Best Wrestlers to Never Win an NCAA Title

[lisa morales]

Cuvo is now a 285 lbr.

[Elevator]

Many of the best wrestlers never to win an NCAA title are the likely starters for PSU next year (other than HWT and if they are in the lineup, MM and Haines). 

[mad_rascal]

23 hours ago, 11986 said:

John Fischer like Frizzel never made a final. 20+ NCAA tourney wins. 

 

Fischer was 4 time AA (4,3,44) I think. 3 time Big Ten champ. Also had a good freestyle career. Pan Am Champ i think. Last American to beat John Smith and Tom Brands, and had a great series with Cary Kolat. Kolat credits him as making him a better wrestler in the video below:

 

[DrPWKnappy]

Jon Trenge

 

[Wrasslin]

10 hours ago, MidniteToka said:

Chance Marsteller was about as good as they come coming out of HS.  Then a lot of wrong turns.  

Chance definitely underperformed, which may be a separate thread altogether. But it got me thinking about other most-hyped wrestlers that underperformed and didn't win NCAAs. Zach Sanders probably belongs on that list? Sure, he's a 4 time AA so it's hard to be too critical, but as you mentioned, super hyped coming out of high school- #1 recruit, 5 time state champion, etc . . . We'll call this category "Studs to Duds: The Ryan Leaf/JaMarcus Russell Underachievement Award" Other award nominees (in no particular order, just limited to 5)

• Gavin Teasdale
• Kurt McHenry
• Andrew Camplotanno
• Alex Cisneros
• Marcus LeVasseur (sure, 4x D3 champ, but had D1 talent)

[Gus]

5 minutes ago, Wrasslin said:

Chance definitely underperformed, which may be a separate thread altogether. But it got me thinking about other most-hyped wrestlers that underperformed and didn't win NCAAs. Zach Sanders probably belongs on that list? Sure, he's a 4 time AA so it's hard to be too critical, but as you mentioned, super hyped coming out of high school- #1 recruit, 5 time state champion, etc . . . We'll call this category "Studs to Duds: The Ryan Leaf/JaMarcus Russell Underachievement Award" Other award nominees (in no particular order, just limited to 5)

• Gavin Teasdale
• Kurt McHenry
• Andrew Camplotanno
• Alex Cisneros
• Marcus LeVasseur (sure, 4x D3 champ, but had D1 talent)

Chris Phillips is always brought up as a "what if". Jesse Thielke (had Greco aspirations), Destin McCauley, John Meeks, Ben Whitford, Brooks Black, Lance Benick, Chase Singletary, Gavin Teasdale, Joey Silva were hammers in HS that never AA'd at the D1 level. 

Hopefully Braxton Amos can get healthy and finish his career strong next year so he does not end up on this list. 

[Holtfan]

Great article here which lists a lot of the names mentioned, and a few additions that people tend to forget about. 

https://www.wrestlingusa.com/ewExternalFiles/CollegeActionArticle.pdf

[MichiganMade3]

On 3/26/2025 at 4:22 PM, WrestlingRecords.com said:

Now that NCAAs are over, who are the best to never win a title?

Some guys off the top of my head:

1. Daton Fix

World Silver. Pan American Champ. US Open Champ. 4x NCAA Finalist.

Daton Fix's Record: https://wrestlingrecords.com/wrestler/daton-fix/

2. Stevan Micic

World Champ. World Bronze. Olympian. 3x NCAA All-American - 4th, 2nd, 3rd.

Stevan Micic's Record: https://wrestlingrecords.com/wrestler/stevan-micic/

3. Thomas Gilman

Olympic Bronze. World Champ. 2x World Silver. 3x NCAA All-American - 4th, 2nd, 3rd.

Thomas Gilman's Record: https://wrestlingrecords.com/wrestler/thomas-gilman/

HMs: Tyler Caldwell, Montell Marion, Sebastian Rivera

Nick Simmons MSU 4x AA

[MichiganMade3]

On 3/27/2025 at 11:36 AM, fishbane said:

He also won the US open in both styles and made an Olympic team.

This is where you would also add Nick Simmons for sure his biggest rival they had some crazy matches for the semis and in the finals I believe in both battled to make the world team for years

[MidniteToka]

5 hours ago, Wrasslin said:

Chance definitely underperformed, which may be a separate thread altogether. But it got me thinking about other most-hyped wrestlers that underperformed and didn't win NCAAs. Zach Sanders probably belongs on that list? Sure, he's a 4 time AA so it's hard to be too critical, but as you mentioned, super hyped coming out of high school- #1 recruit, 5 time state champion, etc . . . We'll call this category "Studs to Duds: The Ryan Leaf/JaMarcus Russell Underachievement Award" Other award nominees (in no particular order, just limited to 5)

• Gavin Teasdale
• Kurt McHenry
• Andrew Camplotanno
• Alex Cisneros
• Marcus LeVasseur (sure, 4x D3 champ, but had D1 talent)

Greg D might be honorable mention on your list considering he was a 5x NYS champ and Yianni's brother.  I don't even think he's even started at Cornell. 

