A little cross division cross fire this Thursday as #5 in NCAA Division II takes on #1 in NAIA wrestling! This will be the fourth meeting in a row between these two teams. While the Vikings defeated the Lopers in a 34-3 beating in 2023, the two other meetings have came down to a single point. The Vikings won 19-18 in 2022 & the Lopers won last year 18-17. Will say that this year's dual favors the Vikings in quite a few of the weights, but we wrestle on the mat, not on paper.
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| U.R. Aden Reeves Vs #1 Zach Ourada 125 |
Wrestling can be complicated at times & trying to figure out why Aden Reeves isn't ranked takes patients and investigation. What it comes down it is that Grand View has 10,000 wrestlers per weight class, all of them very good, and they're only allowed to submit 12 for official rankings. Aden Reeves was 3rd in the NAIA nation last season, the favorite to win an NAIA title this year & he's coming off of an outstanding showing at the NWCA national duals. His opponent in this showdown will be #1 ranked Zach Ourada, who was 5th in the DII nation last year. Reeves and Ourada have met once officially with the Viking coming out on top 10-5.
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| #3 Jackson Cockrell Vs U.R. Drew Arnold 133 |
Jackson Cockrell took 6th in the NAIA nation last year & his opponent in this showdown will most likely be Drew Arnold, who took 5th place in the Super Region VI last year. While Cockrell & Arnold have never met, it should be noted that Carson Taylor who will be competing at 141 owns a 17-0 technical fall over Arnold. For whatever that is worth.
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| #5 Carson Taylor Vs #7 Joseph Airola 141 |
It's matches like these that make duals like these fun and exciting. These two wrestlers know one another well & are likely to put on one of the best matches of the evening. Carson Taylor is a two time NAIA All American with 2nd & 3rd place finishes, hoping to finish on top in March. Joseph Airola was one match shy of NCAA DII qualification last season, hoping to not only make the tournament this year, but to also stand on the award stand when it is all said and done. They've met twice, with Taylor winning a 5-0 decision & Airola winning an 8-4 decision.
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| #7 Cole Ferguson Vs U.R. Brady Collins 149 |
At the beginning of the season, I was under the impression that three time NCAA DII All American Nick James (7th-5th-R12-2nd) had another year of eligibility left. Found out a short time later, that no he doesn't, as he's now a coach on the UNK team. Bringing this up, to illustrate how different the dual might look if James still had eligibility. Cole Ferguson, 4th at the Missouri Valley Invitational last year, has quickly moved up the ladder in the NAIA ranks. His opponent looks to be Brady Collins.
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| #4 Dylan Whitt Vs U.R. Cael Robb 157 |
Once again we favor the Vikings, with Dylan Whitt who was 8th in the NAIA nation last year. With that said, Cael Robb has had some notable wins thus far in his career. Still believe we'll see a Viking victory, but might be a better match on the mat, than what it appears to be on paper.
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| #7 Justin McCunn Vs U.R. Trenton Munoz 165 |
Well, I was able to use deductive reasoning to try and configure why Aden Reeves wasn't ranked at 125 lbs in the NAIA, but I'm lost as to why Trenton Munoz isn't ranked in NCAA DII at 165 lbs. Whatever the reasoning, he's a damn tough wrestler who finished one match shy of D2 All American honors last year. He'll take on Justin McCunn, who among his W's this season, was also a runner-up at NAIA's toughest in-season tournament, the Missouri Valley Invitational last season. These two have never met, but all things considered, I would think this one will be a toss up.
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| #1 Alex Reynolds Vs #9 Kaden Hart 174 |
2024 NAIA national champion Alex Reynolds is looking to repeat as champion once again this year. In this cross division cross fire, he will face Kaden Hart who was one match shy of being an NCAA DII All American last season. Anxious to see how this one turns out.
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| U.R. Cohan Torres Vs #14 Jacobi Deal 184 |
Here is the one match where I believe things favor the Lopers. Haven't seen a whole lot out of Cohan Torres yet & Jacobi Deal, a very tough backup last season, is showing that he is NCAA DII qualification material, and maybe even All American material. A win over a Viking, would be a step in the right direction.
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| #1 Garavous Kouekabakilaho Vs #2 Jackson Kinsella 197 |
Whether it be football, basketball, wrestling or any other sport, it is often said that one of the toughest things to do, is to beat someone three times in a row. Thus far Garavous Kouekabakilaho, an NAIA runner-up last year, has defeated Jackson Kinsella, 4th in the DII nation, by scores of 8-3 and 9-2. While rather dominant victories, it's still probable that Kinsella could give him a tougher match this time around.
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| Greg Hagan Vs #1 Crew Howard HWT |
2nd-1st-2nd in the NAIA, and the fact that he hasn't been within the rankings yet this year, I was almost positive that Greg Hagan has used up his eligibility last season. Yet then shockingly, he showed up at both the Coe Invitational and the RENO tournament of champions. As to why he's still not in the rankings (and I last checked 1-14-2025), all I can figure is see exhibit Aden Reeves. His opponent will be NCAA DII's #1 ranked Crew Howard, who was 3rd in the D2 nation last season. These two outstanding talents have met once with Hagan winning a tight 4-2 decision.
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So here we have it. 6 of the matches favor the Vikings, but in a couple of those 6 matches, I wouldn't completely rule out a Loper upset. UNK is really only favored at one weight as far as I'm concerned, so winning the three toss-up matches will be vital against the Vikings.
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