The Best One Time NCAA Division I Champions

Throughout Facebook and Twitter a list of the 10 best one time NCAA Division I Champions is going around.  First off I want to say that I have no problem with this list.  The names on it deserve to be on it for various reasons.   There list includes....

Kenny Monday of Oklahoma State who went on to international stardom

Mark Hall of Penn State who had a high probability of earning another title had it not been for the Caronavirus.

I'm not sure who the ninth person was....and now I can't find their list!!

Dave Schultz of Oklahoma who like Monday went on to international stardom

Alan Fried of Oklahoma State who suffered due to penalties put against the Cowboys during his time there.

Duane Goldman of Iowa who finished runner up three years in a row before finally winning the title as a senior

Bruce Baumgartner of Indiana State who in my opinion is the most decorated international star we've ever had & may ever have.

Tony Ramos of Iowa who damn near kept four time NCAA champ Logan Steiber from winning one of his titles.

Kendall Cross of Oklahoma State who not only won a Gold medal in the Olympics but defeated Terry Brands along the way in doing so.

Eric Larkin of Arizona State, a four time PAC-12 champion, who suffered some upsets before finally being crowned champion as a senior in 2003.


This list is great. The list is solid.  I simply feel that there are some names that deserve mention & recognition.

And to fully admit hypocrisy in my list of 10 I'll eventually get around to sharing, there are a lot of names that I left off the list as well.    I'll mention those to start with.


Some might include Adam Tirapelle of Illinois who was 3-2-1 in his last three years as an Illini.  The thorn in his side that potentially kept him from winning more titles was Northern Iowa's Tony Davis.  Davis defeated him 8-3 his sophomore season and then 5-1 in the NCAA finals his junior season.

In 2010 the talk at 125 lbs was between two sensational freshmen.  Matt McDonough of Iowa & Andrew Long of Iowa State.  While both were sensational, I think both ought to be thankful that both Troy Nickerson of Cornell & Angel Escobedo of Indiana were banged up, injured and far, far, far from at their best.  Escobedo who had finished 4-1-5 up to that point was able to over come McDonough for a title at the BIG 10's but lost to Long in the semi-finals.  Nickerson lost a match in round two to Boston's Fred Santaite, who a year earlier he would've pinned. (It's not a shot at McDonough, saying that for sure that a healthy Nickerson would've defeated him,  but it is a recognition of how much injuries effect performance.  Years later McDonough would know that to be true himself when he lost to North Dakota State's Trent Sprenkle in the blood round.  A wrestler whom he had pinned twice and majored once up to that point.)  Then Nickerson, looking like a WWII soldier after a day on the beach at Normandy, battled his way back to the consolation finals all bloodied and worn.    Ironically enough he lost to Escobedo for third.   So there are two more names Nickerson and Escobedo.

Joel Sharratt?  Jim Heffernan?  Troy Steiner?   Three Hawkeye legends who all won one title during their illustrious careers.

Nashon Garrett?  Cam Simaz?  Two members of the BIG Red that only won one title.  What kept Garrett off my top 10 list was his junior season.  Not that it wasn't still good finishing fifth but in comparison to his 3rd place performance as a freshman where he knocked off McDonough & his second place performance where he only lost to Delgado as a sophomore, it lacked. It especially lacked in comparison to his national title performance as a senior.

I think many would include Andrew Howe of Wisconsin/Oklahoma at 2-1-3-2 & perhaps after reading this you'll feel I should've swiped him with someone else.

Rob Koll of North Carolina?  8-3-3-1

I had a Hell of a time leaving Edinboro's Josh Kosheck off my list.  4-2-1-3 during his time as a fighting Scott.


And now FINALLY....another 10 on top of the 10 that others already mentioned

Doug Schwab
Iowa

Doug Schwab won his one title for the Hawkeyes during his sophomore season with a 4-2 victory over rival Michael Lightner of Oklahoma.  As a junior he'd suffer a huge upset at the hands of Carl Perry of Illinois 7-5 whom he had defeated four times up to that point.  His senior year I really thought he'd secure a second NCAA title, but it was Lightner who avenged the loss from years prior with a 5-4 victory.  Schwab went on to take a silver medal at the 2007 PAN-American championships before turning his focus to what has thus far been a very successful run at Northern Iowa.

Troy Letters
LEHIGH 

I've said it once, I'll say it 100 times.  In this sport for some reason we never seem to forgive our athletes for having poor senior seasons.  Troy Letters of Lehigh, despite a nightmare senior season, deserves to be on this list.  He gave Illinois' Matt Lackey all he could handle in the 2003 NCAA's as a freshman.  He then put Tyone Lewis' of Oklahoma State's name on the list of "Best to Never win an NCAA title" when he defeated him as a sophomore.   His junior season he lost to eventual two time NCAA champion Mark Perry.   A three time EIWA champion, he'd finish in fourth place as a senior due to a severe neck injury.  He tried to wrestle through it at the NCAA's but ended up defaulting out of the tournament after being pinned by the Citadel's Dan "Buddy" Thompson.  He had easily majored Thompson in their prior meeting.   Would a 100% healthy Letters have won that bracket?  I'm going to say yes.  The year before he had no trouble defeating NCAA runner-up Ryan Churella of Michigan for third place.  I don't think Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State could've stopped him either.  I really don't.  I think Letters had it not been for the neck injury would've won a second title.

