InterMat Staff

Brooke Point

Below is a recap of last week’s EIWA action, with individual news and highlights worth noting. Key Takeaways Navy shuts out American to remain undefeated Binghamton wrestlers claim 5 titles between the Sheridan Tournament and Wilkes Open Lehigh claims 3 champs at Sheridan Tournament Hofstra goes undefeated 3-0 on the weekend American American faced off against EIWA foe Navy at home. Although American did not win any matches, they almost pulled out three wins – two of them would have been potential upsets. We did not see #15 Jack Maida compete in the match. Leete lost in overtime to #22 Ferretti at 133 lbs while Bourne lost to #27 Key at 184 lbs. #16 Navy 38 – American 0 125 - Dayton DelViscio (Navy) dec. Shamil Kalmatov (AU), 11-10 (Navy 3-0) 133 - #22 Brendan Ferretti (Navy) dec. Maximilian Leete (AU), 4-1 SV (Navy 6-0) 141 - #19 Josh Koderhandt (Navy) major dec. Raymond Lopez (AU), 14-5 (Navy 10-0) 149 - Luke Lucerne (Navy) dec. Ryan Zimmerman (AU), 13-7 (Navy 13-0) 157 - Jonathan Lay (Navy) dec. Jack Nies (AU), 7-3 (Navy 16-0) 165 - #20 Andrew Cerniglia (Navy) tech. fall Breon Phifer (AU), 16-0 (4:17) (Navy 21-0) 174 - #19 Danny Wask (Navy) major dec. Lucas White (AU), 9-0 (Navy 25-0) 184 - #27 David Key (Navy) dec. Connor Bourne (AU), 2-0 (Navy 28-0) 197 - Jacob Lucas (Navy) major dec. Liam Volk-Klos (AU), 16-4 (Navy 32-0) 285 - #14 Grady Griess (Navy) pinned Emmanuel Ulrich (AU), 2:35 (Navy 38-0) The Eagles will be on the road after the New Year with a dual at Michigan State. There will be some wrestlers at the F&M Open as well. Army The Black Knights were in Pennsylvania this weekend – represented at two events. The Sheridan Tournament was hosted by Lehigh and Army had five place winners of the seven competing. Leading the way were Ben Pasiuk (174 lbs) and Gunner Filipowicz (165 lbs). They were both competing to get matches at their new weight classes after dropping down from the beginning of the season. At 285 lbs, Austin Kohlhofer was 3rd place. Dakota Morris and Wolfgang Frable were both 4th place at 165 lbs and 197 lbs, respectively. At the Wilkes Open, they had 11 placewinners. Andrew Christie led the team with a runner-up finish at 165 lbs. In 3rd were Conor Collins (133 lbs), Joe Couch (125 lbs), and Shane Percelay (141 lbs). Wrestling unattached for Army was Tanner Craig at 165lbs. We dominated the day winning four pins and one tech fall. The next event for Army is after the New Year at the F&M Open. Binghamton Binghamton was also at the Sheridan and Wilkes Open. They had a few champs in both events. At Wilkes, Carson Wagner (125 lbs), Micah Roes (133 lbs) and Michael Zarif (149 lbs) were all champs. Zarif had a notable win over 2022 NCAA Qualifier, Farber from Lock Haven. Ivan Garcia (141 lbs) and William Ebert (174 lbs) were runners-up. They claimed two champs at the Sheridan. Jacob Nolan (#20 @ 184 lbs). He had a win over #32 Rogotzke of Indiana. #14 Lou DePrez (197 lbs) has returned for another semester, and cruised to a title with three of four wins coming via bonus. At 141 lbs, Nate Lucier walked away with 4th. The Bearcats will be in action at the F&M Open the first week of January. Brown The Bears were in Bethlehem for the Sheridan Tournament. Hunter Adrian was the lone placer He ended the day in 3rd place at 133lbs. Interestingly, this was only the 3rd event for Brown this season thus far. They will have some wrestlers in the lineup this upcoming semester who were not on the roster the first half of the year. Once this squad gets mat time, be prepared to see much improvement. Bucknell The Bison were off from competition for the holiday break. Bucknell will be on the mats for the Southern Scuffle on New Year’s Day. Columbia Columbia will be back in Iowa during the holidays when they compete at the Soldier Salute. Cornell (#8) Cornell had a single competitor at the Sheridan Tournament. Nick Wade placed 4th at 149 lbs. He outplaced Josh Saunders, wrestling unattached. The Big Red will be in action with competitive duals at #12 Ohio State and hosting #8 Virginia Tech the first weekend back after the new year. Drexel The Dragons were enjoying the break. Drexel will return to action on New Year’s Day at the Southern Scuffle. Franklin & Marshall The Diplomats had a handful of competitors at the Sheridan Tournament. Jackson Parker (125 lbs) placed 4th, as did Drew Currier at 133 lbs. F&M had several starters taking this event off, as they will be at the Midlands next week. Harvard Harvard was also off this weekend. The Crimson will be off until the holiday break when they compete at the Midlands. Hofstra Hofstra ended the first semester on a high note, earning 3 wins over Morgan State, Bloomsburg, and Edinboro. We saw Dylan Ryder up at 133 lbs where he secured three wins – two by bonus points. He will eventually be back down to 125 lbs. Jurius Clark was 3-0 on the week at 157 lbs. Ross McFarland was dominant in his 3-0 week. Hofstra saw Will Conlon go 3-0 at 184 lbs. #21 Keaton Kluever had two falls and a major decision. He remains the only ranked wrestler for Hofstra at the moment. Hofstra 37, Morgan State 3 125 - Dylan Acevedo (HOF) over Julian Dawson (MSU): 16-6 MD 133 - Dylan Ryder (HOF) over Kevin Lopez (MSU): 15-0 TF 141 - Alex Turley (HOF) over Tommy Fiero (MSU): 11-3 Dec 149 - Noah Tapia (HOF) over Aaron Turner (MSU): 11-1 MD 157 - Jurius Clark (HOF) over Josh Greenwood (MSU): 14-1 MD 165 - Jake Marsh (MSU) over Joe McGinty (HOF): 7-3 Dec 174 - Ross McFarland (HOF) over Kyle Grey (MSU): 6-0 Dec 184 - Will Conlon (HOF) over Kingsley Menifee (MSU): 6-4 Dec 197 - Nikolas Miller (HOF) over Nathanic Kendricks (MSU): 13-2 MD 285 - #21 Keaton Kluever (HOF) over Tyler Stewart (MSU): Fall 165 (ex): Greyson Harris (HOF) over Shaymus MacIntosh (MSU): Fall Hofstra 27, Bloomsburg 14 125 - Bronson Garber (BLOOM) over Dylan Acevedo (HOF): 4-1 Dec 133: Dylan Ryder (HOF) over Major Lewis (BLOOM): Fall 141: Alex Turley (HOF) over Michael Cassidy (BLOOM): 2-1 Dec 149: Cade Balestrini (BLOOM) over Noah Tapia (HOF): 5-2 (ot) Dec 157: Jurius Clark (HOF) over William Morrow (BLOOM): 5-1 Dec 165: Caden Dobbins (BLOOM) over Joe McGinty (HOF): 15-0 TF 174: Ross McFarland (HOF) over Josh Bonomo (BLOOM): Fall 184: Will Conlon (HOF) over Tanner Culver (BLOOM): 6-2 Dec 197: David Tuttle (BLOOM) over Nikolas Miller (HOF): 11-8 Dec 285: Keaton Kluever (HOF) over Tyler McCatharn (BLOOM): Fall Hofstra 27, Edinboro 9 125: Caleb Edwards (EU) dec. Dylan Acevedo (HU), 7-1 (3-0) 133: Dylan Ryder (HU) dec. Jacob Brenneman (EU), 9-3 (3-3) 141: Anthony Ferraro (EU) dec. Alex Turley (HU), 8-1 (6-3) 149: Noah Tapia (HU) dec. Colin Roberts (EU), 6-2 (6-6) 157: Jurius Clark (HU) major dec. Steffan Lynch (EU), 10-1 (6-10) 165: Jake Slotnick (HU) major dec. Max Kirby (EU), 17-7 (6-14) 174: Ross McFarland (HU) wbf. Joey Arnold (EU), 0:57 (6-20) 184: Will Conlon (HU) dec. Brody Evans (EU), 7-2 (6-23) 197: Jack Kilner (EU) dec. Nikolas Miller (HU), 4-1 (sv-1), (9-23) 285: #21 Keaton Kluever major dec. Jack Lodato (EU), 15-4 (9-27) Lehigh #28 The Mountain Hawks hosted the Sheridan Tournament. They had a plethora of placewinners. Sheldon Seymour (125 lbs), #26 Max Brignola (157 lbs), and #10 Nathan Taylor (285 lbs) were crowned winners. JT Davis was in 2nd place at 197 lbs, as was Malyke Hines at 141 lbs. #11 Hines lost to #15 Moore of Rutgers in the final. At 149 lbs, Lehigh had Drew Munch finish runner-up, Kelvin Griffin 4th, as Owen Reinsel was forced to medically forfeit out. The three of them are still in the mix to be named the starter. At 184 lbs, Jack Wilt was 3rd. The Mountain Hawks have a logjam at 141 and 149 lbs. There is a ton of talent in these two weights, but only two will be the guy come March. Lehigh will be in action with a dual vs Binghamton and Cornell the second weekend in January. Long Island The Sharks added another win to their season total. This win was a dominant one over Edinboro. The team won nine of ten bouts, two of them by bonus points. They now have four wins this season in their six dual meets. Last year’s win total was three wins. The Sharks are a team showing exponential improvement. LIU 29 - Edinboro 3 125: Robbie Sagaris (LIU) won by decision over Caleb Edwards (Edinboro), 4-0. LIU leads 3-0. 133: Jacob Brenneman (Edinboro) won by decision over Christopher Betancourt (LIU), 8-6. Teams Tied 3-3. 141: Devin Mathews (LIU) won by decision over Anthony Ferraro (Edinboro), 6-1. LIU leads 6-3. 149: Drew Witham (LIU) won by major decision over Colin Roberts (Edinboro), 11-2. Lead leads 10-3. 157: Rhise Royster (LIU) won by decision over Luke Kemerer (Edinboro), 4-1. LIU leads 13-3. 165: James Johnston (LIU) won by decision over Max Kirby (Edinboro), 8-2. LIU leads 16-3. 174: Blake Bahna (LIU) won by decision over Joey Arnold (Edinboro), 7-6. LIU leads 19-3. 184: Anthony D’Alesio (LIU) won by decision over Brody Evans (Edinboro), 4-1 in OT. LIU leads 22-3. 197: John Dusza (LIU) won by major decision over Nick Lodato (Edinboro), 14-2. LIU leads 26-3. 285: Aeden Begue (LIU) won by decision over Jack Kilner (Edinboro), 6-0. LIU wins 29-3. LIU will be back to competing at the F&M Open. Navy #15 The Midshipmen remained undefeated on the year with a shutout win over American in an EIWA matchup. They used four bonus point victories to end the first half of the season. #16 Navy 38 – American 0 125 - Dayton DelViscio (Navy) dec. Shamil Kalmatov (AU), 11-10 (Navy 3-0) 133 - #22 Brendan Ferretti (Navy) dec. Maximilian Leete (AU), 4-1 SV (Navy 6-0) 141 - #19 Josh Koderhandt (Navy) major dec. Raymond Lopez (AU), 14-5 (Navy 10-0) 149 - Luke Lucerne (Navy) dec. Ryan Zimmerman (AU), 13-7 (Navy 13-0) 157 - Jonathan Lay (Navy) dec. Jack Nies (AU), 7-3 (Navy 16-0) 165 - #20 Andrew Cerniglia (Navy) tech. fall Breon Phifer (AU), 16-0 (4:17) (Navy 21-0) 174 - #19 Danny Wask (Navy) major dec. Lucas White (AU), 9-0 (Navy 25-0) 184 - #27 David Key (Navy) dec. Connor Bourne (AU), 2-0 (Navy 28-0) 197 - Jacob Lucas (Navy) major dec. Liam Volk-Klos (AU), 16-4 (Navy 32-0) 285 - #14 Grady Griess (Navy) pinned Emmanuel Ulrich (AU), 2:35 (Navy 38-0) Navy is the last remaining undefeated team in the conference. They have wins over ranked teams in Pitt and Illinois. The remaining ranked teams on the schedule are #13 South Dakota State, #30 Wisconsin, #28 Lehigh, and #27 North Carolina. Plus, a slate of EIWA matches – it is very well possible Navy will end the season with an undefeated dual record. Penn #20 The Quakers will head into the break with plenty of rest. They will pick back up at The Midlands just before the new year. Princeton The Tigers were another team not competing this past weekend. Next on the agenda for Princeton is The Midlands between Christmas and New Year’s. Sacred Heart Sacred Heart’s home opener occurred just before the break. They hosted Edinboro, but fell 27-14. At 165lbs, Scott Jarosz won by major. Jake Ice was a winner by major decision at 125lbs. Andrew Fallon earned a forfeit for the final win. Edinboro 27 – Sacred Heart 14 141 – Anthony Ferraro (EU) def. Chris Naegele (SHU) by Decision, 6-3 149 – Colin Roberts (EU) def. Mike McGhee (SHU) by Major Decision, 11-2 157 – Luke Kemerer (EU) def. Brandon Teresa (SHU) by Decision, 6-1 165 – Scott Jarosz (SHU) def. Max Kirby (EU) by Major Decision, 11-1 174 – Joey Arnold (EU) def. Owen Ayotte (SHU) by Major Decision, 15-2 184 – Brody Evans (EU) def. Logan Michael (SHU) by Tech Fall, 20-3 197 – Jack Kilner (EU) def. Jake Trovato (SHU) by Tech Fall, 19-3 285 – Nick Lodato (EU) def. Marc Berisha (SHU) by Decision, 4-1 125 – Jake Ice (SHU) def. Eamonn Jimenez (EU) by Major Decision, 10-2 133 – Andrew Fallon (SHU) won by forfeit (EU) The Pioneers will return to competition with a tri-meet against Queens University of Charlotte and VMI.

