InterMat Staff

2022 Southern Scuffle champion Wyatt Hendrickson (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) While one of the traditional mid-season tournaments needed to go through some last-minute permutations, the Southern Scuffle was able to kick off the 2022 calendar year. As always, the tournament featured a mix of returning contenders as well as some newcomers to the college season who are still on redshirt. The following looks at some of the top statistical performers from the tournament and some odd occurrences. Point Differential It might be an understatement to call this year's heavyweight division stacked. The field returns multiple age-group World medalists and the reigning Olympic champion. Even though No. 7 Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force) saw his season end last year in the Round of 12, he put on an All-American worthy performance at the Southern Scuffle. Hendrickson won all five of his matches on the way to the heavyweight title, including three falls, a technical fall and a major decision. Despite all the quick finishes, he still managed to score 49 match points. At the same time, he allowed his opponents to only score four points across his five matches. On a per-minute basis, those numbers equate to 2.70 points per minute and 0.22 points against per minute. That left Hendrickson with a dominant +2.48 point differential, which was far and away, the highest of the tournament. The next closest wrestler in terms of point differential was No. 20 Andrew Sparks (Minnesota), who only wrestled one match before defaulting out of the field. While point differential is not always a predictor of success, it was in this tournament as all of the top six outside of Sparks at least made the finals. Top Point Differentials 285: Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force) +2.48 165: Andrew Sparks (Minnesota) +1.86 197: Rocky Elam (Missouri) +1.66 133: Rayvon Foley (Michigan State) +1.55 125: Killian Cardinale (West Virginia) +1.47 165: Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) +1.40 Points per Minute With a point differential that high, it should not be a shock that Hendrickson also had the highest points per minute rate. His 2.70 rate was tops in the tournament, but coming in second was an interesting name. Heavyweight David Szuba (Rider) is a true freshman who joined the Broncs after winning a New Jersey state championship last year. He certainly had his highs and lows at the Southern Scuffle and eventually saw his tournament come to an end in the consolation bracket against No. 32 Michael McAleavey (The Citadel). However, he certainly racked up the points when he was on the mat. Szuba scored 15 or more points in all three of his victories and finished with a 2.28 points per minute rate. Heavyweight can be a tough weight for newcomers to the college scene. However, Szuba's ability to put points on the board is likely a good omen for his future prospects in the division. Top Points per Minute Rates 285: Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force) 2.70 285: David Szuba (Rider) 2.28 165: Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) 2.20 165: Andrew Sparks (Minnesota) 2.14 149: Alek Martin (SDSU) 2.07 Points Against per Minute Aaron Nagao (Minnesota) came into the Scuffle with a 1-2 career record, and the California state champion went all the way to the finals at 133 before coming up short against No. 11 Rayvon Foley (Michigan State). Nagao relied heavily on his defense and only fell by a 2-0 score. In fact, it was his defense that carried him throughout the tournament. He allowed only four points through his five matches and shut out three opponents. His 0.14 points allowed per minute rate was tied for the best in the tournament. If Nagao can continue to present that kind of defense, he might be able to pull a few key upsets during the Big Ten season. Equally, the defensive performance on Nagao was the 141 champion No. 6 Real Woods (Stanford). He allowed five points in the tournament and finished with a 0.14 points against per minute rate. Four of those points came in his semifinal victory over No. 8 Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado). Even in that match, Woods' defense was key as he held off a takedown at the end to pull out the victory. The Stanford sophomore finished in the round of 12 last year and looked poised for a run at All-American status. Top Points Allowed per Minute Rates 133: Aaron Nagao (Minnesota) 0.14 141: Real Woods (Stanford) 0.14 157: Chase Saldate (Michigan State) 0.19 285: Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force) 0.22 285: Austin Harris (Oklahoma State) 0.22 Match Point Differential by Team Hendrickson's performance at heavyweight helped Air Force finish with the best match point differential as a team at +0.75. Tournament champion Missouri finished with a +0.50 match point differential, which was the second-highest. Top Team Match Point Differentials Air Force +0.75 Minnesota +0.55 Missouri +0.49 Northern Iowa +0.49 North Carolina State +0.27 Comeback Falls As everyone knows, a lead in wrestling is never entirely safe until the match is over. The trailing wrestler can always turn things around with a quick fall. At the Southern Scuffle, six wrestlers were able to collect fall victories despite trailing in the match. None of those victories were as surprising as the one pulled off by Chattanooga's Jackson Hurst. He was trailing Daniel Manibog (Oklahoma State) by a whopping 12-1 score before securing the fall and the victory. Come From Behind Falls Jackson Hurst (Chattanooga) vs. Daniel Manibog (Oklahoma State) trailing 12-1 Aaron Ibarra (CSU-Bakersfield) vs. Jake Rotunda (The Citadel) trailing 11-5 Garrett Joles (Minnesota) vs. Owen Pentz (NDSU) trailing 6-4 John Mcclimon (Iowa) vs. Mike Wilson (Rider) trailing 3-2 Cael Carlson (Minnesota) vs. William Formato (App State) trailing 7-6 David Szuba (Rider) vs. Deonte Wilson (North Carolina State) trailing 4-3 Highest Scoring Matches The highest-scoring match came at 165, where No. 3 Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) just missed out on the technical fall over Devan Hendricks (Bellarmine) and settled for the 26-12 major decision. Hendricks actually scored the first takedown of the match seven seconds in. However, O'Toole then took over, and Hendrick scored nothing but escapes the rest of the way. The Missouri wrestler scored six takedowns in the final period alone, but he needed one more for the technical fall. Top Five Highest Scoring Matches 165: Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) 26-12 major decision over Devin Hendrick (Bellarmine) 285: David Szuba (Rider) 25-10 technical fall over Peter Ming (Stanford) 165: Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) 25-10 technical fall over Tyler Kocak (George Mason) 141: Clay Carlson (SDSU) 25-8 technical fall over Luis Ramos (CSU_Bakersfield) 125: Drake Ayala (Iowa) 23-7 major decision over Alex Cottey (Chattanooga) Match Results by Type As one might expect, the heavyweight division produced the most falls in the tournament with 13. It is somewhat interesting that the 125 weight class produced the least regular decisions by a pretty significant margin. Most Overtime Matches Brayden Palmer (Chattanooga) made a surprising run at 133 for the host school. He finished third, but he certainly had to put in the work. Not only did he wrestle eight matches, which was tied for the most in the tournament, but four of those matches went to overtime. No other wrestler in the tournament went to extra time more than twice. Palmer went 3-1 in overtime with victories over Todd Carter (Gardner-Webb), Sean Carter (App State) and Cullan Schriever (Iowa). His only loss of the tournament came against Dom Lajoie (Cornell) in sudden victory. In total, Palmer wrestled for 61 minutes and 18 seconds, which was the most in the tournament.

2021 MatMen Open runner-up Ryan Miller (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Below is a recap of last week's EIWA action, with individual highlights worth noting. Notable News Penn showed they are a Top 3 school in the state of Pennsylvania. Cornell placed 5th at the Scuffle with half of their starters missing Lehigh has some serious depth, as 4 non-starters placed at the Matmen Open American – no action last week Army – no action last week Binghamton – no action last week Brown The Bears competed at the Matmen Open in Chicago. Timothy Levine (141) had 3 wins during his tournament, with a loss against Carmen Ferrante (#32) of Penn. He had the most wins for the Bears. At 149lb, Ricky Cabanillas went 2-2 on the weekend while Blake Saito wrestled to a 1-2 mark. Cade Wilson was 2-2 at 197lb. Although they had no place winners, there is some silver lining to be found here. Brown had a handful of wrestlers lose in the blood round. This is an accomplishment for a young team at a tough event like this. I am excited to see where this team is once dual meets start this week. Bucknell The Bison traveled to Chicago to compete in the Matmen Open. They walked away with two place winners. At 133lb, Kurt Phipps came away with 8th place. His most notable win was over Michael Colaiocco (#13) of Penn. He had a nice weekend. Zach Hartman earned a fifth-place finish. He beat Lucas Revano (#29) twice. His lone losses were to Dean Hamiti (#17) of Wisconsin and Izzak Olejnik (#18) of NIU. Brandon Seidman was 2-2 on the weekend. His latest loss was to Gage Curry (#26) of Pitt by 2-0 decision. At 157lb, Nick Delp had a nice win over Robert Kanniard (#29) of Rutgers Mason McCready won three of his five matches at 197lb. I like how the Bison performed. Phipps continues to impress. Delp just had a win over a ranked opponent, while Depron had one just a week ago. We did not see Miller compete, who currently holds a spot at 18th in the rankings. This team is looking strong from 133 to 165. I am expecting them to wrestle very well second semester. Columbia – no action last week Cornell (#9) The Big Red sent a bunch of wrestlers to the Southern Scuffle, but there were some star-studded names who did not make the trip. They still walked away with six placewinners. Greg Diakomihalis placed 7th at 125lb. He avenged a loss to Eddie Ventresca of Virginia Tech in his final match. At 141lb, Josh Saunders lost first round and rallied off four straight wins, including one over Angelo Martinoni (#22) of CSU-Bakersfield. Due to injury, Saunders finished 8th place. Hunter Richard (157lb) had a great turnout, ending his performance with fourth place. Both of his losses came to Jarrett Jacques (#23) of Missouri. Richard's key win was over returning All-American Brock Mauller of Missouri. Andrew Berreyesa earned himself a 7th place finish at 174lb. His record on the weekend was 5-2. At 184lb, Jonathan Loew (#13) defeated Isaiah Salazar (#29) of Minnesota in the semi-finals by major decision. He was upset by Kyle Cochran (#32) of Maryland in the finals. At heavyweight, Lewis Fernandes (#18) had quite a weekend with two falls, a major, and six-point victory. He ultimately dropped his finals match to Wyatt Hendrickson (#7) of Air Force. The Big Red still finished in 5th place as a team at the Southern Scuffle, without the fire power of half their starters. Ranked wrestlers like Vito, Yianni, Ramirez, Foca, and Cardenas all missed action. A 5th place finish just shows the depth of this team. Like I mentioned in the last recap, they are the EIWA favorites at the moment. Drexel The Dragons sent a half-full line up to the Southern Scuffle. Tyler Williams (149) secured the most wins by a Dragon, going 2-2 on the day. At 165lb, Evan Barczak (#30) had a 1-2 showing, losing to Facundo of Penn State 3-1. Also at 165lb, Jack Janda also wrestled to a 1-2 record, losing both matches by decision. Josh Stillings went 1-2 on the day as well The Dragons are a little dinged up still. Plus, some sickness over the holidays led to the less-than-full roster they had at the Scuffle. This may not be the showing the Dragons wanted, but with the way this year has been going, it was good to get some of the non-starters quality matches at this event. They will be back to full strength in a few weeks, just in time to end the season on a positive note. Franklin & Marshall The Diplomats traveled to Chicago to compete in the Matmen Open. At 125lb, Gio Diaz went 1-2 on the day. Wil Gil (141lb) secured two wins, while losing two decisions. His final loss came to Parker Filius (#14) of Purdue Chase McCollum (157lb) and Noah Fox (174lb) each had a single win in his performance. At 174lb, John Crawford ended his day with a 2-2 record, dropping two decisions. The Diplomats were without a few starters also. The injury bug has been hitting everyone this season. The Dips will be back, as they still have a few guys who can scrap – this hasn't changed. They have a long list of conference duals coming up. This will give us a better idea of where this team stands within the EIWA conference. Harvard The Crimson saw action in Chicago at the Matmen Open. Philip Conigliaro (#14) earned a silver medal. On his way to the finals, he defeated Izzak Olejnik (#18) of Northern Illinois and returning NCAA runner-up Jake Wentzel (#8) of Pitt. At 125lb, Diego Sotelo made it to the bloodround before losing in overtime to Sheldon Seymour of Lehigh. Kenny Herrmann at 141lb, went 2-2 in the event. At 149lb, Lukus Stricker walked away with a 6th place finish. He had a 2-1 loss to Anthony Artalona (#27) of Penn Mike Doggett lost in the bloodround at 174lb to Nick Incontrera (#21) of Penn . Also, at 174lb, Josh Kim (#29) earned 8th place. Harvard took a huge blow in December losing their highly ranked heavyweight for the year with an ACL injury. Conigliaro put the team on his back and stepped up and upset the returning NCAA runner-up in the semifinals. It was good to see Stricker come away with a podium placement, along with Kim. I feel like this team is getting better. They'll need some guys to step up to gain the points lost with the injury to Slavikouski at heavyweight. Hofstra – no action last week Lehigh (#21) The Mountain Hawks took a short-handed team to the Matmen Open, as most competitors competed unattached. Sheldon Seymour earned a 4th place finish at 125lb. In the process, he had ranked wins over Dylan Shawver (#25) of Rutgers and Gage Curry (#26) of Pitt. At 133lb, Carter Bailey finished sixth place after pinning Sammy Alvarez (#12) of Rutgers in the quarterfinals. Max Brignola walked away with a 5th place finish at 149lb. He had a close loss to Anthony Artalona (#27) of Penn. At 285lb, Nathan Taylor lost to Luke Luffman (#17) of Illinois twice to earn 4th place in his bracket. It's safe to say Lehigh has a lot of depth to their lineup. The four place winners at Matmen are non-starters for this team. Whatever the coaching staff is doing there, needs to be recognized. The jumps the younger wrestlers are making in that room are incredible. The Mountain Hawks will be in the running for the EIWA team title this year, and in the upcoming years. Long Island – no action last week Navy – no action last week Penn The Quakers sent their full line-up to the Matmen Open. The team walked away with 2nd place, overall. Ryan Miller (#33 – 125) had himself a nice tournament. His semifinal win was over Dylan Shawver (#25) of Rutgers. He then lost to Justin Cardani (#29) of Illinois in the finals. Also, at 125lb, Blair Orr walked away with 6th place. He had a loss to Shawver in his final match. Carmen Ferrante (#32 – 141) also earned himself a 6th place finish. CJ Composto had himself a coming-out party with a 2nd place finish at 141lb. He majored Parker Filius (#14) of Purdue, before upsetting Cole Matthews (#24) of Pitt in the semifinals. At 149lb, Anthony Artalona (#27) earned 3rd place in his bracket. His lone loss came to Austin Gomez (#11) of Wisconsin. Doug Zapf (#20) was the runner up at 157lb. He beat Alex Carida (#33) of Bloomsburg. His loss in the finals was to Elijah Cleary (#28) of Pitt. Lucas Revano (#29 - 165) wrestled to a 6th place finish. He had two losses to Zach Hartman (#15) of Bucknell, and one to NCAA runner-up Jake Wentzel (#8) of Pitt. At 174lb, Nick Incontrera (#21) ended up with a 7th place finish. He lost to eventual champion Edmond Ruth 4-3. His big win was over Joshua Kim (#29) of Harvard. Neil Antrassian earned 8th place at 184lb. His losses include Myles Amine (#2) from Michigan, Trey Munoz (#16) of Oregon State, and Gregg Harvey (#31) of Pitt. He had a nice win over Chris Weiler (#24) of Wisconsin. Cole Urbas walked away with 5th place at 197lb. He had a loss to Braxton Amos (#26) of Wisconsin. At 285lb, Ben Goldin had a loss to Luffman (#17) of Illinois. His 7th place match was a win over McDermott (#26) of Rutgers. It's no secret that I've been on #TheMovement bandwagon for quite some time. We all know they've been red-hot on the recruiting trail, and we expect them to challenge for the EIWA title in a few years. But they are making their way to the top of the EIWA right now. Why wait? The team finished as the runner-up at the Matmen Open. The real question mark on this team is the 141lb weight class. Ferrante has had a great year so far, earning himself a spot in the national rankings. Recently, CJ Composto went on tear to finish in 2nd place at Matmen. Whoever ends up with this spot, the Quakers will be in good shape – either way. Princeton The Tigers sent a handful of wrestlers to the Matmen Open in Chicago. At 133lb, Nick Kayal, Nick Masters, and Sean Pierson all each had one win. Jacob Mann wrestled to a 2-2 record at 141lb, one coming via fall. At 149lbs, Marshall Keller made the quarter finals, then lost in the blood round. His record was 1-2. Jake Marsh, Blaine Bergey and Grant Cuomo both competed at 165lb. Bergey and Marsh both lost in the bloodround. Nate Dugan upset All-American Jackson Turley (#16) of Rutgers to make the quarters. He lost in the bloodround at 174lb. At 184lb, Kendall Elfstrum went 2-2 on the day. Aiden Conner wrestled 197lb, posting one win on the day. Jack DelGarbino also had one win at heavyweight. The Tigers rested a bunch of their starters, including everyone listed in the rankings. Many of the wrestlers who wrestled, competed well. The Tigers will be back in action soon, with all of their fire power. Look for them to be in the trophy hunt at EIWA's once back to full strength. Sacred Heart – no action last week

