InterMat Staff

Will Denny photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com Another edition of the Super 32 is in the books. As expected, the tournament did not disappoint. There was even a finals match that is already being discussed as one of the best high school matches ever. But, that’s a topic for a different day. Today, we’re looking at the placewinners from the boys high school division and where they are headed for college. Five different schools have commitments from four placewinners. Another four have commitments from three placers. As illustrated in the lead up to the tournament, the Super 32 can be a preview for success at the collegiate level. There no doubt that we’ll see many of the names below with deep runs at future NCAA Tournaments. Wrestlers have been sorted by the future school and listed with their home state. All wrestlers are from the Class of 2025 unless otherwise noted. Air Force Bradley Patterson (Georgia) - 3rd at 113 lbs American Colin Martin (Virginia) - 5th at 126 lbs Army West Point Jayce Paridon (Florida) - 5th at 138 lbs Brown Devon Magro (Pennsylvania) - 6th at 150 lbs Cal Poly Levi Bussey (California) - 4th at 190 lbs Cornell Adrian DeJesus (New Jersey) - 7th at 132 lbs Anthony Knox (New Jersey) - Champion at 126 lbs Joseph Toscano (California) - 4th at 144 lbs - Class of 2026 Sergio Vega (Arizona) - Champion at 138 lbs Indiana Carson Thomas (Ohio) - Champion at 190 lbs Iowa State Christian Castillo (Iowa) - Champion at 120 lbs Lehigh Chase Van Hoven (Virginia) - 4th at 150 lbs Maryland Brokton Borelli (California) - 5th at 190 lbs Michigan Gauge Botero (Pennsylvania) - 6th at 120 lbs Minnesota Leo Contino (California) - 8th at 157 lbs Missouri Dominic Bambinelli (Georgia) - Runner-Up at 165 lbs Seth Mendoza (Illinois) - Runner-Up at 132 lbs Kollin Rath (Pennsylvania) - Runner-Up at 157 lbs Navy Nikos Filipos (Pennsylvania) - 7th at 113 lbs NC State Will Denny (Illinois) - Champion at 157 lbs Dom Deputy (Pennsylvania) - 8th at 126 lbs - Class of 2026 Brogan Tucker (Ohio) - 4th Place at 157 lbs Daniel Zepeda (California) - Runner-Up at 144 lbs Nebraska Tyler Eise (California) - Champion at 175 lbs Nikade Zinkin (California) - 6th at 144 lbs Cade Ziola (Nebraska) - 3rd at 215 lbs North Carolina Nate Askew (North Carolina) - 8th at 144 lbs Jacob Levy (Georgia) - 4th at 285 lbs Mitchell Younger (Ohio) - 7th at 144 lbs Northern Iowa Logan Paradice (Georgia) - 3rd at 144 lbs Oklahoma Jake Hockaday (Indiana) - 3rd at 132 lbs Oklahoma State Beau Hickman (Oklahoma) - 8th at 150 lbs Ronnie Ramirez (California) - 6th at 126 lbs Landon Robideau (Minnesota) - Champion at 150 lbs Ethan Teague (Oklahoma) - 8th at 175 lbs Oregon State Nathan Carrillo (California) - 7th at 126 lbs - Class of 2026 Travis Grace (California) - 6th at 165 lbs - Class of 2026 Khale McDonnell (California) - 4th at 215 lbs Manny Saldate (Nevada) - 8th at 132 lbs Penn Brian Heard (Pennsylvania) - 7th at 175 lbs Eren Sement (Pennsylvania) - 8th at 138 lbs Penn State Asher Cunningham (Pennsylvania) - Champion at 165 lbs Nathan Desmond (Pennsylvania) - 4th at 126 lbs Dalton Perry (Pennsylvania) - Runner-Up at 138 lbs Pittsburgh Elijah Brown (Pennsylvania) - 7th at 190 lbs - Class of 2026 Princeton Vincenzo Lavalle (New Jersey) - Runner-Up at 190 lbs Purdue Noah Weaver (Indiana) - Runner-Up at 215 lbs Rutgers Jordan Chapman (New Jersey) - Runner-Up at 175 lbs Tahir Parkins (Pennsylvania) - 3rd at 138 lbs South Dakota State Jacob Herm (Wisconsin) - 5th at 157 lbs Stanford Dylan Pile (California) - 3rd at 175 lbs Angelo Posada (California) - Champion at 215 lbs Virginia Tech Collin Gaj (Pennsylvania) - 5th at 150 lbs Noah Nininger (Virginia) - 5th at 144 lbs Aaron Seidel (Pennsylvania) - Runner-Up at 126 lbs Claudio Torres (Florida) - 7th at 165 lbs Ben Weader (Virginia) - 6th at 157 lbs Wyoming Lane Foard (Virginia) - 6th at 190 lbs

Immaculate Conception

St. Michael-Albertville

Skyview

Northfield Mt. Herman

St. Mark's

Rosemount

Huntingtown

Buford

95 lb Championship: Hailey Delgado (Texas) over Isla Silva (Pennsylvania) 10-0 Third Place Match: Lilly Breeden (Missouri) over Justice Gutierrez (Colorado) 4-4 Fifth Place Match: Gail Sullivan (New York) over Alliya Walker (Virginia) 10-0 100 lbs Championship: Jaclyn Bouzakis (Pennsylvania) over Katey Valdez (Colorado) 8-6 Third Place Match: Libertie Nigh (Ohio) over Madison Nieuwenhuis (Michigan) 6-4 Fifth Place Match: Summer Mutschler (Maryland) over Alexandria Barskiy (New Jersey) 7-1 106 lbs Championship: Kayla Batres (Connecticut) over Camryn Gresham (Ohio) 8-2 Third Place Match: Joslyn Johnson (Florida) over Julia Horger (Pennsylvania) Fall 1:14 Fifth Place Match: Sarissa Tucker (Virginia) over Avy Perez (California) MedFFT 112 lbs Championship: Reagan Mathers (Arizona) over Abbie Cooper (California) 6-3 Third Place Match: Gigi Bragg (Minnesota) over Taylor Whiting (Michigan) 10-7 Fifth Place Match: Marie Sharp (New Jersey) over Julianna Hernandez (New York) Fall 3:09 118 lbs Championship: Epenesa Eilson (California) over Riley Rayome (Texas) 10-0 Third Place Match: Caley Graber (Minnesota) over Savannah Witt (Pennsylvania) Fall 1:32 Fifth Place Match: Leiannah Landreth (Kansas) over Angela Bianchi (Wisconsin) 9-2 124 lbs Championship: Everest Leydecker (Arizona) over Emma Bacon (Pennsylvania) 10-0 Third Place Match: Victoria Carbonaro (New Jersey) over Molly Allen (Iowa) Fall 1:17 Fifth Place Match: Sierra Chiesa (Pennsylvania) over Lexy Pabon (Maryland) 8-4 132 lbs Championship: Taina Fernandez (Maryland) over Corynne McNulty (Massachusetts) 10-0 Third Place Match: Alexis Lazar (Michigan) over Samantha Sachs (California) MedFFT Fifth Place Match: Taina McGowan (New Jersey) over Taylor Ellis Hishaw (Oklahoma) MedFFT 138 lbs Championship: Riley Hanrahan (Wisconsin) over Zoey Haines (Pennsylvania) 8-2 Third Place Match: Camilla Hathaway (Pennsylvania) over Madeline Haynes (Missouri) Fall 3:03 Fifth Place Match: Isis France (Pennsylvania) over Louise Juitt (Missouri) MedFFT 148 lbs Championship: Violette Lasure (Pennsylvania) over Belicia Manuel (Michigan) Fall 2:59 Third Place Match: Ella Poalillo (New Jersey) over Sarah Henckel (Connecticut) Fall 3:51 Fifth Place Match: Gray Joyce (Kansas) over Ryen Hickey (Colorado) 7-3 160 lbs Championship: Kaili Manuel (Michigan) over Alexandria Alli (Ohio) 8-3 Third Place Match: Matilda Hruby (Colorado) over Juliet Alt (Pennsylvania) Fall 3:25 Fifth Place Match: Remington LaFlamme (Texas) over Raegan Snider (Pennsylvania) 9-5 175 lbs Championship: Jael Miller (Pennsylvania) over Kaylie Hall (West Virginia) 13-8 Third Place Match: Leilani Lemus (California) over Makayla Vasser (Nebraska) 6-0 Fifth Place Match: Ylyana Sandoval (Pennsylvania) over KyLee Lindsley (Montana) 8-0 200 lbs Championship: Josephine Larson (Illinois) over Grace Leota (Florida) 5-2 Third Place Match: Tirza Twoteeth (Montana) over Caroline Biegel (New Jersey) Fall 1:36 Fifth Place Match: Kitana Leafaatoto (Nevada) over Kinslee Collier (Oklahoma)

106 lbs Championship: Caleb Noble (Illinois) fall Sean Kenny (New Jersey) 5:45 Third place: Hayden Schwab (Iowa) fall Julian Rios (Massachusetts) 5:12 Fifth place: Brayden Wenrich (Pennsylvania) dec Turner Ross (Oklahoma) 4-0 Seventh place: Chase Karenbauer (Pennsylvania) dec Keegan Bassett (Pennsylvania) 4-0 113 lbs Championship: Freddy Bachmann (Pennsylvania) over Johnathon McGinty (New Jersey) 4-2 Third place: Bradley Patterson (Georgia) maj CJ Caines (Pennsylvania) 12-3 Fifth place:Ignacio Villasenor (Oklahoma) maj Dunia Sibomana (New York) 13-2 Seventh place: Nikos Filipos (Pennsylvania) dec Oumar Tounkara (New York) 5-3 120 lbs Championship: Christian Castillo (Iowa) dec Antonio Mills (Georgia) 6-5TB Third place: Joseph Uhorchuk (Tennessee) dec Joe Bachmann (Pennsylvania) 6-0 Fifth place: Aydan Thomas (Oklahoma) dec Gauge Botero (Pennsylvania) 7-5 Seventh place: Grey Burnett (Ohio) dec Sean Willcox (California) 8-5 126 lbs Championship: Anthony Knox (New Jersey) dec Aaron Seidel (Pennsylvania) 3-2 Third place: Moses Mendoza (California) dec Nathan Desmond (Pennsylvania) 7-4 Fifth place: Colin Martin (Virginia) MedFFT Ronnie Ramirez (California) Seventh place: Nathan Carrillo (California) dec Dom Deputy (Pennsylvania) 5-2 132 lbs Championship: Jax Forrest (Pennsylvania) dec Seth Mendoza (Illinois) 9-3 Third place: Jake Hockaday (Indiana) dec Layne Kleimann (Utah) 5-2 Fifth place: Zach Stewart (Illinois) MedFFT Gavin Mangano (New York) Seventh place: Adrian DeJesus (New Jersey) maj Manuel Saldate (Nevada) 11-2 138 lbs Championship: Sergio Vega (Arizona) maj Dalton Perry (Pennsylvania) 18-5 Third place: Tahir Parkins (Pennsylvania) dec Sam Herring (Pennsylvania) 11-5 Fifth place: Jayce Paridon (Florida) dec Tyler Traves (Virginia) 8-3 Seventh place: Jason Worthley (Utah) dec Eren Sement (Pennsylvania) 6-4 144 lbs Championship: Bo Bassett (Pennsylvania) dec Daniel Zepeda (California) 10-7SV Third place: Logan Paradice (Georgia) dec Joseph Toscano (California) 10-7 Fifth place: Noah Nininger (Virginia) dec Nikade Zinkin (California) 4-1 Seventh place: Mitchell Younger (Ohio) dec Nate Askew IV (North Carolina) 4-1 150 lbs Championship: Landon Robideau (Minnesota) tech Blake Cosby (Michigan) 20-5 Third place: Dorian Olivarez (Texas) maj Chase Van Hoven (Virginia) 8-0 Fifth place:Collin Gaj (Pennsylvania) dec Devon Magro (Pennsylvania) 7-3 Seventh place: Zeno Moore (Florida) dec Beau Hickman (Oklahoma) 2-0 157 lbs Championship: Will Denny (Illinois) dec Kollin Rath (Pennsylvania) 7-3 Third place: Melvin Miller (Pennsylvania) dec Brogan Tucker (Ohio) 5-4 Fifth place: Jacob Herm (Wisconsin) dec Ben Weader (Virginia) 9-8 Seventh place: Joey Canova (New Jersey) fall Leo Contino (California) 1:39 165 lbs Championship: Asher Cunningham (Pennsylvania) dec Dominic Bambinelli (Georgia) 12-11 Third place: Salah Tsarni (Maryland) dec Liam Carlin (New York) 6-5 Fifth place: Aidan Costello (Indiana) fall Travis Grace (California) Fall 2:27 Seventh place: Claudio Torres (Florida) maj Mario Carini (California) 11-3 175 lbs Championship: Tyler Eise (California) fall Jordan Chapman (New Jersey) 2:45 Third place: Dylan Pile (California) MedFFT Jonathan Rocha (California) Fifth place: Tyler Morrison (Pennsylvania) maj Waylon Cressell (Indiana) 11-3 Seventh place: Brian Heard (Pennsylvania) MedFFT Ethan Teague (Oklahoma) 190 lbs Championship: Carson Thomas (Ohio) dec Vincenzo Lavalle (New Jersey) 7-1 Third place: Ryder Wilder (Georgia) dec Levi Bussey (California) 4-1SV Fifth place: Brokton Borelli (California) MedFFT Lane Foard (Virginia) Seventh place: Elijah Brown (Pennsylvania) Fall Alex Reyes (New Jersey) Fall 3:47 215 lbs Championship: Angelo Posada (California) fall Noah Weaver (Indiana) Fall 1:56 Third place: Cade Ziola (Nebraska) maj Khale McDonnell (California) 10-2 Fifth place: Conor Delaney (New Jersey) dec Jason Singer (Pennsylvania) 5-2 Seventh place: Ashton Honnold (Iowa) maj Lincoln Carlson (Connecticut) 13-2 285 lbs Championship: Dean Bechtold (Pennsylvania) dec Michael Mocco (Florida) 5-0 Third place: Mark Effendian (Pennsylvania) dec Jacob Levy (Georgia) 1-0 Fifth place: Mark Marin (California) MedFFT Landon Jobber-Spence (Virginia) Seventh place: James Hartleroad (Indiana) MedFFT Mateo Vinciguerra (New Jersey)

