Iowa Vs Pennsylvania Preview (11-26-22)

 

As the Hawkeyes near the end of month one of the collegiate wrestling season, as a team they will get past the Pennsylvania Quakers without much of a struggle. Yet on an individual level, there will be certain matchups that may be tougher than initially anticipated. As they look forward to the future, looking ahead at the bigger "more important" duals & tournaments, it'll be wise in many cases to keep attention on the here and now. As objects in the mirror are closer than they appear, the guy on the Oatmeal box is tougher than he appears. 

125 lbs
#1 Spencer Lee Vs #15 Ryan Miller 

Going to be optimistic and hopeful here that we see the 22'-23' debut of three time national champion Spencer Lee.  As he gets into the grove of things, Ryan Miller will be a decent first test for him. Late into the season, I'd call this one a big major, or even a tech or a pin for the Hawkeye. First match of the season? I'd say a smaller major.  So we're talking something like a 8-0 or a 9-1 Vs one of those 20-8 types. Miller might even be able to keep this to a decision.  Just depends on the rust level of Lee.  IF it's anyone other than Lee in the starting spot, this will be a win for the Quakers. 

133 lbs
#12 Brody Teske Vs #10 Michael Colaiocco 

This will be Brody Teske's first real test as a Hawkeye. Colaiocco is a tough wrestler who has earned his #10 ranking. Either way, a win here is very good for either wrestler in terms of ranking, credential and result. 

141 lbs
#2 Real Woods Vs U.R. Carmen Ferrante 

I wouldn't let the fact that Carmen Ferrante is unranked fool you. He was at 149 lbs last season, a weight he wasn't near big enough for and now he's at a comfortable 141 lbs. Thus far this season he's majored MAC runner-up Josh Mason & of his three losses, one sudden victory, a other a tiebreaker. If this is indeed Real Woods debut as a Hawkeye he'll want to be awake, alert and ready to go. He will NOT want to sleep on Ferrante. 

149 lbs
#7 Max Murin Vs #9 Doug Zapf 

Here's another match the Hawkeyes will want to be adequately prepared for. I've said many times & I'll keep saying that with three R12 finishes, Max Murin is one of the best wrestlers in the entire nation yet to be an All American. The thing about it is, Doug Zapf is another tough senior who is also looking to earn his first All American honor on his way out.  The last the two met, Murin controlled a very nice 7-1 victory. 

165 lbs
#13 Patrick Kennedy Vs #19 Lucas Revano 

As Patrick Kennedy settles into his role as Iowa's 165 lbs representative, Penn's Lucas Revano will be an excellent examination to see where he's at this point in the season. Should be a win for the Hawkeye but he'll have to earn the points he puts up on the board. 

197 lbs
#2 Jacob Warner VS #27 Cole Urbas 

This should be a comfortable decision for the NCAA runner-up, maybe even a major decision. However, it is again a match not to overlook.  Urbas is tall & lanky, and knows how to use his massive reach to his advantage. 

HWT
#4 Tony Cassioppi Vs #22 Ben Goldin 

At this point in the season Tony Cassioppi truly is the fourth best HWT in the nation. Ben Goldin is a solid, tough HWT himself, but here the 18 spaces of separation will make themselves well known. See no less than a major for the Hawk, maybe even a fall. 

== 

As to 157, 174 & 184....

157 is a for sure win for the Quakers.  Two time R12'er,  EIWA champ Anthony Artalona will put up nothing less than a solid decision for the blue and red. Maybe even a major. 

174? Well, verifying or nullifying a rumor is collegiate wrestling is the toughest of tasks. From what I hear BOTH Nelson Brands & Brennan Swafford are out with injury. This is rather alarming and quite concerning, although we still have a long ways to go until March.  With both of them out of the lineup, this is another win for the Quakers. Nick Incontrera by no less than a comfortable decision. 

184, here's another area where the Hawkeyes can well extend their lead. Abe Assad by no less than a major decision. 


In 10 matches, Iowa is favored in 7, Pennsylvania in 2, and 1 is a toss up. 

