141 lbs Nick Lee - Lee Should contribute to the team in the same fashion with a similar finish as to what he did last season. With the depth of the weight class he may improve on his 5th place finish, but it will be a chore to do so.
149 lbs Brady Berge - The loss of three time NCAA champion Zain Retherford leaves a huge deficit for the Nittany Lions but Berge should be a solid replacement. The only test he had last season during his redshirt campaign was an 8-3 loss to NCAA qualifier Mike D'Angelo of Princeton. He himself should qualify for the NCAA tournament and win a match or two to help contribute to the team score.
157 lbs Jason Nolf - In the 157 lbs weight class there is Jason Nolf, and then there is everyone else. When you have someone as good and as talented as Nolf, you can make a prediction of national champion and stand in front of it comfortably. He may have some close matches this year, but he'll most likely go undefeated.
165 lbs Vincenzo Joseph - While not as confident in Joseph as I am in Nolf, I still see a repeat as NCAA champion. For some reason regardless of in season and BIG 10 results, Joseph shows up to wrestle at the NCAA's. I do think it is plausible that Joseph will suffer a loss or two in his junior season, but I don't see one coming when it matters.
174 lbs Mark Hall - The NCAA title, as it was in 2018, will once again be decided between Hall and Arizona State's Zahid Valencia.
184 lbs Bo Nickal - Like Joseph, I'm not sold that Nickal will have an undefeated season. I am however convinced he'll win his third NCAA title. If a loss does come upon his record, it'll most likely be against Myles Martin of Ohio State. Either during a dual or the BIG 10's. At the NCAA's, Nickal will be the one getting his hand raised. I hope as Nickal's collegiate career comes to an end we as a wrestling community take into account how important it was to get wrestling into public high schools in Texas and how important it is to continue growing wrestling in Texas. Nickal in my opinion and in the opinions of many others is the best wrestler in NCAA wrestling today. It makes you wonder if Texas produces this sort of athlete how many we missed out on for decades upon decades because the lone star state had little to no high school wrestling.
197 lbs Shakur Rasheed - 197 lbs is the strangest and most unpredictable of the weight classes. Last year's NCAA champion, was a senior with his one and only All American honor. This year, there are others with similar backgrounds who could contend as well. 7th place Rasheed will be among the runners to take the title.
HWT Nick Nevills - Of the six Nittany Lions who will contend for NCAA titles this season, Nevills is the least likely. But keep in mind that I mean in comparison to his teammates.
TEAM: With seven returning All Americans, three of which were national champions, Cael Sanderson looks to take the team title in 2019 without much challenge. 8 NCAA qualifiers, 7 of which have a high probability of being All Americans. Of those 7, 6 have the ability to be national champions, with 3 of the 6 being practical shoe-ins, and another looking like a runner up finish is as bad as it will get for him. Unbeatable may be the word for the blue and white.
125 lbs - If you want to light the fire of a Cowboy wrestler a good way to do so is with a disappointing performance. After an impressive 4th place showing at the 2017 NCAA tournament as a freshman, Nick Piccininni failed to place last season as a sophomore. You can bet as hungry as he's been thus far in his career, this season he'll be starved. While an NCAA title may be out of the question, a high All American finish should be where we see the Cowboy finish at the end of the season.
133 lbs - Even with all the excitement that was Iowa's Spencer Lee and Cornell's Yanni Diakamihalis last season, it seems fans are even more excited for the official collegiate debut of phenom frosh Daton Fix. Fix has already proven himself on a multitude of grounds, and he joins the small group of rookies fans passionately hope to match or even surpass Cael Sanderson's perfect 159-0 record. It'll be interesting to see if he can stay healthy and endure the long grueling grind that is NCAA Division I wrestling without a loss. He'll certainly have an assortment of challengers.
141 lbs - Brock has always seemed large and strong for the 133 lbs, so it'll be interesting to see how he fairs 8 lbs of muscle up. Like others who have went up weight classes with similar styles, his technique and talent should continue to win him matches, but what were major decisions and technical falls, may now only be decisions.
149 lbs - Boo Lewallen had a solid season with an 8th place at the NCAA tournament. A similar season looks to be in cards this year.
157 lbs - Boise State transfer and 2016 All American Geo Martinez returns to the starting lineup looking to take over the 157 lbs spot after spending nearly all of his career at 149 lbs. Interestingly enough among his 14 unattached wins last season, one included a 45 second fall over eventual NCAA runner-up Ronnie Perry of Lock Haven. Like a good magician he's disappeared out of the minds of many NCAA fans, but he'll reappear soon enough.
165 lbs - Chandler Rogers has been a reliable and solid point getter for the Cowboys since day one and the senior should end his career as a three time All American.
174 lbs - This is a big, big question mark for the orange and black. Joe Smith was an All American as a true freshman and as a sophomore at 157 lbs and now he's up two weight classes. No doubt, being the son of John Smith the speed and unmatchable technique will be there, but will the strength and physicality? As much as we like to romanticize the sport and treat it as if good technique will always over come strength, we have to keep in mind, Smith isn't the only technician in his weight class. You get someone whose arsenal of moves, counters and strategies is as good as yours, and the person is a lot stronger than you, that could be the difference. It'll be interesting to see what happens.
184 lbs - A bit inconsistent Jacobe Smith reminds me a lot of former Cowboy Jamal Parks. It also has me concerned that he's up a weight class. 184 lbs is a tough weight. The ability is there to achieve a great number of things, but whether he will or not is up in the air. I predict another All American finish, just not sure as this point where exactly to picture him on the award stand. (Also sorry for calling him Chandler Rogers in the picture!!)
197 lbs - Most of the time I foresee the future with my head. Occasionally I'll make a soothsayer out of my heart. Right now though, I'm going with my gut. My gut is telling me that 2017 All American Preston Weigel who failed to make the award stand last season because of injury, may make like a Mike Macchiavello and win the 197 lbs championship. There's no reason to think he won't contend. Before injuries got the best of him last year, he handed Macchiavello a 5-4 loss and it only took him the first period to secure a 16-0 technical fall over third place finisher Kyle Conel of Kent State. If healthy, he could be the Cowboys largest asset.
HWT - Derek White finished one match shy of All American honors last season and he should improve upon that finish with an All American medal this season. With HWT being the weight class where it seems every ranked vs ranked match ends by a point or two, it is difficult to say where or how he'll finish.
TEAM: Strength in numbers is the best way to describe the Oklahoma State Cowboy wrestling team this year. They're solid up and down the weight classes without a weak link in the lineup. Minnesota crowned 10 All Americans in 2001 and the Cowboys are as good as any team I've seen in recent years to repeat that performance. It'll take all ten wrestlers performing at their best to overcome Penn State and even then, it may not be possible. Yet if any team can wrangle in the lions, it'll be the pokes.
125 lbs - With four time All American and National Champion Nathan Tomasello now graduated, its hard to see anyone even remotely challenging Lee as the King of the lightweights. Some will point out his Midlands loss to Ronnie Bresser of Oregon State, but unless injured or unhealthy such a loss isn't likely to happen again. The Hawks haven't had any sure bets in quite sometime, but you can count Spencer Lee as one.
133 lbs - He may have gone from a Dragon to a Hawkeye, but Austin DeSanto will still breathe fire. His attitude needed a bit of readjusting last season, and it'll be interesting to see whether the Hawkeye faithful reject it or embrace it. While hard-nosed, aggressive wrestling is appreciated, keeping it legal and within the rules is as well. If he can keep his head, DeSanto has the ability to earn big points for the Hawkeyes. Wrestling in the room with Lee everyday, is only going to make an already extremely talented kid, even more talented.
141 lbs - Not even 100% sure who will be the man here. Vince Turk more than proved himself last season with an impressive 5th place finish at the BIG 10's. Yet Max Murin and Carter Happell who finished 5th & 6th respectively at the Midlands, as well as Nebraska transfer Jason Renteria will be gunning for the spot as well.
149 lbs - Pat Lugo will officially put on a black and gold singlet this season and should earn his first All American honor as a Hawkeye. A round of twelve wrestler for Edinboro, the senior finished fourth at last year's Midlands.
157 lbs - We've got to see glimpses and previews of Kaleb Young and now we get to enjoy the full length feature. It'll be interesting to see how he does throughout the season. A 5th place finish at last year's Midlands suggest that he'll be dependable and in contention for All American honors.
165 lbs - If Iowa is to contend as a team this season, then Alex Marinelli is going to have to learn how to bounce back after a loss. Losing in the semi-finals, and then losing twice more in matches that would otherwise be wins, ending up in sixth place isn't going to cut it. Iowa has had a problem over the years with the fire burning out and the passion dying within their wrestlers once they realize they aren't going to be champions. Marinelli resembled that mark on more than one occasion last season. For his sake, maybe he might make the finals and win it. But he might not, and if he doesn't he has to learn to be hungry for third. It is an absolute must against the likes of Penn State, Oklahoma State and Ohio State.
174 lbs - Mike Kemerer has been a joy to watch the past two seasons at 157 lbs. Based on his style and ability, I don't see the move up two weight classes effecting him as much as it might others. I think he'll done fine. Anxious to see him against Zahid Valencia of Arizona State, Mark Hall of Penn State and Myles Amine of Michigan.
184 lbs - Cash Wilcke moves down to 184 lbs after qualifying for the NCAA championships the past two seasons at 197 lbs. As stacked as the weight class is, only graduating one of the eight crowned All American last season it'll be one Hell of a task for Wilcke to make the stand.
197 lbs - Jake Warner. Overlooked due to the immense hype surrounding Oklahoma State's Daton Fix, Warner could easily be one of the top freshman in NCAA Division I wrestling this upcoming season. A sixth place finish at last year's Midlands which included a 3-1 victory over three time NCAA qualifier Jake Smith of West Virginia. Most suggestive of Warner's capabilities was a 16-7 dismantling of three time All American Willie Miklus of Missouri.
HWT - Sam Stoll had 25 wins last season and 10 of them were by fall. Three of which happened at the NCAA championships, earning Stoll the Gorriaran award. Those pin points add up and if he can continue to rack them up, that may be difference in where Iowa finishes in the team race. Let's just hope that between now and March he doesn't decide to shoot himself in the foot....or leg.
TEAM - The thing about wrestling for Iowa is that the expectation is always there, whether the plausibility behind it is or not. Nothing less accepted of those expected if Iowa wants to be in the top four. Exceeding those expectations, and a bit of bad luck for other teams if Iowa wants to reclaim the throne they haven't sat on since 2010.
141 lbs - After two third place performances at the NCAA championships, Joey McKenna is ready to trade in his bronze medals for a gold. Cornell's Yianni Diakomihalis who he has yet to face stands in his way as does Missouri's Jaydin Eierman whom he split with last year in their two meetings. The 141 lbs NCAA title will be decided among these three.
149 lbs - Ke-Shawn Hayes enters the 2018-2019 NCAA wrestling season as one of the best wrestlers in the nation yet to All American. A match away last season, he should finally get his medal at this years championships. A top three finish is not out of the question.
157 lbs - Based on the evaluation of the weight class, Micha Jordan should have a similar performance to his sixth place finish of last season.
174 lbs - Not quite to the same level as teammate Hayes, Te-Shawn Campbell is another talented wrestler who has yet to be an All American. After a 22-4 record in the ACC as a sophomore, the grind of the BIG 10 schedule took its toll on Campbell as he only produced a 17-12 record last season as a junior. A year to adjust should prove profitable in terms of wins and tournament performances. Whether that generates into an All American award or not, is still in question.
184 lbs - Few feuds are as mesmerizing and intriguing as that of the nine matches we've had the privilege to enjoy the past few seasons between Ohio State's Myles Martin and Penn State's Bo Nickal. It's disappointing to know that this exciting rivalry will come to an end, but rewarding to know that we'll get to see at least a few more meetings between these tremendous competitors. So far Nickal leads the series 7-2, but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Martin were to win at least one more match. As I said in my analysis of Bo Nickal, I don't think it'll be at the NCAA championships. I think it will happen in a dual meet or at the BIG 10's. Yet then again, Martin did win an NCAA title as a freshman. After a 5th and 2nd place finish the past two years he has yet to reclaim his throne. That could be the mental edge he needs as wolf climbing the mountain is often hungrier than the one on top.
197 lbs - Until proven otherwise Ohio State's Kollin Moore seems to be the front runner for 197 lbs NCAA champion. Some may argue that Kent State's Kyle Conel with a third place finish and two victories over Moore should put him in that spot. And maybe it does. Yet results of the recent U23 tournament, in which Moore defeated Conel in the finals suggest that Moore figured out what he wasn't able to figure out at the NCAA's. Truth is, 197 lbs is a difficult weight to predict. Beginning of the year expectations rarely match end of the year expectations at this often odd and unpredictable weight class. However, it is a safe bet to think Moore will finish no lower than third.
HWT - Asking someone to fill the shoes of Kyle Snyder is like asking someone to fill the shoes of Michael Jordan in basketball, Babe Ruth in baseball or Hulk Hogan in professional wrestling. It's an impossible task. One that takes a tremendous amount of intestinal fortitude and courage. The man to take the bull by the horns will be redshirt freshman Chase Singletary. While All American honors seem out of the question at this moment, Singletary should qualify for the championships.
TEAM - The losses of Nathan Tomasello, Bo Jordan and Kyle Snyder leave too much of a deficit for the Buckeyes to overcome. As much as I admire and respect Coach Ryan, losing three four time All Americans leaves 2019 a year of rebuilding. Buckeyes still ought to finish within the top eight, with an outside shot at a fourth place finish.
125 lbs - Injuries have been a major part of why we haven't seen Ryan Millhof back on the award stand at the NCAA's after his seventh place finish in 2016. If he can stay healthy we should see him back in contention again this year as well as challenge Oregon State's Ronnie Bresser, whom he is 1-3 against for a PAC-12 championship
133 lbs - Probably not looking at an All American finish for Josh Kramer, but he should wrestle well enough this season to qualify for the NCAA's. It is likely that Cal State Bakersfield's Sean Nickell will start off the season ranked #1 in the PAC-12, but it is not out of the question that Kramer could challenge him for the spot. The two met two years ago in a dual with Nickell winning convincingly 17-2 technical fall. Yet the two met two weeks later at the PAC-12 championships with Kramer closing the gap 7-5.
141 lbs - Central Michigan transfer Mason Smith will be a nice addition to an already stacked Sun Devil wrestling team. Even without him the chances of winning another PAC-12 team title are already pretty much set in stone. He simply helps to hammer the fact in.
149 lbs - All of last season Josh Maruca split time with Jason Tsirtsis as the Sun Devils varsity starter at 149 lbs. It wasn't until the PAC-12 tournament brackets came out, that we knew who it was going to be. Tsirtsis won the PAC-12 title and then finished seventh at the NCAA's. This year it is Maruca's turn and he is capable of a similar finish.
157 lbs - Josh Shields is one of three sun devils looking to eventually cap off the 2020 NCAA wrestling season as a four time PAC-12 champion. Of course he has to win title number three in 2019 first. It shouldn't be a problem as he'll also contend for this year's NCAA title as well. He's 1-1 with Ohio State's Micah Jordan (Won 7-4, lost 8-6 s.v.). He defeated Michigan's Alec Pantaleo 4-3. He's 1-1 with Nebraska's Tyler Berger (Lost 3-1 sv, Won 6-4) and he's one of the few to hand freshman sensation Hayden Hidlay of North Carolina State as loss (3-1). Only person he might not be able to beat is Penn State's Jason Nolf.
165 lbs - Overshadowed by the success of his brother Zahid, Anthony Valenica is still having himself a good career at Arizona State. Already a two time champion, he'll go for his third PAC-12 title this year as a junior, as well as his first All American honor.
174 lbs - You might as well arm Zahid Valencia with a pick ax and a shovel because between Cliff Keen Las Vegas, the Midlands, the PAC-12's and the NCAA's he looks to add nothing but gold to his already vast and shiny collection. As mentioned earlier his only adversary is Penn State's Mark Hall. It's like Superman Vs General Zod. The earth almost seems to shake when it happens.
HWT - Tanner Hall failed to place last season, after a third place finish at the NCAA's as a sophomore in 2017. Few among the big men that Hall hasn't already beaten and not a soul among them that he can't. Disappointment for some can be a motivator and it might just be the kick in the rear Hall needed. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see him win the NCAA title.
TEAM - No doubt about it Arizona State owns the PAC-12. Nobody else even comes close. Six for sure maybe as many as eight individual champions should be crowned. As far as the NCAA's are concerned Zahid Valencia and Josh Shields are going to need some help if the Sun Devils want to nab a top four trophy. Millhof and Hall have to return to All American form. Anthony Valencia and Smith have to get over the hump and on to the award stand. Maruca has to prove himself to be every bit the Jason Tsirtsis replacement that he is capable of being. A few extra points from Kramer wouldn't hurt anything either.
133 lbs - Returning MAC champion John Erneste finished one match shy of All American status at least year's NCAA championships. This year he should be an All American for the Tigers.
141 lbs - Jaydin Eierman first opened up wrestling enthusiast eyes last season by annihilating two time NCAA champion Dean Heil by racking up a series of points before sticking him shortly before the end of the second period. If that weren't enough to convince fans that he is NCAA champion material, the fact that he's the reason Cornell's Yianni Diakomihalis won't end his career undefeated may be. The only wrestler Eierman seemed to have true difficulty with last season was Ohio State's Joey McKenna. In their match Eierman had a tough time getting his offense going and McKenna seemed to have an answer to everything Eierman tried. Nevertheless Eierman has more than proven himself as a threat to the NCAA title.
149 lbs - Grant Leeth, a junior, will be 23 years old by the start of this year's wrestling season. The extra years of growth and maturity look to be in his favor. Already a MAC Champion, Leeth also returns as a sixth place All American, looking to improve upon that finish for the Tigers.
174 lbs - Daniel Lewis looks to join the elite group of four time All Americans. Thus far finishing fourth, sixth, fourth in his illustrious career. He certainly has the ability and talent to earn his highest finish yet, but until proven otherwise with Zahid Valencia and Mark Hall battling it out for the NCAA title, that highest finish looks to be third. Michigan's Myles Amine who defeated Lewis also returns, but a 6-4 sudden victory could have gone either way.
184 lbs - Sounding more like a fancy hotel in Greenwich, Connecticut than the name of a wrestler, Canten Marriott will battle Dylan Wisman for the starting spot at 184 lbs. Either or, both ought to have similar results. Winning records, NCAA qualifications and finishing between 2-2 and round of 12 at the NCAA's.
*197 lbs - Along with teammate Daniel Lewis, Willie Miklus plans to end his career as a four time All American. Hard to predict exactly where he'll finish on the award stand, but the fact that he always wrestles well when he needs to says the goal will be accomplished. As wide open as 197 lbs is and as inconsistent as Miklus can be, national champion is as plausible as is another eighth place finish.
UPDATE: Miklus is no longer at Missouri! And I just found out! So scratch that and head on over to the Iowa State section.
HWT - Austin Myers currently rides the fence on whether he''s in the top 33 big boys who will be dancing at the NCAA's or somewhere between the 34-38 category of those who barely missed the invitation. HWT has cleared out enough to where NCAA qualification should be in the cards for Myers, but it isn't a shoe-in.
TEAM - With five returning champions, all of which should repeat, there's no doubt Missouri will win another MAC team title this season. As far as the NCAA's are concerned there is a chance that things could all fall into place for the Tigers, and we'd see them earn a top four trophy. (Most certainly had more faith in this prediction when I was still counting on points from Miklus.) Defeating Penn State for the team title seems out of the question, but a perfect scenario could see second place. It'd take Erneste and Flynn earning All American and Eierman winning an NCAA title, and both Leeth and Lewis doing as well or better than their seeds. It'll be a dog fight for those team trophies, but the Tigers are most certainly in it.
125 lbs - Sophomore Drew Mattin had a hot and cold season last year. Unfortunately it was rather cold towards the end, but throughout the season he showed his capabilities on more than one occasion. He first put his name on the map going through All American Sean Russell of Edinboro and bloodround finisher Brock Hudkins of Northern Illinois on his way to a Eastern Michigan Open title. Along with taking fourth place at CKLV, which including victories over All Americans Conor Schram (of Lehigh, formally of Stanford) and Ryan Millhof of Arizona State, he also owned a victory over two time All American Ethan Lizak of Minnesota. If he can stay consistent and peak at the right time he should be an All American for the Wolverines.
133 lbs - As said prior Oklahoma State's Daton Fix is looking to join the small and prestigious group of four time NCAA champions. Along with Seth Gross of South Dakota State, his greatest challenge will be the Wolverines Stevan Micic. Micic thus far has fourth and second place finishes at the NCAA's and he's now gunning for the NCAA title.
149 lbs - With the depth of the 149 lbs weight class, especially in the BIG 10 itself, it'll be difficult to say whether Malik Amine will qualify for the NCAA championships or not. He received a wildcard entry to the NCAA's last year despite finishing in tenth place at the BIG 10's with a 15-12 record. It's not likely that he'll add many points at the BIG 10's or the NCAA's, but he should be helpful in dual meets.
157 lbs - Alec Pantaleo won a CKLV and BIG 10 title last season along with finishing fifth at the NCAA's. He should finish with similar results at the end of this season as well, although I will mark him as a darkhorse to make the NCAA finals. He's a bit difficult to figure out as there are times when he's on and times when he's not. When he's on though, he's tough to beat.
165 lbs - Now that Isaiah Martinez of Illinois is out of the scene due to graduation it seems that there isn't a whole lot that stands in the way of Penn State's Vincenzo Joseph adding two more NCAA titles to his resume. Names such as Alex Marinelli of Iowa (who defeated Joseph in a dual 9-6), Evan Wick of Wisconsin, David McFadden of Virginia Tech and Chance Marstellar of Lock Haven all come up in discussion of possible prospects of those who could knock him off. Yet it is the Wolverine's Logan Massa who could prove to be the greatest of the threats. Massa's greatest opponent last year was health, which ultimately got the best of him in an unsuccessful effort to become a two time All American last season. If he can overcome those issues, he's every bit as good as Joseph is.
