As I look over the brackets, I'll say what I said when the NCAA allocations came out. I really feel that in many ways the PAC-12 got shafted. Got the short end of the stick. As a result I think a lot of at large bids will be awarded here, or so they should.
125 lbs
#1 Brandon Courtney of Arizona State should have an easy route to the finals, but there is a slight question as to whether he'll face #2 Jackson DiSario of Stanford or #3 Brandon Kaylor of Oregon State. DiSario has looked more than in control in their last two matches 7-2 & 10-3. Yet it cannot be forgotten that Kaylor does own a 8-7 win over DiSario.
133 lbs
What is Old Dominion's loss in dropping their program, has been Arizona State's gain in Michael McGee. He has more than earned his #1 seed with a 6-0 record. He should have a good finals match against #2 Devan Turner. The match in question here is #4 Paul Bianchi of Little Rock against unseeded Chance Rich of Bakersfield. Bianchi won a 7-5 decision earlier this season, but it's not wise to over look Rich. He's wild, unpredictable and he's caught more than one wrestler on his back. How this weight class doesn't even have a single allocation is criminal.
141 lbs
I just read that Stanford's Real Woods WILL be entered into the tournament which switches around the brackets I am currently looking at. I would imagine that makes him the #1 seed, which knocks Grand Willits of Oregon State to #2 and Lawrence Saenz of Cal Poly to #3. Only one Allocation here, but wouldn't be surprised at all to see two at large bids for a total of three qualifiers. Predict to finish in that order.
149 lbs
I predict one of the best matches of the night to be between #1 Legend Lamer of Cal Poly and #2 Jaden Abas of Stanford. Lamer has more than impressed me this season, including an intelligently wrestled match that saw him prevail 4-3 over Abas. Two extremely talented redshirt freshmen, who could steal the show. Only one allocation, but both will go to NCAA's.
157 lbs
For some reason #1 Hunter Willits of Oregon State always seems to have the Stanford wrestlers figured out. 2-2 Vs All American Paul Fox, he always seemed to have his number at the PAC-12 tournament. He could very well end up facing another Stanford wrestler in the finals here. #2 Requir Van De Merwe will have to get past a tough #3 Jacori Teemer of Arizona State in the semi-finals first, but if he does, this should prove to be a good final.
165 lbs
I say that Lamer Vs Abas at 149 lbs could be the best match of the night, but I think #1 Shane Griffith of Stanford Vs #2 Anthony Valencia of Arizona State will give it a run for it's money. Seldom mentioned, Griffith is STILL undefeated in his collegiate career. (Speaking varsity matches, not the two redshirt losses). Makes one wonder if Stanford could be giving up one of the greatest wrestlers the modern era will ever see.
With that said, some believe he hasn't been fully tested yet. True. He's had some big matches and he's beaten some top ranked opponents, but there are more test. One of those test will be Valencia. A chip on his shoulder, often in the shadow of older brother Zahid, Anthony Valencia has something to prove. A win over Griffith would be the start of that something.
174 lbs
I was going to say that I thought #1 Bernie Truax's greatest challenge would be Stanford's Tyler Eischens, but from what I understand, Eischens will not be wrestling in the tournament.
184 lbs
The top three seeds here have not faced one another yet this season although #1 Ryan Reyes of Oregon State did defeat #3 Dom Ducharme of Bakersfield 6-1 last year. Look for Ducharme Vs #2 Cade Belshay of Arizona State to be a good match. No allocations here, it'll be all at large bids. Can see top two for sure, maybe even three.
197 lbs
#1 Kordell Norfleet of Arizona State has really stepped it up a notch. A win over Oklahoma's Jake Woodley and a dominating fall over Wyoming's Stephen Buchanan leads me to believe that he's on a quest for All American status that will not be denied. I do think #2 J.J. Dixon of Oregon State is worth of an at large bid, but I do not see him denying Norfleet of his title.
HWT
Brian Andrews, Isley Carter, Gannon Gremmel, I'll be the first to say that Cohlton Schultz has more than outdone what I thought he was capable of in his freshman year. The young sundevil has more than earned his #1 seed here, but with that said, #2 Nathan Traxler of Stanford will be anything other than a pushover. Should be a good finals match.
There you have my thoughts. I'll leave with this last one.
What in the Hell is Stanford thinking?
You have six NCAA qualifiers (maybe even 7 if Eischens is eligible for an At large). One of which is still undefeated! All American material? Without a question. NCAA champion material? Hey, so far, so good. I digress I suppose, but what a shame it is that this level of talent isn't wanted by their own school. What a shame that as of now they're all being told, "we don't care about the success you have given the school or the pride you bring it in your accomplishments." All being told, "Find somewhere else to compete." How pathetic are those in charge at Stanford? Unbelievable.
Saturday, February 27, 2021
PAC-12 Thoughts After Bracket Release: 2021
Friday, February 26, 2021
SOCON Thoughts After Pre-Seed Release: 2021
First things first, I am saddened that Davidson will not be attending this year. I'm not going to try and save face by pretending that I believe the Wildcats would've sent a lot on through to the NCAA tournament. Matter of fact, I don't think they would have. I do however think that 133 lbs'er Kyle Gorant had potential to have a good tournament. No guarantee and he would have had to have outwrestled his seed, but I do believe he had potential to finish in third place.
With that said, let's look at the weights.
125 lbs
The NCAA has only allotted one qualification at this weight and it'll be an all out war to see who gets it. #1 Codi Russell of Appalachian State and #2 Fabian Gutierrez of Chattanooga will be every bit of the battle that it was when Russell barely edged Gutierrez 4-3 earlier this season. It'll be one of the best finals of the night, if not the best one. The runner-up here should be in contention for an at large bid, regardless of who it is. Both of these guys finished as SOCON runner-ups last season, Gutierrez at 125 and Russell at 133. Both look to trade in their silvers for gold.
133 lbs
The Citadel's #1 Jake Rotunda looks to have a fairly smooth ride into the finals, although I do believe that #2 Sean Carter of Appalachian State will give him a run for his money. Again, even though the NCAA only has one spot allotted, I feel a good chance for an at large bid.
141 lbs
The #1 seed goes to Chattanooga's Francisco Valdes on account of an undefeated 9-0 record. I give merit to the possibility of #2 Anthony Brito of Appalachian State perhaps knocking him off in the finals as well as the possibility of him getting knocked off earlier on. Spencer Leonhardt the backup to #4 Shannon Hanna of Campbell took Valdes into sudden victory in a 4-2 loss. This weight may be more up for grabs than anticipated. Only see the one allotment going here. Don't think this weight will get an at large.
149 lbs
The parity of this weight class seeds #3 through #7 makes my head spin. Yet I'm not sure if it really matters of if it's worth getting into because there's not much reason to think that third place will get an at large selection. The weight has allotted two NCAA qualifications and both #1 Jon Milner of Appalachian State and #2 Josh Heil of Campbell, who both won SOCON titles last season (Heil at 141, Milner at 149) are distinctively above the rest.