[Holtfan]

4 hours ago, MichiganMade3 said:

This is where you would also add Nick Simmons for sure his biggest rival they had some crazy matches for the semis and in the finals I believe in both battled to make the world team for years

If I am not mistaken, Nick Simmons lost 2---maybe 3---World Team trials by being on the wrong side of the ball grab. 

[Coastal]

7 hours ago, Wrasslin said:

Chance definitely underperformed, which may be a separate thread altogether. But it got me thinking about other most-hyped wrestlers that underperformed and didn't win NCAAs. Zach Sanders probably belongs on that list? Sure, he's a 4 time AA so it's hard to be too critical, but as you mentioned, super hyped coming out of high school- #1 recruit, 5 time state champion, etc . . . We'll call this category "Studs to Duds: The Ryan Leaf/JaMarcus Russell Underachievement Award" Other award nominees (in no particular order, just limited to 5)

• Gavin Teasdale
• Kurt McHenry
• Andrew Camplotanno
• Alex Cisneros
• Marcus LeVasseur (sure, 4x D3 champ, but had D1 talent)

McHenry is a 4 time champ if there was a 112 weight class.  Great wrestler who is just too small and just doesn't belong on a list with the likes of Teasdale or Garret Scott who threw away their talent.

[Cornell Kevin]

2 hours ago, MidniteToka said:

Greg D might be honorable mention on your list considering he was a 5x NYS champ and Yianni's brother.  I don't even think he's even started at Cornell. 

NYS has had 4 guys win states 5x and only one of them one an NCAA title. Troy Nickerson.  Jacari Teemer made a final.  Greg D. has started 45 matches for Cornell going 36-9.  He was 9-0 this year before getting injured which has been a reoccurring situation throughout his career.

The 4th guy is Adam Busiello who was going to go to Penn St, then Arizona st and the last i heard of him he was losing to Cayden Herschel while wrestling for a junior college.  
 

Greg D is no where near anyone that has been listed thus far as far as best to not win titles.  Dude hasn’t even qualified for NCAAs let alone win it.  Maybe if you are speaking of best Hs guys not to win a title .

 

 

[lu_alum]

On 3/26/2025 at 1:47 PM, Wrestleknownothing said:

It is a long list of guys that had 4 or 5 AA finishes without winning.

Not that this should be a definitive list (does not include the guys from the no freshmen eligible era, for example), but it is a starting point to debate.

I only included guys who average better than fourth place.

Missing from this list is Trenge, who placed 2-2-3 for average finish of 2.33.  His frosh season got lost in late February 2001 due to detached and torn retinas.  During the season, he had beaten the guys who placed 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th at NCAAs.

[MichiganMade3]

3 hours ago, Holtfan said:

If I am not mistaken, Nick Simmons lost 2---maybe 3---World Team trials by being on the wrong side of the ball grab. 

He sure did if the rules were like they were today back in his era he probably would have won an Olympic medal or two or at least a couple World Championships

[lisa morales]

6 hours ago, lu_alum said:

Missing from this list is Trenge,

Oh boy...feel better now?  He's been mentioned repeatedly throughout this thread and probably 1,000x on similar threads the last two decades.

[PortaJohn]

2 hours ago, lisa morales said:

Oh boy...feel better now?  He's been mentioned repeatedly throughout this thread and probably 1,000x on similar threads the last two decades.

I feel better.  He was a fantastic wrestler and should be mentioned 1,000x more

[jross]

Nick Marable?  Good enough to knock off JB.  Good enough to make a world team.  

More…

 

[Fadzaev2]

On 3/27/2025 at 9:39 AM, Rassling2 said:

Fadz, aren’t you the poster with the extensive collage of past NCAA tickets? I’ll never forget that photo - a wrestling FAN of all fans!

[jross]

Which 70s wrestler made two senior FS teams while never having wrestled for a college university?

[jross]

Which lightweight wrestler made multiple senior FS teams across two decades (80s/90s) after finishing his collegiate career as a second string D2 wrestler?

[jross]

Which 70s wrestler medaled multiple times for senior FS teams after having best best collegiate championship placement of 5th in NAIA?

[Rassling2]

2 hours ago, Fadzaev2 said:

 

What a blast it would be to just listen to you share some of the most exciting moments from this amazing attendance history. I never seen any thing like it! THANK YOU for sharing this sir!

[Fadzaev2]

1 hour ago, Rassling2 said:

What a blast it would be to just listen to you share some of the most exciting moments from this amazing attendance history. I never seen any thing like it! THANK YOU for sharing this sir!

So many great memories!!!!

[Wrasslin]

5 hours ago, jross said:

Which 70s wrestler made two senior FS teams while never having wrestled for a college university?

oh, oh, I love stuff like this! Although this one's giving me trick question vibes! 

The only one I can think of that maybe would qualify is Butch Keaser, who wrestled for the US Naval Academy (so not technically a college university???). And fitting with this thread, he never won an NCAA title! Made two FS world teams in the 70s and was lucky enough to get to go to the exotic tourist destinations of Tehran and Minsk!  

How'd I do?