This is a topic that has been talked to death. Yet, it's usually discussed from an overall standpoint. I don't know if it's ever been discussed weight by weight. So as a result, I'm going to do that. I took a look at all 10 weight classes in Division I and I put together who I thought the top five best wrestlers at each weight class were that never made All American status during their career.I realize that most likely I'm going to get a lot of feedback about the guys I overlooked or the guys I forgot. Trust me, I most likely already know. It was very difficult narrowing it down to five guys per weight. I write this because I feel that we as a whole, we as a wrestling community tend to put too much emphasis on the NCAA tournament alone. There have been wrestlers in our past and their will be wrestlers in our future who achieve an assortment of credentials, but fall short of All American status. I personally feel that these wrestlers should still be celebrated. Still be remembered. And this is my way of doing it.Here are who I consider to be the top Five at 133 lbs.
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#5
Jason Borrelli
Central Michigan
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Wrestling is a funny sport in a lot of ways. No other sport prides itself as much as wrestling does on the faith of its athletes. No other sport openly displays its faith more than wrestling. Yet you ask the wrestling community to put a little faith in a guy to lead others to achieve in their careers, what he was unable to in his, they are extraordinarily reluctant. That is the case of Jason Borrelli who has ever since he took over the reigns at Stanford, been producing some great talent. Even though Borrelli himself was never an All American, he was still a standout wrestler. A MAC champion his junior season, he defeated the likes of Nick Simmons of Michigan State, Jake Strayer of Penn State and Darrell Vasquez of Cal Poly during his career.
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#4
Matt Fisk
Lehigh
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Four time NCAA qualifier Matt Fisk makes the list at #4. A wrestler who always put together a good in season record with impressive wins, Fisk finished 2nd-5th-3rd-2nd at the EIWA championships during his career. He finished one match shy of All American status as a senior.
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#3
Pat Castillo
Northern Illinois
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When I think of the glory days of Husky wrestling and where I hope to see them at again one day, one of the first names that often pops into my head is Pat Castillo. A two time MAC champion and a three time Midlands place winner, Castillo entered his final NCAA tournament as the #10 seed finishing one win shy of a medal.
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#2
Scott Jorgenson
Boise State
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When Scott Jorgenson took over the 133 lbs spot after Jesse Brock graduated he all but owned the PAC-12 conference. Winning three PAC-12 titles, he did so in fashion defeating Cal State Bakersfield's Matt Sanchez, Cal Poly's Darrell Vasquez and UC Davis's Derek Moore to earn them. He finished one match shy of All American status in three consecutive NCAA tournaments.
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#1
Rollie Peterkin
Penn
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Maybe it was fate or maybe it was simply bad luck, but the cards always seemed stacked against Rollie Peterkin once he entered the NCAA tournament. EIWA finishes of 1st, 2nd and 3rd, he also won a CKLV title his senior season. Among his many notable wins include victories over four time All American Zach Sanders of Minnesota and NCAA champion Anthony Robles of Arizona State. Any betting man would have laid his money down that in three straight round of twelve matches that Peterkin would have won at least one. Unfortunately he didn't and as a result, he at least in my mind goes down as the best 133 lbs wrestler in the 21st century to not All American.
Who did I leave out that I should have included?
Matt Azevedo of Arizona State/Iowa State?
Sammy Hiatt of Northern Illinois?
Ricky Deubel of Edinboro?
Those were some of the names I thought of when compiling this list.
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