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Best High School for Producing D1 Wrestlers


matts

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I was just reading the thread about Lee perhaps being Evansville's best and got to thinking it wasn't all that long ago (Im showing my age) when the knock on EMD was their style didnt translate well at the college level.  Obviously that idea has long been put to rest with Coughlin, Mauer (injuries aside), the Lee family...

 

So my question is...  Over the years, what Indiana high school is the best at producing high level Division 1 wrestlers?  Is it EMD?  Griffith did really well for a few years, but hardly withstood the test of time.

 

I will be interested to see what people say as I have no idea.

Edited by matts
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24 minutes ago, matts said:

I was just reading the thread about Lee perhaps being Evansville's best and got to thinking it wasn't all that long ago (Im showing my age) when the knock on EMD was their style didnt translate well at the college level.  Obviously that idea has long been put to rest with Coughlin, Mauer (injuries aside), the Lee family...

 

So my question is...  Over the years, what Indiana high school is the best at producing high level Division 1 wrestlers?  Is it EMD?  Griffith did really well for a few years, but hardly withstood the test of time.

 

I will be interested to see what people say as I have no idea.

The topic should be what high school produces the most college wrestlers, not d1. D1 does not mean anything, numerous guys from Marian, Indiana Tech,Uindy and Wabash beat guys from our Indiana Big Ten schools every year. 

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8 minutes ago, Kaylababy69 said:

The topic should be what high school produces the most college wrestlers, not d1. D1 does not mean anything...

 

You should absolutely go start that topic then...  because "D1 does not mean anything..."  Think I will just walk away from that... yeah.

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18 minutes ago, Kaylababy69 said:

The topic should be what high school produces the most college wrestlers, not d1. D1 does not mean anything, numerous guys from Marian, Indiana Tech,Uindy and Wabash beat guys from our Indiana Big Ten schools every year. 

I couldn’t agree more. I have many many college opens this year. A top NAIA, D2, Or D3 guy is just as good as a solid D1 guy. Kids go where the money is. You can’t judge a kid from their division. There are good kids in all divisions. 

 

Where you really start to see the separation is around the top 20 or 25 for the D1 guys. Those dudes are really good.

 

With all of that said, the D1 guys do tend to finish pretty high at most opens. More so than the lower division wrestlers.

 

As far as developing D1 talent, it’s our academies here in Indiana. I think all of our recent D1 talent has attended an academy. I would say that Chad Red is leading the way. He has The Who’s who of college coaches cycling through Red Cobra. Coach Red is always taking notes, asking questions, and showing top level stuff from the best college coaches. Good place to learn and get seen. 

Edited by Mattyb
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1 hour ago, Kaylababy69 said:

The topic should be what high school produces the most college wrestlers, not d1. D1 does not mean anything, numerous guys from Marian, Indiana Tech,Uindy and Wabash beat guys from our Indiana Big Ten schools every year. 

That is just laughable.  But ok, start that thread.  

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If you look at EMD's success at the high school level dating back to the 90's until now, it still does not translate well at the college level. They've had numerous state champs and placers that did not make any noise at the next level. Lee and Coughlin are the exception, not the rule. Perry and Cathedral are in the same boat. I'm not knocking these programs, just highlighting the difficulty of having success at the next level, especially D1. 

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25 minutes ago, AlaskanMountie said:

If you look at EMD's success at the high school level dating back to the 90's until now, it still does not translate well at the college level. They've had numerous state champs and placers that did not make any noise at the next level. Lee and Coughlin are the exception, not the rule. Perry and Cathedral are in the same boat. I'm not knocking these programs, just highlighting the difficulty of having success at the next level, especially D1. 

 

I think your last sentence almost contradicts the first.  I don't think there is any program that is the best because it is just so rare to see guys excel at that level.  I don't think MD's style, at least in the last 10+ years, has anything to do with it.  The schools closer to the Adademies definitely have an advantage, but it still takes a special wrestler to get it done.