2020 NWCA DII National Dual Champion St. Cloud State NWCA Division II National Duals January 6th & 7th Kentucky International Convention Center, Louisville Kentucky Mat 5 Mat 6 Mat 7 Mat 8 First Match 9:00 AM EST The field is finally set and the wrestling is about to commence. I, for one, am ready to see how this sprint to the podium will play out with the addition of wrestlers coming out of "retirement." We have already seen the appearance of some of these #SuperSeniors and now we have a chance to see even more of them take the last first step of their career. Two teams seem poised to make the biggest jump in the standings as they add firepower to their lineups. The University of Nebraska-Kearney has spent the first semester fielding a lineup missing three All-Americans. The team that defeated them at the last NCAA tournament, and the two before that as well, St. Cloud State University is poised to add their returning national champion at heavyweight to an already loaded lineup. They are on a collision course in the national dual semifinals. The winner will face the team that is currently the favorite to win it all, according to my rankings anyways, the University of Central Oklahoma. It has been 15 years since the Broncs held the NCAA championship trophy, and in that time, Kearney and St. Cloud have taken home the hardware eight times. The first step to ending that drought would be beating one of them in the finals of the NWCA National Duals finals. Right now, the winner of this dual tournament has been Covid-19. From the original entrants, we are down to 11. Just last night, Colorado Mesa University became the last victim as weather and the pandemic teamed up to derail their journey. It is most unfortunate that after the fight to expand the tournament field, we are missing out on some very good teams being able to compete. There will be no Lindenwood or West Liberty. Were you looking forward to seeing Notre Dame College? Sorry. If you were wondering how Gannon University would match up against the teams they are trying to run down in March? You are going to have to wait until then. New coaches Nick Becker of Wisconsin-Parkside and Chayse Jackson Southwest Minnesota State will have to earn an invite in 2023 to make their debuts at the NWCA dual tournament. Even the south fell victim to the blight, Limestone College will miss out. We can talk about quality over quantity though, of the 11 teams, 10 are currently ranked in the top-25. Seven of the wrestlers currently ranked first in their weight classes are on rosters set to compete. There are 16 wrestlers who are ranked in the top three that we could see wrestle over the next two days. This dual tournament is not just deep; it is top-heavy. Besides the top-ranked athletes, you can expect to see seven 2021 national finalists competing. That is half of the athletes who were wrestling on the big stage in St Louis last season on hand for a dual tournament. We can talk about duals mattering; it is pretty clear that at this tournament, they do. Two years ago, the longest active dual winning streak in Division II nearly came to an end in the finals. The University of Central Oklahoma pushed St. Cloud State to the limit but fell just short of the "upset." St. Cloud State took the dual and the tournament 17-16 and has not looked back. Their push for a national championship was stolen from them in 2020 and in 2021, once again, it was won at heavyweight that saw them finish atop the podium as a team. That time it was the NCAA tournament. This is their chance to put Division II on notice that they are stronger than ever. #1 The University of Central Oklahoma #2 St Cloud State University #4 The University of Nebraska-Kearney #5 McKendree University #9 Ashland University #10 The University of Findlay #13 The University of Indianapolis #18 Mercyhurst University #21 Tiffin University #25 King University Round One Central Oklahoma will start their march to the finals against Findlay in a matchup featuring two top-five battles. The University of Findlay will be favored in both of the bouts. Third-ranked Branson Proudlock (141) and top-ranked James Wimer (157) will be trying to stave the shutout. They face off against fifth-ranked Nate Keim and third-ranked Tyler Lucas. Lucas and Wimer missed each other at the Midwest Classic last month when Lucas missed the tournament with an illness that hit UCO hard just days before. Proudlock already has a win over Keim and will look to lock down a high seed at the NCAA tournament. Upper Iowa University and Tiffin University will meet in one of the best potential first-round duals. Tiffin has risen up the tournament rankings while Upper Iowa has fallen as it appears they will be without returning All-American 197 Zac Ryg for an extended period of time. It also means we will not see him take on Tiffin'sTiffin's Nicholas Mason, Mason made a rankings jump after a strong Midwest showing. This dual is full of toss-up matches that will make it very exciting. Newberry College had me all excited when Isiah Royal earned a win earlier this week in his return to the lineup. The 2021 NCAA champion was a surprise addition to the lineup and had me looking forward to certain potential matches. Unfortunately, he is not listed on the roster and neither is ZeBrandon Gant. Football season is over, and I, for one, just want to see the Wolves put out the lineup we know they are capable of fielding. Newberry will face a tough challenge in McKendree University. The Bearcats rocketed up the team rankings after crowning two individual champions at the Midwest Classic. Christian Mejia (125) and Ian Kuehl (Hwt) were both surprise champions to me, but they put the rest of Division II on notice that come March, James Kisgen's squad is going to chase a trophy. They will have too much firepower for the Wolves and will set up a quarterfinals showdown with the winner of Tiffin and Upper Iowa. Ashland University is one of the teams that could be a surprise semifinalist. They match up well against a Nebraska-Kearney squad that will be trying to knock the rust off a few athletes in the quarterfinals. The Eagles will need to take care of business in round one against Fort Hays State, but the depth of their lineup will almost certainly be too much for the Tigers. We should get to see seventh-ranked Martin Verhaeghe (Fort Hays State) take on eighth-ranked Aidan Pasiuk (Ashland) at 184, though. The University of Indianapolis has a very good wrestling team, but it is very hard to win duals when you are already down 12 points. That is the hole the Greyhounds will have to dig out of against UNC-Pembroke. We will see some weight class shuffles for them, though, that could have them fill those gaps; they have two wrestlers listed at 133 and 174. That would still leave them with a forfeit at 125, but it is much easier making up six instead of 12 points. Keep an eye on Breydan Bailey, he is listed as one of the two wrestlers at 133 pounds, and last season he was the starter at 141. The Braves have lineup questions of their own, they do not have a 174 listed and they are missing their 16th-ranked 149, Jake Piccirilli. This could be a nail-biter with the depleted Greyhounds relying on reserves and the Braves trying to juggle their own starting 10. Indianapolis has to be wary of the upset, but they should have enough firepower to get past. They need to be careful though, the Braves will be favored at the final two weights. Reigning champion St. Cloud State is going to be heavily favored against King to start off their title defense. When I say "heavily," I mean that St. Cloud State could shut them out. No Christian Small for King at 141 removes their best shot at taking a weight against the St Cloud starters. With 17 wrestlers making the trip from Minnesota for the Huskies, expect to see a few back-ups in this dual. Unfortunately, their backups are nearly as capable as the starters and would have a good shot at placing at this tournament on their own. Quarterfinals The good news for Mercyhurst University is that they will be well-rested going into their afternoon showdown with Central Oklahoma. The bad news is, their afternoon showdown is against top-ranked and top-seeded Central Oklahoma. Mercyhurst will be able to send out ranked wrestlers at 133, 141, 174, 184, and heavyweight. The bad news once again is that at three of those weights, the Broncs will be heavily favored. Eric Bartos (133) will face Tanner Cole, Alexis Soriano (141) has Nate Keim, and Luke McGonigal (184) will take on the best wrestler in Division II, Heath Gray. Dillon Walker (174) and Jacob Robb will enter their matches favored, and Walker will have a match against whichever 165 is bumped up to face him. Jacob Robb will also be the Laker'sLaker's best shot at earning bonus points, but I am afraid it will be too little too late. Honestly, when you look at the top teams at this tournament; Central Oklahoma, St. Cloud State, and Nebraska-Kearney all stand out because they are bringing such complete squads. McKendree has a solid lineup featuring quite a few wrestlers listed at 174. That means we will see some shuffling as they look to fill in for missing 184 All-American Corey Peterson and the lack of a 197 on the travel roster. That should not pose too much of a problem though, they are going to match up very well with an Upper Iowa team that will be coming off a battle in the first round. The Peacocks will need big wins at 149 and 157 to stay in this dual and they have to avoid the upset at 133, where 15th-ranked Ryan Ripplinger will be trying to move up the rankings against #11 Kaden Anderlik. In the end, the Bearcats just have too many wrestlers expected to win and I expect they will move on to face their Super Regional IV neighbor Central Oklahoma. The dual to watch in the quarterfinals will be Ashland taking on the third-seed Nebraska-Kearney. Why could Ashland pull the upset? They will have a first-round match and their wrestlers will have the chance to get the jitters out of the way. Nebraska-Kearney could send out six wrestlers currently ranked in the top-16. They will be favored at 125, 174, and 197. At 141, we have a toss-up as #7 Nick James (Kearney) will take on #8 Luke Wymer (Ashland). And there is another toss-up at 184 as #6 Austin Eldredge (Kearney) will face #8 Aidan Pasiuk (Ashland). The recipe for an Eagles win is to win the matches they are supposed to and then win the two toss-ups. That puts them in a 5-5 dual against a team that could have Wesley Dawkins (133) and Jacob Wasser (157) wrestling their first matches of the 2022 season. What a place to knock off the rust! What is the University of Indianapolis'Indianapolis' reward for what should be a hard-fought win over UNC-Pembroke in the first round? A date with the returning champion St. Cloud State Huskies, of course. The Greyhounds will only be favored at 149 and 174 pounds when #8 Logan Bailey (149) wrestles Jake Barzowski and #5 Andrew Sams (174) takes on #6 Dom Murphy. Indianapolis has too many holes and not enough bonus point opportunities. Mark this prediction down, 2019 All-American Jake Barzowski finds a way to win a close match against Logan Bailey at 149. I really like Bailey, but Barzowski is just one of those guys who make people wrestle his type of match and then find a way to win. Semifinals (Friday, 11 AM - Mat 5 & 7) #1 The University of Central Oklahoma vs. #5 McKendree University This dual will start with a preview of the Super Regional IV finals at 125 when top-ranked Christian Mejia (McKendree) takes on fourth-ranked Paxton Rosen (Central Oklahoma). These two did not meet at the Midwest Classic after Rosen was upset by Dawson Collins (Mesa) in the semifinals. Mejia went on to defeat Collins in the finals and move himself to the top of the lightweight rankings. McKendree will have three very good shots to put up points after having a chance to build an early lead. They can hope for seventh-ranked Corey Peterson (165) to avoid an upset against 16th-ranked Anthony DesVignes. At 174, Josh Jones puts his #10 ranking on the line against whoever the Broncs send out there with a shot at earning bonus. And if the dual somehow comes down to the big men, they send out Ian Kuehl, their second-ranked heavyweight who is coming off a #BeastMode run at the Midwest Classic. The Bearcats will probably be doomed from 141 through 157 as the Broncs send out top-five ranked wrestlers at each weight. If they are still in the fight come 184, returning national champion Heath Gray could crush their hopes with six points or his partner in crime Dalton Abney could do the same at 197. Abney has looked the part of the top-ranked 197 in the country this season and a McKendree lineup without Ryan Vasbinder leaves him licking his chops. Central Oklahoma is on a mission to take back all the championship trophies from the Huskies and that run starts tomorrow. #2 St. Cloud State University vs. #3 The University of Nebraska-Kearney The returns of Wesley Dawkins (Kearney), Jacob Wasser (Kearney), and Kam Teacher (St. Cloud State) mean this dual features two teams that will absolutely be fighting for an NCAA championship come March. Three All-Americans have arrived to bolster their respective lineups and when you realize all three are #SuperSeniors, it gets even crazier. These three are all back for one more shot, one more run at the podium. For Dawkins and Wasser, that means another shot at knocking off the Huskies. For Teacher, it is a chance to put the doubters to rest as he can get his shot at 2019 national champion Andrew Dunn (Kutztown) and show that his own championship in 2021 does not deserve an asterisk after Kutztown sat out the season. Just to show how absolutely crazy this dual is, I can honestly envision a scenario where five wrestlers currently ranked in the top-five lose to a wrestler ranked either lower than them or simply not currently in the rankings. At 125 pounds, freshman Paxton Creese (St Cloud) puts his #5 ranking on the line against a four-time national qualifier and three-time All-American #11 Josh Portillo. Unranked Wesley Dawkins (Kearney) has somehow never faced #2 Garrett Vos despite their multiple trips to nationals. Dawkins has finished 4th and 2nd while Vos is coming off his own runner-up finish and previously finished 6th. This is a battle of styles, with Dawkins having the big-move ability and Vos being one of the best position wrestlers in the country. The Huskies could score their own big upset at 149 when Jake Barzowski can go from unranked to an All-American threat just by doing what he does, win matches. He takes on top-ranked Sam Turner, who has only seen limited action this year. Turner has been a wrestler known for wrestling close matches, which is precisely what Barzowski likes to do, that could be a recipe for disaster. Second-ranked Colby Njos (St. Cloud) defeated Jacob Wasser 4-3 at the national tournament last season. Could Wasser find a way to score that last takedown this go around and jump right back into the All-American conversation after missing the first semester? Normally, Kearney is feeling great with the dual in doubt going into heavyweight. They have third-ranked and returning All-American Lee Herrington to anchor their lineup. On any other day, they would have to feel great. On Friday, it could be deja vu all over again though for the Lopers as they could see their championship dream die a the hands of St Cloud State big man Kam Teacher. The 2021 national championship came down to Kearney versus Kam Teacher and the Huskies big man won his own title and clinched the team race for St Cloud State. He enters this dual tournament unranked after sitting out semester one, so technically this would be an upset. Listen, be in your seat and ready to watch some crazy action on Friday. Finals (Friday, 3 PM - Mat 5) #1 The University of Central Oklahoma vs. #2 St. Cloud State University 125: #4 Paxton Rosen vs #5 Paxton Creese 133: #1 Tanner Cole vs. #2 Garrett Vos 141: #2 Nate Keim vs #1 Joe Bianchini 149: #5 Brik Filippo vs Jake Barzowski 157: #3 Tyler Lucas vs. #2 Colby Njos 165: #16 Anthony DesVignes vs. #14 Devin Donovan 174: Hunter Jump vs. #6 Dom Murphy 184: #1 Heath Gray vs. #5 William Pitzner 197: #1 Dalton Abney vs. #2 Noah Ryan Hwt: Christian Arriola vs. Kam Teacher What do you call a dual that features three different matches between the top-two ranked wrestlers at their weights? How about one that six different battles between two wrestlers ranked in the top five? We can raise the bar and say that there are five different national finalists in these lineups. How about 13 athletes who have earned All-American honors before? At the NWCA Multi-Divisional National Duals, we call this a Friday afternoon. This is a dream matchup that pits the champion against the challenger. This is absolutely a five-five dual on paper with toss-ups at nearly all the weights. I look at St. Cloud State as being the big favorite at two weights, 174 and heavyweight. Central Oklahoma is going to have to send out someone at 174 who will need to stay off their back against a very, very, very good Dom Murphy. Murphy is coming off a first-period pin of #7 Job Ayala (Parkside) and has looked the part of an All-American all season. And we all know about Kam Teacher at heavyweight. Despite the matchups looking close at 184 and 197, I would say that Heath Gray and Dalton Abney are comfortable favorites at those weights. I think this dual is going to be all about the momentum swings; if a team is able to win back-to-back matches, they will swing that pendulum hard in their direction. If someone can find a way to win three in a row, I think that is the difference. But can either team manage that? The best chance could be right off the back for St. Cloud State. Paxton Creese (St Cloud) already has a big upset this season and it is the reason he is ranked 5th in the country right now. A win over Paxton Rosen would catapult him into the national title debate. At 133, Tanner Cole (Central Oklahoma) is coming off a big Midwest Classic tournament and is undefeated in Division II. That all sounds great, but he is taking on second-ranked Garrett Vos, a returning national finalist who has done nothing but win since entering the Huskies lineup. Vos is one of the three wrestlers in Division II to beat two-time returning national champion Tyler Warner (West Liberty). If the Huskies win at 125 and 133, Joe Bianchini could put the dual out of reach quickly as the top-ranked wrestler takes on fifth-ranked Nate Keim. Bianchini has lost just two matches since the 2020 season, and one of them was in the national finals to Isiah Royal (Newberry). Keim is very good, but he is not Royal. Brik Filippo (Central Oklahoma) needs to be on upset alert against Jake Barzowksi. And then we jump to another top-three fight between #2 Colby Njos (St Cloud State) and #3 Tyler Lucas (Central Oklahoma). If a team can head into the halfway point up four matches to one, this dual is over. And the scary thing is, both of these teams are capable of doing that. Coming out of "intermission" there is another toss-up as #14 Devin Donovan (St Cloud State) will take on #16 Anthony Desvignes (Central Oklahoma). You can argue that Desvignes has the best win out of their records while they both have taken losses to athletes ranked in the top-six. We go from toss-up to St Cloud being a big favorite as they send out #6 Dom Murphy at 174. I am not sure who will get the call, but if I am the Broncs, I try to win one of two between these weights and that means that Desvignes has to stay at 165. You just have to hope that Murphy is not able to steamroll Hunter Jump and put six up on the board for the Huskies. The Broncs have a chance to either climb back in or put the dual away as they send out the ""Bash Brothers"" at 184 and 197. Top-ranked Heath Gray and Dalton Abney are a big part of the reason that Central Oklahoma is the #1 ranked tournament team right now. They are not just good; they have been dominant. Heath Gray has been doing it for a couple of years now and Dalton Abney was great last season against everyone not named Ryan Vasbinder. St. Cloud State has an Ace in the hole, though. Kam Teacher is a three-time All-American and returning national champion who has already delivered one championship trophy to St Cloud State. The #SuperSenior has not lost since March of 2019. He has not been a prolific pinner, only earning nine over his last three seasons, but he has scored bonus in better than 40% of his wins in his career. If the dual is in reach when he heads out there, it will be up to whichever Bronc big man that gets the nod to keep the match and the dual safely in hand. It is so hard to bet against a team like the Huskies. They have been so close to losing over their current championships streaks that you have to start wondering if anyone can really beat them. But all good things must have an end so that we can look back and appreciate them for what they were. Unfortunately for Central Oklahoma, I am afraid they will need to wait until March to dethrone the St. Cloud State Huskies. Prediction: St. Cloud State University, 2022 NWCA Division II National Duals Champions

2021 MatMen Open runner-up Ethan Laird (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) MatMen Open: Three MAC schools came away from the MatMen Open with placewinners: Bloomsburg, Northern Illinois, and Rider. Alex Carida (157) of Bloomsburg fell short in the third-place match-up against Jake Keating of Virginia by a decision of 5-3, placing fourth on the podium. Northern Illinois had four placewinners, including one finalist, leading the MAC conference in total points at the MatMen Open. Mason Kauffman (174) fell short to Edmond Ruth in the final bout, 3-2 in TB, securing the second-place spot on the podium. Izzak Olejnik (165) placed fourth, dropping a 3-0 decision to Jake Wentzel of Pittsburgh. Brit Wilson (184) finished sixth after dropping a 12-7 decision to Trey Munoz of Oregon State. Lucian Brink (125) rounded out the Northern Illinois placewinners by taking eighth, falling short to Gage Curry of Pittsburgh by a 4-2 decision. Rider placed two wrestlers on the podium at the MatMen Open. Ethan Laird (HWT) lost a hard-fought battle to Trent Hillger of Wisconsin in the final bout with a 2-0 decision. McKenzie Bell was sixth after falling short to Parker Filius of Purdue, 9-6. Southern Scuffle: Three MAC schools each placed one wrestler on the podium at the Southern Scuffle, George Mason, Rider, and Buffalo. Alex Madrigal (149) of George Mason lost by medical forfeit to Chris Sandoval of Northern Colorado, placing sixth. Quinn Kinner (141) of Rider finished seventh after defeating Josh Saunders of Cornell by medical forfeit. John Arceri (149) of Buffalo was victorious over Jeff Boyd of West Virginia by 3-1 in sudden victory.

2021 MatMen Open champion Dean Hamiti (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) While the annual Midlands tournament was canceled for the second-straight year, the first MatMen Open was able to fill the void. Pittsburgh was able to capture the tournament title thanks in large part to unlikely champion in No. 28 Elijah Cleary. Outside of that surprise, the final 10 champions were a group of rising prospects and returning veterans. The following takes a look at the top statistical performances among the 10 tournament winners. Most match points In some ways, the inaugural MatMen Open might be remembered as the coming-out party for Illinois native No. 17 Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin). On his way to the title, he knocked off No. 15 Zach Hartman (Bucknell), No. 21 Danny Braunagel (Illinois) and No. 14 Philip Conigliaro (Harvard). Hamiti's victory over Conigliaro in the finals was extra impressive, considering the Harvard wrestler was coming off an upset win over returning NCAA runner-up No. 8 Jake Wentzel (Pittsburgh). In addition to those ranked wins, Hamiti also finished with 59 match points, which was, by far, the most among champions. The next closest tournament champion, in terms of match points, was the 141-pound champion No. 4 Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers), who finished with 49 points. Rounding out the top three is 133-pound champion No. 7 Lucas Byrd (Illinois) with 36 points. Fewest Match Points Allowed No. 2 Myles Amine (Michigan) picked up a bronze medal in the Olympics over the summer, and he has returned to college wrestling looking for an elusive NCAA title. Not only did he defeat rival Mark Hall, who he had failed to best in five previous college matches, but he also displayed the type of defense that could easily take him to the top of the podium. Through four matches, Amine allowed only three match points. Neil Antrassian (Penn) scored an escape against the Michigan wrestler in the quarterfinals, and Hall hit a reversal in the finals. Other than those two scores, Amine did not allow any points in the tournament. Amine entered last year's NCAA tournament up at 197 pounds. He finished this with his only defeat coming against eventual champion AJ Ferrari (Oklahoma State). However, he allowed 22 points across his six matches. If his defense and riding ability keeps his opponents off the scoreboard, he could be headed towards a finals match against No. 1 Aaron Brooks (Penn State). Another champion with a strong defensive performance was No. 10 Josh Heil (Campbell). He allowed only four points on his way to the title. Heil allowed three escapes during his trip through the bracket and a single stall point in the finals against No. 11 Austin Gomez (Wisconsin). Heil's style might be a bit conservative for some, considering he only scored 13 match points through four matches. However, he clearly had a gameplan and stuck with it. In his four bouts, there was a total of one point scored in the first period, that single-stall point allowed against Gomez. First-Period Points While Heil was willing to slow down his matches and win close, Rivera had a different strategy entirely. While his 49 match points were second behind Hamiti, he had the most points scored in the first period among champions. Rivera had 18 first-period points consisting of six takedowns and six points coming via near fall. Takedowns As the high scorer among champions, it is not surprising that Hamiti also had the most takedowns. He finished with 15 takedowns, which edged Rivera's 14 for most in the tournament. Byrd and the 157-pound champion No. 28 Elijah Cleary (Pittsburgh) tied for third with 10 takedowns each. Hamiti was also able to score the most near-fall points among champions. He finished with 20 near-fall points, with 16 coming via four-point scores and another four after the referee counted only two swipes. Riding Time The only tournament champion to collect the riding time point in all four of his matches was No. 5 Trent Hillger (Wisconsin). He averaged 10.66 points per match prior to his 2-0 finals defeat over Ethan Laird (Rider). However, Hillger still made it a point to work from the top position and collect riding time. While the top of the heavyweight division is stacked, Hillger has looked outstanding to start the season. He is undefeated through 10 matches and has picked up bonus points in seven of those matches. In his four previous years for Wisconsin, including his redshirt year, he has never had a bonus rate higher than 40%. While 197-pound champion No. 12 Greg Bulsak (Rutgers) was not able to earn the riding-time point in the finals against No. 2 Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh), he did score the extra point in his three other matches. In fact, his work from the top position was a vital element of his 6-2 decision over junior World champion No. 26 Braxton Amos (Wisconsin). After a scoreless first-period, Amos took bottom. Not only did Bulsak ride out the period, but he was also able to score a four-point turn. That turned out to be the difference in the match.

Stanford's 2x Southern Scuffle champion Real Woods (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Championship Finals 125 - Patrick McKee (Minnesota) MedFFT Killian Cardinale (West Virginia) 133 - Rayvon Foley (Michigan State) dec Aaron Nagao (Minnesota) 2-0 141 - Real Woods (Stanford) dec Allan Hart (Missouri) 4-0 149 - Josh Finesilver (Duke) dec Josh Edmond (Missouri) 11-10 157 - Jared Franek (North Dakota State) dec Chase Saldate (Michigan State) 6-3 165 - Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) maj Peyton Hall (West Virginia) 13-4 174 - Cade DeVos (South Dakota State) dec Peyton Mocco (Missouri) 3-2 184 - Kyle Cochran (Maryland) dec Jonathan Loew (Cornell) 4-1 197 - Rocky Elam (Missouri) InjDef Michael Beard (Penn State) 285 - Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force) fall Lewis Fernandes (Cornell) 1:33 Third Place Matches 125 - Drake Ayala (Iowa) dec Noah Surtin (Missouri) 14-10 133 - Brayden Palmer (Chattanooga) dec Cullan Schriever (Iowa) 4-2SV 141 - Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado) MedFFT Clay Carlson (South Dakota State) 149 - Victor Voinovich (Oklahoma State) fall Gaven Sax (North Dakota State) 5:41 157 - Jarrett Jacques (Missouri) dec Hunter Richard (Cornell) 6-4 165 - Cael Carlson (Minnesota) fall Will Formato (Appalachian State) 6:15 174 - Bailee O'Reilly (Minnesota) dec Austin Brenner (North Dakota State) 5-4 184 - Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) dec Jeremiah Kent (Missouri) 9-5SV 197 - Cameron Caffey (Michigan State) dec Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State) 8-6 285 - Brandon Metz (North Dakota State) dec Aaron Costello (Iowa) 4-1 Fifth Place Matches 125 - Caleb Smith (Appalachian State) MedFFT Fabian Gutierrez (Chattanooga) 133 - Trey Crawford (Missouri) dec Codi Russell (Appalachian State) 9-7SV 141 - Wyatt Henson (Iowa) MedFFT Vince Cornella (Spartan Combat) 149 - Chris Sandoval (Northern Colorado) MedFFT Alex Madrigal (George Mason) 157 - Brock Mauller (Missouri) dec AJ Kovacs (NC State) 8-4 165 - Luke Weber (North Dakota State) MedFFT Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) 174 - Matt Finesilver (Duke) maj Brennan Swafford (Iowa) 14-0 184 - Layne Malczewski (Michigan State) MedFFT Isaiah Salazar (Minnesota) 197 - Andy Smith (Virginia Tech) MedFFT Alan Clothier (Northern Colorado) 285 - Tyrie Houghton (NC State) dec Owen Trephan (NC State) 2-2TB Seventh Place Matches 125 - Greg Diakomihalis (Cornell) dec Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech) 5-3SV 133 - Ethan Fernandez (Spartan Combat) maj Ethan Oakley (Appalachian State) 16-4 141 - Quinn Kinner (Rider) MedFFT Josh Saunders (Cornell) 149 - John Arceri (Buffalo) dec Jeff Boyd (West Virginia) 3-1SV 157 - Jalin Harper (Oklahoma State) dec Alex Hornfeck (West Virginia) 2-1 165 - RJ Mosley (Gardner-Webb) MedFFT Thomas Bullard (NC State) 174 - Andrew Berreysea (Cornell) MedFFT Tyler Eischens (Stanford) 184 - Gavin Stika (Oklahoma State) dec DJ Parker (North Dakota State) 7-3 197 - Jaron Smith (Maryland) Fall Garrett Joles (Minnesota) 1:31 285 - Austin Harris (Oklahoma State) dec Michael McAleavey (The Citadel) 8-1 Team Scores 1) Missouri 175.5 2) North Dakota State 109.5 3) Michigan State 94.5 4) Minnesota 85.5 5) Cornell 85

Maryland's 184 lber Kyle Cochran (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) 125 lbs Killian Cardinale (West Virginia) maj Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech) 8-0 Fabian Gutierrez (Chattanooga) dec Caleb Smith (Appalachian State) 8-6 Drake Ayala (Iowa) dec Noah Surtin (Missouri) 9-3 Patrick McKee (Minnesota) maj Tristan Daugherty (Buffalo) 9-1 Semifinal Matchups Killian Cardinale (West Virginia) vs. Fabian Gutierrez (Chattanooga) Drake Ayala (Iowa) vs. Patrick McKee (Minnesota) 133 lbs Rayvon Foley (Michigan State) dec Dom LaJoie (Cornell) 9-3 Cullan Schriever (Iowa) dec Derek Spann (Buffalo) 3-2 Aaron Nagao (Minnesota) fall Trey Crawford (Missouri) :56 Codi Russell (Appalachian State) dec Brandon Meredith (Penn State) 9-2 Semifinal Matchups Rayvon Foley (Michigan State) vs. Cullan Schriever (Iowa) Aaron Nagao (Minnesota) vs. Codi Russell (Appalachian State) 141 lbs Clay Carlson (South Dakota State) dec Quinn Kinner (Rider) 9-4 Allan Hart (Missouri) fall Wyatt Henson (Iowa) 6:35 Real Woods (Stanford) dec Ethen Miller (Maryland) 3-1 Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado) maj Jordan Hamdan (Michigan State) 10-1 Semifinal Matchups Clay Carlson (South Dakota State) vs. Allan Hart (Missouri) Real Woods (Stanford) vs. Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado) 149 lbs Josh Finesilver (Duke) dec Cody Chittum (HS) 8-3 Victor Voinovich (Oklahoma State) dec Zach Price (South Dakota State) 5-3 Alex Madrigal (George Mason) dec Chris Sandoval (Northern Colorado) 9-5 Josh Edmond (Missouri) dec John Arceri (Buffalo) 8-5 Semifinal Matchups Josh Finesilver (Duke) vs. Victor Voinovich (Oklahoma State) Alex Madrigal (George Mason) vs. Josh Edmond (Missouri) 157 lbs Brock Mauller (Missouri) dec Alex Hornfeck (West Virginia) 8-5 Chase Saldate (Michigan State) maj Joe Lee (Penn State) 9-1 Jarrett Jacques (Missouri) dec Hunter Richard (Cornell) 8-6 Jared Franek (North Dakota State) dec Dazjon Casto (The Citadel) 5-3 Semifinal Matchups Brock Mauller (Missouri) vs. Chase Saldate (Michigan State) Jarrett Jacques (Missouri) vs. Jared Franek (North Dakota State) 165 lbs Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) dec Cael Carlson (Minnesota) 11-4 Will Formato (Appalachian State) dec Thomas Bullard (NC State) 3-2 Peyton Hall (West Virginia) dec Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) 6-4SV Luke Weber (North Dakota State) dec RJ Mosely (Gardner-Webb) 2-1TB Semifinal Matchups Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) vs. Will Formato (Appalachian State) Peyton Hall (West Virginia) vs. Luke Weber (North Dakota State) 174 lbs Matt Finesilver (Duke) maj Bailee O'Reilly (Minnesota) 8-0 Peyton Mocco (Missouri) dec Tyler Eischens (Stanford) 5-2 Brennan Swafford (Iowa) dec Riley Habisch (North Dakota State) 9-6 Cade DeVos (South Dakota State) maj Albert Urias (CSU Bakersfield) 13-4 Semifinal Matchups Matt Finesilver (Duke) vs. Peyton Mocco (Missouri) Brennan Swafford (Iowa) vs. Cade Devos (South Dakota State) 184 lbs Jonathan Loew (Cornell) dec Gavin Stika (Oklahoma State) 8-2 Isaiah Salazar (Minnesota) dec Layne Malczewski (Michigan State) 11-9SV Kyle Cochran (Maryland) dec Jeremiah Kent (Missouri) 5-0 Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) dec DJ Parker (North Dakota State) 9-2 Semifinal Matchups Jonathan Loew (Cornell) vs. Isaiah Salazar (Minnesota) Kyle Cochran (Maryland) vs. Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) 197 lbs Rocky Elam (Missouri) tech Nick Casperson (South Dakota State) 17-2 Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State) dec Garrett Joles (Minnesota) 6-1 Cam Caffey (Michigan State) dec Alan Clothier (Northern Colorado) 6-2 Michael Beard (Penn State) dec Jaxon Smith (Maryland) 9-4 Semifinal Matchups Rocky Elam (Missouri) vs. Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State) Cam Caffey (Michigan State) vs. Michael Beard (Penn State) 285 lbs Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force) tech Zach Schrader (Maryland) 19-1 Brandon Metz (North Dakota State) dec Tyrie Houghton (NC State) 5-2 Aaron Costello (Iowa) dec Hunter Catka (Virginia Tech) 3-1 Lewis Fernandes (Cornell) dec Michael McAleavey (The Citadel) Semifinal Matchups Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force) vs. Brandon Metz (North Dakota State) Aaron Costello (Iowa) vs. Lewis Fernandes (Cornell)

3x NCAA Champion Spencer Lee (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) InterMat has learned that 3x NCAA champion Spencer Lee will not be available for the Iowa Hawkeyes for the remainder of the 2021-22 season. Lee, now famously, admitted after winning his most recent title that he had no ACL in either knee. In the near future he'll undergo surgery, which will sideline him for the rest of the year. The Iowa staff announced in the preseason that they would use caution with Lee and he would be on a limited schedule. His only appearance of the year was at the Collegiate Wrestling Duals in late-December. There he wrestled in all three of the Hawkeyes duals and went 3-0. Though he was undefeated, Lee was clearly not in prime form. After teching Brock Bergelin (Central Michigan) in his first bout, Lee majored Jaret Lane (Lehigh) 8-0 and was held to a regular decision by Jakob Camacho (NC State). In his absence, Iowa will most likely turn to true freshman Drake Ayala. MatScouts labeled Ayala as the #4 overall recruit in the Class of 2021 after winning three Iowa state titles and a pair of Junior National freestyle championships in Fargo. Ayala is off to a solid start while competing unattached, with a 7-1 record.. He is currently competing at the Southern Scuffle and is 2-0 with a 17-6 major decision over NCAA qualifier Reece Witcraft in his most recent bout. Jesse Ybarra has started at 125 lbs in Lee's absence and is 5-1. He was beaten 8-2 by Iowa State's #23 Kysen Terukina in his most recent outing. At this point, it's unclear whether or not Lee will appear in a Hawkeye singlet again. Having only competed in one date this year, Lee would likely receive a medical redshirt for the 2021-22 season. Looking at the long-term picture, he has to be focused on getting close to 100% for a run at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Gabe Arnold at the 2021 Walsh Ironman (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The University of Iowa has added to their already impressive recruiting Class of 2023 after they received a commitment from the #6 overall recruit Gabe Arnold (Wyoming Seminary, PA). Arnold made his announcement on USA Wrestling's Mat Chat podcast. Arnold is currently ranked fifth in the nation at 170 lbs and projects at 174 for the Hawkeyes. A Georgia native, Arnold has won a pair of National Prep titles while competing for Wyoming Seminary. So far this season, Arnold has placed sixth at the Walsh Ironman and the Powerade. Over the summer, Arnold won Fargo's 16U freestyle tournament after placing in both styles (5th/GR, 7th/FS) at the Cadet World Team Trials. With Gabe's commitment, Iowa now has verbals from four wrestlers in the Class of 2023; #4 Nate Jesuroga, #13 Ben Kueter, #54 Ryder Block.

