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Penn State Wrestling: Best Nittany Lions to never win an NCAA title

By Chris Snyder

STATE COLLEGE, PA - JANUARY 31: A view of the sell out crowd cheering during a match between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Michigan Wolverines on January 31, 2016 at Recreation Hall on the campus of Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania. Penn State won 35-7. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - JANUARY 31: A view of the sell out crowd cheering during a match between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Michigan Wolverines on January 31, 2016 at Recreation Hall on the campus of Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania. Penn State won 35-7. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /
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STATE COLLEGE, PA – JANUARY 31: A view of the sell out crowd cheering during a match between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Michigan Wolverines on January 31, 2016 at Recreation Hall on the campus of Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania. Penn State won 35-7. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA – JANUARY 31: A view of the sell out crowd cheering during a match between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Michigan Wolverines on January 31, 2016 at Recreation Hall on the campus of Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania. Penn State won 35-7. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /

Taking a look at some all-time Penn State Wrestling greats who came up just short of winning an NCAA title

Lately at Victory Bell Rings, we’ve churned out Penn State Wrestling articles ranking all 10 Nittany Lion NCAA Championship teams along with creating an all-time Penn State Dream Team. And just last year I ranked the top 10 Nittany Lions of all-time in the modern wrestling era.

With the amount of success Cael Sanderson has brought to the Penn State Wrestling program, these articles pretty much write themselves as the Nittany Lion faithful have seen countless greats wrestle in Rec Hall. So it makes sense that we have highlighted some of the best of the best in our off-season articles.

But we’re going to dive into a slightly different area in this one. Instead, I am going to rank the best Nittany Lions of all-time who weren’t able to win a coveted NCAA title.

Because let’s face it, winning an NCAA title in wrestling is far from easy. Factor in the long hours building up to the season, the grind of the classroom along with a packed dual meet schedule, practices during the season, managing weight and injures, an always tough Big Ten Tournament, and then the meat grinder that is the NCAA Tournament itself. Where losing your focus for one split second could end your run at an NCAA title.

The stars have to practically align just to win one.

Like I said, it’s not easy. Heck, you can make an argument that losing early in the championship bracket and then making your way through the consolation bracket and the blood rounds to finish third is a more grueling task than winning a title itself. Keep in mind I said “grueling” and not “harder”. There’s a big difference.

So with all of this said, let’s take a look at my list of the best Nittany Lions to never win an NCAA title

Honorable Mentions

Cary Kolat

Years: 1993-1994
Record: 60-6
Conf. Titles: 1
NCAA Finishes:
2nd (1993)
3rd (1994)

Clint Musser

Years: 1994-1999
Record: 123-36
Conf. Titles: 0 (2nd twice)
NCAA Finishes:
5th (1998)
2nd (1999)

Ken Chertow

Years: 1984-1989
Record: 115-35-3
Conf. Titles: 2
NCAA Finishes:
3rd (1987)
3rd (1988)
6th (1989)

Bob Truby

Years: 1988-1992
Record: 101-27-4
Conf. Titles: 2
NCAA Finishes:
5th (1991)
4th (1992)

Jerry White

Years: 1974-1977
Record: 70-13-1
Conf. Titles: 2
NCAA Finishes:
3rd (1977)

“Hold on a second, Chris. You only have Cary Kolat as an honorable mention? In his two seasons at Penn State he was clearly one of the best to ever don the blue and white.”

And you would be correct with that assessment. But technically, Kolat doesn’t even qualify for my list as he won back-to-back national titles wrestling for Lock Haven in 1996 and 1997. Remember, this is the best of the best who never won a national title.

#myrules

But either way, I would be a fool not to at least mention his incredible two seasons in Happy Valley.

In the 1992-1993 season, Kolat’s freshman year, he put together a 22-5 record, finished 2nd in the conference, and finished runner-up in the 1993 NCAA Championships to UNC’s T.J. Jaworsky. The following year Kolat really hit his stride as he won his first conference title, was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, and took a perfect 33-0 record into the 1994 NCAA Championships.

Unfortunately a tough overtime lose to Babak Mohammadi in the semi-finals derailed his chance to take home his first title as a Nittany Lion. Kolat then won his remaining two matches to finish third in the NCAA’s.

At this point everyone in college wrestling knew it was a matter of time for Kolat. Which inevitably happened, only it was for the aforementioned Lock Haven.

Moving along to Clint Musser, Ken Chertow, Bob Truby, and Jerry White. This group was a combined 409-111-8, compiled six conference titles, and had an incredible 77% winning percentage. And with their career wins eclipsing the 100 mark, Musser, Chertow and Truby are among the list of only 37 Nittany Lions to ever achieve this mark.

Chertow was knocking on the door to an NCAA title in both the 1987 and 1988 seasons, and Musser came close in 1999 but like I said earlier, it’s not easy to win it all. Same goes for both Truby and White as they had high finishes in the 1992 and 1977 seasons respectively.

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