I began my love affair with collegiate wrestling all the way back in 1991. Casual as it began, by 2000, it had become an obsession. I have to admit, with all levels of collegiate wrestling, I have always found NCAA Division II to be the most mysterious. It's not near as cryptic as is CCCAA, but nevertheless there's still an aurora about it I find mystifying. I suppose it's because there has never been much of it in my area. Here in Iowa we are are drowning in NCAA Division III talent by both individual & by team. Of course at the DI level, we have the history, the power & the tradition of Iowa, Iowa State & Northern Iowa. Then with the NJCAA, the land of corn & soybeans more than holds its own. DII though, we have Upper Iowa & Fayette is no where near where I grew up, where I have lived or where I currently live. Nevertheless, I made the choice last year that I was going to dive into DII wrestling harder than I have ever dove. I made it a plan (as I did for DIII) that I was going to know it as well as I knew DI. Very glad that I did. DII wrestling (as is DIII) is an extremely fun, exciting & exhilarating level of wrestling. I attended my first DII championships last season & had a great time. My goal is to get others on board. Get them excited about this level of wrestling. I do so by taking a preseason preview of each weight class & talking about the top stars who return for '23-'24.
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| Brendon Garcia Adams State |
What a season it was for Wyoming transfer Brendon Garcia! 22-3 on the season he won both the NCAA DII title & a Super Region VI title, while placing 2nd at the prestigious Midwest Classic. 22-3 on the season, an injury default, one of those losses was to Division I competition & the other was up at 133 lbs.
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| Jaxson Rohman Augustana (SD) |
Jaxson Rohman came into the NCAA Division II tournament last season & did what Vikings do best, he rummaged & pillaged through the competition to take home a runner-up finish. 3rd & 2nd thus far in the Super Region V, he will compete to win titles at both D2's & the Region. 18-6 on the season, he won the Yellow Jacket Open.
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| Patrick Allis Western Colorado |
Patrick Allis enters his final season of competition now a three time Super Region VI runner-up & a two time All American. 5th in 2021, he finished 3rd at last year's DII championships. 20-6 on the season, he was 4th at the UNK Hospitality Open.
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| James Joplin Lander |
Here's a guy that can help provide testimony to the toughness that is NCAA Division II wrestling. He's had wins over DI competition during his career, including All American Eddie Ventresca of Virginia Tech. 23-4 on the season, it was a Super Region II title, a 4th place finish at the D2 championships & a 3rd place finish at the Midwest Classic for James Joplin. He will be backed by a tough Kaiden Fisher
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| Shane Corrigan UW-Parkside |
Excellent freshman campaign for Shane Corrigan last year. 33-8 on the year, he actually defeated NCAA DII runner-up Jaxson Rohman 8-5 for a Super Region V title. 7th in the D2 nation, he was 4th at the Midwest Classic.
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| Studd Morris Central Oklahoma |
My heart went out to Studd Morris last season as at the NCAA DII tournament, of all the Broncho qualifiers, he was the sole individual to go home without a medal. I suppose the one solace within that disappointment is that if there be a sport that allows you ultimate redemption, it is wrestling. Despite coming up one match short of an All American honor, Morris did manage to win both a Super Region IV title & a Dan Harris Open. He has more than proven he's top 8 material with both a 3-1 sudden victory over two time All American Patrick Allis & a 9-7 sudden victory over D2 4th placer James Joplin.
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| Dawson Collins Colorado Mesa |
The 2022 NCAA DII All American 5th placer came up a little short of AA #2 at last year's championships. Thus far 2nd & 3rd in the Super Region VI, he will look to contend for a region title as he also looks to reclaim All American Status. A 6-4 s.v. over DII runner-up Jaxson Rohman he was 6th at the UNK Hospitality Open & 8th at the Midwest Classic. In 2021, he made the Midwest Classic Finals.
