Talk about a loaded weight class. 7 of last year's 8 All Americans return for action, plus two R12'ers & two All Americans from 2022. Add in 4 qualifiers also returning & we have ourselves a very competitive field.
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| Gavin Quiocho Glenville State |
There's obviously still a place in this sport for weight cutting as Gavin Quiocho who was 5th at the Super Region III in 2022 at 149 lbs dropped down to 133 lbs last season to not only win the Region, but win the NCAA DII title. It took him a while to adjust two weight classes down as he was 3rd at Bob Del Rosa & 7th at the Midwest Classic. Yet once he got used to the weight, it was all up hill from there. He will be backed by a tough Ross Hunter this season.
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| Quentrevion Campbell Chadron State |
19-2 on the season, the only two losses Quentrevion Campbell experienced last season was one against an NCAA Division I opponent & the other in the finals of the NCAA DII championships. A DII runner-up & a Super Region VI champion, Campbell goes into his final year of competition.
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| Dylan Lucas Central Oklahoma |
A phenomenal tournament wrestler, Dylan Lucas won titles at the Dan Harris Open, The Midwest Classic & Super Region IV. A 23-6 record, he was 3rd in DII's.
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| Devin Flannery Millersville |
Flannery heads into his final season a two time NCAA DII All American having posted finishes of 7th & 5th the past two seasons. Having thus far been 3rd & 2nd within Super Region I, he will go for his third All American honor & his first Region title this season. 32-6 on the year, he also won the Shorty Hitchcock memorial.
It's been quite the career for Vincent Scollo as we head into the final season of it. 3rd & 2nd thus far in Super Region III & 6th in the DII nation, it is fair to think that he will challenge Gavin Quiocho for both titles this year. I mean why not? He's already proven that he can beat Quiocho with a 6-4 s.v. For the record he also owns a 6-5 decision over Dylan Lucas.
There's an old saying that's been going around the world of collegiate sports since the very beginning that is still prominent to this day. "Putting it together at the right time." If anyone in DII wrestling resembles that remark, it is Reece Barnhardt. 4th & 7th thus far in the DII nation, he's taken runner-up finishes that past two seasons at Super Region V & he also has two Midwest Classic runner-up finishes on his resume as well. Along with these accomplishments, he was 4th at the UNK-Hospitality Open & 2nd at the Yellow Jacket Open.
The Florida native won a Super Region II title last season (2nd in '22) as he earned 8th place All American honors at the DII nationals. 30-8 on the season, he was also 4th at the Midwest Classic, owning a 5-3 victory over DII champ Gavin Quiocho.
The former Binghamton Bearcat split time between 125 & 133 last season earning a runner-up finish at the Super Region IV. He finished one match shy of DII All American honors on a 23-9 record.
The Huskies have two very tough competitors at 133 lbs. Senior Caleb Meekins, a Super Region V champion, who finished one match shy of DII All American honors last season. He was also champion at the Yellow Jacket Open & runner-up at the Dakota Wesleyan Open. Among his victories on the season, he pinned two time All American Reece Barnhardt.
Sam Spencer is no slouch & would compete for NCAA DII qualification in his own right. 15 wins on the season he defeated Jack Huffman 6-3 & NCAA DII qualifier James Davis 8-7.
Here is a wrestle-off that really interest me. James Davis a transfer from Minot State Vs Kaden Anderlik. Whoever wins this, either way, Upper Iowa has a very good wrestler riding the bench at season's end. Davis, an NCAA DII qualifier with a 3rd place finish at Super Region V, thus far owns a 10-4 win over Anderlik. Anderlik who has been 4th & 6th thus far in Super Region V, owns a 3-2 decision over Davis. This will be a fun wrestle-off.
If you've been following me for a while, you know I'm a fan of the DiBlasi's. While their unorthodox, go for broke style doesn't always go in their favor, it does always create fun & exciting wrestling. 3rd in the Super Region VI, he posted an 18-11 record last year.
19-8 on the season last year as a freshman, Logan Robinson qualified for his first NCAA DII championships with a 3rd place finish at Super Region II. He was also 2nd at the Pembroke Classic.
