InterMat Staff

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.

3x NCAA Champion Spencer Lee takes on Jakob Camacho (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Before the Collegiate Duals, InterMat published an article with five important questions regarding teams or athletes competing in the event. Now that all has finished in Niceville, we've circled back around to see how these questions were answered. 1) Will we see Iowa's full lineup? The answer was, “We saw more of it than we have.” The biggest addition for the Hawkeyes was the return of Spencer Lee. In our preview and our original article, we stated how we doubted Lee would go in all three, but we ended up proven wrong. The three-time NCAA champion wrestled in all of Iowa's three duals and got his hand raised each time. Lee started with a tech over Brock Bergelin (Central Michigan), then majored then-#11 Jaret Lane (Lehigh) and was held to a decision by then-#5 Jakob Camacho (NC State). I'd say the results are about what you'd expect from Lee, given the circumstances. It was his first competition since March and the Camacho match was the first bout of what most expected to be a tight-dual. If a wrestler as talented as Camacho wants to ensure the margin of victory is under eight points, it's difficult for anyone to rack up bonus, particularly a less-than 100% Spencer Lee. All along, the information the public was given regarding Lee's status was that he probably wouldn't compete in every single event for the Hawkeyes. I don't think any changes regarding this going forward. Expect to see Lee in some of the more prominent dates on Iowa's dual schedule or if Tom Brands has devised some sort of regular schedule. Now, some fans were a bit concerned as he defeated Lane by major decision, without accumulating any riding time points. Let's keep that thought in the back of our minds, but also remember it was his first time out and Lane is a long, difficult guy to wrestle. The other big question mark regarding Iowa's lineup was Michael Kemerer at 174 lbs. Kemerer was listed on the roster put out by Iowa and even weighed in. That was likely preplanned and just used to get Kemerer accustomed to getting down to weight. It didn't appear as if Kemerer ever warmed up or was planning to wrestle. One piece we didn't necessarily count on seeing was Abe Assad at 184 lbs. Assad was famously pinned by Wisconsin high school star Clayton Whiting at the Luther Open and hasn't been in the lineup since. In his absence, Myles Wilson had went 2-1 in dual competition. Assad made his presence felt immediately and tossed Ben Cushman (Central Michigan) for a fall in his first match back. After a major decision against Lehigh, the stakes were much higher against returning NCAA runner-up Trent Hidlay (NC State), in the Hawkeyes barnburner with the Wolfpack. Assad was taken to his back and seemingly ready to surrender a fall. He fought from getting pinned and lost 6-0. While three additional points wouldn't have won the match for NC State, the momentum created by a fall could have changed the outcome of the decision bout at 197 lbs. Iowa was scheduled to appear at the Midlands, which was canceled yesterday (though some form of the tournament is expected to be held). Rumors of a Hawkeye Open appear to be credible on New Year's Day. I still wouldn't hold my breath expecting Lee and/or Kemerer. A January 6th dual with Minnesota might by the optimal time to see the Iowa lineup altogether for the first time. 2) Is Vito going down to 125? All signs pointed to Cornell's Vito Arujau returning to 125 lbs during his trip to Florida. Those hints proved to be accurate and the Big Red star looked incredible on the mat. His tournament started with an 18-7 major decision of #10 Brody Teske (Northern Iowa). In Cornell's showdown with #2 Penn State, Arujau struck early and gave his team a 6-0 lead after needing less than a minute to pin Jakob Campbell. He wrapped up his tournament by majoring 2021 All-American Sam Latona (Virginia Tech), which set the stage for a minor upset of the Hokies. In the course of a couple of weeks, 125 lbs went from a seemingly two-horse race (Lee and Patrick Glory - Princeton), to one of the most intriguing weight classes in the country. In addition to the Olympic Trials, finalist Arujau returning, 2019 NCAA champion Nick Suriano will return and compete for Michigan. Additionally, 2021 NCAA finalist Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) looked as aggressive and dangerous as ever. Now Spencer Lee has wins in some form or fashion over all of the key contenders at one point in their careers. As of now, he's still the man to beat. But, it's safe to assume that even as he gets more mat time, Lee won't be the walking tech-fall machine, that we're accustomed to seeing. It's also a safe assumption that Suriano, Arujau, Glory, and Courtney won't care what condition the two-time Hodge Trophy winner is in. All of this will lead to a highly anticipated showdown at the Big Ten Championships (Michigan is not on Iowa's schedule) and some incredible potential NCAA semifinal and final matchups. 3) Will Arizona State unleash Cael Valencia? This one got answered a day before the event as Cael Valencia competed unattached at the Reno Tournament of Champions. Valencia got off to a hot start with bonus points in each of his first two bouts. Next up, he logged a pair of close wins over returning national qualifiers Timothy Fitzpatrick (American) and Tyler Eischens (Stanford). In the semis, the competition was even stiffer and Valencia was pinned by Wyoming's #14 Hayden Hastings. For third place, he was pinned again, this time by Mason Reiniche (Oregon State). Those results would lead you to believe that it's not a “slam-dunk” decision that Valencia should come out of redshirt. While an NCAA berth looks like it would probably be a formality, barring any significant injuries, just getting the to dance doesn't have any impact on the team race. While the battle for an NCAA team trophy appears to be as tight as any year in recent memory, you have to get on the podium to really have an impact. Can Valencia get onto the podium this year? With his talent, the coaching staff at ASU, and the typical development of a freshman from December-March, it's certainly a possibility. But this year, 174 is no joke, especially at the top. 8 All-Americans return, including 2 national champions and four past finalists. Just getting to the Round of 12 would be a good achievement for a true freshman. This begs the age-old question: how many points is it worth bringing a freshman out of redshirt? Remember, there are also plenty of other considerations that the ASU staff has to keep in mind, in these “will they-won't they” redshirt situations. More than just on-the-mat performance. Arizona State's current starter, Zane Coleman, got a pair of matches at the duals. He led off with a win over a solid competitor in Ross McFarland (Hofstra), before falling victim to returning NCAA champion Carter Starocci (Penn State) via technical fall in the championship bout. Ryan Rochford also stepped in against Virginia Tech and lost to 2019 NCAA champion Mekhi Lewis by tech, as well. 4) What the heck happens with Mizzou/NC State? Before the madness that was Iowa/NC State, the Wolfpack had a pretty darn entertaining dual with Missouri. It was one that could have gone a bunch of different ways and led to a 5-5 split for our conference correspondent crews' weekly picks. If not for the Red pool final, it would have been in the running for Dual of the Year, thus far. Right off the bat, we saw a top-five ranked opponent go down in Jakob Camacho at 125 lbs. He fell victim to Noah Surtin, who has been on a tear of late. Since suffering his only loss of the year to #10 Brody Teske, Surtin has responded by defeating Latona, Lane, and now Camacho. One match in and NC State was playing catch-up and had a limited path to victory. The dual turned back towards the middle ground as the Wolfpack notched an upset of their own at 157 lbs. Second-year freshman, Ed Scott, displayed excellent skills on top and rode out then-#15 Jarrett Jacques to grab a 3-2 win. That gave the Wolfpack a 9-6 lead. At 184 lbs, Trent Hidlay was relentless and put NC State up by seven points when he pushed hard for a major against Jeremiah Kent (Missouri). That bonus point looks like it would be the difference-maker as the final two bouts featured a favored Missouri wrestler. Isaac Trumble ended up making it a moot point as he handed Rocky Elam (Missouri) only his third collegiate loss. Trumble gutted out a close 5-3 win which clinched the dual for the Wolfpack at 19-9, heading into the 285 lbs contest. Even at 285 lbs, with the dual locked up and third-string Tyrie Houghton on the mat, NC State still had reason to cheer. Houghton fought tooth and nail against #16 Zach Elam and earned a takedown at the buzzer to pull within a point in the final score (6-5). 5) Where's the best chance for a day one upset (team-wise)? So, this ended up being a trick question as no one was able to pull an upset on day one. But, for intents and purposes of the original question, it was actually Cornell who came closest to knocking off #2 Penn State in the final round of the day. Through four matches, the dual played out as one may expect. Cornell held a 10-8 lead based on a fall at 125 lbs from Arujau and a major by Yianni at 149 lbs. The next weight (157) was a bit of a toss-up as Colton Yapoujian grinded out a two-point win over Joe Lee (Penn State). Julian Ramirez (165) then held out to defeat a game Creighton Edsell, which extended Cornell's lead to 16-8, heading into the final four bouts and the meat of the Penn State lineup. The two difference-making matches ended up occurring at 174 and 197 lbs. 174 lbs saw returning national champion Carter Starocci get pushed to the brink by Cornell's Chris Foca. Starocci needed to ride Foca for the entire third period to amass sufficient riding time for a 3-2 win. At 197 lbs, Max Dean and Cornell's Jacob Cardenas engaged in multiple scramble situations, the last of which was won by Dean; however, Cardenas was close to finishing a couple of different times. Had he been able to secure a takedown, he likely would have won and put the Big Red up 19-15 heading into 285 lbs. In the blue pool third-place bout, Cornell saw 184 lber Jonathan Loew outlast 2021 All-American Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) in sudden victory, which boosted his team past then-#9 Virginia Tech. Cornell (then #11) pulled the slight-upset and knocked off the Hokies 18-15. More exposure for some of these athletes that have been a part of Cornell's program for a few years (Foca, Loew, Lewis Fernandes) and were unable to compete due to the Ivy shutdown last season, have proven that Cornell has a stacked team, that is now top-ten worthy.

Lehigh's 2x EIWA champion Josh Humphreys (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Below is a recap of last week's EIWA action, with individual highlights worth noting. Notable News Cornell is back. They are really, really good. And they are on top of the EIWA right now. Chris Foca is the real deal. He's in the mix at 174lb. Vito Arujau is back down to 125lb, and he looks fantastic. Manzona Bryant is legit at 149lb. Plus, he's entertaining to watch. Josh Humphreys is lethal from the top position. It hurts my shoulders watching him power half people. American The Eagles made a trip out west to compete at the Reno Tournament of Champions. Max Leete (125) was the only placewinner. He took home fifth place with a 5-1 record on the day. Andy Fallon (125) lost to Leete in tiebreaker, going 3-2 during his campaign. At heavyweight, Isaac Rigther had two pins under a minute each. Then dropped a match to Gary Traub (#10) of Oregon State and Austin Harris of Oklahoma State. Antonio Segura went 5-1 on the day, reaching his match limit at 157lb. At 149lb, Ryan Zimmerman wrestled 5 matches, winning 3 of them. American saw some unique competition with this trip. Assuming this was the intention, it worked out well for this team. Many wrestlers won at least one match, while others won at least two. What a good way to bring in the second semester! I believe the more confidence this team gains, the more dangerous they will become. Army – no action last week Binghamton The Bearcats traveled to Sacred Heart for a dual on Saturday. Then, they competed in the Collegiate Duals in Florida. Sam Deprez (184) had a nice win over returning National Qualifier, Joe Accousti of Sacred Heart. At 141lbs, Ryan Anderson made his return after spending some time on the sidelines. Boxscore: Binghamton 39, Sacred Heart 7 125 – Kyle Randall (SHU) MD Nick Curley (BU), 15-4 133 – HM Anthony Sobotker (BU) WBF Anthony Petrillo (SHU), 3:20 141 – Ryan Anderson (BU) TF Jordan Carlucci (SHU), 18-0 149 – Nick Lombard (BU) MD Cole McGill (SHU), 12-4 157 – Nick Palumbo (SHU) Tyler Martin (BU), 2-1 165 – Brevin Cassella (BU) WBF Scotty Jarosz (SHU), 4:59 174 – Jacob Nolan (BU) WBF Robert Hetherman (SHU), 0:58 184 – Sam DePrez (BU) dec. Joe Accousti (SHU), 3-1 197 – No. 12 Lou DePrez (BU) WBF Dante Del Bonis (SHU), 5:52 Hwt – No. 22 Joe Doyle (BU) dec. Mark Blokh (SHU), 7-2 At the Collegiate Duals, the Bearcats went 0-3, but had strong performances with some of the best teams in the country. They came out to wrestle hard and did not back down. Plus, they were a last-minute addition to the event. We need to give props where props are due! Boxscores #5 NC State 35, Binghamton 7 125: #5 Jakob Camacho (NCSU) WBF Nick Curley; 5:29 – 6-0 133: Jarrett Trombley (NCSU) INJ Anthony Sobotker; 5:30 – 12-0 141: Ryan Anderson (BING) dec. Hunter Lewis; 8-2 – 12-3 149: #3 Tariq Wilson (NCSU) dec. Nick Lombard; 9-4 – 15-3 157: #23 Ed Scott (NCSU) tech fall Tyler Martin; 18-1 – 20-3 165: #18 Thomas Bullard (NCSU) dec. Brevin Cassella; 6-0 – 23-3 174: #5 Hayden Hidlay (NCSU) major dec. Jacob Nolan; 12-3 – 27-3 184: #3 Trent Hidlay (NCSU) tech fall Sam Deprez; 19-4 – 32-3 197: #12 Lou Deprez (BING) major dec. #15 Isaac Trumble; 10-2 – 32-7 285: #28 Owen Trephan (NCSU) dec. #22 Joe Doyle; 5-2 – 35-7 Boxscore: No. 10 Missouri, 33, Binghamton, 6 125: (15) Noah Surtin def. Nick Curley by 18-0 technical fall (3:44) 133: Anthony Sobotker over Connor Brown by fall (2:56) 141: (14) Allan Hart vs. Ryan Anderson by 4-0 149: (18) Josh Edmond over Nick Lombard by 3-2 decision 157: (15) Jarrett Jacques over Logan Gumble by fall (1:01) 165: (3) Keegan O'Toole over Brevin Cassella by 13-4 major decision 174: (14) Peyton Mocco over Jacob Nolan by 6-2 decision 184: (11) Jeremiah Kent over Sam DePrez by 11-4 decision 197: (4) Rocky Elam over (12) Lou DePrez by 4-0 decision 285: (16) Zach Elam over (22) Joe Doyle by 4-0 decision Boxscore: CMU 26, Binghamton 16 125: Brock Bergelin (CMU) TF Nick Curley (BU), 16-0, 4:45. CMU leads 5-0. 133: Binghamton forfeits bout vs. Ja'Kerrion Merrit (CMU). CMU leads 11-0. 141: No. 7 Dresden Simon (CMU) DEC Ryan Anderson (BU), 5-2. CMU leads 14-0. 149: Corbyn Munson (CMU) DEC Nick Lombard (BU), 6-5. CMU leads 17-0. 157: No. 19 Johnny Lovett (CMU) FALL Tyler Martin (BU), 3:52. CMU leads 23-0. 165: Brevin Cassella (BU) MD Tracy Hubbard (CMU), 10-1. CMU leads 23-4. 174: Brett Fedewa (CMU) DEC Jacob Nolan (BU), 2-1. CMU leads 26-4. 184: Cory Day (BU) MD Ben Cushman (CMU), 14-4. CMU leads 26-8. 197: No. 12 Lou DePrez (BU) DEC Aaron Bolo (CMU), 8-4. CMU leads 26-11. 285: No. 22 Joe Doyle (BU) TF Cade Dallwitz (CMU), 18-0. CMU wins 26-16. Brown – no action last week Bucknell The Bison hosted a tri-meet along with Buffalo and Lock Haven. Zach Hartman (#15 – 165) had a first period fall and a tech fall on the day. At 133lb, Kurt Phipps was 2-0 on the day, including a win over Spann (#29) of Buffalo. Boxscore: Buffalo 18 – Bucknell 15 125: Brandon Seidman (BU) dec. over Tristan Daugherty (UB) 5-4 133: Kurt Phipps (BU) dec. over #29 Derek Spann (UB) 9-5 141: Ben Freeman (UB) dec. over Noah Levett (BU) 6-4 149: John Arceri (UB) dec. over Kolby DePron (BU) 6-4 (SV-1) 157: Ty Raines (UB) dec. over Nick Delp (BU) 4-2 165: #15 Zach Hartman (BU) fall over Noah Grover (UB) 2:28 174: Giuseppe Hoose (UB) dec. over Nolan Springer (BU) 10-5 184: Peter Acciardi (UB) dec. over Logan Deacetis (BU) 9-8 197: Sam Mitchell (UB) dec. over Mason McCready (BU) 2-0 285: Luke Niemeyer (BU) dec. over Toby Cahill (UB) 9-5 Boxscore: Lock Haven 15 – Bucknell 21 125: #27 Anthony Noto (LHU) fall over Brandon Seidman (BU) 4:48 133: Kurt Phipps (BU) maj. dec. over Matt Maloney (LHU) 10-1 141: Nick Stonecheck (LHU) dec. over Noah Levett (BU) 5-3 149: Kolby DePron (BU) dec. over Connor Eck (LHU) 6-1 157: Ben Barton (LHU) dec. over Nick Delp (BU) 5-1 165: #15 Zach Hartman (BU) tech fall over Ashton Eyler (LHU) 20-4 (4:47) 174: Sam Barnes (BU) dec. over Tyler Stoltzfus (LHU) 10-3 184: Logan Deacetis (BU) dec. over Colin Fegley (LHU) 5-3 197: Mason McCready (BU) dec. over Parker McClellan (LHU) 4-2 (SV-1) 285: Isaac Reid (LHU) maj. dec. over Luke Niemeyer (BU) 11-2 Bucknell had another solid performance. The Buffalo match-up was essentially dead even. With so many close individual matches, this dual could have gone either way. Hartman is back to form after getting upset a few weeks ago. Phipps has been coming on as of late too. I've said it before, I see the potential in this team. They have a bunch of guys that will end up on the podium at EIWA's. Columbia – no action last week. Cornell (#9) The Big Red traveled to the Sunshine state to compete at the Collegiate Duals. And boy, did they impress. They entered the event as the 11th ranked team. They improved to 9th in the latest rankings. Yianni (#1 – 149) had himself a nice outing with two majors and a tech fall. Vito Arujau (#3 – 125) may have been more impressive with major decisions over returning All-American Sam Latona (#17) of Virginia Tech and Brody Teske (#10) of UNI. At 165lb, Julian Ramirez (#9) went 3-0 as well. He had wins over Austin Yant (#22) of UNI and Creighton Edsell (#27) of Penn State. Chris Foca (#11) lost to two returning NCAA Champions. With a 3-2 loss to Carter Starocci (#1) of Penn State and 3-1 tiebreaker loss to Mekhi Lewis (#4) of Virginia Tech, he is right in the mix to earn All-American honors. At 197lb, Jacob Cardenas (#19) went 2-1 over his three matches. He nearly pulled off the upset over Max Dean of (#3) of Penn State, which could have led to a Cornell victory. Dom LaJoie (#30) earned his way into the rankings at 133lb after a 5-2 win over Kyle Biscoglia (#32) of UNI. Jonathan Loew (#13) had a nice upset win over 2X All-American Hunter Bolen (#14) of Virginia Tech. Boxscore: #11 Cornell 29, #22 Northern Iowa 7 125: #5 (133) Vito Arujau (C) won by major decision over #10 Brody Teske (UNI), 18-7 133: Dom LaJoie (C) won by decision over #31 Kyle Biscoglia (UNI), 5-2 141: #26 Cael Happel (UNI) won by major decision over Cole Handlovic (C), 14-6 149: #1 Yianni Diakomihalis (C) won by major decision over Colin Realbuto (UNI), 14-6 157: #25 Colton Yapoujian (C) won by decision over Derek Holschlag (UNI), 2-1 165: #9 Julian Ramirez (C) won by decision over #23 Austin Yant (UNI), 4-3 174: #12 Chris Foca (C) won by decision over Pat Schoenfelder (UNI), 13-6 184: #4 Parker Keckeisen (UNI) won by decision over #15 Jonathan Loew (C), 6-2 197: #19 Jacob Cardenas (C) won by fall over Noah Glaser (UNI), 5:12 285: #18 Lewis Fernandes (C) won by decision over Tyrell Gordon (UNI), 4-0 Boxscore: #2 Penn State 18, #11 Cornell 16 125 #5 (133) Vito Arujau (C) won by fall over Jakob Campbell (PSU), 0:58 133: #1 Ramon Bravo-Young (PSU) won by major decision over Dom LaJoie (C), 21-9 141: #1 Nick Lee (PSU) won by major decision over Cole Handlovic (C), 13-3 149: #1 Yianni Diakomihalis (C) won by major decision over #22 Beau Bartlett (PSU), 11-3 157: #25 Colton Yapoujian (C) won by decision over Joe Lee (PSU), 4-2 165: #9 Julian Ramirez C) won by decision over #26 Creighton Edsell (PSU), 7-5 174: #1 Carter Starocci (PSU) won by decision over #12 Chris Foca (C), 3-2 184: #1 Aaron Brooks (PSU) won by major decision over #15 Jonathan Loew (C), 15-3 197: #3 Max Dean (PSU) won by decision over #19 Jacob Cardenas (C), 4-2 285: #4 Greg Kerkvliet (PSU) won by decision over #18 Lewis Fernandes (C), 5-0 Boxscore: #11 Cornell 18, #8 Virginia Tech 15 125: #5 (133) Vito Arujau (C) won by major decision over #16 Sam Latona (VT), 10-2 133: #4 Korbin Myers (VT) won by decision over Dom LaJoie (C), 9-3 141: Collin Gerardi (VT) won by decision over Cole Handlovic (C), 6-0 149: #1 Yianni Diakomihalis (C) won by technical fall over Kylan Montgomery (VT), 19-3 157: #22 Connor Brady (VT) won by decision over #25 Colton Yapoujian (C), 2-1 165: #9 Julian Ramirez (C) won by decision over Clayton Ulrey (VT), 4-2 174: #4 Mekhi Lewis (VT) won by decision over #12 Chris Foca (C), 3-1 (ot1) 184: #15 Jonathan Loew (C) won by decision over #9 Hunter Bolen (VT), 7-5 (sv1) 197: #19 Jacob Cardenas (C) won by decision over Harrison Smith (VT), 3-2 285: #14 Nathan Traxler (VT) won by decision over #18 Lewis Fernandes (C), 5-3 What else can be said about Cornell that wasn't already said? Vito is back down to his 125lb weight class and looking dominant in the process. With LaJoie earning a spot in the rankings, that makes NINE Big Red wrestlers ranked in the top 33. Yes, I said 9! This team is stacked. In my opinion, they are the front runners to win the conference. Even though other teams will disagree, they are stacked up and down the lineup. The real question is, do they have enough firepower to earn a trophy at NCAA's? Drexel – no action last week Franklin & Marshall – no action last week Harvard – no action last week Hofstra The Pride took a trip down to Florida for the Collegiate Duals. Hofstra had some very tough matchups against two top-ten teams. They did not have a ton of wins, but they came to compete. Michael Leandrou (149lb) earned himself a win against Virginia Tech. At 184, Charles Small (#27) had a major decision. He dropped two matches to All-Americans Hunter Bolen (#9) of Virginia Tech and Parker Keckeisen (#4) of UNI. Trey Rogers (#33 – 197) had a decision over Noah Glaser of UNI. Boxscore: #8 Virginia Tech 35, Hofstra 3 125: #16 Sam Latona (Virginia Tech) maj. dec. Jacob Moon (Hofstra), 11-2 133: #4 Korbin Myers (Virginia Tech) tech fall Ty Cymmerman (Hofstra), 18-2 (7:00) 141: #31 Collin Gerardi (Virginia Tech) dec. Justin Hoyle (Hofstra), 4-1 149: Michael Leandrou (Hofstra) dec. Kylan Montgomery (Virginia Tech), 3-1 157: #22 Connor Brady (Virginia Tech) dec. Joe McGinty (Hofstra), 6-3 165: Clayton Ulrey (Virginia Tech) WBF Mario Biancamano (Hofstra), 0:55 174: #4 Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) tech fall Ericson Velasquez (Hofstra), 16-0 (3:10) 184: #9 Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) dec. #25 Charles Small (Hofstra), 6-3 197: Dakota Howard (Virginia Tech) dec. #26 Trey Rogers (Hofstra), 5-3 285: #14 Nathan Traxler (Virginia Tech) dec. #20 Zachary Knighton-Ward (Hofstra), 7-1 Boxscore: #6 Arizona State 42, Hofstra 4 125: #3 Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) WBF Dylan Acevedo-Switzer (Hofstra), 4:11 133: #14 Michael McGee (Arizona State) wins by forfeit. 141: #15 Jesse Vasquez (Arizona State) dec. Justin Hoyle (Hofstra), 14-9 149: #5 Kyle Parco (Arizona State) tech fall Michael Leandrou (Hofstra), 17-0 (4:40) 157: #3 Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) tech fall Joe McGinty (Hofstra), 18-3 (4:17) 165: #6 Anthony Valenca (Arizona State) WBF Mario Biancamano (Hofstra), 0:27 174: Zane Coleman (Arizona State) dec. Ross McFarland (Hofstra), 5-2 184: #25 Charles Small (Hofstra) maj. dec. Jacob Ortiz (Arizona State), 10-1 197: #8 Kordell Norfleet (Arizona State) maj. dec. #25 Trey Rogers (Hofstra), 14-3 285: #3 Cohlton Schulz (Arizona State) maj. dec. #20 Zachary Knighton-Ward (Hofstra), 12-3 Boxscore: #22 Northern Iowa 33, Hofstra 9 125: Jacob Moon (Hofstra) wins by forfeit. 133: #31 Kyle Biscoglia (Northern Iowa) WBF Dylan Acevedo-Switzer (Hofstra), 2:00 141: #26 Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) dec. Justin Hoyle (Hofstra), 10-4 149: Colin Realbuto (Northern Iowa) WBF Michael Leandrou (Hofstra), 4:56 157: Cayd Lara (Northern Iowa) WBF Joe McGinty (Hofstra), 3:35 165: #23 Austin Yant (Northern Iowa) dec. Ricky Stamm (Hofstra), 6-0 174: Pat Schoenfelder (Northern Iowa) dec. Ross McFarland (Hofstra), 6-2 184: #4 Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) dec. #25 Charles Small (Hofstra), 10-3 197: #26 Trey Rogers (Hofstra) dec. Noah Glaser (Northern Iowa), 5-3 285: Tyrell Gordon (Northern Iowa) dec. #20 Zachary Knighton-Ward (Hofstra), 4-2 This was a tough outing for Hofstra. They are not afraid to compete against the best in the nation, though. If this is not motivation to keep improving, I'm not sure what is. I'm not worried about The Pride. They have a handful of guys that will be EIWA placers, and they have a few guys who can go on a run and upset ranked guys. Coach Papadatos will have these guys peaking when it matters. This ain't his first rodeo. Lehigh (#21) The Mountain Hawks took part in the Collegiate Duals in Niceville, Florida. Connor McGonagle (#33 – 141) earned his way into the rankings with a win over Dresden Simon (#11) of CMU. At 157lb, Josh Humphreys (#9) had a great outing. He secured majors over Johnny Lovett (#19) of CMU and 2X All-American Kaleb Young (#12) of Iowa. He then pinned Jarrett Jacques (#23) of Missouri. Jordan Wood (#8 – 285) went 2-1 with wins over Matt Stencel (#9) of CMU and Zach Elam (#15) of Missouri. His lone loss was to Tony Cassioppi (#6). Manzona Bryant (#30) defeated 2020 NWCA All-American Max Murin (#12) of Iowa. Boxscore: No. 17 Lehigh 25, Central Michigan 6 125 – Jaret Lane (Lehigh) dec. Brock Bergelin (CMU) 4-3 133 – Ja'Kerion Merritt (CMU) dec. Sheldon Seymour (Lehigh) 3-2 141 – Connor McGonagle (Lehigh) dec. Dresden Simon (CMU) 7-5 149 – Corbyn Munson (CMU) dec. Manzona Bryant IV (Lehigh) 12-9 157 – Josh Humphreys (Lehigh) major dec. Johnny Lovett (CMU) 10-1 165 – Brian Meyer (Lehigh) dec. Tracy Hubbard (CMU) 3-1, sv 174 – Jake Logan (Lehigh) dec. Bret Fedewa (CMU) 5-3 184 – AJ Burkhart (Lehigh) dec. Ben Cushman (CMU) 8-7 197 – JT Davis (Lehigh) dec. Aaron Bolo (CMU) 3-2 285 – Jordan Wood (Lehigh) dec. Matt Stencel (CMU) 3-1, sv Boxscore: No. 1 Iowa 28, No. 17 Lehigh 7 125: Spencer Lee (Iowa) major dec. Jaret Lane (Lehigh) 8-0 133: Austin DeSanto (Iowa) tech fall Satoshi Abe (Lehigh) 20-5, 3:59 141: Jaydin Eierman (Iowa) dec. Connor McGonagle (Lehigh) 8-3 149: Manzona Bryant IV (Lehigh) dec. Max Murin (Iowa) 7-5, sv 157: Josh Humphreys (Lehigh) major dec. Kaleb Young (Iowa) 11-2 165: Alex Marinelli (Iowa) dec. Brian Meyer (Lehigh) 6-2 174: Nelson Brands (Iowa) dec. Jake Logan (Lehigh) 3-2 184: Abe Assad (Iowa) major dec. AJ Burkhart (Lehigh) 16-5 197: Jacob Warner (Iowa) dec. JT Davis (Lehigh) 6-1 285: Anthony Cassioppi (Iowa) dec. Jordan Wood (Lehigh) 3-2 Boxscore: No. 10 Missouri 26, No. 17 Lehigh 9 125: Noah Surtin (Missouri) dec. Jaret Lane (Lehigh) 10-4 133: Connor Brown (Missouri) dec. Sheldon Seymour (Lehigh) 7-4 141: Allan Hart (Missouri) dec. Connor McGonagle (Lehigh) 8-3 149: Josh Edmond (Missouri) dec Manzona Bryant IV (Lehigh) 10-4, sv 157: Josh Humphreys (Lehigh) Fall Jarrett Jacques (Missouri) 3:31 165: Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) major dec. Brian Meyer (Lehigh) 13-5 174: Peyton Mocco (Missouri) dec. Jake Logan (Lehigh) 6-4 184: Jeremiah Kent (Missouri) dec. AJ Burkhart (Lehigh) 6-2 197: Rocky Elam (Missouri) major dec. JT Davis (Lehigh) 12-3 285: Jordan Wood (Lehigh) dec. Zach Elam (Missouri) 2-1 The Mountain Hawks are a very solid team. To me, they had a great team effort overall while at the duals. Malyke Hines did not compete, which hurt them a little. Lehigh, in my opinion, is one of the best teams at peaking in March. This team will be ready by the time March arrives. Every year they have a few guys who by far out-wrestle their seed. I do not expect this year to be any different. Long Island The Sharks hosted a dual meet for the first time this season. They welcomed the Bloomsburg Huskies. The following week, they competed in the Wilkes Open. James Johnston gave the Sharks the first victory of the night at 165lb. James Langan (184) and Nunzio Crowley (197) both earned decisions in their matches. At 174lb, Ryan Ferro had the only bonus point victory. Boxscore: Bloomsburg 24 vs LIU Sharks 13 125: Bronson Garber (BLOOM) def. Robbie Sagaris (LIU), dec. 6-5 133: Cole Rhone (BLOOM) def. Bryce Cockrell (LIU), tech fall, 19-1 141: Josh Mason (BLOOM) def. Chris Gomez (LIU), fall (1:43) 149: Cade Balestrini (BLOOM) def. Drew Witham (LIU), dec. 4-0 157: Alex Carida (BLOOM) def. Rhise Royster (LIU), maj. dec. 11-2 165: James Johnston (LIU) def. Cody Harrrison (BLOOM), dec. 6-4 174: Ryan Ferro (LIU) def. Matt Benedetti (BLOOM), maj. dec.12-4 184: James Langan (LIU) def. Buridano Stolfi (BLOOM), dec. 2-1 197: Nunzio Crowley (LIU) def. David Tuttle (BLOOM), dec. 2-1 285: Shane Noonan (BLOOM) def. Tim Nagosky (LIU), dec. 3-2 At the Wilkes Open, the Sharks had 4 champions. Bryce Cockrell (133), Drew Witham (149), James Johnston (157), and Nunzio Crowley (197) all wrestled to a gold medal. Long Island was in this dual. Even though they dropped the first five matches, they rallied to win four straight. And, hey, if two of those one-point decisions they dropped go the other way, they win this one. I know – “shoulda, coulda, woulda” but this was a good performance by LIU. Not only is it good to see them competitive, but they seem to be improving as the season progresses. The newest team in the EIWA is looking good heading into the second semester. Navy – no action last week Penn – no action last week Princeton – no action last week Sacred Heart The Pioneers hosted Binghamton to a dual on Saturday. At 125lb, Kyle Randall earned a major decision to start off the dual. The other win of the night came from Nick Palumbo at 157lb. Boxscore: Binghamton 39, Sacred Heart 7 125 – Kyle Randall (SHU) MD Nick Curley (BU), 15-4 133 – HM Anthony Sobotker (BU) WBF Anthony Petrillo (SHU), 3:20 141 – Ryan Anderson (BU) TF Jordan Carlucci (SHU), 18-0 149 – Nick Lombard (BU) MD Cole McGill (SHU), 12-4 157 – Nick Palumbo (SHU) Tyler Martin (BU), 2-1 165 – Brevin Cassella (BU) WBF Scotty Jarosz (SHU), 4:59 174 – Jacob Nolan (BU) WBF Robert Hetherman (SHU), 0:58 184 – Sam DePrez (BU) dec. Joe Accousti (SHU), 3-1 197 – No. 12 Lou DePrez (BU) WBF Dante Del Bonis (SHU), 5:52 Hwt – No. 22 Joe Doyle (BU) dec. Mark Blokh (SHU), 7-2 As I mentioned before, Binghamton is a very good team. This was a tough result for Sacred Heart, as I'm sure they expected a closer score than what occurred. If there is anything we know about this team, it's that they will bounce back. Look for them to keep up the positive results after the holiday season.

