Question:
Who was the best wrestler in the state of Nebraska in 2002?

Choices:
Todd Meneley
Brett Allgood
Brandon Brill
Chris Oliver
None of the Above

 

Simple Allgood beat Meneley.

Only reason Meneley is ahead in voting is Skutt is 4 times the size of Bennington so there are more Skutt supporters pushing their boy. The facts are and always will be Allgood beat Meneley.

They did not wrestle in 2002. Many kids that I had beaten had turned around and beat me the next year. I think Meneely probably has worked a lot harder and improved much more than Allgood. Both are superstuds but I think I would go with Meneely on this one.

Highcrotch you dont know what you are talking about. How do you know Meneley works harder than Allgood. Have you seen both in practice? To say Meneley has improved more than Allgood insults Allgood, the Bennington program, and the Bennington Coaches. Take a look at both of their seasons last year. Meneleys last 2 matches were close. In the semis at state Meneley got all he could handle for most of the match. In the finals Meneleys opponent had never even won a state medal before and Meneley only beat him by 6 points. No one came close to Allgood last year or the last 3 years. In the finals Allgood beat the crap out of then pinned the defending state champion.

You say they didn’t wrestle in 2002 but they did wrestle as late as between their junior and senior seasons. Allgood won by PIN the first time. The second time came several weeks after the season. Without working out for several weeks Allgood showed up at a tournament and outwrestled Meneley most of the match until he got tired. Allgood took Meneley down twice and Meneley never scored until late in the match when he got help from the refs. Allgood was put down where Meneley got a couple of tilts that would not score any points with high school rules. More impressive is that Allgood has been 2 to 3 weight classes smaller than Meneley and still BEATS him.

The only excuse people come up with that Meneley is better is what he did at the “National level” this year. How do you know Allgood would not have done the same or better if he went to those tournaments. Besides isnt head to head a better indicator of who is better than who did what at what tournament. Meneley may have had success at the “National level” but Allgood still BEATS him head to head.

My vote goes with Allgood.

I talked with both wrestlers last year for our Prep Preview issue, and they both said at that time that they were pretty even in head-to-head matchups. I believe Brett won the last matchup between the two at the KWAA champions tourney, but I'm willing to bet if they wrestled 10 times you'd more than likely see a 5-5 split or 6-4 one way or the other. And that's not a knock on either wrestler...both are outstanding and bring out the best in each other when they hook up.

By no means did I mean to bash Allgood or his coaches. I have the most respect for the things he has accomplished. He is an amazing wrestler, a wrestler that I could only dream of competing with. His coaches are tremendous. I have seen Coach Pokorny at many meets and he has displayed great morals and obviously is a very talented wrestling coach. What I meant was that Meneely has gone to many more out of season meets (Fargo,etc). At least for me, these meets are where I have done lots of my improvement. I beleive that Meneely has gotten stronger and has became an all around better wrestler. A matchup there senior year would have been very interesting.

I tell yah, people and their talk....... Yeah, Allgood has great talent. Nobody can deny this. But anyone who had a chance to see Meneely at Jr's this summer would beg to differ with you on who is better. Sure, all we can do is talk right now, and yeah, Allgood does have the high school scholastic head to head, but the way Meneely motored through the best in the nation including what many consider to be the best recruit in the nation (ware), my money is on Meneely! How about this, folks. Since there is such a split in how people see this issue, let us take how they do in college and he who does better will be crowned the better between the two? Right now they are even on criteria to start with. Brett has head to head in high school, and Todd has high school off season with 4 All-American honors at Jr's and a second at the Senior tournament. NOW, let us let college speak loud and clear to settle the dispute! My money is on Meneely. Now where is yours? NWI

Head to head baby, there is no better way to prove the best that is what makes this sport great. Meneley may have motored through the best in the nation but Allgood motored through Meneley. Just because Allgood did not wrestle in the off season does not make him a less of a wrestler. Besides didnt Allgood PIN Meneley in the off season? Sounds like Allgood rules Meneley in the off season also.

There are certain things you never put money on:

a) the weather in Nebraska
b) the Huskers on the road (unless you're betting AGAINST)
c) Meneely vs. Allgood

We can argue this point until we're all blue in the face. Allgood is about the only kid in Nebraska to beat Meneely in high school (in- and off-season). Meneely is a national champ and is going to the premiere wrestling college in the country. Allgood's a 4-time undefeated champion. Meneely is a 4-timer with a loss to Allgood.

See? Both have the credentials. Both have the results to back up supporerts' claims as to who is best. They are about even in head-to-head matchups over the years, so there's really no settling the argument.

If nothing else, the Meneely vs. Allgood debate is one that will be worth talking about for a long time to come. They are two of the state's greatest wrestlers, not only of the past decade, but of all time. Where they go from here will be fun to watch...and argue about.

Mike has some great points, but I must say that the Hawks are glad to have Meneely, and they feel he will be able to write his own ticket. And we from Hawkland will be watching Meneely in the Olympic while Allgood is watching as well on his easy chair with a cool one in hand thinking about the GOOD OLD DAYS! And we will all live happily ever after! Oh and Jack, I hope you one day find Jill!

While Meneley is busy writing his ticket, Allgoods ticket is already written. Allgoods education is 100% paid for, how about Meneleys? If the Hawks are as glad as you say his ticket would be written. Besides you are all getting off the original point. The original question is who was the best high school wrestler in 2002. Last I saw the high school season ended in February and high school rules do not include freestyle or greco. What happens after that is for another poll.

