InterMat Staff

Bishop Watterson

Southern Regional

Nevada

Glenwood

Maryland - I’ve been a big fan of Alex Clemsen and company since they got to College Park, Maryland. What they’ve been able to do over the last couple of years has been pretty great. They have remained patient with their approach, redshirting some top recruits and unleashing many of them last season with some solid success. This year they look to build on that, having four returning 2023 NCAA Qualifiers, all of which are only sophomores for the Terrapins. They have added some young talent, as well as a big transfer (literally and figuratively big), to boost their continued development. TOP RETURNERS Leading the way is Jaxon Smith who made the Bloodround last season, placed third in the B1G behind the B1G champ and the defending NCAA Champion. His only losses were close and very justifiable, and he had wins at the B1G tournament over Jacob Warner and Zac Braunagel (whom he beat more than once during the season). Next up, it’s Miller Time. Kal and Ethen Miller (141 and 149, respectively) had solid first seasons in the lineup. The brothers each qualified for NCAAs, and each showed signs of greatness in some of their matches. Consistency is going to be key for Miller Time, and from what I hear they are both looking like they’re jumping levels. I’m excited to see what these two can develop into in their sophomore campaigns. Braxton Brown was their last returning qualifier from last season. Their stud at 125 had some solid wins and some tough losses. That’s not a knock on him though, as remains the case, the B1G is always a battle. What I liked about Braxton was that his attacking style remained the same no matter who was on the other side of the line. I expect another year of maturity will help him wrestle with more consistency and he’ll be a podium threat. Dom Solis is an NCAA Qualifier from 2022 and looks to get back to this season. He’ll have home-field advantage being that the B1G Tournament is being hosted by Maryland. See you there! KEY DEPARTURES Jaron Smith was a tremendous Terrapin. I still remember when he was wrestling for them at 184 as a freshman. He battled injuries throughout his career, but it was sure great watching him get another shot to finish his career healthy and on the mat. He was an NCAA qualifier last year for Maryland, and he was a great contributor during his career. Thankfully for Maryland, they were able to use the transfer portal to address this need at Heavyweight. More on that in a moment. NEWCOMERS The newcomers list starts with Seth Nevills who transferred for his final year of eligibility from Penn State. Nevills was one of the top recruits in the country, going 169-1. He comes to Maryland hungry to prove what he can do and have his chance to compete in a varsity lineup. He’s coming into the season with the rare combination of being battle-tested and fresh. I expect he will have some bumps as he gets used to a full season of competition, but should finish strong and I expect him to be at NCAAs. Dario Lemus is an exceptional recruit and has looked good in the room. He’s expected to redshirt this season, but sometimes things change. Redshirt or not, he has a couple matches of eligibility that he can use up along the way, which should be exciting. WRESTLER TO WATCH I’ve always been a Michael North fan. He has shown that he can beat some of the better wrestlers in the country. He had wins over several ranked opponents last season (Andrew Cerniglia of Navy, Dazjon Casto of Pitt, and Jake Keating of Virginia), and had a 10-4 record in dual competition. I’m excited for him to finish his career for the Terrapins with the B1G tournament being hosted in College Park. TOP OUT-OF-CONFERENCE DUAL At first glance, I thought the dual with Pitt was their top out-of-conference dual. But that answer is too easy. One of Maryland’s impressive dual wins last year was (they beat Oklahoma, Virginia, Navy, and…) Pittsburgh, so of course that jumps out. Pittsburgh is ranked 15th currently in our dual rankings, with Maryland ranked 22nd, it does make sense that it’s their biggest dual. Not for me though, and this is cheating, but I’m going with their duals with American and Morgan State. These teams are all part of the geographic region known as the DMV, and Clemsen is trying to establish this as his territory. American is a team on the rise, and Morgan State in its first year back. Additionally, Jahi Jones is a Maryland alumnus, and the Executive Director of the HBCU wrestling initiative, so there’s a lot to connect these as more important. I include importance in this ranking system, which makes them their top out-of-conference dual(s).

