InterMat Staff

Here's what to watch for in the NCAA finals: 125: No. 1 Jesse Delgado (Illinois) vs. No. 2 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) No. 1 seed Jesse Delgado opened up a big lead, but faded some from late pressure. That won't be a problem in the finals since No. 2 Nahshon Garrett did the same against No. 3 Nico Megaludis (Penn State), putting on the brakes late and almost seeing his finals appearance disappear. Expect some early offense from Garrett, with Delgado creating scrambles and counter shots that can give him the edge he wants. 133: No. 2 Tony Ramos (Iowa) vs. No. 5 Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) Iowa's No. 3 Tony Ramos needed a last-second five-point move to beat No. 2 A.J. Schopp (Edinboro). He'll need that type of momentum to make it past No. 5 Tyler Graff (Wisconsin), who took down Joe Colon (Northern Iowa) three times and turned him once in the semifinals. This is as old a rivalry as there is in wrestling and the series favors Ramos. Ramos won the recent meeting in the Big Ten finals, 2-1. He also defeated Graff in both the Big Ten semifinals and NCAA semifinals last season. Graff defeated Ramos in the 2011 Big Tens. 141: No. 2 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) vs. No. 4 Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) Stieber is back on his own little planet and there is not much that anyone can do, but sit back and enjoy one of the sport's greatest competitors. However, if you were going to build an antidote to Stieber it might be Manimal Devin Carter. The first-ever NCAA finalist for Virginia Tech was likely created in a lab and is currently being held together by titanium screws and bad intentions. It's unclear if he'll be healthy, but we do know that he'll be huge. Can Stieber handle that strength? 149: No. 5 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) vs. No. 11 Josh Kindig (Oklahoma State) Northwestern's Jason Tsirtsis came out of the gate battling hard against No. 1 Drake Houdashelt (Missouri). Neither was able to get their offense started, and against Kindig it's likely that Tsirtsis will work hard to slow him down early. The freshman is great at creating opportunities and finding the corner on his shots. Kindig is wrestling to his potential and should be able to create offense, but it might not be enough to stop the cool-headed Tsirtsis. 157: No. 3 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 9 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) Although Dylan Ness was able to control his pin-or-be-pinned style in the semifinals, look for it to be back in tomorrow night's big stage. This family wins when it matters and will find that last moment. However, it's Dieringer who owns the win in the last match between the two, finding his way to a 4-2 win in sudden victory at their dual in Stillwater. Ness has that magic, but if Dierenger can slow the pace, avoid the chin lock and keep his hips low, he'll have the magic bullet. 165: No. 1 David Taylor (Penn State) vs. No. 2 Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma State) This should be a five-point line heading into the finals. Caldwell can keep it close and Taylor is only 1-2 in NCAA finals (Emoji: Winky Face). How will Taylor respond to his final match? Nobody knows, but if Caldwell has a good night, he can hang with anyone, including Taylor. He'll just need to avoid back points and find a takedown, something that Taylor has given up a few times over the past several weeks. 174. No. 1 Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 2 Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) The rubber match is on, and it all comes down to Howe finding a takedown and not choosing bottom. Perry's double leg, rear-naked-choke isn't being called, and that leaves Howe with having to do the work from his feet. Perry needs to defend early and make sure that he gets out in under one minute. If he can do that then he has a decent chance of putting that match into overtime. If Perry gets ridden for more than a minute the match will open up in the third frame. 184: No. 1 Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) vs. No. 2 Ed Ruth (Penn State) Bracket buster No. 13 Jack Dechow (Old Dominion) gave Jimmy Sheptock all he could handle in the semifinals, but the top-seeded wrestler found a one-point win. It's tough to know what Sheptock will do against Ruth, but he's brilliant at slowing down the pace of matchups. He finds re-shots in answering most attacks. That's maybe what you don't know, but what you do know is that Ed Ruth can scrap. This is a one-takedown match. If Sheptock finds one early and fights off future attacks, he can win. If Sheptock gives up an early takedown and is ridden for the period, he'll be in a hole that's likely too big to overcome. 197: No. 1 Nick Heflin (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 J'den Cox (Missouri) Thought Nick Heflin didn't do much in the way of creating offense, he did manage to secure a semifinal victory in the rideout. That's where he's best and that's where he's likely to try and get Cox. On their feet the match will favor Cox, but unless Heflin is dinged early there won't be much reason for him to match pace with Cox. The Mizzou wrestler will attack early and that means the possibility Heflin gets down and is forced to wrestle. That's nice, because though he doesn't show it all the time, Heflin can scrap. 285: No. 1 Tony Nelson (Minnesota) vs. No. 2 Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) Tony Nelson controls risk by dominating position and being a bull on the mat. If he can keep the match scoreless, Gwiz will need to consider how he plans to escape the big man. For his part Gwiz is fast enough on his feet to steal an angle, or do like Mike McMullan and find the low single. Nelson can go pound-for-pound with anyone, but can he control the speed and creativity of Gwiz? Maybe. Probably.

125: No. 1 Jesse Delgado (Illinois) dec. No. 5 Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa), 9-6 No. 2 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) dec. No. 3 Nico Megaludis (Penn State), 6-4 133: No. 5 Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) dec. No. 1 Joe Colon (Northern Iowa), 6-4 No. 3 Tony Ramos (Iowa) dec. No. 2 A.J. Schopp (Edinboro), 5-1 141: No. 4 Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) dec. No. 9 Evan Henderson (North Carolina), 12-3 No. 2 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) dec. No. 3 Zain Retherford (Penn State), 7-3 149: No. 5 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) dec. No. 1 Drake Houdashelt (Missouri), 2-1 TB No. 11 Josh Kindig (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 15 Mitch Minotti (Lehigh), 5-2 157: No. 9 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) dec. No. 4 Ian Miller (Kent State), 6-4 No. 3 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 7 Brian Realbuto (Cornell), 7-4 165: No. 1 David Taylor (Penn State) maj. dec. No. 4 Steve Monk (North Dakota State), 13-5 No. 2 Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 3 Nick Sulzer (Virginia), 5-0 174: No. 1 Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 4 Mike Evans (Iowa), 3-2 TB No. 2 Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) dec. No. 6 Logan Storley (Minnesota), 6-3 184: No. 1 Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) dec. No. 13 Jack Dechow (Old Dominion), 3-2 No. 2 Ed Ruth (Penn State) dec. No. 3 Gabe Dean (Cornell), 5-3 197: No. 1 Nick Heflin (Ohio State) dec. No. 4 Scott Schiller (Minnesota), 2-1 TB No. 2 J'den Cox (Missouri) dec. No. 14 Chris Penny (Virginia Tech), 4-1 285: No. 1 Tony Nelson (Minnesota) dec. No. 5 Bobby Telford (Iowa), 4-2 No. 2 Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) dec. No. 3 Adam Chalfant (Indiana), 5-4

