There are so many great wrestlers in Kansas and each opinion probably depends on your generation. Some names I can think of that weren't on here are include:
Bobby Lashley-Junction City (Who is currently ranked in the top ten at 211lbs nationally)
Todd Latin-Independence 4X Champ
E.K Franks- Wellington
Scott Henry- Paola
Temoer Terry- McPherson
Jon White- Columbus
Beau Vest- Topeka
Lonnie Currier- Ulysses
Randy Roark- Columbus
Levi Guillen- Leoti
Allan Hankins- Ark City
Brian Shay-Paola
Steve Mesa- Garden City
Chris Saferite- Augusta
Steve Turley,Landon Frank- Scott City
Myron Ellegood- Garden City
Adam Kieswitter- Dodge City
Jeff Showalter- Nickerson

I could go on and on like most people from kansas could. As you can tell I'm from Southwest Kansas and the guys I grew up watching are from the early to mid 90's.

Boy there sure are a lot of them on that list that were good. I really remember Hankins and Shay and the other Paola kid, Henry because they tatooed pretty good kids that I had once. There sure have been some good ones over the years. The more people talk about them the more a person remembers.

talkin bout brian shay, how about amad patillo? never saw him wrestle but i know he was really good.and noah clouse, matt wieshaar, josh lattimer, doug hoover, luke metzler, earl jones, stu bogart.jake straight is goin for his third state title.

I noticed one of SW Kansas' best - Wes Walker of Ulysses - was absent from the list. HS All-American Honors would certainly warrant his inclusion in this discussion.

Any discussion of coaches has got to include Jake Durham-from Norton or Rocky Welton from Goodland/Garden City.

I couldn't agree with you more about Wes Walker on that list. He won the NAIA national championship at heavyweight two years ago, and was an 3xall american. Its easy to brag about him since he's my little brother or at least younger!!

Billy Gabel a 4x state champion!

Because he is my brother and I don't want him to be forgotten, Rock Westfahl was a two time state champ from Kinsley in 72 and 73 at 189. Pinned his way through the state tourney twice and never went beyond 2:30 in any state tourney match. Wrestled at LSU and lost 5-2 to John Peterson who wrestled at that time for Athletes in Action. I think he is worth remembering here. He was as good as anyone in the country at that time.

I think Roger fisher, Doug Duell, stan Faulkender, quenton Horning, and possibly Stan Ward were in that group, jeff boyle and gerrod speer certainly come to mind as unbeatable in their junior/senior years, Speer missing the whole season with the ACL injury from football and then coming back just before regionals and wrestling like he hadn't missed a beat was enough to convince me--- never saw Myron Roderick from winfield wrestle except at his wrestling camp at stillwater (OSU) where he coached so many NCAA champs, he must have been
in his forties at that time and could wrestle with several of the NCAA cahmps that he had at the camp as instructors. I think accomplishment-wise he is still unmatched--

Yep Stan Ward really does belong on that list. You could go thru a lot of Norton guys in that era that were really fine wrestlers. The Tacha brothers were great, Ward, Ankeman, Hackney's, Fisher, Horning, and Lowery were all very very good. I think Ward wrestled at Oklahoma, Horning at Nebraska Omaha, Lowery I think at OU. I didn't like Norton much in my youth but had to tip a hat to them. Says a lot about Jake doesn't it.

About that same time Sainty had the Kellers, Walters, Falkender, a couple of Cooks, Ginger, Cajoi, and some more that I have forgotten about. You think the NWKL wasn't a handful for the rest of us. It sure was.

I would have to pick Chris Newport from Osawatomie for 130. 4x regional champ,2nd,3rd, and 1st place finishes. 112-9 carreer record.

Tell you what how bout Travis Phippen of Santa Fe Trail. Couple of state championships and a national championship later on or Scotty Goodale of Ark City who won three state championships and was either first or second in the nation at School of Mines in Colorado as well as being a pretty smart little devil. Couple to think about as well as my old buddies from Oberlin the Brown brothers, Bob and Bill. Bill was the last All-American at K-State taking fourth I think.

justin ware 4x never beat in kansas high school or kids wrestling devin bahm 4x drew soule 3x travis vandervor 3x allen hankins 3x chris hernandez 3x chad beeson 3x scott goodale 3x division 2 national champ brooks travis 3x wrestled for mizzo started 3years les miller heavyweight unstopable also played pro football for 12 years darren daulton 2x also pro baseball for long time world champ for marlins enough said

les miller was awesome. he is on my nintendo football games. played for the chargers, nosetakle.

Actually Justin got beat several times in high school. I don't think he was ever undefeated (maybe once) He lost a one pointer to a three time state champ from Oklahoma in the MidWest City tourney and I think that was his senior year. He was an all time great one no doubt though. He was something special just not undefeated for his high school career. Their schedule was too tough to do that for anyone.

Here's my perfect fantasy team going by todays weights and the weights these guys were close to as seniors:
103: Dale Votopka-Oberlin
112: Steve Lampe-Colby
119: Doug Duell-Goodland
125: Matt Treaster-Beloit
130: Erik Akin-Meige
135: Todd Drake-Andover
140: Justin Ware-Ark city
145: Todd Layton-Indy
152: Temoer Terry-McPherson
160: Doug Morrow-Derby
171: Dave Schamberger-Hoxie
189: Justin Dyer-Olathe North
215: Wes Walker-Ulysses
275: Jeff Boyle-Norton
Coach: Rocky Welton

I like all those but I think Falkender and Horning got to be in there somewhere.

Do not forget About Mitch Beims from Atwood he was tough. Good guy too.

Just so nobody really forgets the history of the state, how bout the first and only Olympic Champion from the State of Kansas and Kinsley High School, Pete Mehringer in 1932. Below are all the medal winners from that year.


1932 Jack Van Bebber (gold, 158.5), Pete Mehringer (gold, 191.5), Robert Pierce (gold, 123), Edgar Nemir (silver, 134), John Riley (silver, 191.5 +)

His post said that Justin Ware was undefeated in Kansas!!
I think that is true, although he may have lost to Temore Terry or J.J. Thaw once, does anybody know for sure?