Creating The Best Ohio D1 Lineup Of All Time
Creating The Best Ohio D1 Lineup Of All Time
Powered by legends Logan Stieber and David Taylor, the Ohio all-time team is almost too good to be true.
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A few weeks ago I asked my Twitter followers how they would put together an all-time great college dual team with the current weights using athletes from their home states. The responses were great and really got me curious. So, I did the research and have now put together the best possible team for the top 16 states including some formidable back-up teams.
Across the next handful of days/weeks, we will unveil these teams before pitting them against each other in a national duals format type competition.
Previous States: Pennsylvania, California, Oklahoma, Iowa, New Jersey
Now to O-H-I-O.
125 Starter: Nathan Tomasello, 2015-18
Hometown: Parma
College: Ohio State
NCAA Finishes: 1, 3 (125), 3 (133), 3 (125)
Powered off of a beautiful high-c and single leg, Nathan Tomasello went 119-8 over the course of his career at Ohio State. Here is the list of people who beat him: Spencer Lee (twice), Thomas Gilman (twice), Cory Clark, Alan Waters, Joey Dance, and Dylan Peters. While all those are more than respectable losses, he beat every single one of them at some point in his career. Not many NCAA wrestlers can say they've beaten any wrestler who has beaten them.
Watch Nathan Tomasello beat Spencer Lee below.
125 Backup: Pat Milkovich, 1972-76
Hometown: Maple Heights
College: Michigan State
NCAA Finishes: 1, 1, 2, (126), 2 (134)
When he won the 126 pound NCAA championship over Chris Quigley 1972, Pat Milkovich became the youngest champion in NCAA history at 18 years and three months, and he did it as a walk-on. Milkovich completed his career as a two-time NCAA champion, three-time Big Ten champion, and a four-time NCAA finalist with a career record of 90-8-4. He never lost more than two matches in a season.
125 Honorable Mention
Kyle Ott - 2004 & 2005 NCAA finalist for Illinois
Joe McFarland - 4X AA and 2X finalist for Michigan in the 80s
133 Starter: Alan Fried, 1991-94
Hometown: University Heights
College: Oklahoma State
NCAA Finishes: 2, 2 (134), 1 (142)
Alan Fried went 128-6 while at Oklahoma State. Five of those losses came to Tom Brands. It wasn’t a completely one-sided rivalry, however, as Fried did pin Brands at the 1991 Midlands. In addition to pinning Brands, Fried racked up an astonishing 97 other bonus-point victories in his career. After going 34-0 his junior year, Fried broke his jaw and was unable to wrestle at the national tournament. His senior year he finally got his NCAA title when he majored his way through the bracket, including Gerry Abbas 15-6 in the finals.
133 Backup: Jim Jordan, 1983-86
Hometown: St. Paris
College: Wisconsin
NCAA Finishes: 6, 1, 1 (134)
After taking sixth as sophomore Jim Jordan entered the NCAA tournament as the number one seed with a record of 41-1. He beat somebody by the name of John W. Smith, 7-4, in the finals to win his first NCAA championship. Jordan repeated this success his senior year and finished his Badger career with a record of 156-28-1 and two NCAA titles.
133 Honorable Mention
Steve St. John - 3X AA and 1996 NCAA finalist for Arizona State
Shawn Enright - 2X AA and 1998 NCAA finalist for Ohio
Joe Peritore - 3X AA and 2X finalist for Lehigh in the 60s
Bobby Douglas - 1963 NCAA finalist for West Liberty
141 Starter: Logan Stieber, 2012-15
Hometown: Monroeville
College: Ohio State
NCAA Finishes: 1, 1 (133), 1, 1 (141)
The fourth four-time NCAA champion in wrestling history, Logan Stieber holds a collegiate record of 119-3. His three college losses: Jordan Oliver, Chris Dardanes, and Zain Retherford. All of which he avenged. With 95 bonus-point victories, Stieber had almost an 80% bonus rate. He went undefeated his sophomore and senior seasons, winning the Hodge his senior year. His best season might have actually been his junior year when he bonus pointed everyone except Zain Retherford and earned 10 pins and 12 techs. Logan Stieber is truly one of the greatest NCAA wrestlers of all time.
Watch Logan Stieber beat Zain Retherford at the 2014 NCAA tournament below.
