Not all of InterMat's top-25 teams were in action, most notably the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions, who had a match with No. 17 Rutgers on Saturday cancelled due to a positive COVID-19 test among Tier 1 personnel at Penn State. Still, there was plenty of noteworthy developments in NCAA wrestling this weekend.
Here are five takeaways from this past weekend (Jan. 15-17) in college wrestling.
West Virginia's Noah Adams is currenty ranked No. 1 at 197 pounds (Photo/WVU Athletics)West Virginia's Noah Adams was tested against Oklahoma's Jake Woodley
While Oklahoma came away with a dominant 21-9 victory Sunday (that probably wasn't even as close as the score indicates) in its first conference meet of the season, there was one particularly compelling match at 197 pounds between redshirt junior and top-ranked Noah Adams and fellow redshirt junior No. 12 Jake Woodley. The Big 12 foes have a bit of history between them. This matchup was the fourth time overall and the third time the duo met in dual action. Prior to tonight, Woodley held a 2-1 record against Adams. However, it was Adams who came out on top last season, earning a 6-1 decision in dual action. The last time Woodley captured a win over Adams was at the 2019 Big 12 Wrestling Championship. In the fourth installment, Adams came out on top, winning 3-2. With the match tied 2-2 entering the final frame, the Sooner elected to give the Mountaineer an escape point via optional start, shifting the score to 3-2 with a period left to play. Obviously, Woodley felt more confident in his ability to take down No. 1 Adams rather than ride him out or turn him. Interestingly enough, Adams fended off every Woodley attack and during the final two minutes and won the match by that same 3-2 margin. Now, the series record between the two sits tied at 2-2. Adams and Woodley will likely meet at the conference tournament and NCAAs. It will be interesting to see how Woodley approaches a tight match with Adams next time. Will tonight's defeat make the Sooner think twice about giving the reigning Big 12 champ and 2020 NWCA All-American a free point? Or will he try a new strategy? With the win, Adams has extended his individual match winning streak to 37 in a row dating back to Nov. 3, 2019.
Iowa looked dominant
It's no secret that the Iowa Hawkeyes are probably the team that has the best chance to dethrone the Nittany Lions, who have won eight of the last nine team crowns. The Hawks, who were the 2020 Big Ten Tournament champions, return the vast majority of a 2020 lineup that was flush with NWCA All-Americans and preseason top seeds at their respective weights, including Spencer Lee (125), Jaydin Eierman (141) and Michael Kemerer (174). Iowa won its matchup with top-10 conference foe Nebraska, 31-6, winning eight of the ten individual bouts. Iowa's only losses were at 174 pounds (where the nation's No. 1 wrestler didn't compete) and at 197 pounds in a battle of top-four ranked wrestlers. All this to say, Iowa adequately defended its top team ranking after its first match.
Ugh ... COVID-19 reared its ugly head
The reigning 2019 NCAA team champions didn't get to take to the mat this weekend due to a positive coronavirus test within its program. Not only is this significant because we didn't get to see some of the best names in the sport compete this weekend as planned, but also it just goes to show how unpredictable (and potentially unfair) this season could be depending on how present (or absent) COVID-19 is over the next two months. In a COVID-19-influenced season, the best individual wrestlers and the most complete teams may not be able to live up to their full potential due to the virus and its (potential) impact. Similarly, some lesser wrestlers and teams may outperform expectations due to the virus and its (potential) impact as well. If nothing else, we should remain fortunate for every upcoming weekend where we get to either attend an event or watch one from afar. Additionally, we should remember how quicky we can (and did) have this great sport taken away last year. Hopefully, Penn State won't be down long because the 2021 Nittany Lions squad appears to have reloaded its talent. There are currently nine Penn Staters ranked in the InterMat top-25, including four freshman newcomers. And, most importantly, the sport is better when a powerhouse, top-five programs are involved.
How about those freshmen?
The 2021 season has been (and likely will continue to be) one of the stranger college seasons in recent memory. That said, thus far, my favorite part of the season has been watching a handful of true freshmen get to show their stuff as true freshman. Unfortunately, in traditional season, fans usually have to wait an extra year to see a majority of the freshman class. As InterMat pointed out in an article last week, there are rookies contributing to some of the top teams in the nation. Many of these names mentioned further validated their presence on the list of 12 this weekend as well, including: A.J. Ferrari, Trevor Mastrogiovanni, Andrew Sparks, Dylan Ragusin and others. The performances by Oklahoma State first-year's Ferrari and Mastrogiovanni were even more meaningful as they helped put head coach John Smith in third place on the all-time Division I coaching wins list with 443.
4⃣4⃣3⃣#DynastyDefined I #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/kRKXS6txb4
�" OSU Cowboy Wrestling (@CowboyWrestling) January 18, 2021
Minnesota's Gable Steveson lives up to his namesake
Being named after one of the best the sport has ever seen in the legendary Dan Gable, the expectations are certainly high. Then, when you factor in that Minnesota heavyweight was the top-ranked high school recruit in the class of 2018, the expectations and the hype both grow exponentially. This past weekend, however, the Apple Valley, Minnesota native lived up to his billing as the No. 1 heavyweight. Saturday, the junior went 2-0 with a fall over Maryland's Connor Bowes at the 0:13 mark. Then, he followed that up with a 23-point performance in just three minutes and nine seconds. While I'm sure most are no longer surprised to see such Herculean, other-worldly displays of unparalleled size, strength, speed, technique, and general athleticism, his two performances from the Michigan State's tri-meet cannot be overlooked.
THIRTEEN SECONDS. @GSteveson PINNED HIM IN THIRTEEN SECONDS. pic.twitter.com/joyvDJAEM0
�" Minnesota Wrestling (@GopherWrestling) January 16, 2021
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