IF...third place is allotted an at large bid, it'll be interesting to see who earns it. While Job Chishko of VMI is seeded #3, keep in mind that he lost 4-0 to #5 Aiden Murphy of Chattanooga and Gardner Webb's #6 Brandon Bright tech'd him 17-0. A case of A beat B, B beat C, C beat A and everything else in between. Chaos.
157 lbs
If it wasn't for that damn 7-3 loss to #3 seed Weston Wichman of Chattanooga, I would've been pretty much sold on the idea of #1 Ben Barton of Campbell walking away with the SOCON title. He defeated #2 Cody Bond 5-4, who dropped a 5-4 decision to Wichman. Honestly, all three in my opinion have a shot at winning the SOCON title. Don't see any at larges here, so winner take all.
165 lbs
I think this weight class could shape up to be interesting. Will Formato of Appalachian State takes the #1 seed going into the championships, but his last two matches with #2 Rodrick Mosley of Gardner-Webb have been close. A 2-1 decision the last time the two met and a 3-2 decision the time before that.
It's also conceivable that Formato doesn't even make the finals. In the semis he'll have #4 Dazjon Casto of the Citadel, who took Formato into overtime in a tight 3-1 loss.
Casto lost 5-3 to #3 Drew Nicholson of Chattanooga this season, but is 2-3 against him in five matches.
If this weight class goes according to seeds, with the champion being allotted, I say that we'll for sure see one at large bid here. If there are upsets, I can see as many as one allotted, plus three at large bids, for a total of four qualifiers.
174 lbs
The final between #1 Austin Murphy of Campbell and #2 Thomas Flitz of Appalachian State should prove to be a good one. Murphy edged Flitz, a SOCON runner-up last year, earlier this season 5-4.
184 lbs
#1 Caleb Hopkins of Campbell looks to be in pretty good shape here as he owns a 4:27 fall over #2 Jah'Quan Anderson of VMI & a 5-2 victory over #3 Matt Waddell of Chattanooga. The Semi-final between Anderson and Waddell, who have yet to meet in their careers, should prove to be a good one. Waddell was a SOCON runner-up last season.
197 lbs
#1 seed Chris Kober of Campbell should have a smooth sail into the finals, but may have some trouble once he gets there against either #2 Tyler Mousaw of VMI or #3 Andrew Logan of Chattanooga, who he only defeated 3-2 earlier this season. The Semi between Mousaw and Logan should be good.
HWT
It was all the way back in the 2018-2019 season when #1 Michael McAleavey of the Citadel and #2 Anthony Perrine of Gardner-Webb met on the mat, where McAleavey won a tight 6-5 decision. Should be a good match.
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
ACC Quick Thoughts After Pre-Seed Release: 2021
The ACC's growth over the years has been phenomenal and to give testimony to the toughness that the conference has become, I honestly can see as many as 41 qualifiers this season. That's 68% of the available varsity starters of the ACC's six programs advancing to the NCAA tournament.
125 lbs
The NCAA has allotted two spots here and I think that is pretty fair. The final should be Sam Latona of Virginia Tech with a comfortable victory over Joe Camacho of North Carolina state as he's defeated him 7-4 & 10-5 in previous meetings.
133 lbs
Both #1 Mickey Phillippi & #2 Korbin Myers of Virginia Tech are undefeated this season, as the nod properly went to Phillippi who over all is 3-1 in matches with Myers. They have all been close. 2-0, 3-2, 2-1 tiebreaker in favor of Phillippi and 5-3 in favor of Myers. This should prove to be an exciting, to the wire finals.
As the NCAA has allotted the top three here, North Carolina's #3 Joe Heilmann will have to fight to earn to earn his spot. This year he defeated #4 Louie Hayes of Virginia 2-0. He hasn't faced #5 Jarrett Trombley of North Carolina State yet this year, but in the past, it was Trombley who won a 10-2 major decision. As to Hayes and Trombley, the two have split with Hayes winning a 5-3 tiebreaker and Trombley winning a 4-2 decision. The battle for third here, is real.
141 lbs
#1 Tariq Wilson of North Carolina State defeated #2 Zach Sherman of North Carolina 9-6 in a previous meeting this season. #3 Brian Courtney of Virginia defeated #4 Cole Matthews of Pittsburgh 3-1 in a previous meeting this season. If things work out as they do on paper, both the championship final and the consolation final should prove to be good matches.
However, there's a chance that things don't work that way. The semi-final between Wilson and Matthews will prove to be good. Matthews took Wilson into the tiebreakers earlier this year and while Wilson has won two other meetings, Matthews has defeated him in the past. The other semi-final putting Sherman against Courtney should also prove to be good. Sherman won their meeting 4-3 earlier this season.
149 lbs
Things here are pretty cut and dry. #1 Austin O'Connor of North Carolina was dominant in his 11-4 meeting with #2 Bryce Andonian of Virginia earlier this season. #3 Ed Scott of North Carolina State sharp 12-6 over Duke's #4 Josh Finesilver.
157 lbs
As was 149 lbs, 157 is rather cut and dry. I think things do point to things ending as they do on paper. #1 Hayden Hidlay of North Carolina State comfortably defeated #2 Justin McCoy of Virginia 6-3. ## Connor Brady of Virginia Tech a comfortable win over #4 Josh McClure of North Carolina 6-1.
165 lbs
This is perhaps the Atlantic Coast Conference's most interesting weight class. Pittsburgh's Jake Wentzel takes the #1 seed over #2 Mekhi Lewis of Virginia Tech due to an injury default. Which leads me to believe that if Lewis is still suffering from that injury, even though he owns an 8-2 victory over #3 Jake Keating of Virginia, that could now prove to be a better semi-final than anticipated. At 100%, I'd easily give the nod to Lewis. However, if he's wrestling conservatively because of an injury, this bodes well for Keating. Keating is relentless in his attacks and has one of the best gas tanks in NCAA Division I wrestling today. You're not going to beat him playing defense.
Then to look at the other semi-final. #1 Wentzel Vs #4 Kennedy Monday of North Carolina. Wentzel won 10-6 in this year's meeting, as he also owns a 3-2 victory over Monday. Monday has defeated Wentzel 8-5 in the past.
If that's not enough, take into consideration that Wentzel's only loss this season is to #5 Thomas Bullard of North Carolina State 4-3. Bullard lost close matches to Keating as well as Monday, 4-3 and 4-2 respectively.
A LOT could happen here.
174 lbs
#1 Daniel Bullard of North Carolina State and #2 Clay Lautt of North Carolina should give us another exciting final between the two in state rivals. They're 1-1 against one another with Bullard winning 6-4 and Lautt winning 4-3. While I can't see #3 Victor Marcelli of Virginia defeating either one, if he holds his position, that should put him in great shape for an at large bid.
