InterMat Staff

Jordan Oliver (left), Alec Pantaleo (center), and Ryan Deakin (Photo/Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) On Friday, the wrestling world was shocked by the retirement of 70 kg mainstay and two-time world medalist James Green. The Nebraska alum has moved on to take a coaching position with USA Wrestling as their National Freestyle Developmental Coach. With the man who has represented the United States at 70 kg at every World Championship event since 2015 out of the picture, there's a huge void on our 2022 team. That begs the question, who steps up and takes control of the weight class? Does someone go on a Green-like run and lockdown the weight for the next six years? Or will it turn out to be more like 65 kg; a weight class with plenty of capable contenders, all trading WTT wins back-and-forth. Here are some of the key contenders who will vie for a spot on the World Team this year and going forward. What complicates 70 kg for the future is that it isn't an Olympic weight, so wrestlers in this bracket will either move up or down for the 2024 Trials. That could lead to a shakeup next year as they prep for the Olympic year. Jordan Oliver - A veteran of the international wrestling game, Jordan Oliver has been a contender for world and Olympic teams for at least two cycles. Oliver won the 65 kg Olympic Trials in 2020, but did not get to represent the United States in Tokyo since the weight was not qualified. He's still seeking his first appearance at the World/Olympic Games. In non-Olympic years we've seen Oliver up at 70 kg and it's probably a more ideal weight for him. While Oliver may take losses in an exhibition setting, it's hard to bet against him in an “official” tournament. Alec Pantaleo - The wrestler that handed Oliver a recent loss is Alec Pantaleo, at Rudis Super Match. Pantaleo has continued to grow since hitting the Senior level full-time in 2019. He also scored a win over Oliver in the 2021 FloWrestling 150 lb 8-man bracket. At one point last year, Pantaleo held the #1 ranking in the world at 70 kg after winning the Poland Open, the Matteo Pellicone, and the Pan-American Championships. At the Poland Open, he knocked off James Green in the gold medal match. Pantaleo later had to pull out of the World Team Trials, in the semifinals, due to a rib injury. While Oliver and others may have “bigger” names, Pantaleo consistently turns in excellent results and should not be considered a dark horse here. Ryan Deakin - In the last decade or so, we've seen more and more often, current or recently graduated collegiate wrestlers jump into the Senior level and experience positive results. By the time the US Open rolls around, Ryan Deakin will be just over a month removed from his final collegiate match, where he won a national title at 157 lbs. Even while competing for Northwestern, Deakin has proven himself to be one of the top contenders at 70 kg. In 2019, he knocked off James Green at the US Open and earned a berth in Final X. Only a select few domestic opponents have defeated Green, at 70 kg, since 2015. Deakin almost made the 2021 World Team Trials finals, but was thwarted by the incumbent, Green. Zain Retherford - In 2021, we saw Zain Retherford move up to this weight class after competing at the Olympic Trials at 65 kg and making the 2019 world team at that weight. Retherford finished third at the 2021 Trials, which clinched a berth in this year's Trials. In his only competition thus far in 2022, Retherford dominated the field at the Dan Kolov, where his closest bout was a four-point win in the finals. Last year's Trials loss was only 2-2, on criteria, to Oliver, so Retherford should be one of the favorites in Coralville. Tyler Berger - Who better to take over for Green than one of his former training partners at Nebraska, Tyler Berger? Berger is now out west at Stanford as a part of the California RTC. Working out with 2021 NCAA champion Shane Griffith and assistant coach Vincenzo Joseph couldn't have hurt his development, while in Palo Alto. Berger showed he was ready to compete with the top dogs at this weight as he won the Bill Farrell International with a victory over Anthony Ashnault in the final. That combined with a fourth-place showing at the 2021 WTT's earned the foreigner Cornhusker a spot in the 2022 Trials. Anthony Ashnault - Growing up, Anthony Ashnault was never known for his freestyle accolades, but has placed himself amongst the contenders on the domestic ladder since 2019. Ashnault captured the first of his two Pan-American Championships that year and later was third at the WTT's. While he did not place at the Olympic Trials, Ashnault did claim a victory over Nahshon Garrett in the process. Recently, he fell to Berger at the Bill Farrell. Current collegiate crop of 157 lbs - Quincy Monday, David Carr, and Jacori Teemer. Youth has prevailed recently on the Senior level as Gable Steveson, Daton Fix, and Yianni Diakomihalis all made world/Olympic teams within the last year, while still holding collegiate eligibility. David Carr and Jacori Teemer both captured hardware on the international front, as Carr is a Junior World Champion and Teemer has Cadet bronze to his name. Monday is a part of the NJ RTC, which has made a strong impact on the domestic scene in the past three years. Teemer hasn't qualified for the Trials and is set to compete at the Open, while Quincy Monday and Carr have locked up a spot in the WTT's based on their 2022 NCAA finish.

2x world medalist James Green (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) On Friday morning, news broke that six-time Senior World Team member James Green was retiring to take the National Freestyle Developmental Coach for USA Wrestling. Green has been a mainstay on the senior level since he graduated from Nebraska in 2015. He has made every world team since 2015 at 70 kg. Green takes over a position left vacant by Kevin Jackson after he left to join the Michigan coaching staff before the 2021-22 season. In an era dominated by former Nebraska training partner Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Snyder, and a handful of other world/Olympic champions, Green could have been overlooked, a bit. His domestic dominance at 70 kg put him on a tier by himself and he was extremely consistent. After spending the bulk of his career training out of his alma mater, Green moved to Virginia Tech's Southeast RTC in mid-2020 and has worked out in Blacksburg since. Below are just some of the many accomplishments by James during his illustrious career at Nebraska and on the freestyle circuit. International Accomplishments Six-time Senior Team Member Two-time World Medalist (3rd - 2015; 2nd - 2017) 2x Pan-American Champion (2017, 2018) 3x Grand Prix of Spain Champion (2015, 2016, 2017) 2x Final X winner (2018, 2019) 2022 Yasar Dogu silver medalist 2018 World Cup champion Member of the 2017 World Championship team Made the 2015 team after winning a special (controversial) wrestle-off against the returning 70kg team member, Nick Marable. Swept Marable 4-0 and 2-1. 2014 University World silver medalist Collegiate Accomplishments Four-time All-American (3rd: 2015; 3rd: 2014; 7th: 2013; 7th: 2012) Won the final match of the year - all four years with Nebraska. 2014 Big Ten Champion; Two-time Big Ten finalist Green and Robert Kokesh were the first Cornhuskers ever to win Big Ten titles (2014). #1 Seed at 2014 NCAA Championships NCAA Seeds (2015: #4; 2014: #1; 2013: #4, 2012: #11) One of only seven Nebraska wrestlers to earn the #1 seed since the year 2000. 129-22 career record at Nebraska. His 129 wins are fifth-most by a Nebraska wrestler. His total was one more than Jordan Burroughs'. 129-22 is good for a .854 winning percentage, eighth best in Nebraska history. He twice had 35 victories in a season. That is tied for the 20th highest total in Nebraska program history. 35-2 record in 2013-14 is good for a .946 mark. That is tied for 10th in school history. 34 wins in 2011-12 is the third-highest total for a freshman in Nebraska history. 2014 NWCA All-Star win over Ian Miller (Kent State) Nebraska co-Outstanding Wrestling 2014 Second of only two four-time NCAA All-Americans for Nebraska James never redshirted while at Nebraska

2x NAIA national champion Peyton Prussin of Life University (Photo/Life University athletics) KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and its National Administrative Council (NAC) voted to approve women's wrestling as the association's 28th national championship. The vote took place at the annual NAIA National Convention in Kansas City, Mo., on Saturday. With the vote, the sport moves from invitational to full national championship status. For any sport in the NAIA to achieve championship status, it must achieve a minimum of 40 institutions to sponsor the sport as a varsity program to receive consideration. "This is a great day for the sport of wrestling and all of our women's wrestling student-athletes," said NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr. "Women's wrestling has seen sustained growth, and we are proud to become the first collegiate athletics association to offer this as a championship sport." The NAIA will begin work on determining several logistics in terms of national championship format and qualification immediately and will announce during the summer. "It's an exciting time for NAIA Women's Wrestling. I feel like we have been building to this for so many years, so to finally be at this point amazing," said Carl Murphree, NAIA Women's Wrestling Coaches' Association President. "The NAIA has led the charge in women's wrestling and gaining championship status is a big step forward." WHAT THEY ARE SAYING Lee Miracle, Campbellsville (Ky.) Women's Wrestling Head Coach I want to take this opportunity to extend a heartfelt thanks to the visionary leaders of the NAIA who just approved women's wrestling as a championship sport. I've enjoyed collaborating with the NAIA and NWCA leaders over the years to help establish new NAIA affiliated intercollegiate women's teams, fill vacant head coaching positions, and provide CEO leadership training for the next great generation of aspiring coaches. It is no surprise that the NAIA, the governing body that pioneered the establishment of women's intercollegiate women's wrestling teams, is also the FIRST to commit to a national championship. Ashley Flavin, Life (Ga.) Women's Wrestling Head Coach I was an athlete at an NAIA school in the early 2000s when there were only a handful of schools sponsoring women's wrestling. The growth that has happened over the past 20 years, is because of the dedication from the athletes, the coaches, and the administrations that believed when most of the country did not know the sport existed. For the NAIA to elevate women's wrestling to championship status validates the dreams and the work of the thousands of young women that have come before, and the millions that will come in the future. Thank you to everyone that has played a role in this process, but especially to the young women who have always known that our place was on the mat.

James Green at Rudis Super Match (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Big news this morning out of Blacksburg. James Green, who has been competing out of the Southeast Regional Training Center for the past two years, is moving on to a new role within USA Wrestling. The Lace Man has accepted the position as the National Freestyle Developmental Coach for USAW. He will be responsible for directing the U20 OPTC Elite Resident program--identifying top-level U20 wrestlers to live and train in Colorado Springs. He will also oversee the U15, U17 and U20 Pan-Am and World Teams. The position was most recently held by Kevin Jackson, who left to take a coaching position at the University of Michigan. The success of this program has played a huge role in the recent dominance of the USA at the Cadet and Junior level. While it is a bittersweet departure from competition, this is a phenomenal opportunity both for James and for USA Wrestling. Green has held the 70kg spot for USA Wrestling in the past six World Championships. He is a two-time world medalist--silver and bronze--and has been a fixture on the world scene. He recently brought home a silver medal from the Yasar Dogu in February. Green was a four-time All-American at Nebraska, and trained there for the majority of his freestyle career before moving to Blacksburg and the SERTC.

3x NCAA All-American Bryce Meredith (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The MMA weekend features a mix of wrestling converts hoping to establish themselves as prospects and veterans looking to make the jump to the next level. Friday night's LFA 126 card features three recent NCAA Division I All-Americans in showcase fights, while Saturday's UFC will determine the future of the UFC bantamweight champion and one of the fastest rising contenders ever. LFA 128 Jimmy Lawson vs. Marino Eatman Lawson started his collegiate career at Monmouth, where he played football for two years. He then transferred to Penn State in order to wrestle. As a senior in 2015, he went 20-5 and finished sixth at the NCAA tournament to become an All-American. Lawson made his professional MMA debut in 2019 with a decision loss against Said Sowma. However, he then bounced back with three-straight victories. His opponent on Friday also comes from a wrestling background. Eatman was a two-time All-American on the junior college level. In 2005, he finished second at the NJCAA tournament at heavyweight for Harper College. He then transferred to Waubonsee College, where he finished fourth. Eatman has been fighting professionally since 2014 and holds a 5-4-1 record. Richie Miranda vs. Devon Dixon Like UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, Miranda wrestled for Nebraska Kearney. He transferred and joined the Loopers squad after two years at Santa Ana College, where he finished fourth in the California community college state championships. Miranda will bring a 3-0 record into the cage, with all three of his fights coming after he made his professional debut last year. Miranda will face off against Dixon, who made his professional debut in 2020. He won his first four fights to start his career, but he is coming off a draw against Charlie Decca last December. Bryce Meredith vs. Jay Viola After a year at North Carolina State, Meredith went on to have a storied career at Wyoming. There he was a two-time finalist and three-time All-American. As a senior in 2018, he went 33-2 with victories over Joey McKenna, Dean Heil, Kevin Jack and Jaydin Eierman. Both of his losses that season were against Yianni Diakomihalis, including the national final. Meredith had his first MMA fight last May and scored a first-round stoppage over Steven Merrill at LFA 108. Meredith's opponent holds a 3-3 record. Viola turned professional all the way back in 2006 but returned to the amateur ranks until 2019. He is coming off a loss against Mitch Raposo, who was a contestant on both "The Ultimate Fighter" and Dana White's Contender Series in 2021. Mitchell McKee vs. Jalen Jackson After two seasons that ended in the blood round, McKee finished sixth as a junior in 2019 to become an All-American for Minnesota. He returned for his senior year and qualified for the NCAA tournament that was eventually canceled due to the pandemic. McKee, who was also a silver medalist at the 2017 Junior World Championships, made his MMA debut last December and stopped Frank Posko in the second round. McKee will face off against Jackson, who will also be fighting professionally for the second time. He made his debut last January and fell via armbar submission in only 16 seconds. Brett Bye vs. Jhellani Olton Coming out of high school, Bye was the 59th ranked recruit by InterMat. He spent four years on the squad at South Dakota State and finished his run in 2019 with a 43-33 record per WrestleStat. Bye made his amateur debut last March and scored a unanimous decision over Brady Steinhorst. For his second amateur fight, Bye will take on Olton. He fought twice on the amateur level in 2021 and picked up a pair of victories. This will be his first fight since December of that year. The Bye fight will be part of the preliminary card, which begins at 8pm ET on Friday via LFA's Facebook page. The rest of the fights mentioned here will be part of the main card. It is scheduled to begin at 9pm on UFC Fight Pass. UFC 273 Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan Prior to the illegal knee that ended their first fight, Sterling relied heavily on his wrestling background against Yan. After spending his freshman season at Morrisville State, Sterling transferred to Cortland, where he was a two-time All-American. He finished his run in 2011 with a career record of 87-27. You can read plenty more about his collegiate wrestling career in InterMat's deep dive. The illegal knee that ended Sterling's first fight with Yan also awarded the former Cortland wrestler the bantamweight title. He then took time off due to injury. During his absence, Yan would win an interim version of the belt with a decision over Cory Sandhagen. This bout will unify those belts. Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns Chimaev has taken the UFC by storm and MMA, in general, since making his debut for the promotion in 2020. He has won all four of his fights and absorbed only one significant strike. Chimaev was born in Chechnya but relocated to Sweden in his youth. Prior to ever fighting MMA, he wrestled extensively in Sweden, including three national championships. His most recent title came in 2018 at 92 kg. Last November, Chimaev returned to his wrestling roots for a caged freestyle match against fellow UFC fighter Jack Hermansson and won despite giving up a four-point throw. Burns represents a large step up in competition for the prospect. He challenged Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight title in 2021 but lost via third-round stoppage. Burns bounced back with a decision over Stephen Thompson last July. The victory improved his career record to 20-4. Mark Madsen vs. Vinc Pichel Madsen was a six-time World/Olympic medalist in Greco. In 2016, he won a silver medal at the Olympics with impressive victories over Viktor Nemes (Serbia) and Peter Bacsi (Hungary). However, he ultimately came up short against Roman Vlasov (Russia) in the finals. Madsen had a few fights while actively competing in wrestling, but he changed his focus in 2018 and made his UFC debut the following year. Since joining the promotion, he has gone 3-0 and picked up a victory over veteran Clay Guida in his last fight. Pichel has been in the UFC since 2012 and has gone 7-2 with the promotion. He is riding a three-fight winning streak since losing via submission against former Edinboro All-American Gregor Gillespie in 2018. All three of these bouts are scheduled to be part of the UFC 273 main card. It airs live on ESPN+ at 10pm ET on Saturday.