You'd hate to see either one of these guys sit out the post season this year, but one weight, one wrestler is the go of it. Corey Gamet sat out last season, but was both a Super Region III champion & 5th in the DII nation in 2022. Ryan Wehner, 18-10 on the season was 3rd in the Super Region III last year.
11 wins on the season, Byron Daubert was 3rd in Super Region I.
I can only imagine that the end to the Super Region I last year is probably still haunting William Burgess. During the season he defeated Byron Daubert 2-1 & 6-0. Then at the Super Region, he defeated him in early round competition 11-2. He would lose 4-2 to him in the 3rd place qualification match. In a sport that loves to over romanticize itself, many fans love to hear themselves recite, "when it counts" over & over again. I'll stand firm on my belief that if at the Region you defeat someone early on & then they defeat you for 3rd, you should be able to come back & challenge them for a true 3rd. I might be the only wrestling fan on the planet who advocates for it, but so be it. It's not the first time I've stood alone.
Off my tangent and back to Burgess, they guy reflects another famous saying within the world of sports. "He was right there." Or perhaps, "So close he could taste it." Both reflect him as he's been 4th the past two seasons in Super Region I. He was also a win away from a medal at the Midwest Classic. Perhaps this will be the season where he gets over the hump for both.
A Super Region V champ in 2022, who also placed 8th in the DII nation, Jack Huffman came up just a hair short last year when he finished 4th in Super Region V.
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| Vincent Scollo West Liberty |
It's been quite the career for Vincent Scollo as we head into the final season of it. 3rd & 2nd thus far in Super Region III & 6th in the DII nation, it is fair to think that he will challenge Gavin Quiocho for both titles this year. I mean why not? He's already proven that he can beat Quiocho with a 6-4 s.v. For the record he also owns a 6-5 decision over Dylan Lucas.
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| Reece Barnhardt Mary |
There's an old saying that's been going around the world of collegiate sports since the very beginning that is still prominent to this day. "Putting it together at the right time." If anyone in DII wrestling resembles that remark, it is Reece Barnhardt. 4th & 7th thus far in the DII nation, he's taken runner-up finishes that past two seasons at Super Region V & he also has two Midwest Classic runner-up finishes on his resume as well. Along with these accomplishments, he was 4th at the UNK-Hospitality Open & 2nd at the Yellow Jacket Open.
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| Elijah Lusk Lander |
The Florida native won a Super Region II title last season (2nd in '22) as he earned 8th place All American honors at the DII nationals. 30-8 on the season, he was also 4th at the Midwest Classic, owning a 5-3 victory over DII champ Gavin Quiocho.
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| Tommy Frezza Central Missouri |
The former Binghamton Bearcat split time between 125 & 133 last season earning a runner-up finish at the Super Region IV. He finished one match shy of DII All American honors on a 23-9 record.
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| Caleb Meekins Sam Spencer St Cloud State |
The Huskies have two very tough competitors at 133 lbs. Senior Caleb Meekins, a Super Region V champion, who finished one match shy of DII All American honors last season. He was also champion at the Yellow Jacket Open & runner-up at the Dakota Wesleyan Open. Among his victories on the season, he pinned two time All American Reece Barnhardt.
Sam Spencer is no slouch & would compete for NCAA DII qualification in his own right. 15 wins on the season he defeated Jack Huffman 6-3 & NCAA DII qualifier James Davis 8-7.
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| James Davis Kaden Anderlik Upper Iowa |
Here is a wrestle-off that really interest me. James Davis a transfer from Minot State Vs Kaden Anderlik. Whoever wins this, either way, Upper Iowa has a very good wrestler riding the bench at season's end. Davis, an NCAA DII qualifier with a 3rd place finish at Super Region V, thus far owns a 10-4 win over Anderlik. Anderlik who has been 4th & 6th thus far in Super Region V, owns a 3-2 decision over Davis. This will be a fun wrestle-off.
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| Weston DiBlasi Colorado School of Mines |
If you've been following me for a while, you know I'm a fan of the DiBlasi's. While their unorthodox, go for broke style doesn't always go in their favor, it does always create fun & exciting wrestling. 3rd in the Super Region VI, he posted an 18-11 record last year.
