BadgerMon 229 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 Was thinking about how well Kyle Dake rides...and was thinking way back about someone who compares. Its hard for me to say that anyone has proven "better". Mike Sheets comes to mind ( Oklahoma State, early 80s). LeRoy Smith was quite sticky too. Bill Cripps of Arizona State has the NCAA Championships record of over 7 minutes ( sorry Mark Schmitz!) Whom do you think of when you consider the great riders of wrestling? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheOhioState 525 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 From the Ohio State ranks, I'd put Mitch Clark up there. Oklahoma State was always known for having wrestlers with great riding ability. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
headache 149 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 Was thinking about how well Kyle Dake rides...and was thinking way back about someone who compares. Its hard for me to say that anyone has proven "better". Mike Sheets comes to mind ( Oklahoma State, early 80s). LeRoy Smith was quite sticky too. Bill Cripps of Arizona State has the NCAA Championships record of over 7 minutes ( sorry Mark Schmitz!) Whom do you think of when you consider the great riders of wrestling? There have been plenty of riders equal to or better than Dake. Jeff Prescott, Mark Branch, the Steiners, and the best I ever saw, Tim Kreiger at ISU. Kreiger was brutal!! Dake is great controlling the ride, but others were better at turning their opponents. BTW, I'm sure I'm leaving many great ones off. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maccky 1 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 Nick Simmons brutal Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BigRedMachine 210 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 Mitch Clark was vicious. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ace 2 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 Mark Perry was a leach on top. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RPKD 0 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 Hey,,,,no Jesse Jantzen???? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickyTheEar 15 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 Mitch Clark is one of the all time greats in my mind. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wrestlingnerd 3,012 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 Old school: Wade Schalles. Known mostly as a pinner, but with his style, you have to ride first before you can pin. Brutal, inventive, simply the best top man ever. New school: Kyle Dake. Honorable mention: Ben Askren. Though he would generally do whatever he wanted and had more of a "win big" mentality than an old-school "take 'em down, ride 'em, pin 'em" mentality, his riding ability was superb. Actually reminded me of Schalles in a lot of ways. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
headshuck 2,626 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 Dustin Schlatter as a true freshman could ride Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Frank_Rizzo 341 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 Some recent names that come to mind: Jesse Jantzen, Troy Letters, Mark Perry, Jordan Leen, Nick Simmons, Kyle Dake, Anthony Robles, J.P. O'Conner... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Perry 1,429 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 I would put David Taylor on the list, along with steiber and dake from this years class. Watching Nick simmons on top always looked incredibly painful as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wrestlingnerd 3,012 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 Hey,,,,no Jesse Jantzen???? That's a great call. I amend my honorable mention to include both Jantzen and Ben Askren. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BigRedMachine 210 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 Here's Clark's NCAA title. It's an absolute clinic: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gantry 1,872 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 Jake Patascil, aka "The Topper" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Outlaw 2 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 I Heard Mark Cody was a pretty good rider in his time...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hammer 13 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 mean gene mills was a monster on top Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WildTurkey44 321 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 Jay Borschel especially his senior year. Mack Lewnes had no idea how to get up! Almost felt sorry for him but not really. Mack hadnt been taken down all year and Jay did it twice I believe. I remember yelling don't let him up Jaybo! What was I worried about?! Nothing Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coach4title 0 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 Gene Mills for sure along with Schalles, Sheets, Clark, and Jantzen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DiMaria 8 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 How can you guys forget about Derrick Moore from UC Davis? Dude was a leach on top. His riding in the NCAA finals was awesome to see. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BadgerMon 229 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 I like the Krieger ( not Krieger from Archer lol) and Steiner references....and I'll add the Gibbons brothers too. I did not think about Askren, Moore, Mills, Schalles and others because they generally got riding time with guys already on their backs. Was thinking more of wrestlers who controlled even the best of the best, but not necessarily turning them ( ala Dake). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fadzaev2 549 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 From "back in the day" of course Gable could not only pin, but that goes along with riding and breakdowns....Dale Bahr was also great at riding, and came out of the same wrestling room as Gable. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fadzaev2 549 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 From "back in the day" of course Gable could not only pin, but that goes along with riding and breakdowns....Dale Bahr was also great at riding, and came out of the same wrestling room as Gable. Anyone who wrestled for Bahr would tell you that too!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BigApple 86 Report post Posted April 3, 2013 The greatest riders I've seen from 1971 on 1. Rod Kilgore would regularly have 6-7 minutes of riding time in an 8- minute match. Rode Mark Lieberman for about 6 minutes while suffering from a separated shoulder in the 1977 finals at 167. 2. Andy Matter 3. Mike Sheets 4. Bill Cripps 5. Mark Churella 6. Keith Stearns 7. Mitch Clark 8. Tim Krieger Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fletcher 1,131 Report post Posted April 4, 2013 Percival. Rode Mike Zadick (among others) like a dog (to use Dake's simile - apparently they ride dogs in New York) at NCAAs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
