2023 Mid-American Conference Preview (March 4th-5th)

 

ACC, BIG 12, SOCON & PAC-12 out of the way, it is now time to tackle the MAC!  A conference with a relatively small amount of allocations & a whole lot of talent out to claim them. It's gonna be a street fight! 

125 lbs
Spots Available: 2
Contenders: Who knows? 7? Maybe More? 

The in-season MAC results leave us with an assortment of back & forth, parity and chaos that make little certain & most unknown.  As far as who will be our champion here, Anthony Noto of Lock Haven, the 2022 MAC champion looks likely to repeat. As to who joins him in a trip to the NCAA's as the runner-up? Now that's a good question. 

The thing about it is, it really doesn't matter which side of the bracket you are on. Even if one ends up on the same side of the bracket as Noto, I would imagine that if you're able to capture 3rd place, you'd get an opportunity to come back & challenge for true second.  Noto owns a 10-3 decision over Markel Baker of George Mason & his closest match within the conference has been a 5-3 decision with Joey Fischer, last year's runner up. 

Blake West of Northern Illinois owns both a 2-1 & 3-2 decision over Ohio's Oscar Sanchez. 

Jake Ferri of Kent State, a qualifier from 2021 & one of the best to not make the 2022 NCAA's, owns a 3-2 victory over Sanchez, a 9-5 decision over West & a 4-3 decision over Sean Spidle of Central Michigan. 

Spidle owns a 15-12 victory over Ferri. 

Fischer has both a 3-1 win over Ferri & a 5-3 victory over Spidle. 

Sanchez owns a both a 3-1 tiebreaker as well as a 2-1 tiebreaker over Spidle. 

Baker owns a 4-0 win over Fischer. 

So as you can see MAC silver truly is up for grabs & it's a free for all on who exactly will grab it. 

133 lbs
Spots Available: 1
Contenders: 1
Gable Strickland
Lock Haven 

The powers at be allotted one spot for NCAA qualification at 133 lbs & they are relying on Gable Strickland of Lock Haven to take that spot. Thus far he's remained undefeated in conference competition & he'll have to remain so in order to earn Lock Haven what is likely to be their second MAC title of the tournament.  

141 lbs
Spots Available: 2
Contenders: Who Knows? 7? Maybe More? 

This weight class is even nuttier than 125.  Champ & runner-up go to the NCAA's, but as to who those two will be? Good luck with that guess. 

Saul Ervin of SIUE is a decent bet as far as I'm concerned. The '21 NCAA qualifier has a 10-0 major decision over Caleb Rea of Cleveland State & a 2-0 decision over Jaivon Jones of Northern Illinois. 

Perhaps our safest bet is McKenzie Bell of Rider.  Now some may point a finger at his very out of place & extraordinarily strange 20-4 technical fall loss to Mike Rapuano of George Mason, but I'm not overly concerned with it. He later avenged that loss by majoring Rapuano 11-2.  He also owns a 9-0 major decision over Seth Koleno of Clarion as well as a 14-12 s.v. over Josh Mason of Bloomsburg. 

Amonn Ohl of Edinboro recently took it to Mason 14-4. Mason our MAC runner-up from last season & an NCAA qualifier, owns an 11-5 decision over Jones. 

Rea has been known his entire career for pulling off at least one or two major upsets per season. He really hasn't had one yet & I'll be damned if he doesn't get at least one in during what could very well be the last tournament of his career.  Thus far he does own a 10-6 victory over Koleno. 

Koleno, owns both a 2-1 decision over Mason & a 3:00 fall over Ohl. 

You'll have better luck at the roulette table than you will trying to predict what will happen here. 

149 lbs
Spots Available: 5
Contenders: The Appropriate Question Here Is, Who isn't? 

If you've ever read the novel IT by Stephen King then you are aware of the deadlights & how they can drive a person to the point of insanity if stared at for too long. I think 149 MAC might be having the same effect on me. The only solace within all of this, is at least there are more allocations here than what there are at 125 & 141. It's still gonna be a mess, but 5 allocations with all of the challengers we have here sure as heck makes a lot more sense than 2. 

Quinn Kinner of Rider was last year's MAC champion at 141, but he's far from a shoe-in to repeat. While he does own an impressive 16-0 technical fall over Kyle Schickel of Clarion, he is not without his conference losses. 

Ryan Burgos of Edinboro owns a 10-8 victory over Kinner as well as a 7-4 decision over Schickel. 

Johnny Lovett of Central Michigan, a two time NCAA qualifier started off the season pretty cold, but has sense heated up. MAC wins include a 4-0 victory over Alec Hagan of Ohio, a 10-1 major over Kody Komara of Kent State & an 8-3 decision of Burgos. 

Nick Stonecheck of Lock Haven owns a 6-4 decision over Kinner. 

Caleb Tyus of SIUE ironically enough is the one coming into this bracket with plenty of wins and no losses as far as the MAC is concerned. I'm not sure if that equates to winning a title, but he does have the resume to suggest it. A 5-4 win over Lovett, a 7-6 win over Shickel, a 4-2 victory over Burgos, a 2-1 win over Anthony Cheloni of Northern Illinois, a 3-1 tiebreaker of Komara & a 3-0 win over Hagan. He's certain proven that he CAN beat anyone in this bracket. 

Hagan an NCAA qualifier in '20, has kept ahead of Komara in what has to be the biggest on going feud in NCAA Division I wrestling. These guys have met more times than the Hatfields & McCoys.  This season alone, Hagan has won 7-1, 3-2 & 3-1 s.v. decisions against the Golden Flash. 

Komara last year's champ at this weight class, has his 4-3 victory over Hagan as well as a 4-0 victory over Shickel. If he repeats as champion here despite some of the losses he's had within the conference this season, it'll have be the craziest overall moment of the entire DI qualifiers. 

Schickel owns a 5:34 fall over Lovett & a 9-4 decision over Stonecheck. 

Good grief!! 

157 lbs
Spots Available: 4
Contenders: 7

This weight class makes a lot more sense. Here we have 7 talented, worthy of qualification wrestlers & four of them will get to represent the MAC conference while the other 3 stay home. 

Peyten Kellar of Ohio has had a very respectable redshirt freshman season thus far for the Bobcats.  I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't win multiple MAC titles during his career, including this one.  He owns a 6:34 fall over Ashton Eyler of Lock Haven. 

The past two seasons the best Marcus Robinson of Cleveland State has wrestled as been right here at the MAC championships. Will he make history repeat itself a third time? The two time NCAA qualifier owns both a 3-1 s.v. over Peter Pappas of George Mason & a 4-3 decision over Eyler. 

Corbyn Munson of Central Michigan has looked very good within the conference this season & honestly pretty good outside of it too. He'll challenge for the MAC title. A 1:29 fall over Anthony Gibson of Northern Illinois, he owns a 4-0 decision over Robinson & a 7-5 decision over Michael Petite of Buffalo. 

Petite despite being a two time NCAA qualifier, seems to be about the most overlooked wrestler in NCAA DI wrestling today. Not sure what he has to do for rankers to start giving him some respect. Wonder if a third qualification will do it? He owns a 9-7 s.v. over Gibson. 

Gibson despite his losses nearly majored Kellar 11-4. 

Pappas as you know from reading other articles I've written is a phenomenal story of making a miraculous comeback. We speak of injuries a lot in this sport but not often about losing faith in yourself & then gaining it back. What an ending it'd be to the story for the Patriot to earn his first NCAA qualification as a senior. Even if the story doesn't end that way, it still ends on a high note as far as I'm concerned. 

Eyler an NCAA qualifier last season owns a 6-3 decision over Pappas. 

165 lbs
Spots Available: 1
Contenders: 1
Izzak Olejnik 
Northern Illinois

I was rather surprised with the amount of talent at this weight class within the MAC, that the conference was only given one allocation. While I do not rule out the possibility of an upset, I think it is unlikely. Our probable champion here is three time NCAA qualifier Izzak Olejnik of Northern Illinois. 

