Johnnythompsonnum1's 2024-2025 Collegiate Wrestling Schedule

 I find it humorous, but there are some individuals who read Johnnythompsonnum1 and think that I don't watch wrestling in person. They think I'm strictly someone who watches online and gets all of my information from results pages. Obviously, I can't be everywhere at once.  There are probably people out there that attend more college wrestling events than I do.  However, I rest assure you, I go to quite a few wrestling duals and tournaments every season.  I have to schedule around my shoot job, but I do the best I can. 

Here's what 2024-2025 looks for me.  (Knock on wood and hope we have decent weather this year.  That's usually what keeps me from attending as much as I'd like to.) 


SAT Nov 2nd - Milwaukee School of Engineering @ Augustana (ILL)  

SAT Nov 9th - Stanford @ Iowa 

SAT Nov 23rd -  Coe Invitational  & depending on when finals end as well as when Iowa State @ Iowa starts, maybe that too. 

SUN Nov 24th - South Dakota State @ Northern Iowa 

SAT Dec 7th - Nebraska Wesleyan @ Dubuque 

SAT Dec 14th - Nebraska-Kearney @ Northern Iowa

SAT Jan 4th - Fred Johnson Duals at Augustana (ILL) 

SUN Jan 5th - Nebraska @ Northern Iowa 

SAT Jan 11th - Waldorf @ St Ambrose 

SUN Jan 12th - Purdue @ Northern Illinois 

SAT Jan 18th - Mike Duroe Cornell Invitational 

SAT Jan 25th - UW-Whitewater @ UW-Platteville

SAT Jan 26th - Oklahoma State @ Iowa State

SAT Feb 1st - Indianapolis @ Quincy

SUN Feb 2nd - Maryville @ Upper Iowa 

SAT Feb 8th - St Ambrose, Missouri Baptist and William Woods @ Grand View 

SUN Feb 9th - Pittsburgh @ Iowa State 

SUN Feb 16th - Iowa State @ Northern Iowa

SAT Feb 22nd - Day two of Heart of American Conference (William Penn)

SUN Feb 23rd - Oklahoma State @ Iowa 

Who's Who of D2 Collegiate Wrestling: Top Returnees 165 lbs 2024-2025

 

David Hunsberger
Lander

54-6 overall & 33-1 last season, it has so far been a fantastic career for David Hunsberger.  Last season he won titles at the Midwest Classic, Super Region II & the NCAA DII championships. 

Cory Peterson
McKendree

Cory Peterson is another senior who comes into the '24-'25 season having posted a phenomenal career thus far.  4th-3rd-4th in the DII nation, he has Midwest Classic finishes of 2nd & 3rd.  29 wins last year. 

Cole Ritter
Maryville

31 wins on the season last year, Cole Ritter was 2nd at Super Region IV & 5th in the NCAA DII.  Although he came up a hair short of a medal at the Midwest Classic, he has been 4th there in year's past. 

Nick Coreno
Gannon 

A Super Region I champion, Nick Coreno took 6th place finishes at both the NCAA Division II championships & the Midwest Classic. 

Aaden Valdez
Adams State

Two time Super Region VI champion Aaden Valdez finished 7th in the DII nation last season, with a total of 28 victories. 

Dalton Gimbor
Kutztown

Dalton Gimbor enters his junior season of competition, having been one match shy of DII All American honors the past two years.  3rd & 2nd thus far in Super Region I, Gimbor took 7th place honors at the Midwest Classic.  27 wins, one of which was an 8-6 victory over All American Cole Ritter. 

Sevi Garza
Ashland

A Super Region III champion last year with 18 wins, Sevi Garza was one match shy of DII All American honors. 

Kaden Hart Or Tyler Collins
Nebraska Kearney

As usual, the Lopers have more than one talent at the weight. Two time bronze medalist Kaden Hart, finished one match shy of being an All American last year, with a 9-6 win over All American Cole Ritter.  Tyler Collins, a tough wrestler in his own right, pinned qualifier Brady Ross at the 4:09 mark. 

Kyle Botelho
San Francisco State

15 wins on the season, Kyle Botelho was an NCAA DII qualifier with a 2nd place finish at Super Region II. 

Brady Ross
Glenville State

Brady Ross made out like the three bears last year, as he tried out 184 & 174 lbs before settling on the 165 lbs weight class. 22 wins on the season, he was an NCAA DII qualifier & a Super Region III runner-up. 

