OSU Wrestling (2008 and 2009 NCAA Runners-up)

[RB07OSU]

The most amazing thing about the current success that we are enjoying is that it could, very soon, get a whole lot better. With J. Jaggers, Lance Palmer, and Mike Pucillo this year we have 3 good shots at national titles. Colt Sponsellor had an excellent freshman season and he is a beast on the mat. Nikko Triggas and Reece Humphrey have had excellent off-seasons, with Humphrey winning the University Freestyle Nationals and the University World Team Trials. Triggas, at the FILA Junior/University World Team Trials, lost in the finals of both the Junior Greco and University Greco divisions.

EDIT: And as I continued my research, I unearthed these trivial facts: Cody Gardner, the top ranked 215 pound wrestler in the country in 2007, is transferring from VT to tOSU after redshirting last season. Also, Dave Rella, who started for PSU the last two seasons, has been given a full release from PSU and will most probably start for tOSU at 174 pounds.

Additionally, the high school wrestling talent currently in the state is incredible, and a lot of the top wrestlers in the country have OSU bloodlines. Looking at InterMat Wrestling's Final 2007-2008 rankings, regardless of class, bodes very well for the future. Currently committed to the program we have:

HS Class of 2008:
145- Tony Jameson ranked 12th best regardless of graduating class in the 145lb division
189- Cody Magrum ranked 9th best regardless of graduating class
285- John Hiles ranked 10th best regardless of graduating class

HS Class of 2010:
119- Logan Stieber- ranked best wrestler in the country at 119lbs, regardless of graduating class

Uncommitted talent in the state is just ridiculous as well. (NOTE: Only underclassmen have been listed here. All rankings are national and regardless of high school graduating class. I have no clue where we stand with any of these wrestlers, just that these are some of the top wrestlers in the country and are from Ohio.)

103- Hunter Stieber, the younger brother of Logan, is ranked as the 2nd best wrestler in the nation at 103, despite being a freshman. Ty Mitch (Class of 2010, Aurora) is ranked as the 11th best wrestler. Johnni DiJulius (Class of 2011, Walsh Jesuit) is ranked as the 12th best wrestler at this weight. Gus Sako (Class of 2010, St. Eds) is ranked 13th.

112- Ohio is even more stacked here. David Taylor (Class of 2009, St. Paris Graham) is ranked as the top wrestler at this weight, although rumors are circulating he will be attending Iowa State. Jamie Clark (Class of 2010, St. Eds) is the third best wrestler at this weight. Sam White (Class of 2009, Massillon Perry) is ranked as the 7th best wrestler in the country at 112.

119- In addition to Logan holding the top spot, Zach Neibert (Class of 2009, St. Paris Graham) is ranked 6th.

130- Seth Horner (Class of 2009, Massillon Perry) is ranked 12th in the country. Brad Squire (Class of 2010, Wadsworth) is ranked 13th. Zac Hancock (Class of 2009, Troy Christian) is ranked 17th.

135- tOSU looks to be set here, as Collin Palmer, the younger of brother of current tOSU wrestler Lance Palmer, is the top ranked wrestler in this weight class as a junior. Remember Lance's comment when he committed, "I want all the great wrestlers in Ohio to wrestle at Ohio State."

140- Kyle Lang (Class of 2009, Brecksville) is the 20th ranked wrestler in the country at 140.

145- Zach Toal (Class of 2009, Troy Christian) is ranked 11th.

171- Chris Phillips (Class of 2011, Monroeville) is ranked the 7th best wrestler in the country at 171. He hails from the same school as Logan and Hunter Stieber.

215- Orlando Scales (Class of 2009, Elder) is the 9th ranked wrestler in the country.


Again, I have no idea if we can get any of the prospects I listed here, although you certainly have to like our chances with Collin Palmer. Regardless, things look very very good for Ohio State Wrestling for a long long time.

