Augsburg Auggie Invite Preview (Saturday 11-16)

 

A lot of these early season tournaments can often get overlooked and that's a shame.  Some of them have some very good wrestling, with some really important matches.  Year after the year, the Augsburg Invitational sees outstanding wrestling.  We often have matches between ranked wrestlers & of special interest it is a tournament that gives us a look at NCAA Division II Vs NCAA Division III wrestling.  Let's take a weight by weight look at the upcoming tournament. 

*NOTE* - NWCA rankings are used.  Black indicates NCAA D3 ranking. Blue Indicates NCAA D2 ranking. 

125

We have two 2024 NCAA DIII R12'ers in this bracket that could very well end up battling it out for the title.  Wyatt Kaczrowski is down from 133 lbs, where he finished as the runner-up here a year ago.  The other R12'er from the national tournament that will be in this bracket is Matt Griffin.  As we contemplate how great of a match that will be, keep in mind that Trey Ackman of Upper Iowa won this tournament last season.  Also here to continue to make a name for himself is David Vukobratovich.  A win over either Kaczrowski or Griffin would indeed show that the Dutch, is much. 

133

Ever since the reinstatement of Sioux Falls wrestling, one of their top stars has been Beau Klingensmith.  He came in here last year & won the tournament, nearly majoring Wyatt Kaczrowski 10-3 in the finals.  This year, he'll have some stiff competition challenging him for the title in both Chance Suddeth & Luke Hoerle.  Both are NCAA Division III qualifiers from last season, Hoerle a R12'er.  Why he's currently unranked is a mystery to me.  He's on the Ducks' '24-'25 roster.  All I can figure is that he may be gray-shirting or perhaps sitting this year out.  Maybe he was overlooked.  Not hard to do when you have 126 schools to look at in D3.  Nonetheless, if he's competing here, he's a title threat. 

Other wrestlers to look out for this tournament are Connor Kidd & Kyle Nase.  Kidd placed 4th here a year ago.  Nase probably isn't on too many radars at the moment.  Understandable as he did not place at the Regionals last season. However, I can see him having a turn around season.  I really can.  What makes me think this?  He's had two good matches with Hoerle.  A 6-3 loss, and a 5-4 loss.   A one point match with a guy that nearly made All American last season says something to me.  Auggie invite would be a place to let it fly. 

141

Lots of fun things could happen in this bracket.  We could very well see a good match between NCAA D3 R12'er Pierre Baldwin & Nico Diaz.  This will also give us an opportunity to see how D3 matches up with D2, as we have #12 Ryan Wehner in the bracket.  What really excites me here is the opportunity put forth at the lap of Cade Willis. He's not ranked yet at 141 lbs, but that could all change after this weekend.  He's twice finished 3rd here & being his home invitational, in front of his home crowd, on his mats, what better atmosphere than to garner a win over Baldwin, Diaz, Wehner or depending on seeding, all three? 

149

Emotionally exhausting & mentally taxing, wrestling can be a sport that wears you out more psychologically than it does physically.  I truly admire the way these athletes handle high pressure situations and conduct themselves in matters of confidence and self-assurance.  This weekend will be a big one for Charlie Stuhl.  Not only does he have hellacious competition to get through to win another Augsburg Invitational title, he has hellacious competition just to secure his spot.  An All American two seasons ago, he would love to knock off two time All American Mike Conklin.  What a win that would be for the Auggie.  With that said, he also has to concern himself with teammate Cole Becker.  While Stuhl has managed to say one step ahead of him this whole time, we're not talking the step of Big Foot here. We're talking the step of baby's pink-toe.  Two of the meetings between Stuhl and Becker have been by one point, including a 5-4 battle in last year's Augsburg Invitational finals. 

Both Stuhl & Becker own wins over another Auggie teammate, Lucas Jagodzinski.  Stuhl has majored Ethen Doty, who was 4th here last year, as well as 4th at Super Region V.  Jagodzinski also has an 8-4 victory over Doty as well. 

