Leaderboard

Three days of wrestling are completed to get us closer to having our full contingent of Olympic Trials competitors with the Last Chance Qualifier being the final results needed. 65kg Men’s Freestyle is the Highlight of the Weekend Before, during and certainly after the tournament concluded, 65kg was the most masterful weight class of the weekend. On the first day of men’s freestyle competition, we had already had more than enough chaos. Then on the final day things got even better and that was before we made it to the finals. In the consolation semifinals, Joey McKenna and Austin Desanto put on a show that needed some extra time to look at the final exchange. Nonetheless, McKenna came out on top to move on to the 3rd place bout. On the other side, Seth Gross, who lost his first match of the tournament, wrestled all the way back to earn his opportunity to finish third. And while his match with McKenna was thrilling, it was nothing like his bout with Alec Pantaleo in the consolation semifinals where he locked up a trapped arm gut wrench after countering Pantaleo’s turn attempt to score 16 straight points and get the technical fall after trailing 6-0. Gross would go on to fall to McKenna in the 3rd place bout. Velte Shuts Out the Field, An Underdog Emerges at 76 & Jacarra at 62kg?? Mallory Velte really let her offense show this weekend as she kept each of her opponents scoreless. Wins of 10-0, 13-0 and a fall preceded her eventual 1st place finish, which came via forfeit in the finals. Coming into the tournament, eventual finalists Precious Wieser and Marlynne Deede came in seeded third and fifth and at the end it was Wieser that was crowned champion with a big throw and fall over Deede. You’re reading that correctly, the multiple-time world medalist and 2019 55 kg World Champion wrestled at 62kg this weekend and finished at the top. But why was she so far from her normal weight class, that’s been 53 kg during Olympic years? Afterwards she said that she wanted to get a different feel against women who are stronger than her, who she normally wouldn’t see in a live tournament setting. She went on to say that her return to 53kg is to be determined. Dom Bradley Qualifies For 5th Olympic Trials After it was all said and done, Dom Bradley was once again victorious claiming his fourth Senior National title and qualifying for his 5th Olympic Trials. He spoke about how a lot of the guys he competed against in 2008 are now solely coaching and how his competition has changed to the young guys he used to recruit. Overall, he’s still grinding and coming away with hard fought wins.

Yesterday, we brought you the top-24 matches to watch at the Collegiate Duals. Now, how about a look at each of the eight teams that will participate in the event brought together by Journeymen Wrestling on Monday and Tuesday. The key item to remember with this year’s event is that there are no advancement or placement matches. Half of the teams have been grouped into a pool of four, while the other half are in another. Each team will wrestle the other three schools in their pool. One pool will wrestle on Monday and the other on Tuesday. The duals will all be streamed on the Collegiate Duals 3.0 Rokfin page. Monday’s Teams #3 Cornell Current Record: 1-0 Head Coach: Mike Grey 2022-23: EIWA (1st)/NCAA (3rd) Cornell has only had one dual meet and is still trying to sort out a couple of weights. They are still trying to lock in a replacement at 149 lbs for four-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis and 174 lbs after All-American Chris Foca moved up to 184 lbs. Even so, Cornell’s star power could propel them above the rest of the group. 