Great stuff. Taylor is a huge Iowa State lean and they have been on him early on. No way OSU ends up with David, which is a shame...one of the best wrestlers I have seen, along with Steiber. I look for OSU to try and get all 3 of Logan and Hunter Steiber, and Chris Phillips from Monroeville. Phillips could be the best of the bunch...he should be #1 at 171 imo and that's as a sophmore, which is quite the feat at 171. Besides that, Phillips is all ours reportedly. Neibert could get a look from OSU and he is progressing rapidly. He loves OSU, so if we offer, we should be in great shape. Toal and Hancock would also be OSU leans if offered...Hancock is the best imo and has a ton of upside. Collin is all OSU and will get offered...he isn't as good as Lance imo but he is certainly a great one. Brian Stephens (130 last year) from Graham is also getting a look and beat Hancock twice (I believe) last year. There is also Tucker Armstrong from Graham who won state as a sophmore at 125 and is getting recruited by OSU. Hope that helps out and I can find out more on the other guys.

 

[calibuck]

Great Stuff for Wrestling

This is great news for a 'non-headline sport'. I love all things OSU, and it's good to see the potential build up. As OSU goes, the expectations go sky-high, and hopefully we'll knock out the Iowa/IowaSt/OK/OKSt bottleneck at the top that's been there for so long.......The B10 as a conference has overtaken and surpassed the B12 as the 'wrestling conference'. Now, with the change in wrestling administration/coaching, it appears that the State of Ohio will become 'TeamOhio' or more commonly known as The Ohio State University.

It's great to see these young people stay in state and wrestle for the Bucks. With all the xfers in, will this lose the team spots for a home-grown? (I also see this as the 'jump on the bandwagon' thing that the football team is experiencing), and it's awesome!




:gobucks3::gobucks4: Hey, Chief! Ready to cry 'uncle' yet?

 

[LitlBuck]

I always thought that St. Edwards had the top high school wrestling program in Ohio. It certainly looks like St. Paris Graham is giving them a run for their money and I don't believe they are a Division I high school. How did Monroeville become such a great wrestling high school. Sorry but I have never heard of it.

 

[RB07OSU]

I always thought that St. Edwards had the top high school wrestling program in Ohio. It certainly looks like St. Paris Graham is giving them a run for their money and I don't believe they are a Division I high school. How did Monroeville become such a great wrestling high school. Sorry but I have never heard of it.

Usually Ed's is the top team (D1, Catholic, private, lots of money, etc.) but Graham DESTROYED them in a dual this year. Graham was the #1 school in the country this year and won the Ironman by over 40 points, defeating the usual #1 school Blair Academy, NJ. Graham is a D2 school (a small one at that) and out in the middle of the country, but Coach Jeff Jordan is the best in the country and a lot of kids transfer in to wrestle for him. Monroeville is a huge surprise really...the Steibers are phenoms that decided not to go to Ed's and I don't know Phillip's story. They just got really lucky to have talent like that in the area I believe. Btw, even with these 3 great wrestlers, they took 3rd in state this year, behind Troy Christian and Marion Pleasant. Troy Christian is an amazing story in itself as well. There is a TON of good wrestling in Ohio...best in the country.

 

[BengalsAndBucks]

RB, you seem to more familiar with this kind of stuff than I am- how many wrestling scholarships can a school give? We seem to have a lot of people on the team, but I wasn't sure what kind of money was out there for wrestling versus how many guys are recruited walk-ons.

 

[Muck]

Monroeville is a huge surprise really...the Steibers are phenoms that decided not to go to Ed's and I don't know Phillip's story. They just got really lucky to have talent like that in the area I believe. Btw, even with these 3 great wrestlers, they took 3rd in state this year, behind Troy Christian and Marion Pleasant.

Cam Tasseri ain't bad either.

FWIW in a lot of ways Phillip's success is even more impressive to me. It's been a long time since you've seen a kid come in as a freshman and dominate at the higher weights.

The last one that dominant that young was Luke Fickell.

