2024 Pac-12 Championships Preview

The final piece of the NCAA qualification puzzle falls into place Sunday as the Pac-12 Championships matches will be conducted after the action on the East Coast concludes. This is an unusual situation as this is likely the final Pac-12 tournament as well know it. After this season, Arizona State will move to the Big 12 and the entire conference (full-time members) will move elsewhere. But that’s another story for another day. 24 allocations are on the line which is a sharp increase from the 19 that were available last year. Below are wrestlers who could be labeled as the favorites at each weight class along with one that could be a sleeper at their respective weight class. 125 Favorite: Brandon Kaylor Brandon Kaylor went 5-1 against Pac-12 opponents this season, losing to Little Rock’s Jeremiah Reno. Kaylor has the most experience out of the entire weight class, has been to multiple NCAA Championships and won a Pac-12 title. Kaylor is in a prime position to sweep his conference rivals and make a run for All-American during his senior campaign. Sleeper: Richard Figueroa Richard Figueroa missed several tournaments and duals during the beginning of the season. Therefore, Figueroa had some hiccups when he returned, holding a 7-5 record overall and 3-2 in the Pac-12. However, he recently upset two top-25 competitors and has yet to face Kaylor, making him an unpredictable matchup. Before worrying about Kaylor, Figueroa will have to contend with Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Champion Nico Provo who beat him in sudden victory in their dual meet. 133 Favorite: Nasir Bailey Little Rock’s Nasir Bailey is one of the top freshmen in the country. The top-10-ranked wrestler holds a 22-2 record, including a perfect 7-0 record against Pac-12 opponents. Five of Bailey’s seven matches in the Pac-12 have come with bonus points, making him an easy favorite for his first Pac-12 title. Sleeper: Gabe Whisenhunt Although Gabe Whisenhunt has not beaten the three ranked wrestlers above him, he can find some luck on his home mat. Five of Whisenhunt’s nine losses came by three points or less. Since he has a couple of weeks to prepare, Whisenhunt can look to stun one ranked wrestler and capture the third allocation. Whisenhunt will have the fourth seed, while #2 Zeth Romney and #3 Julian Chlebove battle it out on the bottom half of the bracket. 141 Favorite: Jesse Vasquez Jesse Vasquez has not wrestled in a Pac-12 Championship because of injuries. However, Vasquez holds an 8-1 career Pac-12 record with his one loss coming in the 2021 season. One of those wins came against Cleveland Belton during his final dual of the 2022-23 campaign. In addition, Vasquez has picked up some upsets and has yet to face several Pac-12 competitors. Sleeper: Jason Miranda Jason Miranda lost two Pac-12 matches against Vasquez and Belton. However, the rest of the Pac-12 wrestlers have a .500 record or worse. Therefore, Miranda likely represents the only chance to upset one of the top two seeds for an allocation. 149 Favorite: Kyle Parco Kyle Parco is coming off an upset against Ridge Lovett and is looking for an NCAA title. Parco won all his Pac-12 matches since transferring to Arizona State. He’ll be seeking his third Pac-12 title and fourth All-American honor. Parco’s style may not be fancy, but he limits his opponents' attacks and grinds out wins against any style wrestler. Sleeper: Chance Lamer With three allocations available, Chance Lamer should earn one quite easily. However, Lamer has a chance to stun Jaden Abas and Parco. Lamer lost to both wrestlers 4-3, while earning bonus point victories against all other Pac-12 foes. His semifinal bout with Abas should be one of the best of the round. 157 Favorite: Jacori Teemer Jacori Teemer is looking to finish his collegiate career without a blemish in Pac-12 competition. Teemer has three losses this season, two against top-10 opponents and one by injury default. Teemer has been completely dominant in-conference, winning his six Pac-12 matches this season by an average of nearly seven points. In order to go into rarified air and claim his fourth Pac-12 title, Teemer will likely have to go through a fellow conference champion in Daniel Cardenas, the two seed. Cardenas won the weight class last year while Teemer was injured. Sleeper: Legend Lamer After a stunning freshman campaign, Legend Lamer has been unable to gain any ground, going 27-18 as a sophomore and junior. However, Lamer has experience at the highest levels of postseason wrestling and has battled the top wrestlers closely. Lamer only lost to Teemer 10-7 and Matt Bianchi 4-1. Therefore, Lamer has a chance for an upset and a spot at the NCAA Championships. 