Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Recap & Review (2023-2024)

 

First & foremost before I get started on my weight by weight recap & review for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, I would like to issue a quick apology and explanation.  Last week I started posting individual weight by weight previews  for CKLV. I posted 125 lbs through 165 lbs.   Why no 174 through HWT?  Well, a lot happen last week.  Starting on Tuesday, we got a call that my girlfriend's stepdad unexpectedly passed away earlier that morning.  Then on top of this souring news, I got an incredibly nasty bug. The only thing that got me through Wednesday were those Emergen-C packets of vitamin C.  Thursday I was absolutely useless to the world. I was so sick, that I didn't eat a single thing on Thursday with exception a very small bowl of Chicken soup. Only thing I kept taking in was those Vitamin C packets mixed in Apple juice.  Friday, same story.  Saturday, finally started feeling more normal & my appetite came back. Sunday, came back even more.  By yesterday I was back to my normal stuffing my fat face self, but we also had a funeral to go to 3 hours away.  So between 6 hours on the road & paying respects to a loved one, didn't have a whole heck of a lot of time yesterday either.  So that's why no 174 through HWT previews & why this review took till Tuesday to come out. 


With that said.....

Nico Provo Shoves It Up Bernard Muir's A Double S

What a way to represent the Stanford wrestling program & the importance of having collegiate wrestling in the state of California. Nico Provo may very well be from Connecticut but he competes for a California team & he can't be the only one who likes to or would like to based on the fact we don't have a lot of options for good weather schools in this sport.  To be real honest, at the beginning of the season I thought of Provo as one of those guys that might "sneak" onto the award stand at the NCAA's come year's end. I don't think that anymore.  He took it to Kysen Terukina who had recently majored two time All American Eric Barnett, 12-5 in the second round. Then he nearly majored Matt Ramos 8-1 in the quarters, before eventually going on to win the CKLV title.  He wrestles like this towards the end of March, ain't gonna be nothing sneaky about it. It'll be expected.  Why Bernard Muir has little to no respect for such a tremendous showing, is beyond me. I guess the man's respect is that of his brains. 

Looking over 125 lbs in the CKLV overall, all I can say is that 125 lbs this season is just absolutely bananas. Ramos got beat again in the consolation quarter finals 8-4 against Caleb Smith. He didn't exactly smoke Diego Sotelho in the bloodround either.  I've said for years that I have felt that in many ways CKLV can be every bit as tough as is the NCAA's.  I stand by that statement but still, seeing last year's NCAA runner-up, who pinned Spencer Lee fall to 7th is quite flabbergasting. 

Brandon Kaylor incase you are unaware is now a three time CKLV place-winner (3rd-4th-4th), as is Ramos who will be going for a fourth medal next season (8th-2nd-7th).  

Going back to Smith, what a tremendous tournament he had. Looks like the move from Boone to Lincoln has been well worth it.  Dropped a tough 4-2 decision to Jore Volk in the quarters & then came back on absolute fire to capture 3rd place.  Volk btw looked mighty good too capturing 5th place & where would I be if I didn't mention how well CKLV runner-up Brett Ungar wrestled.  My only observational question in all of this, is how is Michael DeAugustino's health?  I felt last year & I currently feel right now that kid's greatest enemy is bad health.  He obviously wasn't 100% against Ungar in the semis & the fact that he MFF'd to 6th place more than suggest that.  Take nothing away from anyone's win, but I still wonder what a 100% Michael DeAugustino would look like & I'm hoping we get to see one by BIG 10's & NCAA's. 

Last thoughts on 125?  Tanner Jordan ought to get a few pats on the back.  He's one of those guys who has now twice proven that this tournament he can show up and wrestle.  On paper might say one thing, but on the mat says another.  Now himself a two time CKLV place winner. 

From Blood Round Last Year To CKLV Champ This Year 

Kai Orine finished a heartbreaking one match shy of CKLV place-winner status last season.  This season, he didn't miss out on a damn thing. Matter of fact, he took home Vegas gold with a very impressive 12-4 major decision over on a role Evan Frost in the finals.  Great tournament for Orine who will now set his sights on winning a the ACC's & being among those who will gun for an NCAA title. 

