Back story / interesting matches thread

[cangemi]

When I watch . Always best to know the back stories. If you have a back story interesting  posy. Appreciated.  Makes more interesting.

 

I will  start

TEEMER 2ND ROUND . NOT FAIR MEYER OR TEEMER.

BARROCLAUGH TRANSFERS LAST YEAR TO HAVE HIS CHANCE rooting for him.

RICHIE  Figs quarters and semis

Hamiti can he get past Haines? Have not seen hom look this good.

AJ  2nd round . And basically can he win. Does he do split at end if so?

Alirez  whih Alirez shows up quarters hardy 

Mcnelley can he get passed keckstein and stop Carter from 5 x. Great story.

 

Any others appreciated. 

 

Frank C

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1032004]

125:

Stevo Poulin viral fame

Lilledahl trying to break the Suriano curse, also not trying to be PSU’s 2nd straight true freshman #1 seed not to AA

Matt Ramos still looking for a title after one of the biggest upsets of all-time

Potential for Strickenberger/Spratley round 3 and what the celebration would be

 

133:

Braeden Davis probably considered PSU’s biggest risk to getting 10 AA’s

Ayala/Noto potential matchup of 2nd and 3rd placers last year in the second round

Potential for Byrd/Ayala rematch.  Also Byrd has a really tall girlfriend 

 

141:

Returning champ Alirez as the 8 seed 

Potential for Bartlett/Mendez again

AJ Rallo (and Devan Hendricks at 184) first qualifiers for Bellarmine

Todd Carter at #13 is Gardner Webb’s highest seed since 2006.  Not sure when their last AA was

149:

Henson trying to repeat

The pigtail features the guys with the least (Travis) and most (Denkins) matches

Sammy Alvarez trying to follow in Quinn Kinner’s footsteps and AA after transferring from the Power 5 to Rider

 

157:

Teemer/Shapiro another potential round 2 matchup of returning 2nd and 3rd placers 

Kasak/Shapiro potential battle of concussion sufferers

Hipolito always exciting

Potential Blaze/Kasak matchup with Blaze’s brother being a future teammate of Kasak

 

165:

Mesenbrink/Mulvaney both AWA guys

Julian Ramirez 3x R12 with some great career wins, can he break through

Potential matchup of former teammates with Mesenbrink/Barraclaugh, first round matchup of current/former Iowa guys Caliendo and Riggins.  Former Hawkeye Drake Rhodes also in the bracket

Andrew Sparks didn’t start wrestling until high school

174:

Potential rematches of O’Toole/Haines or O’Toole/Hamiti

Likely Haines/Hamiti semi pitting Taylor’s current pupil vs an old one

Kennedy looking for his first AA finish after going R16 then R12

Multiple former AA’s seeded in the 20’s in Wolak (24) and Turley (29)

Tyler Brennan situation…

 

184:

Obvious story of Starocci going for 5.  Potential rematches with either Keckeisen or McEnelly.  Can McEnelly take out Keckeisen?

Unlikely to see the long-awaited Starocci/Arnold match but it’s possible

33 seed McDonnell had lost a bunch of matches in a row before winning Pac 12’s

197:

What will AJ look like against top 5 competition?  Will he wrestle back if he loses?

Potential Stout/Stout match in round 2

How healthy is Barr?  Can Beard win a rematch against his former team (but not former teammate)

Will Buchanan become Iowa’s first high profile transfer to win a title?  (He is also one of Iowa’s best chances to continue their long finalist streak)

 

285:

Does anyone have a chance against Gable?  Who out of Hendrickson/Kerk (most likely) gets to the finals against him?

Heindselman trying to follow in Davison’s footsteps of an impressive finish from a heavyweight transferring to Michigan

After showing promise in previous years with big wins, Pitzer didn’t have a great regular season but then won ACC’s, can he continue the momentum?

Can Kueter continue his momentum from B10’s?  

Owen Trephan undefeated after transferring from NC State mid season 

[Mr. PeanutButter]

36 minutes ago, 1032004 said:

Andrew Sparks didn’t start wrestling until high school

Good sheet all around broseidon! Sparks starting so late and being so good is mighty impressive

[okokzach]

https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/13956610-the-best-seniors-at-the-2025-ncaas-who-have-yet-to-become-all-americans

 

Spey has a cool article discussing the guys in their final year who have never AA'd. A good list if you're looking for some guys to root for

[cangemi]

Good stuff

[Boring]

Most people don't know the true story about the Lambrecht/Rohn championship match in 2002. Lambrecht got a huge lead, then was suddenly pinned in the 3rd period. 

What really happened: Goons from OU kidnapped Rohn's girlfriend and warned that she would be killed if Rohn didn't let Lambrecht humiliate him in the NCAA finals. Lambrecht's coach/crime boss told Rohn "I want a 12 point spread".  Rohn did as instructed, but before the match ended some of his teammates showed up, having freed Rohn's girlfriend with the aid of a Vietnam veteran who just rediscovered his love of life. As soon as Rohn saw she was free, he pinned Lambrecht. 