Top Matches in Ursinus Vs Alvernia Dual (11-22-22)

 

A great NCAA Division III dual later today as the Bears of Ursinus take on the Golden Wolves of Alvernia. Three matches in particular stick out today as we take a look at this matchup. 

125 lbs
#20 Terry Adams Vs #25 Keito Shaw 

This could easily end up being the best match of the dual. A native of Staten Island, New York, Terry Adams qualified for the NCAA Division III championships.  The last time he met up with Keito Shaw he won a very hard fought 5-4 decision. This once again should be a good match between our two lightweights. 

165 lbs
#13 Shawn Marchesano Vs #2 Matt Lackman 

Despite prior accomplishments & quite a bit of space within their rankings, this match could end up being much better than what it looks to be on paper. Matt Lackman was 5th in the NCAA Division III championships last season, but I'd say in the very least, Shawn Marchesano will prove himself to be a R12 wrestler.  The last time these two met it was a tight 3-0 victory for the Golden Wolf.  Marchesano gave him a good match & I'd say at this point, he can give him an even better one. 

184 lbs
#22 Gary Nagle Vs #28 Isaac Kassis 

If 125 lbs isn't the best match of the evening, then 184 lbs may very well be.  These two are pretty familiar with one another as Nagle owns a 6:13 fall over Kassis & Kassis owns a 4-3 tiebreaker over Nagle. Who will win this rubber match? 

JT#1's Notes, Thoughts & Observations for Week 4 of The 2022-2023 Collegiate Wrestling Season

 Talk about a juxtaposition. It amazes me as short & sweet as this upcoming week is for collegiate wrestling, this past week had a million things going on.  Let's take a look at what stuck out to me most. 

Wolak Upsets Smith! 

What a win it was for junior Lennox Wolak this weekend when he upset 2021 All American Ethan Smith of Ohio State 8-6.  A huge win the Lion as well as the Columbia wrestling program as a whole. 

Austin Gomez Pulls Off Biggest Upset Since Owings Over Gable in 70'

I got a lot of rebuttal already for stating this soon after it happened, but I'm sticking with my claim. Other arguments made aren't anywhere near as good as this one is.  Yianni Diakomihalis is a three time NCAA champion & the only other loss he has was early on in his freshman season to Jaydin Eierman.  Gomez dominating him 9-3 needs to be seen and treated for the monumental upset that it is.  It's way bigger than Piccininni pinning Lee. I can't believe people are even making the comparison.  At the time Lee had only one championship & even more importantly Lee had lost about a month & a half earlier that season 7-3 to Sebastian Rivera.  Rivera would go on to beat Lee again in the BIG 10 finals, 4-2.  Now if someone pins Lee THIS season, this yes, THAT would surpass Gomez over Diakomihalis.  Others said Caldwell over Metcalf. Again a huge upset, but BELOW this one. Caldwell already had a fall over Metcalf before they went into that match.  Others wanted to say Coon over Snyder, which was a huge upset, but I still say < Gomez over Diakomihalis.  Snyder was an Olympic champ at that time, but he wrestled a quarter of a collegiate season & many, including your's truly said at the beginning of the season in three meetings he would have with Coon that season, he was unlikely to go 3-0 against the Wolverine.  The best argument I heard for a better upset was Everett over Jones at the NCAA championships, but even that I conclude is lower than Gomez over Diakomihalis.  Jones went on to lose a couple of matches later to Evans, & he was also only a sophomore at the time.  Maybe there have been better upsets than Gomez over Diakomihalis but none of the examples fans have argued thus far are any of them.  What this really comes down to is that this upset isn't getting the credit it deserves because Diakomihalis doesn't wrestle for one of the powerhouse, traditional schools. Yes, Cornell is a great wrestling school but it doesn't have the fan base that Iowa or Penn State or Oklahoma State has. I was hoping that with all of the available coverage with the internet & all of the wrestling media out there that we were beyond those primitive ways of seeing it. Guess we're not. We're still in the ages of
"don't know much outside of the team we follow." 

