Division III is no different. Some would say that D-III wrestlers are the epitome of the student-athlete, with no scholarships given out, and most of the wrestlers working their tails off (on the mat and in the classroom) with fewer accolades. In short -- they wrestle for the love of the sport. While all these grapplers are to be commended, there are a few who stand out for their prowess come game-time. Let's take a look at the top D-III wrestler at each weight class (and some of their top rivals). For D-III insiders, many of the names will be old-hat (six champs and two runners-up from last year return) -- for those who are not abreast of these fine wrestlers, take note, and catch them if you get the chance.
125: Terry Morgan, Loras College
Morgan is the highest-placing returning competitor at what looks to be a relatively wide-open weight class. A three-time NCAA qualifier, Morgan had his best result last year, finishing third in a tough weight class which included seniors Matt Shankey (Augsburg) and Williams' Tom Prairie. As it stands, he is the preseason top-ranked 125-pounder. He has three other returning All-Americans to contend with, however, and, come March, Morgan has to wrestle his way out of one of the top D-III conferences in the country, the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC).
Others to Watch (last year's NCAA finish):
Brian Dempsey, College of New Jersey (fifth)
Ty Klofta, Ohio Northern (sixth)
Derek Goduto, Monclair (eighth)
133: Tony D'Ambra, SUNY-Brockport
Last year's NCAA runner-up is glad to see the tail-lights of graduated Augsburg Auggie Mark Matzek, to whom he lost a tough 4-1 decision in the 2005 championship match. So clear sailing for the New Yorker? Not so fast. He has very tough hombres in Luther senior Mike Lopez and Buena Vista sophomore Jestin Hulegaard to consider. Should he under-perform at nationals, watch for these two to take advantage.
Others to Watch:
Mike Lopez, Luther (fourth)
Jestin Hulegaard, Buena Vista (fifth)
Sean Cullen, Lycoming (sixth)
Jordan Kolinski, UW-LaCrosse (DNP)
Dustin Hinschberger of Wartburg is the two-time defending NCAA champion at 141 pounds (photo courtesy of TheGuillotine.com).With Augsburg's Jamell Tidwell (the only D-III wrestler to seriously challenge Hinschberger the last two years, never beating him, and NCAA runner-up to Hinschberger twice) gone -- this weight seems to be his for the taking. The two-time defending champ has not lost a match to a D-III wrestler in the past two years, and is one of the most heralded wrestlers in D-III. Lurking behind the senior is Simpson's Dustin Brewer, Springfield's Mike Gaeta, and Elmhurst's David Silva -- all returning All-Americans. It seems highly likely they'll be battling for the runner-up spot on the podium, as none of them came within three points of Hinschberger last year.
Others to Watch:
Dustin Brewer, Simpson (fourth)
Mike Gaeta, Springfield (seventh)
David Silva, Elmhurst (eighth)
149: Matt Pyle, Luther
Returning champ Pyle went on a tear last March at the NCAA Tournament with his closest match being a 10-7 victory over Mount St. Joseph's Jason Roush in the semifinals. He then defeated a tough and seasoned Clint Manny of Simpson in the finals, 8-1, to secure his title. Although a strong favorite to defend his title, he will have a battle from Roush, who returns. Wartburg's Jacob Naig and Jared Evans of Augsburg, both All-Americans in 2005, will also be back to try to challenge Pyle.
Others to Watch:
Jason Roush, Mount St. Joseph (third)
Jacob Naig, Wartburg (sixth)
Jared Evans, Augsburg (seventh)
157: Marcus LeVesseur, Augsburg
Any wrestling fan who hasn't heard about Marcus LeVesseur has either been: A) Living in Papua New Guinea with no access to the Internet for the past three years or B) Blissfully ignoring the world of college wrestling, having put themselves on a decade-long hiatus after the glory of the Cael Sanderson days. Well, for those who don't know, the numbers tell all: three-time D-III NCAA champion, 124 victories, 0 losses, OW, 2004 USA Wrestling University Nationals champion …and so on. Oh, and he's also an all-conference quarterback on the Augsburg football team, too (LeVesseur led the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in total offense in yards per game in 2004). A major reason why UW-LaCrosse's Ross Needham is on the "Others to Watch" list is because he lost to LeVesseur by only a point in last year's NCAA Tournament (5-4). A hearty good luck to the other D-III 157-pounders this year.
