InterMat Staff

Benedictine College Prep

Cabell Midland

Warren

Raritan

Over the next few days, you’ll hear the Walsh Ironman referred to as featuring the “stars of tomorrow.” Just to reinforce that saying, we’ve taken a look at the 2024 NCAA DI All-Americans and flipped through the pages of Ironman records to see if they placed at this major high school tournament. I’m not sure what you’d expect, but these are the results. Just be aware that many states have travel restrictions, so there are plenty of collegiate stars who never had the opportunity to compete in the tournament, much less place. 125 lbs Champion: Richie Figueroa (Arizona State) 1st - 113 lbs (2018) 8th Place: Tanner Jordan (South Dakota State) 4th - 113 lbs (2017) 133 lbs 3rd Place: Ryan Crookham (Lehigh) 2nd - 126 lbs (2019), 3rd - 120 lbs (2018) 4th Place: Nasir Bailey (Little Rock) 6th - 138 lbs (2022), 1st - 132 lbs (2021), 5th - 120 lbs (2019) 5th Place: Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) 4th - 126 lbs (2019), 7th - 126 lbs (2018), 3rd - 113 lbs (2017) 7th Place: Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) 3rd - 126 lbs (2019), 5th - 126 lbs (2018) 8th Place: Kai Orine (NC State) 3rd - 126 lbs (2018) 141 lbs Runner-Up: Beau Bartlett (Penn State) 2nd - 138 lbs (2019), 5th - 132 lbs (2018), 3rd - 126 lbs (2017), 1st - 120 lbs (2016) 3rd Place: Brock Hardy (Nebraska) 1st - 145 lbs (2017) 4th Place: Real Woods (Iowa) 2nd - 132 lbs (2017), 4th - 126 lbs (2016), 1st - 113 lbs (2015), 4th - 106 lbs (2014) 6th Place: Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina) 1st - 145 (2019), 4th - 120 (2018) 149 lbs 3rd Place: Tyler Kasak (Penn State) 1st - 138 lbs (2021) 157 lbs 4th Place: Daniel Cardenas (Stanford) 1st - 150 lbs (2021) 6th Place: Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) 6th - 145 lbs (2018), 3rd - 120 (2016) 165 lbs Champion: David Carr (Iowa State) 1st - 152 lbs (2017), 2nd - 152 lbs (2016), 1st - 145 lbs (2015), 5th - 138 lbs (2014) 7th Place: Peyton Hall (West Virginia) 3rd - 152 lbs (2019), 7th - 138 lbs (2018), 7th - 126 lbs (2017) 174 lbs Runner-Up: Rocco Welsh (Ohio State) 1st - 175 lbs (2022), 1st - 165 lbs (2021), 5th - 126 lbs (2019) 184 lbs 7th Place: TJ Stewart (Virginia Tech) 1st - 215 lbs (2021) 197 lbs 7th Place: Stephen Little (Little Rock) 5th - 190 lbs (2021) 8th Place: Michael Beard (Lehigh) 1st - 195 lbs (2017), 1st - 182 lbs (2016), 3rd - 182 lbs (2015), 6th - 160 lbs (2014) 285 lbs 5th Place: Nick Feldman (Ohio State) 1st - 285 lbs (2021), 2nd - 195 lbs (2019) 6th Place: Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) 1st - 285 lbs (2018), 1st - 285 lbs (2017), 2nd - 220 lbs (2016), 2nd - 220 lbs (2015)

There's a huge couple of days ahead of us in the college wrestling world. The guys from the Fantasy College Wrestling Podcast talk about the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational - from a fantasy wrestling standpoint and all of the events going on aside from Vegas.

As you may have heard, from the seven or eight other podcasts this week, The Cliff Keen Las Vegas tournament is going on in a couple days. The CKLV is probably the best in-season tournament, with a majority of Top-10 ranked competition at every weight, and it’s hard not to get excited for what looks to be a preview of the national tournament. That said, there are three other tournaments and a handful of duals to keep an eye on and possibly use to your advantage. While most of the top ranked wrestlers are battling it out in Vegas, getting a former starter currently on Redshirt for the Cleveland State Open can be exponentially beneficial (more on that in a bit). While lots of tournament entry information is already out there, we are still looking for some other confirmation on entries to the Cleveland State Open, Cougar Clash, and Patriot Open. Keep notifications on to @FantasyD1Wrestl or head over to the InterMat Forums for updates. Also to note, this outlook will not include CKLV entries, but our evaluation and thoughts can be heard on the Week 6 episode of the #FCWpodcast (out soon!) A reminder of some important rules: Wrestlers entered at a weight must compete at that weight or else their results will not be counted. Wrestlers in the “Floater” spots can compete at ANY weight and accumulate Fantasy points. A wrestler will LOCK on your roster at 12pm ET on the day of their first competition for the week. (refer to the SHP’s Week Preview) Only results against D1 competition (starters, backups, and redshirts) will count towards Fantasy Points. Check your league settings to know how many add/drops are permitted per week. Have a question, concern, suggestions, or just want to chat about Fantasy Wrestling? Hit us up on Twitter or head over to the InterMat Forums where we have a Fantasy Wrestling dedicated Forum page! Wrestlers I Like This Week Wrestler (School)- competition for the week [Proj Score]* 125: Ethan Perryman (ISU) - Cleveland State Open Noah Surtin (MIZZ) - Cougar Clash Stevo Poulin (UNCO) - Cougar Clash Max Gallagher (PENN) - @ Virginia , Patriot Open Nicolar Rivera (WISC) - @ Bucknell, @ Bloomsburg, @ Lock Haven [+13] Max Gallagher (PENN) - @ Virginia , @ Morgan State [+7] Jacob Moran (IND) - Vs Illinois [+4] Antonio Lorenzo (OU) - Vs Central Michigan [+4] 133: Kade Moore (MIZZ) - Cougar Clash Dom Serrano (UNCO) - Cougar Clash Braxton Brown (MARY) - Patriot Open Alex Almeyda (PENN) - Patriot Open Nasir Bailey (LR) - Vs Central Michigan [+5] Lucas Byrd (ILL)- @ Indiana [+4] Ryan Crookham (LEH) - Vs Penn State [+3] Cleveland Belton (OU) - Vs Central Michigan [+3] 141: Andre Gonzalez (OHST) - Cleveland State Open Josh Edmond (MIZZ) - Cougar Clash Dario Lemus (MARY) - Patriot Open CJ Composto (PENN) - @ Virginia , @ Morgan State [+9] Jack Maida (AMER) - Vs Buffalo [+4] Mosha Schwartz (OU) - Vs Central Michigan [+4] Beau Bartlett (PSU) - @ Lehigh [+4] Dylan Chappell (BUCK) - Vs Wisconsin [+3] Danny Pucino (ILL)- @ Indiana [+3] 149: Brandon Cannon (OHST) - Cleveland State Open Logan Gioffre (MIZZ) - Cougar Clash Zeke Seltzer (MIZZ) - Cougar Clash Kal Miller (MARY) - Patriot Open Cross Wasilewski (PENN) - @ Virginia , @ Morgan State [+8] Kannon Webster (ILL)- @ Indiana [+5] Shayne Van Ness (PSU) - @ Lehigh [+5] Willie McDougald (OU) - Vs Central Michigan [+3] 157: Cody Chittum (ISU) - Cleveland State Open Brock Herman (OHST) - Cleveland State Open Vince Zerban (UNCO) - Cougar Clash Meyer Shapiro (COR) - Patriot Open Ethen Miller (MARY) - Patriot Open Jude Swisher (PENN) - @ Virginia , @ Morgan State [+8] 165: Manny Rojas (ISU) - Cleveland State Open Chris Crawford (IND) - Cleveland State Open Clayton Ulrey (UNCO) - Cougar Clash Gage Wright (VT) - Patriot Open Michael Caliendo (IOWA) - Vs Army, Vs Princeton [+9] Andrew Barbosa (RUT) - Vs Lock Haven, @ Princeton [+6] Nick Hamilton (UVA) - Vs Penn , @ VMI [+6] Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU) - @ Lehigh [+5] Aiden Wallace (DUKE) - Vs Davidson [+4] 174: Nick Incontrera (PENN) - @ Virginia , @ Morgan State [+7] Alex Cramer (CMU) - @ Oklahoma, @ Little Rock [+6] Levi Haines (PSU) - @ Lehigh [+4] Caleb Campos (AMER) - Vs Buffalo [+3] 184: Rocco Welsh (OHST) - Cleveland State Open Jaxon Smith (MARY) - Patriot Open Gabe Arnold (IOWA) - Vs Army, Vs Princeton [+8] Carter Starocci (PSU) - @ Lehigh [+5] Deanthony Parker (OU) - Vs Central Michigan [+3] 197: Sawyer Bartelt (ISU) - Cleveland State Open Stephen Buchanan (IOWA) - Vs Army, Vs Princeton [+7] Stephen Little (LR) - Vs Central Michigan [+5] Liam Volk-Klos (AMER) - Vs Buffalo [+4] Dillon Bechtold (BUCK) - Vs Wisconsin [+4] Zach Braunagel (ILL) - @ Indiana [+4] Bradley Hill (OU) - Vs Central Michigan [+3] 285: Seth Nevills (MARY) - Patriot Open Ben Kueter (IOWA) - Vs Army, Vs Princeton [+7] Yaraslau Slavikouski (RUT) - Vs Lock Haven, @ Princeton [+7] Connor Barket (DUKE) - Vs Davidson [+5] Greg Kerkvliet (PSU) - @ Lehigh [+5]

