2023-2024 NCAA DIII The Season: Top Returnees 141 lbs

 You get a glimpse of it looking at 125 & 133 lbs, but it is in studying 141 lbs where you really get to see just how asinine it truly is that only 18 wrestlers make the national tournament. 5 of the 8 All Americans return, with 3 who finished R12. To add even more madness to plot, 3 of those 5 All Americans didn't even win their Regional, including last year's national champion! If I haven't made a believer out of you yet just how competitive it is to be among the best in D3, I think I'll Perry Mason/Ben Matlock my case now. 

Sam Stuhl
Augsburg 

Sam Stuhl is a NCAA DIII champion, who has yet to win an Upper Midwest Regional title.  A runner-up in 2022, he was 3rd in the Regional last season. 37-5 on the year, he also won titles at the North Central Invitational as well as the Augsburg Invitational.  It should be pointed out in the argument of DII Vs DIII, that it was at the Augsburg Invite that he avenged a loss from earlier in the season. Tate Murty a two time NCAA DII All American defeated Stuhl at the Luther Invitational, but Stuhl was able to get the Peacock 7-3 on his home mat. 

Jacob Reed
Ohio Northern 

If it wasn't for the fact that 141 lbs is so friggin' loaded, we might already be talking about Jacob Reed as if he were already a DIII national champion.  Only a junior & already two bronze medals collected from the D3 championships. 44-1 last year, his only loss was to champion Stuhl.  Among his wins, a 3-2 victory over two time DI Mid American Conference runner-up Josh Mason. 

Kyle Slendorn
Stevens Tech 

4th in the NWCA in 2021 & 4th & 5th in the DIII nation the past two seasons, Kyle Slendorn is going to try and do what so few have been able to do  & that is end his career as a four time All American. He will also be going for a third Middle Atlantic Conference title this season as well. 32-5 on the year, he was a Southeast Regional runner-up, having won a title in 2022. 

James Rodriguez
Castleton 

Here's a guy who knows how to wrestle on the back side. If I were a 141 lbs'er & I found myself in the consolations of a tournament, the last guy I would ever want to face would be James Rodriguez.  8th in the DIII nation in 2022, he captured a 7th place finish last year. In a loaded Northeast Regional, he's also been 3rd the past two seasons. An 11-7 victory over D3 champ Stuhl during the season, he was 44-5 on the year with titles won at both the Roger Williams Open & the Ithaca Invitational. 

Josh Wilson
Greensboro 

Another tough junior at 141 lbs, Josh Wilson captured his second DIII All American honor last season when he finished in 8th place. He was 5th in 2022.  40-6 on the season, he won both a Southeast Regional title, as well as a Old Dominion Athletic Conference title.  Among his 40 victories, let me note that 5 of them were against Division I competition. 

Cam Johnson
Aurora

Heart has to go out to Cam Johnson.  He wins the Upper Midwest Regional, finishing ahead of both Sam Stuhl who would win the DIII title & Ethan Harstead who would finish as the DIII runner-up, while he himself ends up R12. He makes a habit of meditation & I'm sure he's had some long thoughts about the fact that he beat Harstead 3-2 & then had to watch him in the finals from the stands. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Johnson ends up making a run for the DIII title. 

Xavier Pena
Centenary 

Here's another tough junior who goes into this season having finished one match shy of DIII All American honors. A Mideast Regional champion (also 3rd in 2022), Xavier Pena was 29-3 on the season. 

Bradley Rosen
North Central 

Bradley Rosen has continuously gone up a weight class season after season as he was 125 in 2021, 133 in 2022 & 141 last year. I suppose it is a possibility he goes up to 149 this year, but I'm gonna write about him as if he's staying at 141. An NWCA All American with a 4th place finish in 2021, he was one match shy of earning AA #2 at last year's D3. 33-12 on the season, he won a Lower Midwest Regional title, taking 3rd place at the Pete Willson Invitational. 

Victor Perlleshi
Johnson & Wales 

29-11 on the season, Victor Perlleshi won a Northeast Regional title, placing 4th at the Ithaca Invitational & 2nd at the Roger Williams Invitational. 

