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The college wrestling season officially kicked off on Wednesday afternoon. While other sports have exhibition events or preseason, wrestling has wrestle-offs. Some teams use these intrasquad matches to determine their lineup, but others simply use it as a test run to prepare for the season. The competitors are often overly familiar with each other since teammates wrestle in practice. In some cases, this can create some strange results, but in other cases, it could be an early sign for the upcoming season. The following are some of the most interesting results from the preseason wrestle-offs. NC State 285: No. 8 Owen Trephan dec. Chase Horne 7-3 During his prep career, Horne was a Super 32 champion and a four-time Georgia state champion. He came to NC State as a top-40 recruit and is expected to continue the tradition of strong Wolfpack heavyweights. During a redshirt year last year, he went 17-5, but it seems likely he will sit behind a veteran this season. Trephan won the ACC last year and went 2-2 at the NCAA tournament. He enters this season as the eighth-ranked heavyweight in the InterMat rankings. Trephan was able to hold off a challenge from Horne in the intrasquad event and will likely benefit from having a strong partner in the room. North Carolina 133: Caden McCrary dec Jace Palmer 4-1 (SV) There appear to be several tight position battles for new coach Rob Koll at North Carolina. One of those would be at 133 pounds. Palmer was the starter last year for the Tar Heels, while McCrary wrestled only six matches in a reserve role. While he has not been overly active since joining North Carolina, McCrary was a Super 32 champion in high school. He edged Palmer here to appear to be in the driver’s seat for the starting role, but that will likely be decided in the future. Ohio State 141 No. 5 Jesse Mendez dec. Brandon Cannon 5-2 Cannon has quite an inspirational story. He was one of the top high school wrestlers in the country before being slowed by a health issue that held him out for years and required surgery. He ultimately returned to action and finished out his career at Ponderosa in Colorado. Mendez was one of the top recruits in the country before signing with Ohio State prior to last season. He went 19-9 at 133 pounds and finished sixth to become an All-American. He appeared to be in control throughout this bout, but it was a very close contest. There is always a chance that wrestlers who train together will have tighter matches. However, Mendez did play it close at times last year, and Ohio State fans will be hoping he can distance himself from his opposition more this season. Iowa State 141: Jacob Frost dec. No. 16 Zach Redding 10-5 Redding qualified for the NCAA tournament as a true freshman in 2021, and he returned to the event last year before seeing his season come to an end in the round of 12. He was expected to move into a starting role at 141 pounds this year. Those plans seem a bit cloudy after he dropped a 10-5 match against Frost last week. Frost was the 224th-ranked prospect by MatScouts before he joined the Cyclone program last year. During a redshirt year, he went 18-4 with two of his four losses coming against teammates. This victory could put him in position to earn a starting spot and put him on the path toward a spot in the rankings. Iowa State 149: Anthony Echemendia dec. No. 14 Casey Swiderski 4-3 The talent has always been there for Echemendia. However, he still needed to make the conversion from freestyle to folkstyle in order to be a successful college wrestler. This transition was made more difficult after a prolonged recruitment process and some high-profile legal issues. However, at least on the mat, things appear to be headed in the right direction. Back at Iowa State, Echemendia picked up a one-point victory over Swiderski. Last year, as a true freshman, Swiderski had several bright spots on the season and finished only one match short of All-American status. Oregon State 174: No. 11 Travis Wittlake dec. Mason Reiniche 4-3 After five years at Oklahoma State, Wittlake, an Oregon native, will return home and wrestle for the Beavers this season. He began his Oklahoma State career at 174 pounds before dropping down to 165 for multiple years. Last season, he moved up to 184 pounds and qualified for the NCAA tournament. Considering his background, Wittlake was expected to defeat Reiniche and hold down this spot for Oregon State. Reiniche had an undefeated 9-0 record last year in open tournaments and was able to keep it close with Wittlake. It will be interesting to see how the former Oklahoma State wrestler does in his third different weight class of his college career. Oklahoma 174: #13 Tate Picklo dec. #17 (at 165) Gerrit Nijenhuis 5-3 Sometimes preseason weights can be a fluid situation, so our preseason rankings had both of these wrestlers at separate weights, but Nijenhuis wrestled at 174 in last night’s wrestle-off. The incumbent, Picklo, managed a 5-3 victory, which could present a good problem for the new Sooner staff. Transfer Cael Carlson is a past NCAA qualifier at 165 lbs, Picklo and Nijenhuis are at 174 and two other national qualifiers are at 184 (Giuseppe Hoose and DJ Parker). Nijenhuis and Parker both have yet to redshirt, so that could be the direction that Roger Kish goes with this potential dilemma.