The Pioneers also picked up standout NJCAA wrestler Cole Price of Iowa Western.  A two time North Central District champion, Price earned back to back NJCAA All American honors of 5th & 8th.
 

Caleb Grau
UNC-Pembroke

18 wins on the season, Caleb Grau punched his ticket to the NCAA DII championships with a 2nd place finish at Super Region II. 

Alec Cook
West Liberty

An All American in 2023, Alec Cook qualified for his second NCAA DII tournament with a 3rd place finish at Super Region III.  20 wins on the season, he'll look for his second All American honor & his third qualification in '24-'25. 

Jace Fisher
Newman

An NCAA qualifier in 2023, Jace Fisher just narrowly missed qualifying again in 2024. Thus far has 2nd & 4th place finishes at Super Region IV.  27 wins on the season, he was 4th at the Midwest Classic. 

Brady Schuh
UW-Parkside

Brady Schuh just narrowly missed out on NCAA DII qualification himself last season.  4th at Super Region V, he took a very impressive 3rd place finish at the Midwest Classic.  On the season had a 1-1 tiebreaker victory over All American Cory Peterson & a 7-2 decision over R12'er Sevi Garza. 

Trammel Robinson 
Grand Valley State

In their very first season of restoration, it was astonishingly impressive how well Grand Valley State did, and how much the accomplished.  They had four NCAA DII qualifiers and damn near had two more! One of which was Trammel Robinson who finished 4th at Super Region III. 25 wins on the season, he stuck All American Nick Coreno in 2:02. 

Dillon Walker
Mercyhurst

Looking for a wrestler at 165 lbs who did not qualify who could very well challenge for the NCAA DII title this year?  Here's your answer.  Dillon Walker of Mercyhurst.  A two time qualifier, he was 5th in the DII nation in 2022 & one match shy of another All American honor in 2023.  Unfortunately found out the hard way that there is no forgiveness at this level for a bad tournament.  He DNP at the Super Region I last season & while NJCAA, DI & the NAIA have at large/wildcard berths, DII does not. 

Despite his tough outcome, here's why I'll stand by calling him a national champ contender.  He defeated All American Nick Coreno twice last season, both by 10-3 decisions. He had a 6-5 tiebreaker over All American Cory Peterson. A 2-0 win over R12'er Sevi Garza, nearly tech'd qualifier Alec Cook 15-3. 

NOTE: Mercyhurst will be going NCAA DI this season, but will not be eligible for the post season.  Not sure if they'll compete NCWA or not. 

Dillon Keane
Pittsburgh-Johnstown

Dillon Keane won the Super Region I in 2022, but he's came up a hair short the past two seasons of making a return trip to the NCAA DII championships with Region finishes of 5th & 4th.  He'll look to reclaim his Q status (+ maybe more) as he heads into '24-'25.  19 wins on the season, including a 9-2 decision over R12'er Sevi Garza. 

Luke Ciampa
East Stroudsburg

26 wins on the season, Luke Ciampa was 5th at Super Region I. 

Tristin David
Colorado School of Mines

5th at Super Region VI, Tristin David also had a 7-1 win over R12'er Kaden Hart. 

Kole Marko
Minnesota State Mankato

28 wins on the season, Kole Marko has thus far been 4th & 5th in Super Region V. 

Gary Nilson 
Findlay

15 wins on the year, Gary Nilson has Super Region III finishes of 4th & 6th. 

Walker Heckendorf Or Ryan Dirksen
Western Colorado

Western Colorado has two talents at 165 lbs & it'll be interesting to see which Mountaineer reaches the peak that is varsity status one wrestle-offs are said and done.  Walker Heckendorf had 15 wins on the season & a 6th place Super Region VI finish.  He majored All American Cole Ritter 13-2.   

Ryan Dirksen had 10 wins on the season himself.  A 4:24 fall over qualifier Kyle Botelho & a 1:16 fall over Gary Nilson. 

Brendan Barnes
Minot State

Dillon Walker isn't the only super tough wrestler who came up short of a top 6 finish at his respective Region last season.  Brendan Barnes despite having a standout year, had a disappointing Region.  24-6 on the season, just take a look at the resume of talent he defeated on the year.  A 13-8 victory over three time DII All American Anthony Hererra.  A 6:33 fall over three time DII qualifier Braydon Huber.  Also add in a 4-1 win over Kole Marko & a 3:33 fall over Brady Schuh.   I preach all the time that there's so much more to collegiate wrestling than the last  2 (or 3) days of it.  Barnes is an example of why I preach. 