141 Backup: Dean Heil, 2015-18
Hometown: Brunswick
College: Oklahoma State
NCAA Finishes: 4, 1, 1, R12 (141)
His sophomore and junior seasons, Dean Heil was darn near untouchable. He went 64-1 and won back-to-back NCAA titles. His 2016 bracket included Joey McKenna, Anthony Ashnault, Bryce Meredith, Micah Jordan, and Kevin Jack. His 2017 bracket once again included McKenna, Jack, Meredith, and Ashnault, in addition to Jaydin Eierman, Matt Kolodzick, George DiCamillo, and Luke Pletcher. While some of those wrestlers had yet to reach their full potential, those brackets were far from easy.
141 Honorable Mention
J Jaggers - 3X AA and 2008 & 2009 NCAA champion for Ohio State
Brian Dolph - 3X AA and 1990 NCAA champion for Indiana
Tom Milkovich - 3X AA and 1972 NCAA champion for Michigan State
Roger Chandler - 3X AA and 1997 NCAA finalist for Indiana
Hunter Stieber - 2012 & 2013 AA for Ohio State
Ryan Lang - 2X AA and 2007 NCAA finalist for Northwestern
149 Starter: Dustin Schlatter, 2006-10
Hometown: Westerville
College: Minnesota
NCAA Finishes: 1, 3, 7, R12 (149)
Dustin Schlatter is a huge “what if” in terms of what he could have been if he was able to stay healthy. This is a guy, who as a true freshman, went 42-1 and beat the likes of Zack Esposito, Ty Eustice, Matt Storniolo, and Troy Tirapelle and avenged his lone loss to Mark DiSalvo. His sophomore year, his lone loss came to Gregor Gillespi, 3-2, in the NCAA semifinals. Schlatter came back for third, outplacing Jordan Burroughs, JP O’Connor, Lance Palmer, Jordan Leen, and Dan Vallimont among others.
This is when the injuries start and Schlatter’s performance takes a hit. He lost five times his junior year and finished in seventh place. However, after that season, Schlatter was able to redshirt and made the Senior World Team. He beat Andrew Howe, Ryan Churella, and Travis Paulson twice... while still in college. Once again, however, injuries got the best of Schlatter. He went 0-1 at Worlds and despite going 14-0 in the regular season, was forced to injury default out of NCAAs his senior year.
After all of this, Schlatter finished his career with a 114-10 (several losses coming by injury default), including a 65-match win streak over his freshman and sophomore years.
Listen to Dustin Schlatter talk about the highs and lows of his career below.
149 Backup: Jim Heffernan, 1983-87
Hometown: North Olmstead
College: Iowa
NCAA Finishes: 4, 2, 1, 2 (150)
While wrestling for Coach Gable, Jim Heffernan went 131-18-2, won four Big Ten titles, made three NCAA finals appearances, and won the 1986 NCAA championship. In ‘86 Heffernan defeated Adam Cohen of Arizona State 10-3 in the finals. His senior year, he lost to Iowa State’s Tim Krieger on criteria to finish in second.
149 Honorable Mention
Brian Dolph - 3X AA and 1990 NCAA champion for Indiana
Lance Palmer - 4X AA and 2010 NCAA finalist for Ohio State
Micah Jordan - 3X AA and 2019 NCAA finalist for Ohio State
David Habat - 2X AA and 2015 NCAA finalist for Edinboro
Matthew Kolodzik - 3X AA for Princeton from 2017-19
Charlie Becks - 1996 NCAA finalist for Ohio State
157 Starter: Lee Kemp, 1975-78
Hometown: Chardon
College: Wisconsin
NCAA Finishes: 2 (150), 1, 1, 1 (158)
After Lee Kemp lost in the NCAA finals his senior year ON A SPLIT REFEREE’S DECISION (what a terrible rule set), he never lost another NCAA Championship match. He famously beat Dan Gable at the Midlands in his sophomore year. Through raw strength and explosive quickness, Kemp put together a career record of 143-6-1 with 47 pins, including a 103-match winning streak and a separate 87-match winning streak.
157 Backup: Dan St. John, 1987-90
Hometown: Cleveland
College: Arizona State
NCAA Finishes: NQ (142), 3, 1 (158), 1 (167)
You know who has more career wins than Zahid Valencia, Zeke Jones, Anthony Robles, and any other Sun Devil Wrestler? Dan. St. John. With a career record of 147-16-3, St. John went 85-1-1 his last two years en route to two NCAA titles.
