InterMat Staff

3x All-American Bernie Truax (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) This afternoon, three-time All-American Bernie Truax announced that he would be joining the two-time defending national champion Penn State Nittany Lions for his final year of eligibility in 2023-24. Truax was one of the most sought-after wrestlers in the transfer portal. Truax chose Penn State after narrowing down his final list to Arizona State, Iowa, and Iowa State. He'll leave Cal Poly as one of the program's all-time greats, earning a fourth-place finish at each of the last three NCAA Tournaments. In each instance, Truax moved up a weight, going from 174 to 184 and 197 lbs in 2023. Along the way, Truax amassed a 67-21 record and claimed a pair of Pac-12 titles. Truax told the Mustang News that he plans on competing at 184 lbs for Penn State. In an interview with InterMat at the NCAA Tournament, he told us that he never completely grew into the 197 lb weight class and probably could have gone 184 this season. His arrival at 184 lbs likely means that three-time NCAA champion Aaron Brooks moves up to 197 lbs. That is a move that had been rumored regardless of Truax's status. At the 2023 NCAA Championships, Truax fell in sudden victory to the eventual runner-up, Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State), then proceeded to defeat former Penn State All-American Michael Beard (Lehigh) in the Round of 12 and Penn State starter Max Dean, the returning champion, in the consolation quarterfinals. With Truax's addition and Brooks up to 197 lbs, Penn State could field a lineup that has returning top-four finishers at seven of ten weights.

The 2023 NCAA Championships at Tulsa's BOK Center (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee at its annual meeting in Indianapolis this week recommended making all takedowns worth 3 points, effective with the 2023-24 season. All rule proposals must be approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel. The panel is scheduled to discuss wrestling recommendations during a videoconference June 8. Wrestling Rules Committee members think increasing the scoring for takedowns by an additional point will enhance the sport by rewarding offensive actions and risk-taking. The committee also agreed there was a need to create a more appropriate point differential between takedowns and escapes and incentivize offense when competitors are in the neutral position. Committee members also voted to eliminate the hand-touch takedown. The committee agreed that demonstrating control is an important component of college wrestling, so it made sense to eliminate the hand-touch takedown in favor of a single requirement for all takedowns. To help balance the proposed takedown scoring rule, the committee proposed that the requirements for the top wrestler be modified to include a requirement to work toward a near fall or pin and also recommended that a 3-point near-fall scoring component be added. Currently, officials can award 2 or 4 points for near falls. The rationale for the proposal includes giving wrestlers a chance to be more creative in attempting to earn points. "Wrestling is in a time of need to change," said John Hangey, committee chair and head coach at Rider. "We felt like something this significant would give a boost to the sport for viewership for the average fan and for longtime traditional fans. It will increase excitement and scoring. It will change tactics for coaches and kids." Committee members know that suggesting a change of this magnitude could lead to some negative feedback from the membership. "When the 3-point line was implemented in basketball, everyone hated it at first," Hangey said. "We are trying to evolve the sport of wrestling. We want to bring more fans to the sport without impacting the integrity of the sport." Riding point modification The committee proposed changing the way wrestlers can earn riding time. Under the recommendation, a riding time point could be awarded only if the wrestler in the top position has both a minute of time advantage and has scored near-fall points during the match. Again, committee members think this rule will create more action from the wrestler in the top position. Video review Committee members recommended adding a change to the coach's video review request. If approved, the rule would provide the referee with the authority to confirm or overturn all calls or missed calls during a video review challenged sequence. For coach challenges, the sequence is described as the time from the alleged error until the match is, or should have been, stopped by the referee. "In this day and age, scrambling is a big part of wrestling," Hangey said. "We have situations where did the wrestler score a takedown, or did he not? There is a lot of action that happens after that takedown that are connected without the action stopping. It was important that we allow the reviewing of a sequence starting at a specific incident." Other proposals * The first medical forfeit of a tournament would count as a loss on the wrestler's record. An exception would be if the medical forfeit occurs immediately after an injury default in a tournament. * The penalty for a delayed coach's video review challenge request would be changed to a loss of the video review. Currently, it is a control-of-mat violation, and 1 point is deducted from the team total. * Any true placement matches conducted in an event would not alter the final team score. * Officials could let action continue after penalizing an illegal hold and not require a stoppage after imminent scoring finishes when the safety of wrestlers is not in danger. * The current mandatory five-second count for the waist and ankle ride would be expanded to include all situations in which the top wrestler grasps the bottom wrestler's ankle. * Weigh-in times across all competition types would be standardized to two hours or sooner before the start of competition. Currently, tournament weigh-ins are two hours or sooner, but dual meet weigh-ins are permitted only one hour or sooner before the start of competition. * Weight certification for all schools would be permitted to start Sept. 1. * The rule limiting facial hair to no longer than half an inch would be eliminated.

Spencer Lee at 2019 Senior Nationals (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Next week marks the start of the 2023 US Open. The Open is always an important part of the freestyle and Greco-Roman calendar. This year it carries even more significance as Open winners at a weight class with a 2022 world medalist returning will earn a place in Final X. No World Team Trials needed! They will be necessary in weights without a 2022 world medalist. This will be the case for only two weights in men's freestyle (61/125kg) as the United States did not have world medalists at those weights. Below are the current entries (as of Wednesday morning, April 19th) for the Senior Men's Freestyle portion of the Open. Previews for the Open will be forthcoming. 57 kg Francisco Barrera (OR) Koy Caldwell (UT) Jakob Camacho (NC) Juan Diaz (CA) Devane Dodgens (GA) Landen Fischer (SD) Cooper Flynn (TN) Patrick Glory (NJ) Fabian Gutierrez (TN) Darrion Harris (CA) Dalton Henderson (VA) Patrick Jones (FL) Spencer Lee (IA) Mitchell Lofstedt (OR) Yevier Lopez (FL) Jakob Lyons (OK) Brandon Meredith (PA) Ryan Miller (PA) Benjamin Monn (PA) Hayden Narruhn (OR) Stevo Poulin (CO) Zane Richards (IL) Eathon Rider (CA) Anthony Romero (NY) Sheldon Seymour (PA) Caleb Smith (NC) Nick Suriano (NJ) Mike Tortorice (NJ) 61 kg Vito Arujau (NY) John Babineau (MN) Cody Brewer (VA) Jayden Carson (MO) Cristian Chavez (OH) Michael Colaiocco (NJ) Joe Colon (IL) Ryan Crookham (PA) Austin DeSanto (PA) Daniel DeShazer (KS) Andrew Fallon (MA) Julian Farber (GA) Sidney Flores (CA) Cole French (NY) Nahshon Garrett (PA) Seth Gross (MN) John Hernandez (KY) Cade Hornback (IL) Jack Huffman (NE) Christian Kirchner (MD) Hunter Leake (CA) Shelton Mack (NJ) Nico Megaludis (PA) Collin Metzgar (CO) Jeffrey Phillips (FL) Kurtis Phipps (PA) Nico Provo (CT) Cael Skewes (UT) Hunter Sparks (OR) Taylor Summers (CO) Carson Taylor (IA) Nathan Tomasello (OH) Gabe Townsell (IL) Devan Turner (OR) Aden Valencia (CA) 65 kg Luciano Arroyo (CA) Anthony Ashnault (NJ) Hayden Bates (OR) Paul Bianchi (WI) Khalid Brinkley (GA) Michael Clemmensen (CA) CJ Composto (NJ) Wyatt Cooley (MO) Daniel DeRosier (NE) Trenton Donahue (PA) Jack Finnegan (IL) Ryan Fleck (IL) Alec Freeman (IN) Jackie Gold (NY) Evan Henderson (PA) Tyler Hunt (GA) Raul Jimenez (CA) Danny Khoundet (UT) Josh Koderhandt (IL) Matt Kolodzik (NJ) Ridge Lovett (ID) Luke Lucerne (PA) Pat Lugo (FL) Trent Lytle (WY) Grant Martsolf (IN) Cole Matthews (PA) Joey McKenna (NJ) Jason Miranda (CA) Scout Nash (ID) Timothy Nevarez (CA) Ian Parker (NY) Hunter Pfantz IA) Chad Red (IN) Elerenzo Roberson (CO) Johnny Robles (CA) Cayden Rooks (IN) Kyle Rowan (OH) Kade Sammons (MN) Josh Saunders (MO) Fernando Soto-Cruz (OR) Jake Spellman (LA) Connor Thorpe (WI) Denim Torgerson (UT) Wyatt Turnquist (SD) Caleb Vallotton (CA) Brandon Wright (IN) 70 kg Jaden Abas (CA) Robert Adams (AZ) Tarik Adkins (TX) Luke Ahberg (NC) Austin Almaguer (WA) Azim Azimy (CA) Garrett Bass (OH) Jake Bergeland (MN) Tyler Berger (NE) Michael Blockhus (MN) Cody Bond (GA) Kaleb Burgess (NY) Jacob Butler (OK) Israel Casarez (IA) Seonghun Chung (OR) Moses Espinoza-Owens (UT) Dallas Evans (FL) Julian Flores (CA) Cameron Harrell (MD) Caleb Henson (GA) Hayden Hidlay (NC) Drew Hobbs (OH) Jarrett Jacques (MO) Christopher Kelly (CA) Brandon Lucero (CO) Daniel Manibog (TX) Fidel Mayora (IL) Luke Mechler (WI) Nick Melendez (CA) Christian Monserrat (MA) Jaxon Morlan (UT) Dayne Morton (MN) McCoy Pace (GA) Alec Pantaleo (MI) Cael Rahnavardi (IA) Ty Raines (NY) Drew Roberts (WA) Aristotle Rockwell (OR) Hans Rockwell (OR) Sammy Sasso (PA) Ed Scott (NC) David Simons (CA) Nick Stampoulos (NJ) Zane Stoddard (CA) Teague Travis (OK) Anthony Ulaszek (CO) Jarod Verkleeren (VA) Johnathon Viveros (CA) Cody Welker (WI) Tariq Wilson (NC) Doug Zapf (PA) 74 kg Javin Allen (CA) Zarik Anderson (IA) Samuel Balderston (OR) Gabe Blough (KS) James Bowers (OR) Kolbi Caffey (IL) Cael Carlson (MN) Andrew Cerniglia (PA) Elijah Cleary (FL) Ty Chittum (VA) Ethan Contreras (OR) Vincent Cramer (AK) Charlie Darracott (GA) Trever Devestern (CA) Drew Dickson (NC) Marcus Epinoza-Owens (UT) Thomas Gantt (NC) Derek Gilcher (MI) Chaz Hallmark (CA) Bryce Hepner (OH) Tallin Johnson (MN) Vincenzo Joseph (AZ) Brendan Kiernan (MA) Matt Lackman (PA) Joey Lavallee (PA) Abdul Meskienyar (WA) Joey Mora (CA) Keegan O'Toole (MI) Peter Pappas (NY) Elroy Perkin (WI) Marcus Petite (NJ) Collin Purinton (NE) Lorenzo Rajaonarivelo (VA) Julian Ramirez (NY) Zachary Rowe (WA) Hunter Shaut (NY) Josh Shields (AZ) Brian Vutianitis (SC) Tyler Wagener (MN) Luka Wick (CA) Evan Yant (IA) Kaleb Young (PA) 79 kg Aarif Asif (PA) Ethan Contrares (OR) Alex Dieringer (OK) Marcos Gamez (CA) Josiah Green (OR) Joey Hancock (KS) Justin Head (IA) Devan Hendricks (OH) Sean Houston (GA) Michael Kemerer (NY) Carson Kharchla (OH) Mikey Labriola (PA) Brandon Lalla (IA) Stephen Lieber (NY) Taylor Lujan (IA) Alex Marinelli (IA) Chance Marsteller (PA) Muhamed McBryde (WV) David McFadden (VA) Jamal Morris (FL) Hunter Mullin (CO) Jay Nivison (MI) Quentin Perez (CA) Paul Pierce (VA) Casey Randles (ID) Max Rohskopf (NV) Paul Schon (CA) Isaiah Sellers (GA) Devin Skatzka (MI) Jahmon Spiller (IN) DJ Washington (IN) Jaison White (MA) Isaiah White (IL) Mitch Willett (OR) 86 kg Tanner Baumgartner (CO) Jason Bynarowicz (CO) Connor Collins (WI) Haydn Danals (OH) Dylan Fishback (OH) Dwight Gardner (FL) Hunter Gonzalez (CA) Julian Gonzalez (AZ) Nathan Haas (CA) Max Hale (PA) Mark Hall (PA) Sean Harman (MO) Trent Hidlay (NC) Lucas Hodges (MN) Kyle Homet (PA) Malachi Karibo (KS) David Key (GA) Kyle Knudtson (OR) Sam Kruger (SD) Adeshola Logunleko (NJ) Rowan Morgan (MN) Cade Mueller (MN) Dustin Plott (OK) Armando Sandoval (CA) Mikey Squires (NY) Hudson Stewart (VA) Kyle Summers (MO) Leonardo Tarantino (FL) Zahid Valencia (AZ) Helton Vandenbush (WI) Martin Verhaeghe (KS) Owen Webster (MN) 92 kg Jay Aiello (VA) Silas Allred (IN) Michael Battista (VA) Braden Baumgartner (CO) Jacob Cardenas (NJ) Jack Clemmensen (CA) Ricardo Cortez-Aviles (WA) Riley Crook (WI) Rocky Elam (MO) Trillion Filsaime (FL) John Gunderson (WI) Kyle Haas (OK) Shane Hansen (CA) Nate Jackson (NJ) Jackson Kinsella (IA) Krystian Kinsey (NC) Tyler Kocak (PA) Jake Lucas (PA) Mike Macchiavello (NC) Morgan McIntosh (PA) Kollin Moore (OH) Andrew Morgan (CA) Zachary Peterson (MN) Travis Pol (CA) Eric Schultz (IL) Jay Smith (OR) Nick Stemmet (IL) Isaac Trumble (NC) David Willoughby (TX) 97 kg Kash Anderson (ID) J'den Cox (MI) TJ Dudley (SC) Eric Gamble (PA) Darien Kaufmann (IL) Ben Kueter (IA) Duncan Lee (IL) Anthony Mancini (CA) Malik McDonald (OH) Sam Mitchell (WI) Darius Mynar (HI) David Remer (NV) Marco Retano (OR) Morgan Smith (WA) Nick Williams (AZ) 125 lbs Malcolm Allen (MN) Dom Bradley (MO) Jacob Bullock (IN) Sammy Deseriere (CO) Zach Elam (MO) Dan Erekson (ID) Grady Griess (NE) Nick Gwiazdowski (NC) Jacob Haynes (OH) Wyatt Hendrickson (CO) Lee Herrington (NE) Darrian Hoobery (ID) Tyrie Houghton (NC) Crew Howard (IA) Gabriel Jacobs (FL) Garrett Joles (WI) Kyle LaFritz (WA) Christian Lance (MO) Darrell Mason (IL) Mason Parris (IN) Cullen Quick (WI) Gable Steveson (MN) Shawn Streck (IN) Demetrius Thomas (MO) Owen Trephan (NC) Ty Walz (VA) Derek White (OK) Jordan Wood (PA)

