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Discussion Topic: Who Was The Bucks Best Non NCAA Champ?
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on June 13, 2023
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Best Ohio State Wrestler to never win a championship?
J.D. Bergman, 3x AA, Runnerup. Dominant senior season. Had one of the greatest true frosh performances in NCAA history esp for an upperweight.
Lance Palmer, 4xAA, defeated Brent Metcalf in Big Ten Finals. Dominant senior season.
Kollin Moore, 4x AA (Covid AA should not be held against him), dominant for much of his career, favored to win and undefeated as a senior but lost out on a title shot due to Covid. Has had a distinguished career post-grad.
Joey McKenna, 3x AA and a finalist, lost on a controversial call in finals to Yianni. Has had a distinguised post grad career
Luke Pletcher, 3x AA, co-favorite to win a title during his senior season which ended due to Covid, dominant throughout much of his career including a win over current world teamer Nick Lee.
Nick Heflin, 3x AA and NCAA runnerup, made a massive weight cut for much of his career yet had remarkable success. Dominant as a senior with only a narrow loss to J'Den Cox as a blemish.
Ed Potokar, 3x AA, came from a famous NE Ohio wrestling family and competed for old school powerhouse Richmond Heights.
Hunter Stieber, 2x AA, Vegas win as a true frosh over returning NCAA champ Kellen Russell. Injuries derailed his career.
Sam Sasso, 3X AA, 2x Finalist, 3rd at the most recent World Team Trials.
Correct me. Add wrestlers I've missed. Etc....
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Discussion Topic: Who Was The Bucks Best Non NCAA Champ?
Don Bork added to this discussion on June 13, 2023
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Reece Humphrey R12,2,3. Losing only to Kyle Dake at nationals as a senior.
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Discussion Topic: Who Was The Bucks Best Non NCAA Champ?
Jared Ball added to this discussion on June 14, 2023
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When comparing guys across eras and weights you have to go to metrics. Immediately, that eliminates anyone who wasn’t a 4x AA. Next you look at finals appearances. Lance, Bojo, and Kollin all have one. Lance entered his senior year as the Big Ten champ before losing a rematch to Metcalf. Bo had an amazing come from behind semi final match to lose a close one to Mark Hall. I thought Kollin should have won the title in Cleveland as a sophomore but he did not. He took a predictable loss to an all timer in Bo Nickel as a Junior, and was a clear favorite as a senior. One other caveat, Lance had the lowest finish of anyone in the group as he finished 7th in what was considered by most to be the greatest weight class of all time.
I take Bojo off that list due to him being one of the three I would consider perhaps the least of the three in terms of dominance. I do think Kollin was the highest favorite of the three to win a title. For my money, in my opinion, I think Kollin Moore.
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Discussion Topic: Who Was The Bucks Best Non NCAA Champ?
Drew Taylor added to this discussion on June 14, 2023
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Kollin Moore for me. Dominant, consistent, and unlike Bo and Hunter he was always healthy. But for Covid he’s not even in this discussion. He was a huge favorite to win the title.
Dang, the Bucks have some really good non champs. Let’s hope Sammy leaves this list.
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Discussion Topic: Who Was The Bucks Best Non NCAA Champ?
Ben Golden added to this discussion on June 14, 2023
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I was thinking the same, Drew. Lot of great wrestlers on this list. My first impulse was Palmer because he was in such very tough weight classes his whole career. Beat Metcalf, Schlatter, and maybe a young Burroughs? Moore also a great candidate though.
The other one that’s real tough for me is Hunter. My goodness, recall his CKLV performance as a true freshman. Knocked off returning undefeated champ Kellen Russell in the finals after knocking off a couple other studs in earlier rounds. Beat Montell Marion that year too. Fantastic sophomore year, undefeated until an upset loss to Mitchell Port at NCAAs. Injuries took over his junior year.
I’m not sure anyone on this list was better than Hunter, but injuries derailed the second half of his career.
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Discussion Topic: Who Was The Bucks Best Non NCAA Champ?
