50 best wrestlers from Tennessee

Great article on the Chattanoogan. B.B. Branton has composed a list of Tennessee’s best prep wrestlers in the past half century.

Here are the top 10.

** state champion is the first criteria to be considered for the top 50 … this coincides with next month’s 50th high school state tournament.

1. BILL HARLOW … St. Andrew’s … ’62 state champ at 171 … also won Mid South and national prep titles in ’62 … OW in all three tournaments … defeated ’61 national prep OW in ’62 finals … 5x Mid South champ … 80-1 career record … At Oklahoma State was 1966 NCAA champ … 3x All-American (2-2-1) … 3x NCAA finalist … 2x Big 8 champ … career record: 54-5-2 … 3x National AAU champ … 1x OW … World Silver medal … Tblisi Bronze medal … high school coach at Sapulpa High School in Oklahoma … member of the Oklahoma chapter of the national wrestling hall of fame.

2. JORDAN LEEN … Baylor … 4x state champ ; 2001-04 … ’04 OW … 214 career wins … national high school champ … 4x McCallie Invite champ … At Cornell, 2008 NCAA champion … 3x All-American (8-1-3) … 2x EIWA champ … 2008 EIWA Wrestler of the Year … career record, 118-29.

3. PHILIP SIMPSON … MBA … 4x state champ (1998-01) … 2x OW … 176 career wins … national high school runner-up … 4x champ, McCallie Invite … At West Point, 3x All-American; 2003-04-05 … 2005 NCAA runner-up … West Point’s only 3x All-American … 3x EIWA champ … 134 career wins … currently in the U.S. Army

4. MATT KELLER … Bradley Central … 4x state champ (1999-02) … ’99 OW … 3rd at high school senior nationals … NCAA All-American at Nebraska and UTC … 2x SoCon champ … currently in training for national freestyle tournaments … lives in Cleveland.

5. RANDY BATTEN … Hixson … 2x state champ; 1973-74 … ’74 OW … placed 3rd in 1972 … high school record: 107-2 … won final 87 matches … medaled in three national AAU tournaments … reached final four twice and placed second in the third … At UTC, 3x NCAA D-II national champ (’75-’77) … ’75 OW … ’75 SoCon champ … lives in Birmingham.

6. DAVID VANCE … McCallie … 3x state champ; 1988-91 … ’90 OW … four-time state finalist (2-1-1-1) … 3x McCallie Invite champ … 135-2 record … 103 wins in a row … wrestled one year at Oklahoma … lives in Chattanooga.

7. MARKESE NELSON … Kirby … 2x state champ; 1994-95 … lost one match his last three years … 3x champ at McCallie (OW) and Father Ryan tourneys … 4th at high school senior nationals … Cadet All-American at Fargo … 2x JUCO All-American at Fresno City College … wrestled at Fresno State … UniversityNationals All-American … Armed Forces national champ.

8. ADRIAN NORFLEET … Whites Creek … 3x state champ; 1986-88 … lives in Texas

9. SCOTT WELLS … Brentwood Academy … 2x state champ; 1998-99 … ’98 OW … 4x cadet national champion at Fargo; 2x in Greco/Roman and 2x in Freestyle … undefeated two seasons in Tenn.

10. CHARLES McTORRY … Overton … Tenn. record for wins (216) … 2x state champ; 1994, 1996 … 2x OW … 3x finalist (1-2-1) … high school national champion … wrestled at Nebraska … head coach at Ensworth.

Read the whole article and comment with your thoughts!