Another super tough Regional within NCAA Division III wrestling. Hosted by #4 Augsburg, we also have #2 UW-La Crosse & #5 UW-Eau Claire plus many other teams who will be going to war to try and send as many wrestlers as they can to the D3 championships. Some of these brackets are insane. It absolutely floors me the quantity of quality talent that will not be going to nationals this year simply because the numbers don't allow it. D3 wrestling is insanely tough. I've done my best to narrow it down to who I think contends for qualification this tournament.
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| 125 |
19-3 on the season, Izzy Balsiger was an Upper Midwest Regional champion last year & will look to win a title at the first ever Regional Seven. On his side will be the fact that he already owns two victories, 12-7 & 12-5 over likely finals opponent Quintin Wolbert. Also look for Wyatt Kaczrowski, who was 3rd at last year's Upper Midwest Regional & R12 at the D3's to earn qualification.
Not feeling a silver or bronze here at the moment, but I do have a strong feeling for the gold. Believe our champion here will be Chance Suddeth. 23-6 on the year, Suddeth was a Upper Midwest Regional runner-up last season.
Thus far Ty Bisek has been 4th-3rd-5th in the Upper Midwest Regional & he was 6th in the D3 nation in 2023. 20-0 on the season I think he wins his first Regional title & I say he once again contends for All American honors. His biggest challenge this tournament is going to be Sam Lorenz. Lorenz hasn't wrestled much this season, but was a bronze medalist at the Lower Midwest Regional last year.
Blugold Zach Sato has thus far been 3rd-4th-2nd in the Upper Midwest Regional. 30-2 on the year & 5th in the D3 nation last season, he's a favorite to win a title this weekend.
I'm anxious to see who the Auggies start this tournament. Truth is, I think both Matt Randolph and Lucas Jagodzinskie are likely Regional Seven finalist. Randolph is 24-2 on the season & Jagodzinskie is 22-4. For what it is worth, Randolph owns official 5-2 & 10-1 victories over Jagodzinskie, and that will probably be the difference maker. Sato owns a 3-1 decision over Randolph.
Tyler Goebel is still ranked at 165 lbs, but he's been competing at 157 for quite some time now, and I'd bet that he's going 157 for Regional 7. The Eagle was an NCAA DIII runner-up last season, and has thus far been 3rd & 1st within the Lower Midwest Regional.
As to who his finals opponent will be? Well some might look at this and say, "Otis is the one with the ranking, so duh!" I don't think it is that simple. Augsburg has a ton of talent at this weight class & I'm very anxious to see who gets the nod. Yes, Karsen Otis is ranked #7, but trust me if it were Charlie Stuhl or Blake Jagodzinskie eligible for ranking, they'd be ranked just as high.
Otis is 18-5, and what he has going for him most is a 6-4 win over Goebel. That very well could be what earns him the spot this weekend. He also owns a 3:52 fall & a 4-2 decision over Stuhl.
Stuhl to remind you, is 21-2 on the season & he was 8th at the D3 championships two years ago & R12 last year. Jagodzinskie was an Upper Midwest Regional runner-up last season & 5th in the D3 nation.
IF that's not a testimony to have insane it is to even make a lineup, you tell me what is! Imagine if D3 wrestling were like the NAIA & you could send more than one wrestler per weight!
24-0 on the year and a back-to-back NCAA D3 5th place finisher, Cooper Willis has thus far been silver & bronze within the Upper Midwest Regional as he'll go for Regional Seven gold this weekend. He owns 8-5, 2-0, & 9-3 decision over Tate Flege who I believe will be his finals opponent.
3rd-1st-1st in the Upper Midwest Regional. 2nd-1st in the D3 nation. 35-0 on the year. Yeah, our pick for a Regional Seven champ here at 174 lbs is Jared Stricker.
To determine our silver medalist, I think we're looking at a good semi-final between Seth Goetzinger & Eddie Simes. I'm almost positive our starter for the Eagles here will be Simes, but I had to throw in Leo Draveling's name just in case. Draveling is a tough wrestler, owns a 19-4 tech over ranked Carson Trotzer.
