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Every week during the 2023-24 season, the InterMat staff will submit their picks for some of the most high-profile or competitive dual meets. As the season progresses, we'll keep track of records for bragging rights or as ammunition for when we mock each other. No, we'd never do that, it's all in good fun (right?). Results through week six 21-9: Austin, Nick 20-10: Willie, Robbie, Richard, Bob D. 19-11: James 18-12: Rachel, Morgan, Tony, Dysen 17-13: Earl, Ryan 16-14: Jagger, Kevin Below are the picks for week seven (plus Collegiate Duals). One of the duals takes place this evening!

We’re only two days away from one of the best events on the collegiate wrestling calendar, the Collegiate Duals. 2023 marks the third year that the Duals have taken place in mid-to-late December in an area of the country that is generally starved of collegiate wrestling. 2021 was in the Florida panhandle, 2022 was in New Orleans, and this year’s duals take place in Nashville. Oh yeah, and there are some excellent teams in the field. This year’s field includes four top-ten dual teams (#2 NC State, #3 Cornell, #7 Iowa State, and #8 Ohio State), along with two other ranked squads (#16 Pittsburgh and #21 Northern Iowa). MAC champion Lock Haven and a rapidly improving Little Rock team round out the field of eight. There is a slight change to the format for the 2023 Duals. One pool of four teams (Cornell, Iowa State, Little Rock, Pitt) will each wrestle each other on Monday. Tuesday will see the remaining four teams square off against each other (Lock Haven, NC State, Northern Iowa, Ohio State). The first two iterations of the Collegiate Duals have provided us with some of the most memorable duals and individual matches (more on that in another article) from their respective seasons. 2021’s Iowa/NC State dual was voted the best of the year by the InterMat staff and 2022’s event had some upsets and the “Dresser Bump,” when he bumped up the wrestlers at the end of his lineup to help Iowa State knock off Cornell. As you prepare for the Collegiate Duals, here are 24 matches you need to look out for. Since this isn’t an individual tournament or a team-advancement event, we know the teams will clash, so these are easier to identify. The Collegiate Duals will be broadcast live on Rokfin on the page dedicated to the duals. The first set of dual matches will start at 3pm (EST) on Monday. Day One Round One 197 lbs: #7 Jacob Cardenas (Cornell) vs. #13 Stephen Little (Little Rock) This is one of the most important matches of the day featuring one of the most overlooked wrestlers in the nation. Little Rock’s Stephen Little has flown under the radar even though he’s scored a win over Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational finalist Jaxon Smith and held #2 Stephen Buchanan (Oklahoma) to a close loss. He’ll have another contender at the weight, returning All-American and CKLV fourth-place finisher Jacob Cardenas. 141 lbs : #14 Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State) vs. #15 Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) After a rocky start to the 2023-24 season, is Cole Matthews back? In his last outing, Matthews snapped a two-match losing streak by handing CKLV champion Jesse Mendez his first loss of the year. On the other side is Anthony Echemendia who has proven he can compete with the best against top-ranked Real Woods and in Vegas. Echemendia finished seventh in a loaded weight class that featured three returning AA’s. This will be interesting to see who can impose their will and dictate the pace of the match. 184 lbs: #5 Will Feldkamp (Iowa State) vs. #14 Reece Heller (Pittsburgh) I’m sure hypothetical stock in Will Feldkamp took a sharp downturn after a dual loss to true freshman Gabe Arnold of Iowa, who bumped up from 174 lbs for the match. He totally redeemed himself by making the CKLV finals at a stacked weight class. Feldkamp will have his hands full with Pitt’s veteran, Reece Heller. Heller’s only loss of the season came via fall to David Key (Navy). It wasn’t a fluke, but it was an unusual situation that may be hard to replicate. With a dominant major decision over Gavin Hoffman in the Panthers upset of Ohio State, Heller has shown that the loss was a one-off and he’s an outside podium threat. 