2022 NCAA All-American Real Woods (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) For better or for worse, The NIL era is fully upon us, and not even three weeks into the college offseason, it's all anyone can talk about. Heck, I think all my questions are about it. It's almost as if the entire process of transferring changed when Nick Suriano jumped to an interconference school sans any penalties. Then the transfer portal became prominent. Next, everyone in 2021 received a free year. Now we've got this strange NIL situation that seems to be drenched in vagueness and nobody knows what's right and what's wrong. I don't know if Real Woods received a large sum of money or not and I really don't care. Real Woods set a goal to get a Stanford degree and was close to accomplishing that when he thought he may have lost his wrestling team for good. After that didn't happen, he was able to stay and graduate while still being able to compete. Now fully on his way to a diploma with two years of eligibility left, Real decided to take his talents elsewhere. Now it's rumored his talents were bought by the school he chose. What school is that? Iowa! Yeah, that Iowa! The most famous college wrestling team ever. The school every wrestler ever probably dreamed of wrestling for at some point. Did he maybe get some money to wrestle there? Very possible. Good for him. Get a Stanford degree, then get paid to wrestle two years at Iowa. You're living right. The NIL has opened a world of possibilities as far as recruitment. Get used to it. Real Woods is far from the last time we see this. To the mailbag. Who is Jagger giving an NIL deal to, to bring them to RU? Or any other school in Jersey, for that matter. @luke_w_wise I don't want to be accused of tampering or step on the toes of any of the fine Scarlet Knights wrestlers already rostered, but there's a two-year-old in Southeastern PA named Anthony DiMarco, Jr who shows some real promise. His old man likes to write fantasy wrestling articles, but the son is the real deal. I hear he's leaving daycare mid-semester to get into the nursery school room quicker to prepare for a possible three years of kindergarten. Top five on my Baby Big Board. My Cousin Vinny, Goodfellas, or The Godfather? What is your take on cheese? @SethPetar Cheese stinks. Mafia movies don't. One of these is a lawyer movie starring a mafia movie legend. Fun fact: mob movie comedy classic My Blue Heaven was written by Nora Ephron as a companion piece to Goodfellas, which was written by her husband, Nicholas Pileggi. Hey, what a day for a mow! How much money would need to be “in the bag” to get Jagger to enter the transfer portal? @Jkos11 And leave Intermat? Easton would fall. Have you ever been Jermed? @wiems19 Ewww. I hope not. Oh, you mean Mat Jerms. The hottest podcast on the internet. Alright, Jeremy, I'll bite on your shameless plug. But only because I named it. Seriously though, go check your local listings for my good pal Jeremy and his foray into the world of podcasting. A huge supporter of women's wrestling, the Jerm already has a great list of guests lined up. What is the percentage of Post Grads who enter the portal with years of eligibility left and will that change how you think due to the use of NIL and RTC ? @MindsetCoachBW This is where things will get tricky. If you were a lowerclassman during the free year, you are likely to graduate with at least one year of eligibility left and maybe even two. Now you have the right to be a full free agent who has fulfilled all of his duties to your original school. It's the best of both worlds. Three worlds when you throw in the money factor. And since barely anyone redshirted during the free year, you can bet your behind the coaches will think twice about sitting them for a year in the future, knowing anyone can bolt at any time. Anyone who was a true freshman last year and redshirted this year is really in the driver's seat. You have four years of eligibility left and two years of school down. The student-athletes have never had a better chance to maximize their talents for all their worth. Do you really follow college wrestling? @MaceikoW About as much as people follow you. This guy has tweeted 180 times with one person listening. Just call him on the phone. Have a good weekend all! Baseball is back!

3x NCAA All-American and 3x Bloodround winner Mikey Labriola (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) It's the round of action at the NCAA Championships where dreams are made or crushed. Win and you have the title "All-American" beside your name, for the rest of your life. Lose and you're left with a lifetime of "what could've been." Its the only round of action at the NCAA Tournament with a cool nickname (The bloodround). The NCAA Consolation Round of 12, as it's otherwise known, features some of the most intense action during the entire wrestling season. With that being said, we've decided to look back and find out who has performed best or most often in the Round of 12. Below are team win/loss records for the last five NCAA tournaments, going with most wins to least. Nebraska: 15-7 Oklahoma State: 14-6 Iowa: 13-8 Minnesota: 10-9 Missouri: 9-9 Arizona State: 9-2 Ohio State: 8-5 Virginia Tech: 8-5 Wisconsin: 7-2 Illinois: 7-3 Northwestern: 7-3 Oregon State: 7-3 Penn State: 7-3 Cornell: 6-2 Michigan: 6-4 Iowa State: 5-3 Rutgers: 5-4 Lehigh: 5-9 South Dakota State: 4-4 North Carolina: 4-5 Northern Iowa: 4-6 NC State: 4-7 Appalachian State: 3-0 Lock Haven: 3-0 West Virginia: 3-2 Old Dominion: 2-2 Fresno State: 2-0 Princeton: 2-0 Maryland: 2-1 Rider: 2-3 Wyoming: 2-3 Stanford: 2-7 Eastern Michigan: 1-0 Edinboro: 1-0 Hofstra: 1-0 Indiana: 1-0 Duke: 1-1 SIU Edwardsville: 1-1 Binghamton: 1-2 Campbell: 1-2 Michigan State: 1-2 Central Michigan: 1-3 Northern Illinois: 1-3 Penn: 1-4 Oklahoma: 1-5 Virginia: 1-5 Air Force: 0-1 Brown: 0-1 Buffalo: 0-1 Cal Poly: 0-1 Chattanooga: 0-1 Clarion: 0-1 CSU Bakersfield: 0-1 Harvard: 0-1 Kent State: 0-1 Northern Colorado: 0-1 The Citadel: 0-1 Army West Point: 0-2 Bucknell: 0-2 Drexel: 0-2 Utah Valley: 0-3 Navy: 0-4 North Dakota State: 0-4 Pittsburgh: 0-8 Purdue: 0-8

4x NCAA All-American Sebastian Rivera (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Now that the 2022 Season has concluded, every team, every conference, and every site has their "End-of-Season" awards, so why not do the same at #FantasyCollegeWrestling? The end of the season leaves us with a lump sum of pure, raw, and uncut data. While we take the time to sift through it, and create that sweet, sweet Fantasy Wrestling content you're itching for, here's a little taste. Just like in 2021, let's see this season's "All-Fantasy Wrestling Teams!" The total points scored by these 36 wrestlers came to 2,722, with only 16 of the following 36 wrestlers receiving All-American Honors. Two Champions, two runner-ups, four 3rd placers, and two placers at 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th. There were no 7th place finishers and the only weight to not have an All-American of these three Teams was 197 Just a reminder of how points were tallied in WrestleStat Leagues: The scoring used was Standart Team Scoring across all competitions (+3 for a win by decision, -4 for a loss by Major, etc.) Scoring only counted against D1 competition Wins via Forfeits (FFT) Injury (INJ) would count as +6 towards a wrestler's point total. Wins or Losses by Medical Forfeit (MFF) did not count as + or - towards a wrestler's point total. Points were only accumulated only during the regular season. First Team All Fantasy Wrestling 125: Anthony Noto (LHU) 86 Fpts 133: Daton Fix (OKST) 76 Fpts 141: Sebastian Rivera (RUT) 108 Fpts 149: Yianni Diakomihalis (COR) 88 Fpts 157: Ed Scott (NCST) 82 Fpts 165: Dean Hamiti (WISC) 93 Fpts 174: Matt Finesilver (DUKE) 87 Fpts 184: Trey Munoz (ORST) & Hunter Bolen (VT) 76 Fpts 197: Lou DePrez (BING) 76 Fpts 285: Wyatt Hendrickson (AF) 104 Fpts Floater 1: Michael McGee 74 Fpts [@ 133] Floater 2: David Carr (ISU) 69 Fpts [@ 157] The 2023 First Team All Fantasy roster has a lot of flair and scoring power and bested last season's First Team by having one (1) National Champion in its lineup. This lineup scored a whopping 1,019 Fpts this season (and 184 was only counted once). I mean, it helps when you have the season pin leader (Hendrickson) and tech leader (Rivera) on the same team. Hendrickson and Rivera were the only wrestlers of the 100 Point Club this season, in comparison to 2020 when there were 10 and three others that were within a Decision win away. Daton Fix makes his second consecutive All-Fantasy First Team, but more than doubling his 2021 season output, albeit from a shortened season (29 Fpts). Speaking of 184, both Trey Munoz and Hunter Bolen finished the regular season with the exact same stats: 76 Fpts, 23 matches wrestled, with 3.3 PPM (points per match). In fact, both had the same bonus rate of 52.2%. How could I split these two up? If anything, Bolen had six pins compared to Munoz's five. But it's my list, so I say they both make the first team. Because of the additional free year, the eligibility breakdown was a little twisted and some wrestlers who might not be technically considered freshmen, were. Not Dean Hamiti, though. The only true freshman to make the First Team (out of four total that make up these three teams) only had one loss (Marinelli) by decision, and only had two matches that were not won by bonus (against Little Rock's Tyler Brennan and Rutgers' Andrew Clark). Senior and #1 overall Fantasy Wrestler Sebastian Rivera is the only member of the All-Fantasy First Team without any eligibility left. Second Team All Fantasy Wrestling 125- Brandon Courtney (ASU) 63 Fpts 133- Rayvon Foley (MSU) 75 Fpts 141- Grant Willits (ORST) 82 Fpts 149- Josh Finesilver (DUKE) 78 Fpts 157- Chase Saldate (MSU) 81 Fpts 165- Zach Hartman (BUCK) 86 Fpts 174- Michael O'Malley (DREX) 86 Fpts 184- Parker Keckeisen (UNI) 74 Fpts 197- Jaxon Smith (MD) 70 Fpts 285- Grady Greiss (NAVY) 70 Fpts Floater 1- Lucas Byrd (ILL) 69 Fpts [@ 133] Floater 2- Peyton Hall (WVU) 69 Fpts [@165] At over 100 Fpts less, the 2023 All-Fantasy Second Team amassed a total of 903 Fpts. Captaining the point-total ship for this crew was Mickey O'Malley and his 10 Pins against D1 competition and Zach Hartman with 86 Fpts. One of the only two redshirts to make any of the three All-Fantasy teams comes from the University of Maryland with Jaxon Smith. Even though he had six losses on the season, one being by Injury Default (-6 Fpts), he was able to finish as the #25 overall Fantasy Wrestler. No member of this roster found themselves in the national finals this year. The highest placing wrestler of the Second Team was Parker Keckeisen, who finished 3rd, followed by Grant Willits, who took home 4th. And finally… that's right, folks. It wasn't Gable Steveson, it wasn't Anthony Cassioppi, it wasn't Mason Parris or Greg Kerkvliet, or National Finalist Cohlton Schultz. The second-highest scoring heavyweight was Grady Greiss from Navy, who powered his way through six tournaments and two dual meets to make the Second Team. Zach Hartman is the only wrestler in this lineup without eligibility left. Third Team All Fantasy Wrestling 125- Caleb Smith (APP) 63 Fpts 133- Joshua Koderhandt (NAVY) 75 Fpts 141- Clay Carlson (SDSU) 82 Fpts 149- Alex Madrigal (GMU) 66 Fpts 157- Andrew Cerniglia (NAVY) 80 Fpts 165- Keegan O'Toole (MIZZ) 79 Fpts 174- Mekhi Lewis (VT) 68 Fpts 184- Trent Hidlay (NCST) 69 Fpts 197- Cameron Caffey (MSU) 67 Fpts 285- Jordan Wood (LEH) 67 Fpts Floater 1- Joey Milano (NCST) 68 Fpts [@ 184] Floater 2- Jonathan Loew (COR) 66 Fpts [@ 184] Totaling an even 850 Fpts, the 2023 All-Fantasy Third Team ended up having more National Finalists than The Second Team and tying the First Team with two. 2021 Season Top 141 wrestler Clay Carlson leads this pack with 82 Fpts and only four wrestlers had more than 70 Fpts this season. The only starter to not qualify and make an All-Fantasy team, unfortunately, fell to Alex Madrigal. Due to an unfortunate injury during the semifinals of the MAC Championships in a match, he was winning and would have secured his berth to the National Tournament, if not for the lack of injury time. Jordan Wood and Alex Madrigal have exhausted their eligibility.

2x NCAA All-American Sammy Sasso(Photo/Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Last week, InterMat published an article about the teams with the top returning point scorers heading into the 2022-23 season. Looking at the standings from the 2022 NCAA Championships, we have identified five programs that are likely to exceed their point totals at the 2023 tournament. For some programs, it was because of underperformance in Detroit, while others were missing key components, and others will add talented freshmen. Below are the five teams we've identified, followed by their 2022 NCAA finish, along with the 2022 point total in parentheses. Ohio State 13th (44 points) It seems sort of strange to say about a team that placed four wrestlers on the NCAA podium, but Ohio State has a lot of room for growth in 2022-23. As of now, all four All-Americans (Sammy Sasso, Carson Kharchla, Kaleb Romero, and Gavin Hoffman) are expected back in the Buckeye lineup. It's reasonable to think that the 2021 NCAA runner-up, Sasso, could improve upon his fifth-place finish in Detroit. His two losses at the national tournament account for a quarter of his career defeats. 165 lber, Carson Kharchla, is in a weight where two of the veterans that finished ahead of him (Evan Wick - 3rd and Alex Marinelli - 5th) are done. His losses to Keegan O'Toole, Shane Griffith, and Cam Amine, were generally pretty close, so it's conceivable that he could flip one or all of those results. Kaleb Romero outwrestled his seed by a spot and I think he's capable of finishing a spot or two higher on the podium; however, sixth seems about right for him. The fourth All-American, Gavin Hoffman, severely wrestled above his seed in Detroit, making the NCAA semi's, after receiving the 21st seed. With such parity at 197, this is a finish that may be hard to replicate. That being said, Hoffman was a huge recruit for the Buckeyes and could be starting to find his potential. We'll have to see if he shows more signs of consistency in the early going next year. So, where can Ohio State improve aside from their All-Americans? Well, their 174 lber, Ethan Smith, was an AA in 2021 and lost in the bloodround in sudden victory to Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State). That weight should clear out a bit as three top-five finishers are done (Hayden Hidlay - 3rd, Michael Kemerer - 4th, Logan Massa - 5th). Smith probably starts the year in the top-six or seven. Some new faces could also provide a boost to Ohio State in 2022-23. The top recruit in the Class of 2021, Paddy Gallagher, redshirted last season and amassed a 17-2 record in open competition. Gallagher didn't necessarily have any groundbreaking wins, but with another year in the Buckeye room, he's probably ready to make an impact at 157 lbs, a weight tOSU did not qualify in 2022. Ohio State is also on the brink of inking the top-ranked recruiting class for 2022. Head coach Tom Ryan hasn't hesitated to start true freshmen, so there's a possibility that we see top-five ranked Nic Bouzakis or Jesse Mendez immediately. One of them could slot in nicely at 133 lbs; the other weight Ohio State failed to qualify last year. In addition, veterans like Malik Heinselman, Dylan D'Emilio and Tate Orndorff could continue to improve, as well. Orndorff was on the podium in 2021 and came up a match shy in Detroit. Oklahoma State 14th (38.5 points) Probably the biggest no-brainer on this list is Oklahoma State. The Cowboys suffered a massive loss when national champion AJ Ferrari was in a horrific car accident and was lost for the season. Even a very conservative third-place finish from Ferrari would have put the Cowboys in the top eight in 2022. With a big point-scorer like Daton Fix returning and assuming Ferrari is able to get back to top form, Oklahoma State should blow last season's 14th place showing out of the water. Even after taking Ferrari out of consideration, Oklahoma State was still hampered by injuries. 2021 NCAA fourth-place finisher, Travis Wittlake, didn't even qualify in 2022. If healthy, Wittlake could rack up another high AA finish in Tulsa. Just those three alone could put the Cowboys into NCAA trophy contention; however, a full, injury-free season from Dustin Plott would help too. Plott wrestled up to his sixth seed at 174 lbs, but as we mentioned earlier, there is room to move up on the podium there. Expect Oklahoma State to get a youth infusion, possibly at 149/157/184. While there may be some bumps in the road at those weights, the Cowboys have recruited extremely well in recent years, so they should be manned by talented youngsters. Iowa State 17th (37 points) The dual season was one to remember for Iowa State under head coach Kevin Dresser. The only blemish on the Cyclone's record was an early-season loss to Iowa. They would run the table throughout the rest of the Big 12 season and finished the regular season ranked fourth in the country. Some teams are better suited towards duals, as opposed to tournaments, and ISU was definitely one of those squads. With that being said, they certainly could have improved upon a 17th place finish in Detroit and should do better in Tulsa. Iowa State's biggest point-scorer, David Carr, saw his 55-match winning streak snapped at Little Caesars Arena and wasn't able to go back-to-back at 157 lbs. Carr will still be one of the favorites next year at 157 lbs and could easily add a couple extra points with a finals appearance and/or win. The Cyclones other two AA's, Marcus Coleman and Yonger Bastida, are returning next season. While both outwrestled their NCAA seeds, replicating their finishes isn't out of the question. Coleman showed vast signs of improvement at the outset of the 2021-22 campaign and Bastida just completed his second year of folkstyle competition. Other spots where Iowa State can add points? They'll have a highly-ranked incoming freshman class with a pair of top-20 recruits in Casey Swiderski and Manny Rojas. Maybe one, or both, see action at 141 and 174 lbs, respectively. Both are capable of scoring a few NCAA points in year one. Penn 27th (15.5 points) Some of the teams we're mentioning here are expected to increase their point total because they underperformed in Detroit. Penn isn't one of those teams. A larger point total would be the result of a young, growing team. Barring more transfers nationwide, Penn is the only team, as of now, that can boast ten returning NCAA qualifiers. Of the nine that competed at nationals in 2022, only Anthony Artalona had ever wrestled at the national tournament before. The cancelation of the 2020 tournament, combined with the Ivy League preventing winter sports from competing in 2021, left Penn without NCAA Championship competition for two years. Though EIWA Freshman of the Year CJ Composto was the big point-earner for the Quakers, it took a total team effort to notch 15.5 points. All nine of their qualifiers chipped in with at least one win. With the competition in the room and the talent on the coaching staff and the RTC roster, I'd imagine a few of those qualifiers will add to their NCAA win total in 2023. Aside from the All-American, Composto, a few others could take the leap and make the NCAA podium in 2023. 133 lber Michael Colaiocco, an EIWA champion, was seeded ninth this season, but had the misfortune of running into AA Lucas Byrd (Illinois) in the consi's. That match went into sudden victory. Colaiocco lost and was eliminated, while Byrd continued on to fifth place. Artalona made a run to the bloodround for the second time in his career. His bid for a spot on the podium was stopped by second-seeded Tariq Wilson (NC State). If the Quakers bring back a lineup with all of their 2022 qualifiers, they should be in good shape. That may not be the case, as the Penn staff has done an excellent job of recruiting and they have a talented freshman class enrolling in the fall. Some of the incumbents could either lose their spot or get better as they fend off challenges from the new faces. However it unfolds, I'd expect a strong showing in Tulsa from Penn. South Dakota State 44th (3.5 points) Bluntly speaking, South Dakota State had a rough NCAA tournament. Even though the Jackrabbits only had four national qualifiers, three were seeded in the top-12. Unfortunately, one of their four wrestlers, Clay Carlson at 141 lbs, made it to the bloodround and he ended up losing. Their other top-12 seeds, Cade DeVos (174) and Tanner Sloan (197), went 1-2. The good news is that each is expected back in 2022-23 and can easily improve upon their 2022 tournament. Carlson, a 2021 All-American, had an excellent 2021-22 season and racked up three wins over Minnesota's All-American Jacob Bergeland, among others. He was stopped in the bloodround by Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers). The natural order of 141 lbs should lead to Carlson jumping up in the preseason rankings. The top-three finishers at 141 (along with the #2 seed) are all moving on. At 174, DeVos lost a second-round match to Michael Kemerer (Iowa), which dropped him to face #11 Peyton Mocco (Missouri). Throughout the year, DeVos and Mocco split matches. At nationals, Mocco took the rubber match with a 6-2 win. That match happened because Mocco fell in the opening round to #22 Mason Kauffman (Northern Illinois). At a minimum, you could see DeVos wrestling up to his 12th seed if the tournament happened again or next year. Tanner Sloan lost two matches at nationals, both of which came in sudden victory. Throughout the course of the year, Sloan notched a win over two-time AA Rocky Elam (Missouri) and got to the conference finals in a deep Big 12 weight class. With both the seventh and eighth place finishers moving on, there's room for someone to jump onto the podium. Why can't Sloan be that guy? South Dakota State also has a pair of potential point scorers that didn't qualify for nationals. Tanner Cook (165) is one of the best pinners at any weight. If he gets to nationals, he could get a couple, which is almost as good as having an AA, as far as point scoring goes. Gabe Tagg (133) got a late start with the Jackrabbits, starting after New Year's. With a full year in the room, he could be ready to make a jump.

