We are back with the All Quarter Century Team! This time we take a look at our state’s lone Division II program with the UW-Parkside Rangers. No matter the division the Rangers have a long rich tradition within their program. Their alumni are active and stay involved, year after year they assemble some of the best teams in the country.
Since the year 2000 the Rangers have had a total of 71 All Americans for an average of 2.84 All-Americans a year for the last 25 years. The most in one year was in 2018 when the team placed 3rd at the National tournament. Those 5 All-Americans were Airk Furseth (6th), Frank Yattoni (3rd), Nick Becker (1st), James Lehman (8th), Matt Halverson (3rd).
With such a rich tradition it made it difficult to determine who was the best at each weight class at times. I have chosen ten individuals to be the representative, but at a few weights a tip of the cap had to happen to a few individuals who just missed it.
125 Shane Corrigan: It doesn’t take long to find a familiar face on this list as Shane Corrigan is still an active wrestler on the team, but even without completing his career, it is clear he is the best 125 pounder in the last 25 years. Coming into his Senior season this year, Corrigan is a 3x All-American, already placing 7th as a freshman, 6th as a sophomore, and 5th as a junior. He holds a career record of 75-22 and in his first 3 seasons as a Ranger he had a bonus rate over 60%. With one more year to go he has the chance to join an exclusive club as a 4x college All-American.
133 Arik Furseth: A native of Janesville Wisconsin, Furseth found a second home at Parkside. He was a 3x national qualifier and 2x All-American for the Rangers placing 6th in 2018 as a redshirt sophomore. He then qualified again as a Senior where he earned the Covid AA honors after the tournament was canceled. He finished with 108 career wins and is now the top 133 pounder of the last quarter century.
141 Brad Russell: Starting to dive a little deeper into Parkside’s history Brad Russell earns the nod at 141. He had a career record of 119-34. During his time at UW-Parkside he was competing at both the NCAA Division II National Tournament and at the NAIA National Tournament. Russell took full advantage of that, claiming 4 total All-American honors. In 2000 he placed 3rd in NAIA. In 2002 he placed 2nd in NAIA and he placed 6th at DII NCAA Nationals. Finally in 2003 Russell took 4th at the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
149 Craig Becker: We finally have our first Becker sighting on the list as current assistant coach at Parkside Craig Becker earns the spot. Craig was a 4x national qualifier and 2x All-American. In 2009 he placed 4th at the national tournament and then in 2010 he won a National Title for the Rangers by securing a pin in the finals! He has a 128-28 career record with the Rangers.
Honorable mention at this weight is current Parkside athlete Jalen Spuhler. Spuhler has a current record of 58-20 and is a 2x All-American placing 4th in 2023 and 6th in 2024. Last season Spuhle spent time ranked #1 in the country but his season ended short due to injury. A strong season or a national title in his senior year could make a case for him to bump his current coach out of the top spot.
157 Brad Becker: A tough one to decide from here at 157 pounds. Brad Becker (Craig’s older brother) is a 3x All-American for the Rangers. One of those AA’s though is when he won a National Title in 2006. The other 2 times he placed 8th in 2003 and 5th in 2007. What makes this 157 pound spot so difficult is that Dillon Bera is a 4x All American for the Rangers including a national finals appearance in 2011. Bera placed 8th in 2010, 2nd in 2011, 3rd in 2012, and 8th in 2013. Ultimately it came down to the 1 extra AA honor or the National Title and when it’s all said and done I choose to go with the individual who claimed the highest spot.
HM Dillon Bera
165: Nick Fishback or Shane Gantz: Two guys with very similar careers. Both were 3x national qualifiers, both 2x All-Americans and both national finalists! Gantz had a 72-25 (74% winning percentage) career record. He was a covid AA in the 2021 season and made the national finals as a redshirt junior in 2022. In 2023 Gantz was the undefeated 1 seed at nationals but finished in the R12.
Fishback had a career record of 117- 35 (76% winning percentage), he placed 5th in 2015 at the NCAA tourney and then as a senior he made the nationals finals placing 2nd in 2016.
Almost identical careers, I really feel you could flip a coin and either person would be a great option to claim the top spot, but for today Nick Fishback takes the crown. Ultimately it came down to the slightly higher (2%) winning percentage and the fact that I placed a little more weight on Fishback’s 5th place AA honors over Gantz’s covid AA honors. Something Gantz has no control of obviously. But a classic saying in wrestling is “that’s why you wrestle the match” because you may earn it on paper but you never know for sure what could happen.
HM Shane Gantz
174 Nick Becker: Here we have our 3rd Becker to make the list with current UW-Parkside Head Coach Nick Becker earning the top spot. Hard to argue with this as he is not only the best wrestler in Parkside history but also likely on the Mount Rushmore of Division II best wrestlers ever. Becker is a 3x National Champ with a perfect 89-0 career record. His senior season in 2018 was also the first team trophy the Rangers ever earned placing 3rd.
HM Luke Rynish: Even though Becker earned the spot we must mention Luke Rynish. Rynish is actually also one of the best in Parkside history but he comes at the weight that also has the best. Rynish was a 4x national qualifier and holds the top spot in Ranger history with the most wins of all time with 148. In addition Rynish was a 3x All-American. All 3 times he earned AA status and all 3 times he made the nationals finals. He finished as the national runner up in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
184 Reece Worachek: A familiar face here as Reece Worachek just graduated this past season for the Rangers. He spent all of his season at 184 pounds. Worachek was a 4x national qualifier placing 8th in 2022, 7th in 2023, 4th in 2024 and then coming up short of the podium in his senior season after losing in OT of the quarterfinals and 2-1 in the bloodround. Over his career he compiled a 106-30 career record.
197 Luke Goral or John Goral: A battle between two brothers for the top spot at 197 pounds. Something these two have probably been doing since they were little kids. Luke Goral had a career record for the Rangers of 122-36. A 77% career winning percentage. He also placed 5th in 2000 at both NCAA D2 nationals and NAIA nationals. In 2002 he found his way back to the podium again placing 6th at the D2 NCAA national tournament.
HM John Goral: Younger brother of John, Luke Goral would be the other option for the top spot. OVer his career at Parkside he was 100-44. A 69% career winning percentage. He was a 2x All American placing 5th in 2005 and 6th in 2006.
285 Matt Halverson: The final name on this list is a 2018 graduate. Halverson had a 82-35 career record. Good enough for a 70% winning percentage. Halverson was both a 1x national qualifier and 1x All American. However he made the most of it, placing 3rd in 2018 and also earning the pinners award at nationals, 3 pins. Halverson was a pinner throughout college with 11 pins senior year and the most the 2016 season with 18.