I digress

As we look at this upset, it also should be noted how good Wisconsin looked as a whole. This was NOT the same team that dualed Iowa State.  Hamiti and Ramirez were pretty close the time they met before this & Hamiti just walked all over him 14-4.  Amos controlled a well wrestled 2-0 match against Cardenas.  Hillger who was 1-1 with Fernandes, took control in a 5-2 win.  The Badgers looked good against the Big Red. 

Bonaccorsi a Man on  Mission 

I was expecting the Bonaccorsi Vs Michael Beard match to be really good but Bonaccorsi just took it to him. Looked really good nearly majoring Beard 10-4. If Bonaccorsi wants to make it back to the NCAA finals, his made a huge step in the right direction! 

Unofficial Husker Kyle Burwick Adds Another Title to Resume 

As far as I know, Kyle Burwick still hasn't been officially released from Wisconsin yet. I have yet to hear much more on the situation. What I do know is that he is currently 10-0 as he awaits his destiny.  Won the Youness Hospitality Open, hosted by Nebraska-Kearney. 

Navy Will NOT be short talent at 165 in 23'-24' 

Val Park & Henry Hague Jr will both be done this season as both are seniors, but not to worry for Navy wrestling at 165 lbs.  Jonathan Ley, who is currently at Navy Prep showed this weekend that the Midshipmen will have a very talented freshman on the roster next season.  With a 5-3 win over Maryland's John Martin Best in the semi-finals & a 4-3 victory over Cam Pine of Clarion in the finals, Ley won a Shorty Hitchcock Memorial title. 

Michigan State's 125 Varsity Spot Now Officially Lujan's? 

With Tristan Lujan winning the Navy Classic this weekend, while Gomez medical forfeited out after a quarter-final loss it was certainly seem so. Yet this is NCAA DI wrestling.  All sorts of strange things happen all the time. It's certainly ammunition for the argument, that's for sure. 

Hagan/Komara saga continues 

Lot's of great rivalries in collegiate wrestling, most overlooked, this MAC feud between Ohio's Alec Hagan & Kent State's Kody Komara is a fun one.  Komara seems to have better finishes in many cases, but Hagan improved to 6-1 over all against the Golden Flash. In One of the Navy Classic's more loaded brackets, Hagan defeated Komara 7-1 in the semi-finals before going on to win the championship. Komara came back to take 3rd. 

It's Colder In Ames Than I Thought 

Iowa State just illustrated to me that they're deeper at 133 lbs than what I thought. Zach Redding & Ramazan Attasauov, those two are only sophomores! Think next season a permanent Frost, Evan Frost will be gunning for a varsity spot. The redshirt freshman looked great this weekend winning a Daktronics Open title.  In route He majored Minnesota's Jager Eisch 16-5 before defeating another Golden Gopher Jake Gliva 10-1 in the finals. 

Eddie Ventresca Still One Nose Hair Above Cooper Flynn 

I can't think of a wrestle-off that is closer than that of Eddie Ventresca and Cooper Flynn. The two outstanding talents continue to battle it out for the 125 lbs starting spot, with Ventresca just barely coming out on top each time. This time he defeated Flynn 2-2 on a new criteria we're trying out in collegiate wrestling. It's heartbreaking to know that as good as both of these young men are, one of them by season's end will be sitting in the bleachers cheering the other one on. But hey, this is collegiate wrestling. 

Pappas Back in Town! 

He looked good! Dun uh dun uh dun uh dun! I knew that he could! Dun uh dun uh dun uh dun! Wrestled good, yeah, good....Pappa's gotta brand new team!   Well, I ain't much for James Brown parody's but I was so excited to see Peter Pappas wrestle so well at the Keystone Classic. #6 seed & he makes the finals with a nice win over NCAA qualifier Cody Bond of Appalachian State.  In a match that could have gone either way, gave EIWA champ Anthony Artalona Hell in a 3-1 loss. Pappas is back!! 

Laird Looks Good At Keystone 

Another wrestler that looked really good at The Keystone Classic this weekend was Ethan Laird. Leaner, meaner & ripped, he had a very nice win over four time PAC-12 champion Kordell Norfleet of Arizona State in the finals.  He also pinned Pennsylvania's Cole Urbas of Pennsylvania in the first period. 