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- On Friday morning at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Oklahoma City, Dylan Ness did what Dylan Ness does ... win big matches and entertain in the process. Minnesota's Dylan Ness celebrates after pinning No. 1 James Green of Nebraska in the quarterfinals (Photo/Larry Slater)The Minnesota junior electrified the crowd, pinning No. 1 James Green (Nebraska) in the second period (3:36) in a wild match at 157 pounds. Ness scored the first points of the match with a takedown in the closing seconds of the first period. In the second period Ness looked to be in danger, going to his back briefly, before using his elevator to put Green on his back and secure the pin. It was Ness' third pin in three matches this week. "I have a lot of confidence in that position, whether I'm on my back or not, I believe I can back out on top and win," said Ness. Ness was one of four Gopher wrestlers to win in Friday morning's quarterfinals, along with Logan Storley (174), Scott Schiller (197), and Tony Nelson (Minnesota). After a strong quarterfinal round, Minnesota has moved into second place in the team standings and trails Penn State by only two points halfway through the event. Storley punched his ticket to the semifinals by edging fellow South Dakotan and Big Ten rival Robert Kokesh (Nebraska), 6-4, in the second tiebreaker. Kokesh looked to have the match in hand with a riding time advantage. However, as the final seconds ticked away, Storley remained aggressive, while Kokesh ran to avoid contact. Eventually Storley tracked Kokesh down and scored a takedown on the edge of the mat with one second on the clock for the victory. The fourth-seeded Schiller topped No. 5 Kyven Gadson (Iowa State), 6-4. It was Schiller's third win in four matches this season against Gadson. Nelson, a two-time NCAA champion, wasted little time in his quarterfinal match, pinning Wisconsin's Connor Medbery in 1:26. Minnesota, Penn State, and Oklahoma State all have four semifinalists and are separated by only five points in the team standings. Penn State finished Session III with 61 points, Minnesota has 59 points, and Oklahoma State sits in third place with 56 points. Penn State went 4-1 in the quarterfinals, getting wins from Nico Megaludis (125), Zain Retherford (141), David Taylor (165), and Ed Ruth (184). Megaludis, a two-time NCAA runner-up, cruised to a 6-0 victory over Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma). The true freshman Retherford defeated red-hot Joey Lazor (Northern Iowa), 5-2, to advance to the semifinals where he will face two-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber (Ohio State) for the third time this season. Taylor and Ruth both earned bonus points for the Nittany Lions in their semifinal victories. Taylor pinned Michael Moreno (Iowa State) at 3:19, while Ruth earned a 10-2 major decision victory over Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota). Oklahoma State's four semifinalists are Josh Kindig (149), Alex Dieringer (157), Tyler Caldwell (165), and Chris Perry (174). Kindig has been one of the major surprises of this year's NCAAs. He entered the tournament as the No. 11 seed. His quarterfinal victory came over two-time All-American Scott Sakaguchi (Oregon State), 7-5. Dieringer, seeded third, won 18-11 over Nestor Taffur (Boston U.). Caldwell dominated Pierce Harger (Northwestern), 14-2, to secure his fourth All-American honor. Perry, a returning NCAA champion, blanked Elliot Riddick (Lehigh), 4-0, to advance to the semifinals where he will face Mike Evans (Iowa), who edged Matt Brown (Penn State) in tiebreaker, 5-4. The Hawkeyes are in fourth place with 42.5 points and have three semifinalists. Cornell sits in fifth place with 39.5 points and also has three semifinalists. All but two No. 1 seeds remain alive heading into tonight's semifinals. In addition to the aforementioned James Green (Nebraska) losing at 157 pounds, top-seeded 141-pounder Mitchell Port (Edinboro) lost for the time this season in the quarterfinals to Evan Henderson (North Carolina), 6-4. Session IV is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. CT. Team Standings 1. Penn St. 61 (4 semifinalists) 2. Minnesota 59 (4) 3. Oklahoma St. 56 (4) 4. Iowa 42.5 (3) 5. Cornell 39.5 (3) 6. Ohio St. 38 (2) 7. Edinboro 30.5 (1) 7. Virginia Tech 30.5 (2) 9. Illinois 30 (1) 9. Oklahoma 30 (1) Quarterfinal Results 125: No. 1 Jesse Delgado (Illinois) dec. No. 8 Cory Clark (Iowa), 10-5 No. 5 Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa) vs. Earl Hall (Iowa State), 4-2 SV No. 3 Nico Megaludis (Penn State) dec. No. 6 Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma), 6-0 No. 2 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) maj. dec. No. 10 David Terao (American), 11-0 133: No. 1 Joe Colon (Northern Iowa) maj. dec. No. 8 David Thorn (Minnesota), 19-9 No. 5 Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) dec. No. 13 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma), 9-6 No. 3 Tony Ramos (Iowa) dec. No. 6 Mason Beckman (Lehigh), 3-1 No. 2 A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) dec. No. 7 Cashe Quiroga (Purdue), 11-7 141: No. 9 Evan Henderson (North Carolina) dec. No. 1 Mitchell Port (Edinboro), 5-3 No. 4 Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) dec. No. 12 Richard Durso (Franklin & Marshall), 4-3 No. 3 Zain Retherford (Penn State) dec. No. 11 Joey Lazor (Northern Iowa), 5-2 No. 2 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) pinned No. 10 Todd Preston (Harvard), 1:29 149: No. 1 Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) dec. No. 9 Eric Grajales (Michigan), 3-1 No. 5 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) dec. No. 4 Kendric Maple (Oklahoma), 2-1 TB No. 11 Josh Kindig (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 14 Scott Sakaguchi (Oregon State), 7-5 No. 15 Mitch Minotti (Lehigh) dec. No. 10 Zach Neibert (Virginia Tech), 4-3 157: No. 9 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) pinned No. 1 James Green (Nebraska), 3:36 No. 4 Ian Miller (Kent State) dec. Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin), 6-2 No. 3 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 6 Nestor Taffur (Boston U.), 18-11 No. 7 Brian Realbuto (Cornell) dec. No. 2 Derek St. John (Iowa), 11-4 165: No. 1 David Taylor (Penn State) pinned No. 8 Mike Moreno (Iowa State), 3:19 No. 4 Steve Monk (North Dakota State) pinned Josh Veltre (Bloomsburg), 6:41 No. 3 Nick Sulzer (Virginia) dec. No. 11 Turtogtokh Luvansdorf (The Citadel), 4-3 TB No. 2 Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma State) maj. dec. No. 7 Pierce Harger (Northwestern), 14-2 174: No. 1 Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 9 Elliot Riddick (Lehigh), 4-0 No. 4 Mike Evans (Iowa) dec. No. 5 Matt Brown (Penn State), 5-4 TB No. 6 Logan Storley (Minnesota) dec. No. 3 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska), 6-4 TB2 No. 2 Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) dec. No. 7 Tyler Wilps (Pitt), 5-2 184: No. 1 Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) dec. Blake Stauffer (Arizona State), 6-2 No. 13 Jack Dechow (Old Dominion) dec. No. 12 Ophir Bernstein (Brown), 7-5 No. 3 Gabe Dean (Cornell) dec. No. 6 Jake Swartz (Boise State), 11-4 No. 2 Ed Ruth (Penn State) maj. dec. No. 7 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota), 10-2 197: No. 1 Nick Heflin (Ohio State) dec. Cody Reed (Binghamton), 8-1 No. 4 Scott Schiller (Minnesota) dec. No. 5 Kyven Gadson (Iowa State), 6-4 No. 14 Chris Penny (Virginia Tech) dec. No. 11 Nathan Burak (Iowa), 6-3 No. 2 J'den Cox (Missouri) dec. Connor Hartmann (Duke), 5-1 285: No. 1 Tony Nelson (Minnesota) pinned No. 9 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin), 1:26 No. 5 Bobby Telford (Iowa) dec. No. 4 Adam Coon (Michigan), 3-2 TB2 No. 3 Adam Chalfant (Indiana) dec. No. 11 Austin Marsden (Oklahoma State), 3-2 No. 2 Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) dec. No. 7 Mike McClure (Michigan State), 4-1

Here's what to watch for in Round IV: 125: No. 1 seed Jesse Delgado (Illinois) as in tournament shape in the quarterfinals, and has to be the heavy favorite against No. 5 seed Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa). Though he'd recently been hounded for a lack of offense, the defending NCAA champion has rediscovered his offense. His scrambling is also near perfect. On the other side, Penn State's No. 3 seed Nico Megaludis and No. 2 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) are lining up for what should be an exciting match filled with twists, bends and tweaks. 133: Iowa's No. 3 Tony Ramos needed 6:30 to earn the takedown against No. 6 Mason Beckman (Lehigh) in the quarters. He'll be pushed to his limit against No. 2 A.J. Schopp who rode Cashe Quiroga (Purdue) for five minutes, though limped out fighting off successive attacks by the All-American. Wisconsin's Tyler Graff looked solid, though never pushed his pace en route to a convincing 9-6 win over Oklahoma's Cody Brewer. He'll need help against top-seeded Joe Colon (Northern Iowa), who looked dominant in a 19-9 quarterfinal win. 141: No. 2 Logan Stieber only needed 1:28 to pin Harvard's Todd Preston and will meet No. 3 Zain Retherford (PSU) in the bottom semifinals. Look for Retherford to have a better performance here than he did in the Big Ten finals. Better, but likely not enough. In a big upset, No. 9 Evan Henderson (UNC) beat No. 1 Mitchell Port (Edinboro) 5-3 which means he'll face ACC opponent No. 4 Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) in the semifinals. Carter will be the heavy favorite, though he was sluggish in his narrow 4-3 win over Richard Durso (Franklin & Marshall). 149: Northwestern's Jason Tsirtsis came out of the No. 5 seed to beat No. 4 Kendric Maple in sudden victory. He'll face No. 1 Drake Houdasheldt (Missouri) in the semifinals in a very even set match. On the other side No. 15 seed Mitch Minotti (Lehigh) earned a 4-3 decision, over Virginia Tech's Zach Neibert and will face an impressive Josh Kindig (Oklahoma State) for a spot in the NCAA finals. Expect to see Tsirtsis push Houdasheldt to the last frame, and for Kindig to have little issue with Minotti. 157: Dylan Ness (Minn) pinned James Green (Nebraska) and made it known that he the single most dangerous wrestler in the history of the NCAA. Absolutely unbelievable outlook on the sport that optimizes pinning first and always. He'll face Kent State's Ian Miller in the semifinals, but everyone can expect to see a lot more of what they saw against Green, with Ness searching for the fall. Miller did pin Ness at the Southern Scuffle, though. Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) got past No. 6 Nestor Taffur (Boston U.) in a match with 29 points. He'll face Brian Realbuto (Cornell) who had no trouble with St. John. It's as much a tossup as any match in the round, but it look like Realbuto has a favorable matchup on the mat. 165: No. 3 Nick Sulzer looked bad against No. 11 Turtogokh and needed tiebreaker rideout to squeak out the 4-3 win. He'll face Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma State), but if he doesn't improve his attacks, Caldwell will enjoy the same type of dominance he put on in the quarterfinals. No. 1 David Taylor (Penn State) faces No. 4 seed Steven Monk of North Dakota State. Don't expect too many dramatics, though Monk is known to ride and turn. 174: No. 4 Mike Evans (Iowa) found an escape in tiebreaker to beat No. 5 Matt Brown (Penn State), but he'll need more than a nice ride to catch No. 1 Chris Perry was aggressive in the quarterfinals. Perry will ride Evans, and if he gets the takedown early it'll be too much for Evans to overcome. Finalist favorite No. 2 Andrew Howe looked crisp against Pitt's Tyler Wilps and will face No. 6 Logan Storley (Minnesota), who after putting the crowd to sleep in a double tiebreaker snoreride session, found the absolute last-second takedown against No. 3 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska). Howe is a heavy favorite, and fans are likely to see the rubber match everyone expected. Ed Ruth (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)184: Bracket buster No. 13 Jack Dechow (Old Dominion) has made his way to the semifinals and has a matchup with No. 1 seed Jimmy Sheptock, who looked phenomenal in the quarterfinals. Anything can happen, so keep your eye on the early going on here. No. 2 Ed Ruth (Penn State) will face No. 3 Gabe Dean (Cornell) is what is the most anticipated match of the tournament. Ruth earned the quarterfinal major and Dean also cruised. No indication on how it'll play out, but I'd expect a more upset Ruth. Remember when he finally got his hands back on Nick Amuchastegui? 197: No. 1 Nick Heflin was offensive in his quarterfinal win and will face No. 4 Scott Schiller (Minnesota) in the semifinals, who pushed past No. 5 Kyven Gadson (Iowa State), 6-4. Heflin has the stuff to beat Schiller again and if he gets the early takedown it won't be easy for Schiller to find the escape. No. 13 seed Chris Penny will face No. 2 J'den Cox (Missouri), who has looked unbelievable in his first three matches. Expect Penny's run to end and Cox to make a statement. 285: He's not the biggest of heavyweights, but No. 3 Adam Chalfant (Indiana) looked incredible in his match against No. 11 Austin Marsden (Oklahoma State). He was active on his feet, which is something he'll need when facing NC State's Nick Gwiazdowski. Looking tough as well is No. 1 seed Tony Nelson (Minnesota), who found the quick fall over Spencer Myers (Maryland), which puts him on a collision course with No. 5 Bobby Telford (Iowa). Expect a fun heavyweight match if Telford can make it inside and find shots. If not, he'll be relegated to playing the edge with Nelson. Ahh, who are we kidding? #SNORERIDE