Matt Dernlan coaching Binghamton University (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The sport of wrestling and Rudis are synonymous; The two go together like peanut butter and jelly, or wrestlers and perseverance. Perseverance; it's a word that every wrestler doesn't just cling to, but one that defines their very character, a word engrained in the very fiber of their being. Think I'm being dramatic - you must not be a wrestler. According to Oxford Language, to persevere means, "to continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no prospect of success." Matt Dernlan, a fellow wrestler, coach, role model, father, husband and friend to many, is doing exactly that - he is persevering. When what began as a fever and chills, turned into a loss of speech and a change in behavior was quickly accompanied by severe pain in his chest and back, Matt's wife ,Carie, the mother of their 3 beautiful children, knew it was time to head to the ER. After being transported to a brain and spine unit, the medical team discovered 15-20 brain lesions on Matt's brain and diagnosed him with blood sepsis. A few days later, Matt lost mobility of his right leg. As he continued to battle the intensifying pain in his upper back and chest, Matt soon realized it was no longer just his right leg that he lacked feeling in, but both legs became completely immobile and numb. Thankfully, according to Matt, "A very insistent and intuitive Infectious Disease Doctor fast-tracked him to the head of the line for a scan of his entire spine." Less than 24 hours after his scans, Matt was rushed off to have a very critical surgery - one that would hopefully restore feeling in his legs and his hands, which at that point had also become immobile. Matt's surgery involved cutting open his back to gain access to his spinal cord, cutting it in two and flushing out all of the infection. A sample of that fluid would later reveal that the bacteria streptococcus was the cause of his severe pain and illness. It was an illness so rare the hospital informed the Dernlan's Matt's case was one of 200 cases reported in the last 100 years! While under close watch in the ICU, Matt's chest pain continued to intensify; this led to more scans. An abscess was found behind his heart which meant another surgery. Because of the location of the abscess and the procedure the doctors performed, Matt was put on a feeding tube. Despite facing and overcoming multiple medical anomalies, Matt still wasn't in the clear; After 7 days in the ICU, Matt was taken back to OSU's Brain and Spine unit where he stayed for 13 days with no motor function below his chest. On October 14th, Matt was transferred to Dodd Rehabilitation Hospital, where he participated in 3-4 hours of rehabilitation and therapy a day and had round-the-clock medical care. The medical costs began to pile up, but Matt wasn't finished yet, and he's not finished now either. After months of living in a hospital, away from his children and his wife, on November 19th, Matt was finally released to be with his family and continue his fight to overcome this very rare disease and difficult recovery. In the weeks since, Matt has focused on becoming independent again, regaining his strength both physically and mentally, and regaining motor function in both of his legs. Matt was told it may take months to a year before doctors will know just how much of a recovery he will make, yet, he continues to push himself forward and makes gains every day. He is committed to the best recovery he can achieve. His family and friends have come together to create a GoFundMe to help mitigate the costs of his medical care and continued rehabilitation. Matt Dernlan is well known in the wrestling community for many reasons - He was a great coach, acting as an assistant at Penn State and successful head coach at both Clarion and Binghamton before he joined Rudis as the Chief of Staff. You may have also heard him on the Rudis Wrestling Podcast with co-host Jason Bryant. Matt has long been a voice for wrestlers everywhere, helping them to perfect the craft in his 7+ years of coaching D1 athletes, and continuing to grow the sport and contribute to the wrestling community on and off the air. While he typically was the one to rally around his athletes, it is now our turn to rally around Matt and his beautiful family. All donations made to his GoFundMe will be used to help assist with medical bills and purchase items needed to make his home wheelchair accessible. While I recognize making a monetary donation is not always feasible, I do ask that you keep Matt and his family in your thoughts and prayers. I know first hand the adjustment from hospital to home under new and ever-changing circumstances, is a difficult one, and at times completely overwhelming. However, our family is also well aware of the power of prayer and community. When the wrestling community came together to help support my husband, Richard Perry, it was the messages of encouragement, the prayers, the support that made those dark days, the difficult ones that seemed never-ending, somehow better. It was because of this community we kept fighting when we felt we had no more fight to give. I am praying that Matt and his family, his children, who will watch their father overcome some of the most difficult of life's obstacles, are reminded that they are never alone because of the support and love the wrestling community will show them. I know this community is a special one, it's a tight knit "we got your back" kind of family, let's remind the Dernlan's just how much support they have. Again, this is the link to Matt's GoFundMe page.

Central Michigan 149 lber Corbyn Munson (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Bloomsburg: The Huskies traveled to Duke University, where they had a double-header against The Citadel and Duke. The Huskies went 1-1 on the weekend, defeating The Citadel 21-15, and coming up short to Duke, 29-9. Alex Carida (157), the lone wrestler to sweep both of his matches, won in nail-biting fashion. Carida posted a 5-4 decision over Dazjon Casto of The Citadel, and a 5-2 decision over Wade Ungar of Duke. Buffalo: On Saturday, the Bulls swept their matches against Bucknell University and Lock Haven, defeating Bucknell 18-15 and Lock Haven 21-10. Following the sweep, the Bulls moved to a season record of 5-4. Three wrestlers went 2-0 on the day, reigning victorious over both opponents. Ben Freeman (141) defeated Noah Levett of Bucknell 6-4 and Nick Stonecheck of Lockhaven 10-4. John Arceri (149) won by decision over Kolby DePron of Bucknell in sudden victory 6-4, and by decision over Connor Eck of Lock Haven 6-4. Peter Acciardi (184) captured the win over Logan Deacetis of Bucknell 9-8, and Colin Fegley of Lock Haven 4-1. The Bulls will wrestle Clarion University on Thursday, December 23rd at 7:00pm in Alumni Arena. Central Michigan: The Chippewas traveled to the Journeyman Collegiate Duals, where they placed 5th overall in the red pool. On day one, the Chippewas fell short to Lehigh 35-6 in their first match and Iowa 44-0 in the next round. On day two, Central Michigan topped Binghamton 26-11. The following wrestlers defeated their opponents, helping to secure a fifth-place finish: Brock Bergelin (125) by tech fall over Nick Curley 16-0, Vince Perez (133) by FFT, Dresden Simon (141) by decision over Ryan Anderson 5-2, Corbyn Munson (149) by decision over Nick Lombard 6-5, Johnny Lovett (157) by fall over Tyler Martin in 3:52, and Bret Fedewa by decision over NCAA qualifier Jacob Nolan 2-1. Clarion: The Golden Eagles made the trip to Reno, Nevada, where they competed at the Reno Tournament of Champions. The Golden Eagles had two wrestlers reach the finals, and left with one champion. Freshman, Joey Fischer (125) fell short to Brandon Kaylor of Oregon State in the finals 4-3. However, Cameron Pine (165) captured the title after defeating Matt Olguin of Oregon State 7-4. Clarion will be back in action on Thursday, December 23rd, as they take on The University at Buffalo in Alumni Arena at 7:00pm. Edinboro: The Fighting Scots fell short to Kent State on Tuesday evening, losing 30-6. Two wrestlers came out on top, adding another victory to their season record. Gabe Willochell (141) defeated Louis Newell 8-4, and Max Millin (HWT) won by decision over Jacob Cover in sudden victory 5-3. George Mason: The Patriots traveled to Gardner-Webb, where they went 1-2 in dual meets. The Patriots came up short against Ohio University 27-9 and Garnder-Webb 22-14. George Mason ended their weekend by defeating Davidson 25-18. Alex Madrigal (149), the lone wrestler to go 3-0. He beat his opponents in dominating fashion. He won by decision over Alec Hagan of Ohio 9-3, by tech fall over Corbin Dion of Gardner-Webb 22-7, and another tech fall over David Loniewski of Davidson 21-4. Three additional wrestlers in the Patriots lineup went 2-1 on the weekend. Kaden Cassidy (141) had a win over Trevon Majette of Gardner-Webb 5-3 and pinned Gavin Damasco of Davidson in 4:13. Tyler Kocak (165) was victorious over Sean O'Dwyer of Ohio 5-2 and Jaden Hardrick of Davidson 4-2. Logan Messer (174) won by decision over Evan Schenk of Garnder-Webb 9-5 and tech falled Steven Newell of Davidson 18-2. The Patriots will return to action on Saturday, January 1st and Sunday, January 2nd, at the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Kent State: The Golden Flashes traveled to Northern Illinois, where they competed against Northern Illinois, South Dakota State, and Harper. The Golden Flashes went 1-2 in dual meets, falling short to Northern Illinois 20-12 and South Dakota State 33-6. Kent came out on top over Harper 39-10. Jake Ferri (125) went 3-0, defeating Bryce West of Northern Illinois 9-6, Tanner Jordan of South Dakota State 6-4, and received a forfeit from Harper. Brendon Fenton (133) also went 3-0 this weekend, winning by decision over Mikey Kaminski of Northern Illinois in sudden victory 3-1, Caleb Gross of South Dakota State 5-2, and Tuvsin Zunnbayan of Harper 4-2. Tyler Bates (197) was 2-1 on the weekend, reigning victorious over Tristin Gauman of Northern Illinois 3-1 and Ethan Shedbalker of Harper by fall in 1:09. The Golden Flashes won big over Edinboro on Tuesday evening, defeating the Fighting Scots 30-6. The Golden Flashes will return to action on Friday, January 7th, at 7:00pm against Cleveland State University. Lock Haven: The Eagles traveled to the Bucknell Tri-Meet, where they competed against Bucknell University and The University at Buffalo, falling short to both opponents. The Eagles were defeated by Buffalo 21-10 and Bucknell 21-15. Although the Eagles came up short against two tough opponents, three wrestlers went a perfect 2-0, defeating both opponents. Anthony Noto (125) won by decision over Tristan Daugherty of Buffalo 6-2 and Brandon Seidman of Bucknell by fall in 4:48. Ben Barton (157) defeated Ty Raines of Buffalo 6-1 and Nick Delp of Bucknell 5-1. Isaac Reid (HWT) won by decision over Toby Cahill of Buffalo 8-4 and by major decision over Luke Niemeyer of Bucknell 11-2. The Eagles are slated to compete on Friday, January 7th, at the David Lehman F&M Open in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Northern Illinois: The Huskies went 2-1 this weekend, defeating Kent State 20-12 and Harper 42-6, before falling short against South Dakota State 26-9. Two wrestlers went 3-0 on the weekend. Izzak Olejnik (165) had wins over Najee Lockett of Kent State 10-2, Aaron Taylor by fall in :38, and Tanner Cook of South Dakota State 8-3. Brit Wilson (184) defeated Colin McCracken of Kent State 10-2, Ethan Shedbalker by fall in 2:10, and Cade King of South Dakota State 5-2. Two additional Huskies went 2-1 on the weekend. Anthony Gibson (157) was victorious over Enrique Mungaia of Kent State 9-4 and Kenny O'Neill of South Dakota State 4-0. Mason Kauffman won by decision over Michael Ferree of Kent State 6-5 and by tech fall over Sam Dombos 16-1. Ohio University: The Bobcats traveled to Gardner-Webb, where they defeated George Mason University 27-9 and Gardner-Webb 27-9, adding two more dual wins to their record. Four Bobcats went 2–0 in competition, defeating both opponents. Oscar Sanchez (125) won by decision over Ben Monn of George Mason 8-4 and Aedyn Concepcion of Gardner-Webb 7-4. Jordan Slivka (157) defeated Avery Bassett of George Mason by major decision 8-0 and Taylor Parks of Gardner-Webb 2-0. Sal Perrine (174) won a nail-biter against Logan Messer of George Mason 4-3 and by fall over Evan Schenk of Gardner-Webb in 3:57. Zayne Lehman (184) was victorious over Kyle Davis of George Mason by major decision 10-2 and Jha'Quan Anderson of Garnder-Webb 3-1.