The Rudis Super Match between J'den Cox and Kyle Snyder (right)(Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 57 KG 2021 world bronze medalist #14 Horst Lehr (GER) won the U-23 European championships over Giorgi Gegelashvili (GEO). Bronze medalists at the U-23 European championships were Tofig Aliyev (AZE) and Edik Harutyunyan (ARM). Vladimir Egorov (MKD) debuts in the rankings at #16 for winning the Senior European championships over U-23 world champion Aliabbas Rzazade (AZE), who returns to the rankings at #17 for tech falling #16 Beka Bujiashvili (GEO) in the semis. Bronze medalists at the Senior European championships were Bujiashvili and Manval Khnzrtsyan (ARM). Aslan Minkailov (RUS) won the North Caucasian Federal District tournament over Nasir Shikhuev (RUS). Bronze medalists were Ibragim Khasiev (RUS) and Shamil Suleymanov (RUS). Artyom Gobaev (RUS) won Junior Russian Nationals over Lev Pavlov (RUS). Bair Bayanduev (RUS) and Imran Khunkerov (RUS) finished bronze at Junior Russian Nationals. Artyom Gobaev (RUS) also won the North Ossetian wrestling championships over Khasan Kusov (RUS) with Tamik Gobozov (RUS) and David Abacharaev (RUS) finishing with bronze. 2020 Russian Nationals bronze medalist #5 Akhmed Idrisov (RUS) teched Artyom Gobaev (RUS) 11-0 in the Dagestan vs. North Ossetia match. Zane Richards (USA) won the Bill Farrell Memorial Invitational over Michael Tortorice (USA) with Nico Provo (USA) taking bronze. 61 KG 2021 world bronze medalist #6 Arsen Harutyunyan (ARM) tech falled 2019 57 KG world runner-up Suleyman Atli (TUR) 15-3 in the European finals for his second title. Bronze medalists at the European championships were #11 Eduard Grigorev (POL) and Georgi Vangelov (BUL). Harutyunyan moves up three spots in the rankings to #3 for beating Grigorev in the semis after Grigorev had upset second ranked Zelimkhan Abakarov (ALB) in the quarterfinals. Grigorev moves up six spots in the rankings to #5 while 2021 Russian Nationals runner-up #7 Muslim Mekhtikhanov (RUS) moves up three spots to #4 for his tech fall win over Grigorev from the 2021 Ali Aliyev. Abakarov, #3 Ravi Kumar (IND) and #4 Gulomyon Abdullaev (UZB) all fell four spots in the rankings to #6, #7, and #8 respectively. Emrah Ormanoglu (TUR) won the U-23 European championships over Khamzat Arsamerzouev (FRA). Bronze medalists at the U-23 European championships were Norik Harutyunyan (ARM) and Ramaz Turmanidze (GEO). #1 Abasgadzhi Magomedov (RUS) teched Alexander Sabanov (RUS) 11-0 in the Dagestan vs. North Ossetia dual meet. Tyler Graff (USA) won the Bill Farrell Memorial Invitational over Daniel DeShazer (USA) with Paul Bianchi (USA) taking bronze. #13 Bashir Magomedov (RUS) won Junior Russian Nationals over Magomed Baitukaev (RUS) with Ramazan Bagavudinov (RUS) and Magomedamin Bekbulatov (RUS) taking bronze. Alexander Sabanov (RUS) won the North Caucasian Federal District tournament over Tamerlan Karaev (RUS) with Alik Dzaurov (RUS) and Gadzhimagomed Gadzhiev (RUS) taking bronze. 65 KG 2019 world bronze medalist #7 Ismail Musukaev (HUN) looked incredible in his gold winning performance at the European championship, tech falling reigning Olympic silver medalist #3 Haji Aliyev (AZE) 12-1 for gold. Musukaev moves up four spots to #3 for his tech fall wins over #3 Aliyev and #8 Islam Dudaev (ALB). Bronze medalists at the European championships were #8 Islam Dudaev (ALB) and Muenir Recep Aktas (TUR). Ziraddin Bayramov (AZE) won the U-23 European championships over Hrachya Margaryan (ARM). Bronze medalists at the U-23 European championships were Hamza Alaca (TUR) and Ayub Musaev (BEL). Evan Henderson (USA) beat Seth Gross at the Rudis Super Match card. Seth Gross (USA) won the Bill Farrell Memorial Invitational over Ian Parker (USA) with Matthew Kolodzik (USA) taking bronze. Cherman Tavitov (RUS) won the North Ossetia wrestling championships over Elbrus Valiev (RUS) with Dzhambul Kizinov (RUS) and Inal Karsanov (RUS) taking bronze. Magomedemi Eltemirov (RUS) won Junior Russian Nationals over Umar Umarov (RUS) with Magomed Labazanov (RUS) and Magomed Tazhudinov (RUS) taking bronze. #10 Ibragim Ibragimov (RUS) beat Dzhambol Kizinov (RUS) in the Dagestan vs. North Ossetia dual meet. 70 KG Giorgi Elbakidze (GEO) won the U-23 European championships over Narek Harutyunyan (ARM). Bronze medalists at the U-23 European championships were Ivan Stoyanov (BUL) and #18 Nicolai Grahmez (MDA). Elbakidze gets into the rankings at #18 for beating Grahmez in the semis of the U-23 European championships. 2021 world bronze medalist #10 Zurab Iakobishvili (GEO) won the Senior European championships over #17 Arman Andreasyan (ARM). Bronze medalists at the Senior European championships were #19 Grahmez and #16 Ramazan Ramazanov (BUL). #3 James Green (USA) and #14 Alec Pantaleo (USA) picked up impressive wins at the Rudis Super Match card, with Green beating two-time world rep #16 Zain Retherford (USA) and Pantaleo beating 2021 65 KG Olympic trials champion Jordan Oliver (USA). Tyler Berger (USA) also picked up a strong domestic victory in the finals of the Bill Farrell Memorial Invitational by beating two time Pan-Am champion Anthony Ashnault (USA) and Elroy Perkin (USA) took bronze. #13 Alan Kudzoev (RUS) has been removed from the rankings as he moved up to 74 KG where he took bronze at the North Ossetian wrestling championships. Kudzoev, a 2019 Junior world bronze medalist, made his rankings debut in February after beating Pantaleo at the Yarygin on his way to a fifth place finish to #11 Ruslan Zhendaev (RUS). Dzhokhar Dzhabaev (RUS) won the North Caucasian Federal District tournament over Akhmed Kasumov (RUS) with Said-Ibragim Elbderdov (RUS) and Mairbek Saidov (RUS) taking bronze. 2021 Junior World bronze medalist Stanislav Svinoboev (RUS) won his second Junior national title with a victory over Zaurbek Bugulov (RUS). Akhmed Zhiletezhev (RUS) and Farhad Atakhanov (RUS) took bronze at Junior Russian Nationals. #8 Kurban Shiraev (RUS) pinned Mohammed Kardanov (RUS) in the Dagestan vs. North Ossetia dual meet. 74 KG #3 Taimuraz Salkazanov (SVK) won his second European title in stunning fashion with a pushout in the final second to beat #4 Frank Chamizo (ITA) 7-5. Bronze medalists at the European championships were Turan Bayramov (AZE) and Giorgi Sulava (GEO). 2021 70 KG Junior world runner-up #20 Dzhabrail Gadzhiev (AZE) won the U-23 European championships over Krisztian Biro (ROU) with Ismet Ciftci (TUR) and Vasile Diacon (MDA) taking bronze. Two-time Russian Nationals champion #7 Magomed Kurbanaliev (RUS) has been removed from the rankings due to injury. Josh Shields (USA) beat Joey LaVallee (USA) in the finals of the Bill Farrell Memorial Invitational with Collin Purinton (USA) taking bronze. Top-ranked Zaurbek Sidakov (RUS) won the North Ossetia wrestling championships with an electric win over Yarygin champion #6 Cherman Valiev (RUS). Bronze medalists were Alan Kudzoev (RUS) and Robert Dzugaev (RUS). 2020 Russian Nationals champion Razambek Zhamalov (RUS) made his return to competition after a year-long lay off to recover from a shoulder and knee injury. Zhamalov slots back in at #5 after injury defaulting out of the North Caucasian Federal District finals to #16 Mohamad Nasirkhaev (RUS). Bronze medalists at the North Caucasian Federal District tournament were #14 Magomedrasul Asluev (RUS) and Khalid Elberdiev (RUS). Kamil Abdulvagabov (RUS) won Junior Russian Nationals over Anton Suchkov (RUS) with Ibragim Kadiev (RUS) and Albik Petrosyan (RUS) taking bronze. Magomed Abdulkadyrov (RUS) beat Alan Kudzoev (RUS) 6-6 in the Dagestan vs. North Ossetia dual meet. 79 KG #3 Radik Valiev (RUS) and #5 Gadzhi Nabiev (RUS) both moved up to 86 KG where Valiev won the North Ossetia wrestling championships and Nabiev won the North Caucasian Federal District tournament. Valiev and Nabiev have been removed from the rankings. Georgios Kougiomtsidis (GRE) won the U-23 and Senior European championships to earn himself the #19 spot in the rankings. Kougiomtsidis won the U-23 European championships over Evshem Shvelidze (GEO) and the Senior European championships over Ashraf Ashirov (AZE). Bronze medalists at the U-23 European championships were Abdulvasi Balta (TUR) and Ashirov). Bronze medalists at the Senior European championships were Muhammet Akdeniz (TUR) and Vladimeri Gamkrelidze (GEO). #20 Akhmad Shakhbanov (RUS) won the North Caucasian Federal District tournament by injury default over #11 Amanulla Gadzhimagomedov (RUS). Bronze medalists were Yusup-Khadzhi Aidaev (RUS) and Begkhan Misrikhanov (RUS). #8 Magomed Magomaev (RUS) teched Alik Badtiev (RUS) in the Dagestan vs. North Ossetia dual meet. Arseny Dzhioev (RUS) won Junior Russian Nationals over Magomedgadzhi Daitbekov (RUS) with Kadir Saipudinov (RUS) and Arsen Balayan (RUS) taking bronze. #5 Alex Dieringer (USA) and David McFadden (USA) picked up wins at the Rudis Super Match card beating the likes of Isaiah Martinez (USA) and Mitch Finesilver (ISR) respectively. #18 Chance Marsteller (USA) won the Bill Farrell Memorial Invitational over Tommy Gantt (USA) with Quentin Perez (USA) taking bronze. 86 KG 2021 Olympic bronze medalist #16 Myles Amine (SMR) won the European championships over U-23 European champion #20 Abubakar Abakarov (AZE). Bronze medalists at the European championships were Sebastian Jezierzanski (POL) and #18 Osman Gocen (TUR). Abakarov won the U-23 European championships over Lilian Balan (MDA). Bronze medalists at the U-23 European championships were Bagrati Gagnidze (GEO) and Emre Ciftci (TUR). 79 KG Yarygin champion #3 (79) Radik Valiev (RUS) won the North Ossetia championships over Slavik Naniev (RUS). Bronze medalists were Aslan Khapsaev (RUS) and Azamat Khadzaragov (RUS). #5 (79) Gadzhi Nabiev (RUS) won the North Caucasian Federal District tournament over Slavik Naniev (RUS). Bronze medalists were Magomed Murtazaliev (RUS) and Magomedmurad Dadaev (RUS). Mustafagadzhi Malachdibirov (RUS) won Junior Russian nationals over Timur Kotaev (RUS). Bronze medalists were Magomed Nurov (RUS) and Vitaly Tuskaev (RUS). Mark Hall (USA) beat Myles Martin (USA) on the Rudis Super Match card. Myles Martin (USA) won the Bill Farrell Memorial Invitational over Owen Webster (USA). Dylan Lydy (USA) took bronze over Andrew Morgan (USA). Shamil Magomedov (RUS) beat Slavik Naniev (RUS) in the Dagestan vs. North Ossetia matchup. 92 KG #16 Feyzullah Akturk (TUR) made a major statement in March, winning both the U-23 and Senior European championships to propel himself to #5 in the rankings. Akturk's best win this month came over Dan Kolov runner-up #7 Akhmed Bataev (BUL) in the Senior European finals to go along with the gold he earned earlier at the U-23 European championships over Joshua Morodion (GER). Bronze medalists at the Senior European championships were #8 Osman Nurmagomedov (AZE) and #18 Miriani Maisuradze (GEO). Bronze medalists at the U-23 European championships were Illia Hristov (BUL) and Daviti Koguashvili (GEO). #4 Vladislav Valiev (RUS) won the North Caucasian Federal District tournament over Muslim Magomedov (RUS). Bronze medalists were Adam Anzorov (RUS) and Khabib Gadzhiev (RUS). #15 Alan Bagaev (RUS) beat Ashkaab Sadulaev (RUS) in the Dagestan vs. North Ossetia match. Nick Reenan (USA) won the Bill Farrell Memorial Invitational by default. Magomed Sharipov (RUS) won Junior Russian Nationals over Alan Pliev (RUS). Bronze medalists at Junior Russian Nationals were Ivan Kirillov (RUS) and Igor Belskikh (RUS). 97 KG Athletes removed from the rankings this month were 2021 Olympic bronze medalist #4 Abraham Conyedo Ruano (ITA) and 2019 world silver medalist #5 Sharif Sharifov (AZE). Conyedo Ruano has been removed from the rankings as he moved up to 125 KG where he took 5th at the European championships. Sharifov has been removed from the rankings due to a shoulder injury. #19 Magomedkhan Magomedov (AZE) won the European championships over #11 Vladislav Baitsaev (HUN). Bronze medalists at the European championships were #10 Elizbar Odikadze (GEO) and Zbigniew Baranowski (POL). Magomedov moves up eleven spots in the rankings to #8 for his wins over #11 Baitsaev and #10 Odikadze. Islam Ilyasov (AZE) won the U-23 European championships over Johannes Mayer (GER). Bronze medalists at the U-23 European championships were Richard Vegh (HUN) and Radu Lefter (MDA). Georgi Gogaev (RUS) won the North Ossetian championships over Arsamag Zaseev (RUS). Bronze medalists were Arsen Alborov (RUS) and Tamerlan Kotsoev (RUS). Abdulla Kurbanov (RUS) beat Akhmed Tazhudinov (RUS) to win the Russian Junior Nationals. Bronze medalists were #16 Erik Dzhioev (RUS) and Irbek Tavgazov (RUS). Kurbanov debuts in the senior rankings at #16 for winning Junior Nationals over 2020 Senior Russian Nationals bronze medalists #16 Erik Dzhioev (RUS). Artem Tskharebov (RUS) won the North Caucasian Federal District tournament over Akhmed Tazhudinov (RUS). Zhorik Dzhioev (RUS) and Tamik Dzhikaev (RUS) finished bronze at the North Caucasian Federal District tournament. Shamil Imam Gadzhialiyev lost to #7 (125) Sergey Kozyrev (RUS) at the Dagestan vs. North Ossetia dual meet. #2 Kyle Snyder (USA) beat two-time 92 KG world champion #18 J'den Cox (USA) in two matches in the headlining match from the Rudis Super Match card. Cox takes the #11 spot in the rankings while Snyder holds down the #2 spot. Kollin Moore (USA) beat Nate Jackson (USA) 4-4 at the Rudis Super Match. Michael Macchiavello (USA) won the Bill Farrell Memorial Invitational over Joe Rau (USA). Morgan Smith (USA) took bronze. 125 KG World bronze medalist #3 Taha Akgul (TUR) won his ninth European title over 2021 world silver medalist #2 Geno Petriashvili (GEO). Akgul moves up one spot in the rankings to #2. Bronze medalists at the European championships were Daniel Ligeti (HUN) and Robert Baran (POL). Solomon Manashvili (GEO) won the U-23 European championships title over Milan Korcsog (HUN). Bronze medalists at the U-23 European championships were Aydin Ahmadov (AZE) and Adil Misirici (TUR). Artem Pukhovsky (RUS) won Junior Russian Nationals over Aslan Abakarov (RUS). Bronze medalists were Ilya Zhibalov (RUS) and Nikolai Gorbunov (RUS). Tamerlan Rasuev (RUS) won the North Caucasian Federal District tournament over Soslan Khinchagov (RUS). Bronze medalists were Gamzat Alizhudinov (RUS) and Magomed Tagirov (RUS). Hayden Zillmer (USA) won the Bill Farrell Memorial invitational over Dom Bradley (USA). 2021 Olympic rep #7 Sergey Kozyrev (RUS) competed down at 97 KG for the Dagestan vs. Alania dual meet where he beat 2021 U-23 world rep Shamil Imam Gadzhialiev. Kozyrev stays ranked at 125 KG until he has another competition at 97 KG. Amarveer Dhesi (CAN) beat Derek White (USA) on the Rudis Super Match card. Pound for Pound 2020 74 KG Individual World Cup champion Razambek Zhamalov (RUS) is back into the pound-for-pound rankings at #14 after returning from a year long lay off. Zhamalov's last results were a 5th place finish at the European championships were he lost to #10 Taimuraz Salkazanov (SVK) and #11 Frank Chamizo (ITA). Zhamalov has career wins over #6 Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov (BLR), #10 Taimuraz Salkazanov (SVK), #11 Frank Chamizo (ITA), #15 Cherman Valiev (RUS), #16 Timur Bizhoev (RUS), and #17 Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov (RUS). 2019 world bronze medalist Ismail Musukaev (HUN) returns to the pound-for-pound rankings at #14 after winning the 65 KG European title over 2021 Olympic runner-up #18 Haji Aliyev (AZE). Musukaev also holds a win over 2021 Olympic champion #4 Takuto Otoguro (JPN) from the 2019 world championships bronze medal match.