The only big surprise here at 133 lbs was Tyler Knox of Stanford. The true-freshman outta Massachusetts had himself a great tournament introducing himself to the world of NCAA DI wrestling as someone to pay attention to.  A 2-1 decision over Reece Witcraft in the quarter-finals, the young Cardinal took 5th place. 

Jesse Mendez Wins 141 lbs CKLV Title

Jesse Mendez won an extremely tough 141 lbs weight class. One that is likely to feature a large amount of All Americans by season's end.  Not only did he win, but he pretty much dominated.  An 18-1 tech over Vince Cornella in the finals, what was most impressive was an 11-3 major decision over Brock Hardy, last year's champ Brock Hardy in the semis.  Then another great win over Ryan Jack in the finals.  Statements are made in Vegas & Mendez made his loud and clear. 

Throughout the consolation bracket, I wasn't none too shocked to see Lachlan McNeil take 3rd, but I was rather shocked to see Hardy slip all he way to 6th. His 13-5 major loss to Tagen Jamison in the 5th place match really threw me off guard. I was not expecting that but it just goes to show how incredibly stacked and competitive this tournament is. 

Off Of A Redshirt Ridge Lovett Makes Statement By Winning 149 lbs CKLV Title 

It sorta reminds me of the scene in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when the Shredder is aware of the turtles presence and says to his henchman Tatsus, "They're back."  Well make like a Terminator, so is Ridge Lovett.  With a 13-6 decision over Quinn Kinner in the quarters & an 11-0 major over Dylan D'Emilio, the Husker won the title with a 4-3 decision over Caleb Henson in the finals.  

Lovett isn't the only wrestler coming off a redshirt who came in and made a statement either.  Gabe Willochell who redshirted last season for Edinboro placed 7th, as he is now competing for Wyoming.  I think the rest of the bracket was more or less business as usual, although I was quite impressed by freshman Nash Singleton. The Oregon State Beaver pulled off a huge 8-6 win over Kinner in the R12 to earn a place on the award stand. 

Peyton Robb Repeats as CKLV Champion 

Winning a CKLV title is one of the toughest thing a wrestler can do in his career & Peyton Robb has now won two of them.  Had a tough 6-4 decision over Jacori Teemer in the finals to claim title #2.  Who by the way, I was also glad to see wrestle well his tournament, especially considering that he was injured in action not all that long ago. 

As we talk about the other place-winners in this bracket, it should be noted that all R12 winners were beaten by wrestlers who themselves did not place. I've been watching wrestling for 30 years & I've been paying extremely close attention to it for nearly 25 of those years.  I've never seen that in any major tournament even. 

Peyten Kellar defeated Ed Scott 7-4 in round two. 
Meyer Shapiro defeated Bryce Andonian 16-4 in round two. 
Then heart goes out to Ryder Downey who defeated Trevor Chumbley 8-2 in round one & then Paddy Gallagher 8-5 in round two.  It has to be heartwrenching to know you defeated two place-winners yourself, yet you yourself failed to place. 

I think it's simply an illustration of just how wide open and "any given Sunday" the sport of wrestling truly is. Especially with this new point scoring system.  You get taken down & put to your back, suddenly your down 7-0.  That can be a huge deficit to try and come back from.  Add in the parity of wrestling, it goes to show just how important it is to have things come together at the right time. 

As Ed Scott worked his way back to the second CKLV 3rd place finish of his career, Bryce Andonian came back to take 4th. Paddy Gallagher placed 7th & a very impressive run through the consolations for Chumbley to grab 8th.  Chumbley defeated Joey Blaze, Isaiah Crosby & Shapiro to earn himself a spot on the CKLV award stand.  

It never fails, year in and year out, we see wrestlers make the NCAA award stand who fail to make the award stand here.  157 might end up being that way this season. 

