NCAA champs who weren't state champs

[Hammerlock3]

Can someone mention some guys who weren't state champs or were underwhelming in high school but won NCAAs?

[lu1979]

3 minutes ago, Hammerlock3 said:

Can someone mention some guys who weren't state champs or were underwhelming in high school but won NCAAs?

The greatest example is Bruce Baumgartner - never won the state title in NJ but won NCAAs (3X finalist) and became one of the greatest heavyweights ever in FS.  Also I believe both Keith Gavin and Pat Santoro would qualify.

[1032004]

Drew Foster

[11986]

Stephen Neal is another one

[jchapman]

Uetake 

 

Edited May 19 by jchapman

[lu_alum]

PA has a ton of guys that fall into this category.

[Hammerlock3]

13 minutes ago, lu_alum said:

PA has a ton of guys that fall into this category.

ok who

[lu_alum]

6 minutes ago, Hammerlock3 said:

ok who

Building the spreadsheet now.  give me 20 minutes to complete it.  I'll only do D1 today, but can build our DII & DIII (including the breakout of NCAA "College" division) later.

Edited May 19 by lu_alum

[Hammerlock3]

4 minutes ago, lu_alum said:

Building the spreadsheet now.  give me 20 minutes to complete it.  I'll only do D1 today, but can build our DII & DIII (including the breakout of NCAA "College" division) later.

oh thanks

[lu_alum]

Here's the list. PA has had 90 wrestlers win 125 individual NCAA Division I titles.

Within the list of 90 PA NCAA titlists, 33 guys compiled 40 NCAA Division I titles - but never won a PIAA HS championship.  Some on the list were National Prep champs.  The National Prep list includes Prep titles by Ed Ruth (who transferred to Blair Academy for his SR year), but it does not include Pat Santoro (who won a National Prep title during a post-grad year at Blair prior to enrolling at Pitt).

Edited May 19 by lu_alum

[PortaJohn]

1 hour ago, Hammerlock3 said:

ok who

Ed Ruth

[lu_alum]

Caught a small error on my previous post.  Greg Ruth won his 2nd title at 160 lbs, after winning the prior year at 167 lbs.

[flyingcement]

District XI well represented there - thanks for the info @lu_alum

[PortaJohn]

6 minutes ago, lu_alum said:

Caught a small error on my previous post.  Greg Ruth won his 2nd title at 160 lbs, after winning the prior year at 167 lbs.

Bosak lost his jr year I think to one of the Nelson twins and senior year to Jake Kemerer.  Both were studs

Edited May 19 by PortaJohn

[lu_alum]

21 minutes ago, flyingcement said:

District XI well represented there - thanks for the info @lu_alum

 I just posted the list of non-PIAA guys.  Here's the full District XI list of NCAA champs (including the Lieberman brothers)...

[flyingcement]

54 minutes ago, lu_alum said:

 I just posted the list of non-PIAA guys.  Here's the full District XI list of NCAA champs (including the Lieberman brothers)...

Thank you sir!  How cool was it that Darian Cruz and Ethan Lizak faced each other in the VEWL (elementary league) finals representing their local teams.  And then again in the NCAA finals!

[NM1965]

Stephen Neal was a 4 time AA with 2 NCAA titles and never finished higher than 4th in California HS. There was a guy who finished 5th in California that won an NCAA title for , I think, Cal Davis but I can't remember his name off the top of my head. That was nearly  20 years ago. 

[Hammerlock3]

6 minutes ago, NM1965 said:

Stephen Neal was a 4 time AA with 2 NCAA titles and never finished higher than 4th in California HS. There was a guy who finished 5th in California that won an NCAA title for , I think, Cal Davis but I can't remember his name off the top of my head. That was nearly  20 years ago. 

derek moore?

[NM1965]

50 minutes ago, Hammerlock3 said:

derek moore?

Yeah, him!

[Antitroll2828]

5 hours ago, lu1979 said:

The greatest example is Bruce Baumgartner - never won the state title in NJ but won NCAAs (3X finalist) and became one of the greatest heavyweights ever in FS.  Also I believe both Keith Gavin and Pat Santoro would qualify.

Baumgartner is the only jersey one I can think of…Tanelli was close 2nd and 3rd in HS and 3rd in college but can’t find any others 

[ionel]

Melvin Clodfelter

[Fadzaev2]

6 hours ago, Hammerlock3 said:

Can someone mention some guys who weren't state champs or were underwhelming in high school but won NCAAs?

Chuck Yagla was a state runnerup in high school (Waterloo Columbus), was a Junior National Champion and went on to win two NCAA titles, was OW his senior year, made the '80 Olympic team and had much more success that just that.

[PortaJohn]

1 hour ago, ionel said:

Melvin Clodfelter

I'm extremely shocked you didn't say Yojiro Uetake

[Jason Bryant]

I'm extremely shocked you didn't say Yojiro Uetake

Someone else did.

[ionel]

3 minutes ago, PortaJohn said:

I'm extremely shocked you didn't say Yojiro Uetake

Someone already got him and everyone knows about him.  I went with one no one else (even knownothing) would ever think of. 

Edited May 20 by ionel