Again, it's to my understanding that Iowa's as well as Northern Iowa's starters will be competing at the Soldier Salute, with backups/redshirts competing here. As far as I know, Iowa State starters will be at the Scuffle this year.
197 is different to me than are the other nine weight classes. With the other weight classes, I listed an assortment of wrestlers I feel could very well be top 12 by tournament's end. Here, I feel more sure of who it will be. That I've narrowed it down to who the 12 will be. Could very well end up wrong, but what would be the fun of predictions if you were always right? Well, I suppose it would make the casino a more pleasant place.
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| #2 Nino Bonaccorsi Pittsburgh |
An NCAA runner-up in 2021, Nino Bonaccorsi finished one match shy of All American honors this past season. No doubt about it, he wants back to where he was & as far as result & ranking are concerned, he's on the fast track. Victories include a 4-1 decision over Kordell Norfleet, a 3-1 s.v. over Zac Braunagel & a 9-0 major over Andrew Davison. He's also manhandled Michael Battista on three occasions, 14-4, 12-2 & 19-7. He was 4th here in 2017.
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| #12 Braxton Amos Wisconsin |
197 is a wide open, nutty weight class & in the discussion, Braxton Amos seems to be just right outside of it. As if the door is creaking open for him to come in, but he just needs it to open a little bit further before they pull up a chair & give him a spot at the table. Winning a Midlands title would make him a part of the discussion. He owns both a 18-3 tech & a 9-1 major over Cole Urbas as well as a 3-1 s.v. over Luke Stout.
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| #13 Zac Braunagel Illinois |
The Braunagel brothers are just alike. I'd say Zac is a little more consistent than Danny, but both make out like Waldo in that you never know quite where you'll find them by tournament's end. Zac is good enough to make the finals. Maybe even win the whole thing. A huge semi-final win followed by a huge finals win, but don't kid yourself the quarters will be a challenge and it may even be before that. 4th here in 2019, he owns both a 7-2 as well as a 4-1 decision over Billy Janzer & an 8-5 decision over Davison.
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| #14 Luke Stout Princeton |
The Tiger owns a 3-1 s.v. over Nick Willham, a 6-2 decision over Davison, a 13-9 decision over Urbas & a 1-0 victory over Janzer.
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| #19 Kordell Norfleet Arizona State |
Let's face it, Kordell Norfleet's shot at becoming the first and only five time PAC-12 champion is in serious jeopardy. He's already suffered a loss to Oregon State's Tanner Harvey, plus he has to contend with Bernie Truax of Cal Poly. The Sun Devil needs a boost of confidence. Something to get him up and over the lapse. I believe a Midlands title would do that. He'd have to wrestle at his best, but that is a very real possibility.
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| #33 Cole Urbas Pennsylvania |
Cole Urbas reminds me of a Midlands legend from a few years ago. Jake Patacsil who seemed to finish 3rd or 2nd about 10,000 times before finally winning a Midlands title, wrestled a lot like Cole Urbas. Nothing much to look at on his feet & mediocre at best from the bottom, Patacsil was a force to be reckoned with from the top position. Urbas is much the same way. You watch him wrestle from neutral & then you watch him wrestle from top. You turn your back for a second, you're gonna think you're watching a whole new match. This guy gets on top of you, he has the ability to turn you. If his opponent's aren't doing their homework, it's a real possibility that he could upset his way to a higher finisher than predicted. In other words, he's friggin tough on top.
Unranked talent in this bracket....
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| U.R. Michael Battista Virginia |
If rankings went beyond 33, no doubt about it, #34 would be Michael Battista. He has to be just outside of the rankings. A top 8 placing here should potentially put him back in the rankings, but even if it doesn't, it will help him come conference tournament time. The Cavalier owns a 6-2 decision over Davison.
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| U.R. Billy Janzer Rutgers |
Injuries have not been kind to Billy Janzer but if he's 100% and ready to go, he'll show everyone this Midlands that he belongs in the rankings. He owns both a 4-1 win over Davison & a 2-1 win over Urbas.
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| U.R. Nick Willham Indiana |
Nick Willham strikes me as one who will contend for a top 12/8 showing here at the Midlands. He owns a 4-2 victory over Davison.
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| Redshirt Ben Smith Cleveland State |
Among the plausible redshirts that will be competing this tournament, look for Ben Smith to be one who contends for a top 8/12 showing. He owns a 5-3 victory over Willham.
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| U.R. Austin Cooley West Virginia |
While Austin Cooley hasn't faced any of the competition he'll see here yet, he has some notable victories & is currently 10-2 on the season.
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| U.R. Andrew Davison Northwestern |
I've talked about this a few times already this season, but truth is, Andrew Davison remains in the shadow of his more successful brother Lucas. It'd be nice to see Andrew break through and have a moment of glory of his own. No reason why he can't here at the Midlands. He's good enough to be top 12 here. In fact, good enough to break through & earn a spot on the award stand. He owns a 5:27 fall over Smith.
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