2022 CIF State Champion MJ Gaitan (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) As we enter April, we are coming down the home stretch for recruiting in the Class of 2022. Many of the top recruits have been spoken for; however, there are some excellent prospects still on the market, looking for a home. Additionally, many coaches have already turned their attention toward the Class of 2023 and there are plenty of verbals from that group. Below are some of the notable wrestlers that have given commitments within the last week. There is a mix of juniors and seniors in the group. (Navy) Dylan Elmore - St. Thomas Aquinas, KS The Naval Academy got a major commitment from the Class of 2023 as two-time Kansas state finalist and one-time champion, Dylan Elmore, pledged to Cary Kolat's team. Elmore is currently ranked #119 on the Junior Big Board. His state title came this year at 160 lbs in Kansas' 5A bracket. Before his junior season, Elmore finished in eighth place in Fargo at the Junior freestyle tournament. He also was fourth in Greco-Roman at UWW Cadets. Recently, Dylan was an NHSCA Junior National runner-up at 160 lbs. Elmore projects at 165/174 for Navy. (Iowa State) MJ Gaitan - Temecula Valley, CA Earlier this year, MJ Gaitan committed to stay in-state and compete for Cal Baptist. Later he reopened the recruiting process and landed at Iowa State. The prior week, Gaitain's high school teammate, Ethan Perryman, committed to the Cyclones, as well. Gaitan recently capped his high school career off with a California state title at 160 lbs. In MatScouts recent rankings update, Gaitan ascended to the top spot in the nation at the weight. Within the last year, Gaitan has won a Junior National Greco-Roman title in Fargo, the Super 32, and the Doc Buchanan. He should be in the mix at 165 or 174 lbs for the Cyclones. 165 is especially useful, considering it was the only weight in which Iowa State did not qualify for nationals in 2022. (Chattanooga) Sergio Desiante - Tampa Jesuit, FL Chattanooga kept a top-200 stud in the south as they got a verbal commitment from Sergio Desiante. Sergio was a part of a strong senior nucleus that led Jesuit to its first Florida Individual State title. He chipped in with a title at 195 lbs. It was Desiante's first title after progressing a step higher on the podium in each of his four years of high school. Desiante has placed twice at the NHSCA grade-level tournament during his career. He was fifth as a freshman and senior his junior year. Sergio also was a winner at the Knockout Classic this year. Desiante could be the successor for Matthew Waddell at 197 lbs for the Mocs. Waddell was a SoCon champion this year at that weight, after qualifying for nationals twice at 184 lbs. There hasn't been a public announcement regarding Waddell's status for the 2022-23 season. (Oregon State) DJ Gillett - Crescent Valley, OR The Oregon State staff got their Class of 2023 off to a great start by keeping one of their best local products at home with DJ Gillett. Gillett is already a three-time Oregon state champion and has good credentials outside of his home state. During the high school season, Gillette was fifth at the Doc Buchanan and sixth at the Reno Tournament of Champions. Gillette's best finishes in the international styles have come in Greco, as he was third in 16U in Fargo in 2019 and fifth at UWW Cadet's last year. He likely slots in at either 141 or 149 for the Beavers. As of now, 141 looks a bit crowded with a handful of incoming freshmen; however, 149 looks like more of a long-term need. (North Dakota State) Damian Mendez - Dodge City, KS NHSCA Senior National Champion is a great addition to an already strong Class of 2022 for the North Dakota State Bison. Mendez is a four-time Kansas state finalist and three-time champion. In each of the last two years, he's won a 6A state title at 132 lbs. Last year, Mendez placed at the NHSCA grade-level tournament, when he took fourth place at 126 in the Junior tournament. Mendez projects at either of the first two weights. Neither is a pressing need, so he could have the opportunity to redshirt during his first year in Fargo. Mendez has a successful past in that town, as he placed seventh in both styles at the 16U level in 2019.

Ursinus College (Photo courtesy of Ursinus athletics) This afternoon, Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA announced that they were starting a women's wrestling program. Ursinus competes at the DIII level and is the eighth school in Pennsylvania to sponsor women's wrestling. The program will reportedly begin competition in the Fall of 2022 and hire a head coach for the women's program. Ursinus is no stranger to women wrestling in college. Two women were on the Bears roster for the 2021-22 season. One of them, Sydney Bowman, went 5-1 competing in exhibition matches last season. With Ursinus' addition, there are now 114 intercollegiate women's wrestling programs in the United States. Here's more information on the Ursinus announcement.

Stanford head coach Rob Koll (left) with Vincenzo Joseph (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) With the conclusion of the 2022 NCAA Championships, we move onto one of the staples of the college offseason, the coaching carousel. Before it ramps up in 2022, we've decided to look back and evaluate the first seasons of the DI head coaches from the last cycle of the carousel. 2021-22 saw six DI head coaches take over new programs. There was a wide range of schools that had new hires, from top-ten programs to ones seeking their first DI qualifiers, so success has to be measured on different scales. Here are the coaches/schools, along with a recap of different parts of their programs. Their standout wrestlers, team results, recruits, and assistant coaching staff. Jason Borrelli - American Dual Record: 1-12 The team captured the first win of the Borrelli-era when they downed Duke 22-18 on December 5th. Early in the season, AU lost close matches against Sacred Heart (17-16) and George Mason (20-16). The Eagles finished 15th at the 2022 EIWA Championships with 25.5 team points. They were led by 133 lber Jack Maida, who finished fourth. Maida wrestled progressively better as the year progressed and finished 17-10. The true freshman established himself as a building block for AU going forward. Along with Maida, Max Leete (125), Patrick Ryan (141), and Timothy Fitzpatrick (174) finished with winning records. In his first year of collegiate competition, Isaac Righter (285) was just a match under .500 at 16-17. Unfortunately, the Eagles did not have a national qualifier in 2022. Borrelli assembled a coaching staff that included one of his assistants from Stanford, Alex Tirapelle, as the Associate Head Coach. Virginia Tech's multiple-time All-American Joey Dance came over from his last coaching stint at Davidson. The only holdover from the previous staff was Ganbayar Sanjaa, who stayed on as a volunteer assistant. American was very young in 2021-22, with only three seniors on their roster, so expect the team to improve significantly with another full year around Borrelli and his staff. Ned Shuck - Bellarmine Dual Record: 2-15 During his opening weekend as head coach for Bellarmine, Ned Shuck picked up a 19-18 win over SIU Edwardsville. He would add a second, by the same score, late in the regular season over Presbyterian. The Knights are transitioning from DII to DI status, so they are currently ineligible for postseason action. Had they been able to compete, there's a good chance they could have finished ahead of multiple SoCon teams. In conference dual-action, Shuck's team defeated Presbyterian and was very competitive against Davidson and Gardner-Webb. Bellarmine proved to be solid in the middleweights as Cole Nance (157), Devan Hendricks (165), and Eric Beck (174) all finished the year with winning records. Since Bellarmine is undergoing an athletic department-wide transition to DI, they will not be eligible to compete in the postseason until 2024-25. Until then, Shuck can slowly mold the program into his own image. An under-the-radar recruiter at his previous stop (Army West Point), Shuck will likely find some overlooked diamonds in the rough to be a part of his foundation at Bellarmine. The Knights staff already has a few commitments rolling in for the fall of 2022. Assisting Shuck in the 2021-22 season with Brendan Murphy, who previously assisted and helped make McKendree into a consistent threat at the DII level. Mike Grey - Cornell Dual Record: 12-3 Unlike most on this list, Mike Grey was a familiar face that took over the reins of his alma mater in 2021-22. A two-time All-American and 2011 Cornell grad, Grey was on the Big Red staff in one capacity or another since he finished competing. Cornell didn't appear to miss a beat in Grey's first year at the helm. His team defeated an upstart Penn squad at the EIWA Championships (153-143) to regain the conference title for the first time since 2017. At nationals, three All-Americans helped pace Cornell to a seventh-place finish. Yianni Diakomihalis claimed his third NCAA title, becoming only the second Cornell wrestler to achieve the feat, and extended his winning streak to 75 straight matches. His title gives Grey his first as a head coach, not a bad box to check off in year one. Vito Arujau and Jonathan Loew also made the podium for Cornell. Nine of the ten Cornell starters qualified for Detroit and two others were within a match of All-American status. Cornell's dual season was highlighted by a win over a top-ten program in Virginia Tech, along with a perfect Ivy League record. When the Big Red was last in action, they were stopped by Princeton, who claimed Ivy supremacy. That wasn't the case in 2021-22 as Grey's team downed Princeton 21-12. Grey's coaching debut came against his mentor and former Cornell head coach, Rob Koll, who moved on to Stanford. The understudy, Grey, led his team to a 30-9 victory. The staff that Grey assembled in his first year was quite impressive. He picked up Donnie Vinson (NC State) and Kellen Russell (Michigan) from the staff's of top-ten teams and offered two-time world medalist Nick Gwiazdowski his first coaching position. Cornell has always been a force on the recruiting trail under Koll and that doesn't show any signs of changing under Grey. Three top-100 recruits have signed on for 2022 (Erik Gibson, Aiden Hanning, Ashton Davis), while another has already committed (Simon Ruiz) for 2023. The Big Red will be imposing again in 2022-23 as they return 52 team points from the 2022 NCAA Championships, a figure only surpassed by Penn State and Arizona State. Mike Poeta - Illinois Dual Record: 3-7 The coaching carousel during the offseason of 2021 got off to a surprising start last year as longtime Illinois head coach Jim Heffernan stepped down. While some big names were bandied about from outside of the program, it was Poeta who was elevated to the head coaching position. Poeta got his first two wins of the year when his team downed Chattanooga and SIU Edwardsville in his dual debut. The Illini struggled during the Big Ten season, winning only one of their eight conference duals. The only victory for Poeta's team was a 36-3 drubbing over Indiana. Illinois finished in 11th place in the Big Ten after putting up 34.5 team points. Four wrestlers qualified for NCAA's automatically. In Detroit, 133 lber Lucas Byrd got on the podium as he took fifth for a second consecutive year. Zac Braunagel finished the year a match shy of placing, but ultimately had a good postseason. He was third in a Big Ten weight class that had 14 national qualifiers and was seeded ninth at 184 lbs. Longtime Illini assistant coach, Jeremy Hunter, stayed on staff and was joined by Penn State 3x national champion Ed Ruth. Bryan Medlin continued in his role as Director of Operations. The wrap on Illinois has long been “if they can only keep the best kids home.” That obviously is a priority for Poeta, who has gotten early commitments from a pair of top-100 juniors (William Baysingar and Kannon Webster). Poeta's squad will feature most of the same key players from 2021-22, as only Dylan Duncan (141) and Christian Kanzler (149) are expected to leave. Transfers Kevon Davenport (149) and Edmond Ruth (174) could provide a boost. Younger brother of assistant coach Ed, Edmond won the Clarion Open and MatMen open, defeating three national qualifiers, while competing completely unattached. Zach Sheaffer - Presbyterian Dual Record: 1-9 The Presbyterian program has been a bit of an enigma ever since its inception prior to the 2019-20. Head coach Zach Sheaffer got a late start, as he was hired significantly later in the game, than the rest of the coaches on this list. Therefore, he wasn't able to get much recruiting done for the Class of 2021 Sheaffer got his first win as a head coach in Presbyterian's second dual of the year, over NAIA Truett McConnell, 37-7. The Blue Hose narrowly lost to SoCon rival Bellarmine and put up a solid fight against Davidson and VMI. Sheaffer's inaugural year as head coach was disrupted for almost a full month, from late-December to January, as events were postponed or canceled due to Covid-related precautions. Presbyterian is a program that is still seeking its first national qualifier heading into the 2022-23 campaign. True freshman David Bertrand is the only starter that finished with a winning record, as he was 15-13, at 184 lbs. Shaeffer brought in Brian Vutianitis from Coker University to handle assistant coaching duties. The first-year staff seems to have hit the recruiting trail and it has paid off with quality early commitments from Ryan Luna (CA) and Ty Chittum (VA). They'll need to continue to improve the level of recruiting as they aim for qualifiers. Rob Koll - Stanford Dual Record: 5-4 The most shocking move of the last offseason was seeing Rob Koll move out west to take over the team at Stanford. After the Cardinal program was saved, getting a coach of Koll's caliber was a sign of things to come in the future. Koll's new team didn't back down from competition as they faced Oklahoma State and Cornell in the first month of the regular season. The Cardinal finished third in a resurgent Pac-12 Conference with 97 points and then jumped into the top-20 at Nationals with 31.5 points. Shane Griffith got back to the NCAA finals, before falling to Keegan O'Toole (165 lbs). Real Woods made the NCAA podium for the first time when he took sixth at 141 lbs. Unfortunately, Stanford will be without Woods' services going forward, as he announced over the weekend that he was graduating and transferring to Iowa. Three other Stanford wrestlers qualified for nationals (Logan Ashton - 125, Jaden Abas - 149, and Tyler Eischens - 174) and each is expected back in 2022-23. Koll assembled a strong staff of his own when he moved out to Palo Alto. Enock Francois, Vincenzo Joseph, and Grant Leeth rounded out the coaching ranks for the Cardinal. In addition, Tyler Berger and Quentin Perez are training with the California RTC. As one may expect, recruiting has ramped up with Koll at the helm. A pair of top-25 recruits, Daniel Cardenas and Hunter Garvin, headline the Class of 2022 for Stanford. While those are the most prominent names, the group this year is deep and talented. Stanford already has a top-50 recruit from 2023 in the fold with Zach Hanson. Despite the loss of Woods, a pair of All-Americans will lead Stanford into 2022-23 and they will continue to improve as they get top recruits.