174 lbs
Spots Available: 4
Contenders: Who knows? 8? Maybe More? 

If you thought we were done with chaos & pandemonium you were sadly mistaken. 174 is just as nuts as is 125, 141 & 149. There are four spots available here & plenty of competition in a fight for them. The parity and back & forth here is unreal. Or perhaps in some cases better described as surreal. 

Sal Perrine of Ohio was an NCAA qualifier last season. 

Alex Cramer of Central Michigan has an 11-7 win over John Worthing of Clarion & a 7-3 decision over Jay Nivison of Buffalo. 

Jared McGill of Edinboro has a 4-1 decision over Perrine, a 4-2 decision over Nivison & a 4-2 decision over Tyler Stoltzfus of Lock Haven. 

Stoltzfus has tech'd Michael Wilson of Rider twice by scores of 15-0 & 16-0. 

Worthing owns a 15-8 decision over Stoltzfus, a 6-5 decision over Logan Messer of George Mason & a 3-1 s.v. over Nivison. 

Messer owns a 3-1 decision over McGill, a 12-9 decision over Stoltzfus & a 15-0 tech over Wilson.

Nivison was an NCAA qualifier last season. 

Wilson owns a 7-3 decision over Wilson, and both a 9-7 s.v. as well as a 3-1 decision over Messer. 

Whoever predicts the top 8 here in order deserves a nomination for the Noble Prize. 

184 lbs
Spots Available: 2
Contenders: 3 

 
Compared to 125, 141, 149 & 174, 184 lbs is rather an anomaly. No chaos here.  Things are straight forward and simple. We have two allocations & three very talented grapplers in contest for them. 

Will Feldkamp of Clarion a 2022 NCAA qualifier, Zayne Lehman of Ohio & DeAndre Nassar of Cleveland State, a 2021 NCAA qualifier. Both Feldkamp & Lehman own 3-1 decisions on Nassar for the season. 

*NOTE* - One of the biggest disappointments for me all season was that he never saw the appearance of Kyle Davis of George Mason. I was really looking forward to him challenging for a MAC title this year but he never did step out on the mat for the Patriots.  I do not know the story as to why. Not sure if he's done wrestling, hurt or what.  I would think if eligible for a medical hardship he might receive one for '23-'24. 

197 lbs
Spots Available: 1
Contenders: 1
Ethan Laird
Rider 

Even more so than 165 lbs, I was really surprised that MAC 197 lbs only allotted one spot.  With talent like Anthony Perrine of Cleveland State & Tyler Bagoly of Clarion, that didn't make a whole heck of a lot of sense to me. Nevertheless, there is only one allocation & it has a very, very high probability of going to Ethan Laird of Rider. The Bronco has looked absolutely stunning this season & will most certainly challenge for All American honors at the NCAA championships. 

HWT
Spots Available: 1
Contenders: 1
Colton McKiernan 
SIUE

Colton McKiernan is another fun story in NCAA DI wrestling. Making the MAC finals as a freshman back in 2019, it has since been a struggle for the Cougar. Sophomore & both of his junior seasons didn't see him achieve the success that he had early in his career. Granted an extra season of eligibility due to COVID-19, McKiernan has made the most of it. This is the best season he has ever had as he currently stands at 24-3. 5th at the Midlands, he is looking to not only make a return trip to the MAC finals, but to win the whole damn thing. While there will be challenge along the way such as David Szuba of Rider, Isaac Reid of Lock Haven & Dan Bucknavich of Cleveland State, McKiernan is the odds on favorite. 

2023 PAC 12 Preview (March 5th)

 

We looked at the ACC's, The BIG 12's & The SOCON thus far. Now it is time to take a look at the PAC-12! 

125 lbs 
Spots Available: 3
Contenders: 3 

One of the biggest questions here is who will be the starter for Arizona State? Do you go with Brandon Courtney, the senior who has already earned two All American accolades, including making the finals in '21? Do you go with him showing a trust in a wrestler who has already proven himself at the national level? Show a sign of commitment? Or do look ahead to the future with Richard Figueroa? The talented redshirt freshman who currently stands at 14-0, having won a CKLV title?  Tough decision.  Either way, I think we're looking at a Sun Devil PAC-12 champion at 125 lbs.  Courtney handled Brandon Kaylor of Oregon State earlier this season 10-5 & Figueroa majored Nico Provo of Stanford 13-5.  Kaylor who was 8th in the nation last season, defeated Provo 3-2. 

133 lbs
Spots Available: 3
Contenders: 5 

A four time NCAA qualifier, 6th in '21 & 4th last season, our likely champion here is Michael McGee of Arizona State. He has completely dominated the competition owning technical falls over both Jackson DiSario of Stanford (16-1) & Jason Shaner Jr of Oregon State (17-2). He also majored Ethan Rotondo of Cal Poly 14-7. 

Shaner Jr, an NJCAA All American for Clackamas, is now in his last shot at making the NCAA championships. He goes in with two victories over Chance Rich of CSU-Bakersfield (3-2 & 8-6 s.v.) as well as a 4-2 decision over DiSario. 

Rotondo is a guy that you'd like do well. A career that would have otherwise probably have seen many triumphs and successes if it hadn't been for certain hiccups. As we wish all stories would end, he is finally peaking as his career nears its end. A 6-1 victory over Shaner Jr, a 3-1 s.v. over Rich & an 8-2 decision over DiSario. 

Rich is the most dangerous man in this bracket, mark my word. The Road Runner is an upset specialist and trust me, he's coming into Stanford, California to showcase. 

DiSario, has kept it close with Shaner Jr & Rich. Seeing that the tournament takes place at home, it's not a far fetched idea that he could get hot. 

141 lbs
Spots Available: 1
Contenders: 1
Jesse Vasquez
Arizona State 

They're counting on Jesse Vasquez of Arizona State to win the PAC-12's with the one allocation they have given & rightly so. He is likely to win the title here.  With that said, I don't dismiss the fact that there is other talent here.  Cleveland Belton of Oregon State, Lawrence Saenz of Cal Poly, Jason Miranda of Stanford & Angelo Martinoni of CSU-Bakersfield.  Vasquez has defeated nearly all of them. Saenz 7-3, Miranda 10-4 & Belton 5-2.  Could who ever takes runner-up honors plausibly be given an at large/wildcard bid? I wouldn't rule it out, but I would say that it isn't likely. 

149 lbs 
Spots Available: 1
Contenders: 3

Sometimes you gotta take political correctness & worrying about offending others & go ahead and tell it like it is. I can understand the PAC-12 only getting two allocations here, but only one? What a crock of shit. Parco is 21-4 on the season. Abas is 21-4 on the season. How do you justify leaving space for only one? To think, if Dom Demas of Cal Poly upsets either one of these guys, that really screws things up because then it makes getting an at large/wildcard bid a challenge.  Parco a two time All American at 6th in '21 & 8th in '22 owns a 10-2 major over Abas. Abas who was 7th in '21 owns a 4-0 victory over Demas who was 4th in '19.  

157 lbs
Spots Available: 1
Contenders: 1
Daniel Cardenas OR Charlie Darracott
Stanford 

Seeing that Daniel Cardenas has won three head to head matches (5-3, 6-4 s.v. & 7-4), I'm gonna guess that Stanford is going to go with him. Nevertheless, they might go with Charlie Darracott. I don't know. Either way, the Cardinal faithful are going to crown a champion on their home turf at 157. 

165 lbs 
Spots Available: 2
Contenders: 4 

A national champion in '21 & an NCAA runner-up in '22, Shane Griffith of Stanford is wanting to make his third trip to the NCAA finals & bring home his second national title. Before he worries about that, he first needs to concern himself with avenging his recent 3-2 loss to Matt Olguin of Oregon State for a PAC-12 title.  That is of course if Olguin makes the finals.  Legend Lamer of Cal Poly took him into s.v., losing a 7-5 match. For that matter, Lamer kept it pretty close with Griffith too, losing 2-0.  Then also sneaking around this bracket waiting to make a move is Little Rock's Tyler Brennan. Both Griffith & Olguin defeated him 4-0, but he kept it much closer with Lamer in a 2-1 loss.  Methinks that 165 could get down right interesting. 