The top prospect in the high school Class of 2026, Bo Bassett, has vowed to keep fans abreast of his recruiting with daily Wednesday updates. After a brief hiatus Bassett is back and has posted an updated graphic which has eliminated one more school from consideration (on Thursday). Earlier this year, Bassett posted a graphic that contained the logos of approximately 80 schools, most of the DI variety, but some DII’s as well, to signify that he’s totally open in the recruiting process. After more than three months of removing schools from the list, he’s down to 10. One school was removed from this week's graphic: Arizona State The following schools remain on Bassett’s graphic and therefore in contention for his services: Cornell, Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Pitt-Johnstown, Rutgers, Virginia Tech. One school was removed from last week's graphic: Northern Iowa One school was removed from the 11/20 graphic: Missouri One school was removed from the 11/13 graphic: Nebraska One school was removed from the 11/6 graphic: Princeton One school was removed from the 10/9 graphic: Air Force One school was removed from the 10/2 graphic: Lehigh One school was removed from the 9/25 graphic: Pittsburgh One school was removed from the 9/18 graphic: Stanford One school was removed from the 9/11 graphic: NC State These three schools were removed from the 9/4 graphic: American, North Carolina, Wisconsin These three schools were removed from the 8/28 graphic: Clarion, Little Rock, Minnesota The following schools were removed from the 8/21 graphic: Penn, Oklahoma, Oregon State The following schools were removed from the 8/14 graphic: Bucknell, Virginia, Wyoming The following schools were removed from the 8/7 graphic: Brown, Northern Colorado, Purdue The following schools were removed from the 7/31 graphic: California Baptist, Michigan State, Navy The following schools were removed from the 7/24 graphic: Army West Point, Campbell, Edinboro, Harvard, Illinois, North Dakota State, South Dakota State The following schools were removed from the 7/17 graphic: Cal Poly, Columbia, Indiana, Maryland, Millersville, The Citadel, and West Virginia The following schools were removed from the 7/10 graphic: CSU Bakersfield, George Mason, Hofstra, Northwestern, Rider, UW Parkside, West Liberty The following schools were removed from the 7/3 graphic: Appalachian State, Central Michigan, Cleveland State, Drexel, Kent State, Ohio, and St. Cloud State The following schools were removed from the 6/26 graphic: Binghamton, Bloomsburg, Duke, Gardner-Webb, Northern Illinois, Sacred Heart, SIU Edwardsville Bassett has already taken on-campus visits to Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Penn State, and Virginia Tech. As of now, Bassett's only remaining campus visit is to Rutgers on January 24th-26th. Bassett and his Bishop McCort teammates will be in action at the Walsh Ironman starting tomorrow. He'll be aiming for his third Ironman title - this one would come at 144 lbs.

Here's the spot to look for all of our 2024 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational-related content. More will be added as the tournament progresses. The tournament will take place on Friday and Saturday and can be streamed live on FloWrestling Results Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Previews Part One (125-157) Part Two (165-285) 10 Matches we Hope to See at the 2024 CKLV Big Ten Teams Looking for Jackpot in Las Vegas Semifinal Preview History Placewinners by Team (2018-2023) How Tough was the 2023 CKLV? Podcasts InterMat Wrestling Podcast - The Vegas Preview Fantasy College Wrestling - Week 6 Preview Miscellaneous Pre-Seeds