Bill Ferrell Memorial International 79kg champion Chance Marsteller (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Bill Farrell Memorial International Men's Freestyle (Round Robin) 57 kg 1st) Zane Richards (TMWC/Illinois RTC) 2nd) Michael Tortorice (Knights RTC) 3rd) Nico Provo (California RTC) 4th) Greg Diakomihalis (TMWC/Spartan Combat) 61 kg 1st) Tyler Graff (TMWC/NJRTC) over Daniel DeShazer (Gopher WC) Fall 1:41 3rd) Paul Bianchi (Arkansas RTC) over Josh Kramer (Sunkist Kids WC) 18-16 65 kg 1st) Seth Gross (Sunkist Kids) over Ian Parker (Cyclone RTC) 12-5 3rd) Matt Kolodzik (NYAC) over Vince Cornella (TMWC/Spartan Combat) 11-0 70 kg 1st) Tyler Berger (TMWC/California RTC) over Anthony Ashnault (NYAC) 6-6 3rd) Elroy Perkin (TMWC) over Evan Yant (Panther WC) 10-0 74 kg 1st) Josh Shields (Sunkist Kids WC) over Joey Lavallee (TMWC/LVWC) 5-2 3rd) Collin Purinton (Sunkist Kids WC) over Dillon Williams (Canada) 11-0 79 kg 1st) Chance Marsteller (TMWC/Annapolis RTC) over Tommy Gantt (TMWC/Wolfpack WC) 6-0 3rd) Quentin Perez (California RTC) over Jared Krattiger (Gopher WC) 11-4 86 kg 1st) Myles Martin (TMWC/Scarlet Knights WC) over Owen Webster (Gopher WC) 14-3 3rd) Dylan Lydy (Indiana RTC) over Andrew Morgan (TMWC/Spartan Combat) 11-2 92 kg 1st) Nick Reenan (TMWC/Wolfpack WC) 97 kg (Round Robin) 1st) Michael Macchiavello (TMWC/Wolfpack WC) 2nd) Joe Rau (TMWC) 3rd) Morgan Smith (TMWC/Ohio RTC) 4th) Nishan Randhawa (Panther WC) 125 kg (Round Robin) 1st) Hayden Zillmer (Gopher WC) 2nd) Dom Bradley (Sunkist Kids WC) 3rd) Ceron Francisco (TMWC/NLWC) 4th) Derek White (TMWC)

3x NCAA All-American and 2022 NCAA finalist Jacob Warner (right) (Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Last week, we dove into the team scores from the 2022 NCAA Championships and found the top-25 teams with returning point scorers. Noticeably low on the list was Iowa, who was in 16th place as only 29.5 team points were returning in 2022-23. A drop-off was expected from a team that lost five wrestlers that earned All-American multiple times in their careers. Of course, that exercise did not include Spencer Lee at 125 lbs, who would have been a title favorite if anywhere close to healthy. Another wrestler that was not mentioned was Real Woods at 141 lbs. Just yesterday, Woods announced he was headed to Iowa City as a graduate transfer from Stanford. With Woods' addition, what could an Iowa lineup look like in 2022-23? Is his addition enough to vault the Hawkeyes back into title contention and threaten Penn State? 125: Spencer Lee/Jesse Ybarra As stated above. If Lee is anywhere near close to 100%, the rest of the 125 lb field should be on notice. He has earned bonus points in just under 80% of his collegiate bouts and has a pair of Hodge Trophy's to show for it. I'm sure the Iowa coaching staff will use caution with Lee, so expect to see some does of Jesse Ybarra mixed in, whether to start the season or to spell him along the way. If Lee is back, Iowa should be able to let Drake Ayala redshirt. 133: Cullan Schriever While losing Austin DeSanto will hurt, having Cullan Schriever waiting in the wings makes it less painful. Schriever went 15-5 with wins over three NCAA qualifiers and was fourth at the Southern Scuffle. He saw action in two duals, losing decisions to All-Americans Lucas Byrd (Illinois) and Chris Cannon (Northwestern). With another year in the Hawkeye room, Schriever may be able to reverse one of those decisions and challenge for a spot on the podium. 141: Real Woods The top three finishers at the 2022 NCAA Championships at this weight class used the remainder of their eligibility this season. That means Woods is the third-highest returning placewinner. One of those that finished above him, Grant Willits (Oregon State), has a 2-4 record against the new Hawkeye. However preseason rankings shake out, Woods should be on the shortlist of potential title contenders. 149/157: Max Murin/Wyatt Henson/Bretli Reyna/Caleb Rathjen/Sebastian Robles/Cobe Siebrecht So before Woods' transfer was made public, Wyatt Henson was penciled in as a possible successor to Jaydin Eierman at 141. With an 18-2 record and a fifth-place finish at the Southern Scuffle under his belt, as a true freshman, it's easy to see why. Now with Woods in the fold, does Henson fight it out at 141 or bump up. The incumbent at 149 is Max Murin, who has now finished in the NCAA Round of 12 on three occasions. At this point, there's no reason to believe Murin would move up to 157 lbs, but with seven months until the start of the season, he should have ample time to build himself up, if that's in the cards. Otherwise, he should be in the AA mix in a 149 lb weight class that features a possibility of seven returning podium finishers. At this time, there is no clear-cut solution at 157 lbs. Reyna, Rathjen, and Siebrecht are all talented 149's who may use this as an opportunity to jump into the lineup. Sebastian Robles was at 157 last season and went 11-5, but didn't see any action in duals. In today's new era of the transfer portal and almost a form of free agency in college sports, maybe Iowa lands a transfer here. 165: Patrick Kennedy Losing a leader like Alex Marinelli is never good, but having Patrick Kennedy waiting to take over is a good problem to have. Kennedy was a massive recruit for Iowa and should be ready to step in and challenge for a spot on the podium immediately. Last season, Kennedy went 17-3, with two of his three losses coming to AA's Marinelli and Peyton Hall (West Virginia). The Marinelli loss was via a single point and Hall's came in sudden victory. Along the way, Kennedy downed four eventual national qualifiers. 174: Nelson Brands With Michael Kemerer out for the first half of the year, Nelson Brands helped fill in this year and went 5-1. Brands has past NCAA experience in 2021, as he took one for the team and moved up to 184. 174 looks like the suitable weight for Brands, so expect him to be ranked conservatively at the beginning of the year, yet move up quickly. 184: Abe Assad After the top-tier of competition at 184, the rest of the weight class looked up for grabs in Detroit. It wouldn't have been shocking to see someone like the 18th seeded Abe Assad walk away with All-American honor or go 1-2. Unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, it was the latter and Assad left empty-handed. That doesn't mean Assad won't be a podium contender in 2022-23. He likely will. 197: Jacob Warner One of the few known commodities in the Iowa lineup next year is the three-time All-American Jacob Warner. Warner was the lone national finalist for the Hawkeyes and did so from the #6 seed. He's been the model of consistency for Iowa, three times earning a #5 seed, before last year's performance. Like 184, there is a lot of parity at this weight, so getting back to the title bout is not a given. 285: Tony Cassioppi We're operating under the assumption that Gable Steveson (Minnesota) will not return in 2022-23, which leaves 285 lbs wide open. Though he finished seventh last year, Cassioppi has beaten many of the major players at this weight, multiple times (Cohlton Schultz x2, Greg Kerkvliet x3). His biggest hurdle is Mason Parris (Michigan), as he's 0-3 career against the Wolverine star. Once again, Cassioppi is a good ace-in-hole to have closing out dual meet and it's hard to see him not having a high finish at nationals. In last week's returning point-scorers article, the Hawkeyes had a total of 29.5 returning points. If we throw 20 (conservatively) in there for Spencer Lee and give them Real Woods' 12.5 he compiled while taking sixth place, they are all the way up to 62 points. That would have put them 10 points ahead of Cornell for fourth place and just 2.5 points behind Arizona State. I'll go under the assumption that Schriever, Kennedy, and Brands, should push them ahead of the Sun Devils. The 2022-23 season already is interesting.

2022 NCAA All-American Real Woods (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Yesterday, 2022 NCAA All-American Real Woods' name appeared in the transfer portal. Today, Woods announced that he will use his two remaining years of eligibility and transfer to Iowa. Woods amassed a 42-8 career record across three years at Stanford. This season he went 17-4 and finished sixth in the nation at 141 lbs. Woods entered the tournament as the fourth seed after capturing his second career Pac-12 Championship. Iowa has a need at 141 lbs as four-time All-American Jaydin Eierman exhausted his eligibility in 2021-22. Eierman is one of five All-Americans that will leave the Hawkeyes this year. Adding Woods to the mix will help Iowa jump back into NCAA trophy contention next season. When Stanford announced they were dropping their wrestling program, in the spring of 2020, Woods loaded up his schedule academically so he could graduate in four years. He will move on to Iowa as a graduate student. With the top three NCAA finishers at 141 lbs this year finishing their eligibility, Woods will be one of the top contenders for a national title. He immediately jumped on the scene for the Cardinal in 2019-20, with a regular season that saw him win 17 of 18 matches, before cruising to a Pac-12 title. Woods was supposed to be the third seed at the 2020 tournament that never happened. He was named a first-time All-American by the NWCA. The changing scope of the NCAA landscape indicates that Woods' move to Iowa will not be the only prominent transfer amongst the current power programs.

59 kg Bill Farrell champion Xochitl Mota-Pettis (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Womens Freestyle Results 50 kg (Round Robin) 1st) Emily Shilson (TMWC) 2nd) Katie Dutchak (Canada) 3rd) Natalie Reyna-Rodriguez (McKendree Bearcat WC) 4th) Arelys Valles (Grand View WC) 53 kg 1st) Sage Mortimer (TMWC) 55 kg 1st) Alisha Howk (Sunkist Kids WC) over SueAnne Harms (Texas) 15-8 57 kg 1st) Tateum Park (Twin Cities RTC) 59 kg (Round Robin) 1st) Xochitl Mota-Pettis (Rise RTC) 2nd) Ronna Heaton (Sunkist Kids WC) 3rd) Ngao Shoua Whitethorn (Victory School of Wrestling) 4th) Hailey Corona (Utah) 62 kg (Round Robin) 1st) Andrea Schlabach (Grand View WC) 2nd) Sierra Brown Ton (Twin Cities RTC) 3rd) SaVannah Cosme (Sunkist Kids WC) 65 kg (Round Robin) 1st) Nina Makem (Twin Cities RTC) 2nd) Rachel Watters (Iowa) 3rd) Caitlyn Davis (South Carolina) 4th) Alioz Mason (The Factory Wrestling Club) 72 kg 1st) Aury Naylor (Georgia) 76 kg 1st) Precious Bell (TMWC) over Melissa Jacobs (Twin Cities RTC) Fall :37

63 kg Bill Farrell champion Sam Jones (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Greco Roman Results 55 kg (Round Robin) 1st) Max Nowry (Army WCAP) 2nd) Dalton Duffield (Army WCAP) 3rd) Cole Smith (Army WCAP) 60 kg 1st) Dalton Roberts (Army WCAP) over Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP) 6-5 3rd) Randon Miranda (Rise RTC) over Max Black (Black Fox Wrestling Academy) 12-5 63 kg 1st) Sam Jones (NYAC) over Jesse Thielke (Army WCAP) 9-0 3rd) Mason Carzino-Hartshorn (CYC - Concord) over Aidan Nutter (NMU) 5-1 67 kg 1st) Alex Sancho (Army WCAP) over Hayden Tuma (Army WCAP) Fall 2:31 3rd) Lenny Merkin (NYAC) over Calvin Germinaro (Minnesota Storm) 17-9 72 kg 1st) Patrick Smith (Minnesota Storm) over Orlando Ponce (Minnesota Storm) 8-0 3rd) Robert Perez III (Sunkids) over Garrett Johnson (MWC Wrestling Academy) 9-0 77 kg 1st) RaVaughn Perkins (NYAC) over Jesse Porter (NYAC) 6-0 3rd) Britton Holmes (Army WCAP) over Kamal Bey (Army WCAP) FFT 82 kg 1st) Ben Provisor (NYAC) over Spencer Woods (Army WCAP) 2-1 3rd) Tyler Cunningham (MWC Wrestling Academy) over Ryan Epps (Minnesota Storm) 10-5 87 kg (Round Robin) 1st) Richard Carlson (Minnesota Storm) 2nd) Alan Vera (NYAC) 3rd) Christian DuLaney (Minnesota Storm) 4th) Kodiak Stephens (Ebbetts Pass) 97 kg 1st) Nicholas Boykin (Sunkist Kids WC) over Christian Rouleau (Minnesota Storm) 10-1 3rd) Guy Patron (Dubuque WC) over Tyler Thurston (Iowa) 8-0 130 kg (Round Robin) 1st) Tanner Farmer (NYAC) 2nd) Courtney Freeman (US Marine Corps) 3rd) Kaleb Reeves (Eastern Iowa WC) 4th) Tom Foote (Massachusetts)

4x NCAA All-American Justin Harty (Photo courtesy of Greensboro College sports information) Greensboro, NC - Greensboro College is pleased to announce the appointment of Justin Harty as Head Coach of the Men's and Women's Wrestling programs. Harty has stepped down as head coach at Northern Guilford High School where in 2020 he led the Nighthawks to a NCHSAA State Dual Team Wrestling Championship in just his 3rd season at the school. During his five-year stint at Northern, the program recorded a 121-15 dual team record while capturing three conference and two regional championship titles. He inherits a Pride program that qualified two men and two women to the 2022 NCAA III national championships. As a team, the Pride men placed 11th out of 20 teams in the NCAA III Southeast Regional Tournament. A native of South Dakota where he was a three-time All-State wrestler and a state champion discus thrower, Harty has an exceptional pedigree as an athlete and coach. He finished his UNC wrestling career as a four-time NCAA Division I All-American, and was a four-time ACC undefeated champion for the Tar Heels in leading them to four consecutive conference titles. He also earned four NCAA Academic All-America honors. As a student leader, Harty was voted by the UNC student-athletes and coaches to be President of the Monogram Club, which is the voice for all UNC Tar Heel student-athletes on the Athletics Council. Harty began his collegiate coaching career at Boston College where he served as an assistant wrestling coach from 2000-2003. He returned to his alma mater to serve as a volunteer assistant for the next seven years. Also at UNC, he served in the official Tar Heel Summer Wrestling Camps as a Wrestling Technician. He founded and directed two youth wrestling clubs, beginning with the CORE Wrestling Club in Charlotte and later Greensboro, and in 2019 founded the SPARTAN ELITE Wrestling Club where he remains as President. A holder of a bachelor of arts degree from UNC Chapel Hill, Harty was a double major in Psychology and Communication. "Greensboro College could not be more thrilled to have Justin Harty join our Pride family," said Director of Athletics Kim Strable. "He is a born leader who has excelled at all levels, and his passion for and commitment to wrestling is unmatched. We expect both our men's and women's programs to grow and prosper under his leadership." Harty inherits a young program, with the men's starting in the 2015-2016 school year and the women's program launched in 2020. This past season, The Pride men's squad competed in the NCAA III Southeast Regional in Pennsylvania, finishing 11th. However, two outstanding wrestlers, rising junior Joshua Wilson and rising senior Hai Siu, earned their way into the 2022 NCAA III National Championships in Cedar Rapids, IA. Josh Wilson earned All-America honors with a 5th place finish, defeating the #8, #7 and #3 seeded wrestlers, the highest finish of any wrestler in Greensboro College history. Siu finished in the top 12 of his weight class as well. On the women's side, rising junior Ariana Wolkerstorfer and rising sophomore Isabella Ruiz used the NCAA III Southeast Regionals as a launching pad to become the first women's wrestlers representing colleges in North Carolina. In the regionals, Wolkerstorfer finish in 4th place overall and Ruiz 5th place to qualify for nationals in Adrian, MI. WHAT THEY ARE SAYING…… "Justin Harty was one of the winningest wrestlers in UNC wrestling history, becoming a four time All-American and a National Runner-Up. He was also a four time Academic All-American, the only wrestler at the University of North Carolina to obtain both distinctions. Justin was admired by his teammates and was elected captain his senior year. He also served as the representative for all UNC athletes on the Athletic Council. I am extremely proud of all he accomplished as a student athlete, but also his business success after graduation. I am excited to hear he will be the next Greensboro College Wrestling coach. It is a great academic school and I feel Justin will fit right in." Bill Lam UNC LEGENDARY HEAD WRESTLING COACH NWCA "NCAA D1 NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR" NC CHAPTER, NATIONAL HALL OF FAME "Justin Harty is the right person for the Job at Greensboro College! Justin grew up with Midwestern values and principles and after high school, took his talents to UNC. He knows the community well and the wrestling community in the area also knows him well. With Justin's relationships in the area, his wrestling knowledge, and his value system, it makes him the perfect fit for Greensboro College Wrestling." Terry Steiner USA WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM HEAD COACH (Since 2002) 1998 INDUCTEE, NORTH DAKOTA SPORTS HALL OF FAME "I'm excited for Justin Harty, as he is a great hire for the Head Men's & Women's Wrestling Coach at Greensboro College! Having coached Justin at UNC, where he was a 4X All-American, NCAA Finalist, 4X ACC Champion & 4X Academic All-American, I feel he is well prepared for success at the collegiate level. He has been a successful leader in the wrestling world and is very familiar with creating a winning culture! Justin knows how to build winning teams, and I'm excited to see him lead the Men's & Women's Program at Greensboro College to the next level." Kendall Cross OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST AND HEAD WRESTLING COACH OF THE NEW YORK CITY REGIONAL TRAINING CENTER "Greensboro College is blessed to be getting Justin Hardy as not only their Men's and Women's Wrestling Coach but, a Leader! Justin is someone who's going to fight for his student-athletes, represent Greensboro community in a first class manner, and lead with integrity. Justin will put his Midwest work ethic to work and build relationships that will impact Greensboro College in so many positive ways. Justin has a contagious personality and endless energy that will attract many fine student-athletes to Greensboro College. Looking forward to the many great memories Justin and his staff will bring to Greensboro College." Mark Manning HEAD WRESTLING COACH – UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA Greensboro College provides a liberal arts education grounded in the traditions of the United Methodist Church and fosters the intellectual, social, and spiritual development of all students while supporting their individual needs. Founded in 1838 and located in downtown Greensboro, the college enrolls about 1,000 students from 29 states and territories, the District of Columbia, and seven foreign countries in its undergraduate liberal-arts program and six master's degree programs. In addition to rigorous academics and a well-supported Honors program, the school features a 17-sport NCAA Division III athletic program and dozens of service and recreational opportunities. Learn more at greensboro.edu.