157

Looking very forward to this one.   In this bracket we have three returning NCAA D3 All Americans.  Clayton McDonough who was 4th last season, Blake Jagodzinske who was 5th & Ryan Smith who was 6th (8th in '23 as well).   McDonough and Jagodzinske has both introduced the other's shoulders to the mat, with McDonough sticking Jagodzinske at the 5:53 mark, and Jagodzinske pinning McDonough at the 4:21 mark.  Smith for the record, owns a 7-4 decision over McDonough.  Jagodzinske has been 3rd & 2nd here the past two seasons. 

165

Another golden opportunity for a crowd favorite to become a hometown hero this weekend.  Cooper Willis has posted back to back NCAA D3 5th place finishes.  He won the Augsburg Invitational last year & if he wants to win it again this year, he's going to have to knock off #1 ranked Nick Sacco who won the NCAA D3 title last season.  They've officially met once and it was a 7-4 decision for the Lion.  You want to hear a place come unglued, imagine if you will Willis pulling off this upset. 

As to the rest of the bracket, I think the battle for 3rd place will be a DIII Vs DII showdown.  Bryce McDonough is ranked #15 in D3, but Kole Marco is a tough wrestler with 4th & 5th place showings the past two seasons at the Super Region V.  We also have Eli Hunt & Chris Stathopoulos in this bracket. Two tough wrestlers in their own respects. 

174

Two time NCAA D3 All American Seth Goetzinger (7th 7th) is also a two time Augsburg Invitational champion & I'm pretty sure that when this tournament is a said & done thing, he'll be a three time champion.  he defeated last year's runner-up Lawson Losee 6-0 in the finals & he defeated teammate Carter Sorenson who has 2nd & 3rd place finishes 6-2.   Among the three returning place-winners, it'll be interesting to see where Harrison Hinojosa ends up. 

184

Augsburg picked up a huge transfer from Ursinus in freshman sensation Max Borton who took 8th place honors at the NCAA D3 championships last season.  Wearing his new colors, for his new school, at his new school, he'll have an opportunity to win his first title of the season for his new school.  Easier said than done though.  Hot on his trail will be Joel Martsinovsky, who finished one match shy of NCAA D3 All American honors last season.   While Borton & Martsinovsky look to battle it out within D3, it could be D2's Colter Bye who steals the show.  An NCAA D2 All American in 2023, he barely missed out on qualification last year when he finished 4th at Super Region V.   He's looking to reclaim his status, and one or possibly two victories over two of D3's best would look mighty good on the resume. 

197

7th place NCAA DI All American Parker Venz on paper looks to walk away with the Augsburg Invitational this weekend with relative ease. However, teammate Tyler Raway could give him a run for his money.  The last time the two met, Venz did pin Raway at the 1:19 mark, but Raway does own a 6-3 decision over Venz.  For the record, Raway was a runner-up here last season.  

As to our D2 competition in this bracket, I'm anxious to see how Geoff Freeman measures up.  A two time NJCAA R12'er, I called him one of the best junior college wrestlers in recent times to not All American.  I think he's capable of some big things the next two seasons.  We could see some of those big things this weekend. 

HWT

Being behind an NCAA D3 champion in the lineup, Jagger Schack was overshadowed last year, as most of the wrestling community was focused on Tyler Kim.  Now that Kim has graduated (or ran out of eligibility, better put) Schack has the opportunity to showcase that he'll be a great one for the Auggies too.  In fact, in many ways he already has.  He owns a 3-2 tiebreaker over All American Walter West (why he's not ranked at the moment, I don't know.  He's on the '24-'25 Luther roster.)   It also puzzles me as to why Quick often Medical Forfeits to West whenever they are to meet on the mat.  Quick, who finished 4th here a year ago to West's 3rd, does own a 3-1 decision over his teammate. 

Roanoke Vs Washington & Lee Preview (Sat Nov 16)

 

Now we head east to the state of Virginia where one of our newest teams in NCAA DIII wrestling, now on its fourth season takes on one of the oldest teams in collegiate wrestling.  The Washington & Lee Generals have been around since the 1920-1921 season! They are on their 104th season of collegiate wrestling. 

Both of these programs are in Region 4, so these matches will weigh heavy as to seeding. 