184 lbs
#1 Hunter Bolen of Virginia Tech has been able to hold off #2 Trent Hidlay of North Carolina State in two 2-1 nail bitters. It'll be an interesting final.
#3 Devin Kane of North Carolina looks to be in pretty good shape, as he is 3-0 against #5 Gregg Harvey of Pittsburgh and he has yet to face #4 Michael Battista of Virginia. Battista defeated Harvey 3-2 earlier this season.
197 lbs
#1 Nino Bonaccorsi of Pittsburgh defeated #2 Jay Aiello of Virginia 7-5 earlier this season, and this will for sure prove to be another great match between the two. I think spots 3 through 5 are up for grabs between #3 Max Shaw of North Carolina, #4 Nick Reenan of North Carolina State & #5 Stan Smeltzer of Virginia Tech. If they finish in order, I can see only four being sent here. However, if Smeltzer can upset his way to either third or fourth place, look for all five to receive bids to the NCAA tournament.
HWT
I think things will work out as they have on paper here. #1 Deonte Wilson of North Carolina State defeated #2 Quinn Miller of Virginia 2-0 earlier this year. The score making the match seem closer than the control Wilson displayed. #3 Jon Borst of Virginia Tech defeating #4 Andrew Gunning of North Carolina 3-1, as he's defeated him three other times in his career.
Give it a slight probability that Borst may be able to knock off Miller in the semi-finals. Miller won a tight 6-4 decision earlier this season.
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
MAC Thoughts after Pre-seed Release: 2021
Let's take a quick look at the MAC shall we? Go through weight by weight and see what sticks out to me.
125 lbs
The NCAA has allotted the top three spots for NCAA qualification here and no doubt about it, in order #1 Drew Hildebrandt of Central Michigan, #2 Connor Brown of Missouri & #3 Jake Ferri of Kent State have all earned their spot.
BUT!!!! #4 Luke Werner of Lock Haven who has yet to wrestle a match this season could more than throw the whole seeding thing out the window. He was 3rd in the MAC last season, and the last he and HIldebrandt met it was a tight 3-2 decision for the Chippewa. I also wouldn't look past #5 Jonathan Tropea for one second either. He's been tough in the past and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see him show up here. Lastly it may be nothing more than hope talking at this point, but if for some reason Willy Girard is entered at this tournament and he's 100%, that could be the talk of the tournament.
133 lbs
The NCAA is going to take the top six here and rightly so. Not 100% positive they'll finish in the order they're seeded, but I think the six slotted to go will be the ones who do. Slight chance #7 Justin Patrick of Cleveland State steals a spot.
141 lbs
#1 Allan Hart of Missouri, #2 Dresdon Simon of Central Michigan & #3 Saul Ervin of Southern Illinois-Edwardsville are all allotted spots to the NCAA tournament. This doesn't bode well for #4 Derek Spann of Buffalo, who was pinned by Simon at 2:18 and who dropped a 7-0 decision to Ervin. With that noted, I don't see him stealing a spot, but I do see him finishing in fourth place as predicted and with all of the at large bids left, I do believe he'll be awarded one.
149 lbs
I think things will go pretty much on the mat as they're written on paper. Missouri's Brock Mauller ought to cake walk through this bracket. #2 Anthony Cheloni of Northern Illinois and #3 Tyler Vath of Edinboro should prove to be a good semi-final. It ended in a 2-0 decision in Cheloni's favor the last the two met. Look for #4 Kody Komara of Kent State to perhaps receive an at large bid when it is all said and done. Like Spann at 141 lbs, unlikely he'll steal a spot, but as long as he finishes in fourth place, he has a good shot at an at large.
157 lbs
#1 Jesse Dellavecchia of Rider defeated #2 Jarrett Jacques of Missouri 4-0 in last year's MAC finals, but I'm not sold that Jacques necessarily gets past #3 Justin Ruffin of Southern Illinois-Edwardsville in the semi-finals. Although Jacques has won every meeting between the two, they have always been close. 3-1, 6-4 sudden victory and their last match a 4-3 squeaker. It's hard to beat someone in close matches four times in a row. It'll be an exciting match.
165 lbs
This is an interesting weight class. Freshman Keegan O'Toole of Missouri has looked solid all season. Looked real good in a 5-1 victory over #2 Izzak Olejnik of Northern Illinois. Do I think O'Toole wins the title and the sole allotment to the NCAA tournament? I think he has a good chance. In fact, a great one. It's the rest of the weight that I'm anxious to see how it turns out.
#7 Kolby Ho of Clarion is who interest me here the most. 8-3 thus far on the season and in his three losses, he hasn't always looked pretty. Yet the guy has a gas tank on him and he can "Get Dangerous" as Darkwing Duck would say, at times.
174 lbs
This may be where I raise the most eyebrows, but hear me out before you totally dismiss me as a lunatic. You have #1 Andrew McNally of Kent State and #2 Peyton Mocco of Missouri. Both fine candidates for the 2021 MAC title. Yet you know who I think has a good shot at winning the MAC title this season? #6 Jacob Oliver of Edinboro. Make no mistake, I have no problem with him being seeded sixth. With a 5-3 loss to #3 Mason Kauffman of Northern Illinois and a 5-3 loss to #5 Paul Pierce of George Mason, it is about the only place you could have put him. Yet keep in mind he took McNally to the wire earlier this season in a barnburner 7-6 loss. He stuck McNally last year at the 3:15 mark. Oliver is a tough wrestler. He wrestles like he's capable he'll far out do his #6 seed.
184 lbs
#1 seed Britt Wilson of Northern Illinois makes his third MAC finals appearance in route to his second MAC championship. I have no doubt about that. It's whether it's against #2 Jeremiah Kent of Missouri (wouldn't that be ironic if he wrestled for Kent State?) or #3 George Walton of Rider. I think Kent Vs Walton, will make for an interesting Semi-final.
197 lbs
#1 Greg Bulsack of Clarion & #2 Rocky Elam of Missouri, I believe this is the exact MAC finals we'll get. I do believe that #3 Collin McCracken of Kent State should live up to his seed, which should place him in a decent position for an at large bid. However, this weight like 165, at least in my opinion could be fairly wide open.
You want to know who to keep an eye on here? Unseeded Matt Correnti of Rider. He hasn't wrestled worth a hoot this year. I'm not debating that. However, he CAN. Is he going to come up and steal a spot from Bulsack or Elam? No, he isn't. I don't see him coming up and taking third place here either. However, a spot in the top eight? Shocking the MAC by making his way onto the award stand? You read it here first.