Ohio State's Kaleb Romero (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Week 9 is still going on, but we Fantasy Wrestling Coaches are well aware that Week 10 start EARLY with teams locking on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday before the jam-packed weekend and start of the back half of the season appropriately known as "Dual-a-palooza" (maybe that's just me). Teams locking early in Week 10: Locking Monday: American, Arizona State, Michigan, and Ohio State Locking Tuesday: Indiana and Ohio Locking Thursday: Brown, Franklin & Marshall, and Iowa State (against non-D1 but has a dual on Sunday 1/9) Hopefully, Indiana is able to wrestle their scheduled match with Ohio on January 4th as they had to drop out of the Matmen Open due to Covid concerns. I am going to operate as if they are, until told otherwise (even though the dual with Penn State REALLY hurts their guy's FCW stock this week). Again, these "Early Lock" articles are short and sweet to help with your decision-making with early locking wrestlers on your roster. I've added a little discussion at the end of each weight as there are some high-ranked names not listed. Keep an eye out for the Week 10 Outlook article and an ear for the #FCWpodcast later this week. Got a question? Got a Recommendation? Let me know. I can be reached @FantasyD1wrestl. Wrestlers I Like This Week Wrestler (School)- competition for the week [Proj Score] *Organized by tournament name first, then by school name* 125: Pat Phillips (Franklin & Marshall)- Vs Brown, Vs Presbyterian, F&M Open [+6] Malik Heinselman (Ohio State)- @ American, @ Michigan State [+7] Jacob Moran (Indiana)- @ Ohio, @ Penn State [+3]* (if Hildebrandt doesn't wrestle) The unveiling of Nick Suriano in the maize and blue singlet? Quite possibly. Do I have confidence that he will win if he wrestles? I guess I should; he's only lost 7 matches in his career, two of them by 2 or more pts (6-4 to DeSanto in 2019 and 5-1 to Spencer Lee in the Finals of the 2018 NCAAs). BUT, we haven't seen him on a folkstyle mat since 2019 and his opponent, Brandon Courtney, is coming off of a week where he outscored his opponents 37-14 (11-3 score before pinning Acevedo), including a major of Jakob Camacho. Courtney also has a dual against Iowa State on Sunday, January 9th, which he is heavily favored. 133: Michael McGee (Arizona State)- Vs Michigan, Vs Iowa State [+6] Yeah, McGee is coming off a loss from Roman Bravo-Young but then again, who hasn't recently? Ragusin is coming off a CKLV title where he beat then #6 Chris Cannon. I'll give the advantage to McGee in this one. Before Indiana had to cancel their entry to the Matmen Open, Brock Hudkins was one of my deep dive picks to make a run. His Matchup with Mario Guillen is tough to call as Guillen has only wrestled once this season. Either way, I don't think the match will be bonus enough to offset the more than likely loss to RBY on Sunday 1/9. 141: Wil Gil (Franklin & Marshall)- Vs Brown, Vs Presbyterian, F&M Open [+7] Dylan D'Emilio (Ohio State)- @ American, @ Michigan State [+7] Stevan Micic (Michigan)- Vs Arizona State [+4] He's listed on ASU's review to be wrestling, but Jesse Vasquez looked to have tweaked something at the National Collegiate Duals in his match against Nick Lee. Now, it could be nothing and maybe he's 100%. Even though Stevan Micic is in the same boat as Nick Suriano of not being on a folkstyle mat since 2019, I like the matchup against Vasquez better to have the confidence in picking him to win. Wil Gil of Franklin & Marshall met Bierdumpfel earlier this year and walked off the mat with a 10-7 Decision. But aside from having two winnable matches this week, Gil offers great fantasy plays for the next few weeks, too, if you have room to stash him. 149: Blake Saito (Brown)- Vs Franklin & Marshall, Vs Presbyterian (@F&M), F&M Open [+8] Sammy Sasso (Ohio State)- @ American, @ Michigan State [+8] Kyle Parco (Arizona State)- Vs Michigan, Vs Iowa State [+6] I'm assuming Kanen Storr is going to be wrestling, but he had what looked to be a bad knee injury at CKLV. That was a month ago, so hopefully, he's back to competitive health, but whether it's Storr at 75%, Lamer off redshirt, or someone else, I am giving the edge to Parco and feel confident rolling with him against Degen as well (2-0 against him last NCAAs) 157: Jack Bokina (Brown)- Vs Franklin & Marshall, Vs Presbyterian (@F&M), F&M Open [+8] Will Lewan seems to like keeping matches close, as shown by his current record, having half his matches (win or loss) finish with two points. In their last meeting in March 2021, Jacori Teemer came away with the 4-2 SV win in the Round of 16. The only problem is, he is scheduled to face David Carr on Sunday sooooo… 165: Anthony Valencia (Arizona State)- Vs Michigan, Vs Iowa State [+8] Carson Kharchla (Ohio State)- @ American, @ Michigan State [+7] Anthony Valencia is heavily favored against Iowa State's Austin Kraisser for their dual on Sunday 1/9/2022, but has a battle of a match on Monday 1/3/2022 against Cam Amine. Cam absolutely has the ability for an upset, but I have to go with the hot hand. Besides, even if Cam wins, Valencia can still net positive for the week. 174: Ethan Smith (Ohio State)- @ American. @ Michigan State [+8] Logan Massa (Michigan)- Vs Arizona State [+4] The Super Senior vs the third-year freshman. This starts a two-weight gap for ASU where Michigan can take advantage for bonus point opportunities. This is assuming, of course, that ASU doesn't pull Cael Valencia's redshirt, which would make me think is closer to a tossup with the edge to Massa. 184: Kaleb Romero (Ohio State)- @ American [+7] Myles Amine- Vs Arizona State [+5] Marcus Coleman (Iowa State)- @ Arizona State [+4] Coming off his Matmen title where he finally beat Mark Hall (albeit after he graduated) where he looked pretty dominant (7-0 win over 2021 6th place AA Brit Wilson). Another weight where ASU will probably give up bonus points given the current run Amine is on. Donnell Washington is 9-0 on the season… with eight pins. I don't expect a pin in this match for Washington; I actually expect it to be a closer to a decision. Which does not help in making a case to start him because he's also scheduled to face Aaron Brooks a few days later (outlook: not good). 197: Kordell Norfleet and Pat Brucki are neck-and-neck in every ranking from InterMat to WrestleStat. They have records of 10-2 to 6-2 and bonus rates of 66% and 63%, respectively, and both have lost by Decision to Jake Woodley this season. This is a toss-up match which has me questioning like Larry David on who I think will win. 285: Vincenzo Pelusi (Franklin & Marshall)- Vs Brown, Vs Presbyterian, F&M Open [+7] Tate Orndorff (Ohio State)- @ American [+6] Mason Parris (Michigan)- Vs Arizona State [+3] We didn't get to see the Cohlton Schultz-Kerviliet match we all were waiting for a couple weeks ago due to a "Coach's Decision," which would have given me a better idea of how to judge this coming match with Mason Parris. Parris didn't wrestle at CKLV and has only been to one tournament (Cleveland State Open) where he dominated with two pins, one tech, and two majors against unranked opponents. I want to pick Parris all day long (and not just because he's on my #MatScoutsDynasty team), but I think this might be closer than some think. I had higher expectations for Righter this season, not to say he hasn't been producing, but he hasn't been able to get over the hump of beating a ranked opponent. I don't think it starts with Orndorff, so I'm picking the Buckeye with a possibility of bonus too. Think I missed someone? Disagree with someone on the list or their projection? Let me know!

Oklahoma State's NCAA champion AJ Ferrari (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Since we're about to wrap up 2021, I thought I'd throw a little different angle on my story this week for the Big 12 conference. I'm going to look at all the schools and what I view as the top events for each of them from 2021. Missouri-Return to the Big 12. Missouri was a core Big 12 member when the conference was formed in 1994. Their exit to the SEC in 2012 shocked some and left them without a home for wrestling as the SEC does not sponsor the sport. After a nine-year hiatus where they hung out in the MAC, they've now returned to the Big 12. The level of success upon their return remains to be seen, but they remain a top program nationally and will certainly add some excitement to the team race at the Big 12 tournament in Tulsa this year. Oklahoma State-The 665 Pound Deadlift The Cowboys were on a five-year drought of individual NCAA champions, and with the kind of history this program has, that's a long time. AJ Ferrari, their true freshman 197 pounder who famously told the world at the NCAA tournament that he deadlifts 665 pounds, ended that drought in 2021. Taking only one loss all season, Ferrari ran through the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments knocking off a who's who of stars in a tough bracket to become just the second Cowboy ever to win an NCAA title as a true freshman. Oklahoma-Big 12 Co-Champions In what many would say is the biggest win of the Lou Rosselli era at Oklahoma, the Sooners won a share of the Big 12 conference crown this year when they tied their rival Oklahoma State in Tulsa last March. Bonus point win after bonus-point win in the consolation bracket for OU pulled them into the lead heading into the finals of the conference tournament. OSU tied things up with wins by Daton Fix, Boo Lewallen, and AJ Ferrari in the finals, but OU snagged a share of the conference crown for the first time since 2002. Air Force-Wyatt Hendrickson wins a Junior National Title The standard-bearer for the Air Force program of late has been Wyatt Hendrickson. The heavyweight out of Kansas has been a star for the Falcons in his young career and this summer, he won the 125 KG Junior World Team Trials and represented the United States in Russia on the team. If there's a guy that could get Air Force an individual Big 12 title and potentially an NCAA tournament podium finish, Hendrickson is the guy. Cal Baptist-Joins the Big 12 Cal Baptist still has some time before they officially start competing in the conference, but in February, it was announced that they'll be joining in 2022-23. This program has a lot of tradition, but it's all been in Division 2. This association with a big-time wrestling conference will put their brand next to some of the biggest names in the sport and put a huge spotlight on the school and program. South Dakota State-Facility Upgrades South Dakota State announced facility upgrade plans at the end of 2020, but the process has been rolling into 2021. This was a monumental announcement for the school. They will have some of the best facilities in the country soon and will undoubtedly have the best in the Big 12. Absolutely massive for their recruiting, athletes, coaches, and their program. Northern Colorado-Breaks into the top 25 In wrestling, there is so much shine on the top schools that it's difficult to see what's going on at some of the more under-the-radar programs. It is hard to build on a program that has not made the top 25 in 50+ years. Last season for the first time in 51 years, the Bears made it into the top 25 of the coach's poll. Northern Iowa-Parker Keckeisen Finishes Third at NCAA Tournament Northern Iowa continues to be one of the best programs in the country at the 184-pound weight class. Parker Keckeisen took one loss on the season to eventual NCAA champion Aaron Brooks, but looks poised to potentially win a National title in his career as he did this as a freshman and with the covid year could have as many as four more shots to reach the top of the podium. Utah Valley-LaMont and Romero All-American Utah Valley has two very good wrestlers in Taylor LaMont and Demetrius Romero. Both showed that at the NCAA tournament last season with top-eight finishes. Oklahoma State was the only program in the Big 12 with more All-American finishes than Utah Valley last season. Iowa State-Carr wins a National Title David Carr was the Big 12 wrestler of the year and 157-pound NCAA champion. He's still young and will continue to rack up accolades for the Cyclones as he moves forward in his career, but this was the first NCAA title win for Carr in a career that is certain to go down as one of the greats at Iowa State. Wyoming-Buchanan finishes as an All-American All-American finishes at the NCAA tournament aren't easy to come by. Especially after having to battle the gauntlet of a weight class that is 197 in the Big 12 every week. Stephen Buchanan did that in March and finished 8th at the NCAA tournament. He's back with a shot to finish a bit higher on the NCAA podium this March. North Dakota State-Weber wins the Big 12 All last season, everyone around wrestling and the Big 12 declared Travis Wittlake as a lock to win the Big 12 at 165. Luke Weber shocked the world when he knocked off Wittlake in the semifinals of the tournament and went on to win the conference title. He fell short of an All-American finish at the NCAA tournament, but a better break in his bracket and he's sure to make the podium this year. West Virginia-Killian Cardinale finishes as an All-American Cardinale went on a great run at the NCAA tournament to finish seventh at 125. You could argue that this weight class in the Big 12 was a bit overlooked for most of the season nationally, but Cardinale and LaMont answered the call in March and both helped change that narrative a bit with top-eight finishes.

