125: Matt McDonough has a remarkable ability to finish takedowns from extended positions. His size for the weight class makes him very difficult to score on. Zach Sanders has been exceptional this year, but hasn't seriously threatened McDonough.
Prediction: No. 1 Matt McDonough (Iowa) over No. 2 Zach Sanders (Minnesota)
133: Jordan Oliver has been brilliant this season. His loss to Tony Ramos of Iowa (his only defeat in the past two seasons) is difficult to explain. His solid win over the very talented Logan Stieber of Ohio State was quite impressive and U.S. wrestling fans can't help but hope that he shows up at the Olympic Team Trials next month.
Prediction: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) over No. 2 Logan Stieber (Ohio State)
141: 141 is a balanced weight class, but Kellen Russell has been exceptional since his early December loss to Hunter Stieber of Ohio State. Indeed, "Gyro" has added offense this season and looked remarkable against a talented Montell Marion of Iowa in his fourth Big Ten title.
Prediction: No. 1 Kellen Russell (Michigan) over No. 6 Boris Novachkov (Cal Poly)
149: An upset pick here. Frank Molinaro is a returning finalist and has been more dominant than Jamal Parks, but Parks' defense is exceptional and could allow him the opportunity to steal a win over the Nittany Lion.
Prediction: No. 2 Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State) over No. 1 Frank Molinaro (Penn State)
157: Kyle Dake will look to become the first wrestler to win an NCAA title at three different weights -- and he is only a junior. What sets Dake apart from the field is his determination. He simply refuses to let people score on him and will make whatever last-second adjustments are needed to prevent points for an opponent. Jason Welch was undefeated until the Big Ten finals where he gave up a late takedown to Derek St. John of Iowa. Welch also has amazing defense, flexibility and funk, but it probably won't be enough against Dake.
Prediction: No. 1 Kyle Dake (Cornell) over No. 3 Jason Welch (Northwestern)
165: David Taylor has been simply remarkable. The field really hasn't been able to test the sophomore. It's a safe bet he will redeem himself for his lone college loss at last year's NCAAs.
Prediction: No. 1 David Taylor (Penn State) over No. 3 Andrew Sorenson (Iowa State)
174: Like 157 last year, the field features three undefeated wrestlers. Ed Ruth has been so impressive this season that it seems like if there was a 174-pound weight class at the Olympics, he would be a gold medal contender. His loss last year to Nick Amuchastegui seemed out of character and he should be at the top of the podium this year.
Prediction: No. 1 Ed Ruth (Penn State) over No. 3 Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford)
184: As mentioned previously, 184 is pretty wide open, but returning NCAA finalist Robert Hamlin has looked strong throughout the season. His recent win over Steve Bosak of Cornell, avenged his only loss of the season.
Prediction: No. 2 Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) over No. 5 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota)
197: A final between Cam Simaz and Chris Honeycutt would not look like a normal 197-pound bout. Both are extremely active and mobile.
Prediction: No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) over No. 2 Chris Honeycutt (Edinboro)
285: A pretty balanced weight. The absence of the injured Alan Gelogaev of Oklahoma State makes the weight class less interesting.
Prediction: No. 4 Zack Rey (Lehigh) over No. 2 Tony Nelson (Minnesota)
Team:
With three undefeated No. 1 seeds (Frank Molinaro, David Taylor, and Ed Ruth), Penn State would appear to be a clear favorite in this year's NCAA team race. Championships at this event are won with frontline strength, which the Nittany Lions have in spades. In addition to their "Big Three" PSU features seeded wrestlers Nico Megaludis, Dylan Alton, Cameron Wade, and returning NCAA champion Quentin Wright 6. Even with a few missteps, Penn State would appear to have enough firepower to repeat as team champs.
The battle for second place will probably be more hotly contested with Minnesota, Iowa, Oklahoma State, and Cornell battling it out.
1. Penn State
2. Minnesota
3. Iowa
4. Cornell
5. Oklahoma State
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