Rank the 4xers

[Elevator]

1 hour ago, Rassling said:

Elevator have you ever wrestled? Ever wrestle at a weight that wasn’t your natural weight? I have and it’s difficult to perform at a weight not natural to you. One weight class jump is one thing but to succeed at 4 at the highest level is down right spectacular. It’s a free country and a relatively free spirited forum with much flexibility to voice our opinions but some of the responses to Dake on this tread are down right idiotic. 

Yes (but not at this level).  I agree that wrestling above best weight for the team is tough at the highest NCAA level(e.g. BB at PSU at 149) or at olympics (too few weights and many great wrestlers have been between weights) - but I think Dake wrestled at his natural weight, which kept getting higher.  Never heard that he was wrestling up to take one for the team.    Some guys are even better up w not much weight management and my memory is Dake went where he wanted to go.  Am I wrong?  Could be!  

[fishbane]

2 hours ago, WrestlingRash said:

when Starocci wins his 5th next year, is he at the top of the list?

He is at the top of the list of 5xers.

If he does it I say the NCAA should give another year of eligibility to Pat Smith, Cael Sanderson, Kyle Dake, Logan Stieber, and Yianni Diakomihalis so they can come back and try and get a 5th.  

[lu_alum]

1 hour ago, Elevator said:

Yes (but not at this level).  I agree that wrestling above best weight for the team is tough at the highest NCAA level(e.g. BB at PSU at 149) or at olympics (too few weights and many great wrestlers have been between weights) - but I think Dake wrestled at his natural weight, which kept getting higher.  Never heard that he was wrestling up to take one for the team.    Some guys are even better up w not much weight management and my memory is Dake went where he wanted to go.  Am I wrong?  Could be!  

Dake was known to cut a lot of weight until his senior year.  I believe it was Burroughs who challenged him to go up to 165 to take on the unicorn.

[Eagle26]

7 hours ago, fishbane said:

Pat Smith and Yianni Diakomihalis also won as true freshmen.  Out of Dake, Smith and Diakomihalis, Smith was the only one to not lose after their freshman season.  So 3 of 7 did it and Smith is the only one with a real plausible argument that he "could have been an undefeated 4xer" with a redshirt.  

It is kind of crazy that OSU didn't redshirt Smith.  OSU had Jeff McAllister at the weight.  McAllister was the starter at the beginning of the season and after they pulled Smith's redshirt he transferred to Bakersfield between semesters.  At NCAAs McAllister was the 5 seed and would go on to finish 7th.  Conventional wisdom would say to redshirt Smith and wrestle McAllister since he was a top 4-8 guy.  With the probation yet to come, wrestling as a true freshman is what allowed Pat Smith to finish his career at OSU as a 4xer.

Thanks for the insight on Smith! I admittedly don’t know much about his career and that’s great info. I was aware of Yianni winning as a true freshman as well but wasn’t sure of Smith. As I said before I think it’s the combination of winning as a true frosh and dominating DT that sets Dake apart. Maybe Smith has a better argument for that number two slot than I thought though