157 Honorable Mention
Ryan Bertin - 4X AA and 2X NCAA champ for Michigan in the early 2000s
Jake Percival - 4X AA and 2009 NCAA finalist for Ohio
Greg Elinsky - 4X AA and 2X NCAA finalist for Penn State in the 80s
165 Starter: David Taylor, 2011-15
Hometown: St. Paris
College: Penn State
NCAA Finishes: 2 (157), 1, 2, 1 (165)
Yes, I realize that David Taylor did not spend his childhood in Ohio. However, on his official college roster Taylor lists his hometown as St. Paris. And for consistency's sake, that is what I’m using when available.
Anyway, as you probably know, David Taylor was an insanely good college wrestler. He went 134-3 with 125 bonus point victories for a career bonus rate of 91.4%. I really don't even know how that was possible. I couldn’t locate NCAA records, but that has to be one of, if not the, highest career bonus rates.
The Magic Man won both the Hodge Trophy and the NCAA Tournament OW in his sophomore and senior seasons. Basically, unless your name was Kyle Dake or Bubba Jenkins, David Taylor was going to ankle pick you and then cradle you.
Watch David Taylor pick up a first-period tech fall over Iowa’s Nick Moore.
165 Backup: Joe Heskett, 199-2002
Hometown: Cuyahoga Falls
College: Iowa State
NCAA Finishes: 3, 2, 2, 1 (165)
After falling in overtime to Donny Pritzlaff in both the 2000 and 2001 NCAA finals, Joe Heskett finally reached the top of the podium when he defeated Illinois’ Matt Lackey 4-2 in the finals. A hammer on top, went 143-10 with 58 falls. He also once tech falled two-time NCAA champion Chris Pendleton, who was only beat 10 times in college.
165 Honorable Mention
Markus Mollica - 4X AA and 2X NCAA champion for Arizona State in the mid-'90s
Mike Deanna - 4X AA and 1979/1981 NCAA finalist for Iowa
Charlie Jones - 2X AA and 1992 NCAA champion for Purdue
Isaac Jordan - 4X AA and 2016 NCAA finalist for Wisconsin
Gene Gibbons - 2X AA and 1951 NCAA champion for Michigan State
Dave Reinbolt - 1961 NCAA champion for Ohio State
174 Starter: Kevin Randleman, 1991-93
Hometown: Sandusky
College: Ohio State
NCAA Finishes: 2 (167), 1, 1 (177)
In just three years, Kevin Randleman racked up over 100 career wins, made three NCAA final appearances, won three Big Ten championships, won two NCAA titles, and had one undefeated season. Unfortunately for everyone not in the 177-pound weight class in '93-'94, Randleman was ruled ineligible to wrestle his senior year due to academic issues.
174 Backup: Steve Luke, 2006-09
Hometown: Massillon
College: Michigan
NCAA Finishes: NQ (157), 6, 2, 1 (174)
Steve Luke was a tough SOB that made steady progress throughout his career at Michigan. After losing to Keith Gavin 4-2 in the finals as a junior, Luke would go 32-0 as a senior and win the 174-pound national title. The Massillon native beat Mike Miller 8-4 in the finals and outplaced Quentin Wright, Jay Borschel, and Raymond Jordan.
174 Honorable Mention
Bo Jordan - 4X AA and 2017 NCAA finalist for Ohio State
Mike Miller - 2X AA and 2009 NCAA finalist for Central Michigan
184 Starter: Mike Pucillo, 2007-10
Hometown: Cuyahoga Falls
College: Ohio State
NCAA Finishes: 6, 1, 2, R12 (184)
Mike Pucillo is the reason Jake Varner only won two NCAA titles. The Cuyahoga Falls native beat Varner in the 2008 NCAA finals on riding time after tiebreakers were exhausted. In 2009, Pucillo fell to Hodge Trophy winner Jake Herbert 6-3 in the finals. His career record is 107-17.
184 Backup: Rex Holman, 1990-93
Hometown: Upper Arlington
College: Arizona State/Ohio State
NCAA Finishes: R12, NQ, 3, 1 (190)
Sorry Rex, but you’re going to have to cut an extra six pounds to make the team. After going 52-18 in his two seasons at Arizona State, Holman transferred to Ohio State and took it up a notch. As a Buckeye, Holman went 69-3, won two Big Ten titles, and one NCAA title. His senior season, Holman went 29-0 and beat Joel Sharratt in the NCAA finals.