174 lbs
Spots Available: 2
Contenders: 4 

Sit back, watch and enjoy.  It's about all you can do with a bracket like this. Trying to make predictions or guess is a waste of time.  All I know is that only two guys are making it out of the PAC-12's.  Even Brawley Lamer of Cal Poly who has a losing record & Triston Wills of Little Rock who hasn't won a match in the PAC-12 all season could plausibly make it out.  That's how insane 174 PAC-12 is. 

Aaron Olmos has a 3-1 victory over Albert Urias of Bakersfield & a 4-2 s.v. over Tyler Eischens. 

Eischens, a two time NCAA qualifier usually doesn't decided to show up until the last minute, so him winning another PAC-12 title as an underdog actually makes a lot of sense.  He does own a 6-1 victory on Olmos. 

Perhaps the same could be said about Cael Valencia of Arizona State. Waits until the end of the season to start wrestling well, but hey, it's all about peaking right? A 6-4 decision over Olmos, a 6-3 decision over Eischens & a 6-5 decision over Urias. 

You'd have a better shot at picking winning lottery tickets than you would trying to determine in what order wrestlers place 174 PAC 12. 

184 lbs
Spots Available: 1
Contenders: 1
Trey Munoz 
Oregon State 

Years ago I was a freshman in high school trying to decipher between Zach Thompson of Iowa State, Brad Vering of Nebraska & Mark Munoz of Oklahoma State, who was going to win the 2001 NCAA title.  Now here I am all these years later, predicting that Mark's son, Trey will win the 2023 PAC-12 title.  At one time I might have thought Anthony Montalvo of Arizona State might have given the '22 R12'er a match, but after seeing Munoz just rip him apart 14-4, I don't think that anymore. It'll be all Beaver 184. 

197 lbs
Spots Available: 3
Contenders: 3

I left four time PAC-12 champion Kordell Norfleet of Arizona State off of here because we haven't seen him compete since early December. I can't see him suddenly showing up 3 months later. I mean it is a possibility, but I'm gonna guess that it doesn't happen. 

With that out of the way,  the PAC-12 is taking 3 at this weight & here are the three. 

Bernie Truax of Cal Poly owns a 9-5 decision over Nick Stemmet of Stanford & a 7-5 decision over Tanner Harvey.  Truax has been 4th in the NCAA championships the past two seasons. 

Harvey a two time NCAA qualifier owns a 17-6 major over Stemmet, who himself is an NCAA qualifier. 

HWT
Spots Available: 1
Contenders: 1 
Cohlton Shultz 
Arizona State 

Sure last year's NCAA runner up (also 4th in '21) has had a couple of hiccups this season, but I rest assure you, he won't have any here.  Cohlton Schultz of Arizona State is gonna rip through this bracket as if it were tin foil. 

2023 Southern Conference Preview (March 4th)

 

As I have done for the ACC & the BIG 12, it is now time to take a look a the Southern Conference!  The number of allocations & those who will be in the fight for them! 

125 lbs 
Spots Available: 1
Contenders: 3 

The SOCON only got one allocation at 125 lbs & our likely champion here is Caleb Smith of Appalachian State. The Mountaineer defeated Dominic Chavez of Presbyterian 9-3 & Anthony Molton of Appalachian State 4-1.  It's a shame that the runner-up here wouldn't stand a shot at getting an at large bid/wild card. Even if all of the conference tournaments went nice and smooth (which we all know they won't) it'd still be unlikely that a wildcard would go to the SOCON. Too bad because the blue hose is still looking for their first NCAA DI qualifier & Chavez would make an excellent representative.  It is likely that he makes the SOCON finals. A 10-3 decision over Molton gives testimony to that prediction. That in itself, a great achievement. 

133 lbs
Spots Available: 2
Contenders: 4 

I tell you what. Brayden Palmer of Chattanooga & Domenic Zaccone of Campbell are both two time NCAA qualifiers, but one of the two might very well be staying home this year.  The reason? Ethan Oakley of Appalachian State.  Despite an early season 11-4 loss to Todd Carter of Gardner Webb, the redshirt freshman has looked very solid within the conference. He owns a 5-2 decision over Palmer, a 3-1 sudden victory over Zaccone & he's avenged his loss against Carter twice (6-5 & 7-3).  Zaccone defeated Palmer 4-2 s.v. & Carter 10-2, while Palmer defeated Carter 1-0. 

141 lbs 
Spots Available: 1
Contenders: 3 

The fight for the one allocation given here is most likely gonna be an excellent final between Shannon Hanna of Campbell & Zach Price of Gardner Webb.  Both NCAA qualifiers, Hanna defeated Price in a 2-1 tiebreaker earlier this season. I'll give it a very slight possibility that it could be Heath Gonyer of Appalachian State in the finals instead of Price. Price defeated Gonyer 3-2 earlier this season.  Hannan on the other hand majored Gonyer 11-3. 

149 lbs 
Jon Jon Millner 
Appalachian State
Spots Available: 1
Contenders: 1 

Jon Jon Millner in front of his home crowd, on his home mat is gonna get his hand raised for the fifth time and make history as he becomes the first & the only 5 time SOCON champion!  

157 lbs
Tommy Askey
Appalachian State
Spots Available: 1
Contenders: 1 

I don't see anyone challenging Tommy Askey of Appalachian State here. The fans of Boone, North Carolina are gonna watch Milner win title #5 & then turn around and watch another Mountaineer win 157. 

165 lbs
Spots Available: 1
Contenders: 2 

I love feuds don't you? If there are any two guys in the SOCON that know one another, it is R.J. Mosley of Gardner Webb & Will Formato of Appalachian State.  Thus far in their illustrious collegiate careers, the two have met a total of 7 times.  Mosley has won a 5-2 as well as a 9-4 decision, while Formato has won three 2-1 decisions (two of them tiebreakers), a 5-3 decision & a 3-2 decision. Meeting #8 has everything on the line. A trip to the NCAA championships.  Just to think, both are still only juniors. We'll get to see this match a number of times next season too. 

174 lbs
Spots Available: 2
Contenders: 2 

It's ironic isn't it? For decades and decades, with exception to a few out of place seasons here and there, Chattanooga all but owned the Southern Conference.  Now here we are & while I can see the Mocs having up to three champs, the only shoe-in title they have here is at 174 lbs.  Three time NCAA qualifier Rocky Jordan will be our champion here & it's almost a guarantee that his finals opponent will be Will Miller of Appalachian State. Jordan defeated Miller 11-5 the last they met. 

184 lbs
Spots Available: 1
Contenders: 3

It doesn't sit real well with me that we have three quality wrestlers here and only one of them gets to go to the NCAA tournament.  This fatal three way is gonna be an all out war as parity ensues. 

Caleb Hopkins of Campbell is a two time NCAA qualifier. He goes into the SOCON with a 2-1 decision over Jha'Quan Anderson of Gardner Webb. 

Matt Waddell is a four time NCAA qualifier, looking for his fifth trip. He owns a 4-3 decision over Hopkins. 

Anderson, an NCAA qualifier in 2021, owns a 3-1 s.v. over Waddell. 

Finger nails already chewed off, may have to move on to toes.

197 lbs
Spots Available: 1
Contenders: 1
Levi Hopkins
Campbell 

I don't see anyone challenging Levi Hopkins for a SOCON title here.  Carson Floyd of Appalachian State has had himself a very respectable season, but when the two met, Hopkins controlled a 5-0 decision. Our champ here is a Camel. 