Yesterday, we looked at some of the top freshmen who should take the NCAA by storm in their first year of eligibility. Today, we’re going to the other end of the spectrum. Seniors or super Seniors. These wrestlers have already had excellent careers, yet are seeking to make the NCAA podium for the first time. Most of them have resumes filled with quality wins over All-Americans or wrestlers of that ilk. They just need to get it done on Friday at the NCAA Tournament. If you don’t have a dog in the fight at one of these weights, they might be someone to pull for. In my opinion, it’s always a special sight when that battle-tested senior finally breaks through and gets the proverbial monkey off his back with an NCAA quarterfinal or bloodround win. Here are ten top seniors to watch in 2024-25: #8 Jacob Camacho (NC State) - 125 lbs Jakob Camacho has been so good for so long that he had an excellent opportunity to make the NCAA podium in the 2020 tournament that was canceled during the onset of the COVID pandemic. During that season, Camacho claimed the first of his three ACC titles. Interestingly enough, the year he did not win ACC’s (2021) was the season where he advanced farthest at nationals. There he lost in tiebreakers to Killian Cardinale (West Virginia) in the bloodround. The following two seasons, Camacho has been eliminated in the NCAA Consolation Round of 16. Through his four years at NC State, Camacho has amassed a 63-21 record. At one point during the 2023-24 season, Camacho held the #1 ranking after a 7-0 start and a win over returning national runner-up, Matt Ramos (Purdue). That led to an 0-3 showing at the Collegiate Duals. Looking at Camacho’s losses from his last two NCAA Tournament’s, they all come to legit studs. Both wrestlers to defeat Camacho in 2024 ended up in the top five. In 2022, he fell to NCAA runner-up Pat Glory (Princeton) and Eric Barnett (Wisconsin). Conversely, Camacho also has a win 2022 NCAA Tournament win over 2024 runner-up, Drake Ayala (Iowa). 125 lbs could be as wide open in 2024-25 as it was last season. That means Camacho could rise up the ranks pretty quickly, but also is on upset alert every match. #10 Connor McGonagle (Virginia Tech) - 133 lbs While others on this list have compiled lofty win totals and deep NCAA Tournament runs, Connor McGonagle is a bit of an outlier. McGonagle first appeared for Lehigh during the abridged 2021 season at 141 lbs and made the NCAA Tournament. A year later, still at 141, McGonagle missed the first month of the season and was about .500 when he came back and had a second straight 0-2 showing at nationals. The 2022-23 season marked the first time McGonagle was able to compete at his ideal weight class and he thrived down at 133 lbs. McGonagle went 11-2 during the regular season and notched wins over eventual All-American Kai Orine (NC State) and perennial All-American contender Mickey Phillippi (Pittsburgh). Unfortunately, McGonagle was injured at the EIWA Championships and was unable to compete in Tulsa, though he initially received an at-large berth. In 2023-24, Lehigh was ready to unleash super-freshman Ryan Crookham at 133 lbs. Crookham and McGonagle met early in the year at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic and Crookham prevailed in sudden victory. At that point, McGonagle already had been selected to participate in the NWCA All-Star Classic. He ended up wrestling and beating current Virginia Tech teammate Sam Latona in a match that went to extra time. McGonagle would later enter the portal and transfer to the Hokies. It’s difficult to gauge where McGonagle fits into a very solid 133 lb weight class. Aside from Orine, most of his best wins have come against opposition no longer at the weight. The same goes for some of his losses. If healthy, and that’s a big if, the change of scenery and one last shot could be all that McGonagle needs to get on the podium. #7 Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) - 141 lbs It might be hard to believe but last year was the first time that Cael Happel earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Despite racking up a 35-18 record during his first two seasons in Cedar Falls, Happel did not receive an at-large berth as a freshman and needed one as a sophomore. Last year, Happel maintained the momentum he created by finishing fourth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, by advancing to the Big 12 finals in a deep conference weight class. Unfortunately, Happel dropped his next match, too. It was in the first round of the NCAA Championships in sudden victory against Vance Vombaur (Minnesota). Happel would later get eliminated in the bloodround after a 5-2 loss to returning national runner-up, Real Woods (Iowa). During the 2023-24 regular season, Happel notched wins over eventual All-Americans Brock Hardy (Nebraska) and Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State) - along with NCAA top-ten seeds Sergio Lemley (Michigan) and Tagen Jamison (Oklahoma State). As a sophomore, Happel had multiple wins over wrestlers who would end up on the podium - Clay Carlson (South Dakota State) and Dylan D’Emilio (Ohio State). As we’ve seen for a few years now, Happel can beat just about anyone in the country on any given day. He just needs to do so at the right time in March. #9 Josh Koderhandt (Navy) - 141 lbs Last year, the Naval Academy brought through and had their first All-American since 2016 as David Key took eighth place at the 184 lb weight class. Now, can Navy produce All-Americans in back-to-back years for the first time since 2008-09? It’s possible with returning EIWA champion, Josh Koderhandt. Through three years of competition at Navy, Koderhandt’s record sits at 75-29. He has qualified for the NCAA Tournament in all three years, including a pair of EIWA finals appearances. After failing to win a match at the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Koderhandt advanced to the Round of 12 in Kansas City before falling to Brock Hardy (Nebraska). In fact, looking at Koderhandt’s resume, seven of his eight 2023-24 losses came to wrestlers that ended up on the podium in KC (Tagen Jamison was the other). So generally, Koderhandt almost always beats the guys you’d expect him to beat. Koderhandt started his 2023-24 season by downing past All-American Cole Matthews in Navy’s surprising upset of Pittsburgh. Later in the year, he downed multiple-time All-American Clay Carlson (South Dakota State). At the EIWA Championships and NCAA’s he picked up wins over 2022 AA, CJ Composto (Penn). The 141 lb weight should look pretty similar to the 2023-24 version of the weight class. The top three finishers all return, along with 2023 champion Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado) and the two wrestlers at the backend of the podium. Those challengers, along with Koderhandt, Happel, and other potential first-time AA’s like Lemley and Jamison make for a deep group. To get on the podium, Koderhandt will have to pick up a win or two over an opponent who you probably wouldn’t expect him to beat. #13 Chase Saldate (Michigan) - 157 lbs A top-15 prospect from the Class of 2020, Chase Saldate was one of the highest-ranked recruits to sign with Michigan State in some time. Saldate had a solid career for the Spartans, but has never been able to get over that proverbial hump. In the offseason, he transferred to rival Michigan in hopes that a new environment and a talented group of training partners could be the push needed to get onto the NCAA podium (and perhaps more). Saldate’s best Big Ten finish came as a true freshman in 2021 when he was fourth in the conference at 157 lbs. His best all-around season was in 2022-23, when he finished fifth at the Big Ten meet, earned the #11 seed at nationals and advanced to the NCAA Round of 12. Unfortunately, at that point, Saldate ran into the high-flying Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) and fell via third-period pin in a back-and-forth affair. At the NCAA Tournament that year, Saldate posted wins over a pair of Big Ten foes who had given him trouble in the past (Trevor Chumbley/Northwestern and Kendall Coleman/Purdue). Unfortunately, Chumbley turned the tables and eliminated Saldate from the 2024 national tournament. We’ll have to see how the new room, coaching staff, and training partners benefit Saldate. In his recent interview with our Kevin Claunch, Saldate seemed refocused and reinvigorated. Could that different frame of mind lead to an uptick in results on the mat? Last year, we saw two of Michigan’s super-seniors advance to the NCAA finals (Austin Gomez and Lucas Davison) for the first time in their highly decorated careers, why not Saldate? #16 Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan) - 157 lbs We mentioned Chase Saldate, so how about an opponent he’s clashed with frequently over the year, in-state rival Johnny Lovett. Saldate’s move from MSU to Michigan keeps the rivalry alive, as the Chippewas are on Michigan’s dual schedule, as per usual. Lovett is 1-2 career against Saldate. The two split matches in 2023-24. The Chippewa got the best of Saldate at the Midlands and Saldate returned the favor in their dual. Even though Saldate posted the more recent head-to-head win, it was Lovett who advanced further in Kansas City. After an opening round upset loss, Lovett defeated three consecutive higher seeds to earn a berth in the the bloodround. There his season came to an end after a major decision loss to Meyer Shapiro (Cornell). Still, it accounts for Lovett’s deepest NCAA run in his four appearances. Throughout his career, Lovett has bounced between 149 and 157 lbs. He spent his first two years at 157, but dropped down and won a MAC championship at 149, yet went 1-2 at the NCAA Tournament in 2023. He returned to 157 last year and expects to compete there as well in 2024-25. Lovett heads into his final year in Mount Pleasant with a career mark of 81-34. He has shown the ability to beat All-Americans (multiple wins over Will Lewan) and has the resiliency to flip past results from losses to wins. He’s also competing in perhaps the deepest MAC weight, which might account for an extra loss or two, but ultimately prepares him for Philadelphia. #5 Julian Ramirez (Cornell) - 165 lbs If we were ranking the wrestlers in this feature, Julian Ramirez may be at the top of this list. Ramirez is a two-time EIWA Champion and a three-time NCAA Round of 12 finisher. Over the past two years, he’s come into national with the fourth and third seed at 165 lbs, respectively. At the 2023 NCAA Championships, Ramirez was shocked in the opening round by Caleb Fish (Michigan State) but rebounded with three straight wins before he met former national champion Shane Griffith (Stanford) in the bloodround. Last year, he was edged by Mikey Caliendo in the quarters and shocked by Peyton Hall (West Virginia) in the Round of 12. Ramirez’s best performance of the 2023-24 season came in Vegas at the CKLV where he stunned the eventual national champion, David Carr (Iowa State), in the semifinals. Earlier in the tournament, he majored Hunter Garvin (Stanford), who later would finish sixth in the nation. For a good portion of the season, after Vegas, Ramirez was ranked second in the country. Ramirez has always had good showings in Vegas - winning the tournament in 2022 and taking fourth as a freshman. Ramirez heads into his final season with a 73-19 career record and is ranked fifth in the country. Based on his talent, that is even slightly lower than what he “should” be. Because of his NCAA finish and a win over Hall, Garvin comes in at number three. In Vegas, we could sort some of this out. The two wrestlers ranked directly above Ramirez are slated to appear, as are the four directly below him. #7 Nick Incontrera (Penn) - 174 lbs Ramirez’s Blair Academy teammate, Nick Incontrera is also someone who has been in the mix for most of his career at Penn, yet has to achieve All-American status. Over the past two NCAA Tournaments, of the four wrestlers that have defeated Incontrera, three of them he has beaten previously. It’s not necessarily a question of whether or not Incontrerra can beat the upper-echelon wrestlers at this weight, it’s doing it when the stakes are the highest. The 2024 NCAA Tournament saw Incontrera fall to Lennox Wolak (Columbia) in the championship Round of 16, 4-2. Just under two months before Kansas City, Incontrera was victorious in dual action, 5-3. A pre-final loss at the EIWA Championships prevented the two from clashing and Incontrera settled for fifth-place and the #10 seed at nationals. Perhaps Incontrera’s best regular season win last year came early in the year when he majored Iowa’s Patrick Kennedy. For the second straight year, Incontrera had a strong showing at the Midlands. He was third at the 2023 tournament after making the 2022 finals. In both years, his only loss came to Illinois’ Big Ten champion and All-American Edmond Ruth. With the Ivy League’s separation from the EIWA and Wolak’s transfer to Virginia Tech, Incontrera will start the year as the favorite to claim his first conference crown. Through three years of competition, the three-time national qualifier sports a 71-27 career record. #9 Zach Glazier (South Dakota State) - 197 lbs Most of the wrestlers on this list have a long track record of success and near misses at the national tournament. Zach Glazier is the exception. He was a spot starter for Iowa for the first few years of his career and ended up as the starter last season after Jacob Warner exhausted his eligibility. You’ve probably heard the story hundreds of times by now, but there were overtures from the Hawkeye Wrestling Club towards 2021 NCAA Champion AJ Ferrari to come in and wrestle 197 lbs for Iowa last year. Those didn’t work out. Late in the summer of 2024, Iowa was able to secure the transfer of three-time All-American Stephen Buchanan. That led to Zach Glazier’s transfer to South Dakota State. At this time last year, we didn’t know what to expect from Glazier. Through three years of limited competition, Glazier had tallied a 10-5 record filling in, as needed. Glazier showed he was capable in the early going with a 7-3 win over Iowa State’s Julien Broderson, which clinched the Cy-Hawk dual for the Hawkeyes. In his first Big Ten dual of the year, Glazier majored the returning Big Ten champion, Silas Allred (Nebraska). After the smoke cleared from the Big Ten Championships, Glazier was ready for nationals with a 24-2 record. He was the lone Hawkeye representative in the Big Ten finals and received the seventh seed in Kansas City. Unfortunately, Glazier was upset in the opening round by Virginia Tech’s Andy Smith in sudden victory. Two matches later, he was knocked out by Little Rock freshman Stephen Little, also in extra time. Glazier fills a hole perfectly for SDSU, as he’ll replace two-time All-American and NCAA runner-up Tanner Sloan. This Jackrabbit team had a great showing at the NCAA Tournament with a 13th-place finish - on the strength of four All-Americans. Three return in 2024-25. He, along with four-time All-American Rocky Elam (Missouri), will be the favorites at 197 lbs in the Big 12. #10 Zac Braunagel (Illinois) - 197 lbs Last year, injuries and redshirts held Illinois back and the squad was only able to muster a 5-9 dual record. Now, with the young kids and veterans off redshirt and assuming full health, Illinois could be a team that opens some eyes in 2024-25. One of the wrestlers who sat out and took an Olympic redshirt was Zac Braunagle at 197 lbs. Though still in college, Braunagel has already represented the United States at the World Championships in Greco-Roman. While he wasn’t able to make the 2024 Olympic Team, Braunagel was able to gain valuable experience and likely saved his body from the grind of a Big Ten season. In each of his last two years of collegiate competition, Braunagle’s NCAA Tournament has ended in the Round of 12. In 2022 it was at 184 lbs and, a year later, 197. Both times came after a top-four showing at the Big Ten Championships and a top-12 seed at nationals. Coincidentally, both bloodround losses have come to Cornell wrestlers (Jacob Cardenas in 2023 and Jonathan Loew in 2022). In addition, during the 2023 tournament, Braunagel had an excruciatingly close 3-2 loss to Ethan Laird (Rider) in the quarterfinals, where a win would have secured All-American honors. Amazingly enough, during his most recent year of collegiate competition, Braunagel notched four wins over current/future All-Americans (Michael Beard, Younger Bastida, Jacob Warner, and Gavin Hoffman). Braunagel’s final campaign will take place in a new look Big Ten. The conference favorites are both multi-time All-American transfers, Stephen Buchanan (Iowa) and Cardenas (Michigan). Should Braunagel be able to get on the podium, it might help propel the Illini to their first top-ten finish since 2016.