Grundy

We’re only a few days away from the toughest tournament of the collegiate regular season, the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. This is a tournament that featured 37 of the 80 2024 NCAA All-Americans a year ago. Seven of those All-Americans were unable to find the podium in Vegas. Additionally, 40% of the NCAA champions and finalists were in action. Turning our attention to this year. The 2024 version of the tournament features six top-ten teams in InterMat’s latest team tournament rankings (#4 Nebraska, #5 Oklahoma State, #6 Virginia Tech, #7 Ohio State, #9 Michigan, and #10 South Dakota State). Six other top-20 teams will be in attendance. Individually, we’re still trying to obtain final entries; however, it appears as if this tournament could feature a pair of #1 ranked wrestlers and four past NCAA champions. We expect eight past CKLV champions to lay it on the line. Before the action gets underway, we’ve gone weight-by-weight to highlight some of the key matchups and potential upsets you could expect - along with predictions for the semifinals and finals. Since this is such a massive tournament, we’ve broken it down into two parts - we started with 125-157 yesterday and are finishing up with 165-285 today. CKLV Pre-Seeds can be found here 165 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #3 Peyton Hall (West Virginia), #4 Terrell Barraclough (Utah Valley), #6 Hunter Garvin (Stanford), #7 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State), #8 MJ Gaitan (Iowa State), #9 Cam Amine (Oklahoma State), #10 Will Miller (Appalachian State), #12 Brock Mantanona (Michigan), #17 Maxx Mayfield (Northwestern), #18 Nicco Ruiz (Arizona State), #20 Bubba Wilson (Nebraska), #21 Luka Wick (Cal Poly), #22 Stoney Buell (Purdue), #25 Drake Rhodes (South Dakota State), #28 Cesar Alvan (Columbia), #29 Derek Fields (NC State), #31 Jack Thomsen (Northern Iowa), #33 Enrique Munguia (Rider) This is one of the fun weights that doesn’t have a clear-cut favorite. Of course, based on career achievements, Sammy Sasso is head and shoulder above the rest and has a CKLV title from 2022; however, he is still working his way back from a shooting that occurred during a carjacking in the 2023 preseason. Sasso is 3-0, but this tournament will represent a huge step up in competition. Alongside Sasso are three other past All-Americans (Hall, Garvin, Amine) and Terrell Barraclough who is attempting to become only the second Utah Valley wrestler to win a title in Vegas. New face(s): The CKLV has long been an opportunity for promising freshmen to announce themselves to the rest of the college wrestling world. Brock Mantanona could be that guy in 2024. Mantanona has been excellent during the first month for the Wolverines. In dual competition, he has posted bonus-point wins over returning national qualifiers in both of his outings. As of now, Mantanona is the ninth seed and could meet veteran Maxx Mayfield in the Round of 16 if the seeds hold. Another intriguing freshman at this weight is Nicco Ruiz of Arizona State. Ruiz comes into Vegas fresh off a sudden victory win over multi-time All-American Cam Amine. He’s slated to start as the #10 seed which means a matchup with Appalachian State’s Will Miller could be looming. Potential spoiler: There will be plenty of possible “bad draws” as there will be six ranked wrestlers not amongst the 12 seeds. Of those six, Cesar Alvan is someone who has been on the CKLV podium before. He was seventh at 157 lbs in 2022. Semifinal Projection: Peyton Hall (West Virginia) vs. Brock Mantanona (Michigan), Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) vs. Terrell Barraclough (Utah Valley) Finals Pick: Terrell Barraclough (Utah Valley) over Brock Mantanona (Michigan) 174 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #3 Cade DeVos (South Dakota State), #5 Dean Hamiti (Oklahoma State), #8 Lorenzo Norman (Stanford), #10 Lenny Pinto (Nebraska), #13 Simon Ruiz (Cornell), #15 Brevin Cassella (Binghamton), #18 Danny Wask (Navy), #19 Matthew Singleton (NC State), #21 Jared Simma (Northern Iowa), #22 Adam Kemp (Cal Poly), #23 Garrett Thompson (Ohio), #27 Joseph Walker (Michigan), #28 Brody Baumann (Purdue) The returning CKLV champion, Cade DeVos, headlines the 174 lb weight class. DeVos was only the second Jackrabbit wrestler to win in Vegas and is attempting to become the first to win it twice. After DeVos, this bracket contains a pair of returning placewinners (Norman/Wask), plus a trio from different weights (Pinto/Cassella/Thompson). Norman turned this tournament on its head last year as he upset NCAA champion Shane Griffith in the Round of 16. Despite DeVos having the top seed, whoever would advance to meet him in the semis (from the 4/5 slot) has the makings of a future star (Norman/Ruiz) and could present some problems. New face(s): This could be a good opportunity to talk about fifth-ranked Dean Hamiti. He’s certainly not a new face if you’ve followed college wrestling for the last three years, but this will be his first appearance at this tournament as he transferred to Oklahoma State in the offseason. Hamiti has also moved up in weight so most of these potential matchups involving him will happen for the first time. Potential spoiler: The pre-seeds have Matthew Singleton as the #11 wrestler in this weight. Even though this is a deep bracket, that sounds rather low. Singleton competed sparingly at 165 lbs as a true freshman and didn’t make the national tournament, before redshirting in 2023-24. He’s the type of guy who, results-wise, doesn’t have the criteria needed for a higher ranking or a better seed. That being said, if you’ve followed his career for any length of time, he passes the “eyeball” test. This tournament gives him an opportunity to get some of those “pelts on the wall” and clash with higher-ranked opponents, in hopes of moving up. Semifinal Projection: Cade DeVos (South Dakota) vs. Simon Ruiz (Cornell), Dean Hamiti (Oklahoma State) vs. Lenny Pinto (Nebraska) Finals Pick: Dean Hamiti (Oklahoma State) over Cade DeVos (South Dakota State) 184 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #2 Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa), #3 Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State), #5 Bennett Berge (South Dakota State), #14 Evan Bockman (Iowa State), #16 TJ Stewart (Virginia Tech), #18 Jaden Bullock (Michigan), #19 Will Ebert (Binghamton), #26 James Rowley (Purdue), #29 Ross McFarland (Hofstra), #31 Isaac Dean (Rider), #32 Daniel Williams (Navy) How about a NCAA finals rematch? That’s what we could have in store if seeds hold at 184 lbs with Parker Keckeisen and Dustin Plott. Before winning his national championship, Keckeisen cruised to a CKLV championship last year. It was a step up from the previous season, when he was second here. Along with the national finalists are All-Americans Bennett Berge and TJ Stewart. Both earned All-American honors as freshmen in 2024. Though both of their teams were in Vegas last year, neither was in action - they were both trying to establish themselves as starters for their respective squads. The other two past placers at this weight are Evan Bockman and Jaden Bullock. Bockman got on the podium twice for Utah Valley, while Bullock used this tournament as a breakthrough moment last year - taking sixth. New face(s): Don’t look now but Binghamton sophomore Will Ebert is a perfect 8-0 and ranked in the top-20. Ebert went 1-2 in this tournament at 174 lbs in 2023, but ultimately didn’t wrestle in the postseason for the Bearcats. This year, he’s been an excellent development downing Big Ten champion and All-American Edmond Ruth (Illinois) in his season debut. He’ll have the seventh seed and should do some damage. Potential spoiler: Coming in as the #10 seed is Purdue sophomore James Rowley. Rowley was a top-50 recruit for Wisconsin and spent a year in Madison before transferring to Purdue. As a redshirt freshman in 2023-24, Rowley had his moments, but ultimately didn’t qualify for nationals. Rowley was 1-2 in Vegas last year; however, his lone win was a 13-3 major decision over national qualifier Caleb Hopkins (Campbell). This season, Rowley has won eight of nine matches and already avenged his lone loss. He doesn’t have a signature win yet this year, but this is the place for one (or a few). Semifinal Projection: Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) vs. TJ Stewart (Virginia Tech), Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State) vs. Bennett Berge (South Dakota State) Finals Pick: Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) over Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State) 197 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #1 AJ Ferrari (CSU Bakersfield), #3 Jacob Cardenas (Michigan), #8 Zach Glazier (South Dakota State), #9 Trey Munoz (Oregon State), #10 Luke Geog (Ohio State), #11 Andy Smith (Virginia Tech), #12 Luke Surber (Oklahoma State), #16 Wyatt Voelker (Northern Iowa), #17 Joey Novak (Wyoming), #20 Christian Carroll (Iowa State), #21 Nick Stemmet (Stanford), #24 Evan Bates (Northwestern), #26 Camden McDanel (Nebraska) There were some rumblings earlier this week that maybe AJ Ferrari would not compete in Vegas, but he appears in the pre-seeds. Ferrari was in action for the Roadrunners during the first week of the season, but hasn’t been in action since. Some questioned his ranking, but winning over a field like this would go a long way to subsiding those doubts. This weight has three wrestlers that got on the podium at this weight in 2023 (Cardenas/Stemmet/Novak) and two others that made the podium in a previous year (Munoz/Smith). Ultimately, it would be great to see Ferrari against the two-time All-American Cardenas. In his limited time with the Wolverines, Cardenas has been dominant, especially from the top position. New face(s): There are a pair of high-quality freshmen who could rack up the wins and fly up the rankings after this weekend. Christian Carroll and Camden McDanel are the two. Carroll moved down from heavyweight, where he competed in 2023-24 while redshirting. He already has a win over past CKLV placer Nick Stemmet and is looking for his next signature victory. McDanel has beaten the guys you’d expect him to beat and was majored by All-American Trey Munoz at the Navy Classic. It’s the perfect opportunity for him to take the next step. Potential spoiler: Since he’s not among the top-12 seeds, I’d be wary of drawing McDanel in the first round or two. But to discuss someone we haven’t mentioned yet, how about Wyatt Voelker? Last year, Voelker lost to Nebraska’s Silas Allred in the Round of 12. He later qualified for nationals and picked up a pair of wins in Kansas City. This year, Voelker has a one-point loss to Zach Glazier and a win over super-freshman Aeoden Sinclair (Missouri) in dual action. He’s not what you’d typically expect from a #10 seed. Semifinal Projection: AJ Ferrari (CSU Bakersfield) vs. Zach Glazier (South Dakota State), Jacob Cardenas (Michigan) vs. Trey Munoz (Oregon State) Finals Pick: Jacob Cardenas (Michigan) over AJ Ferrari (CSU Bakersfield) 285 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #3 Wyatt Hendrickson (Oklahoma State), #5 Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State), #6 Isaac Trumble (NC State), #8 Nick Feldman (Ohio State), #16 Jimmy Mullen (Virginia Tech), #17 Cory Day (Binghamton), #20 Lance Runyon (Northern Iowa), #23 Jordan Greer (Ohio), #28 Luke Rasmussen (South Dakota State), #29 Michael Wolfgram (West Virginia), #30 Trevor Tinker (Cal Poly) Coming into this season, veteran All-Americans Wyatt Hendrickson and Cohlton Schultz had been in the same weight class for years, but never met. A few weeks ago, they clashed in dual action and could be on a collision course for round two. Both have placed at this event before, but never so much as made it to the finals. It could be a tournament of rematches for Schultz who is currently seeded in a way that he could meet Isaac Trumble in the semifinals. The pair met early in the season and Schultz came away with a first-period fall. Nick Feldman and Cory Day are the only two placewinners that return from the 2023 tournament. Feldman was sixth and Day seventh. Going back to 2022, Trumble won the 197 lb bracket. He has taken possession of the heavyweight class for NC State, which is no small feat, as he unseated a two-time defending ACC champion. New face(s): Virginia Tech has one of the top freshman heavyweights in the land with Jimmy Mullen. Like his ACC counterpart, Trumble, Mullen has had to contend with a talented team just to work his way into the starting lineup. Mullen emphatically took control of the weight with a pin over teammate Hunter Catka at the Mountaineer Invitational. His only setback on the year has been a loss in sudden victory to All-American Yaraslau Slavikouski (Rutgers). As the sixth seed, Mullen should get tested with potential matches against veterans Jake Andrews (#11 seed) and Schultz (#3 seed). Potential spoiler: You’ve gotta love an ex-174 lber who has found a home at heavyweight, right? That’s what has happened with two-time national qualifier Lance Runyon. Runyon made the 2022 national tournament at 174 lbs, but dealt with injuries for much of the next two years. In his final year of eligibility, Runyon decided to take cutting weight out of the equation and moved to heavyweight (he also has talented teammates at 184/197). Early returns for Runyon are great. Runyon won the Grand View Open and got his hand raised against ranked opponents in both of UNI’s first two duals. As the seventh seed, he’s not as far down as others we’ve highlighted, but he’s surely one to keep your eye on in Vegas. Semifinal Projection: Wyatt Hendrickson (Oklahoma State) vs. Nick Feldman (Ohio State), Isaac Trumble (NC State) vs. Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) Finals Pick: Wyatt Hendrickson (Oklahoma State) over Isaac Trumble (NC State)

