A ton of great dual action today that will involve a ton of great individual matchups. Let's take a look at our best matches.
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| Northern Iowa Vs Wyoming |
The dual today between Wyoming and Northern Iowa will feature what should be six notable matches in BIG 12 wrestling action.
133 lbs - #33 Kyle Biscoglia Vs U.R. Job Greenwood
A wrestler just inside the top 33 against a wrestler just outside the top 33. In realms of earning a bid to the NCAA tournament, this match is crucial for both participants. Biscoglia who wants to hold on to his ranking and Greenwood who wants to earn his. It would not be the first time in Greenwood's career where he knocked off someone above him.
141 lbs - #31 Cael Happel Vs U.R. Chase Zollman
If you want a list of the best wrestlers in the nation who are not currently ranked, Chase Zollman would be somewhere on the list. Today he has two opportunities to upset a ranked opponent and Cael Happel is one of them. Should be a good match.
149 lbs - U.R. Triston Lara Vs U.R. Jaron Jensen
Neither wrestler is ranked, but both pose a threat towards NCAA qualification by season's end. Lara was an NCAA qualifier last year with a 5th place finish at the BIG 12's. Jensen has yet to make the NCAA tournament, although he has BIG 12 finishes of 8th and 6th. Lara did win their last meeting by a decisive 18-8 major decision, but I think Jensen will keep it closer this time.
184 lbs - #4 Parker Keckeisen Vs #17 Tate Samuelson
As well as Keckeisen has been wrestling it's difficult to think that Samuelson would give him much challenge, but the last the two met Samuelson kept it surprisingly close in a 5-3 decision. Slowing down Keckeisen's offense a formidable task in its own right. Trying to impose upon his defense? Now we're talking in the realms of impossibility. Anxious to see if Samuelson can keep it close again.
HWT - U.R. Carter Isley Vs #16 Brian Andrews
Isley has only wrestled twice this season & he didn't look too good in one of those matches. Nevertheless he is a two time NCAA qualifier who has taken Andrews into sudden victory on two occasions. Will we see him in action today? Don't know, but if we do, he'll give Andrews a match.
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| Binghamton Vs Virginia Tech |
HWT - #20 Joe Doyle Vs #13 Nathan Traxler
Doyle has had some notable moments this season, including a nice 8-4 decision over Brandon Metz of North Dakota State & taking four time EIWA champion Jordan Wood to a 3-2 decision. Can he possibly pose a threat to Nathan Traxler? Traxler himself a two time R12 wrestler, 10-1 on the season, recently had a nice victory over Missouri's Zach Elam. Paper says Traxler, but Doyle does pose challenge.
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| Princeton Vs North Carolina State |
125 lbs - #1 Patrick Glory Vs #10 Jakob Camacho
With Iowa's Spencer Lee now out of the way, Patrick Glory takes over as the #1 wrestler in the nation at 125 lbs. A well earned and well earned honor, he now wears a giant target on his back. Among his first challengers, North Carolina State's Jacob Camacho. A notable test to keep that #1 ranking.
157 lbs - #5 Quincy Monday Vs #11 Ed Scott
The most newsworthy event of the season for both of these wrestlers is that they both knocked off Iowa's Kaleb Young in competition. Monday by a score of 9-5 & Scott with a headlock at 1:10 into the first period. Monday is 8-1 on the season, with other notable wins over Peyton Robb of Nebraska and Will Lewan of Michigan. Scott is 15-1, his other big win, a 3-2 decision over Jarrett Jacques of Missouri. Monday will rely on outside shots & attacking from a distance, whereas Scott will want to try and tie Monday up & score his offense from a controlled tie up position. Look for a high amount of action in this one.
165 lbs - U.R. Grant Cuomo Vs #23 Thomas Bullard
After putting together a 19-7 record with an NCAA qualification in 2020, the 2021-2022 season has NOT been Grant Cuomo's year. He's currently 1-5. Nevertheless he does own a 7-6 decision over Bullard and that should be noted going into a match like this. It'll prove that Cuomo's simply had a bad start to the season or that he has regressed. Either way, it'll be revealing.
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| Rutgers Vs Wisconsin |
125 - #30 Dylan Shawver Vs #4 Eric Barnett
Pretty confident that the winner here will be Barnett, but he was recently upset by Northwestern's Michael DeAugustino and sometimes a tough loss can mess with your head. Anxious to see how it effects Barnett. Shawver is not a wrestler you want to go in against unprepared.