Each and every year we see a new crop of freshmen that take the college world by storm. The jump from high school to college is significant, but there are a select few who appear to make that leap seamlessly. Just last year we saw Rocco Welsh (Ohio State) come out of a potential redshirt to make the national finals, while #1 overall recruit Meyer Shapiro (Cornell) was as good as advertised and finished third at a deep 157 lb weight class. Nasir Bailey (Little Rock) finished fourth in the country and is the centerpiece of an upstart Little Rock program and Luke Stanich (Lehigh) captured an EIWA title and was seeded second in the nation. Pennsylvania natives Tyler Kasak (Penn State) and Ty Watters (West Virginia) ended up wrestling each other for third place at nationals. We are usually shocked at just how good these young kids are and, at this point, maybe we shouldn’t be surprised. Whether we realize it or not, there will be a handful of true freshmen who end up making a deep run at the 2025 NCAA Tournament in Philadelphia. So, who are they? InterMat has tried to identify seven true freshmen who have a path to a starting role and have the talent to win and win in a big way in year one. The key phrase in the previous sentence is “path to a starting role.” This isn’t just a regurgitation of the top high school wrestlers from 2024. Many of those wrestlers have a veteran in front of them on the depth chart, which leads you to believe that they’ll spend the 2024-25 season in redshirt. But, as we saw last year with Welsh or Kasak, an injury can change everything and occasionally thrusts a freshman into an unexpected role. The wrestlers have been listed along with their Big Board ranking from the Class of 2024 and their projected weight for the 2024-25 campaign. #1 Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) - 125 lbs All signs point to the top overall recruit in the Class of 2024 getting the opportunity to compete right away for Penn State at 125 lbs. Incredibly, 125 lbs has been a revolving door for the Nittany Lions which has produced zero All-American honors since Nico Megaludis’ national title in 2016. That may not be much of a drought for many schools, but at Penn State, one that has produced All-Americans and national champions with such great regularity, it is quite surprising. Since 2017, the other nine weights have combined for 49 All-American honors. Back to Lilledahl. After this summer, Lilledahl is a four-time age-group world finalist - winning a gold medal in freestyle at the U17 and U20 World Championships. Each title came after settling for silver in the previous year. Domestically, Lilledahl won a pair of National Prep Championships, along with two titles at the Walsh Ironman and the Super 32. Additionally, Lilledahl did compete in a few collegiate opens during the 2022-23 season and compiled a 9-2 overall record. His most significant win came over Northern Iowa’s Trever Anderson who started the preseason ranked #28 in the nation. Expect Lilledahl to come in and threaten for a national title in year one. Lilledahl has answered the bell at every level and exceeded expectations at every stop. Key Date: December 15th vs. Wyoming. This could be the first All-American for Lilledahl as Wyoming has the returning Big 12 champion and NCAA seventh-place finisher Jore Volk. A match against Volk should go a long way in determining how good Lilledahl can be in year one. The pair met at the 2023 U20 Open and Lilledahl prevailed over Volk who was a returning world champion. #26 Conner Harer (Rutgers) - 157 lbs Rutgers has done a good job on the recruiting trail at keeping some of their home state’s best talent at home. With Conner Harer’s signing (along with Mason Gibson), Rutgers has signaled that they are ready to take some of Pennsylvania’s best. 157 has been a bit of a problem for Rutgers as they have only qualified it for nationals once in the last four years. With Harer aboard, that all could change. Since there isn’t a clear-cut established starter holding down the position, Harer gets his shot immediately. Harer is a three-time Pennsylvania AA state champion and four-time medalist. He was twice a Super 32 third-place finisher and twice an NHSCA grade-level national champion. Without factoring Harer into the national rankings, Rutgers is already a top-20 dual and tournament team. Should Harer make the impact that the Rutgers staff believes he can, they could move up significantly in both rankings. Key Date: November 17th vs. NC State The Jersey Jostle! This will be the first opportunity for Harer to see a past All-American in NC State’s Ed Scott. Scott’s dangerous, wide-open style should be an excellent litmus test for the true freshman. For those who love high school wrestling, it’ll be a clash of wrestlers who combined to win five Pennsylvania state titles. #27 Tucker Hogan (Lock Haven) - 197 lbs It can be difficult for Lock Haven to compete with the top title-contending teams in the recruiting battles, so frequently Scott Moore and his staff have to develop overlooked gems. Tucker Hogan is the rare exception. He’s a two-time Pennsylvania AAA state champion who decided to stay in his home state and compete for the Bald Eagles - a program that already had his older (smaller) brother. Hogan has placed once in Fargo at both age groups (fifth in Juniors) and was third at the 2023 Super 32. In winning both of his Pennsylvania state titles, Hogan defeated now-teammate Cole Bartram, who was also a top-150 prospect. 197 lbs can be a difficult weight for a true freshman to break through and make an impact. The size and physicality can be too much for many true freshmen. In this instance, I can see it working out well. Anyone that Moore sends out on the mat has a chip on their shoulder and is a fighter. I’d expect Hogan to follow suit. Hogan will compete in a MAC weight class that did not have a single wrestler in the preseason rankings, so should he develop quickly, he could certainly be in the mix for a conference title. Key Date: November 3rd at Princeton Open It’s always hard to project who will or won’t be wrestling at open tournaments. As of now, we know that Lehigh, Princeton, and Drexel are slated to compete at the Princeton Open. Their starters are #7 Michael Beard, #19 Mac Stout, and #22 Mickey O’Malley, respectively. Matches against all of the three during week one will represent “getting thrown into the fire” for Hogan. The key date might be the Journeymen Collegiate Classic the following week to see how he responds to his first taste of collegiate action. #44 Max Shulaw (Virginia) - 197 lbs Sticking with the 197 lbers, Virginia has a top-50 prospect that is a potential starter in 2024-25 in Max Shulaw. Shulaw was a three-time Ohio DII state finalist and two-time champion for St. Francis DeSales HS. During his final title run, Shulaw pinned his way through the tournament. The only loss of Shulaw’s senior season came at the Walsh Ironman - where he ended up in third. Shulaw won the tournament in 2022. As a sophomore, he was a finalist at the Beast of the East. Shulaw steps into an ACC weight class that is loaded with veteran talent. There are four conference wrestlers ranked within the top 28 and three of them are seniors. That being said, none would be considered NCAA title contenders. A realistic scenario for Shulaw could be taking a few lumps during the regular season, but improving and outwrestling his seed at the ACC Tournament. Key Date: November 24th vs Michigan We could say the Southeast Open on the first weekend of the regular season. There’s the potential for a handful of solid 197’s to be in attendance. But on November 24th, it gets really real. Two-time All-American Jacob Cardenas, who is on the short list of potential NCAA champion-types. Cardenas is a huge full-sized 197 lber, one who is a handful for most 197’s, much less a true freshman. #46 Paul Kelly (California Baptist) - 149 lbs Still relatively new to the DI scene, California Baptist made waves in 2024 as they earned they held down the #24 spot in InterMat’s Recruiting Rankings. The centerpiece of a loaded recruiting class was Poway, California’s Paul Kelly. Kelly was a three-time California state medalist, finishing third and then second during his final two years of high school. Kelly really shined in the international styles, placing six times in Fargo and once at the UWW U17 Trials. Over the summer, Kelly made the Junior freestyle national finals and was third in Greco. Back in folkstyle, Kelly was fourth at the Super 32 and a Doc Buchanan champion his senior year. The Lancers took huge strides last year with their first two DI national qualifiers. Now a national recruiting ranking and one of those top recruits (Kelly) getting the nod in year one. A big year from the true freshman could drive California Baptist recruiting to even bigger heights. Kelly and California Baptist compete out of the Big 12 which is generally strong in every single weight class. 149 lbs is no different. There should be a pair of All-Americans at the weight and seven wrestlers featured in our preseason rankings. That being said, the final three of those are in the 27-33 range, so it could be semi-manageable for a stud freshman. Key Date: December 6/7th at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational If Kelly is as good as his pre-collegiate accolades would lead you to believe, there’s a path that could have him unbeaten or with just a loss heading into the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. It’s way too early to project who might be wrestling in Vegas, but three of the top-five and five of the top eight wrestlers at 149 lbs have this on their respective schedules. #50 Dillon Bechtold (Bucknell) - 197 lbs Here’s one more 197 lber to watch out for! Dillon Bechtold is a two-time Pennsylvania AAA state finalist and finished his career on top of the podium. Prior to his senior season, Bechtold was seventh in the Junior division in Fargo at both styles and then was fifth at the Super 32. Just last year, Bucknell sent a pair of true freshmen (at 165/174) to the NCAA Tournament, so could Bechtold have a similar impact in year one? Bechtold will compete in an EIWA weight class that features a pair of past conference champions, Michael Beard (Lehigh) and Mickey O’Malley (Drexel), but isn’t necessarily deep after those two. He should have the opportunity to put together a strong year one and has a few examples in the Bison room to learn from. Key Date: November 15th vs Minnesota In Bucknell’s second event of the year, they’ll travel to Minnesota who has 2024 Big Ten champion (at 184 lbs) and NCAA All-American Isaiah Salazar. This will be one of Salazar’s first events at his new weight and should give Bechtold an early indication of what the top contenders at this weight feel like. #87 Chris Vargo (Edinboro) - 125 lbs Kudos to the Edinboro coaching staff as they identified and signed Chris Vargo before he really took off. Vargo created a national stir last year when he defeated Jax Forrest in the Pennsylvania AA Southwest Regional. Forrest would turn the tables in the state finals, but Vargo was able to do something that very few wrestlers at any age, in any style have been able to do, which is defeat Forrest. Vargo finished his high school career as a four-time state placewinner - twice making the state finals. He’s a throwback to the type of recruits that Edinboro signed when his new assistant coach, AJ Schopp, competed. Small school wrestlers that may not have a ton of national credentials, but are hungry to compete and improve. Speaking of Schopp, he’ll be a great mentor for the true freshman Vargo. In his coaching career, Schopp has worked closely with NCAA champion Seth Gross, runner-up Matt Ramos, and Big Ten finalist Devin Schroder. Each also had a top game that improved significantly under Schopp’s teaching. 125 should be one of the best weights in the MAC. They’ll have NCAA title contender #2 Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) along with ranked wrestlers like #23 Blake West (Northern Illinois) and potentially Joey Fischer (Clarion). Fischer is also a potential redshirt candidate. Key Date: November 9th at the Michigan State Open Again, we don’t know exactly who will or won’t be at the MSU Open, but generally, you get quality competition from the Big Ten and MAC. There could be multiple ranked wrestlers for Vargo to see in East Lansing. Edinboro is also slated to attend the Clarion Open the previous weekend, which might have a good field too. Special Note: Also, look out for Princeton 125 lber Marc-Anthony McGowan. McGowan was tabbed the #12 overall wrestler in the Class of 2023. He suffered an injury over the summer and didn’t enroll in 2023-24, which allows him to be considered a freshman this year. Should the injury be a non-factor, McGowan could be a significant factor at 125 lbs this year. His resume includes three National Prep titles, a U17 world title, and two Walsh Ironman championships. Princeton also has an excellent pair of lightweight coaches with Joe Dubuque and Cody Brewer. The following wrestlers don’t have as clear of a path to a starting role. They might need to win a wrestle-off or need their respective coaching staff to green-light them competing immediately in year one. #3 Aeoden Sinclair (Missouri) - 184 lbs #25 Rune Lawrence (West Virginia) - 197 lbs #31 Pierson Manville (Arizona State) - 149 lbs #32 Nate Blanchette (Rutgers) - 165 lbs #36 Luke Simcox (North Carolina) - 141 lbs #67 Chris Kiser (Michigan) - 125 lbs #68 Adrian Meza (Iowa State) - 125 lbs #81 Nate Taylor (Penn) - 184/197 lbs #89 Kendrick Hodge (Campbell) - 165 lbs #160 Xavier Giles (Princeton) - 174 lbs #182 Branson John (Maryland) - 174 lbs