2x NCAA champion Keegan O'Toole (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Earlier last week, InterMat released its re-ranking for the high school Class of 2018. With recruiting on the mind, we decided to jump in and look at each individual weight class for the 2023 NCAA DI Championships. As is customary in wrestling we'll start with the lower weights and work our way up. This analysis will break down the 2023 NCAA qualifiers a weight class at a time, by their pre-collegiate ranking within their recruiting class, their year of high school graduation, transfers, home states, and, of course, rankings for the 2023 All-Americans. The second half of our look focuses on the 165 lb weight class. All year fans anticipated how this loaded bracket would play out in Tulsa. It didn’t disappoint as the third time was the charm for Keegan O’Toole against David Carr. It wasn’t in November that this weight class became “loaded.” Looking at the recruiting rankings for this bracket, many of its participants were among the top recruits in their respective graduating classes. 8 of the 33 wrestlers were deemed top ten recruits coming out of high school. About half were top 50 recruits. Despite this, one of the eight spots on the podium was taken by a wrestler that was unranked coming out of high school. The fun part is we’ll get to do it again in 2023-24, as seven of the eight AA’s and three of the four Round of 12 finishers are slated to return. 125 lbs 133 lbs 141 lbs 149 lbs 157 lbs 2023 NCAA Qualifiers (165 lbs) by Recruiting Rankings #1-#10 #2 (2021) Alex Facundo (Penn State) #4 (2019) Carson Kharchla (Ohio State) #4 (2020) Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) #5 (2018) David Carr (Iowa State) #5 (2020) Keegan O’Toole (Missouri) #6 (2021) Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) #10 (2019) Julian Ramirez (Cornell) #10 (2020) Gerrit Nijenhuis (Oklahoma) #11-#30 #12 (2019) Matthew Olguin (Oregon State) #13 (2019) Connor Brady (Virginia Tech) #17 (2019) Cameron Amine (Michigan) #19 (2018) Shane Griffith (Stanford) #31-#50 #40 (2018) Quincy Monday (Princeton) #45 (2020) Peyton Hall (West Virginia) #49 (2020) Andrew Sparks (Minnesota) #51-#100 #52 (2016) Wyatt Sheets (Oklahoma State) #72 (2020) Maxx Mayfield (Northwestern) #73 (2021) Michael Caliendo (North Dakota State) #83 (2018) Joshua Kim (Harvard) #92 (2018) Justin McCoy (Virginia) #97 (2018) Cole Moody (Wyoming) #99 (2020) Josh Ogunsanya (Columbia) #101-#200 #137 (2020) Caleb Fish (Michigan State) Not Ranked Evan Barczak (Drexel) 2017 Danny Braunagel (Illinois) 2018 Brevin Cassella (Binghamton) 2020 Tanner Cook (South Dakota State) 2017 Will Formato (Appalachian State) 2018 Holden Heller (Pittsburgh) 2018 Rodrick Mosley (Gardner-Webb) 2018 Izzak Oljenik (Northern Illinois) 2018 Bubba Wilson (Nebraska) 2019 Austin Yant (Northern Iowa) 2017 2023 NCAA Qualifiers (165 lbs) by Recruiting Class 2016 Wyatt Sheets (Oklahoma State) 2017 Evan Barczak (Drexel) Tanner Cook (South Dakota State) Austin Yant (Northern Iowa) 2018 Danny Braunagel (Illinois) David Carr (Iowa State) Will Formato (Appalachian State) Shane Griffith (Stanford) Holden Heller (Pittsburgh) Joshua Kim (Harvard) Justin McCoy (Virginia) Quincy Monday (Princeton) Cole Moody (Wyoming) Rodrick Mosley (Gardner-Webb) Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois) 2019 Cameron Amine (Michigan) Connor Brady (Virginia Tech) Carson Kharchla (Ohio State) Matthew Olguin (Oregon State) Julian Ramirez (Cornell) Bubba Wilson (Nebraska) 2020 Brevin Cassella (Binghamton) Caleb Fish (Michigan State) Peyton Hall (West Virginia) Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) Maxx Mayfield (Northwestern) Gerrit Nijenhuis (Oklahoma) Josh Ogunsanya (Columbia) Keegan O’Toole (Missouri) Andrew Sparks (Minnesota) 2021 Michael Caliendo (North Dakota State) Alex Facundo (Penn State) Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) Home States for 165 lb NCAA Qualifiers California Joshua Kim (Harvard) Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois) Matthew Olguin (Oregon State) Andrew Sparks (Minnesota) Florida Julian Ramirez (Cornell) Georgia Will Formato (Appalachian State) Illinois Danny Braunagel (Illinois) Michael Caliendo (North Dakota State) Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) Holden Heller (Pittsburgh) Josh Ogunsanya (Columbia) Iowa Austin Yant (Northern Iowa) Kansas Bubba Wilson (Nebraska) Massachusetts Brevin Cassella (Binghamton) Michigan Cameron Amine (Michigan) Alex Facundo (Penn State) Caleb Fish (Michigan State) Minnesota Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) Nebraska Maxx Mayfield (Northwestern) New Jersey Shane Griffith (Stanford) New York Evan Barczak (Drexel) Tanner Cook (South Dakota State) North Carolina Quincy Monday (Princeton) Ohio Connor Brady (Virginia Tech) David Carr (Iowa State) Carson Kharchla (Ohio State) Oklahoma Rodrick Mosley (Gardner-Webb) Wyatt Sheets (Oklahoma State) Pennsylvania Justin McCoy (Virginia) Gerrit Nijenhuis (Oklahoma) Utah Cole Moody (Wyoming) West Virginia Peyton Hall (West Virginia) Wisconsin Keegan O’Toole (Missouri) 165 lb NCAA Qualifiers Signed by a Previous Program Holden Heller (Hofstra) Gerrit Nijenhuis (Purdue) Matthew Olguin (Fresno State) Recruiting Rankings for 2023 All-Americans 1st: Keegan O’Toole (Missouri) - #5 in 2020 2nd: David Carr (Iowa State) - #5 in 2018 3rd: Quincy Monday (Princeton) - #40 in 2018 4th: Cameron Amine (Michigan) - #17 in 2019 5th: Shane Griffith (Stanford) - #19 in 2018 6th: Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) - #6 in 2021 7th: Michael Caliendo (North Dakota State) - #73 in 2021 8th: Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois) - NR in 2018

The McCasland Field House; Home of Oklahoma wrestling (photo courtesy of OU athletics) On April 5th, the University of Oklahoma announced that head coach Lou Rosselli was stepping down from his position. That made the Sooners head coaching position the only current vacancy in the country at the DI level and one of the most enticing. Only a select few programs have ever won national titles and the Sooners have seven (though the most recent was in 1974). While Oklahoma only has two top-ten finishes since 2010, they possess a rich wrestling history and have the potential to fight for a regular spot in the top ten provided they hire the right coach. Initially, it looked like Oklahoma may shock the wrestling world and hire Rob Koll, shortly after Rosselli stepped down. Now it looks like a more traditional coaching search. So, what will the next Oklahoma head coach have to work with in Norman? What does this job have going for it and what will the next coach have to work around? We’ll hit on those items in the following seven topics. The Conference This is a huge uncertainty. Oklahoma has been forever associated with the Big 8/Big 12, which has either been the best or second-best conference in the country for most of its existence. In the summer of 2021, Oklahoma and Texas dropped a bombshell on the sporting world when they announced they would move to the SEC, which would create an even more powerful conference for football. Just a few months ago, it was confirmed that the schools would make the move following the 2023-24 school year. For the full article, Subscribe to InterMat's Rokfin Page

Two-time Senior World Team member Kamal Bey (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Next week marks the start of the 2023 US Open. The Open is always an important part of the freestyle and Greco-Roman calendar. This year it carries even more significance as Open winners at a weight class with a 2022 world medalist returning will earn a place in Final X. No World Team Trials needed! They will be necessary in weights without a 2022 world medalist. This will be the case for the entire Greco tournament as there were no Senior world medalists from the 2022 World Championships. Below are the current entries (as of Tuesday morning, April 17th) for the Senior Greco-Roman portion of the Open. Previews for the Open will be forthcoming. 55 kg Jacob Cochran (CO) Dalton Duffield (CO) Carson Jackson (OR) Brady Koontz (IA) Angelo Lozado (CO) Eathon Rider (CA) Camden Russell (NE) Billy Sullivan (NV) Drew West (IL) 60 kg John Babineau (MN) Max Black (CO) Mitchell Brown (CO) Lucas Byrd (OH) Koy Caldwell (UT) Jayden Carson (MO) Mason Carzino-Hartshorn (CA) Joseph Couch (MD) Jonathan Gurule (NM) Ildar Hafizov (CO) Dylan Koontz (IA) Jakob Lyons (OK) Randon Miranda (CA) Phillip Moomey (NE) Corbin Nirschl (NE) Dalton Roberts (CO) King Sandoval (DC) Logan Savvy (VA) Sam Smith (WI) Hunter Sparks (OR) Alex Thomsen (IA) Taylor Ticknor (TN) 63 kg Jeremy Bockert (AK) Justin Folley (NV) Leslie Fuenffinger (CO) Dylan Gregerson (UT) Savion Haywood (IL) Xavier Johnson (NC) Sammy Jones (MI) Danny Khoundet (UT) Aiden Nutter (WI) Diego Romero (FL) Kyle Rowan (OH) King Sandoval (DC) Hayden Tuma (ID) 67 kg Joel Adams (NE) Robert Adams (AZ) Justin Benjamin (IL) Steve Bleise (CA) Ryu Brown (SC) Jalin Conner (WI) Chris DeBien (TN) Charlie Dill (NY) Brenton Dotter (WI) Justin Feldman (WA) Morgan Flaherty (CO) Raul Jimenez (CA) Chayse LaJoie (MI) Hunter Lewis (NC) Mason Lewis (PA) Trent Lytle (WY) Lenny Merkin (NY) Jaxon Morlan (UT) Alston Nutter (WI) Michael Orange (MN) McCoy Pace (GA) Robert Perez III (CO) Leo Rodriguez (CO) Farrokh Safaeinejad (FL) Alex Sancho (CO) Max Schierl (WI) David Stepanian (MI) Jesse Thielke (CO) Santonio Thompson (NC) Jessy Williams (NY) 72 kg Zarik Anderson (IA) Samuel Balderston (OR) Kolbi Caffey (IL) Dominic Damon (WA) Aaron Dobbs (WA) Richard Fedalen (MD) Logan Hatch (CO) Britton Holmes (CO) Michael Hooker (CO) Garrett Johnson (NE) Jamel Johnson (NC) Tallin Johnson (MN) Brendan Kiernan (MA) Calvin Miller (CA) Nathan Moore (WA) Brody Olson (MN) Calum Price (NY) Justus Scott (CO) Dawson Sihavong (CA) Eddie Smith (IA) Pat Smith (MN) Nick Tarpley (CO) Bobby Treshock (NY) Noah Wachsmuth (CO) Timothy Worthen (FL) Bobby Yamashita (CO) 77 kg Kamal Bey (CO) Danny Braunagel (IL) Patrick Curran (IL) Geoffrey Curtis (CO) Cody Eaton (CO) Tyler Eischens (MN) Jack Ervien (WA) Thomas Even (IA) Justin Head (IA) Payton Jacobson (WI) Julian Kennedy (WA) Aliaksandr Kikiniou (CA) Ty Lydic (PA) Justin McCunn (IA) Hunter Mullin (CO) Quinlan Nelson (IL) Alec Ortiz (MN) Burke Paddock (CO) Terrance Parks (NY) RaVaughn Perkins (CO) Jesse Porter (NY) 82 kg Khalil Abdushshakur (GA) Michael Altomer (NY) Andrew Berreyesa (NV) Tommy Brackett (CO) Johanner Correa (NC) Tyler Cunningham (NE) Mark Halajian (CO) Lucas Hodges (MN) Arian Khosravy (CA) Jordan Lara (NM) Michael Napier (TX) Ben Provisor (PA) Kendrick Sanders (MI) Fritz Schierl (WI) Syed Ul-Hasan (CA) Spencer Woods (CO) 87 kg Braden Baumgartner (CO) Zackery Bickford (WA) Zac Braunagel (IL) Richard Carlson (MN) Ryan Cody (FL) Daniel Conley (AK) Austin Craig (WA) Parker Ehn-Howland (WI) Hunter Gonzalez (CA) Tyler Hannah (WI) Cole Pence (WI) George Sikes (FL) John Stefanowicz (PA) Alan Vera (NJ) Timothy Young (IL) 97 kg Kash Anderson (ID) Rober Barbour (CO) Nicholas Boykin (OH) Monte Britton (NC) Christian DuLaney (MN) Timothy Eubanks (NV) Eric Gamble (PA) Shaun Heist (PA) Cade Lautt (NC) Brandon Marshall (IA) Jaime Miranda (IA) Alex Nuanez (CA) Eli Pannell (IL) Joe Rau (IL) Christian Rouleau (MN) Lucas Sheridan (CO) Trace Thompson (UT) Tyler Thurston (IA) 130 kg Darryl Aiello (IA) Brandon Ballard (MN) Dylan Buschow (NE) Adam Coon (MI) Sammy Deseiere (CO) Tanner Farmer (IL) Tom Foote (MA) Courtney Freeman (NC) Cameron Groncki (NY) Aydin Guttridge (NC) James Hustoles (MI) Luke Luffman (IL) Brandon Metz (ND) Kaleb Reeves (IA) Cohlton Schultz (CO) Brady Schumer (IL)

2x NCAA champion Austin O'Connor (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Earlier last week, InterMat released its re-ranking for the high school Class of 2018. With recruiting on the mind, we decided to jump in and look at each individual weight class for the 2023 NCAA DI Championships. As is customary in wrestling we'll start with the lower weights and work our way up. This analysis will break down the 2023 NCAA qualifiers a weight class at a time, by their pre-collegiate ranking within their recruiting class, their year of high school graduation, transfers, home states, and, of course, rankings for the 2023 All-Americans. We're halfway home after the 157 lb weight class. This is an extremely veteran-laden weight. Almost half of its entrants were from the high school Class of 2017 or 2018. Even so, there's a chance that all of the AA's, except NCAA champion Austin O'Connor return for the 2023-24 season. An interesting quirk about this weight is that it featured a pair of freshmen, one true and another redshirt, that were ranked #1 and #2 in their respective recruiting classes. Neither were able to get on the podium this year. With such a loaded field returning, it will be difficult to do so next season. 125 lbs 133 lbs 141 lbs 149 lbs 2023 NCAA Qualifiers (157 lbs) by Recruiting Rankings #1-#10 #1 (2020) Paddy Gallagher (Ohio State) #2 (2022) Daniel Cardenas (Stanford) #7 (2022) Levi Haines (Penn State) #11-#30 #12 (2017) Austin O'Connor (North Carolina) #14 (2020) Chase Saldate (Michigan State) #15 (2017) Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma State) #18 (2020) Ed Scott (NC State) #26 (2018) Anthony Artalona (Penn) #28 (2018) Will Lewan (Michigan) #28 (2019) Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) #31-#50 #31 (2018) Peyton Robb (Nebraska) #36 (2018) Kendall Coleman (Purdue) #41 (2020) Derek Gilcher (Indiana) #42 (2018) Jarrett Jacques (Missouri) #48 (2018) Jared Franek (North Dakota State) #51-#100 #78 (2018) Josh Humphreys (Lehigh) #78 (2021) Cael Swensen (South Dakota State) #74 (2019) Trevor Chumbley (Northwestern) #94 (2019) Jason Kraisser (Iowa State) #101-#200 #105 (2021) Vince Zerban (Northern Colorado) #115 (2021) Peyten Kellar (Ohio) #117 (2020) Andrew Clark (Rutgers) #118 (2021) Jared Hill (Oklahoma) #176 (2020) Tommy Askey (Appalachian State) Not Ranked Cesar Alvan (Columbia) 2021 Ashton Eyler (Lock Haven) 2018 Derek Holschlag (Northern Iowa) 2017 Nate Lukez (Army West Point) 2020 Garrett Model (Wisconsin) 2017 Corbyn Munson (Central Michigan) 2018 Peter Pappas (George Mason) 2017 Cobe Siebrecht (Iowa) 2019 Jacob Wright (Wyoming) 2017 2023 NCAA Qualifiers (157 lbs) by Recruiting Class 2017 Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma State) Derek Holschlag (Northern Iowa) Garrett Model (Wisconsin) Austin O'Connor (North Carolina) Peter Pappas (George Mason) Jacob Wright (Wyoming) 2018 Anthony Artalona (Penn) Kendall Coleman (Purdue) Ashton Eyler (Lock Haven) Jared Franek (North Dakota State) Josh Humphreys (Lehigh) Jarrett Jacques (Missouri) Will Lewan (Michigan) Corbyn Munson (Central Michigan) Peyton Robb (Nebraska) 2019 Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) Trevor Chumbley (Northwestern) Jason Kraisser (Iowa State) Cobe Siebrecht (Iowa) 2020 Tommy Askey (Appalachian State) Andrew Clark (Rutgers) Derek Gilcher (Indiana) Nate Lukez (Army West Point) Chase Saldate (Michigan State) Ed Scott (NC State) 2021 Cesar Alvan (Columbia) Paddy Gallagher (Ohio State) Jared Hill (Oklahoma) Peyten Kellar (Ohio) Cael Swensen (South Dakota State) Vince Zerban (Northern Colorado) 2022 Daniel Cardenas (Stanford) Levi Haines (Penn State) Home States for 157 lb NCAA Qualifiers California Chase Saldate (Michigan State) Jacob Wright (Wyoming) Colorado Daniel Cardenas (Stanford) Florida Anthony Artalona (Penn) Illinois Trevor Chumbley (Northwestern) Kendall Coleman (Purdue) Will Lewan (Michigan) Austin O'Connor (North Carolina) Vince Zerban (Northern Colorado) Iowa Derek Holschlag (Northern Iowa) Cobe Siebrecht (Iowa) Maryland Jason Kraisser (Iowa State) Massachusetts Cesar Alvan (Columbia) Michigan Derek Gilcher (Indiana) Corbyn Munson (Central Michigan) Minnesota Peyton Robb (Nebraska) Cael Swensen (South Dakota State) Missouri Jarrett Jacques (Missouri) New Jersey Andrew Clark (Rutgers) New York Tommy Askey (Appalachian State) Peter Pappas (George Mason) North Dakota Jared Franek (North Dakota State) Ohio Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) Ashton Eyler (Lock Haven) Paddy Gallagher (Ohio State) Peyten Kellar (Ohio) Oklahoma Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma State) Jared Hill (Oklahoma) Pennsylvania Levi Haines (Penn State) Nate Lukez (Army West Point) Ed Scott (NC State) West Virginia Josh Humphreys (Lehigh) Wisconsin Garrett Model (Wisconsin) 157 lbs NCAA Qualifiers Signed by a Previous Program Ashton Eyler (Iowa Central CC) Jason Kraisser (Campbell) Peter Pappas (Edinboro) Jacob Wright (Fresno State) Recruiting Rankings for 2023 All-Americans 1st: Austin O'Connor (North Carolina) - #12 in 2017 2nd: Levi Haines (Penn State) - #7 in 2022 3rd: Josh Humphreys (Lehigh) - #71 in 2018 4th: Jared Franek (North Dakota State) - #48 in 2018 5th: Ed Scott (NC State) - #18 in 2020 6th: Peyton Robb (Nebraska) - #31 in 2018 7th: Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) - #28 in 2019 8th: Will Lewan (Michigan) - #28 in 2018