Beau Bartlett (left) and Jacob Warner (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Big Ten correspondent Cody Goodwin recaps the biggest results from around the Big Ten Conference - this time, on a Wednesday. Nebraska - The Huskers were supposed to wrestle South Dakota State, but didn't "due to COVID-related illnesses within the Nebraska program." A reminder, now that we've reached the unofficial midway point of the '21-22 season, to stay safe, stay vigilant, and be smart. We've had a few COVID-19 hiccups through the first few months this season. Here's hoping we have even fewer over the next few. Iowa - The Hawkeyes won the Red Pool at the Journeymen Collegiate Wrestling Duals, going 3-0 with wins over Central Michigan (44-0), Lehigh (28-7) and N.C. State (19-15). On the whole, Iowa wrestlers went 24-6 overall in individual matchups, with nine bonus-point wins. They're now 6-0 this season. Iowa was carried mostly by the front- and back-end of its lineup: Spencer Lee (125), Austin DeSanto (133), Jaydin Eierman (141), Jacob Warner (197), Tony Cassioppi (285), plus Alex Marinelli (165), went a combined 18-0 with seven bonus-point victories. The other four weights went a combined 6-6 - and four of those losses came against N.C. State in the Red Pool final, in a spectacular, intense, contentious dual. Still, the Hawkeyes prevailed, and will take a 24-dual win streak into 2022. Lee made his season debut, went 3-0 and outscored his opponents 31-1, which included two wins over top-12 guys. DeSanto scored two technical falls and a major decision while outscoring his opponents 53-13. Eierman notched two come-from-behind wins, over Central Michigan's Dresden Simon (down 11-2, won 13-12), and N.C. State's Ryan Jack (down 5-2, won 7-6). Abe Assad rejoined the lineup at 184 and went 2-1 with a major and a pin. Iowa also went 5-2 in matches decided by two points or fewer. Penn State - The Nittany Lions won the Blue Pool at the Journeymen Collegiate Wrestling Duals, going 3-0 with wins over Northern Iowa (29-9), Cornell (21-16) and Arizona State (29-10). On the whole, Penn State wrestlers went 20-10 overall in individual matchups, with 13 bonus-point wins. They're now 8-0 this season. Penn State was carried mostly by its heavier weights: Carter Starocci (174), Aaron Brooks (184), Max Dean (197) and Greg Kerkvliet (285) went a combined 12-0 with eight bonus-point wins. Those guys were especially crucial in the Nittany Lions' dual against Cornell on Monday night. The Big Red won four of the first six weights - highlighted by a pin from Vito Arujau at 125 and a major from Yianni Diakomihalis at 149 - to lead 16-8, then Starocci, Brooks, Dean and Kerkvliet all won out to give Penn State a 21-16 win. Roman Bravo-Young (133) and Nick Lee (141) also both went 3-0 - RBY recorded a pin and a major, Lee registered three majors, outscoring his opponents 45-10. So, similar to Iowa, that's six weights that went 18-0 with 13 bonus-point wins. The other four weights went a combined 2-10. Beau Bartlett picked up both wins at 149, including a gutsy 3-1 overtime win over Kyle Parco. Here's a thought: How much fun would it have been if, I don't know, Iowa and Penn State would've wrestled on Tuesday to decide who actually was the best team? Guess we'll have to wait until January 28, when the Nittany Lions come to Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Maybe Cael Sanderson should bring the trophy his team won, sit it next to the trophy Iowa won, and the winner that night in Iowa City can keep them both. Purdue - Lost to Iowa State, 23-13, in a dual at Humboldt High School in Iowa, which is the hometown of both Kevin Dresser, the Cyclones' head coach, and Tony Ersland, Purdue's head coach. Dresser and Ersland both won two state titles for Humboldt (Dresser in 1980-81, Ersland in 1991-92) both wrestling at Iowa. They, with the help of Humboldt high school coach Chad Beaman, started working to schedule this dual once Dresser was hired back at Iowa State ahead of the '17-18 season. They wanted to do it last year, but COVID-19 pushed it back a year. With almost 2,000 people crammed into Humboldt's small gym, the Boilermakers raced out to an 11-0 lead thanks to major decisions from both Devin Schroder (10-0 over Corey Cabanban) and Parker Filius (14-2 over Charlie Klepps), plus an insane overtime victory for Matthew Ramos, 5-3 over Ramazan Attasauov at 133. Two matches later, the Cyclones led 11-10. Jarrett Degen beat Trey Kruse, 20-1, and David Carr pinned - yes, pinned, in a tilt - Kendall Coleman, who threw his headgear afterward, which docked the Boilermakers a team point. Those results basically swung the dual in Iowa State's favor. After Hayden Lohrey's 5-3 win over Austin Kraisser at 165, the Cyclones won the final four matches, a run highlighted by Joel Devine's 4-1 win over Gerrit Nijenhuis and Yonger Bastida's 6-4 win over Thomas Penola, his second-straight victory over a top-10 opponent. Marcus Coleman added an 8-2 win over Max Lyon at 184, and Sam Schuyler closed it with a 2-0 win over Michael Woulfe at heavyweight. Michigan State - Bullied Baldwin Wallace, 37-9, and Olivet, 41-0. The Spartans won 18-of-20 matches across both duals, and seven guys went 2-0: Rayvon Foley (133), Eddie Homrock (149), Caleb Fish (165), Nathan Jimenez (174), Layne Malczewski (184), Cam Caffey (197) and Brad Wilton (285). Chase Saldate and Jaden Enriquez both won their matchups at 157, and old Big Ten friend Jacob Decatur, a former Buckeye who's now at Baldwin Wallace, beat Julian Saldana, 3-2, at 125 pounds. Idle Teams: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Rutgers, Wisconsin.

(photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Today, the Midlands Twitter account announced they there were canceling the 2021 tournament due to health and safety concerns. It will not be rescheduled. This was the note posted on Twitter.

Penn State's Max Dean (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Day Two Fifth-Place Matches Central Michigan 26 Binghamton 11 125 - Brock Bergelin (Central Michigan) tech Nick Curley (Binghamton) 16-0 133 - Vince Perez (Central Michigan) FFT 141 - Dresden Simon (Central Michigan) dec Ryan Anderson (Binghamton) 5-2 149 - Corbyn Munson (Central Michigan) dec Nick Lombard (Binghamton) 6-5 157 - Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan) fall Tyler Martin (Binghamton) 3:52 165 - Brevin Cassella (Binghamton) maj Tracy Hubbard (Central Michigan) 10-1 174 - Bret Fedewa (Central Michigan) dec Jacob Nolan (Binghamton) 2-1 184 - Cory Day (Binghamton) maj Ben Cushman (Central Michigan) 14-4 197 - Louie DePrez (Binghamton) dec Aaron Bolo (Central Michigan) 8-4 285 - Joe Doyle (Binghamton) tech Cade Dallwitz (Central Michigan) 18-0 Northern Iowa 33 Hofstra 9 125 - Jacob Moon (Hofstra) FFT 133 - Kyle Biscoglia (Northern Iowa) fall Dylan Acevedo (Hofstra) 2:00 141 - Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) dec Justin Hoyle (Hofstra) 10-4 149 - Colin Realbuto (Northern Iowa) fall Michael Leandrou (Hofstra) 4:56 157 - Cayd Lara (Northern Iowa) fall Joey McGinty (Hofstra) 3:35 165 - Austin Yant (Northern Iowa) dec Ricky Stamm (Hofstra) 6-0 174 - Pat Schoenfelder (Northern Iowa) dec Ross McFarland (Hofstra) 6-2 184 - Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) dec Charles Small (Hofstra) 10-3 197 - Trey Rogers (Hofstra) dec Noah Glaser (Northern Iowa) 5-3 285 - Tyrell Gordon (Northern Iowa) dec Zachary Knighton-Ward (Hofstra) 4-2 Third Place Bouts Cornell 18 Virginia Tech 15 125 - Vito Arujau (Cornell) maj Sam Latona (Virginia Tech) 10-2 133 - Korbin Myers (Virginia Tech) dec Dom LaJoie (Cornell) 9-3 141 - Collin Gerardi (Virginia Tech) dec Cole Handlovic (Cornell) 6-0 149 - Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) tech Kylan Montgomery (Virginia Tech) 19-3 157 - Connor Brady (Virginia Tech) dec Colton Yapoujian (Cornell) 2-1 165 - Julian Ramirez (Cornell) dec Clayton Ulrey (Virginia Tech) 4-2 174 - Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) dec Chris Foca (Cornell) 3-1TB 184 - Jonathan Loew (Cornell) dec Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) 7-5SV 197 - Jacob Cardenas (Cornell) dec Andy Smith (Virginia Tech) 3-2 285 - Nathan Traxler (Virginia Tech) dec Lewis Fernandes (Cornell) 5-3 Missouri 26 Lehigh 9 125 - Noah Surtin (Missouri) dec Jaret Lane (Lehigh) 10-4 133 - Connor Brown (Missouri) dec Sheldon Seymour (Lehigh) 7-4 141 - Allan Hart (Missouri) dec Connor McGonagle (Lehigh) 8-3 149 - Josh Edmond (Missouri) dec Manzona Bryant (Lehigh) 10-4SV 157 - Josh Humphreys (Lehigh) fall Jarrett Jacques (Missouri) 3:31 165 - Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) maj Brian Meyer (Lehigh) 13-5 174 - Peyton Mocco (Missouri) dec Jake Logan (Lehigh) 6-4 184 - Jeremiah Kent (Missouri) dec AJ Burkhart (Lehigh) 6-2 197 - Rocky Elam (Missouri) maj JT Davis (Lehigh) 12-3 285 - Jordan Wood (Lehigh) dec Zach Elam (Missouri) 2-1 Pool Championship Iowa 19 NC State 15 125 - Spencer Lee (Iowa) dec Jakob Camacho (NC State) 6-1 133 - Austin DeSanto (Iowa) maj Kai Orine (NC State) 16-7 141 - Jaydin Eierman (Iowa) dec Ryan Jack (NC State) 7-6 149 - Tariq Wilson (NC State) dec Cole Siebrecht (Iowa) 7-3 157 - Ed Scott (NC State) fall Kaleb Young (Iowa) 1:10 165 - Alex Marinelli (Iowa) dec Donald Cates (NC State) 7-2 174 - Hayden Hidlay (NC State) dec Nelson Brands (Iowa) 4-2 184 - Trent Hidlay (NC State) dec Abe Assad (Iowa) 6-0 197 - Jacob Warner (Iowa) dec Isaac Trumble (NC State) 3-2 285 - Tony Cassioppi (Iowa) dec Tyrie Houghton (NC State) 6-2 Penn State 29 Arizona State 10 125 - Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) maj Jakob Campbell (Penn State) 18-7 133 - Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) dec Michael McGee (Arizona State) 6-2 141 - Nick Lee (Penn State) maj Jesse Vasquez (Arizona State) 14-3 149 - Beau Bartlett (Penn State) dec Kyle Parco (Arizona State) 3-1SV 157 - Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) dec Tony Negron (Penn State) 8-3 165 - Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) dec Creighton Edsell (Penn State) 10-5 174 - Carter Starocci (Penn State) tech Zane Coleman (Arizona State) 17-2 184 - Aaron Brooks (Penn State) fall Josh Nummer (Arizona State) 1:48 197 - Max Dean (Penn State) maj Kordell Norfleet (Arizona State) 10-1 285 - Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) maj Chad Porter (Arizona State) 9-0

NC State's Kevin Jack against Iowa's Brody Grothus (photo courtesy of NC State athletics) February 22nd, 2016 #4 NC State 21 #2 Iowa 17 Setting the Stage: This dual meet took place as a part of the "National Duals" series of matches, intended to be like college football bowl games and matched up some of the top non-conference schools, in a single, stand-alone dual. Iowa came into the match with a perfect 16-0 record. After an 18-16 win over Oklahoma State (in Kinnick Stadium) in their first outing of the season, the Hawkeyes were not seriously tested. The only other team to break into the "teens" in scoring against Iowa was South Dakota State, who Iowa defeated 28-15 (while forfeiting 197 lbs). This was a year where the Big Ten schedule matrix did not pair Iowa up with then-#1 Penn State. The Hawkeyes were carried by their lightweight tandem, #2 Thomas Gilman at 125 and #3 Cory Clark at 133, along with #2 Brandon Sorensen. NC State carried a ridiculous 22-1 dual record into Carver-Hawkeye Arena. A couple months earlier, head coach Pat Popolizio led his squad into Stillwater, for a win over his alma mater Oklahoma State. The only blemish on NC State's 2015-16 resume was a thrilling 19-14 loss to conference rival Virginia Tech a few weeks earlier. The Wolfpack were led by two-time returning NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski at heavyweight. The selection process for the National Duals was highly controversial since it appeared that Virginia Tech was the most likely opponent for the Hawkeyes. There was still lingering bad blood between the programs as Hawkeye head coach Tom Brands spent two years at the helm for the Hokies, before spurning them for his alma mater. That led to then-Hokie head coach Kevin Dresser publicly calling out Brands and the Iowa team. One way or another, NC State was selected and traveled to Iowa City as heavy underdogs, despite a #4 national ranking. The match: 125 : #2 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) maj #20 Sean Fausz (NC State) 15-5 133 - #3 Cory Clark (Iowa) dec #30 Jamal Morris (NC State) 9-3 141 - #3 Kevin Jack (NC State) tech Brody Grothus (Iowa) 18-3 149 - #2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) maj Beau Donahue (Iowa) 13-4 157 - #4 Tommy Gantt (NC State) maj #17 Edwin Cooper (Iowa) 13-5 165 - #6 Max Rohskopf (NC State) dec Patrick Rhodes (Iowa) 6-3 174 - #10 Alex Meyer (Iowa) dec Nick Hall (NC State) 4-2 184 - #17 Pete Renda (NC State) dec #9 Sammy Brooks (Iowa) 7-3 197 - #4 Nathan Burak (Iowa) dec #16 Michael Boykin (NC State) 9-4 285 - #1 Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State) InjDef #6 Sam Stoll (Iowa) The Aftermath: The win marked the first time an ACC school had defeated Iowa…ever. It was also the first time any team had traveled to Iowa and Oklahoma State and beaten both in the same season. NC State had a substandard NCAA Tournament and ended up in 11th place. Gwiazdowski fell in an epic final to Kyle Snyder, while Renda was third and Gantt eighth. Iowa, behind three NCAA runner's-up (Gilman, Clark, Sorensen), finished fifth with 81 points. Also on the podium were Nathan Burak (4th) and Alex Meyers and Sam Brooks (both 8th). November 22nd, 2019 #5 Arizona State 19 #1 Penn State 18 Setting the Stage: The fruits of Zeke Jones' recruiting labors from the Class of 2015 were starting to pay off as a veteran Sun Devil team combined with some talented freshmen joined forces for an imposing squad. Even so, Arizona State didn't really give off any hints that they were about to slay the Penn State giant. In the first event of the year, the Journeymen Duals, Arizona State only defeated Purdue by three points. They came into their dual with Penn State 4-0 after dominating a pair of non-DI opponents. Cael Sanderson's team headed west riding a 60-match dual winning streak that dated back to the 2015 season. Though the Nittany Lions had lost two NCAA Champions to graduation (Jason Nolf and Bo Nickal), they still had a loaded team that featured past champions like Vincenzo Joseph, Mark Hall, and Anthony Cassar, along with budding stars Roman Bravo-Young and Nick Lee. The Arizona State trip was the second dual meet of the year for the Nittany Lions, who had shut out Navy, 45-0. Later at the Army West Point Invite, Penn State came away with four champions. The match: 125 - Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) maj Brody Teske (Penn State) 19-7 133 - #3 Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) dec #11 Josh Kramer (Arizona State) 7-6 141 - #3 Nick Lee (Penn State) tech Corey Crooks (Arizona State) 18-3 149 - #21 Josh Maruca (Arizona State) dec Jarod Verkleeren (Penn State) 5-4 157 - Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) dec Bo Pipher (Penn State) 9-4 165 - #1 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) dec Josh Shields (Arizona State) 7-4 174 - #1 Mark Hall (Penn State) maj Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) 11-3 184 - #1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) FFT 197 - Kordell Norfleet (Arizona State) dec Kyle Conel (Penn State) 10-4 285 - #1 Anthony Cassar (Penn State) dec Tanner Hall (Arizona State) 9-5 The aftermath: Two weeks after defeating Penn State, Arizona State finished third at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. About a month later, at their next dual meet, the Sun Devils were knocked off by Ohio State 17-16. Late in February, ASU got stunned by Lehigh, 19-14. The day before the Lehigh loss, news broke of a suspension for two-time NCAA champion Zahid Valencia due to a failed drug test. Speaking of Lehigh, Penn State dominated their in-state rivals 23-10 in the first match post-loss. A modest six-match winning streak was then halted by Iowa in a memorable dual in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. In their final Big Ten dual of the season, the Nittany Lions hosted Ohio State at the Bryce Jordan Center and grabbed a 20-16 win. The Arizona State match also occurred before freshman Aaron Brooks was pulled from redshirt. Once Kyle Conel went down via injury, Shakur Rasheed moved to 197 lbs and Brooks was needed to fill in at 184. This ended up being the season that will be famously remembered as having the 2020 NCAA Tournament canceled due to the Covid outbreak. Penn State stars Vincenzo Joseph and Mark Hall were not able to pursue additional titles, along with five other teammates and six ASU wrestlers that qualified. Since the 2010-11 season, Arizona State is one of only two non-Big Ten teams to defeat Penn State in dual competition (Oklahoma State/2014-15). Though this dual was only two years ago, only six starters are expected to compete today. ASU (Courtney, Teemer, A Valencia, Norfleet). PSU (Bravo-Young, Lee).