Duke Reveals Secret Weapon 

Where in the Hell has Duke been hiding Jonah Nisenbaum the last four years?  I talk about "most improved wrestlers" quite a bit at JT#1 and I don't know if this guy has much competition at this point. 

Let's take a look real quick...

3-21 in 2020.  Yes, 3-21.    In 2021, 1-5.   So first two years of collegiate wrestling a combined record of 4-26.  

Now last year he improved to 16-11 & that in itself was one Hell of a turn around, but what he's doing so far this year is truly amazing, all things considered. 

He's 9-1 at this point.  This weekend he won the Keystone Classic title with some very nice wins along the way.  In the semis he defeated Ben Goldin of Pennsylvania.  Even more impressive he defeated Hunter Catka of Virginia Tech 3-1 in the finals.  You know what happened the last two times he wrestled Catka? Catka tech'd him. 18-1 & 17-0.   

Jonah Nisenbaum ladies and gentleman, The Turn It Around Kid. 

Many Wins Among No Victories 

It takes a lot of courage to set your pride aside as the #1 team in NAIA wrestling & do battle with one of the top 10 teams in NCAA DI wrestling.  The Grand View Vikings may have went 0-10 against the Iowa State Cyclones this weekend, but they still showed in many ways that their wrestlers belong on the mat with DI wrestlers, nearly all ranked within the top twenty. 

Esco Walker could have easily kept his match with Kysen Terukina at 3-2, but he went for the W & ended up losing 5-2. 

Carson Taylor scored the first takedown over Ramazan Attasaouv. Losing a hard fought 7-3 match to the future Russian international star is nothing to be ashamed of. 

Shea Ruffridge I thought looked very good against Casey Swiderski of Iowa State up until the end. Not sure what happened there in the 3rd period, but up until that point looked great against the future multiple time All American.  

Everyone keeps making out like Rodger Daltry screaming, "Paniro Johnson should be the new #1 at 149 lbs!!!" from their chairs.  Well if Paniro Johnson is indeed the #1 in NCAA DI wrestling, Blake Gonzalez took him into sudden victory!! 

Well as always could say more, but have to keep this at a reasonable length. 

Onward to week 5!! 

Best Matches To Look Forward To Week of Thanksgiving NAIA (22'-23' Season)

 

Due to the Holiday this will be a short week for collegiate wrestling but there will still be plenty of great action that takes place before Turkey Day my wrestling friends!  Today we take a look at the best matches that will be happening in the NAIA. 

149 lbs
#18 Seth Johnson (Marian) Vs U.R. Chris Sorrow (Siena Heights) 

This strikes me as a potential match to look out for.  An NAIA qualifier Vs a wrestler who I feel will fight for NAIA qualification status himself by season's end. To my knowledge these two have not met before. Johnson has the obvious advantage but I think in the dual with Marian, Sorrow will Siena Height's best bet at knocking off a ranked opponent.  This match takes place later tonight. 

165 lbs
U.R. Isaiah Burks (Concordia NE) Vs #22 Kaleb Bigelow (Dakota Wesleyan) 
AND 
U.R. Isaiah Burks (Concordia NE) Vs #9 Caleb Connor (Morningside) 

In my opinion senior Isaiah Burks is one of the best wrestlers in the nation yet to qualify for the NAIA championships & one of the best who is not currently ranked.  Thus far in three GPAC appearances he has been 5th-5th-4th.  Against #22 Kaleb Bigelow of Dakota Wesleyan he dropped a very tight 6-5 decision. Against #9 Caleb Connor of Morningside, he dropped a 1-0 decision.  Burks has the opportunity to put himself on the map & showcase himself as a wrestler who deserves recognition & respect. He can win both of these matches. 

125 lbs 
?? Luqman Masud (Joliet Junior) Vs #20 Mike Chagnon (St Ambrose) 

I've been getting request to do more NJCAA coverage but I tell you what, I can't even find any current NJCAA rankings. What I can tell you is that Joliet's Luqman Masud is looking really good this season. He recently won the Millikin Open & he'll have another opportunity to shine on Tuesday as he takes one #20 Mike Chagnon of St Ambrose. 