Dayton Fields
Newman

Dayton Fields didn't compete much last season, but a 2023 NCAA DII qualifier, you know he'll once again be a threat in '24-'25. 

Who's Who of D2 Collegiate Wrestling: Top Returnees 149 lbs 2024-2025

 

Cody Thompson
Colorado School of Mines

What a standout year it was for Cody Thompson of Colorado School of Mines last season.  24-3 on the year, wins Super Region VI & finishes as the NCAA Division II runner up. 

Colby Njos
St Cloud State

Colby Njos enters his final season of NCAA DII competition now a two time All American, having posted 3rd place finishes in both '21 & '24.  A Super Region V champ last year, he was 20-3. 

Dylan Brown
Central Oklahoma

The former Northeastern Oklahoma NJCAA standout was more than happy to show that he could hang with the grapplers of NCAA Division II.  A runner-up at the Super Region IV, he was 4th in the DII nation. 

Right then in the Broncho lineup with Brown, will be a very tough Bam West.  He himself had a 10-2 major decision over 2023 NCAA DII qualifier Ethen Doty & he also defeated Garrett Lyons 7-3. 

Gabe Maki
Central Oklahoma

Along with Brown, the Bronchos also have an extremely tough NJCAA transfer in Gabe Maki of Pratt.  A two time South Central District finalist, who won a title in 2023, Maki took NJCAA All American honors of 6th last season. 

Jalen Spuhler
UW-Parkside

Jalen Spuhler enters '24-'25 now a two time NCAA DII All American with finishes of 4th & 6th.  The past two Super Region V's he has been 2nd & 3rd.  A match shy of a top 8 showing at the Midwest Classic (was 4th there in '23) he was one of Cody Thompson's only losses last year.  Spuhler pinned the NCAA DII runner-up at the 6:48 mark. 

Behind Spuhler in the lineup is a very tough Easton Worachek.  16-5 on the season last year, Woracheck defeated Ethan Hardy 9-7. 

Dean Noble
Western Colorado

21 wins on the season, 2023 Super Region VI champion Dean Noble slipped to a runner-up finish last season, but made up for it big time by capturing 7th place All American honors at the NCAA DII championships.  Backing him up in the Mountaineer lineup will be a very tough Vince Cabral, who himself went 21-3 last season. 

Cael Larson 
Augustana (SD)

20 wins on the season, Cael Larson was 2nd at Super Region V & one match shy of earning NCAA DII All American honors.  Defeated two time All American Jalen Spuhler twice by scores of 7-4 & 9-5. 

Nicco Taddy
West Liberty

21 wins on the season, Nico Taddy actually defeated Dean Noble 13-6 at the NCAA tournament, but it was Noble who came back to place 7th, while Taddy finished one match shy of a top 8 finish.  Taddy was 3rd at Super Region III. 

Joey Semerad
McKendree

21 wins on the year, Joey Semerad was the Super Region IV runner-up, and one match shy of NCAA DII All American honors. 

Christian Small
Lake Erie

I've said it many times.  The sport of wrestling can be one of the most rewarding activities a person will ever do.  So to can it be one of the most disappointing. Christian Small entered the 2024 NCAA DII tournament having made the finals in 2023.  A Super Region III champ (2nd in '23), he was undefeated, slated to win a DII title. Unfortunately he'd end up getting beat out of the tournament.  Now he has one more shot to redeem himself and reclaim his status. No doubt about it, he'll be a NCAA DII champion contender. 

Jackson Hoover
Indianapolis

Standout season for Greyhound Jackson Hoover last year.  21 wins on the year he was 3rd at Super Region IV & 3rd at the Midwest Classic.  A 7-0 win over All American Dylan Brown, he defeated R12'er Cael Larson 8-6. 

Jake Piccirilli
UNC-Pembroke

Two time NCAA DII qualifier Jake Piccirilli has thus far been 3rd-4th-3rd at the Super Region II as he enters his final season competing for the Braves. 8th at the Midwest Classic, he defeated Spuhler 7-5. 

Ethan Hardy
Glenville State

An NCAA DII qualifier in 2023,  Ethan Hardy came up just a hair short last season with a 4th place finish at Super Region III. 31 wins on the season, he racked up quite a few impressive victories. He defeated R12'ers Nicco Taddy (9-5) and Joey Semerad (9-3), as well as qualifier Jackson Hoover (9-0). 