HWT
The NCAA only allotting two at this weight class is a crime against humanity and all I have to say about it is, GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY!! As far as I'm concerned the top seven deserve to NCAA qualifications. I think #1 Matt Stencel of Central Michigan is not only the top guy in the MAC, I think while everyone overlooks him and dismisses him from the discussion, I do believe if anyone can make the NCAA finals anything other than a Gable Steveson Vs Mason Parris, it is Matt Stencel. Ethan Laird of Rider has looked exceptionally good this season as well and that should be our final.
As to the rest of the MAC? #3 Zach Elam of Missouri, #4 Sam Schuyler of Buffalo, #5 Jon Spaulding of Edinboro, #6 Colton McKiernan of Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and #7 Max Ihry of Northern Illinois as I said, are all NCAA qualification material in my opinion. With that said, I can't see all five of them being allotted at large bids. Maybe, just maybe if everything goes according to plan and their are no major upsets, but even then, it's not a give me. It'll be interesting to see what happens.
Monday, February 22, 2021
EIWA Quick Thoughts After Pre-Seed Release
125 lbs
These are going to be exciting semi-finals that could as easily produce a #4 Vs #3 final as it could a #1 Vs #2.
#1 Jaret Lane of Lehigh Vs #4 Dylan Ryder of Hofstra is going to be a good match. These two haven't met yet. Ryder has the tools and capabilities to win an EIWA title. An upset here wouldn't surprise me at all.
#2 Logan Treastor of Navy Vs #3 Gage Curry of American. Curry hasn't wrestled yet this season, so I wasn't 100% positive if he was going to be in the EIWA tournament or not. He's a dangerous, go getter that has a history of wrestling well at the EIWA tournament. After earning a wildcard in 2018, he finished 3rd in 2019 & 4th in 2020. He owns a 3-2 victory over Treastor last season. Wouldn't be at all surprised to see him in the finals. Has never wrestled Lane, has split with Ryder in a 5-0 win & a 12-8 loss.
133 lbs
#1 Malyke Hines of Lehigh would have been seeded pretty high at 141 had he gone that weight instead as he recently defeated #2 Zach Trampe of Binghamton. As a fan of Darren Miller's I'd love to see his #2 seed hold and him make the finals. It'd be a great thing for Bucknell wrestling. However a recent 6-4 loss to #6 Mark Montgomery of Army sticks out in my mind. I also think that Jacob Allen of Navy will prove to be better than his #7 seed.
141 lbs
#1 Cody Trybus of Navy has more than earned his #1 seed & should give the Midshipmen an EIWA champion. Not convinced that he'll face #2 Trampe though. #3 Lane Peters of Army gave Trampe a Hell of a match at last year's EIWA's in a wild 9-8 fiasco. We could very well see a battle of the ground vs the sea.
149 lbs
This is a tough weight class full of a lot of good wrestlers. They're only allotted three at the moment but I KNOW they'll take the top four here & I THINK they'll take the top five. Which doesn't bode well for #6 Greg Gaxiola of Hofstra. I'd like to see him at least out do his seed by one and place fifth or better but on paper that looks like a tall order. #5 Luke Nichter of Drexel handled him fairly easily 7-2.
157 lbs
It could very well end up #1 Holden Heller of Hofstra Vs #2 Markus Hartman of Army but the last person I'd over look in any match is #3 Parker Kropman of Drexel. He's an "Under the lights" wrestler who has shown up and delivered more than once in his career. With such victories as Matt Kolodzik and Jared Prince, knockin off the #2 & #3 seeds in route to an EIWA crown would not surprise me at all.
165 lbs
Feel pretty comfortable here. #1 Zach Hartman of Bucknell Vs #2 Tanner Skidgel of Navy should prove to be an exciting final. Skidgel upset Hartman in last year's EIWA final. Anxious to see if he can do it again.
174 lbs
I think as long as Michael O'Malley of Drexel doesn't put the cart in front of the horse, he ought to match by match work his way to an EIWA title.
184 lbs
I'd be outright shocked if Louie DePrez of Binghamton does anything other than absolutely dominate his way to an EIWA title. My prediction for O.W.
197 lbs
Is Jake Jakobsen's real name really Jon or is that a typo of Intermat's part? Either way he's earned the #1 seed and owns a 7-1 victory over #2 J.T. Brown of Army. I don't think he'll win that solidly this time though. I think Brown gives him a better match.
HWT
#1 Jordan Wood wins his fourth in what I believe will eventually be five (He's eligible again next year right?????) EIWA titles. That' I'm sold on. What I'm not sold on is that he meets #2 John Birchmeier of Navy in the finals. Yes, yes he has already defeated both #3 Zachary Knighton-Ward of Hofstra (4-3) & #4 Bobby Heald of Army (6-4) but which ever of the two he ends up facing in the semi-finals I'm not sold he defeats this time.
Like em', hate em', don't care about em' either way these are my thoughts as we head towards the EIWA championships.
Sunday, February 21, 2021
Iowa High School Wrestling: Are there Schools in 2021 that Still Don't Have Programs????
My friend Dennis Doderer asked me the other day how many high schools in Iowa didn't have wrestling programs. I told him that while I knew of a few that didn't, I had no idea how many in total.
Truth is, it is anything but an easy question to answer. For one, we have many schools in Iowa that don't have wrestling programs themselves, but they share a program with a nearby school. Hell, my high school is one of them. I went to Sigourney which has a rich wrestling tradition that began in the 1962-1963 school year. Nearby Keota has never sponsored a wrestling program of their own but began to share with Sigourney in the 2004-2005 school year. It's far from the only school that does this.
Rivermont Collegiate sends kids to Bettendorf
Des Moines Christian goes to Urbandale
Melcher-Dallas goes to Southeast Warren
Mormon Trek goes to Central Decatur
Murray goes to East Union
To my knowledge both Notre Dame & Danville go to West Burlington
So, that's not what I'm referring to.
I'm talking straight up that if you attend "This high school" you aren't wrestling. No program of their own. They do not share a program with any nearby high school. You go here, wrestling is not an option.
How many of those schools do we have in Iowa? That I do not know. That I do not have an answer for.
From what I have been able to gather?
Well there are a few I'm up in the air about.
I know that when Hillcrest Academy was Iowa Mennonite School they could wrestle at Mid-Prairie if they wanted to. I can only remember in the past 30 years one kid ever doing it, but as far as I know the option was always available. Now that it is Hillcrest Academy, I do not know.
Meskwaki Settlement School I think has the option of wrestling at South Tama if they choose to. I'm not 100% positive about that though.
As to the other schools on my list, I hope not to make anyone mad. I can just imagine someone getting all up in arms screaming at me, "We have a wrestling program!!!!" Or "We've shared with such and such since 1990'something!!!!!"
Please, if I'm wrong, I apologize ahead of time. I'm actually hoping that the answer to how many schools don't have wrestling at all, period, is closer to zero than what I have it.
Here's what I came up with....
Seymour - I know Seymour never had wrestling when I was in high school. I know when I was in high school, they didn't have another school to go to, to wrestle. I believe it is still that way.
