BEST OF THE UNRANKED: 125 lbs

 

The NCAA Division I championships are approximately two months away.  Still a lot of wrestling to be conducted between now and then, but with all that can change between now and then, one thing is likely to stay the same. 

There are only 33 slots per weight class & there are more than 33 wrestlers per weight class who are eligible to get them.  

If the NCAA DI championship were today, I can think of 10 wrestlers at 125 lbs who would finish between 34th & 43rd.  Meaning that there is talent at 125 lbs, that if they want to call themselves a 2026 NCAA DI qualifier, they're going to have to steal a spot. 

Who are those 10?  

Here you go....

Tyler Chappell
Pittsburgh

What he has going against him:  The sophomore Panther is in a conference that is most likely going to allot the top 5 to the NCAA DI championships.  4 of these 5 I can't see Chappell getting past.  Eddie Ventresca & Vincent Robinson, both NCAA DI title contenders are certainly out of the question.  I think Nico Provo & Kysen Terukina are going to be awfully hard to knock off as well. 

What he has going for him:  He's already shown that he can win some big matches. Has 6-5 victories over both Desi Pleasant & Koda Holeman.  Within the ACC, his best shot at qualification would be if he can knock off Keyveon Roller, in what will most likely be the 5th place match at the conference tournament.  He took Roller into sudden victory the last the two met.  If he wants to make a trip to nationals, he's gonna have to turn that close loss into a win. 

Tucker Owens
Air Force

What he has going against him:  Still a lot of season left to make things happen, but so far the Falcon doesn't have any high profile wins.  Six more duals before the BIG 12 championships, he cannot afford to lose any matches where he isn't supposed to lose or it is otherwise a toss-up.  As of right now he's in a BIG 12 bracket that should allot 8 & I see him being seeded *9 or *10. 

What he has going for him:  He's made the dance before.  An NCAA DI qualifier in 2023, he gave Conrad Hendrickson one hell of a good match, before ultimately losing in sudden victory to the Sooner.  Hendrickson may very well be who he would have to go through in order to secure his second qualification. 

Bridger Ricks
Utah Valley

What he has going against him:  At the moment inconsistency & a losing record.  Both of those could be yesterday's news when we reevaluate him in about 6 weeks before the BIG 12 tournament.  Matter of fact both of those will have to be yesterday's news when we reevaluate him before the BIG 12's, if he wants to head to Cleveland, Ohio as a participant. 

What he has going for him:  He's a bright lights wrestler.  An NJCAA standout for Western Wyoming, the guy is going to bring his best efforts in Tulsa.  As said before, I see the BIG 12 having 8 allocations, and Ricks, like Owens is going to have to pull off some upsets to get them.  May have to go through Owens himself to even get to that point.  Owens owns a s.v. over Ricks.   Can Ricks pull it off?  An 11-8 s.v. over Nicolar Rivera says that yes, he can. 

Logan Brzozowski
Havard

What he has going against him: A losing record. 


What he has going for him: Probably wishful thinking here, but I'll give Logan Brzozowski a fighter's chance.  I say the Ivy League takes three at 125 lbs.  The Crimson isn't overcoming Marc-Anthony McGowan or Greg Diakomihalis.  I do not see that happening.  What will have to happen is that he'll have to find himself in the consolation semi-finals & he's going to have to overcome Davis Motyka.  The odds not in his favor, but not completely out of the question either.  He'll wrestle Motyka in a dual shortly before the Ivy's on Feb 1st.  We'll really know the probability after that meeting. 

Kael Lauridsen 
Nebraska

What he has going against him: The BIG 10 is freaking loaded this year.  I think the conference easily takes the top 10 finishers here & it'll be a chore for the Husker to finish among the 10 of the BIG 10. What has hurt Lauridsen the most this season, is that I don't think he was ready for the DI grind. He's a kid that is used to winning and I think the disappointment of loss has gotten to the freshman.  Winning is a habit, as the late Vince Lombardi would say, unfortunately so is losing.  

What he has going for him: The coaching staff at Nebraska has a great track record of getting in their guys' heads and we still have plenty of season for Manning & staff to get inside his.  Penn State already has their teeth & their claws sunk into the gold of both the BIG 10 & the NCAA DI, but silver, bronze & fourth are still a battle between Oklahoma State, Iowa, Iowa State & Nebraska.  Each team needs as much firepower as possible & Lauridsen is well aware of this.  Thus far this year, despite his downs, ups are an 8-5 win over Desi Pleasant & a 4-1 s.v. over Soldier Salute champion Mack Mauger. 

