Who is the best wrestler from your state?

[ionel]

29 minutes ago, headshuck said:

Minnesota - Verne Gagne

call and raise The Moose (state of Canada)

[MizzouFan01]

20 hours ago, The_KC_Godfather said:

Man!  You're taking me back!  TJ Hill was unbelievable. Not sure if you were ever at the MO state championships watching him, but it was tech, tech, tech, then the flip.  So awesome to watch.

I was shocked he didn't do better in college. I know he placed as a freshman, but as dominant as he was in HS, I thought he'd be a contender right away. I always wondered if he went to Fresno State due to grades (no offense to him) and didn't get the best coaching. Guy was a stud.

But...there are three other wrestlers that I've seen in my time, in MO HS wrestling, that I think would have given him a run. Dustin Brewer (now the coach at Liberty HS in MO), Zach Bailey, and Mac Bailey. Brewer was one of the fastest wrestlers I've ever seen (and that includes Nahshon and Vito). I don't know that I've ever seen a better lightweight wrestler than Mac Bailey, to be honest.  Anyone who knows MO wrestling history, and hasn't seen it, should google "Tony James vs. Mac Bailey". I believe James was a one or two time state champ at the time, and Mac made him look like a middle school wrestler.

TJ went to and took 4th for Cal State Fullerton at 125. He would’ve greatly benefited from the now extinct 118 weight class. I’m 41, wrestled at FHC starting in 98-99, and was just a measly SQ as a Sophomore at 119. Not only did I watch TJ from his Sophomore year throughout the conclusion of his career, I once had the privilege of getting destroyed by him at a freestyle tournament in Farmington. I had zero clue who he was, but one Gary Oxford of SCW gave me a warning beforehand. He said “ watch out for this little dude, he’s pretty good”. Absolute understatement lol. I’ve seen all three, Brewer, and both Baileys wrestle. Mac had some battles with Kyle Bradley. Tony James was good, but Brandon Wilbourn and his match at GAC Wilbourns freshman year was amazing. The GAC in my opinion, best conference top to bottom in Mo

Edited February 22 by MizzouFan01

[Southend]

Man there’s a bunch of old guys posting on this site. 
Are there any wrestling forums for younger guys?

[MPhillips]

35 minutes ago, Southend said:

Are there any wrestling forums for younger guys?

None worth mentioning. Maybe sit this one out until you come of age...

[ionel]

3 hours ago, Southend said:

Man there’s a bunch of old guys posting on this site. 
Are there any wrestling forums for younger guys?

Here you go:

https://infantandtoddlerforum.org/

[Southend]

2 hours ago, ionel said:

Here you go:

https://infantandtoddlerforum.org/

So…… I take it… you are a regular there? What name do you post under? 
thanks for the lead anyway. 

[Fadzaev2]

11 hours ago, Southend said:

Man there’s a bunch of old guys posting on this site. 
Are there any wrestling forums for younger guys?

 

10 hours ago, MPhillips said:

None worth mentioning. Maybe sit this one out until you come of age...

Age is just a number!  Kind of nice being my age....great career/life including 45 NCAA Championships/39 in a row, many Big Tens, World Cups, State tournaments in 2 states, dual and individual, and much more.  Uncountable number of clinics both worked and attended.  Aches and pains, but would do it all over again.

Edited February 22 by Fadzaev2

[ionel]

6 hours ago, Southend said:

So…… I take it… you are a regular there? What name do you post under? 
thanks for the lead anyway. 

onesie

[Bardamu911]

On 2/20/2024 at 10:49 AM, PortaJohn said:

Oregon Louden Swain

pretty sure Spokane is in Washington 

[creek chub]

For VA, Devin Carter is probably the best out of the state, but I could be overlooking someone from many years ago.

 

Dude was a freak athlete and nearly pulled off the unthinkable of winning a natty title when he was sidelined with a season ending hamstring injury in January ( I think)

Had it been anyone but Logic in the finals, pretty sure he’d have won

 

[Phantom]

On 2/20/2024 at 5:35 AM, jackwebster said:

VA = Gray Simons

OK = I'll ignore the obvious, boring answer(s) and go with Jacob Newby.

After Gray would be who? High school i'd say Frishkorn or Garner...? Post high school Byron Tucker?

[ionel]

19 minutes ago, Bardamu911 said:

pretty sure Spokane is in Washington 

Maybe ... but let's see if @mspart still claims it.  