2023 NCAA champion Vito Arujau is expected to be in action for the second time this season and is a bonus point threat any time he steps on the mat, even though he’s slated to meet three ranked opponents. Lots of attention will be focused on 157 lb true freshman Meyer Shapiro. At the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Shapiro majored two-time All-American Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) in one of the most anticipated matches of the opening day. He dropped his next two bouts to miss the podium. In limited opportunities, Shapiro has shown he can put up points in bunches. The Big Red saw a pair of wrestlers make the finals in Vegas and both will be counted upon greatly in Nashville. Brett Ungar (125) and Julian Ramirez (165) will have some significant tests, on Monday. Ramirez has a rematch with 2021 NCAA champion David Carr on the docket. The 2023 EIWA champion shocked Carr with a late-match flurry in the CKLV semis. Ungar grinded out wins over a pair of past All-Americans to wrestle in the finals. I think most fans will be looking forward to another Cornell/Iowa State dual; however, if the Big Red team is caught looking ahead, they could get stunned by Pittsburgh; as Ohio State found out last weekend. Dual Order: Little Rock, Pittsburgh, Iowa State #7 Iowa State Current Record: 3-1 Head Coach: Kevin Dresser 2022-23: Big 12 (3rd)/NCAA (11th) Iowa State joined the Collegiate Duals last year and had a great dual with Cornell, which led them to take on Penn State in the pool championship. In order to get by the Big Red, head coach Kevin Dresser sent out Joel Devine at 184 lbs, moving Marcus Coleman to 197 and Yonger Bastida to heavyweight. That move was fun for spectators and ended up giving his team the win as all three upperweights responded with wins. The first month-plus of the 2023-24 season must have felt hectic for Dresser and his team. It appeared as if the Cyclones were in good position to end their long losing streak to Iowa; however, the Hawkeye silenced Hilton and the ISU faithful during an 18-14 win. Less than a week later, Iowa State took the mat in Vegas and responded with a team title. Bastida, now permanently at 285 lbs, won the only title for Iowa State, but freshman Evan Frost and graduate transfer Will Feldkamp made the finals at 133 and 184 lbs, respectively. Having a positive showing in Vegas after a heartbreaking loss to Iowa was just what the doctor ordered. It has shown that the Cyclones have moved past the setback and are focused on the future. This is a new-look lineup for Iowa State that includes freshmen Frost, Cody Chittum (157), and MJ Gaitan (174). Anthony Echemendia has been inserted at 141 lbs and looks like a podium threat after taking seventh in Vegas. Casey Swiderski moved up to 149 lbs and is showing flashes of the talent that made him one of the top recruits in the Class of 2022. Even with the Iowa loss, Iowa State has one of the best and most balanced dual lineups in years. There are no real holes that could be exposed in an event of this caliber. Dual Order: Pittsburgh, Little Rock, Iowa State #16 Pittsburgh Current Record: 6-1 Head Coach: Keith Gavin 2022-23: ACC (3rd)/NCAA (22nd) Throughout the first month-plus of the regular season, Pittsburgh has established itself as one of the most enjoyable dual teams to watch. In their first week of dual competition, the Panthers suffered an uncharacteristic loss to Navy, but have since beaten three Big Ten opponents (Illinois, Maryland, Ohio State). The Panthers are a good mix of youth and experience as Cole Matthews and the Heller brothers (Holden and Reece) are in at least their fifth year of collegiate competition. Vince Santaniello, Mac Stout, and Dayton Pitzer are all ranked freshmen for Keith Gavin’s squad. In Pittsburgh’s victory over Ohio State, Matthews notched a huge win over CKLV champion Jesse Mendez. Matthews has had a rough start to the 2023-24, so that may be an indication that he’s ready to turn the corner. With some tough competition in Nashville at 141 lbs, getting the best version of Matthews will be essential if Pitt harbors visions of upsetting either Cornell and/or Iowa State. Another positive sign from the Buckeye win was 125 lber Colton Camacho getting the Panthers off to a strong start. He used a 14-9 decision to knock off #26 Brendan McCrone. Camacho comes into the Duals on a modest three-match winning streak. If he can be consistent, the Panthers will continue to be a tough out for any of their opponents; in this tournament and beyond. Dual Order: Iowa State, Cornell, Little Rock Little Rock Current Record: 5-1 Head Coach: Neil Erisman 2022-23: Pac-12 (5th) The Pac-12 representative at this event is one of the more intriguing