I've been to a few UNI opens in the past, including covering one for another wrestling publication before I started my own and one thing always rings true year after year. You never quite know who's all going to be there or who all will wrestle until the tournament is about to start. What I do know is some of the top teams that will be there and the potential for some great matches if everyone shows up.
Now before I get started on a weight by weight preview I want to give the University of Iowa a little advice.
The way I understand it only Iowa's non-starters will be attending this weekend, but nevertheless the Hawkeyes have some of the best backups in the country. The non-varsity schedule should be posted on the Iowa wrestling website.
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| 125 lbs |
If the other programs bring their starters and Iowa brings their two best backups, 125 lbs is going to shape up to be a great bracket at the UNI Open. Iowa fans have been extremely high on Drake Ayala anticipating the success he'll have after Spencer Lee graduates this season. If he competes here, we'll get an excellent glimpse as to where exactly he stands among some of the best 125 has to offer. Ironically enough Iowa State's Corey Cabanban already owns a 4-3 decision over Northern Iowa's Brody Teske, but remains the Cyclone backup as he's lost twice to Kysen Terukina by 3-1 scores, one that took overtime. Rankings have Wisconsin's Eric Barnett ahead of Minnesota's Patrick McKee, but it is McKee that is 3-1 against the Badger. He's pinned Barnett twice & he owns a 8-0 major decision. Barnett on the other hand, has defeated McKee by a 17-4 score. For the record McKee also owns a 9-2 decision over Teske.
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| 133 lbs |
A lot of interesting things could unfold at 133 lbs. I would imagine Wisconsin's Kyle Burwick will take the #1 seed here, but both his seed and his varsity position are at stake with one of his toughest opponents being his own teammate Ethan Rotondo. Burwick barely escaped Rotondo this past weekend when he defeated him 2-1 tiebreaker at the Cougar Clash hosted by SIUE. Rotondo himself has had quite the history with Northern Iowa's Kyle Biscoglia, who he owns a 16-1 technical fall over, but has also dropped three close decisions to. Add in Minnesota's Jake Gliva who is coming off a hot CKLV tournament which saw a 6th place finish & Northern Iowa's Jack Skudlarczyk who owns an 8-3 decision over Gliva and you have yourself a competitive bracket. Add in Iowa's Cullan Schriever who looked strong Vs teammate NCAA title contender Austin DeSanto in an 8-4 loss, that included a Schriever takedown and that competitive bracket becomes even tougher.
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| 141 lbs |
Both Northern Iowa's Cael Happel and Minnesota's Jake Bergeland are coming off of a weekend that was full of ups and downs. Happel pulled off a huge upset over Missouri's Allan Hart, but then dropped a heartbreaker to Virginia Tech's Collin Gerardi (who Allan beat ironically enough). Bergeland on the other hand dropped some tough matches by some ugly scores, but nevertheless still managed a seventh place finish at a very tough Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Rankings favor Bergeland but with the improvements that Happel has made & the advantage of wrestling on his home mat in front of his fans, I think the edge goes to the Panther. It may not be Bergeland that Happel has to worry about though. It may be the Golden Gopher's Marcos Polanco instead, who has already defeated Happel by a 6-2 decision. Thus far Bergeland has managed to stay one step ahead of Polanco, defeating him in sudden victory 6-4, but it could be Polanco who walks away the better man this weekend. Then of course we also have Zach Redding of Iowa State, who is likely to be the #1 seed. He owns a 6-3 decision over Polanco. Interesting bracket.
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| 149 lbs |
I have a LOT to say about this potential bracket. A LOT.
First off I think that Iowa State's Jarrett Degen is SOOOOOOOO much better than #22 in the nation. Talent, capability wise, top 8 in the nation. Thing is though, he has to prove it or better put, after a disappointing season last year he has to reestablish himself. If everyone enters the bracket that can enter the bracket and he wins a title, I think that's a step in the right direction. With that said, one of his toughest opponents has already proven to be his own teammate, Ian Parker.
I talk to Iowa fans on a regular basis. Makes sense I guess seeing that I live in Iowa City. One thing this season has puzzled the bejeezus out of me though. They talk about their concerns at 149. Is Max Murin going to be 100%? Is he going to healthy? If not, who are the Hawkeyes going to put in their instead. I sit there and listen/read and want to scream VINCE TURK!!!!! I have to be missing something, because for the love of me I cannot understand why he isn't being considered as not only Iowa's varsity starter, but also a legit threat to All American. Do some not realize how tough he is? We're talking that he owns a 14-0 major decision over Michael Blockhus of Minnesota. He's defeated Parker twice, 6-5 and 13-5 major decision. If Murin for some reason isn't 100%, I don't see why the black and gold faithful are worried. There's nothing to worry about. Turk is a phenomenal replacement. One of the best backups in the country. He'll prove that here and he'll prove that at the Midlands.
This bracket also features Austin Gomez of Wisconsin, who will be the man to beat, as well as already mentioned Blockhus and Northern Iowa's Tristan Lara. Lara is 1-1 with Degen owning a 5:31 fall over the Cyclone, but having dropped an 8-4 decision. He lost 14-2 major decision to Parker. Blockhus owns a 5-3 decision over Lara & Parker has defeated Blockhus twice by scores of 4-0 and 7-2.