Mac Cafurello Vs David Rubin
125

Returning All American Mac Cafurello wants to once again stand on that grand award stand by season's end.  It will once again take him wrestling at his best to do so, and one of his first test this season will be the General's David Rubin.  Cafurello has defeated Rubin on three occasions thus far. 4-1 s.v., 8-0, and 7-2.  The odds heavily favor the Maroon's, but this is still a match Cafurello is going to want to be focused and prepared for. 

Mark Samuel Vs Skyler Hickman
141

Opportunity is a word that is used a lot in the world of wrestling & here it is going to be used about as well as it can be used.  Mark Samuel is a fun, exciting wrestler & a favorite among many fans.  He's energetic, aggressive and when he turns it on, he can beat just about anybody.  He was 3rd in the NCAA D3 championships last season.  With that said, he's struggled with Skyler Hickman.  He needed the tiebreakers to defeat him 7-6 & then as offensive as he usually is, he defeated Hickman 2-0.   Let's face it. At the moment Hickman is relatively unknown, not many talking about him or the potential he has.  If he can pull off an upset over Samuel this weekend, he'll be the talk of D3 wrestling on Monday. 

Morgan Robinson Vs Evan Lindner
149

I personally feel that Evan Lindner has the talent to become an NCAA Division III All American this year.  A Southeast Regional runner-up last season, he's shown his skills and abilities on the mat.  With that said, Morgan Robinson will be an excellent test for him this Saturday.  Robinson was 7th in both '22 & '23 at the Southeast Regional & he's looking to not only earn his third Regional medal this season, but to do much more than that.  A W over Lindner would do just that. 

Jarrod Pominville Vs Nic Zamaloff
157

I think this match at 157 lbs will be good. We have an 8th place Regional finisher Vs a 5th place Regional finisher.  Nic Zamaloff also won the Old Dominion Athletic Conference title last season & if he wants to win another title, he's going to have to go through tough wrestlers like Jarrod Pominville to get it.  

David Reid Vs Mark Troni
165

In my preseason previews I said that I thought that Mark Troni could contend for a Regional title this season.  While I'm no Collin Raye, "That's my story, and I'm sticking to it."  Truth of the matter is though, David Reid, a Regional runner-up last season, is also a Regional title contender this year.  It's very plausible that Reid Vs Troni is a match we could see twice more this season.  The finals of the ODAC and the finals of Regionals! Who will win?  Well, Reid does own a 10-2 major over Troni, but Troni owns a 7-3 win over Reid.  Make of that what you will. 

*NOTE* - I'm almost positive that Jacob Cherry is not out of eligibility yet.  Perhaps he's sitting out the '24-'25 season and will return for '25-'26?  I don't know.  What I do know is that Cherry Vs Troni in itself would have been a great matchup this dual as well.  Ironically enough, they have also split in two matches.  Cherry with 7-2 win over Troni & Troni with an 11-8 win over Cherry.

Lorenzo Pellot Vs John Santowski
197

Opportunity.  There's that word again.  Lorenzo Pellot was a Regional runner-up last season, finishing one match shy of All American honors.  Yet the last time these two met, it was a 4-1 s.v. for John Santowski.  What a statement it'd be for the General if he were to once again pull off what would be on paper a huge upset.  Another of what should be some very good matches between the Maroons & the Generals! 

Coe Vs Central Dual Preview (Thursday Nov 14th)

 

We have a great dual here in NCAA Division III between two tough Iowa teams as Coe takes on Central this Thursday.  I am very familiar with both of these teams. Pella was only 45 minutes from where I grew up, and I've attended the Under Amour a handful of times in my life.  They hosted a high school freestyle tournament every year that I went to once without a coach or a team.  Ended up having some college kids coach me through a match where I beat a class 3A State qualifier for a bronze medal.  Former Coach, Matt Diehl used to come to our freestyle practices at Oskaloosa and show technique.  Cedar Rapids was only an hour and a half from where I grew up. Been to the Coe Invitational quite a few times in my life, as well as some duals.  When D3nation said I grew up surrounded by great NCAA DIII wrestling, they meant it. I did, and Central & Coe were two of them. 