Sun Valley

State College

Gonna go on record and say Rutgers is a real player for Bo Bassett. Tell us why it makes sense, Jagger. Willie Saylor This drew a good amount of attention in the social media land and rightfully so. Making the claim that one of the top high school recruits in a generation may possibly bypass the bluebloods of the sport and take his talents to New Jersey is certainly newsworthy. But it’s also based in reality. Sure, most people assume Bo will just end up at Penn State because, well, many top recruits go to Penn State. But why have this marathon song and dance if you’re going to end up where everyone thinks you will end up? I truly believe the Bassett family is looking at this with a completely open mind to find the best fit, or deal, for their son. So why can’t it be Rutgers? This is the type of recruit that potentially changes the entire landscape of your program. If he is giving you a chance then you make the best of that chance and go for it. Unleash the best recruiting pitch you have in your arsenal. And they have. Assistant coach and PA native Steve Mytych was first on the scene when the clock struck midnight. They want him and believe they can get him. Let's face it. Bo likes the attention. And he handles it just fine. He seems to thrive on it. Does that mean he’s going to go unnoticed at one of the powerhouse schools? Of course not. But coming to a school like Rutgers gives you a chance to form your own path and build your own legacy. And if they decide to travel to your home visit in a Brinks truck, well that’s fine, too. It doesn’t hurt that Rutgers already has Mason Gibson in the fold to help butter the bread a bit. These guys are a close-knit group and may want to stay together. Rutgers is a program on the rise that has hit the Pennsylvania recruiting trail hard over the last few years. They have a rabid fanbase that packs the arena every time out. They have a brand new facility. They have Jagger Night. They’re a short drive from the media capital of the world. They wrestle in the top conference. Sure, you can go to Penn State or Ohio State or Iowa. That’s easy. But going somewhere else to try and beat those guys? That’s the stuff legends are made of. So while I still think it’s a long shot, it’s a legit shot. And sometimes all you need is a shot. Nick here, longtime reader, friend of the program. What's one preseason wrestling story we are seemingly overlooking now that we're in October? I'll hang up and listen. Nick Kosko Good question. I’ll have to think about that. Perhaps the return of Sammy Sasso? The guy is just over a year removed from getting shot in the stomach and not even being able to walk afterward. I’ll admit I thought his career was over. But like with most things, I was wrong. The former Nazareth star is back in the fold for the Buckeyes and up at 165. I’m not sure what more I can really say here. He nearly lost his life and he’s back a year later. Truly remarkable stuff and I wish him the best. Nothing would make me happier than to see Sammy and his patented backpack run out for one more NCAA final. Does the timing of WNO take the shine off any potential Super 32 matchups for you or more excited for the potential immediate rematches? Rhino I like it. I like the way the fall preseason works out. There’s no real National high school circuit, so this time of year provides the best competition for the top kids before they all compete in their respective high school seasons. As great as WNO is, it’s an all-star event for kids who may not have even had a legit match in months. Maybe you’re a bit rusty. Maybe your weight isn’t quite right yet. Maybe you’re better after wrestling all day as opposed to one match. Maybe you and your opponent weren’t even the top guys and now you have your shot at the top guy. I also like that we get some good folkstyle primers before the college season hits. Once we get to November it’s just overloaded with open tournaments and random duals. October is the perfect time for the future of the sport to get their own spotlight. In other words, no shine is taken off anything. It seems the high school to college recruiting forecasts and announcements get earlier and earlier every year. When should I start paying attention? Burger King of Kings You don’t stop paying attention. You don’t even sleep. Just drink coffee and refresh message boards until your head explodes. When will the "Phillies fans save Trea Turner's 2023 season" documentary come out? Do we need to have a watch party? Earl Smith Too soon. This column has a loyal Philadelphia fanbase and we do not want to anger them at this time. Look, it was nice that a fanbase as salty and mean as the Philly faithful gave their star shortstop a bunch of juice boxes to get him going. It was cute. I hope they saved some for Jalen Hurts.

