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As the conference tournaments have started and action has taken place wrestlers have clinched berths to the 2024 NCAA Championships. On the other side of the coin, there are wrestlers that we know who did not hit their qualification targets. These are the wrestlers that earned allocations for their respective conferences, yet did not earn automatic qualifying status and will be forced to rely on at-large berths. This list will be updated regularly, as needed. 125 lbs Brandon Kaylor (Oregon State) Jack Maida (American) Anthony Molton (Campbell) Stevo Poulin (Northern Colorado) Diego Sotelo (Harvard) 133 lbs Blake Boarman (Chattanooga) Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State) Michael Colaiocco (Penn) Julian Farber (Northern Iowa) Mason Leiphart (Franklin & Marshall) Kade Moore (Missouri) Vince Santaniello (Pittsburgh) Tyler Wells (Minnesota) 141 lbs Vince Cornella (Cornell) Jack Gioffre (Virginia) Jordan Titus (West Virginia) 149 lbs Noah Castillo (Chattanooga) Alek Martin (South Dakota State) Jude Swisher (Penn) 157 lbs Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) Matt Bianchi (Little Rock) Michael Blockhus (Minnesota) Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (Clarion) Vince Zerban (Northern Colorado) 165 lbs Cael Carlson (Oklahoma) Derek Fields (NC State) Noah Mulvaney (Bucknell) Garrett Thompson (Ohio) 174 lbs Luca Augustine (Pittsburgh) Tyler Brennan (Little Rock) Noah Fox (Franklin & Marshall) Sal Perrine (Ohio) Carter Starocci (Penn State) Danny Wask (Navy) 184 lbs Mikey Bartush (Bucknell) Will Feldkamp (Iowa State) Max Hale (Penn) Matt Zuber (Northern Illinois) 197 lbs Evan Bockman (Utah Valley) John Crawford (Franklin & Marshall) Andy Smith (Virginia Tech) 285 lbs Jacobi Jackson (Northern Illinois) Seth Nevills (Maryland) Trevor Tinker (Cal Poly)

The 2024 Big Ten Tournament got underway Saturday morning from the Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland. While top-ranked Penn State is the overwhelming favorite to claim the team title, that doesn’t mean this year’s edition is shy on storylines. Here are our top takeaways from Session I. 1) Carter Starocci Will Need An At-Large Selection For The NCAA Tournament Three-time NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy contender Carter Starocci’s status was in major doubt after suffering a knee injury in the final dual of the season against Edinboro. Earlier this week, head coach Cael Sanderson said that Starocci was still in “search and destroy“ mode when it came to his view of things. While Starocci showed no signs of a limp while walking into and around the Xfinity Center, he apparently was not well enough to compete on Saturday. The Penn State star took the mat for one second before injury defaulting out against eighth-seeded Andrew Sparks of Minnesota. Barring a strange twist, he’ll do the same on the back side and head to the NCAA Tournament with two losses to his record and in need of an at-large spot. He’ll almost assuredly get that spot. But where he ends up in the 174-pound bracket in Kansas City now becomes the question. 2) The 125-pound weight class remains an absolute agent of chaos It’s not exactly breaking news that the 125-pound weight class in college wrestling this year is about as crazy as they come. That extended to the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday. After all seeds held true in the opening round, an absolute bomb went off in the quarterfinals. It began with Rutgers’ Dean Peterson stunning everyone in attendance with an impressive 7-1 victory over top-seed and top-ranked Matt Ramos of Purdue. But it didn’t stop there. On the bottom side of the bracket, Michael DeAugustino of Michigan, the seventh seed, replicated his feat from earlier in the season by taking out second-seeded Drake Ayala of Iowa with a takedown in short time of the third period. Perhaps the wildest match of them all involved sixth-seeded Braeden Davis of Penn State and third-seeded Eric Barnett of Wisconsin. Barnett took an early 3-0 lead and added another point thanks to a technical violation to go up 4-0 mid-way through the first period. Davis escaped to cut it to 4-1 after 1 then used an escape and takedown to take a 5-4 lead into the third period. Once there, the wrestlers exchanged reversals, with Davis’ coming as time wound down to send the match to overtime thanks to a Barnett riding time point. Davis then got in deep on what looked like it would be the winning takedown in OT only for it to get blown dead for a technical violation by Barnett that handed the true freshman the win. The lone seed that held true in the round was Minnesota’s fourth-seeded Pat McKee, who notched a 5-2 victory over fifth-seeded Caleb Smith of Nebraska. 