My hat is off to Nebraska-Kearney. The #1 team in the NCAA DII nation, they recently took on one of the best teams in the NJCAA, and took it to the #6 Bobcats of Southeast CC in a dominating 42 to negative 1 score. We got to see firsthand why we have Divisions in wrestling. And this Friday, we could very well see why again, this time from the other end of the spectrum. The #1 in D2 Lopers take on the #3 in DI Iowa State Cyclones. Ironically enough, I can see this dual having similarities to the dual against Southeast CC, only this time with UNK being on the receiving end. With that said, I also think, as did Southeast CC against UNK, UNK will put up some great fights against their DI competition.
I mean think about it for a minute...
Miles Anderson, a true-freshman held Zach Ourada to a 4-0 decision. Holding a two-time NCAA DII All-American who was a national finalist last year to a 4-0 decision is pretty impressive.
Ira Jenkins, held Crew Howard, another two-time D2 All American to a 5-0 decision.
Most impressive, Victor Montoya, took #1 ranked Jackson Kinsella, a two-time AA & D2 title contender to a 2-1 decision.
I also think that even though Cael Robb pinned Ayson Rice at the 1:35 mark, that if that match were wrestled again, it would be closer.
Where can the Lopers keep it close? Where can they put up a good fight? Is there anywhere where they might even be able to pull off a win?
Let's take a weight-by-weight look.
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| #6 Vs #16 Stevo Poulin Caleb Coyle 125 |
As mentioned in my preview of the Southeast CC Vs UNK dual, Caleb Coyle is a former NCAA DI wrestler himself, having competed at Oregon State for three seasons before transferring to Nebraska-Kearney. While he has a very good track record against top NJCAA competition, he hasn't matched up nearly as well against DI. He did hold NCAA DI champion Richard Figueroa to a 7-2 decision in the year Figueroa won the title, but I'd say his best showing was taking NCAA DI qualifier Richard Castro-Sandoval into sudden victory before ultimately dropping a 9-7 decision. Castro-Sandoval, dropped a 9-0 decision to Stevo Poulin. R12-R12-8th in the DI nation, I see bonus here for the Clones.
IOWA STATE: 4
UNK: 0
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| #6 Vs #7 Evan Frost Zach Ourada 133 |
5th and 2nd thus far in the NCAA D2 nation, I expect by season's end Zach Ourada to be among the contenders for an NCAA DII national title. Evan Frost 6th as a freshman & R12 last year as a sophomore, I know he'll be looking to reclaim his place on the NCAA DI award stand. Now Ourada has faced a fair number of DI opponents in his career & what impresses me most is an 8-0 major decision over Kyle Gollhofer, a respectable opponent of Northern Iowa. Gollhofer is no Evan Frost, but I do think it provides sustenance for a belief that Ourada can keep this to a decorous decision.
IOWA STATE: 7
UNK: 0
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| #5 Vs #5 Anthony Echemendia Joe Airola 141 |
4th in the D2 nation last year, Joe Airola is among the many reasons Nebraska-Kearney is currently ranked #1 in their Division. I expect some very big things out of the Loper come Super Region & National tournament time. With that said, his opponent is a BIG 12 champion & a DI All-American. I can also say with confidence that I'm almost positive he'll be representing team Cuba at the Olympics one day too. I'd love to see Airola put up a fight, but I also know the type of guy Echemendia is. There's no way that he's going to allow Airola to come into his house, on his mat, and leave feeling good about himself. Echemendia will be out for blood in this one. A gun touting, no trespassing, stay off my property type. Ames might as well be Texas.
IOWA STATE: 11
UNK: 0
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| #5 Vs U.R. Paniro Johnson Brady Collins 149 |
With as explosive & quick as Paniro Johnson can be at times, I've found myself bewildered with how unaggressive & unoffensive he has been at other times. I see absolutely no reason at all, as the #5 in NCAA DI he shouldn't be lighting up an unranked D2 wrestler with takedown after takedown. On paper, on the mat, this should be the result.
IOWA STATE: 15
UNK: 0
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| #6 Vs #9 Vinny Zerban Cael Robb 157 |
I actually predicted a victory for Ayson Rice against Cael Robb in my UNK Vs Southeast CC preview/prediction & Robb responded by serving me up a healthy helping of crow, extra crispy. D2 R12 last year, count him among the Lopers likely to be AA's by 26's end. Does he prove me wrong again? I seriously doubt it, but I do think he can keep it to a decision with the DI All American. Robb held fellow DI All American Matty Bianchi to an 8-2 decision. I see no reason why he can't do the same with Zerban.