Getting back to Goetzinger Vs Simes.... Goetzinger is 18-3 on the year & owns back to back 7th place finishes at the D3 championships. He's been 3rd & 2nd thus far in the Upper Midwest Regional. He owns 4-3 & 5-1 decisions over Simes thus far & for what it is worth a 9-6 s.v. over Draveling.
Simes is 25-8 on the year, was one match shy of NCAA D3 qualification last year when he finished 4th at the Upper Midwest Regional. Id' say a 9-7 decision & a 4-1 s.v. over Draveling is what will get him the starting spot this weekend. Again, a showcase of the talent some teams have in their room.
Three of the best D3 wrestlers in the nation here at 184 lbs, and sorry to say I just don't think anyone else in the bracket stands a chance. Brand Bombard is currently 21-5 on the season & has looked very good. Owns a 2-1 tiebreaker over Schoenfelder. Marcus Orlandoni is 13-2 & was a Upper Midwest Regional runner-up last season. He owns both a 4-2 decision over Bombard & a 4-1 sudden victory over Schoenfelder. Schoenfelder was 3rd in both the Upper Midwest Regional and the D3 nation last year.
So I can't tell you who finishes gold, who finishes silver and who finishes bronze, but I can tell you with confidence these are the three men collecting those medals.
Things will be interesting here at 197. Parker Venz a two-time Upper Midwest Regional bronze medalist was 7th in the D3 nation last season. Ben Kawzynski was 8th in the D3 nation & 2nd at the Upper Midwest Regional. He owns a 16-2 major over Venz this year, despite losing his final match to him last year.
Here's what is even more peculiar. Kawcynski has wrestled Ian Pepple twice this season. Kawczynski owns a 12-0 major, but more recently Pepple pulled off an 11-3 major over him!
The other candidate in this bracket? Jacob Badger. The Viking was 7th in last year's Lower Midwest Regional & he owns a 15-12 victory over Pepple.
Two-time D3 All American Michael Douglas (8th & 2nd), has thus far had back-to-back runner-up finishes at the Upper Midwest Regional. Standing at 18-1, he's a clear favorite to earn gold this weekend. Finals opponent looks to be a good semi between Josh Woodrey and Tyler Raway. Woodrey was one match shy of NCAA DIII qualification last season & despite being unranked, Raway took Douglas into overtime earlier this season.
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| 133 |
Not feeling a silver or bronze here at the moment, but I do have a strong feeling for the gold. Believe our champion here will be Chance Suddeth. 23-6 on the year, Suddeth was a Upper Midwest Regional runner-up last season.
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| 141 |
Thus far Ty Bisek has been 4th-3rd-5th in the Upper Midwest Regional & he was 6th in the D3 nation in 2023. 20-0 on the season I think he wins his first Regional title & I say he once again contends for All American honors. His biggest challenge this tournament is going to be Sam Lorenz. Lorenz hasn't wrestled much this season, but was a bronze medalist at the Lower Midwest Regional last year.
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| 149 |
Blugold Zach Sato has thus far been 3rd-4th-2nd in the Upper Midwest Regional. 30-2 on the year & 5th in the D3 nation last season, he's a favorite to win a title this weekend.
I'm anxious to see who the Auggies start this tournament. Truth is, I think both Matt Randolph and Lucas Jagodzinskie are likely Regional Seven finalist. Randolph is 24-2 on the season & Jagodzinskie is 22-4. For what it is worth, Randolph owns official 5-2 & 10-1 victories over Jagodzinskie, and that will probably be the difference maker. Sato owns a 3-1 decision over Randolph.
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| 157 |
Tyler Goebel is still ranked at 165 lbs, but he's been competing at 157 for quite some time now, and I'd bet that he's going 157 for Regional 7. The Eagle was an NCAA DIII runner-up last season, and has thus far been 3rd & 1st within the Lower Midwest Regional.