Stepping out of the Delorean, and back into 2024, this dual this Thursday has a lot on the line.  Both of these teams are in Region 6, and while there's still a lot of season left to wrestle, every match counts to how you will be seeded.   In a tournament that only takes the top 3 to the NCAA championships, getting those seeds is vital.  Five matches stick out in particularly. 

David Vukobratovich Vs Cade Hornback
125

This sport is all about proving yourself and reproving yourself.  Every time you set out on to the mat and put your toe on the line, you have to be prepared to go to war.  This match between David Vukobratovich and Cade Hornback, will be a war.  Hornbeck is an NCAA DIII qualifier who finished 3rd at the Lower Midwest Regional last season.  Vukobratovich wants that qualification spot.   The last these two met, it was a 12-9 s.v. for Hornbeck. 

Brock Beck Vs Bryce Parke
133

Here's another match with a lot on the line.  Bryce Parke is a two time NCAA DIII qualifier for the Kohawks, with back to back 3rd place showings at the Lower Midwest Regional.  However, it was Brock Beck who won their last meeting 4-2.  Will be a good match. 

Pierre Baldwin Vs Dresden Grimm
141

Here's a match that I'm really looking forward to.  We have NCAA R12'er/Lower Midwest Regional runner-up Pierre Baldwin taking on Dresden Grimm.  Both of these guys have shown one another the lights.  Baldwin pinned Grimm at the 6:38 mark & Grimm pinned Baldwin at the 3:44 mark.   Might go the full 7 minutes this time.  

Carson Martinson Vs Will Esmoil
165

What a golden opportunity Carson Martinson! The last time he and two time NCAA DIII All American Will Esmoil met up, he took Esmoil into sudden victory & dropped a 7-4 decision.  If he were to somehow turn that close loss into a win, what propulsion that would be leading him into the rest of '24-'25.  On the same hand though, Esmoil is a two time AA for good reason. 

Sam West Vs Jared Voss
184

Now the last time Sam West & Jared Voss met, Voss pinned West in 1:18.  However, that's not the match we're looking at when analyzing how good this third meeting has potential to be.  The other time they met was much closer, with Voss winning a 7-6 squeaker. Voss was a NCAA DIII qualifier in 2023, and he just missed out on qualifying again in 2024 by one match.  Both of these guys want that trip to Rhode Island in March.  So, again a lot on the line here. 

Roger Williams Invite Recap & Review

 

The Roger Williams Invitational was an exceptionally good tournament this year, as it was last year.  A lot happened in this tournament.  So much that a few simple Twitter Tweets, or whatever we're supposed to call "X" now wasn't going to cut it.  Too much to say.  This needed an article! 

125 lbs Champ
Gavin Bradley of Castleton

Our best wrestling college in the state of Vermont crowned many champions today & one of them was Gavin Bradley who took care of business winning his second Roger Williams Invitational in a row.  

133 lbs

As he usually does and as he'll continue to do, Joziah Fry of Johnson & Wales just completely dominated today winning a Roger Williams Invitational title.  With that said, I have to throw out a word for Southern Maine's Jake Craig.  This has been a tough tournament for quite sometime & he's wrestled very well here the past three seasons.  3rd-2nd-2nd. 

141 lbs Champion & the Talk of the Tournament

Here's the big story my wrestling friends.  What we in the news call, "the big scoop!"  What an outstanding performance from Evan Onstad of UW-Whitewater.  First he knocks off teammate Justin Fortugno 5-4 in the semi-finals.  Then he pulls off a huge 2-2 tiebreaker win over two time All American & two time Roger Williams Invitational champion James Rodriguez in the finals.  What a statement made by the sophomore today. 

Southern Maine Crowns a Champ at 149

Southern Maine had some good performances today.  The best of them was Colby Frost at 149 lbs.  The D3 All American scored a 16-6 major over Elijah Cyr of Castleton in the finals. 

157 lbs champ
Nate Camiscioli 

Much like teammate Gavin Bradley did at 125 lbs, Nate Camiscioli came into the Roger Williams Invitational and took care of business winning title #2.  