Richard Castro-Sandoval
Cal State Bakersfield

What he has going against him: The Road Runner is not at all having the season I thought he would be having.  He's lost a lot of matches this year & some of them have been rather ugly.  I thought he'd have a good feud with Koda Holeman, but Holeman tore him apart 11-3 when they met earlier this year. 

What he has going for him: The guy is unpredictable & absolutely nuts on the mat.  Especially when something like qualification is on the line.  No one thought he was going to qualify last year & he stuck Koda Holeman at the 2:20 mark last year to go.   He's gonna have to make the PAC-12 finals & I don't see him upsetting Max Renteria, so it'd have to be an upset over Holeman again.   It's a funny pressure when you think about it.  A huge pressure on RCS, knowing he has to upset Holeman & a huge pressure on Holeman, knowing that he can't get upset by RCS.  Not fun for them, but exciting and fun for us. 

What they have going against them: I see the EIWA only taking the finalist when allotments come out.  Furthermore, none of the four of these guys are taking out Sheldon Seymour.  What does that mean?  It means that not only does one of these four have to deal with the other three, but they also have to take out Desi Pleasant at some point too.   The EIWA will be the toughest conference to steal a spot. 

What they have going for them:  These four will be a tight, hard fought battle for the EIWA bronze medal at the EIWA championships & whoever among them is within that category is going to have to step it up a notch even further to challenge for the EIWA silver. Why?  cause in this case bronze isn't gonna cut it, you want a trip to Cleveland, it's going to have to be silver. 

J.J. Peace has both a 7-4 decision over Charlie Farmer & an 8-4 decision over Carson Wagner

Andrew Binni has a 9-4 decision over Farmer & a 9-1 major over Peace

Farmer, an NCAA DI qualifier last year, owns an 8-6 decision over Wagner. 


=== 

The thing that really rubs me the wrong way here is that I honestly believe, and for good reason, that any of the 10 wrestlers I mentioned could easily win the SOCON title this year.  The SOCON to be quite frank is extremely weak at 125 lbs.  Strong in some other weight classes, but extraordinarily weak here.  Which means that someone who really shouldn't be top 33 will be.  That's how it is though & a part of the problem that remains no matter how often we try and find the solution. 


Two months left of wrestling, but as of right now these are the 10 guys NCAA DI 125 lbs, who are going to have to steal a spot if they want into the NCAA DI championships. 

 

Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Bethany (KAN)

 

This marks the 486th article that I've written in my "Gone, Lost & Forgotten" series.  486 collegiate wrestling programs that I've written about that we have lost over the years.  Less than a week ago I wrote one on California Baptist, and like California Baptist, there's something that rings painfully true about Bethany.  

Kansas like California is a state that produces some very good talent.  Just off the top of my head names like NCAA DI champion Zach Roberson & NCAA DI runner-up Shawn Bunch come to mind.  The Sunflower state, much like the Golden state has held its own in producing some great high school wrestlers that have gone on to phenomenal collegiate careers.  If anything, there should be MORE collegiate opportunities for these wrestlers to compete at home.  Instead, now there is less. 

Color me confused, but does it not seem that where we need college wrestling the most, is often where we lose it?  California, especially Southern California is in a desperate need for wrestling.  If wrestling be water, they are in a drought and in serious danger of dehydration.  I'd argue Kansas is no different.  

There are ZERO NCAA DI teams, and for a state that produces talent like Kansas, that is unacceptable.  Things are better now than when I was kid though & for that I am thankful.  Two NCAA DII teams, and now with the loss of Bethany, we go from 7 down to 6 programs in the NAIA.  I know that many are trying to see the reinstatement of Kansas Wesleyan, which I would love to see.   Yet it seems to always come with a price.  Anytime we add somewhere, we drop somewhere else.  For record, there are 7 NJCAA programs. 