HWT
Spots Available: 1
Contenders: 1
Taye Ghadiali
Campbell 

Even more so than Hopkins at 197, I feel the HWT SOCON championship is all but claimed by Taye Ghadiali. I see no one even remotely challenging the Camel for a title. 

Opinion Piece: The Pros & Cons of Fewer Qualifiers

 I've been doing a lot of thinking lately in regards to NCAA qualification in comparison to DIII & DII to that of DI.  I along with many other wrestling fans feel that 18 qualifiers for the national tournament isn't nearly enough. Especially in regards to NCAA Division III.  There are 121 (or there will be anyway as of the 2023-2024) season teams.  That means 121 varsity wrestlers per weight class (theoretically speaking. I realize not every school fills an entire roster.)  That means that for every weight class, 103 wrestlers don't make the national tournament.  18/121 is just under 15%.  Meaning that 85% of the varsity wrestlers in NCAA Division III won't see the national tournament. 

NCAA Division II isn't anywhere near as bad.  I'm not exactly sure with all of the additions and subtractions how many teams there are right now. I think it is 67.   18/67 is not quite 27%. NCAA DI, I believe at the start of next season will be 80 programs.  33 qualifiers in DI, meaning 33/80 at about 41%. 

I've gotten in some disagreements with others over the years about how many qualifiers a national tournament should have.  Britt "The Seton Hall Pirate" Malinsky & I have had our rounds concerning the topic. He thinks NCAA DI should drop to 24 qualifiers, giving 24/80, at 30%.  We've never really discussed why he wants to do this. I have to admit that I've made the assumption that he is one of many who simply wants the NCAA DI tournament to be nothing but the absolute best.  I never have been a fan of this "searching for Cael Sanderson" mindset.  I never will be a fan of it.  Yet, I began thinking about how few NCAA DIII qualifiers there are in comparison to the # of varsity wrestlers there are from a different perspective. 

It's also a matter of fact that overall season performance has absolutely zero effect on qualification. There are no bids. There are no at large births or wildcards. You either place top 3 within your regional or you don't go. Some regionals are certainly more loaded then others.  One guy who doesn't qualify at 4th place in one Regional, may have very well won a different regional.  

We see the cons in this.  Are there any pros? 

I would argue yes.  Look at the mentality of D3 & D2 Vs that of D1.  Look at the perspective and philosophy.  NCAA Division I has such a "the NCAA's is all that matters" mentality.  Too many don't celebrate or allow themselves to enjoy the CKLV placings or the Midlands placings. A guy wins a BIG 10 title & during the interview dismisses it as practically nothing because the national tournament is "all that matters."  You don't get that kind of response in NCAA DIII or DII.  You don't see a guy hang his head in shame for getting 4th at the Regional. You see him hold his head high, smile on his face, because he got 4th at the Regional. The Regional is treated exactly as it is! An incredibly tough tournament that took a tremendous amount of hard work, skill, talent & determination to place at.  You see this at the Regions in DII. You see it at the really super tough in-season tournaments like the Midwest Classic. 

So yes, I still want to see more qualifiers for the DIII tournament some day, as I would for the DII. However, with so few qualifiers & it being such a difficult task, it makes wrestlers as well as coaches appreciate the other achievements that happen throughout the season. I think that is a good thing. Something that DI could use more of. 

2023 BIG 12 Preview (March 4th-5th)

 

Some of these weight classes take up to 8 guys apiece and in the end it'll be obvious that based on result, it simply isn't enough. Ironic isn't it? Like I said in my ACC preview & as all say in all of my NCAA DI conference previews, 2023 is the year where being top 33 will truly mean something. 

125 lbs
Spots Available: 6
Contenders: 10 

We have 10 very talented wrestlers here & only 6 spots available to them. Just think, if Iowa State's Kysen Terukina wasn't hurt, we'd had 11. This is going to be a barnburner, an all out fight. Earning allocations here at 125 lbs BIG 12 is gonna be a war. 

Killian Cardinale of West Virginia hasn't faced a whole heck of a lot of the in-conference competition yet this year, but I'd still consider him a top dawg for a conference title. 7th in the nation in '21 he was a hair from earning AA #2 last year. He owns a 3-2 decision over Prata. 

Noah Surin of Missouri was one match shy of All American honors himself last season. When on, he's a tough Tiger to tame. Major decisions over both Jore Volk of Wyoming (11-1) & Prata (8-0), he snuck past Reece Witcraft of Oklahoma State 2-1. 

Kase Mauger of Utah Valley has quietly had himself a respectable season. Within the NCAA overall, a few ugly losses, but within the conference he has more than held his own. One of his favorite noises in the whole wide world is to hear the combination of an extremely loud whistle & the flat hand of a certified NCAA official slap the mat.  He hears it fairly often. A 4:23 fall over Eli Griffin of California Baptist, a 3:50 fall over Tanner Jordan of South Dakota State & a 4:34 fall over Stevo Poulin of Northern Colorado. 

This is the Lancers first year of post season NCAA DI wrestling & if they are to have any qualifiers, Griffin is going to be one of them.  While pinned by Mauger, he's also pinned Mauger (3:29) & he owns a 10-1 major decision over Volk. 

If you're much for parity (and you might as well be this is NCAA DI wrestling) Volk owns an 11-1 major over Mauger as well as a 7-1 decision over Jordan.  He also owns a 4-2 decision over Poulin.  As to his inconsistency? Well you could sum it up easily but just saying this is DI wrestling & you consistently have to be at your best as you're often facing the best of the best night after night. I think it's also fair to say that a lot of guys have roller coaster rides in their first season of varsity competition. It takes time to get used to the grind. The Cowboy is gonna have himself an outstanding career as long as he stays healthy.  Q or No Q, preferably Q of course that has already been proven this year. 

Poulin....To me it wasn't that long ago we saw a phenomenal pee-wee on the mat with a mohawk haircut that just dominated every other kid he stepped out there with. Now he's in college competing amongst the best in the nation. Let's me know how old I've gotten & how fast time flies. Among his notable in-conference wins on the season a 4-0 decision over Griffin, a 9-2 decision over Jordan & a 6-0 decision over Tucker Owens of Air Force. 

Prata was R12 at the NCAA's last year & now this season he's gonna have to fight like a madman across the water just to finish within the top 6 within the BIG 12 to make it back to the NCAA's. He owns a 7-2 decision over Witcraft. 

Jordan has an on and off switch & when it is on, he's capable of doing a lot of good things. This includes earning a top 6 finish here.  Among his notable wins on the season, a 5-3 decision over Griffin, a 4-2 s.v. over Prata & a 6:10 fall over Owens. 

Owens, an outstanding rookie on the Falcon team, owns a very impressive 12-4 major over Mauger. 

Lastly well within the fight, we have Witcraft. Taking over for MIA Trevor Mastrogiovanni, he's really stepped it up for the Cowboys showing himself as an excellent replacement. A NCAA qualifier in '20, he owns a 9-5 decision over Jordan. 

133 lbs
Spots Available: 5
Contenders: 9

Again, welcome to Omaha Beach. We got ourselves a battle. 

Three time NCAA runner-up Daton Fix of Oklahoma State who's hoping to trade in his abundance of silver for gold here in a couple of weeks, will first have to earn some BIG 12 gold before he thinks about NCAA gold. I do not see him having any issue winning a title here.  The closest match he's had thus far amongst his BIG 12 competition is a 5-2 decision over Zach Redding of Iowa State. Other than that, he's dominated the field. An 8-1 decision over Kyle Biscoglia of Northern Iowa, he nearly tech'd Connor Brown of Missouri 14-3. An 11-4 decision over Jace Koelzer of Northern Colorado, he's majored Wyatt Henson of Oklahoma twice by scores of 14-5 & 15-6. 

It's been one heck of a ride for Brown. A career full of challenges, it is finally coming to an end.  He was an NCAA qualifier al the way back in 2018 & half a decade later, he has a chance to make it back. He owns a 7-4 decision over Henson. 