Today, it’s time to focus on the MAC! Last year was a bounce-back of sorts for the conference as they got back in the All-American round and saw a very slight increase in NCAA qualifiers. This MAC preview will consist of two parts one today and a second part next week. In this first part, we’ll answer eight burning questions related to the conference and its teams/wrestlers. 1. Can anyone threaten Lock Haven? In 2023, Lock Haven captured the MAC title by a slim, two-point over Central Michigan. With both teams generally returning the bulk of their respective nuclei, the answer is yes, right? Yes, but, this Lock Haven team should be stronger than the previous version. Four of their five 2023 national qualifiers return; however, they’ve added another in Wyatt Henson (141) and have two others who just missed out on qualification (Nick Stonecheck - 149 and Avery Bassett - 165). In addition, the Bald Eagles heavyweight, 2022 qualifier, Isaac Reid is back for a final season. An injury prevented Reid from hitting the mat until late January 2023 and he never seemed to get his feet under him. With a more normal campaign, Reid could be the top 15-type wrestler he looked like heading into the 2022-23 campaign. So, we’ve established that Lock Haven head coach Scott Moore should send out a team that features few, if any, holes. Which teams have enough firepower and depth to ground the Bald Eagles? Central Michigan is the logical explanation. The Chippewas were close last year and return three 2023 national qualifiers. In addition, they have a promising pair of young big men (sophomores Cameron Wood and Bryan Caves; at 197/285, respectively) who gained valuable experience in 2022-23. Word around Mt. Pleasant is that 165 lber Tyler Swiderski has been very impressive and is pushing incumbent, Tracy Hubbard, himself a borderline national qualifier. The top of the CMU lineup has also been refortified with another Cramer brother. Adrien joins brother Alex (a national qualifier at 174) to man the 184 lb weight class. Adrien was 12-9 while redshirting for Maryland in 2021-22, but did not compete last season. Finally, CMU’s stars Corbyn Munson and Johnny Lovett have re-flipped weight classes, which could lead to both being at more comfortable weights and raising their respective ceilings. A team that may not have the consistent dual strength of CMU, but could be dangerous in a tournament situation to Lock Haven and the rest of the league is Cleveland State. Moore’s twin brother, Josh, has assembled a CSU team that has put five wrestlers in the preseason national rankings. Of those five, two are the highest-ranking MAC wrestlers (Ben Smith - 197 and Daniel Bucknavich - 285). Both Lock Haven and Central Michigan finished the conference tournament with a pair of MAC champions, so crowning two titlists should put you in the mix. From a dual standpoint, Clarion might be the most balanced team; outside of Lock Haven. While only two wrestlers made the preseason national rankings (Kyle Shickel - 149 and John Worthing - 174), Keith Ferraro’s team has a host of wrestlers that are on the cusp (Joey Fischer - 125, Alejandro Herrera-Rondon - 157, Cam Pine - 184). Additionally, Clarion is high on some new faces at 133 and 141. Former West Virginia national qualifier Ryan Sullivan is aboard at 141, while the Golden Eagles have true freshman Scott Johnson, Edinboro transfer Tye Varndall, and other joining returner Mason Prinkey. 2. Who joins Anthony Noto on the medal stand? Lock Haven 125 lber Anthony Noto is far and away the top wrestler in the conference this preseason. He finished fourth in the nation last year and enters the year ranked second at the weight. Noto was one of four MAC All-Americans during the 2023 NCAA Championships, which was a far cry from the 2022 tournament when no one from the conference broke into the top eight. During the offseason, two of those All-Americans, Izzak Olejnik and Will Feldkamp, moved on as graduate transfers to schools in the Big 12. Olejnik to Oklahoma State and Feldkamp to Iowa State. The fourth AA, Ethan Laird, graduated from Rider and is now a part of Maryland’s DMV RTC. So, who’s next? To be frank, there isn’t anyone that stands out immediately; however, the possibility exists for the conference to match last year’s number again. Let’s look at 133 lbs. Nationally, the weight is stacked up top, but after the top-ten or twelve, things drop off considerably. Does that open the door for a Gable Strickland (Lock Haven) or Richie Koehler (Rider)? Remember, to AA you don’t have to beat every guy ranked above you. Just one or two. Could they? Sure. Going up to 149 lbs, Corbyn Munson (Central Michigan) starts the year ranked #14 after an up-and-down campaign at 157. Provided the weight cut is fine, why not? Heck, Feldkamp was the 14th seed last year. And 149 has returning AA’s occupying the top-six spots. It’s a strong weight, but not loaded. At 157, Lovett is ranked in the same neighborhood as his teammate Munson (#15); however, 157 is a bit more stacked than 149. Looking at Lovett’s last year at 157 lbs (2021-22), he logged wins over two eventual All-Americans (Will Lewan - Michigan and Hunter Willits - Oregon State) and another over perennial contender (Doug Zapf - Penn), so he’s capable of a very slight upset or two at nationals. Or throughout the season he gets those wins and puts himself in the driver's seat in Kansas City. Those are just a couple of the possibilities, but they were used to illustrate the fact that making the podium is hard, Let's not get it conflated, but at the same time, it can be done. Like Feldkamp, Olejnik was not seeded as an All-American (#12) he had to wrestle his way into the top-eight. 3. Can the MAC increase its NCAA Qualifiers? Questions two and three kind of go hand-in-hand. Your chances at All-American increase as you get more bodies at the national tournament. More wrestlers in Kansas City mean more chances at an upset or two or three. More chances to advance via unforeseen injuries defaults. More chances for a wrestler to become a weird stylistic matchup for a Big Ten opponent. In 2023, the MAC was allotted 23 spots at the tournament and added four more through at-large berths for a total of 27. That was the same number that competed in 2022; however, the conference was allotted only 22 spots initially. Part of this question works in conjunction with the Big Ten and Big 12. Those conferences are going to get a ton of allocations. At their conference tournaments, will upsets lead to even more? That ends up cutting into the other conferences. Looking at InterMat’s preseason rankings, 31 MAC wrestlers are mentioned among the top 33 at their respective weights. That’s a good thing and if that number were to hold would represent significant growth. Unfortunately, that number won’t hold. We’re not sure whether it grows or shrinks at this point; however, if I had to guess, I’d put my money on shrinking. Two reasons end up converging together as to why they could shrink. As of now, 11 wrestlers are ranked between #30-33. Should some stud freshmen (or overlooked veterans) work their way into the rankings, it’s not hard to fathom them bumping those MAC wrestlers out of the top-33. Those things happen every year at just about every weight class. Now if the MAC wrestlers take care of business and win matches, earn better spots in the rankings, away from the bubble, then they don’t need to worry about freshmen pushing them out of the top-33. Getting those allotments isn’t that, that hard either. One extra upset, being on the right side of a one-point loss or two, or dualing a top-flight team can do the trick and boost winning percentages, RPI’s, and rankings. If I was forced to guess, I’d think that the MAC will be able to move up from that 27 qualifier number in 2024. Throughout the conference, from top to bottom, there’s enough talent to increase the initial allotments and then steal five or six more spots. 4. Does Ohio rebound from a tumultuous summer? One of the most overlooked stories of the offseason, from a college wrestling standpoint, was the turmoil at Ohio University (and yes, overlooked by InterMat). Right after the 2023 NCAA Tournament, the Ohio staff was put on administrative leave as the school and local authorities investigated allegations of a physical assault during a practice. It wasn’t until August that the Athens City prosecutor's office announced that they had insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges against the staff members. That meant that Joel Greenlee, a head coach at Ohio for 26 years, and his staff could resume activities with the Bobcat wrestling team. With the coaching staff away from the team for almost five months, how much damage has been done to the program? The current roster lists nine true freshmen which is actually a pretty decent number for a team that spent that much time in limbo. While veterans were said to be leading the team through offseason workouts, it likely pales in comparison to what the Bobcat staff had planned to accomplish. Hopefully, the mandated leave doesn’t impact a team that has the potential to be solid and make some noise at the conference tournament. Three NCAA qualifiers return (Peyten Kellar - 157, Sal Perrine - 174, and Zayne Lehman - 184), while a redshirt freshman (Derek Raike - 149) did enough last season to warrant a preseason ranking. That doesn’t include upperweights Austin Starr (197) and Jordan Greer (285), who showed promise last season and could be on the cusp of a breakout in 2023-24. The Bobcats will start the 2023-24 season at Virginia Tech’s Southeast Open on the first weekend of the regular season before dualing Chattanooga and Ashland the following weekend. We understand the need for Ohio University and the local authorities to do their due diligence with an investigation of this sort, but also glad to see Coach Greenlee back on the sideline as has long been a respected member of the coaching fraternity. 5. When does Ludwig hit 100? Earlier this preseason, InterMat posted an article about milestones to watch during the upcoming 2023-24 season. One of those that involved the MAC was Northern Illinois’ Ryan Ludwig who has 100 career dual meet victories well within his sights. As of now, Ludwig is sitting on 93 wins. His squad had six wins in back-to-back years, before going 8-5 in 2022-23. Looking at Northern Illinois’ schedule, they are very dual-heavy in the first half of the season. That bodes well for an early run at 100. The dates to circle are December 15th at Cal Baptist and December 19th for a quad hosted by the Huskies. If NIU is perfect in the first six matches, they’d be on the brink of 100 against the Lancers. Should they stumble in one of their first six dual (maybe against Purdue), win #100 could come at the quad that features Kent State, Northwestern, and Harper College. With seven MAC duals later in the schedule, here’s to the start of the next 100 for coach Ludwig. 6. Who are new faces to watch? True Freshman Scott Johnson (Clarion - 133), Kyle Snider (Kent State - 184) Redshirt Freshman Jacob Brya (Northern Illinois - 141), Marcel Lopez (SIU Edwardsville - 133), Bradley Gillum (SIU Edwardsville - 165/174), Evan Maag (George Mason - 157), Chase Kranitz (Buffalo - 174), Raike Transfers: Will Betancourt (Rider - 125), Wyatt Henson (Lock Haven - 141), Sullivan/Herrera-Rondon (Clarion), Adrien Cramer (Central Michigan), Brandon Wittenberg (George Mason - 133), Chad Nix (George Mason - 133), AJ Burkhart (Kent State - 174) Going back to questions two and three. Only Raike, Henson, and Wittenberg are currently in the rankings. Should another couple of new faces prove to be high-quality starters, it would be even easier for the league to improve upon its 2023 qualifier numbers. 7. What about a dark horse team? How about George Mason? Day one at the 2023 MAC Championships saw the host Patriots put together some magic that saw Nathan Higley and Peter Pappas advance to the conference finals. Higley became Mason’s first finalist since the school moved to the MAC, while Pappas ended up as GMU’s first champion during that span. Pappas has since traded his singlet for a whistle and slot on the Patriot coaching staff, but there is still plenty of talent in the revamped GMU room. Like Clarion, George Mason has a few guys that are on the cusp of the preseason rankings. 125 lber Markel Baker would have been ranked #34 had we gone that high. Evan Maag redshirted at 149 lbs and amassed 22 victories, two of which came over past national qualifiers, and is now expected to start at 157. Malachi Duvall notched 23 wins in 2022-23 at 184 lbs (one of which was over an NQ). Tyler Kocak is expected to start at 197 a year after he saw action primarily at 184, but even wrestled heavyweight. Despite the changes, he won 17 of 30 matches. Finally, heavyweight Chad Nix was 11-7 at Campbell, after barely seeing the mat during his first two years. Frank Beasley’s team starts the year with Higley and Brandon Wittenberg ranked in the top-33. Wittenberg has been stuck behind multiple All-American lightweights at Virginia Tech, so we’re not totally sure of his ceiling. Last year, he did register wins over NCAA qualifiers Joe Manchio (Columbia) and Ethan Oakley (Appalachian State). Challenging Lock Haven or Central Michigan might be a bit ambitious in 2023-24, but George Mason certainly could shake things up if the stars align properly. 8. What are the key dates outside of the MAC? Out-of-Conference Duals November 2nd: SIU Edwardsville at Illinois November 5th: Cleveland State vs. Iowa State @ Massillon, OH November 9th: Oklahoma at Central Michigan November 10th: Rider at Indiana November 11th: Lock Haven vs. Arizona State @ Bethlehem, PA November 11th: NC State vs. Bloomsburg @ Bethlehem, PA November 11th: North Carolina at Buffalo November 12th: Edinboro at Ohio State November 12th: Kent State at West Virginia November 16th: West Virginia at Clarion November 17th: Virginia at Buffalo November 18th: Central Michigan at North Carolina November 18th: Minnesota at George Mason November 19th: Central Michigan at Illinois November 19th: Michigan at Rider November 19th: Northern Illinois at Purdue December 1st: Rutgers at Edinboro December 7th: Michigan State at Buffalo December 9th: Central Michigan at Indiana December 9th: Wisconsin at Rider December 10th: Buffalo at Rutgers December 16th: Michigan State at Clarion December 19th: Lock Haven vs. Northern Iowa, NC State, Ohio State @ Nashville, Tennessee December 19th: Northwestern at Northern Illinois January 6th: Ohio at Michigan State January 7th: Rider at Rutgers January 11th: Little Rock at Cleveland State January 11th: Princeton at Rider January 14th: Campbell at Central Michigan February 4th: Ohio at Central Michigan February 10th: George Mason at Virginia Tech February 17th: SIU Edwardsville at Ohio February 22nd: Rider at Pittsburgh February 23rd: Central Michigan at Michigan State February 25th: Edinboro at Penn State February 25th: Michigan at Central Michigan Tournaments November 18th: Navy Classic (Bloomsburg, Cleveland State, Edinboro, Kent State, Lock Haven, Ohio) December 1/2: Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Ohio, Rider) December 29/30: Midlands (Buffalo, Central Michigan, Cleveland State, George Mason, Northern Illinois, SIU Edwardsville) January 1st/2: Southern Scuffle (Bloomsburg, Clarion) January 12/13: Virginia Duals (Kent State)