133 - #16 Sammy Alvarez Vs #25 Kyle Burwick
There are times when Alvarez is on fire & other times when he has proven himself susceptible to loss. The fact that he has been upset in the past + the fact that Kyle Burwick is a top 25 wrestler himself, puts the possibility on the table. Still going with Alvarez in this one, but realize a Burwick win is not out of the question.
149 - #19 Mike Van Brill Vs #11 Austin Gomez
Gomez is on a hot streak right now, having just knocked off Northwestern's Yahya Thomas. With that said, the very last thing he wants to do is overlook Mike Van Brill. While he hasn't had the attention for it, Van Brill is currently 10-0 on the season and he does not plan on that 0 becoming a 1 anytime soon. When on, MVB wrestles like an MVP. Yet the same can be said for Gomez. The hope for us wrestling fans is that both are at 100% today, because if they are, they'll give us a match of what wrestling is meant to be. Fun, exciting and full of action.
157 - U.R. Robert Kanniard Vs #33 Garrett Model
A match like this goes to show you just how tough BIG 10 wrestling is. Wrestlers outside of the top 33, itching to get within it. Robert Kanniard is one of those wrestlers. While Garrett Model looks to keep hold of his #33 ranking (as well as improve it), Kanniard is looking to steal it away.
174 - #26 Jackson Turley Vs #17 Andrew McNally
Opportunity awaits both of these young gentlemen as they head into battle today. Turley with an opportunity to knock off a wrestler 9 spaces ahead of him in the rankings and McNally an opportunity to knock off an All American from last season. At least year's NCAA championships, in a match that could have gone either way, Turley defeated McNally by a 7-5 decision. This would be an opportunity for Turley to prove that he was the better man that day and an opportunity for McNally to avenge the loss.
184 - #5 John Poznanski Vs #33 Chris Weiler
This one heavily favors Poznanski in a match where he should win by a decisive decision, if not a major decision. Nevertheless the unpredictable Weiler, who has had his fair share of ups and downs, could be looking for one of his ups today. A disappointing 6-5 on the season thus far, Weiler is looking for his first major victory in 2022. It's an extremely tall order to think that Poznanski could be it, but the chances are greater than 0.
197 #7 Greg Bulsak Vs #24 Braxton Amos
Bulsak made a statement by upending NCAA runner-up Nino Bonnacorsi of Pittsburgh for a Matmen Open title. He also defeated Braxton Amos who finished 3rd, 6-2 in the semi-finals. Will this rematch be similar to their match at the Matmen Open? Or will it turn out different? We'll find out later today.
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| Wyoming Vs South Dakota State |
141 - U.R. Chase Zollman Vs #11 Clay Carlson
I said earlier that Zollman has an opportunity for two huge upsets today. Here is the other one. On Paper it would look as if Carlson would easily have his way with Zollman, but on the mat thus far, Zollman has proven to be a challenge for Carlson. In their last meeting, Carlson barely snuck by Zollman in a 2-1 decision. Can he open it up more and score where he was unable to last time or will Zollman once again prove to be a challenge?
149 - U.R. Jaron Jensen Vs U.R. Zach Price South Dakota State
I don't have many unranked Vs unranked matches in today's "what to watch" quorum but ironically enough, two of the ones that I do involve Wyoming's Jaron Jensen. This one against Zach Price of South Dakota State. I've already mentioned Jensen's credentials. As to Price, it's difficult to believe that he's not currently in the top 33. 13-7 record, a match away from being an All American last season. I guess a couple of bad losses can really be held against you. Nevertheless, another good match awaits.
174 - #13 Hayden Hastings Vs #11 Cade DeVos
This could easily be the match of the night. Separated by only two spots in the rankings, Hastings and DeVos have only met once in their careers & it was earlier this season at CKLV. DeVos who took 4th, defeated Hastings 7-4, who ended up 7th in the quarterfinals. To add to DeVos' list of accomplishments he also recently won the Southern Scuffle. Both are looking to stand atop the podium at the BIG 12 conference championships.
197 - #3 Stephen Buchanan Vs #21 Tanner Sloan
Stephen Buchanan seems to get better every time he steps onto the mat, whereas Sloan seems to have slipped off the tracks into a slump. Buchanan came home from Vegas with CKLV gold, whereas Sloan fell earlier failing to place. Sloan recently redeemed himself a bit with a 4th place finish at the Southern Scuffle, but I'm not sure if that was enough to think he's the same Tanner Sloan we saw years ago, that would for sure give Buchanan a run for his $$. If 100%, Sloan is as good as anyone and that would be nice to see today. The train has steam, full of coal, it just simply needs to get back on the tracks.
