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| Jim Scherr |
An NCAA champion for Nebraska, Scherr continued his wrestling career well beyond his NCAA graduation date of 1984. Competing as a post-grad, adding titles to those already won in college, Scherr added five more between 1984 and 1988.
In 1984, one of the wrestlers he defeated in route to a title was Booker Benford (Mentioned earlier in this series) by a score of 12-4.
In 1988, he defeated Mark Whitehead of Northwestern by a score of 5-3. Whitehead went on to finish 2nd in the NCAA's that season.
Along with these accomplishments, Scherr also won a bronze and two silvers at the World Championships.
Like brother Jim, after winning an NCAA title for Nebraska, Scherr continued to wrestle beyond his final season of collegiate eligibility. Winning a Midlands title a year post graduation, Scherr defeated Paul Diekel of Lehigh in the finals 11-4. A year later, in route to making the Midlands finals, Scherr defeated Wayne Catan of Syracuse 8-2 in the semi-finals. Catan was an NCAA runner up that season. In the finals, Scherr dropped a 6-5 decision to Iowa's Duane Goldman. The victory for Goldman could have very well been the extra umph of confidence the Hawkeye needed to finally win the NCAA title later that season. Goldman had finished as the NCAA runner-up three times prior, finally winning the title as a senior in March.
Internationally speaking, Scherr won World gold, two World Silvers and two World bronzes.
As said with Jeremiah Jarvis in previous post, an NCAA career doesn't always end the way a wrestler wants it to. Charlie Branch is one of VMI's most successful wrestlers, winning three Southern Conference titles and earning 4th place at the 1994 NCAA championships as a junior. Unfortunately as a senior in 1995, he would be upset in the first round of the NCAA championships and fail to place.
Not happy with the end of his career, he would compete in two Midlands tournaments as a post grad. In 1995 he finished as the runner-up and in 1996 he took 3rd. At the 1996 championships he faced future NCAA champion Eric Siebert of Illinois twice. In the quarter-finals it was Siebert who took a 3-2 decision but Branch would extract revenge, 7-5 for 3rd place.
Michigan's John Fisher's wrestling career seemed to last forever. In wrestling calculation, it might have. A standout for the Wolverines, Fisher is the closest NCAA DI wrestling has ever gotten to someone other than champions Cael Sanderson, Kyle Dake, Logan Stieber and Pat Smith to finishing the same place every season. During his collegiate career he was 4th-4th-3rd-4th at the NCAA's. In addition to his NCAA medals he was also a runner-up and a champion at the Midlands.
Post college Fisher would continue his wrestling career an incredible 14 seasons post his graduation date. This included participating and placing in eight Midlands tournaments as a post-grad. Wining three tournaments he finished as the runner-up at three others.
In 1991, he pinned Shannon Gillespie of Lock Haven in just 1:18 seconds before dropping a 5-4 decision to eventual NCAA Champion Troy Steiner of Iowa in the finals.
In 1992 not only would Fisher avenge his loss to Steiner, by beating the Hawkeye 10-6 (Who that season went on to take 3rd at the NCAA's) he also defeated future NCAA champion Steve Marinetti of Illinois 10-5.
In 1993, in route to yet another title Fisher defeated both Marinetti 7-5 sudden victory and Penn State's John Hughes 7-5, two future NCAA champions.
In 1995 in the Midlands finals, Fisher defeated Billy Zadick of Iowa 3-2. Zadick won the NCAA title that season.
Nearly a decade and a half later, Fisher competed in his final Midlands tournament, still able to go with guys that were in Kindergarten while he was competing in college. He defeated two time All American Mark DiSlavo of Central Michigan 9-2 and then in the semi-finals he tore eventual three time All American Jon Masa of Hofstra apart in a 13-2 major decision. In the finals, Fisher would drop a 5-3 decision to eventual four time All American Dustin Manotti of Cornell. Ironically enough, Masa and Manotti would meet twice at the NCAA's that season. Manotti defeated Masa 10-1 earlier in the tournament and Masa came back to defeat Manotti 12-2 for 7th place. Go figure.
Between injuries and some unfortunate circumstances, Nik Fekete is yet another wrestler who's collegiate career didn't quite come to the end that it should have. After placing 8th in the nation as a sophomore in 2001, he missed the 2002 season with injuries. Coming back in 2003, he made the BIG 10 finals, but dropped a heartbreaker in the R12 to finish one match shy of his second All American award. Granted a medical hardship for an extra year of eligibility, Fekete left Michigan State hoping to compete for Hofstra in his final season. Issues arose and he wasn't never given that chance.
No bother, he'd save one of his best performances as a post-grad competing at the Midlands.
In 2007, Fekete finished in 3rd place, with his only loss being to Dustin Fox of Northwestern, that year's NCAA Champion. In route to his bronze medal, Fekete defeated four All Americans. A 13-4 major over Clayton Jack of Oregon State in the R12, followed by a 3-1 sudden victory over Matt Fields of Iowa. He then defeated Central Michigan's Bubba Gritter 3-2 before upending future NCAA champion David Zabriskie of Iowa State 14-8.