The nation's premier wrestling conference returns to the Big Ten Network in search of a 17th consecutive NCAA Championship, with 24 duals and Big Ten Wrestling Championships coverage airing live on BTN and the FOX Sports app. Action begins on Sunday, Dec. 3, with the defending national champions and No. 1 team in the nation as Penn State hosts No. 24 Lehigh at 2 p.m. ET. No. 7 Ohio State will take on two ranked non-conference opponents at the start of the year, as No. 15 Pittsburgh visits on Dec. 10 at noon ET and No. 2 Cornell heads to Columbus on Jan. 5 at 8 p.m. ET. Conference wrestling on the network begins in 2024 with primetime matchup on Friday, Jan. 12, between No. 8 Iowa and No. 5 Nebraska at 7 p.m. ET. The following Friday, Jan. 19, is home to a tripleheader of action with No. 5 Nebraska at No. 16 Minnesota, No. 1 Penn State at No. 9 Michigan and Purdue at No. 8 Iowa squaring off. Throughout the remainder of January and February, Friday night wrestling on BTN will be a mainstay with primetime duals. Additional schedule highlights include a Friday doubleheader on Feb. 9, when No. 9 Michigan takes on No. 5 Nebraska at 7 p.m. ET ahead of No. 1 Penn State traveling to No. 8 Iowa at 9 p.m. ET. To close out the regular season, No. 25 Wisconsin visits No. 8 Iowa and No. 5 Nebraska competes in Happy Valley against top-ranked Penn State on Sunday, Feb. 18. More than 80 additional contests will be available for streaming on B1G+, BTN's home for non-televised events and on-demand archives. B1G+ is home to coverage of the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, supplemental coverage of the 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, Soldier Salute, Zingo Nationals and the University of Iowa women's wrestling team's first ever home event, the "Trailblazer Duals." Subscription options include a conference wrestling pass, which delivers all Big Ten wrestling on B1G+, for just $69.99 per year. B1G Wrestling & Beyond will return in January of 2024 with host Rick Pizzo and analyst Shane Sparks taking you around the Big Ten with an assortment of highlights, analysis and guests. Additional coverage includes the return of On The Mat, BTN's multi-platform, behind-the-scenes look at Big Ten wrestling, as well as BTN's Big Ten wrestling Instagram page. According to Intermat's preseason rankings, the Big Ten has 11 teams ranked in the top 30. Defending national champion Penn State leads the way at No. 1, followed by No. 5 Nebraska, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 8 Iowa, No. 9 Michigan, No. 14 Rutgers, No. 16 Minnesota, No. 18 Illinois, No. 22 Maryland, No. 25 Wisconsin and No. 29 Indiana.

Ryan Holmes sits down with Rutgers head coach Scott Goodale to talk about a variety of topics. Coach Goodale and his staff have navigated the transfer portal and added three high-profile transfers into an already strong lineup. He discusses how the new faces, transfers and recruits, have meshed adjusted to life on campus. Goodale also touches on some of the key pieces in the Scarlet Knight lineup and key dates on the schedule. Off topic a bit, the two talk about anything that the team has done to plan for new rules that include three-point takedowns. For the full interview: Click Here