Up a Weight Class & Up A Spot on the Podium

Wesleyan's C.J. Shea finished as the Roger Williams Invitational runner-up at 157 lbs last year.  This year he's up at 165 lbs, and looked very good as he traded in his silver for gold.  An impressive 9-1 major decision over Scott Busse of UW-Whitewater in the semi-finals, he stayed one step ahead of Jashon Holmes of Castleton in an 8-7 final. 

Did I mention Castleton Brought Home a Lot of Gold this Tournament? 

Same as he did last year, Desmond McLaughlin came into the Roger Williams Invitational, ran out of bubble gum and kicked words that rhyme with glass. Was disappointed to see Jayden Curley of Roger Williams, a runner-up last year, slip to 5th place.  It is wrestling though, nothing is ever a given. 

Another Title for Sampson Wilkins at 184

Sampson Wilkins is now a two time Roger Williams Invitational champion.  It's only November 9th.  I'm sure within due time, he'll be winning a lot more titles before the season is over. 

3...2...1  Host Crowns a Champ! 

Finishing 3rd & 2nd the past two seasons, Spencer Fetrow finally earned himself a Roger Williams Invitational title.  Did so amongst some tough competition too.  Haven Tatarek & Josh Negron, two of the names within the bracket. 

A Good Day For Evan Day

HWT as it was last year, was again pretty crazy.  Abbas Abdulrahman of Castleton who has been 3rd & 2nd the past two seasons, shocked the heck out of me by having his way with Mason Sprinkel (last year's champion) in the semi-finals.  Three takedowns in the first period.  A 7 point move at the begging of the second, then another takedown & baby it was over just like that.  A 19-3 technical fall over a very good wrestler.   Then of course things just cannot finish out the day anything but abnormal.  Not here, not with the ongoing saga of "who will start at HWT for Castleton by Regionals?"   As good as Abdulrahman looked in the semi-finals, he is majored 8-0 by teammate Evan Day in the finals.  Day, finished 3rd here a year ago. 

Then as if it needs to even be said, Sprinkel pinned his way back to 3rd. 

Campbell Vs North Carolina State Preview (Sat Nov 9)

 

We have some good matches to look forward in this dual between the Camels of Campbell & the Wolfpack of North Carolina State tomorrow. 

Anthony Molton Vs Jakob Camacho
125

Without a doubt, one of the best wrestlers to be left home last season from the NCAA DI championships was Anthony Molton.  Of the 33 wrestlers who did qualify for the national championships, it wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that Molton was 34th or extremely close to it. It's a tough sport and in the allocation system, every major W you can garner counts.  A win over Jakob Camacho would be huge for the SOCON title contender.   Camacho himself is looking to become a five time NCAA DI qualifier this season, as well as win his fourth ACC title. This is going to be a good match.  A good victory to put in the list of W's for either wrestler.

Shannon Hanna Vs Kai Orine
133

Kai Orine has earned back to back 8th place All American honors competing at 133 lbs the past two seasons.  Now he's up at 141 lbs, looking to take home a third All American honor.  Shannon Hanna, fresh off of redshirting last season, will be an excellent test to see how Orine handles things 8 lbs of muscle up. Looking at it from the other perspective, Hanna himself is looking for a big win to propel himself forward.  A win over Orine would be huge for the Camel. 

Dom Baker Vs Matt Singleton
174

This match intrigues me.  Dom Baker was an NCAA qualifier for the Camels last season & has thus far competed once, winning a major decision over an unranked opponent.  Matt Singleton redshirted last season & has yet to compete this year.  During his redshirt however, he had an impressive 8-1 over Gavin Kane.  As I've mentioned many times previously, the allocation system makes the overall season matter and makes each match count. In looking to earn a top 33 spot by year's end, these kind of matches have a lot of significance.  Should be a good one. 

Levi Hopkins Vs Christian Knop
197

This will be a very good match.  The last time these two met, Levi Hopkins won a very tight 2-0 decision.  Hopkins is a two time SOCON champ, looking to win his third title this season & contend for All American honors.  Christian Knop on the other hand is a senior, who is wrestling his first full varsity season, looking for his first NCAA DI qualification.  There's no reason to think that he won't earn it, but again, easier said than done.  A win over Hopkins this weekend would be something he would most certainly want on his resume. 