125: No. 1 Jesse Delgado (Illinois) dec. No. 8 Cory Clark (Iowa), 10-5 No. 5 Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa) vs. Earl Hall (Iowa State), 4-2 SV No. 3 Nico Megaludis (Penn State) dec. No. 6 Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma), 6-0 No. 2 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) maj. dec. No. 10 David Terao (American), 11-0 133: No. 1 Joe Colon (Northern Iowa) maj. dec. No. 8 David Thorn (Minnesota), 19-9 No. 5 Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) dec. No. 13 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma), 9-6 No. 3 Tony Ramos (Iowa) dec. No. 6 Mason Beckman (Lehigh), 3-1 No. 2 A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) dec. No. 7 Cashe Quiroga (Purdue), 11-7 141: No. 9 Evan Henderson (North Carolina) dec. No. 1 Mitchell Port (Edinboro), 5-3 No. 4 Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) dec. No. 12 Richard Durso (Franklin & Marshall), 4-3 No. 3 Zain Retherford (Penn State) dec. No. 11 Joey Lazor (Northern Iowa), 5-2 No. 2 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) pinned No. 10 Todd Preston (Harvard), 1:29 149: No. 1 Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) dec. No. 9 Eric Grajales (Michigan), 3-1 No. 5 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) dec. No. 4 Kendric Maple (Oklahoma), 2-1 TB No. 11 Josh Kindig (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 14 Scott Sakaguchi (Oregon State), 7-5 No. 15 Mitch Minotti (Lehigh) dec. No. 10 Zach Neibert (Virginia Tech), 4-3 157: No. 9 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) pinned No. 1 James Green (Nebraska), 3:36 No. 4 Ian Miller (Kent State) dec. Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin), 6-2 No. 3 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 6 Nestor Taffur (Boston U.), 18-11 No. 7 Brian Realbuto (Cornell) dec. No. 2 Derek St. John (Iowa), 11-4 165: No. 1 David Taylor (Penn State) pinned No. 8 Mike Moreno (Iowa State), 3:19 No. 4 Steve Monk (North Dakota State) pinned Josh Veltre (Bloomsburg), 6:41 No. 3 Nick Sulzer (Virginia) dec. No. 11 Turtogtokh Luvansdorf (The Citadel), 4-3 TB No. 2 Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma State) maj. dec. No. 7 Pierce Harger (Northwestern), 14-2 174: No. 1 Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 9 Elliot Riddick (Lehigh), 4-0 No. 4 Mike Evans (Iowa) dec. No. 5 Matt Brown (Penn State), 5-4 TB No. 6 Logan Storley (Minnesota) dec. No. 3 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska), 6-4 TB2 No. 2 Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) dec. No. 7 Tyler Wilps (Pitt), 5-2 184: No. 1 Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) dec. Blake Stauffer (Arizona State), 6-2 No. 13 Jack Dechow (Old Dominion) dec. No. 12 Ophir Bernstein (Brown), 7-5 No. 3 Gabe Dean (Cornell) dec. No. 6 Jake Swartz (Boise State), 11-4 No. 2 Ed Ruth (Penn State) maj. dec. No. 7 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota), 10-2 197: No. 1 Nick Heflin (Ohio State) dec. Cody Reed (Binghamton), 8-1 No. 4 Scott Schiller (Minnesota) dec. No. 5 Kyven Gadson (Iowa State), 6-4 No. 14 Chris Penny (Virginia Tech) dec. No. 11 Nathan Burak (Iowa), 6-3 No. 2 J'den Cox (Missouri) dec. Connor Hartmann (Duke), 5-1 285: No. 1 Tony Nelson (Minnesota) pinned No. 9 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin), 1:26 No. 5 Bobby Telford (Iowa) dec. No. 4 Adam Coon (Michigan), 3-2 TB2 No. 3 Adam Chalfant (Indiana) dec. No. 11 Austin Marsden (Oklahoma State), 3-2 No. 2 Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) dec. No. 7 Mike McClure (Michigan State), 4-1

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Team USA had a dominant performance, sweeping all of the bouts on the way to a 6-0 win over India at the USA Wrestling freestyle dual meet, which is part of the NCAA Fan Festival on Thursday. The meet was held in front of a standing-room only crowd in the Cox Convention Center. This popular event was held after the first session of the NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships and was free of charge to the fans. Right off the bat, Team USA came out strong. At 61 kilos/134 pounds, Illinois grad B.J. Futrell (Ann Arbor, Mich./Titan Mercury WC/Michigan RTC) locked up a cradle and pinned World bronze medalist Bajrang of India in 2:35. The match was close in the early going, with both athletes scoring takedowns, but Futrell used his favorite pinning technique to get the fall. Next at 65 kilos/143 pounds, Boise State grad Jason Chamberlain (Lincoln, Neb./Titan Mercury/Nebraska RTC) looked strong on both his feet and on the mat, scoring a 12-2 technical fall over Rajneesh in 3:31. Chamberlain secured an ankle lace turn early in the second period and turned Rajneesh a number of times to secure the technical fall. After trailing 2-3 after the first period, Northern Iowa grad Moza Fay (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP/USOTC) opened up his offense to score an impressive 11-2 win over Amit Kumar Dhankhar at 70 kilos/154 pounds Fay scored points with both takedowns and turns on the way to the win. Another comeback win for Team USA at 70 kilos/154 pounds came from Bucknell grad Kevin LeValley (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm), who beat Parveen Rana, 9-2. LeValley had two two-point exposures on tilts in the second period to open up his lead The USA closed out the win with a pair of technical falls. Past NCAA champion from Iowa State Jon Reader (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids/USOTC) scored a quick takedown and a series of turns to put away Pawan Kumar, 10-0 in just 57 seconds. Kent State’s first NCAA champion Dustin Kilgore (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids/USOTC), followed with a technical fall of his own over Saywart Kadian, 11-1 in 4:08. He used an ankle lace for multiple turns in the second period to put the bout away. “The effort was good. They had a World medalist and a Dave Schultz champion in their lineup. We put out some guys who haven’t all had extensive international experience. They performed today.; It shows we have some great depth in this country,” said National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones. USA 6, India 0 61 kilos/134 pounds: B.J. Futrell(USA) pin Bajrang (India), 2:35 65 kilos/143 pounds: Jason Chamberlain (USA) tech. fall Rajneesh (India), 12-2, 3:31 70 kilos/154 pounds: Moza Fay (USA) dec. Amit Kumar Dhankhar (India), 11-2 70 kilos/154 pounds: Kevin LeValley (USA) dec. Parveen Rana (India), 9-2 86 kilos/189 pounds: Jon Reader (USA) tech. fall, Pawan Kumar (India), 10-0, 0:57 97 kilos/213 pounds: Dustin Kilgore (USA) tech. fall Saywart Kadian, 11-1, 4:08