Hunter Catka photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com The Super 32 begins tomorrow and it has become one of the marquee events in the high school wrestling landscape. Though most high schools don’t actually begin competition for another month and a half, the tournament serves as the unofficial starting point for another high school season. Looking back through the past medalists is like a who’s who of high school and collegiate wrestling. That’s exactly what we did as we looked at the last five years of Super 32 medalists and who they signed with (or will sign) to wrestle collegiately. We have listed the teams with the greatest number of Super 32 placewinners first and the number they have recruited is next to the school name in parentheses. If there is an asterisk next to a wrestler, that means they are committed to that program, but have yet to sign. If a wrestler has transferred, we have listed them with the school the originally signed with. Virginia Tech (20) *Ryan Burton (NJ) - 2023 1st Hunter Catka (PA) - 2019 1st Dillon Campbell (OH) - 2021 6th, 2020 7th Mac Church (PA) - 2022 5th, 2021 6th, 2020 4th, 2019 8th Tom Crook (FL) - 2021 4th Parker Ferrell (VA) - 2022 1st, 2021 3rd Cooper Flynn (TN) - 2020 1st *Drew Gorman (GA) - 2023 5th Matt Henrich (NJ) - 2023 5th Caleb Henson (GA) - 2020 1st Sam Hillegas (PA) - 2019 8th *Jayden James (NJ) - 2022 4th Trey Kibe (PA) - 2019 4th Aiden Lacoma (VA) - 2021 3rd Hunter Mason (TN) - 2020 6th *Noah Nininger (VA) - 2022 7th *Aaron Seidel (PA) - 2023 1st, 2022 3rd *Claudio Torres (FL) - 2023 5th Clayton Ulrey (PA) - 2019 3rd Nathan Warden (VA) - 2019 4th NC State (17) Jackson Arrington (PA) - 2021 2nd, 2020 5th Koy Buesgens (MN) - 2022 3rd, 2021 2nd *Will Denny (IL) - 2023 6th *Dom Deputy (PA) - 2023 4th Derek Fields (OH) - 2020 8th Louie Gil (PA) - 2022 6th, 2021 8th Chase Horne (GA) - 2021 1st, 2019 2nd AJ Kovacs (CT) - 2019 5th Gavin Linsman (MO) - 2023 8th Joey Milano (PA) - 2020 3rd, 2019 7th Vincent Robinson (IL) - 2021 4th Latrell Schafer (GA) - 2023 4th, 2022 5th Ed Scott (PA) - 2019 4th Matthew Singleton (GA) - 2021 1st, 2020 2nd Skylar Smith (TX) - 2019 7th Isaac Trumble (NE) - 2019 3rd *Brogan Tucker (OH) - 2023 5th Iowa State (15) *Christian Castillo (AZ) - 2023 4th, 2022 1st, 2021 6th Cody Chittum (TN) - 2021 1st Evan Frost (LA) - 2020 8th Jacob Frost (LA) - 2020 4th MJ Gaitan (CA) - 2021 1st, 2020 5th Daniel Herrera (CA) - 2023 2nd Paniro Johnson (PA) - 2020 4th Conor Knopick (NE) - 2020 5th Adrian Meza (AZ) - 2023 6th Tate Naaktgeboren (IA) - 2022 2nd, 2021 5th *Carter Pearson (IA) - 2022 7th Zach Redding (NY) - 2019 7th Cameron Robinson (PA) - 2019 6th Manny Rojas (MI) - 2020 1st Casey Swiderski (MI) - 2020 4th Michigan (14) Joel Adams (NE) - 2022 6th, 2021 2nd Cam Catrabone (MI) - 2023 2nd, 2022 6th, 2021 3rd *Jude Correa (NH) - 2022 1st, 2021 4th Dylan Gilcher (MI) - 2022 1st, 2021 7th, 2019 4th *Cooper Hilton (TN) - 2021 7th Caden Horwath (MI) - 2020 1st Chance Lamer (OR) - 2020 2nd Sergio Lemley (IN) - 2022 1st, 2021 5th Beau Mantanona (CA) - 2021 1st Brock Mantanona (CA) - 2022 2nd Rylan Rogers (ID) - 2021 1st Nick Sahakian (CA) - 2023 1st, 2022 7th Joseph Walker (IN) - 2019 3rd Hayden Walters (OR) - 2022 1st, 2021 5th, 2020 5th Ohio State (14) Gavin Bell (OH) - 2019 5th Ethan Birden (OH) - 2023 3rd Nic Bouzakis (PA) - 2021 1st, 2020 1st, 2019 1st *Vince Bouzakis (PA) - 2023 3rd, 2022 2nd Gavin Brown (OH) - 2021 6th Ben Davino (IL) - 2023 3rd, 2022 1st Vinny Kilkeary (PA) - 2022 5th, 2022 4th, 2020 1st Jesse Mendez (IN) - 2019 5th Michael Misita (NJ) - 2019 7th Carter Neves (OH) - 2020 8th Ryder Rogotzke (MN) - 2022 1st, 2021 1st *Maddox Shaw (PA) - 2023 1st Seth Shumate (OH) - 2020 5th Rocco Welsh (PA) - 2022 1st, 2021 2nd, 2020 2nd Stanford (13) Daniel Cardenas (CO) - 2020 7th Grigor Cholakyan (CA) - 2022 4th Jack Darrah (MO) - 2021 4th Hunter Garvin (IA) - 2020 3rd Collin Guffey (CA) - 2022 8th Cole Han-Lindemyer (MN) - 2023 2nd, 2022 5th Zach Hanson (MN) - 2022 4th Jacob Joyce (RI) - 2022 7th EJ Parco (CA) - 2023 7th Dylan Pile (CA) - 2023 8th Nico Provo (CT) - 2019 1st Aden Valencia (CA) - 2022 4th, 2021 2nd Abe Wójcikiewicz (IL) - 2022 6th Penn State (12) Austin Boone (MI) - 2019 3rd Braeden Davis (MI) - 2022 3rd, 2020 2nd *Nathan Desmond (PA) - 2023 2nd, 2022 5th, 2021 5th *PJ Duke (NY) - 2022 1st, 2021 1st, 2020 2nd Erik Gibson (PA) - 2020 7th Levi Haines (PA) - 2021 2nd, 2020 2nd Tyler Kasak (PA) - 2021 5th, 2020 7th Luke Lilledahl (MO) - 2022 1st, 2021 1st Mitchell Mesenbrink (WI) - 2021 7th, 2020 6th *Dalton Perry (PA) - 2023 8th, 2021 4th Zack Ryder (NY) - 2021 5th Joe Sealey (PA) - 2022 3rd, 2021 2nd Nebraska (11) LJ Araujo (ND) - 2023 1st Omar Ayoub (OH) - 2022 5th, 2021 5th Jagger Condomitti (PA) - 2019 7th Weston Dalton (CO) - 2022 2nd *Tyler Eise (CO) - 2022 3rd Alan Koehler (MN) - 2021 7th Kael Lauridsen (NE) - 2021 7th, 2020 7th Camden McDanel (OH) - 2022 4th Matthew Moore (CO) - 2022 3rd, 2021 5th Lenny Pinto (PA) - 2019 5th *Cade Ziola (NE) - 2023 7th Cornell (10) Lou Cerchio (NJ) - 2022 4th Vince Cornella (CO) - 2020 3rd *Adrian DeJesus (NJ) - 2023 3rd, 2021 3rd Aiden Hanning (NH) - 2020 4th Jaxon Joy (OH) - 2023 3rd *Anthony Knox (NJ) - 2023 1st, 2022 2nd, 2021 1st, 2020 4th Marcello Milani (MI) - 2022 4th *Alessio Perentin (NJ) - 2023 5th, 2022 7th Joshua Saunders (MO) - 2019 2nd *Sergio Vega (AZ) - 2023 2nd Indiana (10) *Jackson Blum (MI) - 2023 7th Santos Cantu (OR) - 2019 1st Jake Evans (OH) - 2019 6th Derek Gilcher (MI) - 2019 5th Sam Goin (IN) - 2022 4th Tyler Guerra (IL) - 2023 7th Nick Pavlechko (PA) - 2023 4th Henry Porter (CA) - 2020 7th Gabe Sollars (IN) - 2021 4th *Carson Thomas (OH) - 2023 5th Missouri (10) *Dom Bambinelli (GA) - 2023 2nd, 2022 6th Jake Crapps (GA) - 2023 8th, 2022 6th, 2021 2nd Joshua Edmond (MI) - 2019 4th Carter McCallister (MO) - 2022 7th, 2019 7th *Seth Mendoza (IL) - 2023 5th, 2022 2nd, 2021 4th Nate Pulliam (MO) - 2020 8th *Kollin Rath (PA) - 2023 1st, 2022 3rd, 2021 7th, 2020 8th Zeke Seltzer (IN) - 2021 5th, 2020 3rd Aeoden Sinclair (WI) - 2023 1st, 2022 2nd, 2021 7th Clayton Whiting (WI) - 2021 2nd, 2020 3rd North Carolina (10) Gavin Kane (GA) - 2019 2nd Caden McCrary (GA) - 2020 1st, 2019 6th Lachlan McNeil (ON) - 2019 1st Spencer Moore (KY) - 2020 6th, 2019 6th Danny Nini (FL) - 2021 3rd Nik O’Neill (PA) - 2023 4th Noah Pettigrew (GA) - 2020 2nd Aidan Schlett (NJ) - 2022 4th Jayden Scott (NY) - 2020 7th Luke Simcox (PA) - 2023 6th, 2022 8th Oklahoma State (10) Christian Carroll (IN) - 2021 1st, 2020 1st AJ Heeg (OK) - 2022 3rd *Ladarion Lockett (OK) - 2023 1st, 2022 1st JJ McComas (OK) - 2023 2nd *Beau Hickman (OK) - 2023 7th *Ronnie Ramirez (CA) - 2023 3rd *Landon Robideau (MN) - 2023 2nd, 2022 7th *Kody Routledge (OK) - 2023 2nd Brayden Thompson (IL) - 2021 3rd Jordan Williams (OK) - 2019 1st Rutgers (10) Luke Gayer (CA) - 2021 4th Mason Gibson (PA) - 2022 2nd, 2020 2nd, 2019 1st Conner Harer (PA) - 2023 3rd, 2022 3rd Alex Nini (NJ) - 2021 8th *Tahir Parkins (PA) - 2023 8th, 2022 8th Dean Peterson (NJ) - 2019 5th John Poznanski (NJ) - 2019 2nd Ayden Smith (PA) - 2023 5th Brian Soldano (NJ) - 2021 3rd, 2020 1st, 2019 3rd Tony White (NJ) - 2020 4th Wisconsin (10) Braxton Amos (WV) - 2019 1st Graham Calhoun (IN) - 2019 7th Lucas Condon (CA) - 2022 7th Zan Fugitt (MO) - 2022 4th, 2021 3rd, 2020 6th Julian George (NJ) - 2022 8th Dean Hamiti (IL) - 2020 1st Felix Lettini (NJ) - 2021 8th James Rowley (OR) - 2020 2nd Dylan Russo (OH) - 2022 2nd, 2021 5th Mikey Tal-Shahar (FL) - 2021 8th Arizona State (9) Carter Dibert (PA) - 2019 3rd Michael Kilic (GA) - 2021 6th, 2020 3rd Kaleb Larkin (AZ) - 2021 7th Kyler Larkin (AZ) - 2023 4th, 2022 6th *Harvey Ludington (NJ) - 2023 6th Jacob Meissner (MN) - 2021 5th Mykey Ramos (AZ) - 2020 6th Nicco Ruiz (CA) - 2022 2nd, 2021 1st Cael Valencia (CA) - 2019 1st Princeton (9) Anthony Clark (NJ) - 2019 6th Xavier Giles (NY) - 2023 6th Drew Heethuis (MI) - 2022 6th *Vincenzo Lavalle (NJ) - 2022 8th Jacob Mann (MO) - 2020 7th Kole Mulhauser (NY) - 2021 6th Eligh Rivera (FL) - 2021 7th Ethan Rivera (FL) - 2023 5th Ty Whalen (NJ) - 2021 3rd, 2020 6th South Dakota State (9) Bennett Berge (MN) - 2020 2nd, 2019 8th Alek Martin (OH) - 2020 1st, 2019 3rd Quin Morgan (MN) - 2023 4th Roman Rogotzke (MN) - 2020 7th Cael Swensen (MN) - 2020 5th Logan Swensen (MN) - 2023 7th Jared Thiry (IA) - 2022 5th Caleb Thoennes (MN) - 2020 8th Kail Wynia (MN) - 2021 6th Iowa (8) Drake Ayala (IA) - 2020 1st Angelo Ferrari (TX) - 2021 3rd Kolby Franklin (PA) - 2021 3rd Mickey Griffith (IA) - 2021 7th Wyatt Henson (PA) - 2019 3rd Bretli Reyna (FL) - 2019 1st Nate Jesuroga (IA) - 2021 1st, 2020 3rd Kael Voinovich (IA) - 2023 4th Army West Point (7) Joseph Antonio (CA) - 2023 2nd Andrew Christie (PA) - 2022 6th Gage Cook (WA) - 2020 5th Charlie Farmer (IL) - 2019 5th Gunner Filipowicz (GA) - 2021 6th Cooper Haase (FL) - 2022 4th Dakota Morris (NJ) - 2021 7th Oklahoma (7) Alex Braun (MN) - 2023 3rd *Sebastian DeGenarro (FL) - 2022 3rd *Anthony Harris (NJ) - 2023 1st Beric Jordan (OH) - 2020 5th Grayden Penner (MO) - 2019 1st Caleb Tanner (OK) - 2019 4th Andres Thompson (MT) - 2023 5th Penn (7) Alex Almeyda (NJ) - 2019 3rd Martin Cosgrove (NJ) - 2021 2nd, 2020 3rd Kelly Dunnigan (NJ) - 2020 8th Max Gallagher (NY) - 2022 5th Nico Nardone (NJ) - 2020 2nd *Eren Sement (PA) - 2023 6th Nathan Taylor (CT) - 2022 8th Virginia (7) Michael Gioffre (CA) - 2021 6th *Rocco Hayes (IL) - 2023 2nd Dom Isola (FL) - 2019 8th Kyle Monteperto (NC) - 2020 5th Patrick Noonan (PA) - 2019 4th Erik Roggie (VA) - 2019 6th Keyveon Roller (TN) - 2020 6th Lehigh (6) Carter Bailey (CA) - 2020 7th Manzona Bryant (OH) - 2019 5th Dom Federici (PA) - 2023 3rd, 2022 5th Kelvin Griffin (ME) - 2020 8th Calvin Lachman (PA) - 2023 6th Thayne Lawrence (PA) - 2019 2nd Maryland (6) Braxton Brown (TX) - 2019 4th Branson John (CA) - 2023 8th Garrett Kappes (MD) - 2019 6th Dario Lemus (CA) - 2021 4th Jaxon Smith (GA) - 2019 4th Oscar Williams (OK) - 2023 3rd Minnesota (6) Blaine Brenner (WI) - 2020 8th Leo Contino (CA) - 2023 4th Hunter Lyden (MN) - 2020 4th Gavin Nelson (MN) - 2020 2nd Troy Spratley (OK) - 2020 2nd, 2019 7th Bennett Tabor (MN) - 2020 1st, 2019 4th Navy (6) Brennan Cernus (IN) - 2021 6th Josh Koderhandt (IL) - 2020 5th Elijah Penton (FL) - 2023 7th Spencer Lanosga (LA) - 2023 3rd Jonathan Ley (FL) - 2021 4th, 2020 3rd Sammy Starr (PA) - 2020 8th Northwestern (6) Evan Bates (IN) - 2020 7th, 2019 5th Sam Cartella (OH) - 2022 7th August Hibler (NJ) - 2023 6th Joseph Martin (CA) - 2019 7th Dirk Morley (CO) - 2022 6th Joel Vandevere (IL) - 2019 1st Wyoming (6) Garrison Dendy (TN) - 2020 6th Mason Ding (TX) - 2020 3rd *Gunner Henry (IN) - 2023 8th Joey Novak (MN) - 2022 5th Quayin Short (MN) - 2019 8th Jore Volk (MN) - 2020 4th Air Force (5) John Martin Best (WV) - 2019 6th Bryan Burburija (IL) - 2022 6th Myles Johnson (OH) - 2022 7th *Rylan Kuhn (MO) - 2023 6th Karson Tompkins (TX) - 2023 4th Bucknell (5) Dillon Bechtold (PA) - 2023 5th Dorian Crosby (PA) - 2019 4th Noah Mulvaney (WI) - 2022 8th Logan Shepherd (OH) - 2021 2nd Austin Walley (PA) - 2019 8th Campbell (5) Wynton Denkins (OH) - 2022 8th Brandon Hoselton (IL) - 2019 2nd Conor Maslanek (NH) - 2020 6th Chad Nix (FL) - 2019 3rd Justin Rivera (FL) - 2019 2nd Harvard (5) Kenny Herrmann (PA) - 2019 2nd Nolan Liess (NY) - 2023 8th Hudson Skove (NJ) - 2023 8th Diego Sotelo (IL) - 2020 3rd Alex Whitworth (TN) - 2020 4th Northern Iowa (5) Adam Ahrendsen (IA) - 2020 6th Julian Farber (GA) - 2019 8th Cory Land (AL) - 2021 2nd, 2020 3rd, 2019 2nd Logan Paradice (GA) - 2023 4th CJ Walrath (IA) - 2022 7th, 2021 8th Pittsburgh (5) Mick Burnett (OH) - 2019 5th Dylan Evans (PA) - 2021 5th Ethan Finch (PA) - 2020 4th Grant Mackay (PA) - 2020 8th Colby Whitehill (PA) - 2019 5th Purdue (5) Joey Blaze (OH) - 2022 1st, 2021 8th Greyson Clark (WI) - 2022 3rd, 2021 8th Hayden Copass (IL) - 2019 2nd Gerrit Nijenhuis (PA) - 2019 1st Jake Rundell (IL) - 2019 3rd West Virginia (5) Peyton Hall (WV) - 2019 2nd Rune Lawrence (PA) - 2023 2nd, 2022 3rd, 2021 4th Brayden Roberts (WV) - 2019 3rd Jordan Titus (NY) - 2019 4th Ty Watters (PA) - 2022 2nd Appalachian State (4) Carson Floyd (NC) - 2021 7th Francis Morrissey (GA) - 2019 6th Triston Norris (NC) - 2020 4th Ethan Oakley (NC) - 2019 8th Illinois (4) Marko Ivanisevic (IL) - 2023 7th Luke Odom (IL) - 2019 4th Maximo Renteria (CA) - 2019 2nd Kannon Webster (IL) - 2023 3rd Little Rock (4) Brendon Abdon (FL) - 2021 8th KJ Miley (MO) - 2021 2nd, 2019 7th Jeremiah Reno (MO) - 2019 5th Jake Stacey (TN) - 2023 6th Michigan State (4) Caleb Fish (MI) - 2019 8th Darius Marines (MI) - 2023 6th Chase Saldate (CA) - 2019 1st Cory Thomas (MI) - 2023 7th North Dakota State (4) Fernando Barreto (CA) - 2021 8th Michael Caliendo (IL) - 2020 6th Max Magayna (IA) - 2022 7th Zeke Witt (KS) - 2023 7th Oregon State (4) Isaiah Anderson (WA) - 2020 8th Aden Attao (ID) - 2022 4th TJ McDonnell (CA) - 2022 6th Justin Rademacher (OR) - 2021 6th Binghamton (3) Will Ebert (CT) - 2021 5th Nate Lucier (PA) - 2020 5th Charlie Tibbitts (NY) - 2021 8th California Baptist (3) Max Acciardi (NJ) - 2021 4th Paul Kelly (CA) - 2023 4th Carter Schubert (NY) - 2022 5th Columbia (3) Aaron Ayzerov (NJ) - 2020 5th Nick Babin (NJ) - 2019 8th Richard Fedalen (MD) - 2021 4th Northern Colorado (3) Benji Alanis (AZ) - 2020 5th Xavier Doolin (MO) - 2020 6th Brady Hankin (CO) - 2019 8th American (2) JJ Peace (SC) - 2023 6th Lucas White (MO) - 2020 7th Cal Poly (2) Daschle Lamer (OR) - 2022 2nd Dom Mendez (CA) - 2021 6th Central Michigan (2) Caden Ferris (MI) - 2021 8th Aidan Fockler (OH) - 2022 2nd, 2021 6th Chattanooga (2) Cole Cochran (GA) - 2021 8th Landon Jones (GA) - 2023 4th Kent State (2) Enrique Munguia (OH) - 2020 3rd Riley Ucker (OH) - 2021 7th Lock Haven (2) Tucker Hogan (PA) - 2023 3rd Tyler Stoltzfus (PA) - 2019 6th Presbyterian (2) Nathan Carnes (NC) - 2022 7th Dominic Chavez (TX) - 2019 6th Rider (2) Hunter Mays (NJ) - 2021 3rd Brock Zurawski (NJ) - 2022 4th, 2021 8th Bloomsburg (1) Antoine Allen (OH) - 2019 6th Brown (1) Dom Frontino (PA) - 2022 8th Clarion (1) John Meyers (PA) - 2019 6th Davidson (1) Bryce Griffin (IL) - 2023 7th Drexel (1) Kyle Hauserman (PA) - 2020 4th Duke (1) Jack Wimmer (MD) - 2019 6th George Mason (1) Avery Bassett (PA) - 2019 8th Hofstra (1) Danny Church (PA) - 2022 6th SIU Edwardsville (1) Collin Arch (MO) - 2022 5th Utah Valley (1) Jax Garoutte (CO) - 2019 7th

