Bonus Point Trivia

[Wrestleknownothing]

There have been 305 wrestlers who have participated in 4 or 5 tournaments in the past 20 tournaments (2006-2026).

Among them have been seven wrestlers who have scored more bonus points each successive year. Can you name the seven?

Sadly, there are also four wrestlers who decreased their bonus total every year. Can you name them?

Hint: They are all four year wrestlers.

 

[Jacob1one!]

Total guesses— Improved— Zain, Nickal, Askren

Decreased— Dustin Schlatter,

 

[Wrestleknownothing]

Total guesses— Improved— Zain, Nickal, Askren

Decreased— Dustin Schlatter,

Retherford peaked as a sophomore (8.5) and then decreased each of the next two years, Nickal also flew too close to the sun as a sophomore. Askren was too early (2004-2007) but absolutely did increase his bonus points every year (2, 3.5, 4, 7).

Schlatter scored 3 bonus as a freshman and then zero bonus three years in a row, so technically did not decrease every year, but great guess.

As a hint, the list of consecutive increasers contains two Nebraska wrestlers, an Illini, a NC State wrestler, a Cornell wrestler, and two wrestlers who split time at two schools each.

On the consecutive decreasers list we have another Husker, a Buckeye, and two Golden Gophers.

 

[Squatch96]

Nathan Tomasello decreased?

 

[sdvike]

Desanto increase?

 

[Wrestleknownothing]

Nathan Tomasello decreased?

The Buckeye was earlier than Tomasello.

 

[Wrestleknownothing]

Desanto increase?

DeSanto had his lowest total senior year (3, 3, 6, 2.5)

Hint: neither of the two school wrestlers went to Iowa, but both spent time in the Big10

 

[sdvike]

DeSanto had his lowest total senior year (3, 3, 6, 2.5)

Hint: neither of the two school wrestlers went to Iowa, but both spent time in the Big10

Suriano?

 

[Wrestleknownothing]

Suriano?

Not Suriano (he only participated in three tournaments), but Michigan is correct for one of the schools to be part of a two school split.

More recent than Suriano.

 

[Nashville_Hawk]

There have been 305 wrestlers who have participated in 4 or 5 tournaments in the past 20 tournaments (2006-2026).

Among them have been seven wrestlers who have scored more bonus points each successive year. Can you name the seven?

Sadly, there are also four wrestlers who decreased their bonus total every year. Can you name them?

Hint: They are all four year wrestlers.

You’re the man!!

 

[Crablegs1]

Retherford peaked as a sophomore (8.5) and then decreased each of the next two years, Nickal also flew too close to the sun as a sophomore. Askren was too early (2004-2007) but absolutely did increase his bonus points every year (2, 3.5, 4, 7).

Schlatter scored 3 bonus as a freshman and then zero bonus three years in a row, so technically did not decrease every year, but great guess.

As a hint, the list of consecutive increasers contains two Nebraska wrestlers, an Illini, a NC State wrestler, a Cornell wrestler, and two wrestlers who split time at two schools each.

On the consecutive decreasers list we have another Husker, a Buckeye, and two Golden Gophers.

Burroughs seems like a decent guess. Improved tremendously over his 4 years.

 

[Wrestleknownothing]

Burroughs seems like a decent guess. Improved tremendously over his 4 years.

Burroughs is NOT a decent guess.

Burroughs is an AWESOME guess. He is one of the two Nebraskans to increase his bonus each year.

 

[sdvike]

Gotta take one more stab at this with the clues. Micic with Michigan?

 

[Wrestleknownothing]

Gotta take one more stab at this with the clues. Micic with Michigan?

Even more recent.

 

[FanInBlack]

I bet I wont like the answer.

 

[Wrestleknownothing]

Answer Key:

First the seven who improved every year.

As I mentioned, Nebraska had two on the list - and they were teammates. Craig Brester (1, 1.5, 2, 4) did not do it in quite as dramatic fashion as Jordan Burroughs (0, 1.5, 5.5, 7), though.

Illinois' Jimmy Kennedy (0, 1.5, 2.5, 3), and North Carolina State's Kevin Jack (0, 1, 3, 3.5) played it tight, while Cornell's Nahshon Garrett (1, 2, 3, 4) kept it orderly.

