Last week, we highlighted the unusual trend of repeat NCAA champions at 141 pounds. 

Now we’re on the opposite end of the spectrum. 

No weight class has seen more turnover at the top during the last quarter century than 149 pounds, where 20 different wrestlers have won national titles since 2001. 

Only three wrestlers  — Brent Metcalf, Zain Retherford and Yianni Diakomihalis — won multiple NCAA titles here during the last 25 seasons. Prior to Retherford’s three-year reign that ended in 2018, no wrestler had won consecutive titles at 149 since the weight class was introduced in 1999. In fact, before Retherford, you have to go back to current Lehigh coach Pat Santoro’s two-year title run in 1988-89 at 142 to find a repeat champ at college wrestling’s fourth-lightest weight class. 

The scarcity of multi-time champs here, coupled with some high-profile performers slotting into other weight classes, made for a competitive vote to select the four 149-pound finalists for the Flowrestling All-Quarter Century Team presented by Defense Soap. Diakomihalis (the first-team selection at 141 pounds) and Jordan Oliver (the third-teamer at 133) were removed from consideration at 149 after filling spots elsewhere. So were four-time NCAA champ Kyle Dake, who won his second national title at 149 and two-time champ Austin O'Connor, who won his first title at 149. 

Much like the three weights we’ve unveiled already, there were some worthy candidates who missed the cut, including: 

Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota) — Took college wrestling by storm in 2006 when he turned in one of the most impressive seasons by a true freshman in the last quarter century. Schlatter punctuated his 42-1 rookie season by outscoring his five opponents at the NCAA Championships by a combined 39-2 margin. He won 87 of his first 88 college matches for the Gophers before getting knocked off in the 2007 NCAA semis. Schlatter battled back to take third as a sophomore. Injuries cut short his next two seasons, but he placed seventh in the loaded 149-pound bracket in 2008 and went 14-1 as a senior at 157 before defaulting out of the NCAA Championships with a knee injury. 

Zack Esposito (Oklahoma State) — Compiled a 120-12 record for the Cowboys and entered the NCAA Championships seeded third or better in all four of his trips to the national tournament. Wrestled on four NCAA title teams and placed third or better individually three times, including a title in 2005.  

Jesse Jantzen (Harvard) — The most-coveted high school prospect in the 2001 class opted for Harvard and became a big winner, particularly in his final three seasons when he went 114-6 with 40 pins. Jantzen placed third as a sophomore and junior and won a title as a senior. 

Frank Molinaro (Penn State) — Reached the NCAA podium four times, wrestled in two title bouts and took home a championship in 2012 when he went 33-0. 

Jared Lawrence (Minnesota) — His resume looks similar to Molinaro’s. He was a four-time All-American, a two-time finalist with a title and he wrestled on a pair of national championship teams. 

Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) — If we assembled this list next year, Henson might crack the list of finalists. The 2024 NCAA champ has already reached the finals twice to go with his fifth-place finish as a true freshman. 

Building The Quarter Century Team

We put together a list with every NCAA champion since 2001 — all 160 of the guys who combined to win the 240 individual national titles during that time frame — and the Flowrestling team pared it down to 40 (the top four at each weight) with a staff vote. Ultimately, we'll cut the list down to 10 with the help of a fan vote on social media. 

Iowa’s Spencer Lee (125), Ohio State’s Logan Stieber (133) and Cornell’s Yianni Diakomihalis (141) have claimed first-team spots. 

Now you can cast a vote for the top 149-pounder from the past quarter century. 

Who was the best 149-pound wrestler of the Quarter-Century?

— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) June 23, 2025

(Finalists listed chronologically) 

Eric Larkin (Arizona State)

Larkin was a perennial contender during his first three seasons with the Sun Devils, finishing fourth, third and second at the NCAA Championships. He found another gear as a senior in his lone year at 149, where he went 34-0 and knocked off returning NCAA champ Jared Lawrence in the national finals. He became the first 149-pounder to win the Hodge Trophy. 

Brent Metcalf (Iowa) 

The face of Iowa’s three-year championship run compiled a 108-3 career record, reached the NCAA finals three times and won a pair of titles. Metcalf piled up bonus points in 85 matches with the Hawkeyes, including 47 pins. He won the 2008 Hodge Trophy after winning a loaded NCAA bracket that featured six eventual national champs and three others who reached the finals.  

Darrion Caldwell (NC State) 

Caldwell wrestled a wide-open style that produced 58 pins and two All-America finishes for the Wolfpack, highlighted by his 2009 title run when he claimed the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler Award. Caldwell registered four bonus-point victories on his way to the title before stopping Metcalf’s 69-match winning streak in stunning fashion with an 11-6 victory. He compiled a 109-13 career record at NC State. 

Zain Retherford (Penn State) 

A star amongst stars in the Penn State order during his time with the Nittany Lions. Retherford went 126-3 at Penn State, never lost a match in his three seasons at 149, collected a pair of Hodge Trophies and ended his career on a 94-match winning streak. In his 15 NCAA tournament matches at 149, he registered seven technical falls, five pins and a major decision.