174 lbs
#13 Jakob Francksen Small (Northwestern IA) Vs #10 Michael Scarponi (Doane) 

Gawd I love these rubber matches don't you?  In the dual it was all Red Raider as JFS defeated the Tiger 9-5. Yet at the GPAC championships, it was Scarponi who got the best of the Raider in a 7-2 decision. Who will win in their third encounter? 

184 lbs
#13 Luke Jenness Vs #23 Garrett Cornwell 

Here's another match I really look forward to in the Northwestern Vs Doane dual on Tuesday.  I believe that Luke Jenness is the Red Raider's best hope for an All American this season & Garrett Cornwell will be an excellent test for him this week. Should be a really good match. 

133 lbs
#17 CaRon Watson Vs #6 Daniel Vargas 

To my knowledge these two have never met.  We have CaRon Watson a three time GPAC bronze medalist Vs two time NAIA All American Daniel Vargas. Obviously Vargas goes into this match favored, but I think Watson who is gunning for his first AA this season will be ready to go. There have been a ton of upsets so far this season & this could be one of them. 

Keystone Classic Preview (11-20-22)

 

The 26th Keystone Classic is going to be exceptionally good this season. Ranked wrestlers at every weight class, there will be an assortment of highly competitive matches. 

Picture Guide
Ranking & Name
School Name
Place Taken At Tournament Last Season
What I would seed

125 lbs 

You're gonna have to earn your spot on the award stand in this one. Will this be where we see two time NCAA DI All American Brandon Courtney of Arizona State make his 22'-23' debut? If so based on ranking & result he would be our #1 seed. He has a victory over last year's champion Caleb Smith of Applachian State 6-5.  Smith defeated Ryan Miller of Pennsylvania 6-3 the title last season & in more recent times Courtney's backup Richard Figueroa defeated Miller 6-2.  Explaining seeds #2 through #4, I would give #5 to Virginia Tech's Eddie Ventresca who somehow or another has been able to say a single nose hair ahead of teammate Cooper Flynn in three 2-1 decisions.  Also in this mix who will contend for place-winner status is the usually tough Antonio Mininno of Drexel. 

133 lbs 

A little more parity in this one. Our obvious choice for the #1 seed here is two time NCAA All American Michael McGee of Arizona State. He owns a 7-5 victory over last year's champion Michael Colaiocco of Pennsylvania who I give the #2 seed.  #3 going with Sam Latona of Virginia Tech as he owns a 10-1 victory over Sean Carter of Appalachian State who I give the #4 seed.  As to the parity I speak of, Pat Phillips of Franklin & Marshall recently upset Latona 5-3, but he has a 4-2 loss to Carter. The guy that could come in here and spoil all of this is Harvard's Beau Bayless. Currently unranked, he was 3rd here a year ago at 125 lbs. Another place-winner candidate, Josh Jones of George Mason. 

141 lbs 

Considering that this tournament is taking place at the PRTC, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if C.J. Composto doesn't show up. And if he shows up, I think he is the forerunner, being a returning All American for the #1 seed. #2 here I feel has been earned by Virginia Tech rookie Tom Crook who has looked exceptional thus far this season. Giving the #3 to Jesse Vasquez of Arizona State who owns a solid 6-1 decision over last year's champ, Carmen Ferrante of Pennsylvania. #5 going with Heath Gonyer, who placed 3rd here last season. A 4:48 loss by fall to Vasquez he took Ferrante to a 4-3 decision. Colin Gerardi of Virginia Tech I give the #6 seed & it is the guy I'd give the #7 seed to who we really need to keep an eye on. Harvard's Michael Jaffe decides to wrestle really well about once  year & he could very well cash in this tournament. Not only did he take Composto to a very tight 6-5 decision, he actually owns an 8-6 victory over Ferrante. Another place-winner candidate would be Harvard's other 141 lbs'er, Joe Cangro. 