Cael Wiedemoyer photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com The EIWA got on the scoreboard twice Wednesday night as a pair of their teams received verbal commitments from significant recruits. The higher ranked of the two is #25 overall Cael Wiedemoyer (Faith Christian Academy, PA). Heading into the Super 32, Wiedemoyer is ranked eighth in the nation at 165 lbs. Wiedemoyer is expected to compete for a belt in Greensboro at the Super and is fourth at 165 in the preseeds. Wiedemoyer is a two-time Pennsylvania state placewinner - taking third as a freshman at 152 lbs and making the AA finals in 2024 at 160. Shortly after the tournament in both years of high school, Wiedemoyer captured the NHSCA grade-level championship. This is the first verbal commitment for Lehigh in the Class of 2026. Wiedemoyer projects at 184 lbs at the next level, which is a weight where Lehigh has some young talent on the roster or committed from the Class of 2025; however, no one could be viewed as the long-time starter, as of now. Getting Wiedemoyer could have excellent repercussions for Lehigh as his high school is full of DI prospects. Wiedemoyer has been active on the fall campus visit tour. In addition to Lehigh, he has visited Brown, Cornell, Missouri, Penn, and Pittsburgh. The other notable verbal commitment from the Class of 2026 yesterday was Evan Sanati (Brentsville, VA) pledging to Army West Point. Sanati is a two-time Virginia 3A state placer, taking third as a freshman and winning a state title as a sophomore at 126 lbs. Sanati is a three-time Fargo All-American placing fourth on two occasions in 16U Greco-Roman and sixth in 16U freestyle in 2023. He has also taken sixth both times he’s competed at the Beast of the East. At the Super 32, Sanati is seeded #26 at 132 lbs. He’ll project at 133/141 in West Point. Sanati is the second junior to give a verbal commitment to Army West Point this week. Cooper Merli (Newburgh Free Academy, NY) was the first. In addition to Army West Point, Sanati also visited George Mason and was at the University of Virginia last weekend. For all the current commitments from the Class of 2026 - click here.