174 lbs - With an occasional upset here and there, 95% of the losses that Myles Amine will suffer the next two seasons will be to Penn State's Mark Hall and Arizona State's Zahid Valencia. Much like it was for Lehigh's Cory Cooperman back in 2004 and 2005, who could never figure out Iowa State's Nate Gallick or Oklahoma's Teyon Ware, Amine will beat everybody but those two. He took fourth as a freshman and then third last year as a sophomore. Two more third place finishes look to be in the cards for a wrestler most likely deemed the best of the class of 2020 to have never won an NCAA title.
184 lbs - The loss of Domenic Abounader hurts a lot here. Reliable in important dual meets, a strong third place BIG 10 finish and a 5th place finish at the NCAA's contributed to Michigan tying North Carolina State for fourth place. Jelani Embree should be a solid, decent replacement that should qualify for the NCAA's, but he won't even come close to matching the accomplishments of Abounader. At least not yet anyway. Not as a freshman. He'll need at least a year, if not a couple before he matures into the grind that is NCAA Division I wrestling.
197 lbs - Striggow is another decent, solid wrestler that should help to add to the team score in dual meets and in season tournaments. While he sat behind Kevin Beazley last season, he did wrestle enough to garner 24 matches into a 16-8 record. Among his wins included a 3-1 victory over Kent State All American Kyle Conel, for whatever that is worth.
133 lbs - Senior Scotty Parker has a habit of peaking at the right time, and there's no reason to believe that he won't again this season. When the time comes to wrestle, he's there to wrestle. Should earn his third All American honor this season.
141 lbs - Coming off of a freshman campaign that saw him finish third at the EIWA championships, sophomore Luke Karam should provide similar contributions to the Mountainhawks this season.
149 lbs - In his first full season as a starter, Cortland Schuyler showed great potential by garnering a major decision victory over three time All American Jason Tsirtsis of Arizona State. Now that he has experienced his first EIWA tournament and his first NCAA championship, he should be more prepared this season.
157 lbs - Ian Brown failed to place at the NCAA's last year, despite having an assortment of impressive victories, including one over Michigan All American Alec Pantaleo. He'll once again be in the hunt for All American status this season.
165 lbs - Two time EIWA fifth place finisher, Gordon Wolf is one of the most inconsistent and unpredictable wrestlers in the nation. You never know what you're going to get when Wolf steps onto the mat and therefore it makes it hard to evaluate how much or how little of a contribution he'll make to the team score. There's a Gordon Wolf who could win an EIWA championship and earn All American honors at the NCAA's. There's a Gordon Wolf who could again finish in fifth place and go 0-2 at the NCAA's. Which Gordon Wolf will show up is the question.
174 lbs - Two time Southern Scuffle finalist Jordan Kutler, should once again earn a second EIWA championship and improve on his sixth place finish at the NCAA's.
184 lbs - Senior Ryan Preisch pinned his way through the EIWA championships last season, including sticking eventual All American Max Dean of Cornell in the second period. He then lost two close matches to Virginia Tech's Zack Zavatsky and Illinois's Emory Parker to finish one match shy of All American honors. A tough and physical wrestler, Preisch will have to repeat his EIWA performance and turn those close losses into wins if Leigh wants to contend for a spot in the top four.
197 lbs - Chris Weiler is a learning wrestler, a real student of the sport. Started off the season splitting time before earning the spot outright in late February. Finished a match shy of a medal at the Southern Scuffle, only to turn around and beat the same wrestler in the first round of the NCAA's. A wrestler who analyzes his mistakes, and works hard to fix them. Only question is, at how fast of rate is he improving? Enough to improve on his sixth place finish at the EIWA tournament? I would think so. Enough to earn All American status at the NCAA's? Not sure about that.
HWT - Jordan Wood like teammate Ryan Preisch is yet another Mountainhawk who won an EIWA title, who then had to watch the guy he beat in the finals earn All American status while he himself did not. A low center of gravity with good hips, makes the HWT a tough wrestler to score on. A bit more aggressive and a little less conservative might get him over the hump.
TEAM - Staying healthy, staying consistent and performing well in high pressure situations will all be key to Lehigh's success this season. A solid team from top to bottom, the Mountainhawks are all about potential. They have what it takes to take home a team trophy this season, but it'll take all ten wrestlers pulling their weight to do so.
125 lbs - The key for Jay Schwarm this season will be consistency and clearing his head in high pressure situations. He pinned Bakersfield's Sergio Mendez earlier in the season at the Southern Scuffle only to turn around and be pinned by him at the NCAA's. He also defeated Arizona State's Ryan Millhof earlier 8-6, only to be shut out by him 6-0 later on. His issues are mainly mental and head Coach Doug Schwab does a tremendous job of working with his guys on their mental game. Once he overcomes this deficit he should contend for All American honors.
141 lbs - Another wrestler that has made leaps and bounds over the course of his career, in particularly in the mental department has been 141lbs Josh Alber. Guys he wasn't able to defeat as a freshman he defeated as a sophomore. Guys he wasn't able to defeat as a sophomore, he defeated as a junior. It's only natural to think he'll do the same in his final season as a senior. Yet to make All American status, the graduation of three of the weight classes top dogs, does open up the door some. Alber defeated seventh place Chad Red of Nebraska 3-2 last season.
149 lbs - Max Thomsen looks to win his first conference championship after taking second the last two seasons as Northern Iowa has made the transition from the MAC into the BIG 12. An All American as a freshman, Thomsen failed to make the award stand last season as a sophomore. He'll have to reassess his game plan and get back to where he was two years prior.
165 lbs - The return of Bryce Steiert off of a redshirt will be a very welcoming one as he'll add valuable points as Northern Iowa competes in CKLV, Southern Scuffle, the BIG 12 and the NCAA's under a coach that expects nothing less than the best from his athletes. Steiert has thus fan been one match away from All American status and he will need that mental edge in order to get over that hump.
174 lbs - One of NCAA Division I varsity starters showcasing the talent that comes out of Georgia, Taylor Lujan looks to earn his first All American honor after coming relatively close the last two season. Lujan won a BIG 12 championship, only to watch the opponent he defeated in the finals make All Ameican status, while he himself did not.
184 lbs - Another Panther with a similar background to his fellow teammates, Drew Foster was an All American as a freshman who failed to place as a sophomore. A BIG 12 champion, who was unable to produce similar results at the NCAA's. In all sense of reality, 184 lbs continues to be every bit as tough of a weight class as it has been over the past few years. But, Foster is as capable as is anyone of placing anywhere between third and eighth. Don't see him beating Penn State's Nickal and it'll take some convincing for me to see him defeating Ohio State's Martin, but other than that, it's his for the taking.
197 lbs - Ironically enough in all of the comparison one can do with the Northern Iowa wrestling team the contrast comes in 197 lbs Jacob Holschlag. After a fourth place finish at the BIG 12's and a respectable but nothing to write home about record few expected Holschlag to wrestle his way to a fifth place finish at the NCAA's. Especially considering that everyone who placed ahead of him at the BIG 12's failed to place. A miracle run it was, but hopefully enough to install the confidence needed to repeat such a performance this season. Time will tell if it was a fluke or if Holschlag can be depended on to earn those types of points again.
HWT - Carter Isley failed to qualify for the NCAA's last season, but should qualify this season if he improves the way most seem to under Schwab.
TEAM: Doug Schwab continues to prove you can still put together one Hell of a wrestling team with corn fed, home state boys as six of what should be eight NCAA qualifiers are from Iowa. The answer for Northern Iowa is going to be peaking at the right time. "Stepping it up a notch" as Schwab would call it and performing to capabilities. He wants Northern Iowa to have the same if not surpass the prestige that has been Iowa wrestling for over forty years in the Hawkeye state. Crowning five or six All Americans, and maybe even having a few extra surprises like Holschlag was last season would be a great start.
125 lbs - Despite two outstanding performances at the EIWA championships the last two seasons, which included a third place finish as a freshman and a surprise runner-up finish last year as a sophomore, Noah Baughman has yet to receive qualification to the NCAA championships. He may have to win the EIWA title, which he is more than capable of doing this season to finally get an invitation to the dance. A rather unpredictable wrestler, Baughman seems to wrestle best when the lights are on. Majored easily by three time All American/National champion Darian Cruz in a dual meet in mid January, Cruz had to quietly slip past Baughman 1-0 in the EIWA finals.
133 lbs - Another secret weapon of the Big Red is junior Chas Tucker, who shocked the nation by upsetting Drexel's (Now Iowa's) Austin DeSanto during the EIWA championships in route to a runner-up finish. Like teammate Baughman, there is a tendency to overlook him and it may cost his opponents in doing so.
141 lbs - Some say Iowa's Spencer Lee was last season's freshman of the year, and others say that it was Yianni Diakomihalis. For what it's worth, Diakomilhalis only suffered one varsity loss and he had to knock off a two time NCAA champion in route to what could very well be his first of four NCAA titles. While nothing is a given and Missouri's Jaydin Eierman has already proven that he is beatable, the young sophomore has a great probability of going undefeated.
149 lbs - Being the son of the head coach has to have its pressures and I can only imagine the young Koll, yet to medal at the EIWA championships or qualify for the NCAA's feels that pressure. Being one of the thirty-three wrestlers who gets to compete in the NCAA championships won't be easy but it will be possible.
157 lbs - Adjusting to NCAA Division I wrestling hasn't been easy on Minnesota transfer Fredy Stroker, but now that he has found and adjusted to his new home in Cornell, he should prove a valuable asset to the team. Look for Stroker to have a similar performance to that of Lock Haven's Chance Marsteller last season. Now that he's in an environment where he feels he can succeed, it's only matter of time before he does.
165 lbs - Senior Jon Jay Chavez made the most of his first season as a starter for the Big Red as he won an EIWA title and finished seventh in the nation in his first appearance in both tournaments. Proving that you can have success later on in your career even if you don't start until your junior season, Chavez is an inspiration to other wrestlers who may have to ride the bench a year or two before breaking into the lineup.
174 lbs - Junior Brandon Womack slipped a bit as a sophomore last season after having an outstanding season as a freshman two years ago. After winning an EIWA title and finishing eighth at the NCAA's as a freshman, Womack took third at the EIWA's and failed to place last year. As a result, like other members on his team, he may come into this season ranked lower than he should be and overlooked. Being off the radar may prove to be to his advantage as he is the type to capitalize upon such a mistake.
184 lbs - Although not as good as his older brother Gabe (at least not yet anyway) Max Dean looks to one day become another Big Red four time All American. He'll have to earn his second AA award before he wins his fourth. On paper right now, it'll be a fight to do so but being the younger brother of three time NCAA finalist Gabe Dean (as mentioned before) he could prove to be an unexpected threat to Penn State's Bo Nickal. And call it poetic justice or tragic irony, wouldn't it be the strangest thing if Max Dean, the younger brother of Gabe Dean, whom Nickal kept from winning his third title, was the very person to keep Nickal from winning his third title? I honestly see Nickal having his way with Dean if the two are to meet this year. (He defeated him last season 13-7). However, I want to mention this in the unlikely event that it were to happen.
197 lbs - Overshadowed by an assortment of other talented freshmen, including teammate Diakomihalis, Ben Darmstadt was without a doubt the #1 freshman at 197 lbs last season. Ranked as high as #1 in the nation, Darmstadt already has fans and critics alike believing he's good enough to win the NCAA title. In a wide open weight class, he is.
HWT - Secret weapons seem to be the theme when looking up and down the Cornell lineup and senior Jeramy Sweany reflects that remark as well as anyone. The HWT has had an up and down career, but has shown glimpses of his talent by placing at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas invitational twice. He placed third at last year's EIWA championships and should challenge Lehigh's Jordan Wood for a title this season.
TEAM: On Paper while solid up and down the lineup, Cornell doesn't seem as loaded as some of the teams that will start out the season ranked ahead of them. If the "secret weapons" I mentioned above can wrestle as well as they are capable of, this may help to propel Cornell to a much higher finish than what may initially be thought.
125 lbs - Despite having a losing record of 12-16, sophomore Kyle Norstem still managed to find his way to the NCAA tournament last season. Highlights included a 17-6 major decision over Chattanooga's Alonzo Allen, a 9-3 decision over Old Dominion's Mike McGee and a fall over Pitt's L.J. Bentley. This season's record looks to be a winning one, with another NCAA qualification.
133 lbs - After winning two EWL conference titles, Korbin Myers transfers from Edinboro to test the waters of the ACC. He defeated Rutgers' Scott Delvecchio in the opening round of the NCAA tournament 4-0. While Delvecchio worked his way back through the consolations to All American status, Myers would not win another match. There is little more frustrating than to watch someone you beat come back and make All American, while you yourself did not. It ought to be enough motivation and inspiration to put Myers on the award stand this season.
141 lbs - Sophomore Brent Moore had himself one Hell of a rookie season that included knocking off top seeded North Carolina State's Kevin Jack for an ACC title. Not only did he win his first of what could be four conference championships, he was also named the tournaments most valuable wrestler. Moore learned how unforgiving of an environment the NCAA tournament can be as he went 1-2, but now that he's been there and experienced it, this year's results ought to be a lot more favorable.
149 lbs - Ryan Blees had a season of trials and tribulations last year as a freshman that saw him go 23-9 in varsity action. One of the highlights was defeating All American Troy Heilmann of North Carolina 3-1. Blees should be the front runner for an ACC title this season.
157 lbs - Hokie fans are excited for the varsity debut of Mekhi Lewis who went 28-2 during his redshirt campaign last year. Among those twenty eight victories, Lewis defeated NCAA qualifiers Gordon Wolf of Lehigh and Keilan Torres of Northern Colorado. Both of his two losses were close matches to Lock Haven All American Chance Marsteller. Lewis will immediately be a threat to the ACC title and contend for All American honors.
165 lbs - The Hokies' best bet for an NCAA champion this season lies in junior David McFadden. McFadden lost to Lock Haven's Chance Marsteller at the NCAA championships, but he did defeat him at the Franklin and Marshall open 7-3. In his only meeting with NCAA champion Vincenzo Joseph, he lost a tight 3-1 match.
174 lbs - Hunter Bolen put his name on the map last season with a 14-6 thrashing of All American Ethan Ramos of North Carolina. Unfortunately for Bolen, he was unable to repeat the performance and lost to Ramos in the ACC finals. This season he should win his first ACC title.
184 lbs - Ironically enough after winning two ACC titles his freshman and sophomore year, it was when he took second last year as a junior he finally got over the hump and earned All American status at the NCAA's. This year Zavatsky looks to win both an ACC title and a second All American medal. An NCAA title is a darkhorse consideration but not likely. Look for a a finish as high as third.
197 lbs - After earning three NCAA qualifications for Bucknell, Tom Sleigh has decided to go for his fourth wrestling for the Hokies'. In a wide open weight class, Sleigh without a doubt will contend for All American honors.
HWT - Joining teammate Korbin Myers, Billy Miller makes the journey from Edinboro to Virginia Tech to compete in the ACC after three varsity seasons in the EWL. He ought to be relatively unchallenged for an ACC title and compete for All American honors.
TEAM - The new transfer rules make filling holes in a lineup much easier and its clear with three in the lineup that the Virginia Tech coaching staff made the most out of this new rule. Gone are the days of losing a tremendous talent like Jared Haught and then having to hope the best in terms of recruiting. In are the days of looking around for who isn't happy in their current situation and who would like to transfer in. It is also important to note how young of a team the Hokies are. Only three seniors on the team and two juniors. With a single freshman in the varsity line up, the other four are sophomores. Which indicates what could be a very tough team in 2020. If you study Virginia Tech's 2017-2018 history, you'll notice that many of their wrestlers showed tremendous ability during the season, but unfortunately struggled to repeat those performances at the ACC's and the NCAA's. If they can wrestle as well at these post season tournaments as they do during the regular season, you're looking at what could be a very dangerous team.
125 lbs - Senior Sean Fausz has about done it all in his career. He's won an ACC title. He's qualified for the NCAA championships three times. He's defeated a numerous amount of highly ranked wrestlers. Only thing left is to come through and make All American status in his final year as a member of the Wolfpack.
133 lbs - Tariq Wilson was one of last year's biggest surprises at the NCAA tournament. After finishing in fourth place at the ACC's, he turned around and dominated his way to a third place finish at the NCAA's. His only loss was in overtime to the eventual NCAA champion. If he wrestles as well as he did those three days in March, we could be looking at this year's NCAA champ. It won't be easy with the depth of the 133 lbs weight class, but he's for certain a contender.
141 lbs - Senior Jamal Morris will look for his third trip to the NCAA's and another Midlands medal after placing fifth this past season.
149 lbs - Central Michigan transfer Justin Oliver took All American honors as a freshman in 2016 with a seventh place finish. However, he has been unable to achieve that status again as he has finished one match shy of placing the past two seasons. He's one of the most talented 149 lbs wrestlers in the country, having defeated All Americans Matt Kolodzik of Princeton and Troy Heilmann of North Carolina during the season. The move to North Carolina State may very well be the kick in the pants Oliver needs to earn his second AA medal.
157 lbs - As was Chris Pendleton to Ben Askren, the only thing keeping Hayden Hidlay from an NCAA title last season and may keep him from an NCAA title this season is Penn State's Jason Nolf. Other than that, this kid is unstoppable.
165 lbs - One half of the Bullard twins, Thomas looks to have a similar season to the one he did last year going 21-12 with an NCAA qualification.
174 lbs - As brother Thomas, Daniel looks to have a similar 17-11 with an NCAA qualification season as he did last year.
184 lbs - Even though Nick Reenan qualified for the NCAA championships in 2017, it was his redshirt season last year that really gave indication to the high hopes the Wolfpack has for him. Along with placing fourth at the Southern Scuffle, Reenan also posted victories over Navy's Mike Coleman and Virginia Tech All American Zack Zavatsky. He's also show tremendous potential internationally, as he defeated World Team member Richard Perry in two straight matches. Look for Reenan to contend for an ACC title and All American honors.
HWT - After splitting time last season with Mike Boykin, Malik McDonald is prepared to take over the HWT spot for the Wolfpack. A solid HWT who recently placed fourth at the U23 tournament in freestyle, McDonald should qualify for the NCAA championships and be a darkhorse candidate for All American honors.
TEAM - It still amazes me how head coach Pat Popolizio took a team who 15 years ago some fans didn't even realize had a wrestling program and has made them into one of the toughest powerhouses in the nation. What's even more impressive is that he's doing so with half of his starting squad from southern states. Kentucky, Florida, Georgia and Texas all represented among the varsity wrestlers. The ACC race between the Wolfpack and Virginia Tech will be one of the most exciting of 2019.
125 - Sebastian Rivera returns after an excellent rookie season that saw him place third at the Midlands tournament and sixth at the NCAA championships. While 125 lbs is full of an assortment of wrestlers that will fight for All American honors, Rivera should repeat.
133 lbs - Colin Valdiviez is another returning sophomore who had a pretty solid rookie season. While not one of the original 33 qualifiers for the NCAA tournament, he was selected as an entry after Nebraska's (Now Iowa's) Jason Renteria failed to make weight. Highlights for Valdiviez include a sixth place finish at the Midlands tournament and a 5-2 victory over Korbin Myers of Edinboro (now of Virginia Tech.)
141 lbs - Among the freshmen to watch this season is Yahya Thomas. During his redshirt campaign this past season he had an assortment of impressive victories including a 10-2 major decision over PAC-12 champion Colt Schilling of Cal Poly and a 6-4 victory over Ohio's (Now Old Dominion's) All American Sa'Derian Perry. Placing seventh at last year's Midland's championship, look for him to be one of the toughest freshmen at 141 lbs.
149 lbs - Switching weight classes with teammate Ryan Deakin may be one of the best things to happen to Shayne Oster as he has yet to garner a winning season or a qualification to the NCAA championships. Despite his hardships he has shown promise with victories over Indiana's Jake Danishek and Purdue's Griffin Parriott. The move down should see improvements in his performance as he seemed too small for the 157 lbs weight class.
157 lbs - Yet another sophomore on the wildcat team who is coming off of a stellar rookie season is Ryan Deakin. Deakin posted a 32-7 record, having an impressive third place finish at the Midlands championships, which included a 5-3 victory over three time All American/National Champion Jason Tsirtsis of Arizona State. Had it not been for an injury that saw Deakin default at the BIG 10 championships to sixth place, he may have earned his first All American award last season. Instead he lost two close matches, one to Tsirtsis and the other to Iowa's four time All American Brandon Sorensen to go 2-2 at the NCAA tournament. It'll be interesting to see if he can fare as well up at 157 lbs. Staying healthy will be key to a wrestler who could very well end up a three time All American.
174 lbs - The hit and miss factor of two time NCAA qualifier Johnny Sebastian makes predicting what you think he'll do rather difficult. He shows the kind of contributions he can make towards the team with victories like the 9-4 decision he had over Iowa's (now Illinois') Kaleb Young and the two wins he had over bloodround finisher Dylan Lydy of Purdue. All American status seems a bit out of reach at the moment, but no reason why he couldn't find himself in the finals of the Midland's tournament.
HWT - Two time Midland's place winner Conan Jennings has been to the NCAA tournament three times thus far in his career but he has yet to earn All American status at any of them. It's time for the Barbarian to come and to conquer. While winning an NCAA title is unlikely, there is no reason why the senior shouldn't receive a top eight seed going into the championships in March. He defeated All American Yousiff Hemida of Maryland at the BIG 10 championships, as well as All American Amarveer Dhesi of Oregon State at the Midland's championships. Easier said than done, he'll have to put together a good tournament come mid March, which he his more than capable of.