Ah, match day. When you combine those two words—which aren't very good on their own—you get my favorite phrase in the entire English language. It sounds really lovely when it rings. That sentence also has another benefit: it doesn't require an introduction. When you mention "Match Day," fans of wrestling smile when you say such words to them. It is undoubtedly the greatest starting event the sports world has to offer. How am I aware of that? It helps, though, that I suffer from a severe case of "the bias," which I believe I should be honest about because I can't conceal it. I am, after all, a wrestling writer, as it says up there. For us wrestling enthusiasts, tradition and history are everything, and the NCAA season puts the sport's heritage and past front and center. It's something that wrestling journalists have long noted. In light of that, I'm prepared to contribute my words to the stack right now. Even though I really wanted to think of a novel explanation for why match week is so great, the clichéd talk about the opening competition is still relevant. Match days have always been unique occasions thanks to history and tradition, and they always will be. If necessary, you can watch all the matches on your couch, but that's not the best situation. The ideal places to enjoy match days are your local colleges, and the experiences you have will vary based on which ones you attend. There are some experiences that are straightforward. Teams will showcase their best wrestlers. Other teams will dispatch their backup wrestlers. Along with representatives from other media outlets, alumni will be present to observe and/or offer commentary. Then there are other Match Day customs, the ones that shout out those two phrases that wrestling fans adore. Histories! Traditions! Do you need more evidence to support my admiration for Match Days? That's too bad. I don't have any, and to be honest, I doubt that there is any more reason at all. Most conversations regarding what's better than what and why will center on data and verifiable proof, but not in this case. I can tell it's unique just by looking at its age and rustic features, which give the story within some strength. Match Day is that. Although it's a fantastic artifact from the past, I think I can speak for all wrestling fans when I say that Match Day is something that never gets old. Fill your weekend with wrestling: Thursday, November 2: Oregon State - North Carolina Dual Southern Illinois Edwardsville - Illinois Dual Maryland - American Dual Oregon State - Greensboro Dual Greensboro - North Carolina Dual Oregon State - Queens Dual Queens - North Carolina Dual Queens - Greensboro Dual Friday, November 3: NC State - Appalachian State Dual Rutgers - Cal Poly Dual Fort Hays State - Northern Colorado Dual New Mexico Highlands - Northern Colorado Dual Rutgers - Duke Dual Duke - Cal Poly Dual Lindenwood - Northern Illinois Dual St. Ambrose - Northern Illinois Dual St. Ambrose - Lindenwood Dual Saturday, November 4: Nebraska - North Dakota State Dual Navy - Illinois Dual Iowa - Cal Baptist Dual Western Colorado - Air Force Dual CSU Pueblo - Air Force Dual Duke - Stanford Dual Cumberland Patriot Open Maryville Open Menlo Open Southeast Open Sunday, November 5: Iowa State - Cleveland State Dual Lindenwood - Wisconsin Dual Western Wyoming College - Wyoming Dual Clarion Open Princeton Open Rookie Open The Citadel Invite