RB, you seem to more familiar with this kind of stuff than I am- how many wrestling scholarships can a school give? We seem to have a lot of people on the team, but I wasn't sure what kind of money was out there for wrestling versus how many guys are recruited walk-ons.

NCAA Div 1 schools are granted what is known as "9.9 equivalency scholarships".

That means they could offer 9 kids full rides and 1 kid a 90% scholarship or they could offer 25 kids partial scholarhips that combined equal 9.9 full rides. The choice is up to the school in how they want to dole them out. Any combination of full/partial scholarships is fine as long as it stays below the 9.9 total.

 

[RB07OSU]

Cam Tasseri ain't bad either.

FWIW in a lot of ways Phillip's success is even more impressive to me. It's been a long time since you've seen a kid come in as a freshman and dominate at the higher weights.

The last one that dominant that young was Luke Fickell.



NCAA Div 1 schools are granted what is known as "9.9 equivalency scholarships".

That means they could offer 9 kids full rides and 1 kid a 90% scholarship or they could offer 25 kids partial scholarhips that combined equal 9.9 full rides. The choice is up to the school in how they want to dole them out. Any combination of full/partial scholarships is fine as long as it stays below the 9.9 total.

Right on with all of that. Tessari is a good one but I was just mentioning the 3 rated nationally. A couple more studs and they could compete with anyone. I had mentioned how impressed I was with Phillips but my original post got lost when my computer froze. I think he is the best of the 3 imo...what he did last year was nothing short of amazing. His style is tough to match up with and nobody could.

Bengals and Bucks...Muck hit the nail on the head. Many kids see partial scholarships in wrestling, even the really good ones. A lot of times they supplement the rest of the scholly you don't get with a workout partner or trainer. I know a bit about this, as I am familiar with the wrestling recruiting process, as I went through it myself.

 

[LitlBuck]

Right on with all of that. Tessari is a good one but I was just mentioning the 3 rated nationally. A couple more studs and they could compete with anyone. I had mentioned how impressed I was with Phillips but my original post got lost when my computer froze. I think he is the best of the 3 imo...what he did last year was nothing short of amazing. His style is tough to match up with and nobody could.
.

Where does Ohio State stand with him. I guess my question really boils down to can Ryan started to pick and choose, sort of like JT, when it comes to Ohio wrestlers.

 

[osugrad21]

OZone

WrestlingOSU Freshman Nikko Triggas Prepares for Olympic Trials
By Kevin Schlosser
Nikko Triggas made an immediate impact at Ohio State last season as a college wrestler. Competing as a true freshman he started every varsity match and was a national qualifier for the Buckeyes. When the college season came to a close; Triggas never stopped wrestling and turned his focus to freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling where he has done quite well.
At the University Nationals in April, Triggas won a Greco-Roman national title. A University title includes an invitation to 2008 Olympic Trials. Without a professional league to matriculate to after graduation; most wrestlers dreams involve the Olympics, coaching, or administration. For Triggas earning an invitation to the Olympic Trials this early in his career means a lot.
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Nikko Triggas
[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Photo by Kevin Schlosser [/FONT]

?It has always been one of my goals to wrestle in the Olympics so just to earn an invitation to the Trials is incredible,? said Nikko Triggas. ?It is definitely going to be a challenge, but you wrestle to win every time you step on the mat.?
At the Olympic Trials, Nikko Triggas will be one of twelve wrestlers in his weight class to compete in the challenge tournament on Friday. The winner of the tournament advances to the finals on Saturday to face the 2008 US national champion in a best of three series of matches. The champion will represent the United States in August at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China
?Nikko is great at Greco-Roman; he loves Greco but he really just loves to wrestle,? said OSU head coach Tom Ryan. ?He is turning potential into performance.?


cont...

 

[osugrad21]

Wow...keep on rolling.