Others to Watch:
Joe Gallante, College of New Jersey (fourth)
Shaheim Bradshaw, SUNY-Brockport (fifth)
Carl Amerine, Wilmington (eighth)
Ross Needham, UW-LaCrosse (DNP)
165: Ryan Valek, Augsburg
Valek, a two-time All-American, lost a tight 6-4 decision in last year's final to one of the top D-III wrestlers in recent years, Luther's Garrett South. With South gone to graduation, and only one other top-five finisher returning, UW-Eau Claire's Derek Sikora, Valek looks set to take the next step. There have been rumblings that Valek's teammate LeVesseur might move up to 165, which would put Valek at 174. But these rumors are thus far unsubstantiated and do not seem likely. If LeVesseur does stay at 157, however, Valek is a good bet to give Augsburg two champs in a row.
Others to Watch:
Derek Sikora, UW-Eau Claire (fifth)
John Dolan, Williams (seventh)
Corey Murphy, Thiel College (eighth)
174: Stephon Sair, Cortland
This looks to be the most wide-open weight in D-III in 2005-2006. The top-three finishers from last year (Augsburg's Joe Moon, Wabash's Chris Healy, and Johnson and Wales' Tim Ruberg) have graduated, leaving a vacuum in the "favorites" department. This is not to say that there isn't talent at this weight -- there is. To wit: Sair was the fourth-place finisher last year, and McDaniel's Tony Howard and UW-Lacrosse's Josh Chelf fought for fifth and sixth place in 2005 (with Howard coming out on top, 6-1). Thus, Sair is the highest placer returning, but Howard might be a little hungrier -- as this is his senior season. Look for these two (along with Chelf, who actually defeated Sair in the first round at the 2005 NCAAs) to battle for the top spot.
Others to Watch:
Tony Howard, McDaniel (fifth)
Josh Chelf, UW-LaCrosse (sixth)
184: Duane Bastress, York
This is a true meat-grinder of a weight in 2005-2006. Returning champ and favorite Bastress will have a tough row to hoe if he is to retain his championship. Not only will Bastress have to contend with John Carroll's Ryan Summers, whom he beat 10-7 in last year's championship match, but Augsburg'sBrad Tupa, Wartburg's Scott Kauffman (who won't compete until second semester), and Ursinus' Mike Troutman, and two-time All-American Lacrosse's Jason Lulloff (who's coming off injury) lay in wait. Watch this bracket come March -- it should be a doozy.
Others to Watch:
Ryan Summers, John Carroll (runner-up)
Brad Tupa, Augsburg (fourth)
Scott Kauffman, Wartburg (fifth)
Mike Troutman, Ursinus (eighth)
Jason Lulloff, UW-LaCrosse (two-time All-American, DNQ in 2005 due to injury)
197: Akeem Carter, Wartburg
To the untrained eye, 197, like 184, looks to be a seriously tough weight this season. After all, the top-four finishers from last year's NCAA Tournament are returning. As the adage goes, however, looks can be deceiving. This is because the returning champ is Akeem Carter -- and because Carter is a two-time national champion at this weight -- and because Carter has not lost to a DIII wrestler in the past two years. He is the prohibitive favorite. The battle for who gets to face Carter in the finals is going to be a tough as nails, though.
Others to Watch:
Jamall Johnson, Delaware Valley (runner-up)
Will Weiss, SUNY-Brockport (third)
Matt Loesch, Muhlenberg College (fourth)
Justin Sorenson, Augsburg (sixth)
Devin Carmen, Baldwin Wallace (eighth)
Ryan AllenTwo-time defending NCAA champion Allen is seen by many college wrestling observers to be a top-eight heavyweight in any division. He has battled with the likes of Les Sigman (beating Sigman by forfeit in last year's Midlands -- Allen took fifth) and Bode Ogunwole (to whom he lost in those same Midlands, 7-3), and holds a career record of 120-9. One of his biggest rivals is waiting due southwest of LaCrosse in Waverly, Iowa. Blake Gillis of Wartburg is another excellent D-III heavyweight. Allen defeated Gillis 7-2 in last year's NCAA final -- and it's a safe bet that the two will fight it out for the championship again this year. Allen is the heavy favorite, however, and should become a three-time NCAA champion for the LaCrosse Eagles.
Others to Watch:
Blake Gillis, Wartburg (runner-up)
Mike Blair, Trinity (third)
Mike Hayes, UW-Stevens Point (fifth)
Brett Christensen, Simpson (sixth)
Tommy Snyder, Lycoming (seventh)
Pat Bennett, SUNY-Brockport (eighth)
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now