Izzak Olejnik Has Now Officially Placed His Name Among NCAA Title Contenders at 165

His dominating performance over D.J. Hamiti at the All Star Classic perhaps already evidence enough, but after this weekend, there is no doubt anymore.  Izzak Olejnik is NCAA champion material. To be quite honest, I'm a little sad that he's no longer at Northern Illinois, because they could really use an NCAA champion contender, but I also know that the move to Oklahoma State is probably what is making all the difference in the world. A 6-4 win over Cam Amine in the semis, it was a 4-2 victory over Julian Ramirez in the finals. Many times when a wrestler has been at it for as long as Olejnik has been around, you don't see a lot of improvements. It's rewarding to see someone make such strides in his final year of collegiate competition. 

The huge things here though of course was Julian Ramirez upsetting David Carr 4-3 in the semi-finals. I wasn't surprised by this at all. Ramirez is a tough wrestler. After all he won the CKLV title last year.  I think at the beginning of the year everyone thought it was gonna be a war between Carr & Missouri's Keegan O'Toole. I think we know now, some others have thrown their hat in.  

Cade DeVos Wins a CKLV Title For The Jackrabbits

Very impressive performance for Cade DeVos to win a CKLV title.  4th in last year's championships, the Jackrabbit defeated M.J. Gaitan of Iowa State 10-2 major decision in the quarters, before sending Carson Kharchla to the consolations with an 11-8 decision.  He then defeated Travis Wittlake 9-7 in the finals.  While DeVos's outstanding showing should be given credit, the wrestling world's real concentration was a first round upset for Lorenzo Norman over Shane Griffith.  Define irony that Norman competes for the very school that Griffith competes for.  That's something you just don't see every day.  For a city that claims itself unpredictable, it delivers. 

I will say though, I really don't get the strategy behind Griffith's next moves though.  Whether it was his decision or Michigan's, what happened next doesn't make any sense to me at all.  Griffith wrestled through the consolations. Matter of face he even ripped  Alex Faison apart 14-3 major decision. Yet the bloodround came round & he MFF's.  I have to ask why?  Injured? Obviously not.  Upset about being upset & doesn't feel like competing? Obviously not.  I mean if it was injury related, why have him wrestle three matches? He's as likely to get hurt wrestling three matches as he would be four.  Why not wrestle that match and earn a top 8 showing? You can't tell me it's one of those, "I got beat so now I'm done competing" deals. It couldn't have been, he wrestled three more matches.  I just don't get why he wouldn't have wrestled the next match.  If you're gonna MFF out of the tournament at least earn a medal and then do so.  This was just ludicrous to me. 

Parker Keckeisen Wins First CKLV Title For Coach Schwab 

A CKLV runner-up last season, Parker Keckeisen got er done this year. His closest match of the tournament was an 8-4 decision over Lenny Pinto in the semis. Other than that, nothing less than a major, including a 14-4 major over Will Feldkamp in the finals.  

The other performance I think that deserves mention here is that of Sam Wolf.  The Falcons have a habit of having a senior have a breakout performance at a major tournament every season & Wolf certainly had one here.  A huge 7-5 decision over Chris Foca in R2, he knocked off Gavin Hoffman in the quarter finals 4-1.  He finished out the day with a hard fought 10-9 decision over Jaden Bullock to claim 5th place. 

As to guys who DNP CKLV who might still All American by season's end?  Well if Gavin Hoffman is one of them, he'd be one to do it TWICE in his career. He took 6th at the NCAA's a couple years back & in that same reason he was R12 at CKLV.  Foca has the tools and talent to do so as well. 

Another Title For the Wolfpack 

Winning at title at 184 lbs last season, Trent Hidlay is now a CKLV champ at 197 lbs too. Pretty cool to see Jaxon Smith of Maryland facing him in the finals as well.  Said it once, I'll say it 100 times, Alex Clemsen is doing some great things at Maryland. Not sure if he's getting all the credit he deserves, so I'll grab my harmonica and be more than glad to sing his praises.  It's a hell of an honor to have a CKLV finalist & now he has one.  Made the finals with a very impressive 8-2 decision over Tanner Sloan of SDSU.  Coming back to place 3rd at last year's CKLV after being upset, Sloan repeated history this tournament and collected more Vegas bronze for his collection. 