Unity Christian and Trinity Christian - I know a kid I went to college with that was originally going to go to Unity Christian but transferred to Western Christian for the sole purpose that they had a wrestling program and Unity did not. Believe it is still that way.
Diagonal HIgh School
Ankeny Christian - This one I'm still not 100% sure about
Pella Christian
Maharishi - Know for a fact
Marquette Catholic
Prince Of Peace Catholic
Calamus Wheatland
Clayton Ridge
Newell-Fonda
Dunkerton
Kee
And the strangest of all of my research.....
Every high school in Monona County. This includes Whiting, West Monona and Maple Valley Anthon Oto. I wasn't able to find any trace of wrestling at any of these high schools.
Now, I'm more than happy to be corrected. I'm hoping that all 17 high schools I have listed above in fact either DO have a wrestling program or have it so that their kids can wrestle at another program or a shared program.
Help me out. Thanks.
UPDATE!!! UPDATE!!! UPDATE!!
My fellow wrestling enthusiast/historian Britt Malinsky aka TheSetonHallPirate gave me a list of what he is pretty sure is an accurate list of all of the schools in Iowa that do not offer wrestling at any level. (Meaning the school doesn't have a program, doesn't share with another's program, doesn't have their kids go to nearby school if they want to wrestle)
The # next to the school is the number of students 9th, 10th, 11th & 12th grades. Some of these schools such as Ottumwa Christian don't have sports at all. So keep those kind of facts in mind.
Ar-We-Va, Westside 50
Calamus-Wheatland 91
Colo-Nesco 97
Diagonal 26
Easton Valley 113
Essex 40
Gehlen Catholic, LeMars 110
Grand View Christian School 111
Heartland Christian 27
Iowa School for the Deaf 23
Maharishi School 34
Marquette Catholic, Bellevue 48
Mormon Trail, Garden Grove 45
Moulton-Udell 38
Newell-Fonda 133
Ottumwa Christian School 10
Pella Christian 183
Promise Academy at Quakerdale 9
Scattergood Friends 21
Seymour 68
Siouxland Christian 51
Stanton 57
Trinity Christian 55
Unity Christian, Orange City 227
West Central, Maynard 66
Woodward Academy 158
Sunday, February 14, 2021
2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Qualification Predictions = HWT
Black = Automatic Qualifiers
Blue = At Large Bids
Green = Monkey Wrenches
Quinn Miller of Virginia
Deonte Wilson of North Carolina State
Hunter Catka of Virginia Tech
Andrew Gunning of North Carolina
Gannon Gremmel of Iowa State
Carter Isley of Northern Iowa
Brian Andrews of Wyoming
Josh Heindselman of Oklahoma
Brandon Metz of North Dakota State
Dalton Robertson of Northern Colorado
Gable Steveson of Minnesota
Mason Parris of Michigan
Tony Cassioppi of Iowa
Trent Hilger of Wisconsin
Tate Orndorff of Ohio State
Christian Lance of Nebraska
Luke Luffman of Illinois
Seth Nevills of Penn State
Jordan Wood of Lehigh
John Birchmeier of Navy
Bobby Heald of Army
Zachary Knighton Ward of Hofstra
Matt Stencel of Central Michigan
Ethan Laird of Rider
Zach Elam of Missouri
Max Ihry of Northern Illinois
Jon Spaulding of Edinboro
Sam Schuyler of Buffalo
Colton McKiernan of Southern Illinois Edwardsville
Jordan Earnest of Ohio
Nathan Traxler of Stanford
Cohlton Schultz of Arizona State
Michael McAleavey of The Citadel
2021 NCAA Division I Qualification Predictions = 197 lbs
Black = Automatic Qualifiers
Blue = At Large Bids
Green = Monkey Wrenches
Issac Trumble of North Carolina State
Nino Bonaccorsi of Pittsburgh
Jay Aiello of Virginia
Max Shaw of North Carolina
Andy Smith of Virginia Tech
Tanner Sloan of South Dakota State
Noah Adams of West Virginia
Stephen Buchanan of Wyoming
A.J. Ferrari of Oklahoma State
Jake Woodley of Oklahoma
Jacob Seely of Northern Colorado
Kayne Hutchison of Air Force
Keegan Moore of Northern Iowa
Myles Amine of Michigan
Jake Warner of Iowa
Cam Caffey of Michigan State
Eric Schultz of Nebraska
Michael Beard of Penn State
Lucas Davison of Northwestern
Billy Janzer of Rutgers
Gavin Hoffman of Ohio State
Matt Wroblewski of Illinois
Jake Koser of Navy
Jake Jakobsen of Lehigh
J.T. Brown of Army
Bryan McLaughlin of Drexel
Greg Bulsak of Clarion
Zach Elam of Missouri
Colin McCracken of Kent State
Kordell Norfleet of Arizona State
J.J. Dixon of Oregon State
Tyler Mousaw of VMI
Chris Kober of Campbell
2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Qualification Predictions = 184 lbs
Black = Automatic Qualifiers
Blue = At Large Bids
Green = Monkey Wrenches
Hunter Bolen of Virginia Tech
Trent Hidlay of North Carolina State
Devin Kane of North Carolina
Gregg Harvey of Pittsburgh
Michael Battista of Virginia
Dakota Geer of Oklahoma State
Alan Clothier of Northern Colorado
Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa
Tate Samuelson of Wyoming
Hunter Cruz of Fresno State
Darien Roberts of Oklahoma
Aaron Brooks of Penn State
Taylor Venz of Nebraska
Chris Weiler of Wisconsin
Layne Malczewski of Michigan State
Nelson Brands of Iowa
John Poznanski of Rutgers
Rocky Jordan of Ohio State
Owen Webster of Minnesota
Max Lyon of Purdue
Jelani Embree of Michigan
Louie DePrez of Binghamnton
David Key of Navy
Charles Small of Hofstra
Joseph Accousti of Sacred Heart
Taylor Brown of Army
Britt Wilson of Northern Illinois
Colton Hawks of Missouri
George Walton of Rider
Dom Ducharme of Bakersfield
Matt Waddell of Chattanooga
Caleb Hopkins of Campbell
Zach Brown of VMI
Jah'Quan Anderson of Gardner Webb
2020-2021 The IVY LEAGUE What Would Have Been
Let's address the elephant in the room shall we? The 2021 EIWA tournament is going to look a lot different than what it has in recent years. All of the Ivy League Schools decided not to wrestle this season and thus will not be participating in the conference championships.
That bodes well for the remaining EIWA schools as what would have other wise been qualification allotments for these Ivy League Schools will now go to them instead.
Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, Pennsylvania, Franklin & Marshall, Princeton and Brown. Seven schools that will be missing from this year's EIWA's.
How many Qualifiers do I think these schools would have produced?
I'm probably being a bit optimistic if not overtly generous but my guess is 14.