Six-time World Champion Adeline Gray (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Next week marks the start of the 2023 US Open. The Open is always an important part of the freestyle and Greco-Roman calendar. This year it carries even more significance as Open winners at a weight class with a 2022 world medalist returning will earn a place in Final X. No World Team Trials needed! They will be necessary in weights without a 2022 world medalist. Below are the current entries (as of Monday morning, April 17th) for the Senior Women’s freestyle portion of the Open. Previews for the Open will be forthcoming. 50 kg Mariah Anderson (TX) Ava Bayless (PA) Lexus Bertagnolli (UT) Sterling Dias (NV) Malarie Dominguez (TX) Anaya Falcon (CA) Charlotte Fowler (TX) Erin Golston (IL) Emilie Gonzalez (CA) Aleeah Gould (CA) Lucy Guadarrama (CA) Emma Heslin (CT) Dianna Holmes (GA) Jasmine Howard (TX) Audrey Jimenez (TX) Alyssa Lampe (OR) Cassandra Lopez (MD) Eliana Martinez (TX) Jennesis Martinez (NM) Emily Mendez (WA) Sage Mortimer (UT) Kaili Oshiro (CA) Erica Pastoriza (AZ) Nina Pham (CA) Natalie Reyna-Rodriguez (CA) Aliyah Rollins (CA) Emily Shilson (MN) Tehani Soares (NV) Janessa Sitowski (OR) Kiely Tabaldo (CA) Kylie Titus (CA) Esthela Trevino (OR) Nyla Valencia (CA) Arelys Valles (FL) Dinaya Vasquez (NJ) 53 kg Avery Ashley (TX) Josie Bartishofski (WI) Kadence Beck (ID) Ileah Brown (TX) Alesandra Burgos (FL) Jade Cabrera (CA) Samara Chavez (TX) Estrella Dorado-Marin (CO) Carisa Epling (UT) Amy Fearnside (CO) Belle Foard (VA) Haley Franich (WA) Danielle Garcia (CA) Katie Gomez (CA) Hannah Hall (FL) Katherine Heath (TX) Angela LoRusso (FL) Lauren Mason (CA) Melanie Mendoza (CA) Joanalicia Ramirez (VA) Vanessa Ramirez (CO) Anna Rusth (CA) Felicity Taylor (IA) Samantha Weeks (ND) 55 kg Vayle Baker (PA) Jenna Beddow (WA) Paige Chafin (OR) Betty Cherry (GA) Jewelysa Funakoshi (CA) Marissa Gallegos (CO) Julie Garcia (CA) Alisha Howk (WI) Ella Jauregui (CA) Laila Oribello (OH) Cara Romeike (NE) Kyara Tagami (HI) Areana Villaescusa (CO) Jacarra Winchester (CO) 57 kg Mya Crespo (CA) Montana DeLawder (PA) Cameron Guerin (WA) Alex Hedrick (CA) Jasmine Hernandez (TX) Katrina Kling (NJ) Amanda Martinez (IL) Shelby Moore (WA) Carolina Moreno (AZ) Samantha Shepherd (MI) Sophia Smith (WI) Ngao Shoua Whitethorn (MN) 59 kg Lexie Bashman (TX) Alexandra Baudhuin (ND) Michaela Beck (NY) Korina Blades (IL) Piper Cadden (AZ) Hailey Chapman (CA) Jaylene Chapman (CA) Gracie Figueroa (CA) Abigail Geairn (MI) Charlotte Kouyoumtjian (MN) Samantha Larios (CA) Lauren Louive (OH) Alioz Mason (OR) Maya Nelson (CO) Abby Nette (LA) Adaugo Nwachukwu (CA) Genesis Ramirez (VA) Brenda Reyna (WA) Marissa Riojas (WA) Kylie Rule (WI) Sarah Savidge (CO) River Todd (CA) 62 kg Gianna Anaya (GA) SaVannah Cosme (AZ) Claire DiCugno (WA) Bridgette Duty (TX) Cierra Foster (ID) Delaney Graves (WA) Emma Gruenhagen (WI) Sofia Hammana (CA) Skylar Hattendorf (NH) Amanda Hendey (TN) Ellyana Kuzma (MI) Maya Letona (CA) Zoe Nowicki (MI) Ashlynn Ortega (CO) Jennifer Page (PA) Leidaly Rivera (FL) Danielle Rond (CA) Katherina Sotomayor (AZ) Paige Wehrmeister (MO) 65 kg Aspen Barber (CO) Emma Bruntil (WA) Celina Cooke (NV) Candice Corralejo (CA) Dalia Garibay (CA) Sierra Hartfelder (CO) Elleni Johnson (UT) Macey Kilty (WI) Reese Larramendy (NV) Ana Luciano (FL) Destiny Lyng (CA) Andrea Schlabach (OH) Ella Schmit (IA) Emily Se (CA) Samantha Snow (CA) Piper Staniford (OR) Anna Stephens (MO) Viktorya Torres (WA) Liv Wieber (ID) 68 kg Kaylynn Albrecht (TX) Kayani Ayala (TX) Josselinne Campos (GA) Taylor Cutler (MI) Love Daley (MD) Alex Glaude (OR) Isabella Mir (NV) Forrest Molinari (AZ) Chloe Ogden (NC) Solin Piearcy (CA) Savannah Pitts (FL) Olivia Pizano (OR) CarrieAnn Randolph (IA) Lizzie Shunn (UT) Isabel Worthing (MI) 72 kg Cheyenne Bowman (CA) Rose Cassioppi (IL) Marlynne Deede (UT) Marilyn Garcia (CA) Nile Jernigan (CA) Joye Levendusky (NY) Katelyn Lewis (WI) Nahiela Magee (CO) India Page (GA) Lilliann Marie Restrpo (OR) Haley Ward (MO) 76 kg Alyssa Arana (CA) Precious Bell (CA) Kennedy Blades (IL) Alexa Garcia (CA) Adeline Gray (CO) Skylar Grote (NJ) Dymond Guilford (CA) Brooklyn Hays (UT) Tristan Kelly (CO) Mackenzie Konanz (IN) Brooke Logan (AZ) Yelena Makoyed (CA) Kylie Welker (WI)

Four-time NCAA Champion Yianni Diakomihalis (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The NCAA wrestling record books will show that Cornell's Yianni Diakomihalis came for his final season in Ithaca, saw it through after a busy freestyle season, and he conquered the 149-pound NCAA championship bracket. Diakomihalis became the fifth wrestler in NCAA history to win four titles while he simultaneously emerged as the elite freestyle wrestler everyone knew he could be. Reality will say that one of the sport's biggest names had to be as crafty and sly as ever to get to the finish line with labor-intensive wins over Iowa's Max Murin, Penn State's Shayne Van Ness and Ohio State's Sammy Sasso in the NCAA quarters, semis and finals. He also suffered the second and final loss of his remarkable college career to Wisconsin's Austin Gomez in November. The book was out on Diakomihalis and opponents were better than ever at forcing him away from his strengths. Meanwhile, Yianni had spent the entire offseason training and competing in freestyle, rather than going through a traditional camp. It was an uphill climb from the start. "I didn't give enough credit, I think, to the college wrestlers and the differences between the two," Diakomihalis said. "I kind of was like, 'You know what, I'll just keep really focusing on what I've got to do for these international guys, and that will kind of take care of everything.' And that's not really how things work. "You've got to have very focused training. My focus was good, just not really in the right area. I guess to make a long story short, that stuff plays a role. It makes a difference when you're competing against high-level guys, whether it's college or internationally." But when the dust all settled, Yianni had an unbelievable trump card in his ability to close out matches. He wasn't as crisp as he wanted to be in finishing off Murin in the quarterfinals, but he completed the job. Against Van Ness, Yianni took the gifted freshman's best shot and flipped the switch late for a six-point move and an 8-3 victory. The title was a culmination of every lesson Yianni learned through his first three years of winning championships. The focus this time around shifted away from dominating opponents, many of whom were better prepared and engaged less. Yianni instead awaited his best scoring chances and converted them when they counted. That's how it played out in Tulsa. "It's hard to do and just speaks volumes to go from one style to the next, but also having to deal with the pressures and expectations that come with being the face of a program and being one of the faces of the sport," Cornell coach Mike Grey said. "He and Spencer [Lee], those guys had a lot to deal with. That's what kind of makes Yianni so special is the fact that he finds a way. Yianni Diakomihalis in the 2023 NCAA finals (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) "Look at any of his big matches, right? Final X, he gets his hands locked and pushes Henderson out of bounds in the first match. He finds a way to get to Van Ness' legs and finish there. Meredith his freshman year. You feel like at some point, it's not just luck. He's got ice in his veins." In a perfect world, sure, Diakomihalis wouldn't need to rally with his back against the wall. But that wasn't a reality for him during the NCAA season, and it likely won't be at most of the international events in his future, beginning with the Pan-American Championships in Argentina in May. For a wrestler with a history of shining in tight moments, Yianni still found a way to get better in that area. He was fortunate to have gained that experience in a winning effort at NCAAs. And while he earned each and every one of his four titles, Yianni also earned the outrageous privilege to sift through them and pick out a favorite. That one, by the way, was his freshman season when he went 37-1 and won a 141-pound title. Where does No. 4 rank? Perhaps not high in terms of satisfaction, but it was the right one at the right time as Diakomihalis finally unleashes on freestyle full-time. "It's definitely lower," Diakomihalis said of his title. "This year, kind of the big message from my coaches was, 'Listen, you don't need to blow the scoreboard open because these guys are just sitting on what you're doing. So if you can get one takedown, just to crack the guy open, now they have to come get you.' And I think that this year was very important for my patience. "I think I developed a lot of different ways to score on a guy because I have this good left-handed single kind of knee pull motion and everybody all season is sitting on that," Diakomihalis said. "I had to develop offense and attack to the right side, get back to my arm drags and all sorts of stuff like that. This year was frustrating at times, but I needed that. I needed to develop those skills." Diakomihalis was in rarified air before he even got his hand raised against Sasso to capture his fourth NCAA title. Few wrestlers in the history of college wrestling were as accomplished as he was on the international front while still closing out his collegiate career. And with that came a great big target and impossible expectations. This was never going to be the year for Diakomihalis to blow the doors off the competition. But it was perhaps his best opportunity to be humbled by the sport for the next chapter and all the great big things he hopes to achieve. And whether it's at Pan-Ams, Final X or the Olympics in Paris in 2024, this season's lessons will stay with him. None of it was easy, but Yianni grew through the struggle. International stardom could be next. "Yianni and our head RTC coach Frank Perrelli will just try to separate themselves now on the freestyle side," Grey said. "Nationally but also continue to be a force internationally, and ultimately chase down that Iranian [Rahman Amouzad] and get him when it counts."

