Did You Wrestle in College?

[1032004]

4 hours ago, Caveira said:

Wrestled d3 … I was 0.500 spot starting for a top 10 team nationally.   Was never a threat to AA or anything like that.  

This is pretty much me as well, although I never ended up starting for the postseason

[flyingcement]

I had two campus visits: Scranton and Navy.  The latter I would have been a walk on room guy.  I ended up choosing a school that didn't have a program and wrestled for their club team before having several shoulder surgeries.  

[Caveira]

2 hours ago, 1032004 said:

This is pretty much me as well, although I never ended up starting for the postseason

In high school (Illinois 2a the big division at the time)  I was defensive on my feet.  Had ok shots but was better at position and go behinds.   Good positional / hand fighting etc.   I was tall / lanky and used that to my advantage.     Could defend from most I came across in the state etc.    I was a good pinner / rider.  Had a good leg ride and cradle series.   Could turn almost anyone except some of the better kids.  I didn’t realize then but I was below average on bottom.  I don’t recall getting pinned but I do recall getting ridden a full period quit a bit. 
 

in college.   Well everyone had good position and could hand fight.  And the average to above average we’re taking me down quite a bit.  The AAs / national champs in the room at will.   Not to bad but defo not high school.  
 

Also kids in college can get out from bottom so my riding skills didn’t really translate as I thought they would. Not getting out from bottom was now really exposed.   The better kids punished this tremendously.   If not for back points but brutally kicking your butt for a period takes its toll on your head kneck arms shoulders etc.   I know that now when they hurt when I sleep lol… that or I’m getting old.   Also.  Not dominating like 70-80% of matches was very new…..  I didn’t like that very much lol.    I prolly cut to much weight as I tended to have to work more on that than getting out from bottom or developing better offensive capabilities on my feet.  
 

When your coaches tell you to work on xyz when your young.  Work on it.   Kids think but I won?!?!!!??  Or I’m winning!?!!?!  Or I placed at state.!?!?!!?!    That doesn’t matter.   they know what you need to work on.  Leave the hubris at the door.   No need for that.  

Edited November 11, 2023 by Caveira

[mad_rascal]

Was a good high school wrestler. Was a preferred walk on at a (now defunct) MAC program. Tore ACL freshman year, and then partied too much. Forgot about wrestling for about 15 years. Went back to a local CC and joined the club team around age 33 or 34. Ended up qualifying for NWCA nationals and went 1-2 there. Most fun I had had in a long time, but it nearly broke my body. Now I've been a high school assistant coach for almost a decade.

[BuckyBadger]

I was a mediocre high school wrestler. I ended up going to school at UW-Madison (not for wrestling) but didn’t want my competitive days to be over so decided to try and walk-on even though I knew it would be a long shot. 

I still remember the first time we went live in preseason thinking holy shit I feel like I’m going to die!

Anyway, I initially got cut and was kind of just content with the opportunity to be in the room. But Barry Davis, who was the coach at the time, said something to me like you can come back and wrestle with us once the season is over. That kind of surprised me, like he actually noticed me during preseason.

Those words were enough motivation that I really trained my butt off and came back once the season was over. I trained with the team in Spring and summer and was able to walk on my last two years of school. Mostly I was beat up each practice but every now and then would get a takedown on a good guy and make him upset enough to really beat me up!

Being in the room for my last two years of school is probably the most formative experience I’ve had in my life and one I’m grateful for.

[Jim L]

On 11/9/2023 at 12:12 PM, Jim L said:

Yes. DIII and it was a huge part of my college experience. I got better every year and ended up being pretty good DIII guy but nowhere close to where I wanted to be.

After I was done there was a hole in my life that I struggled to fill. I competed in Judo and BJJ for many years and that helped but it was never quite the same as competing in collegiate wresting

Great thread. I love hearing about everyone's wrestling history, from solid DI guys to JV stars. And it seems most have common themes - suffered and loved it, never as good as I wanted to be, too many injuries.

It feels like I stumbled into a bar where people are actually interested in hearing about my "glory years", so I'll keep blabbering.  

Beat a handful of DII and DIII All Americans in college but never made it to nationals.

3-0 as an alumni v. my college in my forties (mostly shows how much the program declined)

Beat Steve Mocco in Judo (he was in HS at the time, but placed in US Judo senior nationals the next year). I actually pinned him ( technically a hold down in Judo)

Won Pan Am gold medal in BJJ (brown belt in my age divisions, not quite as impressive as it might sound to wrestlers, but still pretty good)

[ionel]

56 minutes ago, Jim L said:

Great thread. I love hearing about everyone's wrestling history, from solid DI guys to JV stars.

Don't forget the swimmer!  We'd know nothing of historic stats and fictitious pinfells if not for the swimmer. 