TEAM - Underrated, undervalued, underappreciated, and over doubted, head coach Matt Storniolo is making the most out of what he has. Shutting mouths and opening eyes, he's taking what some call a no win situation and somehow he's winning with it. He has a team of seven wrestlers, all of which should medal in their home tournament, The Midlands. While not enough to win the tournament, it should prove to be one of the Wildcats best performances in years.
125 lbs - Two time EWL conference champion and 2017 All American Sean Russell decided to leave Edinboro to finish up his final two years of eligibility at Minnesota. His arrival causes some serious shifts in the lineup that will see four wrestlers move up a weight class to make room for him. It's only natural to think that the depth and talent of the Minnesota practice room will make Russell that much tougher.
133 lbs - The past two seasons Ethan Lizak has been a poster child for the cliche "When the going gets tough, the tough get going" as he's put his nose to the grind and finished an impressive second and fourth the last two NCAA championships at 125 lbs. Now he'll test the waters of the 133 lbs weight class. It'll be interesting to see how the weight change effects him.
141 lbs - Two time NCAA qualifier Mitch McKee moves up to 141 lbs after two seasons at 133. Much like Lizak in his move up, it'll be interesting to see how he does up a weight.
149 lbs - Tommy Thorn is one of the wrestlers I look forward to watching most this season. After a disappointing end to his junior season, I can't help but think he'll make like a Lloyd Christmas and totally redeem himself this year as a senior. A lot of talk about the front runners of the 149 lbs weight class. I can't help but think Tommy will be a huge thorn (pardon the pun) in their side. He has it together physically and mentally this season, won't be many if any who beat him.
157 lbs - The move up to 157 lbs ought to be good for three time NCAA qualifier Steve Bleise. Among the best of the seniors yet to All American, putting on eight pounds of muscle should benefit the Gopher.
174 lbs - Two time NCAA qualifier Devin Skatzka has decided to leave Indiana to finish up his final two years of eligibility at Minnesota. A solid wrestler who has produced two winning seasons, much like Russell, it makes sense to think that the talent and depth of the Minnesota practice room will toughen up the former Hoosier.
197/HWT - Bobby Steveson (sorry for the misspelling above) returns to the varsity lineup after qualifying for the NCAA championships in 2017. Heard it rumored at first that he may make a move up to HWT, but also heard that he might be staying at 197 lbs. Either way he provides a tough wrestler, an NCAA qualification with plausibility for a low end All American.
TEAM - Having four maybe five wrestlers move up a weight class on most other teams might be a cause for concern, but it isn't for Minnesota. The Golden Gopher wrestling team has always looked like a lineup of World Bodybuilding superstars with cut up and chiseled physiques. You can find those who lack conditioning and those who need to improve their technique but the one thing you'll never find in a Golden Gopher lineup is a wrestler who lacks strength. Brandon Eggum may have unexpectedly been thrown into the head coaching position prematurely, but he's treating it as if it's second nature. In what is often a war of attrition he may have too many holes in his lineup right now, but as time progresses no doubt he'll be in the team title hunt in the years to come.
133 lbs - Returning NCAA champion Seth Gross looks to defend his title, under the tutelage of new head coach Damion Hahn. If anything this season will be every bit as tough as last, if not tougher in doing so. The first Division I All American, the first Division I NCAA finalist, the first Division I NCAA champion for the Jackrabbits, Gross will graduate one of the best in SDSU history.
141 lbs - Henry Pohlmeyer has significantly improved as his career progresses at South Dakota State. Carrying an 11-11 record in 2017 as a freshman, he improved to 23-11 last season as a sophomore. A pinner with 9 of those 23 victories coming by fall. He reminds me a lot of former SDSU 141 lbs wrestler Dustin Walraven as he shows a tremendous amount of heart and effort on the mat, with a need to harness strategy and setups, while fixing mistakes. If he can turn errors into better decisions and have more confidence in his execution he'll be a tough wrestler to beat. A scary opponent for anyone, as he's always going for the pin.
TEAM - The only thing surprising about the departure of Chris Bono is that he stayed in Brookings as long as he did. I knew the day when Chris Bono left for greener pastures would come and it shocked me that it took seven years for it to happen. Nevertheless he did a tremendous job building the wrestling program at SDSU and he'll continue to do a fine job at Wisconsin. With that said, I'm very excited to see what Damion Hahn will do. I think he was one of the best assistant coaches in the nation and I think we'll so find out that he's also one of the best head coaches. Seth Gross is going to be Seth Gross regardless of who captains the ship. Yet, it'll be rather telling to see how Pohlmeyer and the other wrestlers develop with Hahn as their leader. He has the ability to unlock hidden potential in his athletes and I foresee Pohlmeyer being his first test.
133 lbs - Junior D.J. Fehlman failed to qualify for the NCAA championships last season, after qualifying as a freshman in 2017. A solid wrestler that should provide important wins in EWL conference duals as well as in tournaments. With Bloomsburg's Andy Schutz graduated and Korbin Myers now competing in the ACC, Fehlman should compete with Rider's Anthony Cefolo for an EWL title.
141 lbs - Two time NCAA qualifier Kyle Shoop looks for his third qualification this season. A fairly predictable wrestler that wins most of the matches he should win.
157 lbs - NCAA qualifier Alex Klucker is one of those wrestlers that occasionally makes you wonder if he'll break out of his shell and be among those in the discussion for who will All American. As for now he's not, but this time last year neither was Ronnie Perry and he made the NCAA finals. It makes me think that Coach Scott Moore did it once, he'll do it again, and Klucker's as good of a candidate as is anyone. He defeated NCAA qualifier Justin Staudenmayer 4-0 and Minnesota's (now Cornell's) Fredy Stroker 5-2. Both indications of what could be.
165 lbs - In the tradition of Cary Kolat and Jamarr Billman, Chance Marsteller has thus far made the most out of his second chance in his new how. He started off hot with a third place showing at the Southern Scuffle and he ended every bit as hot with a fourth place showing at the NCAA championships. A leader on the team, he could be an NCAA finalist for the eagles.
197 lbs - Not sure if it was injury or other reasons but unbeknownst to me senior Tristan Sponseller who put together a 21-15 record as a freshman and a 32-7 record as a junior was only able to produce a 13-15 record last season as a junior. He has yet to qualify for the NCAA championships in three tries, but if he can return to form as he as his sophomore season, he should be a contender to win the EWL title.
HWT - Another should be 2019 EWL conference champion should be two time NCAA qualifier Thomas Haines. With Billy Miller now competing for Virginia Tech in the ACC, the EWL ought to be a cakewalk for Haines.
125 lbs - I'll tell you why you want a guy like Zeke Moisey on your team. He's just as hungry and starved to win in the bloodround as he is in the semi-finals of a major tournament. When looking at things from a team perspective, someone as dedicated to win in the consolation side of the bracket as he is in the championship side of the bracket is huge. Attitude plays a major role in this sport and one of the most optimistic and positive attitudes you'll find is that of Moisey's. He shocked us all when he made the NCAA finals as a freshman and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see him do so again as a senior. The two time All American of West Virginia was a great pickup for the Huskers.
141 lbs - Chad Red Jr was quite impressive last season in his first year of varsity wrestling. He took fourth in a tough CKLV tournament and most impressively he kept three time All American/Two time NCAA champion Dean Heil of Oklahoma State from capturing his fourth All American honor by pinning him in the first period at the NCAA championships. I don't want to put too much stock into that match as it was clear there was something off about Heil last season, but I also wouldn't be too surprised if Red propelled himself up to the next level, and put his name into the hat as a contender for the title.
157 lbs - Two Time All American Tyler Berger, who placed fifth as a sophomore and third as a junior last season will go for his third All American honor this season. He'll also contend for a CKLV and BIG 10 title. In a rather loaded weight class, look for Berger to have another high finish.
165 lbs - After winning a Division II title for Notre Dame College in 2017 as a freshman, Isaiah White did a pretty good job of adjusting to the grind that is Division I wrestling. He had his ups and his downs, and among his ups was placing third at the CKLV tournament. Now that he has a year of DI wrestling under his belt, we should see him capitalize upon his strengths and turn some of last year's losses into wins.
174 lbs - After a phenomenal redshirt season, Husker fans ought to be very excited to see the varsity debut of Mikey Labriola. Highlights of last year include a Daktronics championship where he defeated All American David Kocer of South Dakota State in the finals and a fourth place showing at the Midlands Championships. He also defeated All American Jacobe Smith of Oklahoma State 7-6.
184 lbs - Taylor Venz returns as a sophomore after having a tremendous freshman campaign last season. He took third at the CKLV tournament, fourth at the BIG 10's and fourth at the NCAA championships. 184 lbs as it has been for quite some time is one of the toughest weight classes, if not the toughest weight class in NCAA Division I wrestling. No doubt about it, Venz is one of the wrestlers that makes it that way.
197 lbs - It wasn't until the end of last season that we saw much out of Eric Schultz. Up until the NCAA tournament where he defeated Northern Colorado's Jacob Seeley and more notably Jeric Kasunic of American, his only key victory was over Michigan's Kevin Beazley. Now that he has a year of varsity wrestling under his belt, he ought to do as most Huskers have done over the years and show vast improvement.
157 lbs - NCAA qualifier Andrew Shomers who posted a 30-8 record last season looks to be the highlight of this year's Fighting Scots team. He finished one match shy of placing at Cliff Keen, won a PSAC title and finished second at the EWL tournament before going 0-2 at Nationals. Key note wins included Cole Hammond of Bakersfield, Justin Staudenmayer of Brown, Ian Brown of Lehigh, Zack Davis of Navy, and Alex Klucker of Lock Haven (who he should challenge this year for an EWL title). I hate to say it but with the rumors going on about how we could lose Edinboro as an entire institution, Shomers may be there last NCAA qualifier.
TEAM - It was a mere three years ago when the small school in northwestern Pennsylvania came into the NCAA championships and took home a third place trophy with four All Americans, two of which were finalist. Yet ironically enough, it seems that those days are far behind us. Things aren't looking good at Edinboro. The writing is on the wall and it's really a shame. It's heartbreaking as well. It's fun, it's rewarding and it's healthy for the sport to have small schools that excel. We've lost so many teams over the years. So many rich traditions. So much history. It really sucks to think we may be adding Edinboro to the list.
141 lbs - It wouldn't surprise me at all to see Nic Gil sneak in an All American finish of seventh or eighth place at this year's NCAA tournament. He's one of those wrestlers that should spend most of the season ranked between 10th and 15th, with the potential to get himself somewhere in the top eight. He finished one match shy of a medal at last year's CKLV, but came back strong at the Southern Scuffle to earn fifth place. He took fourth at the EIWA championships.
149 lbs - It's hard to believe as good of a wrestler as Jared Prince is, that he has yet to win an EIWA championship or make All American status. He's beaten a multitude of ranked wrestlers, and he's had impressive finishes at various tournaments, including taking third at last year's Southern Scuffle and being a two time third place finisher at the EIWA's. He should make this year's EIWA finals and he definitely has what it takes to be an All American.
TEAM - Navy as usual meets their quota in having at least a couple of wrestlers that should shine throughout the season in various in season tournaments as well as the EIWA's. Both Gil and Prince should place at CKLV and the Southern Scuffle and both should have good showings at conference. It'd be nice to see both have good runs at the NCAA's as well.
133 lbs - Injuries thus far have plagued the career of 133 lbs'er Ty Agaisse. They were so bad last season that he had to withdraw from school, so that he'd have three years left to compete for the Tigers. When healthy, he's capable of big wins, like the one he had over Gabriel Townsell of Stanford. If he can get past injuries, he'll be an NCAA qualifier.
141 lbs - Another wrestler who has battled his fair share of injuries is Pat D'Arcy. An NCAA qualifier in 2017, with EIWA finishes of seventh, fourth & eighth, it was injuries that kept him out of last year's NCAA championships. Like Agaisse, if he can get healthy and stay healthy, he'll be an NCAA qualifier.
149 lbs - Only a junior and Matt Kolodzik is cementing himself as the best wrestler in Princeton history, if he isn't there already. He's in route to be the school's first five time Midlands place-winner as he's already placed fifth, second, sixth in his career. Hes in route to be the Tiger's first four time EIWA champion as he's already won two titles. If that isn't enough, he's also in route to be the first four time All American as he's placed seventh and third in his first two NCAA championships. He's a great ambassador for Princeton as well as for the sport. Living, breathing proof that you can go to one of the nation's top academic institutions and still kick butt on the mat.
157 lbs - Look for this season to be a breakout one for Mike D'Angelo. The senior has thus far placed third and second in EIWA appearances and should bring home a title this season. He'll be a top twelve to fifteen wrestler to start the season off, but with small improvements I can see him sneaking into the top eight.
197 lbs - Patrick Brucki had himself a pretty admirable freshman season that included a fifth place finish at the EIWA tournament, an NCAA qualification and victories over West Virginia's Jake Smith and Pennsylvania's Frank Mattiace. In NCAA Division I wrestling's most bizarre and odd weight class, Brucki could make a name for himself.
TEAM - Chris Ayres has put together one Hell of a coaching staff in Joe Dubuque, Sean Gray and Nate Jackson. These four minds are continuing to grow Princeton wrestling and make it one of the most attractive sites for our wrestlers who are as dominant in the classroom as they are on the mat. The biggest obstacle for the Tigers this season looks to be health. It'll be the deciding factor of whether the Tiger's qualify five wrestlers to the NCAA championships or three. The idea of crowning two champions at this year's EIWA championships is pretty exciting. Not 100% positive, but I do believe that'll be a first in school history.
125 lbs - Competition is one of the many things that makes wrestling such an interesting sport, and one of the fiercest competitions this year in NCAA Division I wrestling will be between two teammates. The Scarlet Knights have yet to crown an NCAA Champion and both 125 lbs Nick Suriano and 141 lbs Anthony Ashnault are looking to go down in history as the first. Suriano certainly has a tough road ahead of him, perhaps even tougher than Ashnault's. Nevertheless the 2018 NCAA runner-up is a contender.
141 lbs - In a race to become the Scarlet Knight's first NCAA champion with teammate Nick Suriano, Anthony Ashnault also looks to become Rutger's first four time All American. Injury prevented him from achieving this spectacular feat last season and by the grace of a sixth year of eligibility he'll have another opportunity this season. I can only hope that a year off hasn't effected him too much and that he is back 100%. Cause if he's 100%, he's the best 141 lbs'er in the country.
184 lbs - Three time NCAA qualifier Nick Gravina will now have a chance to become a four time NCAA qualifier as he was granted a sixth year of eligibility. As he was the last two seasons, Gravina is one of those wrestlers that has the potential to be an All American. Yet he's also in a weight class that is always among the toughest to AA. Looking like a cleaner from a 1970's mafia film, I like to think of him as Rutger's hitman.
197 lbs - After qualifying for the NCAA championships as a true freshman in 2017, word has it that Matt Correnti will be moving down from HWT to 197 lbs. Need to see him compete at this weight a few times before I can make much more of an assessment.
TEAM - Looks to be an historical year for the Scarlet Knights in a multitude of ways. They could crown their first individual NCAA Champion. They could crown their first NCAA Division I four time All American. Not that anyone besides me cares, but they could also become the first school to ever have two sixth year wrestlers All American at the same NCAA's. Coach Goodale has made it a point that he wants Rutgers to be known as a wrestling powerhouse the same way that Penn State and Iowa are. That when people hear, "Rutgers" he wants the first thing to pop in their head to be wrestling. These monumental moments that are very likely this season, help in the process of making that a reality.
149 lbs - An inconsistent wrestler barely above 500 last year as a freshman, there is no guarantee that Elfvin will qualify for the NCAA's this year. Nevertheless he should still be one of the Dragon's top wrestlers this year as he looks to become a two time Southern Scuffle place-winner after taking sixth last year. Quality wins include pinning North Carolina State's Jamal Morris and nearly majoring Lehigh's Cortland Schuyler 14-7.
HWT - Two time NCAA qualifier Joey Goodhart returns after a redshirt season as he looks to be the highlight of Drexel's 2018-2019 season. Notable victories include pinning Northwestern's Conan Jennings, 5-3 sudden victories over both Ohio State's Chase Singletary and Northern Iowa's Carter Isley and defeating Stanford's Nathan Butler 4-3. Should for sure qualify for the NCAA's and depending on bracket placement, be eligible for All American honors.
TEAM - It's really a shame what Drexel went through last season with Austin DeSanto. While I wish DeSanto the best of success at Iowa, I also wish Drexel the best of success without him. It's hard, it's damn hard for these smaller schools to build their wrestling programs. Every kid seems to want to go to a school that is already a powerhouse in wrestling. And frankly you can't blame them. These kids want to go to where they know they'll get the proper training, facilities and fan support. Yet it hurts when you see a school like Drexel get a talented kid like DeSanto and then they lose him. I'm not getting into pointing fingers and playing a game of "who's to blame?" Not into that at all. Simply saying that Drexel made an effort and that effort ought to be recognized. Fans should want to see small schools like Drexel have success. Goodhart making the EIWA finals and finding his way onto the award stand at the NCAA's would be great.
125 lbs - Despite a losing record of 17-18 and not qualifying for the NCAA's last season, I have faith that Drew Hildebrandt will having a winning season this year as well as a qualification to the NCAA tournament. I say this for three reason. A, he's a sophomore which leads into B. Last season although he did lose by major decision a handful of times, most of his losses were close. Rookie mistakes, that I'm sure he and Coach Tom Borrelli have worked on to fix. He also had some quality wins to look at last season as well, including going 3-0 against Missouri's Barlow McGee.
174 lbs - I'm not even 100% positive whether C.J. Brucki has any eligibility left or not. He may have been a senior last year. If so, my mistake on including him. If he's a senior this year, look for him to represent the Chippewas well during in season tournaments and at the MAC championships. He was one match away from placing at last year's CKLV, and should medal this season. He also finished fifth at last year's Midlands, and should medal again. Another runner-up finish at the MAC championships looks to be likely.
HWT - Matt Stencel is one of those "as expected" kind of guys. For the most part you can count on him being one of the few wrestlers in NCAA Division I making it easy on those that do the thankless job of rankings. Occasionally he'll upset someone or he'll get upset but for the most part he wins and loses according to what's on paper. He took fourth at last year's Midlands and won a MAC championship. He could eventually be a four time MAC champion. Something Central Michigan hasn't had for a while.
TEAM - It seems the glory days of CMU wrestling are behind us. The growth of the Mid-American Conference in terms of wrestling has been wonderful in a numerous amount of ways, but it has hurt the Chippewas. If you study it in depth, and understand what you're looking at Central Michigan is on par with how they've always been. It's simply that the MAC went from being six teams to nine teams (and yes I realize Northern Iowa is now in the BIG 12) and to potential recruits there is a lot of difference between winning eleven team conference championships in a row and then having two fifths, two seconds and one third place showing over the past five years. Central Michigan hasn't had an All American since Justin Oliver took seventh at the NCAA's in 2016 as a freshman. And unfortunately for the Chippewas, he'll be looking for his second All American honor at North Carolina State this year. Central Michigan is in need of some good luck and some good fortune. Not sure when it'll come, how it'll come or who it'll come from.
125 lbs - After a freshman season that saw a seventh place finish at CKLV, a third place finish at the Southern Scuffle, a second place finish at the ACC tournament and a round of twelve finish at the NCAA's, sophomore Louie Hayes is poised to make a run at an ACC title and All American honors.
133 lbs - After placing sixth as a freshman in 2017, Jack Mueller finished one match shy of gaining another medal at the 2018 NCAA championships. The past two seasons, Mueller has finished third and second at the ACC tournament. This season he will compete with North Carolina State's Tariq Wilson for the top spot in the ACC at 133 lbs, and make a run for a second All American honor.
149 lbs - Sam Krivus is a third Cavalier who will compete hard for an individual title at the ACC tournament. The junior has placed third the previous two years and even though he lost to Virginia Tech's Ryan Blees 8-6 sudden victory in a dual, he came back to technical fall him at the NCAA's a month later. Krivus, a dangerous wrestler, also placed fourth at last year's Southern Scuffle.
165 lbs - Injuries have thus far prolonged the career of Garrett Peppelman and perhaps they will continue to this season. However, if he can get healthy he should be a reliable wrestler to pick up victories in duals. It's fun to always think of wrestlers in terms of NCAA qualification, NCAA All American and NCAA champion status, but it's also fun to think of those wrestlers that contribute in other ways. Not to say that Peppelman isn't NCAA qualification status, but to emphasize that even if he isn't, he is one to help win dual meets.
174 lbs - I don't have any real thoughts or feelings regarding Corbin Allen. I was simply told by someone who knew I was putting this write-up together that I should include him when I write about Virginia. I figured what the Hell, I'll see if he was right or not.
184 lbs - I'd feel better about Will Schany if he was staying at 174 lbs, but from what I have read and heard thus far this year, he's moving up a weight class. He was round of twelve at last year's CKLV tournament and he placed fifth at the ACC's. Wrestled well enough, with victories like that of his 8-6 decision over Indiana's (Now Minnesota's) Devin Skatzka where he was awarded a wildcard (At-large) entry into the NCAA's. Would think he would still qualify at 184 lbs.
TEAM - While not as locked and loaded as North Carolina State or Virginia Tech, the Cavaliers of Virginia continue to add depth and talent to the ACC. Three of their varsity starters will be serious contenders for individual conference championships and those same three will all fight for All American honors.