With every new season there’s a new group of stars emerge or breakout. Today we’re focusing on some of them. What constitutes a “breakout” star? For the purposes of this article, we’re not focusing on a top-25 freshman from the high school Class of 2023 who hasn’t had the opportunity to make his mark in college yet. That article is in the works too! The wrestlers we’re talking about are veterans who have been on the collegiate scene for a few years and have yet to compete at the NCAA Tournament. Below are representatives from each conference and a little bit of background information on their careers to date. ACC Spencer Moore (North Carolina) Last year, UNC saw graduate transfer Jack Wagner make the NCAA tournament at 125 lbs. Despite the growth of the program over the last decade, finding success at 125 lbs has proven to be difficult for the Tar Heels. Wagner’s trip to nationals marked only the third time since 2006 that UNC has sent a wrestler at that weight to nationals. That trend might get ruined in the future with the development of Spencer Moore. During the 2021-22 campaign, Moore started as a 17-year-old true freshman and fought to a 13-16 record. Last year, he took a redshirt behind Wagner and posted a respectable 8-3 record. Moore’s most significant win in 2022-23 came against Air Force’s Tucker Owens, an opponent that went 2-2 at nationals. While no one gives out medals for close losses, Moore’s three setbacks came against past qualifiers, two of which went to extra time. With another offseason in the UNC room, Moore could be ready to take the next step. Sam Fisher (Virginia Tech) Virginia Tech largely returns the bulk of a lineup that led to a ninth-place finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships. The only one of the Hokies ten NCAA qualifiers that does not return is All-American Hunter Bolen at 184 lbs. While Bolen had been a rock in the Virginia Tech lineup for a long time, there may not be a significant drop-off a the weight because of veteran Sam Fisher, who has been patiently waiting in the wings. After winning the 2022 UWW U20 Open, Fisher put together a 23-5 2022-23 season that included a fourth-place finish at the Southern Scuffle. Fisher started the year with a win over North Carolina’s Gavin Kane at the Southeast Open. Kane would end up on the NCAA podium with an eighth-place finisher at 184 lbs. Throughout the course of the season, Fisher posted wins over five past/eventual national qualifiers. Big Ten Drew Roberts (Minnesota) The Minnesota Golden Gophers will sport a new look in 2023-24 as four 2023 NCAA qualifiers and 2021 All-American Brayton Lee have moved on, opening up slots for plenty of new faces. One that is a new starter, but not totally new, is Drew Roberts at 149 lbs. Roberts put together a 15-4 record last year while redshirting and competing primarily unattached. He earned tournament titles at the Worthington and Edinboro Open’s, late in the regular season. At the Edinboro Open, Roberts notched a win over Manzona Bryant and then-high school senior Tyler Kasak, a top recruit for Penn State. His last bit of collegiate action came up a weight, at 157 lbs, when Roberts took on Wisconsin’s two-time national qualifier Garrett Model. Roberts fought valiantly to a 12-9 loss. Bryce Hepner (Ohio State) The departure of senior All-Americans at 174 and 184 lbs for Ohio State has forced fellow AA Carson Kharchla to move up from 165 to 174 lbs for the 2023-24 season. That leaves room for Bryce Hepner to bust into the lineup at 165 lbs. Hepner only saw action in December’s Cleveland State Open last year, but made his mark with a 6-4 victory over three-time All-American Cam Amine (Michigan). That was one of only five losses on the year for Amine, who went on to finish fourth in the nation. While Hepner was the Buckeye’s entrant at 157 lbs at the 2022 Big Ten Championships, this could be the first time that he’s been their starter for an extended amount of time. That year, Hepner saw action in two duals, but was out of action for three months before the conference tournament. A revamped Buckeye lineup could be in the hunt for a team trophy this season. A strong year from Hepner would only increase those efforts. Big 12 Eli Griffin (California Baptist) In today’s Big 12 predictions, James Hackney talks about why Griffin is his pick for conference breakout of the year. Jett Strickenberger (West Virginia) West Virginia has to replace a two-time All-American in Killian Cardinale and, while that sounds difficult, they do have an intriguing prospect in 2023 NJCAA national champion Jett Strickenberger. Strickenberger was a two-time NJCAA All-American competing for North Idaho College and NW Kansas Tech. As a freshman, Strickenberger lost to former blue-chip recruit Jakason Burks (Iowa Western) in the national semifinals before settling for third. In 2023, Strickenberger downed Burks in tiebreakers (7-6) to claim his national title. Last season, Strickenberger also was unbeaten against DI competition. While there may be a bit of an adjustment period to that level of competition day-in and day-out, Strickenberger has the talent to make the transition from Cardinale, as seamless as possible. EIWA Trae McDaniel (Army West Point) A huge second-half surge, sparked by a weight change nearly led to Trae McDaniel making the 2023 NCAA Championships. McDaniel finished in fourth place at 149 lbs in the 2023 EIWA Championships and amassed a 32-11 record. He started the year at 157 lbs and was 6-4 before dropping down for the Soldier Salute in late December. After the New Year, McDaniel went on a 14-match winning streak capturing a title at the New York State Collegiate Championships and was unbeaten at the Mat Town Open. At 149 lbs, McDaniel earned wins over a pair of past NCAA qualifiers. His late-season run set the foundation for a #30 ranking in the preseason. Logan Deacetis (Bucknell) Another EIWA wrestler who didn’t qualify for nationals last year, yet has found himself in the preseason top-33 is Logan Deacetis, who comes in at #24 at 184 lbs (right behind another member of this list, Sam Fisher). Deacetis saw action in four duals and two tournaments before his 2022-23 season ended in December. In limited competition, Deacetis still managed wins over a pair of eventual national qualifiers in Zayne Lehman (Ohio) and Giuseppe Hoose (Buffalo; now Oklahoma). As a true freshman, Deacetis started his collegiate career with wins in 11 of his first 13 contests. MAC Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (Clarion) After winning three Pennsylvania AAA state titles for Seneca Valley, Alejandro Herrera-Rondon was labeled a top-ten recruit in the Class of 2021 and inked with Oklahoma. After a redshirt season that saw him go 11-2, Herrera-Rondon saw plenty of mat time in 2022-23, but only participated in two dual meets. He ended up getting a win in that first dual; one that led to the Sooners topping Navy 28-12 at the Virginia Duals. After the season, with the coaching change in Norman, Herrera-Rondon entered the transfer portal and made his way back to PA, landing at Clarion. With the Golden Eagles, Herrera-Rondon has surrounded himself with a tough group of workout partners and could thrive with more opportunities to start. Avery Bassett (Lock Haven) Through two seasons of competition, Avery Bassett has compiled a 43-14 record for George Mason, then Lock Haven, yet he’s still waiting for his first trip to the NCAA Championships. Bassett started the year with falls in six of his first seven matches and took the title in the Mat Town Open hosted by his home school. Bassett also was perfect in MAC Duals and was the second seed heading into the conference tournament. In the semifinals, Bassett was upset by Enrique Munguia, then of Kent State. Somewhat surprisingly, Bassett did not receive an at-large berth. Bassett is part of a rock-solid Lock Haven team that will feature five returning national qualifiers and is a favorite for the conference title. Pac-12 Triston Wills (Little Rock) One of the more consistent grapplers for Little Rock, Triston Wills is seeking his first NCAA Championship berth. Willis appeared to be comfortably headed for one last season, but had a late-season swoon that saw him lose six straight duals, five of which came against Pac-12 opposition. Earlier in the year, Wills was third at the Southern Scuffle and a champion at SIU Edwardsville’s Cougar Clash. Even though he didn’t make it to nationals, Wills did earn a win over a qualifier, Cael Valencia (Arizona State), at the Pac-12 Championships. In 2023-24, Wills is expected to move up to 184 lbs which is a weight class that doesn’t appear to have the same depth as 174 does. SoCon Anthony Molton (Campbell) One of the most unusual seasons to evaluate was Campbell’s Anthony Molton at 125 lbs. Molton finished 13-9 and fourth in the SoCon, but had a win over former high school teammate Matt Ramos (Purdue), the eventual NCAA runner-up. Other notables on his resume include 2022 NCAA Round of 12 finisher Joey Prata (Oklahoma) and two-time national qualifier Jake Ferri (Kent State). In conference, Molton also tallied two wins over 2022 qualifier Logan Ashton (Chattanooga). Molton has been able to hang with, and beat, the best in the nation, he just needs to be slightly more consistent. With Campbell’s schedule, Molton is tentatively scheduled to meet up with some of top-level competition, so he’ll have his opportunities.