3) Never Count Out Will ‘The Thrill’ Lewan You don’t have to like it, but you do have to respect it! Michigan senior Will Lewan just knows how to win matches. Lewan, a two-time All-American, entered the tournament with just a 9-6 record and was the seven seed. In classic Will Lewan fashion, he won a 2-1 match in tiebreakers over Isaac Wilcox of Ohio State in the opening round. But what came next, nobody saw coming. Lewan swung for the fences and connected with a big headlock for the fall against second-seeded Michael Blockhus of Minnesota in the quarterfinals. He’ll now take on Brayton Lee of Indiana (formerly Minnesota) in the semis, and would anyone put it past him to win that match? 4) Michigan’s Strong Opening Session Puts The Wolverines In A Good Spot Is Penn State the favorite? Sure. Are they a lock? Let’s not go that far. This is perhaps the best Big Ten Tournament team the Nittany Lions have had yet under Cael Sanderson. But Penn State’s record at the conference tournament is not quite as outstanding as it is at the national tournament. So, who could dethrone the Nittany Lions? What about Michigan? The Wolverines entered the tournament looking like they’d be in a three-way battle for second with Iowa and Nebraska. While it’s early on, Michigan currently holds down the second spot with 70.5 points, 13.5 ahead of Iowa and a whopping 24.5 ahead of Nebraska. The Wolverines have eight semifinalists, with the lone exceptions coming at 165 and 197. You could argue they’ll have the favorite in five of those semifinals, with toss-ups at two others. So, why not Michigan? 5) Maybe Iowa Knew What It Was Doing All Along? Since the release of preseeds earlier this week, all the talk has been about Iowa’s apparent mistake that led to Brody Teske being seeded 14th at 133 pounds. Teske, a redshirt senior, battled for the starting job all season with teammate Cullan Schriever. By the time he’d finally won it, it was too late for Iowa to enter him into consideration for seeding. That meant that he’d likely need to beat either third-seeded Nic Bouzakis of Ohio State or the loser of a quarterfinal between Nebraska’s Jacob Van Dee and Penn State’s Aaron Nagao to secure a spot at NCAAs. No easy task! But it appears that Teske was, in fact, the bad draw. After falling behind Bouzakis 10-2 mid-way through the second period, Teske clawed his way all the way back and locked up a late cradle for a dramatic 15-13 victory. That pushed him into the quarterfinals against Purdue’s Dustin Norris, who upset sixth-seeded Anthony Madrigal of Illinois in the opening round. Teske rolled past Norris, 11-5, and now looks like a genuine threat to reach the final or, perhaps, win the whole dang thing. Score one for Tom and Terry Brands.

The final piece of the NCAA qualification puzzle falls into place Sunday as the Pac-12 Championships matches will be conducted after the action on the East Coast concludes. This is an unusual situation as this is likely the final Pac-12 tournament as well know it. After this season, Arizona State will move to the Big 12 and the entire conference (full-time members) will move elsewhere. But that’s another story for another day. 24 allocations are on the line which is a sharp increase from the 19 that were available last year. Below are wrestlers who could be labeled as the favorites at each weight class along with one that could be a sleeper at their respective weight class. 