141 lbs - You don't wanna go upper-body with Ryan Diehl. Penn State's Nick Lee learned that the hard way when Diehl tossed and pinned him in the first around of the NCAA's last year. Yet it is also the match with Lee that points to Diehl's inconsistency. While Lee worked his way back to a fifth place finish after that loss, Diehl failed to win another match. In fact Diehl only won 12 matches altogether last season. He lost 14. It's not often I put a lot of faith in a wrestler with a losing record, but I do Diehl. It's also notable that Diehl has a tendency to "own" people. Despite the fact that Minnesota's Tommy Thorn has defeated various wrestlers who Diehl can't even come close to beating, Diehl has had his way with Thorn every time they've met. This includes a 9-1 major decision, a 12-2 major decision and a fall. Diehl is a wrestler where you have to take "on paper" rip it up and throw it out the door and sit back and see what unfolds "on mat."
149 lbs - While not as inconsistent or unpredictable as Diehl, both terms are fair assessments for Alfred "Baby J" Bannister. He's thus far been sixth and fifth at the BIG 10 championships and will look for his third NCAA qualification this season.
HWT - After a round of twelve finish as a freshman in 2017, Youssif Hemida was able to get over the hump and capture All American honors last season with an eighth place finish. He also had an excellent showing at the Midlands with a third place finish. While Diehl and Bannister are capable of doing some great things in their own right, it'll be Hemida who will lead the way for the Terps in 2019.
TEAM - Head coach Kerry McCoy has taken a lot of flack ever since Maryland moved to the BIG 10. They finished dead last the first two years and eleventh this past season. It's safe to say that Maryland has had a slow start as a member of NCAA Division I's toughest wrestling conference. Yet I think this will be the Terrapins best year yet. They didn't lose anybody and Diehl, Bannister and Hemida should all improve on last year's finishes. I also feel something should be said for McCoy in terms of recruiting. He doesn't ask that his wrestlers be like him and he's ok recruiting wrestlers with contrasts and differences. There's not a lot of room in the sport of wrestling for those who don't fit the mold of what wrestling assimilates itself to be. No dress code at Maryland, McCoy creates an environment where your attitude and your wrestling, not your voting habits or how you spend your Sundays gets you opportunities.
125 lbs - The lone wrestler making the move from South Dakota State to Wisconsin along with Bono and staff is 125 lbs Connor Brown. Wrestling as a true freshman for the Jackrabbits last season, Brown finished a respectable 23-16 with notable victories over Old Dominion's Mike McGee, Chattanooga's Alonzo Allen and Northern Iowa's Jay Schwarm. A fifth place finish at the BIG 12's earned him his first NCAA qualification. He looks to have a similar season with improvements this year.
141 lbs - I began writing this about three weeks before the unfortunate passing of Eli Stickely. I thought about making a new one, but I decided not to. I decided instead to leave it as I had written it. He will be a tough wrestler to replace. Here is what I wrote = A top twenty wrestler nearly all of last season with notable victories over Ryan Diehl of Maryland, Nate Limmex of Purdue and Cole Weaver of Indiana. Eli Stickley will help the badgers out in various ways throughout duals, in season and post season tournaments.
149 lbs - Two time NCAA qualifier Cole Martin looks for his third NCAA qualification this season, with an evaluation similar to that of Stickley's.
157 lbs - Sophomore Zander Wick was on his way to having a stellar freshman season that started off strong with a seventh place finish at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Unfortunately injury cut his rookie campaign short and we were unable to see how it would have ended. Hopefully he's back 100% healthy this season.
165 lbs - What was the highlight of Barry Davis's last year as head coach of Wisconsin, is likely to be the highlight of what will be Chris Bono's first year as head coach of Wisconsin. Evan Wick is without a doubt the star of the Badger wrestling team, and looks to have another spectacular season after an outstanding showing as a freshman last year. Highlights included a second place finish at CKLV and then having one of the most impressive runs at the NCAA's when he became only the second wrestler in Wisconsin history to make All American honors as a freshman. In route to placing third he dismantled Iowa's Alex Marinelli 15-3 and he put the breaks on Chance Marsteller by pinning him in at 3:19 in the second period.
174 lbs - Ryan Christensen reminds me a lot of former Wisconsin Badger Ralph DeNisco. Right now Christensen is a senior with three trips to the NCAA championships, and showings at the BIG 10's that seem that they could have been a little better. He has been and is most likely to be a top 25 wrestler who shouldn't have a problem getting into the NCAA's. Feel that there is more to him that what we see when he wrestlers on the mat. Leaves me wondering if we'll finally see it or if it'll forever remain unlocked.
197 lbs - (Meant to put 197 lbs above and accidentally put 184.) Hunter Ritter had his best showing to date when he took third at last year's BIG 10 Championships. The finish ought to instill a new found confidence in Ritter that we ought to see on the mat this season.
TEAM - With exception to bringing in Connor Brown, Head Coach Chris Bono inherits a pretty tough wrestling team full of what should be six NCAA qualifiers with one being a sure bet All American. If you look at the history of Wisconsin wrestling under Barry Davis, he had a history of getting wrestlers to the NCAA tournament, but not doing much once they got there. A lot of four time NCAA qualifiers from Wisconsin who never made All American status. And perhaps that's the real test of Bono. Perhaps why the university brought him in with such enthusiasm. Get these wrestlers to the next level. Get them to the NCAA tournament and then get them on the award stand.
125 lbs - Two time PAC-12 Champion Ronnie Bresser had his best season yet as he finished second at the Midlands championships and took seventh at the NCAA tournament. He is also one of only two losses NCAA champion Spencer Lee of Iowa faced last season.
133 lbs - While injury has gotten the best of Kegan Calkins most of his career, I would like to think that there is a possibility that he might finally be healthy again for his final season of competition. A sixth place finish at the Midlands back in 2016 gives indication that if healthy, he will be an asset to the Beavers in duals and tournaments.
157 lbs - Hunter Willits had a rather successful true freshman season which included victories over Cole Hammond of Bakersfield and 2017 All American Paul Fox of Stanford. Along with reaching the PAC-12 finals, he also qualified for the NCAA tournament.
165 lbs - Fred Green has thus far had a rough go of it in his collegiate career. First he has to deal with his wrestling program being cut by Mr. Avarice himself Bob Kustra when he was at Boise State. Then for reasons unknown to me he tried Virginia and things didn't work out there. Now he's at Oregon State and I hope the best for him. As he was showing his freshman season at Boise State, he's a solid wrestler. A top twenty wrestler for sure and maybe under the guidance of Coach Zalesky a little better. Anxious to see how he performs in the black and orange.
197 lbs - Two time PAC-12 champion Corey Griego looks for his third conference title this season and his first All American honor in what looks to be a wide open weight class.
TEAM - With Arizona State now at the helm the days of owning the PAC-12 look to be in the past, but that doesn't mean that there won't be highlights for Jim Zalesky and the Oregon State Beavers. Ronnie Bresser gets little to no credit in his win over Lee at Midlands, as everything short of dying from terminal cancer was listed as to what was wrong with Lee during that match. And maybe so, but I still look forward to a second meeting between the two. Also note that Bresser lost a tight 2-1 match to Daton Fix, and as far as I know Fix was 100% for that match. Three to five NCAA qualifiers and one to as many as three All Americans is how I see things ending for Oregon State come mid March.
133 lbs - Injury kept Jake Gromacki from qualifying for his second NCAA championships last season. He placed second at the EWL conference tournament in 2017 and should be a legitimate threat to winning the championship this year.
141 lbs - If it wasn't for an upset loss at the EWL tournament, Brock Zacherl would have entered the NCAA tournament undefeated. Two of the thirty victories he had during the regular season were over All Americans Nick Lee of Penn State and Sa'Derian Perry of Old Dominion (was of Eastern Michigan). Not only that but Zacherl also defeated Chad Red of Nebraska 4-2 in the first round of the NCAA championships. Red went on to place seventh while Zacherl finished one match shy of placing. Zacherl was robbed last season of what he should get this season. An EWL title and an All American award.
Team - There's no hiding it that things have been rather dark for Clarion wrestling the past few years. The team has been in a slump and it looks like it is up to two seniors to put their nose to the grind and be the light the Eagles have been looking for. Having two conference champions would do a lot to boost the program back in the right direction. Seeing Zacherl make All American status plays a vital role in that process.
133 lbs - Two time NCAA qualifier Anthony Tutolo had a pretty good showing at last year's MAC championships finishing in third place. He should have another good showing, qualifying for his third NCAA tournament this season.
157 lbs - Casey Sparkman is a top 25 wrestler that will occasionally pull off upsets over wrestlers ranked higher than himself. He finished in second place at last year's MAC championships, and should be the front runner for this year's title.
197 lbs - Arguably the biggest surprise of the 2018 NCAA tournament, Kyle Conel came out of nowhere and spent the entire three days of wrestling taking names in route to a third place finish which included defeating the #1 seed, Kollin Moore on two occasions. It'll be interesting to see if last year's run was a one hit wonder, or if Conel was for real and can repeat the process.
HWT - Devin Nye will be the Golden Flashes starting HWT after splitting time with Stephen Sulgio who placed third at last year's MAC championships. Nye has yet to qualify for the NCAA tournament, but stands a good chance in his final season at Kent State.
TEAM - Looks to be three to four NCAA qualifiers for the Golden Flashes this season with Kyle Conel leading the way.
125 lbs - Two time NCAA qualifier Travis Piotrowski has certainly shown moments throughout the last two seasons to indicate that he is All American material. It's simply a matter of being able to string together a series of good matches all at once.
133 lbs - Sophomore Dylan Duncan had a standout freshman campaign last year with fifth place showing at the Midlands and a third place showing at the BIG 10's. While 133 lbs is a loaded weight class with a multitude of talent fighting for a spot in the top eight, he's as much a part of that pool as is anyone.
141 lbs - Mike Carr, like a thief in the night enjoyed sneaking up on people and taking them by surprise last season. A 6-3 upset over Nebraska's Chad Red helped to indicate things to come and upsetting his way to the BIG 10 finals with victories over Eli Stickley of Wisconsin, Tommy Thorn of Minnesota and Nick Lee of Penn State sealed the deal on just how good Carr is. At the NCAA's he finished one match shy of All American status with victories of ACC champion Brent Moore of Virginia Tech and Nic Gil of Navy. Look for Carr to get his first of what could eventually be three All American awards this season.
149 lbs - Eric Barone qualified for the 2017 NCAA championships as a freshman but failed to qualify last season as a sophomore. He should get back to form and qualify for this year's championships.
165 lbs - Two time NCAA qualifier Joey Gunther saw the writing on the wall and realized he was most likely going to shoved out of the lineup at Iowa. Instead of riding the bench his final two seasons he decided to instead come to Illinois and earn two more trips to the NCAA tournament.
184 lbs - Emery Parker had an exceptionally successful junior season, capturing a Midlands title and third place at the NCAA tournament last season. While I do think that the NCAA finals this year will be between Bo Nickal of Penn State and Myles Martin of Ohio State, I remind myself that Parker has defeated Martin in the past and I wouldn't be shocked at all if Parker found himself in the NCAA finals.
197 lbs - Other than owning a win over Preston Weigel of Oklahoma State, who I indicated earlier I believe is NCAA champion material, there's not a single reason for me to have any faith in Andre Lee at all. He has yet to qualify for the NCAA championships. Hell he hasn't even had a winning season yet. I have absolutely no justification whatsoever in why I still hold some belief in Andre Lee. I guess for some reason I think he'll do something this season. Something that sticks out. A big upset in a dual or two or maybe even placing at this year's BIG 10 tournament. No reason other than gut feeling.
HWT - Duece Rachal is an interesting dude. Also highly skilled in karate and jujitsu, it isn't likely that we'll ever see him in MMA as he'll most likely be going to med school and becoming a doctor after his wrestling career comes to an end after this season. A 3-2 victory of Conan Jennings of Northwestern suggest that Rachal should end his career on a high note with a trip to the NCAA tournament.
TEAM - It's easy to be overlooked and overshadowed in the BIG 10 conference, but truth is even with the departure of Isaiah Martinez due to graduation, things still look to be fairly good for the Fighting Illini. See as many as seven NCAA qualifiers, eight if my gut feeling is right for once and Lee comes through for me at the BIG 10's. Of those qualifiers see as many as four with All American potential. The team is young, only graduating three. The Illini recruit more top notch talent that can have an immediate impact the way Duncan and Carr did last season as freshmen, they might outdo where they are ranked in every tournament they enter.
125 lbs - After a 32-10 record as a freshman, injury has kept Elijah Oliver from reaching his full potential as a Hoosier the past two seasons. In spite of these injuries he has still managed to place at the BIG 10 tournament every season and qualify for the NCAA's. If he can go a full season without facing any hardships he has the potential for his highest placing at the BIG 10's yet, as well as contend for All American honors.
141 lbs - Junior Cole Weaver had an outstanding sophomore campaign this past season that included a series of wins over highly ranked opponents. Along with finishing second at the Midlands championships, he defeated All Americans Sa'Derian Perry of Old Dominion (was of Eastern Michigan) and Chad Red of Nebraska. He also had victories over Tommy Thorn of Minnesota, Vince Turk of Iowa, Evan Cheek of Cleveland State, Tyler Smith of Bucknell and Colt Schilling of Cal Poly.
157 lbs - Qualifying for the 2017 NCAA tournament as a freshman, Jake Danishek barely missed out on last year's NCAA tournament as a sophomore. A junior this season, Danishek should qualify for this year's championships. A notable win of last season was pinning Oregon State's Hunter Willits.
TEAM - I really liked Duane Goldman as a person but I do believe that it was time for him to go and for new blood to come in. Like Coach Goldman, Coach Angel Escobedo is going to have an uphill battle against an administration bound and determined that Indiana forever remain a basketball school. Yet he is young, he is hungry and he is full of energy and enthusiasm. Anxious to see what he does with what he already has and even more anxious to see what he'll do with those he will get.
133 lbs - It was an challenging first year for Zach Finesilver, but he still managed to find his way to the NCAA tournament last season. Key victories included wins over Collin Valdiviez of Northwestern, Isaac Jimenez of Air Force, Sean Nickell of Bakersfield, and Rico Montoya of Northern Colorado. What makes Finesilver a valuable asset is his ability to bounce back after losses and face the same opponent without fear. He not only turned a lot of bad losses into close losses, he also turned some into wins. Nickell tech'd him the first time they met and Finesilver turned around and beat him 8-4 the next time they met. If he showed that kind of maturity as a freshman, imagine what he'll show this year and in the years to come.
157 lbs - The best of the Finesilver brothers, Mitch has qualified for the NCAA tournament on three occasions as he looks for his fourth this season as well as his third Southern Scuffle medal after placing seventh as a sophomore and second last season. Hayden Hidlay looks to stand in his way of winning an ACC title, and he'll fight with North Carolina's Kennedy Monday on who will face him in the finals.
165 lbs - Zach Finesilver is a two time NCAA qualifier in his career that finished one match shy of a medal at last year's Southern Scuffle. His two biggest victories were against Virginia's Andrew Atkinson and Pennsylvania's May Bethea.
174 lbs - Matt Finesilver earned his first Southern Scuffle medal last season with an eighth place finish and could be the one brother of the four to eventually be a four time place-winner of the tournament. He also qualified for his first NCAA championships with a fourth place finish at the ACC championships. As the ACC is full of sophomores just like himself, the next three seasons looks like he'll be in a three way battle for the title.
TEAM - I don't know if there is a wrestling team in NCAA Division I that has less help and less support from his administration than Glen Lanham. How he's been able to do with what he's got is absolutely amazing. He's at a school that thinks basketball is a God, and there are kids on campus who aren't even aware that the school has a wrestling program. Yet he keeps fighting the good fight. Got Duke their first NCAA finalist, there first three time All American and their first four time NCAA qualifier. And now he's making history with the Finesilver brothers. Whether anyone at Duke likes it or not, he's putting the Blue Devil wrestling team on the map, without or without their help or support. I think the Southern Scuffle will be the tournament to watch Duke at this season. All four of the Finesilver brothers stand a good chance at placing.
133 lbs - Montorie Bridges had one of the best freshman seasons of a Wyoming Cowboy ever. A 35-7 record, a round of twelve finish at CKLV, a Reno Tournament of Champions title, a third place finish at the BIG 12 and an eighth place finish at the NCAA tournament. He's in route to join Joe LeBlanc as Wyoming's second four time All American.
165 lbs - Branson Ashworth had a near identical season to Bridges as he went 36-6, with a round of twelve finish at CKLV, a Reno Tournament of Champions title and a third place finish at the BIG 12's. Only place Bridges outdid him was at the NCAA tournament, where Ashworth went 2-2. Ashworth is right on the line. Should start off ranked somewhere between eighth and twelfth I would imagine. Most certainly All American material.
TEAM - The loss of BIG 12 Champions Bryce Meredith (who was also a two time NCAA finalist) and Archie Colgan is going to hurt this season. It'll be a rebuilding year for the Cowboys, with highlights from both Bridges and Ashworth. It'd be rather ironic as well as intriguing if the two were to have mirrored seasons as they did last year.
125 lbs - Korbin Meink had an impressive 22-10 record for a true freshman last season, that would have most likely ended in a NCAA qualification had it not been for getting injured at the last second. He placed fourth at the Southern Scuffle, and looks to become the Camels first four time place winner there.
133 lbs - If asked to name the best wrestlers yet to qualify for the NCAA championships, Nathan Boston is one of those names. He left Iowa State and came to Campbell to wrestle under the tutelage of head coach Cary Kolat. Hope to see him have an outstanding senior season and fight for the Southern Conference title.
141 lbs - The starter here could also be Jonathan Ryan, but I believe it will be 2017 NCAA qualifier Noah Gonser who transfers in from Eastern Michigan after being one of many Eagle athletes to get the royal shaft from Scott "Fire me, never rehire me" Wetherbee.
149 lbs - Another freshman to have an outstanding season for the Camels last year was Josh Heil at 149 lbs. He placed fourth at Reno and then had his most impressive showing at the Southern Scuffle where he defeated Northern Iowa's Max Thomsen and Navy's Jared Prince in route to a second place finish. Only reason Meink may become the Camels first four time Scuffle place winner is because they usually wrestle the 125 lbs matches before the 149.
157 lbs - Although Austin Kraisser did not qualify for the NCAA championships last season, he did show signs that indicate he'll be a qualifier this year including victories over Oregon State's Hunter Willits and Gardner Webb's Tyler Marinelli.
165 lbs - Quentin Perez was yet another Camel to have a standout season that included a third place showing at Reno and a runner up finish at the Southern Conference that qualified him for the NCAA tournament. His most impressive wins last season included defeating Midland's runner up Jonathan Schleifer of Princeton and Andrew Atkinson of Virginia.
HWT - Jere Heino had an all around awesome junior season last year that included a second place finish at the Reno Tournament of Champions. Yet it wasn't until the tail end of last season that Heino really cemented himself as the likely candidate to become the Camels second All American in school history. Not only did he win the Southern Conference title, but he also knocked returning third place All American Tanner Hall of Arizona State out of the tournament.
TEAM - It's exciting, rewarding and fun to watch what is going on at Campbell. Here's a team I can remember when I was a kid wondering every season if they were ever going to qualify anyone to the NCAA's or not. Now look, I see seven NCAA qualifiers this year. Seven, including those I think will fight for conference titles and one I think can be an NCAA All American. It's awesome to know that the school decided that they wanted a successful wrestling program. That they decided they were going to put in the efforts and resources to make it happen. That they put their confidence and faith into Cary Kolat and he is showing them that they made an excellent decision. I really wish this sort of thing could happen for other schools that are currently struggling.
165 lbs - Guarantees are few in the unpredictable and crazy sport of wrestling but if Bucknell is to get someone through the EIWA tournament and into the NCAA's, that someone will most likely be junior D.J. Hollingshead. Last season Hollingshead had a victory over Brown's Jonathan Viruet who placed sixth at the EIWA's and opened up the NCAA tournament with an upset victory over Chandler Rogers of Oklahoma State.
TEAM - It was only a few seasons ago that the Bison qualified six wrestlers to the NCAA championships, and there is no doubt that Coach Dan Wernsberger will eventually get his team back to form. Unfortunately it doesn't look to be this year. Matter of fact, at least from where I sit right now it looks like Hollingshead is the Bison's one hope and even that is iffy.
125 lbs - Heard it rumored that Bentley may be making the move up to 141 lbs for his final year as a Panther, but until I see it verified as a fact I'm going to continue thinking of him as a 125 lbs'er. The past three seasons he's finished fourth, fourth, third at the ACC championships, but it was only his fourth place showing and 19 victories as a freshman that got him into the NCAA tournament. As tough and loaded as the ACC is at 125 lbs, another third place finish would be quite impressive. Bentley is going to need to wrestler more matches, and have most of those matches be wins if he wants to qualify for his second NCAA tournament.
133 lbs - I look for Mickey Phillippi who redshirted for the Panthers last season to have one of the best freshman campaigns in the history of Pittsburgh wrestling. He placed at Midlands last season with a fourth place finish and he beat Korbin Myers of Virginia Tech (used to be of Edinboro) twice. Wouldn't be at all surprised to see him with a handful of upsets over higher ranked opponents this year, some of which may come at the NCAA tournament.
157 lbs - Taleb Rahmani won an ACC title as a freshman in 2017 and then finished in fourth place at last year's championships. In a weight class that could very likely qualify as many as six (now reading that Virginia Tech's Solomon Chishko, who I read two or three times last year was done for good, may be returning) it'll be a chore just to repeat the fourth place finish, let alone going after a second title. Rahmani is unpredictable with moments of brilliance and moments of great frustration.
165 lbs - Jake Wentzel broke even last season with a 13-13 record, which included a 6-3 victory over eventual third place All American Evan Wick of Wisconsin.
184 lbs - Count Gregg Harvery in as one of the best of 2017-2018 to be left out of the NCAA tournament. Truth to be known he was probably the 34th or 35th best wrestler at 184 lbs last season, but never the less they only take the top 33 so 34th is as good as 76th when it really comes down to it. Only a freshman last season, he ought to improve upon any mistakes he made and be one of the 33 this year.