BROWN
I'm not sold that Brown would have qualified anyone for the 2021 championships, although I'll take into consideration Ricky Cabanillas. He won a couple of notable matches last season and looked good in some of his losses to notable opponents. If the Bears were going to send someone to the NCAA's this year, I believe it would have been Cabanillas.
PRINCETON
I have a lot of high hopes for the Tigers and believe they'll be atop the EIWA challenging for conference titles year in and year out. However I think that the 2020-2021 would have been a year of rebuilding for the black and orange. I do think though that with a good tournament Marshall Keller would've gone to the NCAA's this season.
FRANKLIN & MARSHALL
Not only do I think that Wil Gil would've punched his ticket to the NCAA's this year, I honestly believe that he is good enough to where he could have won the EIWA's. Hear me out before you dismiss that claim. He beat #1 seed Sal Profaci TWICE last season. He took 3rd placer Noah Baughman to the edge in an exciting 12-11 loss. Yes, at times he doesn't look good, but when he's on he's on. I do believe that if he can be more consistent he is an EIWA title contender.
PENNSYLVANIA
Anthony Artalona would've not only qualified this season, he too would've contended for the EIWA title.
COLUMBIA
Solid and consistent as usual, I say the Lions would have sent at least two on through to the NCAA's. Laurence Kosoy and Matt Kazimir.
CORNELL
Most likely changes would have been made to the lineup and newcomers would've been better than I initially anticipated. With that in mind, my thinking of five qualifiers for the Big Red is probably low. Where I have the most confidence and assurance is in Vitali Arujau, Yanni Diakomihalis, Colton Yapoujian, Max Dean and Ben Darmstadt.
HARVARD
Here is where I might surprise some people. The Crimson haven't had a good year in collegiate wrestling for a while. It's been a struggle to get back to where the program once was. I think had they wrestled this season, they would have had some highlights including qualifying four to the NCAA championships. I think both the Jaffe brothers A.J. and Michael both would have qualified. I'm positive that Philip Conigliaro and Yaraslau Slavilouski would have qualified.
There you have it.
Everyone that follows me and reads my writing knows good and well that after the conference tournaments are said and done that I will write up who I feel are the best wrestlers who didn't qualify for the 2021 NCAA tournament. I am going to specifically focus on those that tried to qualify, those that wrestled and missed out on qualification. I realize that these Ivy League wrestlers will be brought into the conversation and that's why I bring them up here.
2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Qualification Predictions = 174 lbs
Black = Automatic Qualifiers
Blue = At Large Bids
Green = Monkey Wrenches
Daniel Bullard of North Carolina State
Clay Lautt of North Carolina
Victor Marcelli of Virginia
Demetrius Romero of Utah Valley
Hayden Hastings of Wyoming
Dustin Plott of Oklahoma State
Julien Broderson of Iowa State
Jackson Hemauer of Northern Colorado
Mike Kemerer of Iowa
Logan Massa of Michigan
Mikey Labriola of Nebraska
Kaleb Romero of Ohio State
Carter Starocci of Penn State
D.J. Washington of Indiana
Jackson Turley of Rutgers
Drew Hughes of Michigan State
Emil Soehnlen of Purdue
Jake Allar of Minnesota
Philip Spadafora of Maryland
Michael O'Malley of Drexel
Dean Caravela of Navy
Ben Pasiuk of Army
Ross McFarland of Hofstra
Jake Noland of Binghamton
Vincent Andreano of Bucknell
Andrew McNally of Kent State
Peyton Mocco of Missouri
Jacob Oliver of Edinboro
Mason Kauffman of Northern Illinois
Angel Garcia of Rider
Bernie Traux of Cal Poly
Tyler Eischens of Stanford
Thomas Flitz of Appalachian State
Austin Murphy of Campbell
2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Qualification Predictions = 165 lbs
Blue = At Large Bids
Green = Monkey Wrenches
Mekhi Lewis of Virginia Tech
Jake Wentzel of Pittsburgh
Kennedy Monday of North Carolina
Thomas Bullard of North Carolina State
Jake Keating of Virginia
Travis Wittlake of Oklahoma State
Peyton Hall of West Virginia
Cole Moody of Wyoming
Luke Weber of North Dakota State
Isaac Judge of Iowa State
Colten Carlson of South Dakota State
Alex Marinelli of Iowa
Ethan Smith of Ohio State
Joe Lee of Penn State
Andrew Sparks of Minnesota
Peyton Robb of Nebraska
Danny Braunagel of Illinois
Cam Amine of Michigan
Jake Tucker of Michigan State
Zach Hartman of Bucknell
Tanner Skidgel of Navy
Ricky Stamm of Hofstra
Evan Barczak of Drexel
Brevin Cassella of Binghamton
Keegan O'Toole of Missouri
Izzak Olejnik of Northern Illinois
Colt Yinger of Ohio
Kolby Ho of Clarion
Shane Griffith of Stanford
Anthony Valencia of Arizona State
Will Formato of Appalachian State
Rodrick Mosley of Gardner Webb
Drew Nicholson of Chattanooga
Dazjon Casto of The Citadel
Saturday, February 13, 2021
2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Qualification Predictions = 157 lbs
Black = Automatic Qualifiers
Blue = At Large Bids
Green = Monkey Wrenches
Hayden Hidlay of North Carolina State
Justin McCoy of Virginia
Brady Connor of Virginia Tech
Josh McClure of North Carolina
David Carr of Iowa State
Justin Thomas of Oklahoma
Wyatt Sheets of Oklahoma State
Jared Franek of North Dakota State
Jacob Wright of Wyoming
Cade DeVos of South Dakota State
Ryan Deakin of Northwestern
Brayton Lee of Minnesota
Kendall Coleman of Purdue
Kaleb Young of Iowa
Will Lewan of Michigan
Brady Berge of Penn State
Chase Saldate of Michigan State
Robert Kanniard of Rutgers
Garrett Model of Wisconsin
Elijah Cleary of Ohio State
Caleb Licking of Nebraska
Michael Doetsch of Maryland
Markus Hartman of Army
Sage Heller of Hofstra
Parker Kropman of Drexel
Nick Delp of Bucknell
Jesse Dellavecchia of Rider
Jarrett Jacques of MIssouri
Justin Ruffin of Southern Illinois Edwardsville
Jacori Teemer of Arizona State
Requir Van Der Merwe of Stanford
Hunter Willits of Oregon State
Cody Bond Appalachian State
Ruffin of Nort
2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Qualification Predictions = 149 lbs
Black = Automatic Qualifiers
Blue = At Large Bids
Green = Monkey Wrenches
Austin O'Connor of North Carolina
Bryce Andonian of Virginia Tech
Ed Scott of North Carolina State
Josh Finesilver of Duke
Luke Kemerer of Pittsburgh
Boo Lewallen of Oklahoma State
Jaret Degen of Iowa State
Andrew Alirez of Northern Colorado
Mitch Moore of Oklahoma
Sammy Sasso of Ohio State
Max Murin of Iowa
Kanen Storr of Michigan
Justin Thomas of Oklahoma
Brock Hardy of Nebraska
Michael Blockhus of Minnesota
Griffin Parriot of Purdue
Graham Rooks of Indiana
Michael Van Brill
PJ Ogunsanya of Army
Jimmy Hoffman of Lehigh
Casey Cobb of Navy
Luke Nichter of Drexel
Greg Gaxiola of Hofstra
Brock Mauller of Missouri
Kody Komara of Kent State
Kollin Myers of Lock Haven
Tyler Vath of Edinboro
Anthony Cheloni of Northern Illinois
Legend Lamer of Cal Poly
Jaden Abas of Stanford
John Milner of Appalachian State
Josh Heil of Campbell
2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Qualification Predictions = 141 lbs
Black = Automatic Qualifiers
Blue = At Large Bids
Green = Monkey Wrenches
Black of course if who I take it earned the automatic allotments and who I think will get them. Blue is who I believe will be selected as at large bids. Green are the guys I don't think made the top 33 in the minds of the selection committee, but who are more than capable of stealing a spot.