125 Favorite: Brandon Kaylor Brandon Kaylor went 5-1 against Pac-12 opponents this season, losing to Little Rock’s Jeremiah Reno. Kaylor has the most experience out of the entire weight class, has been to multiple NCAA Championships and won a Pac-12 title. Kaylor is in a prime position to sweep his conference rivals and make a run for All-American during his senior campaign. Sleeper: Richard Figueroa Richard Figueroa missed several tournaments and duals during the beginning of the season. Therefore, Figueroa had some hiccups when he returned, holding a 7-5 record overall and 3-2 in the Pac-12. However, he recently upset two top-25 competitors and has yet to face Kaylor, making him an unpredictable matchup. Before worrying about Kaylor, Figueroa will have to contend with Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Champion Nico Provo who beat him in sudden victory in their dual meet. 133 Favorite: Nasir Bailey Little Rock’s Nasir Bailey is one of the top freshmen in the country. The top-10-ranked wrestler holds a 22-2 record, including a perfect 7-0 record against Pac-12 opponents. Five of Bailey’s seven matches in the Pac-12 have come with bonus points, making him an easy favorite for his first Pac-12 title. Sleeper: Gabe Whisenhunt Although Gabe Whisenhunt has not beaten the three ranked wrestlers above him, he can find some luck on his home mat. Five of Whisenhunt’s nine losses came by three points or less. Since he has a couple of weeks to prepare, Whisenhunt can look to stun one ranked wrestler and capture the third allocation. Whisenhunt will have the fourth seed, while #2 Zeth Romney and #3 Julian Chlebove battle it out on the bottom half of the bracket. 141 Favorite: Jesse Vasquez Jesse Vasquez has not wrestled in a Pac-12 Championship because of injuries. However, Vasquez holds an 8-1 career Pac-12 record with his one loss coming in the 2021 season. One of those wins came against Cleveland Belton during his final dual of the 2022-23 campaign. In addition, Vasquez has picked up some upsets and has yet to face several Pac-12 competitors. Sleeper: Jason Miranda Jason Miranda lost two Pac-12 matches against Vasquez and Belton. However, the rest of the Pac-12 wrestlers have a .500 record or worse. Therefore, Miranda likely represents the only chance to upset one of the top two seeds for an allocation. 149 Favorite: Kyle Parco Kyle Parco is coming off an upset against Ridge Lovett and is looking for an NCAA title. Parco won all his Pac-12 matches since transferring to Arizona State. He’ll be seeking his third Pac-12 title and fourth All-American honor. Parco’s style may not be fancy, but he limits his opponents' attacks and grinds out wins against any style wrestler. Sleeper: Chance Lamer With three allocations available, Chance Lamer should earn one quite easily. However, Lamer has a chance to stun Jaden Abas and Parco. Lamer lost to both wrestlers 4-3, while earning bonus point victories against all other Pac-12 foes. His semifinal bout with Abas should be one of the best of the round. 157 Favorite: Jacori Teemer Jacori Teemer is looking to finish his collegiate career without a blemish in Pac-12 competition. Teemer has three losses this season, two against top-10 opponents and one by injury default. Teemer has been completely dominant in-conference, winning his six Pac-12 matches this season by an average of nearly seven points. In order to go into rarified air and claim his fourth Pac-12 title, Teemer will likely have to go through a fellow conference champion in Daniel Cardenas, the two seed. Cardenas won the weight class last year while Teemer was injured. Sleeper: Legend Lamer After a stunning freshman campaign, Legend Lamer has been unable to gain any ground, going 27-18 as a sophomore and junior. However, Lamer has experience at the highest levels of postseason wrestling and has battled the top wrestlers closely. Lamer only lost to Teemer 10-7 and Matt Bianchi 4-1. Therefore, Lamer has a chance for an upset and a spot at the NCAA Championships. 165 Favorite: Joseph Bianchi Joseph Bianchi has defeated all his Pac-12 opponents this season by six or more points. Bianchi has only lost one time this year too, being pinned by Army’s Gunner Filipowicz. Since then, Bianchi has won 11 straight and will look for a good seed at the NCAA Championships. Sleeper: Chance McLane Chance McLane had a ton of success against smaller competitors when he competed at Oklahoma State. In addition, his losses against Bianchi and Hunter Garvin were in sudden victory. Therefore, McLane has a chance to slip the script and earn an allocation. During the final week of the regular season, McLane had a solid non-conference win over a past national qualifier Jake Logan of Lehigh. 