As to who his finals opponent will be? Well some might look at this and say, "Otis is the one with the ranking, so duh!" I don't think it is that simple. Augsburg has a ton of talent at this weight class & I'm very anxious to see who gets the nod. Yes, Karsen Otis is ranked #7, but trust me if it were Charlie Stuhl or Blake Jagodzinskie eligible for ranking, they'd be ranked just as high.
Otis is 18-5, and what he has going for him most is a 6-4 win over Goebel. That very well could be what earns him the spot this weekend. He also owns a 3:52 fall & a 4-2 decision over Stuhl.
Stuhl to remind you, is 21-2 on the season & he was 8th at the D3 championships two years ago & R12 last year. Jagodzinskie was an Upper Midwest Regional runner-up last season & 5th in the D3 nation.
IF that's not a testimony to have insane it is to even make a lineup, you tell me what is! Imagine if D3 wrestling were like the NAIA & you could send more than one wrestler per weight!
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| 165 |
24-0 on the year and a back-to-back NCAA D3 5th place finisher, Cooper Willis has thus far been silver & bronze within the Upper Midwest Regional as he'll go for Regional Seven gold this weekend. He owns 8-5, 2-0, & 9-3 decision over Tate Flege who I believe will be his finals opponent.
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| 174 |
3rd-1st-1st in the Upper Midwest Regional. 2nd-1st in the D3 nation. 35-0 on the year. Yeah, our pick for a Regional Seven champ here at 174 lbs is Jared Stricker.
To determine our silver medalist, I think we're looking at a good semi-final between Seth Goetzinger & Eddie Simes. I'm almost positive our starter for the Eagles here will be Simes, but I had to throw in Leo Draveling's name just in case. Draveling is a tough wrestler, owns a 19-4 tech over ranked Carson Trotzer.
Getting back to Goetzinger Vs Simes.... Goetzinger is 18-3 on the year & owns back to back 7th place finishes at the D3 championships. He's been 3rd & 2nd thus far in the Upper Midwest Regional. He owns 4-3 & 5-1 decisions over Simes thus far & for what it is worth a 9-6 s.v. over Draveling.
Simes is 25-8 on the year, was one match shy of NCAA D3 qualification last year when he finished 4th at the Upper Midwest Regional. Id' say a 9-7 decision & a 4-1 s.v. over Draveling is what will get him the starting spot this weekend. Again, a showcase of the talent some teams have in their room.
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| 184 |
Three of the best D3 wrestlers in the nation here at 184 lbs, and sorry to say I just don't think anyone else in the bracket stands a chance. Brand Bombard is currently 21-5 on the season & has looked very good. Owns a 2-1 tiebreaker over Schoenfelder. Marcus Orlandoni is 13-2 & was a Upper Midwest Regional runner-up last season. He owns both a 4-2 decision over Bombard & a 4-1 sudden victory over Schoenfelder. Schoenfelder was 3rd in both the Upper Midwest Regional and the D3 nation last year.
So I can't tell you who finishes gold, who finishes silver and who finishes bronze, but I can tell you with confidence these are the three men collecting those medals.
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| 197 |
Things will be interesting here at 197. Parker Venz a two-time Upper Midwest Regional bronze medalist was 7th in the D3 nation last season. Ben Kawzynski was 8th in the D3 nation & 2nd at the Upper Midwest Regional. He owns a 16-2 major over Venz this year, despite losing his final match to him last year.
Here's what is even more peculiar. Kawcynski has wrestled Ian Pepple twice this season. Kawczynski owns a 12-0 major, but more recently Pepple pulled off an 11-3 major over him!
The other candidate in this bracket? Jacob Badger. The Viking was 7th in last year's Lower Midwest Regional & he owns a 15-12 victory over Pepple.
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| HWT |
Two-time D3 All American Michael Douglas (8th & 2nd), has thus far had back-to-back runner-up finishes at the Upper Midwest Regional. Standing at 18-1, he's a clear favorite to earn gold this weekend. Finals opponent looks to be a good semi between Josh Woodrey and Tyler Raway. Woodrey was one match shy of NCAA DIII qualification last season & despite being unranked, Raway took Douglas into overtime earlier this season.
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