Wednesday’s DI Dual Results Buffalo 47 Brockport 4 125 - Tristan Daugherty (Buffalo) fall Liam Bullock (Brockport) 4:09 133 - Tommy Maddox (Buffalo) tech Alexander Burroughs (Brockport) 17-1 141 - Andy Lucinski (Buffalo) dec Francis Whitehouse (Brockport) 9-5 149 - Nick Stampoulos (Buffalo) tech Charles Loucks (Brockport) 20-4 157 - Ty Raines (Buffalo) tech Logan Palmeri (Brockport) 18-2 165 - Rafael Knapp (Buffalo) fall Max Ebanks (Brockport) 4:11 174 - Dylan Schell (Buffalo) tech Michael Syposs (Brockport) 18-3 184 - Chase Kranitz (Buffalo) fall Spencer Clements (Brockport) :51 197 - Sam Mitchell (Buffalo) fall Elijah Bonet (Brockport) 2:38 285 - Nick Franco (Brockport) maj Robert Unruh (Buffalo) 12-1 Buffalo 36 Seton Hill 7 125 - William Burgess (Seton Hill) maj Troy Guerra (Buffalo) 10-0 133 - Kyle Burkholder (Seton Hill) dec Cole French (Buffalo) 7-2 141 - Andy Lucinski (Buffalo) dec Niko Ferra (Seton Hill) 3-0 149 - Kaleb Burgess (Buffalo) fall Braxton Miller (Seton Hill) 4:14 157 - Eric Tigue (Buffalo) maj Nolan Daerr (Seton Hill) 9-0 165 - Hunter Shaut (Buffalo) fall Kane Kettering (Seton Hill) 14-4 174 - Jay Nivison (Buffalo) FFT 184 - Chase Kranitz (Buffalo) tech Riley O’Mara (Seton Hill) 18-0 197 - Lonnell Owens-Pabon (Buffalo) dec Brendan Finntery (Seton Hill) 10-3 285 - Robert Unruh (Buffalo) maj Ethan Cain (Seton Hill) 8-0 Buffalo 49 Niagara CC 0 125 - Troy Guerra (Buffalo) maj JR Leuer (Niagara CC) 17-3 133 - Cole French (Buffalo) dec Michael Catanzaro (Niagara CC) 6-0 141 - Aaron Lanster (Buffalo) tech Kenny Blowers (Niagara CC) 18-1 149 - Nick Stampoulos (Buffalo) fall Antione Walker (Niagara CC) Fall 3:30 157 - Carter Gill (Buffalo) dec Kace Cook (Niagara CC) 2-0 165 - Brady Unger (Buffalo) tech Quinn Brown (Niagara CC) 21-6 174 - Dylan Schell (Buffalo) tech Payton Grabowski (Niagara CC) 19-4 184 - Rafael Knapp (Buffalo) FFT 197 - Lonnell Owens-Pabon (Buffalo) fall Cameron Hall (Niagara CC) 1:18 285 - Robert Unruh (Buffalo) FFT Buffalo 36 Glenville State 15 125 - Tristan Daugherty (Buffalo) tech Devin Easton (Glenville State) 18-2 133 - Gavin Quiocho (Glenville State) fall Tomm Maddox (Buffalo) 4:18 141 - Andy Lucinski (Buffalo) FFT 149 - Kaleb Burgess (Buffalo) tech Ethan Hardy (Glenville State) 19-4 157 - Ty Raines (Buffalo) fall William Houser (Glenville State) 2:16 165 - Guy DeLonardis (Glenville State) dec Hunter Shaut (Buffalo) 8-2 174 - Jay Nivison (Buffalo) maj Cade Linn (Glenville State) 10-2 184 - Chase Kranitz (Buffalo) tech Brady Ross (Glenville State) 17-2 197 - Sam Mitchell (Buffalo) tech Nick Copley (Glenville State) 17-2 285 - Gavin Shamblin (Glenville State) fall Will Hotaling (Buffalo) 4:13 Campbell 25 Army West Point 9 125 - Ethan Berginc (Army West Point) dec Zander Phaturos (Campbell) 6-1 133 - Domenic Zaccone (Campbell) dec Braden Basile (Army West Point) 12-10 141 - Chris Rivera (Campbell) dec Zach Keal (Army West Point) 4-1 149 - Trae McDaniel (Army West Point) dec