197 lbs - Freshman Nino Bonaccorsi had a respectable 21-5 redshirt campaign last season which included two victories over Dakota Greer who is redshirting at Oklahoma State after transferring from Edinboro.
HWT - After winning an NAIA title for Williams Baptist, Demetrius Thomas is going to try his hand at NCAA Division I wrestling competing for the Panthers. I am excited to see how he will do and I hope the best for him. The NAIA despite producing the likes of Emmett Wilson and Enock Francois still gets a lot of flack and undeserved criticism for being the weakest division in varsity wrestling. It seems even the NJCAA gets more credit than the NAIA does. If Thomas is to do well next season. Have a winning record with notable wins, compete for an ACC title and All American honors, that will help to end that inaccurate and unfair stigma.
TEAM - As many as seven NCAA qualifiers, I see this being one of the best years for Pittsburgh in a long time. Under the radar and rarely mentioned, it seems that head coach Keith Gavin and staff are building up a tough team. A team that sees how tough the other ACC teams are, and wants to be competitive among them. I see assistant coach Drew Headless, Pitt's last All American at 133 lbs working hard with Phillippi and possibly turning him into a four time All American. Pitt may be overshadowed by North Carolina State, and Virginia Tech right now, but along with Duke, Virginia and North Carolina they are proving that every team in the ACC is wanting to improve and be a part of why the ACC continues to grow tougher and tougher as a wrestling conference. Considering Pittsburgh is the host of this year's NCAA championships, it's nice to see that at least on paper they should put together a good show for the hometown crowd.
133 lbs - Not 100% positive who the starter will be here. The Tar Heels return Zach Sherman but they also receive Oklahoma State transfer Gary Wayne Harding. On the surface of a 16-20 record it wouldn't seem that Sherman is that valuable of an asset to the team. Dig a little deeper and you'll discover reality to be to the contrary. Of those twenty losses, nearly all were to ranked opponents and nearly all were close matches. Of of the sixteen wins, he defeated Minnesota's Mitch McKee, North Dakota State's Cam Sykora, Bakersfield's Sean Nickell and Purdue's Ben Thornton. He took eighth place at the CKLV invitational and fifth at the ACC championships.
Wayne Harding on the other hand also had a notable redshirt season last year for the Pokes. A sixth place finish at Reno and a surprise finalist at the Southern Scuffle. It'd be interesting to see if one of the two could go down to 125 lbs, thus making room for both on the team. Yet, I don't know if that is a possibility or not. Shame, as both are NCAA qualifier material.
141 lbs - A.C. Headlee was a wildcard entry to last year's NCAA championships and should qualify for the Tar Heels again this season. He defeated Navy's Nic Gil 9-5 and Minnesota's Tommy Thorn by fall.
149 lbs - The departure of workhorse Troy Heilmann leaves tough shoes to fill but redshirt freshman Austin O'Connor looks to be an excellent replacement. Wrestling unattached last season O'Connor put together a 20-3 record that included victories over two time All American Solomon Chishko of Virginia Tech and sticking Minnesota's Steve Bleise in under a minute at the Midland's Championships where he finished in seventh place. He also took three time All American Jason Tsirtsis of Arizona State into tiebreakers before dropping a tight 2-1 decision.
157 lbs - The son of legendary Kenny Monday had a season full of ups and downs in his initial campaign as a Tar Heel. Ups included a third place showing at the ACC championships, followed by knocking off returning NCAA finalist Joey Lavallee who had tech'd him earlier in the season. Finishing one match shy of All American status last season, with a multitude of notable wins, Monday could earn his first of what is likely to be three All American honors by end of this season.
184 lbs - Senior Chip Ness had an outstanding junior season last year which saw him take seventh place at the NCAA championships. He'll look to earn a second All American honor as well as his first ACC title this season.
TEAM - Like the other teams in the ACC conference, North Carolina is out to prove that as much as everyone wants the ACC to be all about basketball, those that have wrestling programs are Hell bent to make it known as a wrestling conference too. Five NCAA qualifiers with two or three fighting for All American status.
141 lbs - Evan Cheek breathed some much needed life back into a team we damn near lost a few years ago when he won the EWL conference title at 141 lbs last season. He looks to become only the fourth Viking in school history to win multiple EWL titles this season as a senior.
TEAM - The state of Ohio produces some of the best wrestling talent in the entire country and head coach Josh Moore is looking for a way to harness some of that talent into Cleveland. He has a great start in senior Evan Cheek who looks for his second EWL championship this season. While some kids want to be the spark that starts the fire in a program, many look to where the flames are already hot, and there's plenty of wood to keep that fire stoked. If Moore can lead Cheek to another EWL title this season, it should provide enough of an attraction to capture the attention of potential recruits. I do think Moore as his brother is at Lock Haven, will build CSU into a respectable team full of multiple qualifiers year in and year out. It starts with Cheek.
165 lbs - Junior Demetrius Romero put together a 26-9 record last season which included a round of twelve finish at the CKLV and a sixth place finish at the BIG 12 tournament. Notable wins included a 3-2 victory over Virginia's Andrew Atkinson and a 5-3 victory over North Dakota State's Andrew Fogarty.
174 lbs - NCAA qualifier Kimball Bastian finished fifth at last year's BIG 12 championships with his biggest win of the season being his last as he knocked off returning All American Brandon Womack of Cornell in the consolations. Bastian also finished one match shy of placing at the Southern Scuffle.
197 lbs - Two time NCAA qualifier Tanner Orndorff looks for his third qualification this season.
TEAM - For a team that has only been around for a little over a decade the Wolverines are starting to build a history. With their first All American in 2011 and their second in 2017, they look to crown their third in 2019. Not only the only Division I wrestling opportunity in the state, it is the only varsity wrestling opportunity in Utah period. It makes you wonder the type of talent they will attract. Now you may say to yourself that Utah isn't known as a wrestling state and you're right, it's not. BUT...keep in mind that it produced the Sanderson brothers, Cody, Cole and Cael. It also produced two time NCAA runner-up Ryan Lewis and NCAA champion Aaron Holker. There are bound to be more like them in the state of Utah and if those boys want to wrestle close to home, that benefits the Wolverines.
125 lbs - The word transfer has been used more times for the 2018-2019 season than it has in any other time during NCAA Division I history. Adding to the list is Brent Fleetwood who placed third and seventh in the MAC championships for Central Michigan and will now enter the world of the BIG 12 wrestling for North Dakota State.
133 lbs - Another solid wrestler for the Bison is Cam Sykora who has thus far placed third and fifth in the BIG 12 championships. Last year he had a pretty good season, with victories over Chas Tucker of Cornell, Cam Kelly of Ohio and Rico Montoya of Northern Colorado.
165 lbs - From where it stands right now, the Bison's best bet for an All American this season is in 165 lbs'er Andrew Fogarty who made the BIG 12 finals last season after finishing in sixth place as a freshman. Among his notable wins last season he schooled two time NCAA qualifier Keilan Torres of Northern Colorado 16-0 and he handed Arizona State's Anthony Valencia a 7-4 loss. He also placed fifth at last year's CKLV.
174 lbs - Yet another transfer to talk about this season is Lorenzo De La Riva who spent his first two seasons at Cal State Bakersfield. After a 19-13 record as a freshman which saw him finish as the PAC-12 runner up with NCAA qualifications, De La Riva slipped into a bit of a sophomore slump going 12-12 last year. Even though he again finished as the PAC-12 runner up he didn't have enough wins to get him into the NCAA tournament. A change of scenery as well as weather may be exactly the boost he needs.
TEAM - Coach Roger Kish should send four to this year's NCAA tournament with one potential All American. What will be most interesting to see is how his transfer wrestlers react to him. There is a reason why both Fleetwood and De La Riva chose to come to Fargo and it isn't for the weather or the women. It's because they both believe they will improve and wrestle better under Kish, who has a proven track record with results like Steve Monk and Trent Sprenkle, that he can get you to wrestle at your best when it counts.
133 lbs - It amazes me how similar the career of Josh Terao is that to his older brother David. A wrestler who has accomplished a great many things in his career and yet here he is a senior and you say to yourself, "He hasn't made All American yet?" Things started off great for Terao last season as a junior as he finished second at the CKLV invitational. Yet as the season came to an end, so did Terao's hot streak. He slipped to a fourth place finish at the EIWA championships after finishing second the year before. He then finished a disappointing 0-2 at the NCAA's. The key here is consistency and health. Talent and ability wise, no doubt Terao is All American material.
TEAM - I knew as hard as I tried to remember everyone when I went back and read over what I had written that I'd realize I had forgotten someone. Truth is, I think Gage Curry will join Terao as an NCAA qualifier this season as well as I do Michael Sprague. I guess I had information wrong on Sprague as I thought he was a senior last year, but he does have one more year of eligibility. Should see two to three place winners at this year's CKLV and three place-winners/NCAA qualifiers at this year's EIWA for the eagles.
133 lbs - No guarantees in the sport of wrestling but Lane Peters did enough last season in his freshman campaign to convince me that he could be an NCAA qualifier for the Black Knights this season as a sophomore. He should improve upon his 21-15 record that included an 11-5 victory over Stanford's Gabe Townsell and a 15-0 technical fall over Duke's Josh Finesilver.
174 lbs - Junior Ben Harvey has had almost identical back to back seasons including a 21-13 record as a freshman and a 23-11 record as a sophomore last season. He wins where he should with nearly every loss coming to a higher ranked opponent, but he'll occasionally pull off an upset. Among them were a 6-4 victory over All American Ethan Ramos of North Carolina, a 7-6 victory over Jadaen Bernstein of Navy, and a 7-4 victory over Keaton Subjeck of Stanford. Army seems to put a wrestler on the award stand every so often at the NCAA's and they could easily this year with Harvey.
197 lbs - Rocco Caywood looks to make a second trip to the NCAA's this season after getting in as a wildcard entry after a seventh place finish at last year's EIWA tournament. His most impressive victory last season was ironically also his last. A 7-4 victory over Scottie Boykin of Chattanooga at the NCAA tournament.
TEAM - The Black Knights continue to be consistent in putting together teams of a few to a handful of solid wrestlers with one or two that really stick out. This year the number is three, with Harvey being the one who provides the most hope of gaining West Point another All American.
133 lbs - After winning a PAC-12 title as a sophomore in 2017, Sean Nickell finished in third place last season. This season he'll feud heavily with Stanford's Mason Pengilly with an outside challenge from Arizona State's Josh Kramer for the title.
141 lbs - Depends on how you look at it when trying to decipher whether Russell Rohlfing had a better freshman season or sophomore. His overall records were nearly identical going 21-13 as a freshman and 22-13 as a sophomore. He placed fourth at the CKLV as a freshman, but finished one match shy of a medal as a sophomore. Yet he finished fifth at the PAC-12's as a freshman and improved to a second place showing as a sophomore. Then for whatever it is worth he took sixth at the Midlands as a freshman and placed eighth at last year's Southern Scuffle. In other words, Rohlfing doesn't make life easy on a person who enjoys making predictions. Over the past two years he's had some very impressive wins, and yet he's also had some head scratching losses. Most certainly a PAC-12 title contender.
TEAM - The losses of Sergio Mendez, Cole Hammond and Matt Williams due to graduation, as well as the loss of Lorenzo De La Riva due to transfer hurts a team that has historically battled an administration that has underhandedly tried to ax them the past 25 years. That battle continues in an area where collegiate wrestling is desperately needed. Crowning two PAC-12 champions this year would be great fuel for the fight. California produces a great number of high school standouts that because of the losses of schools like UC Davis and Fullerton in recent years, don't have enough opportunities to continue their wrestling careers. I deeply admire and respect Bakersfield wrestling for continuing to fight the good fight in providing California studs a place at home to compete.
125 lbs - Three time Illinois State champ and a well sought after recruit who went 8-0 last season as a redshirt. Anxious to see how he does.
133 lbs - In my opinion the best wrestler left out of the NCAA tournament last season. Wins over Drexel's Austin DeSanto and Oklahoma State's Dean Heil are enough to merit that statement. Should be a permanent 133 lbs'er this season, with an NCAA qualification and plausible All American finish.
149 lbs - In an atmosphere of many leaving the one to stay and make the most out of the drastic changes that have taken place in Ames has been Jarrett Degen. As a freshman last season he finished third at the BIG 12 championships and made Jason Tsirtsis of Arizona State work his tail off to earn his third All American honor in a tough 4-3 loss. With Brent Metcalf beating him up everyday in the room, he ought to be about 1,000 times tougher than what he was last season. Wouldn't be at all surprised to see him end his career as a three time All American.
157 lbs - Another wrestler to stick through the thick and thin of it is junior Chase Straw who has put together two just above .500 seasons and has yet to qualify for the NCAA championships. The mental philosophy of the Iowa trained is that they can teach anyone how to wrestle, he just has to have the heart and intestinal fortitude for it. Well great, because they'll get a chance to prove that with Straw. He has the heart, the work ethic and the desire, he just needs the guidance. He's shown some potential. A 9-8 win over Brown's Justin Staudenmayer, a 5-3 victory over Oregon State's Hunter Willits, and a 6-5 win over Air Force's Alex Mossing determine that.
197 lbs - (Ah...I put 184, but I think he'll be 197 this year.)Three time All American Willie Miklus transferring from Missouri to Iowa State is the best thing to happen for Cyclone wrestling in a long time. He's managed to find his way onto the award stand every NCAA tournament he's entered in and there's no reason to think that he won't again this year.
TEAM - I knew it'd only be a matter of time before Coach Kevin Dresser and staff began to turn the Iowa State Cyclone wrestling program around. Honestly though, I didn't think it'd be this soon. Yet I think with the mental intensity of Brent Metcalf, the phenomenal technique of Derek St John and the psychotic craziness of Mike Zadick, that the lower and middle weights will show tremendous improvements. Add in Willie Miklus, and you have yourself a pretty good team. Sorta sad to not see the name Dante Rodriguez on the roster last I checked.
133 lbs - Sophomore Matt Schmitt put together a solid 23-14 season last year that included a fourth place finish at the BIG 12's and a NCAA qualification. Notable victories included Cam Sykora of North Dakota State, Ian Parker of Iowa State, Rico Montoya of Northern Colorado, Josh Finesilver of Duke and Anthony Tutolo of Kent State.
TEAM - Losing two time All American Zeke Moisey to transfer and arguably the class of 2018's best of the best to never make All American status during his career Jake Smith to graduation, leaves the entirety of the load on the shoulders of Matt Schmitt. He will the positive in a rebuilding year for the Mountaineers.
125 lbs - After qualifying for the NCAA championships as a sophomore with a fourth place finish at the MAC championships, senior Kyle Akins failed to qualify as a junior last season with a fifth place finish at the MAC championships. In his final season he should contend for a MAC championship.
133 lbs - Senior Brian Lantry has finished as the MAC runner-up the last two years in a row. With Missouri's John Erneste still at the weight it would seem at least on paper that Lantry's best hope would be to finish out his career as a three time MAC runner-up. However I'll grant him the outside shot that he could upset Erneste who he wrestled close in a 4-2 loss last season. Lantry is also Buffalo's best shot at an All American. He would be the Bulls second Division I All American, with the first and thus far only being Kyle Cerminara back in 2004. Many notable wins last season, including a 4-3 victory over All American Scott DelVecchio say that Lantry is more than capable.
HWT - After winning a MAC championship as a sophomore, Jake Gunning slipped to fourth place last season as a junior. The type of wrestler who somehow always pulls off a newsworthy upset each season, I look for that to be the case this season as well.
TEAM - The University of Buffalo was a storied and successful program for years at the Division III level. Then when the school transitioned to Division II they still had their fair share of success. It has been the transition to Division I that has been the real struggle. Since the transition (which I believe happened sometime in the mid 1990's) Buffalo has only crowned one Division I All American. They are looking for a spark, and senior Brian Lantry could very well be that spark. He'll have to step it up a notch and do things that not many will give him a chance at doing. Yet he is capable of bringing home a MAC championship and an All American medal.
125 lbs - Two time NCAA qualifier Christian Moody will look for his third qualification this season. Notable victories of last season include a 6-1 victory over two time All American Zeke Moisey, an 8-5 victory over Luke Welch of Purdue, and an 8-4 dec over Jay Schwarm of Northern Iowa.
165 lbs - Sophomore Justin Thomas was another solid wrestler to be left out of the NCAA championships last season. In spite of not qualifying, he still put together a pretty good season of a 23-16 record. Among those 23 wins were victories over three time All American Jason Tsirtsis of Arizona State, Andrew Crone of Wisconsin, Chase Straw of Iowa State, and Colston DiBlasi of George Mason.
TEAM - I do eventually think that Lou Rosselli along with Michael Lightner, Nick Heflin and Hunter Steiber will turn the Sooner wrestling program around. Yet it amazes me how steadfast and adamant ole senile blue hairs dreaming of the glory years of 1950's, 60's and 70's were in getting Jack Spates out as quickly as they could. Under Spates Oklahoma regularly finished in the top 10 and brought home a series of third and fourth place team trophies. I guess they weren't first and anything less wasn't good enough. Have to question though if those same crybabies who did nothing but sling mud during Spates time as head coach have been happy with Sooner wrestling results since his departure. Like I said, I do believe Rosselli and staff will get the Sooner program back on top eventually, but as a fan of Jack Spates and a critic of complainers with nothing to complain about, I said what needed to be said.
125 lbs - The 2018 MAC Champion and Freshman of the year Mike McGee looks to have an outstanding sophomore season. Former Old Dominion 125 lbs'er James Nicholson won four Colonial Athletic Association conference titles during his career. Perhaps McGee could join him as a four time conference champion with four MAC titles. Time will tell.
141 lbs - Sa'Derian Perry pins his way through the consolation bracket at the MAC tournament to a third place finish and then earns Eastern Michigan an All American award with an eighth place finish at the NCAA's. How is he rewarded by Athletic Director Scott R Wetherbee? By being told that his wrestling program is being eliminated and that he would have to find a new home. Perry did find a new home and will now compete for Old Dominion in an effort to become their next All American.
165 lbs - Larry Early had a solid season last year. An eighth place finish at the Midland's tournament of champions and a decision over All American Paul Fox of Stanford were the most notable highlights.
174 lbs - Seldon Wright put together a pretty respectable sophomore campaign last season with a multitude of impressive wins. Among them were Johnn Sebastian of Northwestern, Tyrell White of Columbia, Dylan Lydy of Purdue, and Hunter Bolen of Virginia Tech.
TEAM - Jason Bryant's favorite NCAA Division I wrestling team looks to have a decent season that should end with a winning dual record, Midlands place winners and four NCAA qualifiers with two being potential All Americans.
133 lbs - Senior Isaac Jimenez has yet to qualify for the NCAA championships or place at the BIG 12's. Yet he has shown signs that he could in his final year as a Falcon. Last year he upset two time All American Scotty Parker of Lehigh in route to an eighth place finish at the Southern Scuffle. He should place somewhere between fourth and sixth at this year's BIG 12 tournament.
157 lbs - Alex Mossing is another senior who has yet to qualify for the NCAA's, but has shown signs that he could this season. Last year Mossing had wins over Hunter Willits of Oregon State, Colston DiBlasi of Iowa State (Now George Mason) and All American Paul Fox of Stanford. He was a match away from placing at the Southern Scuffle, fifth at Reno and sixth at the BIG 12's. With the top three place-winners being seniors last year, it'll be interesting to see where he finishes this year.
165 lbs - The career of Alex Lopouchanski has been a far cry from that of his older brother Ivan who enjoyed a successful career at both UNC-Greensboro and Purdue. Aside from a 3-1 victory over two time NCAA qualifier Keilan Torres of Northern Colorado, his career hasn't had many highlights. I don't know about an NCAA qualification or not, but I can see him slipping into the top six at his final BIG 12 tournament.
197 lbs - And yet another senior on the team who has yet to qualify for the NCAA's. Anthony McLaughlin made my radar last year when he helped to decide who the starter would be at Penn State when he pinned three time NCAA qualifier/two time NCAA Round of Twelve Matt McCutcheon of Penn State. Along with being a match shy of placing at the Southern Scuffle, McLaughlin also upset Army's Rocco Caywood 5-2.
TEAM - We have a rather unique situation at Air Force. A team of four seniors who have yet to qualify for the NCAA tournament, and three of them who stand a legit chance at qualifying in their final attempt. It's a rather feel good situation that could turn into a Hollywood story. Years ago, 174 lbs Falcon Terry Parham entered his final conference tournament having never qualified for the NCAA tournament. Not only did he win the championship but he went on to the NCAA's where he upset Minnesota's Jacob Volkman in route to a seventh place finish. Is that type of magical ending in store for any of these guys? I don't know, but I do think we'll see them put together good performances at CKLV, Reno, the Southern Scuffle and the BIG 12's. This is an exciting and distinct opportunity for Air Force wrestling.
149 lbs - 2017 Southern Conference Champion Matt Zovistoski returns after a redshirt season to defend the title he won two seasons ago.
184 lbs - Having one of the best freshman campaigns in Appalachian State history, Alan Clothier lead the team last year with 28 wins. The sophomore looks to capture what could be his first of three Southern Conference titles after finishing second last year.
TEAM - It looks like two plausible SOCON champions and two NCAA qualifiers for the Mountaineers this year.
165 lbs - Vincent DePrez makes the list as another senior who I believe will qualify for his first NCAA tournament this season. He's put together some good seasons including a 25-14 mark as a sophomore and a 23-10 record last season. A round of twelve finisher at last year's CKLV, he was knocked out of the EIWA tournament in two close losses.
TEAM - Ever since the departure of Pat Popolizio, the bearcats have struggled to rediscover their identity. Now with the Borschoff brothers at the lead, we may start to see some vast improvements but I do think it'll be a process that takes time. Binghamton is without a doubt Billy Baldwin's favorite team, and I hope he has at least one wrestler to cheer for this year in Pittsburgh.