165 Favorite: Joseph Bianchi Joseph Bianchi has defeated all his Pac-12 opponents this season by six or more points. Bianchi has only lost one time this year too, being pinned by Army’s Gunner Filipowicz. Since then, Bianchi has won 11 straight and will look for a good seed at the NCAA Championships. Sleeper: Chance McLane Chance McLane had a ton of success against smaller competitors when he competed at Oklahoma State. In addition, his losses against Bianchi and Hunter Garvin were in sudden victory. Therefore, McLane has a chance to slip the script and earn an allocation. During the final week of the regular season, McLane had a solid non-conference win over a past national qualifier Jake Logan of Lehigh. 174 Favorite: Adam Kemp Adam Kemp only has one loss this season that did not come from a medical forfeit. The one loss was also in sudden victory against Philip Congliaro. Therefore, Kemp’s near-perfect record makes him a strong candidate for a Pac-12 title and a chance for All-American status. Sleeper: Mason Reiniche Towards the end of the season, 2023 Pac-12 champion Matthew Olguin saw a lot of time at this weight; however, Mason Reiniche is the Beavers entry. Reiniche is 11-7 on the year, but hasn’t competed in dual meets. He does have two wins over past national qualifiers this year and could be trouble. He’s received the three seed and will have to contend with #23 Tyler Brennan of Little Rock. 184 Favorite: Trey Munoz Trey Munoz is one of the Pac-12 wrestlers with the best chance to capture an NCAA title. Munoz’s only career Pac-12 losses came against Bernie Truax. Therefore, Munoz could dominate a weight class that only has one wrestler ranked in the top-25. It doesn’t pertain to the Pac-12 Championships, but Munoz was able to defeat Truax, who has since transferred to Penn State, earlier this year. Sleeper: Jack Darrah 184 pounds is the only weight class with one allocation. Therefore, the rest of the Pac-12 wrestlers will be fighting for an at-large bid. Jack Darrah lost to Tony Negron by three points and Munoz by five points. If Darrah can beat Negron, he can make a case for an at-large bid or a chance to upset Munoz. 197 Favorite: Stephen Little Stephen Little holds an 18-2 record with a 6-0 record in the Pac-12. Four of his six conference matches ended by tech fall or pin, too. His biggest win of the season came in the second week when he defeated Maryland’s Jaxon Smith, who went on to earn the second seed at the Big Ten Championships. Little, along with Nasir Bailey, has the opportunity to win Little Rock’s first Pac-12 title. Sleeper: Nick Stemmet Nick Stemmet split two matches against Justin Rademacher this season, making the third matchup a tossup for a potential chance in the Pac-12 finals. Stemmet has only been pinned twice this season, once by Little. Therefore, he will be an underdog in a potential championship match. Yet, Stemmet has the most experience in the division and can find a way to flip the script. 285 Favorite: Cohlton Schultz Cohlton Schultz is a former NCAA runner-up and returns as one of the top heavyweights in the country. Schultz has won all five of his Pac-12 matchups this season, three by bonus points. In addition, Schultz has never lost against a Pac-12 opponent. He’s seeking his fourth Pac-12 crown and there isn’t a wrestler in this bracket who stands out as a serious threat to that honor. Sleeper: Boone McDermott Just like duals, the hometown heavyweight will have an entire crowd behind him looking to get an upset and capture an allocation. Although he was pinned by Trevor Tinker, he only lost to Schultz 5-2 and Josiah Hill 4-1. If McDermott finds himself in a close matchup, he can sway the momentum and pull off an upset. McDermott started the year on fire with a fourth-place showing at the CKLV. He’s struggled since then, but if he can channel that form from Vegas he’s capable of reversing some of those earlier losses.

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