Justin Rivera (Campbell) 7-0 157 - Chris Earnest (Campbell) dec Nate Lukez (Army West Point) 10-6 165 - Dalton Harkins (Army West Point) dec Dom Baker (Campbell) 4-1 174 - Austin Murphy (Campbell) dec Gunner Filipowicz (Army West Point) 4-2 184 - Caleb Hopkins (Campbell) maj Ben Pasiuk (Army West Point) 8-0 197 - Levi Hopkins (Campbell) dec Daniel Lawrence (Army West Point) 6-0 285 - Taye Ghadiali (Campbell) fall Lucas Stoddard (Army West Point) Fall 3:47 NC State 48 Presbyterian 0 125 - NC State FFT 133 - Jacob Cox (NC State) tech Trenton Dominquez (Presbyterian) 17-1 141 - Tyler Tracy (NC State) dec Ryan Luna (Presbyterian) 6-4 149 - Jackson Arrington (NC State) tech Trenton Donahue (Presbyterian) 19-3 157 - Zach Karagis (NC State) dec Eli Holiday (Presbyterian) 3-1 165 - AJ Kovacs (NC State) tech Michael Ramirez (Presbyterian) 18-1 174 - Alex Faison (NC State) maj Reed Douglas (Presbyterian) 184 - Dylan Fishback (NC State) fall Caleb Roe (Presbyterian) 197 - Christian Knop (NC State) tech George Hopkins (Presbyterian) 17-2 285 - Chase Horne (NC State) fall Morvens Saint Jean (Presbyterian) The Citadel 57 Allen 0 125 - Malik Hardy (The Citadel) tech Reco Robinson (Allen) 15-0 133 - George Rosas (The Citadel) fall Nyshaad Hannon (Allen) 2:14 141 - Brayton Killiri (The Citadel) FFT 149 - Hayden Watson (The Citadel) fall Drevon Wallace (Allen) 6:12 157 - Thomas Snipes (The Citadel) fall James Dargin (Allen) 2:29 165 - Aidan Lenz (The Citadel) fall Ya’Donnis Hardaway (Allen) 1:32 174 - Josh Stillings (The Citadel) tech Michael Jackson (Allen) 15-0 184 - Adam Ortega (The Citadel) fall Jerrel Baskins (Allen) 5:42 197 - Patrick Brophy (The Citadel) tech Emmanuel Velasquez Alvarado (Allen) 17-2 285 - Ben Stemmet (The Citadel) fall Chandler Allen (Allen) 2:20 The Citadel 50 Montreat 4 125 - Malik Hardy (The Citadel) FFT 133 - George Rosas (The Citadel) fall Alexander Grabowski (Montreat) 1:04 141 - Thomas Termini (The Citadel) FFT 149 - Carson DeRosier (The Citadel) tech Ethan Bennett (Montreat) 15-0 157 - Thomas Snipes (The Citadel) maj Daniel Bennett (Montreat) 16-4 165 - Mohamed Ben Hafsia (Montreat) maj Justin Hays (The Citadel) 12-2 174 - Brodie Porter (The Citadel) fall Zechariah Wallace-Turner (Montereat) 1:02 184 - Adam Ortega (The Citadel) fall Tyler McDonald (Montreat) 2:41 197 - Patrick Brophy (The Citadel) tech Milosz Gargol (Montreat) 19-4 285 - John Chesser (The Citadel) fall Lucian Thomas (Montreat) 1:44 Little Rock 48 Carl Albert 3 125 - Jeremiah Reno (Little Rock) tech RJ Jones (Carl Albert) 18-2 133 - Josh Sarpy (Little Rock) tech Ryder Clark (Carl Albert) 17-0 141 - Brennan Van Hoecke (Little Rock) maj Cooper Evans (Carl Albert) 17-3 149 - Jaden Two Lance (Carl Albert) dec Jake Adams (Little Rock) 7-1 157 - Matt Bianchi (Little Rock) fall Cade Evans (Carl Albert) 2:27 165 - Brendon Abdon (Little Rock) tech Noah Smith (Carl Albert) 17-2 174 - Tyler Brennan (Little Rock) fall Matthew Mason (Carl Albert) 1:30 184 - Triston Wills (Little Rock) fall Trey Hudgens (Carl Albert) 1:23 197 - Stephen Little (Little Rock) tech Hunter Hall (Carl Albert) 20-4 285 - Josiah Hill (Little Rock) fall Austin Blair (Carl Albert) 2:32