[Antitroll2828]

Was a multiple placer and state finalist in middle school , underachieved some in hs , 1x SQ, , Wrestled D3 for a top 25 school for 2 years , they went out of way to help me get in and get me set up bc I was on my own , Unfortunately they should’ve just enrolled me in clown college for the way I acted the first year …spent way too much time partying and making 6-7 hr round trip drives home to see my GF , …locked in 2nd year ,made nationals ,won a match ,but working full time /class full time and wrestling full time was too much , that summer got offered a job making real $$ so I left to join the real world …still regret passing up those 2 years 

 

I have an impressive hit list of guys that have beat me though lol, Lost to Molinaro and Darrion Caldwell in high school, Alex Meade my first open tournament,beat D3 NC before he was champ Vincent Renaut , also beat Former Rutgers heavyweight Billy Smith before his growth spurt up to heavyweight ,i also once headed locked jimmy Sheptock, got the 2 , he rolled thru and proceeded to beat the daylights out of me for the next 5 minutes 

[Paul158]

12 minutes ago, Antitroll2828 said:

Was a multiple placer and state finalist in middle school , underachieved some in hs , 1x SQ, , Wrestled D3 for a top 25 school for 2 years , they went out of way to help me get in and get me set up bc I was on my own , Unfortunately they should’ve just enrolled me in clown college for the way I acted the first year …spent way too much time partying and making 6-7 hr round trip drives home to see my GF , …locked in 2nd year ,made nationals ,won a match ,but working full time /class full time and wrestling full time was too much , that summer got offered a job making real $$ so I left to join the real world …still regret passing up those 2 years 

 

I have an impressive hit list of guys that have beat me though lol, Lost to Molinaro and Darrion Caldwell in high school, Alex Meade my first open tournament,beat D3 NC before he was champ Vincent Renaut , also beat Former Rutgers heavyweight Billy Smith before his growth spurt up to heavyweight ,i also once headed locked jimmy Sheptock, got the 2 , he rolled thru and proceeded to beat the daylights out of me for the next 5 minutes 

Good stuff.

[gimpeltf]

Never wrestled in a program. A couple times in IMs. However, I'll give you a HOF workout partner list.

Bob Zaro- 2x NJ Champ (same HS he was a year behind so his homeroom was right next to mine).

Herb Campbell- Undefeated NJ Champ as a senior, Lehigh captain. We were in the same freshman dorm. When he found out I was from Pburg he said let's wrestle. I told him I never wrestled. "It's ok- you're from Pburg". For years I thought he was suggesting that anyone from Pburg could wrestle since Pburg was #1 in the state around then for years (sometimes sharing with Paulsboro during their first big streak). I found out later the real reason was that Herbie's last loss in HS was at regions his junior year to a 2x NJ runnerup from Pburg.

Mark Lieberman- Not really a workout as much as he grabbed me and put me in a lap tilt. Somehow I popped out of it. It stunned him and he let me go asking me how I did it. Self-preservation, I guessed.

Pete Schuyler- NJ Champ and NCAA AA.

Darryl Burley- NJ Champ, 4x NCAA finalist and 2x Champ. 

Admittedly they were drilling and I was going live (and they weren't having any difficulty)

[Caveira]

Hopefully this thread helps with this.   Doesn’t seem there are a ton of 4x AA multi time finalize / champs for a reason.   When people say things like …. So and so stinks he is barely a r12 guy…. Or is only 2-8 in the big 10 or whatever.   It’s pretty sad sometimes.   It’s like we eat our own sometimes.      
 

I say sometimes to much. 

Edited November 11, 2023 by Caveira

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

4 hours ago, Antitroll2828 said:

i also once headed locked jimmy Sheptock, got the 2 , he rolled thru and proceeded to beat the daylights out of me for the next 5 minutes 

OMG. I never want to hear "headlock" and "Sheptock" in my mind at the same time ever again. Robin Ficker would scream that every four seconds for however long that particular match lasted. I have to say, though, that you having headlocked Sheptock makes me laugh! Irony. Cheers! 

[Jim L]

1 hour ago, Caveira said:

Hopefully this thread helps with this.   Doesn’t seem there are a ton of 4x AA multi time finalize / champs for a reason.   When people say things like …. So and so stinks he is barely a r12 guy…. Or is only 2-8 in the big 10 or whatever.   It’s pretty sad sometimes.   It’s like we eat our own sometimes.      
 

I say sometimes to much. 

I criticize NFL players all the time and think the Patriots should move on from Belichek despite never coached a single super bowl champion myself. As fans we don't have a right to be nasty, but I think it is fine to be disappointed in someone's results. I know they are just college kids, but there really isn't a pro league

[Leg rider]

While I agree that fans in any sport really often are criticizing well above their own level of achievement, it is sometimes ok to be disappointed with a performance. Who here didn't have a teammate at some level that had tons of natural talent and wasted it? I had a teammate that was an AA as a freshman and had national title contender talent and threw it all away drinking too much (and unfortunately not just wrestling, but got himself kicked out of school as well). Based on this thread there are a lot of us that could look at guys like that and wished we had that talent because we wouldn't have wasted it.

