Wrestlers who finished in a downward spiral

[Lunaticfringe 103]

Who started good, had all the talent in the world but ended up hurt? I can think of many Minnesota guys who were bandaged up and could barely shake hands there last NCAAs like Dustin and Cp Schlatter, Roger Kish, Troy Letters. Who else you guys remember being super injured? I’m not talking HEW like Mario Mason.

[BuckyBadger 82]

Not a downward spiral but Jason Tsirtsis was much better early in his career than when he graduated. He did come back senior year to AA, but he wasn’t the same guy as before.

[headshuck 2,626]

Olympic medalist Garret Lowney

[HurricaneWrestling2 902]

Darrion Caldwell - 2009 NCAA Champ and Tourney MOW, who defeated the the # 1 seeded and returning Dan Hodge Trophy winner by a score of 11-6 in the finals. 

Edited February 11 by HurricaneWrestling2

[ExBSUfan 59]

Matt McDonough

2X NCAA champion, 1X runner up, didn’t all American his senior year due to injury I believe. Great career though.

[nhs67 2,101]

If my Thugmassa G best bud hadn't gotten two extra seasons, then he would be a prime candidate.

Edited February 11 by nhs67

[flyingcement 917]

Depressing topic to be honest.  

[Wrestle81 83]

The Illinois 125.... Nickerson to an extent, shoulder injury....Frank Santana knee ...Randy Lewis all time great elbow..Maybe Spencer Lee (hope not)...college D1 wrestling is brutal

[Red95 81]

4 minutes ago, Wrestle81 said:

The Illinois 125.... Nickerson to an extent, shoulder injury....Frank Santana knee ...Randy Lewis all time great elbow..Maybe Spencer Lee (hope not)...college D1 wrestling is brutal

Nickerson was hampered by his shoulder late in his career but his NCAA finishes were still 2-3-1-4 so it’s not exactly like he flamed out. And while he lost some effectiveness he still put a beat down on some guys even with a bum shoulder. 

 

[hammerlockthree 2,637]

26 minutes ago, Wrestle81 said:

The Illinois 125.... Nickerson to an extent, shoulder injury....Frank Santana knee ...Randy Lewis all time great elbow..Maybe Spencer Lee (hope not)...college D1 wrestling is brutal

Randy Lewis doesn't belong within a mile of this list. He's more of a legend for placing with one arm than he would be amongst the dozens and dozens of 3 time champs.

Edited February 11 by hammerlockthree

[TripNSweep 795]

Ryan Lang. He just wasn't the same after Derek Moore put on the performance of a lifetime in the NCAA finals. I don't think Lang was even an AA the next year.

Matt Gentry, first NCAA champ for Stanford, fails to AA the next year. But ends up 5th at the London Olympics wrestling for Canada. I believe he lost to Tsargush for bronze. 

[Fletcher 1,131]

Dylan Ness - shoulder injury senior year

[HawkY 112]

/

Edited February 11 by HawkY

[hammerlockthree 2,637]

11 minutes ago, HawkY said:

Chance Marsteller.  After the back injury, never lived up to the great prodigy path he started in HS at college.  Who would have taken the bet that his brother makes an  Olympic team and Chance never does back in 2013. 

his brother?

and no you are completely off base. Marstellar peaked in high school as a freshmen, went through a lot of character issues, got more chances than any athlete deserves, but came through at the end to redeem himself. Its a triumphant story.

[HawkY 112]

2 minutes ago, hammerlockthree said:

his brother?

and no you are completely off base. Marstellar peaked in high school as a freshmen, went through a lot of character issues, got more chances than any athlete deserves, but came through at the end to redeem himself. Its a triumphant story.

Half brother. 

Yeah. Not a good choice for this thread. It was a stretch.  

[hammerlockthree 2,637]

Just now, HawkY said:

Half brother. 

Yeah. Not a good choice for this thread. It was a stretch.  

Whats the story with the half brother please?

[HawkY 112]

Just now, hammerlockthree said:

Whats the story with the half brother please?

John Stefanowicz.  He is a retired marine crop  greco wrestler. Competed at 87 kg in Tokyo and lost in 1st round. 

Both have the same mom. Both went to Dale. Stefanowicz didn't do anything in HS wrestling and only got serious after joining the  marines (never went to college).  Ended up in Tokyo. Competed in worlds as well. 

[NJDan 1,113]

1 hour ago, Red95 said:

Nickerson was hampered by his shoulder late in his career but his NCAA finishes were still 2-3-1-4 so it’s not exactly like he flamed out. And while he lost some effectiveness he still put a beat down on some guys even with a bum shoulder. 

 

Not fair to say someone spiraled down when the downward path was due to injury.

[NJDan 1,113]

Then, of course, you have Dan Gable, whose last match was his worst.

[hammerlockthree 2,637]

14 minutes ago, NJDan said:

Not fair to say someone spiraled down when the downward path was due to injury.

Of course it is...whats the alternative? Bar stories?

Edited February 11 by hammerlockthree

[HoundedHawk 83]

49 minutes ago, NJDan said:

Then, of course, you have Dan Gable, whose last match was his worst.

That's not a spiral, and it wasn't due to injury.

He won the '72 Olympics without surrendering a point a couple weeks after blowing his knee.  

Dan Gable doesn't belong anywhere in this thread.  

[southend 243]

Matt caughlin, won everything you could in high school AA’d His freshman year, then had a hard time breaking Indianas lineup, with Becker, Kinser and Paul Young in his way. 

[Jrr277 154]

Dean Heil-4,1,1,DNP

64-1 his two championship years then 25-7 his senior year. Just seemed to be burnt out.

[HurricaneWrestling2 902]

44 minutes ago, HoundedHawk said:

That's not a spiral, and it wasn't due to injury.

He won the '72 Olympics without surrendering a point a couple weeks after blowing his knee.  

Dan Gable doesn't belong anywhere in this thread.  

Agree that it wasn't a spiral, although it's generally considered the biggest upset in collegiate wrestling history.  In retrospect, perhaps Gable should have wrestled at 150 pounds at NCAA's (where he'd competed most of the season anyway).  If so, he'd have faced Mike Grant, who he had beaten 9-4 in Iowa State's last dual of the season.  Following are Grant's comments about Owings from one of Mark Palmer's articles:

The Owings! biography also captured the reaction of two other native Oregonians who also won titles at the 1970 NCAAs. Oklahoma Sooner Mike Grant, ready to wrestle in the next finals match at 150 pounds, later told Bob Dellinger, the late, legendary sportswriter for the Daily Oklahoman: "Larry isn't the type to get psyched out. He'll try harder rather than be more cautious. I think that was a determining factor. I sure wouldn't want to go out there and wrestle him tonight."

https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/6839/InterMat-Wrestling-InterMat-Rewind-Gable-Owings
 

[wrestlingnerd 3,011]

Troy Letters, one of my favorite college wrestlers, had a similar career to McDonough, hampered by injury: 2-1-3-DNP

Edited February 11 by wrestlingnerd