Camden County

Pre-Seeds have been released for the 2024 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational which takes place Friday (6th) and Saturday (7th). 125 1. Caleb Smith (Nebraska) 2. Matt Ramos (Purdue) 3. Troy Spratley (Oklahoma State) 4. Tanner Jordan (South Dakota State) 5. Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech) 6. Brendan McCrone (Ohio State) 7. Vince Robinson (NC State) 8. Maximo Renteria (Oregon State) 9. Adrian Meza (Iowa State) 10. Dedrick Navarro (Northwestern) 11. Sulayman Bah (Columbia) 12. Marcello Milani (Cornell) 133 1. Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) 2. Evan Frost (Iowa State) 3. Tyler Knox (Stanford) 4. Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State) 5. Zeth Romney (Cal Poly) 6. Brett Ungar (Cornell) 7. Julian Chlebove (Arizona State) 8. Jacob Van Dee (Nebraska) 9. Jett Strickenberger (West Virginia) 10. Reece Witcraft (Oklahoma State) 11. Cory Land (Northern Iowa) 12. Derrick Cardinal (South Dakota State) 141 1. Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) 2. Brock Hardy (Nebraska) 3. Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) 4. Sergio Lemley (Michigan) 5. Josh Koderhandt (Navy) 6. Tagen Jamison (Oklahoma State) 7. Jordan Titus (West Virginia) 8. Sam Latona (Virginia Tech) 9. Haiden Drury (Utah Valley) 10. Kai Owen (Columbia) 11. Cole Brooks (Wyoming) 12. Greyson Clark (Purdue) 149 1. Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) 2. Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) 3. Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State) 4. Jaden Abas (Stanford) 5. Colin Realbuto (Northern Iowa) 6. Jesse Vasquez (Arizona State) 7. Gabe Willochell (Wyoming) 8. Carter Young (Oklahoma State) 9. Ethan Fernandez (Cornell) 10. Sammy Alvarez (Rider) 11. Sam Cartella (Northwestern) 12. Koy Buesgens (NC State) 157 1. Antrell Taylor (Nebraska) 2. Peyten Kellar (Ohio) 3. Ryder Downey (Northern Iowa) 4. Paddy Gallagher (Ohio State) 5. Paniro Johnson (Iowa State) 6. Trevor Chumbley (Northwestern) 7. Ed Scott (NC State) 8. Joey Blaze (Purdue) 9. Chase Saldate (Michigan) 10. Teague Travis (Oklahoma State) 11. Cobe Siebrecht (South Dakota State) 12. Ethan Stiles (Oregon State) 165 1. Peyton Hall (West Virginia) 2. Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) 3. Terrell Barraclough (Utah Valley) 4. Hunter Garvin (Stanford) 5. MJ Gaitan (Iowa State) 6. Cam Amine (Oklahoma State) 7. Will Miller (Appalachian State) 8. Maxx Mayfield (Northwestern) 9. Brock Mantanona (Michigan) 10. Nicco Ruiz (Arizona State) 11. Bubba Wilson (Nebraska) 12. Luka Wick (Cal Poly) 174 1. Cade DeVos (South Dakota State) 2. Dean Hamiti (Oklahoma State) 3. Lenny Pinto (Nebraska) 4. Lorenzo Norman (Stanford) 5. Simon Ruiz (Cornell) 6. Brevin Cassella (Binghamton) 7. Danny Wask (Navy) 8. Jared Simma (Northern Iowa) 9. Garrett Thompson (Ohio) 10. Adam Kemp (Cal Poly) 11. Matthew Singleton (NC State) 12. Brody Baumann (Purdue) 184 1. Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) 2. Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State) 3. Bennett Berge (South Dakota State) 4. TJ Stewart (Virginia Tech) 5. Evan Bockman (Iowa State) 6. Jaden Bullock (Michigan) 7. Will Ebert (Binghamton) 8. Seth Shumate (Ohio State) 9. Ross McFarland (Hofstra) 10. James Rowley (Purdue) 11. Isaac Dean (Rider) 12. Daniel Williams (Navy) 197 1. AJ Ferrari (CSU Bakersfield) 2. Jacob Cardenas (Michigan) 3. Trey Munoz (Oregon State) 4. Zach Glazier (South Dakota State) 5. Andy Smith (Virginia Tech) 6. Luke Surber (Oklahoma State) 7. Luke Geog (Ohio State) 8. Joey Novak (Wyoming) 9. Christian Carroll (Iowa State) 10. Wyatt Voelker (Northern Iowa) 11. Nick Stemmet (Stanford) 12. Evan Bates (Northwestern) 285 1. Wyatt Hendrickson (Oklahoma State) 2. Isaac Trumble (NC State) 3. Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) 4. Nick Feldman (Ohio State) 5. Cory Day (Binghamton) 6. Jimmy Mullen (Virginia Tech) 7. Lance Runyon (Northern Iowa) 8. Jordan Greer (Ohio) 9. Luke Rasmussen (South Dakota State) 10. Trevor Tinker (Cal Poly) 11. Jake Andrews (CSU Bakersfield) 12. Michael Wolfgram (West Virginia)

We've made it through the first month of the 2024-25 wrestling season. Now, on to December. After the Thanksgiving holiday, we're back to a normal week of college wrestling action. A total of 24 duals will be contested along with the CKLV. Since it can be difficult to figure out where and when to watch all of these events, InterMat has put together a list of all of the live-streamed events occurring this week. Below are the dates/times and how to watch each match (with links). To make this guide even easier to find, we've added a link on our homepage and the latest Live Streaming Guide will appear right under the header articles. All times Eastern Wednesday, December 4: Drexel at Clarion 7:00 PM FloWrestling Thursday, December 5: LIU at Bloomsburg 7:00 PM FloWrestling Lake Erie at Kent State 7:00 PM Friday, December 6: Appalachian State, Arizona State, Binghamton, Cal Poly, California Baptist, Columbia, Cornell, CSU Bakersfield, Harvard, Hofstra, Iowa State, Michigan, Navy, NC State, Nebraska, Northern Iowa, Northwestern, Ohio, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Purdue, Rider, Sacred Heart, South Dakota State, Stanford, Utah Valley, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Wyoming at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational 12:00 PM FloWrestling Iowa vs. Princeton at St. Charles, MO 7:00 PM UFC Fight Pass - CFFC Match Day Army West Point vs. Iowa at St. Charles, MO, 9:00 PM UFC Fight Pass - CFFC Match Day Buffalo at American 1:00 PM ESPN+ Buffalo at George Mason 5:00 PM ESPN+ Illinois vs. Indiana at Indianapolis, IN 5:00 PM Big Ten Network Davidson at Duke 6:00 PM ACC Network Extra Lock Haven at Rutgers 7:00 PM B1G+ Penn at Virginia 7:00 PM ACC Network Extra Central Michigan at Oklahoma 8:00 PM ESPN+ Saturday, December 7: Air Force, Cleveland State, Indiana, Kent State, Mercyhurst, Northwestern at Cleveland State Open 9:30 AM Bellarmine, Illinois, Little Rock, Minnesota, Missouri, Northern Colorado, Northern Illinois, SIU Edwardsville at Cougar Clash 11:00 AM FloWrestling Appalachian State, Arizona State, Binghamton, Cal Poly, California Baptist, Columbia, Cornell, CSU Bakersfield, Harvard, Hofstra, Iowa State, Michigan, Navy, NC State, Nebraska, Northern Iowa, Northwestern, Ohio, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Purdue, Rider, Sacred Heart, South Dakota State, Stanford, Utah Valley, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Wyoming at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational 1:00 PM FloWrestling Edinboro vs. King at VMI 1:00 PM Virginia at VMI 1:00 PM Edinboro at VMI 3:00 PM King at VMI 5:00 PM Wisconsin at Bucknell 6:00 PM ESPN+ Sunday, December 8: Gardner-Webb, George Mason, Maryland, Navy, Rider at A Better Way Athletics Open 10:00 AM FloWrestling Wisconsin at Bloomsburg 11:00 AM FloWrestling Rutgers at Princeton 12:00 PM ESPN+ Edinboro at Davidson 1:00 PM FloWrestling Lehigh vs. Penn State at Allentown, PA 2:00 PM FloWrestling Central Michigan at Little Rock 2:00 PM Little Rock Sports Network Penn at Morgan State 2:00 PM Morgan State All-Access Wisconsin at Lock Haven 5:00 PM PSAC Digital Network

