Since we're all addicts for Lists That Rank Things, put together this NCAA Wrestling "Best of..." list together.
Alan Fried: Greatest NCAA wrestler in history w/only 1 title
- Thread starter NickCorey
- Start date
I'd put Greg Wojciechowski in the list for consideration as well. Here's the problem - he wrestled at a time when freshman were not eligible (1969 was his freshman year) and total number of matches in a season was closer to 20 than 40 (or more). He lost 2 matches in his career - both in the NCAA finals. First time as a sophomore vs. returning champ (and runner up as a soph) Jess Lewis from Oregon State. Then he won it in 1971, before losing his only other match as a senior in the finals to 6'5" 415 pound Chris Taylor in 1972 (before there were weight limits for heavyweights in NCAA and international competition) . His record was 55-2 in the NCAA - a win percentage of 96.5%. Not as many matches and likely would have had more losses as a freshman (although he did finish 3rd at the Olympic qualifier in 1968 as a recently graduated 2x Ohio HS state heavyweight champion). Just wanted to give the Great Wojo some consideration for a runner-up spot - along with being another Ohio kid... Wojo also made the 1980 Olympic team that never got to compete.
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bigredcoach
Active member
Another great wrestler who won one title but was a 4x All American was Corey Kline (95-2000) from Ashland University. Yes it's division 2, but injuries and a former Cuban Olympic Wrestler prevented him from winning another title his senior year.
If you read the article, this is college performance only. This has nothing to do with post-college, international, World/Olympic accolades. That’s why it’s mentioned in the article why one-timers Bruce Baumgartner, Kenny Monday (who beat Schultz at the 1988 trials), and Kendall Cross aren’t it. Fried had better COLLEGE careers than each of them, and a better college career than Schultz.
Title of thread is “Greatest NCAA Wrestler in History w/Only 1 Title.” Fried’s NCAA career was better than Schultz’s.
Fair enough...But in one NCAA Championship match for "all the marbles," I'd of rather faced Fried than Schultz. Fried might take me down 20 times and embarrass me, but Schultz would "brutalize" me for 5 minutes, separate both my shoulders & pin me, then later tell me how good I really was...
Jim Behrens
Well-known member
I have to wonder if you don't think Fried would have "brutalized" you?Fair enough...But in one NCAA Championship match for "all the marbles," I'd of rather faced Fried than Schultz. Fried might take me down 20 times and embarrass me, but Schultz would "brutalize" me for 5 minutes, separate both my shoulders & pin me, then later tell me how good I really was...
I can name a number of his opponents (two of whom live within 5 miles of me) that felt he did exactly that to them.
No shame in getting waxed by either of them. However, in a head-to-head college match between the two, smartest money woulda been on Fried, IMO. Different sized guys, so even if they were close in age, still never would have happened.Fair enough...But in one NCAA Championship match for "all the marbles," I'd of rather faced Fried than Schultz. Fried might take me down 20 times and embarrass me, but Schultz would "brutalize" me for 5 minutes, separate both my shoulders & pin me, then later tell me how good I really was...
As good a freestyler as Fried was (4 Jr National Titles, never wrestled cadets; beat some huge names in FS - John Fisher being one among many others), smart money still woulda been on Schultz in FS if they ever could have met.
Agreed. On that front I'd go with Wade Schalles, followed closely by Dan the Man Gable. Others would include a host of Hawkeyes like Royce Alger, the Brands' boys, Spencer Lee, then Steve Mocco, Mark Churella and Dan Severn.
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