5x NCAA All-American Myles Amine (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Every year, at the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament, there's a new crop of wrestlers who belong to a club that no one aspires to join. The “Best to Never Win a Title” conversation is a bit of a back-handed compliment. On the one hand, these wrestlers are typically multi-time All-Americans that have just finished incredible careers. But, unfortunately, they came up short of the ultimate goal in college. The extra year of eligibility has thrown this “Best to Never Win a Title” discussion out of whack because most of the wrestlers on the list below competed in five NCAA seasons, with four national tournaments. A couple actually wrestled in five tournaments. So to compare them against wrestlers who appeared in the typical four NCAA Championships (or the 2020 seniors who only had the opportunity three times) can be difficult. For now, let's look at the resumes of nine of the top seniors (or super-seniors) from the Class of 2022. The areas we've noted are their 1) career record; 2) Honors (NCAA/Conference); 3) NCAA seeds; 4) Best Wins; 5) Losses. Career record speaks for itself. Since our sport is basically judged on the “All that matters is March” principle, well, what did they do in March? NCAA seeds help fill in the rest of the year. What did they do leading up to the national tournament? Were they the best wrestler at their respective weight? Wins are easy to understand, but specifically, who they beat. Did they beat a returning champ? Did they beat the eventual champion? Next to their opponent is his finish from that particular year. Losses. There is plenty to be gained from studying losses. Many on his list had a significant chunk of their career defeats in their freshman year. That's normal stuff. One wrestler, in particular, had 52% of his career losses come to two national champions. That's bad luck/timing. Did they lose a lot of top competitors or some random unranked wrestlers? The wrestlers below have been mentioned in order of appearance, smallest to largest, but in no order, otherwise. They have not been ranked as of yet, but we have merely made the case for each. Austin DeSanto (Iowa) Career Record: 103-23 3x NCAA All-American; 4X All-American 2019 - NCAA 5th Place, 2021 - NCAA 3rd Place, 2022 - NCAA 3rd Place 2x Big Ten fourth place, 2x Big Ten runner-up NCAA Seeds: 2022 #5, 2021 #4, 2020 #6, 2019 #7, 2018 #7 Best Wins: Stevan Micic (2017-18). Micic went on to make the NCAA finals that year. Jack Mueller (2017-18). Muller was 6th in 2017, Round of 12 in 2018. Ethan Lizak x2 (2018-19). Lizak already was a 2x AA (2nd, 4th). Took 7th in 2019. Nick Suriano (2018-19). Suriano was already and NCAA runner-up. National champion in 2019. Roman Bravo-Young x2 (2018-19). Bravo-Young went on to finish seventh in 2019. Seth Gross (2019-20). Gross was already a 2x NCAA finalist and 1x champ. Was seeded #2 in 2020. Korbin Myers (2021). Beat Myers for third place at NCAA's. Korbin Myers (2021-22). NCAA quarterfinals. Michael McGee (2021-22). Beat Myers for third place at NCAA's. Losses 7 of 23 came in true freshman season. RBY, Seth Gross and Daton Fix accounted for all 10 of his losses from 2019-20 through 2022. During his time at Iowa, only one of his 16 losses came to someone who didn't AA that same year. (Austin Gomez in 2018-19). Jaydin Eierman (Iowa) Career Record: 122-18 4x NCAA All-American 2021 - NCAA Runner-Up, 2019 - NCAA 3rd Place, 2018 - NCAA 4th Place, 2017 - NCAA 5th Place 2x Big Ten Finalist, 2021 Big Ten Champion, 3x MAC Champion NCAA Seeds: 2022 #2, 2021 #1, 2019 #5, 2018 #2, 2017 #8 Best Wins: Joey McKenna (2016-17) Won in the NCAA Round of 12 Matt Kolodzik (2016-17) Went on the finish 7th Anthony Ashnault (2016-17) Beat Ashnault for 5th Place at NCAA's Yianni Diakomihalis (2017-18) Only career loss; Before 1st NCAA title Dean Heil (2017-18) Already had 2 NCAA titles; Lost in Round of 12 Nick Lee (2017-18) NCAA Consolation Semi; Lee took 5th Chad Red x2 (2021) 2x NCAA All-American; Ended up 6th Nick Lee (2021) Dual Meet; Lee won NCAA's Losses/Notes 7 of 18 came in redshirt freshman season. 2 of 3 losses in 2021-22 came at the NCAA Tournament, while obviously injured. During his last four years of competition (he had five), five of Eierman's 11 losses came to the eventual national champion. Responsible for Yianni Diakomihalis' only loss to date Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers) Career Record: 116-16 4x NCAA All-American; 5X All-American 2022 - NCAA 3rd Place, 2021 NCAA 4th Place, 2019 NCAA 3rd Place, 2018 NCAA 6th Place 2x Big Ten Champion (2019, 2020), 2021 Big Ten third place NCAA Seeds: 2022 #3, 2021 #3, 2020 #1, 2019 #1, 2018 #10 Best Wins: Zeke Moisey (2017-18) Past NCAA runner-up Spencer Lee x2 (2018-19) Midlands and Big Ten Final; Returning and eventual NCAA Champ Vito Arujau x2 (2018-19) Both at NCAA Tournament; Eventual NCAA 4th place finisher Pat Glory (2018-19) At NCAA Tournament; Eventual NCAA 6th place finisher Seth Gross (2019-20) Big Ten Semis; Gross was already a 2x NCAA finalist and 1x champ. Was seeded #2 in 2020. Roman Bravo-Young (2019-20) Big Ten Finals; RBY was seeded fifth at NCAA's Chad Red (2021) 2x NCAA All-American; Ended up 6th Real Woods (2021-22) NCAA 3rd Place match Grant Willits (2021-22) NCAA Consi Semi Losses/Notes Half of his 16 losses came as a redshirt freshman First loss in 2018-19 came up at 133 lbs to Stevan Micic Nine of 16 losses came to wrestlers who either were or went on to become NCAA champions Won his most recent two matches versus Spencer Lee Seeded #1 at canceled 2020 national tournament Stevan Micic (Michigan) Career Record: 87-19 3x NCAA All-American 2019 - NCAA 3rd Place, 2018 NCAA 2nd Place, 2017 NCAA 4th Place 2018 Big Ten Champion, 2017 Big Ten 3rd Place, 2021 Big Ten 4th Place NCAA Seeds: 2022 #24, 2019 #2, 2018 #2, 2017 #5 Best Wins: Eric Montoya x2 (2016-17) Returning AA, Eventual sixth-place finisher Zane Richards x4 (2016-17) Returning AA, Eventual seventh-place finisher Kaid Brock (2016-17) Eventual fifth-place finisher Luke Pletcher x3 (2017-18) Eventual fourth place finisher Luke Pletcher x2 (2018-19) Returning AA, Eventual fourth place finisher Sebastian Rivera (2018-19) Finished third at 133 lbs, Rivera bumped up Nick Suriano (2018-19) Returning national finalist; Champion that season Austin DeSanto (2018-19) Eventual seventh-place finisher Losses/Notes 8 of 19 losses came during senior year at 141 lbs Sophomore/Junior years when a combined 45-4; two top-three finishes Lost to eventual NCAA champion at first three NCAA Tournaments Responsible for now-teammate, Nick Suriano's, last collegiate loss In 2018, avenged both of his regular season losses at the NCAA Tournament Alex Marinelli (Iowa) Career Record: 99-13 3x NCAA All-American; 4X All-American 2022 NCAA 5th place, 2019 NCAA 7th place, 2018 NCAA 6th place 4x Big Ten Champion NCAA Seeds: 2022 #3, 2021 #1, 2020 #1, 2019 #1, 2018 #5 Best Wins: Logan Massa (2017-18) Returning NCAA 3rd place Vincenzo Joseph (2017-18) Eventual NCAA Champion Evan Wick x3 (2018-19) Returning NCAA 3rd place, Eventual NCAA 4th place Vincenzo Joseph (2018-19) Returning NCAA Champion, Eventual NCAA runner-up Evan Wick (2019-20) Returning 2x AA David McFadden (2019-20) Returning 3x AA Vincenzo Joseph (2019-20) Returning 3x NCAA finalist Ethan Smith (2021) Eventual NCAA 5th place Cam Amine (2020-21) Eventual NCAA 4th place Dean Hamiti x2 (2020-21) Eventual NCAA 6th place Carson Kharchla (2020-21) Eventual NCAA 7th place Losses/Notes Six of 14 losses came in redshirt freshman year Lost in NCAA quarters to eventual champ in 2019 and 2021 Only had two career dual losses 8 of 14 career losses occurred at the NCAA Tournament Iowa's first four-time Big Ten champion since Mark Ironside in 1998 Evan Wick (Cal Poly) Career Record: 108-18 3x NCAA All-American; 4X All-American 2022 NCAA 3rd place, 2019 NCAA 4th place, 2018 NCAA 3rd Place 2022 Pac-12 Champion, 2x Big Ten 4th place NCAA Seeds: 2022 #1, 2020 #8, 2019 #4, 2018 #10 Best Wins: Logan Massa x2 (2017-18) Returning NCAA third-place Alex Marinelli (2017-18) In the NCAA third-place bout Chance Marsteller (2018-19) Split matches at the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Marsteller finished third. Shane Griffith x3 (2021-22) Returning NCAA champion, eventual NCAA runner-Up Cam Amine (2021-22) In the NCAA 3rd place match Losses/Notes Seven of 18 career losses came as a redshirt freshman 2-4 career vs. Alex Marinelli (Both wins came at the NCAA Tournament) Hayden Hidlay (NC State) Career Record: 110-11 4x NCAA All-American; 5x All-American 2022 NCAA 3rd place, 2021 NCAA 5th place, 2019 NCAA 4th Place, 2018 NCAA Runner-Up 4x ACC Champion NCAA Seeds: 2022 #4, 2021 #2, 2020 #2, 2019 #5, 2018 #1 Best Wins: Joey Lavallee (2017-18) Returning NCAA finalist Micah Jordan (2017-18) Eventual NCAA 6th Tyler Berger (2017-18) Eventual NCAA 3rd Alec Pantaleo (2017-18) Eventual NCAA 5th Ryan Deakin (2018-19) NCAA 5th place bout Brayton Lee (2021) NCAA 5th place bout Mekhi Lewis (2021-22) Past NCAA Champ; Eventual NCAA finalist Michael Kemerer x2 (2021-22) NCAA Quarters and Third Place bout Dustin Plott (2021-22) NCAA consi semis Losses/Notes First career loss was in 2018 NCAA finals Lost to eventual NCAA champion in each of his four NCAA Tournaments Only 4 of 11 losses came during the regular season Made it to the NCAA semifinals every year of his career Michael Kemerer (Iowa) Career Record: 100-12 4x NCAA All-American; 5x All-American 2022 NCAA 4th place, 2021 NCAA 2nd, 2018 NCAA 4th, 2017 NCAA 3rd 2021 Big Ten Champion, 3x Big Ten finalist NCAA Seeds: 2022 #5, 2021 #1, 2020 #2, 2018 #6, 2017 #2 Best Wins: Tyler Berger x3 (2016-17) Eventual NCAA fifth place finisher Joe Smith x2 (2016-17) Dual and NCAA third-place match Micah Jordan x2 (2017-18) Eventual NCAA sixth place finisher Alec Pantaleo (2017-18) NCAA consi semis Mark Hall (2019-20) Three-time NCAA finalist and past champion Logan Massa (2021) Eventual NCAA fifth place finisher Carter Starocci (2021) Eventual NCAA Champion Bernie Truax (2021) Eventual NCAA fourth place finisher Dustin Plott (2021-22) Eventual NCAA sixth place finisher Logan Massa (2021-22) NCAA consi semi Mike Labriola (2021-22) Eventual NCAA seventh place finisher Losses/Notes 6 of 11 career losses are to Penn State wrestlers (Jason Nolf x3, Hall, Starocci x2) Never lost to a non-All American Myles Amine (Michigan) Career Record: 112-21 5x NCAA All-American 2022 NCAA 2nd, 2021 NCAA 3rd, 2019 NCAA 3rd, 2018 NCAA 3rd, 2017 NCAA 4th 2x Big Ten Champion, 4x Big Ten finalist NCAA Seeds: 2022 #1, 2021 #1, 2019 #4, 2018 #5, 2017 #9 Best Wins: Zac Brunson (2016-17) Eventual NCAA sixth place Brian Realbuto (2016-17) NCAA Consi Semi; past national finalist Bo Jordan x3 (2017-18) 4x AA and past national finalist Daniel Lewis (2017-18) NCAA third place match Daniel Lewis x2 (2018-19) 4x AA Jordan Kutler x2 (2018-19) eventual NCAA seventh Mikey Labriola (2018-19) eventual NCAA sixth Jacob Warner (2021) eventual and returning NCAA fourth Rocky Elam (2021) eventual NCAA fifth place Kaleb Romero x2 (2021-22) eventual NCAA sixth place Aaron Brooks (2021-22) eventual and returning NCAA champion Bernie Truax (2021-22) eventual and returning NCAA fourth place Losses/Notes 14 of 21 career losses came in first two years 11 of his 21 career losses came to Zahd Valencia x6 and Mark Hall x6 (Amine did defeat Hall who competed as a post-grad this year at the Matmen Open). Lost to the eventual NCAA champion in four of his five NCAA tournaments Made the NCAA semis final four years of college Stopped Aaron Brooks' 37-match winning streak