NCAA DI Rankings have been updated today; however, there was very little movement since the last update. Because of Collegiate Duals, the previous week's rankings were posted on Wednesday. Since then, there were a few duals along with the Sheridan Invite and the Wilkes Open. The Sheridan Invite provided some movement at 141 lbs as Mitch Moore maintained his perfect record and defeated Malyke Hines. Central Michigan's Corbyn Munson won the 149 lb bracket and Graham Rooks lost to a pair of Lehigh wrestlers. Also at the Sheridan, Ben Pasiuk moved back down to 174 lbs. Pasiuk was an EIWA finalist at the weight in 2023. The next rankings update will come on January 3rd, as the second day of the Southern Scuffle is on Tuesday the 2nd. For this week's rankings, Click Here

In January of 2023, Lou Deprez was injured in a match at the Southern Scuffle. Little did he know this injury was serious enough to end his final season of NCAA eligibility, and ultimately, his wrestling career. Because of his importance to the program, Head Coach Kyle Borshoff named Lou to the coaching staff immediately. He was very much a valued teammate on and off the mat. It was Borshoff’s intention to keep Lou around the program as much as possible, no matter the capacity. Fast forward almost a year later, Lou Deprez will return to the roster as a wrestler thanks to a medical redshirt. He brings one of the best resumes to ever step foot inside the Binghamton program. He is already a four-time NCAA qualifier and three-time EIWA champion while amassing an impressive 131 wins at the collegiate level. More importantly, he is the first two-time All-American in school history. He was selected as an NWCA All-American in the canceled 2020 tournament and finished 8th in 2021. In his last full season, he made the quarterfinals in 2022, failing to repeat as an All-American losing in the round of 12 – or infamously named the “Blood Round.” Deprez will compete at the 197 lbs weight class. Assuming he has not lost too much of a step, the Binghamton squad will now have a line-up containing four ranked wrestlers in addition to Brevin Cassella (165 lbs), Jacob Nolan (184 lbs), and Cory Day (285lbs). The opportunity will be a great chance for Deprez to earn another All-American honor while vastly filling a hole in the line-up in a major way. As a warm-up for the collegiate season, Lou decided to compete at the U.S. Senior Nationals freestyle event in Fort Worth, TX. He wrestled at 97 kgs – which equates to 213 lbs. He lost in the quarterfinals to the eventual champion, Kollin Moore, formally of Ohio State. He came back to earn eighth place in the star-studded bracket. In the final match, he injury defaulted. Yesterday, DePrez made his return to the collegiate scene yesterday at Lehigh’s Sheridan Invitational. There was very little rust as DePrez won the 197 lb bracket with four straight wins. He posted bonus points in his first three matches, then downed JT Davis (Lehigh) in the finals - 9-3. In our last rankings update, DePrez made his 2023-24 debut at #14.