285 lbs: #3 Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) vs. #10 Dayton Pitzer (Pittsburgh) This is a battle between one heavyweight that wrestled 197 lbs last season (Bastida) and a talented redshirt freshman (Pitzer) that didn’t get the call last year, in part, because he needed to bulk up. Bastida has been a machine on his feet and has been nearly impossible to slow down. He scored 63 points in his four pre-finals matches in Vegas. Pitzer already has posted wins over EIWA champion Nathan Taylor (Lehigh) and veteran podium contender Luke Luffman (Illinois). If Pitt can replicate their magic from last weekend, this bout could decide the dual. Day One Round Two 133 lbs: #8 Evan Frost (Iowa State) vs. #21 Nasir Bailey (Little Rock) This may be the first of many matches between these two talented freshmen. Evan Frost has grabbed ahold of a seemingly open weight for the Cyclones, has won eight of nine matches and appeared in the CKLV finals. He’s proven to be a hammer on top and can, not only ride, but earn points from his tilt series. There’s the chance that Bailey meets returning national champion Vito Arujau in the first round, so it’s doubtful he’ll continue to maintain his perfect record heading into this match. Even so, it will be another test for the true freshman who passed every one presented to him thus far. 157 lbs: #21 Cody Chittum (Iowa State) vs. #28 Matt Bianchi (Little Rock) With a long track record of pre-collegiate success, we’ve expected CodyChittum to jump into the ISU lineup and be really good. Chittum has been solid, but has a record that doesn’t seem imposing at 4-3. Looking into those losses, all have come to wrestlers currently ranked in the top-eight nationally. Now, he’s in a bout where he’s considered the favorite, yet at the same time, it’s far from a pushover. Matt Bianchi comes in with a nice 7-1 record, losing only to #5 Brock Mauller. Since then he’s earned three straight wins via major decision. 165 lbs: #3 Julian Ramirez (Cornell) vs. #8 Holden Heller (Pittsburgh) The other half of the Heller brother tandem for Pittsburgh will get his biggest test of the season in round two. Heller comes in undefeated; however, his best win has come over Isaac Wilcox (Ohio State), who is currently ranked #21. The stakes get much higher with EIWA champion and CKLV finalist Julian Ramirez. Though Ramirez lost in the Vegas finals, he did earn the biggest win of his collegiate career, in the semifinals, where he knocked off top-seeded David Carr. Day One Round Three 133 lbs: #2 Vito Arujau (Cornell) vs. #8 Evan Frost (Iowa State) It appears as if we’ll get our first glimpse of 2023 NCAA champion Vito Arujau since his early-season loss to redshirt freshman Ryan Crookham. Should Arujau see action in all three bouts for the Big Red he’ll have ranked opposition in each contest. Frost represents the highest-ranked wrestler of the trio. If Frost can slow down or limit damage on his feet, could he wear down the world champion on the mat? It seems easier said than done. 157 lbs: #15 Meyer Shapiro (Cornell) vs. #21 Cody Chittum (Iowa State) What a match we have here between two of the most acclaimed freshmen in the country. Both were in the absolutely ridiculous CKLV weight class and weren’t able to crack the top-eight. Meyer Shapiro was one half of the most-talked-about Round of 16 matches of the tournament. There he majored two-time All-American Bryce Andonian, but proceeded to lose his next two bouts and came up a match shy of the podium. Chittum fell to Andonian and also dropped a one-point bout to the wrestler who defeated Shapiro in the quarterfinals, Daniel Cardenas (Stanford). In an incredibly tight dual, this could be a swing match. 165 lbs: #3 Julian Ramirez (Cornell) vs. #4 David Carr (Iowa State) We mentioned earlier that Julian Ramirez posted his best career win in Vegas when he knocked off David Carr. That was rather surprising considering how great Carr looked in early season wins over All-Americans Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) and Michael Caliendo (Iowa). It’s a rare occurrence to have the opportunity to avenge a loss like that so quickly after the fact, so I’d imagine Carr has even more significance placed upon this match. 184 lbs: #5 Will Feldkamp (Iowa State) vs. #9 Chris Foca (Cornell) We mentioned earlier how Feldkamp got to the Vegas finals in a weight class littered with past All-Americans. One of the four that missed out on the podium was Chris Foca. Foca had an uncharacteristic 1-2 showing at the CKLV. I understand that may have been an isolated circumstance and to expect the wrestler that has previously pushed national champions Carter Starocci and Mekhi Lewis to the brink in the past (actually at the 2021 Collegiate Duals). Last year, Foca suffered a loss in Vegas and the Collegiate Duals helped him get on track and go perfect until the national semifinals. Day Two Round One 125 lbs: #1 Jakob Camacho (NC State) vs. #2 Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) There’s potential for fireworks in the very first match on day two, so don’t tune in late! 125 lbs has proven to be an enigma of a weight class and that