Before we tap into celebrating the Swedes best wrestlers, there is a point that absolutely must be addressed on this issue.  Many are seeing the situation at Bethany and making comments like, "Well they suck anyway."   I am reminded of the film HEAVYWEGHTS where a camp goer named Jerry asks his counselor, "Did this place always suck this much?"   The counselor responds, "No Jerry, this place used to suck very little. In fact, it didn't suck at all." 

Such is the case with Bethany.  There was a time when the Swede wrestling program was proud and competitive.  Like in the film HEAVYWEIGHTS, Bethany could've chosen to take a little pride, work hard and build the program up to what it used to be.  That could be the situation we're looking at.  Instead they chose to give up. Throw in the towel and give a lethal injection to a dog that still had plenty of fight left in him.   This is a program that provided a home for local Kansas kids to compete, and now they have to look elsewhere.  

Anyway....The Swedes best....

Brandon Goodwin

A native of Lawrence, Kansas, Brandon Goodwin began his career ironically enough at Sioux Falls.  Sioux Falls discontinued their wrestling program & Goodwin transferred to Bethany where he was an NAIA qualifier for the Swedes in 2012.  All these years later Sioux Falls has since reinstated their wrestling program & it is now Bethany that is discontinuing. 

Colt Rogers

A four-time Kansas high school state champion, with a 149-3 record, Colt Rogers could have also gone the football route as he was a two-time All-State player during his prep years as well.  Luckily for us, he chose the mat over the gridiron, and he earned NAIA qualification three times for the Swedes in '12, '13 & '14. 

Courtney Strauss

A two-time Kansas High School state finalists, Courtney Strauss was a three-time NAIA qualifier for the Swedes earning qualification in '12, '13 & '14.  He later coached at Bethany for a short time. 

Colby Crank

Without a doubt, the best wrestler the Swedes ever produced was Colby Crank.  While in high school, Crank was 3rd-2nd-1st at the Kansas High School State championships, as he'd also earn three All-American honors during his time at Bethany.  In 2012 he placed 4th, following it ups in 2013 with a 6th place finish.  His final season of collegiate wrestling, he would make the NAIA finals, finishing 2nd in the nation.  Now the Head Women's wrestling coach at Ottawa, he was also a three-time Academic All-American. 

Aaron Garcia

An Arizona native, Aaron Garcia came to Bethany a transfer of Menlo College. He made the NAIA R12 for the Swedes in 2013. 

Jonathan Blackwell

A four-time Kansas High School state finalist & two-time Champion, Jonathan Blackwell is another who could have just as easily gone the football route.  He was a standout on the gridiron, playing both sides of the ball, earning various honors as both a defensive back & a wide receiver. Wrestling for the Swedes, he made an immediate impact finishing in the NAIA R12 both is freshman & sophomore seasons.  For the remainder of his collegiate career, he transferred to Baker. 

Jordon Ward

Jordon Ward came to Bethany College, I believe having taken some time away from wrestling for a while, because I don't believe that Hutchinson Community College had a wrestling program during the time he attended there.  Nevertheless Ward qualified for the NAIA championships in 2014 & 2018. 

Taylor Baird

A three-time Kansas high School state place-winner with finishes of 6th-3rd-1st during his prep years, Taylor Baird was an all-around athlete who also excelled as a linebacker on the football team & in the sport of baseball.  Luckily for us, he chose to wrestle in college.  He began his career at Pratt, where he was a two-time NJCAA All-American.  He would finish NAIA R12 for the Swedes in 2014. 

Zach Anderson

2nd & 1st his final two years of High School in the state of Kansas, Zach Anderson began his collegiate wrestling career for Nebraska-Kearney.  However, he felt the nearly 3 1/2 hour drive was way too far from his home in Clay Center.  He wanted to wrestle closer to home & only an hour away, Bethany provided him that opportunity.  He qualified for the NAIA championships in 2014 & 2015. 

Dane Edwards

Straight out of Dodge City, Dane Edwards was 6th-1st-3rd at the High School State championships in Kansas.  Competing for the Swedes, he was an NAIA qualifier in 2015. 

Trevor Whittaker

From Smoky Valley High School, right there in Lindsborg, Trevor Whitaker came to Bethany a High School State champion.  His desire was to stay right there in Lindsborg, and wrestle at home.  Bethany gave him that opportunity.  He was an NAIA qualifier for the Swedes in 2016. 