We’re only a few days away from the toughest tournament of the collegiate regular season, the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. This is a tournament that featured 37 of the 80 2024 NCAA All-Americans a year ago. Seven of those All-Americans were unable to find the podium in Vegas. Additionally, 40% of the NCAA champions and finalists were in action. Turning our attention to this year. The 2024 version of the tournament features six top-ten teams in InterMat’s latest team tournament rankings (#4 Nebraska, #5 Oklahoma State, #6 Virginia Tech, #7 Ohio State, #9 Michigan, and #10 South Dakota State). Six other top-20 teams will be in attendance. Individually, we’re still trying to obtain final entries; however, it appears as if this tournament could feature a pair of #1 ranked wrestlers and four past NCAA champions. We expect eight past CKLV champions to lay it on the line. Before the action gets underway, we’ve gone weight-by-weight to highlight some of the key matchups and potential upsets you could expect - along with predictions for the semifinals and finals. Since this is such a massive tournament, we’ve broken it down into two parts - starting with 125-157 today and we’ll finish up with 165-285 tomorrow. 125 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #2 Caleb Smith (Nebraska), #3 Matt Ramos (Purdue), #4 Troy Spratley (Oklahoma State), #6 Tanner Jordan (South Dakota State), #7 Jore Volk (Wyoming), #8 Nico Provo (Stanford), #10 Brendan McCrone (Ohio State), #11 Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech), #12 Vince Robinson (NC State), #24 Maximo Renteria (Illinois), #29 Adrian Meza (Iowa State) There’s a possibility that this weight class has the last two CKLV champions at this weight (Richie Figueroa and Nico Provo), but also a more realistic chance that neither wrestles. Figueroa was injured a few weeks ago and Provo has yet to compete in 2024-25. Even without Provo, half of last year’s placewinners are back (Smith/Ramos/Jordan/Volk). New face(s): NC State redshirt freshman Vince Robinson has the potential to turn the weight class upside down. Robinson has been extremely impressive throughout the first month of the collegiate season. In addition to wrestling the starting role away from veteran Jakob Camacho, Robinson has five wins over opponents currently ranked in the top 33. This week we’ll get to see just how much of a contender Robinson can be in year one. With 70% of the top ten expected to compete, he should have multiple matchups against returning All-Americans or top contenders. Potential spoiler: I’ve been waiting for a breakthrough performance this year from Maximo Renteria who is in his first year as a full-time starter for the Beavers. While filling in for All-American Brandon Kaylor last season, Renteria posted a win over the eventual NCAA champion Richie Figueroa. This year, Renteria has pushed a pair of top-five opponents (Caleb Smith/Troy Spratley) to the brink, but come up just short. He only needs to make some minor tweaks to turn those close losses into wins. If he can do that, he can place high and shake this bracket up. Semifinal Projection: Caleb Smith (Nebraska) vs. Vince Robinson (NC State), Matt Ramos (Purdue) vs. Troy Spratley (Oklahoma State) Finals Pick: Matt Ramos (Purdue) over Caleb Smith (Nebraska) 133 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #4 Dylan Ragusin (Michigan), #7 Evan Frost (Iowa State), #9 Tyler Knox (Stanford), #12 Zeth Romney (Cal Poly), #15 Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State), #18 Julian Chlebove (Arizona State), #19 Brett Ungar (Cornell),#22 Jacob Van Dee (Nebraska), #26 Jett Strickenberger (West Virginia), #27 Cory Land (Northern Iowa), #28 Derrick Cardinal (South Dakota State) This weight has two runner-ups from 2023 (Ungar/Frost) along with a 2021 CKLV champion in Dylan Ragusin. More than half of the eight placewinners from the 2023 tournament are expected be in attendance this week. This weight was very unpredictable in 2023 as many of the wrestlers in this weight had yet to establish themselves on a national level. New face(s): Since redshirt freshman Tyler Knox entered and finished in the top-eight in this tournament last year, he doesn’t qualify. Let’s go with Jett Strickenberger who moved up from 125 lbs earlier this season. Strickenberger was third in the Big 12 last season and a top-20 seed at his first NCAA Tournament, while wrestling at the lower weight. During his time at WVU, Strickenberger has proven he can take down some of the best in the country, he just needs to be able to be more consistent. Potential spoiler: Cory Land came to Northern Iowa as a massive recruit. In the top-30 overall after two appearances in the Super 32 finals and a U17 Greco-Roman world silver medal. He had a solid enough redshirt season, but did not compete at all last year. This season showed up at the Grand View Open and cruised to a title with four first-period falls and a tech. In his only two duals, Land has posted wins over returning national qualifiers. He’ll probably get around a #10 or #11 seed in Vegas, but don’t be surprised if he significantly outwrestles it. Semifinal Projection: Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) vs. Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State), Evan Frost (Iowa State) vs. Tyler Knox (Stanford) Finals Pick: Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) over Tyler Knox (Stanford) 141 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #2 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State), #4 Brock Hardy (Nebraska), #6 Cael Happel (Northern Iowa), #7 Sergio Lemley (Michigan), #8 Josh Koderhandt (Navy), #9 Jordan Titus (West Virginia), #10 Tagen Jamison (Oklahoma State), #12 Chris Cannon (Northwestern), #15 Haiden Drury (Utah Valley), #17 Sam Latona (Virginia Tech), #26 Kai Owen (Columbia), #27 Zach Redding (Iowa State), #28 Cole Brooks (Wyoming), #32 Jason Miranda (Stanford), #33 Eli Griffin (California Baptist) A pair of past CKLV champions at this weight (Mendez/Hardy) lead the way at 141 lbs. Also, a pair of former CKLV runner’s-up (Happel/Cannon) too. Plus four other past placewinners (Koderhandt/Jamison/Drury/Latona) make this an awesome weight. New face(s): This is a weight that is dominated by wrestlers who have already had plenty of success nationally and in Vegas, so I don’t see a true “new face” inserting himself here. If you’re looking for a wrestler who hasn’t competed in Vegas before and is young - maybe check out Purdue’s Greyson Clark. Clark was a national qualifier as a true freshman for the Boilermakers in 2023-24, but did not enter this event last year. In the early going of this season, Clark has scuffled a bit with a 4-4 record and tumbled out of the national rankings. Even so, he’s a guy who went 1-2 in Kansas City last year and survived a tough B1G weight class a year removed from high school. Potential spoiler: In most tournaments, the #15 ranked wrestler in the country would be considered a favorite or at least a solid podium contender. But this isn’t your normal tournament. There’s a chance that Haiden Drury could receive perhaps the #10 seed at this weight. Drury’s only loss on the year was a respectable 4-0 decision to #4 Brock Hardy and, in his last outing, he knocked off 2023 CKLV champion (at 133) Kai Orine. No matter the seed, Drury will be a tough out for anyone in this bracket. Semifinal Projection: Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) vs. Sergio Lemley (Michigan), Brock Hardy (Nebraska) vs. Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) Finals Pick: Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) over Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) 149 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #1 Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech), #3 Ty Watters (West Virginia), #5 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska), #7 Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State), #8 Chance Lamer (Cal Poly), #12 Jaden Abas (Stanford), #14 Ethan Fernandez (Cornell), #15 Jesse Vasquez (Arizona State), #19 Gabe Willochell (Wyoming), #20 Carter Young (Oklahoma State), #22 Sammy Alvarez (Rider), #28 Sam Cartella (Northwestern), #32 Koy Buesgens (NC State) There is one weight with a potential 2023 CKLV finals rematch in the works and that is at 149 lbs. In that contest, top-seeded Ridge Lovett defeated Caleb Henson. The two later met in the NCAA semifinals and Henson reversed the decision. Standing in the way of that potential rematch are All-Americans Ty Watters and Anthony Echemendia. New face(s): A pair of freshmen, currently near the bottom of the national rankings, might be ready to assert themselves and move up. Sam Cartella and Koy Buesgens are both redshirt freshmen who had strong initial seasons at their respective institutions, which made it possible for a ranking early in the 2024-25 season. Cartella was third at the Michigan State Open and eighth at the Midlands, while Buesgens went 14-2. Early in this campaign, Buesgens has already notched a win over 2024 EIWA champion Ethan Fernandez. Potential spoiler: Aside from Lovett/Henson, the only other returning placewinner from the 149 lb weight class in 2023 is Gabe Willochell, who was seventh. Willochell has proven time and again that he’s capable of generating an upset. In the quarterfinals of the 2024 Big 12 Championships, he pinned second-seeded Willie McDougald in the opening period. Two weeks later, in the first round of NCAA’s, he majored eventual All-American #11 Quinn Kinner. We’ll probably see Willochell as an #8 or #9 seed, but he’ll be comfortable wherever he lands. Semifinal Projection: Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) vs. Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State), Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) vs. Ty Watters (West Virginia) Finals Pick: Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) over Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) 157 lbs Ranked Wrestlers: #3 Antrell Taylor (Nebraska), #5 Peyten Kellar (Ohio), #6 Ryder Downey (Northern Iowa), #8 Ed Scott (NC State), #9 Paddy Gallagher (Ohio State), #10 Paniro Johnson (Iowa State), #11 Trevor Chumbley (Northwestern), #12 Chase Saldate (Michigan), #15 Joey Blaze (Purdue), #18 Teague Travis (Oklahoma State), #19 Cobe Siebrecht (South Dakota State), #20 Colton Washleski (Rider), #21 Jared Hill (Wyoming), #23 Rafael Hipolito (Virginia Tech), #24 Ethan Stiles (Oregon State), #29 Grigor Cholakyan (Stanford), #31 Jimmy Harrington (Harvard) The 157 lb weight class in this tournament was hailed as one of the best and deepest weights of all time with eight of its participants already obtaining All-American status. This weight class doesn’t compare to its predecessor, but at the same time, it’s pretty strong in its own right. It includes three All-Americans and nine of the top-15 wrestlers in the nation. There are three wrestlers in this group that made it onto the CKLV podium a year ago (Scott/Gallagher/Chumbley). New face(s): There’s a lot of new flavor to this weight! Three freshmen are looking to get their big opportunity to knock off high-ranking opponents. Rafael Hipolito is a redshirt freshman who is high-scoring and has big move potential. Hipolito is currently undefeated, but doesn’t have a win over anyone currently in the national rankings. Right behind him is Ethan Stiles, who came over after redshirting at Nebraska. Stiles has a win over Oklahoma State’s Teague Travis and pushed Nebraska All-American Antrell Taylor to sudden victory. Another exciting freshman in the mix is Stanford’s Grigor Cholakyan. Cholakyan’s only blemish thus far is a loss to top-ranked Jacori Teemer. He has achieved bonus point status in his four wins (two majors and two falls). Potential spoiler: The three freshmen we mentioned above are certainly capable of causing headaches at this weight and should be expected to do so. Someone of the non-freshman variety to watch is Harvard’s Jimmy Harrington. As a sophomore, during the 2023-24 season, Harrington went 11-11, but this year he already has beaten All-American Ed Scott and prevailed in an injury default against another AA, Meyer Shapiro. He’s obviously taken a huge step forward in the offseasons. Semifinal Projection: Antrell Taylor (Nebraska) vs. Ed Scott (NC State), Peyten Kellar (Ohio) vs. Ryder Downey (Northern Iowa) Finals Pick: Ryder Downey (Northern Iowa) over Ed Scott (Nebraska)