HWT - #16 Brian Andrews Vs #24 A.J. Nevills
Ooh, a rubber match! These are always fun. Andrews owns a 9-2 decision over Nevills and Nevills owns a 4-2 decision over Andrews. Both looking to improve themselves within the BIG 12 as well as the NCAA, will prove to be a good match.
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| Northwestern Vs Minnesota |
125 - #17 Michael DeAugustino Vs #7 Patrick McKee
DeAugustino recently knocked off #4 Eric Barnett of Wisconsin, so it is not that much of a stretch to think he could have his second huge upset of the weekend by knocking off McKee. It also helps to know that DeAustino has already defeated McKee by a score of 6-3. For the record McKee also owns a 9-6 decision over DeAugustino. A match like this helps to illustrate the insane parity that is 125 lbs and just how difficult it is to achieve within this weight class.
133 - #9 Chris Cannon Vs #24 Jake Gliva
Hand it to the Golden Gophers, they proved against Iowa Friday night that rankings are but a number. They know how to wrestle and despite whatever it might say on paper, they will always perform on the mat. Gliva in his loss to Iowa's Austin DeSanto looked held his own in a 7-5 decision. Anxious to see what he can do against Cannon.
141 - U.R. Frankie Tal-Shahar Vs #19 Jake Bergeland
A 5-8 record, there's little to no reason why Frankie Tal-Shahar would be on anyone's radar as of right here, right now. That may very well change by the end of the day. The last time Tal-Shahar and Jake Bergeland met, we saw sudden victory with Bergeland coming out on top 4-2. Keep that in mind as you go to watch this match.
149 - #4 Yahya Thomas Vs #25 Michael Blockhus
Thomas recently dropped a decision to Wisconsin's Austin Gomez, but losses effect different people in different ways. I think if anything, it will motivate and inspire the Wildcat. Nevertheless, Blockhus is not someone to look past. Although Thomas owns an 8-1 decision over the Golden Gopher, Blockhus has also defeated him by a 3-2 decision.
157 - #2 Ryan Deakin Vs #4 Brayton Lee
Styles can make a world of difference in a wrestling match, and thus far, Ryan Deakin's style has proven to be troublesome for Brayton Lee. 8-0 & 12-0 major decisions, all of Deakin's offense has worked and not a thing of Lee's offense has worked in both of their matches. Has Lee made the adjustments necessary in order to give Deakin a match, or will this be another shutout for the Wildcat?
165 - #33 David Ferrante Vs #19 Andrew Sparks
These two have met twice previously before with Sparks winning decisions of 8-4 and 14-11. While both good matches, Sparks has remained one step ahead of Ferrante each time. It'll be anxious to see if match #3 follows in suite, or if Ferrante might be able to match him this time.
174 - #28 Troy Fisher Vs #23 Bailee O'Reilly
Despite not looking too hot against Iowa's Mike Kemerer, Bailee O'Reilly DID look very hot in his 3rd place finish at the Southern Scuffle. With that said, Fisher has looked pretty good himself this season with a 5th place finish at CKLV. On paper these guys are fairly even. It'll be on the mat where we find out who's actually better.
197 - #28 Andrew Davison Vs #30 Michial Foy
It wouldn't be much of an upset, but still an upset nonetheless if Foy were to overcome Davison today. Foy already has some nice wins under his belt, including a 9-3 decision over Tanner Sloan of South Dakota State.
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| Binghamton Vs West Virginia |
HWT - #20 Joe Doyle Vs #22 Michael Wolfgram
As Doyle looks to improve his ranking with a possible win over Andrews, he needs to be weary of being knocked off himself by Michael Wolfgram. The Mountaineer has made some vast improvements since last season which include victories over Oklahoma's Josh Heindselman and North Carolina State's Owen Trephan. He's not a wrestler you want to get behind, literally or figuratively. He builds momentum with a lead and he's not a small heavyweight.
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| Iowa Vs Purdue |
125 - U.R. Drake Ayala Vs #5 Devin Schroder
I think that Ayala has more than proven that he belongs on the mat with the top dawgs at 125 lbs. Despite being now 0-3 against Minnesota's Patrick McKee, he's given the Gopher All American a match each time they've stepped out onto the mat. How is he going to look against Schroder? In this particular case I wouldn't rely on the atmosphere. Schroder has wrestled in CHA before. This isn't anything new for him. What I might rely on here is good ole fashioned Iowa conditioning. A fast paced, 100%, 100% of the time strategy. This one slows down at all, it highly favors the Boilermaker.