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2 hours ago, mcnorthcarolina said:

That is just laughable.  But ok, start that thread.  

You're telling me you don't think that Wabash's 165, Kyle Hatch, who's currently ranked #1 in d3 does not beat IU or Purdue's current 165? Kyle Hatch is a very talented wrestler, I would venture to say he would beat both teams current starter by bonus points. That would not be his only Big Ten wins either, Kyle would likley qualify for  D1 NCAAS and more than likely win a match or two. 

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3 hours ago, SWINfan said:

 

I think your last sentence almost contradicts the first.  I don't think there is any program that is the best because it is just so rare to see guys excel at that level.  I don't think MD's style, at least in the last 10+ years, has anything to do with it.  The schools closer to the Adademies definitely have an advantage, but it still takes a special wrestler to get it done.

I was referring to MD's success, not their style of wrestling. 

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First, we are splitting hairs here with the D1 vs the other divisions. Yes, there are many solid wrestlers at the D2, D3 & other levels that are beating the mid-to-lower level D1 guys at open tournaments. And there are even a handful of guys that start at the D2 level or below that wind up transferring to a big time D1 program & end up being successful at college's highest level, but those guys are the exception not the rule. The vast majority of the true studs are at the D1 level.

 

Second, the idea that MD's style does not translate to the next level is shortsighted. I don't know the numbers but I'd bet that MD is pretty comparable to anyone in Indiana when it comes to producing successful college wrestlers (especially if you take school size into consideration). But more importantly I believe there is an significant point that is being missed in this discussion. And that is that MD's tradition of excellence at the HS level is not built on the occasional true stud that comes through but rather on the tremendous amount of overachievers who possess the exceptional work ethic & dedication it takes to excel at something as tough as wrestling. And this stems from the excellent coaching & immense community support they have in place.

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2 hours ago, Kaylababy69 said:

You're telling me you don't think that Wabash's 165, Kyle Hatch, who's currently ranked #1 in d3 does not beat IU or Purdue's current 165? Kyle Hatch is a very talented wrestler, I would venture to say he would beat both teams current starter by bonus points. That would not be his only Big Ten wins either, Kyle would likley qualify for  D1 NCAAS and more than likely win a match or two. 

 

2 hours ago, Kaylababy69 said:

You're telling me you don't think that Wabash's 165, Kyle Hatch, who's currently ranked #1 in d3 does not beat IU or Purdue's current 165? Kyle Hatch is a very talented wrestler, I would venture to say he would beat both teams current starter by bonus points. That would not be his only Big Ten wins either, Kyle would likley qualify for  D1 NCAAS and more than likely win a match or two. 

 

Again, if that interests you then you should absolutely start that thread instead of hijacking this one.

 

Thanks.

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D1 competition is night & day compared to D2 & D3 . Especially in the Big Ten . 

4 hours ago, Kaylababy69 said:

You're telling me you don't think that Wabash's 165, Kyle Hatch, who's currently ranked #1 in d3 does not beat IU or Purdue's current 165? Kyle Hatch is a very talented wrestler, I would venture to say he would beat both teams current starter by bonus points. That would not be his only Big Ten wins either, Kyle would likley qualify for  D1 NCAAS and more than likely win a match or two. 

 There I said it ! 
 

Crucify me now honor executions GIF

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2 hours ago, FunkItUP said:

Cathedral has produced 6 D1 wrestlers in the last 5 years.....

 

Thats impressive.  I know Harvey has put together a very impressive career.  Brandon Wright for sure did too.  After that, who else?  Sakon comes to mind but that a long time ago...  Again, looking for solid, high level D1 careers.    