Link

Collin Palmer Commits to the Buckeyes:
OSU?s second Palmer becomes first verbal in the Class of 2009
Kevin Schlosser; the-ozone.net

The Ohio State wrestling team rode a wave of success last season to a second place finish at the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Since returning from St. Louis the Buckeyes have gotten nothing but good news; whether it is freestyle or Greco-Roman title, transfer students, or getting recruits. The momentum has definitely continued into the summer with the latest news that OSU received their first verbal commitment in the class of 2009 from Collin Palmer.

?I?m very happy to say that I am going to be an Ohio State Buckeye,? stated Collin Palmer when reached for an official comment.

A senior to be at Lakewood St Edward HS, Collin Palmer will join his older brother Lance Palmer on campus for the 2009-2010 school year. Both of the Palmer brothers have similar high school credentials; multi-time state champions, big tournament performers, and a St Edward education on and off the mat. Each chose to be a Buckeye because they wanted to be the best at what they do and they wanted to do it in the state of Ohio at Ohio State.

?I told him he had to find a place where your heart is going to be and you are going to feel at home,? said Lance Palmer when asked what advice he gave his brother. ?For me there is nothing better than Ohio State, but he had to make his own decision.?

Cont...

 

[Jake]

How come these guys don't have entrance themes, steel cage matches, and hit each other with chairs? You know, like real rasslin'?

 

[LitlBuck]

Collin Palmer Commits to the Buckeyes:

:groove3:

 

[BengalsAndBucks]

Excellent news, he is a big commit. Also, congrats to Collin, Logan, and David for being named 2008 First Team ASICS All-American. Logan was the only sophomore on the squad, and Collin was one of only 3 juniors. Also, Logan's brother Hunter was named second team All-American at 103 as a sophomore, and Chris Phillips was named honorable mention at 171.

Rev Wrestling Article - 23rd ASICS All-America Team named

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Wrestling: Wrestling trials could be all for naught

By JAY WEINER ? Special to the Register ? June 13, 2008

For Heskett, 29, the 2002 NCAA champ at Iowa State, his Olympic quest became a matter of life and death.The 2007 U.S. champ at 74 kilograms (163 pounds) finished fifth at the world championships in Azerbaijan last September and returned home "believing I was going to win the Olympic Games," he said from Columbus, Ohio, where he's an assistant coach at Ohio State. "In my mind, I wasn't ever losing again."

But a few days later in Columbus, his heart started racing in the scarlet and gray wrestling room. He needed emergency response. His heart had to be shocked back into a normal beat. He was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and ventricular tachycardia.
Bottom line: Heskett needed a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted in his chest. His wrestling career was over.

"I kept things in perspective," said the father of two daughters. "It was never, 'Oh, my life is over.' Wrestling was a huge part of my life, but it's given me other opportunities."

Three months later, his heart raced again. The defibrillator kicked into action and "rocked me so bad I didn't know what happened," Heskett said. "I felt like a plane fell out of the sky and hit me in the head. It shocked me. It saved my life."
Heskett will be at the trials. He said he'll cheer on Zadick and Gallick in hopes they get the chance he won't.

 

[osugrad21]

OZone

Wrestling
Tommy Rowlands and the Olympic Dream
Buckeye Coach is Eight Minutes Away From Beijing
By Kevin Schlosser
(Las Vegas, NV) Tommy Rowlands is one of the most accomplished wrestlers in Ohio State wrestling history. The first four-time All-American at OSU and a two-time national champion, Rowlands has been on the coaching staff since graduating in 2004. Long before he became a Buckeye, Rowlands dreamed about wrestling in the Olympics.
This weekend at the 2008 Olympic Trials, Tommy Rowlands will be closer to achieving his Olympic dream than he ever has before. By winning his second consecutive US Senior National championship in April, he earned an automatic trip to the finals of the Olympic Trials. Rowlands doesn?t know who his opponent will be, but he does know that he only has to win two matches in a best of three series to make his first Olympic team.
?This great opportunity for me. It has taken a lot of hard work and I have had a lot of help to get this far. The Trials are one more step on the road to the Olympics,? said Rowlands.

Cont...