Cohlton Schultz and Greg Kerkvliet at the 2021 NCAA Championships (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) After one day of action from Niceville, Florida, the finals of the pool competition have been set. As expected, top-ranked Iowa was not tested by either #21 Lehigh or Central Michigan and cruised to the finals of the Red Pool. Meeting the Hawkeyes will be #5 NC State, who overcame #10 Missouri in the best dual of the day. A pair of second-year freshmen upset top-15 opponents and helped the Wolfpack to victory. The Blue Pool featured #6 Arizona State, who crushed Hofstra and Virginia Tech, to earn a spot in Tuesday's final match. #2 Penn State relied on their upperweight superstars to comeback from a 16-8 deficit after the 165 lb bout. Monday's action sets the stage for a meeting between #1 Iowa State and #5 NC State in one pool, with #2 Penn State taking on #6 Arizona State in the other. Both duals are jam-packed with great matchups, and each could come down to the wire. Before getting into our preview of the final bouts, here's a schedule of the day's action. All times are Eastern. 2pm - Central Michigan vs. Binghamton, Hofstra vs. Northern Iowa 4pm - Missouri vs. Lehigh, Virginia Tech vs. Cornell 6pm - Iowa vs. NC State 8pm - Penn State vs. Arizona State #1 Iowa vs. #5 NC State 125 - #1 Spencer Lee vs. #5 Jakob Camacho Intriguing matchup here, as three-time NCAA champion Spencer Lee just saw his first action of the year yesterday. To be specific, it was his first official matches of any sort in almost nine months, to the date. While Lee put up a major decision and a tech fall and didn't surrender a single point, he did look a bit rusty. Or at least not like a three-time defending champion. At the same time, his opponent, Jakob Camacho, is looking to rebound after an upset loss to #15 Noah Surtin. Camacho got down early and mustered a late rally, but it ended up not being enough. Like anyone who faces Lee, if Camacho limits damage in the first period and a half, he may be able to steal it late. Obviously, that's easier said than done. Also, if Lee's knee isn't responding well after his first two matches, Iowa coach Tom Brands could turn to Jesse Ybarra. Pick: Lee by decision (3-0 Iowa) 133 - #3 Austin DeSanto vs. #17 Kai Orine Austin DeSanto continued his winning ways and sliced through his first two opponents like and knife and hot butter. Or, however the expression goes. Combined, DeSanto needed just over six minutes to dispose of Vince Perez (Central Michigan) and Satoshi Abe (Lehigh). He outscored the duo by a total score of 36-6. Perez didn't even make it out of the first period. Today's competition for DeSanto will stiffen as he'll face unbeaten Kai Orine. Orine only saw action in one bout yesterday, but did his job and defeated former NCAA qualifier Connor Brown (Missouri), who is typically a 125 lber. This will easily be Orine's most significant test, to date. Aside from teammate Jarrett Trombley, he has yet to face a ranked opponent as the Wolfpack starter. Trombley also could get the call here, as well. Pick: DeSanto by major decision (7-0 Iowa) 141 - #2 Jaydin Eierman vs. #16 Ryan Jack Seventh-year senior Jaydin Eierman has been on the collegiate scene so long that he was in a weight class with Ryan Jack's older brother, Kevin, for two seasons, though they never met. In 2017, the elder Jack outplaced Eierman (3rd to 5th), but Eierman turned the tables in 2018 (4th to 6th). Yesterday, Eierman had his eyes opened, getting in a huge, early hole to #7 Dresden Simon (Central Michigan), 9-2. He responded with a rally that saw Eierman ride out the Chippewa star for a 13-12 victory. In the nightcap, Eierman had more trouble than one may have expected, but still prevailed 8-3 over Connor McGonagle (Lehigh). Like Orine, Ryan Jack didn't go against Binghamton, but was needed against #10 Missouri. There Jack would face #14 Allan Hart. Jack got into an early hole and couldn't cut into the lead and fell, 9-3. Like his teammate at 133, this will be Jack's biggest test of the young season, though maybe it's a decent time to face Eierman. Pick: Eierman by major decision (11-0 Iowa) 149 - #8 Max Murin vs. #3 Tariq Wilson This will be a bout between two longtime veterans that have been used sparingly by their respective head coaches in the first two months of the season. Max Murin had an up-and-down day on Monday. He started with a solid 14-5 major decision over Central Michigan's Corbyn Munson. That represented his highest scoring output since the 2020 Big Ten Championships. In the second dual of the day, Murin was taken down by Manzona Bryant (Lehigh) in sudden victory. Earlier in the day. Munson had a solid comeback to edge Bryant. Sixth-year senior Tariq Wilson continued to shine at his new weight class and turned in a pair of wins Monday. He jumped out to an early lead on #18 Josh Edmond (Missouri) and withstood a late rally to win 11-8. This is the third collegiate weight class for the two-time NCAA third-place finishing Wilson. In 2020, he and Murin were in the same 141 lb bracket. Though they never met, Murin was seeded 7th at NCAA's and Wilson 15th. That being said, Wilson is the play here. Pick: Wilson by decision (11-3 Iowa) 157 - #8 Kaleb Young vs. #23 Ed Scott This matchup may look lopsided on paper, but after yesterday it's way closer than the numbers would indicate. In the opener, Kaleb Young notched a solid 6-0 victory over #19 Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan). He even led #10 Josh Humphreys (Lehigh) into the third period, but gave up a reversal and two sets of nearfalls to lose 11-2. It marked the only time in his collegiate career that Young surrendered any sort of bonus points. Today he'll face a wrestler that is also tough on top in second-year freshman Ed Scott. Since moving up to 157 lbs, Scott has looked remarkably good. His only blemish in 2021-22 was a one-point loss to a teammate on the opening week of the year. Scott's top ability was a big reason why he was able to knock off #15 Jarrett Jacques (Missouri) in the second match of the day. It also provided a spark for the Wolfpack, teamwise. I also wonder if Young is okay. Humphreys was brutal with the power half he used to turn the Hawkeye. Pick: Scott by decision (11-6 Iowa) 165 - #1 Alex Marinelli vs. #18 Thomas Bullard Throughout the course of his Iowa career, Alex Marinelli has only lost one regular-season bout. Monday, he didn't come close to losing number two. He stalled out Tracy Hubbard (Central Michigan) in the opener, before solving a tricky Brian Meyer (Lehigh) for a 6-2 win. Finally, we'll have a match with some history between its competitors. In each of the last two NCAA Tournaments conducted, Marinelli has been the #1 seed at 165 lbs and met Bullard in the Round of 16. In both instances, Marinelli was able to rack up bonus points. With a close dual meet hanging in the balance, I think the defensive-minded Bullard may be able to limit damage by The Bull. In his last bout, Bullard kept #3 Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) to a 9-3 regular decision. Pick: Marinelli by decision (14-6 Iowa) 174 - #2 Michael Kemerer/Nelson Brands vs. #5 Hayden Hidlay The man that Iowa wrestlers and fans call “Grandpa” was seen on the Hawkeye bench sporting the second-best mustache of the tournament (props to Hofstra's Trey Rogers) and even weighed in Monday morning. Even so, I wouldn't hold out for a first appearance of the year for Kemerer. Jumping back in against an opponent of Hayden Hidlay's caliber isn't how things typically work. Iowa still has someone more than capable at the weight, as Nelson Brands went 2-0 yesterday. Brands solved the defensive riddles of Jake Logan (Lehigh) late in their bout to take a tight, 3-2 win. A bout between Brands and Hidlay may be the most physical affair of the day. Both are no strangers to a hard handfight. Hayden has moved up two weight classes, but it's difficult to tell by the eye-test or weighing his results. He continued a bonus point-scoring streak with his win over NCAA qualifier Jake Nolan (Binghamton), though it was snapped with his win over #14 Peyton Mocco (Missouri). Pick: Hidlay by decision (14-9 Iowa) 184 - Abe Assad vs. #3 Trent Hidlay Yesterday also marked the return of Abe Assad to the Hawkeye lineup. Assad was famously pinned by high schooler Clayton Whiting at the Luther Open and has been conspicuously absent since. He returned with a vengeance and pinned Ben Cushman (Central Michigan) before majoring AJ Burkhart (Lehigh). In a limited sample size, Assad is showing the form that made him the #11 seed at the 2020 NCAA Championships, as a true freshman. He'll get a test Tuesday from one of the best in the weight class, with NCAA runner-up Trent Hidlay. Before an upset at 197, Hidlay's 13-5 major decision over #11 Jeremiah Kent (Missouri) looked like a possible dual-winner for the Wolfpack. Through five matches this year, Hidlay has logged bonus points in all five and looked more dangerous offensively than in the past. Pick: Hidlay by decision (14-12 Iowa) 197 - #7 Jacob Warner vs. #15 Isaac Trumble What to do at 197 lbs as we have a “Steady Eddy” (Jacob Warner) set to take on a high-ceiling youngster that experienced some highs and lows on Monday. We'll start with Warner, who cruised to a pair of one-sided regular decisions over solid competition yesterday. Warner wasn't able to pile up points, but was never seriously threatened, at any point. Isaac Trumble got down early to All-American Louie DePrez (Binghamton) in his first match and never rebounded. But in the Missouri dual, his 5-3 win over Junior World Champion and NCAA All-American Rocky Elam sealed the deal for Pat Popolizio's team. Could Trumble build off his teammate's momentum at 174/184 again and take out his second AA of the tournament? Pick: Trumble by decision (15-14 NC State) 285 - #6 Tony Cassioppi vs. #28 Owen Trephan/Deonte Wilson Our picks have the Hawkeyes trailing for the first time this dual and during the entire time in Florida. But, what better man to turn to than their All-American Tony Cassioppi. Pre-tournament, we thought Cassioppi's round-robin path was among the toughest in the entire event, as he drew top-ten opponents from Central Michigan and Lehigh. Cassioppi was leading CMU's Matt Stencel before an apparent knee injury forced the Chippewa big man to default. A late takedown against the stingy Jordan Wood gave Cassioppi his second win of the day. NC State will have plenty of options at this weight, though none are over enticing against an opponent of Cassioppi's caliber. Owen Trephan seems to have emerged as the starter based on head-to-head wins over 2021 ACC champion Deonte Wilson. That being said, Wilson has gotten the nod in the last couple of dates heading into Florida. Also, if the dual is clinched before 285 lbs, the NC State could turn to Tyrie Houghton, as they did against Missouri. Houghton never backed down from #16 Zach Elam and grabbed a takedown at the buzzer that pulled the score to a single point. Pick: Cassioppi by decision (17-15 Iowa) #2 Penn State vs. #6 Arizona State 125 - Jakob Campbell vs. #3 Brandon Courtney Penn State has struggled to fill in for injured 2021 NCAA qualifier Robbie Howard in the earlygoing this year and those continued Monday as Bucknell-transfer Jakob Campbell fell to 0-3 on the year. That could be deceiving, though, as his two opponents were #5 (133) Vito Arujau (Cornell) and #10 Brody Teske (Northern Iowa). His third loss this year was to #11 Jaret Lane (Lehigh). It doesn't get any easier for Campbell, as he'll face the returning NCAA runner-up Brandon Courtney. Courtney looked as good as ever yesterday with a fall against Hofstra and an 8-4 win over returning All-American Sam Latona (Virginia Tech). After going 14-11 as a part-time starter in 2018-19, Courtney has compiled a 49-6 record since. Pick: Courtney by major (4-0 Arizona State) 133 - #1 Roman Bravo-Young vs. #14 Michael McGee One of the key matches to watch this dual will take place at 133 lbs with returning, undefeated NCAA champion Roman Bravo-Young meeting AA Michael McGee. I'm not sure if it will be overly close, but it will be a lot of fun to watch, with lots of good action. Bravo-Young did as you would expect and notched a pin and nearly teched Cornell's Dom LaJoie in the Monday night session. But, McGee will represent the highest-ranked opponent of the year for the Nittany Lions star. McGee looked as good as ever with an exciting 8-7 win over #4 ranked Korbin Myers (Virginia Tech). That marked the first regular-season loss for Korbin Myers since February 22nd, 2019. Earlier in the year, McGee suffered a one-point loss to then-unranked Job Greenwood, but that looks like a longtime in the review after his showing Monday. Though both were in the same NCAA weight class last year, they did not meet. Pick: Bravo-Young by major (4-4 Tie) 141 - #1 Nick Lee vs. #15 Jesse Vasquez After being held to “just” regular decisions in his last two dual outings, Nick Lee came back Monday with a pair of major decisions over #26 Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) and Cole Handlovic (Cornell). With a tight dual expected here, the 2021 NCAA champion may need to roll up bonus points again to ensure his team's victory Tuesday night. Freshman Jesse Vasquez will get his first serious test of his collegiate career when he faces off with the returning champ. Vasquez came into this event 5-0, but hasn't faced any top-tiered competition. In his first bout Monday afternoon, Vasquez looked to be headed to a major decision against Justin Hoyle (Hofstra), but faded a bit and won 14-9. He later downed NCAA qualifier Collin Gerardi (Virginia Tech) in a match that appeared closer on the scoreboard than it actually was in real life. Pick: Lee by decision (7-4 Penn State) 149 - #22 Beau Bartlett vs. #5 Kyle Parco Unfortunately, we didn't get to see one of the top potential matches of the tournament as Virginia Tech's #6 Bryce Andonian didn't weigh-in and couldn't compete against #5 Kyle Parco. Both wrestlers have a wide-open style and put points on the board. Parco, a surprise All-American for Fresno State in 2021, has proven he's no fluke with a 10-0 start to the year. Neither opponent he saw on Monday presented much of a challenge and Parco dominated to the tune of 31-1. It will make for a good clash of styles when Parco and Beau Bartlett square off. Bartlett is typically methodical in his attacks and sound defensively. Bartlett picked his spots in a 4-3 win over #28 Tristan Lara (Northern Iowa), before falling to two-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell). It'll be interesting to see which wrestlers' strength dictates the match here. Pick: Parco by decision (7-7 Tie) 157 - Joe Lee/Tony Negron vs. #3 Jacori Teemer Another unsettled weight for the Nittany Lions has been 157 lbs. 2021 NCAA qualifier (at 165 lbs) Joe Lee was assumed to be the frontrunner in the preseason, but he was majored by Terrell Barraclough in the wrestle-offs. Barraclough saw some action, but recently Tony Negron has gotten the call. Negron fell 5-2 to Derek Holschlag (Northern Iowa) in the first dual yesterday. That created an opening for Lee to make his 2021-22 debut, which he did against Cornell's Colton Yapoujian. Lee couldn't figure out Yapoujian's defense and was beaten 4-2. This evening, it doesn't get any easier as 7-0, #3 Jacori Teemer is looming. Teemer is off to a blazing start, scoring double digits in each of his first six bouts, before being held in check by an ever-improving Connor Brady (Virginia Tech). Teemer still managed a win in sudden victory over the Hokie. If the Sun Devils win, it may be because they get bonus here. Pick: Teemer by major decision (11-7 Arizona State) 165 - #26 Creighton Edsell vs. #6 Anthony Valencia A nice development for Penn State has been the emergence of Creighton Edsell at 165 lbs. Edsell came into this event unbeaten and recently had defeated returning national qualifier Brian Meyer (Lehigh). Yesterday though, Edsell suffered through his first two losses of the year, falling to #23 Austin Yant (Northern Iowa) and #9 Julian Ramirez (Cornell). Now, Edsell will have to contend with the newest member of the Mexican National Team, Anthony Valencia. Valencia showed no signs of jetlag, after traveling to make the team on Saturday, as he only needed :27 seconds to pin Mario Biancamano (Hofstra) in his first match. Against Virginia Tech, he survived a late charge from Clayton Ulrey to hang on, 11-9. Pick: Valencia by decision (14-7 Arizona State) 174 - #1 Carter Starocci vs. Zane Coleman/Ryan Rochford Like the Cornell dual, Penn State could find themselves trailing again after 165 lbs, but their final four is unmatched in college wrestling. Returning champion Carter Starocci showed he was unflappable as he was tested by the Big Red's Chris Foca. Deadlocked in a 2-2 bout and starting the third period on top, Starocci rode out Foca for the period and earned riding time in the process. In the grand scheme of things, that win will be more valuable for Starocci than if he rolled to a major. A major decision is what he did in the opening match against Northern Iowa's Pat Schoenfelder. The Sun Devils used both Zane Coleman and Ryan Rochford yesterday. Coleman has seen the bulk of the action for Zeke Jones' team and sports an 8-3 record. Rochford got the unenviable task of dealing with 2019 NCAA champion Mekhi Lewis and was the victim of a tech fall. Whoever gets tabbed to start will have to avoid bonus points, which is a tall task. Pick: Starocci by major decision (14-11 Arizona State) 184 - #1 Aaron Brooks vs. Josh Nummer Carter Starocci wasn't the only Penn State national champion that was forced to dig deep on Monday. Aaron Brooks had to fend off a challenge from his 2021 NCAA semifinal opponent Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa), in his first bout. Keckeisen pushed Brooks in the third period, but ultimately couldn't penetrate his defense. A 3-2 win for the Nittany Lion champ extended his current winning streak to 27 matches. Brooks also had a game opponent in his second match, #15 Jonathan Loew (Cornell); however, he nearly pinned Loew early in the bout, which blew the contest open and he coasted to a 15-3 win. Josh Nummer is expected to get the call and try to limit his Penn State counterpart. Nummer couldn't do so yesterday against All-American Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech), as he fell via tech fall. Pick: Brooks by tech fall (16-14 Penn State) 197 - #3 Max Dean vs. #8 Kordell Norfleet Max Dean also got his first scare of the 2021-22 season when he emerged victorious after a close call against former teammate Jacob Cardenas (Cornell). Dean won a late scramble and rode Cardenas out for a 4-2 win. Coming into that match, Dean did not have a match closer than ten points. Norfleet has dealt with solid competition in his first two matches yesterday, but shined with 14-3 major decisions over returning national qualifiers #26 Trey Rogers (Hofstra) and Dakota Howard (Virginia Tech). For the Sun Devils to be in position to win the dual, they'd have to get a win somewhere between 174-197 and this is the most logical spot. Pick: Dean by decision (19-14 Penn State) 285 - #4 Greg Kerkvliet vs. #3 Cohlton Schultz This is a rematch of the 2021 NCAA consolation quarterfinal bout between Cohlton Schultz and Greg Kerkvliet. There it was Schultz who came out on top with a 14-8 decision. Whenever the two meet, it marks the rare time that a pair of Cadet World Champions collide on the collegiate scene. During their 2021 meeting, Kerkvliet was only a few weeks removed from a scary knee injury that threatened his season, so we expect a different wrestler this time around. Both come into this match unbeaten and the result could play a huge role in NCAA seeding, as the winner could be on the opposite side of the bracket from Olympic champion Gable Steveson (Minnesota). But that's a little ways down the line. Schultz will turn to his Greco-Roman roots and look to impose his will with an underhook or a bodylock. Kerkvliet has more of an arsenal of leg attacks. But, if Kerkvliet is overly aggressive, Schultz is talented enough to take advantage. Pick: Kerkvliet by decision (22-14 Penn State)

Jeff Buxton in Fargo in 2021 (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) On Monday morning, Rutgers' Scarlet Knights Wrestling Club announced the hiring of legendary head coach Jeff Buxton. Buxton will lead the SKWC going forward as their head coach. Buxton is no stranger to New Jersey wrestling fans as he was at the helm as Blair Academy's head coach for 30 years. His teams captured National Prep titles during all 30 of those seasons. Ten times during that stretch his teams were deemed #1 overall in the nation. Future NCAA champions that wrestled under Buxton include, Pat Santoro, Mark Perry, Steve Mocco, Kellen Russell, and Ed Ruth. Prior to the SKWC, Buxton has led the Lehigh Valley Wrestling Club since 2012. He has also been active coaching freestyle on Team New Jersey and internationally at the Senior level. In 2019, Buxton was named a volunteer coach for the freestyle world team at the World Championships in Nur-Sultan. Over the weekend, one of the SKWC's wrestlers, Sebastian Rivera, earned a spot on the Puerto Rican world team for 2022. With the coaches already on staff at Rutgers, combined with Buxton's addition, this provide a huge boost for Rivera and others. Buxton himself was an NCAA qualifier for the University of Rhode Island.

2019 Midlands finals setup (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) CHICAGO, Ill. – The 58th annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, the nation's premier non-conference wrestling tournament, returns this year on Dec. 29-30 and will be available exclusively on B1G+. In addition to assembling the top men's wrestlers from more than 35 teams across the country, the Midlands will also make history this year by adding a women's division. For the first time ever, more than 150 women's wrestlers from 11 different schools will participate in the championships and wrestle on Dec. 30. Big Ten Network veteran wrestling broadcasters Shane Sparks and Jim Gibbons will anchor the four sessions on B1G+. For sessions one and two on Dec. 29, B1G+ will feature 10 individual mat cameras as well as a whip-around coverage focused on best action at a given moment. On Dec. 30, B1G+ will once again be home to individual mat cameras for both the men's and women's divisions in sessions three and four, along with the whip-around feed. For fans interested in streaming the Midlands, more than 40 Big Ten duals this winter and Big Ten wrestling championships coverage it the spring, an annual wrestling pass is available on B1G+ for 15% off ($59.49) when using the code ‘MIDLANDS'. To subscribe, visit www.bigtenplus.com, click on subscribe and choose the wrestling sport pass. After you create a B1G+ account, enter code ‘MIDLANDS' under the payment details. Eight Big Ten teams, including seven ranked in Intermat's top 25, are scheduled to compete. The list includes No. 1 Iowa, No. 4 Michigan, No. 12 Rutgers, No. 15 Northwestern, No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 17 Illinois, No. 18 Purdue and Indiana. Additional 2021 Midlands coverage can be found on the B1G Wrestling Instagram page and Big Ten Network YouTube wrestling page. Midlands Championships Schedule Wednesday Dec. 29 Session 1: B1G+ (10:30 a.m) Wednesday Dec. 29 Session 2: B1G+ (8 p.m.) Thursday Dec. 30 Session 3: B1G+ (Noon) Thursday Dec. 30 Session 4: B1G+ (7 p.m.) About Big Ten Network A joint venture between the Big Ten Conference and Fox Networks, Big Ten Network is the first internationally distributed network dedicated to covering one of the premier collegiate conferences in the country. With more than 1,700 events across all platforms, the 24/7 network is the ultimate destination for Big Ten fans and alumni across the country, allowing them to see their favorite teams, regardless of where they live. The Fox Sports App is the digital extension of the Big Ten Network, delivering live games and on-demand programming to Big Ten Network customers via the web, smartphones, and tablets. Network events include football, men's and women's basketball games, dozens of Big Ten Olympic sports and championship events, studio shows and classic games. Original programming highlights activities and accomplishments of some of the nation's finest universities, including the Emmy-nominated The Journey. The network is carried by all the major video distributors across the United State and Canada, such as DIRECTV, DISH, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-Verse, Charter Spectrum, Xfinity, Altice USA, Cox Contour TV, Mediacom, RCN, WOW!, and approximately 300 additional video providers across North America. Big Ten Network is also available through the majority of streaming providers, including DIRECTV Stream, fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, Vidgo and YouTube TV. For additional information, please visit www.btn.com.