Mill Valley

Valiant Prep

Arizona State travels to Reno TOC Arizona State sent five wrestlers to the Reno TOC and returned with near-perfect results, going 17-6 in their matches. Richard Figueroa was stunned 6-4 by Wyoming’s Jore Volk. However, he did post four victories, including Oregon State’s Caleb Coyle. Mykey Ramos went 5-1 at 149 pounds, losing to Oklahoma’s Willie McDougald 8-6. Ramos had three bonus-point victories including a first-period pin. Nicco Ruiz stood out at 165 pounds. Ruiz went 5-0 with wins over Oklahoma’s Cael Carson, Mannix Morgan, and Oregon State’s Isaiah Anderson. CSU Bakersfield falls in dual and TOC Cal State Bakersfield dropped its dual against Oregon State 48-0. The Roadrunners forfeited 149 pounds and lost four other matches by pins. However, three wrestlers battled the Beavers to the final whistle. Richard Castro-Sandoval lost to Brandon Kaylor 10-4 at 125 pounds. Guillermo Escobedo battled Matthew Olguin to an 11-4 loss at 165 pounds and heavyweight Jake Andrews lost 7-5 to Charles Hastriter. The Roadrunners followed up at the Reno TOC with two wrestlers finishing with a winning record. Ray Ray Harris went 3-2 at 125 pounds. He earned wins against unattached Gabe Gray, Clackamas CC Kai Villesanor, and Utah Valley’s Jacob Carson. Eric Mittlestead went 3-2 at heavyweight. His victories came against Abdulah Razzak, Ethan Salazar, and Shane Mattson. Little Rock Little Rock continues to be the most impressive team in the Pac-12 this season. The Trojans ran their winning streak to four with dominant wins against Chattanooga and Queens. The Trojans defeated Chattanooga 30-11. Jeremiah Reno, Triston Wills, and Stephen Little won by tech fall while Josiah Hill ended the dual with a pin. Brennan Van Hoecke, Matt Bianchi, and Tyler Brennan won close decisions. On the other hand, Little Rock had its first dual where every match had bonus points. Joshua Sarpy, Chase Tebbets, Joseph Bianchi, Brennan, and Hill won by pins. Reno, Van Hoecke, Kyle Dutton, Wills, and Little won by tech fall. On Monday, Little Rock traveled to Nashville for the Collegiate Duals. Though the Trojans went 0-3, they took #17 Pittsburgh to criteria in a 22-21 loss. Nasir Bailey had a pair of ranked wins, including a quick tech fall over then #8 Evan Frost of Iowa State. Wills has two wins as well, one of which was a pin against then #14th ranked Reece Heller of Pittsburgh. Updated rankings from InterMat have found Little Rock amongst the top-30 in tournament rankings for the first time in program history. Oregon State dominates CSUB dual Oregon State began the week with a 48-0 victory against Cal State Bakersfield. The Beavers won all but three matches by bonus points. Cleveland Belton, Isaiah Crosby, and Trey Munox highlighted the dual with first-period pins. Kekana Fouret won by a second-period pin and Travis Wittlake won by a 19-3 tech fall in the second period. After their dual, the Beavers went to Reno TOC and sent a handful of their starters and several wrestlers deeper on the depth chart. The Beavers had mixed results from their wrestlers. Caleb Coyle went 5-1, losing his one-ranked match to ASU’s Richard Figueroa. Isaiah Crosby went 4-1 at 157 pounds, losing to Oklahoma’s Jared Hill 2-1. He won some close battles including a 10-8 victory over Alex Ramirez and 4-2 against Oklahoma’s John Wiley. Justin Rademacher went 4-1 and Mason Christiansen went 4-2 at 197 pounds. Stanford loses VT dual; Undefeated at Campbell Stanford wrestled against Virginia Tech last week and fell 29-7. Daniel Cardenas defeated Bryce Andonian in a top-ten matchup 15-7 at 157 pounds. Jason Miranda won 3-0 at 141 pounds against Mac Church. Unfortunately, the Cardinal wrestling squad found themselves on the wrong side in the other top matchups. Nico Provo was stunned at 125 pounds, losing 5-2 to Cooper Flynn. In addition, Sam Latona defeated Tyler Knox 12-3, and Mekhi Lewis defeated Lorenzo Norman 8-0 and Sonny Sasso defeated Nick Stemmet 8-4. Tuesday was much better for the Cardinal as they swept the Campbell quad with wins over the hosts, North Dakota State, and Purdue. Though they were without four typical starters, Chris Ayres’ team managed to pull out three wins. As expected, Cardenas and Stemmet went 3-0 on the day.

Good morning, folks. We are nearly two months into the college season and 125 is exactly the mess I said it would be. But that’s a problem for the Ranker’s Guild and not me. Plenty of questions from some heavy hitters in the wrestling industry today and time is of the essence so let’s jump right into it so you can get ready for Festivus tomorrow and air some grievances. Thoughts on the Ivy League going their own way as of 2024-25? Seton Hall Pirate It’s certainly interesting, but I hope it doesn’t have a negative impact on the EIWA with losing some marquee teams. I’ve always liked the idea of this wrestling-only conference that’s still going strong for well over 100 years. Perhaps we can fill the gaps with whatever is left of the PAC-12 and just absorb them into it. With the invention of the airplane by the Wright Brothers, the world has become a much smaller place. I’m sure the boys at Hofstra wouldn’t mind leaving Long Island for a California getaway in late January. I also hope it can open the doors for a Yale or a Seton Hall to bring back a wrestling program and join any of these conferences. Wishful thinking, I know. The best thing to do is break off some teams from the MAC and even it out a bit. Will InterMat hire another person to cover the new Ivy League tournament or just add it to Austin Sommer’s workload while increasing his pay? Kevin McGuigan Only if he uses the name Dallas WInter and ties a sweater around his neck. If you’re going to be the Ivy League guy then BE the Ivy League guy. Drive a BMW. Play croquet every Sunday. Join a yacht club. Live the gimmick. What criteria should be used in the best ranking systems? Here are ideas for things to be considered: Hair Great hang Shoe size How many pull-ups they can do Can they dunk? Are their school’s singlets and warmups cool? Favorite movie Kevin Claunch You just made Sonny Sasso number one and he’s still in redshirt. I would also very much like to know how many wrestlers can actually dunk. I bet Trent Hidlay tries every single day and just doesn’t accept that he’s a wide-bodied defensive specialist built to pull down rebounds in the paint. For the love of god, what do we have to do to make duals matter all year? I think Goody and I have the best ideas. Why don't others see it? Nick Kosko Is your idea to put pork roll and Taylor Ham on the line for every dual? But seriously, I don’t have the answer. Richard Immel may have the answer with the ranking series angle he proposed last night on X (formerly known as Twitter) but I doubt it will ever get past the discussion stage. If this is about the lack of headline matches in duals, or what some people call ducking, I’m afraid you’re not going to change that with any type of new system or team championship. I try to stay away from the ducking term, because I’m just an average fan and I’m not privy to what’s going on behind the scenes. I get that guys are banged up and it is the coaches’ job to protect their guys at all costs. Mike Grey is not concerned that you paid ten bucks and didn't get to see a matchup between two star freshmen. Should he care? Maybe. Will he take heat from fans? Certainly. Will his job status be in jeopardy over it? Not a chance. It’s just the nature of the beast now and I don’t see the NCAA drastically changing the system so David Carr can get his win back. What is Jagger hoping to wake up Christmas morning to find under his tree? Dan Seifring I was going to say Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto in a Mets jersey, but before I could even spell-check his name the Dodgers (yes, those Dodgers) went and signed him along with every other player I coveted. That team is reaching Penn State levels of “This guy, too? Come on!” If only they knew how to win titles like Cael and the crew. Favorite Coquito flavor. Aaron Bartlett Coconut? Are there any other flavors? What are your thoughts on wrestlers counting byes as wins? Mike C. Is that really a thing? That can’t be true. You don’t even get your hand raised! I don’t even know what else to say except I’m going back to my high school hall of records and adding two more wins to my total. I realize we live in a world of fake overfiltered selfies, but I draw the line at fake wins. Get lost with that nonsense. On that note, I’m out of things to say. I wish you all a wonderful Friday as we head into the holiday weekend and then the end of the year. I started watching college wrestling seriously in 2017 and never imagined I’d be writing to you about coquito and pork rolls at the end of 2023. America truly is the land of opportunity.