probably won’t change until the final match in Kansas City. Jakob Camacho comes in as the top-ranked wrestler after defeating returning runner-up Matt Ramos at WrangleMania. Noto briefly held the number-one ranking but was majored by Ramos at the All-Star Classic. With both wrestlers able to get after it, I’d expect an instant classic. There is an additional storyline associated with this bout. At the 2022 version of WrangleMania, these two teams squared off. After a Noto win, words were exchanged between him and the NC State corner. Coaches from both squads had to be restrained. Noto spent his first collegiate season redshirting at NC State, before transferring to Lock Haven. Obviously, there are plenty of hard feelings associated with that transfer. 141 lbs: #3 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) vs. #9 Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) Here’s a match between two wrestlers who are looking to bounce back after suffering an unexpected loss last weekend. Mendez to 2022 All-American Cole Matthews and Happel was pinned by Columbia’s Kai Owen. It should be noted that Happel and Owen had met in Vegas and Happel prevailed via the pin. Although both of these wrestlers were top-four placers in Vegas, they did not meet. This pool has some excellent 141 lbers, so I imagine neither wrestler wants to start their day dealing with another setback. 157 lbs: #12 Ryder Downey (Northern Iowa) vs. #13 Paddy Gallagher (Ohio State) One of the unlikely stars that emerged from the CKLV Invitational was Northern Iowa’s redshirt freshman Ryder Downey. Because of a loaded bracket, Downey managed to post wins over two top-16 opponents, yet only was 2-2 and missed the top-eight. One of those key wins came over Paddy Gallagher, to the tune of 8-5. Gallagher was considered the top recruit in the high school Class of 2021 and had a bit of an up-and-down redshirt freshman campaign last season. This year he’s been much more consistent and has amassed a 14-3 record. Now can he reverse a result from Vegas? 285 lbs: #9 Tyrell Gordon (Northern Iowa) vs. #18 Nick Feldman (Ohio State) I’m unsure whether or not we’ll see this one. Tyrell Gordon returned to the mat for the first time this season in the Columbia dual and grabbed a win via fall. Gordon was 2-2 last season wrestling in his second career national tournament. When these two teams met at the 2022 Duals, Gordon posted a win over All-American Tate Orndorff. Redshirt freshman Nick Feldman suffered his first two career losses at the CKLV and had to medically forfeit down to sixth place. Feldman has managed to earn wins over opponents ranked in the same area as him (Hunter Catka/Keaton Kluever/Lewis Fernandes). Beating someone like Gordon would represent his biggest win to date. Again, Feldman was injured in Vegas and did not compete in the Pittsburgh dual, so we’ll see if he’s able to go in Nashville. Day Two Round Two 141 lbs: #4 Ryan Jack (NC State) vs. #9 Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) Earlier, we stated how tough the 141 lb weight class was in this pool, now we’ve thrown Ryan Jack into the mix. Jack and Happel met in the CKLV semifinals and it was the Wolfpack wrestler that posted a major decision. These two teams met at this event in 2022 and Jack also won this matchup, 6-3. 157 lbs: #6 Ed Scott (NC State) vs. #12 Ryder Downey (Northern Iowa) Really, whenever Ed Scott wrestles, it could be classified as a “must-watch” match. When we last saw Scott he was winning six straight consolation matches in a furious run to third place in a loaded 157 lbs CKLV bracket. Along the way, Scott downed Downey, 4-1. A match like that shows that while Scott can put up points in bunches and be one of the more exciting wrestlers in the country, he can also grind out a win when he has to. With Downey already getting his hands on Scott once and limiting damage, I’d imagine Scott will have to do the same again. 184 lbs: #1 Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) vs. #15 Dylan Fishback (NC State) Last year, at the Collegiate Duals, Parker Keckeisen provided us with one of the most memorable moments of the year in the NC State dual. In a CKLV finals rematch, he cradled and pinned Wolfpack star Trent Hidlay. With Hidlay up at 197 lbs, we won’t see that again; provided there’s no bumping going on. That’s okay, because NC State has an impressive redshirt freshman at this weight in Dylan Fishback. Fishback was seventh in Vegas, though he and the champion Keckeisen, never met. 285 lbs: #9 Tyrell Gordon (Northern Iowa) vs. #17 Owen Trephan (NC State) Once again, hopefully, we’ll see Tyrell Gordon in action Tuesday. His opponent in the NC State dual could be 2023 ACC champion Owen Trephan. Though Trephan has a