Victor Hughes

We all love stories of guys who won national titles who never won state titles, and Victor Hughes is one of them. 3rd & 5th in the Kansas High School state championships, also an Academic All-American, Hughes earned an 8th place finish at the NAIA championships for the Swedes in 2015.  He'd transfer to Baker for his final season of collegiate eligibility, where he won the NAIA title in 2016. 

Brandon Archuleta

Another graduate of nearby Smoky Valley, Brandon Archuleta was a three-time NAIA qualifier for the Swedes in '16, '18 & '19. 

Tyler Smith

A Kansas high school state champion for Olathe South, Tyler Smith came to Bethany because he liked the idea of being a part of new young program.  His goal post college was to one day help start a new program somewhere else.  He was an NAIA qualifier for Bethany in 2016. 

Ty Kolterman

Another graduate of Clay Center, Ty Kolterman earned NAIA qualification for the Swedes in 2017. 

Quinton Harrison

A graduate of Newton High school in Kansas, Quinton Harrison was an NAIA qualifier in 2017. 

John Risewick

A Kansas high school state champion for Norton, John Risewick earned NAIA qualification for the Swedes in 2017. 

Trey Edwards

A native of Oklahoma, Trey Edwards qualified for the NAIA championships in 2018 & 2019. 

Zach Gadbois

Zach Gadbois came to Bethany all the way from Oregon.  He earned NAIA qualification in 2018. 

Dustin Mason

Dustin Mason came to Bethany with his brother William "Trey" Mason from Oklahoma. Dustin was an NAIA qualifier in 2019. 

Brix Brickley

Another local of Smoky Valley, Brix Brickley earned NAIA qualification for the Swedes in 2019. 

William "Trey" Mason

Trey Mason as said earlier, came to Bethany with his brother Dustin from Oklahoma. He was a three-time NAIA qualifier for the Swedes in '19, '21, & '22. 

Josh Wilson

Josh Wilson came to Bethany from Texas.  He was an NAIA qualifier for the Swedes in 2020. 

#1 Penn State Vs #3 Iowa Preview (Fri Jan 16th)

 

Collegiate wrestling in a lot of ways is like politics. We can't go into a situation and assess it fairly.  We have to throw on our big blue D hat or our big red R hat & mix in all of our biases, opinions and prejudices. Heaven forbid if we look at something objectively.  Not here, not in college wrestling.  Carver Hawkeye arena will be full of 15,000 or so screaming B&G faithful, and televisions all across the United States, let alone Pennsylvania & Iowa will be tuned in with very specific allegiances, be them pro-Hawkeye, pro-Nittany Lion, or anti one or the other. 

If you are one of the rare & few, to look at this dual objectively, then it is obvious from a strictly talent & ability standpoint, the Hawkeyes have the firepower to go to war with the Nittany Lions.  The issue here is preparation.  For some reason this has been an issue for Brands & Co, while Sanderson Inc has never seemed to struggle with it. 

ON PAPER (and I put that in all caps to make sure you saw it) there's no reason at all why Iowa shouldn't keep this one close, tie the team score, or even blow the roof off of Carver in handing Penn State their first loss in 79 duals. 

Some might say that JT1Wrestle is now being the one who is biased. Even accuse me of being hypocritical & the truth is, no, I am not.  I've analyzed this dual up and down, all 10 matches thoroughly. I know the places Iowa can win and I know the places where it is highly unlikely. 

In the end? On the mat?  I say Penn State probably leaves Iowa City with a rather decisive victory.  Why?  Because a lot of these matches are tossups & statistically speaking, the Nittany Lions matchup a lot better in this category than do the Hawkeyes.  I'm not sure what it is that Sanderson says or does that has his guys so relaxed and confident in those situations where a point must by scored, a guy must be ridden out, or a takedown must be achieved, but if they aren't 100%, they're damn near it. 

It's NOT a matter of talent.  I stand by that 100%.  It's not a matter of Penn State simply having a better team in terms of ability, skill and potential. Iowa has the wrestlers to compete with Penn State.  Being in Carver Hawkeye and the fact that this is the focus, will help.  I think the problem against Wisconsin is that Iowa was looking ahead to this date & not focusing on the Badgers. 

Let me illustrate match by match...