Tariq Wilson of North Carolina State
Zach Sherman of North Carolina
Cole Matthews of Pittsburgh
Brian Courtney of Virginia
Dom Demas of Oklahoma
Ian Parker of Iowa State
D.J. Lloren of Fresno State
Dusty Hone of Oklahoma State
Clay Carlson of South Dakota State
Chris Sandoval of Northern Colorado
Chase Zollman of Wyoming
Logan Peterson of Air Force
Dylan Droegemeuller of North Dakota State
Jaydin Eierman of Iowa
Sebastian Rivera of Rutgers
Nick Lee of Penn State
Chad Red of Nebraska
Dylan Duncan of Illinois
Drew Mattin of Michigan
Parker Filius of Purdue
Cayden Rooks of Indiana
Cody Trybus of Navy
Zack Trampe of Binghamton
Lane Peters of Army
Kurt Phipps of Bucknell
Allan Hart of Missouri
Dresdon Simon of Central Michigan
Derek Spann of Buffalo
Saul Ervin of Southern Illinois Edwardsville
Josh Mason of Bloomsburg
Grant Willits of Oregon State
Lawrence Saenz of Cal Poly
Angelo Martinoni of Bakersfield
Peter Lipari of Arizona State
Anthony Brito of Appalachian State
Francisco Valdes of Chattanooga
Friday, February 12, 2021
2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Qualification Predictions = 133 lbs
Black = Automatic Qualifiers
Blue = At Large Bids
Green = Monkey Wrenches
Mickey Phillippi of Pittsburgh
Korbin Myers of Virginia Tech
Louie Hayes of Virginia
Jarrett Trombley of North Carolina State
Jaime Hernandez of North Carolina
Ryan Sullivan of West Virginia
Job Greenwood of Wyoming
Haiden Drury of Fresno State
Mosha Schwartz of Northern Colorado
Kyle Biscoglia of Northern Iowa
Jared Van Vleet of Air Force
Zach Price of South Dakota State
Austin DeSanto of Iowa
Roman Bravo Young of Penn State
Sammy Alvarez of Rutgers
Chris Cannon of Northwestern
Lucas Byrd of Illinois
Jordan Decatur of Ohio State
Boo Dryden of Minnesota
Alex Thomsen of Nebraska
Malyke Hines of Lehigh
Anthony Sobotker of Binghamton
Mark Montgomery of Army
Darren Miller of Bucknell
Chandler Olson of Drexel
Matt Schmitt of Missouri
Drew Marten of Central Michigan
Bryce West of Northern Illinois
Mario Guillen of Ohio
Richie Koehler of Rider
Tye Varndell of Edinboro
Michael McGhee of Arizona State
Devan Turner of Oregon State
Jason Miranda of Stanford
Paul Bianchi of Little Rock
Chance Rich of Bakersfield
Jake Rotunda of the Citadel
Sean Carter of Appalachian State
Of course again black is the automatic qualifiers and blue is who I believe will earn the At-Large selections. Of course the wrestlers in green are who I think could throw the whole thing out of whack with possible upsets. Spots are as easily stolen as they are earned.
With that said it is clear to see that I obviously wasn't happy with the PAC-12 receiving a whoppin' 0 bids and I do believe all five I listed are worthy candidates of the 13 at large selections that this weight class offers.
2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Qualification Predictions = 125 lbs
Black = Automatic Qualifiers
Blue = At Large Bids
Green = Monkey Wrenches
Sam Latona of Virginia Tech
Jakob Camacho of North Carolina State
Taylor LaMont of Utah Valley
Trevor Mastrogiovanni of Oklahoma State
Cody Phippen of Air Force
Brody Teske of Northern Iowa
Killian Cardinale of West Virginia
Danny Vega of South Dakota State
Jace Koelzer of Northern Colorado
Spencer Lee of Iowa
Devin Schroder of Purdue
Rayvon Foley of Michigan State
Dylan Ragusin of Michigan
Pat McKee of Minnesota
Liam Cronin of Nebraska
Michael DeAugustino of Northwestern
Malik Heinselman of Ohio State
Eric Barnett of Wisconsin
Brock Hudkins of Indiana
Justin Cardani of Illinois
Jaret Lane of Lehigh
Gage Curry of American
Micah Roes of Binghamton
Dylan Ryder of Hofstra
Logan Treaster of Navy
Drew Hildebrant of Central Michigan
Luke Werner of Lock Haven
Connor Brown of Missouri
Jake Ferri of Kent State
Josh Jones of George Mason
Jonathan Tropea of Rider
Willy Girard of Bloomsburg
Brian Courtney of Arizona State
Jackson DiSario of Stanford
Brandon Kaylor of Oregon State
Codi Russell of Appalachian State
Fabian Gutierrez of Chattanooga
I think this is fairly self explanatory. In black is who I think will earn the allocations. It is NOT necessarily in the order that I think they'll finish. In Blue is who I believe will be awarded an At-Large selection to the NCAA tournament.
Between Black and Blue you'll notice that the numbers add up to 33.
This is where Green comes in. Green are the wrestlers that I think might throw a monkey wrench in the whole thing and steal some spots. I don't think it's likely that an 0-1 Willy Girard comes in and manages to place fourth or higher at the MAC championships, but I do believe that it is possible. Stranger things have happened.
