Best Wrestlers to Never Win an NCAA Title

[Wrasslin]

20 hours ago, Coastal said:

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.

While conjecture (McHenry 4 time champ @ 112), I'm inclined to agree with you! I was hoping he'd grow into the weight over his 5+ years of college but. . . *sigh*

[Wrasslin]

6 hours ago, jross said:

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

This one stumped me . . . I cheated and had to look it up! 

The answer: 1976 Olympic Gold medalist (and multiple time world medalist) John Peterson. . .not to be confused with the John Peterson who wrestled on your high school team! ('cause there's John Peterson's everywhere, get it)? 

[ionel]

6 minutes ago, Wrasslin said:

This one stumped me . . . I cheated and had to look it up! 

The answer: 1976 Olympic Gold medalist (and multiple time world medalist) John Peterson. . .not to be confused with the John Peterson who wrestled on your high school team! ('cause there's John Peterson's everywhere, get it)? 

[ionel]

Has anyone mentioned Ono? 

[Jim L]

6 hours ago, jross said:

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

Gotta be a 105 lb guy. Eiter?

[jross]

8 hours ago, jross said:

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

John Peterson never qualified for his high schools state tournament.  He was an All-American for University of Wisconsin at Stout just one time, placing fifth at the 1971 NAIA Championships.  Then he made a World team a few months later.  He made the national team six times and became an Olympic Champion.  He found more success when he took Dan Gable's advice to stop cutting too much weight.

Year	Location	Wrestler Name	Style	Weight	Place	Type
1971	Sofia, Bulgaria	John Peterson	FS	180.5 (82kg)	dnp	Worlds
1972	Munich, Germany	John Peterson	FS	180.5 (82kg)	2	Olympics
1973	Tehran, Iran	John Peterson	FS	180.5 (82kg)	dnp	Worlds
1976	Montreal, Canada	John Peterson	FS	180.5 (82kg)	1	Olympics
1978	Mexico City, Mexico	John Peterson	FS	180.5 (82kg)	3	Worlds
1979	San Diego, California	John Peterson	FS	180.5 (82kg)	2	Worlds

 

 

[jross]

8 hours ago, jross said:

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

A 98 pounder in High School, Tim Vanni wrestled for D2 California State University, Bakersfield.  He made the senior team nine times with a best place of 4th at the 1988 Olympics.

Year	Location	Wrestler Name	Style	Weight	Place	Type
1982	Edmonton, Canada	Tim Vanni	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	6	Worlds
1985	Budapest, Hungary	Tim Vanni	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	10	Worlds
1986	Budapest, Hungary	Tim Vanni	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	6	Worlds
1987	Clermont-Ferrand, France	Tim Vanni	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	5	Worlds
1988	Seoul, South Korea	Tim Vanni	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	4	Olympics
1989	Martigny, Switzerland	Tim Vanni	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	5	Worlds
1991	Varna, Bulgaria	Tim Vanni	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	dnp	Worlds
1992	Barcelona, Spain	Tim Vanni	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	5	Olympics
1994	Istanbul, Turkey	Tim Vanni	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	9	Worlds

sf

 

[jross]

8 hours ago, jross said:

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

Rob Eiter attended ASU and never competed for the college.  He went on to represent the USA at two Worlds and one Olympics.

Quote

 

Eiter grew up in the Midwest and his uncle, who was one of the top ice hockey coaches in Illinois, put skates on him as soon as he could walk.

That changed when he went to junior high and his science teacher pulled him aside.

“He asked if I ever wrestled before and I said no,” Eiter recalled about his days as a seventh grader. “He goes, 'You’re the smallest kid I’ve seen in school, I’m the wrestling coach and I want you to come to practice today.'”

A few months later, Eiter was competing in the state final, still wearing his everyday sneakers.

“I didn’t even have wrestling shoes back then,” he said with a laugh.

After high school, Eiter entered Arizona State but had no intention to wrestle. That’s where he met Zeke Jones, who would later become a world champion and Olympic silver medalist, and swayed him to come out for the team.

Eiter would never wrestle for the Sun Devils, but coach Bobby Douglass convinced him to wrestle freestyle with the Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club, based in Tempe, Arizona. He qualified for the Olympic Trials in 1992, but he failed to make the team.

At 24 years old, Eiter thought his wrestling career was over.

Instead, it was just beginning.

Eiter was selected as an alternate for the 1992 Olympic Games. It was in Barcelona, Spain that he experienced a rejuvenation.

https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/sports/high-school/wrestling/2025/01/20/former-olympian-rob-eiter-joins-clearview-wrestling-coaching-staff/77706245007/

 

 

Year	Location	Wrestler Name	Style	Weight	Place	Type
1993	Toronto, Canada	Rob Eiter	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	9	Worlds
1995	Atlanta, Georgia	Rob Eiter	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	7	Worlds
1996	Atlanta, Georgia	Rob Eiter	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	8	Olympics

 

 

[jross]

2 hours ago, Jim L said:

Gotta be a 105 lb guy. Eiter?