While I will admit even though Allgood PINNED Meneley in freestyle, Meneley may be a better freestyle and greco wrestler. But Allgood is a better high school (and collegent style) wrestler, and rememeber what the original poll said. Oh and Iowa Fan, I did find Jill and she was not worth going up the hill for!

Not taking anything away from either of the two young men, they are both outstanding, but I think if it were the championship match at state in 2002, and I had a choice of whether I wanted to wrestle Todd or Brett for gold, I'd have to pick Brett.

I watched them both wrestle a few times during last season, including state, and to me, Todd just looked like the cleaner, smoother wrestler, more in control not that Brett didn't control his opponents, just not as well in my opinion. And, as this is just a poll, I suppose opinions are really all that matter.

Anyways, there's a couple more pennies to throw on top of the pile that's started here.
__

"Are you hurt, or are you injured?"

I guess I am not sure how Meneely would do as a MAT wrestler? I don't think many can hold him down, but on top? Who knows? I know he will have to be able to ride guys in DI if he is going to be worth his salt.

And like anything else, about the 2002 best wrestlers, time to give it a rest........There are only about two differing opinions and those will never change: Todd and Brett.

Neither is losing any sleep over the debate!

Someone forgot to include Conlin in this debate. He beat an absolute monster (Pankoke) in the finals with a bad knee. I picked Pankoke in that match, but Conlin took it to another level.

My question, would MeNeely and Allgood be undefeated and 4 timers if they wrestled 152 and higher all four years? My guess probably not. Probably both with two maybe three. Conlin won two and beat probably the badest animal alive...Pankoke.

How many 4 timers were like Todd, Brett and Casey Kohl starting at 103 and moving up? I agree that the heavier you are coming out you decrease the chances of being a freshman champ but a huge %. Last year 2 of the three freshman champs were 103 and Brester was 125. The heaviest Sophmore champ was also 125. The state tournament really show cases the Junior and Seniors but even then, the seniors have it hands down. Last Year 56 champs total, 3 fresh, 9 soph, 9 jr and 35 seniors. Hats off to those who have both the body to wrestle small early and the heart to wrestle hard enough to take a title.

Coach Anthens, I would agree the Pankoke vs. Conlin match was one of the best high school wrestling matches that I ever saw.

I would have to disagree that Allgood and Meneely would have only won two or three state titles if they were bigger. I would agree that it is easier to win a state title as a freshman but there are great and exceptional athletes at all sizes. Take Allgood for example (only because I know his match results better). Look at Brett's freshman season since that is the most likely chance that he could have been beaten. Only one person came closer than five points of Brett his freshman season. Brett teched or pinned all opponents except five guys which all became state champions and some won multiple state titles. The only person to come within five points was McKim a Junior in a match which Brett moved up a weight class to beat him. Anyone that moves up a weight class and beats a 2-time state champ is truly exceptional especially as a freshman. McKim has proven himself to be a great wrestler by becoming one of the best Division I wrestlers in the nation. Obviously it would have been more difficult at a higher weight class but I believe the results would have been the same

Second paragraph, second sentence should have said: I would agree that it is easier to win a state title as a freshman at the lower weights, but...

Sorry, for the mistake.

i just think that you can only see through your personal bias which has shown a lot in your writing over the last couple of years. basically you cannot separate yourself from your experience with brett. we will never know what might have been under differing circumstances, but we can all agree that starting your frosh year in an upper weight class is a bitch and makes it proportionally harder to win 4. no question on this. i can easily see how brett will fit favorably with all the other 4 time champions in our state's history. i can see his stats being in the books for a long time. however, i think that his measurement as a wrestler and how he will be remembered in nebraska lore will depend on his post secondary career. hope he does well, but it looks like the hawks have as close as you can get to a sure thing

can't believe you guys in nebraska are still debating this issue. isn't it kind of old anyway? i do think the meneely kid is special. i didn't think anyone anywhere could beat teyon. great job, todd.

No offense taken, Hawk4life. I believe everyone has their right to their opinion and I respect yours because you are right in many areas. I do want to make it clear that my earlier post had nothing to do with the Allgood/Meneely debate, it was a friendly response to Coach Anthen's post about Brett and Todd's chances at being a 4-time state champion at higher weight classes. I believe if anyone could have been 4 timers at higher weight classes it would have been Brett and Todd. I used Brett's examples because I know the facts about his match results much better and in order to make a convincing argument I needed facts to back up my opinions. I do understand some may feel I am being bias towards Brett but I have always stated facts in order to avoid being bias. I don't believe that I am any more bias towards Brett than any other coach is towards their own wrestlers.

You are also right, we may never know what might have been under differing circumstances. I also agree that it is extremely difficult starting your freshman year in an upper weight class and proportionally harder to win 4 state titles. Yes, I did base my opinions on my experience with Brett. If I did not see some of the things that I have seen over the past four years, I would have also doubted that Brett could have won four titles at a higher weight. I base my opinions on facts that I have witnessed. One of the best arguments I have is that during Brett's freshman year he could beat every wrestler on our team up to our 171 lber and he would split about 50/50 with our 171 lber. We had five state medalists between those weight classes and our 171 lber was a state medalist and may have been a state champion almost any other year but he had J.J. Bernadt in his weight class. For a freshman to give up nearly 70 lbs and be even with a state medalist is impressive. Based on these facts and others I have mentioned earlier, I do believe that Brett could have been a 4 timer at a higher weight class.

I do agree with you that the Hawkeyes got a gem and I believe with Todd's talents and work ethic we could see him competing in the Olympics someday.