There are two lists that a collegiate wrestling fan adds to every year that he would just as soon never add to again. One of those lists is "Greatest wrestlers to never win an NCAA title." The other is "Best wrestlers to never All American." Truth is, you'd much rather see a wrestler finally break through and achieve the status of making the award stand and taking home a medal. Yet, statistically speaking, the cards don't always fall into place as they should.
This list will only include wrestlers who are in their last year of eligibility. I realize Spencer Lee has yet to All American, and somewhere an eighth grader who without a doubt in your head is going to be the next Cael Sanderson mixed in with a little Alexander Medved, has also not made the award stand yet. That's all fine and dandy, but this list includes wrestlers whose collegiate careers will be said and done in less than a month.
Although it wasn't easy. I have narrowed it down to the top 5 who I believe have yet to All American. I'd like to see all five, plus the other seniors mentioned thereafter make the award stand this year. I realize the likelihood of that happening isn't probable. None the less, one can still hope.
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#5 Caleb Richardson
Old Dominion
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Looking at Richardson's 2017-2018 12-16 record thus far this season, one might question why I have him on this list. He'll have to upset his way through the MAC championships if he even hopes to get to the NCAA tournament. Yet my feelings are based on an embodiment of work over an entire career, not just this season. Looking over Richardson's career, he has more than proven what he is capable of. Wins over All Americans Jared Cortez of Penn State and Lehigh's Mason Beckman help to illustrate that point. He's also defeated ranked opponents Scott Delvecchio of Rutgers and Scotty Parker of Lehigh. Even this year he's shown glimpses of potential with victories of North Carolina State's Jamel Morris and Ohio's Cam Kelly. The year A.J. Schopp of Edinboro lost first round and came all the way back through the consolations pinning nearly everyone in his path to a Gorriaran award, his only loss was to Richardson. Regardless of how his career ends, on a high or low note, overall he had a pretty impressive career. It's a shame that a series of injuries and surgeries kept him from achieving more.
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| #4. Tie between North Carolina State's Mike Macchiavello and North Carolina's Troy Heilman |
Yes, I have a member of the wolfpack and a tarheel tied for fourth place. I'm almost positive that this would get me shot in North Carolina or at least put in jail. Nevertheless both Macchiavello and Heilmann have quite the opposite circumstance of Richardson. While both have had solid careers up unto this point, it has been this season, their senior year, where they have proven themselves most worthy. Ranked #3 at 197 lbs, Macchiavello is currently the highest ranked senior without an All American medal in NCAA Division I wrestling. A 7-5 victory over Ohio State's Kollin Moore and a 2-1 loss to #1 ranked Jared Haught of Virginia Tech even suggest that Macchiavello will be in the hunt for the national title. Not bad for a guy that no one was even thinking about four months ago.
As for Heilmann, somewhere between last March and the beginning of this season he decided that he was going to be one of the top guys at 149 lbs. Last season Arizona State's Josh Maruca handled Heilman 9-1. This season he defeated Maruca 9-8. Other notable victories include Geo Martinez of Oklahoma State, Ke-Shawn Hayes of Ohio State, Elezar Deluca of Rutgers and Max Thomsen of Northern Iowa. Having finished fourth, third and second so far in the ACC, look for Heilmann to also win his first conference title this season as well.
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#3 Jake A Smith
West Virginia |
Another wrestler whose career has been plagued by injuries, Smith has about done it all in his collegiate career. A three time Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational medalist, Smith has also won medals from the prestigious Midlands tournament as well. Twice a BIG 12 runner-up, Smith will carry a mere 11-6 record into his final conference tournament. Yet with numerous wins over Oklahoma State's Preston Weigel, he still poses a threat to the title. A healthy, 100% Jake A Smith is as good as is anyone at 197 lbs. If ready to rumble, he could easily turn into any higher seeds worst nightmare.
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#2 Markus Scheidel
Columbia |
When it comes to sportsmanship, there may not be a wrestler who displays it better than Columbia's Markus Scheidel. A class act both on and off the mat, Scheidel is one of the best seniors, looking over his entire career to yet All American. He's finished second and third thus far at the EIWA tournament, with a good chance to win it all this weekend. Cliff Keen Las Vegas, Midlands, so on and so forth there are few tournaments that Scheidel has entered where he hasn't walked out with a medal. Matter of fact, the NCAA tournament may be the only one where he hasn't. Columbia doesn't quite have the vigorous schedule of a BIG 10 school, so it may be difficult to predict how he'll do against stiff competition in Cleveland. Yet victories of Rider All American B.J. Clagon, Drexel's Garrett Hammond and Cornell's Fredy Stroker suggest that finally getting that All American medal, is more than doable.
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#1 Domenic Abounader
Michigan |
One can have their opinions on who belongs in the top five, 2-5 in the list of best seniors yet to AA, but indisputably the #1 spot goes to Domenic Abounader of Michigan. Abounader has otherwise been so successful in his career, that many times fans find themselves arguing that he has already been an All American. When they double check and discover that he has yet to stand on the award stand they still can't believe it. Two third place finishes and a BIG 10 title already in his resume, who hasn't he already beaten? From T.J. Dudley of Nebraska, to Iowa's Sammy Brooks and Minnesota's Kevin Steinhaus to Duke's Jake Kasper and Virginia Tech's Zach Zavatsky. He has yet to defeat Ohio State's Myles Martin or Penn State's Bo Nickal, but that doesn't mean that he can't. No reason at all why Abounader shouldn't be an All American come March the 17th, and that medal could likely be gold.
Others I considered putting on the list.....
Ryan Solomon of Pitt - I toyed around with the idea of making him somewhere in the top five, but the thing about Solomon is, he's remained stagnant. He hasn't gotten any worse over time, but he hasn't really gotten any better either. He was a middle of the pack, top 15-20 guy as a freshman and he's currently middle of the pack, top 15-20 guy now as a senior. Finishes of second-third-third at the ACC championships, I see him doing the same this year.
Colton McCrystal of Nebraska
Mitch Finesilver of Duke
Ben Thornton of Purdue
Luke Welch of Purdue
Ronnie Perry of Lock Haven
Richie Lewis of Rutgers
And I'm sure there are others that I'm not mentioning that I should.
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