Klein

Waverly-Shell Rock

The 2023-24 season is getting ready to kick off, and it’s time to make some predictions as to what it may look like for the Big 12. There are a lot of ways to go about this, so I’m going to focus on the expected tournament champs, some sleepers, and make some bold storyline predictions to keep an eye out for throughout this year! Big 12 Champs (Tournament): #2 Missouri Sleeper: #14 Oklahoma After winning the Big 12 for the first time in 2012, the Tigers have won 12 conference championships in a row. That includes nine MAC titles and the past two Big 12 tournaments since rejoining the conference in 2022. Missouri qualified all ten of their wrestlers last year, with eight of them finishing in the top four at Big 12’s. They return five All-Americans, five Big 12 finalists, and the most 2023 NCAA team points of other conference teams with 61. Under the last coaching staff, the Sooners typical seasons were made of inconsistent dual results before an unexpectedly strong conference finish. Each of the past three seasons, OU has had a losing conference dual record but managed to finish in the top four tournament teams (4th - 2023, 2nd - 2022, T-1st - 2021). With a new coaching staff and some high-profile transfers, the Sooners could once again get hot in the postseason for a great finish. Big 12 Champs (Dual): #11 Iowa State Sleeper: #14 South Dakota State The Big 12 doesn’t officially announce a dual champion, but we’re going to at InterMat! Despite winning the past two conference tournaments, Missouri has suffered at least one conference dual loss each season. Those losses include Iowa State, South Dakota State, and Oklahoma State. This year the Tigers have all three of those teams on the schedule once again, and two of them are on the road. They could run the table, but history shows that it’s certainly not a guarantee. The past two seasons Iowa State has gone 31-4 in duals, while Oklahoma State has gone 27-7. I chose Iowa State over Oklahoma State because if it comes down to it, I think Iowa State may win the head-to-head dual scheduled for January 27th. A big part of that is because the day before that the Cowboys will be facing a very tough Northern Iowa team. Iowa State has the history and team to get the win, and I think they will take the unofficial dual title in 2024. Last year, South Dakota State finished 6-2 in conference duals with losses to OK State and OU. Led by returning NCAA finalist Tanner Sloan, the team has veteran talent in Tanner Cook, Cade DeVos, and Clay Carlson. They’re also returning an NCAA bloodround wrestler in Cael Swensen and bringing in blue chip redshirt freshmen Bennett Berge and Luke Rasmussen. If this team gets rolling in a dual, they can upset any of the top teams. 2024 Big 12 Most Outstanding Wrestler: #1 Keegan O’Toole - 165lbs (Missouri) Everyone knows about the rivalry between two-time champ Keegan O’Toole and last year’s 165lb Big 12 Champ David Carr. Last year, the two faced three times, with Carr winning in the dual and Big 12 finals. O’Toole reversed that in the NCAA finals; however, with an 8-2 decision. This offseason Carr decided to forgo competing in freestyle to focus on folkstyle for his senior season. O’Toole competed at the US Open, placing 3rd to make the National Team and is set to compete at U23 World’s later this month. Both wrestlers have had one-sided scores against the other so I see it as somewhat of a toss-up, but am taking O’Toole to win for his second Big 12 title. Biggest Breakout: #28 Eli Griffin - 125lbs (California Baptist) California Baptist is a school on the rise, and Eli Griffin seems poised to lead them into the national scene in their second year at Division I. Last season Griffin was one of the most intriguing wrestlers coming into the Big 12 tournament. He had a 6-5 record that included major decision wins over Jore Volk and Nico Provo, plus a decision win over Kysen Terukina. Unfortunately, the young Lancer wasn’t able to get cleared from a broken fibula earlier in the season. If he can stay healthy and build off last year’s results, he could enter Big 12 Champ conversations. Big 12 Freshman of the Year: Brayden Thompson -174lbs (Oklahoma State) A top-five recruit for 2023, there appears to be an opportunity for Thompson to get in the lineup immediately with two-time All-American Dustin Plott moving up. Thompson’s high school resume is lengthy and includes titles at Powerade, Ironman, Illinois State, and the U20 Trials. 174lbs in the Big 12 is tough, but there are only two wrestlers in the top 20 currently. Thompson could come in and immediately make an impact for the Cowboys. Big 12 Coach of the Year: Roger Kish - OU After a tumultuous search, OU found their future head coach in Roger Kish. While at North Dakota State he coached them to finish fifth at Big 12’s in 2023 and finished with two All-Americans. He came to an already solid roster that finished fourth last year, but brought in some solid transfers as well. Last year's qualifiers Mosha Schwartz, Jared Hill, Gerrit Nijenhuis, Tate Picklo, and Josh Heindselman are back this year. The team also has 2022 Big 12 finalist Willie McDougald and two-time All-American Stephen Buchanan coming off redshirt. Add in transfers Antonio Lorenzo, Jace Koelzer, Guiseppe Hoose, and Deanthony Parker and the Sooners seem primed for a big year in Kish’s first year. 3 BOLD PREDICTIONS These are just some big predictions I’m going to throw out before the season begins. Keep an eye out for some of these throughout the year! 1. Two Big 12 teams get NCAA trophies The last time the Big 12 had two trophy teams was in 2009, with Iowa State and Nebraska. Currently, Missouri is projected to get their first team trophy since finishing fourth in 2015. The Tigers finished fifth last year, just six points behind Ohio State. Then I think either Iowa State or Oklahoma State follows up for a banner Big 12 year. Oklahoma State won a trophy in 2021 with a third-place finish, but is coming off its worst NCAA finish ever at 18th place. The team could feature up to six new starters, and brought in Coleman Scott as an assistant coach this offseason. If the Cowboys can stay healthy, don’t be shocked to see them back on the podium. Iowa State’s last trophy came in 2010 with Kevin Jackson as head coach. Kevin Dresser has built this team every year since coming in, and the team has the potential for a top-four finish. It would take some big moves, but these teams have the potential. 2. The Big 12 gets 4 National Champs If I were setting betting lines, I think the over/under for Big 12 National Champs would be 2.5. Parker Keckeisen and Keegan O’Toole are currently ranked #1, then Daton Fix, David Carr, Stephen Buchanan, and Wyatt Hendrickson are ranked #2. If Keckeisen and the winner of O’Toole/Carr get titles, it would take two upsets to get to four. The Big 12 last had four champs in 2006. 3. Oklahoma State and Oklahoma split Bedlam matches December 10th and February 18th, those are the two dates for this year’s Bedlam matches. One of college sports best rivalries happens twice a year, with the Cowboys winning the past 15. The last Sooners win came in 2014, although they’ve come close before. I think new Head Coach Roger Kish will get one this year. The future of the dual is in question with OU leaving the Big 12, so make sure to enjoy it this year.