Redding an NCAA qualifier in '21, could likely be our runner-up this BIG 12. He seems to have Biscoglia figured out. It's always close, as it was in their last 4-2 s.v. meeting, but Redding seems to always come out on top. He also owns a 9-7 victory over Brown & a 4:12 fall over Henson. 

Biscoglia who should get a shot at Redding to break the curse, owns both a 3-0 victory over Air Force's Cody Phippen & a 2:00 fall over Henson. 

Phippen.  I've been writing the same thing about this guy season after season for the last three years. He's made my "Best to not qualify" list every time & it's often been in the position of "one match shy."  I swear if he finishes in 6th place this tournament, I may very well pull each hair out of my head individually one by one.  This is it. Senior year, last chance. He's got what he's always had, the tools. Now it's time to finally make it happen and punch that ticket. A 10-2 major over Hunter Leake of California Baptist & a 6-1 decision over McGwire Midkiff of North Dakota State. 

Henson is a tough wrestler & while he doesn't have any notable in-conference victories yet this season, that could change at the BIG 12's. 

Midkiff owns both a 10-3 decision over Henson & a 4-1 decision over Koelzer. 

Leake, along with Griffin remains among California Baptist's best bet for an NCAA qualifier. Owns both a 7-2 decision over Midkiff & a 4:37 fall over Redding. 

Lastly is Koelzer who like Henson doesn't have any notable in-conference victories yet this season, but was an NCAA qualifier last year. 

14l lbs
Spots Available: 7
Contenders: 11

NCAA R12 last season, Andrew Alirez has an opportunity this season to become the first NCAA DI champion in the history of Northern Colorado wrestling. First, he'll go about trying to win a BIG 12 title. Thus far he's looked outstanding Vs the competition. An 18-6 victory over Job Greenwood of Wyoming, it was a 10-4 decision over Ty Smith of Utah Valley. A 2:20 fall over Jordan Titus of West Virginia, he defeated Alan Hart of Missouri 8-4. A 10-3 win over Clay Carlson of South Dakota State, he majored both Carter Young of Oklahoma State (12-4) & Dylan Drogemueller of North Dakota State (13-5). 

Mosha Schwartz who at one time was a teammate of Alirez's, now gets to challenge him for the BIG 12 title. A two time NCAA qualifier, he owns an 8-6 victory over Young, a 4-1 decision over Titus, a 3-1 decision over Swiderski & a 6-1 decision over Hart. He's also defeated Cael Happel of Northern Iowa 2-1, Drogemueller 6-2 & Carlson 8-2. 

Hart a three time NCAA qualifier was R12 last season.  He owns a 26 second fall over Droegemueller, an 11-2 major over Titus & a 7-1 decision over Swiderski. 

Young an NCAA qualifier last season has looked very sharp at times this season & knowing Oklahoma State's history within this tournament, wouldn't be all that shocking to be seen in the finals.  A 4-2 victory over hart, it was a 5-1 decision over Titus & a 15-7 major over Happel.  He also owns a 5-3 decision over Schwartz & a 3-0 decision over Swiderski. 

Happel has really stepped it up this season. Two wins over All American Carlson, 4-1 & 8-6.  He also owns a 6-4 decision over Greenwood, a 9-4 decision over Smith, a 13-9 decision over Titus & a 4-3 decision over Swiderski. 

Carlson, 8th at the '21 NCAA's & a R12 last year, has proven that he he knows how to win in challenging situations.  He owns a 4-3 victory over Young & a 6-5 decision over Greenwood. 

Titus owns an 11-3 major over Swiderski.  As to Swiderski he's taken his lumps in his freshman season, but he's also proven himself to be more than capable of earning a top 7 showing here. 

Drogemueller a two time NCAA qualifier, owns a 7-3 decision over Greenwood. The type that will not want to be overlooked or understudied. Dangerous, dangerous man on top. 

Smith & Greenwood fit the same description. Neither are slated to be among the 7 & both are more than capable of it. Greenwood owns a 7-6 decision over Smith & he also upset Young earlier this season 4-3.  

Smith owns a 7-6 decision over Carlson. 

149 lbs 
Spots Available: 7
Contenders: 11

11 guys. 7 of them will go. 4 of them will not. The fight here is real. Could get bloody. 

Brock Mauller of Missouri is already a two time All American. 6th in '19, he was 5th in '21. He'll be among those in the hunt for a BIG 12 title. Close, he's beaten both Kellyn March of North Dakota State & Victor Voinovich of Oklahoma State by 3-2 decisions.  A 4-2 s.v. over Mitch Moore of Oklahoma, it was a 3-1 decision over Colin Realbuto of Northern Iowa. Stuck Paniro Johnson of Iowa State in overtime at the 8:45 mark, with a 10-2 major over Sam Hillegas of West Virginia. 

Realbuto, has looked real good this year. The '22 NCAA qualifier owns an 8-5 decision over March, a 5-4 decision over Voinovich & a 10-7 decision over Hillegas. He also owns a 6:18 fall over Isaiah Delgado of Utah Valley. 

Johnson, one of the rare among the freshmen who still has an outside shot at the NCAA title, will first look to win a BIG 12 title. A 5-2 decision over Delgado, he also owns a 3-1 decision over Voinovich & a 14-4 major over Hillegas. 

Among the Bison who have made vast improvements, count in March, who very well might march his way to a BIG 12 title. he wrestles anything like he did at the Southern Scuffle, that could be our actuality. A 5-3 s.v. over Voinovich, he owns falls over both Delgado & Alek Martin of South Dakota State. A 5-3 s.v. over Northern Chris Sandoval, he handled Moore 5-0. 

Voinovich within his first season as a varsity Cowboy has shown to have a fantastic gas tank. In a situation like this, it may very well prove to be his greatest asset. He owns a 7-2 victory over Sandoval, a 3-1 decision over Martin & a 2-0 decision over Moore. 

Hillegas owns a 5-4 decision over Martin. 

Sandoval, an NCAA qualifier all the way back in '19, is looking at his lost shot to return to the national tournament. He owns a 10-2 major over Martin & an 8-6 s.v. over Delgado. 

Dylan Martinez has done what few have done in the modern day history of the NCAA's. He's had an outstanding senior season thus far, despite not having all that spectacular showings the other three years.  Among his victories, 3-1 decisions over both Delgado & Martin. 

Moore a three time NCAA qualifier, was one match shy of All American honors in '21. Now he's in the fight of his career, just to add another qualification. A 3-1 s.v. over Voinovich he also owns a 3-1 decision over Delgado.

Martin owns a 9-7 s.v. over Delgado. 

157 lbs
Spots Available: 7
Contenders: 10 

This group is rather shy. At least in terms of being one match short of All American honors anyway. Among the talent here, four of the wrestlers have finished top 12 thus far in their NCAA careers. 

Jared Franek of North Dakota State is perhaps the best wrestler at 157 lbs yet to taste that All American accolade.  A forerunner to win the BIG 12 title, many of his matches may be painstakingly close, but in the end, getting your hand raised is all that matters. A 4-2 s.v. over Jarrett Jacques of Missouri, he owns a 3-1 s.v. over Jacob Wright of Wyoming & a 6-2 decision over Jacob Butler of Oklahoma. He also owns two victories (4-1 & 6-2) over Vince Zerban of Northern Colorado. 

Kaden Gfeller of Oklahoma State has been one to make magic happen at various points throughout his career.  One match shy of All American status last season, he owns two victories over Butler (7-1 & 14-3).  He also owns a 5-3 decision over Alex Hornfeck of West Virginia, a 3-1 victory over Jason Kraisser of Iowa State & a 4-3 decision over Jacques. An 8-1 win over Cael Swensen of South Dakota State, he defeated Zerban in overtime 7-5. 