Moorehead

Marist

Week 5 was not as action packed as the previous four weeks… or any week moving forward. It was essentially like when your fantasy football roster has almost everyone on BYE. That said, there were some that took advantage of the majority stop. For these standings, we will be using the Basic Fantasy Scoring through @WrestleStat (Win by Dec +3, Loss by Dec -3, Win by Pin +6, Loss by Pin -6, etc). Only results against D1 competition (starters, backups, and redshirts) will count towards Fantasy Points. Standings are first ordered based on total Fpts, then if tied by Points Per Match (PPM). Week 5 Notes: Four duals were scattered throughout the week and one tournament, with only a smattering of starters entered. The biggest winner of Week 5, fantasy wise, was Lehigh’s 149 Kelvin Griffin who wrestled 5 matches and earned 27 Fpts to be #1 of Week 5 and vault all the way up to tied for 6th in the Overall Standings (previously he was not within the Top-33). Week 5 Leaders Year-Long Fantasy Point Standings

With a very abridged week due to the Thanksgiving holiday, there were minimal changes in the national rankings. Expect the opposite next week as we have the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and SIU Edwardsville’s Cougar Clash on the schedule. These rankings should get turned on their head next Tuesday. The biggest change was moving redshirt freshman Max McEnelly into the top-four at 184 lbs after his sudden victory win over returning NCAA fourth-place finisher Bennett Berge. McEnelly remains undefeated and this was his first win that did not come via technical fall. He also was unbeaten in 2023-24, while redshirting. As a result of McEnelly’s bump, Minnesota jumped into the third spot in the team tournament rankings. The Gophers last earned an NCAA team trophy in 2014 (2nd) so it’s neat to have them back in contention. With Minnesota occupying the third slot in the team tournament standings, the Big Ten has the top four squads in that particular ranking. For the full set of rankings, Click Here:

Alright, so we’ve had a few articles looking back at the history of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (placers and the 2023 tournament). Now, let’s get to the matter at hand! The 2024 tournament. This year’s version of CKLV will be the deepest regular-season tournament of the 2024-25 season. It probably won’t be quite as stacked as last year, but that’s picking nits at this point. There should be excellent bouts at every weight and deep brackets full of potential upsets. Before getting to actual previews, we’ve highlighted a match that we’re hoping to see at each of the ten weights. All of them include key contenders that are expected to compete (as of Monday afternoon). Some have been included because they are another chapter in a good rivalry, others are intriguing because we’ve never seen that particular matchup. 125 - #2 Caleb Smith (Nebraska) vs. #3 Matt Ramos (Purdue) At this point, we’d be surprised to see top-ranked Richie Figueroa (Arizona State) in action after getting dinged at the Daktronics Open a few weeks ago. With Figueroa out of the picture, a Caleb Smith/Matt Ramos bout could be the best possible bout in this weight. These two met twice and split in 2023-24 - with the first time coming in Vegas. Ramos was the top seed in 2023 and was stunned in the quarterfinals by Nico Provo (Stanford). After securing a spot in the top eight, Ramos was defeated by Smith in an epic bout that required tiebreakers. Ramos would get a measure of revenge with a 5-2 victory in the same round of consolations at the Big Ten Championships. Despite Ramos holding the fourth seed at nationals and Smith receiving the #15, it was Smith who made the NCAA podium with a sixth-place finish and Ramos who came up a match shy. Both of these past All-Americans come to Vegas in good form and unbeaten. Smith has a Navy Classic title to his name and Ramos won the Tiger Style Invite. With Figueroa’s status uncertain, this could be for the de facto #1 spot at the weight. 133 - #4 Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) vs. #9 Tyler Knox (Stanford) Dylan Ragusin versus Evan Frost (Iowa State) is a potential match that features returning All-Americans and Frost is ranked higher than Tyler Knox; however, this is a match we’ve already seen and it was lopsided in favor of Ragusin. A potential bout against the redshirt freshman, Knox, is one we have not seen. Knox used Vegas as a coming-out party last year when he upset Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State) in round one and posted four more wins over NCAA qualifiers before settling into fifth place. The Stanford staff resisted the urge to pull Knox from redshirt and he only saw action in two other events after Vegas (and didn’t have the same level of success). Knox has been excellent in the early going this year, stunning NCAA runner-up Drake Ayala (Iowa) and posting a solid win over Zeth Romney (Cal Poly) in his most recent outing. Ragusin got on the NCAA podium for the first time in 2024, but has been a figure within the top ten for most of his collegiate career. He started the campaign off with 20 straight wins, a streak that included three tournament titles - the most notable being the Midlands. Back in 2021, Ragusin won the CKLV at this weight class. He was fifth in 2022. Last year, he did not enter. 141 - #4 Brock Hardy (Nebraska) vs. #6 Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) Ok, so I’m flip-flopping a bit. I didn’t mention Ragusin/Frost because “we’ve already seen it,” but at 141 lbs I’m eager to see the fourth chapter in the Brock Hardy/Cael Happel rivalry. Last year, the two met in Vegas and in a dual meet, both of which were won by Happel. Both contests featured a ton of scoring. In Vegas, Happel came out on top in a 15-13 barnburner in the consolation semis. Just over a month later, Happel prevailed 11-8 in sudden victory. Going back to the previous CKLV (2022), it was Hardy who cruised to a 6-1 win in the finals over Happel. This was after Happel stunned multiple ranked competitors on his way to the championship match. Hardy has been able to earn All-American honors in both of his NCAA appearances, taking sixth in 2023, before his third-place finish in Kansas City. Despite his regular season success, Happel is still looking to earn his first All-American award after falling in the NCAA bloodround in 2024. Whether we see this match or not, these two are also slated to tangle again in dual action in early January. 149 - #1 Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) vs. #5 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) And again, we have a potential rematch in the works. Ridge Lovett was the top-ranked 149 lber a year ago and ran through an impressive CKLV weight class that featured many of the top contenders at the weight class. One of them was Caleb Henson who Lovett took down early in the first period and made that stand on the way to a 4-3 decision. A few months later, their paths would cross again, in the NCAA semifinals. This time it was Henson who narrowly escaped, 1-0. The next day he would win an NCAA title, while Lovett slid down to sixth place. Based on the totality of his 2023-24 season, a fifth-place ranking seems a bit low for Lovett; as he had a bad Friday and Saturday at the NCAA Tournament, but does have wins over many of the key players at this weight. In addition to winning in Vegas, Lovett also captured his first Big Ten title last season - after making the finals back in 2021. He also was a national finalist in 2022. Henson’s title made him the second national champion in Virginia Tech’s program history. He also has earned All-American honors in each of his two seasons in Blacksburg, without taking a redshirt year. Both of these wrestlers come into Vegas unbeaten. Henson has yet to wrestle in a bout that’s been closer than nine points. Lovett is 3-0, but had to grind out a win over two-time All-American Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina). 157 - #3 Antrell Taylor (Nebraska) vs. #6 Ryder Downey (Northern Iowa) We’ve mentioned it a couple of times already and will probably do so again, but 157 lb is officially wide open after injuries to #1 Jacori Teemer (Iowa) and #2 Meyer Shapiro (Cornell). Teemer is expected to be shelved for a significant amount of time, while Shapiro’s absence is more indefinite. He was not on the initial entry list submitted by Cornell. With the two top wrestlers at this weight questionable, someone else has to step up, right? It could be either of these two wrestlers, Antrell Taylor or Ryder Downey. Though it’s another Nebraska/UNI matchup, these two have yet to meet because Taylor spent the 2023-24 campaign up at 165 lbs. Interestingly enough, neither of these wrestlers got on the CKLV podium last year, but this time they’ll be viewed as favorites. Downey went 2-2 (but did have two good wins: Paddy Gallagher/Trevor Chumbley) as did Taylor. Downey went on to win a title in a star-studded Big 12 weight class. In doing so, he had to outlast Cody Chittum (Iowa State) in an epic overtime contest. NCAA losses to multi-time All-Americans Jared Franek (Iowa) and Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) kept him off the podium. Taylor was fifth in a loaded 165 lb Big Ten weight class which led to him receiving the eighth seed at nationals. He wrestled up to that seed and earned All-American honors as a freshman. 165 - #3 Peyton Hall (West Virginia) vs. #5 Terrell Barraclough (Utah Valley) This could be the first of potentially four meetings between veterans Peyton Hall and Terrell Barraclough. Since both are in the Big 12 conference and WVU is on UVU’s schedule, they could clash both times, plus another at nationals. Terrell Barraclough has been one of the great stories during the first month of the 2024-25 season. After spending five years behind some excellent teammates at Penn State, Barraclough decided to use his final year of eligibility in his home state and wrestle for Utah Valley. He has proven to be a star for first-year head coach Adam Hall - as he attempts to get the program off the ground. Barraclough is already 9-0 on the year with wins over two past All-Americans, could Peyton Hall be number three? Hall was prominently seen at the NWCA All-Star Classic where he pinned Stanford’s Hunter Garvin in one of the more entertaining matches of the evening. Last year, Gavin majored Hall at the NCAA Championships, but not before the Mountaineer wrestler secured his spot on the NCAA podium for a second time. Hall is aiming to become the first WVU wrestler since Greg Jones in 2005 to earn All-American honors three times. We’ll talk more about it later this week, but there are plenty of potential obstacles from this match happening, as the wrestlers ranked #6-#10 nationally, at this weight, are all slated to attend. 174 - #3 Cade DeVos (South Dakota State) vs. #5 Dean Hamiti (Oklahoma State) The Big 12 is loaded at 174 lbs and features three of the top-five wrestlers in the nation - all of whom are past All-Americans. Two are expected to compete in Vegas as Cade DeVos and Dean Hamiti could meet for the first time. Cade DeVos is the defending CKLV champion at this weight, while Dean Hamiti will make his first career appearance at this event. He spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Wisconsin and never participated in the CKLV. While he doesn’t have a CKLV title, Hamiti has won the Midlands once and the Midlands substitute - the MatMen Open. During his time at Wisconsin, Hamiti earned All-American honors twice and appeared in the Big Ten finals twice - winning in 2023. Hamiti’s bid for a third straight All-American award came to an abrupt halt last year in the NCAA bloodround when he fell to Oklahoma State’s Izzak Olejnik, the 2023 CKLV champion at 165 lbs. Now, Hamiti is wearing the orange and black and presumably training in the RTC with Olejnik. DeVos not only won the CKLV Invitational in 2023, but parlayed that success into a Big 12 championship and the second seed at the NCAA Championships. After a quarterfinal loss to Lennox Wolak, DeVos wrestled his way onto the podium and then defeated Wolak for fifth place. DeVos has only seen action in two duals so far this season; however, both resulted in wins over ranked opposition. Hamiti has been utterly dominant in his four matches this season with a major decision mixed with two techs and a fall in four matches. It will be interesting to see if he and Dustin Plott have improved drastically working closely with David Taylor and crew. Oklahoma State and South Dakota State do not dual in 2024-25, so we’d have to wait until the Big 12 Championships to see a rematch. 184 - #2 Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) vs. #3 Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State) This is an NCAA finals rematch from last season. Parker Keckeisen posted a 14-5 major decision over Dustin Plott to claim his national title and finish a run of bonus point wins in all five of his NCAA bouts. He also won by an identical 14-5 score in the Big 12 finals, as well. These two did not meet in Vegas last year as Dustin Plott lost a barnburner to Lenny Pinto in the quarterfinals and had to wrestle back for third - which he did and he defeated Pinto in his final match. Like his teammate at 174 lbs, I’m eager to see if the work with David Taylor has helped bridge the gap between Plott and Keckeisen. Obviously, with a pair of major decisions in the postseason, there’s a lot of work to be done. Keckeisen is officially 2-0 on the year with a pair of high-quality wins. In his first bout of the season, he downed returning All-American Bennett Berge (South Dakota State), 8-3. In a much-anticipated dual with Missouri back in his home state of Wisconsin, Keckeisen posted a 17-4 major decision over NCAA Round of 12 finisher Colton Hawks. Keckeisen also competed in the main event at the NWCA All-Star Classic and suffered a close loss to four-time national champion Carter Starocci of Penn State. 197 - #1 AJ Ferrari (CSU Bakersfield) vs. #3 Jacob Cardenas (Michigan) We’re still waiting on official confirmation that AJ Ferrari will be among the entries for CSU Bakersfield at the CKLV. If so, it would represent the deepest field of competition for Ferrari before NCAA’s. Ferrari took the mat for the Roadrunners in week one of the regular season and picked up two quality wins, but has yet to wrestle since. There are some rumblings that he may not be in action. A solid 5-0 win over an opponent like #21 Nick Stemmet (Stanford) has shown that Ferrari is close to being back to the caliber of wrestler that won a 2021 NCAA title as a true freshman. Jacob Cardenas was fourth at the 2023 CKLV and matched that same finish at the 2024 NCAA Championships. It was his second career All-American honor after taking eighth in 2023. Cardenas the undergraduate portion of his career competing for Cornell. He would not have had any Ivy League eligibility remaining for the 2024-25 campaign and was forced to transfer if he wanted to use his additional year. That’s where the University of Michigan comes in. The Wolverines had gone through two consecutive seasons without a national qualifier at 197 lbs, so they had a need for a wrestler of Cardenas’ caliber. The early returns for Cardenas at his new school have been excellent. He has tech’ed his only three dual opponents and outscored them by a combined 51-1 margin. 285 - #3 Wyatt Hendrickson (Oklahoma State) vs. #6 Isaac Trumble (NC State) There are plenty of options available for great heavyweight matchups this week, but we’ll go with a potential battle between two U23 world champions, Wyatt Hendrickson and Isaac Trumble. Since this is the first year that Trumble is competing at heavyweight, the two haven’t met in the college ranks. They likely have some sort of familiarity with each other as both were on the 2023 U23 world team together. Hendrickson has been as good as ever in his new home. In his most recent dual outing, he posted an 11-5 win over All-American Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) in a match that was not as close as the scoreboard might indicate. Schultz could be in the CKLV field, as well. Aside from the Schultz win, Hendrickson has also tallied two techs and a fall this season. Trumble earned the starting slot for the Wolfpack after unseating Owen Trephan, winner of the last two ACC Championships. Despite a loss via fall to Schultz, Trumble already has notched wins over a pair of 2024 All-Americans, Yaraslau Slavikouski (Rutgers) and Taye Ghadiali (Campbell.). Ghadiali was a third-place finisher last year and is expected to be in the field this year, too. A meeting between these two could be a great show for fans as both are offensive-minded big men.

