Mark Rechtfertig, from Blue Valley, had to be to leading takedown machine of all time.

But I am sure I can open a debate!!!

Doug Duell of Goodland and Roberson were the best I have seen. They could do it anyway they wanted any time they wanted. They were smooth on their feet. We had a takedown machine of our own at Wyandotte in Walzel Evans, some of you might remember him. He was so good on his feet that I felt sorry for the other guy sometimes, but not in those two guys class. I had Landunn Richardson once and he was as good as it gets too. Took Akin down three times in one match and that says a lot right there because Akin was tough to take down.

I remember Walzel ... he was smooth ... but Mark had something like 250 takedowns in one season.

Bo Maynes!!!!!!!! Takedown King

Matt Bradshaw of Manhattan was the best I've ever seen at shooting takedowns. Because of him, the rule book was forever changed. They added the following:

Caution: Potentially embarassing--when a wrestler hits a takedown so smooth that his opponent doesn't even have a chance to sprawl.

and

Unsportsman-like conduct: Intentionally embarassing (1 pt)--same as above, but takes the opponent directly from his feet to his back.

The best takedown artist I saw was Gary Barton of Colby. I saw him takedown Leon Tresner six times in a row in the finals of the Garden City tourney once. Leon was a stud on the mat but he wasn't down there long enough to show it.

Personally I never wanted a kid to have 250 takedowns. My brother had only 26 takedowns in 1972. Twenty six takedowns, twenty six falls. Now thems takedowns!!

Takedown artists are really few and far between I think. I always look at who they take down rather than how many. Is it a Carp or a Shark you know? Makes a lot of difference.

Brook Medrano was the best I ever saw.

Brooke Madrano???? From Emporia?? Is that the one you mean? He was the best takedown man you ever saw? Just clarifying for my own thought process there. Ok I got it squared away now.

Matt I am sorry I couldnt let that one go lolll. Now I know Brook was a heck of a wrestler but I also know you saw Maines and Roberson and you really think Brook was a better takedown man that those two cats. Just wondering?

Yes, actually I never really saw him wrestle that often for Emporia, I'm talking about his senior year at Heights. He was a machine.

I didn't see Roberson or Maynes wrestle that much, I won't say Brook was better of course he wasn't, but I never saw anybody get as many takedowns as Brook. If I saw Roberson or Maynes wrestle as often as I saw Brook then I probably wouldn't have said that about him.

I coached Brook in middle school and high school and let me tell you that although he was good, he doesn't even come close to Maynes or Roberson.

OK? Thanx for clearing that up. I never said he was better. I said while Roberson and Maynes were better I watched Brook every match his senior year and I hadn't seen anyone get as many takedowns as him. I only saw a few matches of Roberson and Maynes.

I really think that eric johnson is pretty impressive on his feet. I have watched him dominate many good kids on his feet.

#1 Westfahl--I saw that match also--1963, 1964? Gary also had a brother named Jerry that was no slouch.

#2 Eric Johnson AND James Annon are both outstanding on their feet.

#3 here again, there is a major difference in wrestling styles and emphasis being compared. When I wrestled (many years ago) it was considered to be unsportsmanlike behavior (and penalized ) if you took your opponent down and let him up repeatedly.

Also, the Tresners were quite a family:

Mom and Dad: Lee, Sr & Noralea

children: Leland, Nora Lee, Leon, Lee, Jr.
Norma Lee, Leslee, LeeWayne, and NonaLee.

Also, I may have been confused--was it Leland (the nat'l champ at Fort Hays) or Leon that wrestled Gary Barton? If it was Leon that would have been in, like, 1968 or 69. I was a "mere child" when that took place.

Also, Westfahl, you being a Kinsley Coyote--what about the brothers of whom one coached at GCCC? Weren't they both state placers? Their last name is escaping me now.

I remember seeing a kid get warned for stalling for taking someone down and letting them up. The kid did it three or four times in a row, then got dinged all because he "Wasn't working for a pin" (the exact quote from the ref). The kid proceeded to take the other wrestler down, put him on his back and pin him in the next 10 seconds. I'm not quite sure that was what the ref had in mind, but I think the wrestler made his point.

P-M-F

If I am not mistaken, taking down and letting up your opponent was changed from an unsportsmanlike conduct call to stalling when the concept of stalling was formally introduced and codified in the rulebook in the late 70's, early '80's. The rationale was exactly as you say, if the controlling wrestler was not working for a pin he was called for stalling!

Brian Harris was a take down machine. He could snap and spin like no other. He was quicker than anyone I have seen in a long time.