Jacques has been to the NCAA tournament four times. One of those you look back on and wonder how he hasn't managed to earn AA honors yet.  R12 in '21, this will be his last shot.  Could he win the BIG 12 title here? It'd have to be his best day, and Hell, why not? If you're gonna have your best day at the conference tournament, might as well make it your last one.  A 4-3 victory over Hornfeck & a 2-0 victory over Kraisser, he defeated Wright 10-8. 

Wright also R12 in '21, owns a 6-4 victory over Kraisser, a 4-3 victory over Swensen & a 2-0 victory over Zerban. 

Derek Holschlag is among the Schwab lead gang who has made vast improvements between this season and last. Among his notable in-conference victories, a 6-4 decision over Gfeller, a 4-3 decision over Wright & a 4-1 decision over Kraisser. 

Swensen owns a 3-1 decision over Wright, a 3-1 decision over Holschlag & a 4-2 decision over Zerban. 

Kraisser a 5-3 decision over Hornfeck. 

Rounding out our contenders, Butler was an NCAA qualifier last year & Zerban owns a 9-7 s.v. over Hornfeck. 

165 lbs
Spots Available: 8
Contenders: 9 

165 lbs BIG 12, I believe that who is slotted to go will go to the NCAA's, although there is one monkey wrench here who could steal a spot. 

The final everyone is expecting here is '21 NCAA champ David Carr of Iowa State Vs '22 NCAA champ Keegan O'Toole of Missouri. I'd say it has a high probability of happening, but I wouldn't call it a guarantee.  There's a lot of good talent in this bracket, just itching for an opportunity to knock off one of these two kings.  Carr defeated O'Toole rather soundly earlier this season by a 7-2 decision. He also owns a 5-3 decision over Wyatt Sheets of Oklahoma State, an 8-2 decision over Peyton Hall of West Virginia, a 20-6 major over Austin Yant of Northern Iowa, and an 18-6 major over Gerrit Nijenhuis of Oklahoma. 

O'Toole owns a 3-0 decision over Hall, a 15-8 major over Mikey Caliendo of North Dakota State, a 14-4 major over Sheets 7 a 4:05 fall over Nijenhuis. 

Hall a match away from All American status in '21 & 8th in the nation last season, owns an 8-2 decision over Nijenhuis, a 5-2 decision over Yant, a 6-2 decision over Sheets and an 11-3 major decision over Baylor Fernandes of Northern Colorado. 

Caliendo has proven himself as far as I'm concerned to be a darkhorse candidate for an NCAA title & in being so, that also makes him a darkhorse candidate to win a BIG 12 title. He owns a 10-5 decision over Nijenhuis. 

Cook, no wins of note within the conference, but he was an NCAA qualifier in '20 & the guy has a nasty habit of putting opponents on their backs when least expected.  He's not one to overlook. 

Nijenhuis is a two time NCAA qualifier, owns both a 10-6 & 6-5 win over Sheets as well as an 8-5 decision over Cook. 

Sheets I can see being a surprise this tournament. A three time NCAA qualifier, he completely came out of no where to earn 8th place All American honors in 2021. I mean by all accounts he wasn't even really supposed to be in the tournament. He was NOT originally one of the 33 qualifiers, but instead a last second alternate for another wrestler who was unable to participate. The idea of him coming out of nowhere once again to do something special before his career is all said and done, is a possibility. Could very well happen here. 

Yant is a two time qualifier in his own right & Fernandes owns an impressive 7-3 victory over Sheets. 

174 lbs
Spots Available: 6
Contenders: 12 

In terms of qualification, a very tough weight class. There are 12 eligible candidates here & only half of them will be headed to the NCAA championships. 

Peyton Mocco of Missouri was one match shy of All American honors last season. Looking sharp, he owns a 4-3 decision over Dustin Plott of Oklahoma State, a 10-4 decision over Scott Joll of West Virginia, a 12-3 major over Tate Picklo of Oklahoma & a 7-5 decision over Julian Broderson of Iowa State. He's also defeated Gax Sax of North Dakota State twice. A 3:20 fall & a 7-4 decision. 

As he's fought through injuries & other mishaps, Demetrius Romero of Utah Valley has proven when healthy, he's as good as anyone. 6th in the nation in '21, he owns a 7-4 decision over Lance Runyon of Northern Iowa, a 4-2 decision over Cade DeVos of South Dakota State & a 13-5 major over Andrew Berreyesa of Northern Colorado. 

Plott, a 6th place All American last season had defeated Berreyesa twice by scores of 10-4 & 11-2. He owns a 12-7 win over Moccco, a 7-3 win over Runyon, a 14-11 win over Joll, a 13-7 win over Broderson & a 7-2 win over Picklo. 

DeVos a two time NCAA qualifier, owns a 9-5 victory over Plott, a 7-4 victory over Sax & a 2-1 victory over Berreyesa. 

Runyon, an NCAA qualifier last season, owns an 8-1 win over Joll. 

Picklo, among the youth of the bracket, owns an 8-1 decision over Joll, an 8-5 decision over DeVos, an 8-4 decision over Sax, a 9-5 decision over Runyon & a 3-2 decision over Broderson. 

Sam Wolf, one of the Falcons in line for his first qualification, upset Romero earlier this season 5-3. 

Berreyesa owns a 1:48 fall over Sax

Hayden Hastings, already a four time NCAA qualifier & a R12'er at last year's championships, will now fight like Hell for a 5th trip. 

Joll owns an 8-2 victory over Broderson & Broderson owns both a 0:24 fall over Hastings & a 3-0 decision over Sax. 

Rankings are one thing, results are another. Let's see how this one unfolds. 

184 lbs 
Spots Available: 4
Contenders: 7 

3rd in the last two NCAA championships, I'd call Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa one of the best in the nation yet to win a national title.  He'll have some challenge against Marcus Coleman of Iowa State whom he beat earlier this season 7-5, but he's still the odds on favorite to win the BIG 12 title.  He also has a 4-1 victory over Keegan Moore of Oklahoma & a 7-2 decision over Colton Hawks of Missouri. 

Coleman, already a four time NCAA qualifier, was 7th in the nation last season. He owns a 5:53 fall over Travis Wittlake of Oklahoma State & a 4-2 decision over Hawks. 

Wittlake could turn out to be a surprise BIG 12 champion, as he has yet to face Coleman or Keckeisen this season. A likely *3 seed, he'd have to upset both in order to do so.  He has a 3-1 win over D.J. Parker of North Dakota State, a 3-0 victory over Cade King of South Dakota State & he's defeated Hawks twice by scores of 6-4 & 2-0. 

Parker owns a 2:58 fall over Keegan Moore of Oklahoma. 

Moore a two time NCAA qualifier, owns a 10-6 victory over King. 

Hawks, owns both an 11-2 major over Parker & a 4-3 decision over Moore. 

Spots Available: 6
Contenders: 7 

As far as I'm concerned, this is a four man battle for the BIG 12 title that should result in two very good semi-finals & an excellent final. 

Three time NCAA qualifier Tanner Sloan was a match away from All American honors in '21.  I would imagine he'll either be the *1 or *2 seed for the championships.  He owns a 4-3 decision over Evan Bockman of Utah Valley, a 7-0 decision over Luke Surber of Oklahoma State & an 8-2 decision over Owen Pentz of North Dakota State. 

Pentz is our darkhorse to win the BIG 12 title. A likely *4 seed, the two time NCAA qualifier is gonna have to use his phenomenal pinning skills in order to pull off the upsets. He's done so before, so it's easy to imagine him doing so again. 

Rocky Elam, a two time All American (5th in '21 & 4th in '22) of Missouri, like Sloan is likely to be either the *1 or *2 seed.  An 8-1 victory over Pentz & a 4-0 victory over Yonger Bastida of Iowa State. 

Then we have Bastida who was 5th in the nation last year. He owns a 5-3 decision over Bockman, a 7-2 decision over Surber & a 17-8 major decision over Austin Cooley of West Virginia. 