Taye Ghadiali Vs Isaac Trumble
HWT

This could easily be the match of the night.  The main event, if you will.  We have All American Taye Ghadiali taking on Isaac Trumble who redshirted last season. Trumble has spent the bulk of his career thus far as 197 lbs, but he more than showed us that he will contend at HWT this year, as he dominated his way to a Midlands title last year.  Trumble reminds me a lot of former Ohio State Buckeye J.D. Bergman, a three time All American, who specialized in upper body wrestling. If you enjoy watching large wrestlers take Delta airlines from one side of the mat to the other, Trumble is a wrestler to watch.  On the same hand though, Ghadiali isn't afraid to tango. He can pull off some pretty impressive moves himself.  Fun and exciting is what I predict for this match. 

Utah Valley Vs Nebraska Preview (Fri Nov 8 )

 

Utah Valley has been doing a great job of building themselves up and showing the wrestling community that they are one of the west coast programs that cares to be competitive.  They have some solid opportunities to step it up and wrestle well against a very tough Nebraska team.  Four matches in particularly stick out in this dual. 

Bridger Ricks Vs Caleb Smith
125

This was a good match the last time these two met, with Smith winning a tight 7-4 battle.  It'll be a god match again tomorrow.  Ricks, an NJCAA runner-up last year is currently looking for that first huge win, to prove himself as a DI material.  Getting a W against Smith would not only do that, but also show that he's in contention for All American honors.  A much easier said than done task.  Smith was an All American last year himself for good reason.  

Kase Mauger Vs Jacob Van Dee
133

Kase Mauger is a fifth year senior who has yet to make the NCAA DI championships, who usually bats .500 or even below it. The thing is, every season he usually pulls off one or two notable victories.  Could one of them be tomorrow against JVD? Probability is not in his favor against the Husker, but it's not at 0% either.  Being honest and realistic, we're probably looking at a solid decision for Nebraska here.  

Haiden Drury Vs Brock Hardy
141

Haiden Drury qualified for the NCAA DI championships as a freshman back in 2022.  Now he's a fifth year senior, in his final attempt to make it back.  With the way the NCAA DI qualification system works, a win over Brock Hardy would be HUGE for the Wolverine.  It's also very unrealistic.  Hardy is a two time All American, one who realistically has his eye on the NCAA DI title this year.  Staying in the match, keeping it to a decision, that in itself would be a win. 

Terrell Barraclough Vs Bubba Wilson
165

Looking very forward to this match.  Terrell Barraclough in his first real test as a Wolverine, pulled off a huge win against All American Hunter Garvin last week.  Another good win against a quality opponent like Bubba Wilson would be a great way to head into week four of the overall collegiate wrestling season.  The opposite is true too.  Bubba Wilson speaking talent, ability, heart and spirit, is an All American contender himself.  It's simply that the kid can't see to catch a break concerning health issues.  A win over Barraclough would be very big for the Husker.  A great way to start off the '24-'25 season.  

Stanford Vs Iowa State (Fri Nov 8) & Vs Iowa (Sat Nov 9) Preview

 

No thanks to Bernard Muir, the Cardinal of Stanford have a very solid team this year.  I think we're looking at, at least six NCAA DI qualifiers, some of which will be All American contenders.  Could see as many as eight qualifiers as far as I'm concerned.  This upcoming weekend will be one of their greatest test, as they take on two of collegiate wrestling's best teams in both Iowa State & Iowa.  The Cardinal face the Cyclones on Friday & then turn around to do battle with the Hawkeyes on Saturday.  

Nico Provo Vs Kale Petersen
125

Honestly this will be a great test for both of these gentlemen.  Doesn't matter what school you are from or who you are wrestling, it is a big deal to get a W inside of Carver Hawkeye Arena.  When you're the opposition, you have between 10K to 15K screaming against you in a very hostile environment.  Iowa's sold out their tickets this season, so it'll be closer to the 15K.  It'd be big for Provo to get a win here.   As to Kale Petersen, he has yet to prove himself as a Hawkeye.  The expectations as they always are with anyone who suits up in the black & gold, are high.  A win over the likes of Provo would be a step in the right direction. 