Nathan Fitt
USCG

Nathan Fitt didn't take to the mat too many times last season, but in the times that he did, he made them count. Qualified for the NCAA DIII championships as a freshman taking a runner-up finish at the Northeast Regional. 

Zak Anderson
Baldwin Wallace 

Anderson goes into his senior season having posted a 22-9 record last year. A Central Regional runner-up, he won the Baldwin Wallace Invitational. 

Evan Burge
Wabash 

Talk about a guy who turned things around last season.  Evan Burge was 11-12 in 2022 & he turned that into a 26-11 record, which saw NCAA DIII qualification with a 3rd place Central Regional finish this past season. 

Cahal Donovan
SUNY-Cortland 

22-4 on the season Cahal Donovan won titles at both the Racich Rumble & the ECWC.  He was 3rd in the Mideast Regional. 

Eric Kinkaid
Loras 

The sophomore had 23 victories last season, 19 of them via bonus point victories. An NCAA DIII qualifier he was 3rd in the Lower Midwest Regional. 

Avery Leonard
Alvernia 

3rd in the Southeast Regional & Runner-up at the MAC, sophomore Avery Leonard qualified for the NCAA DIII championships last year & had a record of 32-11. 

Dakarai Clay 
UW-Whitewater 

Here's some real testimony to just how incredibly tough it is to qualify for the NCAA DIII championships. Last season Dakarai Clay gave Cole Matthews of Pittsburgh (who mind you, spent a portion of the season ranked #1 in Division I) a 4-3 match. Yet the past two seasons he has been 7th & 4th in the Upper Midwest Regional. When you have a Regional that produces the National Champ & the National Runner-up, and you have to place in the top 3, you can see how difficult of task that truly is.  Clay was 32-12 on the season, having also finished 2nd in the WIAC & 5th at the Pete Willson Invitational.

Jett Boots
Trine 

A two time Central Regional place-winner with 6th & 4th place showings, Jett Boots goes into his junior year having posted a 26-9 record last season. He also took a runner-up finish at the Baldwin Wallace Invitational. 

Wiley Kahler
Lycoming 

27-11 on the year, Wiley Kahler was 4th in the Southeast Regional last season. 

Jake Dado
Ozarks

Jake Dado goes into his senior season having placed 6th & 4th the past two Lower Midwest Regionals. 23-8 on the season, he was 2nd at the Pete Willson invitational. 

Joseph Parson
Springfield 

4th in the Northeast Regional, Joseph Parsons was 32-12 on the season. He collected wins over both Northeast Regional Champion Victor Perlleshi 4-2 & Central Regional Runner-up Zak Anderson 3-1. 

Luis Hernandez
Ithaca 

The Miami, Florida native was an NCAA DIII qualifier as a freshman in 2022 with a 2nd place Mideast Regional, but just narrowly missed out on qualification last year with a 4th place finish. A two time ECWC runner-up, he goes into his junior season having posted a 22-10 record. 

Art Martinez
CWR 

Also a Scholar All American, the two time Georgia high school state champion was 5th in the Central Regional last season with a 34-12 record. He was also 3rd in the Baldwin Wallace Invitational. 

Michael Blando
SUNY-Oneonta 

Michael Blando goes into his junior season a two time Mideast Regional Place-winner.  6th in 2022 & 5th in 2023, he was 20-12 last season. 

Pierre Baldwin
Central 

The West Chicago native was 23-7 in his initial season last year. This included a 10-5 victory over Dakarai Clay, a 2nd place finish at the Under Amour & a 5th place finish at the Lower Midwest Regional. 

Cade Lundeen
Concordia (MN) 

Here's another great story of a guy who really turned things around last season. 5-12 in 2022, Cade Lundeen was 28-7 last year. This included pinning NCAA DIII champ Sam Stuhl in 1:31. Granted Stuhl came back later & tech'd Lundeen, but still a guy who was 5-12 the year before sticking the eventual D3 champ? It's worth mentioning. It just goes to show you how you have to be on at all times. Lundeen was 5th in the Upper Midwest Regional & 4th at the Pete Willson Invitational. 