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| Logan Robinson UNC-Pembroke |
19-8 on the season last year as a freshman, Logan Robinson qualified for his first NCAA DII championships with a 3rd place finish at Super Region II. He was also 2nd at the Pembroke Classic.
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| Corey Gamet Ryan Wehner Lake Erie |
You'd hate to see either one of these guys sit out the post season this year, but one weight, one wrestler is the go of it. Corey Gamet sat out last season, but was both a Super Region III champion & 5th in the DII nation in 2022. Ryan Wehner, 18-10 on the season was 3rd in the Super Region III last year.
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| Byron Daubert Pittsburgh-Johnstown |
11 wins on the season, Byron Daubert was 3rd in Super Region I.
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| William Burgess Seton Hill |
I can only imagine that the end to the Super Region I last year is probably still haunting William Burgess. During the season he defeated Byron Daubert 2-1 & 6-0. Then at the Super Region, he defeated him in early round competition 11-2. He would lose 4-2 to him in the 3rd place qualification match. In a sport that loves to over romanticize itself, many fans love to hear themselves recite, "when it counts" over & over again. I'll stand firm on my belief that if at the Region you defeat someone early on & then they defeat you for 3rd, you should be able to come back & challenge them for a true 3rd. I might be the only wrestling fan on the planet who advocates for it, but so be it. It's not the first time I've stood alone.
Off my tangent and back to Burgess, they guy reflects another famous saying within the world of sports. "He was right there." Or perhaps, "So close he could taste it." Both reflect him as he's been 4th the past two seasons in Super Region I. He was also a win away from a medal at the Midwest Classic. Perhaps this will be the season where he gets over the hump for both.
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| Jack Huffman Augustana (SD) |
A Super Region V champ in 2022, who also placed 8th in the DII nation, Jack Huffman came up just a hair short last year when he finished 4th in Super Region V.
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| Franky Medina King |
Like Burgess, Franky Medina knows all about "being right there" as he's been 4th the past two Super Region II tournaments.
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| Joseph Airola Nebraska-Kearney |
24-10 on the season last year, Joseph Airola had his ups & downs as a freshman. The pros outweighed the cons, as he collected both a 4-2 victory over All American Dylan Lucas & a 10-5 victory over R12'er Caleb Meekins. He was 4th at Super Region VI & 5th at the UNK-Hospitality Open.
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| Manuel Leija Davenport |
An NCAA DII qualifier in 2022 with a 2nd place finish at Super Region III, Manuel Leija was one match away from qualification last season as he finished 4th. He had 19 wins on the season.
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| J.P. Homfeld Maryville |
One match shy of NCAA DII qualification & one match shy of a medal at the Midwest Clasic, J.P. Homfeld went 24-10 on the season.
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| Troy Dolphin UW-Parkside |
Pretty respectable freshman campaign for Troy Dolphin last season. 5th in the Super Region V, he had both a 1:31 fall over two time All American Reece Barnhardt as well as a 9-8 victory over DII qualifier James Davis.
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| Gavin Ritter Indianapolis |
A Scholar All American for the Greyhounds, Gavin Ritter goes into his junior season now a two time Super Region III place-winner with finishes of 4th & 5th. 15 wins on the season, he collected a 4-3 win over DII qualifier Ryan Wehner.
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| Ryan Ripplinger McKendree |
Posting 19 wins on the season, Ryan Ripplinger heads in to '23-'24 now a two time Super Region IV place winner with finishes of 4th & 5th. He was also 3rd at Kaufman Brand last year as well.
12-5 on the year, Elijah Boyd was 5th at the Super Region II. He will be challenged for the starting spot by Ben Fielding who had both a 10-0 major decision over DII qualifier Logan Robinson & a 3-2 victory over William Burgess.
It's not always about how it starts, but often about how it ends. It was certainly the case for Andrews Jiron last season, who wrestled his best at Super Region VI where he finished in 5th place.
Tony Margiotta was 6th in Super Region VI & 4th at the Menlo Open.