Yonger Bastida Wins CKLV Title At HWT

I'll be honest, watching Yonger Bastida against Iowa here a while back, I questioned whether he was big enough for the weight class or not. Nothing against the Hawkeyes Brad Hill, but he hasn't exactly established himself as a Greg Kerkvliet or a Wyatt Hendrickson yet & I felt that Bastida struggled a bit with him, scoring most of his points once Hill lost his wind. I'll yet crow here, as Bastida proved that he is more than "big enough" for the weight & that he'll fit just find at HWT. 

Throwing around Jack Jessen 11-4 in R2 may not have been much to look at, but a 13-5 major over big ole Nick Feldman & then an 18-3 tech over Grady Griess sure as heck was!  I personally feel in so many instances that Lucas Davison is one of the strongest wrestlers in the country, and shit....Bastida looked to outmuscle him out there on the mat in  5-3 final.  Bastida isn't all of 285. Probably isn't even close to it, but he's got all the strength of a 500 lbs gorilla. Add in agility, speed & a gas tank. I'm anxious to see him in action against the likes of Kerkvliet. 

165 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Preview (Fri Dec 1st-Sat Dec 2nd)

 

165 lbs features seven returning place-winners, including last year's champion as well as last year's runner-up. This is a weight class that definitely has its favorites & those among them looking to knock them off. History reveals that while their may be much separation between wrestlers as far as rankings are concerned, there isn't near as much separation as far as match scores are concerned. The closer a match is, the more likely it could result in upset. I think we'll see our fair share at 165 lbs. 

#2
David Carr 
Iowa State 

The man to beat here is David Carr of Iowa State. As far as most fans & wrestling media is concerned, the only person Carr need be concerned about this season is Keegan O'Toole of Missouri (who will not be competing here).  For anyone to come in here & plausibly knock off Carr, would be a huge upset. In fact, it'd be hard to argue against it being the upset of the tournament. That's how heavy a favorite Carr is coming.  He hasn't competed in a CKLV in quite some time, but when he last did four seasons ago, he took 3rd.  Against the competition he owns a 10-2 major over Joshua Kim & a 6-1 decision over Matt Olguin. 

#3
Cam Amine
Michigan 

Season after season Cam Amine keeps showing up to compete. Consistently getting better day by day, it's very plausible that he could end up being our CKLV finalist. Wouldn't necessarily call it a given though. He's got a ton of competition to go through if he hopes to get a shot at David Carr.  Against who he'll possibly see here, he's defeated both last year's champ as well as last year's runner up, both by fall. He stuck champ Julian Ramirez in 2:47 & he stuck runner-up Tanner Cook in 6:30.  He also owns victories over Joshua Ogunsanya, Maxx Mayfield, & Matt Olguin. He was 5th here two seasons ago. 

#4
Izzak Olejnik
Oklahoma State 

Izzak Olejnik made it extremely clear with his dominating victory over D.J. Hamiti of Wisconsin at the NWCA All Star Classic that he's looking for more than just another lower end of the podium All American finish this season. He wants to be on the upper half & perhaps he'll show us he could even challenge for the NCAA title.  He first needs to challenge for the CKLV title before he does that though.  Against the competition he's 3-0 overall against last year's CKLV runner-up Tanner Cook (8-1, 3-1 & 8-3 decisions).  He also owns a 5-4 decision over Maxx Mayfield. 

#7
Julian Ramirez
Cornell

I think on the right day, under the right circumstances this guy could beat anyone.  Yes, I mean anyone.  This includes David Carr.  Talent and ability wise, Julian Ramirez gets a 10/10.  But...what you can do & what you will do don't always see eye to eye.  He won last year's CKLV (4th two seasons ago) & he owns wins over Cam Amine (9-6) & Matt Olguin (6-2).  Hell, he tech'd Cook 17-1 in the finals last season.  Yet on the same hand, he can be oddly susceptible to loss at times.  After defeating Joshua Ogunsanya twice by convincing scores of 8-2 & 13-5, he lost to him at the EIWA's 6-4.  Then he turned around & dominated him 14-3 at the NCAA's.  So much of wrestling is mental & when focused and prepared Ramirez is tough to beat.  When being the operative word. 