Missouri 125 lber Noah Surtin (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) What better way to start the year than with a massive tournament! The Southern Scuffle has become the New Year's tradition! Ringing 2022 with some of the top wrestlers in the nation butting heads. Like many other things in our country, the Scuffle was canceled in 2021, so this will be a triumphant return for the tournament that has been held on the campus of Chattanooga for the last decade. Here is a weight-by-weight breakdown of the ten brackets that will be contested Saturday and Sunday, along with picks for the top-eight in each. 125 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #8 Killian Cardinale (West Virginia); #9 Patrick McKee (Minnesota); #12 Noah Surtin (Missouri); #21 Fabian Gutierrez (Chattanooga); #32 Caleb Smith (Appalachian State) Unranked Threats: Drake Ayala (Iowa); Cooper Flynn (Virginia Tech); Jace Koelzer (Northern Colorado); Brett Ungar (Spartan Combat RTC); Reece Witcraft (Oklahoma State) A pair of returning All-Americans headline this opening weight class, with #8 Killian Cardinale and #9 Patrick McKee. The two did not meet at the 2021 NCAA Championships, but they did see each other in 2019-20, while Cardinale was still at Old Dominion and McKee prevailed, 7-3. Before penciling these two into the finals, Noah Surtin could have something to say about it all. Surtin is coming in off of an unbeaten showing at the Collegiate Duals, where he knocked off a pair of opponents, then ranked in the top-12 (Jakob Camacho - NC State and Jaret Lane - Lehigh). He happened to lose to both Cardinale and McKee at the 2021 NCAA Tournament, but has improved dramatically since. The SoCon is responsible for the final two ranked wrestlers with Fabian Gutierrez and Caleb Smith. Gutierrez represents the host-Mocs best chance at a high placer. Last week, Gutierrez suffered a loss to Cardinale, but beat a talented Logan Heil. The highest returning placewinner expected to enter is Smith, who was fifth in 2020, while redshirting. He made his way into the rankings after a championship at the Keystone Classic and hasn't looked back. We'll get a glimpse into the future at this weight as a handful of talented, redshirting freshmen are expected to compete. First and foremost is Drake Ayala, a top-five overall recruit, from the Class of 2021. Ayala has only seen action in six bouts this year and his only loss came at the hands of McKee. Virginia Tech's prized lightweight star is Cooper Flynn. Like Ayala, with just a single setback on his record, Flynn already has logged wins over two national qualifiers from Campbell and North Carolina's starter, Spencer Moore. Future Cornell wrestler and current Spartan Combat RTC member, Brett Ungar, already has some good wins on his resume, too. He downed Heil and majored returning national qualifier Micah Roes (Binghamton), during his collegiate debut. Big 12 veterans Reece Witcraft and Jace Koelzer should also challenge for spots on the podium. Witcraft is a big-move guy that could get on a roll in a tournament of this magnitude. Finals Prediction: Noah Surtin over Patrick McKee 3rd) Killian Cardinale; 4th) Drake Ayala; 5th) Cooper Flynn; 6th) Caleb Smith 7th) Reece Witcraft; 8th) Fabian Gutierrez 133 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #11 Rayvon Foley (Michigan State); #17 Chance Rich (CSU Bakersfield); #18 Kai Orine (NC State); #21 Codi Russell (Appalachian State); #25 Jake Gliva (Minnesota); #26 Kellyn March (North Dakota State); #28 Richie Koehler (Rider); #29 Jackson DiSario (Stanford); #30 Dom LaJoie (Cornell) Unranked Threats: Connor Brown (Missouri); Trey Crawford (Missouri); Cullan Schriever (Iowa); Derek Spann (Buffalo) Though this weight class doesn't have any top-ten ranked wrestlers, it's among the deepest of any weight class at the Scuffle. #11 Rayvon Foley is the only returning All-American of the bunch. Since a loss the opening week of the season, Foley has reeled off nine straight wins and claimed a title at the Navy Classic. While Foley is the clear favorite, there are any number of contenders to face him in the finals, depending on seeding. Next in-line, rankings-wise, is Chance Rich, an NCAA Round of 12 finisher in 2021. Rich was recently a runner-up at the Reno Tournament of Champions and is 5-1 on the year. Fellow Pac-12 wrestler, Jackson DiSario (Stanford) was the third in Reno and is a two-time national qualifier. The two haven't met this season, though they both share a loss to Oregon State's Devan Turner. Others with past NCAA experience at this weight are Codi Russell, Richie Koehler, Connor Brown, and Derek Spann. The highest returning placewinner from the last incarnation of the Scuffle is Kai Orine, who was fourth in 2020, while redshirting. In his last outing, Orine was majored by #3 Austin DeSanto (Iowa) at the Collegiate Duals, which marked his first loss of the year. He's still in a positional battle with past qualifier Jarrett Trombley, so a deep run may be a necessity. Aside from Foley, more B1G flavor is here with Jake Gliva, who is having a breakout year for Minnesota. Gliva was sixth at the CKLV Invitational, where he defeated two ranked opponents and a third that was previously ranked. Another victim of Gliva this season is Kellyn March, whose on a bit of a heater, himself. March tallied a pair of falls and a 6-0 win over Spann during the most recent road trip for the Bison. Finals Prediction: Rayvon Foley over Jake Gliva 3rd) Kai Orine; 4th) Kai Orine; 5th) Kellyn March; 6th) Chance Rich; 7th) Cullan Schriever; 8th) Jackson DiSario 141 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #6 Clay Carlson (South Dakota State); #7 Real Woods (Stanford); #8 Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado); #22 Angelo Martinoni (CSU Bakersfield); #26 Quinn Kinner (Rider); #28 Collin Gerardi (Virginia Tech); #30 Dylan Droegemueller (North Dakota State) Unranked Threats: Anthony Brito (Appalachian State); Wyatt Henson (Iowa); Dusty Hone (Oklahoma State); Marcos Polano (Minnesota); Franco Valdes (Chattanooga) Three top-eight wrestlers are in the mix at 141 lbs and we have the chance to see a possible rematch between Clay Carlson and Andrew Alirez, who battled in a back-and-forth affair during the CKLV finals. On paper, the result was a fall in Carlson's favor, but the match was still in doubt in the moments leading up to the final whistle. That loss accounted for Alirez's only of the year, while Carlson is still unblemished at 13-0. Before we get another meeting between these two Big 12 foes, Real Woods may have something to say about that. Woods has made the Scuffle finals on two occasions, winning in 2020 and finishing second in 2019. Also in 2020, Alirez was a Scuffle runner-up to Woods' teammate Jaden Abas. Woods has only seen action in three bouts this year, as he won all three in Reno before medically forfeiting out. A Woods/Carlson final could be fun, since the two met in the NCAA Round of 12 last year, with Carlson prevailing 11-4 Angelo Martinoni, Quinn Kinner, Collin Gerardi, and Dylan Droegemueller round out the ranked wrestlers at this weight. Martinoni and Gerardi both have some positive history here in Chattanooga. Each has a sixth-place finish on their resume. Martinoni's came in 2020 and Gerardi did so the year before, at 133 lbs. Earlier this year, Martinoni was eighth at the CKLV. A young guy to watch here is Iowa's redshirting freshman Wyatt Henson. So far, Henson has won three open tournaments (Luther, Lindenwood, and Cyclone) and is 13-0. This tournament would constitute a significant step up in competition as Henson has only faced four DI opponents. Some vets with past NCAA experience in this bracket are Anthony Brito, Dusty Hone, and Marcos Polanco. Hone was also third at the Scuffle in 2020. Brito shocked the SoCon by winning its title at 141 in 2021; however, earlier in the season, he suffered a loss to Franco Valdes of the host school. Finals Prediction: Clay Carlson over Real Woods 3rd) Andrew Alirez; 4th) Wyatt Henson; 5th) Angelo Martinoni; 6th) Collin Gerardi; 7th) Dusty Hone; 8th) Quinn Kinner 149 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #5 Jonathan Millner (Appalachian State); #7 Josh Finesilver (Duke); #22 Josh Edmond (Missouri); #26 Alex Madrigal (George Mason); #32 Zach Price (South Dakota State) Unranked Threats: Ben Alanis (Northern Colorado); Cody Chittum (High School); Alek Martin (South Dakota State); Travis Mastrogiovanni (Oklahoma State); Michael North (Maryland); Peyton Omania (Michigan State); Caleb Rathjen (Iowa); Chris Sandoval (Northern Colorado); Victor Voinovich (Oklahoma State) Frequent Scuffle-goers Appalachian State is looking for their first finalist at this tournament since Denzel Dejournette did so in 2012! #5 Jonathan Millner should be the top seed and favored to not only make the finals, but win the whole thing. The 2021 All-American's record sits at a cool 8-1 heading into Chattanooga. Millner picked up a win over the likely #2 seed, Josh Finesilver, at ASU's Mountaineer Invitational. In one of his most recent outings, Millner downed fellow All-American Zach Sherman. The loss to Millner accounts for the only defeat of the year for Finesilver, who has competed early and often, already seeing action in 17 bouts. Not only has Finesilver won frequently, but he's also done so in dominating fashion. More than 50% of his wins included bonus points. There's a bit of a drop-off between the North Carolina boys and the rest of the field, but Josh Edmond, Alex Madrigal, and Zach Price account for the rest of the ranked competitors expected to compete. Edmond had a bit of a tough go of things at the Collegiate Duals. We'll see how he responds and adjusts. The last time Madrigal was here, he left with a fifth-place medal. In 11 contests this season, his only loss came to Millner. Price was an NCAA Round of 12 finisher last year at 133 lbs, and has taken some lumps this year, moving up two weights. This may be a weight class we look back on and marvel at three years down the road. A handful of talented redshirts are expected to do battle here, like Caleb Rathjen, Ben Alanis, Victor Voinovich, Travis Mastrogiovanni, and Alek Martin. Each was considered a top-50 recruit from the Class of 2021. Finally, the Class of 2023 is represented by perhaps the best high school junior in the nation, Cody Chittum. The Minnesota recruit is from Tennessee and has a physical style that will make him fit in with a boatload of DI studs. Finals Prediction: Jonathan Millner over Josh Finesilver 3rd) Josh Edmond; 4th) Victor Voinovich; 5th) Caleb Rathjen; 6th) Alex Madrigal; 7th) Peyton Omania; 8th) Ben Alanis 157 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #4 Brayton Lee (Minnesota); #8 Jared Franek (North Dakota State); #21 Chase Saldate (Michigan State); #23 Jarrett Jacques (Missouri); #24 Colton Yapoujian (Cornell); #31 Dazjon Casto (The Citadel); #32 Cody Bond (Appalachian State) Unranked Threats: Terrell Barraclough (Penn State); AJ Kovacs (NC State); Parker Kropman (Drexel); Joe Lee (Penn State); Brock Mauller (Missouri) Losing North Carolina late, negated one of the best matches of the tournament, one between 2021 NCAA champion Austin O'Connor and Brayton Lee. Lee is still expected to be in action and his biggest threat could come from Jared Franek. These two already clashed once this year, at the Bison Open, a match won by Lee in sudden victory. Someone capable of ruining a potential Lee/Franek rematch is two-time NCAA All-American Brock Mauller. Through three years of competition, Mauller is 83-8 with a pair of top-six finishes at nationals. Those numbers came down at 149 lbs, so we're not sure what to expect from Mauller up at 157 lbs. He's currently in redshirt and hasn't competed in 2021-22. Aside from Maulller, maybe Chase Saldate is capable of knocking off one of these top-ten foes atop the weight. Saldate is 13-1 on the year with a title at the MSU Open and a boatload of bonus-point wins. This field will represent a step-up in competition for most of his season. Another Missouri Tiger will vie for a spot on the podium in Jarrett Jacques. Jacques is looking to right the ship after a 1-2 showing at the Collegiate Duals. Cornell's Colton Yapoujian went 2-1 at the duals, though their teams did not meet. A pair of SoCon stars will make a push for the podium here, as Dazjon Casto and Cody Bond are looking to move up from the bottom of the national rankings. Penn State is still trying to figure out this weight class and two of their contenders, Terrell Barraclough and Joe Lee, are expected to be in action here. Another non-starter to watch is AJ Kovacs, who is responsible for the only loss of the year on teammate Ed Scott's resume. Kovacs also has a seven-point win over Casto. Finals Prediction: Brayton Lee over Brock Mauller 3rd) Jared Franek; 4th) Chase Saldate; 5th) Colton Yapoujian; 6th) Joe Lee; 7th) Jarrett Jacques; 8th) AJ Kovacs 165 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #3 Keegan O'Toole (Missouri); #7 Luke Weber (North Dakota State); #12 Peyton Hall (West Virginia); #19 Thomas Bullard (NC State); #20 Andrew Sparks (Minnesota); #24 Will Formato (Appalachian State); #26 Tanner Cook (South Dakota State) Unranked Threats: Donald Cates (NC State); Gabe Dinette (Duke); Alex Facundo (Penn State); Caleb Fish (Michigan State); Patrick Kennedy (Iowa); RJ Mosley (Gardner-Webb); Drew Nicholson (Chattanooga); Selwyn Porter (The Citadel); Clayton Ulrey (Virginia Tech) Like most tournaments this year, the 165 lb weight class will be one of the headliners. Undefeated Keegan O'Toole leads the charge. The 2021 All-American has only lost once in his collegiate career and has bonus points in over 87% of his matches this year. One of those victims was Luke Weber, a 2021 Big 12 champion. O'Toole pinned Weber in his 2021-22 debut. That loss is Weber's only of the year. Another unbeaten member of this bracket is West Virginia's Peyton Hall. As of yet, Hall hasn't met any of the primary contenders at the weight, but still sports a sparkling 13-0 record. After the Big 12 contingent, look out for North Carolina's best with Thomas Bullard and Will Formato. The pair have met five times in the collegiate careers, with Bullard holding a 3-2 edge; however, Formato took the most recent meeting, 6-1. Bullard is looking to place here for the second time, as he was fourth in 2020. Some big guns at this weight are sitting in the “unranked threats” category, including Patrick Kennedy and Alex Facundo. Through a year and a half of collegiate competition, Kennedy's only losses have come to multiple-time AA's Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) and teammate Alex Marinelli. The Marinelli loss was by a single point this year at the Luther Open. Facundo was considered one of the top recruits in the Class of 2021, but his only appearance of the year was at the Clarion Open, where he went 6-1. While the PSU staff seemed poised to keep him in redshirt, a deep run at the Scuffle may force them to reconsider. Two other under-the-radar guys to watch are Donald Cates and Caleb Fish. Cates was inserted for the Collegiate Duals and responded with an early takedown against Marinelli, then fought to avoid bonus points. So far, he's 12-4 on the year. In only the third dual appearance of Fish's career, he knocked off 2021 NCAA All-American Zach Hartman (Bucknell), 9-5. Finals Prediction: Keegan O'Toole over Patrick Kennedy 3rd) Peyton Hall; 4th) Luke Weber; 5th) Alex Facundo; 6th) Will Formato; 7th) Thomas Bullard; 8th) Tanner Cook 174 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #8 Matt Finesilver (Duke); #12 Cade DeVos (South Dakota State); #13 Peyton Mocco (Missouri); #15 Mickey O'Malley (Drexel); #28 Tyler Eischens (Stanford); #31 Triston Wills (Little Rock); #33 Thomas Flitz (Appalachian State) Unranked Threats: Austin Brenner (North Dakota State); Peyton Craft (Cornell); Logan Messer (George Mason); Bailee O'Reilly (Minnesota); Dom Solis (Maryland); Albert Urias (CSU Bakersfield) This should be the second weight class with a Finesilver in the mix. Matt has placed twice at this tournament, taking fifth in 2019 and eighth in 2018. He's a perfect 17-0 on the year and has not had a match closer than four points. The most likely finals opponent for Finesilver could be the rapidly improving Cade DeVos. Moving up two weights, hasn't affected the Iowa native and he was fourth at the CKLV Invitational. This year he's posted wins over five returning national qualifiers in 13 wins. Expected to make life difficult for Finesilver and DeVos pre-finals are Peyton Mocco and Mickey O'Malley. Mocco is only 5-3 on the year, but has a pair of losses to top-five opponents in Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) and Hayden Hidlay (NC State). The Lewis match ended up in tiebreakers, before Mocco fell, 11-9. O'Malley already has seven falls in his nine wins this season. In his most recent outing, he pinned Maryland's Dom Solis and lost 6-2 to Finesilver. One of the guys on the rise at this weight is #33 Thomas Flitz. Against North Carolina, Flitz knocked off Clay Lautt, who was ranked in the top-ten, at the time. He was seventh at this weight in 2020. Austin Brenner and Albert Urias are both entrants that spent some time ranked in the top-33 this year. True freshman Logan Messer has piled up the wins (18-5) and could be seeking a breakthrough. Also, Bailee O'Reilly is a past NCAA qualifier that is trying to work his way back into the Gopher lineup with a 13-3 record. Finals Prediction: Matt Finesilver over Cade DeVos 3rd) Mickey O'Malley; 4th) Peyton Mocco; 5th) Tyler Eischens; 6th) Thomas Flitz; 7th) Bailee O'Reilly; 8th) Austin Brenner 184 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #13 Jonathan Loew (Cornell); #14 Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech); #15 Jeremiah Kent (Missouri); #28 Layne Malczewski (Michigan State); #29 Isaiah Salazar (Minnesota); #32 Kyle Cochran (Maryland) Unranked Threats: Jha'Quan Anderson (Gardner-Webb); Anthony Carman (West Virginia); Colton Hawks (Missouri); Bryan McLaughlin (Drexel); DJ Parker (North Dakota State); Matthew Waddell (Chattanooga) The only returning All-American at 184 lbs is Virginia Tech's Hunter Bolen. He's expected to take the second seed after a sudden victory loss to Jonathan Loew at the Collegiate Duals. Bolen has also faced the third seed, Jeremiah Kent, this year and prevailed 6-3. With Loew being such a difficult matchup, due to his height, I'd expect a different gameplan from Bolen since he's already had his hands on the Big Red 184 lber. Loew showed he was for real with a third-place finish at the CKLV Invitational. At that event, he downed three past national qualifiers. Kent has been consistent this year, aside from his losses to the ACC All-Americans (Bolen and Trent Hidlay - NC State). The rest of the ranked wrestlers at this weight hail from the Big Ten. Layne Malczewski is a two-time national qualifier that was the 15th seed at the NCAA Championships. Isaiah Salazar has been good this season, but in limited doses. He's only competed in six matches and in his only loss, Salazar took two-time AA Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State) to sudden victory. Salazar is looking for that signature win(s) to boost his stock. Maryland veteran Kyle Cochran has been nearly perfect in the earlygoing, with a 9-1 record. His only loss was avenged two weeks later in dual competition. One young unranked guy to watch is DJ Parker of North Dakota State. Parker competed unattached for the first month of the year and suffered a few losses to returning AA's, plus a one-pointer to Salazar. He was a fast riser during his final years of high school and could continue that upward trajectory here. The depth of the Mizzou lineup has kept Colton Hawks on the outside, but he's capable of a deep run here. Hawks was a Junior World Team member in 2021 and is 2-1 in open competition this year. Finals Prediction: Hunter Bolen over Jonathan Loew 3rd) Jeremiah Kent; 4th) Isaiah Salazar; 5th) Layne Malczewski; 6th) Kyle Cochran; 7th) DJ Parker; 8th) Colton Hawks 197 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #7 Rocky Elam (Missouri); #18 Owen Pentz (North Dakota State); #19 Jacob Cardenas (Cornell); #20 Cameron Caffey (Michigan State); #22 Tanner Sloan (North Dakota State); #24 Alan Clothier (Northern Colorado); #31 Michial Foy (Minnesota) Unranked Threats: Michael Beard (Penn State); Matt Correnti (Rider); Josh Loomer (CSU Bakersfield); Kaden Russell (Duke); Jaron Smith (Maryland) There's the potential for a lot of fun here at 197 lbs. 2021 Junior World Champion Rocky Elam leads the charge. When we last saw Elam, he went 2-1 at the Collegiate Duals and suffered his first loss of the 2021-22 campaign. Even so, Elam figures to be in the mix for a national title at a deep 197 lb weight class and the favorite here. Elam already has a major decision victory over the likely three-seed, Owen Pentz. Pentz made himself known last year when he upset #2 Eric Schultz (Nebraska) at the NCAA Championships. He was the 31st seed last year, but will be much higher after starting the season 8-2. One of the new faces to watch at this weight has been Jacob Cardenas. He has supplanted All-American Ben Darmstadt as the Big Red starter at 197 lbs and has performed admirably thus far. Cardenas nearly knocked off former teammate, Max Dean (Penn State), at the Collegiate Duals, a match that could have propelled Cornell to an upset. Speaking of Penn State, the Nittany Lions 2021 All-American, Michael Beard, is here and has a real chance at a title. In limited action, Beard is 4-0 with bonus points in all four appearances. He and Elam met in the NCAA consolations last year and Elam prevailed, 5-0. Two others at this weight were top-15 seeds at the NCAA Tournament last year with Cameron Caffey (#10) and Tanner Sloan (#13). Both fell in the Round of 12 last season, but have taken a few lumps this year. Sloan is 1-2, while Caffey is 11-3. Someone on the rise at this weight is #31 Michial Foy of Minnesota. Foy had a 9-3 win over Sloan in dual meet action and majored his way through the UNI Open in his last outing. Northern Colorado's Alan Clothier will attempt to make the podium for a fourth time at the Scuffle. He was seventh in 2020 for UNC, after placing twice for Appalachian State. He and veterans like Matt Correnti, Josh Loomer, Kaden Russell, and Jaron Smith, are capable of deep runs. Finals Prediction: Rocky Elam over Michael Beard 3rd) Jacob Cardenas; 4th) Cameron Caffey; 5th) Tanner Sloan; 6th) Owen Pentz; 7th) Michial Foy; 8th) Alan Clothier 285 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #15 Zach Elam (Missouri); #18 Lewis Fernandes (Cornell); #19 Michael Wolfgram (West Virginia); #20 Owen Trephan (NC State); #23 Brandon Metz (North Dakota State); #24 AJ Nevills (South Dakota State); #29 Zach Schrader (Maryland) Unranked Threats: Hunter Catka (Virginia Tech); Aaron Costello (Iowa); Austin Harris (Oklahoma State); Michael McAleavey (The Citadel); Seth Nevills (Penn State); Jacob Seely (Northern Colorado); Deonte Wilson (NC State) If any weight class had the chance to go sideways, it could be 285 lbs. #15 Zach Elam is the highest-ranked wrestler in the bracket; however, seven others are among the top-33, along with some unranked notables. The Big 12 is extremely deep at heavyweight and it'll be on display with Elam, Michael Wolfgram, Brandon Metz, AJ Nevills, Jacob Seely, and Austin Harris. Wolfgram has really broken out this year, while Metz and Nevills are as steady as they come. Seely is a veteran that is back for one last ride and Harris was the Cowboys starter last year and advanced to the NCAA Round of 12. NC State comes in with a strong triumvirate of big men, #20 Owen Trephan, 2021 ACC champion Deonte Wilson, and Tyrie Houghton. Any or all three could end up in the top-eight. Lewis Fernandes has the opportunity to be that All-American heavyweight that Cornell has long yearned for. He had a tough draw at the Collegiate Duals, but fought valiantly. The last of the ranked wrestlers is Maryland's Zach Schrader, a graduate transfer from Cal Baptist. Schrader and the rest of the Terp upperweights have been heavily responsible for his squad starting with a 3-2 dual record. There are many others that could break into the top-eight, including NCAA qualifier Hunter Catka, Aaron Costello, and Seth Nevills. Finals Prediction: Michael Wolfgram over Zach Elam 3rd) Lewis Fernandes; 4th) Seth Nevills; 5th) Owen Trephan; 6th) Brandon Metz; 7th) Deonte Wilson; 8th) Hunter Catka

Olympic champion Gable Steveson (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The inaugural and prestigious Intermat end of the year awards are upon us and that means getting to relive the best of 2021 for men's freestyle. The categories for this article came from a question from @AndrewA1994 on Twitter. Most Improved: #4 (74) Taimuraz Salkazanov (SVK) Already a 70 KG U-23 world champion in 2018 and a Senior World bronze medalist at 79 KG in 2019, Taimuraz Salkazanov had a compelling resume going into 2021, but hadn't yet proved himself as a true elite in the deepest weight class in the world at 74KG. Salkazanov's 2021 campaign started off on a rough note, being pinned against Alipasha Umarpashaev of Bulgaria in the Round of 16 of the European Olympic Qualifier. Umarpashaev wrestled a career-best tournament at the European Olympic Qualifier, beating Salkazanov and Olympic runner-up #2 Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov (BLR) but even with those wins still failed to qualify after finishing 5th after losses to #10 Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO) and Georgios Kougiomitsidis (GRE). Going into the European championships against the likes of world champions #5 Frank Chamizo (ITA), #6 Razambek Zhamalov (RUS), and Khetag Tsabolov (SRB), along with 2018 world runner-up Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO), all on his side of the bracket, Salkazanov was given a snowball's chance in hell of placing, let alone winning the tournament. Salkazanov's beginning of the European championships started off with a convincing 5-2 win over Marc Dietsche (SUI), but as comfortable of an opener as he had, he would be faced with a massive challenger in his Round of 16 match against two-time world champion #5 Frank Chamizo (ITA). Between Chamizo and Salkazanov, you could not find two more disparate wrestlers. Chamizo is an exceptional scrambler who scores effortlessly on his opponent's offense, while Salkazanov grinds his opponents down with impeccable handfighting and seals matches with a strong double leg, underhook knee pick or head inside single. With both men having scored a takedown and Chamizo leading 2-2 going into the final 15 seconds of the match, Salkazanov was able to perfectly time a knee pull single and turning the corner to finish a double leg transition to a powerful 4-point trap arm throw. Italy challenged the clutch takedown from Salkazanov, but Salkazanov was not to be beaten that day and walked away with the biggest win of his career by a 6-2 score over two-time world champion Frank Chamizo. While his previous match against Chamizo was defined by an explosive match-ending takedown, Salkazanov's quarterfinal against 2018 world runner-up #10 Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO) would be a war of attrition. Down 5-0 to Kentchadze early into the 2nd period, Salkazanov became a man possessed. Kentchadze, assured of his own victory, was in no state of worry even as Salkazanov got two pushouts and a failed challenge call against Kentchadze. An aggressive Kentchadze kept charging forward, determined to pull ahead of Salkazanov, but the Slovakian matched his best offense with impeccable defense and grit. Salkazanov kept coming and kept coming, with Kentchadze having no answer for the continued pressure of the Slovakian. In the turning point of the match, Salkazanov breaks through Kentchadze to a body lock and runs the Georgian out of bounds for a stepout to make the score 5-4 and you see a wayward glance from Kentchadze to his coaches and a hurried gasp for breath of a man who knows his time has come. In the waning seconds of the match, Salkazanov made the score 5-5 with only 15 seconds left on the clock. Salkazanov, sensing that victory is at hands, continues to charge forward and runs Kentchadze towards the edge and with the fleeing Georgian called for passivity, Salkazanov would punch his way into the semifinals with a 6-5 win to get the chance to face Russian Nationals runner-up #6 Razambek Zhamalov (RUS). Continuing the trend of his past matches against Chamizo and Kentchadze, Salkazanov fell behind Zhamalov 4-0 at the end of the first period. Having wrestled Zhamalov before at the 2020 Individual World Cup and knowing how the talented Chechen's mat control, Salkazanov knew he had to get on the attack right away and got in on an elbow post head-inside single within the first ten seconds of the match, but wasn't able to finish against the defense of Zhamalov. Timing a Zhamalov club, Salkazanov was able to time another head inside single and, with Zhamalov doing the splits, was able to secure a stepout and his first point of the match to make the score 4-1 with under two minutes left. Hard handfighting continued between Salkazanov and Zhamalov and Zhamalov was able to set up an overunder body lock and walkout by Salkazanov for a step out to go up 5-1. With Zhamalov fading, Salkazanov was able to get in again on a head-inside single and converted this time for his first takedown of the match to cut the lead to 5-3. Another elbow-post double from Salkazanov was brought up to an underhook by Zhamalov and Salkazanov sprinted through him to the edge to earn a controversial takedown off a Zhamalov headstand counter. A failed Zhamalov challenge gave Salkazanov a 6-5 lead and a cool head to fend off a late charge from Zhamalov secured him the spot in the European finals. The gold medal was a foregone conclusion for Salkazanov in his finals match against Miroslav Kirov (BUL) as after a 2-0 feeling out opening period, Salkazanov exploded through an underhook knee pick for four and a gut wrench to go up 8-0. A head inside single finished the match 10-0 for Salkazanov and secured his European gold medal. Having put together the tournament of his life at the European championships and cemented himself as a serious medal contender in the Tokyo Olympics, Salkazanov still had the task of qualifying for Tokyo at the World Olympic Qualifier. Zurab Kapraev (ROM) and a 6-4 revenge win over Alipasha Umarpashaev (BUL) put Salkazanov in the semifinals of the World Olympic Qualifier against past Russian National champion #2 Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov (BLR). It isn't often at the highest level between two of the best in the world that you see a real clinic. Salkazanov was on the wrong side of a clinic in counter wrestling administered by Kadimagomedov. Overhook shucks, massive chest wraps and deft scrambling put together an absolutely punishing, one-sided 12-4 loss for Salkazanov and stomped his dreams of a medal in Tokyo into dust. As his final warm-up competition before the Senior world championships in Oslo, Salkazanov competed at the Alexander Medved Prize Tournament. Making the semis, he faced off against 2019 Intercontinental Cup runner-up Magomed Dibirgadzhiev (RUS). A close match with Salkazanov leading late, a last-second ankle pick for Dibirgadzhiev would secure the victory for Dibirgadzhiev and continue Salkazanov's fall from grace after his European conquest. Oslo would be a chance at redemption for Salkazanov and to prove he was better than just a flash in the pan from Euros. A rubber match against Alipasha Umarpashaev went the way of Salkazanov in a 3-0 clash to set up a quarterfinal bout against Russian standout #7 Timur Bizhoev (RUS). Bizhoev, an absolute master at neutralizing his opponent's offense with exceptional handfighting and mat control, on paper was a terrible matchup for Salkazanov, as he would prevent any chances of the talented Slovakian breaking his hands head defense and neutralized any of the big offensive flurries that Salkazanov had used to power his way through Euros. Odds and predictions are but kindling to fuel the fire of a man hellbent on achieving a goal. Even with the supposed superiority of Bizhoev and trailing 2-1 with 5 seconds left on the clock stuck underneath Bizhoev in a front headlock, Salkazanov exploded through on a short duck, picking up and carrying Bizhoev out of bounds for an amazing comeback 2-2 win on criteria. Late match heroics and heart-pounding comebacks weren't needed in his semifinals bout against #10 Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO) as three step-outs and a double leg at the end of the match sealed Salkazanov's second Senior world medal and his first finals appearance. Against Olympic bronze medalist and reigning two-time 79 KG world champion #3 Kyle Dake (USA), Salkazanov was outgunned throughout and an ankle pick to a navy finish to a pair of gut wrenches spelled the end of Salkazanov's gold medal chances as he fell to the American 7-2. Salkazanov's spot as the most improved wrestler of the year not only comes from elite wins over World/Olympic medalists in #5 Frank Chamizo (ITA), #6 Razambek Zhamalov (RUS), #7 Timur Bizhoev (RUS) and #10 Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO), but his ability throughout the year to overcome setbacks and adversity and come back better from it. Coming off the high of his European title that was followed by a thrashing by Kadimagomedov and a close loss to Dibirgadzhiev, Salkazanov came back dialed in for world's and scored his most clutch comeback of his career against Bizhoev. And showing he's no longer just a close match, but a person who can really break away and beat the best in the world consistently is the reason why I picked Taimuraz Salkazanov as my most improved wrestler of the year. Best Match of the Year: #8 Abdulmazhid Kudiev (RUS) vs. #16 Erik Arushanian (UKR), 65 KG U-23 European Championships Finals. Before even entering the U-23 European championships, Kudiev and Arushanian had already cemented themselves as premier prospects at 65 KG. Arushanian made his name off a Junior world title at 70 KG over Vasile Diacon (MDA), before taking bronze at the Senior European championships in 2020 at 65 KG. While Kudiev lacked the international notoriety of Arushanian, his impressive bronze medal finish at Senior Russian Nationals that saw him upset two-time medalist #9 Murshid Mutalimov (RUS) and tech falling two-time 61 KG national runner-up Ramazan Ferzaliev (RUS) cemented his status as a legitimate contender. Both Kudiev and Arushanian were dominant on their way to the finals, with both men winning all their matches by tech fall or pin. The match between the two would begin with a feeling-out process and as Arushanian got a passivity point against Kudiev, he perfectly timed the Russian's pressure to a high drag off a 2-1 to get the first takedown of the match and go up 3-0. Kudiev responded with a stepover on a failed Arushanian gut wrench to cut the score to 3-2 to end the first period. The second period had no feeling-out process between the two as they clashed right off the whistle. Arushanian caught Kudiev charging in on a step-around knee block, threw off a shot and countered with a cross ankle pick to further his lead to 5-2 as he continued to exploit the unfettered forward aggression of Kudiev. A wild scramble ensued as Kudiev turned back into Arushanian and got up to his feet; with Arushanian having a single up in the air, he used a small cut back to get free before attempting a shot and giving up another takedown to make the score 7-2 Arushanian lead. The second half of the second period would begin with Kudiev earning his first takedown of the match off an underhook throwby to a bodylock to cut Arushanian's lead to 7-4. Countering Arushanian's 2-1, Kudiev used a back-step single and was blown back up to his feet after no action. With his hips back and leaning forward, Kudiev pressed his way forward to an over-under bodylock, perfectly setting himself up for a HUGE headlock for 4 from Arushanian to push the Ukrainian's lead to 11-4. Kudiev jumping right back into the fray, uses a short outside step duck and locks up a his own headlock and sends Arushanian FLYING to answer back with his own 4 point move and cut the score to 11-8. After both men's wild exchange trading headlocks, the match's pace started to slow in the final seconds and with Kudiev pressing in again for a bodylock, Arushanian timed a smart low double to extend his lead to 13-8. Kudiev, sensing the stakes at hand, pushed forward and used a misdirection duck to score the final takedown of the match to make the final score 13-10 Arushanian. What earned Kudiev/Arushanian the distinction of match of the year was two things. One was that they're both elite wrestlers near the top of the weight class in an evenly matched contest. The second one is the quality of action that went down with both men absolutely going to war. From trading headlocks to Kudiev's late attacks and Arushanian's brilliant counters, the match had it all. Sure, you could have higher-ranked guys in higher stakes matches than the U-23 European finals, but when the bouts are 3-2 or 4-2 and the most you're getting is a passivity point and stepout based match, as good the guys may be, that's not what wins match of the year. Wrestler of the Year: #1 (74) Zaurbek Sidakov (RUS) Simply put, Sidakov was the best there was in the best weight class in the world all year. Coming into 2021 after a disappointing bronze medal finish at 2020 Russian Nationals from his upset loss to Khetag Tsabolov (SRB), Sidakov had to prove himself at Russian Nationals if he wanted to win his third World/Olympic title. Sidakov won close matches against #7 Timur Bizhoev (RUS) and #8 Magomed Kurbanaliev (RUS) to set up the highly anticipated finals match against returning national champion #6 Razambek Zhamalov (RUS). The match against Zhamalov had been building up since the 2020 Russian Nationals. Zhamalov was the uncrowned king in Russia, a pound-for-pound talent with incredible wins over world medalists #2 Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov (BLR), #4 Taimuraz Salkazanov (SVK), #5 Frank Chamizo (ITA), #6 (70) David Baev (RUS), #7 Timur Bizhoev (RUS), #8 Magomed Kurbanaliev (RUS) and #9 Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov (RUS). The match meant so much for both men; the chance for Zhamalov to stake his claim as king of the hill against the reigning two-time world champion Sidakov and compete for Olympic gold and, for Sidakov, the chance to retake his spot in the top and further his argument as one of the greatest 74 KG wrestlers of all time with a third World/ Olympic title in Tokyo. Leading Sidakov 2-0 after a stepout and a passivity point going into the final 30 seconds of the match, Zhamalov looked to have taken his spot as Russia's new leader at 74 KG. An extended shot from Sidakov was able to score a pushout with 10 seconds left on the clock to cut the lead to 2-1 for Zhamalov. Channeling yet another last-second come from behind win that defined his world title runs in 2018 & 2019, Sidakov managed to get a final pushout with 3 seconds left on the clock to take the 2-2 lead on criteria and fend off a hard-charging Zhamalov to win his third career Russian National title and reclaim his top spot at 74 KG and pound-for-pound. Coming off titles at Russian Nationals in March and the Sassari tournament in June, Sidakov came into the Tokyo Olympics as the favorite to win gold for the Summer Olympics. Having already proven himself against Russia's best at 74 KG, Sidakov was well prepared for what was to come in Tokyo. With tech fall wins over Daniyar Kaisanov (KAZ) and Augusto Midana (GBS) and a 13-6 quarterfinal win over #20 Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (UZB) sandwiched between them, Sidakov was able to make the Olympic finals against an old foe in Belaruse's #2 Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov. Kadimagomedov had been wrestling the best tournament of his life on his way to the Tokyo Olympic finals. An opening round 12-8 win over four-time world medalist Geandry Garzon (CUB) put him in the quarterfinals against reigning two-time 79 KG #3 world champion Kyle Dake (USA). Dake was seen as Sidakov's toughest challenge, outside of Russia, and given a very real chance to unseat the North Ossetian standout. Any chance Dake had of beating Sidakov was forgotten after the absolute thrashing that Kadimagomedov put on him, countering Dake time and time again for an 11-0 tech fall victory. Two-time world champion #5 Frank Chamizo (ITA) would be Kadimagomedov's final test before his chance at a rubber match against Sidakov, and a clutch reversal from Kadimagomedov earned him the 9-7 victory over Chamizo and a chance at Olympic gold over Sidakov. The 7-0 final score of the Olympic Finals match between Sidakov and Kadimagomedov was deceptive because it doesn't accurately portray just how neck-and-neck the match was. Sidakov had transformed himself into Kadimagomedov's kryptonite since their last meeting at the 70 KG Russian Nationals in 2017. Sidakov did this by being able to constantly readjust himself when he is on a shot against Kadimagomedov and avoid the Belarusian's match ensign counters and force Kadi to take the initiative in the match where Sidakov held the upper hand. Considering they're both even on scrambling, Sidakov showing Kadimagomedov he could handle his best counters and still come out unscathed, puts the initiative on Kadimagomedov to go on the attack. A 3-0 lead for Sidakov off a passivity point and takedown extended to a 5-0 lead after exposure off a cradle against a Kadimagomedov and a focused Sidakov iced off his Olympic finals match with two step-outs to take the 7-0 victory and walk away with gold. To cap off his history-making year, Sidakov competed in December at the Alrosa Cup in a rematch of the Olympic finals against #2 Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov (BLR). In what was a nearly identical match to their encounter in Tokyo, Sidakov won 6-1 this time, scoring a takedown and gut wrench along with two step-outs to Kadimagomedov's lone step out of the match. Sidakov's ability to come up clutch time and time again against the cream of the crop at 74 KG has earned him the well-deserved distinction of wrestler of the year. While #1 (97) Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS) may have more World/Olympic titles, then Sidakov with seven compared to Sidakov's three, but when you look at the superior quality of competition of Sidakov beating the likes of Zhamalov, Chamizo, Kadimagomedov, and Burroughs in the past quad over Sadulaev's competition of Snyder and Sharifov gives him the right to the top spot over Sadulaev. Performance of the Year: #2 Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov (BLR) Olympic Finals Run at 74KG. Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov has been a persistent force but has never been able to put together a full run at a World/Olympic championships until 2021. A Russian Nationals title in 2017 at 70 KG and a European title in 2020 at 79 KG were his career-best highlights going into 20201 with wins over the likes of #1 Zaurbek Sidakov (RUS), #1 (70) Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (POL), #5 (86) Magomed Ramazanov (RUS) and #9 Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov (RUS) to bolster his credit as a bonafide title contender. Except, Kadimagomedov never put it all together with his sole world championships appearance for Russia being soiled by a quarterfinals loss to Yakup Gor (TUR) that eliminated him and for Belarus as the #1 wrestler in the world in 2020 at the 79 KG Individual World Cup, he had to settle for bronze after a loss to #5 (79) Akhmed Usmanov (RUS). Kadimagomedov had developed the unwanted reputation of a high-class choke artist, flying close to the sun but always crashing back down. 2021 was a year of unprecedented consistency for Kadimagomedov and save for an early hiccup at the European Olympic Qualifier that saw him eliminated in the quarterfinals by Alipasha Umarpashaev (BUL), Kadimagomedov was a changed man through and through. The European Olympic Qualifier was the first view of what Kadimagomedov would bring to the table in Tokyo. Wins over 2014 65 KG world bronze medalist Mihail Sava (MDA), 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Soner Demirtas (TUR) and #12 (79) Arsalan Budazhapov (KGZ) were nice, but the real target was in the semifinals against reigning European champion #4 Taimuraz Salkazanov (SVK). Salkazanov had just come off the tournament of his life at the European championships with wins over past world champions #5 Frank Chamizo (ITA), #6 Razambek Zhamalov (RUS), and #10 Avtandil Kentchadze (GEO). Sure, Kadimagomedov was a live wire and could be dangerous to Salkazanov, but the winning machine with ice in his veins that was Salkazanov that pulled off upset after upset in Warsaw wasn't supposed to be fazed by a choke artist like Kadimagomedov. This was Salkazanov's time and Kadimagomedov was wasting it. The match that unfolded between Salkazanov and Kadimagomedov was a masterclass. A far cry from the close quarter triumphant slugfests that carried Salkazanov to European gold, this match belonged solely to Kadimagomedov, who flawlessly played the role of matador to the bull that was Salkazanov. Rib cracking chest wraps flung Salkazanov across the mat and deftly timed overhook shucks sent the Slovakian standout crashing to the mat while Kadimagomedov barely broke a sweat. After all was said and done, the man who was but an afterthought held the world at attention with a 12-4 dismantling of the lauded Salkazanov. Tokyo defied all expectations for Kadimagomedov. Put on the same side as two-time world champions Kyle Dake (USA) and Frank Chamizo (ITA), Kadimagomedov was discounted from the start. There's no way he can defend Dake's upper body power and strength; he'd be lucky to make it out alive. Chamizo won't fall for his counters; Kadimagomedov can't scramble with him. Pressure can change a man in ways he cannot foresee. Some shatter under the weight of uncertainty and loss of control, while others transform and become something more, something greater than before. Kadimagomedov was a man defined by the latter and nowhere was this more clear than his absolute thrashing of Kyle Dake. Unfazed by the aggression and power of the American legend, Kadimagomedov was ahead at every turn and diffused the man formerly known as Kid Dynamite for an 11-0 tech fall victory. Frank Chamizo was a different puzzle for Kadimagomedov to solve and while the Cuban fought tooth and nail against the Belarusian, Kadi would show out again, outscrambling the scrambling savant Chamizo for a last-second exposure and the 9-7 win to make the Olympic finals. Against top-ranked Zaurbek Sidakov, Kadimagomedov was a game but outmatched opponent, no longer the matador as he was against Salkazanov and Dake or the gunslinger quick to draw as he was against Chamizo. Against the caliber of Sidakov, Kadimagomedov was brought back down to Earth and made human again in a 7-0 loss and relegated to Olympic silver. Even ending his year without gold, Kadimagomedov's career transformation in 2021 makes him deserving of the performance of the year. In the toughest weight class in the world, Kadimagomedov's ability to outclass and dominate a pound-for-pound standout the likes of Kyle Dake and to still maintain the composure to outscramble Frank Chamizo to a clutch win make for me the biggest career turnaround and performance of the year. Upset of the Year: #1 Hassan Yazdani Charati (IRI) over #2 David Taylor at the 86 KG World Championships Finals As a man with the modest title of "The Greatest," Hassan Yazdani Charati of Iran has a prestigious reputation to maintain. A 3x World/Olympic champion with an Olympic title in 2016 at 74 KG and world titles at 86 KG in 2017 and 2019, Yazdani should have clearly been seen as the consensus best 86 KG in the world, hands down. There was no question that he was indeed The Greatest, right? Even for all that he had done, Yazdani's performance. through the 2017-2021 quad were always defined by David Taylor, even in his absence. The 2017 world championships saw Yazdani lauded for his dominance over the field, but critics were quick to point out his inability to beat David Taylor at the World Cup and took to appointing Taylor, the uncrowned king of 86KG. 2018 saw the rematch between Yazdani and Taylor in the opening round of the World Championships and it would again be Taylor triumphing over Yazdani, this time on his way to claiming world gold. 2019 saw Taylor absent from the world championships as he was sidelined with a knee injury. It wouldn't be until their rubber match in Tokyo this year that Yazdani would get his chance at revenge, and leading Taylor throughout, the Iranian was struck with tragedy as Taylor capitalized on a clutch late double leg to secure Olympic gold and shatter Yazdani's dream of a second Olympic title. The world championships in Oslo saw Yazdani and Taylor on a collision course for each other. Both men dominated their respective brackets to set up their final meeting of the quad and the world watched with bated breath. Would it be Taylor who would claim the last title of the quad as his, or would it be Yazdani who would finally fulfill his title as the greatest? A focused and driven Yazdani was in the driver's seat throughout the whole match, denying Taylor any chance or establishing an offensive rhythm and bullying the American across the mat. Yazdani's fourth world title and closure against Taylor were achieved by a 6-2 victory. Yazdani wins the honor of upset of the year for reversing three past losses to Taylor and re-establishing himself as the king of the 86 KG weight class. Breakout of the Year: Gable Steveson, 125 KG Olympic Champion. Gable Steveson has had the wrestling world's attention at every stage in his career. Three age-group world titles, an NCAA title, a Final X runner-up finish in 2019. Wrestling with technique surpassing even the best lightweight wrestlers in the world combined with once-in-a-generation raw power and athleticism. When Gable finally made the Olympic team by beating two-time world bronze medalist #9 Nick Gwiazdowski (USA) in two straight matches, all eyes were on him to breakthrough in Tokyo and cashed in on the massive potential he had. Gable's run to the Olympic finals redefined the state of the heavyweight division. What had been a two-person race between three-time World/Olympic champion #3 Taha Akgul (TUR) and three-time world champion #2 Geno Petriashvili (GEO) was broken wide open by Gable. In a true passing of the guard moment, Gable dominated the reigning Olympic champion #3 Taha Akgul (TUR) in an 8-0 shutout and followed it up with a 5-0 win over world bronze medalist #10 Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur (MGL). Awaiting him in the finals was reigning three-time world champion #2 Geno Petriashvili (GEO), who overcame adversity time and time again to pull away as the clear winner of the quad from 2017-2019. What ensued was an amazing match that saw Gable dominate early, but Petriashvili pulled back later with a pair of exposures to take an 8-5 lead in the closing moments of the match. Sensing the importance of the moment he was in, Gable went to another level and scored two back-to-back takedowns over the Georgian legend along with a failed challenge from Petriashvili to walk away with the 10-8 victory and Olympic gold. Gable's career-defining performance that saw him unseat the two kings of the heavyweight division rightfully earned him the award for breakout of the year. Comeback of the Year: Gable Steveson's 125 KG Olympic Finals Match against #2 Geno Petriashvili (GEO) Gable Steveson had his sights set on taking the title of king of the heavyweight division in Tokyo and having already beaten the reigning Olympic champion #3 Taha Akgul (TUR), he only had one man left standing in his way. Three-time world champion #2 Geno Petriashvili (GEO) had established himself as the premier heavyweight of the quad with world titles in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and, time after time, set the standard for heavyweight. In a battle of heavyweight supremacy to lay claim to the most coveted title in wrestling, Gable was the one to strike first, running out a decisive lead over Petriashvili with incredible takedowns that showcased the speed and technical mastery of a man half his size. Petriashvili, as game as they come, regained control of the match and pulled ahead with a pair of counter exposures to take the 8-5 lead with short time left in the match. In an absolutely unreal turn of events, Gable was able to earn two takedowns with less than seconds on the clock to take the 9-8 victory that was 10-8 after a failed Petriashvili challenge. Steveson's ability to overcome massive adversity and pull off a career-defining upset win in the closing seconds of a match against the caliber of an opponent like Petriashvili rightfully earns him the award of comeback of the year.