young teams in the nation. Neil Erisman’s team is only in their fifth year of competition and he easily has his best squad thus far. The Trojan staff has been busy on the recruiting trail with a #19 Class in 2022 and an honorable mention the previous season, coupled with the first top-25 signee in 2023. The fruits of their labors are starting to show as the Trojan lineup is littered with wrestlers from those classes. Little Rock comes into the duals with half of their lineup in the national rankings, which is certainly a first for the program. The highest amongst those is 197 lber Stephen Little. The big man from Kentucky had an excellent redshirt season in 2022-23 and started the season with wins in seven of his first eight contests. Little has a win over CKLV finalist Jaxon Smith and has only lost to past NCAA third-place finisher Stephen Buchanan. Each of his prospective opponents on Monday is currently ranked, so he’ll continue to get tested. Another new face we’re eager to see against top competition is 133 lb true freshman Nasir Bailey. Thus far, Bailey has won the TigerStyle Invite and owns a win over national qualifier Jace Koelzer (Oklahoma). Matt Bianchi (157), Tyler Brennan (174), and Josiah Hill (285) are the other three Trojan wrestlers who currently appear in the rankings. Credit to Erisman and his staff for challenging his young team with three duals in one day against ranked opposition. Little Rock comes to Nashville after posting two dominant wins on Saturday against Chattanooga and Queens. Of course, the Collegiate Duals will represent another level (or two) up in competition. Dual Order: Cornell, Iowa State, Pittsburgh Tuesday’s Teams #2 NC State Current Record: 7-0 Head Coach: Pat Popolizio 2022-23: ACC (1st)/NCAA (10th) Tuesday’s slate is highlighted by the second-ranked team in the nation, NC State. Pat Popolizio’s team has been very busy in the first month and a half of the season with seven duals and a trip to Vegas for the CKLV. The Wolfpack have not been seriously tested in dual competition as their 35-9 win over Binghamton was their closest dual to date. In Vegas, NC State crowned two champions (Kai Orine - 133 lbs and Trent Hidlay - 197 lbs) and had Ryan Jack in the 141 lb finals. Ed Scott also suffered a second-round loss then blew through the consolations to grab third place. NC State comes into Nashville with nine of their ten starters in the national rankings. In addition, they have good depth at most weights, so if Coach Popolizio wants to give a key starter or two a breather during these three duals, it’s an option. We’ve expected that NC State would be very good this year, but 184 lber redshirt freshman Dylan Fishback has proven to be an X-factor. Fishback already has wins over three returning national qualifiers (one All-American) in his 11 wins. With another potential All-American in the lineup, NC State’s opponents have very little margin for error in a dual setting. One of the must-watch matches of this entire event will take place immediately on Tuesday as top-ranked 125 lber Jakob Camacho is set to face ex-teammate Anthony Noto (Lock Haven), who is a returning All-American who’s currently ranked second in the nation. A staple of the Collegiate Duals, NC State lost in their pool finals against Iowa in 2021 and won their pool last season. Dual Order: Lock Haven, Northern Iowa, Ohio State #8 Ohio State Current Record: 4-1 Head Coach: Tom Ryan 2022-23: Big Ten (4th)/NCAA (4th) In the 2022 Collegiate Duals, NC State and Ohio State appeared to be on a collision course for the finals. That dual never materialized because Ohio State was upset by Northern Iowa. This year, there is no advancement so we know Ohio State will see both of those teams. They’ll start with a rematch against Northern Iowa. Ohio State is looking to right the ship after their upset loss to Pittsburgh last week. The Buckeyes were without heavyweight starter Nick Feldman; however, the dual was decided before the big men took the mat. One of the bright spots was 133 lb redshirt freshman Nic Bouzakis. Bouzakis earned a 5-2 victory over Vince Santaniello, an opponent that defeated him 11-4 at the season-opening Clarion Open. He also fell in the