Tell a friend to tell a friend, she’s baaaaack, and so is the MACtion. There has been a lot of wrestling this past month. So, let’s get into it! George Mason remains undefeated, 6-0 George Mason is 6-0 on the season, remaining undefeated. They’re the only undefeated team in the country to have six duals under them this early into the season. This is their second-best start to a season. Yes, they did even better than this back in the 22-23 season when they opened their season going 8-0. George Mason has beaten Bloomsburg (42-0), Millersville (54-0), Williams College (37-6), Edinboro (21-18), Clarion (26-9), and SIUE (32-8). Ohio beats B1G opponent Wisconsin on Nov. 1, 25-14 Both redshirt junior and 2024 All-American, Peyten Kellar and redshirt freshman Kaden Jett won tough overtime matches. At 141 pounds, Jett won 5-2, while Kellar had a close 8-7 victory at 157 pounds. Before redshirt sophomore Austin Starr gave Ohio a decisive 15-1 major decision at 197 pounds, the Bobcats and Badgers were close. The team's win was cemented when redshirt senior Jordan Greer defeated Gannon Rosenfeld of Wisconsin by a major decision of 13-4 at 285 pounds. Lock Haven shuts out Bloomsburg, 48-0 It was Lock Haven's first shutout since the 2018–19 season. All ten matches were won by the Bald Eagles, who also won six of seven with bonus points. Anthony Noto (133), Wyatt Henson (141), and Lucas Kapusta (149) all had consecutive technical falls. Nick Stampoulos (157), Caden Dobbins (165), and James Lledo (197) all prevailed by major decision, while Ethan Miller ended the evening with a decision at 285. Lock Haven also benefited from three forfeits that evening, Sean Logue, (125), Tyler Stoltzfus (174), and Colin Fegley (184). Additionally, it was the tenth consecutive victory over the Huskies. NIU defeats Rider for the first time in program history, 20-19 The last two matches were the deciding factor. The Huskies lost the next five matches to the Broncs after winning the first three, which included two bonus points. The Huskies were within two points at 19-17 after Spencer Mooberry earned a victory by fall, and Jacob Christensen held out for a 3-1 decision to give NIU the W. Rider wins first dual of the season over Wisconsin, 28-12 Steyn De Lange set the tone for the dual at 197 pounds by defeating Niccolo Colucci 4-3 after a fierce battle. McKenzie Bell, at 141 pounds, started things off by defeating Brock Bobzien 10-4. Both Isaac Dean and Sammy Alvarez performed takedown clinics, earning tech falls. At 157 pounds, Colton Washleski earned a pin against Luke Mechler. At 165 pounds, Enrique Munguia maintained the Broncs' momentum by defeating Cale Anderson via major decision, 9-0. After an exciting comeback against Luke Condon, Michael Wilson, weighing 174 pounds, sealed the dual for the Broncs. After falling behind 9-3, Wilson went double under to win 10-9 and formally seal the Rider win. Clarion’s standout, John Worthing John Worthing (174) of Clarion is their standout wrestler. He is their only wrestler in the starting lineup with one loss thus far in the season, currently sitting at 5-1. His lone loss to Michigan’s Joseph Walker. Worthing ended his 23-24 season going 19-10, placing third at the MAC tournament. He was also an NCAA qualifier from the 2023 tournament. Lock Haven Knows Wrestling The Bald Eagles have had winners at every tournament they’ve entered thus far this season. Connor Eck (157) went undefeated at Journeymen and won the Millersville Open. They ended the Princeton Open with one winner, Wyatt Henson (141), and five finalists, Anthony Noto (133), Lucas Kapusta (149), Nick Stampoulos (157), Colin Fegley (184), and Tucker Hogan (197). Lock Haven also won the PRTC team title with 149.5 points. Noto, Bassett (165), Fegley, and Hogan were all champions with 11 other placers. To start December, Lock Haven’s Gable Strickland wrestled unattached and won the Mat-Town Open (hosted by Lock Haven). Rider’s standout, Isaac Dean Isaac Dean (184) of Rider is one of their standouts. The Broncs hosted the West Virginia Mountaineers on Nov. 14 at Rider. Dean beat WVU’s Ian Bush who at the time was ranked #22, 4-2. Dean is now in the Intermat rankings at 31st in the country. Dean went 13-14 on the 23-24 season. He is currently 6-2 on the season. MAC Wrestlers in the rankings 133 #14 Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) 141 #23 Wyatt Henson (Lock Haven) 149 #22 Sammy Alvarez (Rider) #26 Ryan Burgos (Edinboro) 157 #5 Peyten Kellar (Ohio) #17 Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan #20 Colton Washleski (Rider) #25 DJ McGee (George Mason) #33 Nick Stampoulos (Lock Haven) 165 #24 Evan Maag (George Mason) #32 Enrique Munguia (Rider) 174 #17 Alex Cramer (Central Michigan) #23 Garett Thompson (Ohio) #32 John Worthing (Clarion) #33 Tyler Stoltzfus (Lock Haven) 184 #24 Malachi DuVall (George Mason) #28 Colin Fegley (Lock Haven) #31 Isaac Dean (Rider) 285 #19 Daniel Bucknavich (Cleveland State) #22 Jordan Greer (Ohio) #24 Bryan Caves (Central Michigan) #31 Jacobi Jackson (Northern Illinois)

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