Best performing wild card in past NCAA tourneys?

[Fletcher]

Have we had wild cards achieve AA status? Who are some of the best performers in past years?

[Lunaticfringe]

The 165 from Appalachian St, forgot his name but same season Austin Trotman AA’d

[charmon55]

2021 at 157, Wyatt Sheets from Oklahoma State got 8th as a 33 seed. 

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

Starocci?

[BFosr1]

Cory Brewer?

[11986]

Jackson Turley became an All-American a few years back after getting an at-large bid and here he is again. 

[Kov88]

3 hours ago, charmon55 said:

2021 at 157, Wyatt Sheets from Oklahoma State got 8th as a 33 seed. 

The most Cinderella wildcard story

[666]

27 minutes ago, Kov88 said:

The most Cinderella wildcard story

He sure wrestled like Cinderella after that NCAA tourney. 

[poke1]

13 hours ago, Kov88 said:

The most Cinderella wildcard story

And he did it on a gimped leg!  Was scheduled to have surgery, got the call he was in the tourn. due to a someone that dropped out (forgot the reason).  So he wrestled on a bad leg as the 33 seed. Obviously losing to the #1 seed immediately then to battle back through the con's for 8th place. Get's his AA medal, then proceed to his knee surgery.

[Truzzcat]

wyatt sheets took 8th going into the tournament at 5-7 with an at large.

[Winners Circle]

17 hours ago, Lunaticfringe said:

The 165 from Appalachian St, forgot his name but same season Austin Trotman AA’d

Kyle Blevins

[randyfoxwell]

The guy that lost to nato in the finals. Zeke moisey?

[ChickenWing]

Mark Branch?

[The_KC_Godfather]

1 hour ago, randyfoxwell said:

The guy that lost to nato in the finals. Zeke moisey?

Yep. I think he was a true freshman too. He also beat Nahshon Garrett and pinned Gilman in route to the finals! I think injuries killed his career after that...he took 8th and then never AA'd again.

[Idaho]

Moisey was unseeded, but he was 31-13 on the season. Sheets had a losing record at 5-7 and got the 33 seed as an at-large. I think that is probably the best example.  If we are talking NCAA champs, Mark Branch went into the NCAA with a losing record in 1994...he would have had the last seed if they would have seeded all 32 in  the tournament at that time. 

[jchapman]

Jimmy is correct.  Starocci placed 1st as an at-large.  That is the best performing wild card/at-large wrestler.

[Paul158]

8 minutes ago, jchapman said:

Jimmy is correct.  Starocci placed 1st as an at-large.  That is the best performing wild card/at-large wrestler.

I'M not sure that counts. He decided to not wrestle in the Big Ten Tourn because of a knee injury. He did this to allow his leg to heel up for the NCAA tournament. He was the top ranked wrestler. These true wild cards are not ranked or they are 31,32 or 33. I think Mark Branch is in the Running. He hadn't wrestled very many match's (8and 9) going into the NCAA and had a losing record. He was also a freshman and won an NCAA title.

[Ragu]

Get rid of seeds! Bring back draws!

[wjd]

On 3/11/2025 at 7:03 AM, Idaho said:

Yes - I think it's at 12 ET full list (at-large) are realeased.

 

1 hour ago, Paul158 said:

I'M not sure that counts. He decided to not wrestle in the Big Ten Tourn because of a knee injury. He did this to allow his leg to heel up for the NCAA tournament. He was the top ranked wrestler. These true wild cards are not ranked or they are 31,32 or 33. I think Mark Branch is in the Running. He hadn't wrestled very many match's (8and 9) going into the NCAA and had a losing record. He was also a freshman and won an NCAA title.

Aren't Wild Cards are basically ranked guys (top 33) who didn't grab one of their conferences allotted spots>

[Idaho]

3 hours ago, wjd said:

 

Aren't Wild Cards are basically ranked guys (top 33) who didn't grab one of their conferences allotted spots>

Yes, but more than just ranked guys. There is a formula used to determine who gets the at-large births (wild cards)

[Idaho]

4 hours ago, jchapman said:

Jimmy is correct.  Starocci placed 1st as an at-large.  That is the best performing wild card/at-large wrestler.

Starocci was a #9 seed. Disqualified.

[lu_alum]

Wild cards haven’t existed since the current conference allocation process was introduced. Wild cards (and the back room deal-making) went away when the five-year rolling R12 average was stopped. I think this occurred in 2010?

At Large bids are extended in today’s qualifying structure.


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[jchapman]

5 minutes ago, Idaho said:

Starocci was a #9 seed. Disqualified.

He was an at-large bid