#2 Luke Lilledahl Vs #4 Dean Peterson
125

Dean Peterson has already illustrated that he can beat Luke Lilledahl as he defeated the Nittany Lion last year by a 4-1 score. The thing about Penn State wrestlers though, is that they never stay the same. 99% of the time, they continue to get better.  If you want to beat them, you have to continue to get better too & therein lies the question.  Has Dean Peterson gotten better since transferring to Iowa? As much as some fans want to be pessimists and think wrestlers don't improve under the Iowa system, in this particular case the rankings say that he has. This is a crucial match if Iowa wants to show Penn State that they belong on the mat with them. A toss-up that must go the B&G's way.  The confidence of knowing that he has already beaten him, and having 15K people cheering him on will be two factors in favor of the Hawkeye. 

#5 Marcus Blaze Vs #4 Drake Ayala
133

Here's another match the Hawkeyes can win.  There's no reason at all why a senior, who is a two-time NCAA DI runner-up can't beat a true freshman. In the subtext of what I just said, we may be starring the issue right in the face.  Sanderson & the Lions of Mount Nittany are waltzing into Iowa City without a worry on their mind. They see this as an opportunity to dine on fine poultry and have a good time while doing it.  Does Iowa see this as an opportunity?  Or do they see it as a pressure? 

"Dean Peterson, you beat Luke Lilledahl before, this time beat him by more?"  Or "Dean Peterson, you beat Luke Lilledahl before, you better not lose to him in Iowa City?"  

"Drake Ayala, go out there and show this punk freshman why you're a two-time DI finalist?"  Or "Drake Ayala, you're a two-time finalist, you better not lose to a true freshman?"

And who the Hell am I to wonder if that's a problem at Iowa or not?  I'm a freakin nobody from Sigourney, Iowa, who has accomplished as much in wrestling as I have in space exploration.  Yet, it's an observation that I've been making for a long time, and I can't help but wonder if it contributes to issues that are going on at Iowa. 

Jordan Williams recently won the Soldier Salute.  He didn't look the least bit happy or satisfied in defeating respectable opponents in J Conway & Teague Travis. You know what he looked like? He looked relieved. I didn't see a guy that held his trophy with pride and honor, I saw a guy who looked reassured that he hadn't faced the same fate of being upset the way Nasir Bailey had been earlier. 

This has been rather revealing ever since the transfer portal opened up.  It's not just my imagination.  I'm not just talking Nasir Bailey & Jordan Williams either, although they are two examples.  Kyle Parco, Jacori Teemer, Stephen Buchanan.  You go back and watch any of the matches these guys wrestled throughout the season for their prior teams & you tell me that you don't notice a difference in their demeaner compared to when they wrestled for Iowa.  

The mentality of Iowa is and always has been, wrestle to not only win, but wrestle to dominate. And they do that at times. Other times they don't. It looked to me, from my seat in Hilton Coliseum that the Hawkeyes didn't come into Ames to beat the Cyclones, but to make sure that they didn't lose to the Cyclones...and anyone that knows sports, knows that there is a major difference in the two philosophies. 

I'm not going to rant and rave all day, but I do know on the one side of things we have a determined and hungry 19 year old kid who is two years shy of being able to legally celebrate all he'll accomplish within that time.  He's coming in here not only wanting to upend a two-time NCAA DI silver medalist but knowing in his heart that he will.  On the other side, we have a poised and proven twice over senior who I'd like to say is thinking that he's gonna give this rookie a good ol' fashioned welcome to DI wrestling beating. Can't help but wonder though if the real mentality is, "I can't lose this match, I can't lose this match, I cannot lose this match."  Actions speak louder than words, and so will speak the actions Friday night. 

(#9) Braeden Davis Vs #12 Nasir Bailey
141

 Aaron Nagao is the one with the #9 ranking, but he is out of commission at the time, and I'm pretty sure that if Intermat were to rank Braeden Davis, he'd be in a similar spot.  The last that Davis & Nasir Bailey met, it was a tight 1-0 decision for Davis.  Thus, heavily suggesting once again that this is a match that could go either way.  I mean we might not start the dual at 125 lbs, but I think most likely we will.   Going into 149 lbs, it could be Iowa 9 Penn State 0.  From an objective, laws of probability standpoint, that is a possibility.  It could just as easily be Iowa 0 Penn State 9.  