Faith Christian Academy

Brentsville District

As we see a new NCAA season on the horizon, it’s time to make our way around the country and look at the future for each conference. Today we’re focusing on the MAC. In 2024, the conference produced three All-Americans, two of which return. Two MAC schools were identified in InterMat’s preseason tournament rankings (Ohio 23-T and Lock Haven 25-T). In addition, the MAC led the way with the most head coaching changes. All of that will make for a fun year in the conference. Plenty of new-look teams. Some teams that we know are good and others we might learn about later. We spent the entire 2023-24 season wondering who would win the conference, will it be so uncertain in 2024-25? That is the basis for one of the ten questions we have below that we’ll use to preview the 2024-25 season from the MAC standpoint. 1. Can we get a roll call for the new head coaches? A few weeks ago, we did a feature on the new DI head coaches for the 2024-25 season. Three of the seven come from the MAC. We won’t totally rehash that article, but those coaches are John Stutzman (Bloomsburg), Donnie Vinson (Buffalo), and Ben Bennett (Central Michigan). Within a year or two, I’d expect strong improvements from the Bloomsburg and Buffalo programs. Both of these coaches and their staff have hit the recruiting trail hard. Bloomsburg already has a handful of commitments for the Class of 2025 and even one from the Class of 2026. Vinson’s staff at Buffalo has had plenty of highly ranked wrestlers on campus and appears to be ready to keep many of New York’s best, in-state. As you might expect, in the near future it could be tough for both Stutzman and Vinson. Both programs were hit hard by the transfer portal when their respective vacancies opened. Soon enough, both will be in a better place. Of course, you probably remember that Stutzman spent over a decade as the head man at Buffalo and is returning to a Bloomsburg program where he made a name for himself by putting together a nationally ranked squad that was largely composed of overlooked recruits. Bennett takes over for the legendary Tom Borrelli after Borrelli stepped down following the 2024 NCAA Championships. Bennett is no stranger to the CMU program, having earned All-American honors four times for CMU and serving on the staff since his career ended in 2013. For the most part, I think that new leadership and fresh voices can provide a positive jolt for a wrestling program. Having three new head coaches in the conference is a good thing. There should be renewed enthusiasm within each school’s fanbase and donor list, which is essential in this era of college sports. 2. Will Central Michigan repeat? All throughout the 2023-24 season, a common theme when looking at the MAC was “Who’s going to win the conference title?” Lock Haven came in as the favorite and looked like they may be able to pull it off. Central Michigan had their moments, as did Rider and Northern Illinois. After the conference brackets were released, I thought there was a way that Cleveland State might be able to shock the league. Ultimately, it was probably the most consistent team that shined when it counted and that was Central Michigan. It was truly a team event for the Chippewas as only Alex Cramer (174) came away with a conference crown. Corbyn Munson (149) made the finals. Jimmy Nugent (141), Johnny Lovett (157), and Tyler Swiderski (165) were third. Sean Spidle (125), Cameron Wood (197) and Bryan Caves (285) were fourth. CMU is in a decent position to repeat. Of that group of top-four finishers, only Munson is gone. Spidle will move up to 133 and battle with Vince Perez and Andrew Austin for the starting role. Whoever emerges from that trio should push for a spot in the national rankings. Filling in for Munson at 149 lbs is Mason Shrader. During the 2023-24 season, Shrader amassed a 21-5 record mainly competing at 157 lbs (even a few bouts at 165) behind Lovett. Depending on how the weight cut goes, the drop-off from Munson to Shrader may not be very severe. At 141 lbs, Nugent is expected to get pushed by redshirt freshman Kellan Aure. Aure was 6-4 last season in limited open tournaments. However, that competition turns out, CMU should be in good shape. The other returns just need to continue their development and CMU could field a very solid lineup without any significant holes. 3. Can Lock Haven climb back into the top spot? After winning MAC titles in 2022 and 2023, Lock Haven slipped back to fourth place in 2024. On the way to the 2024 MAC Championships, we knew the Lock Haven lightweights would carry them, but just how far was the question. The Bald Eagles swept the first three weights with MAC titles from Anthony Noto (125), Gable Strickland (133), and Wyatt Henson (141). Unfortunately, those were the only three national qualifiers for Lock Haven in 2024. Who can step up to help the big three in 2024-25? Lock Haven added a qualifier from Buffalo in the transfer portal, as Nick Stampoulos is now on track to start at 157 lbs and carries a preseason national ranking of #31. They’ll also have Tyler Stoltzfus at 174 lbs. Stoltzfus fought through an injury-plagued season and was a far cry from the wrestlers who went 31-14 the previous season and earned a trip to nationals. Another familiar face for Lock Haven fans is 149 lber Nick Stonecheck. At times, Stonecheck was ranked at 149 lbs and was close to the NCAA qualification bubble. Unfortunately, Stonecheck went 1-1 at the MAC Tournament before injury defaulting out. During the regular season, Stonecheck picked up a win over eventual All-American Quinn Kinner (Rider). Lock Haven could also receive a boost from the #20 overall recruiting class in the country. This class was very deep and is headed up by Tucker Hogan, who was considered the #27 overall prospect in the nation. We’ll have more on him shortly. Once again, Lock Haven will be led by their lightweights. Wyatt Henson was a bonus-point machine in 2023-24 and that should occur again this season and is very important in tournaments. Unless the injury bug arrives, they seem to have enough big guns, along with potential contributors to knock off CMU. 4. Who are some of the freshmen to watch? We briefly mentioned Hogan. It appears that he’ll be Lock Haven’s starter at 197 lbs right out of the gate. Hogan is a massive get for Scott Moore’s team. He was third at the Super 32 and fifth in Junior freestyle in Fargo in 2023. In Pennsylvania, Hogan won a pair of AAA state titles and finished third as a sophomore. There are plenty of freshmen who have the potential to start for MAC teams in 2024-25; however, we’re only going to name those that appear to have the biggest impact. Chris Vargo made national news during his senior year at Pennsylvania’s Bentworth High School when he defeated U17 world champion Jax Forrest in the AA Southwest Regional final. Although Forrest returned the favor in the state finals, not many wrestlers in any style, at any age group have beaten Forrest during his high school career. Vargo would finish his high school career with four state medals and two appearances in the finals. Vargo had already inked with Edinboro and it was clear that Fighting Scots head coach Matt Hill might have found a diamond in the rough. It looks like Vargo will go for Edinboro right away at 125 lbs. Having four-time All-American AJ Schopp as a new assistant coach should be huge for Vargo’s transition to college. A redshirt freshman you may not be as familiar with, but need to be, is SIU Edwardsville’s 197 lber Nick Nosler. Over the summer, Nosler made the best-of-three finals in the U20 World Team Trials in Greco-Roman. That finals berth allowed him to travel to Peru and represent the USA at the U20 Pan-American Championships. An experience like that should be invaluable to Nosler as he prepares for the 2024-25 season. While redshirting, Nosler amassed a 21-12 record and went 1-1 in dual competition. Although the bulk of his wins came against non-DI competition, Nosler did notch a winning record against DI opposition. 5. Give me some good news from the transfer portal The transfer portal isn’t always a negative thing. There were plenty of schools that improved themselves via the transfer portal and some of them came from the MAC. The most notable addition to the conference comes in the form of Sammy Alvarez who is currently ranked #24 in the nation at 149 lbs for Rider. Of course, Alvarez has the talent to finish much higher than that, but he hasn’t had much action in the last few years. During his only full season as a starter (2019-20), Alvarez finished sixth in the Big Ten and was seeded #10 at the 2020 NCAA Championships. Rider has been a place where veterans have been able to transfer into and thrive (Jesse Dellavecchia and Quinn Kinner), so maybe Alvarez can reach his full potential back in his home state. Other teams that made gains through the portal include Edinboro (Colton Camacho/133 and Ryan Michaels/157), Lock Haven (Nick Stampoulos/157 and Caden Dobbins/165), Northern Illinois (Markel Baker/133 and Spencer Mooberry/197), along with SIU Edwardsville (Ben Lunn/141, Luke Odom/165, and Griffin Ray/174). Camacho has been close to NCAA qualification status multiple times in the past. Lock Haven’s Stampoulos was a qualifier last year for Buffalo and Dobbins’ presence could allow the Bald Eagles to redshirt Avery Bassett. Baker was close to qualifying for nationals at George Mason, while at 125 lbs in 2022-23. All three of SIU Edwardsville’s transfers come over from Big Ten programs. There are plenty of additional transfers; however, these are the ones that might provide the most impact. 6. NCAA Finals….National Title…Could we see one (or two) from the MAC? The last national champion from the MAC was J’den Cox in 2017, back when Missouri qualified through nationals through the conference. Aside from Mizzou wrestlers, the most recent MAC wrestler to win nationals was Dustin Kilgore (Kent State) in 2011. Could this be the year where a MAC wrestler breaks one of those streaks? If you look at our preseason rankings, you’ll notice a couple of MAC wrestlers ranked very high - in weights that might be manageable to win. Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) comes in second at 125 lbs and Peyten Kellar (Ohio) is third at 157 lbs. Noto dropped a one-point bout to Richie Figueroa (Arizona State) in the NCAA semifinals and Figueroa went on to win the national title. He’s the only one that sits above Noto in the preseason rankings. As we saw last year, the 125 lb weight class was one of the most unpredictable brackets in recent memory. Noto spent multiple weeks at #1 and it wouldn’t be that far-fetched to think that he could navigate a tough bracket and reverse the result in a possible rematch against Figueroa. Kellar wasn’t as much of a known commodity as Noto coming into the regular season or even at the NCAA Tournament. With his performance in Kansas City, Kellar introduced himself to the nation with a stunning performance that saw him finish fifth. After a second-round loss to Jared Franek (Iowa), Kellar posted a major decision victory over Trevor Chumbley (Northwestern), edged #15 Cael Swensen (South Dakota State) 1-0, before pinning #4 Ed Scott (NC State) to secure All-American honors. Kellar wasn’t finished there. He won a 12-10 shootout over #8 Peyton Robb (Nebraska), before falling via pin to Daniel Cardenas (Stanford). Kellar finished with a fall over #12 Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) for fifth place. Kellar starts the year ranked behind national runner-up Jacori Teemer (Iowa) and Meyer Shapiro (Cornell). He didn’t face either during the 2023-24 season; however, he’ll get an early test at the NWCA All-Star Classic in mid-November. Kasak moves up to 157 after an incredible NCAA run himself as a true freshman. He fell in the first round at nationals and battled all the way back for third at 149 lbs. While Kellar may have been overlooked during the 2023-24 regular season, his total body of work was excellent. A 28-4 record with a title in the conference’s deepest weight and regular season losses to only Will Lewan (Michigan) and Paddy Gallagher (Ohio State). There’s a lot of time between now and mid-March, but right now I think the conference has a pair of potential title threats. 7. How about an under-the-radar team to watch? Let’s talk George Mason! The Patriots return a trio of NCAA qualifiers including conference champions Evan Maag (165) and Malachi DuVall (184), along with DJ McGee (157) who went 1-2 at NCAA’s and was a fourth-place finisher at the Midlands. That’s a good place to start. Each begins the preseason ranked in the top-25 at their respective weights. In addition to GMU’s “Big Three,” they also have 174 lber Logan Messer coming off a redshirt year. Messer has been nationally ranked in the past and racked up a 52-18 during his first two years in Fairfax. Messer was close to NCAA qualification in 2023. One wrestler that could really benefit from the new faces on the coaching staff is 149 lber Kaden Cassidy. He’ll get to work regularly with two-time national champion Dean Heil and All-American Max Murin, both new staff members from blue blood collegiate programs. Cassidy was 17-9 last year and finished fifth in a tough MAC weight class. With those five and veterans like Ben Monn (125) or Tyler Kocak (197) potential continuing to develop, Frank Beasley’s team could be a tough-out against anyone and a significant factor in the MAC team race. After finishing third in 2024, two points behind Rider, it might be time to stop labeling George Mason as an “under-the-radar” team. 8. Which veterans take “the next step?” Looking at the recent history of the conference, we’ve seen a handful of wrestlers that saw everything come together as they made the NCAA podium for the first time during their senior seasons. Quinn Kinner, Izzak Olejnik, Will Feldkamp, Ethan Laird, Drew Hildebrandt, and Jesse Dellavecchia are some recent examples (I realize a few were granted an extra year and transferred outside of the conference). So who is this year’s version of Quinn Kinner? We’ve already talked about Sammy Alvarez, Kinner’s replacement, he might be the most logical answer. After Alvarez, how about Johnny Lovett of Central Michigan. Lovett took his lumps throughout the regular season and had a few losses from wrestling in a conference that included Kellar and McGee. That’s understandable. The CMU 157 lber saved his best work for Kansas City as he lost to Kellar by a point in the opening round and proceeded to win three straight matches to make the NCAA bloodround. A notable win during that run came over long-time rival and multi-time All-American Will Lewan of Michigan. Lovett starts the preseason ranked 16th in a weight class that is not quite as deep as the past two or three years. Why not Lovett? Sticking with Central Michigan, maybe 174 lber Alex Cramer is the answer. Cramer won his second MAC title in 2024 and then pulled a slight upset in the first round of NCAA’s by pinning Big 12 finalist Gaven Sax. He picked up a second win in the consolations before getting eliminated by Iowa’s Patrick Kennedy. Cramer starts the preseason ranked #21 in a deep 174 lb weight class; however, you don’t have to beat everyone in front of you to make the podium - perhaps just a guy or two. 9. What are some key out-of-conference events involving MAC teams? There’s a fun new event taking place in conjunction with the NWCA National Duals that will feature a handful of MAC squads. Depending on where you look, it could be called the National Duals, the Elite Duals, the Mid-Major Duals, or maybe something we haven’t seen yet. Whatever it’s called, it is designed to bring together schools that are not a part of Power Four conferences for a dual tournament. From the schedules we’ve seen thus far, George Mason, Ohio, and SIU Edwardsville are slated to compete. Ranked teams that we know are participating include #10 Northern Iowa, #16 Little Rock, #17 South Dakota State, and #25 Wyoming. The event could make for some interesting matchups - individually and as a team. With those types of teams in attendance, the MAC squads should have ample opportunities to take down ranked opponents. Lock Haven has been a fixture at the Collegiate Duals. They’ll return for a third straight year and are slated to meet #7 Ohio State, #8 Iowa State, and #23 North Carolina in dual competition. One of the staple events of November has been Journeymen Wrestling’s “WrangleMania.” Buffalo is the only MAC team on the docket. They’ll face Sacred Heart and California Baptist. A day later, also in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is the Journeymen Collegiate Classic. Wrestlers get separated into pools and typically have three matches against similar competition. As of now, we see Clarion and Lock Haven in the field. Take a look at our Master Schedule (updated regularly) for more detailed information about MAC teams at national events. 10. Does the conference meet or exceed the number of All-Americans (three) from 2024? The MAC had three All-Americans in 2024 and two of those (Noto and Kellar) return. Quinn Kinner has graduated. Hitting that mark of three All-Americans or potentially exceeding it doesn’t seem like an unmanageable feat. Neither Noto nor Kellar were flukes and will likely be considered favorites to at least match their 2024 NCAA placement. That leaves us with another All-American or two. We’ve already mentioned names like Sammy Alvarez, Johnny Lovett, and Alex Cramer. Those are all three good options. Looking back at Lock Haven, maybe Wyatt Henson is the answer. Henson dominated during the first semester while competing unattached. He finally got into the Lock Haven lineup and didn’t miss a beat, for the most part. At the NCAA Tournament, he was upset in the opening round, in sudden victory, before losing his first consolation match in a 10-9 shootout. Henson is probably closer to his NCAA seeding (#12) than his 0-2 showing at nationals. With Lock Haven’s schedule, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to meet strong competition and move up the ranks quickly. If we’re talking Johnny Lovett, we can’t overlook DJ McGee who beat Lovett twice and downed Minnesota All-American Michael Blockhus. McGee was a surprise to most outside of the George Mason room, we’ll see if he can take another step forward this year. Someone who is currently ranked within the All-American range (#8) is Ohio’s Garrett Thompson. Thompson also seemed to come out of nowhere last year and put together a great regular season - one that included a fifth-place finish at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Perhaps the length of the collegiate season got to Thompson as he faltered a bit down the stretch, with a loss in the MAC finals and a 1-2 showing at nationals. Looking at his season with a wide lens, Thompson went 27-8 and earned the #12 seed at NCAA’s. That’s a decent amount of names and I don’t expect each and every one of them to make the NCAA podium. However, if two from that group step up and join Noto/Kellar, then the conference will outwrestle its NCAA performance from 2024.