2023 U20 World Team member Kennedy Blades (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) U20 Women’s Final Results 50 kg 1st Place - Audrey Jimenez (TX) over Nyla Valencia (CA) 4-2, 7-0 3rd Place - Sage Mortimer (UT) over Mia Palumbo (IL) 5-5 5th Place - Clare Booe (FL) over Ava Bayless (PA) 4:20 7th Place - Jenavi Alejandro (NV) over Valarie Solorio (PA) InjDef 53 kg 1st Place - Katie Gomez (CA) over Alex Szkotnicki (MD) 13-2, 10-0 3rd Place - Sydney Petzinger (NJ) over Alexis Montes (TX) 13-6 5th Place - Avery Ashley (TX) over Angelina Vargas (MO) Fall 1:59 7th Place - Salyna Shotwell (WA) over Juliana Diaz (FL) FFT 55 kg 1st Place - Amani Jones (GA) over Belle Foard (VA) 11-1, 12-3 3rd Place - Ella Jauregui (CA) over Alexandra Waitsman (CA) 7-1 5th Place - Olivia Moreno (TX) over Elena Ivaldi (CA) FFT 7th Place - Jenna Beddow (WA) over Carissa Quereshi (CA) 57 kg 1st Place - Cristelle Rodriguez (CA) over Shelby Moore (WA) 6-8, 8-5, 10-0 3rd Place - Sofia Macaluso (NY) over Jennifer Soto (CA) 6-4 5th Place - Joanna Vanderwood (WA) over Jaclyn Dehney (NH) 10-6 7th Place - Sara Sterner (CA) over Rose Kaplan (IN) Fall :49 59 kg 1st Place - Alexis Janiak (IL) over Sarah Savidge (CO) 11-0, Fall 4:42 3rd Place - Skye Realin (HI) over Emily Frost (NY) 10-0 5th Place - Lily Sherer (PA) over Korina Blades (IL) FFT 7th Place - Charlotte Kouyoumtjian (MN) over Emma Grimm (IA) 10-0 62 kg 1st Place - Adaugo Nwachukwu (CA) over SaVannah Cosme (AZ) Fall 3:32, 3:00 3rd Place - Skylar Hattendorf (NH) over Lilly Luft (IA) Fall 5:44 5th Place - Haley Vann (OR) over Netavia Wickson (IL) 13-0 7th Place - Alondra Morales (WA) over Allyssa Johnson (ND) Fall 5:16 65 kg 1st Place - Maddie Kubicki (MO) over Ella Schmit (IA) Fall 4:41, Fall 4:46, 13-4 3rd Place - Reese Larramendy (NV) over Grace Stem (PA) 16-5 5th Place - Claire DiCugno (WA) over Janida Garcia (CO) MedFFT 7th Place - Paige Wehrmeister (MO) over Makayla Munoz (NM) 10-0 68 kg 1st Place - Isabella Mir (NV) over London Houston (WA) Fall 1:24, 1:54 3rd Place - Nina Makem (MN) over Katerina Lange (MN) MedFFT 5th Place - Love Daley (MD) over Liv Wieber (ID) Fall :33 7th Place - Ruby Rios (WA) over Kaiulani Garcia (CA) Fall 1:29 72 kg 1st Place - Amit Elor (CA) over Haley Ward (MO) 10-0, 10-0 3rd Place - Rose Cassioppi (IL) over Noelle Gaffney (NJ) 10-0 5th Place - Alexandra Hofrichter (WI) over Stella Steigler (VA) MedFFT 7th Place - Katelyn Lewis (WI) over Trinity Bouchal (AZ) 3:39 76 kg 1st Place - Kennedy Blades (IL) over Kylie Welker (WI) 8-6, Fall 2:22 3rd Place - Brooklyn Hays (UT) over Sabrina Nauss (MI) 14-11 5th Place - Lily El-Masri (CA) over Autumn Perez (OR) Fall 2:26 7th Place - Naomi Simon (IA) over Shenita Lawson (TX) 13-2

All-Americans Sammy Sasso (right) and Kyle Parco (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Earlier this week, InterMat released its re-ranking for the high school Class of 2018. With recruiting on the mind, we decided to jump in and look at each individual weight class for the 2023 NCAA DI Championships. As is customary in wrestling we'll start with the lower weights and work our way up. This analysis will break down the 2023 NCAA qualifiers a weight class at a time, by their pre-collegiate ranking within their recruiting class, their year of high school graduation, transfers, home states, and, of course, rankings for the 2023 All-Americans. Moving along to the 149 lb weight class. This is a group that featured three wrestlers ranked in the top-five of their respective recruiting classes. Oddly enough, those three finished up 1-2-3 at nationals. All eight of the 2023 All-Americans were ranked #73 or better in their high school class. In addition, there were five past All-Americans that didn’t make it to the stand in 2023. Even with three 2023 All-Americans moving on next season, this weight should continue to get better as almost a third of its entrants were from the high school Class of 2021 or 2022. For past weights in this series: 125 lbs 133 lbs 141 lbs 2023 NCAA Qualifiers (149 lbs) by Recruiting Rankings #1-#10 #3 (2017) Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) #4 (2018) Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) #5 (2021) Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) #8 (2019) Jaden Abas (Stanford) #8 (2021) Chance Lamer (Michigan) #11-#30 #11 (2017) Austin Gomez (Wisconsin) #15 (2018) Quinn Kinner (Rider) #15 (2021) Victor Voinovich (Oklahoma State) #16 (2022) Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) #20 (2017) Jarod Verkleeren (Virginia) #28 (2022) Jackson Arrington (NC State) #31-#50 #43 (2017) Dom Demas (Cal Poly) #43 (2021) Ethen Miller (Maryland) #44 (2017) Max Murin (Iowa) #44 (2018) Michael Blockhus (Minnesota) #51-#100 #69 (2021) Tony White (Rutgers) #71 (2019) Kyle Parco (Arizona State) #73 (2018) Brock Mauller (Missouri) #87 (2018) Mitch Moore (Oklahoma) #101-#200 #106 (2020) Kellyn March (North Dakota State) #156 (2021) Dylan Chappell (Bucknell) #200+ #211 (2021) Caleb Tyus (SIU Edwardsville) Not Ranked Ryan Burgos (Edinboro) 2020 Isaiah Delgado (Utah Valley) 2018 Alec Hagan (Ohio) 2017 Nathan Higley (George Mason) 2021 Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan) 2019 Dylan Martinez (Air Force) 2018 Johnathan Millner (Appalachian State) 2017 Colin Realbuto (2018) Northern Iowa Graham Rooks (2018) Indiana Yahya Thomas (2017) Northwestern Doug Zapf (2018) Penn 2023 NCAA Qualifiers (149 lbs) by Recruiting Class 2017 Dom Demas (Cal Poly) Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) Austin Gomez (Wisconsin) Alec Hagan (Ohio) Jonathan Millner (Appalachian State) Max Murin (Iowa) Yahya Thomas (Northwestern) Jarod Verkleeren (Virginia) 2018 Michael Blockhus (Minnesota) Isaiah Delgado (Utah Valley) Quinn Kinner (Rider) Dylan Martinez (Air Force) Brock Mauller (Missouri) Mitch Moore (Oklahoma) Colin Realbuto (Northern Iowa) Graham Rooks (Indiana) Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) Doug Zapf (Penn) 2019 Jaden Abas (Stanford) Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan) Kyle Parco (Arizona State) 2020 Ryan Burgos (Edinboro) Kellyn March (North Dakota State) 2021 Dylan Chappell (Bucknell) Nathan Higley (George Mason) Paniro Johnson (Iowa State) Chance Lamer (Michigan) Ethen Miller (Maryland) Caleb Tyus (SIU Edwardsville) Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) Victor Voinovich (Oklahoma State) Tony White (Rutgers) 2022 Jackson Arrington (NC State) Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) Home States for 149 lb NCAA Qualifiers California Jaden Abas (Stanford) Kyle Parco (Arizona State) Colorado Dylan Martinez (Air Force) Florida Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan) Georgia Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) Illinois Austin Gomez (Wisconsin) Yahya Thomas (Northwestern) Caleb Tyus (SIU Edwardsville) Indiana Graham Rooks (Indiana) Iowa Michael Blockhus (Minnesota) Missouri Alec Hagan (Ohio) Brock Mauller (Missouri) Ethen Miller (Maryland) New Jersey Quinn Kinner (Rider) Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) Tony White (Rutgers) New York Ryan Burgos (Edinboro) Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) Colin Realbuto (Northern Iowa) North Carolina Jonathan Millner (Appalachian State) Ohio Dom Demas (Cal Poly) Mitch Moore (Oklahoma) Victor Voinovich (Oklahoma State) Oregon Chance Lamer (Michigan) Pennsylvania Jackson Arrington (NC State) Dylan Chappell (Bucknell) Nathan Higley (George Mason) Paniro Johnson (Iowa State) Max Murin (Iowa) Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) Jarod Verkleeren (Virginia) Doug Zapf (Penn) South Dakota Kellyn March (North Dakota State) Texas Isaiah Delgado (Utah Valley) 149 lbs NCAA Qualifier Signed by a previous program Michael Blockhus (Northern Iowa) Dom Demas (Oklahoma) Austin Gomez (Iowa State) Quinn Kinner (Ohio State) Mitch Moore (Virginia Tech) Kyle Parco (Fresno State) Colin Realbuto (Brown) Jarod Verkleeren (Penn State) Recruiting Rankings for 2023 All-Americans 1st: Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) - #3 in 2017 2nd: Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) -#4 in 2018 3rd: Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) - #5 in 2021 4th: Kyle Parco (Arizona State) - #71 in 2019 5th: Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) - #16 in 2022 6th: Max Murin (Iowa) - #44 in 2017 7th: Brock Mauller (Missouri) - #73 in 2018 8th: Michael Blockhus (Minnesota) - #44 in 2018

U23 Outstanding Wrestler Xochitl Mota-Pettis (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) U17 Women’s Final Results 40 kg 1st Place - Jaclyn Bouzakis (PA) over Francesca Gusfa (NJ) Fall 2:39, 10-0 3rd Place - Abigail Mendoza (TX) 4th Place - Sophie Booe (FL) 5th Place - Annalise Maralit (SC) 43 kg 1st Place - Morgan Turner (IL) over Katey Valdez (CO) 12-2, 10-0 3rd Place - Kendall Moe (IN) over Katie Biscoglia (IA) Fall 2:25 5th Place - Elizabeth Brunson (NV) over Khyla Lipumano (AZ) 5-4 7th Place - Bertha Cabrera (NV) over Lyla Stafford (IN) 10-0 46 kg 1st Place - Rianne Murphy (IN) over Caley Graber (MN) 6-4, 2-6, 10-0 3rd Place - Nakayla Dawson (MI) over Charlie Wylie (NJ) FFT 5th Place - Monee Cordero (CA) over Joely Slyter (IN) 10-6 7th Place - Elizabeth Valenzuela Smith (AZ) over Brooke Corrigan (WI) 9-0 49 kg 1st Place - Heather Crull (IN) over Harlee Hiller (IL) 10-0, 10-0 3rd Place - Kayla Batres (CT) over Libby Roberts (WA) 10-0 5th Place - Emma Bacon (PA) over Avy Perez (CA) Fall 1:27 7th Place - Deandra Meza (CA) over Taylor Whiting (WI) Fall 1:05 53 kg 1st Place - Karlee Brooks (AZ) over Isabella Marie Gonzales (CA) 4-4, 0-2, 4-0 3rd Place - Ava Ward (MO) over Angelina Vargas (MO) 6-0 5th Place - Alexis Lazar (MI) over Gabriella Gomez (IL) FFT 7th Place - Milana Borrelli (FL) over Angelina Cassioppi (IL) FFT 57 kg 1st Place - Everest Leydecker (AZ) over Carley Ceshker (WI) 5-3, 7-0 3rd Place - Bella Williams (OK) over Alejandra Valdziviezo (CA) 4-2 5th Place - Samantha Sachs (CA) over Persaeus Gomez (CO) FFT 7th Place - Zorina Johnson (OR) over Jax Realin (HI) InjDef 61 kg 1st Place - Haylie Jaffe (PA) over Cadence Diduch (IL) 4-2, 8-2 3rd Place - Jordyn Fouse (PA) over Alicen Dillard (TX) 10-0 5th Place - Janiah Jones (MO) over Lauren Walton (KY) InjDef 7th Place - Jayci Shelton (MO) over Taydem Bylin (WA) Fall 2:00 65 kg 1st Place - May Prado (GA) over Belicia Manuel (MI) 10-0, 0-9, 2-1 3rd Place - Skylar Little Soldier (MN) over Skylar Slade (IA) 10-0 5th Place - Morgan Lucio (AZ) over Sydney Perry (IL) FFT 7th Place - Gianna DiBenedetto (CA) over Adelaida Fernandez (CA) 6-0 69 kg 1st Place - Jasmine Robinson (TX) over Sarah Henckel (CT) 10-0, Fall 2:32 3rd Place - Jahzara O’Neil (AK) over Elly Janovsky (IN) 8-2 5th Place - Millie Azlin (OK) over Skylur Lewis (AR) 4-1 7th Place - Zoe Fries (ID) over Sadie Evans (WA) 10-0 73 kg 1st Place - Piper Fowler (TN) over Mishell Rebisch (MI) 5-1, 10-2 3rd Place - Alexandria Alli (OH) over Grace Leota (FL) 8-0 5th Place - Genevieve An (GA) over Emma Villa (WA) FFT 7th Place - Billie Bonwell (NV) over Autumne Williams (IL) Fall 1:38 U23 Women’s Final Results 50 kg 1st Place - Emily Shilson (MN) over Sage Mortimer (UT) Disq 3rd Place - Anaya Falcon (CA) over Kaelani Shufeldt (CA) 13-2 5th Place - Kendra Ryan (IL) over Emma Jones (IN) 10-0 7th Place - Elizabeth Dosado (VA) over Aliyah Rollins (CA) FFT 53 kg 1st Place - Felicity Taylor (IA) over Estrella Dorado Marin (CO) 13-0, 10-0 3rd Place - Alex Szkotnicki (MD) over Kiely Tabaldo (CA) Fall 4:24 5th Place - Jaslynn Gallegos (CO)/Samara Chavez (TX) FFT 7th Place - Josie Bartishofski (WI) over Katherine Heath (TX) Fall 2:29 55 kg 1st Place - Alisha Howk (WI) over Elena Ivaldi (CA) 13-2, 11-1 3rd Place - Gabrielle Skidmore (WI) over Mia Macaluso (NY) 10-1 5th Place - Alana Vivas (CA) over Vayle Baker (PA) Disq 7th Place - Danielle Garcia (CA) over Melanie Mendoza (CA) Fall 5:16 57 kg 1st Place - Montana DeLawder (PA) over Payton Stroud (WA) 9-2, 13-7 3rd Place - Ngao Shoua Whitethorn (MN) over Katring Kling (NJ) 14-3 5th Place - Jasmine Hernandez (TX) over Tess Barnett (OR) 10-0 7th Place - Presley Anderson (CA) over Trynadii Rocha (OR) 10-0 59 kg 1st Place - Xochitil Mota-Pettis (TX) over Nichole Moore (KS) 10-0, 12-2 3rd Place - Salome Walker (IN) over Piper Cadden (AZ) 11-8 5th Place - Hailey Chapman (CA)/Lily Sherer (PA) DB FFT 7th Place - Ashley Whetzel (MO) over Araya Boday (WA) Fall 3:37 62 kg 1st Place - Adaugo Nwachukwu (CA) over Marisol Nugent (MA) 10-0, 10-0 3rd Place - Yele Adcock (NM) over Paige Wehrmeister (MO) Fall 4:04 5th Place - Waipuilani Estrealla-Beauchamp (HI) over Louisa Schwab (IL) 6-4 7th Place - Taylor Colangelo (AZ) over Viveca Pannell (CA) 10-0 65 kg 1st Place - Macey Kilty (WI) over Maya Letona (CA) 10-0, 11-0 3rd Place - Grace Stem (PA) over Viktorya Torres (WA) 14-4 5th Place - Kendall Bostelman (OH)/Riley Aarnold (WA) DB FFT 7th Place - Desinee Lopez (CA) over Bridgette Sotomayor (AZ) InjDef 68 kg 1st Place - Katerina Lange (MN) over Nina Makem (MN) 4-2, 2-2 3rd Place - Tiera Jimerson (CA) over Anastasia Hardin (KY) 6-0 5th Place - Aspen Barber (CO) over Chloe Ogden (FL) FFT 7th Place - Eleni Fakaosi (CA) over Celina Cooke (NV) 9-5 72 kg 1st Place - Kaylynn Albrecht (TX) over Cheyenne Bowman (CA) FFT 3rd Place - Noelle Gaffeny (NJ) over Cara Broadus (CT) InjDef 5th Place - Marissa Porsch (KS) over Katelyn Lewis (WI) Fall 3:59 7th Place - Alexandria Hernandez (WA) over Hailey Jo Ahsmuhs (OR) 12-2 76 kg 1st Place - Ashley Lekas (TX) over Joye Levendusky (NY) 2-0, 5-0 3rd Place - Brooklyn Hays (UT) over Tristan Kelly (CO) FFT 5th Place - Flor Parker Borrero (WA) over Marlynne Deede (UT) FFT 7th Place - Bo Geibe (MI) over Kamilla Montenegro (NV) 6-4