[11986]

10 minutes ago, Phantom said:

After Gray would be who? High school i'd say Frishkorn or Garner...? Post high school Byron Tucker?

post HS Bubba Jenkins maybe with a title and runner-up finish. 

Edited February 22 by 11986

[MPhillips]

28 minutes ago, Bardamu911 said:

pretty sure Spokane is in Washington 

Pg 3...

[Phantom]

2 minutes ago, 11986 said:

post HS Bubba Jenkins maybe with a title and runner-up finish. 

True.  I was also considering Byron because of his status on the olympic ladder in freestyle.  Thought he could pull it off against Joe Williams.  Thinking back now, definitely prefer Byron. 

[bnwtwg]

20 minutes ago, 11986 said:

post HS Bubba Jenkins maybe with a title and runner-up finish. 

Bubba gets style points added for who he beat, how he won, and recognition of creating one of the first modern media iconic moments in wrestling.

[Lipdrag]

On 2/20/2024 at 10:14 PM, flyingcement said:

Percentage of dates where you chose bottom?

[PortaJohn]

10 hours ago, Southend said:

So…… I take it… you are a regular there? What name do you post under? 
thanks for the lead anyway. 

got to be careful with that MPhilips...He's sneaky good.  He's burned many of posters on here.  Myself included

[flyingcement]

16 minutes ago, Lipdrag said:

Percentage of dates where you chose bottom?

I wrestled from age 7 through 18 on a very regular basis and I did not mess around with that stuff.  If it was my choice first - I always deferred.  And for the third period I would always choose bottom.  I never chose top or neutral in my life.  

[Gambatte]

4 hours ago, Phantom said:

After Gray would be who? High school i'd say Frishkorn or Garner...? Post high school Byron Tucker?

Eddie Eichelberger — Granby HS/Lehigh Univ., 2x NCAA champ, OW. Only loss at NCAAs was to Myron Roderick in the 1954 finals.

https://nwhof.org/hall_of_fame/bio/2269

[Antitroll2828]

4 hours ago, creek chub said:

For VA, Devin Carter is probably the best out of the state, but I could be overlooking someone from many years ago.

 

Dude was a freak athlete and nearly pulled off the unthinkable of winning a natty title when he was sidelined with a season ending hamstring injury in January ( I think)

Had it been anyone but Logic in the finals, pretty sure he’d have won

 

Idk if Carter should count as VA, he was born and raised in NJ, his father was a well known coach here, his brother Brandon went to atleast 9th grade in NJ maybe 10th too and he didn’t go down to VA til the start of high school , pretty much the same path Cody Gardner took 

[Bardamu911]

6 hours ago, MPhillips said:

Pg 3...

oh darn I was late to the party 

[creek chub]

2 hours ago, Antitroll2828 said:

Idk if Carter should count as VA, he was born and raised in NJ, his father was a well known coach here, his brother Brandon went to atleast 9th grade in NJ maybe 10th too and he didn’t go down to VA til the start of high school , pretty much the same path Cody Gardner took 

I didn’t realize that. So maybe he’s a New Virginian?

[jackwebster]

20 hours ago, Phantom said:

After Gray would be who? High school i'd say Frishkorn or Garner...? Post high school Byron Tucker?

HS ... Jr Hodge is hard to argue with, but what about Patrick Bond or Jeremy Ferry (Dream team / 1st Team Asics AA '95)?

Post-HS is more difficult. Lots of GB and CB guys lit it up in HS but had middling college careers. Tucker would be my choice, but what about Carl Perry or Devin Carter? Idk

Edited February 23 by jackwebster

[BAC]

On 2/20/2024 at 9:55 AM, KLCarnegieTech_1969 said:

Currently? College or High School?  PA

All time high school-Carry Kolat

All time college- Carlton Haselrig, Zane Rutherford, Wade Schalles, Jason Nolf, Ty Moore, Spencer Lee,  I could go on and on, tough to single one out.

Current college- Carter Starocci, Levi Haynes

Current high school-Bo Basset?

 

Folding in international accomplishments, Kurt Angle deserves mention.  2x NCAA champ, world champ, Olympic champ.  I might still pick Kolat as the overall guy, both because of his college and (especially) high school dominance, and because he was jobbed so many times internationally that his 1x bronze/1x silver don't accurately reflect how good he really was.