157 lbs & 197 lbs - I have little to go on as far as collegiate credentials and accomplishments are concerned for either of the LaBrie brothers. Andrew is dead even at 27-27 in his career and Christian is 34-14 in his. Neither have been full time starters yet and neither have qualified for the NCAA's. I guess at this point its simply that I know of their potential. Know what they are capable of. Andrew had 102 falls of 157 wins in high school. A pinning machine if you will. This is completely contradictory of me to base collegiate predictions on high school thoughts but I know good and well if I leave them out of my analysis both will have standout seasons. Now that I've included them, neither will even be varsity.
165 lbs - 2018 NCAA qualifier Jonathan Viruet has thus far finished sixth at the EIWA championships the past two seasons. This year he looks to improve upon that finish and qualify for his second NCAA tournament, where last season he made headlines by upsetting Chandler Rogers of Oklahoma State in the first round.
184 lbs - Two time NCAA qualifier C.J. LaFragola looks to add a third qualification to his resume this season as well as improve upon his fifth place finish at the EIWA championships. Last season he defeated Pennsylvania's Joey Heyob and his final victory of the season was over Binghamton's Steve Schneider whom he was previously 0-4 against.
TEAM - In reality, it looks like the Brown Bears are most likely going to send two to the NCAA tournament this season, although I wouldn't put it past them to pull a rabbit out of their hat. Brown has a habit of having one of their wrestlers do something right about the time the wrestling world has forgotten about them. Wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see it happen again this year.
125 lbs - Returning Southern Conference Champion Alonzo Allen returns to defend his title this season in what should lead to a second championship.
133 lbs - After winning a Southern Conference title as a sophomore, Chris Debien slipped to third place last year as a junior. This year he'll compete with Campbell's Nathan Boston, who he already owns two victories over, for the title.
TEAM - While the rest of ya'll are reading what I've written about the top five teams and then skimming through the pictures, George McIntyre has skipped everything else and came straight to what I had to say about his beloved Chattanooga Mocs. I think the days of Chattanooga owning the Southern Conference are over as Cary Kolat and his Camels have taken over. That's not to say that they won't contend though. No way will Coach Eslinger take a back seat to Campbell lying down. It'll be a fight but this year looks to be a rebuilding year for the Mocs after losing Southern Conference champs Bryce Carr and Scottie Boykin due to graduation. Allen and Debien as well as whoever George lets me know I should have included, look to be this year's highlights.
184 lbs - Senior Anthony Mancini returns to the lineup after wrestling unattached last season. While yet to qualify for the NCAA's, he poses the best chance with victories over Drexel's Stephen Louiseau, and taking NCAA third place finisher Emory Parker of Illinois into overtime. While it will be a tough task, Mancini is capable of placing at this year's EIWA tournament.
TEAM - Seeing all of the many challenges and uphill battles Coach Mike Rogers has to deal with, it is rewarding whenever the Diplomats have success on the mat. It's never fun nor is it fair to rest all of the pressure on one wrestler's shoulders but as I look up and down what I feel will be the starting line up, Mancini is without a doubt the best wrestler on the team.
157 lbs - 2018 Southern Conference Champion Tyler Marinelli returns to defend his title. Last season he went 26-8, with a win over North Carolina's Kennedy Monday 8-3.
TEAM - As he was last year, Marinelli looks to be the sole NCAA qualifier for the Runnin' Bulldogs this season.
157 lbs - Being in the right atmosphere has a lot to do with a wrestler's success, and after two years at Iowa State, Colston Diblasi will finish out his career at George Mason. While no doubt many could and many will thrive in the conservative, strict, rigid and one size fits all environment of what will now be Iowa State wrestling, someone as free spirited, unorthodox and wild as Diblasi never would have. Hopefully George Mason provides him what he needs. If you follow Diblasi's career, it's difficult to find a more inconsistent and unpredictable wrestler. For example he lost 14-2 to Wisconsin's Evan Wick at the Harold Nichol's Open and then turned around and beat him 7-1 at the Midlands a month and a half later. Guy will lose to a back up Division III wrestler and then turn around and pin a top 15 wrestler.
TEAM - As I said before I think the new atmosphere of Iowa State was going to be far too restrictive and controlling for Colston DiBlasi to ever survive in, let alone thrive in. Yet, I do think he needs some guidance in helping him to channel a more effective style. If the coaching staff at George Mason can harness DiBlasi enough to make him into a more consistent wrestler, there is a real possibility that he could become the Patriots first Division I All American.
174 lbs - Josef Johnson has thus far been sixth, sixth and fifth at the EIWA championships in three trips to the NCAA's. He'll look for his best conference finish and a fourth trip to the NCAA's, as well as a second Midlands medal, where he took eighth two years ago as a sophomore.
TEAM - Harvard has slipped quite a bit in recent years. From 1998 through 2012, Harvard only had two years out of 14 where they didn't produce an All American. Now it's nearly seven years later and they haven't put anyone on the award stand since. Even more concerning is that while crowning what is likely to be a four time NCAA qualifier this season, Josef Johnson is also likely to be the Crimson's only qualifier. Johnson does own a victory over Cornell's Brandon Womack, so it is not out of the question that he could end up an EIWA finalist. He also kept it close with Lehigh's Jordan Kutler in a 2-0 loss, so its even plausible that he could win the whole thing. Winning an EIWA title and earning All American honors would be great for the program.
125 lbs - Leading the team with 28 wins last season, Rayvon Foley qualified for the NCAA tournament with a seventh place finish at the BIG 10's. Notable victories included a 7-1 victory over Luke Welch of Purdue and a 10-3 victory over Drew Mattin of Michigan. Not to shabby for a true freshman.
141 lbs - Two time NCAA qualifier Austin Eicher looks to get back to form after having a disappointing season last year due to injury. When healthy, Eicher produces wins such as his 3-2 victory over Ian Parker of Iowa State and his 3-1 victory over All American Scott DelVecchio of Rutgers.
174 lbs - 2017 NCAA round of twelve finisher Drew Hughes returns to the lineup after redshirting this past season.
TEAM - The Spartans get a lot of flack in the world of wrestling, often being referred to as the doormat of the BIG 10. Yet comparatively speaking to all of NCAA Division I wrestling, all things considered, the Spartans aren't bad. Looking at three possible CKLV place winners, three BIG 10 place winners and three NCAA qualifiers. Foley and Hughes are both All American candidates as well. Considering that the wrestling program gets a smidgen of support from the administration that is so small scientist have to use an ultra powerful microscope in order to see it, I think Michigan State ought to get a bit more credit.
133 lbs - Two time NCAA qualifier Rico Montoya has thus far finished fourth and sixth at the BIG 12 championships. He also placed fourth at last year's Southern Scuffle with a victory over two time All American Scotty Parker of Lehigh.
184 lbs - Dylan Gabel enjoyed an outstanding 28-11 season last year, that was highlighted by becoming the Bear's first BIG 12 finalist in school history. He also finished second at the Reno tournament of champions and eighth at the Southern Scuffle.
197 lbs - Jacob Seely was an NCAA qualifier last season, who also placed eighth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas invitational.
TEAM - Head coach Troy Nickerson continues to do good things at Northern Colorado. Producing the school's first BIG 12 finalist last season is a first of many first that will happen under coach Nickerson.
125 lbs - Junior Brock Hudkins has thus far been third and second in the MAC championships and will look challenge for his first title this season. A round of twelve finisher as a freshman in 2017, he looks to be the Huskie's first All American since 2004.
141 lbs - Jason Bryant will be the first to tell you that I have an uncanny ability for reading way too far into things. Most likely the case here with Nolan Baker. He only won two matches last season, but one of them was over All American Justin Oliver of Central Michigan. Also considering that he'll be going down a weight class, where he shouldn't get consistently out-muscled, I can see him having a winning record this season and helping out in duals.
157 lbs - Caden McWhirter has so far been seventh and fifth in the MAC championships and looks to improve upon those finishes as well as qualify for the NCAA tournament this season.
TEAM - For a 15 year period, from 1997 to 2012, the Northern Illinois Huskies were damn competitive in the Mid-American Conference. This included a multitude of second and third place team finishes and 21 individual conference champions. NCAA wise, this also included four All Americans. Like Central Michigan, the addition of extra teams to the MAC helps to explain a bit of why results aren't as good as they were. Yet, I do believe that NIU can and will produce MAC champs and All Americans in the years to come. Hudkins may even be both this year.
133 lbs - Anthony Cefolo has thus far placed third in two EWL conference championships in his career. He'll go for his first title this season.
TEAM - Head Coach John Hangey has some mighty big shoes to fill as he takes over the Rider Wrestling program as Gary Taylor hangs up the boots after 39 years as head coach. Here's to him and what will hopefully be success.
HWT - HWT Jake McKiernan missed out on nearly all of last season due to an unfortunate injury. Yet a 23-11 record from the year before that includes a fall over Illinois's Duece Rachal, a 6-1 victory over Fletcher Miller of Indiana and a 4-0 win over Conan Jennings Northwestern suggest that not only can he qualify for the NCAA championships but he can also contend for an MAC title.
TEAM - Head Coach Jeremy Spates is on a mission to make SIUE into a successful wrestling program. It took a lot of courage and intestinal fortitude to go from the Southern Conference into the MAC, but in his first year in the conference, he could crown a champion in McKiernan.
125 lbs - Gabriel Townsell has had a handful more of wins than losses the past two seasons, but he always seems to perform best in tournament situations. Thus far fifth and seventh at the Southern Scuffle, he looks for a third medal this season. He'll also contend for a third NCAA qualification.
133 lbs - Mason Pengilly only wrestled seven matches last season and entered the PAC-12 championships with a 3-0 record, yet still managed to make the finals. It'll be interesting to see what Pengilly can do, now that he'll be the full time starter for the Cardinal.
157 lbs - "Tournament wrestler" may be the best way to describe Paul Fox. Nearly a decade and a half ago their was a wrestler from Lehigh by the name of Mario Stuart that never made you think much of him during the regular season, but at the NCAA tournament he would turn it on like no other and perform like a completely different wrestler. I always wondered if we'd ever see a wrestler like him again, and all these years later, along comes Paul Fox. Two years ago as a sophomore, he came out of nowhere to place seventh at the NCAA championships. During the regular season last year, he made it seem as if that were a fluke or a miracle run, yet once the NCAA's rolled around he damn near did it again losing a close match to Nebraska's Tyler Berger in the blood round. Fox is an incredibly dangerous wrestler. One that I wouldn't want to face in a big tournament. He also placed third at last year's Southern Scuffle.
197 lbs - Sophomore Nathan Traxler recorded 18 wins in his first year of varsity wrestling which included victories over Wisconsin's Hunter Ritter, Army's Rocco Caywood, Northern Colorado's Jacob Seely, Oregon State's Corey Griego, Drexel's Stephen Loiseau and Northern Iowa All American Jacob Holschlag. Look for him to contend for a PAC-12 title.
TEAM - As he has ever since he took the realms as head Coach of Stanford, Jason Borrelli continues to silence his doubters and critics. This season he has the potential to crown as many as three PAC-12 conference champions, with a fourth being a darkhorse. If Paul Fox performs as he always has, he'll crown another All American too.
165 lbs - After a redshirt season, 2017 NCAA qualifier Neal Richards II looks to qualify for his second NCAA championships appearance.
TEAM - After the graduation of three time Southern Conference champion Josh Wine in 2011, VMI hasn't had a champion since. By all means, from the looks of what is on paper, Richards ought to be the top man in the conference this season. VMI has went through a lot of tribulations the past couple of years and Richards winning a conference title would do a lot to boost their confidence.
149 lbs - Khristian Olivas looks for his second NCAA qualification this season coming off of a 22-8 record that included victories over Sam Krivus of Virginia and Jarrett Degen of Iowa State.
157 lbs - Greg Gaxiola had some ugly losses in a 8-18 record last season, but he also had a few victories that suggest what could be a winning season this year. Sometimes wrestlers need that first year of varsity wrestling to really get a grip on what it is they need to improve and work on. He showed potential with victories over Illinois's Kyle Langenderfer and Kent State's Casey Sparkman.
165 lbs - I've come to find out that there be no experts in the world of wrestling than that of individuals who think they know everything their is to know about California wrestling. I was told to include Brandon Martino in my list of FSU wrestlers I saw doing well this season, so I did.
197 lbs - If it weren't for getting a late start in January of last season, there is no doubt in my mind that Josh Hokit would have been an NCAA qualifier. He had wins over Tristan Sponseller of Lock Haven, and he only lost 1-0 to Northern Iowa All American Jacob Holschlag.
Team - I am still ecstatic about the return of Fresno State Bulldog wrestling. I am hoping it'll lead to the return of UC Davis, Cal State Fullerton, Chico State, UCLA and many other California teams. Call me overoptimistic and delusional, I'll tell you that we're getting an NCAA DI team in Arkansas!! So yes, anything is possible. It's awesome to me that in their second year of wrestling, the Bulldogs look to qualify three to this year's NCAA tournament. (Four if Gaxiola improves that much).
This is the part of the blog that I dread. My hope is that every year, every team in NCAA wrestling will have at least one standout wrestler that places in major tournaments like CKLV, RENO, Southern Scuffle and Midlands, along with having a good showing at conference and qualifying for the NCAA tournament. Yet as I analyze each team, I unfortunately feel that there are seven that will struggle to do so this season.
No doubt I'm most likely forgetting about someone or overlooking someone at Pennsylvania.
As for the Citadel, it seems that every so often they'll produce a star or two, and it seems like the drought since putting Turtogtokh Luvsandorj on the award stand has been longer than usual.
I'm not sure what is going on at Bloomsburg or what to say about it.
No doubt Cal Poly will eventually produce more PAC-12 champs and qualifiers but this is a rebuilding year for the Mustangs.
Hofstra had a highlight in All American Mike Hughes last season, and will be rebuilding this year.
Columbia graduated EIWA champion Markus Scheidel and four time NCAA qualifiers Tyrell White and Garrett Ryan. No doubt they'll continue to produce EIWA champs and NCAA qualifiers in the years to come but doesn't look to be this season.
I keep hoping for a bright future for Sacred Heart wrestling but it doesn't look to be this year anymore than it was last.
So there you have it! My thoughts, notes and opinions looking forward to the 2018-2019 NCAA wrestling season. Lucky for you I only covered the teams and wrestlers that I follow!
On a serious note, hat's off to you if you actually read all of that. Holy cow. If not a novel, it's at least a novella!
Did I forget people I should've included? You betcha! I just hope I didn't forget any teams!
Did I include wrestlers that have already graduated? Most likely!
Did I spell someone's name wrong? I'd hate to think I did, but there's a good chance.
I started this about a month ago and in four weeks a lot has already changed. We had the horrible, tragic and depressing news of the loss of Eli Stickley and Willie Miklus has gone from Missouri to Iowa State. I'm sure more will change before the season even starts.
I hope you enjoyed this blog. I wrote it as unprofessionally and informally as I could. I'm a fan, and I wanted it to come off as if a fan wrote it. I hope it did.
If you can't tell I'm still rather ticked off at Scott R Wetherbee from preventing me from doing a write up for Eastern Michigan and I can't wait to include Presbyterian and Arkansas Little Rock next season!
141 lbs - Junior Cole Weaver had an outstanding sophomore campaign this past season that included a series of wins over highly ranked opponents. Along with finishing second at the Midlands championships, he defeated All Americans Sa'Derian Perry of Old Dominion (was of Eastern Michigan) and Chad Red of Nebraska. He also had victories over Tommy Thorn of Minnesota, Vince Turk of Iowa, Evan Cheek of Cleveland State, Tyler Smith of Bucknell and Colt Schilling of Cal Poly.
157 lbs - Qualifying for the 2017 NCAA tournament as a freshman, Jake Danishek barely missed out on last year's NCAA tournament as a sophomore. A junior this season, Danishek should qualify for this year's championships. A notable win of last season was pinning Oregon State's Hunter Willits.
TEAM - I really liked Duane Goldman as a person but I do believe that it was time for him to go and for new blood to come in. Like Coach Goldman, Coach Angel Escobedo is going to have an uphill battle against an administration bound and determined that Indiana forever remain a basketball school. Yet he is young, he is hungry and he is full of energy and enthusiasm. Anxious to see what he does with what he already has and even more anxious to see what he'll do with those he will get.
133 lbs - It was an challenging first year for Zach Finesilver, but he still managed to find his way to the NCAA tournament last season. Key victories included wins over Collin Valdiviez of Northwestern, Isaac Jimenez of Air Force, Sean Nickell of Bakersfield, and Rico Montoya of Northern Colorado. What makes Finesilver a valuable asset is his ability to bounce back after losses and face the same opponent without fear. He not only turned a lot of bad losses into close losses, he also turned some into wins. Nickell tech'd him the first time they met and Finesilver turned around and beat him 8-4 the next time they met. If he showed that kind of maturity as a freshman, imagine what he'll show this year and in the years to come.
157 lbs - The best of the Finesilver brothers, Mitch has qualified for the NCAA tournament on three occasions as he looks for his fourth this season as well as his third Southern Scuffle medal after placing seventh as a sophomore and second last season. Hayden Hidlay looks to stand in his way of winning an ACC title, and he'll fight with North Carolina's Kennedy Monday on who will face him in the finals.
165 lbs - Zach Finesilver is a two time NCAA qualifier in his career that finished one match shy of a medal at last year's Southern Scuffle. His two biggest victories were against Virginia's Andrew Atkinson and Pennsylvania's May Bethea.
174 lbs - Matt Finesilver earned his first Southern Scuffle medal last season with an eighth place finish and could be the one brother of the four to eventually be a four time place-winner of the tournament. He also qualified for his first NCAA championships with a fourth place finish at the ACC championships. As the ACC is full of sophomores just like himself, the next three seasons looks like he'll be in a three way battle for the title.
TEAM - I don't know if there is a wrestling team in NCAA Division I that has less help and less support from his administration than Glen Lanham. How he's been able to do with what he's got is absolutely amazing. He's at a school that thinks basketball is a God, and there are kids on campus who aren't even aware that the school has a wrestling program. Yet he keeps fighting the good fight. Got Duke their first NCAA finalist, there first three time All American and their first four time NCAA qualifier. And now he's making history with the Finesilver brothers. Whether anyone at Duke likes it or not, he's putting the Blue Devil wrestling team on the map, without or without their help or support. I think the Southern Scuffle will be the tournament to watch Duke at this season. All four of the Finesilver brothers stand a good chance at placing.
133 lbs - Montorie Bridges had one of the best freshman seasons of a Wyoming Cowboy ever. A 35-7 record, a round of twelve finish at CKLV, a Reno Tournament of Champions title, a third place finish at the BIG 12 and an eighth place finish at the NCAA tournament. He's in route to join Joe LeBlanc as Wyoming's second four time All American.
165 lbs - Branson Ashworth had a near identical season to Bridges as he went 36-6, with a round of twelve finish at CKLV, a Reno Tournament of Champions title and a third place finish at the BIG 12's. Only place Bridges outdid him was at the NCAA tournament, where Ashworth went 2-2. Ashworth is right on the line. Should start off ranked somewhere between eighth and twelfth I would imagine. Most certainly All American material.
TEAM - The loss of BIG 12 Champions Bryce Meredith (who was also a two time NCAA finalist) and Archie Colgan is going to hurt this season. It'll be a rebuilding year for the Cowboys, with highlights from both Bridges and Ashworth. It'd be rather ironic as well as intriguing if the two were to have mirrored seasons as they did last year.
125 lbs - Korbin Meink had an impressive 22-10 record for a true freshman last season, that would have most likely ended in a NCAA qualification had it not been for getting injured at the last second. He placed fourth at the Southern Scuffle, and looks to become the Camels first four time place winner there.
133 lbs - If asked to name the best wrestlers yet to qualify for the NCAA championships, Nathan Boston is one of those names. He left Iowa State and came to Campbell to wrestle under the tutelage of head coach Cary Kolat. Hope to see him have an outstanding senior season and fight for the Southern Conference title.
141 lbs - The starter here could also be Jonathan Ryan, but I believe it will be 2017 NCAA qualifier Noah Gonser who transfers in from Eastern Michigan after being one of many Eagle athletes to get the royal shaft from Scott "Fire me, never rehire me" Wetherbee.
149 lbs - Another freshman to have an outstanding season for the Camels last year was Josh Heil at 149 lbs. He placed fourth at Reno and then had his most impressive showing at the Southern Scuffle where he defeated Northern Iowa's Max Thomsen and Navy's Jared Prince in route to a second place finish. Only reason Meink may become the Camels first four time Scuffle place winner is because they usually wrestle the 125 lbs matches before the 149.
157 lbs - Although Austin Kraisser did not qualify for the NCAA championships last season, he did show signs that indicate he'll be a qualifier this year including victories over Oregon State's Hunter Willits and Gardner Webb's Tyler Marinelli.
165 lbs - Quentin Perez was yet another Camel to have a standout season that included a third place showing at Reno and a runner up finish at the Southern Conference that qualified him for the NCAA tournament. His most impressive wins last season included defeating Midland's runner up Jonathan Schleifer of Princeton and Andrew Atkinson of Virginia.
HWT - Jere Heino had an all around awesome junior season last year that included a second place finish at the Reno Tournament of Champions. Yet it wasn't until the tail end of last season that Heino really cemented himself as the likely candidate to become the Camels second All American in school history. Not only did he win the Southern Conference title, but he also knocked returning third place All American Tanner Hall of Arizona State out of the tournament.
TEAM - It's exciting, rewarding and fun to watch what is going on at Campbell. Here's a team I can remember when I was a kid wondering every season if they were ever going to qualify anyone to the NCAA's or not. Now look, I see seven NCAA qualifiers this year. Seven, including those I think will fight for conference titles and one I think can be an NCAA All American. It's awesome to know that the school decided that they wanted a successful wrestling program. That they decided they were going to put in the efforts and resources to make it happen. That they put their confidence and faith into Cary Kolat and he is showing them that they made an excellent decision. I really wish this sort of thing could happen for other schools that are currently struggling.