#8
Matt Olguin
Oregon State

For years about 20 years ago I was notoriously infamous for coming out with yearly, "Best yet to AA" list & while I no longer do those lists, I can tell you that if I did, Matt Olguin would be somewhere near the top. I do think he's one of the best in the nation yet to capture an AA honor. He was 3rd here last season & I expect another high CKLV finish out of him this year.  My only concern is that he does keep some of his matches painfully close, but at the end of the day, a W is a W. 

#10
Antrell Taylor
Nebraska

He's young, he's hungry & he's still relatively new.  That could bode very well for the freshman Husker. Many times we see the youth of collegiate wrestling come into such situations with nothing to lose attitudes, willing to take risks & try things while being extremely aggressive.  In a field of wrestlers who often compete rather conservatively, this could work to Taylor's advantage. Nebraska is looking for its fourth team title in a row, I'm sure Taylor is well aware.  10-3 decisions over both Giano Petrucelli & Garrett Thompson, he also owns a 10-7 decision over Andrew Cerniglia. 

#14
Joshua Ogunsanya
Columbia

Joshua Ogunsanya enters his final CKLV championship looking for his third medal. 5th last season, he was 7th two seasons ago.  Testimony to think this could be his best CKLV yet, he owns that 6-4 decision I mentioned earlier over Julian Ramirez.  He also owns a 5-2 decision over Matt Olguin & he tech'd last year's runner-up Tanner Cook 20-3. 

#17
Maxx Mayfield
Northwestern

Maxx Mayfield continues to climb up the ladder of rankings & what a boost it'd be to his career to make top 8 here in Vegas. Easier said than done, but out of those going to war, he'll be among them.  Thus far owns both an 8-2 as well as a 10-3 decision over Stoney Buell. 

#18
Bryce Hepner
Ohio State

I don't know if it'd really shock anyone or not, but based on rankings along, it would be classified as an upset if Bryce Hepner were to come in here & have a great tournament.  A 6-4 victory over Cam Amine suggest that it's a possibility.  For the record, Hepner also owns a 7-0 decision over Garrett Thompson. 

#19
Garrett Thompson
Ohio

I know Joel Greenlee often feels that his wrestlers get overlooked & that may very well be the case.  What I do know is that no one is gonna overlook a top 8 finish here in Vegas & Garrett Thompson is among the candidates looking for one.  He has yet to really do anything at 165 lbs & Vegas is a wonderful place to start. 

#20
Connor Brady
Virginia Tech 

I feel that Virginia Tech as a whole comes into CKLV with a chip on their shoulder. I don't think they took kindly to the dual loss to Ohio State & I know they didn't like here some of the wrestling media (I was not one of them) refer to them as overrated. This kind of aggression can serve one well & there's reason to think that Connor Brady could capture at CKLV medal.  A 3-2 victory over Hepner speaks for itself, as he's kept it close with both Julian Ramirez & Joshua Ogunsanya in the past. 

#21
Brevin Cassella
Binghamton 

If Billy Baldwin is to Twitter Tweet about Binghamton having a good performance at CKLV, it could very well end up being Brevin Cassella that he references. Cassella has had some very close matches with the competition.  He took last year's champ Julian Ramirez into overtime & he kept Joshua Ogunsanya to a 1 point decision.  He also took Matt Olguin to a two point decision.  Turning these kinda close losses into wins could make a huge difference. 

#23
Joshua Kim
Harvard

Speaking of turning close losses into wins...  There are times when I find myself tensing up & screaming at my computer screen or television when watching Joshua Kim wrestle.  I'm glad that he is finally getting some recognition & being seen as a top 25 wrestler, but I think he could be so much better than that. A little adjustment here, a little adjustment there, I think he could be a top 12, maybe even better. If you read JT#1 often, you know I wanna see Harvard where it was 15-20 years ago.  Back when it was producing the Jesse Jantzens & the J.P. O'Connors. It's gotta start somewhere & Joshua Kim has the tools to start the engine. 