Monday and Tuesday of this week featured one of the best new traditions in the wrestling world, the Collegiate Duals. Arranged by Journeymen Wrestling, the Collegiate Duals have taken place in a Southern city without collegiate wrestling for each of the last three years. Frank Popolizio and crew have been able to nab the top teams in the nation and put them together in dual competitions. Looking at the current NCAA dual rankings via InterMat, eight of the current top-ten teams in the country have participated in at least one of the three Collegiate Dual events. This year’s event took place in Nashville, Tennessee at the Montgomery Bell Academy. For those that have attended all three Collegiate Duals events, the facilities at this school were the best year. But back to the actual wrestling. Here are some general thoughts about the action on the mat (and a little off the mat) from the 2023 Collegiate Duals. The Big Red Elephant in the Room In what has been an all-too-familiar situation, the wrestling community was in an uproar after the first day of the Collegiate Duals. The final round of the three-dual competition on Monday saw then-#3 Cornell face then-#7 Iowa State. It was a rematch of the 2022 Collegiate Duals, which ended up being one of the best duals of the season. Although it was expected to be a star-studded affair, the 2023 version was memorable for all of the wrong reasons. The Cyclones prevailed 26-15 spurred by big wins from Anthony Echemendia (141 lbs) and Yonger Bastida (285 lbs), but the talk of the dual centered around who wasn’t in the lineup for Cornell. Four of the Big Red’s regular starters were not in the starting ten after competing in the previous two duals. #5 Brett Ungar (125), #2 Vito Arujau (133), #15 Meyer Shapiro (157), and #3 Julian Ramirez (165). Cornell actually won the 125 lb contest; however, they lost the other three and gave up bonus points in two of those. So why the controversy? In each of the four matches that Cornell eschewed, they featured a higher-ranked wrestler who was slated to meet a lower-ranked wrestler from Iowa State. At the same time, the only ranked-versus-ranked matches that took place featured a lower-ranked wrestler from Cornell taking on a higher-ranked wrestler from Iowa State. Basically, those were matches where Cornell had nothing to lose. Later that evening, an email from Cornell head coach Mike Grey made its way to social media: The email says everything you’d expect it to say, and frankly, you can’t argue with anything that Coach Grey wrote. I take that back, maybe you could reason that since Iowa State was the highest-ranked opponent and everyone knew when the duals would take place, wrestlers could have been rested in rounds one or two, if that’s what was needed. In Cornell’s defense, I’m sure their wrestlers were banged up. We’re just about two months into the season; most, if not all, wrestlers have some sort of ailment that could keep them from competing. The way that our sport is currently constructed, all that matters is March and the individual tournament. As stated in the email, Coach Grey is doing what he and his staff feel is in the best interest of their wrestlers. Personally, I’ll give Coach Grey the benefit of the doubt. I’m sure his wrestlers are dinged up and maybe something in their first two matches aggravated those particular issues. That being said, the optics are horrible. It appears really fishy when all of one team's higher-ranked wrestlers don’t compete against other high-quality wrestlers. At the same time, that same team sends out wrestlers who could unseat someone above them in the rankings. Maybe it’s just all a coincidence and terrible luck. We’ll probably never know for sure. And for the wrestling community. We’ve been burned time and time again, anticipating we’ll see a great match and then getting the rug pulled out from under our feet. Again and again, for years and years. This is not necessarily a “Cornell issue” but a larger problem in our sport. Cornell happened to be the team wrestling on Monday night, with no other action going on and the eyes of the wrestling community focused on a pay-per-view event on a subscription-based website. It’s easy to see why the hypothetical torches and pitchforks were pulled out on Twitter (X) and the message boards. Especially, when we’ve been Charlie Brown with the football pulled away by Lucy hundreds of previous times. And before I move on, I’m going to stand up for the general wrestling fanbase. Whenever this happens, people associated with the program in question come out in defense of their school and its coaches. That happened this time; which is understandable. I’ll speak for the vast majority of wrestling fans when I say that nobody wants wrestlers to get injured. Nobody wants them to wrestle injured. This isn’t gladiator combat and we don’t expect wrestlers to fight to the death. There are plenty of factors that could prevent a college-aged wrestler from competing in a match. Fans don’t know everything. At the same time, the college wrestling fan base isn’t that, that big. There are a lot of fans who wrestled in college. They understand the types of mental and physical roadblocks that could hinder a wrestler's performance. This isn’t NFL football where a large chunk of the fanbase didn’t even play in high school. Wrestling fans are knowledgeable. They also understand rankings, seeding, and NCAA qualification and how not-wrestling a particular match might help in all of those areas. And another comment I typically hear is that college athletes aren’t doing this for your enjoyment and entertainment. That’s true. I salute them for putting their bodies on the line in a sport like wrestling. At the same time, you don’t want to bite the hand that feeds you. At some point, after being burned time and time again, fans will just not care. They won’t tune in to the matches or spend time and money traveling in person. We don’t have that large of a fanbase to alienate people by playing mental games with the opposition or protecting NCAA seeds. For anyone offended by the social media uproar from wrestling fans when they’ve accused your team of “ducking,” I’d recommend stepping back from the situation. You’re probably too close to it. Think about how you’d feel if your biggest rival “ducked” a handful of matches against a top-ten team. You’d probably roll your eyes, shake your head, and think it’s “typical” of those guys. Is Navy a Top-Ten Dual Team? Duals lead themselves to some unusual results. That’s what makes them fun and we should have some sort of a DI National Dual tournament or decide the team championship via dual. But, I’ll leave that soapbox alone for now. In Tuesday’s nightcap, Ohio State edged NC State 21-20 on the strength of pins from their first three wrestlers. Not only did the Buckeyes pin NC State’s 125-141 lbers, but all of those Wolfpack wrestlers held top-five rankings at the time of the match. I have no idea whether something like that has ever been done before, and frankly, I have no idea where to search for such information. So, bear with me as I play the transitive game. NC State lost to Ohio State who lost to Pittsburgh who lost to Navy. Navy’s a top-ten team right? Maybe not, yet, as the transitive property doesn’t necessarily work for wrestling rankings. But it can be fun! Had Little Rock held on to beat Pittsburgh, we really could have had some fun with it. Now a comparison I’m willing to make is that Iowa State, and Iowa, are better than we may have thought preseason. Judging by what Iowa State has done at CKLV and in dual competition, the Hawkeye are similar to what we’ve come to expect from a Tom Brands-led team. More 125 lbs Chaos! In maybe the least surprising news of the week, 125 lbs continued to be a mess at the Collegiate Duals. In the ten bouts that featured a ranked 125 lber, half of them ended with the lower-ranked (or unranked) wrestler winning. Jakob Camacho entered Nashville as the top-ranked wrestler at the weight. He left with three losses courtesy of Anthony Noto, Brendan McCrone, and Trever Anderson. After yesterday’s rankings update, Noto has been elevated to the top spot. Looking ahead to the next week-plus, the field for the Midlands could be pretty loaded with 125 lbs and the Soldier Salute is smaller, yet has some high-quality lightweights. The parity should continue in the near future and there’s a chance that no one really establishes themselves as “the guy to beat” at the weight. Little Rock is Tough! Earlier this season, I was casually chatting with a DI head coach. His squad had recently wrestled Little Rock. His take on Little Rock was “They’re underrated. Those guys compete really hard. Neil’s (Erisman) done a really good job.” With that in the back of my mind, Little Rock was one of the teams I was most excited to see compete at the Duals. Partly because I’d already seen six of the eight squads wrestle in person this season, but also because of their young, relatively untested talent. How would they handle a gauntlet that includes Cornell, Iowa State, and Pittsburgh in back-to-back-to-back duals? That’s three of the top-17 teams in the nation. Very ambitious for even the best team in the nation, not to mention one that’s currently unranked a features a bevy of freshmen/sophomores. It sounds like an overused cliche, but the final score of Little Rock’s duals didn’t really do justice to how they actually competed. The bouts were more competitive than the final score indicated. After losses to the Big Red (32-8) and Cyclones (31-9), Pittsburgh needed criteria to edge the Trojans 22-21. That dual was highlighted by Brennan Van Hoecke’s victory over 2022 All-American Cole Matthews at 141 lbs and Triston Wills pinning a top-15 opponent in Reece Heller at 184 lbs. Perhaps the most talked about performance from Little Rock came from their 133 lber, true freshman, Nasir Bailey. Bailey started the day by giving returning national champion Vito Arujau a tough fight in his 4-0 loss to the world champion. There were also some post-match fireworks between the two, which I always enjoyed, provided no one crossed the line (and they didn’t). In match two, Bailey needed less than two minutes to rack up a tech fall on CKLV finals Evan Frost. He’d finish the day with a back-and-forth win over Vince Santaniello, giving him two wins over ranked opponents on the day. With the two quality wins and a weird, inexperienced field outside of the title contenders at 133 lbs, Bailey has crept into the top eight at 133 lbs. That has helped Little Rock earn a spot in InterMat Tournament Rankings for the first time in program history. The potential of this team and the way that they compete leads me to believe that there will be plenty of “firsts in program history” in the near future for Erisman’s team.