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Session II on Thursday night at the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Oklahoma City brought more fireworks as more top seeds from top programs fell. No. 3 Morgan McIntosh was upset in the second round (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Three-time defending NCAA champion Penn State took a major hit at 197 pounds when Big Ten runner-up Morgan McIntosh, seeded third, was upset by ACC champion Chris Penny of Virginia Tech, 3-2. Oklahoma State had an up-and-down session as No. 4 Jon Morrison (133) was pinned and All-American Blake Rosholt (197) was knocked out of the competition, but two No. 11 seeds, Josh Kindig (149) and Austin Marsden (285), earned upset victories to advance to the quarterfinals. Two-time All-American Dylan Ness picked up a critical victory for Minnesota, avenging an earlier season loss with a pin over Oregon State's R.J. Pena, after teammate Chris Dardanes (141) was upset in the second round. Iowa rebounded from a tough opening session to go 6-1 in second-round matches. Hawkeye Nathan Burak (197) earned an upset victory, while Brody Grothus (149) suffered Iowa's lone loss in the second round, losing to NCAA champion Kendric Maple (Oklahoma). Minnesota's Dylan Ness pinned Oregon State's R.J. Pena at 157 pounds (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Penn State and Oklahoma State both have five wrestlers in the quarterfinals, while Minnesota and Iowa have the most with six. Heading into Session III, Penn State leads the team race with 26.5 points. Oklahoma State and Minnesota are tied for second with 21.5 points, followed by Iowa and Oklahoma with 20.5 points each. Five unseeded wrestles advanced to the quarterfinals: Earl Hall (Iowa State) at 125, Josh Veltre (Bloomsburg) at 165, Blake Stauffer (Arizona State) at 184, Cody Reed (Binghamton) at 197, and Connor Hartmann (Duke) at 197. Returning 141-pound All-American Undrakhbayar (The Citadel) went 0-2 and was eliminated from the competition after getting crushed by 2012 All-American Nick Lester (Oklahoma), 13-2. Below is a look at some of the notable results from Session II. 125: Six of the top eight seeds advanced to the quarterfinals. The biggest surprise in this weight class came when Earl Hall (Iowa State) took out No. 4 Josh Martinez (Air Force), 8-1. Martinez needed an at-large to get in the tournament after placing third at the West Regional. It was Hall second straight win over a seeded wrestler. He topped No. 13 Evan Silver (Stanford) in Session I. 133: No. 13 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma), a returning All-American, used a first-period cradle to pin Bedlam rival Jon Morrison (Oklahoma State) and bring the Sooner crowd to their feet. Morrison had won the three previous meetings this season, including in the Big 12 finals, 8-1. Morrison was the lone wrestler seeded in the top eight in this weight class who failed to advance to the quarterfinals. No. 3 Tony Ramos (Iowa) was pushed in his second-round match, but prevailed 6-4 in sudden victory over freshman Zane Richards (Illinois). 141: The No. 5, No. 6, and No. 8 seeds were upset in the second round at this weight class. Richard Durso (Franklin & Marshall), who reached the round of 12 in 2013, edged No. 5 Chris Mecate (Old Dominion), 3-2, to improve to 36-3 this season. Joey Lazor (Northern Iowa) scored a takedown with one second on the clock to upset No. 6 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota), 10-8. Lazor remains red-hot after winning a MAC title less than two weeks ago. No. 9 Evan Henderson (North Carolina), a returning All-American, pinned No. 8 Luke Vaith (Hofstra) at 4:03 to punch his ticket to the quarterfinals. 149: The bottom half of the bracket has been turned upside down in this weight class. After No. 2 Nick Dardanes (Minnesota) fell in Session I, No. 3, No. 6, and No. 7 lost in Session II. Two-time All-American Scott Sakaguchi (Oregon State), after a roller coaster season, shocked No. 3 Chris Villalonga (Cornell), winning with a defensive fall to advance to the quarterfinals. Josh Kindig (Oklahoma State) won a hard-fought victory over No. 6 Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska), 7-5. No. 9 Eric Grajales (Michigan) won a high-scoring affair, 15-10, over No. 8 David Habat (Edinboro). 157: No. 9 Dylan Ness (Minnesota), a two-time All-American, pinned No. 8 R.J. Pena (Oregon State), a returning All-American, avenging an earlier season loss at the Southern Scuffle. The top seven seeds won in the round of 16 to advance to the quarterfinals. No. 5 Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) and No. 7 Brian Realbuto (Cornell) both needed a sudden victory period to secure their wins. 165: No. 1 David Taylor (Penn State) pinned No. 16 Jim Wilson (Stanford) at 6:55. It was Taylor's second pin in as many matches. Unseeded Josh Veltre (Bloomsburg) earned a spot in the quarterfinals with a 5-2 win over Ryan LeBlanc (Indiana). Veltre won earlier in the day over No. 5 Nick Moore (Iowa). No. 11 Turtogtokh Luvsandorj (The Citadel) topped SoCon rival Corey Mock (Chattanooga), 4-3, in the rubber match between the two this season. Mock had won the previous meeting 7-1 in the SoCon finals. 174: No. 9 Elliot Riddick (Lehigh) earned a 12-9 victory over Cody Caldwell (Northern Iowa), who had upset All-American Cody Walters (Ohio) earlier in the day. Riddick will be the lowest seeded wrestler in the quarterfinals in this weight class, as the top seven seeds won in the second round. The top three seeds, Chris Perry (Oklahoma State), Andrew Howe (Oklahoma), and Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) all earned bonus-point victories. 184: After No. 5 Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) lost earlier in the day, the top half of the bracket at 184 pounds was blown even more wide open in Session II when No. 4 Max Thomusseit (Pittt) was upset in the second round by Jack Dechow (Old Dominion), 3-1, in sudden victory. No. 8 T.J. Dudley (Nebraska) was upset by Blake Stauffer (Arizona State), 7-2. The bottom half of the bracket played out according to seeds. No. 7 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) found himself in trouble early after giving up three first-period takedowns in his match against No. 10 Kenny Courts (Ohio State). But the Gopher senior two-time All-American worked his way back into the match and eventually pulled away for a 13-8 victory. 197: On the bottom half of the bracket, No. 3, No. 6, and No. 7 lost in the second round, giving No. 2 J'den Cox (Missouri) what seems to be a clear path to the finals. No. 3 Morgan McIntosh (Penn State), as previously mentioned, dropped a 3-2 decision to No. 14 Chris Penny (Virginia Tech). No. 6 Richard Perry (Bloomsburg) suffered only his second loss of the season when he was edged by Nathan Burak (Iowa), 4-3. Burak scored the winning takedown with just one second remaining in the match. Two-time All-American Travis Rutt (Oklahoma), seeded seventh, was blanked by Connor Hartman (Duke), 6-0. On the top half of the bracket, No. 8 Phil Wellington (Ohio) was upset by Cody Reed (Binghamton), 4-0. It was Reed's second win over a seeded wrestler. Earlier in the competition he knocked off No. 9 Christian Boley (Maryland). 285: No. 11 Austin Marsden (Oklahoma State) pulled the second-round shocker at heavyweight when he defeated NCAA runner-up Mike McMullan (Northwestern), 3-2, to advance to the quarterfinals. Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) avenged an earlier season loss by pinning J.T. Felix (Boise State) in a battle of the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds.

Here's what to watch for in Session III on Friday: 125: Iowa's Cory Clark gets his shot at No. 1 seed Jesse Delgado who looked sluggish in getting a hard fought-win over Virginia Tech's Joey Dance. Penn State's No. 3 seed Nico Megaludis (Penn State) and No. 2 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) are on a collision course facing Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma) and David Terao (American) respectively. There won't be much issue with Garrett making it past the spirited Terao, but Megaludis will need his best stuff to keep Patterson from building a head of steam. Oklahoma is wrestling as well as any other team in the tournament. 133: Iowa's No. 3 Tony Ramos needed overtime to make it past No. 14 Zane Richards (Illinois). That makes two straight matches where the Hawkeye has struggled to separate and with No. 6 Mason Beckman (Lehigh) in the quarters he's likely to have trouble again, although he did notch a 3-1 win over the Lehigh wrestler earlier this season. Wisconsin's Tyler Graff looked susceptible in a 10-5 win over Joe Roth (CMU), but he's facing Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) who avenged his six straight losses to Jon Morrison (Oklahoma State) with a fall in 2:45. Expect fireworks in all four matches. 141: No. 4 Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) was sluggish in the second round and if Richard Durso (Franklin & Marshall) can keep up the pressure for seven minutes he'll be able to find points. Maybe not enough, but Carter needs to be on edge. There was plenty for No. 9 Evan Henderson (North Carolina) to cheer for after his fall of No. 8 Luke Vaith, and though Mitchell Port (Edinboro) should be able to manage the offense, it'll be closer than the Fighting Scots would like. 149: With No. 3 Chris Villalonga (Cornell) giving up a fall in the second round, the bottom side of the bracket is blow wide open. No. 7 Gus Sako (Virginia) and No. 10 Zach Neibert (Virginia Tech) battled to a 3-2 decision, with Neibert, the returning All-American, finding a late takedown for the win. If you like fun, then stay tuned for No. 9 Eric Grajales (Michigan) and No. 1 Drake Houdashelt (Mizzou). As everyone knows Grajales has been on the cusp for three years -- a fall, or five-point throw could be in the works. Josh Kindig (Oklahoma State) and Scott Sakaguchi will battle for a spot in the semifinals. 157: Best matchup of the day is always Dylan Ness (Minn) versus anyone, but the quarterfinals are even better as they pit Ness against top-seeded James Green (Nebraska). On the bottom side, Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) has been unbelievable in the opening rounds with a technical fall and a fall, but he'll meet emotional favorite No. 6 Nestor Taffur (Boston U.), who used 6:55 to find the fall against No. 11 Taylor Walsh (Indiana) -- his second for the day. Could be an entertaining back-and-forth between the heavy technical favorite and everyone's favorite emotional story. 165: No. 3 Nick Sulzer (Virginia) will face No. 11 Turtogokh (The Citadel) in what could be nice wrestling from neutral, but heavily favors Sulzer on the mat. No. 1 David Taylor (Penn State) should cruise past Iowa State All-American Mike Moreno. On the other side of the bracket No. 2 Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma State) could be in for a dogfight with No. 7 Pierce Harger (Northwestern), who is looking career best on the mats and on his feet. 174: No. 3 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) earned a 14-5 second-round win and should match up well with No. 6 Logan Storley (Minnesota). No. 4 Mike Evans (Iowa) and No. 5 Matt Brown (Penn State) will renew their rivalry in the quarterfinals, and in a match that has early national title implications. No. 2 Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) versus No. 7 Tyler Wilps (Pitt) should also be a good scrap. 184: Bracket buster Vic Avery (Edinboro) fell to No. 12 Ophir Bernstein (Brown). Bernstein will face the other bracket buster, No. 13 Jack Dechow (Old Dominion) for a place in the semifinals. Two lower seeded guys battling for a place on the podium will make for intense wrestling. No. 7 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) will have No. 2 Ed Ruth, but it won't be much of a match, as Ruth is in overdrive and Steinhaus looked less impressive. 197: The only match that matters is No. 4 Scott Schiller (Minnesota) and No. 5 Kyven Gadson (Iowa State). Iowa's heart rests right now with No. 11 Nathan Burak (Iowa), who faces a very solid No. 14 seed Chris Penny who was comfortable in a 3-2 upset win over No. 3 Morgan McIntosh. No. 2 J'den Cox (Missouri) takes on unseeded Conner Hartman (Duke). 285: No. 1 seed Tony Nelson (Minnesota) and No. 5 Bobby Telford (Iowa) both advanced without issues and face Big Ten opponents before their expected semifinal showdown. On the bottom side, No. 11 Austin Marsden (Oklahoma State) upset No. 6 Mike McMullan (Northwestern) and will face No. 3 Adam Chalfant (Indiana), who is a fun heavyweight to wrestle and should give some indication about Oklahoma State's national championships hopes.