Sunday, February 7, 2021
2021 Class 1A Sectional 10 Results
 |
| Team Champions Sigourney-Keota Savages (Host of Tournament) |
 |
| 106 lbs 1. Dalton Ervin junior Moravia 2. Matt German sophomore North Mahaska 3. Mavy Pope sophomore New London *NOTE* - Ervin was a Sectional runner-up in 2020 |
 |
| 113 lbs 1. Aiden Golston freshman Moravia 2. T.J. Jirak sophomore Van Buren 3. Karson Kirkpatrick freshman Cardinal |
 |
| 120 lbs 1. Marcel Lopez junior New London 2. Paul De Jong sophomore North Mahaska 3. D.J. Hammes sophomore Sigourney-Keota *NOTE* Lopez is the 2020 returning State Champion *NOTE* Dejong was also a 2020 Sectional Runner-up |
 | ||||
| 126 lbs 1. Dan McLaughlin sophomore Sigourney-Keota 2. Korbin Camp freshman Van Buren 3. Logan Baker sophomore Pekin
|
 |
| 138 lbs 1. Michael Jones senior Pekin 2. Trent Terrell senior Wayne 3. Michael De Jong junior North Mahaska *NOTE* Jones was a sectional runner-up & District 3rd place finisher in 2020 *NOTE* De Jong was a sectional runner-up & District 3rd place finisher in 2020 |
 | |||||||||||
| 145 lbs 1. Dominic Lopez sophomore New London 2. Jakson Cobb senior Wayne 3. Wyatt VanWheelden sophomore North Mahaska *NOTE* Lopez is a returning 4th place finisher from the 2020 State championships *NOTE* Jackson Cobb is a returning 2020 State Qualifier *NOTE* Bailey Frescoln of Pekin a state qualifier from 2020 finishes 4th
*NOTE* Baker was a 2020 Sectional Champion & 3rd Place finisher at Districts
 170 lbs 1. Cade Molyneux junior Sigourney-Keota 2. Boden Pickle sophomore New London 3. Blake Juhl sophomore Pekin  1. Mason Juhl senior Pekin 2. Aiden Schuster junior Sigourney-Keota 3. Brock Lewman freshman Cardinal *NOTE* Juhl was a 2020 Sectional Runner-up & 3rd place finisher at Districts *NOTE* Schuster was a 2020 Sectional Runner-up
|
Friday, February 5, 2021
Varsity College Wrestling, Where We're At, Where We'd Be
As you read this, it is essential that you keep a few things in mind.
A - Most importantly realize that these numbers are a reflection of what division a school would be as of today. It may very well have been NAIA at the time of discontinuation, but the school today is NCAA Division II. It'll therefore be counted as NCAA Division II, because if the school still had a wrestling program, it would be NCAA Division II.
B - There are schools not counted in these numbers for two distinct reasons.
B1 - The school no longer exist. I did not include for example Yankton, which officially closed its doors after the 1983-1984 school year. Same would go for schools like Pillsbury Baptist and Dana. If the school no longer exist, I did not include it in the numbers because these numbers are reflective of what the field would look like based on 2020-2021.
B2 - The school no longer sponsors sports at all. A good example here would be Alaska-Pacific. If a school no longer has athletics, I didn't think it was fair to include those that at one time had wrestling. Most probably had all the other sports too. So I didn't include those
C - The numbers game here is tricky and can be difficult to configure. For example Franklin & Marshall is an NCAA Division III institution, but their wrestling program is NCAA Division I. Therefore of course in looking at overall total #'s, it is counted in the Division I column.
D - I'm human and I'm not always good at math
D1 - I recounted all of my #'s three times, but I still may have made an error here or there. I certainly tried to be impeccable with these #'s but that doesn't mean I am.
D2 - I have been obsessed, I'd even be ok with being called fixated with finding as much information about dropped wrestling programs as I can. I have gone through as many schools as I can, with a fine tooth comb, searching for any and every piece of information regarding there ever being a wrestling program. I mean I look into everything trying to find any shred of evidence of there ever being a wrestling program. Yet, sometimes I miss something. I know I looked & looked & looked to see if Miami (FL) ever had a wrestling program. I found absolutely nothing. Then someone came along and gave me information regarding The Hurricanes varsity program from the 1920's & 30's.
So, maybe a team that should be included in here is not. I know I tried.
Last but not least NJCAA is not included in here, because I was never able to satisfy myself with what I found. The history of NJCAA wrestling is scarce, often times inaccurate and records for some reason seemed to have not been kept at all in some cases.
I'll eventually do CCCAA as well, but want to verify a few things before I include them in the list.
So here is NCAA DI, DII, DIII & NAIA
NCAA Division I
Total Institutions: 357
With Wrestling Programs: 78 (22%)
# Of Programs Dropped: 160
Where We'd Be Had None Dropped: 238 (67%)
NCAA Division II
Total Institutions: 312
With Wrestling Programs: 61 (20%)
# of Programs Dropped: 52
Where We'd Be Had None Dropped: 113 (36%)
NCAA Division III
Total Institutions: 442
With Wrestling Programs: 109 (25%)
# of Dropped Programs: 97
Where We'd Be Had None Dropped: 206 (47%)
NAIA
Total Institutions: 249
With Wrestling Programs: 68 (27%)
# of Dropped Programs: 12
Where We'd Be Had None Dropped: 80 (32%)
I hope these numbers help to illustrate something I don't think many wrestling fans realize. Even if we had never faced the discontinuations of our programs, compared to football & basketball as well as other sports we still wouldn't be that well represented.
At the DI level there would still be 119 programs without wrestling (that never did have wrestling)
At the DII level there would still be 199 programs without wrestling (that never did have wrestling)
At the DIII level there would still be 236 programs without wrestling (that never did have wrestling)
At the NAIA level there would still be 169 programs without wrestling (that never did have wrestling)
So I find it rather sad that even if we still had all of the programs that have since been dropped, comparatively speaking our numbers would still be low.
Nevertheless, I'd love it if we were to get back the 321 programs accounted for.
***NOTE*** - According to other resources, the total # of dropped varsity programs between NCAA DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, NJCAA, CCCAA, & other varsity programs is around 670 teams. Again in my numbers above NJCAA & CCCAA are not included for reasons noted. With all wrestling programs that I was able to find, I found information on I believe 427 former wrestling teams.
As to the other 243 teams?
E1 - Again, I didn't include CCCAA in this. I have those numbers (just wanting to verify a few things before I include them). They make up for a lot of the missing #'s. Believe me. There are a lot of CCCAA schools that dropped wrestling over the years. NJCAA is also not included. There are 525 NJCAA schools. I'm sure quite a few that don't have wrestling now, at one time did.
E2 - 670 may be a bit of an exaggeration. No fault of anyone's. These #'s are tricky. It's also tricky when a school changes its name. It's also tricky when a school used to be two different schools, and both of them used to have wrestling. How in the Hell do you count that?
E3 - Again a reminder that schools that no longer exist or schools that no longer sponsor athletics were NOT included in these numbers
E4 - Maybe a school that I'm 99% positive never had a wrestling program, did indeed. As well as I've researched I'd hate to think that, but that is a possibility.