Mark Niemann added to this discussion on June 14, 2023
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Jared: Lance finished 8th. As a matter of fact, he finished on the even each of his four AA finishes (4-8-4-2). He was OHST’s 2nd 4x AA. That was 2010. And in the past 13 years, how many 4x AAs have the Buckeyes added?
ps: bonus question - who was OHST’s first 4x AA!? :-)
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Discussion Topic: Who Was The Bucks Best Non NCAA Champ?
Drew Taylor added to this discussion on June 14, 2023
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So many guys on this list with tough breaks.
Pletcher and Moore were top ranked before Covid cancellation
Heflin needed another second to score winning takedown against Cox
McKenna was on the wrong end of a controversial call against Yianni
Sammy was on the wrong end of a controversial call against AOC
Bo was on the wrong end of a controversial call against Mark Hall
Hunter got upset by Port and then battled injuries
Bergman lost in OT to Dustin Fox
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Discussion Topic: Who Was The Bucks Best Non NCAA Champ?
Michael Rodriguez added to this discussion on June 14, 2023
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Discussion Topic: Who Was The Bucks Best Non NCAA Champ?
Jason L. Jackson added to this discussion on June 14, 2023
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Quote from Mark Niemann's post:
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"Jared: Lance finished 8th. As a matter of fact, he finished on the even each of his four AA finishes (4-8-4-2). He was OHST’s 2nd 4x AA. That was 2010. And in the past 13 years, how many 4x AAs have the Buckeyes added?
ps: bonus question - who was OHST’s first 4x AA!? :-)"
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Is the restraining order still in place?
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Discussion Topic: Who Was The Bucks Best Non NCAA Champ?
Joe Kinzel added to this discussion on June 14, 2023
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Hunter coulda/woulda/shoulda been a multiple time Champ.
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Discussion Topic: Who Was The Bucks Best Non NCAA Champ?
Mark Niemann added to this discussion on June 14, 2023
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MRod: yup. (Loaded post.)
JLJ: expired last year. :-)
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Discussion Topic: Who Was The Bucks Best Non NCAA Champ?
Rick Wasmer added to this discussion on June 14, 2023
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Love Kollin but I gotta go with Lance.
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Discussion Topic: Who Was The Bucks Best Non NCAA Champ?
Drew Taylor added to this discussion on June 15, 2023
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Micah Jordan should be mentioned. Three time AA, NCAA finalist, and three time Big 10 finalist.
Anyone know what he’s up to these days?
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Discussion Topic: Who Was The Bucks Best Non NCAA Champ?
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on June 15, 2023
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Quote from Drew Taylor's post:
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"Micah Jordan should be mentioned. Three time AA, NCAA finalist, and three time Big 10 finalist.
Anyone know what he’s up to these days?"
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Micah Jordan was within ten seconds of being a 4x AA. Gave up a reversal in the blood round in the closing seconds to Bryce Meredith as a frosh down at 141. He just ran out of gas.
Micah Jordan and Kollin Moore were two of the most exciting wrestlers to watch. Explosive offense and always looking to score.
J.D. Bergman is the guy getting short changed in this conversation. Easy to forget that he made a huge cut to 197 for a couple years for the sake of the team. Then he moved up to 285 and owned the weight with the exception of the much larger Dustin Fox. All Ohio finals.
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Discussion Topic: Who Was The Bucks Best Non NCAA Champ?
Drew Taylor added to this discussion on June 15, 2023
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Hank, forgive the nitpick. The Micah loss to Meredith came in the quarterfinals, not the blood round. If he holds on, he needs to beat future Buckeye teammate Joey McKenna in the semis to set up an all-Ohio showdown against Dean Heil. Micah was good enough to win it all that year but so were several other guys at the weight.
Bergman mauled Fox in the finals. One vicious club after another. Fox if I recall was bruised and bloodied. Unfortunately, Bergman was giving up probably 40-50 pounds and couldn’t finish a shot. Fox was not just a big slug. He could really move.
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