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  • Photo: Photo/Tony Rotundo

    Photo: Photo/Tony Rotundo

    Storylines to watch during 2019-20 college season

    It's an exciting time of the year with college wrestling practices starting and the season just a few weeks away.

    Every season is interesting, unique and special.

    And the 2019-20 campaign is no different with so many compelling storylines waiting to unfold.

    Penn State has won four straight team titles and eight of the last nine. Will that trend continue this March in Minneapolis?

    That is just one of the top storylines to follow with the college season drawing closer:

    Zahid Valencia after winning his third Pac-12 title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

    Zahid ready for new challenge at 184

    Arizona State's Zahid Valencia is one of the country's best wrestlers, regardless of weight class.

    After winning a pair of 174-pound titles, Valencia has a new weight class this season after bumping up to 184 pounds.

    The past Junior world silver medalist is a superb all-around wrestler with an excellent arsenal of moves. He's provided a huge boost as Zeke Jones continues to build his program at ASU.

    Will Seth Gross win it again at new school?

    2018 NCAA champion Seth Gross is back on the mat and he is now at the University of Wisconsin as a graduate transfer.

    Gross placed second and first in the country for South Dakota State before suffering a season-ending back injury early in the 2018-19 campaign.

    He moved to Wisconsin for his final season, where he is reunited with former SDSU coaches Chris Bono and Jon Reader. Gross is a tough wrestler in all positions who is difficult to match up against.

    If Gross is healthy, he's going to be tough to beat at 133 pounds. Especially with returning champion Nick Suriano of Rutgers and runner-up Daton Fix of Oklahoma State taking Olympic redshirts this season.

    Going for three

    Vincenzo Joseph has won two NCAA titles, but he has been overshadowed during his Penn State career by standout teammates Zain Retherford, Bo Nickal, Jason Nolf and Mark Hall.

    But Joseph has a chance to finish his career as one of the best wrestlers in school history. He won nationals as a freshman and sophomore before reaching the finals again last year at 165. He starts this season ranked No. 1.

    Joseph isn't as flashy as some of his teammates, but he's a solid and tough wrestler who is tough to score on. He certainly will contend for another title as a senior.

    Can Spencer Lee do it again?

    It wasn't easy, but Iowa's Spencer Lee repeated as NCAA champion at 125 pounds during his sophomore season.

    Lee suffered losses to Northwestern's Sebastian Rivera and Oklahoma State's Nick Piccininni last season before regaining momentum in time to win his second national title.

    Lee, who owns three age-group world titles in freestyle, is a wrestler who knows how to peak when the stakes are highest.

    Rivera, Piccininni and NCAA runner-up Jack Mueller of Virginia are all back this season. It's never easy to win NCAAs, but I wouldn't bet against Lee. He's still on course to be the first Hawkeye to win four NCAA titles.

    David Carr after winning a gold medal at the Junior Worlds (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling)

    ISU's David Carr set to make big impact

    Iowa State features one of the nation's most exciting and dynamic wrestlers in freshman David Carr, who won a Junior world freestyle title this past summer.

    Carr went 23-1 during his redshirt season at ISU and he should be in contention to win a national title at 157 pounds. His father, Nate, won three NCAA titles for the Cyclones in the 1980s before capturing an Olympic bronze medal.

    David Carr is good enough to challenge for an NCAA title as a freshman, something that has happened more frequently in recent years. It's going to be fun to see how Carr fares during his college career as Kevin Dresser's ISU program continues to progress.

    Contenders or pretenders?

    Besides Penn State and Iowa, there are a number of programs looking to grab team trophies for the first time in a while.

    Those schools include Wisconsin, Nebraska, Arizona State, Minnesota, Iowa State and Northern Iowa.

    You never know who might get hot at the right time and earn a top-four finish at NCAAs. And with so many wrestlers taking Olympic redshirts this season, it could definitely alter how the team race plays out in 2020.

    Is it Hayden's time?

    North Carolina State's Hayden Hidlay nearly stopped Jason Nolf's run to three national titles. Now Hidlay is ready to win it all during his junior season.

    Hidlay starts his junior season ranked No. 1 at 157 pounds and he will be the person to beat in that division. He's a gifted wrestler who also has a bright future ahead in freestyle.

    Gable Steveson gets in on a shot against Christian Colucci of Rutgers in a dual meet (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)

    Can Gable earn gold at home?

    One of my favorite college wrestlers is Minnesota heavyweight Gable Steveson, who placed third as a freshman last season. He is a tremendous athlete who is unstoppable when he wrestles aggressively.

    Look for Steveson to come back strong and make a run at a national title this season. He's an age-group world champion with a huge upside in freestyle. He could contend for a spot on the 2020 Olympic Team.

    Steveson will be wrestling at home with the national tournament being held just down the street from the University of Minnesota campus.

    How many fans will attend 2020 NCAAs?

    I've always hated seeing wrestling fans being turned away from an event because there aren't enough seats available. It doesn't happen often, but it has been an issue at the NCAA Championships.

    It likely won't be an issue this season with the 2020 NCAAs set to be held at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The home of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings will have more than enough room to accommodate fans.

    Now it's up to wrestling fans, and sports fans in general, to fill this place up for nationals. It's going to be interesting, and awesome, to see how it all plays out in late March. You won't want to miss it as attendance records will be shattered.

    Can anyone challenge the Nittany Lions?

    Coach Cael Sanderson has built a dynasty at Penn State and the Nittany Lions look extremely strong again this season.

    Penn State lost superstars Bo Nickal and Jason Nolf, but it still has three NCAA champions in its lineup with Mark Hall, Vincenzo Joseph and Anthony Cassar.

    The Iowa Hawkeyes return virtually everybody, including two-time NCAA champion Spencer Lee, and looked poised to challenge the Nittany Lions for the team title. Iowa hasn't won NCAAs since it captured its third straight title in 2010.

    With a healthy Michael Kemerer coming back, this may be the year the Hawkeyes reign again in late March. As always, it will be entertaining to watch.

    Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.

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