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Who is the best of the rest in our program's history

the_hermanator

HR Heisman
Jan 22, 2002
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I have followed Hawkeye wrestling since the early 90's but there are people who are still FAR more knowledgeable than I am. I was starting to think about AM at 165 and MK at 174 and how they have had great careers but so far have never been able to win a title at their respective weights. If they don't win one this year, that would make them two great wrestlers with incredible records but no NCAA titles. I know Gilman and Sorenson were 4xAA but never won it all. Look at ADS at 133...he would win it in some years. He has had a great season with two close losses. He could also make the list.

Who are the best Hawkeyes to wrestle but never win a national title?

THE HERMENATOR
 
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Mena, Sorensen and DeAnna are the only 4X AA that did not win a title. I agree DeAnna would be the best. Lost in the finals 2x and was a 4x B1G champ. After those three I would have to go with Scott Trizzino's 3,2,2 , Chelesvig's 3,3,3 and Zapitil's 2,2,2 (in no particular order)
 
I know Gilman and Sorenson were 4xAA but never won it all.

Who are the best Hawkeyes to wrestle but never win a national title?

THE HERMENATOR
He who shall not be mentioned was not a 4x AA.

Zap
Deanna
Mena

HM to Stritmatter and Ryan. I believe both only wrestled 2 years in IC and think they both went 2/3 at NCAA.

Did Sorensen ever make a final? That drops him down a bit from the others.

Tough to include Bull unless he makes the finals this year. I want to believe in him but 65 is brutal and full of match-up nightmares for him.
 
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I omitted Chelsvig in my original post, and misremembered Randall. I was thinking he went 2-2-2-7 (injured senior year), but he went 2-5-2-DNP, so doesn' qualify, but his first three years Jim Jordan won 134. Also, he doesn't have the numbers to be on the list, but John Oostendorp was a great one that never won. Injuries and size kept him from winning. If there was a 220 or 230 class he would have been a 4-timer.
 
How would Grothus even be mentioned? Because he cut a lot of weight?
Beautiful Brody Grothus placement! None of these other guys has a dedicated thread as long as Brody.

On a side note, I mentioned Gable's poor state tournament announcing last week. IMO his on-air assessment of Brody as the most college-ready wrestler in the tournament was a huge detriment to his Iowa career and placed expectations on him that might be equaled only by those of Spencer.
 
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Yes, Gable put in special sessions with him on how to take down the ISU guy. He needed a surprise takedown. I keep thinking that Austin could use a special set of sessions like that on how to take down RBY.
Not sure you are on the same page…

Iowa States 190 pounder that year was Eric Voelker and he was a freshman non All-American that year.

Voelker was the 5 seed but lost to future NCAA champ Mark Coleman in the quarterfinals and lost again in his first consolation match.

Goldman’s final was a rematch against Dan Chaid of Oklahoma.
Goldman was the 3 seed as a freshman then the number one seed the next three.

Goldman had defeated Chaid multiple times, so it it unlikely that he and Gable were having special sessions to learn a new takedown to beat a guy he had beaten before.

My guess you are thinking of the Banach v Mann rivalry of 1983 where Mann won the first two or maybe it was three matches before Ed beat him to win his third title.

Gable did have special sessions for that match, not sure if it was tied to a takedown though as that was not even close to the issue in the previous matches.
 
Not sure you are on the same page…

My guess you are thinking of the Banach v Mann rivalry of 1983 where Mann won the first two or maybe it was three matches before Ed beat him to win his third title.

Gable did have special sessions for that match, not sure if it was tied to a takedown though as that was not even close to the issue in the previous matches.
I'm sure you are correct (at least a better chance than me). I couldn't really follow Iowa wrestling back then with no internet like today nor TV viewing. I just got bits and pieces. I like the new era of coverage.
 
Mena rode him hard for a whole period earlier in the year at National duals…. I’m sure that played a factor in Mike’s head. Such a wild moment.
That and didn’t Guerrero put a tough ride on Mena earlier in that match? Watching it live I had no doubt that Mena would have lost the match no matter what choice he made.
 
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That and didn’t Guerrero put a tough ride on Mena earlier in that match? Watching it live I had no doubt that Mena would have lost the match no matter what choice he made.
Yes Guerrero did. No obvious choice to make there. That was in 97 at the UNI Dome. I was there.
 
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Zaputil is the answer but apart from him Gilman definitely deserves to be mentioned along with the rest. Current proclivities aside.
 
There are a lot of people on this thread that never saw DeAnna wrestle or especially a DeAnna/Churella match. Gilman is not even in the conversation with a few of these guys. I'd take Zaputil, Mena, Strittmatter, or maybe even Dan Glenn over Gilman as a lightweight for this list.
 
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There are a lot of people on this thread that never saw DeAnna wrestle or especially a DeAnna/Churella match. Gilman is not even in the conversation with a few of these guys. I'd take Zaputil, Mena, Strittmatter, or maybe even Dan Glenn over Gilman as a lightweight for this list.
I'd take Gilman over Mena. Gilman was never boring.
 
No love for Montell Marion? 2, 4, 2. Lost to Dake in finals in 2010. Lost in a disputed match to Kellen Russell 3-3 TB2 in semis in 2011. There's a video floating around on the internet where Bobby Douglas demonstrates how the refs failed to award Marion not one, but two takedowns during regulation. And lost in the finals in OT to Russell in 2012. Came so close
 
I'd take Gilman over Mena. Gilman was never boring.
You remember differently than I do. I remember a lot of Gilman snoozefests against top guys, and him getting stuck a couple times. Mena had some boring matches against a couple top guys, but his cement mixer put a lot more people on their back than Gilman ever did.
No love for Montell Marion? 2, 4, 2. Lost to Dake in finals in 2010. Lost in a disputed match to Kellen Russell 3-3 TB2 in semis in 2011. There's a video floating around on the internet where Bobby Douglas demonstrates how the refs failed to award Marion not one, but two takedowns during regulation. And lost in the finals in OT to Russell in 2012. Came so close
The refs hated him almost as much as ADS. He won that title match against Dake if the ref called it fairly. He got hosed a lot. He should have been mentioned sooner.
 
No love for Montell Marion? 2, 4, 2. Lost to Dake in finals in 2010. Lost in a disputed match to Kellen Russell 3-3 TB2 in semis in 2011. There's a video floating around on the internet where Bobby Douglas demonstrates how the refs failed to award Marion not one, but two takedowns during regulation. And lost in the finals in OT to Russell in 2012. Came so close
Montell was maddening during the regular season where he appeared to be sleepwalking at times, but he sure did show up at Nationals.

He had Dake in some trouble too in Omaha in a wild scramble and ultimately Dake did Dake things and won that exchange and that was all she wrote. Montell was outstanding at NCAA's, and had some really bad luck too.

He was 91-21 overall, and in true Montell fashion he was slightly better at NCAA's than at Big Ten's 3,4,2. When the lights were the brightest he was at his best, no doubt about it.
 
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