first round at Vegas and crushed the field during a consolation run to third place. The NC State dual should allow us to see Bouzakis against CKLV winner, Kai Orine, a match we didn’t see in Vegas. All-in-all, the Buckeyes had six placewinners in Vegas, led by 141 lb champion Jesse Mendez. Mendez is in line to meet a pair of top-ten opponents, including his CKLV finals foe, Ryan Jack of NC State. Another member of the Buckeyes top-ranked recruiting Class of 2022 is Feldman. He injury defaulted out in Vegas and didn’t wrestle against Pittsburgh, so we may have to “wait and see” about his status in Nashville. All three of Ohio State’s opponents have a ranked heavyweight, so if Feldman can go, he’ll get tested. Without Feldman in the lineup, it’ll be extremely difficult to knock off NC State and perhaps Northern Iowa. The Buckeye lineup also features three other past All-Americans (Dylan D’Emilio - 149; Carson Kharchla - 174; Gavin Hoffman; 184) not previously mentioned. Dual Order: Northern Iowa, Lock Haven, NC State #21 Northern Iowa Current Record: 0-1 Head Coach: Doug Schwab 2022-23: Big 12 (7th)/NCAA (16th-tie) As mentioned before, Northern Iowa shook up its pool in 2022 when they knocked off Ohio State. One of the key wins for Doug Schwab’s squad came at 141 lbs when Cael Happel defeated eventual All-American Dylan D’Emilio. Happel has another formidable opponent from Ohio State with Jesse Mendez moving up from 133. Like Ohio State, Northern Iowa was upset last weekend. They gave up three falls in a 28-21 loss to Columbia. I’d imagine the Panthers will be eager to avenge that loss and start the day with an equally disappointed Ohio State team. Northern Iowa is led by the top-ranked 184 lber in the nation Parker Keckeisen. Keckeisen won the CKLV Invitational and tallied bonus points in four of his five contests. Along the way, he majored a pair of returning All-Americans. Last year, Keckeisen cradled and pinned NC State’s star Trent Hidlay in one of the most memorable moments in Collegiate Duals history. The CKLV Invitational proved to be the coming-out party for a pair of UNI wrestlers. Julian Farber took advantage of a wide-open 133 lb weight class and finished seventh. He was also beaten during Northern Iowa’s dual against Columbia. The other Panther wrestler who introduced himself to the nation was redshirt freshman Ryder Downey. Though he didn’t crack the top-eight, Downey did earn wins over a pair of top-16 opponents. One of the positives from the Columbia dual was the return of heavyweight #9 Tyrell Gordon. Gordon didn’t show much rust in a first-period fall over the Lion’s Billy McChesney. Northern Iowa always comes ready to scrap so I’d expect tough duals against NC State and Ohio State, even if those two opponents appear as favorites, on paper. Dual Order: Ohio State, NC State, Lock Haven Lock Haven Current Record: 0-2 Head Coach: Scott Moore 2022-23: MAC (1st)/NCAA (30th) You don’t want to come into the Collegiate Duals seeking your first dual win, which is what Lock Haven is doing, as there are no easy outs. Lock Haven’s 0-2 start has included dual losses to Arizona State and Army West Point at WrangleMania. That record is obviously a bit misleading as Lock Haven has yet to be able to display their ideal starting lineup. The Bald Eagles have yet to see 2023 national qualifiers Wyatt Henson and Tyler Stoltzfus in dual action. Lock Haven’s star is their 125 lber, 2023 NCAA fourth-place finisher Anthony Noto. Noto’s official mark is 6-0 this season and his closest win has been an 8-2 win over national qualifier Ryan Miller. Earlier in the season, Noto briefly held the number-one ranking nationally; however, he lost that after a loss to Matt Ramos (Purdue) at the All-Star Classic. He’ll have the opportunity to state his case for the top billing at 125 lbs, as he starts the day with top-ranked Jakob Camacho. Aside from Noto’s performance, Lock Haven has been boosted by their middleweights Connor Eck (157) and Avery Bassett (165). Eck has already amassed 16 wins, while Bassett has excelled in tournament competition. In addition, Moore’s team also features two other past national qualifiers in Gable Strickland (133) and Isaac Reid (285). Lock Haven is always a team that will fight and scrap under Moore. No matter the rankings of their opposition, individually or as a team, they will battle in each contest. Dual Order: NC State, Ohio State, Northern Iowa