Gilman

Staunton River

Michigan - This Wolverine squad is an interesting crew. This team is a mixture of returning talent paired with a strong contingent of All-American transfers. Michigan is one of the teams that has truly embraced the transfer portal and seems to have paired that with strong relationships to continuously position themselves in the hunt for a team trophy. Despite their big swings to bolster their lineup, this squad enters the year ranked 6th as a tournament team, and 9th in the dual rankings. I feel like this team is hell-bent on finishing the season in a much better position than 6th or 9th. TOP RETURNERS Dylan Ragusin - Ragusin had a solid season last year. He entered the NCAA tournament as the 11 seed, and was positioned for a solid run, before being upset in the first round. He battled through the backside only to drop a match to Jesse Mendez of Ohio State, whom he had beaten for fifth in the B1G a couple weeks prior. Ragusin, potentially bumping up to 141 this season, maybe redshirting, maybe 133. I don’t know yet! If he is in the lineup, consistency will be key for the incredibly talented and dynamic wrestler. Will Lewan - Lewan has been a consistent presence for Michigan for the last several years. This being his last season in Maize and Blue will be a fun one to watch. He’s elite defensively, can scramble with the best, has probably the best sitout in college wrestling, has punishing mat returns, and has shown a diverse enough offensive arsenal to pull away from opponents in tight matches. He enters the season ranked seventh by Intermat, but is certainly capable of beating anyone at the weight. Cam Amine - The strongest man on the planet. Watch his matches and tell me this isn’t the case. Very few look comfortable wrestling him, and I am of the firm belief that it’s because wrestling with him feels different than most people do. He’s already a three-time All-American, potentially the second Amine 5x All-American (Myles accomplished this feat in 2022), and he begins the season supposedly much healthier than he was much of last season. I recently saw an interview with him where he expressed just how different this preseason is from last year. Not to mention he has a new training partner in Shane Griffith. He’s the highest-ranked guy at 165 that hasn’t already won an NCAA Championship and looks to get over that hump this season. KEY DEPARTURES The Hodge Trophy Winner - Mason Parris! That seems significant. Thankfully for Michigan, they had Lucas Davison transfer in from Northwestern to take that heavyweight spot. We’ll talk more about him in a moment. They also lost Jack Medley at 125, Max Maylor at 174, and Matt Finesilver at 184 from the starting lineup. Those guys all graduated, and more power to them. Sadly though, Chance Lamer transferred to Cal Poly, seemingly to be close to his family (most of which also wrestles for Cal Poly). That was a tough loss, considering he made the Bloodround as a freshman. 149 will now be a weight to watch for the Wolverines. Cole Mattin was my breakout pick for 141 last season, and he competed strongly for Michigan, but he’s graduated and is onto Dental school. Those Mattin’s are a smart bunch. NEWCOMERS This list is fun. So unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of the four big transfers coming to Ann Arbor this year. From Northwestern’s team, Michigan added Michael DeAugustino at 125, Chris Cannon likely at 133, and Lucas Davison (referenced above) at heavyweight. Davison was an All-American last season, and DeAugustino and Cannon were previously All-Americans in 2022. Both look to finish off their careers back on the podium and chasing down NCAA titles. Davison was clear in an interview with me (it’s on Intermat also, check it out), that an NCAA Title is in his sights. He is in a great room for training with heavyweights, and will hopefully enter the NCAA Championships a bit more healthy than he was last March. I’d be a fool to not mention the swirling rumors of Austin Gomez wrestling for Michigan at some point this season. He would be a tremendous addition, considering he is one of the few people on planet Earth to have beaten Yianni Diakamaholis. Injuries have haunted Austin, but a shortened season (likely wouldn’t compete until second semester), would help him be more healthy and ready to make a final run at the elusive NCAA Championship. WRESTLER TO WATCH I expect Rylan Rogers to step right in at 184 for the Wolverines and have an immediate impact. A big recruit out of Idaho, and cousins with Chandler Rogers, a personal favorite wrestler of mine. Rylan bumped up in duals twice last season for Michigan, losing close matches to Luke Surber of Oklahoma State, and to Gavin Hoffman of Ohio State. He also won the MSU Open, Purple Raider Open, and took third at the Cleveland State Open. I’m as big a Matt Finesilver fan as you’ll find, but I believe Rylan will be able to step right in and produce immediately in a similar fashion. TOP OUT-OF-CONFERENCE DUAL January 4th of 2024 the Michigan Wolverines travel to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to take on Damion Hahn and the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits. SDSU is currently ranked 17th in the country, and deservedly so. Coach Hahn has done excellent things with this program since taking over when Chris Bono went to Wisconsin. Last year, he had an NCAA Finalist in Tanner Sloan at 197, and brings back a very deep and dangerous lineup. Michigan matches up relatively well with just about anyone, but SDSU has studs up and down the lineup, so this might be closer than many would expect. A match to watch will be at 184 where the aforementioned Rylan Rogers will likely take on another outstanding redshirt freshman in Bennett Berge. Both of these guys were huge recruits and expect to be battling for National Titles in the future.