3x NCAA All-American and All-Jagger 133 lber Austin DeSanto (right) (Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Hey there Jagoffs and Jaggettes! Long time no see! A while back, I promised you the All-Jagger team and I intend on keeping that promise. Sadly, I wasn't able to catch much of the last day of the tournament due to some personal matters, and everything before that was a blur, so after some time off, I went and looked back to see which guys fit the criteria. What's that criteria, you ask? I have no idea. It's mostly guys I enjoy watching and did something extraordinary to pop the crowd. In time, the members of the team will define what makes a Jagger Guy. Before we get started, I would like to thank all of you who reached out to me when I lost my little buddy. Your kindness and empathy to a guy who, in reality, you don't know or have never even met, has renewed my faith in people and the good deeds they do. You shared your stories, poems, and words of encouragement that helped see me through. Now without further ado, the 2022 All-Jagger team. 125-Patrick McKee Maybe Pat's just not a Thursday guy. Perhaps he just likes to maximize his mat time. Either way, there's something to be said about going 12-1 on the backside in two years. Jagger Guy. 133-Austin DeSanto Say what you want about the guy. From his Vision Quest moment in the 2017 PA state final to his blistering start in college when he was getting three-minute tech falls, ADS has been appointment viewing. In an era where it seems that guys are in college for an eternity, his five years seemed to go by in a flash and I'm not sure I'm ready to say goodbye just yet. 141-Sebastian Rivera Before he was a bonus machine at Jersey Mike's Arena, the man they call Seabass was a little minnow at Christian Brothers Academy who was too small to properly compete. No big deal. Rivera only finished college as a four-time AA at three different weights while beating three former or future national champs, including two wins over the great Spencer Lee. Throw in a Northwestern degree then becoming the face of Rutgers wrestling and I'd say he's left quite a significant imprint in the game. All-Jagger Captain. 149-Austin Gomez What more can be said? Concussions sent Austin to an early retirement before we had a chance to see how good he could really be. Two years on the shelf and one transfer later and he's a Big Ten champion with two wins over a returning national finalist. I don't even know what his eligibility is anymore, but I hope we have at least two more years left of "Mr. Scared Money, Don't Make Money." 157-Hunter Willits Knock out the returning champ on day one? Good enough for my team. 165-Shane Griffith Simply my favorite wrestler. The guy looks like he'd rather be anywhere else but on a wrestling mat sometimes. Maybe he prefers the beach. Maybe he'd rather be on the golf course. Either way, all he does is make national finals and save wrestling programs in the process. 174-Hayden Hidlay Simply my other favorite wrestler. My biggest regret about missing the end of the tournament was not being able to see Hayden's final matches and final goodbye. A great career for a great guy who did it the right way with a toothless smile. The impact Hayden will have in coaching will be immeasurable. All-Jagger Captain. 184-Charles Small Yes, Charles may have been a victim of the numbers game when selection time came around. Luckily, I'm the only committee here. Something needs to be said about taking the long road and Charles did that by starting out at D2 Notre Dame College. Throw in a JUCO title at something called Northwest Kansas Technical College and the Bradenton Bull got himself a spot in the 2021 National Tournament, while being a leader in the revitalization of the Hofstra program under coach Dennis Papadatos. Fighting through that kind of adversity is the kind of thing that makes you All-Jagger. 197-Greg Bulsak It wasn't exactly front-page news when Greg transferred to Rutgers, but real ones knew that Coach Scott Goodale was getting a good, tough wrestler with one year left to get on the podium. When the smoke cleared, the Bullrider did exactly that with a punishing top game through a wild 197 weight class to earn AA honors and put his name in the Scarlet Knights record book. HWT-Lucas Davison Score on the Olympic Champ and possibly greatest heavyweight to ever do it in March? Yeah, that gets you on the team. 'Nuff said.

2x NCAA All-American Jacori Teemer (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) It's never too early to look ahead to next year. With that in mind, here are the top-25 DI schools, based on points scored at the 2022 NCAA Championships. A few teams have notes beside their total as they have significant, proven point-scorers who were not included in these totals. Wrestlers who have exhausted their eligibility have been removed from this exercise. Others who have publicly stated they will not return (ie Gable Steveson), but have eligibility, have also been removed. There will be some notables on this list that are undecided about the status of their return (ie Roman Bravo-Young), so for now, we are viewing them as an option for their school in 2022-23. Remember this is just wrestlers that competed at the 2022 NCAA Championships. True freshmen, freshmen coming off redshirt and such have not been included. 1) Penn State 133 - Roman Bravo-Young: 23 points 149 - Beau Bartlett: 1 point 174 - Carter Starocci: 22 points 184 - Aaron Brooks: 23 points 197 - Max Dean: 21.5 points 285 - Greg Kerkvliet: 15.5 points Penn State Total: 106 points 2) Arizona State 125 - Brandon Courtney: 11 points 133 - Michael McGee: 13 points 149 - Kyle Parco: 6.5 points 157 - Jacori Teemer: 11 points 197 - Kordell Norfleet: 3 points 285 - Cohlton Schultz: 20 points Arizona State Total: 64.5 points 3) Cornell 125 - Vito Arujau: 15.5 points 149 - Yianni Diakomihalis: 20 points 165 - Julian Ramirez: 5 points 174 - Chris Foca: 2.5 points 184 - Jonathan Loew: 5.5 points 197 - Jacob Cardenas: 1.5 points 285 - Lewis Fernandes: 2 points Cornell Total: 52 points 4) Missouri 125 - Noah Surtin: 3.5 points 141 - Allan Hart; 1 point 149 - Josh Edmond: 0 points 157 - Jarrett Jacques: 0 points 165 - Keegan O'Toole: 22 points 174 - Peyton Mocco: 2.5 points 184 - Jeremiah Kent: 3 points 197 - Rocky Elam: 12.5 points 285 - Zach Elam: 6 points Missouri Total: 50.5 points ***Plus potential points from Brock Mauller*** 5) Nebraska 149 - Ridge Lovett: 18 points 157 - Peyton Robb: 16.5 points 165 - Bubba Wilson: 0.5 points 174 - Mikey Labriola: 6.5 points Nebraska Total: 41.5 points 6) Ohio State 125 - Malik Heinselman: 0.5 points 141 - Dylan D'Emilio: 0.5 points 149 - Sammy Sasso: 10 points 165 - Carson Kharchla: 6.5 points 174 - Ethan Smith: 2.5 points 184 - Kaleb Romero: 12 points 197 - Gavin Hoffman: 9 points 285 - Tate Orndorff: 3 points Ohio State: 40 points 7) Wisconsin 125 - Eric Barnett: 9.5 points 133 - Kyle Burwick: 0 points 141 - Joe Zargo: 0.5 points 149 - Austin Gomez: 14.5 points 157 - Garrett Model: 0 points 165 - Dean Hamiti: 12 points 197 - Braxton Amos: 0.5 points 285 - Trent Hillger: 1.5 points Wisconsin Total: 38.5 points 8) Princeton 125 - Patrick Glory: 19 points 149 - Marshall Keller - 1.5 points 157 - Quincy Monday: 16 points 184 - Travis Stefanik: 0.5 points 197 - Luke Stout: 1 point 285 - Matthew Cover: 0 points Princeton Total: 38 points 8) Virginia Tech 125 - Sam Latona: 2 points 141 - Collin Gerardi: 0 points 149 - Bryce Andonian: 15.5 points 157 - Connor Brady: 0.5 points 174 - Mekhi Lewis: 19 points 184 - Hunter Bolen: 1 point Virginia Tech Total: 38 points 10) Iowa State 125 - Kysen Terukina: 0 points 133 - Ramazan Attasauov: 0 points 157 - David Carr: 17 points 174 - Joel Devine: 0 points 184 - Marcus Coleman: 8.5 points 197 - Yonger Bastida: 12 points Iowa State Total: 37.5 points 11) Oregon State 125 - Brandon Kaylor: 8.5 points 141 - Grant Willits: 14.5 points 157 - Hunter Willits: 8.5 points 165 - Matthew Olguin: 2.5 points 184 - Trey Munoz: 3 points Oregon State Total: 37 points 12) Michigan 133 - Dylan Ragusin: 2 points 157 - Will Lewan: 10 points 165 - Cam Amine: 12.5 points 285 - Mason Parris: 12 points Michigan Total: 36.5 points 13) Northwestern 125 - Michael DeAugustino: 12.5 points 133 - Chris Cannon: 8.5 points 141 - Frankie Tal-Shahar; 1 point 149 - Yahya Thomas: 3.5 points 165 - David Ferrante: 0 points 174 - Troy Fisher: 0 points 184 - Jack Jessen: 0 points 285 - Lucas Davison: 9 points Northwestern Total: 34.5 points 13) Oklahoma State 125 - Trevor Mastrogiovanni: 1 point 133 - Daton Fix: 19 points 141 - Carter Young: 0 points 149 - Kaden Gfeller: 4 points 174 - Dustin Plott: 10 points 285 - Luke Surber: 0.5 points Oklahoma State Total: 34.5 points ***Plus potential points from AJ Ferrari/Travis Wittlake*** 15) Stanford 125 - Logan Ashton: 1 point 141 - Real Woods: 12.5 points 149 - Jaden Abas: 0.5 points 165 - Shane Griffith: 17.5 points 174 - Tyler Eischens: 1 point Stanford Total: 32.5 points 16) Iowa 125 - Drake Ayala: 0.5 points 149 - Max Murin: 4 points 184 - Abe Assad: 0.5 points 197 - Jacob Warner: 17 points 285 - Tony Cassioppi: 7.5 points Iowa Total: 29.5 points ***Plus potential points from Spencer Lee*** 17) Northern Iowa 125 - Brody Teske: 1.5 points 133 - Kyle Biscoglia: 3 points 149 - Colin Realbuto: 3 points 157 - Derek Holschlag: 1 point 165 - Austin Yant: 1 point 174 - Lance Runyon: 3.5 points 184 - Parker Keckeisen: 14.5 points 285 - Tyrell Gordon: 1 point Northern Iowa: 28.5 points 18) Minnesota 125 - Patrick McKee: 13.5 points 133 - Jake Gliva: 0 points 141 - Jake Bergeland: 10.5 points 149 - Michael Blockhus: 0.5 points 165 - Cael Carlson: 0 points 174 - Bailee O'Reilly: 0 points 184 - Isaiah Salazar: 1 point 197 - Michial Foy: 0 points Minnesota: 25.5 points ***Plus potential points from Brayton Lee*** 19) NC State 125 - Jakob Camacho: 1.5 points 133 - Kai Orine: 1.5 points 141 - Ryan Jack: 1 point 157 - Ed Scott: 4 points 184 - Trent Hidlay: 11 points 197 - Isaac Trumble: 2.5 points 285 - Tyrie Houghton: 0.5 points NC State Total: 22 points 20) Wyoming 157 - Jacob Wright: 1 point 174 - Hayden Hastings: 5.5 points 184 - Tate Samuelson: 1 point 197 - Stephen Buchanan: 13.5 points Wyoming Total: 21 points 21) Illinois 125 - Justin Cardani - 0 points 133 - Lucas Byrd - 11.5 points 184 - Zac Braunagel - 4 points 285 - Luke Luffman - 2 points Illinois Total: 17.5 points 22) Penn 125 - Ryan Miller: 0.5 points 133 - Michael Colaiocco: 3 points 141 - CJ Composto: 5.5 points 149 - Anthony Artalona: 2 points 157 - Doug Zapf: 0.5 points 165 - Lucas Revano: 0.5 points 174 - Nick Incontrera: 2.5 points 197 - Cole Urbas: 0.5 points 285 - Ben Goldin: 0.5 points Penn Total: 15.5 points 23) North Carolina 149 - Zach Sherman: 3.5 points 157 - Austin O'Connor: 5 points 174 - Clay Lautt: 6.5 points 184 - Gavin Kane: 0 points North Carolina Total: 15 points 23) Pittsburgh 133 - Micky Phillippi: 2 points 141 - Cole Matthews: 10 points 197 - Nino Bonaccorsi: 3 points Pittsburgh Total: 15 points 25) Cal Poly 125 - Antonio Lorenzo: 0 points 149 - Legend Lamer: 0 points 174 - Adam Kemp: 1 point 184 - Bernie Truax: 12.5 points Cal Poly Total: 13.5 points

Little Caesars Arena for the 2022 NCAA Champioships (Photo courtesy of Sam Janick; SJanickiPhoto.com) Welcome to InterMat's 2021-22 DI Collegiate Year-End Awards! We have consulted with our conference correspondents along with the esteemed members of our "MatScouts Dynasty Fantasy Wrestling League" to honor the best of the 2021-22 season. Each conference has a Coach and Wrestler of the year, along with a rookie of the year. In a normal era, this would be the Freshman of the Year; however, with different interpretations of eligibility due to an extra year from the "Covid Year," we have tinkered with the award. If possible, we've tried to honor freshmen in the normal sense of the term; however, if none stood out significantly, we did note some wrestlers that competed in 2020-21. In addition to the conference awards, there are some other special honors across the board. If voting was not unanimous, there were "also receiving votes" mentioned along with the winners. ACC Honors 2022 NCAA runner-up Mekhi Lewis (Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) ACC Coach of the Year: Pat Popolizio (NC State) ACC Wrestler of the Year: Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) Also receiving votes: Kizhan Clarke (North Carolina) ACC Rookie of the Year: Ed Scott (NC State) Also receiving votes: Gavin Kane (North Carolina), Ryan Jack (NC State) Big Ten Honors 2x NCAA Champion Gable Steveson (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Big Ten Coach of the Year: Sean Bormet (Michigan) Also receiving votes: Cael Sanderson (Penn State), Matt Storniolo (Northwestern) Big Ten Wrestler of the Year: Gable Steveson (Minnesota) Big Ten Rookie of the Year: Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) Big 12 Honors 2022 InterMat Big 12 Coach of the Year Brian Smith (left) and Kendric Maple (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Big 12 Coach of the Year: Brian Smith (Missouri) Big 12 Wrestler of the Year: Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) Big 12 Rookie of the Year: Willie McDougald (Oklahoma) EIWA Honors 3x NCAA Champion Yianni Diakomihalis (Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) EIWA Coach of the Year: Chris Ayres (Princeton) Also receiving votes: Roger Reina (Penn) EIWA Wrestler of the Year: Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) Also receiving votes: Jordan Wood (Lehigh) EIWA Rookie of the Year: CJ Composto (Penn) MAC Honors 2022 InterMat MAC Rookie of the Year Anthony Noto (Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) MAC Coach of the Year: Scott Moore (Lock Haven) MAC Wrestler of the Year: Matt Stencel (Central Michigan) MAC Rookie of the Year: Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) Pac-12 Honors 2022 NCAA runner-up Cohlton Schultz (Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Pac-12 Coach of the Year: Chris Pendleton (Oregon State) Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year: Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) Also receiving votes: Shane Griffith (Stanford) Pac-12 Rookie of the Year: Trey Munoz (Oregon State) SoCon Honors 2x NCAA All-American Jonathan Millner (Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) SoCon Coach of the Year: JohnMark Bentley (Appalachian State) SoCon Wrestler of the Year: Jonathan Millner (Appalachian State) SoCon Rookie of the Year: Heath Gonyer (Appalachian State) Also receiving votes: Noah Castillo (Chattanooga) True Freshman of the Year: Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) 2022 InterMat Freshman of the Year Dean Hamiti (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Eligibility made things tough on judging who's a freshman and who isn't, but there was no doubt here. Dean Hamiti was a true freshman from the Class of 2021 that started immediately for the Badgers and won his first 17 collegiate matches and would go on to place sixth at 165 lbs. Freshman of the Year (Had three years of eligibility remaining after 2021-22): Carter Starocci (Penn State) 2x NCAA Champion Carter Starocci (Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) The Penn State 174 lber is still on pace to becoming a five-time NCAA champion after he won his second in Detroit. Starocci went a perfect 23-0 in a weight class that featured plenty of stars, including a past national champion in the NCAA finals. Also receiving votes: Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) Sophomore of the Year (Had two years of eligibility remaining after 2021-22): Aaron Brooks (Penn State) 2x NCAA Champion Aaron Brooks (right) (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) After a slight upset in the Big Ten finals, at the hands of Myles Amine (Michigan), Aaron Brooks bounced back in the NCAA finals to claim his second national title. In three years of collegiate competition, Brooks is 50-2. Junior of the Year (Has one year of eligibility remaining after 2021-22): Gable Steveson (Minnesota) 2x NCAA Champion and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Steveson capped off his third straight undefeated season with a second national championship by downing Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State), 6-2. He finished his collegiate career by winning 52-straight matches. Gable also became the first heavyweight to win the Hodge Trophy multiple times. Also receiving votes: Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) Senior of the Year (Has no eligibility remaining after 2021-22): Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) 2022 NCAA champion Ryan Deakin (Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Ryan Deakin finished his final year of college wrestling in style with an undefeated record and a national title at 157 lbs. Deakin also became only the third Northwestern wrestler to win three Big Ten titles and the school's first national champion since Jason Tsirtsis in 2014. His final career record is 114-15 and he got on the NCAA podium three times and earned All-American honors four times. Also receiving votes: Nick Lee (Penn State) Moment of the Year: Gable leaving his shoes 2x NCAA Champion Gable Steveson (Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) After winning his second NCAA title, Gable Steveson signified the end of his collegiate career and his move to the WWE by leaving his shoes at the center of the raised mat at Little Caesars Arena. Also receiving votes: Hayden Hidlay Interview, Gable's final backflip Dual of the Year: NC State vs Iowa at the Collegiate Duals Tony Cassioppi (right) and Tyrie Houghton in the final bout of the Iowa/NC State dual (Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) This had it all. An upset at 157, controversy at 141, Spencer Lee, good performances by backups, plenty of starpower and a dual decided in the final bout. Iowa prevailed 19-15. Also receiving votes: Penn State at Iowa Match of the Year: Jaydin Eierman over Ryan Jack at the College Duals Jaydin Eierman (top) outlasts Ryan Jack (Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) As we alluded to above, there was controversy at 141 lbs in the Iowa/NC State dual as Ryan Jack appeared to have a defensive pin in place on Eierman in the waning seconds of the match. Jack also jumped out to a lead on Eierman, before the Hawkeye rallied for the win. Also receiving votes: Carter Starocci over Mekhi Lewis in the NCAA Finals, Carter Starocci over Michael Kemerer in the Iowa/Penn State dual Best Rider: Evan Wick (Cal Poly) 3x NCAA All-American Evan Wick (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The four-time All-American, Evan Wick, took home "Best Rider" honors as he was often able to nullify his opponents offensive attacks by wearing them out on the mat and gaining a riding time point. Wick finished in the top-four for the third time in as many tries at the NCAA Tournament this year, when he was third. Also receiving votes: Aaron Brooks (Penn State) Best Turner: Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers) 4x NCAA All-American Sebastian Rivera (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) It's hard to rack up tech falls in about a third of your matches if all you have is takedowns. Sebastian Rivera was a multi-faceted offensive threat, scoring on the mat as well this season. He finished his career as a four-time NCAA All-American and a two-time third-place finisher. Rivera's bonus point percentage in 2021-22 (74%) crushed his previous high total (59%) from 2018-19. Best Scrambler: Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) 2022 NCAA champion Keegan O'Toole (Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) A trendy NCAA champion pick this season, Keegan O'Toole proved his supporters correct by going undefeated and winning a title for the Tigers. O'Toole is best known for his scrambling ability, along with his use of cradles. He did not allow a point in his first four bouts at the NCAA Championships this year. O'Toole finished the year with seven falls and was second in the fan-balloting portion of the Hodge Trophy voting. Best Neutral: Gable Steveson (Minnesota) 2x NCAA Champion and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Our crew unanimously voted Gable Steveson as the best wrestler from neutral this year. It's hard to argue against a heavyweight that amassed 113 takedowns and only gave up one during the 2021-22 season. Most Improved: Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) 2022 InterMat Most Improved Winner Yonger Bastida (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) In only his second year of folkstyle and collegiate competition Yonger Bastida improved from 4-4 in 2021 to a 25-7 record with a fifth-place finish at his first NCAA Tournament. Bastida also notched wins over two of the four wrestlers that placed above him prior to Detroit. Also receiving votes: Kizhan Clarke (North Carolina) Assistant Coach of the Year: Kevin Jackson (Michigan) 2022 InterMat Assistant Coach of the Year Kevin Jackson (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) This was one of our most hotly contested categories as there were plenty of viable assistant coaching candidates worthy of such an honor. Ultimately, the first Big Ten title in over forty years and an NCAA runner-up finish helped push Michigan assistant Kevin Jackson past the rest of the field. Jackson was in his first year at Michigan after spending the previous four years as USA Wrestling's National Freestyle Developmental coach. Also receiving votes: Casey Cunningham (Penn State) ,Lee Pritts (Arizona State), Joe Dubuque (Princeton) Coach of the Year: Sean Bormet (Michigan) 2022 InterMat Coach of the Year Sean Bormet (Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) It's a clean sweep for Michigan taking both "Coach of the Year" awards. Not only did Sean Bormet lead the Wolverines to a second place finish at nationals and win a Big Ten title, but he also oversaw his first NCAA champion in Nick Suriano. It was the first NCAA title for a Michigan wrestler since 2012. Also receiving votes: Chris Pendleton (Oregon State), Cael Sanderson (Penn State), Matt Storniolo (Northwestern) Wrestler of the Year: Gable Steveson (Minnesota) 2022 InterMat Wrestler of the Year Gable Steveson (Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) What more can we say about Gable Steveson? The Gopher legend earned bonus points in his first 15 contests of the year; only failing to do so in the last three rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Steveson is the first Minnesota wrestler to win three Big Ten crowns and two NCAA titles since Tony Nelson between 2012-14. He finishes his career on a 52-match winning streak.