After two days of wrestling, all Greco champs have been crowned, three women’s titles have been claimed and we have our finalists in men’s freestyle as they joined the party on day two along with the second set of women’s weights. And with a ton of great scrapping in the books we had to look at some of the biggest performances as we go into the final day of wrestling. High Schoolers Leave Their Mark A trio of high school wrestlers put a stamp on the Senior level with some huge wins in the earlier rounds in the men’s freestyle bracket. First was Aiden Valencia. We’ve seen his name in the headlines for taking out an All-American before, this time he really stepped up as he sent NCAA Champ Seth Gross to the consolation bracket in the second round at 65kg after he defeated Gross by technical fall. Also in the second round, Wyoming Seminary’s Luke Lilledahl defeated NCAA finalist Brandon Courtney, 6-2. Courtney took the early lead, but after the initial points scored by Courtney, it was all Lilledahl who scored the next six points to get the win. Then in the quarterfinals, another NCAA Champ fell at the hands of a high schooler as Connor Mirasola defeated NCAA Champion Max Dean. Both battled tough but in the end, it was Mirasola that came out with the 9-6 victory to punch his ticket to the semifinals. Both Lilledahl and Valencia went on to fall in the quarters the following round and Mirasola dropped his semifinal bout the next round as well. Lilledahl was teched by Nico Megaludis, Valencia took a hard-fought 3-0 loss to Alec Pantaleo and Mirasola lost to Mark Hall. But they definitely showed that they are ready for tough competition on the Senior level. As expected, 65kg Didn’t Disappoint This weight class was certainly the headliner coming into the tournament with the amount of talent registered to compete and so far, the weight class has completely delivered. Now, Beau Bartlett and Andrew Alirez are set to face off in the finals. But, it took a lot of grit to make it that far and the finalists weren’t the only ones putting on a show as you saw above with Valencia. A few matches to go back and watch include: Jaydin Eierman vs Anthony Ashnault: Was Eierman pinned? It looked that way, but he was able to escape a tough situation and get the win over Ashnault. (Honestly, go watch all of Eierman’s matches. There were a ton of points on the board and crazy situations in just about every single one of them. Andrew Alirez vs Alec Pantaleo: A pair of stingy wrestlers put up 7 total points and as you’d expect showcased great defense in the process. A Bartlett double feature: Beau Bartlett must like the number 5. In back-to-back bouts, he claimed 5-5 criteria wins over Matt Kolodzik and Joey McKenna in the quarters and the semis, respectively. WCAP Lights Up the Night The Greco crew out of WCAP has shown out time and time again and this year was no different. The men ended the night with champs at 60kg, 67kg, 77kg, and 87kg. At 60kg, Ildar Hafizov received a forfeit in the final, but his WCAP brothers followed with a ton of heat. Alejandro Sancho came from behind to get the hard-fought 7-6 win over Peyton Omania at 67kg before Kamal Bey sparked the crowd by countering Benji Peak’s turn attempt resulting in Bey getting the first-period fall at 77kg. Spencer Woods finished things off for the team with a chippy 11-3 win over Mahmoud Sebie at 87kg. As a team, WCAP finished second to Titan Mercury, but that was clearly due to the amount of wrestlers representing the club. Some Throws, Some Grit And Overall Tough Performances in Women’s Finals Not to be outdone by the Greco finals happening between the women’s finals, the ladies put on a show as well. Sage Mortimer used a last-second score to get the 12-10 win over Samara Chavez at 50kg. Then Vayle Baker held off Katie Gomez’s leg lace in the waning seconds of the bout to get a 5-2 win at 53kg and Amanda Martinez got to pick up a big 4-1 win over Alex Hedrick, who she has a storied history with at 57kg.