Finally, there were the two wrestlers who did it while splitting time at two institutions. Joey McKenna had 0 and 1 at Stanford before putting up 3 and 3.5 for Ohio State. Lachlan McNeil spent three years improving at North Carolina (0, 1.5, 2) before taking his talents to Ann Arbor (3).

Then there were the four who reversed the order.

Nebraska's Chad Red Jr. (4, 3, 1, 0), Ohio State's Mike Pucillo (4, 2, 1.5, 1), and two Minnesota wrestlers - Chris Dardanes (6, 2, 1, 0) and Patrick McKee (6, 4, 1, 0) - put on the early sprint.

Fun Fact 1: Oklahoma State's Dean Heil and Edinboro's Tom Shiflett won 17 tournament matches without ever securing a bonus point.

Fun Fact 2: ASU/Northwestern's Jason Tsirtsis and Iowa's Ty Eustice are tied for the most career tournament matches with no one getting a bonus point (21). Tsirtsis finished 16-5 and Eustace finished 14-7 for their NCAA tournament careers.

 

[TarpHawk1]

Answer Key:

First the seven who improved every year.

As I mentioned, Nebraska had two on the list - and they were teammates. Craig Brester (1, 1.5, 2, 4) did not do it in quite as dramatic fashion as Jordan Burroughs (0, 1.5, 5.5, 7), though.

Illinois' Jimmy Kennedy (0, 1.5, 2.5, 3), and North Carolina State's Kevin Jack (0, 1, 3, 3.5) played it tight, while Cornell's Nahshon Garrett (1, 2, 3, 4) kept it orderly.

Finally, there were the two wrestlers who did it while splitting time at two institutions. Joey McKenna had 0 and 1 at Stanford before putting up 3 and 3.5 for Ohio State. Lachlan McNeil spent three years improving at North Carolina (0, 1.5, 2) before taking his talents to Ann Arbor (3).

Then there were the four who reversed the order.

Nebraska's Chad Red Jr. (4, 3, 1, 0), Ohio State's Mike Pucillo (4, 2, 1.5, 1), and two Minnesota wrestlers - Chris Dardanes (6, 2, 1, 0) and Patrick McKee (6, 4, 1, 0) - put on the early sprint.

Fun Fact 1: Oklahoma State's Dean Heil and Edinboro's Tom Shiflett won 17 tournament matches without ever securing a bonus point.

Fun Fact 2: ASU/Northwestern's Jason Tsirtsis and Iowa's Ty Eustice are tied for the most career tournament matches with no one getting a bonus point (21). Tsirtsis finished 16-5 and Eustace finished 14-7 for their NCAA tournament careers.

Bonus bonus trivia question: How many of Tsirtsis's 21 NCAA matches were decided by 1 point or OT? (A: 14!) Wrestleknownothing, does he hold the NCAA record for OT bouts/wins?

 

[Wrestleknownothing]

Bonus bonus trivia question: How many of Tsirtsis's 21 NCAA matches were decided by 1 point or OT? (A: 14!) Wrestleknownothing, does he hold the NCAA record for OT bouts/wins?

Tsirtsis is only tied for fourth in overtime wins with 5.

Illinois' heavy, John Lockhart, was the OT King. He won 7 OT matches, 5 of them in TB (also the most).

Lehigh's Zach Rey, Iowa's own Ryan Morningstar, and Nebraska's Caleb Smith are tied for second with 6 OT wins apiece.

Lockhart was a perfect 7-0 in OT so he does not hold the record for most OT bouts. That would be Morningstar whose 6-3 record puts him one clear of Caleb Smith (6-2). Tsirtsis also never lost in OT so his 5-0 record drops him down to tied for 24th in total OT matches.

Now we cannot leave the topic of OT without also discussing the cautionary tale of Griff Powell. The Illinois middle weight may have spent too much time watching his heavyweight teammate thinking "if he can do it, so can I". But with an 0-5 record in OT someone needed to let Powell know that he needed to pull the trigger sooner. Five losses with no wins is the record for OT futility.