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| Zach Shupp Newberry |
What's Shupp man? I'll tell you what's Shupp. Zach Shupp when he was competing at both the Super Region II & the NCAA DII's last season. That's what's Shupp. It was almost as if he were a completely different wrestler. Shupp ended his season with a losing 14-17 record, but you'd never guess that had you watched him compete at either post season tournament. Taking 2nd at the Super Region II, he nearly made All American, finishing one match shy.
Another tough freshman from last season, Trevon Gray went 23-6 on the year winning a Super Region I title & finishing one match shy of a medal at the Midwest Classic.
17-7 on the season Brady Carter was 3rd in the Super Region I.
18-10 on the season, Caden Howard was one match shy of a medal at the Midwest Classic, taking 3rd place honors at the Super Region IV.
The Utah native hasn't made the NCAA Division II tournament yet, but man has he came close as he enters his junior season of competition. 5th in 2022, he was 4th last year at the Super Region VI. 17-7 on the year, he placed 3rd at the UNK-Hospitality Open & he had a 4-0 win over two time All American Patrick Allis.
Here's a guy that really turned it up at Regions. Entering Super Region I with a 4-10 record, he wrestled well enough to finish one match shy of NCAA DII qualification as he finished 4th.
The Florida native went 15-8 last season, coming within a match of NCAA DII qualification as he finished 4th at Super Region II. He was also a runner-up at the Pembroke Classic.
Sheler had 21 wins on the season, placing 4th at the Super Region IV.
Kyle Burkholder didn't compete much last season, but he competed enough to take home a 5th place finish from Super Region I.
22-10 on the season Gavin Hayes placed 5th at Super Region II.
21 wins on the season for Nick Cottone who placed 5th at Super Region III.
14 wins on the season for Aidan Sprague who placed 5th at Super Region IV.
A 3rd place finish at the Yellow Jacket Open & a 5th place finish at Super Region V, Jaden Verhagen was 16-9 on the year.
21 wins on the season, Rhys Sellers was 5th at Super Region VI.
Unfortunately by season's end last year, injuries got the best of Paxton Creese as he had to medical forfeit his way to 6th place at Super Region V. A Dakota Wesleyan Open Champion & a runner-up at the Yellow Jacket Open, it wouldn't at all surprise me to see Creese reclaim the Super Region V title he won in 2022 & also contend for the DII national title. Among his wins he has a 6-4 s.v. over DII runner-up Jaxson Rohman & he also has a 7:29 fall over Studd Morris.
Logan Seliga is another wrestler who had the unfortunate bad luck of having to deal with injuries at the end of the season. A two time NCAA DII qualifier in his own right, he had to medical forfeit to 6th place at Super Region II. Reason to think he'll be contender for both Region & DII's this season? He won both the Pembroke Classic as well as the Midwest Classic last season.
14 wins on the season for Zach Wright who was 3rd at the Menlo Open & 6th in Super Region VI.
13 wins on the season, Dominick Castro had a 1:46 fall over Zach Wright.
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| Trevon Grey Pittsburgh-Johnstown |
Another tough freshman from last season, Trevon Gray went 23-6 on the year winning a Super Region I title & finishing one match shy of a medal at the Midwest Classic.
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| Brady Carter East Stroudsburg |
17-7 on the season Brady Carter was 3rd in the Super Region I.
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| Caden Howard Drury |
18-10 on the season, Caden Howard was one match shy of a medal at the Midwest Classic, taking 3rd place honors at the Super Region IV.
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| Quade Smith Chadron State |
The Utah native hasn't made the NCAA Division II tournament yet, but man has he came close as he enters his junior season of competition. 5th in 2022, he was 4th last year at the Super Region VI. 17-7 on the year, he placed 3rd at the UNK-Hospitality Open & he had a 4-0 win over two time All American Patrick Allis.
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| Billy Smith Mercyhurst |
Here's a guy that really turned it up at Regions. Entering Super Region I with a 4-10 record, he wrestled well enough to finish one match shy of NCAA DII qualification as he finished 4th.
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| Corey Gallivan Coker |
The Florida native went 15-8 last season, coming within a match of NCAA DII qualification as he finished 4th at Super Region II. He was also a runner-up at the Pembroke Classic.
