Top 10 Seniors in 2019 Yet to All American

#10
Rocco Caywood
Army

Career Record Thus Far: 72-34
Season Record Thus Far: 20 -3 

My number 10 pick for the best seniors yet to AA in 2019, Rocco Caywood of the Army I am basing for the most part, strictly on this season.  While he was an NCAA qualifier last year as a junior it has been the last three months that he has shown me that he is poised to make a run at the award stand. While I question his current ranking of #4, he has more than proven that he is a top 10 wrestler at 197 lbs.  A major decision over Utah Valley's #14 Tanner Orndorff 14-5, a 4-3 decision over #16 Stephen Loiseau and a 5-3 decision over Iowa's #5 Jacob Warner all give testimony to a very plausible All American season for the black knight. 

#9
Ben Thornton
Purdue 

Career Record So Far: 100-49
Season Record So Far: 15-5 

133 lbs is insane this season.  To get out of the NCAA's with eighth place will be a war no normal man would dare endure. Lucky for us wrestling fans, wrestlers aren't normal.  On paper, it is wishful thinking that Purdue's Ben Thornton walks out of the NCAA's an All American. On the mat, no so much.  An NCAA qualifier last season, the thing to look at is how close Thornton has kept matches verses higher ranked opponents.  Yes, Michigan's Stevan Micic did major him, but thus far no one else has.  #11 Montorie Bridges of Wyoming a 6-3 loss.  #13 Chas Tucker of Cornell a 5-3 loss. #8 Ethan Lizak of Minnesota a 5-3 loss. #3 Austin DeSanto of Iowa a 5-2 loss.  It seems asinine to concentrate on losses as a means to justify potential, but hear me out.  There's no reason to think that someone as talented as Thornton couldn't take one of those 2-3 point losses and turn it into a win. Upsets happen at the NCAA tournament every year and I wouldn't be surprised if Thornton is one to pull one or two off. 

#8
Ryan Christensen
Wisconsin

Career Record So Far: 92-61
Season Record So Far: 14-5 

Inconsistency keeps Wisconsin's Ryan Christensen often overlooked and often underrated. Seems that the Badgers have a curse at the 174-184 lbs range, that often likes to repeat itself.  Christensen reminds me a lot of former Badgers Ralph DeNisco and Brady Reinke. You know he has it in him, it's just a wonder whether he'll ever let loose and prove it.  He's a three time NCAA qualifier. He's been to the dance three times.  He's a two time Midlands place winner, proving that he can handle the grind of a tough tournament.  Add in a fall over #9 Mikey Labriola of Nebraska and I can see him easily sneaking in a seventh or eighth place finish at nationals.

#7
Tom Sleigh
Virginia Tech

Career Record So Far: 108-39
Season Record So Far: 17-4

After three years at Bucknell where he finished 5th-7th-2nd at the EIWA tournament, Tom Sleigh test his final season in the ACC wrestling for Virginia Tech.  So far, so good as along with earning a #7 ranking, he placed a very impressive third at this year's Southern Scuffle.  Wins over #16 Stephen Loiseau of Drexel, #14 Greg Bulsack of Clarion and #10 Dakota Geer of Oklahoma State have me thinking that there's no reason why Sleigh can't finish as high as fifth at the NCAA's. 

#6
Branson Ashworth
Wyoming

Career Record So Far: 134-31
Season Record So Far: 27-3 

Trust me, there's more to Branson Ashworth making the list than his ability to beat All American #10 Chandler Rogers of Oklahoma State. That helps a lot, don't get me wrong, but there's more to it than that.  A 2-0 victory over #6 Isaiah White of Nebraska, a two time CKLV place winner and a two time Reno tournament of champions finalist, winning the title as a junior last season.  No one has owned him this season.  A 3-1 loss to #8 Mekhi Lewis of Virginia Tech.  A 3-2 loss to #7 Logan Massa of Michigan and a 7-4 loss to #5 Chance Marsteller of Lock Haven.  There's no reason to think that Ashworth wouldn't be a threat at this year's NCAA tournament. Maybe not to win it or even make the finals, but certainly to be an All American.