#1 Shayne Van Ness Vs #7 Ryder Block
149

For Iowa's sake, let's hope that things went the Hawks way 125 through 141, because they aren't going to at 149.  I have been nothing but praise for how well Ryder Block has been wrestling this season. I have given testimony many times thus far in '25-'26 of how the Sebolt trained Block from Waverly-Shellrock, has silenced his critics and made fools of his doubters. I'll continue to do so throughout the remainder of the season, but I also promised to be realistic and fair in my writing. He ain't beating the two-time NCAA DI bronze medalist, who is looking to end it all in gold. The hope here is to keep it to a decision. 

#4 P.J. Duke Vs #12 Jordan Williams
157

This match is interesting.  I'll give it a similar vibe to 133 lbs, although I'll acknowledge there are differences. At the end of the day, it still seems that it comes down to pressure, and how it is handled differently by each team. In particularly this isn't just an Iowa issue either, as you see it across the board of all collegiate wrestling.  Sensational freshmen like P.J. Duke and Marcus Blaze, compete like they have nothing to lose. That's why they are so successful.  Often times seniors wrestle like they have a lot to lose. I can see that being the story of this match, and like a sequel to a beloved film, I can go in hoping that this won't be the case but fearing that it will.  It's not a matter of who will win, it's a matter of WHY they will win.  I have no issue with Duke defeating Williams because the two go head-to-head in a fierce battle, and Duke is simply the better wrestler.  It does bug me something fierce though if Duke wins this match because Williams wrestles not to lose, fearful of making mistakes, so he doesn't try anything.  

#1 Mitchell Mesenbrink Vs #3 Mikey Caliendo
165

Funny to think, but when it is all said and done, Mitchell Mesenbrink & Mikey Caliendo will have most likely met 9 times in their collegiate careers. Thus far Mesenbrink is 6-0 Vs his Hawkey opponent, but the gap has narrowed significantly. It started off with absolute annihilations of 19-4 & 23-7 technical falls.  Then it was a 17-9 major decision.  A 12-6 wide decision & an 8-2 decision.  Finally, a very close 4-1 decision.  I've probably already said enough in this post to put a bounty on my head but let me now know for sure that Brands would recommend JT1Wrestle for the death penalty.  IF Caliendo is to have a win within one of these nine meetings, it is going to have to be this Friday night.  Keep in mind the BIG 10's are at Penn State this year.  I'm a man of great imagination, but Mesenbrink losing out on a BIG 10 title, when they're at home? I think that's harder to conceive than trying to picture the billions upon billions of stars within the observable universe.  The magic of Carver Hawkeye Arena is the fact that some crazy, inconceivable things have happened there countless times in the past.   The over/under heavily favors the blue & white here, but if you hear a roar of thunder in the corridor Friday night, it's not coming from the Eastern Iowa Airport. 

#1 Levi Haines Vs #3 Patrick Kennedy
174

I'm going to go back to this belief that wrestlers do not improve under Iowa, and once again call bullshit. I think Patrick Kennedy has steadily improved during his career.  He went from a "is this guy gonna make varsity?" to an All-American last season, and at the moment he is ranked #3 in a very competitive weight class.  Put your money where your mouth is, right?  To really see how much he's improved between '24-'25 and '25-'26, he'll be tested against Levi Haines.  It's been very one-sided in three matchups thus far.  Haines has defeated Kennedy 11-3, 10-3, 10-3.  Keeping to a decision of course will be a night and day difference in this dual, compared to a major.  However, that shouldn't be the goal and hopefully isn't.  Not at this stage of the game anyway.  I've ate my words before, and when you write a couple hundred articles every season, that's a part of it. So if I'm wrong, I'm wrong, but I say Kennedy makes this a much better match fourth time around. 

#4 Rocco Welsh Vs #1 Angelo Ferrari
184

How often do you see Penn State go into anything where they're the underdog? You can be missing fingers on both hands, and still probably count the total number of times.  On Twitter here a while back, discussion of who would win this year's NCAA DI title at 184 lbs got brought up.  Angelo Ferrari, Aeoden Sinclair & Max McEnelly were the names brought up.  Penn State fans were insulted and infuriated that Rocco Welsh's name wasn't thrown into the hat.  They're in an uproar that he's ranked "as low" as 4th.  