Springdale

Edmond North

North Kingstown

Mountain View

Manhattan (Pratt CC)

Blair Academy

Akron-Westfield

Bald Eagle Area

Philipsburg-Osceola

Holy Cross

Harrison

Monday’s Duals First Round Cornell 32 Little Rock 8 125 - Brett Ungar (Cornell) dec Jeremiah Reno (Little Rock) 7-3 133 - Vito Arujau (Cornell) dec Nasir Bailey (Little Rock) 4-0 141 - Vince Cornella (Cornell) tech Brennan Van Hoecke (Little Rock) 17-1 149 - Ethan Fernandez (Cornell) dec Kyle Dutton (Little Rock) 14-13 157 - Meyer Shapiro (Cornell) dec Matt Bianchi (Little Rock) 8-1 165 - Julian Ramirez (Cornell) fall Bilal Bailey (Little Rock) 174 - Tyler Brennan (Little Rock) fall Benny Baker (Cornell) 184 - Tristan Wills (Little Rock) dec Christian Hansen (Cornell) 5-0 197 - Jacob Cardenas (Cornell) fall Stephen Little (Little Rock) 285 - Lewis Fernandes (Cornell) dec Josiah Hill (Little Rock) 5-0 Iowa State 21 Pittsburgh 14 125 - Kysen Terukina (Iowa State) dec Colton Camacho (Pittsburgh) 6-4 133 - Evan Frost (Iowa State) dec Vince Santaniello (Pittsburgh) 9-6SV 141 - Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State) maj Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) 12-3 149 - Finn Solomon (Pittsburgh) dec Zach Redding (Iowa State) 8-4 157 - Cody Chittum (Iowa State) maj Jared Keslar (Pittsburgh) 13-2 165 - David Carr (Iowa State) maj Holden Heller (Pittsburgh) 9-1 174 - Luca Augustine (Pittsburgh) dec MJ Gaitan (Iowa State) 5-4 184 - Reece Heller (Pittsburgh) maj Will Feldkamp (Iowa State) 14-6 197 - Mac Stout (Pittsburgh) maj Rowan Udell (Iowa State) 11-2 285 - Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) dec Dayton Pitzer (Pittsburgh) 6-3

Monday’s Duals First Round Cornell 32 Little Rock 8 125 - Brett Ungar (Cornell) dec Jeremiah Reno (Little Rock) 7-3 133 - Vito Arujau (Cornell) dec Nasir Bailey (Little Rock) 4-0 141 - Vince Cornella (Cornell) tech Brennan Van Hoecke (Little Rock) 17-1 149 - Ethan Fernandez (Cornell) dec Kyle Dutton (Little Rock) 14-13 157 - Meyer Shapiro (Cornell) dec Matt Bianchi (Little Rock) 8-1 165 - Julian Ramirez (Cornell) fall Bilal Bailey (Little Rock) 174 - Tyler Brennan (Little Rock) fall Benny Baker (Cornell) 184 - Tristan Wills (Little Rock) dec Christian Hansen (Cornell) 5-0 197 - Jacob Cardenas (Cornell) fall Stephen Little (Little Rock) 285 - Lewis Fernandes (Cornell) dec Josiah Hill (Little Rock) 5-0 Iowa State 21 Pittsburgh 14 125 - Kysen Terukina (Iowa State) dec Colton Camacho (Pittsburgh) 6-4 133 - Evan Frost (Iowa State) dec Vince Santaniello (Pittsburgh) 9-6SV 141 - Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State) maj Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) 12-3 149 - Finn Solomon (Pittsburgh) dec Zach Redding (Iowa State) 8-4 157 - Cody Chittum (Iowa State) maj Jared Keslar (Pittsburgh) 13-2 165 - David Carr (Iowa State) maj Holden Heller (Pittsburgh) 9-1 174 - Luca Augustine (Pittsburgh) dec MJ Gaitan (Iowa State) 5-4 184 - Reece Heller (Pittsburgh) maj Will Feldkamp (Iowa State) 14-6 197 - Mac Stout (Pittsburgh) maj Rowan Udell (Iowa State) 11-2 285 - Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) dec Dayton Pitzer (Pittsburgh) 6-3 Second Round Cornell 27 Pittsburgh 12 125 - Colton Camacho (Pittsburgh) dec Brett Ungar (Cornell) 3-1 133 - Vito Arujau (Cornell) tech Vince Santaniello (Pittsburgh) 19-4 141 - Vince Cornella (Cornell) dec Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) 8-2 149 - Ethan Fernandez (Cornell) dec Finn Solomon (Pittsburgh) 4-1 157 - Meyer Shapiro (Cornell) maj Dylan Evans (Pittsburgh) 14-3 165 - Julian Ramirez (Cornell) maj Holden Heller (Pittsburgh) 11-1 174 - Luca Augustine (Pittsburgh) dec Benny Baker (Cornell) 5-1 184 - Chris Foca (Cornell) tech Reece Heller (Pittsburgh) 18-1 197 - Jacob Cardenas (Cornell) dec Mac Stout (Pittsburgh) 2-1 285 - Dylan Pitzer (Pittsburgh) fall Ashton Davis (Cornell) 2:40 Iowa State 31 Little Rock 9 125 - Ethan Perryman (Iowa State) dec Jeremiah Reno (Little Rock) 10-9 133 - Nasir Bailey (Little Rock) tech Evan Frost (Iowa State) 15-0 141 - Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State) maj Brennan Van Hoecke (Little Rock) 19-6 149 - Zach Redding (Iowa State) maj Kyle Dutton (Little Rock) 9-1 157 - Cody Chittum (Iowa State) dec Matt Bianchi (Little Rock) 10-6 165 - Connor Euton (Iowa State) dec Joey Bianchi (Little Rock) 10-7 174 - MJ Gaitan (Iowa State) maj Kodiak Cannedy (Little Rock) 15-4 184 - Will Feldkamp (Iowa State) fall Triston Wills (Little Rock) 3:21 197 - Stephen Little (Little Rock) maj Caleb Helgeson (Iowa State) 14-5 285 - Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) maj Josiah Hill (Little Rock) 14-4 Third Round Pittsburgh 22 Little Rock 21 125 - Colton Camacho (Pittsburgh) maj Reid Nelson (Little Rock) 20-7 133 - Nasir Bailey (Little Rock) dec Vince Santaniello (Pittsburgh) 12-8 141 - Brennan Van Hoecke (Little Rock) dec Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) 10-6 149 - Finn Solomon (Pittsburgh) InjDef Kyle Dutton (Little Rock) 157 - Matt Bianchi (Little Rock) maj Jared Keslar (Pittsburgh) 8-0 165 - Brendon Abdon (Little Rock) tech Grant MacKay (Pittsburgh) 15-0 174 - Luca Augustine (Pittsburgh) dec Tyler Brennan (Little Rock) 3-1 184 - Triston Wills (Little Rock) fall Reece Heller (Pittsburgh) 197 - Mac Stout (Pittsburgh) tech Tanner Mendoza (Little Rock) 18-1 285 - Dayton Pitzer (Pittsburgh) dec Josiah Hill (Little Rock) 5-0 Iowa State 26 Cornell 15 125 - Greg Diakomihalis (Cornell) fall Kysen Terukina (Iowa State) 6:24 133 - Evan Frost (Iowa State) dec Ethan Qureshi (Cornell) 12-5 141 - Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State) maj Vince Cornella (Cornell) 13-4 149 - Zach Redding (Iowa State) dec Ethan Fernandez (Cornell) 4-1 157 - Cody Chittum (Iowa State) maj Cole Handlovic (Cornell) 20-6 165 - David Carr (Iowa State) fall Ben Rogers (Cornell) 2:57 174 - MJ Gaitan (Iowa State) dec Benny Baker (Cornell) 10-7 184 - Chris Foca (Cornell) dec Will Feldkamp (Iowa State) 8-7 197 - Jacob Cardenas (Cornell) fall McCrae Hagarty (Iowa State) 285 - Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) dec Lewis Fernandes (Cornell) 6-3