2023 NCAA champion Andrew Alirez (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Earlier this week, InterMat released its re-ranking for the high school Class of 2018. With recruiting on the mind, we decided to jump in and look at each individual weight class for the 2023 NCAA DI Championships. As is customary in wrestling we'll start with the lower weights and work our way up. This analysis will break down the 2023 NCAA qualifiers a weight class at a time, by their pre-collegiate ranking within their recruiting class, their year of high school graduation, transfers, home states, and, of course, rankings for the 2023 All-Americans. We've made our way to the 141 lb weight class. After the top two wrestlers at this weight, 141 was difficult to rank and project for the 2022-23 season. Five of the eight All-American's started their tournament as a double-digit seed. With most of the key players 141 expected to return next season, this trend should continue. Looking at the recruiting history for this bracket, it is not as big of a surprise that some of these wrestlers made the NCAA podium. Most of the top-finishers had an impressive pedigree coming out of high school. This weight marks a success for Northern Colorado's 2019 recruiting class. It was highly lauded at the time and proved to be fruitful as Andrew Alirez captured the team's first national title since 1962. For past weights in this series: 125 lbs 133 lbs 2023 NCAA Qualifiers (141 lbs) by Recruiting Rankings #1-#10 #3 (2019) Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado) #3 (2022) Casey Swiderski (Iowa State) #7 (2020) Beau Bartlett (Penn State) #9 (2018) Brock Hardy (Nebraska) #11-#30 #11 (2020) Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina) #11 (2021) Carter Young (Oklahoma State) #17 (2020) Ryan Jack (NC State) #21 (2018) Real Woods (Iowa) #22 (2020) Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) #31-#50 #32 (2019) Dylan D'Emilio (Ohio State) #35 (2020) Frankie Tal-Shahar (Northwestern) #41 (2021) Jordan Titus (West Virginia) #47 (2017) Parker Filius (Purdue) #47 (2022) Kal Miller (Maryland) #50 (2021) Vince Cornella (Cornell) #51-#100 #57 (2019) Mosha Schwartz (Oklahoma) #60 (2020) Joe Zargo (Wisconsin) #68 (2019) Malyke Hines (Lehigh) #79 (2018) Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) #81 (2022) Tom Crook (Virginia Tech) #84 (2017) Allan Hart (Missouri) #101-200 #106 (2021) Josh Koderhandt (Navy) #118 (2020) McKenzie Bell (Rider) Not Ranked by Willie Saylor/Matscouts; Ranked by The Open Mat #96 (2019) Cleveland Belton (Oregon State) Not Ranked Jakob Bergeland (Minnesota) Clay Carlson (South Dakota State) Saul Ervin (SIU Edwardsville) Carmen Ferrante (Penn) Shannon Hanna (Campbell) Matt Kazimir (Columbia) Seth Koleno (Clarion) Josh Mason (Bloomsburg) Cole Mattin (Michigan) 2023 NCAA Qualifiers (141 lbs) by Recruiting Class 2017 Jakob Bergeland (Minnesota) Parker Filius (Purdue) Allan Hart (Missouri) 2018 Clay Carlson (South Dakota State) Saul Ervin (SIU Edwardsville) Carmen Ferrante (Penn) Brock Hardy (Nebraska) Matt Kazimir (Columbia) Seth Koleno (Clarion) Josh Mason (Bloomsburg) Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) Real Woods (Iowa) 2019 Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado) Cleveland Belton (Oregon State) Dylan D'Emilio (Ohio State) Shannon Hanna (Campbell) Malyke Hines (Lehigh) Cole Mattin (Michigan) Mosha Schwartz (Oklahoma) 2020 Beau Bartlett (Penn State) McKenzie Bell (Rider) Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) Ryan Jack (NC State) Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina) Frankie Tal-Shahar (Northwestern) Joe Zargo (Wisconsin) 2021 Vince Cornella (Cornell) Josh Koderhandt (Navy) Jordan Titus (West Virginia) Carter Young (Oklahoma State) 2022 Tom Crook (Virginia Tech) Kal Miller (Maryland) Casey Swiderski (Iowa State) Home States for 141 lb NCAA Qualifiers Arizona Beau Bartlett (Penn State) California Cleveland Belton (Oregon State) Colorado Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado) Vince Cornella (Cornell) Mosha Schwartz (Oklahoma) Connecticut Ryan Jack (NC State) Florida Tom Crook (Virginia Tech) Shannon Hanna (Campbell) Malyke Hines (Lehigh) Frankie Tal-Shahar (Northwestern) Illinois Josh Koderhandt (Navy) Iowa Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) Kentucky Saul Ervin (SIU Edwardsville) Michigan Casey Swiderski (Iowa State) Minnesota Clay Carlson (South Dakota State) Jakob Bergeland (Minnesota) Missouri Kal Miller (Maryland) Montana Parker Filius (Purdue) New Jersey McKenzie Bell (Rider) Carmen Ferrante (Penn) Joe Zargo (Wisconsin) New Mexico Real Woods (Iowa) New York Jordan Titus (West Virginia) Ohio Dylan D'Emilio (Ohio State) Allan Hart (Missouri) Matt Kazimir (Columbia) Cole Mattin (Michigan) Oklahoma Carter Young (Oklahoma State) Ontario (Canada) Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina) Pennsylvania Seth Koleno (Clarion) Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) Utah Brock Hardy (Nebraska) 141 lb NCAA Qualifiers Signed by Another School Cleveland Belton (Arizona State) Shannon Hanna (Old Dominion) Josh Mason (Nebraska) Mosha Schwartz (Northern Colorado) Real Woods (Stanford) Carter Young (Northwestern) Recruiting Rankings for 2023 All-Americans 1st: Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado) - #3 in 2019 2nd: Real Woods (Iowa) - #21 in 2018 3rd: Beau Bartlett (Penn State) - #7 in 2020 4th: Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina) - #11 in 2020 5th: Clay Carlson (South Dakota State) - NR in 2018 6th: Brock Hardy (Nebraska) - #9 in 2018 7th: Parker Filius (Purdue) - #47 in 2017 8th: Dylan D'Emilio (Ohio State) - #32 in 2019

American NCAA qualifier Jack Maida (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Jack Maida burst onto the scene at the end of the 2022 season as a true freshman. He entered the EIWA Conference Championships as the seventh seed. He lost the first round and battled his way to fourth place - just shy of earning an automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Championships. After winning five straight matches, his chance to qualify came down to the wild card bid selection process. With no assistance from the NCAA, his season was over. It was time to go back to work. "I started to realize how much harder I'm going to have to work, that I needed to improve a lot, and put a lot more effort in" was how Maida described his thought process after that season. "There are levels to it" he added with a smile, knowing it sounded a bit cliché. In order to observe this next level firsthand, Jack made the trip to NCAAs in Detroit - as a fan - with some of his teammates. This was his first time ever traveling to the NCAA tournament, which is quite a contrast from any wrestling tournament he's ever attended or competed in. "I think that was beneficial because I got to see what I was working for. It made me more excited and confident for next year" (referring to the 2022-23 season). From my conversations with Jack, he is a rather quiet person, who seems to keep to himself. He says the right things. He lives his life the right way. He's the perfect guy you want on your team. However, just like any college-aged person in America, there were outside factors he was dealing with. His adversity started before he stepped foot on campus in the fall of 2021. His mother, Michelle, was diagnosed with cancer right before leaving for college. This caused an obvious dilemma for Jack and his family. Does he stay home in New Jersey to help care for her? Or does he continue his plan to go to college in Washington DC, as originally planned? Without a doubt, his mom wanted him to go to school and achieve his dreams. Jack's decision to continue his original plan of enrolling at American was made, in large part, by his mom and family supporting her. She was his biggest fan. Maida stated, "She brought me to every practice, for like 12 years, since kindergarten." It is somewhat rare to have such a strong wrestler-mother dynamic in this sport, which goes to show how dedicated she was to his craft. Jack's dad worked crazy-long hours at his job, so his mom was the one getting him to practice, events, and whatever else he needed in order to succeed. He wouldn't change a second of it. Jack's freshman year was filled with ups and downs. This is not rare by any means. But, his freshman year had a little extra "baggage" on his mind. He said, "I didn't know exactly how bad it was" when discussing the diagnosis. I asked if this was purposefully done by his family to keep him focused, and in the right mindset. His response was a simple, "Yeah, she wanted me to be here…" As I saw his smile quickly turn into a straight face. I understood how hard it must have been to relive some of these memories. In regard to not knowing how severe his mom's diagnosis was, "I tried to block it out most of the time so it would not affect my performance in the classroom and on the mat." It was barely a month into this school year when Jack got a call from his dad that he needed to come home to New Jersey. Friday, September 23rd, 2022 is the date that Jack, along with his family, will remember forever - the date his mother, Michelle, passed away. According to coaches, she was the rock of the family. The timing of this catastrophic event was not ideal for Jack. He just began getting into a good cycle with training, dieting, etc. all while classes are in full swing. He seemed to be on a good path, until life took a turn for the worst. "I had to stop training for two weeks to be with my family. That's not optimal right before the season, obviously." No training also meant no school. These are all things he'd need to deal with once he had his time to grieve. He could not thank his support system enough. His entire team made the trip to New Jersey for the funeral. The staff cancelled practice and encouraged everyone to make it, if possible. Jack's teammates, coaches, administrators, and everyone involved were so generous and thoughtful helping him get through the toughest of times on the athletic side of things. However, once he came back to school, he found himself two weeks behind academically. He was back grinding, doing everything he could to catch up. The professors, advisors, and others were very accommodating to him and his circumstance. He found the best way for him to "zone out" this reality was wrestling. In a bizarre way, he found another reason to love the sport again. The sport that connected him and his mom was the reason he kept pushing through, even after she passed. The semester he took time away from happened to be his worst semester thus far with a 3.35 GPA. That's a GPA most would be happy with. Not Jack - he was looking to improve. Jack is someone who overcomes. American NCAA qualifier Jack Maida (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Looking at his early season results, it was somewhat noticeable Jack had some struggles on the mat. He and I both agreed that he "lost to a few guys he probably shouldn't have" in his words. His season was a bit of a roller coaster ride, with this extra chip on his shoulder. He continued "It's amazing how much it was on my mind. Whenever I was cutting weight, especially." Having been a competitor at this level, the weight cutting is when the so-called "demons" begin to creep into your mind. Some demons are different than others, but overcoming them shows character like no other. These demons can eat away at you - if you let them. Jack kept going, one day at a time. The option for him to redshirt was brought up by the staff - mainly to ensure his mental state was in a healthy place. Another option was for him to sit the first few weeks, and ease into the season. Ultimately, he decided against both options because he felt his mom would want him out there competing. Again, Jack overcame - putting his foot on the line whenever he could. Coach Borrelli mimicked this thought, "He was eager to wrestle. We, as a staff, felt it was the best thing for him at the time. Looking back, I believe we made the right decision," said Coach Jason Borrelli. Jack seemed to be laser-focused, and taking him out of this weekly grind, of what we wrestlers call "a routine," may have negative consequences on him. The loss of his mother was a time to reflect, internally. "Some things are real, and REALLY matter." He continued, "At the end of the day, I just do wrestling because I love to do it, it's fun. It helped relieve a lot of pressure." He continued, "I felt like I was wrestling better this way - not worrying about winning or losing." This immediately gave me visions of a video clip that made its rounds on social media. The video was at a press conference, where Cael Sanderson said something along the lines of wrestling is "just a game." There is something to this thought process, and Jack used that mantra heading into the postseason. Fast forward to the 2023 EIWA Championships in Philadelphia. Jack earned the 12th seed in a weight class that would automatically qualify the top 5 place winners. He would have to pull a few upsets in order to qualify for the NCAA Championships. Similar to the year prior, he lost the first round. Finding himself in familiar territory, he trusted his training. More importantly, he was able to relax and focus on "just wrestling." Using this thought process, he battled back one match at a time. His third win on the backside came over an opponent from Bucknell he already lost to during the year. He dropped his next match to the Navy opponent. It all came down to this one final match, for fifth place. His opponent was from Drexel, a familiar opponent, who had already beaten Jack once this season. He'd need another revenge win to qualify for the National Championships. I remember watching the match at EIWAs. It was tightly contested. As time was winding down, I saw the passion in the eyes of Maida, the coaches, his teammates, and everyone supporting the American Eagles. The celebration continued in the hallway. Hugs and high-fives, even tears of joy from some of the fans, as he was surrounded with support. I'm a sucker for that type of stuff, so I almost got a little emotional watching it unfold. I did not know about his story, until after the fact. If I would have known beforehand, I would have needed a janitor to mop up my tears. Coach Borrelli's statement on the match was simple. "His win was a special moment for all of us. Very emotional." One step towards his goal - check. He was an NCAA Qualifier. In fact, he was the first for Coach Jason Borrelli, as American University's head coach. Reflecting on this "winner-take-all" match at EIWAs, Coach remembered, "I was at peace before the match, like way more than usual." Ironically, the next words out of his mouth were "It was odd not to be nervous, like I usually am. But, at the end of the day, it's just a wrestling match." This was eerily similar to what Jack said - almost as if there was a calming Zen amongst them at the moment. He remembered they were all very calm, and relaxed - ready to go. I asked Assistant Coach Joey Dance what his first words to Jack were as he came off the mat after this big win. "I told him 'Your mom was with you the whole way.'" Keep in mind, I talked to each coach individually. These stories are not corroborated. This is where you can use your own personal beliefs and potentially make the connection to Coach Borrelli's "at peace before the match" comments, if you choose to. It gave me goosebumps - maybe that's just me? Continuing our chat, Coach Dance also had high praises for Jack - "I always had a lot of belief in him. It is rewarding to see his hard work pay off." Two weeks later, Jack's season came to an unfortunate end. He did not earn the desired All-American honor he dreamt of. He was victorious in one of his three matches, which not many people can say they've done. All of his wrestling goals have not been achieved yet. He's back in the room improving his technique and tweaking some details to help achieve them. He utilizes his assistant coach, Joey Dance, a lot - who was a 2X All-American wrestler at Virginia Tech. "Coach Dance is always available. Anytime I need a workout, or want to work on a certain position, I can text him. All the coaches are extremely accessible." American NCAA qualifier Jack Maida locking up a cradle against Central Michigan (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Both Coach Borrelli and Dance said the same thing about Jack. "He's competitive, in everything we do, he is always looking to win." Interestingly, they both used the word "fiery" to describe him. I'll tell you what, fiery is not a word I would use to describe Jack, solely based on our conversation. But watching him on the mat - that's a different story. When he is focused "on just wrestling" as he simply stated previously, he will be a force to be reckoned with on the national stage. Ultimately, the hope is that Maida's season can help motivate teammates to put in the work needed. Coach Dance half-joked "Jack got lonely in the hotel room at NCAAs. He definitely wants some company next year." In closing, I wanted to write this article for a few reasons. First, everyone has struggles of varying degrees. Many do not realize the magnitude of these struggles - whether they be internal or external. Wrestling has always been the "toughen it out" type of sport, and, for the most part, always will be. It does not go without saying, the mental aspect is much more respected and appreciated in the current day. The culture of the American University wrestling team is one every athlete should want to be a part of. Jack did not do this by himself. He relied on teammates to talk to be there to talk. The coaches constantly checking-in and understanding when he was "a little off." It's so important to have the emotional intelligence needed to know "when tough talks are needed" as one of the coaches put it. Lastly, we cannot be too quick to judge others, or make assumptions. Sometimes, we lose awareness of our surroundings and do or say things. One point Coach Borrelli mentioned that brings this point home was something a teammate said in the vicinity of Jack at practice. The innocent words (to another teammate, in a joking way - totally unintentional) "Don't be such a momma's boy!" Coach Borrelli instantly saw Jack's demeanor change. Borrelli continued "You can see how important words are and how they affect others. Even something silly like that." Was it because Jack was a momma's boy? Maybe. Was it because Jack was going through a tough time losing his mom? For sure. Did it make him miss his mom even more? Most likely. Regardless, it's a friendly reminder that people react to words and experiences differently, based on their own life's happenings. Next time your favorite wrestler (or athlete) does not perform up to par, let's remember we're all human with emotions and that athlete may have some other things going on inside their head that are most likely more important than "just a wrestling match."