Buford

Quakertown

Arlington

What has become a preseason staple for us at InterMat, counting down the top 50 wrestlers for the upcoming season, is back for 2023-24. With a large chunk of sixth and seventh-year seniors gone, there is plenty of turnover from last year’s list to this one. That makes for a lot of fun and perhaps some spirited debates. Like last year, the third iteration of this feature will show five wrestlers at a time, counting down from #50 to #1. For each wrestler, we’ll have some basic information along with career highlights, and a brief analysis of their career (with an emphasis on last season), followed by an outlook for the upcoming season. Here are #36-40 #41-45 #46-50 35) Beau Bartlett (Penn State) photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com Weight: 141 lbs Collegiate Achievements: 2023 NCAA 3rd Place, 2023 Big Ten 3rd Place 2022 Top-50 Ranking: Not Ranked What a difference wrestling at a comfortable weight class makes! Beau Bartlett had to compete at 149 lbs in each of his first two seasons in State College due to the presence of two-time NCAA champion Nick Lee at 141 lbs. Bartlett still managed to qualify for nationals in 2022 and even won a match at the Big Show. After that tournament, Lee was finished and Barlett was able to move to his more natural weight. The Arizona native responded by winning his first 14 matches of the 2022-23 season which catapulted him up the national rankings. When the smoke cleared, Bartlett finished with an impressive 27-3 record, losing only to both national finalists and a Big Ten runner-up. Seeded sixth at nationals, Bartlett advanced to the semifinals on the strength of a 3-1 win in tiebreakers over third-seeded Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh), at one point, the top-ranked wrestler in the nation. After a loss to the eventual champ, Bartlett bounced back with two wins to finish in third place. 2023-24 Outlook: Bartlett starts the 2023-24 season ranked third in the country; however, he will move up to second once returning champion Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado) is removed due to taking an Olympic redshirt. Only Iowa’s Real Woods stands between Bartlett and the top spot at 141 lbs. The two clashed in their school’s highly-anticipated dual meet and Woods was victorious, 4-1. We’ll see if the confidence gained in his 2022-23 season combined with another year in the Penn State room brings his offense to the forefront. Bartlett was in plenty of close matches last season. Sometimes that can be playing with fire, though he did not lose to a lower-ranked opponent all of last year. 34) Trey Munoz (Oregon State) photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com Weight: 184 lbs Collegiate Achievements: 2023 NCAA 6th Place, 2x Pac-12 Champion 2022 Top-50 Ranking: Not Ranked The 2021-22 season represented a breakout for Trey Munoz and the 2022-23 season saw him climb to the level of national title contender. One of Munoz’s season highlights was an 8-4 win over returning All-American Marcus Coleman (Iowa State) at the Collegiate Duals. Coleman was the same opponent who had unceremoniously ended his 2021-22 season in the NCAA bloodround, via major decision. The two would meet again in the 2023 NCAA quarterfinals and Munoz prevailed again, this time in sudden victory, clinching All-American status for the first time. Munoz ended up injuring himself in the semifinals and wasn’t able to wrestle in the consi’s, settling for sixth place. 2023-24 Outlook: With three-time national champion, Aaron Brooks (Penn State), expected to move up to 197 lbs, 184 is ripe for the picking. Munoz starts the year ranked third at the weight. He’s scheduled to meet the wrestlers directly above and below him in dual action. A staggering seven out of the top ten wrestlers at 184 are slated to attend the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Unfortunately, I’m sure some will not compete; however, we should still get a glimpse of where Munoz fits into the hierarchy of this weight. Should he improve at the rate we saw between the 2022 and 2023 national tournament, Munoz could be the last man standing in Kansas City. 33) Kyle Parco (Arizona State) photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com Weight: 149 lbs Collegiate Achievements: 3x NCAA All-American (4th, 8th, 6th), 2x Pac-12 Champion 2022 Top-50 Ranking: Not Ranked Surprisingly enough, this is the first top-50 appearance for the three-time All-American Parco. It seems to fit as Parco tends to get overlooked on an ASU team loaded full of stars. Parco was a finalist at both the CKLV Invitational and the Midlands, one of only two wrestlers to accomplish this feat in 2022. In his next match after the Midlands, Parco suffered a loss to eventual four-time national champion Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell). That proved to be his last loss before the NCAA Tournament. Parco strolled into Tulsa sporting an 11-match winning streak, one that started with a win over tough freshman Paniro Johnson (Iowa State). At nationals, Parco grabbed wins over past All-Americans Austin Gomez (Wisconsin) and Brock Mauller (Missouri) in order to make the semifinals. 2023-24 Outlook: With Diakomihalis gone, there is no clear-cut favorite at 149 lbs this year. The top-ranked wrestler is Shayne Van Ness (Penn State), a sophomore who defeated Parco 7-2 in the NCAA third-place match last season. It doesn’t appear as if Parco can see Van Ness prior to the 2024 tournament; however, he could get multiple shots at the top-ranked wrestler Ridge Lovett (Nebraska). Both schools are slated to attend CKLV and also dual each other on the final weekend of the regular season. If you’re making tiers for a weight class, Parco likely goes from solid All-American threat to national title contender for the 2023-24 season. 32) Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com Weight: 285 lbs Collegiate Achievements: 3x NCAA All-American (7th, 2nd, 4th), 3x Pac-12 Champion 2022 Top-50 Ranking: #15 The top-ranked wrestler in the land during the 2022-23 preseason, Cohlton Schultz had his toughest collegiate season to date, yet still ended up with only four losses on the year and a seventh-place finish in Tulsa. That was different from his previous two seasons when he entered the NCAA Tournament unbeaten. Schultz balanced collegiate folkstyle competition with international travels to compete in Greco-Roman, as he has been the American representative at 130 kg in each of the last three Senior World Championship events. A high note for Schultz during the 2022-23 campaign was his ability to end matches early. Schultz tallied ten falls, a number that equaled the amount he earned during the previous two seasons. 2023-24 Outlook: In each of his three years competing for Arizona State, Cohlton Schultz has had to contend with the eventual Hodge Trophy winner. Provided there isn’t a return for Gable Steveson, that streak could end in 2024. In a weight class with plenty of talent, but no Gable, Schultz could very well prevail on Saturday night in Kansas City. Though Schultz’s seventh-place finish in 2023 looked out of the ordinary, both NCAA losses were by a 3-1 score in sudden victory. In those types of matches, a slight error could be the deciding factor. At the same time, there aren’t drastic changes needed for Schultz to reverse those results and put himself into the title discussion at 285 lbs. Arizona State’s full schedule was just released last night and Schultz has plenty of intriguing regular season matches. Like years past, Schultz may miss some of those due to the international wrestling scene, particularly with an Olympic year looming. 31) Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) Weight: 165 lbs Collegiate Achievements: 2x NCAA All-American (6th, 6th), 2023 Big Ten Champion 2022 Top-50 Ranking: #33 Both of Dean Hamiti’s collegiate seasons have ended with him in sixth place at the NCAA Championships. In 2022, Hamiti was the only true freshman to earn All-American honors. Hamiti started his collegiate career with 17 straight wins. Last year, he didn’t get off to such a hot start but did wrestle a pair of past national finalists before the end of December. While the Big Ten dual schedule has been known to break many-a-competitor, Hamiti got stronger and only lost one conference dual. Once the postseason hit, Hamiti was in top form in Ann Arbor as he majored returning All-American Carson Kharchla (Ohio State) and then edged Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) for a Big Ten title. That led to a number three seed in Tulsa for Hamiti. After a quarterfinal upset, Hamiti posted a major decision in the bloodround to secure All-American honors. Both times he’s made the podium, Hamiti has left no doubt and won via bonus. 2023-24 Outlook: Hamiti starts the 2023-24 season ranked fourth in the nation in what promises to be one of the toughest brackets in the nation…again. The two past champions hold down the top two spots (Keegan O’Toole and David Carr), while Cam Amine is number three. Amine was responsible for two of Hamiti’s losses during the 2023-24 season, including his quarterfinal upset. Hamiti will be one of the title contenders again in 2024; however, he’ll need to get by some wrestlers that he’s yet to defeat. Carr and Amine are responsible for four of his ten collegiate losses (he also lost to O’Toole at the 2022 All-Star Classic).