Dametrius Castillo
Alma 

Castillo was 6th in the Central Regional last year. 

Noah Hunt
Penn Tech 

35-16 on the season, Noah Hunt enters his junior season a two time Mideast Regional place-winner (5th in '22 & 6th in '23) having also placed 4th in the ECWC last year. 

Max Martinez
Wesleyan 

DIII 141 truly is full of wrestlers who made some serious improvements from '21-'22 to '22-'23.  Max Martinez is one of them. He only won two matches in 2022. Last year he finished 6th in the Northeast Regional. 

Mark Samuel
Roanoke

11-4 on the season, sophomore Mark Samuel was 6th at the Southeast Regional. 

Ambrose Boni
Mount Union 

12-5 on the season, Ambrose Boni was 7th at the Central Regional. 

Joseph Lotruglio 
Norwich 

19-8 on the season, Joseph Lotruglio was 7th in the Northeast Regional. 

Evan Lindner
Washington & Lee 

The Connecticut native tallied 24 victories & 19 takedowns in his first season as a general. A runner-up at the ODAC, he was 7th in the Southeast Regional. 

Dylan Phelps               David Roberts 
Olivet 

I tell you what...It was Dylan Phelps who was 8th in the Central Regional last season, but I wouldn't at all be surprised if David Roberts didn't take over the starting sport this season. 20-11 last year, he was 7th at the Pete Willson Invitational. 

Nick Kruczynski
NYU

Someday, Nick Krucynski will be known as Officer Krucynski or Detective Krucynski of the FBI. As for now, he'll be going for his third Northeast Regional medal, as he's been 7th & 8th the past two years. He was 22-14 on the season. 

Axel Hernandez
Buena Vista 

16-6 on the season, the Texas native was 8th at the Lower Midwest Regional. 

Mateo Hernandez
Marymount

22-20 on the season, sophomore Mateo Hernandez was 8th in the Southeast Regional. 

Brody Chase
Adrian 

Sophomore Brody Chase was 16-4 on the season last year, a 7-3 win over Dametrius Castillo. 

Ryan Athey
McDaniel 

In his first year of DIII wrestling, Ryan Athey posted an 11-7 record placing 8th at the Mideast Regional. 

Sean Peterson
Alfred State 

8th in the Mideast Regional in 2022, Sean Peterson unfortunately had to Medical Forfeit out of last year's championships. Nevertheless he still managed a 26-10 record & a 3rd place showing at the ECWC. 

Josh Post
R.I.T. 

19-9 on the season with wins over both Art Martinez & Ryan Athey. 

Bryce Parke
Coe 

A NCAA DIII qualifier in 2022 with a 3rd place finish at the Lower Midwest Regional at 133 lbs, Bryce Park found things a little more difficult up at 141 last year. Nevertheless he was 18-14 on the season & will look to reclaim both statuses this season. 

Hunter Campbell
Averett 

A Southeast Regional runner-up in 2022, I'm not sure why Hunter Campbell didn't wrestle in the championships last season. Nevertheless he was 15-3 on the season with a 6-5 decision over qualifier Evan Burge. 

Bryce Rodriguez-Uram
Washington & Jefferson 

The PAC newcomer of the year, Bryce Rodriguez won a PAC title going 16-7 on the season with an impressive 10-6 victory over Wiley Kahler. 

Asa Brunk
Messiah 

22-15 on the season, Brunk had a 5-4 win over Mideast Regional Runner-up/qualifier Luis Hernandez. 

Maddux Blakely
UW-Platteville 

11-4 on the season last year, Maddux Blakely stuck Central Regional runner-up Zak Baldwin in 4:20. 

Tyler Shackle
UW-La Crosse 

If I had to name the best wrestlers yet to place at the Regional tournaments, somewhere on that list would be Tyler Shackle. A two time WIAC champ ('21 champ, '22 3rd, '23 champ) he defeated Dakarai Clay 6-4 last season. 

Jake Matthews
UW-Eau Claire

12-9 on the season, Jake Matthews wrestled well in various tournaments last year. 8th at the Pete Willson Invitational he was 3rd at the Roger Williams invite. A 1:18 fall over Dakaria Clary.