2021 MatMen Open champion Greg Bulsak (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) I think I'll forego the classic opening this week as it's the last day of the year and there's really nothing left to be said. On that note, let me say a bunch more things. What first-semester result surprised you most? Are you going to NCAAs? Do u consider yourself a Rutgers homer? Which school has the worst fans? sup? @PelikanHead Stalemates Award Winner I'm old and weathered, so nothing surprises me, but I would like to see Sam Latona get back on his feet. If I go to NCAAs, who will watch my eight screens at home? A homer? I won't cheer for any wrestler against a Rutgers guy, but I wouldn't consider myself a homer, where I'm just shouting out stalling at every dual for no reason. I love every fan of every team. Hey. Who's someone that's completely off everyone's radar, but you think will contend for an NCAA title in March? Conversely, who's an NCAA champ that you think definitely will not repeat?? @sleepyvinny Random out of nowhere champs are a rarity, but they do happen. Obviously, this might be the most difficult year ever to pull one with ten champs returning, but I'll say Greg Bulsak of Rutgers (not a homer) has a real chance at making some noise. He's vastly experienced after five years, he's in great shape, and started the year on in absolute heater capped off by a title at Midlands 2: Electric Boogaloo. I say why not! Who definitely won't repeat? Easily David Carr or Austin O'Connor. In fact, I'll guarantee one doesn't. Top 5 favorite bands of all time? @ItsJustARide94 My music taste is mostly the rock and roll, but it spans about five decades, so it's tough to narrow it down to five. I'll pick two straight classics, a hair band, and two grunge/alternative from my angst years. In no particular order: Alice in Chains-Grittiest and grungiest band of the era and can turn around and hit you with a gorgeous piece of music like Jar of Flies. Nobody in rock did dual vocals better than Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell. Def Leppard-just a catalog of hits and they never get old. The Allman Brothers-I'm not like an Allman Brothers nut, but they're the soundtrack to the American road trip. Stone Temple Pilots-A band that changed stylistically so much in a decade (sometimes from one song to the next) and it all still holds up today. Led Zeppelin-Behemoths. Rock Gods like this do not exist anymore. Jagger, in this tumultuous time of the wrestling world, what's a good New Year's resolution you'd recommend for us all? I'll take my answer off the air. @NotTomNotTerry I covered this on my new podcast called Resolution Podcast. Do you still love Suriano? @PierceStowman I'll have to see him on the mat first before I know if the spark is still there. If wrestling tournaments ever had little concerts like the Super Bowl halftime show, which bands or artists do you think would be good choices for NCAAs? @oldestgreatest Gabriel Townsell, of course! In fact, book it for this year. The fans of Stanford had to endure the pain of potentially losing their program last year and didn't get to see their colors fly. I say we celebrate the team that fought to stay alive by having one of their finest student-athletes get the honor. How does it feel to have Willem Dafoe compared to you? @JonnyG7613 He's the one who should feel honored. Hey, Happy New Year, everyone! I never thought a year ago I'd be closing 2021 with a mailbag column, but here we are. With any luck, I'll be closing 2022 the same way, by acting like an idiot. Enjoy tonight, everyone, be safe and be well. You're more important to those around you than you can ever know; never forget that.

125 lb champion Justin Cardani (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Championship Finals 125 lbs - Justin Cardani (Illinois) dec Ryan Miller (Penn) 4-3 133 lbs - Lucas Byrd (Illinois) dec Micky Phillipi (Pittsburgh) 5-4 141 lbs - Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers) tech CJ Composto (Penn) 18-3 149 lbs - Josh Heil (Campbell) dec Austin Gomez (Wisconsin) 3-1SV 157 lbs - Elijah Cleary (Pittsburgh) dec Doug Zapf (Penn) 9-8 165 lbs - Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) maj Phil Conigliaro (Harvard) 21-6 174 lbs - Edmond Ruth (Unattached) dec Mason Kauffman (Northern Illinois) 3-2TB 184 lbs - Myles Amine (Michigan) dec Mark Hall (Michigan) 4-2 197 lbs - Greg Bulsak (Rutgers) dec Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh) 3-2 285 lbs - Trent Hillger (Wisconsin) dec Ethan Laird (Rider - Unattached) 2-0 Third Place Matches 125 lbs - Antonio Lorenzo (Cal Poly) maj Sheldon Seymour (Lehigh) 13-5 133 lbs - Drew Mattin (Michigan) maj Julian Farber (Northern Iowa) 10-0 141 lbs - Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) fall Joe Zargo (Wisconsin) 4:14 149 lbs - Anthony Artalona (Penn) dec Anthony White (Rutgers) 3-1 157 lbs - Jake Keating (Virginia) dec Alex Carida (Bloomsburg) 5-3 165 lbs - Jake Wentzel (Pittsburgh) dec Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois) 3-0 174 lbs - Manuel Rojas (High School) dec Reece Heller (Hofstra) 8-4 184 lbs - Bernie Truax (Cal Poly) fall Zac Braunagel (Illinois) :46 197 lbs - Braxton Amos (Wisconsin) dec Cody Baldridge (North Central) 3-1 285 lbs - Luke Luffman (Illinois) dec Nathan Taylor (Lehigh) 6-1 Fifth Place Matches 125 lbs - Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) maj Blair Orr (Penn) 12-3 133 lbs - Joey Olivieri (Rutgers) maj Carter Bailey (Lehigh) 16-3 141 lbs - Parker Filius (Purdue) dec McKenzie Bell (Rider) 9-6 149 lbs - Max Brignola (Lehigh) dec Lukus Stricker (Harvard) 8-5 157 lbs - Brawley Lamer (Cal Poly) MedFFT Kendall Coleman (Purdue) 165 lbs - Zach Hartman (Bucknell) dec Lucas Revano (Penn) 7-0 174 lbs - Gerrit Nijenhuis (Purdue) maj Connor O'Neill (Rutgers) 14-3 184 lbs - Trey Munoz (Oregon State) dec Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois) 12-7 197 lbs - Cole Urbas (Penn) MedFFT Ryan Reyes (Oregon State) 285 lbs - Michael Woulfe (Purdue) dec Jake Slinger (Pittsburgh) 8-4 Seventh Place Matches 125 lbs - Gage Curry (Pittsburgh) dec Lucian Brink (Northern Illinois) 4-2 133 lbs - Jack Wagner (Northern Iowa) dec Kurt Phipps (Bucknell) 8-4 141 lbs - We Rachel (Illinois) fall Carmen Ferrante (Penn) 2:56 149 lbs - Al DeSantis (Rutgers) MedFFT Christian Kanzler (Illinois) 157 lbs - Grant Zamin (Unattached) dec Garrett Model (Wisconsin) 4-3 165 lbs - Holden Heller (Hofstra) dec Danny Braunagel (Illinois) 6-5 174 lbs - Nick Incontrera (Penn) maj Joshua Kim (Harvard) 8-0 184 lbs - Neil Antrassian (Penn) dec Gregg Harvey (Pittsburgh) 8-3 197 lbs - Chris Kober (Campbell) dec Levi Hopkins (Campbell) 6-1 285 lbs - Ben Goldin (Penn) dec Boone McDermott (Rutgers) 6-4 Team Scores 1) Pittsburgh 121.5 2) Penn 118 3) Wisconsin 117 4) Illinois 105 5) Rutgers 94

The 2021 MatMen Open (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) 125 lbs Quarterfinals #25 Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) dec Zurich Storm (Campbell) 3-2 #33 Ryan Miller (Penn) dec Blake West (Northern Illinois) 9-3 #29 Justin Cardani (Illinois) dec Sheldon Seymour (Lehigh) 3-2 #30 Antonio Lorenzo (Cal Poly) dec #26 Gage Curry (Pittsburgh) 7-5SV Semifinal Matchups #25 Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) vs. #33 Ryan Miller (Penn) #29 Justin Cardani (Illinois) vs. #30 Antonio Lorenzo (Cal Poly) 133 lbs Quarterfinals #7 Lucas Byrd (Illinois) fall Cole Rhone (Bloomsburg) 2:46 Drew Mattin (Michigan) dec #13 Michael Colaiocco (Penn) 10-3 Carter Bailey (Lehigh) fall #12 Sammy Alvarez (Rutgers) 2:20 #6 Micky Phillippi (Pittsburgh) dec Joey Olivieri (Rutgers) 2-0 Semifinal Matchups #7 Lucas Byrd (Illinois) vs. Drew Mattin (Michigan) #6 Micky Phillippi (Pittsburgh) vs. Carter Bailey (Lehigh) 141 lbs Quarterfinals #4 Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers) fall McKenzie Bell (Rider) 6:56 Joe Zargo (Wisconsin) dec #32 Carmen Ferrante (Penn) 5-2 #24 Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) dec Ethan Basile (Northern Iowa) 9-2 CJ Composto (Penn) maj #14 Parker Filius (Purdue) 9-1 Semifinal Matchups #4 Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers) vs. Joe Zargo (Wisconsin) #24 Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) vs. CJ Composto (Penn) 149 lbs Quarterfinals #10 Josh Heil (Campbell) dec Anthony Cheloni (Northern Illinois) 3-1 Anthony White (Rutgers) dec Kolby Depron (Bucknell) 5-1 #27 Anthony Artalona (Penn) dec Max Brignola (Lehigh) 6-3 #11 Austin Gomez (Wisconsin) fall Marshall Keller (Princeton) 1:15 Semifinal Matchups #10 Josh Heil (Campbell) vs. Anthony White (Rutgers) #11 Austin Gomez (Wisconsin) vs. #27 Anthony Artalona (Penn) 157 lbs Quarterfinals #10 Kendall Coleman (Purdue) dec Grant Zamin (Unattached) 6-2 #28 Elijah Cleary (Pittsburgh) dec Brawley Lamer (Cal Poly) 5-4 #33 Alex Carida (Bloomsburg) dec Jake Keating (Virginia) 7-2 #20 Doug Zapf (Penn) dec Garrett Model (Wisconsin) 9-6 Semifinal Matchups #10 Kendall Coleman (Purdue) vs. #28 Elijah Cleary (Pittsburgh) #20 Doug Zapf (Penn) vs. #33 Alex Carida (Bloomsburg) 165 lbs Quarterfinals #8 Jake Wentzel (Pittsburgh) dec Holden Heller (Hofstra) 5-2 #14 Phil Conigliaro (Harvard) dec #18 Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois) 6-3 #17 Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) dec #21 Danny Braunagel (Illinois) 10-0 #15 Zach Hartman (Bucknell) dec #29 Lucas Revano (Penn) 4-3 Semifinal Matchups #8 Jake Wentzel (Pittsburgh) vs. #14 Phil Conigliaro (Harvard) #15 Zach Hartman (Bucknell) vs. #17 Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) 174 lbs Quarterfinals Reece Heller (Hofstra) fall Nate Dugan (Princeton) 4:41 #30 Mason Kauffman (Northern Illinois) dec #29 Joshua Kim (Harvard) 6-3 Manuel Rojas (High School) dec #25 Gerrit Nijenhuis (Purdue) 8-6 Edmond Ruth (Unattached) dec Nick Incontrera (Penn) 4-3 Semifinal Matchups #30 Mason Kauffman (Northern Illinois) vs. Reece Heller (Hofstra) Manuel Rojas (High School) vs. Edmond Ruth (Unattached) 184 lbs Quarterfinals Mark Hall (Unattached) dec #31 Gregg Harvey (Pittsburgh) 10-4 #6 Bernie Truax (Cal Poly) dec #19 Zac Braunagel (Illinois) 6-1 #7 Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois) dec #16 Trey Munoz (Oregon State) #2 Myles Amine (Michigan) dec Neil Antrassian (Penn) 7-1 Semifinal Matchups Mark Hall (Unattached) vs. #6 Bernie Truax (Cal Poly) #2 Myles Amine (Michigan) vs. #7 Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois) 197 lbs Quarterfinals #2 Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh) dec Levi Hopkins (Campbell) 11-3 Ryan Reyes (Oregon State) dec Cole Urbas (Penn) 4-2 #26 Braxton Amos (Wisconsin) dec Chris Kober (Campbell) 7-1 #12 Greg Bulsak (Rutgers) maj Cody Baldridge (North Central) 13-2 Semifinal Matchups #2 Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh) vs. Ryan Reyes (Oregon State) #12 Greg Bulsak (Rutgers) vs. #26 Braxton Amos (Wisconsin) 285 lbs Quarterfinals #5 Trent Hillger (Wisconsin) maj Michael Woulfe (Purdue) 11-3 #29 Jake Slinger (Pittsburgh) dec #26 Boone McDermott (Rutgers) 8-5 #17 Luke Luffman (Illinois) dec Ben Goldin (Penn) 6-2 Ethan Laird (Rider) maj Sam Aguilar (Cal Poly) 12-4 Semifinal Matchups #5 Trent Hillger (Wisconsin) vs. #29 Jake Slinger (Pittsburgh) #17 Luke Luffman (Illinois) vs. Ethan Laird (Rider)

New Penn State Nittany Lion Drew Hildebrandt (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) On Wednesday morning, the second-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions officially added 2021 NCAA All-American Drew Hildebrandt to their roster. In late November, Hildebrandt was listed as a student in the PSU directory, further confirming speculation that Hildebrandt intended on suiting up for PSU this season. Hildbrandt was a senior in 2021, but had an extra year of eligibility remaining due to the Covid-year. Before the season, he indicated that he did not intend to use the year. A few months later, his name surfaced as a potential fit at 125 lbs for the Nittany Lions. Getting Hildebrandt would be a massive boost for a Penn State team that has seen the combination of Jakob Campbell and Baylor Shunk go 1-5 in dual action at the opening weight. For whatever reason, 125 lbs has been difficult for Penn State to fill since the graduation of NCAA champion Nico Megaludis in 2016. A year later, Nick Suriano had an excellent true freshman season, but was injured late in the year, didn't compete at nationals, and ended up transferring out. Since then, only Robbie Howard, in 2021, was able to qualify for NCAA's. Howard still has a lingering injury and is not competing this year. The Nittany Lions are expected to be in a tight team race with Iowa and getting a returning All-American like Hildebrandt could nudge Penn State ahead of the defending champions. Including Drew, Cael Sanderson's squad could send out a lineup with seven returning All-Americans (with four national champs). Hildebrandt is a three-time NCAA qualifier that went 14-2 last season and finished fourth in the nation at 125 lbs. His only losses on the year came to Spencer Lee (Iowa) in the NCAA semis and Patrick McKee (Minnesota) in the third-place bout. Hildebrandt was a two-time MAC champion and earned the sixth seed at the 2020 NCAA Tournament that ended up canceled. Penn State returns to the mat on January 7th as they take on Maryland. Looking at the Nittany Lion schedule, some dates to circle, in reference to Hildebrandt are January 21st vs Michigan (Nick Suriano), January 28th vs Iowa (#1 Spencer Lee), and February 4th vs Ohio State (#16 Malik Heinselman).