2x NCAA champion, 2x Hodge Trophy winner and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson (Photos courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) "The saddest thing in life is wasted talent." That's perhaps the most memorable quote from the underrated 1993 gangster movie "A Bronx Tale." Robert DeNiro's "Lorenzo" is a hard-working, honest bus driver who preaches this to his son, Calogero, who grows into a teenager intrigued by the Mafia lifestyle in the neighborhood surrounding his home. Lorenzo doesn't want Calogero to fall victim to the ugly elements that can go hand-in-hand with the glitz and glamour of that type of life. He never wants Calogero to waste his talent. If you follow wrestling message boards or social media, typical topics that are hashed and rehashed are "The Biggest Flops in College" or "Top Recruits that Never Panned Out," or something along those lines. The prospect that never worked out tends to make for fun discussion pieces. But, just for once, what about the bluest of the blue chips recruits that panned out? What about the wrestlers that had all of the hype in the world, yet lived up to their lofty billing? What about the recruits that developed into more than we actually anticipated? Back in the fall of 2017, Gable Steveson was just starting his senior campaign at Apple Valley High School. He would sign with the University of Minnesota and be labeled as the top wrestler in the Class of 2018. For most, that's enough pressure. On top of being deemed the top wrestler in his respective graduating class, Steveson was given the title by some as the "Best recruit ever" or the "Best heavyweight prospect ever." As someone who tries his best to steer clear of hyperbole and a recency bias, titles like those immediately brought out the skeptic in me. In 2005, InterMat released an article ranking the 20 best high school wrestlers of the last 20 years. That list became as "official" as any at trying the unenviable task of ranking high schoolers from different eras. The top heavyweight on the list was Steve Mocco at #4. Could this young kid from Minnesota really be better than the four-time finalist, two-time champion and Olympian that Mocco turned out to be? Sure, they both had eye-popping high school numbers and Steveson had two Cadet world titles and a Junior world championship at the time of his signing, but comparing him to Mocco or even Cary Kolat, #1 on the list, seemed blasphemous. Fast forward to more than four years later. We are less than two weeks removed from Steveson leaving his shoes at the center of the mat in Little Caesars Arena and two days from when he was named the Dan Hodge Trophy winner for a second time. After seemingly wrestling his last collegiate match, Steveson had actually realized the potential many saw in him as a high school senior. Even more impressive is that he actually surpassed those expectations. Steveson jumped into the lineup immediately for Minnesota during the 2018-19 season. The baby-faced, true freshman didn't hesitate to make his presence known. In his first dual meet, Steveson downed one of the top returners in the nation, Derek White (Oklahoma State). Later in the first semester, Gable dominated the field at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, with a 9-3 win being his closest contest. Steveson's physicality and attitude, in addition to his technical savvy, were my main takeaways from seeing him in person in Vegas. Under rare circumstances, are true freshmen ever able to match up from a physical standpoint at 285 lbs, against opponents four and five years their senior. Steveson seemingly wanted to send a message that he wasn't intimidated by his seasoned competition and was just a little extra brutal in the hand fights, tie-ups, and on the edge. Hype surrounding Steveson grew as he went into the Big Ten finals before suffering his first collegiate loss, a 4-3 decision to Penn State's Anthony Cassar. That put the two on the same side of the NCAA bracket and he would fall by an identical score to the Nittany Lion veteran in the semis, before bouncing back for third. For most other wrestlers, I may have prefaced the remainder of his career by saying, "little did we know, the Cassar loss in the 2019 NCAA semis would be his last," but I think many suspected that could be the case, at the time. After losing to Cassar, Steveson would finish his collegiate career on a 52-match winning streak. Like hundreds of other wrestlers, in 2020, Steveson was robbed of a shot at a national title, as the NCAA Championships were canceled at the outset of the Covid pandemic. He was seeded first headed into the tournament and was fresh off an 8-6 win over Mason Parris (Michigan) in the Big Ten finals. Parris would be a recurring obstacle for Steveson, one he never faltered against in five tries. In fact, as Gable and Parris competed more, the Gopher star tended to open up the gap between the two. One of the more impressive facets of Steveson's tenure in college wrestling was that the talent in the heavyweight class had never been better. His 2022 bracket featured four other wrestlers (Parris, Cohlton Schultz, Greg Kerkvliet, and Tony Cassioppi) that have won world championships at age-group levels. In addition, Lucas Davison, Jordan Wood, and Zach Elam have won medals on the age-group level. Finally, Tate Orndorff, Wyatt Hendrickson, Luke Luffman, and Brandon Metz have competed at the Junior or U23 World Championships. While Steveson has separated himself from the rest of the 285 lb field, it's a group with plenty of capable competitors, many of who could have won titles in previous years. 2x NCAA champion, 2x Hodge Trophy winner and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson (Photos courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Recently, someone asked me how future generations will judge Steveson. 20 years from now, two NCAA titles, three Big Ten crowns, and a 50-plus match winning streak, will look impressive, but is it "all-time great" impressive? On paper, does he really stand out from recent heavyweight stars like Steve Mocco, Cole Konrad, or Nick Gwiazdowski? My answer was that the Olympic gold medal was all he needed to separate himself from the other greats. Oh yeah, the Olympic gold medal. That Steveson even made the Olympic team while in college was a remarkable feat. He knocked off the favored Gwiazdowski, a two-time world medalist, with surprising ease. That type of win, combined with a throttling that Gable put on at the continental championships, showed he was a medal contender in Toyko. Suddenly, he jumped into favorite status after a one-sided victory over the legendary 2016 Olympic gold medalist Taha Akgul (Turkey). Steveson made the mainstream sports media take notice after his remarkable rally in the final seconds against Geno Petriashvili (Georgia) in the gold medal match. His late heroics, combined with his post-match flip and some great soundbites, were the things stars are made of. The casual sports fan may have just realized this in Tokyo, but the WWE has long had their eyes on Steveson. With NIL changes on July 1st, 2021, Steveson had already been able to capitalize on his relationship with the sports entertainment giant. Since his finals win in Detroit, Steveson hasn't necessarily slammed the door shut on a possible return to the wrestling mat; however, we did see his shoes on the center of the raised mat and knew he's headed to the WWE. If he never competes again in a competitive wrestling match, what's Gable's legacy? Olympic gold medalist, two-time Hodge Trophy winner, the crisp technique combined a rarely-seen-before-athleticism and a mean streak (on the mat), the flips? For me, the defining factor of Gable's legacy is more of an intangible one. He was supposed to be an all-time great before he ever stepped foot on a collegiate wrestling mat. Anything less would have led to anonymous internet experts calling him overrated and a bust. In sports, athletes tend to thrive off the underdog label. How many individuals or teams have you seen accomplish a great feat and then declare that "nobody believed in us/me?' It's fun to be David against Goliath. Underdog stories are enticing, see them every year at the NCAA Tournament and they never get old. But, in this case, let's salute the guy with the sky-high expectations, Gable Steveson, as he was not phased by such expectations and praise. He didn't buy into his own hype; he didn't rest on his laurels after a really good freshmen campaign. Every year, he presented a better version of himself. The bar was always high for Gable; however, he continued to raise it and jumped over it. Perhaps with a backflip. If "the saddest thing in life is wasted talent," maybe one of the greatest things to see is someone with all the talent in the world, who realizes said talent and makes the best of it. Gable Steveson after his final NCAA match (Photos courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

2022 NCAA champion Roman Bravo-Young (Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) With another season and national tournament in the books, it also means that another set of data points is available for us media types and fans to interpret. So with that in mind, let's use the 2022 NCAA Championships national champion and All-American data, to look at team performance at the last ten NCAA Tournaments. We've added those champions and All-Americans into the mix to see which schools have produced the most, which states boast the largest number, and which conferences perform the best. This does not include All-American data from 2020, as the tournament was not wrestled and All-American honors were given out by the NWCA. Since the landscape of college wrestling has changed considerably over the last decade, you'll see schools with wrestling teams that no longer exist and conferences that have disbanded. NCAA National Champions by School: (2012-22) Penn State = 31 Cornell = 10 Ohio State = 9 Oklahoma State = 9 Iowa = 7 Missouri = 5 Illinois = 4 Minnesota = 4 NC State = 3 Arizona State = 2 Iowa State = 2 Michigan = 2 Northwestern = 2 Oklahoma = 2 Rutgers = 2 Lehigh = 1 North Carolina = 1 Northern Iowa = 1 South Dakota State = 1 Stanford = 1 Virginia Tech = 1 NCAA National Champions by Seed: (2012-22) #1 Seed = 51 #2 Seed = 22 #3 Seed = 14 #4 Seed = 6 #5 Seed = 2 #8 Seed = 2 #6 Seed = 1 #11 Seed = 1 #13 Seed = 1 NCAA National Champions by Conference: (2012-22) Big Ten = 61 Big 12 = 16 EIWA = 11 ACC = 5 MAC = 4 Pac-12 = 3 NCAA National Champions by Home State/Province/Country: (2012-22) Pennsylvania = 21 Ohio = 10 New Jersey = 9 California = 7 New York = 7 Minnesota = 6 Iowa = 5 Maryland = 5 Missouri = 5 Michigan = 4 Texas = 4 Wisconsin = 4 Indiana = 3 Arizona = 2 Illinois = 2 Oklahoma = 2 Kansas = 1 North Carolina = 1 Colorado = 1 Utah = 1 NCAA Runner's Up by School: (2012-22) Penn State = 11 Iowa = 10 Ohio State = 8 Oklahoma State = 7 Michigan = 5 Minnesota = 5 Cornell = 4 Edinboro = 4 Lehigh = 4 NC State = 3 Nebraska = 3 Pittsburgh = 3 Virginia Tech = 3 Wisconsin = 3 Arizona State = 2 Illinois = 2 Missouri = 2 Northwestern = 2 Princeton = 2 Stanford = 2 Virginia = 2 Wyoming = 2 Boise State = 1 Indiana = 1 Kent State = 1 Lock Haven = 1 Maryland = 1 North Carolina = 1 Oklahoma = 1 Rider = 1 Rutgers = 1 South Dakota State = 1 West Virginia = 1 NCAA All-Americans by School: (2012-22) Penn State: 62 Iowa: 56 Oklahoma State: 50 Minnesota: 44 Ohio State: 44 Virginia Tech: 36 Cornell: 34 Missouri: 34 Michigan: 33 Nebraska: 30 Lehigh: 23 Illinois: 22 NC State: 20 Arizona State: 19 Northwestern: 19 Wisconsin: 18 Iowa State: 17 Oregon State: 15 Rutgers: 15 North Carolina: 13 Northern Iowa: 13 Oklahoma: 12 Edinboro: 11 Stanford: 10 Wyoming: 10 Pittsburgh: 9 Princeton: 8 Virginia: 8 Central Michigan: 7 Kent State: 7 Duke: 6 Old Dominion: 6 South Dakota State: 6 Appalachian State: 5 Cal Poly: 5 Lock Haven: 5 Maryland: 5 Rider: 5 Indiana: 4 North Dakota State: 4 Ohio: 4 Penn: 4 West Virginia: 4 American: 3 Binghamton: 3 Boise State: 3 Clarion: 3 Hofstra: 3 The Citadel: 3 Utah Valley: 3 Fresno State: 2 Harvard: 2 Michigan State: 2 Brown: 1 Bucknell: 1 Campbell: 1 Columbia: 1 CSU Bakersfield: 1 Eastern Michigan: 1 Franklin & Marshall: 1 Navy: 1 Northern Illinois: 1 Purdue: 1 SIU Edwardsville: 1 NCAA All-Americans By Conference: (2012-22) Big Ten: 353 Big 12: 106 ACC: 91 EIWA: 81 MAC: 67 Pac-12: 53 EWL: 27 SoCon: 10 West Region/WWC: 8 CAA: 4 NCAA All-Americans by Home State/Province/Country: (2012-22) Pennsylvania: 137 Ohio: 86 New Jersey: 57 Illinois: 52 California: 46 Minnesota: 40 Michigan: 39 Iowa: 37 New York: 35 Missouri: 33 Oklahoma: 25 Colorado: 21 Indiana: 20 Wisconsin: 13 Florida: 12 Virginia: 11 Maryland: 10 Kansas: 9 Oregon: 9 South Dakota: 9 Washington: 9 Georgia: 8 North Carolina: 8 Texas: 8 Utah: 7 Idaho: 6 Arizona: 5 Delaware: 5 West Virginia: 4 Wyoming: 4 British Columbia: 3 Connecticut: 3 Mongolia: 3 Montana: 3 New Mexico: 3 North Dakota: 3 South Carolina: 3 Alabama: 2 Nebraska: 2 Vermont: 2 Alaska: 1 Cuba: 1 Hawaii: 1 Louisiana: 1 Massachusetts: 1 Nevada: 1 Russia: 1 Uzbekistan: 1 Transfers 9 NCAA Champions in this time period had already previously transferred once 77 All-Americans in this time period had already previously transferred once