With two All-Americans dropping in the pigtail round, the NCAA is once again proving that anything is possible in March. There are always plenty of great matchups in the second round, but most fall with the No. 8 vs. No. 9 matchups, as well as the No. 7 vs. No. 10. Even when not listed, be sure to keep an eye on those matchups! Here's what to watch for in Session II: 125: On paper the highlight of the next round could be Penn State's No. 3 seed Nico Megaludis and No. 14 Eddie Klimara of Oklahoma State. It's a nice matchup, but as Mega was working hard for all seven minutes to find a technical fall, Klimara was ridden and limped his way into a 6-4 win. On the bottom side of the bracket, keep an eye on No. 15 Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) and No. 2 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell). The Big Red wrestler should be OK, but Zanetta can frustrate opponents on top. 133: Iowa's Tony Ramos struggled a bit with Pitt's Shelton Mack, but look for him to cruise past No. 14 Zane Rishards (Illinois). No. 6 Mason Beckman (Lehigh) and No. 11 Ryan Mango (Stanford) will battle for the right to meet Ramos in the quarterfinals, and should add form to an interesting half of the bracket. 141: Look for No. 9 Evan Henderson (UNC) and No. 8 Luke Vaith, (Hofstra) to put on a great second round matchup. The winner gets Port, and if that's 2013 NCAA All-American Henderson the matchup has upset potential. Also watch for No. 14 Edgar Bright (Pitt) to give No. 3 Zain Retherford some spats of difficulty. Also, returning All-Americans Undrakhbayar (Citadel) and Nick Lester (Oklahoma) meet in the pigtail wrestlebacks. 149: The most exciting match of the weight will almost certainly come from in-state rivals No. 7 Gus Sako (Virginia) and No. 10 Zach Neibert (Virginia Tech) -- they're both pinners and they love to scrap. Also look for No. 9 Eric Grajales (Michigan) and No. 8 David Habat (Edinboro) to light up the scoreboard. Pac-12 champion R.J. Pena battles Dylan Ness tonight (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)157: Not sure how No. 8 R.J. Pena (Oregon State) and No. 9 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) could wrestle and not provide fireworks. It'll be the match of the round, and one you won't want to miss it. Pena won by technical fall over Ness at the Southern Scuffle. I like Brain Realbuto of Cornell at the No. 7 seed to put on a nice performance against No. 10 Blaise Butler (Virginia) 165: Citadel's No. 11 seed Turtogtokh and Chattanooga No. 7 seed Corey Mock meet in a rubber match, with the winner looking to face No. 3 Nick Sulzer in the quarterfinals. Also watch for Dan Yates (Michigan) to wrestle well from the No. 13 seed and give No. 4 seed Steven Monk (NDSU) a tough matchup. 174: No. 3 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) will face his first test in a run for the upset of No. 2 Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) when he faces upset-minded Conor Brennan of Rider. No. 10 Mike Otinger (Central Michigan) and No. 7 Tyler Wilps (Pitt) should also be a good scrap, with Wilps' work on his feet giving him an advantage on the way in. 184: Bracket buster Vic Avery (Edinboro) made his way past No. 5 Ethan Lofthouse and will now face a tough, but beatable No. 12 Ophir Bernstein (Brown). The winner of this match will likely face No. 4 Max Thommusseit (Pitt) in the quarterfinals. No. 7 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) will be the tentative favorite against No. 10 Kenny Courts (Ohio State). 197: Tough luck No. 5 Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) has a match with scramble-ready No. 12 Taylor Meeks (Oregon State). Also, No. 6 Richard Perry (Bloomsburg) faces No. 11 Nathan Burak (Iowa) in a match that the Hawkeyes need to win in order to preserve their progression towards an NCAA title. 285: You have to keep an eye on the No. 1 seed Tony Nelson (Minnesota). He's always in a tight match, and after an up-and-down year it's possible that second round opponent Amarveer Dhesi (Oregon State) could give him a scare. At least it'll be a clue on what happens next. All-Americans No. 5 Bobby Telford (Iowa) and No. 12 Spencer Myers (Maryland) also meet up in the second round.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- The 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships opened on Thursday morning at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla., with 330 wrestlers from 72 schools participating. The first session saw three top-five seeds lose matches and two All-Americans lose pigtail matches. No. 2 Nick Dardanes was upset by The Citadel's Matt Frisch (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)The biggest upset came at 149 pounds, where Minnesota All-American Nick Dardanes, seeded No. 2, lost 8-5 to Matt Frisch (The Citadel). Iowa had a disappointing opening session, losing three matches. The biggest disappointments for the Hawkeyes came at 165 pounds and 184 pounds as two of their No. 5 seeds, Ethen Lofthouse and No. 5 Nick Moore, lost first-round matches. Below is a look at some of the notable results from Session I. 125: Jared Germaine (Eastern Michigan) pinned No. 7 Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin) just 46 seconds into the match. With the win, the unseeded Germaine improved to 22-2 this season. Earl Hall (Iowa State) picked up a mild upset over Pac-12 champion Evan Silver (Stanford), seeded 13th, 7-3. 133: Not too many surprises in this weight class. The No. 15 and No. 16 seeds dropped first-round matches. Rossi Bruno (Michigan) sent No. 15 Mark Grey (Cornell) to the consolation bracket after an 8-5 victory. Matt Manley (Missouri) edged No. 16 Mack McGuire (Kent State) in sudden victory, 7-5. Three-time national champion Penn State suffered its first loss when Jimmy Gulibon was blanked by No. 4 Jon Morrison (Oklahoma State), 4-0, in a rematch from the Southern Scuffle finals in early January. 141: Nick Lester (Oklahoma), a 2012 All-American, fell 5-4 to Gabe Moreno (Iowa State) at 141 in the pigtail match. One of the most anticipated matchups of the round pitted No. 3 Zain Retherford (Penn State) against All-American Undrakhbayar (The Citadel). Retherford scored an early takedown and added a late takedown to cruise to a 5-0 victory. Ugi wasn't the only returning All-American to lose at 141 pounds. Cornell's Mike Nevinger, a two-time All-American, lost in sudden victory to No. 7 Zach Horan (Central Michigan), 9-7. No. 6 Chris Dardanes was pushed to sudden victory, but prevailed 5-3 over Danny Sabatello (Purdue). No. 10 Todd Preston (Harvard), an EIWA champion, was also pushed, but came away with a win in tiebreaker over Dan Neff (Lock Haven), 7-4. Laike Gardner (Lehigh) took out No. 16 Joe Spisak (Virginia), 9-8. Iowa's Josh Dziewa dropped a 4-1 match to No. 13 Steve Dutton (Michigan). It was the third time the two Big Ten wrestlers had met this season, with Dutton owning all three victories. 149: Matt Frisch (The Citadel) silenced the Gopher faithful with an 8-5 victory over No. 2 Nick Dardanes (Minnesota). NCAA champion Kendric Maple (Oklahoma), seeded fourth, was pushed by Tywan Claxton (Ohio), the only wrestler to defeat top-seeded Drake Houdashelt (Missouri). Maple held a 1-0 lead in the third period before picking up a takedown off a leg attack in the final 40 seconds to win 3-1. James English (Penn State), who earned the starting spot in the Nittany Lions' lineup late in the season, topped No. 12 Dylan Cottrell (Appalachian State), 5-4, in tiebreaker. 157: This weight class saw virtually no surprises in the opening session. No. 15 Cody Pack (South Dakota State) was the lone seeded wrestler to lose. He dropped a 5-3 decision to Aaron Walker (The Citadel). No. 13 Dylan Alton (Penn State) won a hard-fought match over Brian Murphy (Michigan), 5-1. Alton scored late takedown to secure the victory in a match that was close the entire way. It was the rubber match between the two wrestlers this season. 165: Iowa suffered a big blow when No. 5 Nick Moore was handled by Josh Veltre (Bloomsburg), 15-7. Moore trailed 10-7 in the third period, but gave up a late takedown with nearfall points. Another Big Ten seeded wrestler, Jackson Morse (Illinois), seeded 12th, lost to Ryan LeBlanc (Indiana) in a Big Ten battle. It was the first meeting between the two wrestlers this season. 174: The biggest upset in this weight class came when Cody Caldwell (Northern Iowa), who entered the tournament with a 16-13 record, defeated returning All-American Cody Walters (Ohio), 9-6, in tiebreaker. Three other seeded wrestlers in this weight class dropped matches in the first round, No. 13 Hayden Zillmer (North Dakota State), No. 14 Mark Martin (Ohio State), and No. 15 Matt Miller (Navy). Zillmer lost Mike Dessino (Bloomsburg) in sudden victory, 8-6. Martin fell to Conor Brennan (Rider), 7-2. Miller dropped a 12-8 decision to Tony Dallago (Illinois). 184: Iowa lost its second top-five seed when Vic Avery (Edinboro), who entered the NCAAs ranked No. 12 by InterMat, defeated No. 5 Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa), 5-3. Avery scored a late takedown in the second period, which proved to be the difference in the match. Ninth-seeded Domenic Abounader (Michigan), who finished third at the Big Tens, was upset by Blake Stauffer (Arizona State), 4-1. Other seeded wrestlers who failed to advance to the second round included No. 15 Ryan Loder (Northern Iowa) and No. 16 Nick Vetterlein (Virginia Tech). Loder, a returning All-American who has battled injuries this season, lost to freshman Nikko Reyes (Illinois) in sudden victory, 6-4. Vetterlein's loss came to Harrison Hightower (Air Force), 5-1. 197: Returning All-American Blake Rosholt (Oklahoma State) lost in the pigtail round to Mario Gonzalez (Illinois), 10-3. No. 9 Christian Boley (Maryland) had a disappointing start to his NCAA tournament, losing to Cody Reed (Binghamton), 3-1. Boley struggled at the ACC tournament less than two weeks ago, finishing fourth as the No. 1 seed. EIWA champion Jace Bennett, seeded No. 10, was edged by Connor Hartman (Duke), 2-1. No. 13 Daniel Mitchell, a third-place finisher at the EIWA tournament, was upset by Timmy McCall (Wisconsin), 4-2. McCall is the only wrestler this season to defeat top-seeded Nick Heflin (Ohio State). Pac-12 champion and OW Dan Scherer (Stanford) defeated No. 16 Alex Polizzi (Northwestern), 11-9. 285: Adam Fager (Utah Valley), seeded No. 15, was the lone seeded heavyweight to lose in the first round. He fell to Billy Smith (Rutgers), 6-2.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- InterMat is providing extensive coverage throughout the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Oklahoma City, Okla. Follow the action Thursday through Saturday. Note: All links in the coverage section open in a new window. Results: Team Scores & Brackets | InterMat Live Blog InterMat Session Recaps: I | II | III | IV | V | VI InterMat Session Previews: II | III | IV | VI InterMat Previews: Betting Guide | Bracket Busters | Best First-Round Matchups | Seeding Blunders | Best Staying Home Predictions/Contest: InterMat Staff Predictions | Big Show Pick 'Em Contest Links: Schedule | ESPN3 Webcast | ESPN3 Schedule | InterMat Rankings Photos: The Guillotine | WrestlersAreWarriors.com | Tech-Fall.com | Larry Slater