2023 NCAA champion Vito Arujau (photo courtesy of Tony DiMarco) Earlier this week, InterMat released its re-ranking for the high school Class of 2018. With recruiting on the mind, we decided to jump in and look at each individual weight class for the 2023 NCAA DI Championships. As is customary in wrestling we'll start with the lower weights and work our way up. This analysis will break down the 2023 NCAA qualifiers a weight class at a time, by their pre-collegiate ranking within their recruiting class, their year of high school graduation, transfers, home states, and, of course, rankings for the 2023 All-Americans. We've made our way to the 133 lb weight class. 133 is an interesting study because you'll see that there were plenty of wrestlers that were off-the-radar that emerged once they got to college. That being said, the All-Americans were generally highly sought after recruits. Also, maybe what is a sign of things to come in the future, almost a third of this weight class transferred at least once in their collegiate careers. For past weights in this series: 125 lbs 2023 NCAA Qualifiers (133) by Recruiting Rankings #1-#10 #2 (2017) Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) #4 (2017) Vito Arujau (Cornell) #4 (2022) Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) #11-#30 #12 (2018) Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) #15 (2016) Taylor LaMont (Utah Valley) #16 (2016) Micky Phillippi (Pittsburgh) #16 (2021) Wyatt Henson (Oklahoma) #18 (2019) Lucas Byrd (Illinois) #19 (2019) Michael Colaiocco (Penn) #31-#50 #34 (2018) Brody Teske (Iowa) #41 (2019) Sam Latona (Virginia Tech) #49 (2019) Kai Orine (NC State) #51-#100 #51 (2019) Connor McGonagle (Lehigh) #54 (2020) Zach Redding (Iowa State) #66 (2019) Brayden Palmer (Chattanooga) #68 (2020) Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) #74 (2017) Connor Brown (Missouri) #75 (2020) Kurtis Phipps (Bucknell) #77 (2020) Aaron Nagao (Minnesota) #91 (2019) Chris Cannon (Northwestern) #99 (2017) Michael McGee (Arizona State) #101-#200 #154 (2021) Brendan Ferretti (Navy) #201+ #292 (2021) Gable Strickland (Lock Haven) (Not Ranked by Willie Saylor/Matscouts; Ranked by The Open Mat) #86 (2018) Kyle Biscoglia (Northern Iowa) Not Ranked Joe Heilmann (Rutgers) - 2018 Jack Maida (American) - 2021 McGwire Midkiff (North Dakota State) - 2017 Ethan Oakley (Appalachian State) - 2020 Cody Phippen (Air Force) - 2018 Chance Rich (CSU Bakersfield) - 2018 Angelo Rini (Columbia) - 2019 Ethan Rotondo (Cal Poly) - 2017 Jason Shaner (Oregon State) - 2018 Dom Zaccone (Campbell) - 2019 2023 NCAA Qualifier (133 lbs) by Recruiting Class 2016 Taylor LaMont (Wisconsin) Micky Phillippi (Pittsburgh) 2017 Vito Arujau (Cornell) Connor Brown (Missouri) Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) Michael McGee (Arizona State) McGwire Midkiff (North Dakota State) Ethan Rotondo (Cal Poly) 2018 Kyle Biscoglia (Northern Iowa) Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) Joe Heilmann (Rutgers) Cody Phippen (Air Force) Chance Rich (CSU Bakersfield) Jason Shaner (Oregon State) Brody Teske (Iowa) 2019 Lucas Byrd (Illinois) Chris Cannon (Northwestern) Michael Colaiocco (Penn) Sam Latona (Virginia Tech) Connor McGonagle (Lehigh) Kai Orine (NC State) Brayden Palmer (Chattanooga) Angelo Rini (Columbia) Dom Zaccone (Campbell) 2020 Aaron Nagao (Minnesota) Ethan Oakley (Appalachian State) Kurtis Phipps (Bucknell) Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) Zach Redding (Iowa State) 2021 Brendan Ferretti (Navy) Wyatt Henson (Oklahoma) Jack Maida (American) Gable Strickland (Lock Haven) 2022 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) Home States for the 133 lb NCAA Qualifiers Alabama Sam Latona (Virginia Tech) Arizona Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) California Aaron Nagao (Minnesota) Chance Rich (CSU Bakersfield) Illinois Michael McGee (Arizona State) Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) Dom Zaccone (Campbell) Indiana Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) Iowa Kyle Biscoglia (Northern Iowa) McGwire Midkiff (North Dakota State) Brody Teske (Iowa) Michigan Brendan Ferretti (Navy) Missouri Connor Brown (Missouri) Cody Phippen (Air Force) Kai Orine (NC State) New Hampshire Connor McGonagle (Lehigh) New Jersey Chris Cannon (Northwestern) Michael Colaiocco (Penn) Joe Heilmann (Rutgers) Jack Maida (American) New York Vito Arujau (Cornell) Zach Redding (Iowa State) North Carolina Ethan Oakley (Appalachian State) Ohio Lucas Byrd (Illinois) Angelo Rini (Columbia) Oklahoma Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) Oregon Jason Shaner (Oregon State) Pennsylvania Wyatt Henson (Oklahoma) Kurtis Phipps (Bucknell) Micky Phillippi (Pittsburgh) Gable Strickland (Lock Haven) Tennessee Brayden Palmer (Chattanooga) Utah Taylor LaMont (Wisconsin) Washington Ethan Rotondo (Cal Poly) 133 lb NCAA Qualifiers Signed by Another School Connor Brown (South Dakota State) Joe Heilmann (North Carolina) Wyatt Henson (Iowa) Taylor LaMont (Utah Valley) Michael McGee (Old Dominion) Brayden Palmer (Clarion) Micky Phillippi (Virginia) Ethan Rotondo (Wisconsin) Brody Teske (Penn State) Dom Zaccone (Illinois) Recruiting Rankings for 2023 All-Americans 1st: Vito Arujau (Cornell) - #4 in 2017 2nd: Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) - #12 in 2018 3rd: Michael McGee (Arizona State) - #99 in 2017 4th: Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) - #2 in 2017 5th: Aaron Nagao (Minnesota) - #77 in 2020 6th: Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) - #4 in 2022 7th: Sam Latona (Virginia Tech) - #41 in 2019 8th: Kai Orine (NC State) - #49 in 2019

2023 NCAA champion Patrick Glory (photo courtesy of Tony DiMarco) Earlier this morning, InterMat released its re-ranking for the high school Class of 2018. With recruiting on the mind, we decided to jump in and look at each individual weight class for the 2023 NCAA DI Championships. As is customary in wrestling we'll start with the lower weights and work our way up. This analysis will break down the 2023 NCAA qualifiers a weight class at a time, by their pre-collegiate ranking within their recruiting class, their year of high school graduation, transfers, home states, and, of course, rankings for the 2023 All-Americans. 2023 NCAA Qualifiers (125 lbs) By Recruiting Ranking (Bolded numbers are the range of rankings within their high school recruiting class. #'s by each individual wrestler was their actual ranking). #1-#10 #1 (2017) Spencer Lee (Iowa) #10 (2021) Dean Peterson (Rutgers) #11-#30 #17 (2018) Patrick Glory (Princeton) #24 (2019) Reece Witcraft (Oklahoma State) #26 (2021) Brett Ungar (Cornell) #30 (2021) Stevo Poulin (Northern Colorado) #31-#50 #36 (2019) Eric Barnett (Wisconsin) #38 (2018) Patrick McKee (Minnesota) #40 (2017) Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) #51-100 #64 (2022) Jore Volk (Wyoming) #65 (2020) Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech) #70 (2021) Braxton Brown (Maryland) #74 (2018) Jarrett Trombley (NC State) #82 (2021) Nico Provo (Stanford) #98 (2021) Diego Sotelo (Harvard) #100 (2016) Jack Wagner (North Carolina) #101-#200 #101 (2020) Ryan Miller (Penn) #122 (2020) Nick Babin (Columbia) #123 (2021) Tucker Owens (Air Force) #131 (2020) Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) #201+ #273 (2021) Ethan Berginc (Army West Point) Not Ranked (by Willie Saylor/MatScouts; Ranked by The Open Mat) #44 (2019) Matt Ramos (Purdue) #64 (2018) Brandon Kaylor (Oregon State) #77 (2018) Noah Surtin (Missouri) Not Ranked Killian Cardinale (West Virginia) Liam Cronin (Nebraska) Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern) Jake Ferri (Kent State) Tanner Jordan (South Dakota State) Antonio Lorenzo (Cal Poly) Jack Medley (Michigan) Joey Prata (Oklahoma) Caleb Smith (Appalachian State) 2023 NCAA Qualifiers (125 lbs) By Recruiting Class 2016 Liam Cronin (Nebraska) Joey Prata (Oklahoma) Jack Wagner (North Carolina) 2017 Spencer Lee (Iowa) Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) Jack Medley (Michigan) Jake Ferri (Kent State) Killian Cardinale (West Virginia) 2018 Patrick Glory (Princeton) Brandon Kaylor (Oregon State) Patrick McKee (Minnesota) Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern) Jarrett Trombley (NC State) 2019 Matt Ramos (Purdue) Caleb Smith (Appalachian State) Eric Barnett (Wisconsin) Noah Surtin (Missouri) Antonio Lorenzo (Cal Poly) Reece Witcraft (Oklahoma State) 2020 Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) Ryan Miller (Penn) Nick Babin (Columbia) Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech) Tanner Jordan (South Dakota State) 2021 Stevo Poulin (Northern Colorado) Dean Peterson (Rutgers) Brett Ungar (Cornell) Ethan Berginc (Army West Point) Braxton Brown (Maryland) Diego Sotelo (Harvard) Nico Provo (Stanford) Tucker Owens (Air Force) 2022 Jore Volk (Wyoming) Home States for the 125 lb NCAA Qualifiers Arizona Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) California Liam Cronin (Nebraska) Antonio Lorenzo (Cal Poly) Connecticut Nico Provo (Stanford) Florida Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern) Illinois Matt Ramos (Purdue) Diego Sotelo (Harvard) Noah Surtin (Missouri) Iowa Jack Wagner (North Carolina) Massachusetts Jake Ferri (Kent State) Michigan Jack Medley (Michigan) Jarrett Trombley (NC State) Minnesota Patrick McKee (Minnesota) Jore Volk (Wyoming) New Jersey Nick Babin (Columbia) Patrick Glory (Princeton) Dean Peterson (Rutgers) Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech) New York Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) Stevo Poulin (Northern Colorado) North Carolina Caleb Smith (Appalachian State) Ohio Tanner Jordan (South Dakota State) Oklahoma Tucker Owens (Air Force) Reece Witcraft (Oklahoma State) Pennsylvania Ethan Berginc (Army West Point) Spencer Lee (Iowa) Ryan Miller (Penn) Brett Ungar (Cornell) Texas Braxton Brown (Maryland) Virginia Killian Cardinale (West Virginia) Joey Prata (Oklahoma) Washington Brandon Kaylor (Oregon State) Wisconsin Eric Barnett (Wisconsin) 125 NCAA Qualifiers signed by another school Killian Cardinale (Old Dominion) Liam Cronin (Indiana) Anthony Noto (NC State) Stevo Poulin (NC State) Joey Prata (Virginia Tech) Matt Ramos (Minnesota) Jack Wagner (Iowa) Recruiting Rankings for 2023 NCAA All-Americans 1st: Patrick Glory (Princeton) - #17 in 2018 2nd: Matt Ramos (Purdue) - NR/#44 in 2019 3rd: Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) - #40 in 2017 4th: Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) - #131 in 2020 5th: Liam Cronin (Nebraska) - Not Ranked in 2016 6th: Spencer Lee (Iowa) - #1 in 2017 7th: Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech) - #65 in 2020 8th: Killian Cardinale (West Virginia) - Not Ranked in 2017

Gable Steveson at the 2017 Junior World Championships (left) and the 2022 NCAA Championships (photo courtesy of Marion Stein/UWW (left) and Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) One of the longstanding traditions at InterMat is the re-ranking of high school recruiting classes five years after the wrestlers enrolled in college. Wrestlers are re-ranked based on the accomplishments racked up during their collegiate tenure. During normal circumstances, this would encompass almost all of the wrestlers in the Class of 2018. But we aren't in a typical stretch of wrestling seasons. Due to the extra year of eligibility after Covid, a chunk of the wrestlers below have at least another year of competition on the books. With another season's worth of accomplishments, there could be some shuffling on this list were it to be revisited a year from now. Looking over the Class of 2018, it was quite a good group. The top-two wrestlers back in 2018 ended up finishing in that same order five years later. Nine of 2018's top ten wrestlers ended up earning All-American honors at least once in their collegiate careers. As of 2023, seven of the wrestlers from this class ended up winning national titles. That number could increase in 2024. This class has seen three wrestlers earn multiple national titles, with that feat in play for two others next season. Below are the wrestlers from the Class of 2018 re-ranked after five years in college. They have been re-ranked from #1-50. After those 50, you'll find the original rankings of this class, from 2018. Wrestlers with a * also may have another year of eligibility to use in 2023-24. 1. Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, MN) - Minnesota * (High School Rank: #1) 2020 Olympic Gold Medalist, 2x NCAA Champion, 3x NCAA All-American (1,1,3), 2020 1st Team All-American, 3x Big Ten Champion 2. Aaron Brooks (North Hagerstown, MD) - Penn State * (High School Rank: #2) 3x NCAA Champion, 3x NCAA All-American (1,1,1), 2020 1st Team All-American, 4x Big Ten Finalist, 3x Big Ten Champion For the full article, Subscribe to InterMat's Rokfin Page

2023 NCAA All-American Michael Blockhus (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) MINNEAPOLIS - NCAA All-American and Minnesota 149-pounder Michael Blockhus announced Wednesday morning that he will forgo his final season of eligibility and will not return to the team for the 2023-24 season. The redshirt senior had the opportunity to return and utilize the extra year of eligibility that was granted in 2020 due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, but he has elected to move on to a new chapter in pursuit of a professional MMA career. Blockhus was a three-year starter for the Gophers after transferring from Northern Iowa following his redshirt freshman season, collecting a 69-41 career record and 23 bonus point victories. A three-time NCAA qualifier for the Maroon & Gold, Blockhus broke through this past season to reach the podium for the first time in his career, placing eighth at the 2023 NCAA Championships. “I will forever be grateful for the Minnesota wrestling family and they will always have a special place in my heart,” Blockhus wrote in an Instagram post announcing his decision. These coaches have been there for me since day one and there is no other staff out there that has your back like these guys do here at Minnesota. I will bleed Maroon & Gold ‘till the day I die.” Blockhus now joins fellow seniors Jake Bergeland and Bailee O’Reilly in the departing senior class following the 2022-23 campaign.

2020 Olympic Gold Medalist Gable Steveson (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) For weeks, there have been rumors of a possible return. Today, 2020 Olympic gold medalist cleared the air and confirmed that he will return to the wrestling mat and compete at the US Open two weeks from now. Since the two-time Hodge Trophy winner left his shoes on the mat after his second NCAA title win in 2022, he has been focused on a career in the WWE. In recent interviews, Steveson has stated his desire to wrestle in the Olympics once again. Making the 2023 world team and qualifying the weight for the 2024 Games would be the first step in the process. Steveson will be amongst a deep US Open field of heavyweights that includes two-time world medalist Nick Gwiazdowski, 2022 World Team rep (and Gopher Wrestling Club teammate) Hayden Zillmer, along with longtime contender Dom Bradley, 2023 Hodge Trophy winner Mason Parris and many more talented competitors. During his career at the University of Minnesota, Steveson amassed an 85-2 career record. In addition to his two NCAA titles, Steveson claimed three Big Ten titles and won his final 52 collegiate bouts. During his Hodge Trophy-winning seasons, Steveson compiled a bonus point percentage of over 80%.