Well, if that is the case, and his name does belong alongside Ferrari, Sinclair & McEnelly, we'll know no questions about it on Friday night.  When you have that #1 next to your name, the B&G faithful see you as the reliable one. The one they know they can always count on.  Pressure, the word once again presents itself, but of all the Hawkeyes, I believe that Ferrari handles it best.  This is a must win for Iowa, no matter how you slice it.  

#1 Josh Barr Vs #4 Massoma Endene
197

As a guy that also has a clear love & passion for NCAA DII, DIII, NAIA & NJCAA wrestling, it has been extraordinarily rewarding watching Massoma Endene wrestle so well this season for Iowa.  No one is gonna come out and say they were wrong, but their sudden silence is victory enough.  "He's just a D3 wrestler" for the most part as been eradicated & the idea that he's a serious threat to NCAA DI All-American status is in.  With that said, he has #1 Josh Barr. 

I do think the former Wartburg Knight will give Barr a respectable match, but as it was against Rocky Elam, I think a similar fate is in due.  125, 133, 141, 157 & dare I say it even 165 as far as I'm concerned are winnable matches for the Hawks. 184, more than winnable.  149? 174? 197? Penn State is ranked #1 for a reason. Toss ups are one thing, but where they're heavily favored? Plain and simple, they do not disappoint. 

#15 Cole Mirasola Vs #5 Ben Keuter
HWT

Will Iowa need bonus points at this time of the dual? Yes.  Will Iowa get bonus points at this time of the dual? Uh.....  If Iowa is going to get any bonus points this dual, it'll be here at HWT.  On paper there is a lot of space between a #15 & a #5.  Not sure if that space will be as significant on the mat though. This is the only match Iowa should feel comfortable in.  Not absolutely secure, but comfortable. 


=====

Again, objectively speaking....

125, 133, 141, 157, 184....Calling these the "could go either way matches" 

165 is the most likely gonna go PSU's way, but I'll give it that smidgen of a chance 

149, 174, 197, Nittany Lions are gonna win here

HWT, this should be 3 for Iowa 


So again, on paper, Iowa can be in this thing.  The idea of Iowa going 5 for 5 & Penn State going 0 for 5 in the tossups has a very, very low % of happening, but it isn't zero.  

2026 Middle Atlantic Conference Preview

 

NCAA DIII rather focused on Regionals, I think sometimes fans forget that we have actual conferences within the competition as well.  So used to end of the year Conference tournaments in NCAA Division I, that also act as qualifiers, NCAA Division III Conference tournaments happen throughout the entire season.  The Middle Atlantic, ironically enough, in the "Middle" of the season. 

Like all tournaments that don't have a Q attached to them, the MAC is a tournament where you never quite know who is and who isn't going to show up.  You simply hope for the best, which in this case, is pretty good. Some weights obviously better than others, but there will be some good wrestling in this tournament.  Some great wrestling, if all who can show up, show up. 

125

Ironically enough, #4 Malik Asfour made the MAC finals last season competing for Delaware Valley.  The 2025 NCAA DIII qualifier is currently 13-4 on the season & he's likely to see #19 Ethan Liptzin a fellow '25 D3 qualifier in this year's finals. Liptzin competed for Elizabethtown last season & is currently 10-0 on the year. 

133

Without a doubt the heavy favorite for a MAC title at 133 lbs will be #2 ranked Jacob Blair, another former Delaware Valley wrestler who is now competing for Arcadia.  The three-time NCAA DIII qualifier, who was 5th in the D3 nation back in 2024, is currently 15-1 on the year.  His likely finals opponent will be Vince Paloucci who gave him a respectable 6-0 match at the Cougar Classic earlier this season. 

141

Pretty sure we will not see 2025 MAC champion Sean O'Toole, who was also an NCAA DIII qualifier last year, in action this weekend. The Aggie has yet to compete in '25-'26, and I wouldn't plan on seeing him make his debut here.  #3 ranked Nico Diaz an NCAA D3 qualifier in 2023 is currently 14-1 on the season.  Should he compete this weekend, a heavy favorite to win a title.   Also look for Jacob Cunningham to have a good season.  He dropped down from 149 lbs in December & has looked pretty good ever since.  Has already racked up 23 wins on the year. 

149

Here's your, "this is what I paid to see" weight class.  149 lbs in the MAC is going to be very, very competitive. 