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| Dylan Sheler Newman |
Sheler had 21 wins on the season, placing 4th at the Super Region IV.
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| Kyle Burkholder Seton Hill |
Kyle Burkholder didn't compete much last season, but he competed enough to take home a 5th place finish from Super Region I.
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| Gavin Hayes Emmanuel |
22-10 on the season Gavin Hayes placed 5th at Super Region II.
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| Nick Cottone Davis & Elkins |
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| Aidan Sprague Indianapolis |
14 wins on the season for Aidan Sprague who placed 5th at Super Region IV.
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| Jaden Verhagen Mary |
A 3rd place finish at the Yellow Jacket Open & a 5th place finish at Super Region V, Jaden Verhagen was 16-9 on the year.
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| Rhys Sellers New Mexico Highlands |
21 wins on the season, Rhys Sellers was 5th at Super Region VI.
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| Paxton Creese St Cloud State |
Unfortunately by season's end last year, injuries got the best of Paxton Creese as he had to medical forfeit his way to 6th place at Super Region V. A Dakota Wesleyan Open Champion & a runner-up at the Yellow Jacket Open, it wouldn't at all surprise me to see Creese reclaim the Super Region V title he won in 2022 & also contend for the DII national title. Among his wins he has a 6-4 s.v. over DII runner-up Jaxson Rohman & he also has a 7:29 fall over Studd Morris.
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| Logan Seliga UNC-Pembroke |
Logan Seliga is another wrestler who had the unfortunate bad luck of having to deal with injuries at the end of the season. A two time NCAA DII qualifier in his own right, he had to medical forfeit to 6th place at Super Region II. Reason to think he'll be contender for both Region & DII's this season? He won both the Pembroke Classic as well as the Midwest Classic last season.
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| Zach Wright San Francisco State |
14 wins on the season for Zach Wright who was 3rd at the Menlo Open & 6th in Super Region VI.
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| Dominick Castro CSU-Pueblo |
13 wins on the season, Dominick Castro had a 1:46 fall over Zach Wright.
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| Preston Soriano King |
Look for Preston Soriano to compete for a top 6 showing in the Super Region II this season. Among his victories last season, he pinned Gavin Hayes twice (2:22 & 6:04).
I would definitely look for Christian Lopez to compete hard within Super Region VI this season. Matter of fact, I would even look for him to contend for NCAA DII qualification, if not more. He defeated Dylan Sheler 9-3 & Zach Wright 9-8. Not to mention he took DII champ Brendon Garcia into sudden victory.
I could definitely see the two time Nevada High School State champ breathing some fire for the Dragons next season. 16 wins last season & 9 of them were against Division I competition.
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| Christian Lopez Colorado School Of Mines |
I would definitely look for Christian Lopez to compete hard within Super Region VI this season. Matter of fact, I would even look for him to contend for NCAA DII qualification, if not more. He defeated Dylan Sheler 9-3 & Zach Wright 9-8. Not to mention he took DII champ Brendon Garcia into sudden victory.
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| Anthony Aniciete Tiffin |
I could definitely see the two time Nevada High School State champ breathing some fire for the Dragons next season. 16 wins last season & 9 of them were against Division I competition.
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| Luke Acuna Ashland |
Luke Acuna didn't see much action last year, but Vs DII competition he only had one loss. Of his wins, a 2:55 fall over Nick Cattone.
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| Noah Yeamans Ouachita Baptist |
11 wins on the season for the Texas native, including an impressive 16-0 tech fall over Gavin Hayes.
19 wins on the season for Bishop Murray in '22-'23. This included a 7-2 victory over DII R12'er Zach Shupp & a 2:28 fall over Dylan Sheler. Murray was also 4th at the Dakota Wesleyan Open.
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| Bishop Murray Nebraska-Kearney |
19 wins on the season for Bishop Murray in '22-'23. This included a 7-2 victory over DII R12'er Zach Shupp & a 2:28 fall over Dylan Sheler. Murray was also 4th at the Dakota Wesleyan Open.
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