149 lbs 

Debated on who to give the #1 seed to between Jonathan Millner of Appalachian State & Kyle Parco of Arizona State. Parco does lead the series 2-1, with a 9-5 decision & a 5:16 fall Vs a 9-4 decision. Yet at the time Millner is ranked higher & he is the returning champion.  Nevertheless it is our likely final either way.  Now, if my calculations are correct we are likely to see a semi-final between Parco & Pennsylvania's Doug Zapf. Parco had to injury default in their last match at the Journeymen Classic. Zapf was 2nd here at 157 last season.  Going with Virginia Tech's Caleb Henson as #4 & Drexel's Luke Nichter as #5. Kaden Cassidy, currently redshirting, was 2nd here at 141 last season. Let's see how he does a weight class up. 

157 lbs 

No matter what tournament it is, there is always that one weight class that is absolute chaos. For the Keystone Classic, it is 157 lbs.  Now what I will say, is that our final here is fairly concrete. I'm pretty sure we're gonna see Bryce Andonian of Virginia Tech Vs Anthony Artalona of Pennsylvania. It's 3rd through 8th where just about anything can happen. 

Loranzo Rajaonarivelo of George Mason came out of nowhere last season to win this tournament & then he seemed to disappear as soon as he appeared. With a recent 10-4 loss two weeks ago to Trevor Tarsi of Harvard, I feel no other choice but to give last year's champ the #4 seed.  

I give the #5 seed here to Nick Palumbo of Sacred Heart because while he has a 3-2 loss to Tarsi, he also owns a 3-2 victory over him.  Vs Cody Bond, who Tarsi defeated 10-7.   Clayton Ulrey of Virginia Tech could very well be better than #7, but all things considered, I felt that was the most fair seed.  

It is who I gave the #8 seed that I am most excited to see compete this tournament. I have been talking up Peter Papas all summer & fall and he's either gonna prove me right this weekend or I'm gonna have to admit I was wrong. This guy has a ton of potential as well as talent, but he's got a long way to go as he climbs his way up. A lot of good competition to go through here. 

Last but not least is Duke's Wade Unger. Never one to count out who's pulled off more than one upset in his day.  Could very well be a place-winner. 

165 lbs 

Well, not quite as chaotic as 157, but still a bit of a mess. While 157 has been put into the padded room with a straight jacket, 165 is being closely monitored with a high dosage of meds. As I'm known to do on rare occasion, I am going against the rankings on this one.  I would personally go with Connor Brady of Virginia Tech as our #1 seed.  He has a 6-3 victory over Tony Negron of Arizona State who I give the #2 seed.  #3 going with Will Formato, a runner-up here last season. 1-1 with Evan Barczak of Drexel, he is 3-1 overall against Drew Nicholson of Virginia Tech.  Seeing that Lucas Revano of Pennsylvania is 3-0 overall against Barczak, I think that makes him the #4.  Lastly, if this weight class has a monkey wrench then it is Joshua Kim of Harvard. He was 3rd at 174 last year.  Just something about these Harvard guys in this early season tournaments. They're always ones to watch out for. 

174 lbs

I would think that Virginia Tech's Mekhi Lewis should win this bracket fairly comfortably.  It is the probable semi-final between Drexel's Mickey O'Malley & Harvard's Philip Conigliaro that I look most forward to. I think that will be a really good match. I think depending on whoever wins that match, Pennsylvania's Nick Incontrera will give them a run for 3rd.  Thus far he's been pinned twice by O'Malley, but the last time the two met, he took O'Malley into the tiebreakers.  Logan Messer of George Mason who was 4th here last season will be in the hunt for another medal. Lastly, I will say that Cael Valencia of Arizona State has thus far had a rough go of it this season. He's not doing anywhere near as well as I thought he would. With that noted, he's also the kind of guy that you never count out. The second you write him off, is the exact second he'll come through.  A top eight finish here? It should happen, but it's far from a guarantee. 

184 lbs 

Our likely final here is Virginia Tech's Hunter Bolen Vs Arizona State's Anthony Montalvo.  With that said, if I were them, I wouldn't sleep on either Brian Bonino of Drexel or Kyle Davis of George Mason. Now, Bolen does own a 38 second fall over Bonino, but at this level those quick first period pins don't always mean what you think they do.  Secondly Montalvo has had a roller coaster start to his season. He did not look good at all at the Journeymen Classic. As suggested in an earlier post, very well could have been injury, illness or who knows what. Whatever it was, it was gone by the time the Sun Devils dualed Missouri because he looked great in a 4-2 victory over Sean Harman.  For record, Bonino owns a 7-4 decision over Davis. 