Great guess and the answer to a different question.

[Boring]

On 3/26/2025 at 10:49 PM, wolfpack101 said:

Always thought Trent got such a rough break going head to head against one of the GOAT's in Aaron Brooks. They matched up at NCAA's 4 straight years from 21-24 twice in the semi's and twice in the finals with Brooks winning all 4. Trent Hidlay is a multi time champ in a lot of other era's.

Both of the Hidlay brothers were NCAA champion material, they just happened to come along at the wrong time. 

[Boring]

1 hour ago, jross said:

A 98 pounder in High School, Tim Vanni wrestled for D2 California State University, Bakersfield.  He made the senior team nine times with a best place of 4th at the 1988 Olympics.

Year	Location	Wrestler Name	Style	Weight	Place	Type
1982	Edmonton, Canada	Tim Vanni	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	6	Worlds
1985	Budapest, Hungary	Tim Vanni	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	10	Worlds
1986	Budapest, Hungary	Tim Vanni	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	6	Worlds
1987	Clermont-Ferrand, France	Tim Vanni	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	5	Worlds
1988	Seoul, South Korea	Tim Vanni	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	4	Olympics
1989	Martigny, Switzerland	Tim Vanni	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	5	Worlds
1991	Varna, Bulgaria	Tim Vanni	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	dnp	Worlds
1992	Barcelona, Spain	Tim Vanni	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	5	Olympics
1994	Istanbul, Turkey	Tim Vanni	FS	105.5lbs (48KG)	9	Worlds

sf

 

Ugh, it must be maddening to finish 4th at the Olympics. Did they not use the repechage system back then, so there wouldn't be a 4th placer, but instead 2 3rd placers? 

[Boring]

On 3/26/2025 at 8:57 PM, Tyler said:

This is insane

What was insane was how bad Caldwell's offense was whenever he wrestled somebody with a pulse. 

[Ched64]

Eric Grajales was a highly touted recruit to Michigan back in 2010ish.  i think he was a 5 time state champ out of florida. over his career, he was one of the more exciting wrestlers on the circuit but didn’t crack AA until his final year with a 3rd in 2013.  Though slowed by injuries and a questionable gas tank, he was extremely entertaining and always a difficult out.

[Ched64]

4 minutes ago, Ched64 said:

Eric Grajales was a highly touted recruit to Michigan back in 2010ish.  i think he was a 5 time state champ out of florida. over his career, he was one of the more exciting wrestlers on the circuit but didn’t crack AA until his final year with a 3rd in 2013.  Though slowed by injuries and a questionable gas tank, he was extremely entertaining and always a difficult out.

 

[Jim L]

8 hours ago, jross said:

Great guess and the answer to a different question.

Great trivia questions! Finding "full-grown" adult men in the US who could make 105 led to interesting results. I have to think if it was still a international weight class with the current level of High Schoolers we would be seeing HS freshman competing for world teams

[RawDog]

Does Ayala end up on this list? With Ono and crookham coming back I feel like this year was his best shot being a champ 

[Fadzaev2]

19 hours ago, jross said:

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

That would be John Peterson.

[jross]

Below is a list of wrestlers that won either a Free Style Worlds or Olympic Championship but did not win NCAAs in college.

 

 

Edited Sunday at 02:48 PM by jross

[jross]

Below is a list of wrestlers that took 2nd place either a Free Style Worlds or Olympic Championship but did not win NCAAs (D1) in college.

[jross]

Below is a list of wrestlers that took 3rd place either a Free Style Worlds or Olympic Championship but did not win NCAAs (D1) in college.

 

 

 

Edited Sunday at 02:54 PM by jross

[jross]

Below is a list of wrestlers that took 4th through 8th in either a Free Style Worlds or Olympic Championship but did not win NCAAs (D1) in college.

 

Edited Sunday at 03:12 PM by jross

[jross]

Below is a list of wrestlers whose best placement was outside the top 8 in either a Free Style Worlds or Olympic Championship and did not win NCAAs (D1) in college.  They made a senior team, making them the best in the USA!!!

[Wrasslin]

These Excel clips are making me super jealous right now!!

[jross]

Who played football in college, did not wrestle in college, and later won a Greco World championship?

[11986]

13 hours ago, Boring said:

Ugh, it must be maddening to finish 4th at the Olympics. Did they not use the repechage system back then, so there wouldn't be a 4th placer, but instead 2 3rd placers? 

Only one bronze in that era