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| 157 |
Iowa State's David Carr Vs Minnesota's Brayton Lee. Are we going to get to see a match of that magnitude at the UNI Open? Probably not, but one can hope right? If we knew for a fact that both of these guys were going to enter the tournament, this match alone would be worth the price of admission. If amateur wrestling did marquee's, "Carr Vs Lee" could very well pack the house. I already made different plans with my girlfriend this weekend, but accidently taking a wrong turn and ending up in Cedar Falls by "pure coincidence" has entered my mind already. If I knew this match was going to take place, it's almost a guarantee that I would "get lost" on the way to where we're supposed to be going.
Lee gave Carr a scare the last time they wrestled. Took him into sudden victory and dropped a tight 4-2 match. I say the Golden Gopher is still a threat to the Cyclone and it's a rematch I can't wait to see. Do we get the treat of seeing it at the UNI open? I'd at least like to pretend that's a possibility.
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| 165 lbs |
If you follow Johnnythompsonnum1 you know that I have been extraordinarily impressed with Wisconsin's D.J. Hamiti, who has been plowing through the competition in a remarkably impressive freshman campaign. I see him doing the same here, although I am anxious to see him in action against Iowa's Pat Kennedy. Kennedy, arguable the best 165 lbs backup in the nation, is going to take over for Alex Marinelli in 2022-2023. As for right now though, Hamiti would be a great test for him and he'll be a great test for Hamiti. Not to dare overlook the other competition at this weight. Andrew Sparks of Minnesota is going to be tough and speaking of tough backups, Sparks only defeated teammate Cael Carlson 5-3, who is still in the hunt for that varsity position. Northern Iowa's Austin Yant will be looking to upend all of the competition in front of him in order to win a title on his home turf. He ownsa a 12-1 major decision over Carlson.
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| 174 lbs |
This is one of those weight classes that even if the bracket ends up being only backups, it is still going to be a really fun one to watch. I've said it plenty of times already and I'm saying it again, Iowa has some of the best backups in the country and that is especially true at 174 lbs. Nelson Brands is biding his time as NAIA sensation Brennan Swafford continues to adjust to NCAA Division I wrestling. With all of the graduation that will take place in Iowa City this May, it'll be interesting to see how these battles end in war. Love to see a match between the two here and that's a real possibility. With that said, Swafford recently dropped a match to Northern Iowa backup Pat Schoenfelder. Joel Devine of Iowa State is also a tough back up and truth to be known the best backup in this whole bunch of outstanding backups could very well be Minnesota's Bailee O'Reilly.
NOW, that's just talking about the backups.
IF varsity starters compete here, now we're talking Lance Runyon, Jared Krattiger and Julian Broderson. Everyone featured, we could easily being looking at our over all toughest weight class.
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| 184 lbs |
Do I think anyone will challenge Parker Keckeisen for a title here? No, I don't. Marcus Coleman of Iowa State might give him a match if he makes the finals, but it'll be similar to the 8-4 decision Keckeisen scored earlier this season. Who I'm anxious to see compete here is Iowa's Myles Wilson. Another great Hawkeye backup and easily the most underappreciated among the bunch. He's stepped up and done a tremendous job for the black and gold this year. He recently dropped a 4-1 decision to Coleman, but that's a match I think Wilson can win. It was in Ames, in a hostile environment with a hostile crowd of cardinal and gold rooting against him. Cedar Falls is neutral territory and I think that'll make a huge difference. Wilson could use a win of such stature. Defeating Minnesota's Isaiah Salazar and/or Wisconsin's Chris Weiler would also be huge for his career too. Maybe if he garners a couple of wins over ranked talent, he'll stopped being referred to as, "Until ' ' gets back in the line up" and start being valued for the talent he is.
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| 197 lbs |
All three of these guys are coming off of huge highs. Iowa State's Yonger Bastida recently had a huge upset against Iowa's Jacob Warner 4-2. Minnesota's Michial Foy with a huge upset of his own against South Dakota State's Tanner Sloan. Braxton Amos of Wisconsin looked sharp in his walk through to a Cougar Clash title at SIUE. Might as well refer to this as a triple threat, because that's exactly what it is.
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| HWT |
There's a 99.99% chance that Gable Steveson of Minnesota does not show up in Cedar Falls to compete this weekend. Yet, if I don't include him in this preview the 0.01% chance will come back to bite me in the butt. Anyone challenging him? Nope. Wisconsin's Trent Hillger might be able to keep it to a decision, but that's about the best I can see happening. As to a realistic finals? I think Northern Iowa's Carter Isley Vs Hillger is a likely match. The Badger is highly favored via ranking, but the last they met, he only defeated the Panther 3-0. Since that time it is clear to see that Isley has trimmed down and added some muscle. Could be a much different outcome this time around. Then again maybe not, because Hillger seems to have improved tremendously on his quickness. With that said, a guy to watch here may very well be Iowa backup Aaron Costillo. Costillo took Isley into the tiebreakers the last time they met and he kept it close with Hillger until the end of the match, still only dropping it by a 5-1 decision.
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