lower ranking than you might imagine, he is part of a group of wrestlers between #10-17 that have beaten up on each other so far this season. Day Two Round Three 133 lbs: #5 Kai Orine (NC State) vs. #12 Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State) The one constant in a chaotic 133 lb weight class in Vegas was All-American Kai Orine. Orine was given the top seed and responded with a title and bonus points in three of his five bouts, including the championship against Evan Frost. As one of the larger 133’s, having a match of this caliber in round three should benefit Orine with plenty of time off the scale. Bouzakis was one of the stories of the tournament. He suffered a first-round upset and then wrestled all the way back for third place. That run saw Bouzakis tabulate three techs and two falls. 141 lbs: #3 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) vs. #4 Ryan Jack (NC State) Oh nice, a CKLV finals rematch! During that contest, Jesse Mendez got by with a 5-2 win. The rivalry between these two stretches way back into their high school days. Jack got the best of Mendez in the 2018 Super 32; however, Mendez won a shootout at the 2019 version of Who’s #1. Mendez came into the CKLV finals with bonus points in all of his previous 2023-24 matches and Jack managed to slow him down. Provided Mendez doesn’t make some huge adjustment, I’d expect another low-scoring match between the two. 149 lbs: #4 Dylan D’Emilio (Ohio State) vs. #5 Jackson Arrington (NC State) This is another CKLV rematch of a match won by the Buckeye. Dylan D’Emilio and Jackson Arrington met in the quarterfinals and had a classic match. Arrington jumped out to an early lead, but D’Emilio rallied to win 9-8. He’d go on to make the finals opposite top-ranked Ridge Lovett. Arrington was able to secure a spot in the top-eight then medicially forfeited out of the tournament. With their first meeting ending up 9-8, why not see another round? 184 lbs: #15 Dylan Fishback (NC State) vs. #16 Gavin Hoffman (Ohio State) Though both wrestlers competed in Vegas, they did not meet each other in Sin City. Dylan Fishback came into the CKLV unbeaten. Though he suffered a pair of sudden victory losses, he finished seventh and established himself as a key player at the weight. His most significant win of the event came over returning NCAA semifinalist Trey Munoz of Oregon State. Hoffman was 2-2 at CKLV, earning a ranked win over Sam Fisher (Virginia Tech), but losing to Jaden Bullock (Michigan) and Sam Wolf (Air Force). He’s a veteran who has spent his entire career up at 197 and still might be adjusting to the lower weight. Of course, this being the third round should work to his benefit. 285 lbs: #17 Owen Trephan (NC State) vs. #18 Nick Feldman (Ohio State) Once again, it remains to be seen if we’ll get the opportunity for this matchup; as Feldman’s status is uncertain. Feldman and Trephan did not meet in Vegas and Trephan represents another solid test for Feldman, as we try to learn just how good he is in his first year in the Buckeye lineup.

Friday’s Dual Results Northern Illinois 19 California Baptist 15 125 - Blake West (Northern Illinois) dec Eli Griffin (California Baptist) 11-7 133 - Hunter Leake (California Baptist) dec Nathaniel Genobana (Northern Illinois) 2-0 141 - Emilio Trujillo-Deen (California Baptist) dec Danny Curran (Northern Illinois) 13-10 149 - Tommy Curran (Northern Illinois) dec Dayne Morton (California Baptist) 2-0 157 - Munkhtulga Zuunbayan (Northern Illinois) dec Nolan Miller-Johnston (California Baptist) 7-4 165 - Mateo de la Pena (California Baptist) dec Tommy Bennett (Northern Illinois) 8-6 174 - Justin Phillips (California Baptist) dec Hayden Pummel (Northern Illinois) 3-2 184 - Matt Zuber (Northern Illinois) maj Nathan Haas (California Baptist) 11-3 197 - Eli Sheeran (California Baptist) dec Sean Carroll (Northern Illinois) 4-1 285 - Jacobi Jackson (Northern Illinois) InjDef Chris Island (California Baptist) Oregon State 48 CSU Bakersfield 0 125 - Brandon Kaylor (Oregon State) dec Richard Castro-Sandoval (CSU Bakersfield) 10-4 133 - Maximo Renteria (Oregon State) maj Santino Sanchez (CSU Bakersfield) 11-2 141 - Cleveland Belton (Oregon State) fall Louie Ramos (CSU Bakersfield) 1:05 149 - Nash Singleton (Oregon State) FFT 157 - Isaiah Crosby (Oregon State) fall Devyn Flores-Che (CSU Bakersfield) 1:11 165 - Matthew Olguin (Oregon State) dec Guillermo Escobedo (CSU Bakersfield) 11-4 174 - Kekana Fouret (Oregon State) fall Evan Gilbert (CSU Bakersfield) 3:22 184 - Travis Wittlake (Oregon State) maj Braden Smelser (CSU Bakersfield) 19-3 197 - Trey Munoz (Oregon State) fall Khristian Dove (CSU Bakersfield) :36 285 - Charley Hastriter (Oregon State) dec Jake Andrews (CSU Bakersfield) 7-5