ROADRUNNER OPEN: Preview and Thoughts

Even though both Columbia and Gardner Webb will be participating in this year's Road Runner Open it is essentially the battle of California at the Division I level.   What a site it'd be if Fullerton,  Northridge, California, Long Beach State, Sacramento State, San Diego State, San Jose State, Santa Clara, Davis, Riverside, Santa Barbara, UCLA and USC still all had wrestling programs.  Can you imagine that? A world where none of the DI California schools had ever dropped wrestling.  A world where the Roadrunner open would feature 18 Division I schools?   I suppose we ought to be thankful for the five that remain.


125 lbs 

Getting things started I hope to see #14 Gabriel Townsell of Stanford in action.  Lately the Cardinal have been wrestling Jackson DiSario and I imagine he'll enter the tournament too.  If Townsell is still absent another pair of wrestlers fighting for a varsity spot in Columbia's Joe Manchio and Angelo Rini both look for a spot in the finals against DiSario.

133 lbs 

Bakersfield's Chance Rich looked great against Rutgers here recently and he should earn his first of what could one day be four home tournament titles.  His greatest opposition looks to come from Gary Joint of Fresno State.

141 lbs 

 Pardon the pun but #13 Real Woods of Stanford is the "real" deal and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see him ranked as high as #2 by the end of the year.  Guy came within mere seconds of knocking off #1 Luke Pletcher of Ohio State.   Here, he'll have no problem taking the title.  The battle for runner-up honors goes to Khristian Olivas of Fresno State, whom is down a weight class this season and Columbia's Matt Kazimir.

149 lbs 

Stanford continues to show their dominance as California's top team in Division I with yet another prospect for a title in #15 Requir Van de Merwe.  I'd love to see Russell Rohlfing come out of his slump and bring the Roadrunner fans to their feet by winning his final home tournament. His season needs a win like this.  It needs it badly.  On the air of caution, he might not even make the finals.  While one to suffer the same fate as not wrestling as well as he should, Fresno State's Greg Gaxiola has upset potential within him.

157 lbs 

Stanford has been wrestling Tyler Eischens lately and he's been doing pretty good.   Teammate Dom Mandarino is redshirting at the moment and could enter the tournament. If he does, he's the forerunner for the title.  If he doesn't, Eischens and Fresno State's Jacob Wright should be our finalists.

165 lbs 

#8 Shane Griffith of Stanford won the title here last season and should again this season.  Columbia's Laurence Kosoy and Fresno State's Brandon Martino should duke it out for runner-up honors.

174 lbs 

I don't see anyone even remotely coming close to challenging #14 Jackson Hemauer of Fresno State

184 lbs 

Odd that as it was for the Keystone Classic, this is the weight class I have the least amount of thought on.  I'd like to see Judah Duhm of Stanford do well here but not sure if he will.

197 lbs 

With football season still in session it's a guarantee that we won't see Fresno State All American Josh Hokit in action.  With him absent the title match will be between #10 Nathan Traxler of Stanford and #13 Tom Lane of Cal Poly.  As much as Stanford looks to dominate this tournament, it'd be a statement for the Mustangs to take this weight class.   With that said, this is Dom Ducharme's home tournament. In front of a home crowd, on his home mat, he may be able to pull off an upset.

HWT 

Like Hokit, I highly doubt we see A.J. Nevills of Fresno State.  Instead I imagine the three way dance between the depth that is Stanford HWT could end in 1st, 2nd, 3rd in #18 Haydn Maley, Trevor Rasmussen and David Showunmi.