Both Surber & Bockman, NCAA qualifiers last year, could also be within the mix if they have a really good day. After all Surber did defeat Elam earlier this season 5-4.  He also owns a 14-5 major decision over Cooley.  I think it's more likely that they'll be duking it out for the 5th & 6th place slots though. 

HWT
Spots Available: 8
Contenders: 9 

NCAA R12 in '21, the favorite to win a BIG 12 title here is Wyatt Hendrickson of Air Force. Thus far against the in-conference competition he has faced, he has been rather dominate. Pinning West Virginia's Michael Wolfgram in just 37 seconds, he tech'd A.J. Nevills of South Dakota State 16-1. A 13-2 major decision over Juan Mora of North Dakota State, he defeated Tyrell Gordon of Northern Iowa 7-2. 

Zach Elam of Missouri has been twice the R12 at the NCAA's himself. I believe it's likely he'll duke it out with Iowa State's Sam Schuyler in the semi-finals should neither one face upset.  He owns a 6-3 decision over Wolfgram, a 5-3 decision over Mora, a 3-1 s.v. over Gordon, a 2-0 decision over Josh Heindselman of Oklahoma & a 4-2 decision over Konner Doucet of Oklahoma State. 

Schuyler has shown vast improvements since transferring from Buffalo.  The two time NCAA qualifier defeated Elam earlier this season 5-3. He also owns a 2-0 victory over Heindselman, a 4-2 decision over Wolfgram & a 4-1 decision over Gordon. 

Nevills is one of those guys that you never quite know what to expect out of. He has his moments of glory & he also has his moments of not looking so great.  The three time NCAA qualifier has a 4-3 tiebreaker over Doucet, a 3-1 s.v. over Heindselman & an 8-3 decision over Mora. 

Wolfgram, an NCAA qualifier last year, owns both a 3-1 decision over Heindselman & a 7-4 decision over Gordon. 

Heindselman a tow time NCAA qualifier, owns a 4-2 tiebreaker over Mora, a 4-2 s.v. over Gordon & a 2-1 tiebreaker over Doucet. 

Doucet returned the 2-1 tiebreaker over Heindselman & also owns a 3-1 decision over Wolfgram. 

Gordon, an NCAA qualifier last season, has a 3-1 s.v. over Nevills, a 2-1 tiebreaker over Mora & a 3-2 decision over Doucet. 

Tons of 1 & 2 point matches among these guys, as well as sudden victories and tiebreakers. Hard to say  what order they finish in, but the top 8 go here, so only one will be left out. 

2023 ACC Preview (March 5th)

 

I have been a collegiate wrestling fan since the 1991-1992 season & I have been following collegiate wrestling to the level some would call a fixation since the 2001-2002 season. In 21 years of following the sport as closely as I have, I can say that indisputably in terms of qualification, 2022-2023 is the absolute toughest it has ever been. For the most part over the years, while there are always good kids that end up staying home, the number of good, quality wrestlers that will not qualify this year will be in abundance. There are only 33 spots available per weight & a hell of a lot more than 33 wrestlers eligible to take them.  We'll start by looking at ACC. 

125 lbs
Spots Available: 2
Contenders: 5 

Virginia Tech's Eddie Ventresca had enough of a challenge just making the varsity lineup as he had to contend with Cooper Flynn all season just to suit up in the burnt orange & Chicago Maroon. Now, he'll contend for his first ACC title & his first NCAA qualification. Among the competition, he owns a 6-2 victory over Jack Wagner of North Carolina & a 8-1 decision over Patrick McCormick of Virginia 

Wagner, has had himself a pretty good season since transferring from Northern Iowa.  20-6 on the season, he owns both a 10-8 s.v. over Colton Camacho of Pittsburgh & a 14-4 major over McCormick.  

Camacho, who was behind Gage Curry last season, will test his skills here at the ACC championships. In order to qualify he'll have to pull off some upsets. He owns both a 14-1 major as well as a 4-2 s.v. over McCormick. 

Jarrett Trombley of North Carolina State could very well end up being our champion, as he owns a 3-1 sudden victory over Ventresca. He also owns an 11-8 victory over Camacho & a 10-2 victory over McCormick.  He is a two time NCAA qualifier. 

Now I know I'm gonna catch Hell from some for including McCormick on this list but here me out.  I'm well aware that not only has he lost to everyone, he's outright gotten his ass handed to him.  Here's the thing. When it comes to the ACC championships, the guy truly understands the meaning of magic. He's somehow or another managed earn NCAA qualifications the past two season.  Now do I see him doing that? It's highly unlikely.  He's most likely going to be seeded where he has to face either the #1 or #2 seed early on. This would mean having to wrestle-back all the way to challenge for true 2nd.  Now that I don't see happening, but McCormick beating someone(s) that annihilated him earlier this season?  Absolutely.  This is a bracket that I cannot see getting once of the four at large wildcards.  It's gonna be champ & runner-up going to the NCAA's & everyone else staying home.  There is no room for error. 

133 lbs
Spots Available: 3
Contenders: 3 

Here I think what is excepted, is what we get.  The three that are slotted for NCAA qualification, will be our NCAA qualifiers. The real question here is, in what order do they finish? 

Sam Latona of Virginia Tech, an NCAA 6th place All American in '21 who was a match shy of his second last year, so far this year owns a 3-1 victory over Orine. 

Micky Phillippi of Pittsburgh, a three time R12'er at the NCAA's & a four time ACC finalist owns a 3-2 tiebreaker over Latona. 

Then we have Kai Orine, a qualifier last season, who owns a 2-1 tiebreaker over Phillippi. 

So take the parity, try & figure out how this one is gonna be seeded & then watch some very close matches to determine who's 1st, who's 2nd & who's 3rd. 

141 lbs 
Spots Available: 4
Contenders: 5 

NCAA title contender Cole Matthews of Pittsburgh has taken on all challengers in the ACC & thus far one by one, he's beaten them all. A 6-2 victory over Tom Crook of Virginia Tech. A 3-2 decision over Lachlan McNeil of North Carolina. A 4-2 decision over Ryan Jack of NCST & a 4-1 decision over Brian Courtney of Virginia. He was 5th at the NCAA's last season. 

Jack an NCAA qualifier in his own right last season, owns both a 2-1 & 8-2 decision over Crook. A 7-5 decision over McNeil & a 4-1 decision over Courtney. 

Both McNeil & Crook are two of the best freshmen that we have seen this season. They are split with one another, as Crook owns a 3-2 decision over McNeil & McNeil owns a 12-3 major decision over Crook. McNeil also owns a 3-1 decision over Jack. 

Lastly even though we already have a Crook in this bracket, we could very well have a thief. Of the four allotments, one of them isn't meant for Virginia. Nevertheless whether it be Dylan Cedeno or Brian Courtney, it's not unfeasible that either one could steal a spot. Courtney after all was R12 down a weight last season. 

149 lbs
Spots Available: 4
Contenders: 5 

Speaking of young talent, ACC 149 lbs sure has some.  Caleb Henson of Virginia Tech has looked very good thus far this season & will contend for a ACC title.  He owns a 6-1 victory over fellow freshman Jackson Arrington of NCST, as well as an 8-4 decision over Jarod Verkleeren of Virginia & a 14-2 major over Tyler Badgett of Pittsburgh. 

Arrington owns both a 10-2 decision over Verkleeren & a 4-0 decision over Badgett. 

Both Zach Sherman of North Carolina & Verkleeren are the seniority within this group. Sherman a four time NCAA qualifier, was 7th in the nation back in '21. I could potentially see him get hot & challenge for the title but I think it's more realistic that he dukes it out with Verkleeren for 3rd. Having beaten the Cavilier in the past, it was Verkleeren who won their last meeting 6-4.  Verkleeren also owns a 5-3 decision Badgett. 

And as to Badgett, other than getting thumped by Henson, he's kept it close with the others. These type of tournaments produce some whacky results. Him stealing a spot, is a possibility. 