2021 Collegiate Wrestling Duals site (photo courtesy of Tony DiMarco) Round One Missouri 33 Binghamton 6 125 - Noah Surin (Missouri) tech Nick Curley (Binghamton) 19-0 133 - Anthony Sobotker (Binghamton) fall Connor Brown (Missouri) 141 - Allan Hart (Missouri) dec Ryan Anderson (Binghamton) 4-0 149 - Josh Edmond (Missouri) dec Nick Lombard (Binghamton) 3-2 157 - Jarrett Jacques (Missouri) fall Tyler Martin (Binghamton) 1:01 165 - Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) maj Brevin Cassella (Binghamton) 13-4 174 - Peyton Mocco (Missouri) dec Jacob Nolan (Binghamton) 6-2 184 - Jeremiah Kent (Missouri) dec Sam DePrez (Binghamton) 11-4 197 - Rocky Elam (Missouri) dec Louie DePrez (Binghamton) 4-0 285 - Zach Elam (Missouri) dec Joe Doyle (Binghamton) 4-0 Virginia Tech 35 Hofstra 3 125 - Sam Latona (Virginia Tech) maj Jacob Moon (Hofstra) 11-2 133 - Korbin Myers (Virginia Tech) tech Ty Cymmerman (Hofstra) 18-2 141 - Collin Gerardi (Virginia Tech) dec Justin Hoyle (Hofstra) 4-1 149 - Michael Leandrou (Hofstra) dec Kylan Montgomery (Virginia Tech) 3-1 157 - Collin Brady (Virginia Tech) dec Joe McGinty (Hofstra) 6-3 165 - Clayton Ulrey (Virginia Tech) fall Mario Biancamano (Hofstra) :51 174 - Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) tech Ericson Velasques (Hofstra) 16-0 184 - Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) dec Charles Small (Hofstra) 6-3 197 - Dakota Howard (Virginia Tech) dec Trey Rogers (Hofstra) 5-3 285 - Nathan Traxler (Virginia Tech) dec Zachary Knighton-Ward (Hofstra) 7-1 Round 2 Results Arizona State 42 Hofstra 4 125 - Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) fall Dylan Acevedo (Hofstra) 4:11 133 - Michael McGee (Arizona State) FFT 141 - Jesse Vasquez (Arizona State) dec Justin Hoyle (Hofstra) 14-9 149 - Kyle Parco (Arizona State) tech Michael Leandrou (Hofstra) 17-10 157 - Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) tech Joey McGinty (Hofstra) 18-3 165 - Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) fall Mario Biancamano (Hofstra) :27 174 - Zane Coleman (Arizona State) dec Ross McFarland (Hofstra) 5-2 184 - Charles Small (Hofstra) maj Jacob Ortiz (Arizona State) 10-1 197 - Kordell Norfleet (Arizona State) maj Trey Rogers (Hofstra) 14-3 285 - Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) maj Zachary Knighton-Ward (Hofstra) 12-3 NC State 35 Binghamton 7 125 - Jakob Camacho (NC State) fall Nick Curley (Binghamton) 5:29 133 - Jarrett Trombley (NC State) InjDef Anthony Sobotker (Binghamton) 141 - Ryan Anderson (Binghamton) dec Hunter Lewis (NC State) 8-2 149 - Tariq Wilson (NC State) dec Nick Lombard (Binghamton) 9-4 157 - Ed Scott (NC State) tech Tyler Martin (Binghamton) 16-1 165 - Thomas Bullard (NC State) dec Brevin Cassella (Binghamton) 6-0 174 - Hayden Hidlay (NC State) maj Jacob Nolan (Binghamton) 12-3 184 - Trent Hidlay (NC State) tech Sam DePrez (Binghamton) 19-4 197 - Louie DePrez (Binghamton) maj Isaac Trumble (NC State) 10-2 285 - Owen Trephan (NC State) dec Joe Doyle (Binghamton) 5-2 Round Three NC State 19 Missouri 12 125 - Noah Surtin (Missouri) dec Jakob Camacho (NC State) 7-4 133 - Kai Orine (NC State) dec Connor Brown (Missouri) 7-3 141 - Allan Hart (Missouri) dec Ryan Jack (NC State) 9-3 149 - Tariq Wilson (NC State) dec Josh Edmond (Missouri) 11-8 157 - Ed Scott (NC State) dec Jarrett Jacques (Missouri) 3-2 165 - Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) dec Thomas Bullard (NC State) 8-3 174 - Hayden Hidlay (NC State) dec Peyton Mocco (Missouri) 9-5 184 - Trent Hidlay (NC State) maj Jeremiah Kent (Missouri) 13-5 197 - Isaac Trumble (NC State) dec Rocky Elam (Missouri) 5-3 285 - Zach Elam (Missouri) dec Tyrie Houghton (NC State) 6-5 Arizona State 23 Virginia Tech 13 125 - Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) dec Sam Latona (Virginia Tech) 8-4 133 - Michael McGee (Arizona State) dec Korbin Myers (Virginia Tech) 8-7 141 - Jesse Vasquez (Arizona State) dec Collin Gerardi (Virginia Tech) 9-7 149 - Kyle Parco (Arizona State) maj Kylan Montgomery (Virginia Tech) 14-1 157 - Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) dec Connor Brady (Virginia Tech) 3-1 165 - Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) dec Clayton Ulrey (Virginia Tech) 11-9 174 - Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) tech Ryan Rochford (Arizona State) 19-3 184 - Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) tech Josh Nummer (Arizona State) 20-2 197 - Kordell Norfleet (Arizona State) maj Dakota Howard (Virginia Tech) 14-3 285 - Nathan Traxler (Virginia Tech) dec Chad Porter (Arizona State) 8-1 Round Four Cornell 29 Northern Iowa 7 125 - Vito Arujau (Cornell) maj Brody Teske (Northern Iowa) 18-7 133 - Dom Lajoie (Cornell) dec Kyle Biscoglia (Northern Iowa) 4-2 141 - Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) maj Cole Handlovic (Cornell) 14-6 149 - Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) maj Colin Realbuto (Northern Iowa) 14-6 157 - Colton Yapoujian (Cornell) dec Derek Holschlag (Northern Iowa) 2-1 165 - Julian Ramirez (Cornell) dec Austin Yant (Northern Iowa) 4-3 174 - Chris Foca (Cornell) dec Pat Shoenfelder (Northern Iowa) 13-6 184 - Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) dec Jonathan Loew (Cornell) 6-2 197 - Jacob Cardenas (Cornell) fall Noah Glaser (Northern Iowa) 5:12 285 - Lewis Fernandes (Cornell) dec Tyrell Gordon (Northern Iowa) 4-0 Lehigh 25 Central Michigan 6 125 - Jaret Lane (Lehigh) dec Brock Bergelin (Central Michigan) 4-3 133 - Jakerion Merritt (Central Michigan) dec Sheldon Seymour (Lehigh) 3-2 141 - Connor McGonagle (Lehigh) dec Dresden Simon (Central Michigan) 7-5 149 - Corbyn Munson (Central Michigan) dec Manzona Bryant (Lehigh) 12-9 157 - Josh Humphreys (Lehigh) maj Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan) 10-1 165 - Brian Meyer (Lehigh) dec Tracy Hubbard (Central Michigan) 3-1SV 174 - Jake Logan (Lehigh) dec Bret Fedewa (Central Michigan) 5-3 184 - AJ Burkhart (Lehigh) dec Ben Cushman (Central Michigan) 8-7 197 - JT Davis (Lehigh) dec Aaron Bolo (Central Michigan) 3-2 285 - Jordan Wood (Lehigh) dec Matt Stencel (Central Michigan) 3-1SV Round Five Iowa 44 Central Michigan 0 125 - Spencer Lee (Iowa) tech Brock Bergelin (Central Michigan) 17-0 133 - Austin DeSanto (Iowa) tech Vince Perez (Central Michigan) 16-1 141 - Jaydin Eierman (Iowa) dec Dresden Simon (Central Michigan) 13-12 149 - Max Murin (Iowa) maj Corbyn Munson (Central Michigan) 14-6 157 - Kaleb Young (Iowa) dec Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan) 6-0 165 - Alex Marinelli (Iowa) disq Tracy Hubbard (Central Michigan) 174 - Nelson Brands (Iowa) dec Bret Fedewa (Central Michigan) 8-3 184 - Abe Assad (Iowa) fall Ben Cushman (Central Michigan) 2:22 197 - Jacob Warner (Iowa) dec Aaron Bolo (Central Michigan) 9-4 285 - Tony Cassioppi (Iowa) InjDef Matt Stencel (Central Michigan) Penn State 29 Northern Iowa 9 125 - Brody Teske (Northern Iowa) dec Jakob Campbell (Penn State) 2-0 133 - Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) fall Kyle Biscoglia (Northern Iowa) 4:34 141 - Nick Lee (Penn State) maj Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) 18-4 149 - Beau Bartlett (Penn State) dec Tristan Lara (Northern Iowa) 4-3 157 - Derek Holschlag (Northern Iowa) dec Tony Negron (Penn State) 5-2 165 - Austin Yant (Northern Iowa) dec Creighton Edsell (Penn State) 4-1 174 - Carter Starocci (Penn State) maj Pat Schoenfelder (Northern Iowa) 13-4 184 - Aaron Brooks (Penn State) dec Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) 3-2 197 - Max Dean (Penn State) tech Noah Glaser (Northern Iowa) 19-3 285 - Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) maj Tyrell Gordon (Northern Iowa) 12-1 Round Six Iowa 28 Lehigh 7 125 - Spencer Lee (Iowa) maj Jaret Lane (Lehigh) 8-0 133 - Austin DeSanto (Iowa) tech Satoshi Abe (Lehigh) 20-5 141 - Jaydin Eierman (Iowa) dec Connor McGonagle (Lehigh) 8-3 149 - Manzona Bryant (Lehigh) dec Max Murin (Iowa) 7-5SV 157 - Josh Humphreys (Lehigh) maj Kaleb Young (Iowa) 11-2 165 - Alex Marinelli (Iowa) dec Brian Meyer (Lehigh) 6-2 174 - Nelson Brands (Iowa) dec Jake Logan (Lehigh) 3-2 184 - Abe Assad (Iowa) maj AJ Burkhart (Lehigh) 16-5 197 - Jacob Warner (Iowa) dec JT Davis (Lehigh) 6-1 285 - Tony Cassioppi (Iowa) dec Jordan Wood (Lehigh) 3-2 Penn State 21 Cornell 16 125 - Vito Arujau (Cornell) fall Jakob Campbell (Penn State) :58 133 - Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) maj Dom LaJoie (Cornell) 21-9 141 - Nick Lee (Penn State) maj Cole Handlovic (Cornell) 13-3 149 - Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) maj Beau Bartlett (Penn State) 11-3 157 - Colton Yapoujian (Cornell) dec Joe Lee (Penn State) 4-2 165 - Julian Ramirez (Cornell) dec Creighton Edsell (Penn State) 7-5 174 - Carter Starocci (Penn State) dec Chris Foca (Cornell) 3-2 184 - Aaron Brooks (Penn State) maj Jonathan Loew (Cornell) 15-3 197 - Max Dean (Penn State) dec Jacob Cardenas (Cornell) 4-2 285 - Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) dec Lewis Fernandes (Cornell) 5-0

2021 Beast of the East Champion TJ Stewart (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Last weekend marked the "official, unofficial" start to the high school wrestling season as the Walsh Ironman took place. This weekend marked another notable mega-event on the high school calendar, the Beast of the East. The Beast returned to the University of Delaware to hold this major tournament for the 28th time. Like most other tournaments nationally, the Beast was not held during the 2019-20 season, because of the Covid pandemic. As always, there were a lot of great individual performances. Some of the biggest stars on the high school level were in attendance and showed why they are so highly regarded, while other unfamiliar faces solidified star-status of their own. Below are the wrestlers that placed in the top-eight at the Beast of the East and have already committed to wrestle in college. Army West Point Dakota Morris (Kingsway Regional, NJ) 5th Place: 160 lbs Ben Rogers (Wantagh, NY) 5th Place: 152 lbs Brown Nick Olivieri (Delbarton, NJ) 8th Place: 195 lbs Bucknell Logan Shephard (Massillon Perry, OH) 3rd Place: 220 lbs Columbia Richard Fedalen (McDonogh, MD) 4th Place: 152 lbs Cornell Ashton Davis (Cleveland, TN) 4th Place: 285 lbs Drexel Gabe Giampietro (Smyrna, DE) 2nd Place: 120 lbs George Mason Colton Stoneking (Waynesburg, PA) 8th Place: 138 lbs Harvard Dante Frinzi (Bethlehem Catholic, PA) 3rd Place: 126 lbs Navy Nick Vafiadis (New Kent, VA) 7th Place: 160 lbs Danny Wask (Blair Academy, NJ) 1st Place: 170 lbs Ohio State Nick Feldman (Malvern Prep, PA) 1st Place: 285 lbs Penn Andrew Connelly (Malvern Prep, PA) 3rd Place: 195 lbs Evan Mougalian (Kinnelon, NJ) 2nd Place: 126 lbs Andy Troczynski (Delbarton, NJ) 2nd Place: 152 lbs Cross Wasilewski (Delbarton, NJ) 2nd Place: 145 lbs (Class of 2023) Princeton Holden Garcia (Notre Dame-Green Pond, PA) 6th Place: 160 lbs (Class of 2023) Ty Whalen (Clearview Regional, NJ) 3rd Place: 152 lbs Rider Damani Almodovar (St. Augustine, NJ) 8th Place: 126 lbs Rutgers Brandan Chletsos (Notre Dame-Green Pond, PA) 6th Place: 132 lbs Virginia RJ May (Maggie Walker, VA) 8th Place: 182 lbs Keyveon Roller (Lakeway Christian Academy, TN) 4th Place: 126 lbs Cooper Rudolph (Robinson, VA) 5th Place: 285 lbs Virginia Tech Hunter Mason (Greeneville, TN) 2nd Place: 138 lbs TJ Stewart (Blair Academy, NJ) 1st Place: 220 lbs

2021 NCAA All-American Clay Carlson (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Saturday's Dual Results Buffalo 18 Bucknell 15 125 - Brandon Seidman (Bucknell) dec Tristan Daugherty (Buffalo) 5-4 133 - Kurt Phipps (Bucknell) dec Derek Spann (Buffalo) 9-5 141 - Ben Freeman (Buffalo) dec Noah Levett (Bucknell) 6-4 149 - John Arceri (Buffalo) dec Kolby DePron (Bucknell) 6-4SV 157 - Ty Raines (Buffalo) dec Nick Delp (Bucknell) 4-2 165 - Zach Hartman (Bucknell) fall Noah Grover (Buffalo) 2:28 174 - Giuseppe Hoose (Buffalo) dec Nolan Springer (Bucknell) 10-5 184 - Peter Acciardi (Buffalo) dec Logan Deacetis (Bucknell) 9-8 197 - Sam Mitchell (Buffalo) dec Mason McCready (Bucknell) 2-0 285 - Luke Niemeyer (Bucknell) dec Toby Cahill (Buffalo) 9-5 Buffalo 21 Lock Haven 10 125 - Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) dec Tristan Daugherty (Buffalo) 6-2 133 - Derek Spann (Buffalo) fall Matt Maloney (Lock Haven) 5:57 141 - Ben Freeman (Buffalo) dec Nick Stonecheck (Lock Haven) 10-4 149 - John Arceri (Buffalo) dec Connor Eck (Lock Haven) 6-4 157 - Ben Barton (Lock Haven) dec Ty Raines (Buffalo) 6-1 165 - Noah Grover (Buffalo) dec Ashton Eyler (Lock Haven) 10-5 174 - Jay Nivison (Buffalo) dec Tyler Stoltzfus (Lock Haven) 4-3 184 - Peter Acciardi (Buffalo) dec Colin Fegley (Lock Haven) 4-1 197 - Parker McClellan (Lock Haven) dec Sam Mitchell (Buffalo) 3-1SV 285 - Isaac Reid (Lock Haven) dec Toby Cahill (Buffalo) 8-4 Bucknell 21 Lock Haven 15 125 - Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) fall Brandon Seidman (Bucknell) 4:48 133 - Kurt Phipps (Bucknell) maj Matt Maloney (Lock Haven) 10-1 141 - Nick Stonecheck (Lock Haven) dec Noah Levett (Bucknell) 5-3 149 - Kolby DePron (Bucknell) dec Connor Eck (Lock Haven) 6-1 157 - Ben Barton (Lock Haven) dec Nick Delp (Bucknell) 5-1 165 - Zach Hartman (Bucknell) tech Ashton Eyler (Lock Haven) 20-4 174 - Sam Barnes (Bucknell) dec Tyler Stoltzfus (Lock Haven) 10-3 184 - Logan Deacetis (Bucknell) dec Colin Fegley (Lock Haven) 5-3 197 - Mason McCready (Bucknell) dec Parker McClellan (Lock Haven) 4-2SV 285 - Isaac Reid (Lock Haven) maj Luke Niemeyer (Bucknell) 11-2 Northern Illinois 20 Kent State 12 125 - Jake Ferri (Kent State) dec Bryce West (Northern Illinois) 9-6 133 - Brendon Fenton (Kent State) dec Mikey Kaminski (Northern Illinois) 3-1SV 141 - Jaivon Jones (Northern Illinois) dec Louis Newell (Kent State) 2-0SV 149 - Kody Komara (Kent State) dec Anthony Cheloni (Northern Illinois) 6-5 157 - Anthony Gibson (Northern Illinois) dec Enrique Mungaia (Kent State) 9-4 165 - Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois) maj Najee Lockett (Kent State) 10-2 174 - Mason Kauffman (Northern Illinois) dec Michael Ferree (Kent State) 6-5 184 - Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois) maj Colin McCracken (Kent State) 10-2 197 - Tyler Bates (Kent State) dec Tristin Gauman (Northern Illinois) 3-1 285 - Terrese Aaron (Northern Illinois) dec Jacob Cover (Kent State) 4-3TB South Dakota State 59 Harper 0 125 - Tanner Jordan (South Dakota State) FFT 133 - Caleb Gross (South Dakota State) tech Tuvsin Zunnbayan (Harper) 22-6 141 - Clay Carlson (South Dakota State) fall Teaken Leon (Harper) 2:36 149 - Daniel Kimball (South Dakota State) fall Peyton Timmons (Harper) 4:59 157 - Kenny O'Neill (South Dakota State) fall Cameron Jacobs (Harper) 3:57 165 - Tanner Cook (South Dakota State) fall Aaron Taylor (Harper) 3:12 174 - Cade DeVos (South Dakota State) fall Sam Dombos (Harper) :41 184 - Cade King (South Dakota State) fall Giovanni Jackson (Harper) :59 197 - Nick Capserson (South Dakota State) fall Demarco Lee (Harper) 1:17 285 - AJ Nevills (South Dakota State) fall Jordan Williams (Harper) 2:32 Northern Illinois 42 Harper 6 125 - Bryce West (Northern Illinois) FFT 133 - Tuvsin Zunnbayan (Harper) dec Lucian Brink (Northern Illinois) 9-8 141 - Dillon Nichols (Northern Illinois) tech Teaken Leon (Harper) 18-2 149 - Peyton Timmons (Harper) dec Nathan Young (Northern Illinois) 8-6 157 - Alec Rees (Northern Illinois) maj Brendan Parks (Harper) 10-2 165 - Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois) fall Aaron Taylor (Harper) :38 174 - Mason Kauffman (Northern Illinois) tech Sam Dombos (Harper) 16-1 184 - Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois) fall Ethan Shedbalker (Harper) 2:10 197 - Matt Zuber (Northern Illinois) maj Giovanni Jackson (Harper) 10-0 285 - Colin Jagielski (Northern Illinois) fall Farouk Shaaban (Harper) :38 South Dakota State 33 Kent State 6 125 - Jake Ferri (Kent State) dec Tanner Jordan (South Dakota State) 6-4 133 - Brendon Fenton (Kent State) dec Caleb Gross (South Dakota State) 5-2 141 - Clay Carlson (South Dakota State) fall Louis Newell (Kent State) 3:19 149 - Daniel Kimball (South Dakota State) dec Kody Komara (Kent State) 5-2 157 - Kenny O'Neill (South Dakota State) dec Enrique Mungaia (Kent State) 8-3 165 - Tanner Cook (South Dakota State) fall Najee Lockett (Kent State) :19 174 - Cade DeVos (South Dakota State) tech Michael Ferree (Kent State) 17-1 184 - Cade King (South Dakota State) dec Colin McCracken (Kent State) 5-3 197 - Nick Casperson (South Dakota State) maj Tyler Bates (Kent State) 12-0 285 - AJ Nevills (South Dakota State) dec Jacob Cover (Kent State) 7-2 South Dakota State 26 Northern Illinois 9 125 - Tanner Jordan (South Dakota State) maj Bryce West (Northern Illinois) 14-2 133 - Caleb Gross (South Dakota State) dec Mikey Kaminski (Northern Illinois) 3-2 141 - Clay Carlson (South Dakota State) fall Jaivon Jones (Northern Illinois) 1:54 149 - Daniel Kimball (South Dakota State) dec Anthony Cheloni (Northern Illinois) 7-3 157 - Anthony Gibson (Northern Illinois) dec Kenny O'Neill (South Dakota State) 4-0 165 - Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois) dec Tanner Cook (South Dakota State) 8-3 174 - Cade DeVos (South Dakota State) dec Mason Kauffman (Northern Illinois) 3-1 184 - Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois) dec Cade King (South Dakota State) 5-2 197 - Nick Casperson (South Dakota State) maj Tristin Gauman (Northern Illinois) 12-2 285 - AJ Nevills (South Dakota State) dec Terrese Aaron (Northern Illinois) 7-4 Kent State 39 Harper 10 125 - Jake Ferri (Kent State) FFT 133 - Brendon Fenton (Kent State) dec Tuvsin Zunnbayan (Harper) 4-2 141 - Louis Newell (Kent State) fall Teaken Leon (Harper) 3:17 149 - Peyton Timmons (Harper) maj Tyler Johnson (Kent State) 14-4 157 - Bobby Pryhocki (Kent State) fall Cameron Jacobs (Harper) 1:47 165 - Brady Chrisman (Kent State) maj Brendan Parks (Harper) 11-1 174 - James Limongi (Kent State) tech Aaron Taylor (Harper) 1:17 184 - Colin McCracken (Kent State) decl Giovanni Jackson (Harper) 10-6 197 - Tyler Bates (Kent State) fall Ethan Shedbalker (Harper) 1:09 285 - Farouk Shaaban (Harper) FFT Michigan State 37 Baldwin Wallace 9 125 - Jacob Decatur (Baldwin Wallace) dec Julian Saldana (Michigan State) 3-2 133 - Rayvon Foley (Michigan State) maj Jaden Hinton (Baldwin Wallace) 22-9 141 - Zak Anderson (Baldwin Wallace) fall Jordan Hamdan (Michigan State) 5:00 149 - Eddie Homrock (Michigan State) dec Michael Petrella (Baldwin Wallace) 6-3 157 - Chase Saldate (Michigan State) maj Stan Bleich (Baldwin Wallace) 8-0 165 - Caleb Fish (Michigan State) maj Dalton Leightner (Baldwin Wallace) 9-0 174 - Nate Jimenez (Michigan State) fall Donovan Palmer (Baldwin Wallace) :35 184 - Layne Malczewski (Michigan State) fall Lucas Salmon (Baldwin Wallace) 3:57 197 - Cameron Caffey (Michigan State) maj Doug Byrne (Baldwin Wallace) 17-3 285 - Brad Wilton (Michigan State) fall Jarod Miller (Baldwin Wallace) 6:07 Michigan State 41 Olivet 0 125 - Tristan Lujan (Michigan State) fall Emmett Kettel (Olivet) 1:39 133 - Rayvon Foley (Michigan State) tech Robert Davis (Olivet) 18-2 141 - Jordan Hamdan (Michigan State) dec Reese Wallis (Olivet) 6-4SV 149 - Eddie Homrock (Michigan State) maj Christian Lenon (Olivet) 15-3 157 - Jaden Enriquez (Michigan State) dec Ramiro Guerrero (Olivet) 11-7 165 - Caleb Fish (Michigan State) dec Dylan Briggs (Olivet) 8-1 174 - Nate Jimenez (Michigan State) dec Owen Guilford (Olivet) 8-3 184 - Layne Malczewski (Michigan State) fall Justin Carnahan (Olivet) 2:11 197 - Cameron Caffey (Michigan State) tech Hunter Caister (Olivet) 23-6 285 - Brad Wilton (Michigan State) dec Dominick Wilson (Olivet) 2-1 Sunday's Dual Results Appalachian State 46 Bellarmine 6 125 - Caleb Smith (Appalachian State) FFT 133 - Codi Russell (Appalachian State) fall Max Dansereau (Bellarmine) 6:05 141 - Anthony Brito (Appalachian State) fall Logan Hoskins (Bellarmine) 4:03 149 - Jonathan Millner (Appalachian State) fall Mitch Collica (Bellarmine) 4:14 157 - Cody Bond (Appalachian State) tech Alex Rhine (Bellarmine) 22-7 165 - Will Formato (Appalachian State) maj Devan Hendricks (Bellarmine) 12-1 174 - Thomas Flitz (Appalachian State) maj Eric Beck (Bellarmine) 9-1 184 - Barrett Blakely (Appalachian State) maj Sam Schroeder (Bellarmine) 15-4 197 - Bryant Wilkinson (Bellarmine) InjDef Mason Fiscella (Appalachian State) 285 - Michael Burchell (Appalachian State) fall Charlie Cadell (Bellarmine) 1:40 Duke 30 The Citadel 10 125 - Logan Agin (Duke) fall Jordan White (The Citadel) :19 133 - Jake Rotunda (The Citadel) dec Drake Doolittle (Duke) 13-12 141 - Patrick Rowland (Duke) dec Jackson Whitmire (The Citadel) 5-0 149 - Josh Finesilver (Duke) fall Ethan Willis (The Citadel) 1:50 157 - Dazjon Casto (The Citadel) maj Wade Ungar (Duke) 14-5 165 - Gabe Dinette (Duke) dec Selwyn Porter (The Citadel) 7-5 174 - Matt Finesilver (Duke) maj Cole Burke (The Citadel) 13-0 184 - Vincent Baker (Duke) dec Ben Haubert (The Citadel) 3-1 197 - Kaden Russell (Duke) tech Ben Stemmet (The Citadel) 18-0 285 - Michael McAleavey (The Citadel) dec Jonah Niesenbaum (Duke) 3-1SV Bloomsburg 21 The Citadel 15 125 - Bronson Garber (Bloomsburg) dec Jordan White (The Citadel) 2-0 133 - Jake Rotunda (The Citadel) dec Cole Rhone (Bloomsburg) 5-4 141 - Josh Mason (Bloomsburg) fall Jackson Whitmire (The Citadel) :38 149 - Cade Balestrini (Bloomsburg) dec Ethan Willis (The Citadel) 9-4 157 - Alex Carida (Bloomsburg) dec Dazjon Casto (The Citadel) 5-4 165 - Selwyn Porter (The Citadel) dec Cody Harrison (Bloomsburg) 9-6 174 - Cole Burke (The Citadel) dec Matt Benedetti (Bloomsburg) 10-3 184 - Ben Haubert (The Citadel) dec Bruno Stolfi (Bloomsburg) 3-2 197 - David Tuttle (Bloomsburg) fall Ben Stemmet (The Citadel) 5:31 285 - Michael McAleavey (The Citadel) dec Shane Noonan (Bloomsburg) 12-7 Duke 29 Bloomsburg 9 125 - Logan Agin (Duke) maj Bronson Garber (Bloomsburg) 11-3 133 - Cole Rhone (Bloomsburg) dec Drake Doolittle (Duke) 7-1 141 - Aaron Coleman (Bloomsburg) dec Patrick Rowland (Duke) 7-0 149 - Josh Finesilver (Duke) maj Cade Balestrini (Bloomsburg) 12-2 157 - Alex Carida (Bloomsburg) dec Wade Ungar (Duke) 5-2 165 - Gabe Dinette (Duke) dec Cody Harrison (Bloomsburg) 6-1 174 - Matt Finesilver (Duke) fall Matt Benedetti (Bloomsburg) 1:54 184 - Vincent Baker (Duke) dec Bruno Stolfi (Bloomsburg) 8-4 197 - Kaden Russell (Duke) fall David Tuttle (Bloomsburg) :49 285 - Jonah Niesenbaum (Duke) dec Shane Noonan (Bloomsburg) 10-4 Duke 30 Presbyterian 7 125 - Logan Agin (Duke) dec Jacob Brasseur (Presbyterian) 14-7 133 - Dominic Chavez (Presbyterian) maj Drake Doolittle (Duke) 12-1 141 - Patrick Rowland (Duke) dec Khalid Brinkley (Presbyterian) 4-2 149 - Josh Finesilver (Duke) dec Reid Stewart (Presbyterian) 5-1 157 - Wade Unger (Duke) maj Logan Spell (Presbyterian) 11-2 165 - Gabe Dinette (Duke) maj Bryton Goering (Presbyterian) 10-1 174 - Matt Finesilver (Duke) tech Zachary Phillips (Presbyterian) 18-0 184 - David Bertrand (Presbyterian) cec Luke Chakonins (Duke) 5-2 197 - Kaden Russell (Duke) tech Aiden Jean (Presbyterian) 16-0 285 - Jonah Niesenbaum (Duke) dec Airin Spell (Presbyterian) 4-2 Ohio 27 George Mason 9 125 - Oscar Sanchez (Ohio) dec Ben Monn (George Mason) 8-4 133 - Gio DiSabato (Ohio) maj Michael Rapuano (George Mason) 14-4 141 - Kyran Hagan (Ohio) dec Kaden Cassidy (George Mason) 5-3 149 - Alex Madrigal (George Mason) dec Alec Hagan (Ohio) 9-3 157 - Jordan Slivka (Ohio) maj Avery Bassett (George Mason) 8-0 165 - Tyler Kocak (George Mason) dec Sean O'Dwyer (Ohio) 5-2 174 - Sal Perrine (Ohio) dec Logan Messer (George Mason) 4-3 184 - Zayne Lehman (Ohio) maj Kyle Davis (George Mason) 10-2 197 - Jordan Greer (Ohio) FFT 285 - Austin Stith (George Mason) dec Jordan Earnest (Ohio) 3-1SV Ohio 27 Gardner-Webb 9 125 - Oscar Sanchez (Ohio) dec Aedyn Concepcion (Gardner-Webb) 7-4 133 - Todd Carter (Gardner-Webb) dec Gio DiSabato (Ohio) 7-5 141 - Mario Guillen (Ohio) dec Trevon Majette (Gardner-Webb) 7-0 149 - Alec Hagan (Ohio) fall Corbin Dion (Gardner-Webb) :16 157 - Jordan Slivka (Ohio) dec Taylor Parks (Gardner-Webb) 2-0 165 - Rodrick Mosley (Gardner-Webb) dec Kamal Adewumi (Ohio) 6-0 174 - Sal Perrine (Ohio) fall Evan Schenk (Gardner-Webb) 3:57 184 - Zayne Lehman (Ohio) dec Jha'Quan Anderson (Gardner-Webb) 3-1 197 - Anthony Perrine (Gardner-Webb) dec Carson Brewer (Ohio) 4-3 285 - Jordan Earnest (Ohio) dec Peyton McComas (Gardner-Webb) 4-2 Gardner-Webb 22 George Mason 14 125 - Aedyn Concepcion (Gardner-Webb) dec Ben Monn (George Mason) 3-2 133 - Todd Carter (Gardner-Webb) fall Michael Rapuano (George Mason) 4:50 141 - Kaden Cassidy (George Mason) dec Trevon Majette (Gardner-Webb) 5-3 149 - Alex Madrigal (George Mason) tech Corbin Dion (Gardner-Webb) 22-7 157 - Avery Bassett (George Mason) dec Taylor Parks (Gardner-Webb) 6-4SV 165 - Rodrick Mosley (Gardner-Webb) dec Tyler Kocak (George Mason) 2-0 174 - Logan Messer (George Mason) dec Evan Schenk (Gardner-Webb) 9-5 184 - Jha'Quan Anderson (Gardner-Webb) maj Kyle Davis (George Mason) 17-3 197 - Anthony Perrine (Gardner-Webb) dec Jeremy Seymour (George Mason) 7-3 285 - Peyton McComas (Gardner-Webb) dec Austin Stith (George Mason) 13-10 Iowa State 23 Purdue 13 125 - Devin Schroder (Purdue) maj Corey Cabanban (Iowa State) 10-0 133 - Matt Ramos (Purdue) dec Ramazan Attasauov (Iowa State) 5-3SV 141 - Parker Filius (Purdue) maj Charlie Klepps (Iowa State) 14-2 149 - Jarrett Degen (Iowa State) tech Trey Kruse (Purdue) 20-1 157 - David Carr (Iowa State) fall Kendall Coleman (Purdue) 4:30 165 - Hayden Lohrey (Purdue) dec Austin Kraisser (Iowa State) 5-3 174 - Joel Devine (Iowa State) dec Gerrit Nijenhuis (Purdue) 4-1 184 - Marcus Coleman (Iowa State) dec Max Lyon (Purdue) 8-2 197 - Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) dec Thomas Penola (Purdue) 6-4 285 - Sam Schuyler (Iowa State) dec Michael Woulfe (Purdue) 2-0 George Mason 25 Davidson 18 125 - Ben Monn (George Mason) FFT 133 - Kyle Gorant (Davidson) dec Michael Rapuano (George Mason) 8-4 141 - Kaden Cassidy (George Mason) fall Gavin Damasco (Davidson) 4:13 149 - Alex Madrigal (George Mason) tech David Loniewski (Davidson) 21-4 157 - Bryce Sanderlin (Davidson) dec Avery Bassett (George Mason) 3-1 165 - Tyler Kocak (George Mason) dec Jaden Hardrick (Davidson) 4-2 174 - Logan Messer (George Mason) tech Steven Newell (Davidson) 18-2 184 - Gavin Henry (Davidson) fall Kyle Davis (George Mason) :40 197 - Finlay Holston (Davidson) dec Jeremy Seymour (George Mason) 7-1 285 - Mitchell Trigg (Davidson) dec Austin Stith (George Mason) 5-1