Related: Coverage Section NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships

Takedown Media will once again partner with TheMat.com in our radio broadcast of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships live from the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla. This year's broadcast team includes Scott Casber, Steve Foster, Jeff Murphy, Danny Sheehan and Billy Baldwin. Broadcast Schedule: Thursday, March 20 Session I: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Session II: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, March 21 Session III: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Session IV: 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, March 22 Session V: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Session VI: 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. This year's sponsors: Sunflower Wrestling, Asics, Kemin, Brute, Resilite, Cradle Gear, Riddix, The Airliner in Iowa City, Roller Productions, Zebra Mats and Cages, Louie’s Wine Dive and Bars, The University of Iowa, Takedown Sportswear, Titan Mercury Wrestling, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition, Oklahoma State Wrestling, TW Promotions, J Robinsons Wrestling Camps, Recruit a Wrestler.com, Fight Now TV, The University of Illinois, Suplay.com, Intermatwrestle.com, Takedown Wrestling Weekly Television and USA Wrestling Weekly Television.

InterMat staff writers and executives have broken down the brackets for the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Oklahoma City, Okla., and made their predictions. Andrew Hipps T.R. Foley Josh Lowe Tom Franck Steve Elwood Jim Beezer

To all my fans wondering where I have been the past few months, let's just say that I have been traveling the globe with intermittent trips to Vegas. Rest assured I'm back to re-assert myself as the premier tout for this tournament. Enjoy. 125: Nahshon Garret (Cornell) over Jesse Delgado (Illinois) Garrett has been hot since his encounter with Delgado (a 6-2 loss on Dec. 21). He has shown he can beat Megaludis and will do so again in the semifinals before avenging his loss to Delgado in the finals. 133: Tony Ramos (Iowa) over Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) I know what the naysayers will wonder: how can you bet against Joe Colon of Northern Iowa or A.J. Schopp of Edinboro after the seasons they've had? My logic is based upon two fundamental theories: I put little stock in the regular season. Guys get hot at the right time, and winning the NCAA tournament becomes a matter of confidence, preparedness, and peaking at the right time. Although Colon and Schopp have beaten my projected finalists, their strength of schedule pales in comparison to their Big 10 counterparts. Head coach Tom Brands will have Ramos ready, and Graff has been wrestling well as of late. Ramos tops Graff in a rematch of the Big Ten finals. 141: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) over Mitchell Port (Edinboro) There is no doubt that Port has had a solid season, but Stieber is in a different class than anyone else at this weight class, if not the entire tournament. Stieber has shown he can compete on the big stage, and will do so again this year to earn his third national title. 149: Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) over Chris Villalonga (Cornell) Anything can happen in this weight class, but I think Maple comes out on top after knocking off Drake Houdeshelt of Missouri in the semifinals and winning the rubber match against Villalonga in the finals. He's found his groove after moving up from 141 pounds where he won a national title last year. Maple wins his second title. 157: James Green (Nebraska) over Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) Green's explosiveness will be hard for anyone to handle. Expect fireworks in the quarterfinals if he happens to meet Dylan Ness of Minnesota again. Derek St. John of Iowa will try to defend the title he won last year at this weight class, but his performance this year has been streaky. Dieringer has been hot since losing to St. John in early January. I expect him to make the finals before falling to Green. My dark horse pick in this weight class is Isaac Jordan, the freshman from Wisconsin. He handed Green his only defeat of the season a month ago and given the chance in the semifinals on Friday night may have a chance to repeat that effort. 165: David Taylor (Penn State) over Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma State) Perhaps the biggest sweepstakes in the tournament this year will be who the runner-up is at 165 pounds. David Taylor's numbers have been gaudy all year. There's nothing creative or otherwise insightful in predicting him to continue his dominance throughout the tournament. He is as much of a lock as anyone I've seen since Cael Sanderson. The bookmakers will make this weight class unbettable, unless you are Tyler Caldwell's mother and hope he can slow down Taylor enough to steal the victory. I don't see it happening. Taylor wins comfortably for his second title. 174: Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) over Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) This weight class is perhaps the deepest in the tournament, with a handful of talented wrestlers who have traded wins/losses throughout the year. However, I think Andrew Howe is the top dog. Expect him to complete his long comeback after taking a redshirt last season after transferring from Wisconsin. Perry's road to the finals will most likely go through either Matt Brown of Penn State of Mike Evans of Iowa -- either wrestler could beat Perry in a close match. Perry is the returning NCAA champion at this weight class so he knows how to win on the big stage. But so does Howe as a two-time NCAA finalist and one-time champion. I expect Howe to avenge his loss to Perry in the Big 12 finals and take home his second NCAA title as his swan song. 184: Ed Ruth (Penn State) over Ethan Lofthouse (Iowa) Disregarding the fact that somehow Ruth is not the top seed, he is a close runner-up to David Taylor as the biggest lock of the tournament. In simple terms: the guy is absolutely dominant. His lone loss to Gabe Dean of Cornell at the Southern Scuffle is either an anomaly or Ruth stayed out too late celebrating the New Year. Lofthouse has as good a shot as anyone to make the finals, but stands little chance to win -- especially if Ruth feigns any interest in winning his third NCAA title. 197: Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) over Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) Flip a coin when predicting this weight class. I did. See my chart. Any one of the top eight seeds could win the title. 285: Tony Nelson (Minnesota) over Adam Chalfant (Indiana) Another tossup weight class that could see any one of the top five seeds emerging as the champion. Nelson carries the Minnesota heavyweight pedigree and seems to be peaking at the right time. In any case, there is no doubt that the championship will be decided with no less than seven minutes of hugging and pushing. Can't wait! Team: 1. Penn State 2. Iowa 3. Oklahoma State 4. Minnesota 5. Oklahoma

125: Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) over Jesse Delgado (Illinois) Ever since watching Nahshon Garrett at the National Duals, I knew I was picking him. His speed and power will propel him past Nico in the semis and get the win in a back-and-forth affair with the returning champ. Cornell keeps the streak alive with another champion. 133: Tony Ramos (Iowa) over Joe Colon (Northern Iowa) The Iowa senior has a tough row and will get tested from the quarters on. It's Tony's turn. 141: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) over Mitchell Port (Edinboro) I can't imagine Stieber on any part of the podium except the top. It doesn't matter who the opponent is. He's that much better. 149: Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) over Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska) I like Maple to quiet the critics. He's the most underrated returning champion. 157: Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) over James Green (Nebraska) This is the hardest weight class to handicap and it's possible neither of these two will make it. Dieringer takes it in the most exciting finals match of the night. 165: David Taylor (Penn State) over Nick Sulzer (Virginia) The easiest pick of the 10. Unless there's a weird injury, Taylor rolls through the field. 174: Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) over Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) In a low-scoring bout, Howe wins the title. It won't be pretty and it won't be that exciting, but he gets it done. 184: Ed Ruth (Penn State) over Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) This is the last of the slam dunks. He won't dominate like his teammate Taylor, but Ruth gets his third title. 197: J'den Cox (Missouri) over Nick Heflin (Ohio State) This is nothing more than a hunch. Cox could just as easily lose in the second round. But I'm going in all the way with Cox. 285: Tony Nelson (Minnesota) over Mike McMullen (Northwestern) It doesn't matter whether you like his style, the man gets it done. Nelson wins three in a row. Team: 1. Penn State 2. Minnesota 3. Iowa 4. Oklahoma State 5. Cornell

125: Jesse Delgado (Illinois) over Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) Really a three-horse race, with Megaludis in there as well. Delgado's takedowns in his semifinal match against Garrett last year were amongst the finest in the tournament. None of the three are undefeated but all are spectacular. It will really come down to just who is "on." 133: Tony Ramos (Iowa) over Jon Morrison (Oklahoma State) A pretty balanced weight class with the big names coming from a wide range of schools. Ramos hasn't been perfect this season, but has been wrestling well as of late. 141: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) over Mitchell Port (Edinboro) Stieber is one of the marquee names competing this weekend and should get title No. 3. After avenging his only loss of the season with a crip win over Retherford, it's tough to bet against him. 149: Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) over Chris Villalonga (Cornell) Another balanced weight class, but Houdashelt has a number of dominating wins, including a pin over No. 2 Dardanes at the Southern Scuffle. 157 Derek St. John (Iowa) over Dylan Ness (Minnesota) Possibly the deepest weight class in the tournament. There's a bunch of guys who could win it and much will come down to style matchups. Defending champ St. John has shown he knows how to peak. 165: David Taylor (Penn State) vs. Nick Sulzer (Virginia) A one-horse race as David Taylor has looked unstoppable all season long. One of the most touted recruits in a long time, Taylor has lived up to his billing, will go out as a four-time finalist and should easily get title No. 2. 174: Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) over Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) They've seen each other a couple times this season, with Perry winning last, but Howe should come out in this battle of former champs. There's an outside chance of either Matt Brown or Mike Evans upsetting Perry before the finals. 184: Ed Ruth (Penn State) over Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) I don't see Ruth losing to Dean again in the semis. Ruth has been amazing throughout his career even if it seems like he's often not working very hard. An interesting weight class all around, the quarters and medal rounds should be especially exciting. 197: J'den Cox (Missouri) over Scott Schiller (Minnesota) Easily the most wide-open weight class in the field, all of the top five guys could win it without raising too many eyebrows. While many of the other highly-touted freshmen may have earned more discussion throughout the season, it may be only Cox who ends up with a title this year. 285: Tony Nelson (Minnesota) over Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) After shocking fans with four regular season losses (he only had one last season), two-time champ Nelson has looked back to form recently. Winning a third title this year would put him in an elite group, but it will be a lot of work to get him there. Team: 1. Penn State 2. Minnesota 3. Iowa 4. Cornell 5. Oklahoma State