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This is a very tricky question (thread) to reply to. In my humble opinion I don't know that there is a correct answer to the originally stated question. There are so many factors that go into competing at all collegiate levels. Does it count if a wrestler started DI and then transferred or stepped away from the sport after a year or two? One could respectfully debate the fact that some wrestlers take non-traditional paths into their college experiences now days. Additionally, many wrestlers arrive at their college choice only to find that it wasn't what they expected; or the coach who recruited them has now taken a different job; or academics trip them up; or an injury derails their college wrestling experience. There are numerous factors that play out as an 18 year-old embarks on a college wrestling journey. There can be many pitfalls along the way... as is there can be many rewards to be had if a little grit is demonstrated.

 

With athlete retention in mind I believe more wrestlers (and their parents) could do a better job of 1)researching a variety of schools before making a final selection; 2)working on their time management skills in MS and HS to better ensure "life success" in college; and 3)realizing that wrestling at any collegiate level is very grueling. As they say... "it's a job."  You have to love the sport, be willing to navigate set-backs, and have the ability to keep your eye on the ball.

 

In getting back to the original topic, DI wrestling isn't for everyone. It is absolutely best-practice for an athlete (and his/her parents) to be realistic in what level of collegiate wrestling they want to take part in. A productive and fulfilling wrestling experience can be had at all collegiate levels depending on what the student-athlete is after. As a reminder... it is college... so some level of academic achievement should be placed into the equation. A wrestler at a DIII college studying pre-med is obviously a different situation than a wrestler navigating the rigors of a Big Ten program and schedule. Two different scenarios... two different goals in mind... both are to be applauded.

 

I tip my hat to any young man or young lady that finishes 4+ years of collegiate wrestling at any level and walks away with memories, achievements, and a college degree.

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Yorktown Alumni Currently Wrestling in College:

Alara Boyd - McKendree University - IL - DII

Alex Barr - Wabash College - IN - DIII

Josh Stephenson - Manchester University- IN - DIII

Colt Rutter - Minot State University- ND - DII

Brad Laughlin - Army West Point - NY - DI

Christian Hunt - Army West Point - NY - DI

Cael McCormick - Army West Point - NY - DI

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46 minutes ago, Coach McCormick said:

Yorktown Alumni Currently Wrestling in College:

Alara Boyd - McKendree University - IL - DII

Alex Barr - Wabash College - IN - DIII

Josh Stephenson - Manchester University- IN - DIII

Colt Rutter - Minot State University- ND - DII

Brad Laughlin - Army West Point - NY - DI

Christian Hunt - Army West Point - NY - DI

Cael McCormick - Army West Point - NY - DI

 

Congrats, Coach.  Three at West Point at one time is awesome.  That must have been a great group of kids to work with every day.

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I would say portage has had a good run recently. I might be missing a couple 

kasper Macintosh Minnesota 

John Moran Iu 

jake moran IU 

Dj Washington IU 
collin poynter Air Force 

kris rumph wartburg 

brock peele portage 

Cornejo Marian 

hegedus Marian 

gaige Torres indiana tech 

latrell Lewis calumet college 

bam Lawrence grand view 

 

 

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13 hours ago, matts said:

 

Thats impressive.  I know Harvey has put together a very impressive career.  Brandon Wright for sure did too.  After that, who else?  Sakon comes to mind but that a long time ago...  Again, looking for solid, high level D1 careers.    

Both Harveys

Wesley Benard,

Vinny Casaro 

Blake Rypel 

Zach Melloh 

Breyden Bailey 

Jordan Slivka 

Alex Mosconi and

Lukasz Walenzak 

have all competed in a D1 room for a while but Ben Harvey is the front runner for best career in the most recent years.

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21 hours ago, Kaylababy69 said:

You're telling me you don't think that Wabash's 165, Kyle Hatch, who's currently ranked #1 in d3 does not beat IU or Purdue's current 165? Kyle Hatch is a very talented wrestler, I would venture to say he would beat both teams current starter by bonus points. That would not be his only Big Ten wins either, Kyle would likley qualify for  D1 NCAAS and more than likely win a match or two. 

Purdue's current 165 is also only starting due to an injury to Emil Soehnlin, who was consistently ranked in the top 20 before his injury. 

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