174 Favorite: Adam Kemp Adam Kemp only has one loss this season that did not come from a medical forfeit. The one loss was also in sudden victory against Philip Congliaro. Therefore, Kemp’s near-perfect record makes him a strong candidate for a Pac-12 title and a chance for All-American status. Sleeper: Mason Reiniche Towards the end of the season, 2023 Pac-12 champion Matthew Olguin saw a lot of time at this weight; however, Mason Reiniche is the Beavers entry. Reiniche is 11-7 on the year, but hasn’t competed in dual meets. He does have two wins over past national qualifiers this year and could be trouble. He’s received the three seed and will have to contend with #23 Tyler Brennan of Little Rock. 184 Favorite: Trey Munoz Trey Munoz is one of the Pac-12 wrestlers with the best chance to capture an NCAA title. Munoz’s only career Pac-12 losses came against Bernie Truax. Therefore, Munoz could dominate a weight class that only has one wrestler ranked in the top-25. It doesn’t pertain to the Pac-12 Championships, but Munoz was able to defeat Truax, who has since transferred to Penn State, earlier this year. Sleeper: Jack Darrah 184 pounds is the only weight class with one allocation. Therefore, the rest of the Pac-12 wrestlers will be fighting for an at-large bid. Jack Darrah lost to Tony Negron by three points and Munoz by five points. If Darrah can beat Negron, he can make a case for an at-large bid or a chance to upset Munoz. 197 Favorite: Stephen Little Stephen Little holds an 18-2 record with a 6-0 record in the Pac-12. Four of his six conference matches ended by tech fall or pin, too. His biggest win of the season came in the second week when he defeated Maryland’s Jaxon Smith, who went on to earn the second seed at the Big Ten Championships. Little, along with Nasir Bailey, has the opportunity to win Little Rock’s first Pac-12 title. Sleeper: Nick Stemmet Nick Stemmet split two matches against Justin Rademacher this season, making the third matchup a tossup for a potential chance in the Pac-12 finals. Stemmet has only been pinned twice this season, once by Little. Therefore, he will be an underdog in a potential championship match. Yet, Stemmet has the most experience in the division and can find a way to flip the script. 285 Favorite: Cohlton Schultz Cohlton Schultz is a former NCAA runner-up and returns as one of the top heavyweights in the country. Schultz has won all five of his Pac-12 matchups this season, three by bonus points. In addition, Schultz has never lost against a Pac-12 opponent. He’s seeking his fourth Pac-12 crown and there isn’t a wrestler in this bracket who stands out as a serious threat to that honor. Sleeper: Boone McDermott Just like duals, the hometown heavyweight will have an entire crowd behind him looking to get an upset and capture an allocation. Although he was pinned by Trevor Tinker, he only lost to Schultz 5-2 and Josiah Hill 4-1. If McDermott finds himself in a close matchup, he can sway the momentum and pull off an upset. McDermott started the year on fire with a fourth-place showing at the CKLV. He’s struggled since then, but if he can channel that form from Vegas he’s capable of reversing some of those earlier losses.

125 #1 Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) dec #5 Sean Spidle (Central Michigan) 8-6 #2 Blake West (Northern Illinois) maj #3 Tyler Klinsky (Rider) 8-0 133 #1 Gable Strickland (Lock Haven) tech #6 Tommy Maddox (Buffalo) 18-3 #2 Richie Koehler (Rider) dec #6 Pablo Castro (Kent State) 8-1 141 #1 Wyatt Henson (Lock Haven) fall #4 Eric Almarinez (SIU Edwardsville) 6:23 #2 Jacob Brya (Northern Illinois) dec #3 Jimmy Nugent (Central Michigan) 6-0 149 #1 Corbyn Munson (Central Michigan) dec #4 Jaivon Jones (Northern Illinois) 4-3 #2 Quinn Kinner (Rider) dec Kaden Cassidy (George Mason) 8-5 157 #1 Peyten Kellar (Ohio) fall Nick Stampoulos (Buffalo) 3:59 #2 DJ McGee (George Mason) dec #3 Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan) 4-3 165 #1 Garrett Thompson (Ohio) dec #4 Caden Dobbins (Bloomsburg) 5-0 #3 Evan Maag (George Mason) dec Tyler Swiderski (Central Michigan) 5-3 174 #1 Alex Cramer (Central Michigan) maj #5 John Worthing (Clarion) 11-0 #3 Michael Wilson (Rider) dec #2 Sal Perrine (Ohio) 7-6TB 184 #1 Cam Pine (Clarion) dec #4 Chase Kranitz (Buffalo) 13-8 #6 Malachi DuVall (George Mason) fall #7 Deron Pulliam (SIU Edwardsville) 4:15 197 #1 Sam Mitchell (Buffalo) maj #4 Cameron Wood (Central Michigan) 9-1 #2 Ben Smith (Cleveland State) dec #3 Blake Schaffer (Kent State) 8-3 285 #1 Daniel Bucknavich (Cleveland State) maj Bryan Caves (Central Michigan) 13-0 #2 David Szuba (Rider) maj Jordan Greer (Ohio) 13-1 Team Scores 1. Central Michigan 97.5 2. Rider 91 3. George Mason 84.5 4. Lock Haven 67.5 5. Buffalo 62 5. Northern Illinois 62