2023 NCAA DI The Season: Princeton

 *NOTE* - I want to make it clear what this is and what this is not.  What this is NOT is an overview of the entire team. What this is, is a who’s who preview of THIS season 2022-2023. Meaning that I am going to talk about the starters who I feel will have an impact THIS year. Those who will win big matches in duals. Those who will earn placings in major tournaments like CKLV, RENO, MIDLANDS, MATMEN INVITE, SOUTHERN SCUFFLE, CONFERENCES & NCAA’s.  In some cases a weight class will have multiple talented wrestlers. I will note that & I will also be making posts later on about the best wrestle-offs to look forward to this season.  Then after that is determined I will make post later into the season of who our best backups are in the nation.

This post will NOT include redshirts. Those who are redshirting this season will be included in a separate post entitled “22’-23’ Best Redshirts.” 

 

The Tigers continue to show that the Ivy League while prestigious & known for its academics can get it done on the mat, just as well as they can in the classroom. They return everyone from last year's varsity lineup & could be set to have one of the, if not the best season in school history. 

125 lbs
Pat Glory 

I've been saying for a long, long time that 2022-2023 could be the season we see two four time NCAA DI champions crowned. I'm firm believer that Spencer Lee of Iowa will not be denied, but I tell you what if there's someone out there that's going to prove me wrong & deny him, that someone is Princeton's Pat Glory. 6th in the nation in 2019, he earned NCAA runner-up status this past year. Above anything else, he proved his ability to make adjustments in a short amount of time when he was throttled 19-6 in the EIWA finals by Vitali Arujau of Cornell, only to come back in the NCAA semi-finals & hand Arujau his behind in a 13-5 major decision.  A three time EIWA finalist, with two titles & a Midlands championship under his belt, he is the biggest threat to Lee's fourth title. 

141 lbs
Danny Coles 

10-8 last season, earning a 7th place finish at the EIWA championships, I'd look for Danny Coles to earn another conference medal this season. 

149 lbs
Marshall Keller

Marshall Keller is one of those guys that seems to really turn it on about once a year. It just so happens that the time last year was at the EIWA championships.  He wrestled as well as he ever has as he powered through the consolation bracket, with a 7-5 victory over P.J. Ogunsanya of Army in route to an impressive 4th place finish which lead to NCAA qualification. Can he earn another qualification this season?  Well if he wrestles like that again he will. Other impressive victories for Keller include a 13-6 decision over Wil Gil of Franklin & Marshall, a 12-2 major over Brian Courtney of Virginia & a 14-6 major over A.C. Headlee of North Carolina. He was 8th in the EIWA in 2021. 

157 lbs
Blaine Bergey 

Of the 12 victories Blaine Bergey earned last season, a 15-3 major over A.J. Kovacs of North Carolina State sticks out most. 

165 lbs
Quincy Monday 

Earning NCAA runner-up status last season, Quincy Monday is in the hunt to become Princeton's first NCAA champion since Bradley Glass in 1951. The three time EIWA finalist who won a title this past season will get an opportunity to see exactly where he stands when he takes on Iowa State's David Carr at the NWCA All Star Classic in November. It'll be his first test in a weight class featuring three NCAA champions.  For record, Monday has also been a CKLV runner-up. 

174 lbs
Nate Dugan 

Despite an 11-13 record, Nate Dugan looked very good at times during the course of last season. He earned wins over All American Jackson Turley of Rutgers, Josh Kim of Harvard & Nick Fine of Columbia.  He earned an 8th place finish at the EIWA championships. 

184 lbs
Travis Stefanik 

A three time NCAA qualifier, who earned runner-up honors at the EIWA championships last season, I would list Travis Stefanik down as a candidate for All American honors this season. He was 6th at CKLV. 

197 lbs
Luke Stout

Another Tiger who is a candidate for All American honors this season is Luke Stout who as a freshman last season went 21-7 on the year, earning a 5th place finish at CKLV & a runner-up finish at CKLV. 

HWT 
Matt Cover 

17-12 on the season, Matt Cover earned NCAA qualification with a 5th place finish at the EIWA championships. 

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Could this really be Princeton's best year in school history? Potentially yes.  Glory & Monday once again make the finals with Stefanik & Stout both earning All American honors. That's four All Americans as in four guys who made the top 8 at the NCAA's. Granted Princeton did have four wrestlers named to All American in 2020 when there was no NCAA tournament, but I can't see too many arguing with me that this particular scenario would be the better of the achievements.