[OMW]

Invited walk-on at a Top10 team for a major Eastern D1 University (I was there on a NROTC scholarship).

I didn't wrestle a match for the team and other priorities led me to leave the program.  But it was a great and tremendous experience while I was in the room.

[Jerry Valley]

Wrestled at a Juco for 2 years. Average to below average.  Transferred to a small D1 school. Had some eligibility issues. Wrestled and lost a couple of duals, had some wins in a couple opens.  Got a degree and have a decent job.  Eventhough I wasn't successful at wrestling it helped me beyond belief in life.  No better sport than wrestling.

[Eagle26]

On 11/11/2023 at 2:22 PM, Caveira said:

Hopefully this thread helps with this.   Doesn’t seem there are a ton of 4x AA multi time finalize / champs for a reason.   When people say things like …. So and so stinks he is barely a r12 guy…. Or is only 2-8 in the big 10 or whatever.   It’s pretty sad sometimes.   It’s like we eat our own sometimes.      
 

I say sometimes to much. 

I can sympathize with this! I wrestled D1 and made it to the NCAA tournament 3 times… never AA’d though. I know how hard I had to work to even just get there, so I feel bad for all the guys falling short of their goals and then having to hear crap from us fans! I’m sure it’s much worse today with social media… it’s probably hard for the athletes to avoid

[RicoSwaff]

I was a perennial in youth (placed every year at state, won 2 state titles) and at the HS level (Mediapolis, IA) I am likely known as a bit of an underachiever considering I placed just one time at the Iowa HS State Wrestling Tournament. I ended up competing D3 for Loras College in Dubuque, IA for 3.5 years and was up and down. Had the capacity to pin the national champ at my weight, but also routinely lost to guys who weren’t even varsity. One time at the Loras Open I pinned Wartburg’s starter who had just won the Harold Nichols at Iowa State the week before and in the finals I got my butt kicked by the guy who was 3rd string behind him!  I was able to effectively Hit a lot of; carries, cradles, headlocks and Merkles at every level; youth, HS and college. I Competed at Loras College until I dinged my knee in practice 4th year and while checking that, my doctor discovered I actually had hip dysplasia my entire life and ordered emergency reconstructive surgery on my hips… career was done, but my hips to this day feel like heaven and I am much more mobile now than I was before the surgery…. And that was about 15 years ago! My hips were maybe part of the reason I didn’t meet expectations in HS/college, for there were certain things I could not force my body to do… like, it felt structurally impossible trying to do them… for example: hitting a successful standup, turning the corner on high crotches, etc. seemed impossible. On the other hand, I was able to be more flexible while using my legs on top and in sprawl positions because my hips/legs would bend in ways that wouldn’t more most ppl. The PRIMARY reasons for not meeting expectations were; 1.) I thought 100X more about how to make weight than I did actually learning how to get better and 2.) I started going out/partying really hard as a Freshman in HS and this carried over to basically until I was 35 or so. I prioritized my social life above and beyond in comparison to wrestling and paid the price for it.
 

Bright side with all that is that I’m the oldest of 4 brothers and was rather vocal to at least the youngest 2 bros who are 14 and 16 years younger than me about my experiences and always pounded it into their heads to not make the same mistakes as me. The one close to my age (Justin) was a 3X Iowa HS State Finalist/1X Champ/1X Folkstyle National Champ/2X Fargo AA who competed at UNI. The one 14 years younger than me (Shea) was a 3X Iowa HS State Placer and 4-year starter at NAIA Graceland. The youngest one (Brennan) placed 6-3-2-2 at state and after he couldn’t even get a D1 coach to email him back or respond to his applications, he initially went to Graceland University on a full ride for football (he was 1st team all state football, a 6X placer at state track in sprinting events and was even a state champ in Art of all things)… He went out for wrestling on a whim during Christmas break his Freshman year because he just couldn’t stand going to watch meets without competing… he would go on to win 2 NAIA titles there before transferring to Iowa to see what he could do at the D1 level and is in his final season this year… He’s one of these guys who may have been adversely affected by being a multi-sport wrestler who took his other sports just as serious as wrestling. That was a frustrating experience for him, but I doubt he would ever take back his football and track experiences for the world. 
 

Very happy that my brothers didn’t follow my path when it came to prioritizing wrestling/education/etc. As anxious as it makes me to merely THINK about any of the 3 doing what I did, it makes me feel that much more guilty for putting my parents through the stress I did. You live and learn I guess. Happy to at least been blessed with the chance to learn from it. 
 

Short Answer: Yes, I competed in D3 and won probably 65-70% of my matches there if I had to take a guess.