[BFosr1]

2 hours ago, 1032004 said:

125:

Stevo Poulin viral fame

Lilledahl trying to break the Suriano curse, also not trying to be PSU’s 2nd straight true freshman #1 seed not to AA

Matt Ramos still looking for a title after one of the biggest upsets of all-time

Potential for Strickenberger/Spratley round 3 and what the celebration would be

 

133:

Braeden Davis probably considered PSU’s biggest risk to getting 10 AA’s

Ayala/Noto potential matchup of 2nd and 3rd placers last year in the second round

Potential for Byrd/Ayala rematch.  Also Byrd has a really tall girlfriend 

 

141:

Returning champ Alirez as the 8 seed 

Potential for Bartlett/Mendez again

AJ Rallo (and Devan Hendricks at 184) first qualifiers for Bellarmine

Todd Carter at #13 is Gardner Webb’s highest seed since 2006.  Not sure when their last AA was

149:

Henson trying to repeat

The pigtail features the guys with the least (Travis) and most (Denkins) matches

Sammy Alvarez trying to follow in Quinn Kinner’s footsteps and AA after transferring from the Power 5 to Rider

 

157:

Teemer/Shapiro another potential round 2 matchup of returning 2nd and 3rd placers 

Kasak/Shapiro potential battle of concussion sufferers

Hipolito always exciting

Potential Blaze/Kasak matchup with Blaze’s brother being a future teammate of Kasak

 

165:

Mesenbrink/Mulvaney both AWA guys

Julian Ramirez 3x R12 with some great career wins, can he break through

Potential matchup of former teammates with Mesenbrink/Barraclaugh, first round matchup of current/former Iowa guys Caliendo and Riggins.  Former Hawkeye Drake Rhodes also in the bracket

Andrew Sparks didn’t start wrestling until high school

174:

Potential rematches of O’Toole/Haines or O’Toole/Hamiti

Likely Haines/Hamiti semi pitting Taylor’s current pupil vs an old one

Kennedy looking for his first AA finish after going R16 then R12

Multiple former AA’s seeded in the 20’s in Wolak (24) and Turley (29)

Tyler Brennan situation…

 

184:

Obvious story of Starocci going for 5.  Potential rematches with either Keckeisen or McEnelly.  Can McEnelly take out Keckeisen?

Unlikely to see the long-awaited Starocci/Arnold match but it’s possible

33 seed McDonnell had lost a bunch of matches in a row before winning Pac 12’s

197:

What will AJ look like against top 5 competition?  Will he wrestle back if he loses?

Potential Stout/Stout match in round 2

How healthy is Barr?  Can Beard win a rematch against his former team (but not former teammate)

Will Buchanan become Iowa’s first high profile transfer to win a title?  (He is also one of Iowa’s best chances to continue their long finalist streak)

 

285:

Does anyone have a chance against Gable?  Who out of Hendrickson/Kerk (most likely) gets to the finals against him?

Heindselman trying to follow in Davison’s footsteps of an impressive finish from a heavyweight transferring to Michigan

After showing promise in previous years with big wins, Pitzer didn’t have a great regular season but then won ACC’s, can he continue the momentum?

Can Kueter continue his momentum from B10’s?  

Owen Trephan undefeated after transferring from NC State mid season 

Regarding Byrd… his girlfriend is 6’2, almost a foot taller than him.

[1032004]

Forgot to add Brandon Cannon’s recovery from cancer

[BuckyBadger]

Are the Stouts brothers?

[BloodRound]

9 minutes ago, BuckyBadger said:

Are the Stouts brothers?

Yes

[nhs67]

9 hours ago, Mr. PeanutButter said:

Good sheet all around broseidon! Sparks starting so late and being so good is mighty impressive

He's a Ginger.

You can't trust politicians or gingerfolk.

[Wrestleknownothing]

4 minutes ago, nhs67 said:

He's a Ginger.

You can't trust politicians or gingerfolk.

Amen, you can't trust us.

[1032004]

Was talked about in some other threads and just reminded myself as I was looking through first round matches.  Jake Andrews 285 for CSUB was 1-17 two years ago and this year he is 26-3

[KCMO2]

37 minutes ago, 1032004 said:

Jake Andrews 285 for CSUB was 1-17 two years ago and this year he is 26-3

He was only 9-16 last season as well.  I wonder if having AJ to work out with every day was a difference maker?

Edited 16 hours ago by KCMO2

[ugarles]

Fernandez v Whelan first round is a rematch of an upset in the Ivy semis

Ramirez 3x R12 has another tricky path to the podium. Barraclough in the QF and the blood round is always tough but potential candidates (aside from the top-12 seeds that are a danger to everyone) are Paddy Gallagher and Ivy rival Cesar Alvan (who he has beaten, but has put real scares into him).

 

[11986]

with transfers being so common now, have to be quite a few potential matches between former 'mates. For example, 2nd rd at 125 could have Ventresca VT v Flynn Minnesota. 

[Konquest]

13 hours ago, Mr. PeanutButter said:

Good sheet all around broseidon! Sparks starting so late and being so good is mighty impressive

Even more insane is that as a senior in HS, Sparks won a CA state title over a Valencia brother, who was probably being coached in wrestling before he could walk.  Sparks must be a hell of an athlete.

Parker Keckeisen did a clinic a few years back for the program I was coaching (his alma mater, actually) and he mentioned that Jeremiah Kent from Mizzou didn't start wrestling until HS, and used him (Kent) as an example of how you can improve rapidly if you have the right work ethic and surround yourself with the right people.  Kent might not have AA'ed or whatever, but he started wrestling in 9th grade and was a Fargo AA and got a college scholarship in a sport that most of his competition had been doing since they were 4 or 5 years old.