Watertown-Mayer

The Hoos are looking to improve after a difficult season last year. The team will look much different with a massive turnover from graduation. The extra year of eligibility for much of their starting lineup last year allowed the Cavaliers to redshirt their entire highly-ranked recruiting Class of 2022. We will see those redshirts step in to start at many of the weights this season, and personally, I think they are going to make a lot of noise this year. Due to some changes late in the scheduling process, the Hoos will have a lighter dual schedule this year. They will get solid competition at the Midlands and the Virginia Duals before opening conference duals. I think they are under the radar right now with such a young lineup, but there is a lot of talent and a lot of motivation coming out of that room, and I expect to see a scrappy UVA squad every time they hit the mat. TOP RETURNERS Justin McCoy will be back for his final year of eligibility and is looking to build on his ACC championship run last season. He has been a consistent leader on and off the mat for the Hoos and will play a crucial role as a veteran on a very young team. McCoy is a three-time ACC finalist and was able to break through last season to win his first title. He is also a four-time NCAA qualifier, making the bloodround in 2022 and falling in the round of 16 last year. There will be a big change for Juddy this season though, as he moves up to 174 for his final run. Dylan Cedeno will also be changing weight classes this season, and from the size he’s put on, he’s enjoying that opportunity. Cedeno is moving up from 141 to 157 and I have been very impressed with what I’ve seen from him at the new weight. I think it will be a good change for him physically and mentally as the weight cut has been a challenge for him. He is a one-time NCAA qualifier and will be fighting to earn his way to Kansas City. KEY DEPARTURES Thanks to extra eligibility from the COVID year, UVA had an abnormally large graduating class last year and several multi-year starters completed their time on Grounds. Patrick McCormick was a three-year starter and two-time NCAA qualifier. Brian Courtney is the first (and likely only) wrestler to ever be included on this list twice! Courtney was a two-time NCAA qualifier and made the bloodround during his senior year in 2022. He decided to return to Charlottesville to use his final year of eligibility last season. This was an incredible undertaking by Courtney and the UVA coaching staff to make this work; Courtney balanced a full load of grad classes, while still working full-time as a teacher and worked his “sick days”--with the support of his administration--to compete during 2nd semester. Unfortunately, after a strong return, Courtney tore his pec in the dual against American and cut short his return to the mat. Jarod Verkleeren made the most of his time in Charlottesville after transferring from Penn State. He was a two-year starter for the Hoos and made the NCAA tournament last year after a third-place finish at the ACC Championships. Verkleeren was also the inaugural Intermat ACC #BaldHero Award winner and will forever be etched in the annals of history. Denton Spencer spent a lot of time in the starting lineup and was one of the more explosive wrestlers to come through Charlottesville racking up 32 pins in his five years at UVA. Jake Keating was an ACC Runner-Up and two-time NCAA qualifier who quietly put together an impressive resume. Vic Marcelli was a one-time NCAA qualifier Neil Antrassian only had one year in Charlottesville but made a mark in that season. He was a Midlands third-place finisher and qualified for his first NCAA tournament while navigating the deepest weight in the conference. Michael Battista showed incredible growth in his time at UVA. He went from a sub .500 record his first year as a starter to ending his career with a 41-21 record and two trips to the NCAA tournament over his final two years. NEWCOMERS Ryan Catka comes to Charlottesville via the Naval Academy and will challenge for the starting spot at heavyweight. He is the brother of Virginia Tech heavyweight Hunter Catka. Sammy Hayes joins the Hoos after a season in Illinois. He adds some depth and talent at the lower weights and will be someone to watch at 125 or 133. His brother Louie was an All-American for UVA in 2021 at 133. WRESTLER(S) TO WATCH With all the new faces in the UVA lineup, it’s tough to pick one to watch, so let’s go with a group. Keep an eye on the redshirt freshmen who will be stepping into the lineup this year. The Hoos put together a top-10 recruiting class nationally in 2022 and that crew has been chomping at the bit to get into the fray. Kyle Montaperto won the Southeast Open and had a strong open season, but was 0-3 in dual action; I expect a year of maturity will pay off big for Kyle and he can be a dangerous offensive threat to open the lineup. The Gioffre brothers have all the tools to make a major impact nationally. Jack was 4-2 in an injury-shortened redshirt season and picked up a dual win over Northwestern. Michael ended his redshirt year at 12-5, picking up a 5th place finish at the Southern Scuffle, which included a win over All-American Jaden Abas and was 3-1 in dual action. Both were California state champs and are very technically sound in all positions. One more to watch is Nick Hamilton. He is one of the Iowa/Nebraska recruits that have made their way to the East Coast with the help of the Paulson Brothers’ recruiting. Hamilton was a three-time state champ; twice in Iowa, once in Nebraska; and had a phenomenal redshirt season. He went 13-2, winning the Southeast Open and the App State Open; and 3-2 at Midlands and 4-0 in dual action. Hamilton is positionally sound and can put up points in bunches; he is very poised and mature and that will play a big role in his success this year. REDSHIRT REPORT Kyle Montaperto 7-6 Jack Gioffre 4-2 Michael Gioffre 12-5; 5th Place Southern Scuffle Nick Sanko 8-3 Nick Hamilton 13-2 TOP OUT-OF-CONFERENCE DUAL The Hoos will make a trip out west to Fargo to face North Dakota State in early December. I think this will be a solid matchup of teams that have a lot of young talent and could be a back-and-forth dual. They will also face George Mason and Gardner-Webb on the campus of St. Christopher’s in Richmond in January. They faced GMU at this event last year and I’m glad to see it continue to grow. POTENTIAL LINEUP 125: Kyle Montaperto 7-6 (RS) Sammy Hayes 1-0 (RS Illinois) 133: Marlon Yarbrough 7-10 1-3 ACC Gable Porter True Freshman 141: #23 Jack Gioffre 4-2 (RS) 149: #18 Michael Gioffre 12-5 (RS) 157: Dylan Cedeno 10-9 (141) 1-2 ACC - NCAA Qualifier Nick Sanko 8-3 (RS) 165: #25 Nick Hamilton 13-2 (RS) 174: #9 Justin McCoy 21-6 4-1 ACC - ACC Champion - 3x ACC Finalist - 4x NCAA Qualifier 184: #29 Haydn Danals 14-5 Hudson Stewart 10-9 0-1 ACC 197: Colden Dorfman 7-5 285: Gabe Christensen 4-6 Ryan Catka 9-5 (Navy)

Altoona

Welcome all on this chilly Friday morning to another edition of the mailbag. Teams are practicing and wrestleoffs are already being announced so the season is creeping up quickly. Today is my brother’s birthday and tomorrow is my other brother’s birthday. And while I know that neither is reading this, I still hope you both have a great day. In a few weeks, my other, other brother has a birthday. I have a lot of brothers. We’re like the Finejaggers over here. And we’re all getting old. But here’s to the three of you and many more birthdays for you all. Just remember, I’ll always be the tallest and best-looking. Now let’s get into this mailbag. Which are your favorite UFC Fight Pass wrestling events to be covered this season and why? Kevin Claunch I’m not sure I have any at the moment. The truth is that I didn’t get too excited over this whole endeavor because to me it’s just another service I have to subscribe to. For the sake of the sport, I suppose it’s a positive. MMA has a large fan base and with the success of recent wrestlers in the eight-sided circle, it makes sense to capitalize on that by trying to lure in some of that fan base. Streaming services need content. Wrestling has more than enough content to give and this does give a few teams who otherwise never get center stage a chance in the spotlight. And that's a good thing. If Carter Starocci goes like he is projected as a 5-time NCAA champ, where do you rank him all time? Jkos11 Probably the 1B to Cael’s 1A as the best-case scenario. In my mind, you can’t topple the guy who never lost for four straight years unless you do the same thing. But for argument’s sake, let’s break this down a little. For Sanderson it’s easy. 159 wins in a row. Carter is on pace for about 110 matches total with an extra year. Advantage: Cael. Both guys took a redshirt so there’s no true freshman factor here. Now if Starocci won the 2021 title as a true freshman with a couple of losses and then ran off four straight, without a loss, I might think differently about this. And what of that shortened season? Did Starocci have an advantage by not having to deal with the grind of the full season? Would it have mattered? Seeing that he’s won two more since, I’ll say it didn’t matter. He was the best guy that year regardless. The bottom line is, the potential five-time NCAA D1 championship quest is a special thing that will likely be the rarest feat ever accomplished if it happens. Factor in the guys he has beaten and would have to beat to get there, it puts him in the conversation as the best ever. I just don’t think I can put him over Cael. What venues should the NCAA announce the NCAA championships for the next cycle and why is one of them Boardwalk Hall. Aaron Bartlett Ha, that would be something. I’ve never actually been to Boardwalk Hall so I’m not sure if it is the best venue. Do they have suites? A couple of our more fancy fans enjoy the suites so they can look down on their minions for three days like Commodus in Gladiator. Lord knows that Atlantic City has plenty of hotels and a large surrounding fanbase so it’s not the worst idea. I just want to sit between the Brands brothers while they aggressively shout “Hit me” at the Blackjack table and slap each other senseless out of instinct. Short sample size, but does Jags like the expanded MLB playoff format with the first-round byes? Rhino It’s fine. Houston has no problem with it. Atlanta might have a problem with it. They certainly don’t have a problem with winning over 100 games to earn the bye. They just have a problem with winning three more after they earn it. But there is something to be said about sitting around for days while your opponent wins a series and gets to party and gain more confidence. I liken it to a guy losing early then storming through the backside and knocking off higher-ranked guys on the way to a good finish. Alright, maybe it’s not the same but you get my point. Am I fooling anybody with this combover? Salty Walkon Unless it’s 1984 and you’re a science teacher, just shave those scalp scraps and accept it. Will you be attending the UPenn v Rutgers match on January 6th in the Palestra? Asking for a friend. Kevin McGuigan Is that friend Matt Valenti? Thoughts and prayers to my fellow Mets fan for what he has to go through right now. I’m sure winning two NCAA titles was tough, but it’s not as tough as dealing with all this Phillies stuff.

Spotsylvania

King George