Dallas Wilson
Mount Olive

"So close" has been the story of Dallas Wilson's career.  An NCAA qualifier in 2023, he came within one match of All American honors.  Then last season, finishing 4th at the Super Region II, he was one match shy of his second NCAA qualification.  Midwest Classic? He's been one match shy of a top 8 finish the past two seasons.  13-5 on the year, he had a 9-2 decision over Joey Semerad. Perhaps '24-'25 is when the horseshoe finally gets around the ring, instead of so close beside it. 

Ethan Doty
Upper Iowa

16 wins on the season, Ethen Doty shined at the Midwest Classic last season placing 4th. A 1:04 fall over All American Dylan Brown, Doty was one match shy of NCAA DII qualification with a 4th place finish at Super Region V. 

Garrett Lyons
Central Missouri

23 wins on the season, Garrett Lyons with a 4th place Super Region IV finish, was one match shy of NCAA DII qualification. 

Bret Minnick
Mercyhurst

Bret Minnick was one match away from NCAA DII qualification last season, finishing 4th at Super Region I. 

NOTE: Mercyhurst will be going NCAA DI this season, but will not be eligible for the post season.  Not sure if they'll compete NCWA or not. 

Wyatt Turnquist
Northern State

Five returning All Americans, three returning R12'ers, and three more returning qualifiers.  Yet when it's all said and done, it may very well be a wrestler who didn't even qualify last year, who wins the DII national title.  Twice 3rd at Super Region V, Wyatt Turnquist dominated through the consolation bracket at the 2023 NCAA Division II championships to finish in 3rd place.  Unfortunately, last year he was living, walking proof that upsets at this level go unforgiven.  He finished 5th at the Region.  Nevertheless he still provided plenty of evidence that he'll come back stronger than ever and indeed challenge for that DII national title.  Winning last year's Midwest Classic, he defeated Colby Njos 8-2,  Dylan Brown 5-4 & pinned Nicco Taddy at the 4:33 mark. 

Backing Turnquist up in the lineup, will be a very tough Carter Ban.  Among his victories a 5-1 win over R12'er Cael Larson & 12-1 over Torry Early. 

Demetri Teddlie
King

Demetri Teddlie was an NCAA DII qualifier in 2022, with a Super Region II finish of 2nd.  He's came up short of a second qualification the past two seasons with Region finishes of 6th and 5th.  This will be his finally opportunity to make it back.  He had 17 wins last season. 

Hayden Kuhn
Ashland

Hayden Kuhn finished 6th at the Super Region III last season, but gave glimpses of why it's easy to imagine him finishing within the top three. 20 wins on the season, he was 7th at the Midwest Classic. A 10-7 s.v. over All American Dean Noble. 

Nolan Gessler
Tiffin

15 wins on the season, Nolan Gessler was 5th at Super Region III. 

Lucas Clement 
Quincy

You know how enthusiastic I get about new programs.  Representing one of them, Lucas Clement was 5th at Super Region IV with 15 wins on the season. 

Ali Alicea
Kutztown

Another wrestler with 15 wins on the season and a 5th place finish at Super Region I, Ali Alicea. 

Brady Collins or Brody Arrants
Nebraska Kearney

It's never easy losing a wrestler like three time NCAA DII qualifier John Burger, but I rest assure you, the Lopers will NOT be hurting at the 149 lbs weight class this season.  Brody Collins went 14-3 last season, sticking All American Dean Noble in 1:22.  Brody Arrants also had a 4-2 decision over Noble himself. 

I'd say that Collins is most likely going to be UNK's starter this season, especially considering that he majored Arrants 12-1 last season.  However I've been watching wrestling for nearly 32 years.  I've seen guys tech fall one another in the same day.  So with that said, I'm not counting Arrants out yet. 

Matt Sarbo
Pittsburgh-Johnstown

Arguably the best wrestler in the junior college ranks the past two seasons, Matt Sarbo comes to Pittsburgh-Johnstown wanting to see if he can dominate NCAA Division II wrestling in the same way he dominated the NJCAA.  The two time NJCAA champ is a very welcomed addition to the Mountain Cat lineup. 

Elijah Reece
Minnesota State Mankato

The Mavericks picked up a tough transfer in NJCAA R12'er Elijah Reece.