2021 NCAA All-American Eric Barnett (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Wisconsin Badgers
This could be Wisconsin's breakout year.
Chris Bono was hired as the Badgers' head coach ahead of the 2018-19 season, and all the work he and his staff have done has positioned Wisconsin to take the leap back into the top half of the Big Ten Conference.
The last three years, the Badgers have been good, posting a 21-18 overall dual record and have notched two top-25 finishes at the NCAA Championships. Three wrestlers have combined to earn four All-American honors.
But this could finally be the year they make the jump from good to very good.
“It's been amazing, a night and day difference compared to what we've had the last couple of years,†Bono said. “I don't want to say we're going to surprise people, but we've got some good kids.â€
TOP RETURNERS
Wisconsin's team is headlined by two returning All-Americans, in Eric Barnett (125) and Trent Hillger (285).
Barnett won three consecutive wrestleback matches as the 16-seed to earn his first NCAA podium finish. Hillger reached the quarterfinals then won in the bloodround to become a two-time All-American.
“If I can have 10 Barnetts and Hillgers on our team, I'll take them,†Bono said. “They're great kids, great people, they work hard, and they treat people right.â€
Additionally, Kyle Burwick (133) and Christopher Weiler (184), who both took fifth at the Big Ten Championships and qualified for the NCAA Championships, as well as Ethan Rotondo, who took second at the U.S. Senior men's freestyle national championships. Bono said he and Burwick will battle for the starting spot at 133.
KEY DEPARTURES
There are two key departures from last year's Wisconsin team.
Jared Krattiger was a point-scorer for the Badgers at last year's Big Ten tournament. He scored one point at 174 pounds, but still. He transferred to Minnesota.
The other: Evan Wick, who is now at Cal-Poly. Wick was two-time All-American for Wisconsin at 165 pounds, in 2018 and 2019. He wrestled through the '19-20 season, but then took an Olympic redshirt in 2021. He announced his transfer in June, and will finish his college career with the Mustangs.
NEWCOMERS
This is where things get exciting for Wisconsin.
A bunch of new faces are expected to be in the Badgers' starting lineup this season. There are a couple of transfers, in Austin Gomez (149) and Andrew McNally (174), and a couple of freshmen, in Braxton Amos (197) and, potentially, Dean Hamiti (165).
Gomez came from Iowa State, where he made a Junior world team, took third at the Big 12 Championships, and reached the bloodround at the 2019 NCAA Championships at 133 pounds. He's since grown into 149.
McNally came from Kent State, where he's a three-time finalist at the MAC Championships, a 2021 MAC champion, a three-time NCAA qualifier, and he also reached the bloodround in 2021. He's expected to be the guy at 174.
“Gomez and McNally have brought a different kind of energy for us,†Bono said. “These are two veterans from two different programs. They come to practice with a different kind of enthusiasm.â€
Amos, a true freshman (eligibility-wise, at least) became wrestling's darling this past spring and summer, and Bono expects him to go right away at 197. Hamiti is another true freshman, a three-time Illinois state champ who Bono said could maybe be in the mix to go at 165 pounds. He'll compete alongside Josh Otto.
“He's been doing an unbelievable job,†Bono said of Hamiti, “so I don't know what we're going to do there … he's a bright spot out there, man. He's one of the hardest-working guys in the room.â€
WRESTLER TO WATCH
Of course, we're going with Braxton Amos, the Olympic Trials finalist, Junior world champ, a Big Ten from the Big Ten selection, and the frontrunner to start for Wisconsin at 197. He will make an instant impact for the Badgers this season.
“Braxton winning (a Junior world title), I think that's turned a lot of our kids' heads,†Bono said of Amos's overall impact. “It showed them that if you stick to the plan, if you buy in, if you believe, good things will happen.â€
POTENTIAL LINEUP
125: Eric Barnett (Jr)
133: Ethan Rotondo (Sr)/Kyle Burwick (So)
141: Joey Zargo (Fr)/ Dom Dentino (Jr)
149: Austin Gomez (Sr)
157: Garrett Model (Sr)/Drew Scharenbrock (Jr)
165: Josh Otto (So)/ Dean Hamiti (Fr)
174: Andrew McNally (Sr)
184: Chris Weiler (Sr)
197: Braxton Amos (Fr)
285: Trent Hillger (Sr)
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