Cal Poly's Legend Lamer (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) All start times Pacific Standard Time. InterMat Individual/Tournament/Dual Rankings (December 22) are used where appropriate. Despite the precautionary cancellation of this year's Midlands Championships, the conclusion of 2021 is still expected to ignite the kind of fireworks wrestling fans have grown accustomed to in non-pandemic years. With the emergence of the ILMatMen Open and the (since canceled) Hawkeye Open in the wake of the Midlands, the entire Pac-12 conference is expected on a wrestling mat sometime during the week ahead, with a neutral-site, powderkeg dual-meet pitting #6 Arizona State against #4 Michigan on January 3rd headlining the upcoming span of days. Upcoming Wednesday, December 29th - Thursday, December 30th ILMatMen Open - Day 1 & 2 (8am, Live on Rokfin) Preseeds Pac-12 Teams Expected: #4 Arizona State (partial), #16 Cal Poly (partial), Oregon State (partial) With teams like Rutgers, Pennsylvania, and Pittsburgh bringing their studs to compete, heated contests are predicted in the Prairie State. Partial teams and select entrants are the norm for the Pac-12 at the ILMatMen Open, with Cal Poly expected to field the largest contingent of around half a line-up. The anticipated return of #6 Bernie Truax (184), whom we haven't seen since the Michigan State Open, highlights the Pac-12 entrants, alongside fellow Mustangs, #30 Antonio Lorenzo (125) and #18 Legend Lamer (149), among others. Also expected in the field are bubble-range/back-up wrestlers in Arizona State's Julian Chlebove (133) and Oregon State's Ryan Reyes (197), as well as #16 Trey Munoz (184) – who is fresh off a Reno TOC title. Truax may find himself immediately in the thick of things, with 184lbs expecting four other All-Americans, including graduate and past NCAA Champion Mark Hall (formerly of Penn State, now on staff at Penn), and super senior and 2021 Olympic Bronze, #2 Myles Amine (Michigan). If he intends to truly vie for a national title, Truax will need the challenge brought by the likes of Hall and Amine. Another All-American in the bracket is #7 Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois). Fellow conference competitor Trey Munoz will also stake his claim at the weight, and there is the chance that Truax and Munoz wrestle head-to-head. At 125lbs, seven wrestlers ranked between #25 and #33 – including Lorenzo – are expected. At 149lbs, Legend Lamer will chase #10 Josh Heil (Campbell) and #11 Austin Gomez (Wisconsin) as he aims to propel himself into the national top ten. Chlebove is in a deep-weight at 133lbs, as several national qualifiers chase the top-two seeded wrestlers in All-American, #7 Lucas Byrd and NCAA Top 12, #6 Micky Phillippi. Finally, at 197lbs, Ryan Reyes aims to solidify his place as the starter for the Beavers as well as reintroduce himself in the national conversation, as he has returning NCAA Runner-up, #2 Nino Bonaccorsi (Pitt), #12 Greg Bulsak (Rutgers), and age-group phenom, #26 Braxton Amos (Wisconsin) at the top of his bracket. Saturday, January 1st - Sunday, January 2nd Southern Scuffle - Day 1 & 2 (7am, Live on FloWrestling) Pac-12 Teams Expected: #21 Stanford, Little Rock, CSU Bakersfield Entry lists indicate the majority of the No. 1's from #21 Stanford, Little Rock, and CSU Bakersfield will be scuffling in Tennessee when the new year logs its first hours. With ranked wrestlers, All-Americans and national qualifiers aplenty at each weight class, this edition of the Southern Scuffle is set to host a quality of competition we've grown to expect from the event. The 133lbs weight-class intends to feature a strong Pac-12 contingent, with #17 Chance Rich (CSU Bakersfield) and #29 Jackson DiSario entered. Ranked opponents may include All-American, #11 Rayvon Foley (Michigan State), #25 Jake Gliva (Minnesota), and #26 Kellyn March (North Dakota State). Unranked Jaylen Carson (133) has wrestled well in the first semester and may be set to breakout onto the national scene with a noteworthy performance at the Scuffle. A weight above, 141lbs is also shaping into a densely-packed bracket, with the Pac-12's #7 Real Woods (Stanford) and #22 Angelo Martinoni (CSU Bakersfield) slated to pursue the likes of #6 Clay Carlson (South Dakota State), #8 Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado), and #9 Kizhan Clarke (North Carolina). Other ranked wrestlers in the field include #13 Matt Kazimir (Columbia), #15 Allan Hart (Missouri), and #28 Collin Gerardi (Virginia Tech). The 174lbs weight-class appears to be anybody's bracket to win, with #8 Matt Finesilver, a 2x NCAA Qualifier, leading the entrants in credentials. #28 Tyler Eischens (Stanford), #31 Triston Wills (Little Rock), and UR Albert Urias (CSU Bakersfield) will have the opportunities to further their claims as serious contenders on the national scene as they look to knock off ranked opponents in #11 Chris Foca (Cornell), #12 Cade DeVos (South Dakota State), #13 Peyton Mocco (Missouri), #15 Michael O'Malley (Drexel), #17 Clay Lautt (North Carolina), and #33 Thomas Flitz (Appalachian State). Monday, January 3rd #6 Arizona State vs. #4 Michigan (5pm, Live on FloWrestling) Fresh off a Collegiate Duals performance that saw Arizona State top Hofstra and then-#9 Virginia Tech, before dropping a 29-10 dual-meet to #2 Penn State, Coach Zeke Jones will field his #6 Sun Devils against Coach Sean Bormet's #4 Michigan Men. The gossip among the community suggests the dual will mark the return of one Nick Suriano, NCAA Champion and Runner-up, to the collegiate landscape. We shall see if he takes the mat against NCAA Runner-up Brandon Courtney at 125lbs. Of note, Michigan may put out a line-up that features ten ranked (or rankable) wrestlers with two Olympians among them. Potential match-ups: 125: #4 Brandon Courtney vs. #19 Jack Medley / UR Nick Suriano 133: #4 Michael McGee vs. #8 Dylan Ragusin 141: #17 Jesse Vasquez vs. #3 Stevan Micic 149: #9 Kyle Parco vs. #17 Kanen Storr 157: #3 Jacori Teemer vs. #15 Will Lewan 165: #6 Anthony Valencia vs. #10 Cameron Amine 174: UR Zane Coleman vs. #6 Logan Massa 184: UR Josh Nummer vs. #2 Myles Amine 197: #9 Kordell Norfleet vs. #8 Patrick Brucki 285: #3 Cohlton Schultz vs. #2 Mason Parris

Penn Volunteer Assistant Mark Hall (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) **NOTE: The 2021 Midlands Championships have been replaced by the Matmen Open** Wednesday 12/29 Brown @ Matmen Open - Hoffman Estates, IL (all day) Bucknell @ Matmen Open - Hoffman Estates, IL (all day) Franklin & Marshall @ Matmen Open - Hoffman Estates, IL (all day) Harvard @ Matmen Open - Hoffman Estates, IL (all day) Navy @ Matmen Open - Hoffman Estates, IL (all day) Penn @ Matmen Open - Hoffman Estates, IL (all day) Princeton @ Matmen Open - Hoffman Estates, IL (all day) Thursday 12/30 Brown @ Matmen Open - Hoffman Estates, IL (all day) Bucknell @ Matmen Open - Hoffman Estates, IL (all day) Franklin & Marshall @ Matmen Open - Hoffman Estates, IL (all day) Harvard @ Matmen Open - Hoffman Estates, IL (all day) Navy @ Matmen Open - Hoffman Estates, IL (all day) Penn @ Matmen Open - Hoffman Estates, IL (all day) Princeton @ Matmen Open - Hoffman Estates, IL (all day) Saturday 1/1 Cornell @ Southern Scuffle - Chattanooga, TN (all day) Drexel @ Southern Scuffle - Chattanooga, TN (all day) Sunday 1/2 Cornell @ Southern Scuffle - Chattanooga, TN (all day) Drexel @ Southern Scuffle - Chattanooga, TN (all day) Monday 1/3 American vs. Ohio State (#8) - Washington D.C. (7:30PM) *ALL STARTING TIMES ARE LISTED IN EST* What I'm Most Excited For: As you may or may not know, the "Midlands" are continuing, thanks to a few of the great people in this sport. The event was cancelled, then brought back all within a 24-hour span. Multiple teams from various conferences, plus eight EIWA teams - this will be a great event. There are no brackets yet, but the possibility of great matchups will be endless. In addition, volunteer coach at Penn, Mark Hall will be competing at 184lbs. Who isn't excited for that? The Scuffle will have 3 EIWA teams in attendance. The field for this team is similar to the field for Midlands. Teams from all over the country will be traveling to the event, representing various conferences. A few teams are sending partial line-ups, so once we see brackets it will be easier to decipher some of the possible matchups. Where you'll find me: I'll be enjoying some time at home for the holidays. The MatMen Open and Southern Scuffle will be streamed, so I will be watching from the comfort of my own couch. Once January rolls around, dual meet season picks up and I'll be finding myself at more live events. Until then, I'll be enjoying the holidays. I hope everyone else does too. Stay safe and healthy!

Olympic bronze medalist Myles Amine (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Just five days ago, shockwaves were sent through the collegiate wrestling community as the Midlands Championships announced that they were canceling their 2021 tournament out of “an abundance of caution” due to public safety concerns. Before most could even lament the bad news, Illinois Matmen's Izzy Martinez and MatScouts founder/InterMat owner Willie Saylor rallied the troops and set in motion a plan to host and run the tournament. With that, the MatMen Open was born. Since Martinez and Saylor were able to secure the same venue (NOW Arena) for the same dates, the majority of the schools committed to the Midlands, kept their plans intact to head to the greater Chicago area. Earlier today, preseeds were announced for the MatMen Open. Now we have a preview of the action taking place on December 29th and 30th on the Illinois MatMen Rokfin page. 125 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #25 Dylan Shawver (Rutgers); #26 Gage Curry (Pittsburgh); #29 Justin Cardani (Illinois); #30 Antonio Lorenzo (Cal Poly); #31 Anthony Molton (Campbell), #33 Ryan Miller (Penn) Unranked Threats: Zurich Storm (Campbell); Colton Camacho (Pittsburgh); Hunter Adrian (Brown); Bryce West (Northern Illinois); Drew West (Northern Illinois) This is an extremely interesting weight class as there are plenty of ranked wrestlers expected to enter, with no clear-cut favorite. To top it off, no one at the weight is ranked higher than 25th in the nation. The bottom quarter of the rankings will certainly get sorted out, with seven participants between 25-33 entered. As far as rankings go, the favorite is undefeated Dylan Shawver. After going 4-3 last year as a true freshman, Shawver has gone 9-0 this season, though he has yet to face an opponent currently ranked. That should change after this week. The most decorated wrestler in this bracket is Gage Curry, who has competed in four NCAA Tournaments before transferring to Pittsburgh. His Panther teammate Colton Camacho is also in the field and is very close in ability. The Pitt 125's aren't the only notable teammates to watch out for. Campbell's tandem of Anthony Molton and Zurich Storm are both capable of placing, as are the West twins of Northern Illinois, Bryce and Drew. Finally, Antonio Lorenzo and Ryan Miller are a pair of new faces that could rise with strong performances. Lorenzo broke into the national rankings after a fifth-place showing at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Miller made the final of the Keystone Classic and has excelled on the freestyle circuit. Finals Prediction: Dylan Shawver over Ryan Miller 3rd) Gage Curry 4th) Anthony Molton 5th) Justin Cardani 6th) Colton Camacho 7th) Antonio Lorenzo 8th) Hunter Adrian 133 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #6 Micky Phillippi (Pittsburgh); #7 Lucas Byrd (Illinois); #12 Sammy Alvarez (Rutgers); #13 Michael Colaiocco (Penn); #23 Kyle Burwick (Wisconsin); #33 Matt Ramos (Purdue) Unranked Threats: Drew Mattin (Michigan); Jack Skudlarczyk (Northern Iowa); Cole Rhone (Bloomsburg); Kurt Phipps (Bucknell); Nick Masters (Princeton) After a couple of days at the Collegiate Duals that produced some upheaval amongst the 133 lb contenders, the MatMen Open should also bring some clarity to the potential backhalf of the NCAA podium and the top-ten. The favorites are returning All-American Lucas Byrd and Micky Phillipi, both of the top-ten wrestlers at this weight. Byrd has only seen action twice this year and suffered a loss to Tony Madrigal (Oklahoma) at the Michigan State Open on the opening weekend of the season. Philippi also has a single blemish on his 2021-22 ledger, coming after a weird defensive fall in the closing seconds against Malyke Hines (Lehigh). These two are no strangers to each other. They clashed in the NCAA Round of 12 last season, in a bout won by Byrd in tiebreakers. It marked the second time that Phillippi has fallen a match shy of All-American status. Two potential threats to a Byrd/Phillippi rematch are #12 Sammy Alvarez and #13 Michael Colaicco. Alvarez was the victim of an Anthony Sobotker (Binghamton) headlock in his first appearance this year, but has since righted the ship and been a stable force in the Scarlet Knights lineup. He should get his first significant tests of the year with his competition at the Open. The same can be said for the unbeaten Colaiocco. A win at the Journeymen Collegiate Challenge over Reno TOC winner #16 Devan Turner (Oregon State) accounts for the best win thus far for Colaiocco. The label unranked applies to Drew Mattin, but only because of the star power of the Michigan lineup. Mattin is 11-2 on the year with a pair of wins over NCAA qualifiers on his resume, including one over #23 Kyle Burwick, who is expected to compete here. Other possible darkhorses include Kurt Phipps and Nick Masters. Phipps recently defeated then-ranked Derek Spann (Buffalo), while Masters downed NCAA qualifier Mosha Schwartz (Northern Colorado) at the CKLV Invitational. Finals Prediction: Micky Phillippi over Lucas Byrd 3rd) Michael Colaiocco 4th) Sammy Alvarez 5th) Drew Mattin 6th) Kyle Burwick 7th) Matt Ramos 8th) Kurt Phipps 141 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #4 Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern); #14 Parker Filius (Purdue); #24 Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh); #25 Cayden Rooks (Indiana); #32 Carmen Ferrante (Penn) Unranked Threats: Joe Zargo (Wisconsin); Wil Gil (Franklin & Marshall); CJ Composto (Penn); McKenzie Bell (Rider); Jaivon Jones (Northern Illinois) Unless there is a major late-addition, the only returning Midlands champion at any weight competing in this field is Sebastian Rivera. Rivera should be a significant favorite to win for the second time in Hoffman Estates. Everytime that Rivera has stepped on the mat in 2021-22, he has come away with bonus points. The only two multi-time NCAA qualifiers after Rivera are Parker Filius and Cole Matthews. Filius won a pair of matches at the NCAA Championships last year and was sixth at the CKLV Invitational earlier this month. Matthews is a two-time third-place finisher in some loaded ACC weight classes. Two of the wrestlers near the bottom half of the rankings that have experienced some success in tournament action this year are Cayden Rooks and Carmen Ferrante. Rooks was third at the Mountaineer Invitational and fifth at the Cleveland State Open. Ferrante won the Keystone Classic. One of the more overlooked wrestlers in the country is Wil Gil, who didn't compete last year due to F&M's athletic department policies. Gil won the Bearcat Open and tallied 60 wins in between the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. This tournament should also provide the biggest widespread test for freshman Joe Zargo. Zargo suffered a close loss to unbeaten Kizhan Clarke (North Carolina) in November, but has been solid ever since. He has spent time in the national rankings already this year. A notable here that is under redshirt is 2021 MAC runner-up McKenzie Bell. While competing unattached this year, Bell has dropped a few bouts to wrestlers in this field (CJ Composto - Penn and Justin Bierdumpfel - Brown). Finals Prediction: Sebastian Rivera over Parker Filius 3rd) Cole Matthews 4th) Joe Zargo 5th) Wil Gil 6th) Carmen Ferrante 7th) McKenzie Bell 8th) Jaivon Jones 149 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #10 Josh Heil (Campbell); #11 Austin Gomez (Wisconsin); #18 Legend Lamer (Cal Poly); #27 Anthony Artalona (Penn) Unranked Threats: Chance Lamer (Michigan); Anthony White (Rutgers); Kolby DePron (Bucknell); Marshall Keller (Princeton); Anthony Cheloni (Northern Illinois) One of the fun quirks regarding this weight class is that we have a pair of Lamer brothers in the field. #18 Legend, a seventh-place finisher at the CKLV Invitational, and younger brother Chance, one of the top recruits in the Class of 2021. Chance started the year at 141 lbs, but has moved up and captured wins over two NCAA qualifiers at the CSU Open. Aside from Legend, two of the favorites here are Josh Heil and Austin Gomez. While Heil hasn't competed in a month, he is 4-0, with all four wins coming over past national qualifiers. In 2019, Heil became just the second Campbell wrestler to make the Midlands finals. Expect Gomez to have the crowd on his side since he returns very close to his hometown of Carol Stream. Since transferring to Wisconsin, Gomez has a second-lease on his wrestling career and is capitalizing with a 4-0 record. Another 2019 Midlands placer that will compete here is Anthony Artalona, who was sixth at the 157 lb weight class. Artalona was an NCAA Round of 12 finisher as a freshman in 2018-19, but has battled injuries since. In his only bout this year, Artalona fell to Penn State's Beau Bartlett in tiebreakers. Someone you may overlook since he's not Rutgers' current starter is Anthony White. The true freshman has amassed a 14-1 record this year and has a win over #31 Brent Moore (Clarion). White's win in sudden victory over Moore was his only non-bonus point win at the Shorty Hitchcock Open. Another freshman that's coming around is Bucknell's Kolby DePron. DePron is now 15-4 and boasts a win over 2021 national qualifier Peyton Omania (Michigan State). Finals Prediction: Austin Gomez over Josh Heil 3rd) Legend Lamer 4th) Chance Lamer 5th) Anthony White 6th) Anthony Artalona 7th) Kolby DePron 8th) Marshall Keller 157 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #10 Kendall Coleman (Purdue); #20 Doug Zapf (Penn); #28 Elijah Cleary (Pittsburgh); #29 Robert Kanniard (Rutgers); #33 Alex Carida (Bloomsburg) Unranked Threats: Jake Keating (Virginia), Munktulga Zuunbayan (Northern Illinois); AJ Jaffe (Harvard); Cooper Noehre (Purdue); Garrett Model (Wisconsin) 2019 Midlands fourth-place finisher Kendall Coleman will try and move up a couple steps on the podium in this trip to the greater Chicago area. Coleman may have three losses on his record already, but two have come against the top-two wrestlers in the nation. The biggest threat to a title for Coleman is Penn's Doug Zapf. Zapf now famously started his career as a 133 lber for the Quakers, but has rapidly grown. His results on the mat have also increased as his weight has gone up. Zapf is responsible for Josh Humphreys' (Lehigh) only loss of the year. Humphreys was one of the standouts at last week's Collegiate Duals. After Coleman-Zapf, there's a drop-off in between them and the rest of the possible contenders. Though Elijah Cleary and Robert Kanniard are in different conferences now, they were both in the B1G last year and Kanniard came out on top when they met. Also, UVA's national qualifier Jake Keating makes his first appearance of the year. The biggest wild card at this weight is Munktulga Zuunbayan of Northern Illinois. The Harper College transfer was impressive at the Michigan State Open with wins over Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan) and Trevor Chumbley (Northwestern). Since then, he competed at the Jim Koch Open and dropped a bout to Wisconsin-Parkside's Ben Durocher. Finals Prediction: Kendall Coleman over Doug Zapf 3rd) Jake Keating 4th) Robert Kanniard 5th) Elijah Cleary 6th) Munktulga Zuunbayan 7th) Garrett Model 8th) AJ Jaffe 165 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #8 Jake Wentzel (Pittsburgh); #14 Phil Conigliaro (Harvard); #15 Zach Hartman (Bucknell); #17 Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin); #18 Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois); #21 Danny Braunagel (Illinois); #29 Lucas Revano (Penn) Unranked Threats: Michael Caliendo (North Dakota State); Holden Heller (Hofstra); Blaine Bergey (Princeton); At the 165 lb weight class, we could be in for a match between two of the returning NCAA semifinalists with Jake Wentzel and Zach Hartman. Wentzel is 3-2 on the year after going 13-2 all of last season. He'll need to tally wins here to keep up in a loaded 165 lb bracket, nationally. Wentzel is looking to rebound after dropping a close bout to Carson Kharchla (Ohio State) in his most recent dual appearance. Hartman got back on the winning track, as well, ten days ago when he pinned and teched opponents from Lock Haven and Buffalo. Hartman was stunned by Michigan State's freshman, Caleb Fish, for his lone loss of the year in early December. One of Hartman's fellow contenders for the 2022 EIWA crown is Havard's Phil Conigliaro. In Vegas, Conigliaro made the medal stand for the second time in his career, taking sixth at a stacked weight. This tournament should provide the first significant test(s) for Wisconsin's super-freshman Dean Hamiti. Considered one of the top recruits in the Class of 2021, Hamiti has lived up to the hype with a perfect 7-0 and bonus points in six of those contests. In his most recent appearance, Hamiti pinned Izzak Olejnik in the finals of the Cougar Clash. And speaking of, Olejnik will fall in as the number four seed at this weight. Olejnik was eighth at the 2019 Midlands, losing to Conigliaro in the process (Conigliaro was fifth). Illinois' brawler Dan Braunagel is sure to find his way to the podium. Braunagel is currently 5-2 on the year and lost to in-state rival Olejnik at the 2021 NCAA Championships. One name you may not know, but soon will, is the ninth seed Michael Caliendo. The Illinois product is redshirting at North Dakota State and has put together an excellent campaign. He's currently 10-0 with wins over a pair of past national qualifiers. Finals Prediction: Jake Wentzel over Dean Hamiti 3rd) Zach Hartman 4th) Phil Conigliaro 5th) Michael Caliendo 6th) Dan Braunagel 7th) Izzak Olejnik 8th) Holden Heller 174 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #16 Jackson Turley (Rutgers); #21 Nick Incontrera (Penn); #25 Gerrit Nijenhuis (Purdue); #29 Joshua Kim (Harvard); #30 Mason Kauffman (Northern Illinois) Unranked Threats: Edmond Ruth (Unattached); Hunter Kernan (Pittsburgh); Reece Heller (Hofstra); AJ Pedro (Brown); Joseph Walker (Michigan) This weight isn't expected to be as loaded as some of the others, but we will get to see the return of Rutgers All-American Jackson Turley. Early in the season, Turley was beaten by Clarion's John Worthing 12-6 and hasn't competed since. Turley made a relatively unexpected run to the NCAA podium last year, knocking off the likes of Andrew McNally and Donnell Washington. Maybe the biggest wild card at this weight is seventh-seeded Edmond Ruth. Ruth picked up some solid wins at 184 lbs, competing unattached, while winning the Clarion Open on the opening week of the season. If he manages the weight well, he could be a factor here. A couple of slightly unheralded Ivy Leaguers, Nick Incontrera and Joshua Kim, should vie for spots high on the podium. The two have already met this year, with Incontrera coming out victorious at the Keystone Classic. He ended up second, while Kim settled for third. Returning national qualifiers Gerrit Nijenhuis and Mason Kauffman could have an impact, too. Hofstra's Reece Heller has put together some solid wins competing unattached this year and is now 9-2. His only losses have come to Kim and Hunter Kernan, who is also in the field. Finals Prediction: Jackson Turley over Edmond Ruth 3rd) Nick Incontrera 4th) Gerrit Nijenhuis 5th) Joseph Walker 6th) Joshua Kim 7th) Hunter Kernan 8th) Mason Kauffman 184 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #2 Myles Amine (Michigan); #6 Bernie Truax (Cal Poly); #7 Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois);#16 Trey Munoz (Oregon State); #19 Zac Braunagel (Illinois); #24 Chris Weiler (Wisconsin); #31 Gregg Harvey (Pittsburgh) Unranked Threats: Mark Hall (Post-Grad); Logan Deacetis (Bucknell); Neil Antrassian (Penn) This weight class went through some attrition during the last 24 hours, losing two top-ten ranked wrestlers in John Poznanski (Rutgers) and Donnell Washington (Indiana); however, it still boasts four past All-Americans and five in the top-20. Even with a talented field like this, the favorite could be listed in the “unranked threats” category as Mark Hall is the top-seed at the weight. The three-time NCAA finalist (2017 champion), Hall, is currently on the staff at the University of Pennsylvania and was a 2021 US Open Champion in freestyle. Speaking of freestyle credentials, it's hard to match the second seed, Myles Amine. This summer, Amine became San Marino's first-ever Olympic medalist in wrestling, when he captured the bronze medal at 86 kg. The other two returning All-Americans at this weight are Bernie Truax and Brit Wilson. Both may get overlooked because they don't compete for Big Ten/Big 12 programs. It will be good to see both opponents like Hall and Amine. The two were supposed to meet at the Michigan State Open; however, Truax medically forfeited out of the tournament and hasn't been in action since. Wilson has been very active and currently sports a 15-0 record. A new face at this weight is Trey Munoz. The Arizona State transfer shined at the Reno Tournament of Champions, up a weight from 2020-21, and won the whole thing. In the process, Munoz downed a top-15 opponent in Tate Samuelson (Wyoming). Some veterans that will definitely have deep runs are Zac Braunagel and Chris Weiler. The Badger, Weiler, has a head-to-head win over Braunagel last season, but has already dropped three bouts this year and, as a result, fell in the rankings. Finals Prediction: Myles Amine over Mark Hall 3rd) Brit Wilson 4th) Bernie Truax 5th) Trey Munoz 6th) Chris Weiler 7th) Zac Braunagel 8th) Logan Deacetis 197 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #2 Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh); #12 Greg Bulsak (Rutgers); #26 Braxton Amos (Wisconsin) Unranked Threats: Ryan Reyes (Oregon State); Chris Kober (Campbell); Cody Baldridge (North Central); Cole Urbas (Penn); Levi Hopkins (Campbell); Kolby Franklin (HS); Caden Rogers (HS) Even without an extremely deep field at 197 lbs, there's a lot to be excited about. Returning NCAA runner-up Nino Bonaccorsi will headline this group. Bonaccorsi made the U23 World Team, so he missed the first few competitions upon his return. But since he's been back, Bonaccorsi has picked up where he left off. Which is putting points on the board! Bonaccorsi has scored ten points in all three of his wins this season, the most recent coming against #21 Gavin Hoffman (Ohio State). The veteran with the best track record, aside from Bonaccorsi, is Greg Bulsak, a graduate transfer, formerly of Clarion. The four-time national qualifier has been extremely impressive during his time with Rutgers, compiling bonus points in all but two of his eight wins. Looking to make the next step is Wisconsin's stud freshman Braxton Amos. A Junior World champion in freestyle and medalist in Greco-Roman, Amos came into this year with plenty of fanfare and high expectations. Some of the hype subsided after a dual loss to Hofstra's Trey Rogers. His results since, though not against top-tier talent, indicate that loss was more likely a blip on the radar, than a sign of things to come. There are three others in this bracket with past NCAA experience, Ryan Reyes, Chris Kober, and Cole Urbas. Well, we should specify at the DI level, because North Central's Cody Baldridge made the DIII tournament in 2019 and 2020. Also, a pair of talented Pennsylvania high schoolers are slated to compete. Wyoming Seminary's Kolby Franklin and Malvern Prep's Caden Rogers are both top-50 recruits from the Class of 2022. Franklin has signed with Iowa, while Rogers will stay in-state to wrestle for Lehigh. Finals Prediction: Nino Bonaccorsi over Braxton Amos 3rd) Greg Bulsak 4th) Chris Kober 5th) Cole Urbas 6th) Ryan Reyes 7th) Kolby Franklin 8th) Cody Baldridge 285 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #5 Trent Hillger (Wisconsin); #17 Luke Luffman (Illinois); #26 Boone McDermott (Rutgers); #28 Jake Slinger (Pittsburgh) Unranked Threats: Ethan Laird (Rider); Jack DelGarbino (Princeton); Ben Goldin (Penn); Michael Woulfe (Purdue); Sam Aguilar (Cal Poly); Vincenzo Pelusi (Franklin & Marshall); Christian Carroll (HS) A two-time Midlands placewinner (3rd and 8th), Trent Hillger is seeking to take the next step and come out of Illinois with a title in late December. Also, a two-time NCAA All-American, Hillger is undefeated and has falls in four of his six wins this year. He has quite a familiar face amongst the contenders in Luke Luffman. Last year, the two split matches; however, Hillger holds the career edge 2-1 between the two. The second seed is Rider's Ethan Laird, another Bronc that is taking the year off. Laird was the seventh seed at the 2021 NCAA Championships and advanced to the Round of 12 before his elimination. He has won all eight of his bouts this year, including titles at the Bearcat and Patriot Open's. Near the bottom of the nationals lies Boone McDermott and Jake Slinger. Both have been instrumental in their respective team's success this year, as Slinger has clinched a pair of Pitt wins in the final bout with falls. McDermott won his first seven matches this year, before falling to Army's Ben Sullivan in sudden victory. Others to watch include Jack DelGarbino, who had one of the biggest upsets of the young season, when he pinned U23 world champion Tony Cassioppi (Iowa). Purdue's Michael Woulfe is a past national qualifier for the Naval Academy that is finishing his eligibility with the Boilermakers. He has made the most of his opportunity with a 7-4 record. Finally, we'll get a glimpse into the future as one of the top high school juniors in the nation, Christian Carroll, has entered. Carroll is a UPenn recruit that dominated his way to a Junior freestyle title in Fargo and his second Super 32 crown in October. Finals Prediction: Trent Hillger over Luke Luffman 3rd) Ethan Laird 4th) Boone McDermott 5th) Christian Carroll 6th) Ben Goldin 7th) Jack DelGarbino 8th) Sam Aguilar