165 lbs - Guarantees are few in the unpredictable and crazy sport of wrestling but if Bucknell is to get someone through the EIWA tournament and into the NCAA's, that someone will most likely be junior D.J. Hollingshead. Last season Hollingshead had a victory over Brown's Jonathan Viruet who placed sixth at the EIWA's and opened up the NCAA tournament with an upset victory over Chandler Rogers of Oklahoma State.
TEAM - It was only a few seasons ago that the Bison qualified six wrestlers to the NCAA championships, and there is no doubt that Coach Dan Wernsberger will eventually get his team back to form. Unfortunately it doesn't look to be this year. Matter of fact, at least from where I sit right now it looks like Hollingshead is the Bison's one hope and even that is iffy.
125 lbs - Heard it rumored that Bentley may be making the move up to 141 lbs for his final year as a Panther, but until I see it verified as a fact I'm going to continue thinking of him as a 125 lbs'er. The past three seasons he's finished fourth, fourth, third at the ACC championships, but it was only his fourth place showing and 19 victories as a freshman that got him into the NCAA tournament. As tough and loaded as the ACC is at 125 lbs, another third place finish would be quite impressive. Bentley is going to need to wrestler more matches, and have most of those matches be wins if he wants to qualify for his second NCAA tournament.
133 lbs - I look for Mickey Phillippi who redshirted for the Panthers last season to have one of the best freshman campaigns in the history of Pittsburgh wrestling. He placed at Midlands last season with a fourth place finish and he beat Korbin Myers of Virginia Tech (used to be of Edinboro) twice. Wouldn't be at all surprised to see him with a handful of upsets over higher ranked opponents this year, some of which may come at the NCAA tournament.
157 lbs - Taleb Rahmani won an ACC title as a freshman in 2017 and then finished in fourth place at last year's championships. In a weight class that could very likely qualify as many as six (now reading that Virginia Tech's Solomon Chishko, who I read two or three times last year was done for good, may be returning) it'll be a chore just to repeat the fourth place finish, let alone going after a second title. Rahmani is unpredictable with moments of brilliance and moments of great frustration.
165 lbs - Jake Wentzel broke even last season with a 13-13 record, which included a 6-3 victory over eventual third place All American Evan Wick of Wisconsin.
184 lbs - Count Gregg Harvery in as one of the best of 2017-2018 to be left out of the NCAA tournament. Truth to be known he was probably the 34th or 35th best wrestler at 184 lbs last season, but never the less they only take the top 33 so 34th is as good as 76th when it really comes down to it. Only a freshman last season, he ought to improve upon any mistakes he made and be one of the 33 this year.
197 lbs - Freshman Nino Bonaccorsi had a respectable 21-5 redshirt campaign last season which included two victories over Dakota Greer who is redshirting at Oklahoma State after transferring from Edinboro.
HWT - After winning an NAIA title for Williams Baptist, Demetrius Thomas is going to try his hand at NCAA Division I wrestling competing for the Panthers. I am excited to see how he will do and I hope the best for him. The NAIA despite producing the likes of Emmett Wilson and Enock Francois still gets a lot of flack and undeserved criticism for being the weakest division in varsity wrestling. It seems even the NJCAA gets more credit than the NAIA does. If Thomas is to do well next season. Have a winning record with notable wins, compete for an ACC title and All American honors, that will help to end that inaccurate and unfair stigma.
Wayne Harding on the other hand also had a notable redshirt season last year for the Pokes. A sixth place finish at Reno and a surprise finalist at the Southern Scuffle. It'd be interesting to see if one of the two could go down to 125 lbs, thus making room for both on the team. Yet, I don't know if that is a possibility or not. Shame, as both are NCAA qualifier material.
141 lbs - A.C. Headlee was a wildcard entry to last year's NCAA championships and should qualify for the Tar Heels again this season. He defeated Navy's Nic Gil 9-5 and Minnesota's Tommy Thorn by fall.
149 lbs - The departure of workhorse Troy Heilmann leaves tough shoes to fill but redshirt freshman Austin O'Connor looks to be an excellent replacement. Wrestling unattached last season O'Connor put together a 20-3 record that included victories over two time All American Solomon Chishko of Virginia Tech and sticking Minnesota's Steve Bleise in under a minute at the Midland's Championships where he finished in seventh place. He also took three time All American Jason Tsirtsis of Arizona State into tiebreakers before dropping a tight 2-1 decision.
157 lbs - The son of legendary Kenny Monday had a season full of ups and downs in his initial campaign as a Tar Heel. Ups included a third place showing at the ACC championships, followed by knocking off returning NCAA finalist Joey Lavallee who had tech'd him earlier in the season. Finishing one match shy of All American status last season, with a multitude of notable wins, Monday could earn his first of what is likely to be three All American honors by end of this season.
184 lbs - Senior Chip Ness had an outstanding junior season last year which saw him take seventh place at the NCAA championships. He'll look to earn a second All American honor as well as his first ACC title this season.
TEAM - Like the other teams in the ACC conference, North Carolina is out to prove that as much as everyone wants the ACC to be all about basketball, those that have wrestling programs are Hell bent to make it known as a wrestling conference too. Five NCAA qualifiers with two or three fighting for All American status.
141 lbs - Evan Cheek breathed some much needed life back into a team we damn near lost a few years ago when he won the EWL conference title at 141 lbs last season. He looks to become only the fourth Viking in school history to win multiple EWL titles this season as a senior.
TEAM - The state of Ohio produces some of the best wrestling talent in the entire country and head coach Josh Moore is looking for a way to harness some of that talent into Cleveland. He has a great start in senior Evan Cheek who looks for his second EWL championship this season. While some kids want to be the spark that starts the fire in a program, many look to where the flames are already hot, and there's plenty of wood to keep that fire stoked. If Moore can lead Cheek to another EWL title this season, it should provide enough of an attraction to capture the attention of potential recruits. I do think Moore as his brother is at Lock Haven, will build CSU into a respectable team full of multiple qualifiers year in and year out. It starts with Cheek.
133 lbs - He was right there on a multitude of occasions last season. One match shy of placing at the CKLV invitational and one match shy of placing at the Midlands. Two medals, senior Ben Thornton came within a nose hair of last season, both of which he should earn this year. Also look for Thornton to improve upon his eighth place finish at the BIG 10 championships.
141 lbs - Junior Nate Limmex had a respectable season last year that included fourth place finishes at both the Midlands and BIG 10 championships. Look for him to have another good season.
157 lbs - Don't have a lot to go on with sophomore Griffin Parriott but there are a few things he did last season during his redshirt freshman campaign that indicate he'll be an NCAA qualifier this season. An 8-3 decision over Kennedy Monday of North Carolina, a 3-2 decision over Hunter Willits of Oregon State and a forty four second fall over Indiana's Jake Danishek.
174 lbs - The Boilermaker's best best in an All American this season lies in sophomore Dylan Lydy who had a phenomenal freshman season last year. Finishing one match shy of All American honors, Lydy took eighth at Cliff Keen and then really showed the wrestling community what he was made of with a third place finish at the Midlands.
197 lbs - Christian Brunner is another Boilermaker that could sneak in an All American honor by the end of this season in what I'll call for the 100th time the most wide open weight class in NCAA Division I wrestling. He wrestles anything like he did at last year's Midlands where he took third, that spot on the award stand may be higher than imagined.
HWT - Another Boilermaker to have a standout rookie season was Shawn Streck who racked up thirty victories last season as a freshman. Among those victories were wins over Central Michigan's Matt Stencel, Pittsburgh's Ryan Solomon, and Ediboro's (Now Virginia Tech's) Billy Miller. He took fifth at last year's CKLV and seventh at the Midlands.
TEAM - This looks to be a pretty good Boilermaker wrestling team full of six wrestlers that could bring home six medals at both the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and the Midlands Invitational. I'll admit a bias as I'm a huge fan of Tony Ersland, but bias aside I truly believe that Ersland has a pinch of Dan Gable in him. A pinch of the ability to motivate and inspire his wrestlers to get the very best out of them. Already impressive things out of what was a young team last year, I think these guys will return even better than they were. Not talking taking over the BIG 10's or anything of that nature, as many as three All Americans? Love to see it, or more.
125 lbs - After taking a year off, 2017 MAC champion and NCAA qualifier Shakur Laney returns to the lineup at 125 lbs. Posting a 21-8 record two seasons ago, he also placed fifth at the Midlands Championships.
133 lbs - Two time NCAA qualifier Cam Kelly is also a two time fourth place finisher at the MAC Championships. He looks to add a third conference medal to his arsenal this season.
TEAM - Kade Kolwaski finished second at last year's MAC championships at 149 lbs, but the way I understand it, he'll be redshirting this season. If wrong about that, add him in as a likely NCAA qualifier for the Bobcats this season. Other than that, it looks like the two lightest weight classes will be the most exciting for Ohio this season.
141 lbs - Junior Nate Limmex had a respectable season last year that included fourth place finishes at both the Midlands and BIG 10 championships. Look for him to have another good season.
157 lbs - Don't have a lot to go on with sophomore Griffin Parriott but there are a few things he did last season during his redshirt freshman campaign that indicate he'll be an NCAA qualifier this season. An 8-3 decision over Kennedy Monday of North Carolina, a 3-2 decision over Hunter Willits of Oregon State and a forty four second fall over Indiana's Jake Danishek.
174 lbs - The Boilermaker's best best in an All American this season lies in sophomore Dylan Lydy who had a phenomenal freshman season last year. Finishing one match shy of All American honors, Lydy took eighth at Cliff Keen and then really showed the wrestling community what he was made of with a third place finish at the Midlands.
197 lbs - Christian Brunner is another Boilermaker that could sneak in an All American honor by the end of this season in what I'll call for the 100th time the most wide open weight class in NCAA Division I wrestling. He wrestles anything like he did at last year's Midlands where he took third, that spot on the award stand may be higher than imagined.
HWT - Another Boilermaker to have a standout rookie season was Shawn Streck who racked up thirty victories last season as a freshman. Among those victories were wins over Central Michigan's Matt Stencel, Pittsburgh's Ryan Solomon, and Ediboro's (Now Virginia Tech's) Billy Miller. He took fifth at last year's CKLV and seventh at the Midlands.
TEAM - This looks to be a pretty good Boilermaker wrestling team full of six wrestlers that could bring home six medals at both the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and the Midlands Invitational. I'll admit a bias as I'm a huge fan of Tony Ersland, but bias aside I truly believe that Ersland has a pinch of Dan Gable in him. A pinch of the ability to motivate and inspire his wrestlers to get the very best out of them. Already impressive things out of what was a young team last year, I think these guys will return even better than they were. Not talking taking over the BIG 10's or anything of that nature, as many as three All Americans? Love to see it, or more.
133 lbs - Two time NCAA qualifier Cam Kelly is also a two time fourth place finisher at the MAC Championships. He looks to add a third conference medal to his arsenal this season.
TEAM - Kade Kolwaski finished second at last year's MAC championships at 149 lbs, but the way I understand it, he'll be redshirting this season. If wrong about that, add him in as a likely NCAA qualifier for the Bobcats this season. Other than that, it looks like the two lightest weight classes will be the most exciting for Ohio this season.
125 lbs - Only a sophomore Taylor Lamont has the opportunity to set a multitude of records at Utah Valley. A returning CKLV champ, he has the opportunity to become a four time CKLV Champion. An ability to become the first Wolverine to win a BIG 12 title and the first Wolverine to become a multiple time All American.
165 lbs - Junior Demetrius Romero put together a 26-9 record last season which included a round of twelve finish at the CKLV and a sixth place finish at the BIG 12 tournament. Notable wins included a 3-2 victory over Virginia's Andrew Atkinson and a 5-3 victory over North Dakota State's Andrew Fogarty.
174 lbs - NCAA qualifier Kimball Bastian finished fifth at last year's BIG 12 championships with his biggest win of the season being his last as he knocked off returning All American Brandon Womack of Cornell in the consolations. Bastian also finished one match shy of placing at the Southern Scuffle.
197 lbs - Two time NCAA qualifier Tanner Orndorff looks for his third qualification this season.
TEAM - For a team that has only been around for a little over a decade the Wolverines are starting to build a history. With their first All American in 2011 and their second in 2017, they look to crown their third in 2019. Not only the only Division I wrestling opportunity in the state, it is the only varsity wrestling opportunity in Utah period. It makes you wonder the type of talent they will attract. Now you may say to yourself that Utah isn't known as a wrestling state and you're right, it's not. BUT...keep in mind that it produced the Sanderson brothers, Cody, Cole and Cael. It also produced two time NCAA runner-up Ryan Lewis and NCAA champion Aaron Holker. There are bound to be more like them in the state of Utah and if those boys want to wrestle close to home, that benefits the Wolverines.
125 lbs - The word transfer has been used more times for the 2018-2019 season than it has in any other time during NCAA Division I history. Adding to the list is Brent Fleetwood who placed third and seventh in the MAC championships for Central Michigan and will now enter the world of the BIG 12 wrestling for North Dakota State.
133 lbs - Another solid wrestler for the Bison is Cam Sykora who has thus far placed third and fifth in the BIG 12 championships. Last year he had a pretty good season, with victories over Chas Tucker of Cornell, Cam Kelly of Ohio and Rico Montoya of Northern Colorado.
165 lbs - From where it stands right now, the Bison's best bet for an All American this season is in 165 lbs'er Andrew Fogarty who made the BIG 12 finals last season after finishing in sixth place as a freshman. Among his notable wins last season he schooled two time NCAA qualifier Keilan Torres of Northern Colorado 16-0 and he handed Arizona State's Anthony Valencia a 7-4 loss. He also placed fifth at last year's CKLV.
174 lbs - Yet another transfer to talk about this season is Lorenzo De La Riva who spent his first two seasons at Cal State Bakersfield. After a 19-13 record as a freshman which saw him finish as the PAC-12 runner up with NCAA qualifications, De La Riva slipped into a bit of a sophomore slump going 12-12 last year. Even though he again finished as the PAC-12 runner up he didn't have enough wins to get him into the NCAA tournament. A change of scenery as well as weather may be exactly the boost he needs.
TEAM - Coach Roger Kish should send four to this year's NCAA tournament with one potential All American. What will be most interesting to see is how his transfer wrestlers react to him. There is a reason why both Fleetwood and De La Riva chose to come to Fargo and it isn't for the weather or the women. It's because they both believe they will improve and wrestle better under Kish, who has a proven track record with results like Steve Monk and Trent Sprenkle, that he can get you to wrestle at your best when it counts.
133 lbs - It amazes me how similar the career of Josh Terao is that to his older brother David. A wrestler who has accomplished a great many things in his career and yet here he is a senior and you say to yourself, "He hasn't made All American yet?" Things started off great for Terao last season as a junior as he finished second at the CKLV invitational. Yet as the season came to an end, so did Terao's hot streak. He slipped to a fourth place finish at the EIWA championships after finishing second the year before. He then finished a disappointing 0-2 at the NCAA's. The key here is consistency and health. Talent and ability wise, no doubt Terao is All American material.
TEAM - I knew as hard as I tried to remember everyone when I went back and read over what I had written that I'd realize I had forgotten someone. Truth is, I think Gage Curry will join Terao as an NCAA qualifier this season as well as I do Michael Sprague. I guess I had information wrong on Sprague as I thought he was a senior last year, but he does have one more year of eligibility. Should see two to three place winners at this year's CKLV and three place-winners/NCAA qualifiers at this year's EIWA for the eagles.
133 lbs - No guarantees in the sport of wrestling but Lane Peters did enough last season in his freshman campaign to convince me that he could be an NCAA qualifier for the Black Knights this season as a sophomore. He should improve upon his 21-15 record that included an 11-5 victory over Stanford's Gabe Townsell and a 15-0 technical fall over Duke's Josh Finesilver.
174 lbs - Junior Ben Harvey has had almost identical back to back seasons including a 21-13 record as a freshman and a 23-11 record as a sophomore last season. He wins where he should with nearly every loss coming to a higher ranked opponent, but he'll occasionally pull off an upset. Among them were a 6-4 victory over All American Ethan Ramos of North Carolina, a 7-6 victory over Jadaen Bernstein of Navy, and a 7-4 victory over Keaton Subjeck of Stanford. Army seems to put a wrestler on the award stand every so often at the NCAA's and they could easily this year with Harvey.
197 lbs - Rocco Caywood looks to make a second trip to the NCAA's this season after getting in as a wildcard entry after a seventh place finish at last year's EIWA tournament. His most impressive victory last season was ironically also his last. A 7-4 victory over Scottie Boykin of Chattanooga at the NCAA tournament.
TEAM - The Black Knights continue to be consistent in putting together teams of a few to a handful of solid wrestlers with one or two that really stick out. This year the number is three, with Harvey being the one who provides the most hope of gaining West Point another All American.
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141 lbs - Depends on how you look at it when trying to decipher whether Russell Rohlfing had a better freshman season or sophomore. His overall records were nearly identical going 21-13 as a freshman and 22-13 as a sophomore. He placed fourth at the CKLV as a freshman, but finished one match shy of a medal as a sophomore. Yet he finished fifth at the PAC-12's as a freshman and improved to a second place showing as a sophomore. Then for whatever it is worth he took sixth at the Midlands as a freshman and placed eighth at last year's Southern Scuffle. In other words, Rohlfing doesn't make life easy on a person who enjoys making predictions. Over the past two years he's had some very impressive wins, and yet he's also had some head scratching losses. Most certainly a PAC-12 title contender.
TEAM - The losses of Sergio Mendez, Cole Hammond and Matt Williams due to graduation, as well as the loss of Lorenzo De La Riva due to transfer hurts a team that has historically battled an administration that has underhandedly tried to ax them the past 25 years. That battle continues in an area where collegiate wrestling is desperately needed. Crowning two PAC-12 champions this year would be great fuel for the fight. California produces a great number of high school standouts that because of the losses of schools like UC Davis and Fullerton in recent years, don't have enough opportunities to continue their wrestling careers. I deeply admire and respect Bakersfield wrestling for continuing to fight the good fight in providing California studs a place at home to compete.
125 lbs - Three time Illinois State champ and a well sought after recruit who went 8-0 last season as a redshirt. Anxious to see how he does.
133 lbs - In my opinion the best wrestler left out of the NCAA tournament last season. Wins over Drexel's Austin DeSanto and Oklahoma State's Dean Heil are enough to merit that statement. Should be a permanent 133 lbs'er this season, with an NCAA qualification and plausible All American finish.
149 lbs - In an atmosphere of many leaving the one to stay and make the most out of the drastic changes that have taken place in Ames has been Jarrett Degen. As a freshman last season he finished third at the BIG 12 championships and made Jason Tsirtsis of Arizona State work his tail off to earn his third All American honor in a tough 4-3 loss. With Brent Metcalf beating him up everyday in the room, he ought to be about 1,000 times tougher than what he was last season. Wouldn't be at all surprised to see him end his career as a three time All American.
157 lbs - Another wrestler to stick through the thick and thin of it is junior Chase Straw who has put together two just above .500 seasons and has yet to qualify for the NCAA championships. The mental philosophy of the Iowa trained is that they can teach anyone how to wrestle, he just has to have the heart and intestinal fortitude for it. Well great, because they'll get a chance to prove that with Straw. He has the heart, the work ethic and the desire, he just needs the guidance. He's shown some potential. A 9-8 win over Brown's Justin Staudenmayer, a 5-3 victory over Oregon State's Hunter Willits, and a 6-5 win over Air Force's Alex Mossing determine that.
197 lbs - (Ah...I put 184, but I think he'll be 197 this year.)Three time All American Willie Miklus transferring from Missouri to Iowa State is the best thing to happen for Cyclone wrestling in a long time. He's managed to find his way onto the award stand every NCAA tournament he's entered in and there's no reason to think that he won't again this year.
TEAM - I knew it'd only be a matter of time before Coach Kevin Dresser and staff began to turn the Iowa State Cyclone wrestling program around. Honestly though, I didn't think it'd be this soon. Yet I think with the mental intensity of Brent Metcalf, the phenomenal technique of Derek St John and the psychotic craziness of Mike Zadick, that the lower and middle weights will show tremendous improvements. Add in Willie Miklus, and you have yourself a pretty good team. Sorta sad to not see the name Dante Rodriguez on the roster last I checked.
133 lbs - Sophomore Matt Schmitt put together a solid 23-14 season last year that included a fourth place finish at the BIG 12's and a NCAA qualification. Notable victories included Cam Sykora of North Dakota State, Ian Parker of Iowa State, Rico Montoya of Northern Colorado, Josh Finesilver of Duke and Anthony Tutolo of Kent State.
TEAM - Losing two time All American Zeke Moisey to transfer and arguably the class of 2018's best of the best to never make All American status during his career Jake Smith to graduation, leaves the entirety of the load on the shoulders of Matt Schmitt. He will the positive in a rebuilding year for the Mountaineers.
125 lbs - After qualifying for the NCAA championships as a sophomore with a fourth place finish at the MAC championships, senior Kyle Akins failed to qualify as a junior last season with a fifth place finish at the MAC championships. In his final season he should contend for a MAC championship.
133 lbs - Senior Brian Lantry has finished as the MAC runner-up the last two years in a row. With Missouri's John Erneste still at the weight it would seem at least on paper that Lantry's best hope would be to finish out his career as a three time MAC runner-up. However I'll grant him the outside shot that he could upset Erneste who he wrestled close in a 4-2 loss last season. Lantry is also Buffalo's best shot at an All American. He would be the Bulls second Division I All American, with the first and thus far only being Kyle Cerminara back in 2004. Many notable wins last season, including a 4-3 victory over All American Scott DelVecchio say that Lantry is more than capable.