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. Well, today is Wednesday and true to his word, Bassett has posted an updated graphic which has eliminated one more school from consideration. 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 15. One school was removed from this week's graphic: Air Force The following schools remain on Bassett’s graphic and therefore in contention for his services: Arizona State, Cornell, Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Northern Iowa, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Pitt-Johnstown, Princeton, Rutgers, Virginia Tech. 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's first on-campus visit took place on September 20th-22nd at the University of Michigan and he was joined by his high school teammate #2 Jax Forrest. In Bassett's weekly recruiting update, he noted dates for upcoming official campus visits: Oct 25-27 - Iowa Nov 1-3 - Penn State Nov 8-10 - Ohio State Nov 15-17 - Virginia Tech Nov 22-24 - Oklahoma State Jan 24-26 - Rutgers Bassett will be in action again this weekend at the Super 32 where he'll attempt to win a championship belt for a third consecutive year.

This offseason may have been one of the busiest for the Big 12 conference. A new contender in Arizona State joined, multiple schools are featuring new or revamped coaching staffs, and some moves in the now always prevalent transfer portal gave plenty of talking points over the summer. Now that the season is approaching, it’s a great time to take a deeper look and present some early questions for fans to consider and look out for answers. 1. What will Arizona State’s immediate and long-term impact be? Caught up in all the conference realignment changes, Arizona State is the newest official member of the Big 12. In the past four seasons, the Sun Devils have finished in the top ten, including team trophies in 2021 and 2022. They return a stacked team, as evidenced in my rankings article. Headed into the Big 12, the conference title has seen four different teams win since 2020 with Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Missouri, and most recently Iowa State. This year all of those teams are bringing back heavy-hitting squads, and that’s before you consider teams like South Dakota State and Northern Iowa who can’t be overlooked this season either. Long term it only adds to the growing strength of the conference. Oklahoma State is a popular pick to contend for a title soon and Iowa State is coming off a trophy performance at NCAA’s. Arizona State had some changes with the closing of Sunkist Kids this summer, but they have the framework to get the conference even closer to the top. 2. How quickly do we see the impact of coaching changes? Utah Valley and Oklahoma State both brought in new coaching staff's this offseason. California Baptist brought in new high-profile assistants recently. Roger Kish and Obe Blanc are headed into the second year at their new schools. In the new age of college athletics, results are expected sooner than ever; which leaves the question of when and how much of an impact occurs? Oklahoma State may have the highest expectations with the Olympic-caliber staff brought in. On top of that, they brought in a number of high-profile transfers which has them looking like a trophy team with sky-high expectations. Utah Valley may have a longer build, but brought in a high-profile transfer with Terrell Barraclough. CBU brought in Mark Munoz and Nathan Tomasello, which now gives them strong coaching options throughout the weight classes. The Lancers fly a bit under-the-radar at the moment, but I expect them to build off of getting their first qualifiers last season and return a handful of wrestlers to look out for. Roger Kish and Obe Blanc are both now second-year head coaches but in different positions. Kish had immediate success with their highest finish since 2016 and is looking to keep the roster strong amidst transfer portal additions and subtractions. Blanc is doing an admirable job at NDSU, adjusting after losing a number of wrestlers in the portal. They have a solid stable of middleweights and young talent spread throughout the lineup that could grow into contenders. At one point the general thought process was it took five years to truly give coaches a chance to enact their changes and build their team. With the pre-built foundation at many of these schools, that timeline may be shortened. Keep a close eye on these teams to see how results and expectations adjust over the course of a season. 3. How many true freshmen could we see? On the 2024 Big Board nine of the top 25 committed to a Big 12 school, just three behind the Big 10. There’s a good distribution within that as well with Oklahoma State (2), Oklahoma (2), Missouri (1), West Virginia (1), Arizona State (1), Air Force (1), and Iowa State (1). While many of these young wrestlers will likely get mat time with their five dates while redshirting, there are a few that seem primed to be seen early and often. Cody Merrill is the highest ranked on the board at #2, but should be behind Wyatt Hendrickson at heavyweight. Also at OK State is JJ McComas, who could contend for a 133 spot depending on how weight changes go. Missouri’s Brian Smith mentioned that Aeoden Sinclair is likely going to get early-season opportunities. Arizona State’s Kyler Larkin or Pierson Manville could challenge for an open 149 spot in the lineup. A sleeper to look out for is Paul Kelly at CBU, the #46 ranked wrestler, and is another 149 wrestler to look out for. 4. Who wins the Big 12 title? Iowa State won the 2024 Big 12 title, breaking Missouri’s 12 consecutive conference titles streak (3 Big 12, 9 MAC). Just 11 points behind them was Oklahoma State, with a record 53 conference titles. And don’t forget SDSU, who outplaced Missouri and returns another stacked lineup. Based on tournament rankings, OK State has a significant lead followed by Missouri and SDSU. Arizona State is just behind them, and UNI is actually ahead of returning champs Iowa State. Rankings are sure to change and many of these lineups have pivotal wrestle-offs and lineup changes that will occur. Right now it’s hard to pick against a stacked Cowboys roster with a 20-point lead on paper. 5. How many qualifiers does the Big 12 get this year? Last year the conference had 57 automatic qualifier allocations and 10 At-Large bids for a sizable 66 total qualifiers. That was still second to the Big 10 with 85 automatic bids and 11 At-Large bids for a whopping 96 total qualifiers. The Big 12 will get immediate help with the addition of Arizona State, who had seven wrestlers auto-qualify and one At-Large bid. If they repeat that, the conference will be pushing for 70+ qualifiers. Adding in the expected improvements across the conference and the gap between the Big 12 and Big 10 could continue to close. 6. What is the ceiling for South Dakota State and Northern Iowa? Two teams that have been mentioned multiple times in this article are the Jackrabbits and Panthers. Both are coming off some of their best years in recent history, with SDSU finishing 13th and UNI just behind at 14th. SDSU has eight ranked wrestlers while UNI has nine. UNI returns eight starters from last season and reintroduces Colin Realbuto into the lineup. Keckeisen leads the way for points, but they bring back three wrestlers who made the bloodround last year (Cael Happel, Ryder Downey, Jared Simma). I’m on the Trever Anderson hype train after a wild freshman year at 125 to make some noise. If the Panthers can push some of those wrestlers through to a podium finish, this team could finish in the top ten. There’s a different story for SDSU, who actually graduated one of their top point scorers from last year in Tanner Sloan. They do return All-Americans Tanner Jordan, Cade DeVos, and Bennett Berge. They took advantage of the transfer portal with high-level wrestlers slotting in at 157 and 197. Look for them to score some dual upsets this season and carry that into another strong March to make a play for a top-ten finish.

Oklahoma continued to add to their recruiting Class of 2026 today as they got their second verbal commitment from a high school junior. The latest to commit to Roger Kish’s team is Jake Knight (Bettendorf, IA) who is ranked #76 overall in the Class of 2026. Knight is a two-time Iowa state finalist. He was a champion at the 3A division as a freshman at 113 lbs and was a runner-up in 2024 at 120 lbs. Outside of Iowa, Knight was a Junior freestyle All-American in Fargo (5th) in 2023 and was fourth the previous year in 16U freestyle. Also in 2022, Knight was sixth at the UWW U17 freestyle trials. Taylor visited Oklahoma on the weekend of September 21st. During our recap of that recruiting weekend, we noted how recent transfer and potential 197 lb starter, Bradley Hill, attended Iowa’s Bettendorf High School, as well. Oklahoma also has true freshman Koufax Christensen, another Iowa native, on the roster. Knight joins Will Deutschlander (Edmond North, OK) in the Sooners Class of 2026. Head coach Roger Kish’s first full recruiting class (2024) was ranked third in the nation by InterMat and his team has commitments from four top-100 recruits from 2025. The 2026 class is trending in the right direction, too. At the next level, Knight projects as a 133 lber. The Sooners current starter at the weight, Cleveland Belton, is in his last year of eligibility and will be long gone by the time Knight arrives in Norman. While there is plenty of young talent on the roster or committed, there doesn’t appear to be a clear-cut “133 lber of the future.” Knight chose Oklahoma over the University of Virginia, among others. He took a visit to Virginia this past weekend. For Oklahoma’s current committed wrestlers from the Class of 2025 and 2026, Click Here .

Bettendorf