Top-Seeded 141 lber Sebastian Rivera (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) 125 Seed Name Team Intermat WrestleStat 1 Shawver, Dylan Rutgers 25 22 2 Curry, Gage Pittsburgh 26 41 3 Cardani, Justin Illinois 29 50 4 Miller, Ryan Pennsylvania 33 36 5 Molton, Anthony Campbell University 31 89 6 Bayless, Beau Harvard 45 7 Lorenzo, Antonio Cal Poly 30 49 8 Storm, Zurich Campbell University 77 9 Camacho, Colton Pittsburgh 56 10 Adrian, Hunter Brown University 53 11 West, Blake Northern Illinois-Unattached 94 133 Seed Name Team Intermat WrestleStat 1 Byrd, Lucas Illinois 7 8 2 Phillippi, Micky Pittsburgh 6 6 3 Alvarez, Sammy Rutgers 12 5 4 Colaiocco, Michael Pennsylvania 13 16 5 Mattin, Drew Michigan Beat Burwick 40 6 Burwick, Kyle Wisconsin 23 46 7 Ramos, Matt Purdue 33 30 8 Skudlarzyk, Jack Northern Iowa 52 9 Phipps, Kurt Bucknell 57 10 Rhone, Cole Bloomsburg 73 11 Olivieri, Joey Rutgers-Unattached RS 35 141 Seed Name Team Intermat WrestleStat 1 Rivera, Sebastian Rutgers 4 4 2 Filius, Parker Purdue 14 21 3 Matthews, Cole Pittsburgh 24 18 4 Ferrante, Carmen Pennsylvania 32 64 5 Zargo, Joseph Wisconsin 38 6 Composto, Cj Pennsylvania 22 7 Gil, Wil Franklin & Marshall 49 8 Bell, McKenzie Unattached RS 28 9 Jones, Jaivon Northern Illinois 76 10 Munch, Drew Lehigh 85 11 Basile, Ethan Northern Iowa 92 149 Seed Name Team Intermat WrestleStat 1 Heil, Josh Campbell University 10 16 2 Gomez, Austin Wisconsin 11 10 3 Lamer, Legend Cal Poly 18 35 4 Artalona, Anthony Pennsylvania 27 27 5 Lamer, Chance Michigan RS 36 6 White, Anthony Rutgers-Unattached 30 7 DePron, Kolby Bucknell 54 8 Keller, Marshall Princeton 78 9 Cheloni, Anthony Northern Illinois 92 10 Kemerer, Luke Pittsburgh 82 11 Saito, Blake Brown University 52 157 Seed Name Team Intermat WrestleStat 1 Coleman, Kendall Purdue 10 19 2 Zapf, Doug Pennsylvania 20 15 3 Keating, Jake Virginia-Unattached RS 32 4 Cleary, Elijah Pittsburgh 28 45 5 Kanniard, Robert Rutgers 29 31 6 Carida, Alex Bloomsburg 33 47 7 Zuunbayan, Munktulga Northern Illinois 27 8 Jaffe, Aj Harvard 38 9 Noehre, Cooper Purdue 53 10 Model, Garrett Wisconsin 54 165 Seed Name Team Intermat WrestleStat 1 Wentzel, Jake Pittsburgh 8 13 2 Hartman, Zach Bucknell 15 11 3 Hamiti, Dean Wisconsin 17 9 4 Olejnik, Izzak Northern Illinois 18 18 5 Conigliaro, Philip Harvard 14 17 6 Braunagel, Dan Illinois 21 22 7 Revano, Lucas Pennsylvania 29 33 8 Heller, Holden Hofstra 29 9 Caliendo, Michael NDSU-Unattached RS 19 10 Bergey, Blaine Princeton 95 11 Buell, Stoney Purdue 100 174 Seed Name Team Intermat WrestleStat 1 Turley, Jackson Rutgers 16 18 2 Incontrera, Nick Pennsylvania 21 20 3 Nijenhuis, Gerrit Purdue 25 25 4 Kim, Josh Harvard 29 29 5 Kauffman, Mason Northern Illinois 30 46 6 Pedro, Anthony Brown University 67 7 Ruth, Edmond Unattached Won Clarion 8 Kernan, Hunter Pittsburgh 65 9 Heller, Reece Hofstra 74 10 Walker, Joe Michigan 99 184 Seed Name Team Intermat WrestleStat 1 Hall, Mark Unattached GR GR 2 Amine, Myles Michigan 2 1 3 Poznanski, John Rutgers 5 5 4 Truax, Bernie Cal Poly 6 10 5 Wilson, Brit Northern Illinois 7 7 6 Munoz, Trey Oregon State 16 19 7 Braunagel, Zach Illinois 19 22 8 Weiler, Chris Wisconsin 24 32 9 Harvey, Gregg Pittsburgh 31 26 197 Seed Name Team Intermat WrestleStat 1 Bonaccorsi, Nino Pittsburgh 2 3 2 Bulsak, Greg Rutgers 12 15 3 Amos, Braxton Wisconsin 26 30 4 Reyes, Ryan Oregon State 29 5 Urbas, Cole Pennsylvania 36 6 Kober, Chris Campbell University 48 7 Baldridge, Cody North Central College 3rd DIII 8 Hopkins, Levi Campbell University 59 9 Franklin, Kolby Unattached Won LHU 10 Rogers, Caden Unattached 11 Striggow, Robert Michigan 83 12 Tracy, Trent Cal Poly 87 285 Seed Name Team Intermat WrestleStat 1 Hillger, Trent Wisconsin 5 6 2 Laird, Ethan Rider-Unattached RS 11 3 Luffman, Luke Illinois 17 23 4 McDermott, Boone Rutgers 26 27 5 Slinger, Jake Pittsburgh 28 35 6 Goldin, Ben Pennsylvania 43 7 Carroll, Christian Unattached JR FS Finalist 8 DelGarbino, Jack Princeton 21 9 Woulfe, Michael Purdue 60 10 Aguilar, Sam Cal Poly 69 11 Pelusi, Vincenzo Franklin & Marshall 72 12 Christensen, Peter Wisconsin-Unattached 78 13 Cover, Matthew Princeton 83

Michigan State's Chase Saldate (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) We Fantasy Team Managers have hit a season milestone this week: The Halfway Point. Remember back in middle school when you had progress reports? In my day (yeah, I'm using that old-man phrase), back in 2002, before Study Island or teachers corresponded regularly with your parents via the inter-web, we had actual sheets of paper with each subject listed. Each teacher would fill out your current scholastic subject status within their class and, by the end of the week, had to return the progress report signed by a parent or guardian. Now, I was neither steady enough to freehand my parent's signature nor have the necessary tracing paper available to overlay and copy their signature as they were both products of the 60s catholic school system and were proficient in cursive, which meant a full spelled-out signature. Not just a wispy couple strokes of the pen. My usual go-to move was to wake my dad up at 6am (hours before I needed to actually leave for school) and get him to sign the random piece of paper I put in front of his one open bloodshot eye. Bingo-bango, no questions asked. This one time, however, I had a 62% in math. That number alone would stand out even to the sleepiest of fathers, and to boot, was written in blood-red ink. The only teacher to use red ink, in fact. Had she used a black pen, even possibly a darker blue shade, I could have finagled a pencil overlay to make it look like an 82%. But again, red ink. I rummaged through the several junk drawers, in the kitchen, the several bags of freebies doctors used to get back in the day from drug reps (like pens, pencils, golf balls, music CDs, etc.), until the miracle moment. While sneaking into my dad's office and going through his desk drawer for the literal hail mary search, I found a small rectangular case with graphite to fill into a reusable pencil. And what do ya know, it was RED graphite. I lightly traced an “8” over the “6” in 62%, woke dad up at 6am who gave the paper a once-over, signed it, lightly erased the red graphite (gently so not to take off the coloring of the paper the progress report was printed on, and no one was the wiser. That's a long and random story to set up this midway progress report in #FantasyCollegeWrestling. At the beginning of the season, you most likely saw wrestlers like Spencer Lee, Gable Steveson, Roman Bravo-Young, and Yianni Diakomihalis going in the first couple of rounds. Surprise Surprise, though they are still ranked atop their respective weight rankings, they are not at the top of the list for Best Fantasy Wrestlers. The current top 13 Fantasy Wrestlers across all weights (stats provided by WrestleStat): #1. Matt Finesilver (Duke) 72 fantasy points/17 matches/4.20 PPM #2. Ed Scott (NC State) 60 fantasy points/16 matches/3.80 PPM #3. Chase Saldate (Michigan State) 56 fantasy points/14 matches/4.00 PPM #4. Josh Finesilver (Duke) 56 fantasy points/17 matches/3.30 PPM #5. Logan Messer (George Mason) 53 fantasy points/23 matches/2.30 PPM #6. Joey Milano (NC State) 52 fantasy points/20 matches/2.60 PPM #7. Donnell Washington (Indiana) 51 fantasy points/9 matches/5.70 PPM #8. Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois) 50 fantasy points/15 matches/3.30 PPM #9. Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) 49 fantasy points/12 matches/4.10 PPM #10 Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) 48 fantasy points/18 matches/2.70 PPM #11 Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers) 47 fantasy points/9 matches/5.20 PPM #12 Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) 47 fantasy points/11 matches/4.30 PPM #13 Seth Koleno (Clarion) 47 fantasy points/24 matches/2.00 PPM So, how many of these wrestlers are on your team? How has your season been going thus far? Has your roster been exceeding your expectations or underperforming? Is your team at the top of the standings or sinking quicker than the hips of a bad leg-rider? Have your Transfer Portal add/drops been working out or have they been more of a distraction in the locker room? On to Week 9… We find ourselves with a few last major tournaments of the 2022 season in the Matmen Open (also known as the “New Midlands”), Hawkeye Open, and Southern Scuffle before hitting the “back nine” and regular-season stretch to wrap up the regular season. As I often say, it really depends on how the seeds shake out and the bracket is set to determine who is going to have a great day and who is going to have a not so good day, so since it's mainly tournament driven, I'm going to break each weight into two sections: Probably Taken (meaning that there is a high probability that this wrestler is already rostered within your league) and Most Likely Available (meaning the wrestler will probably be available in the Transfer Portal). Unfortunately, at the time of this article, little detail has been sent out about the Hawkeye Open. I'm expecting some more info to come in shortly, so keep the notifications “ON” to @FantasyD1Wrestl. We do have a few duals this week, including the (confusingly awkward scheduling of) Northwestern HOSTING (yeah…) SIU-Edwardsville and Virginia on Dec 29 and Oregon State @ Utah Valley on 1/2. Wrestlers I Like This Week Wrestler (School)- competition for the week [Proj Score] *organized by tournament name first, then by school name* 125: Probably Taken: Justin Cardani (Illinois)- Matmen Open Noah Surtin (Missouri)- Southern Scuffle Pat McKee (Minnesota)- Southern Scuffle Most Likely Available: Dylan Shawver (Rutgers)- Matmen Open Jacob Moran (Indiana)- Matmen Open Reece Witcraft (Oklahoma State)- Southern Scuffle Joe Manchio (Columbia)- Southern Scuffle Killian Cardinale (West Virginia)- Southern Scuffle Fabian Gutierrez (Chattanooga)- Southern Scuffle Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech)- Southern Scuffle Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern)- Vs SIU-Edwardsville, Vs Virginia [+7] Taylor LaMont (Utah Valley)- Vs Oregon State [+4] 133: Probably Taken: Lucas Byrd (illinois)- Matmen Open Micky Phillippi (Pittsburgh)- Matmen Open Sammy Alverez (Rutgers)- Matmen Open Rayvon Foley (Michigan State)- Southern Scuffle Chris Cannon (Northwestern)- Vs SIU-Edwardsville, Vs Virginia [+8] Most Likely Available: Michael Colaiocco (U Penn)- Matmen Open Drew Mattin (Michigan)- Matmen Open Brock Hudkins (Indiana)- Matmen Open Matt Ramos (Purdue)- Matmen Open Chance Rich (CSU Bakersfield)- Southern Scuffle Angelo Rini (Columbia)- Southern Scuffle Kai Orine (NC State)- Southern Scuffle Connor Brown (Missouri)- Southern Scuffle Kellyn March (North Dakota State)- Southern Scuffle Derek Spann (Buffalo)- Southern Scuffle Jake Gliva (Minnesota)- Southern Scuffle 141: Probably Taken: Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers)- Matmen Open Clay Carlson (South Dakota State)- Southern Scuffle Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado State)- Southern Scuffle Kizahn Clarke (North Carolina)- Southern Scuffle Real Woods (Stanford)- Southern Scuffle Allan Hart (Missouri)- Southern Scuffle Grant Willits (Oregon State)- @ Utah Valley [+4] Most Likely Available: Wil Gil (Franklin & Marshall)- Matmen Open Parker Filius (Purdue)- Matmen Open Joey Zargo (Wisconsin)- Matmen Open Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina)- Southern Scuffle Quinn Kinner (Rider)- Southern Scuffle Dusty Hone (Oklahoma State)- Southern Scuffle 149: Probably Taken: Austin Gomez (Wisconsin)- Matmen Open Josh Heil (Campbell)- Matmen Open Josh Edmond (Missouri)- Southern Scuffle Jonathan Millner (Appalachian State)- Southern Scuffle Josh Finesilver (Duke)- Southern Scuffle Zach Sherman (North Carolina)- Southern Scuffle Yahya Thomas (Northwestern)- Vs SIU-Edwardsville, Vs Virginia [+7] Most Likely Available: Anthony White (Rutgers)- Matmen Open Anthony Artalona (U Penn)- Matmen Open Chance Lamer (Michigan)- Matmen Open Max Brignola (Lehigh)- Matmen Open Victor Voinovich (Oklahoma State)- Southern Scuffle Alex Madrigal (George Mason)- Southern Scuffle 157: Probably Taken: Kendall Coleman (Purdue)- Matmen Open Doug Zapf (U Penn)- Matmen Open Austin O'Connor (North Carolina)- Southern Scuffle Brayton Lee (Minnesota)- Southern Scuffle Chase Saldate (Michigan State)- Southern Scuffle Jared Franek (North Dakota State)- Southern Scuffle Jarrett Jacques (Missouri)- Southern Scuffle Ryan Deakin (Northwestern)- Vs SIU-Edwardsville, Vs Virginia [+10] Most Likely Available: Brock Mauller (Missouri)- Southern Scuffle Colton Yapoujian (Cornell)- Southern Scuffle 165: Probably Taken: Jake Wentzel (Pittsburgh)- Matmen Open Zach Hartman (Bucknell)- Matmen Open Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois)- Matmen Open Julian Ramirez (Cornell)- Southern Scuffle Shane Griffith (Stanford)- Southern Scuffle Keegan O'Toole (Missouri)- Southern Scuffle Peyton Hall (West Virginia)- Southern Scuffle Most Likely Available: Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin)- Matmen Open Phil Conigliaro (Harvard)- Matmen Open Luke Weber (North Dakota State)- Southern Scuffle Alex Facundo (Penn State)- Southern Scuffle PJ Ogunsanya (Columbia)- Southern Scuffle 174: Probably Taken: Matt Finesilver (Duke)- Southern Scuffle Chris Foca (Cornell)- Southern Scuffle Peyton Mocco (Missouri)- Southern Scuffle Michael O'Malley (Drexel)- Southern Scuffle Most Likely Available: Josh Kim (Harvard)- Matmen Open Jackson Turley (Rutgers)- Matmen Open Cade DeVos (South Dakota State)- Southern Scuffle Tyler Eischens (Stanford)- Southern Scuffle Bailey O'Reilly (Minnesota)- Southern Scuffle 184: Probably Taken: Myles Amine (Michigan)- Matmen Open John Poznanski (Rutgers)- Matmen Open Bernie Truax (Cal Poly)- Matmen Open Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois)- Matmen Open Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech)- Southern Scuffle Jeremiah Kent (Missouri)- Southern Scuffle Most Likely Available: Donnell Washington (Indiana)- Matmen Open Trey Munoz (Oregon State)- Matmen Open Chris Weiler (Wisconsin)- Matmen Open Jonathan Loew (Cornell)- Southern Scuffle Isaiah Salazar (Minnesota)- Southern Scuffle Layne Malczewski (Michigan State)- Southern Scuffle Gavin Kane (North Carolina)- Southern Scuffle 197: Probably Taken: Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh)- Matmen Open Braxton Amos (Wisconsin)- Matmen Open Rocky Elam (Missouri)- Southern Scuffle Jacob Cardenas (Cornell)- Southern Scuffle Cam Caffey (Michigan State)- Southern Scuffle Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State)- Southern Scuffle Most Likely Available: Greg Bulsak (Rutgers)- Matmen Open Michael Beard (Penn State)- Southern Scuffle Jaron Smith (Maryland)- Southern Scuffle Owen Pentz (North Dakota State)- Southern Scuffle Andrew Davison (Northwestern)- Vs SIU-Edwardsville, Vs Virginia [+7] 285: Probably Taken: Trent Hillger (Wisconsin)- Matmen Open Zach Elam (Missouri)- Southern Scuffle Lewis Fernandes (Cornell)- Southern Scuffle Most Likely Available: Ethan Laird (Rider)- Matmen Open Boone McDermott (Rutgers)- Matmen Open Luke Luffman (Illinois)- Matmen Open Michael Wolfgram (West Virginia)- Southern Scuffle Hunter Catka (Virginia Tech)- Southern Scuffle Owen Trephan (NC State)- Southern Scuffle Austin Harris (Oklahoma State)- Southern Scuffle Konner Doucet (Oklahoma State)- Southern Scuffle Gary Traub (Oregon State)- @ Utah Valley [+4] Think I missed someone? Disagree with someone on the list or their projection? Want to know our thoughts on a matchup? Let me know! Win the week!

Keegan O'Toole at the Collegiate Duals (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Friday 12/17 Oklahoma State DEF Air Force 45-0 Oklahoma State DEF Wyoming 30-3 Saturday 12/18 South Dakota State DEF Harper College (59-0), Kent State (33-6), Northern Illinois (26-9) at Huskie Duals at Northern Illinois Sunday 12/19 California Baptist, Wyoming, Oklahoma State(Non-Starters), Utah Valley(Unattached) at Reno Tournament of Champions, Reno, NV Wyoming-2nd place team 133-Job Greenwood-4th 141-Chase Zollman-2nd 149-Jaron Jensen-1st 157-Jacob Wright-1st 174-Hayden Hastings-1st 184-Tate Samuelson-2nd 197-Stephen Buchanan-1st 285-Terren Swartz-5th Cal Baptist-5th place team 149-Chaz Hallmark-5th 157-AJ Raya-4th 165-Frank Almaguer-5th Oklahoma State-9th place team 157-Jalin Harper-3rd 184-Gavin Stika-3rd 285-Austin Harris-3rd Utah Valley-Unattached 141-Isaiah Delgado-3rd Iowa State DEF Purdue 23-10 Monday 12/20 Oklahoma State DEF Utah Valley 37-0 Most Exciting: Wyoming and Oregon State going down to the wire at Reno. Going into the 165-pound finals at Reno, Oregon State and Wyoming were tied at 167. Oregon State had finalists at 165-184-285 and one in the third-place match at 197. Wyoming had finalists at 174-184-197. Oregon State lost at 165 then Wyoming won at 174. Oregon State then won the third-place match at 197 to go up one. The head-to-head between Trey Munoz and Tate Samuelson at 184 was already expected to be crucial, but it suddenly became a match that looked like it would essentially decide the tournament as Wyoming was a heavy favorite at 197 and Oregon State a favorite at 285. Munoz got an early takedown, then Samuelson got an escape. Samuelson got a quick escape in the second and Munoz in the third. Samuelson had a late flurry of attacks but was unable to get in on anything and Munoz won 3-1. Buchanan then decided he would keep this team race alive. He got a major decision at 197 with a last second takedown. This major for Buchanan tied things up at 172 going into the HWT final. A win for Traub and Oregon State wins it, a loss for Traub and Oregon State and Wyoming tie. In sudden victory “Gas Tank” Gary Traub got a takedown on the edge to win and give Oregon State the team title What I may have missed on: Preseason Big 12 Wrestler of the Year I went with Daton Fix as my Preseason Wrestler of the Year. It was a pretty bold prediction with returning champions David Carr and AJ Ferrari two other available options. David Carr has been destroying people this year. On Sunday he picked up a fall over Kendall Coleman and has bonus point wins in six of his eight matches this season. He did get pushed by Nebraska's Peyton Robb though, and Ryan Deakin is still out there, so maybe I wasn't crazy to go with Fix? But Carr looks poised to potentially go undefeated and pick up a lot of bonus points in the process. Collegiate Duals: Missouri (2-1) 33-6 over Binghamton, (L) 19-12 to NC State, 26-9 over Lehigh Noah Surtin (125), Allan Hart (141), and Keegan O'Toole (165) all went 3-0 Northern Iowa (1-2) (L) 29-7 to Cornell, (L) 29-9 to Penn State), 33-9 over Hofstra Brody Teske (125), Cael Happel (141), Austin Yant (165), and Parker Keckeisen (184) all went 2-1.