HWT - After winning a MAC championship as a sophomore, Jake Gunning slipped to fourth place last season as a junior. The type of wrestler who somehow always pulls off a newsworthy upset each season, I look for that to be the case this season as well.
TEAM - The University of Buffalo was a storied and successful program for years at the Division III level. Then when the school transitioned to Division II they still had their fair share of success. It has been the transition to Division I that has been the real struggle. Since the transition (which I believe happened sometime in the mid 1990's) Buffalo has only crowned one Division I All American. They are looking for a spark, and senior Brian Lantry could very well be that spark. He'll have to step it up a notch and do things that not many will give him a chance at doing. Yet he is capable of bringing home a MAC championship and an All American medal.
125 lbs - Two time NCAA qualifier Christian Moody will look for his third qualification this season. Notable victories of last season include a 6-1 victory over two time All American Zeke Moisey, an 8-5 victory over Luke Welch of Purdue, and an 8-4 dec over Jay Schwarm of Northern Iowa.
165 lbs - Sophomore Justin Thomas was another solid wrestler to be left out of the NCAA championships last season. In spite of not qualifying, he still put together a pretty good season of a 23-16 record. Among those 23 wins were victories over three time All American Jason Tsirtsis of Arizona State, Andrew Crone of Wisconsin, Chase Straw of Iowa State, and Colston DiBlasi of George Mason.
TEAM - I do eventually think that Lou Rosselli along with Michael Lightner, Nick Heflin and Hunter Steiber will turn the Sooner wrestling program around. Yet it amazes me how steadfast and adamant ole senile blue hairs dreaming of the glory years of 1950's, 60's and 70's were in getting Jack Spates out as quickly as they could. Under Spates Oklahoma regularly finished in the top 10 and brought home a series of third and fourth place team trophies. I guess they weren't first and anything less wasn't good enough. Have to question though if those same crybabies who did nothing but sling mud during Spates time as head coach have been happy with Sooner wrestling results since his departure. Like I said, I do believe Rosselli and staff will get the Sooner program back on top eventually, but as a fan of Jack Spates and a critic of complainers with nothing to complain about, I said what needed to be said.
125 lbs - The 2018 MAC Champion and Freshman of the year Mike McGee looks to have an outstanding sophomore season. Former Old Dominion 125 lbs'er James Nicholson won four Colonial Athletic Association conference titles during his career. Perhaps McGee could join him as a four time conference champion with four MAC titles. Time will tell.
141 lbs - Sa'Derian Perry pins his way through the consolation bracket at the MAC tournament to a third place finish and then earns Eastern Michigan an All American award with an eighth place finish at the NCAA's. How is he rewarded by Athletic Director Scott R Wetherbee? By being told that his wrestling program is being eliminated and that he would have to find a new home. Perry did find a new home and will now compete for Old Dominion in an effort to become their next All American.
165 lbs - Larry Early had a solid season last year. An eighth place finish at the Midland's tournament of champions and a decision over All American Paul Fox of Stanford were the most notable highlights.
174 lbs - Seldon Wright put together a pretty respectable sophomore campaign last season with a multitude of impressive wins. Among them were Johnn Sebastian of Northwestern, Tyrell White of Columbia, Dylan Lydy of Purdue, and Hunter Bolen of Virginia Tech.
TEAM - Jason Bryant's favorite NCAA Division I wrestling team looks to have a decent season that should end with a winning dual record, Midlands place winners and four NCAA qualifiers with two being potential All Americans.
133 lbs - Senior Isaac Jimenez has yet to qualify for the NCAA championships or place at the BIG 12's. Yet he has shown signs that he could in his final year as a Falcon. Last year he upset two time All American Scotty Parker of Lehigh in route to an eighth place finish at the Southern Scuffle. He should place somewhere between fourth and sixth at this year's BIG 12 tournament.
157 lbs - Alex Mossing is another senior who has yet to qualify for the NCAA's, but has shown signs that he could this season. Last year Mossing had wins over Hunter Willits of Oregon State, Colston DiBlasi of Iowa State (Now George Mason) and All American Paul Fox of Stanford. He was a match away from placing at the Southern Scuffle, fifth at Reno and sixth at the BIG 12's. With the top three place-winners being seniors last year, it'll be interesting to see where he finishes this year.
165 lbs - The career of Alex Lopouchanski has been a far cry from that of his older brother Ivan who enjoyed a successful career at both UNC-Greensboro and Purdue. Aside from a 3-1 victory over two time NCAA qualifier Keilan Torres of Northern Colorado, his career hasn't had many highlights. I don't know about an NCAA qualification or not, but I can see him slipping into the top six at his final BIG 12 tournament.
197 lbs - And yet another senior on the team who has yet to qualify for the NCAA's. Anthony McLaughlin made my radar last year when he helped to decide who the starter would be at Penn State when he pinned three time NCAA qualifier/two time NCAA Round of Twelve Matt McCutcheon of Penn State. Along with being a match shy of placing at the Southern Scuffle, McLaughlin also upset Army's Rocco Caywood 5-2.
TEAM - We have a rather unique situation at Air Force. A team of four seniors who have yet to qualify for the NCAA tournament, and three of them who stand a legit chance at qualifying in their final attempt. It's a rather feel good situation that could turn into a Hollywood story. Years ago, 174 lbs Falcon Terry Parham entered his final conference tournament having never qualified for the NCAA tournament. Not only did he win the championship but he went on to the NCAA's where he upset Minnesota's Jacob Volkman in route to a seventh place finish. Is that type of magical ending in store for any of these guys? I don't know, but I do think we'll see them put together good performances at CKLV, Reno, the Southern Scuffle and the BIG 12's. This is an exciting and distinct opportunity for Air Force wrestling.
149 lbs - 2017 Southern Conference Champion Matt Zovistoski returns after a redshirt season to defend the title he won two seasons ago.
184 lbs - Having one of the best freshman campaigns in Appalachian State history, Alan Clothier lead the team last year with 28 wins. The sophomore looks to capture what could be his first of three Southern Conference titles after finishing second last year.
TEAM - It looks like two plausible SOCON champions and two NCAA qualifiers for the Mountaineers this year.
165 lbs - Vincent DePrez makes the list as another senior who I believe will qualify for his first NCAA tournament this season. He's put together some good seasons including a 25-14 mark as a sophomore and a 23-10 record last season. A round of twelve finisher at last year's CKLV, he was knocked out of the EIWA tournament in two close losses.
TEAM - Ever since the departure of Pat Popolizio, the bearcats have struggled to rediscover their identity. Now with the Borschoff brothers at the lead, we may start to see some vast improvements but I do think it'll be a process that takes time. Binghamton is without a doubt Billy Baldwin's favorite team, and I hope he has at least one wrestler to cheer for this year in Pittsburgh.
157 lbs & 197 lbs - I have little to go on as far as collegiate credentials and accomplishments are concerned for either of the LaBrie brothers. Andrew is dead even at 27-27 in his career and Christian is 34-14 in his. Neither have been full time starters yet and neither have qualified for the NCAA's. I guess at this point its simply that I know of their potential. Know what they are capable of. Andrew had 102 falls of 157 wins in high school. A pinning machine if you will. This is completely contradictory of me to base collegiate predictions on high school thoughts but I know good and well if I leave them out of my analysis both will have standout seasons. Now that I've included them, neither will even be varsity.
165 lbs - 2018 NCAA qualifier Jonathan Viruet has thus far finished sixth at the EIWA championships the past two seasons. This year he looks to improve upon that finish and qualify for his second NCAA tournament, where last season he made headlines by upsetting Chandler Rogers of Oklahoma State in the first round.
184 lbs - Two time NCAA qualifier C.J. LaFragola looks to add a third qualification to his resume this season as well as improve upon his fifth place finish at the EIWA championships. Last season he defeated Pennsylvania's Joey Heyob and his final victory of the season was over Binghamton's Steve Schneider whom he was previously 0-4 against.
TEAM - In reality, it looks like the Brown Bears are most likely going to send two to the NCAA tournament this season, although I wouldn't put it past them to pull a rabbit out of their hat. Brown has a habit of having one of their wrestlers do something right about the time the wrestling world has forgotten about them. Wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see it happen again this year.
125 lbs - Returning Southern Conference Champion Alonzo Allen returns to defend his title this season in what should lead to a second championship.
133 lbs - After winning a Southern Conference title as a sophomore, Chris Debien slipped to third place last year as a junior. This year he'll compete with Campbell's Nathan Boston, who he already owns two victories over, for the title.
TEAM - While the rest of ya'll are reading what I've written about the top five teams and then skimming through the pictures, George McIntyre has skipped everything else and came straight to what I had to say about his beloved Chattanooga Mocs. I think the days of Chattanooga owning the Southern Conference are over as Cary Kolat and his Camels have taken over. That's not to say that they won't contend though. No way will Coach Eslinger take a back seat to Campbell lying down. It'll be a fight but this year looks to be a rebuilding year for the Mocs after losing Southern Conference champs Bryce Carr and Scottie Boykin due to graduation. Allen and Debien as well as whoever George lets me know I should have included, look to be this year's highlights.
184 lbs - Senior Anthony Mancini returns to the lineup after wrestling unattached last season. While yet to qualify for the NCAA's, he poses the best chance with victories over Drexel's Stephen Louiseau, and taking NCAA third place finisher Emory Parker of Illinois into overtime. While it will be a tough task, Mancini is capable of placing at this year's EIWA tournament.
TEAM - Seeing all of the many challenges and uphill battles Coach Mike Rogers has to deal with, it is rewarding whenever the Diplomats have success on the mat. It's never fun nor is it fair to rest all of the pressure on one wrestler's shoulders but as I look up and down what I feel will be the starting line up, Mancini is without a doubt the best wrestler on the team.
157 lbs - 2018 Southern Conference Champion Tyler Marinelli returns to defend his title. Last season he went 26-8, with a win over North Carolina's Kennedy Monday 8-3.
TEAM - As he was last year, Marinelli looks to be the sole NCAA qualifier for the Runnin' Bulldogs this season.
157 lbs - Being in the right atmosphere has a lot to do with a wrestler's success, and after two years at Iowa State, Colston Diblasi will finish out his career at George Mason. While no doubt many could and many will thrive in the conservative, strict, rigid and one size fits all environment of what will now be Iowa State wrestling, someone as free spirited, unorthodox and wild as Diblasi never would have. Hopefully George Mason provides him what he needs. If you follow Diblasi's career, it's difficult to find a more inconsistent and unpredictable wrestler. For example he lost 14-2 to Wisconsin's Evan Wick at the Harold Nichol's Open and then turned around and beat him 7-1 at the Midlands a month and a half later. Guy will lose to a back up Division III wrestler and then turn around and pin a top 15 wrestler.
TEAM - As I said before I think the new atmosphere of Iowa State was going to be far too restrictive and controlling for Colston DiBlasi to ever survive in, let alone thrive in. Yet, I do think he needs some guidance in helping him to channel a more effective style. If the coaching staff at George Mason can harness DiBlasi enough to make him into a more consistent wrestler, there is a real possibility that he could become the Patriots first Division I All American.
174 lbs - Josef Johnson has thus far been sixth, sixth and fifth at the EIWA championships in three trips to the NCAA's. He'll look for his best conference finish and a fourth trip to the NCAA's, as well as a second Midlands medal, where he took eighth two years ago as a sophomore.
TEAM - Harvard has slipped quite a bit in recent years. From 1998 through 2012, Harvard only had two years out of 14 where they didn't produce an All American. Now it's nearly seven years later and they haven't put anyone on the award stand since. Even more concerning is that while crowning what is likely to be a four time NCAA qualifier this season, Josef Johnson is also likely to be the Crimson's only qualifier. Johnson does own a victory over Cornell's Brandon Womack, so it is not out of the question that he could end up an EIWA finalist. He also kept it close with Lehigh's Jordan Kutler in a 2-0 loss, so its even plausible that he could win the whole thing. Winning an EIWA title and earning All American honors would be great for the program.
125 lbs - Leading the team with 28 wins last season, Rayvon Foley qualified for the NCAA tournament with a seventh place finish at the BIG 10's. Notable victories included a 7-1 victory over Luke Welch of Purdue and a 10-3 victory over Drew Mattin of Michigan. Not to shabby for a true freshman.
141 lbs - Two time NCAA qualifier Austin Eicher looks to get back to form after having a disappointing season last year due to injury. When healthy, Eicher produces wins such as his 3-2 victory over Ian Parker of Iowa State and his 3-1 victory over All American Scott DelVecchio of Rutgers.
174 lbs - 2017 NCAA round of twelve finisher Drew Hughes returns to the lineup after redshirting this past season.
TEAM - The Spartans get a lot of flack in the world of wrestling, often being referred to as the doormat of the BIG 10. Yet comparatively speaking to all of NCAA Division I wrestling, all things considered, the Spartans aren't bad. Looking at three possible CKLV place winners, three BIG 10 place winners and three NCAA qualifiers. Foley and Hughes are both All American candidates as well. Considering that the wrestling program gets a smidgen of support from the administration that is so small scientist have to use an ultra powerful microscope in order to see it, I think Michigan State ought to get a bit more credit.
133 lbs - Two time NCAA qualifier Rico Montoya has thus far finished fourth and sixth at the BIG 12 championships. He also placed fourth at last year's Southern Scuffle with a victory over two time All American Scotty Parker of Lehigh.
184 lbs - Dylan Gabel enjoyed an outstanding 28-11 season last year, that was highlighted by becoming the Bear's first BIG 12 finalist in school history. He also finished second at the Reno tournament of champions and eighth at the Southern Scuffle.
197 lbs - Jacob Seely was an NCAA qualifier last season, who also placed eighth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas invitational.
TEAM - Head coach Troy Nickerson continues to do good things at Northern Colorado. Producing the school's first BIG 12 finalist last season is a first of many first that will happen under coach Nickerson.
125 lbs - Junior Brock Hudkins has thus far been third and second in the MAC championships and will look challenge for his first title this season. A round of twelve finisher as a freshman in 2017, he looks to be the Huskie's first All American since 2004.
141 lbs - Jason Bryant will be the first to tell you that I have an uncanny ability for reading way too far into things. Most likely the case here with Nolan Baker. He only won two matches last season, but one of them was over All American Justin Oliver of Central Michigan. Also considering that he'll be going down a weight class, where he shouldn't get consistently out-muscled, I can see him having a winning record this season and helping out in duals.
157 lbs - Caden McWhirter has so far been seventh and fifth in the MAC championships and looks to improve upon those finishes as well as qualify for the NCAA tournament this season.
TEAM - For a 15 year period, from 1997 to 2012, the Northern Illinois Huskies were damn competitive in the Mid-American Conference. This included a multitude of second and third place team finishes and 21 individual conference champions. NCAA wise, this also included four All Americans. Like Central Michigan, the addition of extra teams to the MAC helps to explain a bit of why results aren't as good as they were. Yet, I do believe that NIU can and will produce MAC champs and All Americans in the years to come. Hudkins may even be both this year.
133 lbs - Anthony Cefolo has thus far placed third in two EWL conference championships in his career. He'll go for his first title this season.
TEAM - Head Coach John Hangey has some mighty big shoes to fill as he takes over the Rider Wrestling program as Gary Taylor hangs up the boots after 39 years as head coach. Here's to him and what will hopefully be success.
HWT - HWT Jake McKiernan missed out on nearly all of last season due to an unfortunate injury. Yet a 23-11 record from the year before that includes a fall over Illinois's Duece Rachal, a 6-1 victory over Fletcher Miller of Indiana and a 4-0 win over Conan Jennings Northwestern suggest that not only can he qualify for the NCAA championships but he can also contend for an MAC title.
TEAM - Head Coach Jeremy Spates is on a mission to make SIUE into a successful wrestling program. It took a lot of courage and intestinal fortitude to go from the Southern Conference into the MAC, but in his first year in the conference, he could crown a champion in McKiernan.
125 lbs - Gabriel Townsell has had a handful more of wins than losses the past two seasons, but he always seems to perform best in tournament situations. Thus far fifth and seventh at the Southern Scuffle, he looks for a third medal this season. He'll also contend for a third NCAA qualification.
133 lbs - Mason Pengilly only wrestled seven matches last season and entered the PAC-12 championships with a 3-0 record, yet still managed to make the finals. It'll be interesting to see what Pengilly can do, now that he'll be the full time starter for the Cardinal.
157 lbs - "Tournament wrestler" may be the best way to describe Paul Fox. Nearly a decade and a half ago their was a wrestler from Lehigh by the name of Mario Stuart that never made you think much of him during the regular season, but at the NCAA tournament he would turn it on like no other and perform like a completely different wrestler. I always wondered if we'd ever see a wrestler like him again, and all these years later, along comes Paul Fox. Two years ago as a sophomore, he came out of nowhere to place seventh at the NCAA championships. During the regular season last year, he made it seem as if that were a fluke or a miracle run, yet once the NCAA's rolled around he damn near did it again losing a close match to Nebraska's Tyler Berger in the blood round. Fox is an incredibly dangerous wrestler. One that I wouldn't want to face in a big tournament. He also placed third at last year's Southern Scuffle.
197 lbs - Sophomore Nathan Traxler recorded 18 wins in his first year of varsity wrestling which included victories over Wisconsin's Hunter Ritter, Army's Rocco Caywood, Northern Colorado's Jacob Seely, Oregon State's Corey Griego, Drexel's Stephen Loiseau and Northern Iowa All American Jacob Holschlag. Look for him to contend for a PAC-12 title.
TEAM - As he has ever since he took the realms as head Coach of Stanford, Jason Borrelli continues to silence his doubters and critics. This season he has the potential to crown as many as three PAC-12 conference champions, with a fourth being a darkhorse. If Paul Fox performs as he always has, he'll crown another All American too.
165 lbs - After a redshirt season, 2017 NCAA qualifier Neal Richards II looks to qualify for his second NCAA championships appearance.
TEAM - After the graduation of three time Southern Conference champion Josh Wine in 2011, VMI hasn't had a champion since. By all means, from the looks of what is on paper, Richards ought to be the top man in the conference this season. VMI has went through a lot of tribulations the past couple of years and Richards winning a conference title would do a lot to boost their confidence.
149 lbs - Khristian Olivas looks for his second NCAA qualification this season coming off of a 22-8 record that included victories over Sam Krivus of Virginia and Jarrett Degen of Iowa State.
157 lbs - Greg Gaxiola had some ugly losses in a 8-18 record last season, but he also had a few victories that suggest what could be a winning season this year. Sometimes wrestlers need that first year of varsity wrestling to really get a grip on what it is they need to improve and work on. He showed potential with victories over Illinois's Kyle Langenderfer and Kent State's Casey Sparkman.
165 lbs - I've come to find out that there be no experts in the world of wrestling than that of individuals who think they know everything their is to know about California wrestling. I was told to include Brandon Martino in my list of FSU wrestlers I saw doing well this season, so I did.
197 lbs - If it weren't for getting a late start in January of last season, there is no doubt in my mind that Josh Hokit would have been an NCAA qualifier. He had wins over Tristan Sponseller of Lock Haven, and he only lost 1-0 to Northern Iowa All American Jacob Holschlag.
Team - I am still ecstatic about the return of Fresno State Bulldog wrestling. I am hoping it'll lead to the return of UC Davis, Cal State Fullerton, Chico State, UCLA and many other California teams. Call me overoptimistic and delusional, I'll tell you that we're getting an NCAA DI team in Arkansas!! So yes, anything is possible. It's awesome to me that in their second year of wrestling, the Bulldogs look to qualify three to this year's NCAA tournament. (Four if Gaxiola improves that much).
This is the part of the blog that I dread. My hope is that every year, every team in NCAA wrestling will have at least one standout wrestler that places in major tournaments like CKLV, RENO, Southern Scuffle and Midlands, along with having a good showing at conference and qualifying for the NCAA tournament. Yet as I analyze each team, I unfortunately feel that there are seven that will struggle to do so this season.
No doubt I'm most likely forgetting about someone or overlooking someone at Pennsylvania.
As for the Citadel, it seems that every so often they'll produce a star or two, and it seems like the drought since putting Turtogtokh Luvsandorj on the award stand has been longer than usual.
I'm not sure what is going on at Bloomsburg or what to say about it.
No doubt Cal Poly will eventually produce more PAC-12 champs and qualifiers but this is a rebuilding year for the Mustangs.
Hofstra had a highlight in All American Mike Hughes last season, and will be rebuilding this year.
Columbia graduated EIWA champion Markus Scheidel and four time NCAA qualifiers Tyrell White and Garrett Ryan. No doubt they'll continue to produce EIWA champs and NCAA qualifiers in the years to come but doesn't look to be this season.
I keep hoping for a bright future for Sacred Heart wrestling but it doesn't look to be this year anymore than it was last.
So there you have it! My thoughts, notes and opinions looking forward to the 2018-2019 NCAA wrestling season. Lucky for you I only covered the teams and wrestlers that I follow!
On a serious note, hat's off to you if you actually read all of that. Holy cow. If not a novel, it's at least a novella!
Did I forget people I should've included? You betcha! I just hope I didn't forget any teams!
Did I include wrestlers that have already graduated? Most likely!
Did I spell someone's name wrong? I'd hate to think I did, but there's a good chance.
I started this about a month ago and in four weeks a lot has already changed. We had the horrible, tragic and depressing news of the loss of Eli Stickley and Willie Miklus has gone from Missouri to Iowa State. I'm sure more will change before the season even starts.
I hope you enjoyed this blog. I wrote it as unprofessionally and informally as I could. I'm a fan, and I wanted it to come off as if a fan wrote it. I hope it did.
If you can't tell I'm still rather ticked off at Scott R Wetherbee from preventing me from doing a write up for Eastern Michigan and I can't wait to include Presbyterian and Arkansas Little Rock next season!