 4th at state…
Did not ab any legs for two years until this past senior season… his coaches decided he should wrestle his senior season… first half was still almost 100% Greco training while competing at seniors first time this winter…
After senior nationals and too big a cut to 60kg trying to qualify for Olympic trials, he then focused on folk only…
Undefeated season 49-0… 30+ pins… only 4 (ish) matches not bonus points… gave up one TD all season in his last regular season match against a returning state champ…
he is still annoyed about that…
After several years of international Greco, folk became very wide open for him…
Watching him in Estonia couple of months ago I saw some things from folk that helped his Greco…
He is all in…
Otto’s freshmen year as a 6lber (walk around) he got into the state finals…
He then decided to focus solely on Greco that summer…
Blew his MCL that winter and was on the couch for 8 weeks… he was convinced by his former team to come back for regionals and state… shed 20lbs of couch weight in 2 weeks and ended up 4th at state…
Did not ab any legs for two years until this past senior season… his coaches decided he should wrestle his senior season… first half was still almost 100% Greco training while competing at seniors first time this winter…
After senior nationals and too big a cut to 60kg trying to qualify for Olympic trials, he then focused on folk only…
Undefeated season 49-0… 30+ pins… only 4 (ish) matches not bonus points… gave up one TD all season in his last regular season match against a returning state champ…
he is still annoyed about that…
After several years of international Greco, folk became very wide open for him…
Watching him in Estonia couple of months ago I saw some things from folk that helped his Greco…
He is all in…
I imagine Mayabb will be working with him.
Short answer is yes…
Tom guaranteed he will bring in training partners and coaching…
Joe Warren is Otto’s personal coach…
Dennis Hall is at the Dubuque RTC 45 minutes away…
Otto’s older brother Max is at NMU… he just turned 21… 3X national champ… 3X age level world team… 3rd at Olympic trials at 60kg last month and senior national team member…
We are confident we can make it work…
Gary was one of his world team coaches in ‘21 when Otto took 5th as a 15 year old…
We have not spoken with gary in several years…
Nothing but respect, but, he did not factor in this decision at all…
We have not spoken with gary in several years…
Nothing but respect, but, he did not factor in this decision at all…
Did he wrestle any high level national events for folkstyle? Super 32? Powerade? Ironman? Just curious of his folkstyle national results against high level folkstyle competition. We know he is a beast in Greco..just curious how that will transition to folkstyle for the Hawks...obviously you know the Big Ten is no joke!
Not really…
Super 32 is a pre-season tourney that is mostly about who can pull the most weight for a one day day before weigh in…
College coaches know that…
In season tourneys, if your team doesn’t go you don’t go…
And it just wasn’t important to us…
If Otto’s boy LB4 had not committed to Iowa and took him with to see the campus, Otto would not be a Hawkeye…
But…
Like I said, he got inspired and folk became much much easier after International Greco…
You misspelled “WORLD” but point taken…
Sounds like he has a lot of room to grow into a folk monster the same way he is in Greco. It will be exciting watching his Greco background mix in with his folk. Iowa loves entertaining wrestling, sounds like we got one here.
Congrats to him and your family and best of luck moving forward.
Once he makes a decision it’s almost over…
Trust your coaches…
Otto has been traveling the planet since he was 12…
Two coaches have impressed him…
Joe Warren and Terry Brands…
Iowa is in good hands…
Trust your coaches…
Otto has been traveling the planet since he was 12…
Two coaches have impressed him…
Joe Warren and Terry Brands…
Iowa is in good hands…
well you just made this Hawkeye fan's day !! Thanks for your recruiting insight and beware of the quicksand pits that inundate this board. Most of the people are decent folks but with them also comes a virtual plethora of trolls who do nothing but insult and trash the team, the program, the coaches and the fans... and then there are jackasses like...me who mostly read and occasionally post and then watch the trolls rise to the top of the water like starving fish for the crumbs we feed them. I am a fan of your son's style of wrestling and that Greco stance will serve him well when he hits the mats for the Hawkeyes !! Congrats to your family and welcome to the best wrestling tradition in the country !!
I think it is important to note…
“Best wrestling tradition in this country”
The boys were in okie states room when they were 8 and 10…
Between the two of them they have 6 national titles… I only count Fargo and above… couple of OWs… 4 (soon to be 5) age level world teams… both have international age level medals… a senior international medal…
Otto is where he wants to be…
“Best wrestling tradition in this country”
The boys were in okie states room when they were 8 and 10…
Between the two of them they have 6 national titles… I only count Fargo and above… couple of OWs… 4 (soon to be 5) age level world teams… both have international age level medals… a senior international medal…
Otto is where he wants to be…
From what I remember of you over on thematforums you should have no problem navigating the "cesspool". For most parents I STRONGLY recommend staying away from this board, but you should flourish here. Just remember to not take any slights towards Otto personally, because they WILL happen on here.
If you do engage the trolls, remember many of them aren't even Iowa fans and are here solely to stir the pot. After that, those that actually are Iowa fans have become so negative you could hand them 200kg of gold bars and they would find more ways to complain about how it was given to them, before even considering saying thank you!
Says the biggest troll of all……
You know I have a big spoon and I kinda like using it to stir the pot…
again…
Best behavior…
Pinky promise…
A true troll is only here to troll and would never admit it. I am here for Iowa info, but I OPENLY admit I do my best to troll PSU guys as much as possible.
When it comes to actual Iowa fans, especially you, I am never trolling. I simply think you are bat shit crazy!
What an explosive athlete you have there. Will he have a hybrid schedule like Schultz? Be able to get in some greco during the regular season?
Thank you brother…
Not entirely sure how everything is going to play out…
This was never the plan, so, we are kinda playing it by ear right now…
as it stands now, Otto will move to Iowa after worlds in September (counting chickens and all that but that’s how we do things) and train while taking online classes at kirkwood (grades were never a thing… only medals) and train while adjusting and officially enroll in fall of 25…
he is still just 18… if he was in PA with their cracked rules he would still be a sophomore in HS…