In 1984, one of the wrestlers he defeated in route to a title was Booker Benford (Mentioned earlier in this series) by a score of 12-4.
In 1988, he defeated Mark Whitehead of Northwestern by a score of 5-3. Whitehead went on to finish 2nd in the NCAA's that season.
Along with these accomplishments, Scherr also won a bronze and two silvers at the World Championships.
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| Bill Scherr |
Like brother Jim, after winning an NCAA title for Nebraska, Scherr continued to wrestle beyond his final season of collegiate eligibility. Winning a Midlands title a year post graduation, Scherr defeated Paul Diekel of Lehigh in the finals 11-4. A year later, in route to making the Midlands finals, Scherr defeated Wayne Catan of Syracuse 8-2 in the semi-finals. Catan was an NCAA runner up that season. In the finals, Scherr dropped a 6-5 decision to Iowa's Duane Goldman. The victory for Goldman could have very well been the extra umph of confidence the Hawkeye needed to finally win the NCAA title later that season. Goldman had finished as the NCAA runner-up three times prior, finally winning the title as a senior in March.
Internationally speaking, Scherr won World gold, two World Silvers and two World bronzes.
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| Charlie Branch |
As said with Jeremiah Jarvis in previous post, an NCAA career doesn't always end the way a wrestler wants it to. Charlie Branch is one of VMI's most successful wrestlers, winning three Southern Conference titles and earning 4th place at the 1994 NCAA championships as a junior. Unfortunately as a senior in 1995, he would be upset in the first round of the NCAA championships and fail to place.
Not happy with the end of his career, he would compete in two Midlands tournaments as a post grad. In 1995 he finished as the runner-up and in 1996 he took 3rd. At the 1996 championships he faced future NCAA champion Eric Siebert of Illinois twice. In the quarter-finals it was Siebert who took a 3-2 decision but Branch would extract revenge, 7-5 for 3rd place.
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| John Fisher |
Michigan's John Fisher's wrestling career seemed to last forever. In wrestling calculation, it might have. A standout for the Wolverines, Fisher is the closest NCAA DI wrestling has ever gotten to someone other than champions Cael Sanderson, Kyle Dake, Logan Stieber and Pat Smith to finishing the same place every season. During his collegiate career he was 4th-4th-3rd-4th at the NCAA's. In addition to his NCAA medals he was also a runner-up and a champion at the Midlands.
Post college Fisher would continue his wrestling career an incredible 14 seasons post his graduation date. This included participating and placing in eight Midlands tournaments as a post-grad. Wining three tournaments he finished as the runner-up at three others.
In 1991, he pinned Shannon Gillespie of Lock Haven in just 1:18 seconds before dropping a 5-4 decision to eventual NCAA Champion Troy Steiner of Iowa in the finals.
In 1992 not only would Fisher avenge his loss to Steiner, by beating the Hawkeye 10-6 (Who that season went on to take 3rd at the NCAA's) he also defeated future NCAA champion Steve Marinetti of Illinois 10-5.
In 1993, in route to yet another title Fisher defeated both Marinetti 7-5 sudden victory and Penn State's John Hughes 7-5, two future NCAA champions.
In 1995 in the Midlands finals, Fisher defeated Billy Zadick of Iowa 3-2. Zadick won the NCAA title that season.
Nearly a decade and a half later, Fisher competed in his final Midlands tournament, still able to go with guys that were in Kindergarten while he was competing in college. He defeated two time All American Mark DiSlavo of Central Michigan 9-2 and then in the semi-finals he tore eventual three time All American Jon Masa of Hofstra apart in a 13-2 major decision. In the finals, Fisher would drop a 5-3 decision to eventual four time All American Dustin Manotti of Cornell. Ironically enough, Masa and Manotti would meet twice at the NCAA's that season. Manotti defeated Masa 10-1 earlier in the tournament and Masa came back to defeat Manotti 12-2 for 7th place. Go figure.
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| Nik Fekete |
Between injuries and some unfortunate circumstances, Nik Fekete is yet another wrestler who's collegiate career didn't quite come to the end that it should have. After placing 8th in the nation as a sophomore in 2001, he missed the 2002 season with injuries. Coming back in 2003, he made the BIG 10 finals, but dropped a heartbreaker in the R12 to finish one match shy of his second All American award. Granted a medical hardship for an extra year of eligibility, Fekete left Michigan State hoping to compete for Hofstra in his final season. Issues arose and he wasn't never given that chance.
No bother, he'd save one of his best performances as a post-grad competing at the Midlands.
In 2007, Fekete finished in 3rd place, with his only loss being to Dustin Fox of Northwestern, that year's NCAA Champion. In route to his bronze medal, Fekete defeated four All Americans. A 13-4 major over Clayton Jack of Oregon State in the R12, followed by a 3-1 sudden victory over Matt Fields of Iowa. He then defeated Central Michigan's Bubba Gritter 3-2 before upending future NCAA champion David Zabriskie of Iowa State 14-8.
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