Tyler Knox Vs Drake Ayala
Tyler Knox Vs Evan Frost
133

We have yet to truly determine what NCAA DI 125 lbs runner-up Drake Ayala looks like up at 133 lbs.  In the lower weights that 8 lbs jump can make a world of difference.  This weekend will be a great test to see exactly where he's at as he takes on Tyler Knox, a redshirt freshman who collected medals at both Cliff Keen & the Southern Scuffle straight out of high school last year.  Ayala won't be Knox's only opportunity to knock off a top opponent.  The night before he wrestles Evan Frost, who placed 6th in the DI nation last season.  What a way to start off your first varsity season. 

Jason Miranda Vs Cullan Schriever 
Jason Miranda Vs Jacob Frost
141

As far as I'm concerned, the past few seasons Jason Miranda has finished somewhere between 34th & 38th in the country.  Just a hair short of NCAA DI qualification. This is his last shot. His last opportunity to make the dance. I think he's good enough to be top 33 this year, but he's going to have to earn it.  This weekend presents him an excellent opportunity.   A win over either Cullan Schriever or Jacob Frost would be huge Miranda.  If he we to somehow be able to defeat both of them, even better.  Much easier said than done though.  We're talking about two very talented wrestlers, and Miranda will be facing both on their mats, in front of their people. 

Jaden Abas Vs Kyle Parco
Jaden Abas Vs Anthony Echemendia
149

Jaden Abas was an All American all the way back in 2021.  If he wants to earn All American again in 2025, he's going to have to go through some extremely tough competition in order to do so.  This weekend presents itself a golden opportunity for the Cardinal.  He has All American Anthony Echemendia on Friday & then he has looking to become a 5 time All American/NCAA DI title contender Kyle Parco on Saturday.  Nothing would say, "I'm back!!" louder than going back to California with two extremely high profile W's. 

Hunter Garvin Vs Mikey Caliendo
Hunter Garvin Vs Connor Euton
165

We have last year's 7th place All American taking on last year's 4th place All American.  Hunter Garvin & Mikey Caliendo have met exactly once so far on the mat, and it was a 7-4 victory for the Hawkeye.  So in other words, the advantage goes to the black and gold, but it doesn't count out the Cardinal. It'll be a good match. A huge W to take back to the better weather in California if it can be pulled off.   As to Garvin Vs Connor Euton, this should result in a W for the Cardinal.  As in the Cardinal of Stanford, not the cardinal and gold of Iowa State.  With that said however, Euton is the replacement for the much beloved and much missed David Carr.  He's looking for an opportunity to prove himself to the faithful Cyclone community.  He upsets Garvin, he'll be doing just that. 

Norman Lorenzo Vs Nelson Brands
Norman Lorenzo Vs M.J. Gaitan
174

A young & hungry member of the Cardinal, Norman Lorenzo could very well be Stanford's most realistic hope to leave the state of Iowa with a 2-0 record this weekend.  He's already proven he can defeat M.J. Gaitan, as he handed the Cyclone an 11-8 loss last season.  I don't think Brands is out of his league either.  Brands struggled with Oregon State's Sean Harman last weekend.  A wrestler who in four seasons with the Missouri Tigers, never cracked the varsity lineup.  Again we're talking trying to defeat both a Cyclone & a Hawkeye back to back on their home mats, but if anyone is going to do it this weekend, Lorenzo has the best shot. 

Nick Stemmet Vs Stephen Buchanan
197

Courage is an admirable thing.  Gotta hand it to Nick Stemmet.  The three time NCAA qualifier wants to end his career as an All American this season & for the second weekend in a row, he's going toe to toe with one of the NCAA DI title contenders.  He wasn't able to score this last weekend against A.J. Ferrari, but he did prove that his wrestling has gotten better.  The last he and Ferrari met, Ferrari whipped him 16-3.  This past weekend, Ferrari had to earn each of his points & the score was only 5-0.  That's a major sign of improvement.  To upset Buchanan is a tall order.  Probably too tall of an order.  To score on him though?  Earn a takedown? Get a reversal.  In the least create some great scrambles?  I think that's possible.