First off we have #14 Chance Babb who has thus far placed 3rd-2nd-1st in the MAC championships.  The two-time NCAA DIII qualifier is looking to make his third final & win his second championship.  In order to do so, he's going to have to somehow figure out a way to get past #3 Cole Handlovic.  Handlovic is an NCAA DI transfer from Cornell. Not just a, "I rode the bench, never saw any action" DI wrestler, but a, "I beat Cesar Alvan, Jason Miranda & Max Brignola," NCAA DI wrestler.  

On top of Handlovic, Babb is gonna need to watch his back against other hungry members of the MAC conference.  He does own a fall over Dalton Monger at the 5:29 mark, but Monger is a wrestler that lives & dies by the pin.  He himself has a 2:23 fall over Caden Frost, a 35 second fall over Mike Williams & a 1:49 fall over Shane Kibler.  As to Babb he also owns a 6-3 decision over Kibler, as well as both a 13-2 & 12-3 major over Mike Williams.  Frost owns an 11-3 major over Williams as well. 

157

157 has plenty of interesting factors.  We have #8 Ryan Smith, a three-time NCAA DIII All-American with finishes of 8th-6th-7th.  Thus far in the MAC championships he's been 2nd-1st-1st, as he hunts for his fourth finals appearance and his third title.  Here to try and deny him of that MAC gold, will be #4 Trent Mahoney.  A guy who won 101 matches, including 50 via fall for King (Not King's) in NCAA DII, a qualifier last season.  Now he's down in D3 & he's still kicking major ass.  15-0 on the season, 10 falls & 3 technical falls.  It's kind of a question of, who stops who at this point? 

Anyone to come in and spoil the plans of what I think is going to be a kick-ass final between Mahoney & Albright?  I would keep an eye on Clay Gainer.  He's always a tough match up & he currently holds a 17-5 record on the year. 

165

29-0 on the year, with a 17-2 technical fall over Luke Moore, an MAC runner-up last season, I can almost guarantee (if he enters of course) #7 Keegan DeMarest is going to be our 2026 MAC champion.  The finals here is not the story, the semi-finals is.   Our semi-final is likely to be a meet up of two former teammates, Luke Moore & Nick DeLorenzo.   They have met twice this season, splitting 1-1.  Moore owns a 12-9 s.v. over DeLorenzo & DeLorenzo owns a 6-1 decision over Moore. 

174

No ranked wrestlers here at 174 lbs, but it should still be a fun weight class.  I've always enjoyed Zach Needles & I'm anxious to see how 174 lbs treats him overall considering he's spent the bulk of his career at 165.  An NCAA DIII qualifier in 2023, he's currently 12-2 on the year.  Also gunning for an MAC title this weekend will be Davis Keppley, who on an 11-1 record has won titles at the Tony Ellis Memorial as well as the Blue Jay Classic.  Anthony Matas another tough wrestler, currently 21-5 on the year. 

184

To address the elephant in the room, I'm pretty sure we do not see Frankie Theroux this tournament.  He's only wrestled one match thus far back in early November & we haven't seen him on the mat since.  I have no idea what the scoop is, but I highly doubt he makes his return this weekend.  If he does, look for him to compete for a spot in the finals.  He was 3rd here a year ago & he owns a 10-9 decison over Hayden McLellan, who is currently ranked #18 in the country with a 24-3 record. 

Our forerunner for the MAC title however, is going to be two-time MAC finalist #7 Austin Brass who is looking to add a gold medal to the two silver he already owns.  18-3 on the year, Brass was also one match shy of being a D3 All-American last season as well. 

Add in #19 Noah MacIlroy, 19-2 on the year & you can see why 184 lbs, semis, finals, consolation finals is gonna be a fun ride. 

197

I think we're gonna see a good final here between #5 Josh Stahl & #10 Tucker Seidel here at 197 lbs.  Stahl is currently 19-0 on the year & Seidel is 26-4. 

HWT

285 looks like it is going to resemble 165 lbs.  #6 Logan Flynn an NCAA D3 R12'er last season is currently 15-0 on the year.  A likely favorite to win an MAC title this weekend.  The story here will be who meets him in the finals?  Owen Reber or Aiden Hidlay?  A likely semi-final that should come down to the last seconds.  The last the two met, Reber squeaked by with a 3-2 decision.