Against Joshua Ogunsanya he's lost 3-1, 3-1 s.v. & 5-4 decisions. He took last year's CKLV champ Julian Ramirez to 5-2 & 3-1 decisions.  It's like Son of a gun dude, let's turn some of these nosehair, nail biting losses into wins! 

#24
Andrew Cerniglia
Navy

A two time NCAA qualifier, last season was a down year for Andrew Cerniglia.  With the coaching of Cary Kolat behind him, it's a safe assumption to think that mentally as well as physically, Cerniglia is back to where he needs to be. That has really yet to be tested though & CKLV provides what might as well be the ACT or SAT depending on where you live in the country. 

#25
Giano Petrucelli
Air Force 

Go back and look through the history of CKLV as well as other first semester tournaments in the history of NCAA Division I wrestling. For quite some time now, Air Force has a history of having a wrestler or two pull off a huge upset in such a tournament.  Giano Petrucelli had a very nice R1 win last year over Wyoming's Cole Moody (who has since graduated).  Perhaps he'll have another this tournament. 

#28
Tanner Cook
South Dakota State

Tanner Cook was one of the biggest surprises of last year's CKLV, coming out of nowhere to make the finals. Based on the competition of this bracket, it'd be an even bigger shock if he were to once again make the finals this season.  Matter of fact, just to be top 8, he's gonna have to knock off at least a handful of wrestlers who are currently ranked above him.  A wrestler who is known to put opponents to their backs out of nowhere, I wouldn't count him out  & I'd always be leery of what he's capable of. 

U.R. Or #29
Charlie Darracott Or Hunter Garvin
Stanford

Hunter Garvin may have the ranking as the status of "Varsity starter", but I'm not convinced it'll be him starting until I see the finalized brackets.  Darracott was R12 here two seasons ago & he also owns an 11-6 decision over Garrett Thompson.  I think either one of these guys could do some damage in Vegas. 

#30
Stoney Buell
Purdue 

He has yet to face any of the competition here at CKLV, but this is great grounds for making a name for yourself. 

#33
Jack Thomsen
Northern Iowa

A transfer from South Dakota State, I tell you I would really love it if Jack Thomsen ended up meeting Tanner Cook somewhere along the way.  That's a match I'd really like to see. Reminds me of years ago when A.J. Grant was beating out Chris Rodrigues for the starting spot at Michigan. Then Rodrigues transferred to North Carolina & pinned Grant at the NCAA championships.  Would such a result occur? Maybe/maybe not.  It does make for an interesting situation though.  Among Thomsen's notable wins a 6-5 decision over Giano Petrucelli. 

157 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Preview (Fri Dec 1st - Sat Dec 2nd)

 

157 lbs features 19 of the top 33 ranked wrestlers in the DI nation & eight of them are returning place-winners! Talk about an incredibly tough weight class to crack a win in the quarterfinals or the bloodround in order to bring home a medal.  This is most certainly a weight class that illustrates the wolves on top of the mountain & the wolves climbing the mountain.  Let's see who truly is hungrier. 

#3
Peyton Robb
Nebraska

Our favorite here will be last year's champion Peyton Robb, who not only hopes to bring home an individual title but also hopes to help Nebraska to bring home its fourth CKLV team title in a row.  Not only is Robb last year's champion, he is also one of the only wrestlers entering the tournament that is looking for a fourth medal.  He also owns CKLV finishes of 7th & 5th.  Against the competition he has more than proven himself. 5-3 & 8-2 decisions as well as a 4:36 fall over Ed Scott, he also owns two victories over Trevor Chumbley (11-3 & 2-0).  He's completely owned Peyten Kellar 15-0 & 16-1 technical falls, as he also owns a 5-4 victory over Paddy Gallagher, a 7-2 decision over Cael Swensen & a 9-1 major over R.J. Weston.  He also owns a 16-0 tech over Chris Earnest. 

