While some wrestlers move up for a challenge, others move up in weight because they are growing and can perform at a higher level or to help the team.
Here is a look at five wrestlers who should move up in weight next season.
Zahid Valencia finished the season as an undefeated NCAA champion at 174 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Zahid Valencia (Arizona State)
Zahid Valencia has been competing at the UWW Junior level in freestyle at 84 kilograms (184.8 pounds). He was a Junior world silver medalist this past summer after previous world finishes of 10th and seventh. Zahid has reeled off two consecutive undefeated regular seasons in NCAA wrestling, finishing third at the NCAAs in 2017 and winning a title over the defending champ Mark Hall of Penn State this season. Since he will soon be competing for a spot on world and Olympic teams at 86 kilograms (189.2 pounds), it makes sense for Zahid to get bigger and stronger and compete at 184 pounds rather than continuing to cut weight. Also, with two-time NCAA champion Bo Nickal returning for his senior season at Penn State, it presents another challenge for Zahid. While Zahid has multiple wins over Nickal in freestyle, the two have not competed against each other in college wrestling.
Anthony Valencia (Arizona State)
Anthony Valencia is coming off a disappointing season. He entered the NCAAs as the No. 15 seed and failed to reach the podium for the second consecutive season. Anthony was one of the nation's top recruits coming out of high school, but has failed to live up to the high expectations placed on him by others after placing in the top four at the U.S. Open and World Team Trials. He has won by technical fall over Tyler Caldwell. Anthony is extremely gifted on his feet, but has struggled on the mat. If Zahid moves up in weight, it seems like the right move would be for Anthony to move up as well. He wouldn't have to focus as much on his weight, and it would give him a fresh set of opponents and potentially reenergize him.
Minnesota's Ethan Lizak knocked off Darian Cruz of Lehigh in the consolation bracket in Cleveland (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Ethan Lizak (Minnesota)
The long and lanky Lizak is a monster on the mat. He can ride and turn almost anyone in the country. A 2017 NCAA runner-up, Lizak is coming off a strong performance in Cleveland. He entered the tournament as the No. 8 seed and placed fourth. In the consolation bracket, Lizak teched past All-American Nick Piccininni of Oklahoma State, pinned past NCAA runner-up Zeke Moisey of WVU and defeated past NCAA champion Darian Cruz of Lehigh. He lost in overtime in the third-place match to four-time All-American Nathan Tomasello of Ohio State. While Lizak would be a top contender next season at 125 pounds, his path to a title would likely have to go through NCAA champion Spencer Lee of Iowa. Lee is a bad matchup for Lizak and hammered him 15-0 in the dual meet. NCAA runner-up Nick Suriano of Rutgers also returns. Moving up to 133 would certainly be a challenge with the top five finishers returning next season, including NCAA champion Seth Gross of South Dakota State, but Lizak's length and top game would put him in the mix for a national title. This would allow his teammate Mitchell McKee to either redshirt or move up a weight.
Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State)
Ever since Brock made his college wrestling debut as a true freshman, pinning NCAA champion Cody Brewer of Oklahoma, expectations have been high for the Stillwater (Okla.) native. He entered the 2017 NCAAs as the No. 3 seed and placed fifth. This season he was the fourth seed and placed fifth. Brock is dynamic on his feet and can score with a variety of different attacks. Maybe the weight cutting has taken a toll on him and hindered his late-season performance. With two-time NCAA champion Dean Heil graduating -- and Daton Fix and Nick Piccininni on the roster -- a move to 141 pounds could be beneficial for both Brock and the Cowboys.
Nebraska's Taylor Venz placed fourth in the NCAAs at 184 pounds (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Taylor Venz (Nebraska)
Venz won his first state championship in Minnesota as a freshman at 106 pounds, beating Mitchell McKee. He continued to grow in high school and capped off his high school career with a state championship at 182 pounds. He learned to wrestle as a lightweight, which has helped him as an upperweight wrestler. Venz had a strong redshirt freshman campaign, which culminated with a fourth-place finish in Cleveland. He's long and could certainly add more muscle to his frame. With Bo Nickal and Myles Martin returning -- and potentially Zahid Valencia moving up -- Venz's path to a national title has fewer land mines at 197 pounds. Kent State's Kyle Conel, who entered the NCAAs unranked, is the highest returning placewinner at 197 pounds.
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