3rd in the MEC & 2nd at the Waynesburg Invitational, Nathan Pelesky was 6th in Super Region I posting 22 victories on the season.
Nick Ammarati didn't take to the mat much last season, but he took to it enough to capture a 6th place finish at Super Region III.
18 wins on the season for Jevin Foust who was 6th at Super Region IV.
16 wins on the season for J.T. "The Matrix" Richards who won a Pembroke Classic title. He also defeated NCAA DII qualifier Logan Robins twice, once via fall 6:48 & a 5-3 decision.
*NEWS FLASH* Just found out that Tim DeCatur transferred from Newberry to Mount Olive. Now that will make for an interesting wrestle-off between him & Richards. The 2022 NCAA DII qualifier (3rd in Super Region II) only wrestled two DII matches last season, but he won them both. One was a 10-3 decision over Ben Fielding.
An 8-1 record for Kaleem Heard last season. Finishing one match shy of placing at the Midwest Classic, he had a 1:12 fall over Franky Medina.
8th at the Midwest Classic, Mason Tuner had a 4-0 victory over Kaden Anderlik & an 11-0 major decision over J.P. Homfeld.
10 wins on the season for Jack Collins, one of which was an 8-2 decision over Wehner.
Cameron Enriquez's season unfortunately was cut short due to injury, but before it was he had a 3-1 victory over William Burgess.
12 wins on the season for Chase McLaughlin. He defeated Nathan Pelesky 11-1 major decision & Ryan Wehner 3-1 s.v.
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| Elijah Boyd Ben Fielding Belmont Abbey |
12-5 on the year, Elijah Boyd was 5th at the Super Region II. He will be challenged for the starting spot by Ben Fielding who had both a 10-0 major decision over DII qualifier Logan Robinson & a 3-2 victory over William Burgess.
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| Andres Jiron New Mexico Highlands |
It's not always about how it starts, but often about how it ends. It was certainly the case for Andrews Jiron last season, who wrestled his best at Super Region VI where he finished in 5th place.
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| Tony Margiotta San Francisco State |
Tony Margiotta was 6th in Super Region VI & 4th at the Menlo Open.
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| Nathan Pelesky Fairmont State |
3rd in the MEC & 2nd at the Waynesburg Invitational, Nathan Pelesky was 6th in Super Region I posting 22 victories on the season.
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| Nick Ammarati Davis & Elkins |
Nick Ammarati didn't take to the mat much last season, but he took to it enough to capture a 6th place finish at Super Region III.
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| Jevin Foust Newman |
18 wins on the season for Jevin Foust who was 6th at Super Region IV.
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| J.T. Richards Mount Olive |
16 wins on the season for J.T. "The Matrix" Richards who won a Pembroke Classic title. He also defeated NCAA DII qualifier Logan Robins twice, once via fall 6:48 & a 5-3 decision.
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| Tim DeCatur Mount Olive |
*NEWS FLASH* Just found out that Tim DeCatur transferred from Newberry to Mount Olive. Now that will make for an interesting wrestle-off between him & Richards. The 2022 NCAA DII qualifier (3rd in Super Region II) only wrestled two DII matches last season, but he won them both. One was a 10-3 decision over Ben Fielding.
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| Kaleem Heard Limestone |
An 8-1 record for Kaleem Heard last season. Finishing one match shy of placing at the Midwest Classic, he had a 1:12 fall over Franky Medina.
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| Fort Hays State Mason Turner |
8th at the Midwest Classic, Mason Tuner had a 4-0 victory over Kaden Anderlik & an 11-0 major decision over J.P. Homfeld.
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| Jack Collins Tiffin |
10 wins on the season for Jack Collins, one of which was an 8-2 decision over Wehner.
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| Cameron Enriquez East Stroudsburg |
Cameron Enriquez's season unfortunately was cut short due to injury, but before it was he had a 3-1 victory over William Burgess.
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| Chase McLaughlin Gannon |
12 wins on the season for Chase McLaughlin. He defeated Nathan Pelesky 11-1 major decision & Ryan Wehner 3-1 s.v.
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