#4
Jacori Teemer
Arizona State 

Unfortunately out with injury last season, Jacori Teemer is having to reestablish himself & refamiliarize himself with the wrestling community as he missed all of last year.  CKLV is most certainly the place to do so.  While he hasn't faced much of the competition other than a 14-5 major over Tommy Askey, it is safe to still assume based on resume alone that he's a title contender.  He was 8th here four seasons ago.

#5
Bryce Andonian
Virginia Tech 

Hot on the trail of Robb & Teemer will be Virginia Tech's Bryce Andonian.  While not as relentless against his opponents, the caliber of W's is every bit as impressive.   A 7-4 win over Paddy Gallagher, he's defeated Peyten Kellar 7-6 & Will Lewan 6-4.  Sticking Tommy Askey in 37 seconds, he's defeated Ed Scott on four occasions (15-9, 24-10, 11-6 & 9-5). 

#6
Will Lewan
Michigan

The Wolverines will be right there with the Huskers in hunt for a CKLV team title.  In order to deny Nebraska of its fourth title in a row, Michigan is going to have to rely on guys like Will Lewan to step it up & do on the mat, what they can more than do on paper.  There's no reason at all to think Will Lewan couldn't win CKLV.  4th the past two seasons, he's defeated last year's champ Peyton Robb twice by scores of 4-3 & 3-1 s.v.  7-4 & 14-4 victories over Cael Swensen, he also owns a 3-2 decision over Trevor Chumbley & a 6-4 s.v. over Paddy Gallagher.  He's also defeated Tommy Askey by scores of 3-2 & 8-2. 

#8 
Ed Scott
North Carolina State

Here's a guy that is a danger to anyone that he steps on the mat with. No matter what's taken place in the past, Ed Scott is always game. For example, as stated earlier, he's lost to Bryce Andonian on four occasions. Nevertheless he let his nasty headlock do all the talking when he stuck Andonian at the 6:55 mark at last year's NCAA championships. So in other words, Scott can get hot in the right situations. Call it another gambling reference, this is Vegas afterall. Other victories over the competition include a 9-5 decision over Will Lewan, a 3-1 s.v. over Trevor Chumbley, a 4-0 decision over Cael Swensen & a 13-6 decision over Tommy Askey. 

#9
Daniel Cardenas
Stanford

Cardenas put together a very nice 24-3 record this past season, but he did so rather quietly. While diehard, fixated collegiate wrestling fans like myself are rather familiar with him, he remains a mystery to the more casual fan. If he were to come in here and upset his way to a title or even a top three finish, I think it'd generate a lot of conversation amongst the wrestling community.  Something that would not only be great for him, but also for Stanford as well as for collegiate wrestling in California as a whole. 

#10
Trevor Chumbley
Northwestern

At the current state, Trevor Chumbley is one of those wrestlers that has established himself 9-12, who is on a mission to get to the tier of  8 or >.  Again, CKLV is a perfect place to do so.  5th here last season, among the competition such a finish would once again be essential to his success. Finishing higher would be the ticket into establishing himself as AA caliber.  6-3 & 6-2 decisions over Cael Swensen, he also owns a 5-3 s.v. over Paddy Gallagher & a 9-2 decision over Tommy Askey.

#11
Cael Swensen
South Dakota State

Another returning CKLV place-winner from last season (6th), Cael Swensen is in a very similar situation to that of Trevor Chumbley.  One of those guys with a lot of talent, simply needs a few more caliber victories to really establish himself as a threat to All American by season's end. Thus far owns a 4-3 victory over Paddy Gallagher & also has both an 11-2 as well as a 7-2 victor over R.J. Weston. 

#15
Joey Blaze
Purdue

The young Boilermaker made a Hell of a statement recently by knocking off Ed Scott in a 4-1 s.v.  Is the freshman capable of more? It's really that simple.  We'll see what else he's got here in Vegas. 

