This is a weight class that interest me a lot because I can see a lot of things happening here. Things that could really shake this weight class up as a whole. There is currently a lot of overlooked talent here at 165 lbs & I can see a lot of it shining here at the Salute.
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| #7 Mikey Caliendo Iowa |
It may not be FOX & it may not be T.V, but the world of wrestling is still MAD. Like teammate Jared Franek, Mikey Caliendo has proven to be an excellent addition to the Hawkeye lineup this season. He also has in common with teammate Victor Voinovich that by ranking alone, he's expected to come in here and win this tournament without a hiccup or a slight. Based on the possible competition he could have here? I say his route will be even tougher than Voinovich's. Based on who can be here? he's gonna have some tough opponents. Thus far against the competition he has a 20-4 technical fall over Drake Rhodes, so while winning the tournament isn't a for sure shoe-in, keeping the varsity spot does seem to be. He also has a 15-10 win over Kekana Fouret & an 8-4 decision over Tanner Cook.
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| U.R. Joshua Ogunsanya Columbia |
A two time NCAA qualifier, I'm very surprised that Joshua Ogunsanya is not currently listed in the rankings I am using. As far as I'm concerned, on a good day he is All American caliber & he's also a threat to Caliendo for the Solider Salute title. You get him on the right day at the right time, the Lion can be viscous and unstoppable as he goes for the kill. Owns a 20-3 technical fall over Tanner Cook.
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| U.R. Tanner Cook South Dakota State |
Ever seen the film Roadhouse? I think it'd be a good way to describe the wrestling style of Tanner Cook. Never underestimate your opponent and expect the unexpected? Yeah, that describes Cook pretty well. He has losses to both Caliendo & to Ogunsanya. Hell Ogunsanya tech'd him! Doesn't matter. You still never...ever...count Tanner Cook out of a match until the whistle has blown and the match is over. The Jackrabbit from start to finish is constantly trying to pin you & if you lose concentration for a mere second, he could have your on your back. A two time NCAA qualifier in his own right, he came out of nowhere to make the CKLV finals last season.
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| U.R. Andrew Cerniglia Navy |
I've talked about it a few times already this year. Stating the reality, last season was not a good season for Andrew Cerniglia. A two time NCAA qualifier in '21 & '22, he went 1-2 at the EIWA championships and failed to place. The downfall ironically enough, started here at the Salute. Now he's back to form and having himself a pretty good season here in '23-'24. He recently had a huge win over Garrett Thompson of Ohio. Wouldn't it be awesome he were to come in here, the very place where things went sour for him last year & have a stand out performance? That's a plausibility that could very well become an actuality.
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| U.R. Blaine Brenner Minnesota |
Here's another guy that could end up having a good tournament here at the Salute. Blaine Brenner, a sophomore for the Golden Gophers. So far Brenner carries a 10-3 record into the tournament, an impressive 9-6 victory over Cook on his resume.
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| B.U. B.U. B.U. Drake Rhodes Connor Euton Kekana Fouret Iowa Iowa State Oregon State |
I categorize all three of these guys together, because all three of them as to it pertains to this particular tournament are in the same boat. All three of these wrestlers are very good, talented wrestlers. All three of these wrestlers are currently behind a very good wrestler in their weight class. We already talked about how Rhodes is behind Caliendo in the Hawkeye lineup. Connor Euton is behind NCAA DI champ David Carr & Kekana Fouret is behind All American hopeful Matt Olguin. The third and final thing that all these of this talents have is that all three of them are going to fight for & be within those looking to take a top 8 finish here at the Salute. Any of these three pull of an upset this weekend, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised.
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| U.R. Grant O'Dell Bellarmine |
Grant O'Dell is among the Knights who will fight for a top 8 showing here in Coralville (which for those who asked is a connected city to Iowa City. The two towns run together. Hard to tell where one becomes the other in certain areas).
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