2021 NCAA All-American Jacori Teemer (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reached for the last one that they had, but so did another man. As I rained blows upon him I realized there had to be another way! [The doll] was destroyed. But out of that, a new holiday was born! A Festivus For The Rest Of Us! Every holiday season, I go into the utility closet and pull out the ol' aluminum pole to put next to the christmas tree. It's soon after doing this that my wife yells at me to not put trash next to the tree and put it somewhere else (which usually means in the basement office). For This intro, I decided to use one of the several traditions of the holiday: The airing of grievances. I've got a lot of problems with you people, and now you're going to hear about it! 1) Wrestlers Taking Medical Forfeits- I'm all for the protection of injured wrestlers, but when a rule is abused to the point where it is now commonplace to use it as a "cheat the system" trick, then I have a problem with it. My stance, if you weigh in to compete and you don't wrestle in the match you're supposed to wrestle in, then it counts as a loss. If you're worried about losses (which technically don't/shouldn't count in the seeding process), then you might be in the wrong sport. 2) Ducking aka Selective Wrestling- What happened to the day of having pride of winning tournaments or having a 30+ win season? Nowadays we are lucky to get the top wrestlers to have even the minimum match requirement for RPI. Is it too hard to ask for the regularly scheduled matches to actually happen? Especially when you promote the match with a wrestler who ends up sitting. 3) People Hating on Riding Time- You remember wrestling, right? Back when you were in shape and could run a mile under 10 min? Remember how hard it was to keep someone down? Especially when you were not allowed to lock hands? Remember how in high school there was almost no reason to take top or be on top other than to prevent the bottom wrestler from getting out? Riding time, like many things, needs tweaking but actually rewards someone for controlling another person. Crazy concept in folkstyle wrestling. 4) People Who Want to Get Rid Of Overtime- No matter what rules are in place, there will be some sort of stalling. Prevent Defense, parking the bus, pushing away and circling the center of the mat. To me, Criteria also promotes stalling with one wrestler not engaging. Just because there's arms flailing and errant shots are being fired in the waning seconds doesn't mean it's "more activity." Give me the walkoff homerun, the golden goal, the sudden death takedown. There's more I could go into, but like my cubicle mate Jagger, I actually burned my hand so the writing will be a little less than usual (you're probably happy about that). If you're like me, you'll start your day off right with watching the inspiration episode, (which is titled "The Strike" and is episode 10 in Season 9 of Seinfeld, streaming on Netflix) and may we see many pins this week. How about YOU give me some of your season's grievances? Let me know in the comments section. Now that I've got that off my chest, On to Week 8… This scoring week is front-loaded with the Collegian Wrestling Duals on Monday and Tuesday, as well as the last dual of the week ending on Wednesday. The gem of the week is the Collegiate Wrestling Duals where each team is guaranteed three matches, and as you know we fantasy coaches LOVE guaranteed matches. The one frustrating part for fantasy coaches, is that the groups are pretty even which make a lot of the matches toss-ups. As a fan, it's freaking wonderful. Some wrestlers listed under the Collegiate Wrestling Duals may even lose a match, but can still net positive for the week. As a reminder for the Collegiate Wrestling Duals: From: Collegiate Wrestling Duals on Rokfin Wrestlers I Like This Week Wrestler (School)- competition for the week [Proj Score] *organized by projected score first, then by school name* 125: Jakob Camacho (NC State)- Collegiate Wrestling Duals Fabian Gutierrez (Chattanooga)- Vs Cleveland State, Vs West Virginia [+6] Joey Fischer (Clarion)- @ Buffalo [+3] Jake Ferri (Kent State)- @ Edinboro [+3] 133: Austin DeSanto (Iowa)- Collegiate Wrestling Duals Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State)- Collegiate Wrestling Duals Derek Spann (Buffalo)- Vs Clarion [+4] Brendon Fenton (Kent State)- @ Edinboro [+4] Daton Fix (Oklahoma State)- Vs Utah Valley [+4] 141: Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell)- Collegiate Wrestling Duals Jaydin Eierman (Iowa)- Collegiate Wrestling Duals Nick Lee (Penn State)- Collegiate Wrestling Duals Seth Koleno (Clarion)- @ Buffalo [+3] Carter Young (Oklahoma State)- Vs Utah Valley [+3] 149: Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma State)- Vs Utah Valley [+4] Brent Moore (Clarion)- @ Buffalo 157: Jacori Teemer (Arizona State)- Collegiate Wrestling Duals Enrique Munguia (Kent State)- @ Edinboro [+3] Wyatt Sheets (Oklahoma State)- Vs Utah Valley [+3] 165: Anthony Valencia (Arizona State)- Collegiate Wrestling Duals Julian Ramirez (Cornell)- Collegiate Wrestling Duals Alex Marinelli (Iowa)- Collegiate Wrestling Duals Keegan O'Toole (Missouri)- Collegiate Wrestling Duals Travis Wittlake (Oklahoma State)- Vs Utah Valley [+4] Peyton Hall (West Virginia)- Vs Chattanooga, Vs Cleveland State (@CHAT) [+3] Cameron Pine (Clarion)- @ Buffalo [+3] 174: Hayden Hidlay (NC State)- Collegiate Wrestling Duals Carter Starocci (Penn State)- Collegiate Wrestling Duals Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech)- Collegiate Wrestling Duals Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State)- Vs Utah Valley [+3] 184: Trent Hidlay (NC State)- Collegiate Wrestling Duals Aaron Brooks (Penn State)- Collegiate Wrestling Duals Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State)- Vs Utah Valley [+4] 197: Kordell Norfleet (Arizona State)- Collegiate Wrestling Duals Max Dean (Penn State)- Collegiate Wrestling Duals Ben Smith (Cleveland State)- Vs Chattanooga, Vs West Virginia (@CHAT) [+6] AJ Ferrari (Oklahoma State)- Vs Utah Valley [+4] 285: Tony Cassioppi (Iowa)- Collegiate Wrestling Duals 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!