It was a big dual week in the conference, as Iowa State and Northern Iowa competed at the Collegiate Duals. Every team outside of Oklahoma and Utah Valley had duals, while those two and Wyoming competed at Reno’s Tournament of Champions. All three schools finished in the top four, despite Utah Valley not bringing a full lineup. There’s not a ton of action coming up this week, but tournaments like the Southern Scuffle, Soldier Salute, and Midlands are right around the corner. Air Force (Overall: 2-2; Conference: 0-2): Dual Results Air Force went on the road to wrestle Big 12 champs Missouri and lost a 38-3 dual. Their lone win was a big one however, as #8 Sam Wolf beat #6 Clayton Whiting in overtime 4-1. Giano Petrucelli made things fun against O’Toole late, scoring two takedowns in the third while O’Toole was pushing for the tech. The team was short Wyatt Hendrickson for the dual, as he went 5-0 at the Reno Tournament of Champions. Hendrickson scored four pins in five minutes of wrestling, then finished it off with a 15-4 major decision over Josh Heindselman of Oklahoma. Next Up: Air Force has the F&M Open in Lancaster, PA on January 5th to start the new year. California Baptist (Overall: 3-4; Conference: 0-1): Dual Results (NIU) | Dual Results (SIUE/Kent State) California Baptist had a busy weekend, going 1-2 in duals in Illinois. They lost to NIU 19-15, SIUE 20-15, but got a 29-19 win over Kent State. Chris Island at heavyweight was unfortunately injured in their first dual against NIU, and the Lancers had to give up six points in all three duals. Hunter Leake was the only wrestler to go 3-0 on the weekend. Mateo De La Pena at 165 was 2-0, but suffered an injury against Kent State. Next Up: The Lancers have the Midlands Tournament on December 29th as their next event. Iowa State (Overall: 6-1; Conference: 0-0): Collegiate Dual Results Iowa State went undefeated at the Collegiate Dual event, beating Pitt 21-14, Little Rock 31-9, and Cornell 26-15. Anthony Echemendia, Cody Chittum, and Yonger Bastida went 3-0, with David Carr going 2-0. Bastida actually took out three ranked opponents, the only Cyclone to do so. Casey Swiderski and Julien Broderson were both dinged up and didn’t compete, with Zach Redding actually bumping up and getting two wins at 149. There were some upsets against them, Kysen Terukina, Evan Frost, and Will Feldkamp all took losses against lower ranked wrestlers. The biggest storyline may have been in the match that didn’t happen, as Cornell did not send out Julian Ramirez against David Carr. Ramirez beat Carr at CKLV, and had actually gone 2-0 earlier that day against Little Rock and Pittsburgh. While there was a lot of discussion about resting vs “ducking”, it will be interesting to see if/how it affects seeds in March. Cornell also did not send out Vito Arujau, Meyer Shapiro, or Brett Ungar. It just so happens that Cornell is ranked higher at those weights as well. Between the CKLV title and the undefeated showing, Iowa State continues to look like trophy contenders. Next Up: The team takes a break until 2024, taking on future conference opponent Arizona State on the road on January 5th. Missouri (Overall: 4-0; Conference: 3-0): Dual Results Another dominant conference win for the Tigers with the 38-3 win. Of their nine wins, the team scored seven bonus point wins. Noah Surtin notched an impressive 17-1 tech fall over Tucker Owens. Kade Moore got another start and this time scored a major decision. Peyton Mocco and Zach Elam both took injury time in their matches, but finished the match with tech falls. Clayton Whiting was the upset loss, unable to score a takedown against Sam Wolf. Colton Hawks wrestled at 197 lbs for the second time this year and got another win, this time 4-1 over Calvin Sund. Even with Mocco and Zach Elam finishing the matches, their injury status will be something to keep an eye on with a short turn around to competition. Next Up: The Tigers will wrestle Illinois in St.Louis at the Stifel Theater on December 21st in a UFC Fight Pass dual. North Dakota State (Overall: 1-6; Conference: 0-1): Dual Results NDSU competed at Campbell’s Camel Duals, going 1-2. The Bison scored their first win of the year, taking out Purdue 22-17. The team lost to Campbell 30-13 and Stanford 26-17. A big part of that is that NDSU is short a 125lber, and gave up forfeits in all three duals. Gaven Sax stayed hot, going 3-0 including a win over Austin Murphy. Kellyn March made his return to the lineup, but lost a 4-1 decision against Campbell’s Justin Rivera. Meanwhile Max Petersen started the other two duals and went 2-0. Brendan Howes got a big win against ranked Stoney Buell of Purdue, and Fernando Barreto scored a win over Stanford’s Dom Lajoie who may end up in the rankings. While the Bison are in a bit of a rebuild, they are getting wins in a lineup with six freshmen getting strong wins. Next Up: NDSU’s schedule doesn’t get easier, as they’ll next compete at the Southern Scuffle on January 1st. Northern Colorado (Overall: 7-1; Conference: 0-1): Dual Results The Bears hosted the UNC Quad Duals and beat Otero Junior College, North Idaho, and Northwest Kansas Tech. The school went 30 for 30, including 21 bonus point wins. While no significant results came from these duals, Travis Mastrogiovanni did make his debut for UNC at 174lbs. Next Up: The team is another Big 12 team set to compete at the Southern Scuffle on January 1st. Northern Iowa (Overall: 1-3; Conference: 0-0): Collegiate Dual Results Northern Iowa was the other Big 12 team to compete at Collegiate Duals where they went 1-2. They beat Lock Haven 35-3 while they dropped to NC State 16-25 and Ohio State 7-26. Even in losses, there were some big results. Parker Keckeisen went 3-0, Julian Farber went 2-1, including an upset over Nic Bouzakis. Trever Anderson had a huge win over Jakob Camacho. Jared Simma pinned Alex Faison and Tyler Stoltzfus in back to back matches. Evan Yant got the start in two duals at 165, but went 0-2 while RJ Weston beat his Lock Haven opponent. The team still has four top 10 opponents on the schedule, and showed here that they can be competitive. Next Up: The Panthers have the Soldier Salute next on the schedule on December 29th. Oklahoma State (Overall: 4-0; Conference: 2-0): Dual Results It was Cowboys vs Cowboys this week as Oklahoma State took out Wyoming 31-9. OK State scored bonus points in four of their eight wins. Troy Spratley struggled on bottom against Jore Volk and dropped a 5-1 decision. Jersey Robb bumped up to 197 after winning two open tournaments at 184lbs and nearly had the upset over fellow true freshman Joey Novak. Daton Fix made his return against former teammate Cooper Birdwell and got an 8-2 decision. True freshman phenom Cael Hughes got his first start, and scored a major decision over Stockton O’Brien. Jordan Williams got his first ranked win of the season as he took out Gabe Willochell in a wild 13-11 match. Next Up: OK State’s schedule picks up in the second semester, starting with NC State on January 5th. Oklahoma (Overall: 4-2; Conference: 2-2): Reno TOC Brackets The Sooners took home the title in Reno, putting eight in the finals and getting four champions. KJ Evans won at 141 lbs, an impressive and intriguing result for the true freshman. Mosha Schwartz hasn’t wrestled since an injury against West Virginia, so Evans could get some opportunities in the lineup. Jared Hill won at 157 lbs, outplacing teammate John Wiley who finished 4th. The two have gone back and forth, but Hill winning this bracket could give him the opportunity. Tate Picklo could have established himself as the starter, beating teammate Gerrit Nijenhuis in the finals. Finally, Stephen Buchanan dominated his way to a title, beating Wyoming’s Joey Novak in the finals. Next Up: The Sooners have the Southern Scuffle next, their third tournament of the year. South Dakota State (Overall: 3-2; Conference: 0-0): Dual Results The Jackrabbits took on a top Big Ten opponent in Nebraska and dropped a 21-17 dual. Derrick Cardinal continues to look like one of the most improved wrestlers from last season, with a 6-1 decision over Kyle Burwick. He’s already surpassed his 11 wins from last season, sitting at 13-3 this season. Tanner Jordan, Cael Swensen, Tanner Cook, and Bennett Berge dropped losses to higher ranked opponents. Cade DeVos, Tanner Sloan, and Luke Rasmussen also got wins. Rasmussen actually took on Silas Allred, last year’s Big Ten champ who bumped up from 197lbs for the dual. Unfortunately Allred had to default with a head injury. Next Up: SDSU has the Soldier Salute on December 29th next. Utah Valley (Overall: 1-0; Conference: 0-0): Reno TOC Brackets Utah Valley competed at the Reno TOC and came away with one champ and a fourth place finish. Jacob Armstrong went 4-0 to win the title at 184 lbs. Haiden Drury made the finals at 141 lbs, his first time at that weight this season. Caleb Uhlenhopp and Mahonri Rushton finished 5th, while Chase Trussell was 6th. The team did not have any wrestlers at 125, 133, or 197. Next Up: The Wolverines take some time off, taking on Iowa State for their first Big 12 dual on January 12th. West Virginia (Overall: 7-1; Conference: 2-1): Dual Results West Virginia hosted Division II school Fairmont State, and got a 56-0 victory. While not a significant win, it had some significant historical results. The team has started 7-1 in consecutive seasons, the first time since 1960-1961. The team put up over 50 points for the first time since 2009. The team scored bonus points in every match, including two forfeits and five pins. True freshman Ty Watters is now tied for fifth with 8 falls already this season. Next Up: West Virginia will host Fairmont State on December 19th for a dual. Wyoming (Overall: 3-2; Conference: 1-1): Reno TOC Brackets | Dual Results Wyoming had a busy week, finishing second at the Reno tournament before a dual against Oklahoma State. They impressed at Reno, starting with Jore Volk taking a title over Richie Figueroa. Joey Novak also made the finals, and dropped a match to Stephen Buchanan. Cooper Birdwell and Garrett Ricks both made the podium at 133 lbs, both taking out top seed Jace Koelzer. Birdwell finished fifth while Ricks was fourth. Sloan Swan, Gabe Willochell, Stockton O’Brien finished third, while Quayin Short was fourth, and Cooper Voorhees and Kevin Zimmer were fifth. Against OK State the team got two wins with Jore Volk and Joey Novak. Volk won a controlled match over Troy Spratley while Novak had a comeback win, putting Jersey Robb on his back while down 5-3. Sloan Swan made his dual debut, dropping a 6-2 decision to Teague Travis. The team bumped up from 165-184 and were missing typical starter Cole Brooks at 141lbs. Next Up: Wyoming competes at the Soldier Salute on December 29th.