197 lbs 

I believe our likely #1 seed & champion here is Arizona State's Kordell Norfleet. I could see long & lanky Cole Urbas of Pennsylvania giving him a decent match in the finals, but still going with the Sun Devil over the Quaker.  I think Virginia Tech's Andy Smith is a good candidate for 3rd place & I think teammate Dakota Howard will prove himself a tough back up as he'll most likely face him in the consolation finals. Lastly, I think this tournament presents an opportunity for Sean O'Malley of Drexel to make some noise.  Often in the shadow of younger brother Mickey, he has an ability here to earn a top eight finish & get some recognition of his own. 

HWT 

Our #1 seed here is obviously the number one ranked wrestler in the nation/returning NCAA finalist Cohlton Schultz of Arizona State. I will say though, that I think Harvard's Yaraslau Slavikouski could very well give him a tough match. I don't see the native of Belarus allowing himself to get caught up in the funky Greco that Schultz loves to demonstrate.  I give the #3 & #4 seeds to Hunter Catka of Virginia Tech & Ben Golden of Pennslyvania, but I'm telling you the guy to keep an eye on here is Franklin & Marshall's Cenzo Pelusi who fairly I give the #5 seed.  He's wrestled two good matches with Slavikouski thus far, dropping 4-1 & 4-2 decisions.  Another place-winner candidate, Mason Fiscella of Appalachian State. 

Iowa State Vs Grand View Preview (11-20-22)

 

I have been an advocate and backer of NAIA wrestling for twenty years. Although it has been around for sixty-five years, it has only recently gotten the attention & affirmation that it deserves. Largely in part because of the massive growth of teams within the last 10-15 years and because of the dominance of the Grand View Vikings. The Vikings in many ways have helped to put NAIA wrestling on the map & garner it attention from not only fans but also the people in wrestling media. 

It goes without saying that NCAA Division I wrestling is still NCAA Division I wrestling. It is the best of the best & it often proves itself to be in many situations. We're also talking about out of nearly 80 teams, Iowa State, a program currently ranked 11th in the nation. If we were talking a team outside of the top 25, I think Grand View could have an even better showing. Against a team like LIU or Davidson, maybe even a dual victory. 

Nevertheless, the Vikings will be taking on the Cyclones this Sunday in NAIA Vs NCAA DI action.  Is this dual winnable for the #1 team in the NAIA? To be fair and objective, probably not. However, I do think the Vikings can win individual matches in this dual & I also think in some of their losses they can look competitive.  Let's take a look at the matches one by one....

#1 Esco Walker VS U.R. Conor Knopick 
125 lbs 

I definitely feel that this is a match that Grand View can win. The NAIA national champion against one of the Cyclone's backups. I think experience plays a big factor & we're in neutral territory as this dual takes place in Humboldt, Iowa. I don't think it'll be anything more than a decision, but I do feel that GVU puts up 3 points for their team here. 

#1 Carson Taylor VS #12 Zach Redding OR U.R. Ramazan Attasauov
133 lbs 

Whether it be Zach Redding or Ramazan Attasauov, Carson Taylor has an extremely difficult challenge ahead of him. Although he was 3rd in the NAIA last season, both Redding & Attasauov are NCAA DI All American candidates. If it is any indication, Attasauov scored a 18-0 technical fall over Shea Ruffridge back in 2020. At this point, I think to keep either one of these guys at a decision in itself would be a victory. To keep it close, even better. To pull off a win, what a statement for Taylor, GVU & the NAIA. 