125: Jesse Delgado (Illinois) over Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) Three-headed monster at the top of 125, with Garrett and Nico Megaludis (Penn State) likely to meet in the semifinal. With that the case, Delgado has the highest probability of winning, so that's the pick. However, very few outside of the Delgado/Illinois camp would be disappointed if he was upset in an early round -- as it would assure a more "open" and fan-friendly finals bout. 133: Tony Ramos (Iowa) over Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) The Achilles heel for Ramos from the last two years, Logan Stieber (Ohio State), is up in the next weight class. I think in this last shot that Ramos can glare out to the audience with a smile from the top of the podium on Saturday night. Let's go against the grain and place Graff into the final, avenging a pair of losses from earlier in the season to Joe Colon (Northern Iowa) in the semifinal round. 141: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) over Mitchell Port (Edinboro) Stieber exacted revenge for his early season loss to Zain Retherford (Penn State) in the Big Ten final over a week ago. Now he'll get the chance to do similar for the fact Port upended younger brother Hunter in the national semifinal last year. It'll be a third national title for Stieber in as many seasons, with Port finishing as runner-up for the second straight year. 149: Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) over Nick Dardanes (Minnesota) Despite not having the best of regular seasons after moving up a weight, Maple finds a way to repeat as national champion, and does so after clearing the much tougher side of the draw. Likely path involves Big Ten champ Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) in the quarter and then No. 1 seed Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) in the semifinal. 157: Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) over Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) I picked Dieringer to win the title last year, but he suffered defeat on the hands of Derek St. John (Iowa), 3-2, in the tiebreaker in the semis. This year, let's stick with that pick, and see Dieringer avenge that semifinal loss in front of a relatively friendly crowd in OKC. For the top half, the Ohio native in me slots Isaac Jordan as the finalist. 165: David Taylor (Penn State) over Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma State) The Magic Man goes out in majestic fashion with a second national title. Might not be as dominating as the first, but the style and talent shines just as clearly. Four times a high school state champion, four times a Walsh Jesuit Ironman champion, four times a Big Ten champion -- Taylor will cement his place in history with a second title and Hodge Trophy from four NCAA finals appearances. 174: Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) over Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) For as much talent as these two wrestlers do have, both have shown tendency to not "open up" under pressure -- instead trusting their strength, defense, and guile. I think these are the two clear best wrestlers in the country, and we'll get to see a rubber match on the raised mat on Saturday night. This time Howe comes through with the win. 184: Ed Ruth (Penn State) over Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) Ruth seeks a third national title, which would put him in rarified air within collegiate wrestling circles. Even though he lost to Gabe Dean (Cornell) at the Southern Scuffle, I think that Ruth finds the necessary gear to overcome Dean in the national semifinal. Then, look for another decisive finals victory over a formidable opponent, which is what has happened when he majored Amuchastegui and Hamlin on the raised mat. 197: Scott Schiller (Minnesota) over J'den Cox (Missouri) Use of a random number generator might be more effective than analysis of the bracket, and that's pretty much what I did here. Schiller placed fifth in this weight last year after not being a starter the year before, while Cox was winning his fourth state title in Missouri up at 285 pounds. Just shows you the divergence of paths possible for collegiate success. 285: Tony Nelson (Minnesota) over Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) Even though Nelson suffered losses on four consecutive weekends from mid-January into early February, I think the two-time defending national champion has righted the ship. He showed why he is the nation's best heavyweight with his performance in the Big Ten tournament, and a title here will get him a third national title -- which is something that not even Tommy Rowlands, Steve Mocco, nor Cole Konrad could accomplish. Team: 1. Penn State 2. Iowa 3. Minnesota 4. Oklahoma State 5. Oklahoma

125: Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) over Jesse Delgado (Illinois) My pick at the beginning of the season, Nahshon Garrett, has only improved and impressed in 2014. With more pressure expected to be put on Jesse Delgado to do something that resembles offense, it'll be Garrett who scores on several occasions and takes home his first crown. 133: Joe Colon (UNI) over Tony Ramos (Iowa) Lost in the hub-bub about upsets and standout years was Joe Colon who has been lights out for head coach Doug Schwab. He'll face Ramos in the finals, and like he did at Midlands, waste no time in scoring, and ultimately dispatching the standout Hawkeye. 141: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) over Mitchell Port (Edinboro) Though the seeding was a big kerfuffle, it's ignorant to not recognize that Mitchell Port is a talented, tough-nose competitor. He's on the top side of the bracket and won't face as much competition, which gives him a road to the finals. He'll meet Stieber, who proved last week in his win against Zain Retherford (Penn State) that he is the best horse in the race. 149: Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) over Gus Sako (Virginia) Call me a homer, but Gus Sako has all the skills to rip through his side of the bracket. He's a bad matchup for No. 2 Nick Dardanes and is just funky enough to throw off any competitor. Still, Kendric Maple will find his pace at NCAAs and under the direction of Mark Cody bring home a second NCAA title. 157: James Green (Nebraska) over Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) Mean James Green is the best wrestler at the weight class and has been for much of the season. Dieringer will put up a challenge, but Green has hit another level and will show separation in the finals. 165: David Taylor (Penn State) over Nick Sulzer (Virginia) OK, I'm a bit of a homer. Though I think Sulzer will give Taylor a hell of a match, it's still a slim chance he'll get past Taylor. That said, don't be surprised if it's a closer match than most are expecting. 174: Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) over Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) The Big 12 finals evened up the score, but it'll be interesting to see how Perry's stall ride is handled by the top officials in the country. Howe is more offensive and should he do to Perry at NCAAs what he did at Big 12s and push the defending champion around the mat, the officials will have to ding Perry. 184: Ed Ruth (Penn State) over Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) Sheptock has a clear road to the finals, facing No. 4 Max Thomusseit (Pitt) in the semifinals -- an opponent he handled in the finals of the ACC. Ed "Baby" Ruth will have to make it past Gabe Dean (Cornell), but assuming that happens he'll be in top form come Saturday night. 197: J'den Cox (Missouri) over Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) Cox is a monster who sits on the "easy" side of the 197 bracket. Get to the finals and anyone he faces should be worn down from quarterfinal and semifinal competition. That should be Gadson (or at least I hope it is), but I favor Cox in the head-to-head finals. 285: Adam Coon (Michigan) over Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) With heavyweights this season nothing is surprising. So yeah ... why not? Team: 1. Penn State 2. Iowa 3. Oklahoma State 4. Minnesota 5. Oklahoma