Trent Hidlay greeting Isaac Trumble (right) (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Duke: The Blue Devils opened their home slate with three duals in Cameron Indoor on Sunday and came away with a 3-0 record to move their season record to 6-4. Duke took the first dual over Bloomsburg 29-9, led by pins from Kaden Russell at 197 and #8 Matt Finesilver at 174. They also picked up bonus points from Logan Agin at 125 and #9 Josh Finesilver at 149, both picking up major decisions. The second dual was a 30-10 win over The Citadel, which was again led by bonus points from Russell with an 18-0 tech fall, Agin with a pin in 19 seconds, Josh Finesilver with a fall in the first period and Matt Finesilver closing out the dual with a major decision. The Blue Devils closed out the day with a 30-7 drubbing of the late addition Presbyterian. They were led again by Russell with a 16-0 tech and ended the dual with three straight bonus-point wins. Wade Unger (157) picked up a major decision, followed by Gabe Dinette doing the same at 165. Matt Finesilver ended the evening with an 18-0 tech fall. Duke looked great from the opening whistle. Kaden Russell is breaking through and making the impact I thought he could. Another big thing we saw is Stanford transfer Gabe Dinette going 3-0 on the day. He could be a big piece providing more stability in the middle of the lineup. Both Finesilver brothers also capped off unbeaten days. Josh closes out the first half of the season at 16-1 with the #9 ranking at 149, while brother Matt remains undefeated at 17-0 and is ranked #8 at 174. Logan Agin also had a 3-0 day and had a highlight reel 0:19 second pin. The Blue Devils are off to their best start since the 2014-2015 season. They are back in action at the Southern Scuffle on January 1st. North Carolina: The Tar Heels traveled to Boone to battle with the Appalachian State Mountaineers on Friday night. The dual was back and forth throughout, but UNC was able to pull out a 17-15 win. Joe Heilmann stepped in at 133 and made some big noise knocking off #23 Codi Russell 4-3. #9 Kizhan Clarke continued his undefeated start to the season with a decision win, bringing his record to 9-0 on the year. #17 Zach Sherman had yet another top-10 opponent in All-American #7 Jonathan Millner and fell in a 5-2 decision. #7 Austin O'Connor delivered another bonus point win with a 12-3 major decision at 157. In one of the more surprising results of the night, #9 Clay Lautt--who had been on a hot streak--lost a 6-5 decision to Thomas Flitz. #21 Gavin Kane got the team back on track with a decision win, followed by a major decision at 197 from #30 Max Shaw to give the Tar Heels the lead for good. It was a rowdy atmosphere in Boone and the dual was a battle. The Tar Heels were able to do what needed to be done to pick up the win and get back to Chapel Hill. They are back in action at the Southern Scuffle on January 1st. NC State: The #5 Wolfpack made a big statement at the Collegiate Duals in Florida on Monday and Tuesday. They ran through Binghamton 35-9 to start the event on a high note. #5 Jakob Camacho started off the dual with a pin at 125, followed by an injury default for Jarrett Trombley at 133. Hunter Lewis lost a decision at 141, then the Wolfpack rolled off five wins in a row. #3 Tariq Wilson picked up a decision at 149, then #23 Ed Scott kicked off a big weekend with an 18-1 tech fall and #18 Thomas Bullard earned a decision at 165. The Hidlay Brothers both got BONUS, with #5 Hayden notching a major decision at 174 and #3 Trent with a dominating tech fall at 184. #15 Isaac Trumble fell to #12 Lou DePrez at 197 and #28 Owen Trephan ended the dual with a ranked win over #22 Joe Doyle. The second dual was a highly anticipated matchup with #10 Missouri that was a back-and-forth battle throughout. The Tigers got the first win with #15 Noah Surtin earning a late takedown to seal a decision win over #5 Jakob Camacho. #17 Kai Orine continued his hot start and evened up the dual with a decision win. It tilted back at 141 with #14 Allan Hart earning a decision win over #16 Ryan Jack. The next two matches were big wins over ranked opponents for the Wolfpack. #3 Tariq Wilson with an 11-8 decision over a very dangerous #18 Josh Edmond and #23 Ed Scott with the "upset" decision over #14 Jarrett Jacques. #18 Thomas Bullard held #3, Keegan O'Toole, to a decision-an impressive feat-at 165 to even up the dual at 9-9. Once Hidlaymania began, the Wolfpack made another run. #5 Hayden Hidlay won by decision over #14 Peyton Mocco and #3 Trent Hidlay with the workmanlike effort to get a bonus point for the team with a major decision over Jeremiah Kent. #15 Isaac Trumble picked up a huge win over #4 Rocky Elam to seal the dual for the Wolfpack. The dual was wrapped up with a very impressive fight from third-string heavyweight Tyrie Houghton, who showed some incredible potential in his 6-5 loss to #16 Zach Elam. Overall, this was a very entertaining dual and you could feel the momentum sway from match to match before the Wolfpack made a run in the middle-upper weights. The win over Missouri set up a high stakes dual against the returning National Champion #1 Iowa Hawkeyes…this one didn't disappoint either. In what is the early front-runner for Dual of the Year, the Hawkeyes won the last two bouts in a wild dual to win 19-15. #5 Jakob Camacho faced a tough task with three-time NCAA Champ Spencer Lee returning to action for the Hawkeyes. He wrestled amazingly and held the high-scoring Lee to his first non-bonus point win of the season in a 6-1 decision. #17 Kai Orine faced the second big gun for Iowa in #3 Austin DeSanto. Orine wrestled well against the very aggressive DeSanto and lost the major decision 16-7. This next match could be a whole paragraph in itself. Suffice to say, #16 Ryan Jack wrestled out of his mind and lost in a controversial finish to #2 Jaydin Eierman. Jack controlled the match from the outset and was up on Eierman going into the 3rd. The Hawkeye was able to take a late lead and was riding Jack with a 7-6 lead at the end of regulation. While in the scramble to escape, Jack secured Eierman's head and arched to put him on his back and looked to get the defensive fall as time expired. Whether it was a pin or not will depend on who you ask--but there were certainly a lot of people upset about the no-call and it will be one that will be debated through the season. Pin or not, Jack was very impressive that match and made a statement on the national scene. That wild match put Iowa up 7-6. #3 Tariq Wilson gave the Wolfpack the lead back with a 7-3 decision win. At 157, #23 Ed Scott put his name on the national radar with a pin of #8 Kaleb Young in 1:10. Scott dug a left underhook and ripped a righty headlock to put Young on his back and give the Wolfpack some momentum and pulled them back within one. Donald Cates got the call at 165 and fought hard to hold #1 Alex Marinelli to a 7-2 decision. #5 Hayden Hidlay picked up a 4-2 decision over the very-defensive Nelson Brands and #3 Trent Hidlay followed with a 6-0 decision over Abe Assad as he continued to fight for bonus for the team and gave the Wolfpack the first lead of the night 15-13. This was short-lived as #15 Isaac Trumble lost a heartbreaker to #7 Jacob Warner 3-2 to give the Hawkeyes the lead for good. Tyrie Houghton fought valiantly and looked to possibly have some back points against #6 Tony Cassioppi, but fell 6-2 to give Iowa the 19-15 win and the pool title for the Collegiate Duals. I can't imagine anyone watching this event and not coming away incredibly impressed with the Wolfpack. This event showed the team's depth with multiple people winning and/or being competitive with high-level wrestlers at multiple weights. It also provided statement wins for Ed Scott and Isaac Trumble and statement weekends for Tariq Wilson, Hayden and Trent Hidlay. Most importantly, everyone who watched the broadcast could see the culture that Coach Popolizio has built in Raleigh; it was evident by their performances on the mat and their support on the bench. There is something special happening at NC State and this was an excellent chance for fans across the country to see what we have been seeing in the conference. The Wolfpack will return to action at the Southern Scuffle and will announce their lineup prior to the event. Pittsburgh: The Panthers were off this week and were slated to return to action at The Midlands. Since the cancellation of the event, Pitt has committed to attending the "Midlands V2" hosted by Illinois Matmen. Virginia: The Cavaliers were off this week and were slated to return to action at The Midlands, but since the cancellation, they have had a change of plans. After they received the news, Coach Garland and Coach Storniolo from Northwestern agreed to compete in a tri with SIUE. Virginia Tech: The #9 Hokies entered the Collegiate Duals knowing they would face some stiff competition in their pool. They opened with Hofstra and made a statement with a 35-3 win. #16 Sam Latona opened with a major decision at 125, followed by an 18-4 tech fall from #4 Korbin Myers. They traded decisions at 141 and 149, with Collin Gerardi winning for the Hokies at 141 and Kylan Montgomery fighting hard while filling in for Bryce Andonian. The rest of the dual was all Virginia Tech. #22 Conor Brady won 6-3 at 157, followed by a beautiful pin from Clayton Ulrey at 165--I continue to be impressed every time he steps on the mat with the effort he always gives to the team. #4 Mekhi Lewis put on a scoring clinic with a 16-0 tech fall in just over three minutes. #9 Hunter Bolen wrestled incredibly well and controlled the match against #25 Charles Small to pick up the 6-3 decision. The dual closed out with two more wins over ranked wrestlers for the Hokies. Dakota Howard upset #26 Trey Rogers 5-3 at 197 and #14 Nathan Traxler won a convincing 7-1 decision over a very dangerous #20 Zachary Knighton-Ward. The Hokies hoped that this momentum would carry them into a tough dual with #6 Arizona State, but the Sun Devils had their own plans. Arizona State has eight ranked wrestlers and they performed about as well as they possibly could in this dual. #16 Sam Latona faced national runner-up #3 Brandon Courtney and fell in an 8-4 decision. #4 Korbin Myers dropped his first match of the season in a back-and-forth match against #14 Michael McGee 8-7. Colln Gerardi put up a great fight and almost pulled off the upset over #15 Jesse Vasquez. Kylan Montgomery had the unfortunate job of facing #5 Kyle Parco and fell 14-1 in what was a very anticipated match for Bryce Andonian. The next two matches were heartbreakers for the Hokies as they tried to climb back into the dual. #22 Conor Brady lost in sudden victory to #3 Jacori Teemer at 157 in a match that he wrestled incredibly well. At 165, Clayton Ulrey gave #6 Anthony Valencia one of his best matches of the year, falling 11-9. At 174, #4 Mekhi Lewis tried to put the team on his back and get them back in the dual, reeling off another tech fall 19-3. #9 Hunter Bolen followed that up with a 20-2 tech fall in the second period. The Hokies hopes were cut the next match as Dakota Howard fell to #9 Kordell Norfleet. In the final bout, we were hoping for a rematch of last year's PAC-12 Championship match between #14 Nathan Traxler and #3 Colton Schultz, but the Sun Devils sent out a backup and Traxler picked up an 8-1 decision to end the dual. Hokies 13 Sun Devils 23 The final dual matched the Hokies with a very dangerous and well-balanced Cornell lineup. #16 Sam Latona opened the dual against #3 Vito Arujau and fell 12-2. #4 Korbin Myers rebounded from a tough loss against ASU to pick up win #100 with a 9-3 decision over Dom LaJoie; he was pushing for a major but couldn't finish before time expired. Collin Gerardi wrestled a phenomenal match to earn a 6-0 decision at 141. Kylan Montgomery had another monster test against two-time NCAA champ Yianni Diakomihalis and fell in a 19-3 tech fall. #22 Conor Brady wrapped up a solid weekend with a ranked win in a very close bout with #25 Colton Yapujian, winning 2-1. Clayton Ulrey put up another impressive fight against #10 Julian Ramirez and nearly pulled off the upset, falling 4-2. #4 Mekhi Lewis gave Hokie Nation a scare against #10 Chris Foca. Lewis was in on legs several times throughout the match, but couldn't finish. The bout went to sudden victory--no points were scored in the first two minutes, so it went to alternating ride-outs. Foca seemed confused by the position and chose top to open; Lewis was able to score escapes in both ride-out periods and took the bout 3-1. #9 Hunter Bolen dropped his first match of the year at 184 in a heartbreaker. He controlled the match for about six minutes and thirty seconds and looked to have the win in hand. #15 Jonathan Loew scored a takedown with 10 seconds remaining to send the match to overtime and secured another in overtime to knock off Bolen. At 197 Andy Smith made his season debut against #19 Jacob Cardenas and fell in a close 3-2 match. #14 Nathan Traxler finished up an undefeated weekend in a battle with #19 Lewis Fernandes. In a very entertaining heavyweight bout, Traxler took the 5-3 win to end the dual on a good note for the Hokies. Hokies 15 Cornell 18 The Hokies return to action on January 1st at the Southern Scuffle.

Arizona State All-American Anthony Valencia (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The wrestling gods saw fit to give us a week full of excitement both on and off the mat as we approached the Christmas holiday. At the time of this writing, event organizers and college teams are scrambling in the wake of the cancellation of the Ken Kraft Midlands tournament. Fortunately, it appears the powers that are known as MatScouts (among others) are already working to make the best of the cancellation. Prior to this news, however, college wrestling fans had all eyes on the inaugural Collegiate Wrestling Duals, hosted in Niceville, Florida by Journeymen Wrestling. A not-so-"national duals" event brought together some of the best teams in the land and it surely delivered in terms of ranked match-ups, upsets, and controversy. For the Pac-12, another well-attended tournament for the conference in Nevada - this time, the Reno Tournament of Champions - primed fans for the action to come in the following days. Reno Tournament of Champions (December 19th) The team-title and nine finalists overall highlighted another successful tournament for the Pac-12 conference, with Oregon State leading the conference effort at the Reno Tournament of Champions (Reno TOC). The Beavers came away with the tournament title, five individual titles, and, importantly, many head-to-head victories over conference opponents. Conference match-ups were inevitable, as a portion of the #25 Stanford squad, a non-starter contingent of #16 (tied) Cal Poly, and an unexpected CSU Bakersfield line-up joined Oregon State in Reno. These match-ups provided us with an early gauge of where conference competitors compare against one another as we head into the second semester. TOC titles from #13 Brandon Kaylor (125), #21 Devan Turner (133), #11 Grant Willits (141), UR Trey Munoz (184), and #10 Gary Traub (285) highlighted the Beavers' performance, with Munoz winning the bracket in his first "attached" competition of the season. En route to the finals, Munoz topped two teammates as well as two unranked opponents in Clarion's Ryan Weinzen and Northern Colorado's Branson Britten. Munoz capped his perfect outing with a 3-2 decision over #17 Tate Samuelson of Wyoming to earn the tournament title. "Gas Tank" Gary earned his second straight tournament victory topping, among others, three Pac-12 opponents. Traub opened the tournament with a 6-4 decision over Stanford's UR Seamus O'Malley and ended his tournament with two decisions over Cal Poly - a 9-3 decision over Trevor Tinker and a 3-1 sudden-victory decision over Sam Aguilar in the finals, respectively. Traub's sudden-victory takedown in the championship match was the bump Oregon State (174pts) needed to take the team title from second-place Wyoming (172pts). Devan Turner defeated two, ranked conference opponents for his 133lbs Reno TOC title. In the semis, Turner blanked #33 Jackson DiSario (Stanford), 5-0, before beating rival, #15 Chance Rich (CSU Bakersfield), 7-3, in the finals. At 149lbs, Lane Stigall of Oregon State finished in third-place, losing by fall in the semifinals to Cal Poly's Luka Wick. Unattached Beaver Isaiah Crosby reached the tournament finals at 157lbs, losing a 7-5 decision to #12 Jacob Wright of Wyoming to finish runner-up. At 165lbs, UR Matthew Olguin advanced to the finals, but fell to Clarion's Cameron Pine, 7-4. At 174lbs for the Beavers (and the Roadrunners of Bakersfield), the bane of the day was one Casey Randles of Grand View. A graduate transfer from Division 1 Wyoming, Randles is currently ranked #3 in the NAIA at 174, and earned victories over both #25 Mateo Olmos and UR Mason Reiniche. Despite their loss to Randles, both Olmos and Reiniche earned victories over conference opponents on their path to sixth- and third-place victories. Olmos put a 12-4 major on #28 Tyler Eischens (Stanford), while Reiniche topped Jarad Priest (Cal Poly) by decision and pinned Cael Valencia (Arizona State). Finally, the battle for the leading role at 197lbs continued for Oregon State, as Ryan Reyes defeated teammate JJ Dixon by 10-2 major decision in the consolation finals. Although Reyes won the head-to-head in definitive fashion, both Reyes and Dixon earned notable conference wins on their day. Dixon nearly majored #32 Nick Stemmet (Stanford) in an 11-4 decision in addition to a 12-0 major over UR Mateo Morales (CSU Bakersfield). For his part, Reyes got past Josh Loomer (CSU Bakersfield), 4-3. I would be remiss to omit the fact that performances among conference wrestlers were fraught with early departures (i.e., medical forfeits and defaults). The aforementioned Oregon State was no exception, with #25 Mateo Olmos forfeiting the fifth-place bout to CSU Bakersfield's rising, UR Albert Urias (174). (Urias, like Oregon State's Olmos and Reiniche, also took a loss to Grand View's Casey Randles.) The script was flipped at 141 and 165 for the Roadrunners, with #20 Angelo Martinoni (141) bowing out of the tournament after an unranked loss to Chase Zollman (Wyoming) and UR Augustine Garcia (165) doing the same after a 14-0 major decision loss to UR Cameron Pine (Clarion). The Roadrunner effort was led by #15 Chance Rich's runner-up finish at 133lbs, followed by Urias's fifth-place medal and UR Josh Loomer's sixth-place medal at 197lbs. The Stanford Cardinal experienced a couple early departures of their own on the day, with All-American Real Woods (141) stepping out of the tournament after reaching the semifinals and All-American, #11 Jaden Abas (149) injury defaulting out during a match with Oregon State's Lane Stigall. Despite the early departures, the Cardinal were lifted by medal performances from #33 Jackson DiSario (third at 133) and #32 Nick Stemmet (fifth at 197). Stemmet bounced back from his conference-loss to Oregon State's JJ Dixon to go on and defeat Cal Poly's Trent Tracy, 3-1, and CSU Bakersfield's Josh Loomer, 7-3. The Cal Poly contingent came away from Reno TOC with a pair of finalists, a third-place, and a fifth-place finisher. At 133lbs, UR Abe Hinrichsen benefited from early departures, with two consolation victories by no contest giving him the fifth-place medal. To his credit, Hinrichsen wrestled #15 Chance Rich (CSU Bakersfield) tough, falling 3-1 in sudden victory. Luka Wick (149) made the finals, but forfeited to Jaron Jensen (Wyoming). Finally, Cal Poly's two heavyweights, Trevor Tinker and Sam Aguilar, finished third and second behind Oregon State's #10 Gary Traub. While the rest of the Sun Devils traveled to Florida for the Collegiate Wrestling Duals, Cael Valencia split matches against conference competitors to finish fourth at 174lbs. Valencia notched an important victory in the quarterfinals over Stanford's #28 Tyler Eischens, before dropping falls in the semifinal and third-place bout to #15 Hayden Hastings (Wyoming) and UR Mason Reiniche (Oregon State), respectively. Collegiate Wrestling Duals - Day 1 (December 20th) The #6 Arizona State Sun Devils represented the Pac-12 conference in the inaugural Collegiate Wrestling Duals, taking on Hofstra and #9 Virginia Tech on Day 1. With Frank Molinaro and Anthony Valencia stepping off the plane fresh off a Mexican National title (freestyle), Arizona State took it to Hofstra, winning eight of the nine contested bouts (in addition to a forfeit victory at 133lbs). Arizona State fielded their No.1's at all but 184lbs, winning the first six bouts of the dual-meet before Freshman Jacob Ortiz dropped a 10-1 major to #25 Charles Small at 184lbs. The Sun Devils stopped the bleeding immediately, closing out the dual with two major decisions over ranked opponents. At 197, #8 Kordell Norfleet put a 14-3 spread on #26 Trey Rogers, followed by a 12-3 major from #3 Cohlton Schultz over #20 Zachary Knighton-Ward at heavyweight to cap a 42-4 dual-victory for Arizona State. Facing a fellow top-10 program in Virginia Tech, Arizona State displayed some grit, earning decisions in each of the first six bouts to build a practically insurmountable lead in the dual - four of which victories were within two points or less. Exceptions were an 8-4 decision from #3 Brandon Courtney (125) over #16 Sam Latona and a 14-1 major from #5 Kyle Parco (149) over UR Kylan Montgomery. Taking command of the dual was no easy task, as the first six bouts of the dual featured three ranked match-ups. #14 Michael McGee upset #4-ranked 133lber Korbin Myers, 8-7, to the praise of Head Coach Zeke Jones. "The game-ball goes to Michael McGee, getting a top-five win, a guy that beat him last year at the NCAA tournament. And the way he did it: really gritty, really tactical, really solid - I liked [it]," Jones told @ArizonaWrestler on Rokfin. Finally, #3 Jacori Teemer fended off #22 Connor Brady, 3-1. When all was said and done, Arizona State toppled Virginia Tech, 23-13, winning seven of ten matches. Collegiate Wrestling Duals - Day 2 (December 21st) Two Day 1 victories set the stage for the highly-anticipated showdown between #6 Arizona State and #2 Penn State. The Sun Devils wrestled the Nittany Lions tough through the first six matches, splitting them evenly to enter the final four matches with the dual knotted at 10-10. At 125lbs, #3 Brandon Courtney (125) came out with fire in his veins against unranked Jakob Campbell, scoring takedowns nearly at will with his patented, slick style. Hunting for bonus, Courtney came away with an 18-7 major to start the dual strong for Arizona State. The Sun Devils then weathered a three match stretch that included #14 Michael McGee (133) holding National Champion and #1 Roman Bravo-Young to a 6-2 decision. #15 Jesse Vasquez survived his test against National Champion, #1 Nick Lee, conceding "only" a 14-3 major decision at 141lbs. With the dual score at 10-4 Penn State entering 157lbs, it was now Penn State's turn to weather the Sun Devil's best. #3 Jacori Teemer took on a scrappy, albeit unranked, Tony Negron of Penn State. Scoring on a takedown quickly in the match, Teemer appeared en route to a bonus point victory, but Negron's efforts kept Teemer honest and at-bay, ultimately keeping Teemer to an 8-3 decision. Similarly, at 165lbs, #6 Anthony Valencia for Arizona State was well in control of his match against #26 Creighton Edsell, leading 10-3 with short-time in the bout. Hunting for a major decision, Valencia gave away a takedown at the end of the bout when he attempted a chest-wrap throw on the edge. A 10-5 decision at 165lbs was good enough to tie the dual, 10-10. Then, the Nittany Lions pulled away. Fielding #1 Carter Starocci (174), #1 Aaron Brooks (184), #3 Max Dean (197), and #4 Greg Kerkvliet (285), the Penn State back-four overwhelmed the remaining Arizona State wrestlers, earning a tech-fall, fall, major, and major to close out the dual. Unranked Zane Coleman (174), Josh Nummer (184), and Chad Porter (285) did their best against their top-four match-ups, but nonetheless gave-up a collective six bonus-points. At 197lbs, #8 Kordell Norfleet conceded a definitive 10-1 major decision to a physical Max Dean. Of note, with the dual-meet lost, #3 Cohlton Schultz did not take the mat at heavyweight against #4 Kerkvliet. Final score, 29-10 Penn State, with Arizona State finishing second in the blue-pool at the inaugural Collegiate Wrestling Duals. I hope you enjoyed catching up on all things Pac-12 from this past week! We at InterMat wish you all a warm and safe holiday. If you're itching to watch the action from this week yourself, the Reno TOC event is on-demand via FloWrestling, while the Collegiate Wrestling Duals' replays are now available on-demand via @CollegiateDuals on Rokfin.