Okay I miss the boards this time of the year, so lets liven things up a little and get a debate going. Who are the best to ever do it in Idaho. With Lovett just running the table and taking home his 4 state titles it is a good time to talk about it. I see other states do these rankings but I have never really seen on for Idaho. If you want to rank on just high school accomplishments, go ahead, if you like the entire body of work then lets here it. So many good wrestlers to come out of Idaho over the years I would love to see what others think.
I am a little younger so I would love to be educated on some of the 60's, 70's, and 80's wrestlers. My quick list: entire body of work (kind of)
1. Jake Rosholt - Sandpoint
2. Jared Lawrence - Sandpoint
3. Chris Owens - Idaho Falls
4. Adam Hall - Bonners Ferry
5. Brett Lawrence - Sandpoint
6. Hayden Tuma - Centennial
7. Ridge Lovett - Post Falls
8. VJ Gulio - American Falls
9. Zac Taylor - Sandpoint
10. Tanner Hall - Meridian
Tear it apart, praise it, give me yours! Lets get the discussion going.
wrestler125-that’s not a bad list. I would have also thrown a couple other studs on there who eventually became NCAA Runner-ups in Clayton Foster from Kamiah (Oklahoma St.) and Kirk Smith from Centennial (Boise State). Both being freestyle/greco national champs as well. Lots of great wrestlers to come out of Idaho.
For a top 10 list, I think you need to consider overall accomplishments. Idaho is not deep enough just to go off of high school accomplishments alone. We have 4X and 3X state champs that did not compete much outside their divisions. NCAA D1 and international accomplishments should probably outrank everything else. I can't recall exact placings, but I believe most all the guys on this list were Fargo champs or finalists in freestyle in high school.
1. Jake Rosholt (Sandpoint) (Minnesota) - 3X NCAA Champ, 4X All-American
2. Jared Lawrence (Sandpoint) (Minnesota)- NCAA Champ, 4X All-American, Olympic Trials Runner-Up
3. Chris Owens (Idaho Falls) (OK State) - NCAA Runner Up, 3X All-American
4. Clayton Foster (Kamiah) (OK State) - NCAA Runner Up, 2X All-American, Olympic Trials Runner-Up, US Open Runner-Up
5. Kirk Smith (Centennial) (BSU) - NCAA Runner Up, 2X All-American
6. Adam Hall (Bonners Ferry) (BSU) - NCAA 2X All-American (3rd, 5th), 2X US Open Placer (3rd, 7th), Olympic Trials Placer (5th)
7. Dan Erekson (Eagle) (Iowa) - NCAA 2X All-American (4th, 7th), US Open Runner-Up
8. Charles Burton (Centennial) (BSU) - NCAA All-American (4th), 2000 Olympian
9. Tanner Hall (Meridian) (ASU)- NCAA All-American (3rd), US Open Placer (6th)
10. Boe Rushton (Wood River) (BSU) - NCAA All-American (3rd)
Honorable Mention - Brett Lawrence (Sandpoint) (Minnesota) - NCAA All-American (8th)
Honorable Mention - Hayden Tuma (Centennial) (Nebraska) - left college after a season to compete solely in Greco - US Open champ in Greco, Runner-Up in World Team Trials, numerous Junior level accomplishments.
Tough list to make. You better have some serious D1 or international creds to even be considered.
Just a couple of notes, Jared Rosholt certainly has the credentials to be on here (3X NCAA All-American, NCAA Runner-Up), but he wrestled his junior and senior seasons in high school in Oklahoma. Is he eligible or not? He should be about 4th or 5th on the list if so. On the flip side, John Jay Chavez is an NCAA All-American (7th) and World Team Trials champ in Greco but he only spent his high school junior and senior seasons in Idaho. Is he eligible?
Also, a few of these guys might have actually been ranked higher but for injuries. Owens was ranked #1 and blew his knee his senior year. Smith was also ranked #1 and could not wrestle at NCAAs his senior year due to injury. Erekson was hurt pretty badly in multiple seasons in college as well. Zac Taylor is another high ranked wrestler where injuries derailed things in college.
Lovett is one of the best, but he has not made the top 10...yet. He has a long career ahead of him though.
Sandpoint having multiple guys on the list and in the running is certainly very impressive, Centennial has done well also.
This is a great list! Thanks for putting it together, although Jake Rosholt is an Okie State guy (Not Minnesota).
I had the opportunity to visit with Ridge Lovett briefly in transporting him to and from our hotel and workout site at Lyons Township High School (LaGrange, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago) during the 2019 Dream Team Classic (USA vs Illinois) this past season. As a past 2009 USA Dream Team Coach, my friend Cody Bryant-Wrestling USA Magazine, invited me out to this year's Classic, driving out with USA Dream Team Classic Wrestler Cade King, from my hometown of Owatonna, Minnesota. Cade was selected as the USA Dream Team 182 lber. Anyway, Ridge Lovett seemed like a great young man! I told him he would like wrestling for Coach Mark Manning too at the University of Nebraska. Coach Manning is a great guy! Anyway, We talked a little about Idaho Wrestling, as his home in Post Falls is just across the state border from Spokane, Washington, where I have several in-laws living there. I must say, Ridge certainly raised some interest for me in Idaho Wrestling. I did not know then though I would be accepting a head coaching job in Idaho a couple months later. Anyway, the USA Dream Team won big over Team Illinois (45-6), and both Ridge Lovett (won 3-2 O.T. at 132 lbs) and Cade King (won 13-5 Maj. Dec. at 182 lbs). Cade will be attending South Dakota State University. Cade is also an outstanding young man! Look for both of these young gentlemen to make their mark in "D1" Wrestling in the coming years. Both are of course also great Wrestlers! GO HUSKERS and JACKRABBITS! -Scot Davis-"New" Head Wrestling Coach at Sugar-Salem High School (Sugar City, Idaho).
How about Dave Chandler (BSU)
Brad Hansen (BYU) 2x All-American 4th & 5th
Laron Hansen (BYU) All-American
Mike Hansen (BYU) All-American
Mark Hansen (BYU) WAC Champ
David Hansen (BYU) WAC Champ
Ron Hansen (BYU) WAC Champ
Mike Young WAC Champ, 3rd place World 1967, 1970, & 1972
I like it! I also knew I would miss a ton so it is fun to hear others opinions. Jared Rosholt was a tough one due to his time in high school in Oklahoma. He certainly would be towards the top based off his high school accolades and holding the most wins for a heavyweight in Oklahoma State history. I would love it if Idahosports would do a top 20 list with all the accolades like Montana did a couple of years back. For as little national recognition as Idaho gets we have had some greats!
I would like to see an Idaho Sports Board topic dedicated to Idaho HS Sports History (or even just Idaho Sports History).
Need to throw Cole Clauson from Lakeland on the list . AA and 4X Big 10 qualifier for Wisconsin and Universities National Champion And World Team Member.
This needs to be two different lists. After watching Fargo Lovett has to be the best high school wrestler to ever come out of the state. I talked to his dad, I think it was his dad. He told me his favorite stat about his kid was that he only gave up 3 takedowns in his career! The numbers this kid put up are incredible. 10X Fargo AA. 7X finalist, I know he won Iowa the last 2 years. And he was on a World Team. IMO if he never wins a match in college he’s still the best HS wrestler we have ever had.
That stat is correct.
And I think he's gonna win a few college matches, too. LOL