184 Honorable Mention
Mark Coleman - 2X AA and 1988 NCAA champion for Ohio State
JJ McGrew - 2X AA and 1995 NCAA champion for Oklahoma State
Viktor Sveda - 2X AA for Indiana in the early 2000s
197 Starter: Kollin Moore, 2017-20
Hometown: Burbank
College: Ohio State
NCAA Finishes: 3, 4, 2, NQ* (197)
Kollin Moore is one of the guys you felt the worst for when the NCAA championships got canceled this year. Moore was as big a favorite to win as almost anyone this year. With a career record of 110-11, including 69 bonus-point victories, Kollin Moore used an athletic and slick style for an upper weight. He tallied 14 tech falls over his career, something you don’t see too often 197 pounders. He was undefeated this season and his only losses last season were to Bo Nickal. Moore also won a Junior World bronze and U23 World silver medal while at Ohio State.
Watch Kollin Moore major decision Preston Weigel at the 2019 NCAA Championships below.
197 Backup: Dustin Kilgore, 2009-13
Hometown: Berea
College: Kent State
NCAA Finishes: NQ, 7 (184), 1, 2 (197)
Dustin Kilgore and Kollin Moore should be Starter A and Starter B. That’s how good Dustin Kilgore was his junior and senior seasons. After going 70-8 his first two years, Kilgore went 81-3. It was Kilgore’s pinning power that made him elite. While trailing 5-1 late in the second period to Oklahoma State’s Clayton Foster, Kilgore was able to put Foster on his back and pin him to win the National Championship. That was one of 50 pins in his career.
After taking an Olympic redshirt year, Kilgore returned and went 43-1, only losing to Penn State’s Quentin Wright in the NCAA finals.
197 Honorable Mention
Nick Heflin - 3X AA and 2019 NCAA finalist for Ohio State
Chris Honeycutt - 2X AA and 2012 NCAA finalist for Edinboro
Zach Thompson - 2X AA and 2000 NCAA finalist for Iowa State
Nick Preston - 2X AA for Ohio State in the early 2000s
285 Starter: Tommy Rowlands, 2001-04
Hometown: Hilliard
College: Ohio State
NCAA Finishes: 2, 1, 6, 1 (285)
During his career at Ohio State, Tommy Rowlands was a two-time NCAA champion, three-time NCAA finalist, four-time NCAA All-American, and two-time Big Ten champion. His freshman year, Tommy fell to John Lockhart in tiebreakers in the finals. His sophomore year, he handed Steve Mocco one of his six collegiate losses in the finals. Rowlands finished his career at Ohio State with a record of 164-15.
285 Backup: Dustin Fox, 2005-08
Hometown: Galion
College: Northwestern
NCAA Finishes: R12, NQ, 3, 1 (285)
Dustin Fox is another guy who steadily improved throughout his college career. Just look at his season records: 19-12, 28-11, 33-5, 29-1. His senior season he defeated Jared Rosholt, Kyle Massey (avenging his lone loss of the season), David Zabriskie, and JD Bergman.
285 Honorable Mention
JD Bergman - 3X AA and 2008 NCAA finalist for Ohio State
Greg Wojciechowski - 3X finalist and 1971 NCAA champion for Toledo
There you have it, the greatest Ohio D1 lineup of all-time.
| Weight | Name | Years Active | Hometown | College |
| 125 | Nathan Tomasello | 2015-18 | Parma | Ohio State |
| 133 | Alan Fried | 1991-94 | University Heights | Oklahoma State |
| 141 | Logan Stieber | 2012-15 | Monroeville | Ohio State |
| 149 | Dustin Schlatter | 2006-10 | Westerville | Minnesota |
| 157 | Lee Kemp | 1975-78 | Chardon | Wisconsin |
| 165 | David Taylor | 2011-15 | St. Paris | Penn State |
| 174 | Kevin Randleman | 1991-93 | Sandusky | Ohio State |
| 184 | Mike Pucillo | 2007-10 | Cuyahoga Falls | Ohio State |
| 197 | Kollin Moore | 2017-20 | Burbank | Ohio State |
| 285 | Tommy Rowlands | 2001-04 | Hilliard | Ohio State |