3x NCAA All-American David Carr (photos courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) This year, more than ever, wrestling fans seemed to focus on wrestlers who did not appear in key matches, for whatever reason. And let's be clear, there are plenty of legitimate reasons why a division one wrestler may miss a match or two. Instead of focusing on the potentially negative aspect of this topic, we've decided to look at the other end of the spectrum. Which DI wrestlers participated in all of their respective schools' scheduled dual meets? This list ended up being relatively short since injuries are a harsh reality and an almost inevitable part of the some. In addition, coaches and wrestlers are being more cautious than ever regarding illnesses in a post-Covid world. Another wrinkle that is applicable now, more than ever, is load management with wrestlers that have battled through the rigors of a DI season for five or six previous years. For those wrestlers, strategically missing a dual or two might be a necessity to make it to March in one piece. Below schools are listed in alphabetical order, with their wrestlers that participated in all of their scheduled dual meets for the 2022-23 season. The number in parentheses is the number of duals that the school wrestled. This exercise could not have been done without the fantastic website WrestleStat and the efforts of Dan Seifring. American (20) 174: Lucas White Appalachian State (14) 125: Caleb Smith 141: Heath Gonyer 149: Jon Jon Millner 174: Will Miller Arizona State (12) 133: Michael McGee 149: Kyle Parco 157: Max Wilner Army West Point (13) 125: Ethan Berginc 157: Nate Lukez 165: Dalton Harkins 184: Sahm AbdulRazzaq Bellarmine (16) 125: Jack Parker 133: Michael Schiffhauer 149: Zac Cowan 174: Devan Hendricks 184: Kennedy Wyatt 285: Thadd Huff Binghamton (18) 149: Michael Zarif 184: Jacob Nolan Bloomsburg (16) 285: Shane Noonan Brown (14) 133: Hunter Adrian 174: Drew Clearie Bucknell (15) 125: Grayson McLellan 133: Kurt Phipps Buffalo (20) 174: Giuseppe Hoose Cal Poly (14) 133: Ethan Rotondo 157: Luka Wick 285: Trevor Tinker Campbell (25) 141: Shannon Hanna 197: Levi Hopkins Central Michigan (16) 133: Vince Perez 174: Alex Cramer 184: Ben Cushman Clarion (17) 141: Seth Koleno 149: Kyle Schickel 157: Trevor Elfvin 174: Will Feldkamp 197: Tyler Bagoly Cleveland State (15) 285: Daniel Bucknavich Columbia: (13) 125: Nick Babin 174: Lennox Wolak Cornell: (15) 197: Jacob Cardenas CSU Bakersfield (12) 149: Josh Brown 174: Albert Urias Davidson (13) 197: Gavin Henry Duke (15) 184: Luke Chakonis Franklin & Marshall (13) 174: Noah Fox 184: James Conway 197: John Crawford Gardner-Webb (17) 125: Drew West 157: Tyler Brignola 174: Andrew Wilson 184: Jha'Quan Anderson 285: Abraham Preston Harvard: (8) 125: Diego Sotelo 141: Joe Cangro 174: Joshua Kim 197: Michael Doggett 285: Yaraslau Slavikouski Hofstra (11) 125: Jacob Moon 133: Chase Liardi 141: Justin Hoyle 149: Michael Leandrou 157: Joe McGinty 174: Ross McFarland 285: Zachary Knighton-Ward Illinois (13) 125: Maximo Renteria 141: Danny Pucino 174: Edmond Ruth 184: Dylan Connell 197: Zac Braunagel 285: Matt Wroblewski Indiana (13) 125: Jacob Moran 133: Henry Porter 149: Graham Rooks 157: Derek Gilcher 174: DJ Washington Iowa State (19) 165: David Carr 184: Marcus Coleman Kent State (13) 125: Jake Ferri 149: Kody Komara 285: Jacob Cover Lehigh (18) 184: Tate Samuelson 197: Michael Beard Lindenwood (9) 125: Austin Kegley 141: Kalen Napier Little Rock (15) 133: Josh Sarpy 157: Matt Bianchi 184: Mason Diel 285: Josiah Hill Lock Haven (15) 133: Gable Strickland 157: Ashton Eyler 184: Colin Fegley Long Island (13) 141: Devin Matthews 149: Drew Witham 157: Rhise Royster 285: Aeden Begue Maryland (19) 141: Kal Miller 174: Dom Solis Michigan (15) 157: Will Lewan 184: Matt Finesilver 285: Mason Parris Michigan State (16) 133: Rayvon Foley 157: Chase Saldate 197: Cam Caffey Missouri (11) 149: Brock Mauller 174: Peyton Mocco Navy (11) 141: Josh Koderhandt 174: Sammy Starr NC State (15) 141: Ryan Jack 149: Jackson Arrington 157: Ed Scott 197: Isaac Trumble Nebraska (15) 141: Brock Hardy 197: Silas Allred North Carolina (15) 125: Jack Wagner 141: Lachlan McNeil North Dakota State (14) 157: Jared Franek 165: Michael Caliendo 174: Gaven Sax 184: DJ Parker 285: Juan Mora Northern Colorado (18) 133: Jace Koezler Northern Illinois (13) 125: Blake West 184: Matt Zuber Northern Iowa (12) 125: Kyle Gollhofer 133: Kyle Biscoglia 157: Derek Holschlag 165: Austin Yant 184: Parker Keckeisen 285: Tyrell Gordon Northwestern (10) 133: Chris Cannon 149: Yahya Thomas 197: Andrew Davison 285: Lucas Davison Ohio (14) 125: Oscar Sanchez 165: Jordan Slivka 184: Zayne Lehman Oklahoma (17) 125: Joey Prata 133: Wyatt Henson 285: Josh Heindselman Oklahoma State (17) 133: Daton Fix 141: Carter Young 149: Victor Voinovich 165: Wyatt Sheets 174: Dustin Plott 285: Luke Surber Penn (14) 141: Carmen Ferrante 174: Nick Incontrera 197: Cole Urbas 285: Ben Goldin Penn State (16) 141: Beau Bartlett 149: Shayne Van Ness 174: Carter Starocci 197: Max Dean Pittsburgh (14) 125: Colton Camacho 133: Micky Phillippi 149: Tyler Badgett 174: Luca Augustine 197: Nino Bonaccorsi Presbyterian (15) 133: Jacob Brasseur 141: Trent Donahue 165: Ty Chittum Princeton (15) 184: Nate Dugan Purdue (15) 125: Matt Ramos 133: Dustin Norris 184: Ben Vanadia Queens (20) 141: Melvin Rubio 184: D'Andree Hunt Rider (14) 125: Tyler Klinsky 133: Richie Koehler 165: Hunter Mays 285: David Szuba Rutgers (17) 149: Tony White SIU Edwardsville (14) 174: Chase Diehl 197: Ryan Yarnell South Dakota State (16) 125: Tanner Jordan 141: Clay Carlson 174: Cade DeVos Stanford (13) 133: Jackson DiSario 174: Tyler Eischens 197: Nick Stemmet The Citadel (12) 125: Blair Orr 149: Ethan Willis 174: Ben Haubert 285: Jonathan Chesser Utah Valley (12) 125: Kase Mauger Virginia (14) 197: Michael Battista Virginia Tech (13) 285: Hunter Catka VMI (17) 133: Dyson Dunham 165: Braxton Lewis West Virginia (15) 165: Peyton Hall 285: Michael Wolfgram Wisconsin (16) 125: Eric Barnett 157: Garrett Model 165: Dean Hamiti 197: Braxton Amos 285: Trent Hillger Wyoming (11) 165: Cole Moody

Luke Lilledahl at the 2022 Walsh Ironman (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Penn State received a verbal commitment this afternoon from one of the nation’s top junior’s Luke Lilledahl. Lilledahl is currently attending Wyoming Seminary in Kingston, Pennsylvania; however, he’s originally from Missouri. Lilledahl is currently ranked # 2 in the nation at 120 lbs. He also holds the #2 overall ranking in the Class of 2024. Recently, Lilledahl won a National Prep championship for Wyoming Seminary at that weight. During the 2022-23 season, Lilledahl captured titles at the Super 32 and the Walsh Ironman. The previous year he won a belt at the Super 32 and was an Ironman runner-up. For as well as Lilledahl has done in folkstyle, he has really thrived in freestyle. In each of the past two summers, Lilledahl made the UWW Cadet/U17 world team in freestyle. Last year, Lilledahl won a world championship at 51kg after coming away with the silver the previous year. Before his sophomore season, Lilledahl was selected to wrestle in the Who’s #1 dual meet at 106 lbs. Lilledahl is another piece in what’s shaping up to be a massive Class of 2024 for Penn State. Cael Sanderson’s team now has verbal commitments from four of the top-seven recruits in the nation and six of the top 15. #2 Lilledahl is added to a class that features #1 Joseph Sealey, #4 Zach Ryder, #7 Connor Mirasola, #12 Mason Gibson, and #15 Cole Mirasola. Should all sign with the Nittany Lions, it would make for one of the best classes in recent memory. Getting Lilledahl is huge for Penn State. Lilledahl projects as a 125/133 lber a the next level. Relative to the rest of their lineup, the Nittany Lions have had difficulty filling 125 lbs with an All-American threat since the graduation of Nico Megaludis in 2016.

From left Eddie Ventresca, Jaxon Smith, Shayne Van Ness, Lachlan McNeil. Bottom: Levi Haines (photos courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Our post-NCAA coverage has seen award winners announced for each of the seven conferences. One of the last items from our 2022-23 coverage is the InterMat All-Freshman team. The future is bright as our first team combined for six All-American honors and contains representation from four of the seven conferences. Below are the wrestlers selected for the first team with a notation for second-team selections. 125 lbs - Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech) It was a bit of an up-and-down regular season for Eddie Ventresca who spent most of the year trying to solidify the starting role at 125 lbs for the Hokies. That led to an unsightly 27th seed at his first NCAA Tournament; however, that didn't discourage the redshirt freshman from New Jersey. Ventresca pulled upsets in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament which earned him a spot in the NCAA quarters. Ventresca scored wins over Big 12 champion Stevo Poulin (Northern Colorado) in the opening round, before edging two-time All-American Patrick McKee (Minnesota). Ventresca nearly knocked off #3 Liam Cronin (Nebraska) and found himself in the semifinals; however, he was taken down in sudden victory in the quarters. Though his path to the podium looked daunting, Ventresca managed to get the best of another multi-time All-American (Eric Barnett - Wisconsin) in the bloodround. He finished his tournament by dropping another surprise All-American (Killian Cardinale - West Virginia) for seventh place. Second Team: Stevo Poulin (Northern Colorado) 133 lbs - Aaron Nagao (Minnesota) It wasn't a surprise that a wrestler from the Big Ten won this award, but prior to the postseason, most would have expected Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) to get the call. Aaron Nagao seized control of the honor defeating Mendez and returning All-American Lucas Byrd (Illinois) to make the Big Ten finals. That led to the eighth seed at his first NCAA tournament. Nagao was tested in his second NCAA bout and passed by pinning perennial podium threat Micky Phillippi (Pittsburgh). After another loss to Big Ten finals opponent, Roman Bravo-Young, Nagao left nothing to doubt by majoring Iowa State's Zach Redding to ensure a spot on the NCAA podium. He finished the year by shutting out Mendez for fifth place. Nagao's record for the 2022-23 season was 23-6. Nagao's future is uncertain as he's currently in the transfer portal. He hasn't ruled out a return to Minnesota, but also has mentioned interest in Penn State, Iowa, and Cornell. Second Team: Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) 141 lbs - Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina) Like many freshmen, Lachlan McNeil took some early lumps during his first year as a starter. He lost three times in the first two weeks of the season, but righted the ship and went on a 12-match winning streak in the middle of the season. He showed his growth by majoring Tom Crook (Virginia Tech) in their dual meeting and at the ACC Tournament. Crook was an opponent that downed McNeil on the opening weekend. At the NCAA Tournament, McNeil really stood out with a win over fellow star freshman #7 Vince Cornella (Cornell) in the second round. Though McNeil was the lower seed (#10) it was the second time this year that he defeated Cornella. After losing to the eventual champion, Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado), McNeil won three straight matches to advance to the third-place bout. His final victory came over the Big Ten runner-up Brock Hardy (Nebraska) who was the fourth seed. The last time a North Carolina freshman wrestled in the third-place match it was Austin O'Connor in 2019. I'm sure UNC fans would love for McNeil's career to mirror his teammates. Second Team: Vince Cornella (Cornell) 149 lbs - Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) Shayne Van Ness was a big-time recruit for Penn State who had a solid regular season, but nothing that was spectacular, at least from a freshman with his pedigree. Van Ness finished fifth in the Big Ten with two of his losses coming to Iowa's Max Murin. Murin was responsible for three of his seven losses on the year. That placement set Van Ness up with the 12th seed going into his first national tournament. Though he had a rocky first three NCAA matches, Van Ness managed to come out on top in each instance and advanced to the quarterfinals. In each bout, Van Ness trailed early but wore out his competition with his pace, gas tank, and continued attacks. In the semis, Van Ness faced Yianni Diakomihalis, who was en route to his fourth NCAA title. He led the Cornell star late in the second period, before Yianni turned it on and prevailed 8-3. Undeterred, Van Ness came back with wins over fellow freshman phenom Caleb Henson and returning two-time AA Kyle Parco to take third. Second Team: Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) 157 lbs - Levi Haines (Penn State) It's no surprise who takes the honors at 157 lbs as Levi Haines was the only freshman to make the national finals in 2023. Haines was also the only freshman to win a Big Ten title this season. He did both as a true freshman in a veteran-laded 157 lb bracket. For more on Haines' freshman year, check out our Big Ten Conference Awards. Second Team: Daniel Cardenas (Stanford) 165 lbs - Michael Caliendo (North Dakota State) Caliendo earned All-American honors despite competing in one of the deepest weight classes in the nation. For more on Caliendo's freshman year, check out our Big 12 Conference Awards. Second Team: Alex Facundo (Penn State) 174 lbs - Tate Picklo (Oklahoma) 174 was an odd weight class for freshmen this year as there were only three that qualified for the NCAA Championships. Tate Picklo qualified for the national tournament after taking fifth in a Big 12 weight class that featured three past/future All-Americans. At the Big 12 Championships, he was able to earn a win over one of them (Demetrius Romero), though Romero got even at NCAA's. Picklo went 1-2 in Tulsa with a win over Lock Haven's Tyler Stoltzfus. Picklo started the year competing at 184 lbs where he amassed a 10-2 record before dropping to 174 lbs in early-January. He started to hit his stride at the new weight a few weeks later with wins over Julien Broderson (Iowa State) and Lance Runyon (Northern Iowa) in the same weekend. During the final week of the regular season, Picklo downed Cade DeVos (South Dakota State), who went on to take third in the league and made the NCAA Round of 12. With a transition coming up in Norman, Picklo should be a strong building block for the Sooners next head coach. Second Team: Luca Augustine (Pittsburgh) 184 lbs - Lenny Pinto (Nebraska) The Big Ten had a freshmen talent infusion at 184 lbs as three of their national qualifiers were freshmen in 2023-24. The best of the bunch was Nebraska's redshirt freshman Lenny Pinto. Pinto finished fifth in the Big Ten and went on to earn the #13 seed at his first national tournament. Though he ended up 1-2 at the NCAA Tournament, Pinto still finished the year 24-11. He proved to be one of the more exciting wrestlers at the weight. Six of his 24 wins came via fall. Interestingly enough, only four of his victories came via regular decision. Pinto actually earned wins over both of the other Big Ten freshman national qualifiers at this weight. One by fall, Brian Soldano (Rutgers) and another by decision, Dylan Connell (Illinois). Early in the 2022-23 campaign, Pinto handed eventual NCAA semifinalist Trey Munoz (Oregon State) his only loss of the regular season. With at least two 2023 All-Americans not returning, expect Pinto to be in the mix for the podium next year. Second Team: Brian Soldano (Rutgers) 197 lbs - Jaxon Smith (Maryland) It wasn't easy for freshmen to make a name for themselves this year in the stacked and deep 197 lb weight class, but that's what Jaxon Smith did in 2022-23. One of the leaders of a resurgent Maryland program, Smith showed he was ready to get in the mix at 197 by pinning returning national qualifier Zac Braunagel (Illinois) during his second competition of the year. Smith nearly made the Southern Scuffle finals, losing in tiebreakers to a returning All-American and then forfeited out to sixth place. Smith's big breakout event was his first Big Ten tournament when he lost to Braunagel but battled back for third place, earning another win over the Illinois veteran, along with 2022 NCAA runner-up Jacob Warner (Iowa) and Braxton Amos (Wisconsin). At nationals, Smith earned a place in the quarterfinals after pinning the sixth seed, Isaac Trumble (NC State), in the Round of 12. A quarterfinal loss put Smith in the bloodround against returning champion Max Dean of Penn State. The young Terp came up just shy of the upset and a spot on the podium, falling 3-2. With some of the departures at the weight and another year in the Maryland room, expect Smith to contend for a high national finish in 2024. Second Team: Carson Floyd (Appalachian State) 285 lbs - Nathan Taylor (Lehigh) After five-time EIWA champion Jordan Wood exhausted his eligibility in 2022, it appeared like Lehigh may take a step back at the 285 lb weight class. That wasn't the case as the school had an EIWA heavyweight finalist for a sixth consecutive year as redshirt freshman Nathan Taylor finished as a runner-up. Taylor made his presence felt immediately as his pin clinched over returning qualifier Josh Heindselman clinched an early-season dual win over Oklahoma. During the regular season, Taylor picked up five wins over eventual national qualifiers. He scored his biggest win of the year when he knocked off Harvard's Yaraslau Slavikouski in the EIWA semifinals. Taylor ended up second in an EIWA weight class that took seven to Tulsa. Taylor's lone win at nationals came over conference foe Dorian Crosby (Bucknell), who he defeated by a major decision, 11-1. Second Team: Trevor Tinker (Cal Poly)