#5
Steve Bleise
Minnesota

Career Record So Far: 105-37
Season Record So Far: 13-3

I'll be honest, for most of Steve Bleise's career I have questioned the decisions that he has made.  A Midland's runner up and an impressive third place finish at the MAC's as a freshman at 141 lbs, I questioned a move up to 149.  It lead to a R12 finish at the Midlands, which made me assure my questioning but then Bleise finished one match shy of being an AA, and I was back to questioning my questioning.  After a move from Northern Illinois to Minnesota, Bleise found his way back onto the award stand at the Midlands. Can he do the same thing at the NCAA's, especially now that he's at 157?  I think it's possible.  He had an ugly loss to Iowa's Kaleb Young but yet he pinned Illinois's Eric Barone who beat Young.  So it's hard to say what will happen. I think those ranked in the top five are better but a sixth, seventh or eighth place finish I do believe is possible. 

#4
Nic Gil
Navy

Career Record So Far: 100-39
Season Record so Far: 23-5

A two time NCAA qualifier, Gil has finished sixth and fourth thus far in two EIWA appearances, both of which qualified him for the NCAA tournament.  Finishing fifth at last year's Southern Scuffle, Gil improved upon that finish by taking third this year.  He's been within a nose hair more than once this season of knocking off a higher ranked opponent. He took #6 Josh Alber of Northern Iowa to a tiebreaker and he held #2 Joey McKenna of Ohio State to a 3-2 decision.  Not to mention he owns a 7-6 victory of Old Dominion's Sa'Derian Perry who was an All American last season.  I think Gil is way better than the current ranking he holds of 17th.  I think he's as good a fourth place at this year's NCAA's.  It'd take him wrestling at his best every match, but it is something he is capable of.

#3
Sean Fausz
North Carolina State

Career Record So Far: 81-31
Season Record So Far: 7-1 

He may not have the most impressive record, but when it comes time to get things done, you cna often count on North Carolina State's Sean Fausz.  2nd-2nd-1st thus far in the ACC, Fausz came close to All American honors as a sophomore and last season as a junior was awarded the #5 seed going into nationals.  I can't see him upending Sebastian Rivera of Northwestern or  Spencer Lee of Iowa.  Ronnie Bresser of Oregon State or Nick Piccininni of Oklahoma State? I don't know.  What I do know is that despite the #12 ranking he currently hold, Fausz in my mind is no worse than the fifth best wrestler at this weight class.

#2
Mitch Finesilver
Duke

Career Record So Far: 108-33
Season Record So Far: 23-3

After finishing runner-up in the ACC three times, Duke's Mitch Finesilver looks to win his first conference title this season, along with earning his first All American award. (North Carolina's Austin O'Conner who defeated Finesilver earlier this season will be a challenge for the ACC crown.) He came close as a sophomore making the R12.   More than just his three silver medals at the ACC's, is the fact that he's placed at the Southern Scuffle four times taking finishes of fifth, seventh, second, second.  Thus far this season Finesilver has wins of #10 Max Thomsen of Northern Iowa, #15 Requir Van De Merwe of Stanford, #13 Anthony Artalona and #8 Justin Oliver of North Carolina State.  Like Gil at 141 lbs, I see Finesilver as high as fourth at the NCAA's.

#1
Josh Alber
Northern Iowa

Career Record So Far: 122-36
Season Record So Far: 24-4

This is a subjective topic but I'd like to see anyone take any criteria and give me someone better than UNI's Josh Alber as far as the best seniors in NCAA DI wrestling yet to All American.  Three time NCAA qualifier. Been seeded at all three of those tournaments.  Been third twice at the Southern Scuffle with a runner-up finish at the Midland's as a freshman and winning the whole damn thing his year as a senior.  Win the NCAA's?  Honestly yes, I can see it happening.  Yes, I'm aware that Yianni Diakomihalis majored him 12-2 earlier this season.  I'm also aware of his 8-1 loss to Joey McKenna.   I'm not saying it's likely, but I am saying it's possible.  Those types of losses have been reversed in the past and Alber has proven that when he lets Captain Insano himself Doug Schwab get inside of his head he's capable of about anything.  Playing it safe there's no reason to think that Alber won't finally get past the hump and AA.  With wins over Chad Red of Nebraska and Kaid Brock of Oklahoma State, I'd go as far as to say third is a realistic plausibility.  Darkhorse National Champion.



I realize there are more than 10 seniors this year who have yet to AA that also make a case for being on this list.  Sean Nickell of Bakersfiled and Nick Gravina of Rutgers were two other names I thought of while compiling this list.  I know there are more.