#16
Paddy Gallagher
Ohio State 

This guy has really stepped it up and impressed me this season. At the beginning of the year, it looked like he might not even be varsity as Sammy Sasso was also at this weight. Then tragedy struck Sasso putting him out for a while (perhaps the entire season?) and Gallagher has really stepped it up a notch.  He's in an extremely tough bracket here, but taking a top 8 finish is within his grasps. In a sport where we preach, "You only deserve what you earn", Gallagher has already "earned" quite a bit from my perspective.  Among the competition a 4-3 tiebreaker over Trevor Chumbley & a 7-5 decision over Peyten Kellar. 

#18
Cody Chittum
Iowa State 

In order to be, you have to beat someone who already is. With eight returning place-winners at this weight class, you know not all of them are going to repeat with a top 8 performance.  Reason being, because others are going to come in and "steal" those spots.  Looking for a thief? We may very well have one here in Cody Chittum.  The young Cyclone recently gave Iowa's Jared Franek a scare in a tight 4-2 decision. Wouldn't surprise me at all to see him do well here in Vegas. 

#19
Peyten Kellar
Ohio 

Kellar made it to the bloodround here last season, which would again be a very respectable finish amongst the competition in this bracket.  The goal of course is to finish top 8 or better, but in a tournament like this, even top 12 is saying something. 

#20
Tommy Askey
Appalachian State

Tommy Askey wrestled a great CKLV last season to earn an 8th place finish.  He'll have to wrestle an even better tournament this year if he wants to repeat that success.  I could see him possibly getting a top 12 seed, but I could also see him getting a lower seed. It'll be one Hell of a challenge & if he's able to do it, he should be recognized accordingly for it. 

#21
Meyer Shapiro
Cornell 

Meyer Shapiro has yet to face defeat in collegiate competition. Over all 19-0 in college matches. Not be be a Debbie Downer, but I'd say remaining undefeated after Vegas is all said & done, probably won't be the case. If it is, he'll be the talk of the tournament! Coming back down to Earth, I'd say it's more realistic that he could very well put on a great showing, but probably suffer some losses along the way. Garnering a few upsets wouldn't surprise me though. 

#27
Jalin Harper
Oklahoma State

Here's a story in Stillwater you rarely see.  A senior getting his first real shot at the varsity position. Normally John Smith is all about guys that do it from day one, but Jalin Harper marks the four leaf clover as rare as astatine in the Cowboy lineup. He's placed at the Southern Scuffle & he's placed at RENO, so it's not completely out of the question that he could sneak into a top 8 showing here. Be a Hell of a statement too. 

#28
Michael North
Maryland

Well, we're heading West, but we still might see some North at CKLV.  You know as well as I do, we're gonna see some upsets at CKLV. As to predicting them, it's as doable as guessing which number the spinner will land on. Nevertheless, of those capable of pulling off some upsets, Michael North. 

#29
Chris Earnest
Campbell 

With the departure of Coach Cary Kolat, the Campbell Camels still remain adamant that they are a team to be reckoned with. Among their talent, Chris Earnest. Haven't seen a whole lot out of him yet in his collegiate career, but if you're gonna start somewhere, CKLV is the place to start. 

#31
Legend Lamer
Cal Poly 

Two seasons ago Legend Lamer had established himself as AA caliber competing at 149 lbs.  Among his notable victories, he also placed 7th here in Vegas.  Then last year he bumped up to 165 lbs, & didn't find it near as friendly.  Now he's testing the porridge out at 157 lbs.  149 too hot, 165 too cold, it may very well be 157 that is just right.  It takes nothing more than a great showing at a tough tournament to scream to the wrestling community, "I AM Back!!"  I mean the guy has the name, might as well make use of it. 

#32
R.J. Weston
Northern Iowa 

If you ever talk to Coach Dough Schwab, the guy always seems grump, frustrated & upset about something. Often feels his team is shafted & disrespected in the rankings.  A professor gives one of his wrestlers an A in a class, Schwab slams his fist down on the podium & demands to know why it wasn't an A+.  I'm sure he feels that R.J. Weston deserves a higher ranking than #32.  In fact, I'd even place a small bet on it.  Maybe he's right. After all Weston does own an impressive 2-0 win over Cael Swensen. Perhaps he pull off some more impressive wins here in Vegas.