Mason Parris in the 2023 NCAA finals (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) After two of the Hodge trophy favorites failed to bring home national titles, Michigan heavyweight Mason Parris emerged as one of the key favorites for the annual award. While he got it done at the NCAA tournament to claim his first title, he was equally dominant throughout the season. The following looks at his statistical accomplishments that contributed greatly to his Hodge trophy resume. Takedowns Takedown dominance was a big part of Parris’ approach during the season. He scored 101 takedowns, and he was only taken down five times. He averaged 1.79 match points per minute with 202 of his 322 points coming via takedowns (63%). Parris’ season high for takedowns came in his bout against Bryan Caves in Michigan’s dual against in-state rival Central Michigan. In the match, Parris was able to notch nine takedowns before ultimately winning the bout via a 20-7 major decision. Only four wrestlers were able to score takedowns against Parris. Konner Doucet (Oklahoma State), Taye Ghadiali (Campbell) and Trent Hillger (Wisconsin) each managed to score a single takedown before ultimately dropping the match. Iowa’s Tony Cassioppi actually picked up a pair of takedowns during his upset bid at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Parris ended up securing the 9-7 decision victory in that match and won a rematch at the NCAA tournament by a 16-1 technical fall in the second period. Riding Time One of the more noticeable improvements that Parris made over the course of his collegiate career was his riding ability. He appeared to be a natural in the neutral position from the jump, but he grew into a gritty top control wrestler, and that paid off during his senior season. Of Parris’ 33 matches on the season, only 19 went the full seven minutes. Of those 19 matches, Parris was able to secure the riding time in 16. The only three matches where he was not able to collect the riding time came against Penn State’s Greg Kerkvliet (twice) and Northwestern’s Lucas Davison. Interestingly enough, he faced off against both of those opponents at the NCAA tournament, and in both of those rematches, Parris locked in the riding time point. Near Fall Obviously, Parris was not just riding for the sake of being on top, he also was able to rack up near-fall points during the season. He scored 56 of his 322 points via turns (17%), but he might have actually left some points on the table. Of his 18 near falls scores during the season, eight did not reach the full four count, and he had to settle for only two points. If the referees had been a little bit quicker on the count, Parris could have been looking at 72 near-fall points in his 33 matches. Points Against During the season, Parris allowed his opponents to score 80 points against him at a 0.44 points per minute rate. However, the vast majority of the points allowed by Parris were escapes. Eliminating escapes, he allowed his opponents to score only 20 points in 33 matches. As previously stated, he allowed five takedowns during his final campaign. His opponents also managed to score a pair of reversals (one by Davison and another by Wyatt Hendrickson of Air Force), four penalty/stalling points and one two-point near fall. The near fall points also came against Hendrickson, who finished third at the NCAA tournament to become Air Force’s first All-American since 2003. The match happened at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Hendrickson started the third period on top and was able to collect the near-fall points. However, Parris then reversed the position and won a 12-5 decision. While Parris only allowing 20 non-escape points in a season is rather impressive, it also highlights just how dominant Gable Steveson was during his Hodge campaign last season. Excluding escapes, the former Minnesota wrestler allowed only three points during the 2021-2022 season. Interestingly enough, one of those points was scored by Parris due to an unnecessary roughness penalty. Point Differential vs. Other Hodge Candidates For the season, Parris averaged 1.79 points per minute and allowed his opponents only 0.44 points per minute. This leaves him with a +1.35 point differential. While this is a very impressive point differential for an entire season of college wrestling, it is not the highest of the Hodge finalists. In fact, it ranks fourth behind Northern Colorado’s Andrew Alirez (+1.41), Cornell’s Yianni Diakomihalis (+1.38) and Penn State’s Aaron Brooks (+1.38). Obviously, this is somewhat impacted by the number of matches that Parris won by fall. By finishing matches early, wrestlers do not give themselves time to score more points. Also, wrestlers who spend time working for the fall often do so in favor of running up the score.

Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson (right) and Casey Cunningham(photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) At the 2023 NCAA Championships, we saw some familiar faces at the post-tournament trophy presentations. Just how familiar? We decided to find out. Additionally, there were some new and unfamiliar faces throughout the top-20. While there is normally an upper echelon of consistent title contenders, many other programs face the ebb and flow that come along with collegiate sports. We’ve combed through NCAA team finish data going back to 2010 to see which programs have hit key benchmarks during that time period. Programs are listed below in order of their number of finishes in the top 20 since 2010. Only programs that have finished in the top 20 during that time period have been included. Penn State # of Top 20 Finishes: 13 # of Top 10 Finishes: 13 # of Team Trophies: 11 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 1st (2011/2012/2013/2014/2016/2017/2018/2019/2022/2023) Top Point Total: 146.5 (2017) Highest All-American Total: 8 (2018/2023) Iowa # of Top 20 Finishes: 13 # of Top 10 Finishes: 13 # of Team Trophies: 12 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 1st (2010/2021) Top Point Total: 134.5 (2010) Highest All-American Total: 8 (2010) Oklahoma State # of Top 20 Finishes: 13 # of Top 10 Finishes: 10 # of Team Trophies: 7 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 2nd (2013/2016) Top Point Total: 119.5 (2013) Highest All-American Total: 8 (2017) Minnesota # of Top 20 Finishes: 13 # of Top 10 Finishes: 9 # of Team Trophies: 3 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 2nd (2012/2014) Top Point Total: 117.5 (2012) Highest All-American Total: 8 (2013) Cornell # of Top 20 Finishes: 12 # of Top 10 Finishes: 12 # of Team Trophies: 4 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 2nd (2010/2011) Top Point Total: 102.5 (2012) Highest All-American Total: 5 (2011/2012) Ohio State # of Top 20 Finishes: 12 # of Top 10 Finishes: 11 # of Team Trophies: 6 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 1st (2015) Top Point Total: 133.5 (2018) Highest All-American Total: 8 (2018) Missouri # of Top 20 Finishes: 12 # of Top 10 Finishes: 10 # of Team Trophies: 1 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 4th (2015) Top Point Total: 86.5 (2017) Highest All-American Total: 5 (2013/2015/2017/2023) Nebraska # of Top 20 Finishes: 12 # of Top 10 Finishes: 7 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 5th (2022) Top Point Total: 59.5 (2017/2022) Highest All-American Total: 5 (2022) Michigan # of Top 20 Finishes: 11 # of Top 10 Finishes: 7 # of Team Trophies: 2 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 2nd (2022) Top Point Total: 95 (2022) Highest All-American Total: 6 (2022) Virginia Tech # of Top 20 Finishes: 11 # of Top 10 Finishes: 8 # of Team Trophies: 1 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 4th (2016) Top Point Total: 82 (2016) Highest All-American Total: 6 (2016) Iowa State # of Top 20 Finishes: 10 # of Top 10 Finishes: 1 # of Team Trophies: 1 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 3rd (2010) Top Point Total: 75 (2010) Highest All-American Total: 3 (2010/2013/2014/2016/2022) Lehigh # of Top 20 Finishes: 10 # of Top 10 Finishes: 2 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 8th (2011/2012) Top Point Total: 61 (2012) Highest All-American Total: 4 (2012) NC State # of Top 20 Finishes: 9 # of Top 10 Finishes: 4 # of Team Trophies: 1 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 4th (tie) (2018) Top Point Total: 80 (2018) Highest All-American Total: 4 (2018/2021) Illinois # of Top 20 Finishes: 8 # of Top 10 Finishes: 3 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 7th (2012) Top Point Total: 62 (2012) Highest All-American Total: 4 (2012) Wisconsin # of Top 20 Finishes: 8 # of Top 10 Finishes: 2 # of Team Trophies: 1 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 4th (2010) Top Point Total: 70.5 (2010) Highest All-American Total: 4 (2010/2011) Arizona State # of Top 20 Finishes: 7 # of Top 10 Finishes: 4 # of Team Trophies: 2 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 4th (2021/2022) Top Point Total: 74 (2021) Highest All-American Total: 5 (2021/2022) Northern Iowa # of Top 20 Finishes: 7 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 13th (tie) (2019) Top Point Total: 40.5 (2019) Highest All-American Total: 3 (2014) Northwestern # of Top 20 Finishes: 7 # of Top 10 Finishes: 3 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 6th (2022) Top Point Total: 57.5 (2022) Highest All-American Total: 4 (2022) Oklahoma # of Top 20 Finishes: 7 # of Top 10 Finishes: 2 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 5th (2010) Top Point Total: 69 (2010) Highest All-American Total: 4 (2010) Edinboro # of Top 20 Finishes: 6 # of Top 10 Finishes: 2 # of Team Trophies: 1 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 3rd (2015) Top Point Total: 75.5 (2015) Highest All-American Total: 4 (2015) Rutgers # of Top 20 Finishes: 6 # of Top 10 Finishes: 1 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 9th (2019) Top Point Total: 51.5 (2019) Highest All-American Total: 3 (2021) North Carolina # of Top 20 Finishes: 5 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 12th (2023) Top Point Total: 42 (2023) Highest All-American Total: 3 (2022/2023) Stanford # of Top 20 Finishes: 5 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 11th (2011) Top Point Total: 44 (2011) Highest All-American Total: 3 (2011) Oregon State # of Top 20 Finishes: 4 # of Top 10 Finishes: 2 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 8th (2013) Top Point Total: 48.5 (2013) Highest All-American Total: 4 (2022) American # of Top 20 Finishes: 3 # of Top 10 Finishes: 1 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 5th (2011) Top Point Total: 65 (2011) Highest All-American Total: 3 (2010/2011) Boise State # of Top 20 Finishes: 3 # of Top 10 Finishes: 1 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 9th (2011) Top Point Total: 57.5 (2011) Highest All-American Total: 3 (2011) Central Michigan # of Top 20 Finishes: 3 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 12th (tie) 2010 Top Point Total: 39.5 (2012) Highest All-American Total: 3 (2010/2011) Maryland # of Top 20 Finishes: 3 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 18th (2011) Top Point Total: 35.5 (2011) Highest All-American Total: 3 (2011) Pittsburgh # of Top 20 Finishes: 3 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 11th (2021) Top Point Total: 40.5 (2021) Highest All-American Total: 2 (2012/2013/2021) Princeton # of Top 20 Finishes: 3 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 13th (2023) Top Point Total: 38 (2022) Highest All-American Total: 3 (2019) South Dakota State # of Top 20 Finishes: 3 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 12th (2018) Top Point Total: 42 (2018) Highest All-American Total: 3 (2018) Virginia # of Top 20 Finishes: 3 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 15th (2010/2017) Top Point Total: 34 (2010) Highest All-American Total: 2 (2011/2013/2017) Wyoming # of Top 20 Finishes: 3 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 17th (tie) (2018) Top Point Total: 31 (2012) Highest All-American Total: 2 (2017) Kent State # of Top 20 Finishes: 2 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 16th (2016) Top Point Total: 37 (2011) Highest All-American Total: 2 (2010/2016) Lock Haven # of Top 20 Finishes: 2 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 16th (2018) Top Point Total: 35 (2018) Highest All-American Total: 2 (2018/2019) Binghamton # of Top 20 Finishes: 1 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 14th 2012 Top Point Total: 36 (2012) Highest All-American Total: 2 (2012) Air Force # of Top 20 Finishes: 1 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 18th (tie) 2023 Top Point Total: 28.5 (2023) Highest All-American Total: 1 (2023) Cal Poly # of Top 20 Finishes: 1 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 18th (tie); 2010 Top Point Total: 30 (2010) Highest All-American Total: 2 (2010/2012/2022) Clarion # of Top 20 Finishes: 1 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 18th 2012 Top Point Total: 32 (2012) Highest All-American Total: 2 (2012) Michigan State # of Top 20 Finishes: 1 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 18th (tie) 2010 Top Point Total: 30 (2010) Highest All-American Total: 1 (2010/2014/2019) Penn # of Top 20 Finishes: 1 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 20th (2016) Top Point Total: 23.5 (2016) Highest All-American Total: 1 (2010/2011/2012/2014/2016/2022) Purdue # of Top 20 Finishes: 1 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 20th (tie) 2023 Top Point Total: 28 (2023) Highest All-American Total: 2 (2023) Rider # of Top 20 Finishes: 1 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 20th (2021) Top Point Total: 22 (2021) Highest All-American Total: 2 (2017) The Citadel # of Top 20 Finishes: 1 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 20th (2013) Top Point Total: 27 (2013) Highest All-American Total: 2 (2013) West Virginia # of Top 20 Finishes: 1 # of Top 10 Finishes: 0 # of Team Trophies: 0 Highest NCAA Team Finish: 20th (2015) Top Point Total: 23.5 (2015) Highest All-American Total: 1 (2015/2018/2021/2022/2023)

2x NCAA qualifier Yaraslau Slavikouski (photo courtesy of Tony DiMarco) On Thursday, the first domino fell in the transfer portal brimming with talented heavyweights as two-time All-American Lucas Davison announced his intention to transfer to Michigan. With Davison headed for Ann Arbor, it limited the potential suitors for Yaraslau Slavikouski. With that in mind, the big man from Belarus announced he will transfer to Rutgers. After two-plus years competing for Harvard, Slavikouski has amassed a 64-15 record and has qualified for the NCAA tournament twice. This year he was third in the EIWA, but received the sixth seed at 285 lbs. Slavikousi went 3-2 in Tulsa and came up a match shy of All-American honors, falling to Davison in sudden victory in the bloodround. One of the wins Slavikouski tallied at nationals came over EIWA champion, Nathan Taylor (Lehigh) the wrestler who had upset him at the conference tournament. Slavikouski’s previous NCAA qualification came in 2020 after he was an EIWA runner-up; however, he wasn’t able to wrestle after Covid canceled the tournament. His tenth seed at the tournament left him with second-team All-American honors from the NWCA. It was well-known that Slavikouski needed to transfer since he is graduating from Harvard this semester. Since the Ivy League does not allow grad students to compete, he went into the transfer portal in the middle of the 2022-23 campaign. Slavikouski will have at least one more year of eligibility for the Scarlet Knights. In 2021-22, he entered the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and made it to the finals after impressive wins over Davison and returning All-American Tate Orndorff (Ohio State). Early in the finals bout, he suffered a knee injury that shelved him for the rest of the year. Those five bouts were the only ones that he competed in all season. That may allow Slavikouski and Rutgers to pursue another year of eligibility, if he so chooses. Rutgers had an immediate need at heavyweight after their NCAA qualifier, Boone McDermott, entered the portal. McDermott went 17-7 and finished eighth in the Big Ten in 2023, which qualified him for his first NCAA tournament.