157 - #12 Kaleb Young Vs #10 Kendall Coleman
A lot of fans came away from the Kaleb Young Vs Brayton Lee match bitter and pessimistic. Not me. If anything, I saw a lot of positives within it. While it didn't last, we did see a glimpse of the old Young out on the mat when he nailed a very nice takedown in the first period. So there is reason to be optimistic. He's in there. It's simply a matter of getting him out and getting him out for good. Today is a fantastic test. Actually in a way a perfect test. Coleman is two spots above Young in the rankings. Young owns two victories over Coleman 4-3 & via fall 7:57 in sudden death. This match is as important to Coleman as it is to Young. Both these guys have an entry level exam into the new year, and this is it.
184 - #18 Abe Assad Vs #23 Max Lyon
Assad better be geared and ready to rumble because Max Lyon is walking into Iowa City having just knocked off Taylor Venz of Nebraska. You can bet whatever bills you have in your wallet that Lyon is looking to take another head on the bus ride back to West Lafayette. Assad owns two victories over the Boilermaker 4-2 & 5-2. He'll need to pull off a third today.
197 - #5 Jacob Warner Vs #15 Thomas Penola
Here's another match where Iowa is going to need to be alert and one their toes. Thomas Penola is again a Boilermaker to not overlook. Warner owns two victories here, 4-0 and 9-4. Look for today's match to be closer.
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| Northern Iowa Vs South Dakota State |
141 - #31 Carter Happel Vs #11 Clay Carlson
I still think Carlson will have more trouble with Zollman than he does with Happel today, but none the less, Happel is still one to watch out for.
165 - #20 Austin Yant Vs #29 Tanner Cook
Today presents itself a golden opportunity for Cook to advance himself quite a few spots in the rankings. He already owns a 6:11 fall over Yant as he looks to upset the Panther once again.
174 - U.R. Pat Schoenfelder Vs #11 Cade DeVos
Not a day will go by in collegiate wrestling where there isn't a huge upset. That's the nature of the sport and Sunday January 9th, 2022 will be no different. It's hard to say exactly where it'll happen, but it will happen. 174 lbs, South Dakota State Vs Northern Iowa, a plausible candidate. DeVos has looked very good thus far this season. There is no denying that. A high placing at CKLV & a Southern Scuffle title. You can't take that away from him. However, Schoenfelder has had some notable victories of his own. He upended two time NAIA champion/Iowa backup Brennan Swafford & he owns a victory over Peyton Mocco of Missouri, whom DeVos defeated for his Scuffle title. If scores indicate anything, Schoenfelder won 11-9 & DeVos won 3-2.
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| Oregon State Vs Drexel |
157 - #17 Hunter Willits Vs U.R. Parker Kropman
These are the types of matches you live for as a wrestling fan. Two of a kind going at it, head to head. Inconsistent, capable of huge wins, that describes both of these competitors. I don't know how Parker Kropman keeps himself out of the rankings each season. I suppose he must enjoy being the underdog always looking for the upset. Well, here's another chance. Willits himself, one that in many ways is far better than his #17 ranking. A win over Kropman won't improve that ranking any, but it should still be chalked up as a noteworthy victory.
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| West Virginia Vs Virginia Tech |
125 - #6 Killian Cardinale Vs #16 Sam Latona
Cardinale has more than earned his #6 ranking this season, but nevertheless he's still 0-2 against Latona. Latona owns two one point victories over the Mountaineer by scores of 4-3 and 3-2. It'd be a testimony to Cardinale's confidence as well as his ranking, if he were to finally overcome his nemesis. On the same hand, a victory over Cardinale would do Latona a world of good. After making All American last season, he's regressed a bit. A victory would help him in route to finding his way back.
HWT - #22 Michael Wolfgram Vs #13 Nathan Traxler
As said against Doyle, Wolfgram has an opportunity against Traxler to prove himself better than his #22 ranking. On the feet, I'd give his one to Traxler. What might help Wolfgram in a possible upset would be if he could ride Traxler out. Easier said than done, as Traxler has a good standup & is difficult to keep down.
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| Northern Colorado Vs Cal State Bakersfield |
141 - #8 Andrew Alirez Vs #28 Angelo Martinoni
A match that highly favors Alirez, but should not over look Martinoni. We have a CKLV runner-up Vs a CKLV 8th place finisher & a 3rd place Southern Scuffle finish Vs an 2-2 finish at the Scuffle. Again, predictability favors Alirez, but wrestling isn't always a predictable sport is it?
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