2021 NCAA champion Roman Bravo-Young (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Monday marks the opening dual of the first Collegiate Wrestling Duals, presented by Journeymen. 12 teams from six conferences have been divided into two pools for competition. On Monday, each team will wrestle a pair of prearranged duals. Based on the results, teams from the same pool will meet each other on Tuesday. This event features six of the top ten dual teams in the country and seven of the top-11, so many of the best teams and individuals will be in action. Our second preview will focus on wrestlers from the Blue Pool. We've already looked at the Red Pool . The Blue pool features four ranked teams, including #2 Penn State. The other group of three has one of the most anticipated matches on Monday, as #6 Arizona State meets #9 Virginia Tech Provided rankings hold up, one of those squads could meet Penn State the following day. Below are potential lineups for each Blue Pool dual on Monday, along with notes about each dual, and a projected team score. Hofstra vs. #9 Virginia Tech 125 - Jacob Moon/Dylan Acevedo vs. #16 Sam Latona 133 - Ty Cymmerman vs #4 Korbin Myers 141 - Justin Hoyle vs. Collin Gerardi 149 - Michael Leandrou vs. #6 Bryce Andonian 157 - Joe McGinty vs. #22 Connor Brady 165 - Ricky Stamm vs. Clayton Ulrey 174 - Ross McFarland vs. #4 Mekhi Lewis 184 - #25 Charles Small vs. #9 Hunter Bolen 197 - #26 Trey Rogers vs. Dakota Howard 285 - #20 Zachary Knighton-Ward vs. #14 Nathan Traxler Due to injuries and just the way things have played out, the back end of Hofstra's lineup is its strength. Of their three wrestlers currently in the rankings, all are between 184-285. Also, they have gotten strong, consistent results from 157 and up. 165 lber Ricky Stamm was an NCAA qualifier last year and started the season in the rankings. He'll have an opportunity to shine as Clayton Ulrey is one of three Tech starters not currently in the top-33. Ulrey is 1-3 in dual competition, though he did come up with a win in sudden victory during the Hokies rout of Northern Iowa. Up at 184 lbs, Charles Small has already pulled off a big win this year when he knocked off past Round of 12 finisher Chris Weiler (Wisconsin) in dual competition. Small's only dual loss came at the hands of 2021 AA John Poznanski (Rutgers). He'll have to contend with another All-American in Hunter Bolen, the #2 seed at the 2021 NCAA Championships. Perhaps the most competitive matches of this dual will come at 197 and 285 lbs. Trey Rogers made headlines earlier this year when he handed Junior World Champion Braxton Amos his first (and only) collegiate loss. Dakota Howard was an NCAA qualifier last year at 174 lbs and is as gritty as they come. He has a gas tank that can go for days. The big men at 285 lbs are both returning national qualifiers. Nathan Traxler's only loss this season came to Tate Orndorff (Ohio State), an opponent that majored Zachary Knighton-Ward at the 2021 national tournament. With that being said, I'd expect a close bout between these two. Pick: Virginia Tech (32-6) Hofstra vs. #6 Arizona State 125 - Jacob Moon/Dylan Acevedo vs. #3 Brandon Courtney 133 - Ty Cymmerman vs. #14 Michael McGee 141 - Justin Hoyle vs. #15 Jesse Vasquez 149 - Michael Leandrou vs. #5 Kyle Parco 157 - Joe McGinty vs. #3 Jacori Teemer 165 - Ricky Stamm vs. #6 Anthony Valencia 174 - Ross McFarland vs. Zane Coleman 184 - #25 Charles Small vs. Josh Nummer 197 - #26 Trey Rogers vs. #8 Kordell Norfleet 285 - #20 Zachary Knighton-Ward vs. #3 Cohlton Schultz Arizona State is a loaded team with eight of their ten potential starters ranked in the top-15. But, their two unranked weights are ones in which Hofstra can capitalize. At 174, Hofstra has Ross McFarland, who is 7-7 since the start of the 2021 campaign. He'll be in a close one with Zane Coleman. Coleman is 7-3 but has been majored by teammate Cael Valencia and Oklahoma's Anthony Mantanona. Charles Small is in a good position at the next weight class up. He'll face Josh Nummer comes in with a 3-5 record. For this dual (and others), be aware of Anthony Valencia at 165 lbs. Saturday, he is competing in the Mexican National Team Trials, but is still set on coming back to Florida for the duals. Hopefully, the travel treats him well, but you can see where there may be a hiccup waiting to happen. I'm not quite sure who the Sun Devils turn to if Valencia is not available. Both 165's behind him are currently in redshirt. Hofstra also has Stamm ready to go, so if anyone aside from Valencia is on the mat, he'll be a favorite. At 197 lbs, we'll see a rematch of the first round at the NCAA Championships. There Kordell Norfleet majored Trey Rogers, 12-3. We've already seen an improved version of Rogers this season, so we have every reason to think he's closed the gap. Pick: Arizona State (32-6) #6 Arizona State vs. #9 Virginia Tech 125 - #3 Brandon Courtney vs. #16 Sam Latona 133 - #14 Michael McGee vs. #4 Korbin Myers 141 - #15 Jesse Vasquez vs. Collin Gerardi 149 - #5 Kyle Parco vs. #6 Bryce Andonian 157 - #3 Jacori Teemer vs. #22 Connor Brady 165 - #6 Anthony Valencia vs. Clayton Ulrey 174 - Zane Coleman vs. #4 Mekhi Lewis 184 - Josh Nummer vs. #9 Hunter Bolen 197 - #8 Kordell Norfleet vs. Dakota Howard 285 - #3 Cohlton Schultz vs. #14 Nathan Traxler Along with Missouri/NC State and Cornell/Penn State, this was one dual that everyone noticed immediately in the pool stage as being very competitive and overall a "must-watch." Right off the bat, we have a pair of returning All-Americans at 125 lbs. Sam Latona has not been able to replicate his success from 2021 and is 3-4 thus far. Brandon Courtney has yet to taste defeat and has an 8-3 win over Latona's former teammate Joey Prata (Oklahoma) on his resume. Since there will be plenty of time between this match and the weigh-ins, I expect to see the best version of Latona possible. Once again, we have a pair of returning All-Americans set to clash at 133 lbs. Korbin Myers has been excellent over the past year and a half for Virginia Tech at this weight class. He is 19-2 during that time span and has not lost this season. In that period, Myers' only setbacks came at the hands of Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) and Austin DeSanto (Iowa). Michael McGee was sixth in the nation last season, though he did not meet up with Myers. He dropped in the rankings a few weeks ago after suffering a one-point loss to Job Greenwood (Wyoming) at the Cowboy Open. Aside from that match, McGee has dominated in 2021-22. We should get a good gauge on where freshman Jesse Vasquez is at this event. Vasquez won his Arizona State debut at the Mountaineer Invitational and followed that up with a dual victory, but hasn't been in action since mid-November. The former four-time California state champion could be an integral part of another trophy-winning team for the Sun Devils, if he can maintain that level of output. We expect to see Collin Gerardi get the call for Virginia Tech. A 2020 NCAA qualifier, Gerardi and teammate Sam Hillegas seem to be neck-and-neck; however, Hillegas was banged up and missed some time early in the year. He may not be ready for Florida. Gerardi might be able to slow down Vasquez and steal one for the Hokies. Perhaps the match of this dual and one of the most entertaining ones all tournament will take place here at 149 with All-American Kyle Parco and Bryce Andonian. Parco quietly worked his way to a sixth-place finish at nationals last year for Fresno State. Since moving over to ASU, Parco has been excellent, beating AA Jonathan Miller (Arizona State) and former Hokie Mitch Moore (Oklahoma) during the first month of the year. Andonian is simply one of the most dangerous wrestlers in all of college. He is typically looking for big moves, throws, or just ways to get the opponent onto their back. All-American Jacori Teemer will attempt to hold off a rapidly improving Connor Brady at 157 lbs. Brady is 7-1 this year and downed a top-15 opponent (Jarrett Jacques - Missouri) during his most recent outing. Teemer's offense has really opened up this year. He has yet to be held in single digits during any of his five matches this season. Probably the biggest mismatch (on paper) in favor of the Sun Devils comes at 165 lbs, when Anthony Valencia takes on Clayton Ulrey. Valencia is a sixth-year senior that finally broke through and made the All-American podium, after coming close in years past and generally being a longtime AA contender. He has stacked bonus points in all but one match this year, so I'd expect him to make a push for it here. Now we move into a run of two matches where Virginia Tech All-Americans take on unranked ASU grapplers. 2019 NCAA champion Mekhi Lewis and Hunter Bolen should have the opportunity to run up the score and help their team with bonus points at 174 and 184, against Zane Coleman and Josh Nummer, respectively. The pendulum swings back towards Arizona State as we close out the dual with 197 lbs and 285. At 197, the Sun Devils will send out three-time Pac-12 champion Kordell Norfleet. While he's a heavy favorite, he'll need to wrestle the full seven minutes to deal with the relentless Dakota Howard. The heavyweights are no strangers to each other, as this will be a rematch of the 2021 Pac-12 Championships, won by Cohlton Schultz, 3-1. He and Nathan Traxler met again in the NCAA Round of 12. That time there was no such drama as the ASU big man ended it quickly with a first-period fall. Since then, Traxler has graduated from Stanford and transferred to Virginia Tech. Pick: Arizona State (20-14) Northern Iowa vs. #11 Cornell 125 - #10 Brody Teske vs. #5 (133) Vito Arujau/Greg Diakomihalis 133 - #31 Kyle Biscoglia vs. #5 Vito Arujau/Dom Lajoie 141 - #26 Cael Happel vs. Cole Handlovic 149 - #28 Tristan Lara vs. #1 Yianni Diakomihalis 157 - Cayd Lara/Derek Holschlag vs. Colton Yapoujian/Adam Santoro 165 - #23 Austin Yant vs. #9 Julian Ramirez 174 - Pat Schoenfelder vs. #12 Chris Foca 184 - #4 Parker Keckeisen vs. #15 Jonathan Loew 197 - Noah Glaser vs. #19 Jacob Cardenas 285 - Tyrell Gordon vs. Drew Flynn At first glance and judging by rankings, you may be quick to hand the dual win to Cornell. But, not so fast; this should be a close competitive dual, as Northern Iowa matches up well with the Big Red. We expect to see Vito Arujau down at 125 lbs for Florida, so that would set up an enticing match with 2021 Big 12 champion Brody Teske. In Teske's last appearance, he logged a pair of top-20 wins. Arujau's only competition of the year took place at 133 lbs, when he majored Stanford's Jackson DiSario. Provided Arujau is at 125, Northern Iowa has a pair of ranked wrestlers, #31 Kyle Biscoglia and #26 Cael Happel, against unranked Cornell wrestlers. 165 has suddenly become a match to watch as Julian Ramirez has flown up the rankings after his controversial win over 2021 NCAA champion Shane Griffith. Ramirez showed he was no fluke after finishing fourth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. In Vegas, Ramirez earned a win over 2021 All-American Cameron Amine (Michigan). Northern Iowa counters with Austin Yant, who was fifth in the Big 12 last season and a national qualifier. He's gone 6-2 against a solid schedule, with one of those losses coming via injury default. Up a weight, 174 lbs might be more competitive than the rankings indicate. Pat Schoenfelder has amassed a 9-4 record this year, with his most significant win being an 11-9 upset of Peyton Mocco (Missouri), who was ranked in the top ten at the time. Chris Foca was an upset victim himself in the second round at the CKLV Invitational, but fought back to claim third place. He started the year with a title at the Bearcat Open. There's a challenging round-robin at 184 lbs between Cornell/Northern Iowa/Penn State. This edition will feature returning All-American Parker Keckeisen against Jonathan Loew. Keckeisen was third in the nation as a freshman and hasn't been seriously threatened yet this season. Loew is another Cornell wrestler that was third in Vegas. Loew downed three returning national qualifiers at the CKLV and another ranked opponent. Pick: Cornell (19-12) Northern Iowa vs. #2 Penn State 125 - #10 Brody Teske vs. Baylor Shunk 133 - #31 Kyle Biscoglia vs. #1 Roman Bravo-Young 141 - #26 Cael Happel vs. #1 Nick Lee 149 - #28 Tristan Lara vs. #22 Beau Bartlett 157 - Cayd Lara/Derek Holschlag vs. Tony Negron/Terrell Barraclough 165 - #23 Austin Yant vs. #26 Creighton Edsell 174 - Pat Schoenfelder vs. #1 Carter Starocci 184 - #4 Parker Keckeisen vs. #1 Aaron Brooks 197 - Noah Glaser vs. #3 Max Dean 285 - Tyrell Gordon vs. #4 Greg Kerkvliet This dual gets kicked off, with Brody Teske facing his old team. I'm sure he'll be fired up for this one and ready to tally bonus points, if possible. Although Penn State's top-ranked wrestlers at 133 and 141 lbs are facing ranked competition, don't be surprised if Roman-Bravo Young and Nick Lee still find a way to grab bonus points. One of the toss-up bouts of the dual comes at 149 lbs as #28 Tristan Lara takes on highly acclaimed Beau Bartlett. As a true freshman, Bartlett was thrust into the starting role at 149 lbs and may have been undersized and didn't end up qualifying for nationals. This year, Bartlett is 4-1 with wins over three past national qualifiers. Lara's only competition of the season came at the Daktronics Open, where he went 3-1. At 165 lbs, we'll get another test for Penn State's Creighton Edsell. Edsell has surprisingly grabbed ahold of the starting role and has not tasted defeat in 2021-22. However, meeting Austin Yant will represent his toughest test of the young season. 184 lbs will represent the main event of this dual. Returning NCAA third-place finisher Parker Keckeisen is 27-1 in his career. The only loss? That came to Penn State's NCAA Champion Aaron Brooks, 6-4, in the national semifinals last season. That six-point output for Brooks was one of the lowest of his title-winning campaign. This year, Brooks has blitzed the field with a major decision, tech, and pin in three matches. Pick: Penn State (28-7) by Richard Mann #2 Penn State vs. #11 Cornell 125: Baylor Shunk (Penn State) vs. Greg Diakomihalis/Vitali Arujau (Cornell) Shunk has been pressed into service after an injury has kept last year's starter, Robbie Howard, out of action. He may not be in service much longer, with former Central Michigan All-American Drew Hildebrandt waiting in the wings in the second semester. Shunk has gone 2-2 on the year, with his victories coming over Kyle Randall (Sacred Heart) and Ryan Chauvin (Army). The younger Diakomihalis brother got the start at 125 pounds in Cornell's only dual of the year, and dropped a 3-1 decision against Logan Ashton (Stanford). He lost both of his matches at the CKLV Invitational against Malik Heinselman (Ohio State) and Jeremiah Reno (Nebraska). Arujau was expected to be one of the top contenders at this weight this year, but his only action so far has been at 133 pounds. This match likely favors Cornell no matter which wrestler they send out. However, Arujau would likely be hoping to pick up bonus points against Shunk. During his redshirt season in 2020, he gave up bonus points in four of his nine losses, and this would represent a big step up in competition. Arujau down at 125 pounds is more exciting for the overall dual, so let's go with that. Prediction: Arujau technical fall over Shunk 133: No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) vs. No. 5 Vitali Arujau/Dom LaJoie (Cornell) After knocking off No. 2 Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) in overtime at last year's NCAA final, Bravo-Young is back looking for another title in what he says will be his final year of collegiate wrestling. Bravo-Young has won all four of his matches on the year and picked up bonus in three. The only wrestler to escape giving up bonus points was Jason Shaner Jr. (Oregon State), who dropped an 8-3 decision. Arujau finished fourth at 125 pounds in 2019 as a freshman to become an All-American. He then missed the next two seasons after taking a redshirt and dealing with the pandemic. As previously stated, Arujau's only action this year came in the Stanford dual. In that match, he scored a 14-3 major decision over Jackson DiSario. If Arujau was to make his way back down, the likely starter here would be LaJoie. During the 2020 season, LaJoie filled in at 125 pounds and qualified for the NCAA tournament. This year, he has wrestled already this season at the Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open and the CKLV Invitational. He holds a 4-3 record. While Arujau down at 125 pounds might make for a more exciting dual meet, this match would certainly be more high profile with him here. Considering the size advantage Bravo-Young would have over Arujau, he would be the favorite in both matches. If LaJoie gets the start, Penn State would certainly be hoping for bonus points. Prediction: Bravo-Young major decision over Lajoie 141: No. 1 Nick Lee (Penn State) vs. Cole Handlovic (Cornell) Lee avenged his only defeat last season in the NCAA finals. His lone loss came against No. 2 Jaydin Eierman (Iowa) at the Big Ten tournament, but Lee got the win back in sudden victory with the NCAA title on the line. This year, he missed the dual against Army, but he is 4-0 on the year. In his last outing, Lee scored a 13-6 decision over Connor McGonagle (Lehigh). Handlovic has had an interesting first season so far. After grey shirting last year and competing for the Spartan Combat RTC, he has been the starter at 141 pounds. He brought a 5-1 record into the CKLV Invitational. Even though he lost both of his matches, he went to overtime with All-American No. 10 Chad Red (Nebraska) and dropped a one-point decision against former top recruit Frankie Tal-Shahar (Northwestern). Prior to this season, this would probably look like an easy bonus-point opportunity for Lee. However, he has not been running up the score as much on his opponents so far this season. Handlovic has shown he can be competitive at this level, but he is still looking for that first signature win. It is unlikely to come here, but this match could be a little bit closer than many expect. Prediction: Lee decision over Handlovic 149: No. 22 Beau Bartlett (Penn State) vs. No. 1 Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) Bartlett was a somewhat unlikely starter for Penn State at 149 pounds last year. This year he looks to have grown more into the weight and had some impressive results. Already this season, Bartlett has scored overtime victories over No. 23 PJ Ogunsanya (Army) and No. 26 Anthony Artalona (Penn). However, he came back down to earth a bit in his last outing as he dropped a 6-5 decision against No. 30 Manzona Bryant (Lehigh). After a two-year hiatus, the two-time NCAA champion is back with two years of eligibility. After focusing mostly on freestyle since the 2019 season, Diakomihalis has had to knock off some rust, but he has won all six of his matches so far. He took a 3-1 decision over No. 11 Jaden Abas (Stanford) and then won the CKLV Invitational. Diakomihalis needed overtime to best No. 10 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska), but he survived and also picked up a win over returning runner-up No. 2 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State). Diakomihalis should be the heavy favorite in this match. His ability to score on the feet and turn an opponent's offense into points will give him a lot of chances to score. Bartlett has lost four matches to date, but he has not yet surrendered bonus points. Prediction: Diakomihalis major decision over Bartlett 157: Terrell Barraclough (Penn State) vs. No. 25 Colton Yapoujian (Cornell) Many expected Joe Lee to start at this weight for Penn State, but so far, it has mostly been Barraclough. He represented the squad against both Army and Penn but failed to win either of those matches. Barraclough picked up his first win of the season against Luca Frinzi (Lehigh) in an extra match as Tony Negron got the dual match. Penn State could easily send out Negron or Joey Blumer if Lee is still not ready to go. Yapoujian was an NHSCA and Fargo champion on the high school level. As a freshman during the 2021 season, he went 12-3 and won both the Jonathan Kaloust Binghamton Open and the Cornell Open. So far this season, Yapoujian has gone 5-1, with his only defeat coming against No. 18 Andrew Cerniglia (Navy). 157 has been a struggle for Penn State this year. They have sent out three different wrestlers in duals and gone a combined 0-5 at the weight. Yapoujian has looked strong in his return from injury and should be able to dominate his way to a victory here. Prediction: Yapoujian major decision over Barraclough 165: No. 26 Creighton Edsell (Penn State) vs. No. 9 Julian Ramirez (Cornell) Edsell got a big vote of confidence this week as assistant coach Casey Cunningham told the Centre Daily Times that the current plan is for top recruit Alex Facundo to redshirt and Edsell to continue starting at 165 pounds. After splitting time at 174 and 184 pounds the last two years, Edsell stepped into the lineup at 165 this year. He has made the most of the opportunity as he has gone 5-0 and picked up a recent victory over Brian Meyer (Lehigh) that pushed him into the rankings. The season got off to a bit of a shaky start for Ramirez as he dropped an 8-5 decision against Penn State backup Matt Lee at an open tournament. However, he bounced back in a big way with one of the biggest upsets of the year as he defeated returning NCAA champion Shane Griffith (Stanford). Since then, Ramirez has finished fourth at the CKLV, where he scored victories over the likes of No. 24 Josh Ogunsanya (Columbia) and No. 10 Cameron Amine (Michigan). Edsell has been a solid starter so far this season, but Ramirez should be able to take this match. He has not been a prolific scorer against top opposition this year. However, he will likely have the cleaner technique on the feet. That should be enough to carry him to a victory here. Prediction: Ramirez decision over Edsell 174: No. 1 Carter Starocci (Penn State) vs. No. 12 Chris Foca (Cornell) Starocci won an NCAA title in his first year in the lineup with a dramatic sudden victory upset over No. 2 Michael Kemerer (Iowa). This year, he has returned with a renewed confidence. Starocci has won all five of his matches and picked up bonus points in all as well. The opposition has not been the toughest so far this season with his best win likely coming over No. 23 Nick Incontrare (Penn). After a 21-3 grey shirt year in 2020, Foca is finally getting a chance in the starting lineup. The former Bergen Catholic wrestler has started the year 13-1, with his only defeat coming via a 3-2 decision against No. 11 Adam Kemp (Cal Poly). That defeat came at the CKLV tournament, where he also picked up key victories over No. 15 Hayden Hastings (Wyoming) and No. 13 Cade DeVos (South Dakota State). Foca has had a great showing so far this year, but this one might be too much too soon. Starocci proved himself to be one of the best wrestlers in college last year, and if anything, he has looked better this season. Prediction: Starocci major decision over Foca 184: No. 1 Aaron Brooks (Penn State) vs. No. 15 Jonathan Loew (Cornell) Brooks is the last of four returning NCAA champions for the Nittany Lions. In his first two seasons in the lineup for Penn State, Brooks went a combined 29-1, with his only defeat coming against No. 14 Taylor Venz (Nebraska). Since then, he has avenged that loss three times and cemented himself as the best 184-pound wrestler in the country. So far this year, Brooks has won all three of his matches with bonus points. Loew qualified for the NCAA tournament through the EIWA as a freshman in 2020. He has returned this year and built a 9-1 record. Loew's lone defeat came against Venz in the semifinals of the CKLV tournament. He eventually finished third and claimed wins over No. 20 Max Lyon (Purdue) and No. 17 Tate Samuelson (Wyoming) in the bracket. Loew has had a strong start to this season, but he really relies on having a physical edge over his opponents. Brooks is a very physical competitor in his own right, and he should be able to set up his attacks on the feet. That should put him in position to excel in this contest. Prediction: Brooks major decision over Loew 197 No. 3 Max Dean (Penn State) vs. No. 19 Jacob Cardenas (Cornell) Dean was a two-time All-American and NCAA runner-up for Cornell who transferred to Penn State this past offseason. There was some discussion that Dean would have to beat out last year's starter Michael Beard for the spot. However, Dean has been the wrestler at 197 pounds in all duals so far this year. He has been predictably dominant as he has scored a fall, three technical falls and a pair of major decisions. One of those technical falls came over No. 28 JT Brown (Army). Cardenas has faced a tough schedule to start his first year in the lineup for Cornell. He has gone 6-3, with losses coming against No. 12 Louie DePrez (Binghamton), No. 11 Jake Woodley (Oklahoma) and No. 10 Thomas Penola (Purdue). Two of those three matches were decided by only a single point, and Cardenas forced overtime against Penola. On top of that, he already owns a pair of victories over ranked opponents No. 32. Nick Stemmet (Stanford) and No. 29 Jake Koser (Navy). Cardenas has already been able to hang with some of the top wrestlers at this weight. In theory, that should make him primed for an upset here against the former Cornell wrestler. However, Dean has been showing some of the best offense of his career so far this year. If he is able to turn that on here against Cardenas, he will pick up the win over his former squad. Prediction: Dean decision over Cardenas 285: Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) vs. No. 18 Lewis Fernandes/Drew Flynn (Cornell) There have been many starts and stops so far in the college career of Kerkvliet due to injury and illness. Despite that, he was still able to finish seventh as a freshman last year to become an All-American. This year, he started the first three duals, and picked up three-bonus-point victories, but then missed the previous two with illness. Fernandes appeared to be the heavyweight for Cornell this season. However, he suffered an injury in the early portion of his bout in the Stanford dual, and he has not been back since. Fernandes was a two-time New Jersey state champion and one of the top recruits to come out of the state his senior year. If he can't go, Cornell likely will send out Drew Flynn, who is still looking for his first win on the season. Kerkvliet defeated Fernandes via a 6-4 score back in 2020 when the current Cornell wrestler was greyshirting. This could be an interesting match for the dual. Kerkvliet is likely to be favored over both potential opponents if he is back in top form, but he would certainly be looking for bonus against Flynn. Prediction: Kerkvliet fall over Flynn Dual Prediction: Penn State over Cornell 24-16

Stanford 141 lber Real Woods (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) All start times Pacific Standard Time. InterMat Individual/Tournament/Dual Rankings (December 14) are used where appropriate. After the better part of two weeks from the competition mat, the Pac-12 conference returns in Week 8 to face high-level competition. Week 5 saw Oregon State, Cal Poly, and Stanford surge at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, while Little Rock's Triston Wills made the Trojans' first appearance of the season in the national rankings at 174lbs after earning a big upset win over then-#12 Andrew Mcnally (Wisconsin) at the Cougar Clash. Ending the weekend strong, on Sunday the 19th, Oregon State, #25 Stanford, and #16 (tied) Cal Poly return to the Battle Born State, this time heading to the "Biggest Little City in the World" to compete in the Reno Tournament of Champions. Expected to join the Pac-12 contingent are American, Clarion, Northern Colorado, Oklahoma State, and Wyoming, among other, non-Division 1 schools. Full starting line-ups are not expected, based on pre-tournament rumblings, but we will anticipate the best all the same. (Cal Poly's official schedule indicates "non-starters" for the event, while the rumor mill suggests Stanford All-American Real Woods may make his first appearance of the season.) The dual-meet between Pac-12 foes CSU Bakersfield and Little Rock slated for the 19th was scrapped on Friday the 17th due to COVID protocol. Instead, CSU Bakersfield will join their fellow Pac-12 teams in Reno - and they intend to bring their No. 1's. The highly-touted and highly anticipated, #6 Arizona State returns to the mat on Monday the 20th, as they participate in the inaugural Collegiate Wrestling Duals. With twelve teams separated into two exclusive, six-team pools, the two-day event is expected to provide some of the best match-ups of the first-semester. It will also mark the Sun Devils' first action in the month of December, after taking a few weeks away from the competition mat. On Day 1, Arizona State takes on Hofstra and #9 Virginia Tech to set the placing-bouts within their pool. The potential Day 2 competitors are Northern Iowa, #11 Cornell, or #2 Penn State. "I think we need to be tested," Arizona State Assistant Coach Lee Pritts told the media on December 10th. "And we're getting ready to get tested - all the tests that we want are getting ready to come up here, real fast." Upcoming Sunday, December 19th #16 (tied) Cal Poly, #25 Stanford, Oregon State, and CSU Bakersfield at the Reno Tournament of Champions - Live on FloWrestling Monday, December 20th #6 Arizona State faces Hofstra, #9 Virginia Tech at the Collegiate Wrestling Duals (Day 1) - Live on Rokfin (PPV) Potential Ranked Matches (Arizona State vs. Hofstra) 125: #3 Brandon Courtney vs. UR Jacob Moon 133: #14 Michael McGee vs. UR Ty Cymmerman 141: #15 Jesse Vasquez vs. UR Justin Hoyle 149: #5 Kyle Parco vs. UR Michael Leandrou 157: #3 Jacori Teemer vs. UR Joe McGinty 165: #6 Anthony Valencia vs. UR Ricky Stamm 174: UR Zane Coleman / Cael Valencia vs. UR Ross McFarland 184: UR Josh Nummer vs. #25 Charles Small 197: #8 Kordell Norfleet vs. #26 Trey Rogers 285: #3 Cohlton Schultz vs. #20 Zachary Knighton-Ward Potential Ranked Matches (Arizona State vs. Virginia Tech) 125: #3 Brandon Courtney vs. #16 Sam Latona 133: #14 Michael McGee vs. #4 Korbin Myers 141: #15 Jesse Vasquez vs. #31 Sam Hillegas 149: #5 Kyle Parco vs. #6 Bryce Andonian 157: #3 Jacori Teemer vs. #22 Connor Brady 165: #6 Anthony Valencia vs. UR Clayton Ulrey 174: UR Zane Coleman / Cael Valencia vs. #4 Mekhi Lewis 184: UR Josh Nummer vs. #9 Hunter Bolen 197: #8 Kordell Norfleet vs. UR Dakota Howard 285: #3 Cohlton Schultz vs. #14 Nathan Traxler Tuesday, December 21st #6 Arizona State in placing-bout, opponent TBD, at the Collegiate Wrestling Duals (Day 2) - Live on Rokfin (PPV) Hypothetical Match-ups (#6 Arizona State vs. #2 Penn State) 125: #3 Brandon Courtney vs. UR Baylor Shunk 133: #14 Michael McGee vs. #1 Roman Bravo-Young 141: #15 Jesse Vasquez vs. #1 Nick Lee 149: #5 Kyle Parco vs. #22 Beau Bartlett 157: #3 Jacori Teemer vs. UR Tony Negron 165: #6 Anthony Valencia vs. #26 Creighton Edsell 174: UR Zane Coleman / Cael Valencia vs. #1 Carter Starocci 184: UR Josh Nummer vs. #1 Aaron Brooks 197: #8 Kordell Norfleet vs. #3 Max Dean 285: #3 Cohlton Schultz vs. #4 Greg Kerkvliet

2021 EIWA champion Jaret Lane (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Last week was a "get-right" week for most of our crew. We had the same picks for three duals, so there wasn't a whole lot of movement in the standings. Everyone except Willie and Courtney went 4-1. Cody was the only brave soul who chose Maryland over Navy and ended up proven correct. This week is the Collegiate Duals from Florida. Our picks have four of the Monday duals included. As expected Missouri/NC State is a toss-up. We have five team members on each side. There will be some changes in our standings after Monday's duals.

