Best to Never Win a State Title

[wrestlingislife_189]

I know this thread comes up quite often around this time. Who were some of the great Wisconsin wrestlers to never win that elusive state title? A few that come to mind mind are Ben Provisor (currently ranked #2 at 80kg in Greco. Ben was an Olympian in the last Olympics as well. Another recent name that comes to my mind is Malachi Root. Our state tournament has to be one of the toughest around! Can't wait for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday!!

[npope]

Well, this is gonna get a lot of hits, so before it gets going let me say that if you are going to be putting names like Malachi Root up there along side the likes of John Peterson and Russ Hellickson then you are going to really devalue the significance of any such list. No specific disrespect to the young Mr. Root, but you gotta keep this list pretty elite because its going to get long enough with just those kinds of guys.

But I would encourage all who are inclined to put my name on the list if so moved

I don't mean to suggest that I should be on the list but rather, I am qualified since I never could win it. Meant as a joke that doesn't seem too funny, in hind sight

[bigG]

I don't think Laurent Soucie ever won state. Brute!

Proviser is a good choice, though.

I take no offense to Root. He was about the strongest little guy out there.

Jim Bavers III also comes to mind. Qualified his Freshman year on through and never won it.

[maggie]

to me, Mineral Points Joe Terrill hands down has to be, i believe he was beat in Sec as a FR, to the eventual State champion (Anderson-Riverdale), then lost to Angie (Athens) in the finals of his SO, and JR years and to Lowney (Manawa) his SR year in the finals....wow, what a tough road ha?...and had to beat a few undefeated wrestlers in each yr to get to the finals...

[Manty77]

I'll throw out Pat Christenson.  I sat behind him at the last Badgers dual and he told me he never won a state title, yet went on to become a National college champ for the Badgers in '76.  http://www.wiwrestling.com/college/uw/WisconsinWrestlingUWRecordsb.pdf

[Manty77]

oh gosh, how could I almost forget . .  . Alyssa Lampe

[woody53]

Nick Ziegler and Jake Madigan, Lodi. Kalvin York, Sugar River. Zac Bartlett, Nekoosa. Just a few that come to mind.

[hammer]

Well, this is gonna get a lot of hits, so before it gets going let me say that if you are going to be putting names like Malachi Root up there along side the likes of John Peterson and Russ Hellickson then you are going to really devalue the significance of any such list. No specific disrespect to the young Mr. Root, but you gotta keep this list pretty elite because its going to get long enough with just those kinds of guys.

But I would encourage all who are inclined to put my name on the list if so moved

I don't see why putting Malachi Root up there would in any shape make this list devalued. Sure your going to hear about guys that were in the Olympics. I think those "best" that never won were awesome in their own right so why not put them on this forum because for some reason they dont get to be in any record books and I think that is the reason for this thread, lets give those guys some respect also.

[jaguarwrestler]

Best to never win state... because they are very good at Greco?

Isn't state folkstyle? So shouldn't it be best folkstyle wrestler to never win state?

Shouldn't be based on what they did in HS not what they did years after?

Root was what a 3 time finalist and beat the eventual state champion 3 years IN A ROW just a week before. He lost about 5 matches in his career, 3 of those being in the state final, 2 of those to a person he beat the week before. In modern times... 1990 and up I think he is the best.

Provisor was a good folkstyle wrestler but far from elite, not like he crushed people for 4 years but just came up a match short 2-3 times. Provisor is a great Greco wrestler, if that qualifies him to be the best HS folkstyle wrestler to never win state.... I guess.

Without looking I would guess Root had the highest career win %
I would guess he is also the only person to beat that year champ 3 years in a row only a week earlier.
He is probably also the only one to go 2-3-2-2 or better.

[miltonfan#1]

Garret whitehead.. nick conklin

[miltonfan#1]

Forgot to add colin cudd...

[ScreamingNorwegian]

Russ Hellickson won state in 1966 at 180 pounds.

[Dale]

I always have to throw in Dale Hall when this topic comes up. 

[wrestling135]

Not saying he is the best but Cullen Morrisey was a good one. 3x runner up to Grant Sutter and senior year fell to Zach Zainer

[TheChosenOne]

Brandon Garcia of Cedar Grove-Belgium was a 3X runner up. His Sr year he got DQ on a slam call.