Below is a recap of last week’s EIWA action, with individual news and highlights worth noting. Key Takeaways Janda of Drexel wins over #19 Perrine of Ohio Lou DePrez of Binghamton is granted a medical redshirt Bucknell goes 2-0 on the weekend with 2 home dual wins Cornell goes 2-1 at National Collegiate Duals American American did not compete this past weekend. The Eagles will have no competition until they face off with Navy on 12/21. Army The Black Knights were off the mat this weekend. Next up for “America’s Team” is the Wilkes Open in two weeks a few days before Christmas. Binghamton Binghamton will be at the Wilkes Open and the Sheridan Invitational at Lehigh. These events are on the same day, so expect a split lineup at each. They were off last weekend, but they had big news. Multiple time All-American, Lou Deprez has been granted a medical redshirt - allowing him one last year to compete. He officially makes his return for the second half of the season. He competed in the US Open Freestyle Nationals, placing eighth. Not a bad debut, after being sidelined for nearly a year. Brown The Bears of Brown University have not been in competition since before Thanksgiving. They will be fresh this week, as they are another team who will be at Lehigh for the Sheridan Invitational. Bucknell The Bison were on the mats for two duals at home against Buffalo and Bloomsburg. They beat Bloomsburg handily, while they needed criteria to win over Buffalo. Dorian Crosby was 2-0 with two tech falls on the day. Kurt Phipps, Braden Bower, Noah Mulvaney, and Myles Takats were all 2-0 on the day as well. Bucknell 18 Buffalo 17 (64-63 total match points criteria winner) 125: Max Elton (BUF) dec. Grayson McLellan, 6-1 (BUF 3-0) 133: #24 Kurt Phipps (BUCK) dec. Tommy Maddox, 9-4 (Tied 3-3) 141: Braden Bower (BUCK) dec. Caleb Brooks, 4-0 (BUCK 6-3) 149: Nick Stampoulos (BUF) maj. dec. Aiden Davis, 20-10 (BUF 7-6) 157: Ty Raines (BUF) dec. Nick Delp, 7-4 (BUF 10-6) 165: #27 Noah Mulvaney (BUCK) dec. Hunter Shaut, 4-0 (BUF 10-9) 174: Myles Takats (BUCK) dec. Jay Nivison, 8-1 (BUCK 12-10) 184: Chase Kranitz (BUF) maj. dec. Nolan Springer, 17-6 (BUF 14-12) 197: Sam Mitchell (BUF) dec. Logan Deacetis, 5-0 (BUF 17-12) 285: #33 Dorian Crosby (BUCK) tech fall Robbie Unruh, 18-3 (4:13) (Tied 17-17*) Bucknell 43 Bloomsburg 3 125: Bronson Garber (BLOOM) dec. Owen Bell, 4-0 (BLOOM 3-0) 133: #24 Kurt Phipps (BUCK) tech fall Major Lewis, 19-4 (1:55) (BUCK 5-3) 141: Braden Bower (BUCK) tech fall Nic Antonelli, 17-2 (1:02) (BUCK 10-3) 149: Aiden Davis (BUCK) maj. dec. Cade Balestrini, 13-5 (BUCK 14-3) 157: Riley Bower (BUCK) dec. William Morrow, 7-2 (BUCK 17-3) 165: #27 Noah Mulvaney (BUCK) maj. dec. Caden Dobbins, 11-2 (BUCK 21-3) 174: Myles Takats (BUCK) WBF Josh Bonomo, 2:54 (BUCK 27-3) 184: Mikey Bartush (BUCK) tech fall Tanner Culver, 18-3 (3:44) (BUCK 32-3) 197: Logan Deacetis (BUCK) WBF David Tuttle, 1:20 (BUCK 38-3) 285: #33 Dorian Crosby (BUCK) tech fall Tyler McCatharn 18-3 (3:44) (BUCK 43-3) Bucknell will be on the mats in competition for the Southern Scuffle on New Year’s Day. Columbia Columbia will be back in Iowa during the holidays when they compete at the Soldier Salute. Cornell Cornell was at the Collegiate Duals they beat Little Rock 32-8, #16 Pittsburgh 27-12, then lost to Iowa State 28-12. A handful of starters did not wrestle against Iowa State - leading to a bit of lopsided victory for the Cyclones. Jacob Cardenas went 3-0 on the day while a handful of guys went 2-0. Cornell 32 Little Rock 8 125: No. 5 Brett Ungar def. Jeremiah Reno 7-3 by decision 133: No. 2 Vito Arujau def. No. 21 Nasir Bailey 4-0 by decision 141: No. 16 Vince Cornella def. Brennan Van Hoecke 17-1 by technical fall 149: Ethan Fernandez def. Kyle Dutton 14-13 by decision 157: No. 15 Meyer Shapiro def. No. 28 Matty Bianchi 8-1 by decision 165: No. 3 Julian Ramirez def. Bilal Bailey by fall (43) 174: Benny Baker lost to No. 15 Tyler Brennan by fall 184: Christian Hansen lost to Triston Willis 5-0 by decision 197: No. 7 Jacob Cardenas def. No. 13 Stephen Little by fall 285: No. 19 Lewis Fernandes def. No. 27 Josiah Hill 5-0 by decision Cornell 27 Pitt 12 125: No. 5 Ungar lost to Colton Camacho 3-1 by decision 133: No. 2 Arujau def. No. 23 Vinny Santaniello 19-4 by technical fall 141: No. 16 Cornella def. No. 15 Cole Matthews 8-2 by decision 149: Fernandez def. No. 19 Finn Solomon 4-1 by decision 157: No. 15 Shapiro def. Dylan Evans 14-3 by major decision 165: No. 3 Ramirez def. No. 8 Holden Heller 11-1 by major decision 174: Baker lost to No. 17 Luca Augustine 5-1 by decision 184: No. 9 Chris Foca def. No. 14 Reece Heller 18-1 by technical fall 197: No. 7 Cardenas def. No. 17 Mac Stout 2-1 by decision 285: Ashton Davis lost to No. 10 Dayton Pitzer by fall Iowa State 26 Cornell 15 125: Greg Diakomihalis def. No. 22 Kysen Terukina 11-9 by fall (late) 133: Ethan Qureshi lost to No. 8 Evan Frost 12-5 by decision 141: No. 16 Cornella lost to No. 14 Anthony Echemendia 13-4 by major decision 149: Fernandez lost to Zach Redding 5-1 by decision 157: Cole Handlovic lost to No. 21 Cody Chittum 20-6 by major decision 165: Benny Rogers lost to No. 4 David Carr by fall 174: Baker lost to No. 22 MJ Gaitan 10-7 by decision 184: No. 9 Foca beat No. 5 Will Feldkamp 8-7 by decision 197: No.7 Cardenas beat McCrae Haggerty by fall 285: No. 19 Fernandes lost to No. 3 Yonger Bastida 6-3 by decision Drexel The Dragons were on the road wrestling at Ohio. The biggest win on the Drexel squad came at 174 lbs where Jack Janda took out #18 Perrine. Drexel started out winning the first three bouts, then lost momentum – and ultimately, the dual. Ohio 21 Drexel 13 125: Desmond Pleasant def. Ryan Meek (Ohio), Dec 11-7 (Drexel 3-0) 133: John Hildebrandt def. Mason Brugh (Ohio), Dec 4-2 (Drexel 6-0) 141: Jordan Soriano def. Aidan Waszak (Ohio), MD 16-7 (Drexel 10-0) 149: #29 Derek Raike (Ohio) def. Dom Findora, MD 10-2 (Drexel 10-4) 157: #14 Peyten Kellar (Ohio) def. Tyler Williams, MD 12-0 (Drexel 10-8) 165: #10 Garrett Thompson (Ohio) def. #31 Cody Walsh, Dec 4-0 (Ohio 11-10) 174: Jack Janda def. #18 Sal Perrine (Ohio), Dec 5-2 (Drexel 13-11) 184: Max Ray (Ohio) def. Natty Lapinski, Dec 8-2 (Ohio 14-13) 197: Austin Starr (Ohio) def. Ibrahim Ameer, Dec 5-4 (Ohio 17-13) 285: Jordan Greer (Ohio) def. Dom Petracci, MD 8-0 (Ohio 21-13) Drexel will return to action on New Year’s Day at the Southern Scuffle. Franklin & Marshall The Diplomats were resting this weekend. Find them in action at the Sheridan Invitational on 12/22 at Lehigh. Harvard Harvard was also off this weekend. The Crimson will be off until the holiday break when they compete at the Midlands. Hofstra After no competition last week, the Hofstra Pride will be in action this week with duals against Morgan State, Bloomsburg, and Edinboro. This will be a good opportunity to bring positive momentum into the holidays. Lehigh The Mountain Hawks had a weekend of rest. Lehigh’s next event will be hosting the Sheridan Invitational. On 12/22, which will include plenty of EIWA competition. Long Island The Sharks will be in action again 12/22 when they square off with Edinboro after a weekend of no competition. Navy Navy will have one more dual before the Christmas break against American on 12/21. They were on rest this weekend as well. Penn The Quakers will head into the break with plenty of rest. They will pick back up at The Midlands just before the new year. Princeton The Tigers were another team not competing this past weekend. Next on the agenda for Princeton is The Midlands between Christmas and New Year’s. Sacred Heart Sacred Heart was on the mats this weekend, squaring off with Davidson. Jake Ice was a winner at 125 lbs for the Pioneers. Andrew Fallon followed up with a win at 133 lbs. The final win came at 174 lbs by Owen Ayotte – earning a quick :25 fall. Davidson 39 SHU 12 184 – Wyatt Ferguson (DC) def. Hunter Perez (SHU) by Fall (4:49) 197 – Cameo Blankenship (DC) def. Jake Trovato (SHU) by Fall (6:18) HWT – Jake Fernicola (DC) def. Marc Berisha (SHU) by Tech Fall, 17-2 125 – Jake Ice (SHU) def. Enis Ljikovic (DC) by Decision, 5-0 133 – Andrew Fallon (SHU) def. John Hager (DC) by Decision, 3-0 141 – Joshua Viarengo (DC) def. Sam Oakes (SHU) by Fall (3:38) 149 – Tyler-Xavier McKnight (DC) def. Mike McGhee (SHU) by Injury (0:55) 157 – Tanner Peake (DC) def. Brandon Teresa (SHU) by Major Decision, 8-0 165 – Bryce Sanderlin (DC) def. Michel Ritacco (SHU) by Fall (3:56) 174 – Owen Ayotte (SHU) def. Marc Koch (DC) by Fall (0:25) This week, they will have one more dual before the holiday. They’ll host Edinboro to a dual.

Hear from all of the champions across all three styles from Senior Nationals 2023: Men's Freestyle 57 kg: Spencer Lee 65 kg: Andrew Alirez 74 kg: Quincy Monday 86 kg: Alex Dieringer 97 kg: Kollin Moore 125 kg: Dom Bradley Women's Freestyle 50 kg: Sage Mortimer 53 kg: Vayle Baker 57 kg: Amanda Martinez 62 kg: Jacarra Winchester 68 kg: Mallory Velte 76 kg: Precious Weiser Men's Greco-Roman 60 kg: Ildar Hafizov 67 kg: Alex Sancho 77 kg: Kamal Bey 87 kg: Spencer Woods 97 kg: Alan Vera 130 kg: Cohlton Schultz