Larry Owings
Washington 

I don't know how in the Hell you can have a discussion about the best one time NCAA champions in the history of this sport and not mention the name Larry Owings.  The man who knocked off Dan Gable deserves to be somewhere on the list and for far more than just his defeat of the legendary Hawkeye coach.  He finished as the NCAA runner-up the next two seasons in 71' & 72'.  Not only was he the runner-up both years but look at his route to the finals.  He destroyed his competition up to the finals both years.  May I also add that he was the #1 seed in both tournaments.  May I also add that during Gable's legendary 1972 Olympic Gold medal run, Owings was the only wrestler he faced the entire time who scored a point on him.

Sylvester Terkay
North Carolina State 

You know what I love most about Terkay?  He was a nobody in high school.  Look up his credentials. There are none.  He went to North Carolina State, told his coaches he wanted to be good.  They locked him in the weight room, taught him how to wrestle, and he was good!   He finished third in the NCAA's as a sophomore and second as a junior.  Both years he lost to two time NCAA champion & 1996 Olympic Gold medalist Kurt Angle of Clarion by one point.  His senior year it took him all of one minute and forty three seconds to stick his opponent to win his NCAA title.  During his career he racked up 72 falls for the Wolfpack.

Nico Megaludis
Penn State 

Going into the NCAA's as a senior having finished 2nd-2nd-3rd the previous three years I wondered if he'd finally overcome the hump and win an NCAA title.  I don't enjoy doubting anyone but I had serious question as to whether he'd be added to the "best to never win an NCAA title" list.  Fortunately he put it all together his senior season and secured the title that long awaited him.

Tolly Thompson
Nebraska 

I once watched Thompson toss Steve Mocco across the mat and stick him.  That's all the convincing I need that he belongs on a list like this, but I'll add more to it.  After winning an NCAA title as a sophomore in 1995, he'd finish in third place the next two seasons.  In his way? Two time NCAA champion, World Champion Stephen Neal of Bakersfield.   Thompson's senior year in particularly sticks out.  He pinned his way to the semi-finals, easily earning the Manuel Gorriaran award for the most amount of falls in the least amount of time.  The three time BIG 12 champion had 157 wins in his career, 72 of them by fall.   Post college Thompson took a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships.

Cory Clark
Iowa 

He finished fifth in an impressive bracket as a freshman, making the NCAA finals as a sophomore and junior.  Sophomore year lost a nailbitter to Nahshon Garrett & junior year lost a hard fought battle to Oklahoma's Cody Brewer 11-8.   Senior year came around and I wondered if he'd find himself as one of the best to never win an NCAA title.  Ohio State's Nathan Tomasello had upended him for the BIG 10 title and all I could do is ponder whether the same fate of Chad Zaputil awaited him. It didn't as the Hawkeye came through earning his crown.

Sanshiro Abe
Penn State 

4-3-2-1, I don't know how you wouldn't include the Japanese sensation on a list like this.  Keep in mind that when he captured third place as a sophomore, along the way he defeated Jeff McGinness of Iowa. McGinness a two time NCAA champion then defeated Abe for a title the next season.  Abe finally secured a title of his own his senior season.

Jim Martin
Penn State 

I love Cael Sanderson. I'm a fan and a supporter of his but it hits a raw nerve when wrestling fans treat Nittany Lion wrestling like it didn't exist before his arrival.  I assure you that it did.  Jim Martin is proof of it.   He was 4-2-1-3 during his career at PSU.   Sophomore season he lost in the finals to Bloomsburg legend Ricky Bonomo.   The year he won the NCAA title? Defeated both Iowa's Brad Penrith and Oklahoma State's Kendall Cross.  Senior year finishes third.  His final collegiate victory?  Tom Brands of Iowa.

Mike Land
Iowa State 

I didn't  put these in any order, but perhaps I saved the best for last.  Collegiality speaking anyway.  I don't know who anyone could make a list called, "Best one time NCAA champions" and not include former Cyclone Mike Land.  A three time BIG 12 champion who finished 6-3-1-2 at the NCAA's. 

Some may think that another Cyclone, Jim Gibbons at 4-4-1-3 belongs on this list as well.  I leave him off because had it not been for Randy Lewis of Iowa dislocating his elbow, I'm certain Gibbons would never have won the NCAA title his junior season. 

Here's the catch...

Land defeated Lewis 13-5 when Lewis wasn't injured.  That's how good Land was. 


As always I mainly wrote this article for the reasons I always write these articles.  I hate it when phenomenal talent is overlooked, I enjoy writing and I love talking wrestling!!

So at the expense of looking like a maroon for leaving off someone that I shouldn't have this is my list.