Believe it or not the Luther Hill Invitational has nothing to do with Luther College. Matter of fact, Luther won't even be there. It is a tournament hosted by Simpson (IA) & for the record it will be the first tournament that Quincy ever competes in.
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| 125 lbs |
If you've been reading JT#1 for a while, you know I'm a huge Aden Reeves fan. I've known him since he was a baby. Hell, I held him when he was a baby. He lived in my Great Grandparents house & his Great Aunt dated my Grandfather for about 10 years. I'm dying to see what he can do at the NAIA level & to see him have the success I know he's capable of. What a challenge it is for him to face teammate, #1 ranked Esco Walker the returning NAIA champion. This is the ultimate test to see exactly where Reeves stands in comparison to the rest of the NAIA.
Duking it out for 3rd place? I predict that'll be between Graceland's Taywone McNash & Benedictine's Charles Easterling.
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| 133 lbs |
Are we gonna see a final here of the NAIA's #1 & #2 ranked wrestlers? What a treat that would be! First thing of the season!?!? Both teams are here, so why not? These two met for 3rd place at last year's NAIA championships, with Taylor taking an 8-2 victory over Lupton.
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| 141 lbs |
I have been waiting for this for a long time. Brandon Ball of Iowa Wesleyan was an Iowa High School State champion all the way back in 2007. Then competing for Coe College, he was 4th in the NCAA DIII championships in 2009. It's been a minute since he last wrestled. To really put it in perspective he was MY last high school match. I haven't wrestled an official match in nearly 19 years. A decade and a half off the mat, can he make a comeback? Can he go toe to toe with the likes of Jackson Wenberg of Graceland or Shea Ruffridge of Grand View? Of the many exciting things happening in college wrestling this weekend, this is what I am most anxious about. Above anything else, I do think he'll take a top 6 showing.
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| 149 lbs |
A puzzler as to why Grand View's Tanner Abbas is currently out of the rankings. The senior did not participate in the qualifiers last season, but has thus far earned two All American honors in his career. 4th in 2020 & 6th in 2021. While I don't see him having any trouble winning this tournament, I do believe his finals opponent will be Benedictine's Gino Camarca.
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| 157 lbs |
Another #1 Vs #2 match up to look forward to? In these types of situations sometimes wrestlers of the same team will wrestle one another & other times it's a double forfeit. It's certain though that if they both enter, they both make the finals. The battle for bronze? Jalon Strong of Waldorf & Brent Ward of Iowa Wesleyan is my prediction.
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| 165 lbs |
If you haven't figured out the pattern yet, Grand View, like they do everywhere else is going to completely dominate this tournament. Thus far Marty Margolis has been 3rd & 2nd in the NAIA. Here he'll cake walk through the bracket. His finals opponent? My guess is Invi Bella of Graceland.
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| 174 lbs |
Finishing 3rd in the NAIA last season for Baker, Isaiah Luellen has transferred to Grand View & in his first mission for Vikings he looks to win the Luther Hill Invitational. Likely finals opponent teammate Alex Reynolds & I'm picking Iowa Wesleyan's Caelen Shannon to take 3rd.
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| 184 lbs |
Been waiting patiently to see if Ben Provisor will eventually make the kind of splash collegiately that he has made internationally. Here is as good of a place to start as any. If he can hang with teammate Ben Lee, who has thus far been 3rd & 2nd in the NAIA, we'll have our answer to that question.
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| 197 lbs |
Two time NAIA All American Owen Braungardt will own this weight class. Likely finals opponent? John Schuttler of Graceland.
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| HWT |
Looks to be an all Grand View final & for that matter I wouldn't be all that surprised if we didn't end up seeing an all Iowa Wesleyan consolation final.
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Short, sweet and to the point, my thoughts on the Luther Hill Invite!
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