157 lbs 
Spots Available: 3
Contenders: 5 

North Carolina's Austin O'Connor is a man on a mission. 3rd in '19 & 8th last season, he was the NCAA champion in 2021. Bet your bottom dollar he's gunning to win title #2 this year. First, he has to win another ACC title. Among the competition, he owns a 23-8 major over Jake Keating of Virginia, an 11-3 major over Bryce Andonian of Virginia Tech & a 3-1 decision over in-state rival Ed Scott of NCST. 

Andonian, a three time NCAA qualifier, was 3rd in the nation last season.  Earlier this season he nearly tech'd both Scott & Dazjon Casto of Pittsburgh.  Defeating the Wolfpack 24-10 & the Panther 14-1. He also pinned Keating in the first period at 1:32. 

Scott's a dangerous wrestler, with as mean of a headlock as I've ever seen. I'd be weary of him & what he's capable of regardless of his seed.  He majored Keating 12-4 & then threw Casto all over the mat with a 20-3 technical fall. 

Now Casto, seems to a fire that has all but burnt out. I'm not sure if he's been hurt this season or what the deal is, but he hasn't been the ball of volley that we were hoping that we would see. Nevertheless he as R12 at the NCAA's last season & he owns a 14-8 victory over Keating. With the talent he'd have to get through to take home a top three finish, it doesn't seem likely.  It is possible though. 

Also keep in mind that Keating is a two time NCAA qualifier. He's not the kind of wrestler you want to turn your back on or overlook. Upsets will happen this tournament & he's capable of being someone to pull them off. 

165 lbs
Spots Available: 3
Contenders: 4 

There are so few at large/wildcards available. I don't know if it will go here, but I can say that I do feel it's a very strong possibility that it would be needed here. You have three spots & four guys going after them.  

Connor Brady of Virginia Tech is the odd man out at this point, but him avenging any of the close losses he has had, is a very real possibility.  He lost a nosehair dogfight to Justin McCoy of Virginia 5-4 & then another close one to Matty Singleton of NCST 5-3 s.v. Holden Heller of Pittsburgh defeated him 2-0.  None of these scores, indicate to me that Brady couldn't avenge. 

Heller looks to be our forerunner for champion, as he also owns a 9-3 decision over McCoy & a 5-2 decision over Singleton.  

I wouldn't count our McCoy quite yet though as far as title talks are concerned. He's a three time NCAA qualifier & R12 last season. 

174 lbs
Spots Available: 3
Contenders: 5 

Well one of these three spots is already spoken for & that's the spot right at the top. That's going to 2019 NCAA champion/2022 NCAA runner-up Mekhi Lewis of Virginia Tech. He owns a 8-2 decision over Alex Faison of NCST, a 14-4 major over Luca Augustine of Pittsburgh & he pinned Vic Marcelli of Virginia in 6:07. 

Clay Lautt of North Carolina an 8th place All American last season & R12 in '21, is gonna have avenge some losses just to make it back to the NCAA's this year.  He lost a 6-1 decision to Faison & then a 2-1 tiebreaker to Augustine. He also barely got past Marcelli in a 2-0 effort.  Luckily for him, during the post season he usually goes into full gear. Avenging these losses to a runner-up finish, is a prediction one can feel safe making. 

Faison won in overtime the last he met with Augustine, 3-1.  Augustine owns a 4-1 victory over Marcelli.   

We have five talented grapplers here & only three of them are going to the NCAA's. 

184 lbs
Spots Available: 5
 Contenders: 5 

Take a load off. Relax. This is the one weight class in all of NCAA DI wrestling, barring a huge unlikely upset, everyone that should qualify will qualify.  The ACC has 5 allotments & 5 guys to take them.  The question is, in what order will they finish. 

An NCAA runner-up in '21 & 5th this past season, our likely champion seems to be Trent Hidlay of North Carolina State.  He has a 21-9 major over Neil Antrassian of Virginia & a 9-5 decision over Reece Heller of Pittsburgh.  However, he did need overtime to get past Hunter Bolen of Virginia Tech in a 5-3 decision. 

Bolen a four time NCAA qualifier, 7th in '21 has looked pretty sharp this season & will challenge Hidlay for the title.  He does have an odd 4:32 loss by fall to Heller, but he's defeated both Antrassian (9-5) & Gavin Kane of North Carolina (6-0). 

Kane, an NCAA qualifier last season has a 6-3 decision over Heller as well as two victories (6-4 & 6-3) over Antrassian. 

Lastly, Antrassian owns a 8-3 decision over Heller. 

Gonna be a good semi, a good final, a good consolation semi & a good consolation final. Great thing about it is, all talents here we already know are headed to the NCAA's. 

197 lbs 
Spots Available: 4
Contenders: 5 

Four time NCAA qualifier Nino Bonaccorsi was 2nd in the nation back in 2021, finishing R12 in both '19 & '22.  He's on track to relive the moment of glory at the NCAA's, but first he must look to earn glory at the ACC's.  "So far, so good"  as Bryan Adams would say, he's undefeated against the competition.  A 7-4 decision over Michael Battista of Virginia, he defeated Max Shaw of North Carolina 8-2 & Andy Smith of Virginia Tech 3-1.  His toughest challenge here, will be 2022 NCAA qualifier Isaac Trumble of North Carolina State, who he defeated 6-4 in a tiebreaker earlier this season. 

Trumble, has 3-1 decisions over both Battista & Shaw. 

Smith is one of the most improved wrestlers in the nation.  A losing record two seasons ago, last year he split time with Dakota Howard. This season, he more than cemented himself into the starting spot.  Against the conference he owns a very impressive 3-2 decision over Trumble & a 3-1 s.v. over Battista, who in his own right was an NCAA qualifier last season. 

The odd man out here is Max Shaw, but as you can see, he kept things close with Trumble & the idea of him upsetting Smith or Battista isn't all that far fetched either. He was after all an NCAA qualifier in '21. 

HWT
Spots Available: 3
Contenders: 5 

Much like Ventresca at 125 lbs, Owen Trephan of North Carolina State had to earn his spot on the team as he was challenged by Tyrie Houghton all season long.  Now he will challenge for an ACC title. Among the competition, he owns a 3-1 victory over Hunter Catka of Virginia Tech & a 17-6 major over Brandon Whitman of North Carolina. 

I spoke earlier of how Andy Smith of Virginia Tech is one of the most improved wrestlers in the nation. Well the most improved wrestler in the nation may very well be Duke's Jonah Niesenbaum.  I've spoke about this in articles before, but you can't ignore that in his first year as a Blue Devil he was 3-21.  Then in his second year he was 1-5. Even in his third year, while a respectable 16-11, he was nothing compared to where he is now.  COVID-19 granted an extra year of eligibility, so the big man is still technically a junior, as he carries a 23-3 record as a serious threat to the ACC title. In the slump that they are in, Duke could really use something positive on a grand scale and this would be it. Niesenbaum so far has a 5-3 decision over Jacob Slinger of Pittsburgh as he's defeated by Catka & Whitman by 3-1 s.v. decisions. 

Catka an NCAA qualifier in '21 owns a 6-2 decision over Whitman. 

Slinger & Whitman are both the odd men out in this bracket. The issue with Slinger is that he split time with Dayton Pitzer before Pitzer decided to redshirt the remainder of his season.  Otherwise it's not difficult to imagine that Slinger had he had the entire season, may have earned an allotment. Whitman an NCAA qualifier all the way back in '19, will have to pull off some pretty huge upsets if he wants to make trip #2.  As said by O-Town, "It's now or never." 


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That's my take on the 2023 ACC.  I think it's a game of wrestle your ass off and earn that qualification spot. I would under no circumstances whatsoever have it in the back of your head that you're likely to earn an at large/wildcard bid, so I would not go that route. Now's not the time to get upset, now's not the time to be thinking ahead to the NCAA's. Now's the time to have a focus on the ACC's and simply making it out.