2x NCAA runner-up Daton Fix (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Friday's Dual Results Oklahoma State 45 Air Force 0 125 - Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Oklahoma State) maj Quinn Melofchik (Air Force) 12-2 133 - Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) fall Sidney Flores (Air Force) 3:58 141 - Carter Young (Oklahoma State) dec Cody Phippen (Air Force) 3-1 149 - Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma State) maj Dylan Martinez (Air Force) 11-1 157 - Wyatt Sheets (Oklahoma State) maj Giano Petrucelli (Air Force) 11-0 165 - Travis Wittlake (Oklahoma State) maj Jack Ganos (Air Force) 12-3 174 - Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State) maj Sam Wolf (Air Force) 12-1 184 - Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State) tech Jake Thompson (Air Force) 21-5 197 - AJ Ferrari (Oklahoma State) tech Kayne Hutchinson (Air Force) 19-4 285 - Luke Surber (Oklahoma State) fall Cole Forrester (Air Force) 3:42 North Carolina 17 Appalachian State 15 125 - Caleb Smith (Appalachian State) dec Spencer Moore (North Carolina) 7-3 133 - Joe Heilmann (North Carolina) dec Codi Russell (Appalachian State) 4-3 141 - Kizhan Clarke (North Carolina) dec Heath Gonyer (Appalachian State) 7-3 149 - Jonathan Millner (Appalachian State) dec Zach Sherman (North Carolina) 5-2 157 - Austin O'Connor (North Carolina) maj Cody Bond (Appalachian State) 12-3 165 - Will Formato (Appalachian State) dec Sonny Santiago (North Carolina) 5-0 174 - Thomas Flitz (Appalachian State) dec Clay Lautt (North Carolina) 6-5 184 - Gavin Kane (North Carolina) dec Barrett Blakely (Appalachian State) 3-1 197 - Max Shaw (North Carolina) maj Mason Fiscella (Appalachian State) 10-1 285 - Michael Burchell (Appalachian State) dec Brandon Whitman (North Carolina) 3-2 Oklahoma State 30 Wyoming 3 125 - Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Oklahoma State) dec Jake Svihel (Wyoming) 7-5SV 133 - Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) maj Job Greenwood (Wyoming) 10-1 141 - Carter Young (Oklahoma State) maj Chase Zollman (Wyoming) 15-6 149 - Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma State) dec Jaron Jensen (Wyoming) 10-5 157 - Wyatt Sheets (Oklahoma State) dec Jacob Wright (Wyoming) 2-1TB 165 - Travis Wittlake (Oklahoma State) maj Cooper Voorhees (Wyoming) 10-2 174 - Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State) dec Hayden Hastings (Wyoming) 7-2 184 - Tate Samuelson (Wyoming) dec Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State) 3-1SV 197 - AJ Ferrari (Oklahoma State) dec Stephen Buchanan (Wyoming) 4-2 285 - Luke Surber (Oklahoma State) dec Terren Swartz (Wyoming) 12-5

NCAA Qualifier Matthew Waddell (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Happy Saturday friends, Another week has come and gone, and we're here with another weekend of #SoConWR action! I hate I wasn't able to get a recap out to y'all this week…but don't fret, I'll have an extra special Christmas-week recap out next week! On Friday, the Appalachian State Mountaineers hosted #20 UNC Chapel Hill, and despite a tough battle lost 17-15. Sunday, December 19: there's LOADS of wrestling to tune in to. - The Citadel @ Duke – 10:00am Streaming on ESPN+ - The Citadel vs. Bloomsburg – 12:00pm Streaming on ESPN+ - Gardner-Webb vs. George Mason – 1:00pm Streaming on ESPN+ - Gardner-Webb vs. Ohio University – 3:00pm Streaming on ESPN+ - Note: Campbell was originally scheduled to compete at this event, but will not be competing in accordance with Campbell's health safety protocol. - Appalachian State @ Bellarmine – 1:00pm Streaming on BU Knights Sports Network Monday, December 20: - UTC @ WVU – 12:00pm Streaming on ESPN+ - UTC vs. Cleveland State – 1:30pm Streaming on ESPN+ And don't forget the hottest event of December – the Collegiate Duals presented by Journeymen Wrestling. Streamed only on Collegiate Duals' Rokfin page! So tell me, what are you most excited for this weekend? I know I'm ready to watch a SoCon marathon on Sunday, and get my dual fix in for the Collegiate Duals! xoxo, Rachel G

2021 NCAA qualifier Jonathan Loew (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Saturday 12/18 Binghamton @ Sacred Heart – Fairfield, CT (1PM) Bucknell vs Buffalo & Lock Haven – Lewisburg, PA (11AM & 2PM) Sunday 12/19 American @ Reno Tournament of Champions – Reno, NV (all day) Monday 12/20 Binghamton vs. Missouri (#10) & NC State (#5) @ Collegiate Duals – Niceville, FL (11AM & 1PM) Cornell (#11) vs. UNI and Penn State (#2) @ Collegiate Duals – Niceville, FL (5PM & 9PM) Hofstra vs. Virginia Tech (#9) & Arizona State (#10) @ Collegiate Duals – Niceville, FL (11AM & 1PM) Lehigh (#21) vs Central Michigan & Iowa (#1) @ Collegiate Duals – Niceville, FL (5PM & 9 PM) Tuesday 12/21 Binghamton vs. TBD @ Collegiate Duals – Niceville, FL (TBD) Cornell (#11) vs. TBD @ Collegiate Duals – Niceville, FL (TBD) Hofstra vs. TBD @ Collegiate Duals – Niceville, FL (TBD) Lehigh (#21) vs. TBD @ Collegiate Duals – Niceville, FL (TBD) *ALL STARTING TIMES ARE LISTED IN EST* What I'm Most Excited For: It is a light week of EIWA wrestling, besides the National Collegiate Duals. There will be four EIWA teams in action there. Cornell will have a few matches, in which I think they can win. Do they have enough firepower to beat #2 Penn State? We will see. I am interested to see how the Mountain Hawks match up against the #1 Iowa Hawkeyes. Additionally, American should see a few different (mostly Western schools) teams at Reno. That should be a fun event too! Where you'll find me: If my schedule allows, I am trying to make my way to Lewisburg and spend the day at Bucknell on Saturday to watch them take on both Buffalo and Lock Haven. Once next week rolls around, I'll be watching all 4 EIWA schools at National Collegiate Duals, only on Rokfin!

Two-time NCAA qualifier Izzak Olejnik (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Saturday, December 18th, 2021 Buffalo at Bucknell (11:00am) Kent State vs. Northern Illinois (11:00am) Buffalo vs. Lock Haven at Bucknell (12:30pm) Harper College at Northern Illinois (1:00pm) Lock Haven at Bucknell (2:00pm) South Dakota State at Northern Illinois (3:00pm) Sunday, December 19th, 2021 Reno Tournament of Champions: American, Cal Poly, California Baptist, Clarion, Oregon State, Stanford, and Wyoming (9:00am) Bloomsburg vs. The Citadel at Duke (12:00pm) George Mason vs. Ohio at Gardner-Webb (12:00pm) Bloomsburg at Duke (2:00pm) Ohio vs. Campbell at Gardner-Webb (2:00pm) George Mason at Gardner-Webb (2:00pm) Ohio at Gardner-Webb (4:00pm) George Mason at Davidson (7:00pm) Monday, December 20th and Tuesday, December 21st, 2021 Collegiate Wrestling Duals: Arizona State, Cornell, Iowa, Missouri, University of Northern Iowa, Central Michigan, Hofstra, Lehigh, North Carolina State, Binghamton, and Virginia Tech (10:00am) #MACinsider Thoughts: Eight MAC teams will be competing over the course of the next five days, and oh what a grueling five days it will be! On Saturday, I'd like to see Buffalo, Kent State, Lock Haven, and Northern Illinois each add at least one dual win to their season. It's only fair. Clarion will wrestle in Reno, Nevada at the Reno Tournament of Champions. I'm hoping the Eagles will make a splash, and land at least four of their wrestlers on the podium. Also on Saturday, Bloomsburg, George Mason, and Ohio University will be competing in various locations around the east coast. Similarly, to my previous statement, I'd like to see each school add at least one dual win to their season, BUT I also predict that Ohio University will go a perfect 3-0…so let's see if this contradiction plays in my favor. On Monday and Tuesday of next week, Central Michigan will be the lone MAC school competing at the Collegiate Wrestling Duals against Iowa, Lehigh and a team to be determined on Tuesday. The interconference matchups between these various MAC schools will help continue to narrow down the competition even further, making the title race even clearer as to who might take it all come March. As always, good luck to all eight MAC schools that are competing this weekend!

3x NCAA champion Spencer Lee (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Monday marks the opening dual of the first Collegiate Wrestling Duals, presented by Journeymen. 12 teams from six conferences have been divided into two pools for competition. On Monday, each team will wrestle a pair of prearranged duals. Based on the results, teams from the same pool will meet each other on Tuesday. This event features six of the top ten dual teams in the country and seven of the top-11, so many of the best teams and individuals will be in action. Our first preview will focus on wrestlers from the Red Pool. Then we'll move on to the Blue Pool. The Red pool features four ranked teams, including #1 Iowa. The other group of three had one of the most anticipated matches on Monday, as #5 NC State meets #10 Missouri. Provided rankings hold up, one of those squads could meet Iowa the following day. Below are potential lineups for each Red Pool dual on Monday, along with notes about each dual, and a projected team score. Central Michigan vs. #21 Lehigh Possible Matchups: 125 lbs - Brock Bergelin vs. #11 Jaret Lane 133 lbs - Vince Perez/Ja'Kerion Merritt vs. #24 Malyke Hines 141 lbs - #7 Dresden Simon vs. Connor McGonagle/Dan Moran 149 lbs - Corbyn Munson vs. #30 Manzona Bryant 157 lbs - #19 Johnny Lovett vs. #10 Josh Humphreys 165 lbs - Tracy Hubbard vs. #27 Brian Meyer 174 lbs - Jake Lowell vs. Jake Logan 184 lbs - Ben Cushman vs. AJ Burkhart 197 lbs - Aaron Bolo vs. JT Davis 285 lbs - #9 Matt Stencel vs. #8 Jordan Wood Yesterday, in our five questions article, I mentioned that this was a possible place for an upset. While Central Michigan only has three wrestlers currently ranked, they have a handful of others that are close to the top-33 and capable of a big performance or two. Obviously, the big match takes place at the largest weight class as two past All-Americans are set to clash again. Matt Stencel and Jordan Wood met earlier this season at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic, a bout won by Wood, 3-1. Both are sixth-year seniors that have won their respective conference four times and made the NCAA podium in 2019. That, along with the 157 lb match, will be the most nationally relevant. Johnny Lovett and Josh Humphreys were set to meet at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic, but Humphreys medically forfeited. The only other two in this dual that have a history with each other are Corbyn Munson and Manzona Bryant at 149. Though Bryant is in the rankings, Munson got the head-to-head win. Another highly competitive bout should take place at 125 lbs, where undefeated Jaret Lane meets Brock Bergelin, who spent a few weeks in the rankings earlier this year. Pick: Lehigh (18-12) Central Michigan vs. #1 Iowa Possible Matchups: 125 lbs - Brock Bergelin vs. #1 Spencer Lee/Jesse Ybarra 133 lbs - Vince Perez/Ja'Kerion Merritt vs. #3 Austin DeSanto 141 lbs - #7 Dresden Simon vs. #2 Jaydin Eierman 149 lbs - Corbyn Munson vs. #8 Max Murin/Cole Siebrecht 157 lbs - #19 Johnny Lovett vs. #8 Kaleb Young 165 lbs - Tracy Hubbard vs. #1 Alex Marinelli 174 lbs - Jake Lowell vs. Nelson Brands 184 lbs - Ben Cushman vs. #28 Myles Wilson/Abe Assad 197 lbs - Aaron Bolo vs. #7 Jacob Warner 285 lbs - #9 Matt Stencel vs. #6 Tony Cassioppi The heavyweights in this three-team round-robin are no joke. Each of the three dual meets will feature a top-ten matchup. This one is between All-Americans Stencel and Tony Cassioppi. These two have some history between them, as they met at the 2018 and 2019 Midlands. Stencel pinned the redshirting Cassioppi in 2018, but Cassioppi returned the favor with a 6-2 win a year later. 141 lbs looks like a marquee bout as two of the top-seven wrestlers in the nation will meet. However, the last time they were on the mat together, the 2021 NCAA Championships, Jaydin Eierman pinned Dresden Simon in the quarterfinals. 157 lbs will feature a meeting between a pair of top-20 opponents with #8 Kaleb Young and #19 Johnny Lovett. Young is as consistent as they come. He generally beats the guys he's supposed to beat. Lovett made a splash in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Championships when he knocked off #7 Jarrett Jacques (Missouri), 3-2. Other intriguing bouts from this dual include 125 and 149. Assuming Spencer Lee doesn't start here, it's a winnable bout for Brock Bergelin. Although he suffered a loss in his most recent dual appearance, Bergelin is 9-4 on the year and fresh off a 5-1 showing at the Cleveland State Open. Speaking of the CSU Open, Corbyn Munson was the champion at that event. If Max Murin doesn't get the nod, he'll undoubtedly have a chance to win. Even if Murin goes, Munson could keep the match close and steal one late. Pick: Iowa (33-6) #21 Lehigh vs. #1 Iowa Possible Matchups: 125 lbs - #11 Jaret Lane vs. #1 Spencer Lee/Jesse Ybarra 133 lbs - #24 Malyke Hines vs. #3 Austin DeSanto 141 lbs - Connor McGonagle/Dan Moran vs. #2 Jaydin Eierman 149 lbs - #30 Manzona Bryant vs. #8 Max Murin/Cole Siebrecht 157 lbs - #10 Josh Humphreys vs. #8 Kaleb Young 165 lbs - #27 Brian Meyer vs. #1 Alex Marinelli 174 lbs - Jake Logan vs. Nelson Brands 184 lbs - AJ Burkhart vs. #28 Myles Wilson/Abe Assad 197 lbs - JT Davis vs. #7 Jacob Warner 285 lbs - #8 Jordan Wood vs. #6 Tony Cassioppi As mentioned before, the heavyweights in this dual will prove to be the main event. Wood and Cassioppi have never met in collegiate competition, though both are decorated internationally. Cassioppi recently won a U23 world title, while Wood was a Cadet World silver medalist in 2014. Another top-ten matchup here takes place in the middle of the dual as #8 Kaleb Young and #10 Josh Humphreys meet. Though Young has the slight advantage rankings-wise and a longer track record, it's basically a toss-up between these two. This would be the kind of match Humphreys needs to win to elevate himself into a higher tier of contenders at 157. Generally, you'd expect this to be a route in the Hawkeye's favor. Nine-time-out-of-ten, I'd agree. But, just bear with me for a second. Iowa doesn't send out Spencer Lee at 125 and/or Max Murin at 149. Those are both huge swings and turn into winnable matches for the Mountain Hawks. Maybe, just maybe, a bonus point-win for Jaret Lane. Now, you give Lehigh the toss-ups at 157 and 285, things start to get interesting. Those results are certainly possibilities and not even stretches, at that, but give Lehigh an upset at 174 or 184. Things could get realllly interesting. Especially if Lehigh can avoid or limit bonus points where Iowa's heavily favored (133/141/165/197). But, as I said, the majority of the time, you'd have to expect Iowa runs away with this one and that's what we'll forecast. Pick: Iowa (29-10) Binghamton vs. #10 Missouri Possible Matchups: 125 lbs - Micah Roes/Nick Curley vs. #15 Noah Surtin 133 lbs - Anthony Sobotker vs. Trey Crawford/Matt Schmitt 141 lbs - Michael Zarif vs. #14 Allan Hart 149 lbs - Nick Lombard vs. #18 Josh Edmond 157 lbs - Logan Gumble vs. #15 Jarrett Jacques 165 lbs - Brevin Cassella vs. #3 Keegan O'Toole 174 lbs - Jacob Nolan vs. #14 Peyton Mocco 184 lbs - Sam DePrez vs. #11 Jeremiah Kent 197 lbs - #12 Louie DePrez vs. #4 Rocky Elam 285 lbs - #22 Joe Doyle vs. #16 Zach Elam First things first, respect must be given to Binghamton head coach Kyle Borshoff, his staff, and his wrestlers for agreeing to jump into this event on only a couple weeks notice. Borshoff told InterMat, he didn't even need to think twice before accepting an invitation. Well, Binghamton is in an absolutely brutal grouping, alongside #5 NC State and #10 Missouri. With the CKLV Invitational in the rearview and duals against Virginia Tech, Lehigh, and Cornell looming, it's safe to say that Binghamton will be battle-tested for the postseason. The last two matches in this dual should provide some of the most heated competition. Missouri's Elam brothers (Rocky/Elam) will close out the dual with contests against ranked opponents. Returning All-American Louie DePrez is fresh off a seventh-place finisher at the CKLV, in one of the tournament's deepest brackets. Both losses came to the eventual second and third place finishers and in each bout, the margin of decision was two points. Heavyweight Joe Doyle also got on the podium in Vegas and is coming off a big win over #23 Brandon Metz (North Dakota State) in dual competition. While the Elam's, both Junior world medalists, should be favored in both matches, each should be a dogfight. The third Vegas placer for Binghamton was 133 lber Anthony Sobotker, who was seventh. Sobotker has established himself as one of the more dangerous Bearcat wrestlers. He is the definition of all or nothing, as he has pinned in eight of his nine wins. Sobotker could find himself in a decent position for such a loaded Mizzou lineup. The Tigers have been sending out freshman Trey Crawford, while veteran Matt Schmitt works his way back in the lineup. Pick: Missouri (34-6) Binghamton vs. #5 NC State Possible Matchups: 125 lbs - Micah Roes/Nick Curley vs. #5 Jakob Camacho 133 lbs - Anthony Sobotker vs. #17 Kai Orine/Jarrett Trombley 141 lbs - Michael Zarif vs. #16 Ryan Jack 149 lbs - Nick Lombard vs. #3 Tariq Wilson/Matt Fields 157 lbs - Logan Gumble vs. #23 Ed Scott 165 lbs - Brevin Cassella vs. #18 Thomas Bullard 174 lbs - Jacob Nolan vs. #5 Hayden Hidlay 184 lbs - Sam DePrez vs. #3 Trent Hidlay 197 lbs - #12 Louie DePrez vs. #15 Isaac Trumble 285 lbs - #22 Joe Doyle vs. #28 Owen Trephan/Deonte Wilson It's the “Pat Popolizio Bowl!” The NC State head coach got the opportunity to move on to take the reins in Raleigh after taking an 0-12 team and finishing in the top-15 at the 2012 NCAA Championships, after only six years on the job. As you'll note from their first match, Binghamton's strength is at the back end of their lineup. Opposed to Missouri, these spots may be a little more manageable for Coach Borshoff's team. While Isaac Trumble is on the rise, Louie DePrez has to be the favorite. Heavyweight is a little more interesting. Deonte Wilson has the longer track record and has been more successful against outside competition. Owen Trephan has a pair of wins against his teammate. While both have seen action in duals, Trephan has lost his most recent outing and that's led to Wilson getting the nod in the following two. Just to make things more complicated, Doyle and Wilson met during the 2019-20 season and Doyle prevailed with a fall in just :22 seconds. Other possible matches of note are at 125, 149, and 174 lbs. #5 ranked Jakob Camacho was pushed by Appalachian State's Caleb Smith in his most recent match, so maybe returning NCAA qualifier Micah Roes can do so, as well. The Wolfpack staff haven't wanted to overwork their veterans, so sixth-year stars like Tariq Wilson and Hayden Hidlay have been used sparingly. If that's the case here, Michigan graduate transfer Nick Lombard is capable of getting his hand raised. The same goes for returning NCAA qualifier Jacob Nolan at 174 lbs. Pick: NC State (26-6) #5 NC State vs. #10 Missouri Possible Matchups: 125 lbs - #5 Jakob Camacho vs. #15 Noah Surtin 133 lbs - #17 Kai Orine/Jarrett Trombley vs. Trey Crawford/Matt Schmitt 141 lbs - #16 Ryan Jack vs. #14 Allan Hart 149 lbs - #3 Tariq Wilson vs. #18 Josh Edmond 157 lbs - #23 Ed Scott vs. #15 Jarrett Jacques 165 lbs - #18 Thomas Bullard vs. #3 Keegan O'Toole 174 lbs - #5 Hayden Hidlay vs. #14 Peyton Mocco 184 lbs - #3 Trent Hidlay vs. #11 Jeremiah Kent 197 lbs - #15 Isaac Trumble vs. #4 Rocky Elam 285 lbs - #28 Owen Trephan/Deonte Wilson vs. #16 Zach Elam This is one of the duals we've had circled since the pairings were first released! 19 of the 20 probable starters are currently ranked, and six are in the top ten. Truly an excellent dual. A loss to Virginia Tech, dropped Missouri in the dual rankings, but they were as high as #4 at one point. Right off the bat is a good one. Noah Surtin has established himself as the guy for Mizzou and he shined in the Virginia Tech dual, pinning their returning All-American Sam Latona. Last year, Latona defeated Camacho in their memorable dual meet and in the ACC finals. If 2021 MAC champion and Round of 12 finisher Matt Schmitt is in the lineup, it would tilt this in the Tigers favor. However, Schmitt has yet to appear in 2021-22 for Missouri. NC State can counter with either Kai Orine or Jarrett Trombley. Either is capable and could get their hand raised opposite Crawford. The contest at 141 lbs is generally a toss-up, though Allan Hart is ranked slightly higher and has the big-match experience. Hart is a two-time national qualifier and was a match away from earning All-American honors last year. Jack is 10-1 on the year and is fresh off a win over 2021 SoCon champion Anthony Brito (Appalachian State). With such a close dual expected, it's hard to imagine Tariq Wilson not going, short of an injury. Wilson has only appeared twice this year, but has registered bonus points on both occasions. Missouri's young star, Josh Edmond, will be the opponent. A loss to the mercurial Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech), accounts for the only loss on Edmond's record dating back to last year. 157 may be the low-key best match of this dual. Ed Scott has come on like gangbusters in his second year in Raleigh. Up a weight from 2021, Scott has logged bonus points in almost 85% of his matches this season. Three-time national qualifier Jarrett Jacques will be Scott's opponent. Jacques is only 6-3 this year, though two of those losses came to top-nine opponents. This could be the opportunity for Scott to establish himself as a podium contender for the Wolfpack. The first of Missouri's two Junior world champions will take the mat at 165 as Keegan O'Toole will face Thomas Bullard. O'Toole may be the most impressive 165 lber in the land this season. His 12-4 win over Clayton Ulrey (Virginia Tech) represented the first and only time he's gone the full seven minutes this year. He started the year by pinning returning Big 12 champion Luke Weber (North Dakota State). Bullard is looking to rebound after losing to Appalachian State's Will Formato on Sunday. This could be an interesting style matchup, as Bullard is more defensive, but has solid scrambling skills. Scrambling (and cradles) happen to be O'Toole's calling card. The last time we saw Peyton Mocco, he took 2019 NCAA champion Mekhi Lewis to tiebreakers before falling, 9-6. Unfortunately, that day he also suffered a loss to Northern Iowa's Pat Schoenfelder, 11-9. Generally, being able to hang with an opponent like Lewis bodes, well for Mocco against Hayden Hidlay. Even though Hidlay moved up two weight classes this year, there have been no ill effects. He's been victorious in both of his appearances and collected bonus points along the way. The bigger and younger Hidlay brother, Trent, is waiting at 184 lbs. Like his brother and their classmates, Trent has been used sparingly during the early going this season. He's 3-0 and has looked excellent. The returning NCAA finalist is 3-0 against a really solid schedule, thus far. Jeremiah Kent comes in with a 4-1 record. The only blemish came at the hands of Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech), an opponent all-too-familiar to Hidlay. Bolen has gotten the better of Hidlay, historically, but Hidlay won their most recent meeting, at the 2021 ACC Championships. Kent was a MAC runner-up last season and earned the ninth seed at his first NCAA Tournament. A pair of second-year freshmen are on a collision course at 197 lbs. Rocky Elam suffered a pair of losses at the 2021 NCAA Championships on his way to a fifth-place finish. Those defeats have been his only of this year and last year. Like O'Toole, Elam won a Junior World Championship over the summer. He'll face an undefeated (or possibly undefeated based on his match with DePrez) Isaac Trumble. Last year, Trumble stormed on the scene and picked up a win over eventual NCAA runner-up Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh), but didn't get the start in the postseason. Trumble had notched bonus points in seven of 11 matches this year. Wrapping up the meet will be someone from the Trephan/Wilson tandem against Zach Elam. Against Virginia Tech, the dual was riding on Elam's bout with Nathan Traxler. Expect this one to be similar! Since the stakes will be high, it's likely will see a low-scoring, tactical match between the Elam and whomever NC State sends out. Pick: NC State (18-15)