#2 Shea Ruffridge VS #15 Casey Swiderski
141 lbs  

True freshman Casey Swiderski has done fairly well thus far this season. Wins over Joseph Zargo of Wisconsin & SOCON champion Shannon Hanna of Campbell. Can Shea Ruffridge, the #2 wrestler in the NAIA who was 3rd last season hold his own against him? I think he can. He's improved immensely since his loss to Attasauov three seasons ago & I think he'll demonstrate that out on the mat. Defeat the Cyclone? That may be another story, but I do think he'll show that he does belong on the same mat with him. 

U.R. Blake Gonzalez VS #12 Paniro Johnson 
149 lbs 

A NJCAA champion for Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Blake Gonzalez is planning on doing an assortment of great things for the Vikings this season.  His opponent here is yet another Cyclone phenomenal freshman, Paniro Johnson who shocked the wrestling world two weeks ago with a 9-4 victory over Austin Gomez of Wisconsin.  At the same time though, he then struggled to get past Little Rock's Joseph Bianchi. So what does that tell us about this match? Sometimes you don't know what to think. This could be closer than initially anticipated. 


 

#1 Israel Casarez OR #2 Gio Bonilla VS U.R. Isaac Judge 
157 lbs 

This is definitely a match that the Vikings are in. I don't know if they'll go with Casarez or Bonilla, but either way, both can give Isaac Judge a run for his money.  The last Judge & Bonilla met, Judge won a 4-1 decision. This one I'd call a toss-up. 

#1 Marty Margolis VS #3 David Carr 
165 lbs 

I at times can be accused of being utopian & perhaps within this article you've already made that distinction. I don't have my head in the clouds here.  2nd last season & 3rd in 2021, I'm still standing under my claim that Marty Margolis is one of the best wrestlers in the NAIA yet to win a national title. That doesn't change that he'll most likely get lit up by 2021 NCAA DI champ David Carr though.  I can't see this being anything less than major decision, decided by mostly takedowns. This is where we will see the difference between NAIA & DI. 

#1 Isaiah Luellen VS U.R. M.J. Gaitan OR #30 Julian Broderson OR U.R. Joel Devine
174 lbs 

I'm not sure who Iowa State puts out here against Isaiah Luellen, but I don't know if it really matters. Gaitain, Broderson or Devine, I think the #1 NAIA wrestler who was 3rd in last year's national championships can give any of the three a good match. Real close, probably not, but I'm thinking a 5-1 decision, a 6-2 decision. He'll make whichever Cyclone it is work for every point he scores, and he'll score a few points himself. 

#2 Ben Lee VS #5 Marcus Coleman 

Man, an exact replica of what I said at 165 lbs. Lee, 2nd last season & 3rd in 2021, like Margolis is one of the best wrestlers in the nation yet to win an NAIA national title. Yet against Marcus Coleman, 7th in NCAA DI last season? Well let me put it this way, he lost a 16-3 major  decision to Devine. Then he also lost both a match by fall in 5:33 & a 6-1 decision to Broderson.  I am not overlooking the fact that Lee has made vast improvements & that he is not the same wrestler he was 3-4 years ago when those matches took place. It's simply that we're talking the #5 wrestling in DI. I welcome him to prove me wrong. Matter of fact I more than welcome it. I'd love to see it. 

#3 Owen Braungardt VS #6 Yonger Bastida 

Again a match where we're severely outmatched.  Take nothing away from Owen Braungardt, a two time NAIA All American, a national champion contender, who will earn his third NAIA All American honor in March. Yet we're talking Yonger Bastida, 5th in NCAA DI last season. This is a guy who will contend for the national title. Mark my word, Bastida will be representing Cuba in the years to come at the Worlds & The Olympics. Wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't earn medals. This one doesn't end in a major for the Cyclones, I'd be very surprised. 

#2 Greg Hagan OR #3 Tommy Mommer VS #11 Sam Schuyler 

If I hadn't have seen how good Sam Schuyler looked against two time All American Trent Hillger of Wisconsin two weeks ago, I might have chalked this one up as a toss up. Yet he looked great securing a 3-2 decision over the Badger. Hagan was 2nd at last year's NAIA championships & he also has some DI experience himself, starting off for Indiana before he came to Grand View. I think he can keep this match to a decision & I also think that he can keep it to a close decision.  Upsetting the Cyclone? It has some probability, but not much.