IOWA STATE: 18
UNK: 0
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| U.R. Vs #5 Connor Euton Trent Munoz 165 |
Currently ranked #5 in the D2 nation, I have a strong feeling that Trent Munoz finally breaks through & earns that top 8 finish by season's end. Where exactly I see him standing on the award stand at D2 nationals, I'm not sure. I just know I see him standing on it. A win over a DI opponent, especially one of Euton's caliber would certainly light the fuse. Euton may not be ranked at the moment, but give it time. He will be soon enough. If the Lopers are to pull off a win in this dual meet, here is where it has the most probability.
IOWA STATE: 18
UNK: 3
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| #14 Vs #9 M.J. Gaitan Otgonbayar Batsuuri 174 |
I still say we have no real idea of just how good Otgonbayar Batsuuri is quite yet. He ruled the land of the NJCAA, and I'm anxious to see where he stands among the best of the best in D2 come March. Against a ranked DI opponent? Well, let's look at it objectively.
He stuck Elise Brown Ton, a former Nebraska wrestler who seemed to be all over the place between wins & losses. He took Travis Mastrogiovanni, a wrestler who had some notable wins during his career to a 1-0 decision. So not a lot to work with, but provides some substance.
I do look for the Lopers to show a lot of heart and a lot of fight in this dual.
IOWA STATE: 21
UNK: 3
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| #8 Vs #7 Isaac Dean Lazaro Crespo 184 |
Lazaro Crespo is another former superstar of NJCAA, looking to make a name for himself in NCAA Division II. I have no doubt that he will, but again, in this dual we're facing NCAA DI competition. NCAA DI competition, ranked #8 in the country, looking to earn NCAA DI All American accolades by season's end. Crespo has faced DI opponents in the past, but no one of Dean's level. The closest would be Brayden Thompson of Oklahoma State, whom he dropped a 9-3 decision to. I say he can keep this to a decision, but once again a win for the cardinal & gold.
IOWA STATE: 24
UNK: 3
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| #2 Vs #1 Rocky Elam Jackson Kinsella 197 |
In our final two weight classes of the night, I say this is where we really start to see the separation between NCAA DI & NCAA DII. Jackson Kinsella is currently the #1 ranked wrestler at 197 in D2. With 4th & 3rd place All-American finishes thus far, he ends his final year holding a gold plated plaque, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. Rocky Elam has thus far been 5th-4th-3rd-6th in the DI nation, and has the extremely rare opportunity to become one of the very few five-time All Americans this sport has ever seen (or ever will for that matter). Rankings & I believe soon results say that his fifth medal may very well be cloaked in gold.
So in other words we have a DI national champion contender taking on a DII national champion contender. What does that look like?
I'm going to guess probably pretty dominant for Elam. Kinsella has wrestled like opponents in the past & Stephen Little majored him 17-5, & Nick Stemmet majored him 14-4. I think the moral victory here would be keeping this to a decision. I think that Kinsella can do that.
IOWA STATE: 27
UNK: 3
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| #1 Vs #2 Yonger Bastida Crew Howard HWT |
HWT is going to mirror 197 in a lot of ways. We have a DI national title contender taking on a D2 national title contender. I'll take it a step further & predict that one day we see Bastida earning Olympic medals for Cuba, to emphasize just how good this wrestler is.
As to Crew Howard? Let me say this. With wins over the likes of Harley Andrews & Peter Ming, I have no doubt that Howard would probably be a top 25 wrestler if he were competing in NCAA Division I. Swayz and I have talked a lot about it & we both feel based on statistics and results, that would be the case for most top D2 wrestlers if they were to compete in DI. They'd have respectable records, pull off some great wins, and be qualifiers. Yet against the top of the top? Against guys like Yonger Bastida? That's a different story.
IOWA STATE: 30
UNK: 3
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I respect the Hell out of Nebraska-Kearney for packing up the bags, getting on the bus and traveling the 5 hours it takes to get from Kearney to Ames to do battle with D1's #3 Iowa State Cyclones. That takes a lot of guts and a lot of tenacity. I have no doubt that each and every one of their wrestlers is going to go out onto the mat and give it 100% . But this is a D2 Vs D1 dual, and the DI team is ranked #3. It will reflect that.
The high school I attended shared their football program with another nearby High school. The Savages of Sigourney combined with the Eagles of Keota to form the Sigourney-Keota Cobras. My sophomore year of high school, they won the high school state championship in their division. I remember the head Coach being asked how he thought the team would fare against Dowling Catholic, who had won the largest Division. He said while he thought that his boys would put up a good fight, ultimately, it'd probably be a lopsided victory for D.C.
We have Divisions for a reason, and that is a good thing. Success is measured in a multitude of ways. Iowa State will be bringing home a team trophy in DI most likely & UNK will be bringing home a team trophy in D2. At the end of the day, both are impressive in their own rights.
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