125: Nico Megaludis (Penn State) over Jesse Delgado (Illinois) Nico Megaludis has reached the finals each time he has wrestled in the NCAAs. He's the ultimate competitor who shines in the biggest events. This time I see him getting over the hump and winning his first NCAA title. He has struggled with Nahshon Garrett this season, losing twice, but it's very difficult to beat a wrestler like Megaludis three straight times. I see Megaludis edging Garrett in the semifinals on Friday night, and then beating his nemesis Jesse Delgado in the NCAA finals on Saturday night in this season's rubber match. 133: Tony Ramos (Iowa) over Joe Colon (Northern Iowa) This is a difficult weight class to forecast because there are several wrestlers capable of winning the title. Initially I was totally set on picking A.J. Schopp to win the title because I love the way he's wrestling right now, and Edinboro coach Tim Flynn is a master at peaking his wrestlers at the NCAAs. However, my gut feeling now is that it's going to be Joe Colon and Tony Ramos wrestling for the championship. Both are seniors and extremely hungry. Colon has wrestled like a man on a mission this season after being kicked off the UNI wrestling team last season. Ramos is an emotional wrestler who thrives in the spotlight and feeds off the crowd. He's too good not to win a title. I'm taking Ramos to avenge his loss to Schopp in the NCAA semifinals, and then avenge his other loss to Colon in the NCAA finals. 141: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) over Mitchell Port (Edinboro) The loss Logan Stieber took against Zain Retherford earlier in the season may have been the best thing to happen to him. Not only did it take some pressure off him, but seemed to make him hungrier and more focused. Logan Stieber is likely the next four-time NCAA champion and it's hard to envision anyone stopping him. This is a wrestler who defeated the No. 1 wrestler in the world (at the time), Opan Sat of Russia, less than a year ago. It will be interesting to see if there's a Stieber-Retherford III in the semifinals. Retherford has a very difficult road to get there, though, starting with his first-round match against Ugi. Mitchell Port, an NCAA runner-up last season, has been phenomenal this season. A potential Mitchell Port-Devin Carter semifinal matchup could be interesting. 149: Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) over Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska) This is one of the more wide-open weight classes. Drake Houdashelt has been the most consistent wrestler in the weight class, but can't be considered anything more than a slight favorite in this weight class. He took a loss to Tywan Claxton of Ohio earlier in the season, and less than two weeks ago needed sudden victory period to defeat ODU's Alexander (Lenny) Richardson in the MAC tournament finals. Jason Tsirtsis may be a freshman, but don't expect the bright lights and big stage to intimidate him. He has competed in major wrestling events his entire life. Tsirtsis has a brutal road to the finals. If the seeds hold, Tsirtsis will have to go through Bryce Busler, Dylan Cottrell, and Kendric Maple just to get to a semifinal match with top-seeded Houdashelt. I'm taking Tsirtsis to run the gauntlet on his side of the bracket, and then defeat Jake Sueflohn in the NCAA finals in a rematch of the Big Ten finals. 157: James Green (Nebraska) over Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) This will be an entertaining weight class to watch because there are so many dynamic wrestlers. The top three seeds, James Green, Derek St. John, and Alex Dieringer, have been the most consistent this season, but there are plenty of potential spoilers in this weight class ... wrestlers like Ian Miller, Isaac Jordan, Dylan Ness, R.J. Pena, and Dylan Alton have proven they can compete with the nation's best wrestlers. Very few will be surprised if any of those wrestlers makes a run to the finals. All five are on the top side of the bracket with Green. Green is just so quick and explosive on his feet, and has improved his gas tank, which makes him a nightmare matchup for just about everyone. I like Green to come through the top side and meet third-seeded Alex Dieringer in the finals. Dieringer, an NCAA third-place finisher last season as a freshman, will likely have to get past DSJ, who edged him earlier in the season. Green over Dieringer in the championship. 165: David Taylor (Penn State) over Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma State) Taylor seems to be having the most fun he's had in college wrestling career. Last season he dealt with the emotional stress that came with his rivalry with Kyle Dake. This season he seems to be enjoying every moment and crushing everyone in the process. I'm not exactly going out on a limb here, but I see Taylor getting bonus points on everyone he faces en route to the finals. The bottom semifinal will likely pit Tyler Caldwell against Nick Sulzer in a rematch of the Southern Scuffle semifinals -- a match won by Caldwell, 2-1. I like Caldwell to edge Sulzer and reach the finals against Taylor. Taylor and Caldwell have wrestled twice this season, with Taylor winning the first match 9-1 and the second match 5-2. Taylor will be looking to put an exclamation point on an incredible collegiate career, while Caldwell will be looking to shock the college wrestling world. Caldwell will be game in the NCAA finals, but Taylor will be too much. 174: Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) over Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) The top two seeds, both NCAA champions, Chris Perry and Andrew Howe, seem to have separated from the rest of the pack, but not by much. Robert Kokesh, an NCAA third-place finisher last season, has only a single blemish on his record, and that was a one-point loss to Howe at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. He's been training with Jordan Burroughs (someone who knows Howe very well) and cannot be counted out. All-Americans Mike Evans, Matt Brown, and Logan Storley will all be looking to play the role of spoiler. I like Perry and Howe to grind out some tough wins en route to the finals to set up the rubber match between the Big 12 rivals. This time it goes Howe's way and he caps off his career as a two-time NCAA champion, three-time NCAA finalist, and four-time All-American. 184: Ed Ruth (Penn State) over Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) It doesn't seem like that long ago when Ruth was the lanky freshman turning heads at the Southern Scuffle by knocking off returning All-Americans Chris Henrich and Mack Lewnes. Now he stands five matches away from closing the book on one of the most dominant collegiate careers of the past 10 years. A third NCAA title seems inevitable, even with Gabe Dean -- the only wrestler to defeat over the past three seasons -- standing in his way. I expect Ruth to get his revenge on Dean in the semifinals. The top half of the bracket is pretty wide open, but I'm taking the two-time All-American Lofthouse to come through as the No. 5 seed and reach the finals against Ruth. He will likely have to get past Jimmy Sheptock, who defeated him at the Midlands. Ruth wins dominantly in the finals against Lofthouse. 197: J'den Cox (Missouri) over Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) There isn't a clear frontrunner in this weight class -- and it could be argued a number of different ways which wrestler should be considered the favorite. Gadson is currently ranked No. 1 by InterMat, but received the No. 5 seed. Top-seeded Nick Heflin has been on a roll, as has second-seeded J'den Cox. Big Ten wrestlers Morgan McIntosh and Scott Schiller have put together nice seasons and are seeded third and fourth respectively. Richard Perry and Travis Rutt could surprise coming from the No. 6 and No. 7 seeds. In other words, this weight class is a crapshoot and nothing will surprise me. I like Gadson to come out of the top half of the bracket, while I see Cox navigating his way to the finals from the bottom half. Gadson defeated Cox in overtime at the Southern Scuffle, scoring the takedown off an attack from the Missouri freshman. Cox already avenged his loss to Phil Wellington in the MAC finals. I see him avenging his loss to Gadson in the NCAA finals to become a true freshman NCAA champion. 285: Tony Nelson (Minnesota) over Mike McMullan (Northwestern) Interestingly, two-time NCAA champion Nelson has more losses (four) this season than he had in the two previous seasons combined, yet he is the No. 1 seed at the NCAAs for the first time in his career. Nelson won the Big Ten title, which at heavyweight this season is like winning a mini-NCAA tournament because seven of the top eight heavyweights were in the conference tournament. The Gopher big man seems to be firing on all cylinders in the final month of his collegiate career. The heavyweight class is deep and talented, so Nelson is by no means a surefire finalist or champ. He has a tough road ahead of him, but I like him to prevail and become Minnesota's first three-time NCAA champion, beating Mike McMullan in the NCAA finals for the second straight season. Team: 1. Penn State 2. Iowa 3. Oklahoma State 4. Minnesota 5. Oklahoma

Cinderella runs in wrestling are extraordinarily rare. Despite the long odds of an unseeded wrestler, cranking past columns of seeded opponents, every year there is usually one outsider who finds a path and gets it done. I spent a great deal of time last year on the math behind the scarcity of the bracket buster, so I've gone ahead and used that statistical introduction to prep this year's selections. Math is hard. Here we go ... There have been seven unseeded wrestlers in the semifinals since 2010: Two in 2013, one in 2012, one in 2011 and three in 2010: 2013: Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) beat No. 11 seed Andrew Alton (Penn State), No. 6 seed Dylan Ness (Minnesota) and unseeded Kevin Tao (American) before losing to Jason Chamberlain (Boise State), 7-3, in the semifinals. Houdashelt would go on to place sixth. Northern Iowa's David Bonin beat Bobby Barnhisel (Navy), Kyle Bradley (Missouri), and No. 12 seed Jedd Moore (Virginia) before losing to Northwestern's Jason Welch, 7-1, in the semifinals. 2012: Hofstra's Justin Accordino (149) beat No. 12 seed Ivan Lopouchanski (Purdue), No. 5 seed Ian Miller (Kent State) and unseeded Nick Lester (Oklahoma) before losing to Frank Molinaro (Penn State), 5-0. Accordino finished in sixth place. 2011: Utah Valley's Ben Kjar (125) beat unseeded Steve Bonanno (Hofstra), No. 4 seed James Nicholson (Old Dominion) and No. 5 seed Zach Sanders (Minnesota) before losing to eventual champion Anthony Robles (Arizona State), 4-2. Kjar took fourth place. 2010: Purdue 125-pounder Cashe Quiroga (Purdue) beat No. 7 seed James Nicholson (Oold Dominion), unseeded Joe Langel (Rutgers), and unseeded Fred Santaite (Boston U) to make the semifinals where he lost to eventual champion Matt McDonough (Iowa), 14-3. Quiroga finished in sixth place. Binghamton's Justin Lister (157) beat No. 11 seed Neil Erisman (Oklahoma State), unseeded Thomas Scotton (North Carolina) and No. 3 seed Jesse Dong (Virginia Tech) before losing to runner-up Chase Pami (Cal Poly), 14-3. Lister finished in fourth place. Oklahoma's Tyler Caldwell (165) beat No. 12 seed Paul Young (Indiana), No. 5 seed Colt Sponseller (Ohio State) and unseeded Chris Brown (Old Dominion) to make the semifinals and where he lost to Andrew Howe (Wisconsin), 4-1. Caldwell earned fifth place. In the past there were only 12 seeded wrestlers and it was still a statistical improbability that any unseeded wrestler would make the semifinals. Of the 160 available semifinal spots over the past four years only seven went to unseeded wrestlers. That means 840 unseeded wrestlers had an opportunity to make the semifinals, but only seven of those men accomplished the task. Your unseeded wrestler has less than a .83 percent chance of being this season's bracket buster. Over the past three years we've given ourselves 30 picks and have so far been unable to guess the bracket busters, making the likelihood of you choosing the bracket buster as likely as your nephew catching this bear in a spladle. The wrestlers listed below are not necessarily the best unseeded wrestlers, just the ones who might have a path to the semifinals that is both conceivable and assisted by other upsets. If you look above at the last three years you can see that almost all the semifinalists ran into an unseeded wrestler in the quarterfinals or second round. They didn't have to wrestle three consecutive top-12 opponents, because other potential busters were assisting them on their forward march. Also a factor is the pre-existing injuries to seeded opponents in your quarter of the bracket. If just one No. 5 seed comes in with a broken rib and it could signal an upset that could lead to the type of runs we read about above. But again, let's play this honest, there is less than a one percent chance of any unseeded wrestler making it to the semifinals, much less the ones you or I select and justify. Know too that almost every Big Ten wrestler earned a seed leaving mostly ACC and EWL wrestlers from which to choose. I recommend you just make your own picks and leave your choices in the comments section! Nathan Kraisser nearly upset Jesse Delgado at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)125: Nathan Kraisser (UNC) First Round: Injured Josh Martinez (Air Force) earned the No. 4 seed, but was losing 10-2 to Wyoming's Tyler Cox when the match was called. Kraisser is funky and creative enough to manage this first-round upset. Second Round: Earl Hall (Iowa State) has the talent to make it past No. 13 Evan Silver (Stanford), but both wrestlers are good matchups for Kraisser. Quarterfinals: No. 5 Dylan Peters (UNI) is 31-4 on the season. He should win, but Kraisser has a 30 percent chance of pulling this upset. 133: Dennis Gustafson (Virginia Tech) First Round: No. 7 Cashe Quiroga (Purdue) shouldn't be much of a problem for the ACC champion. His defense is better than most anyone in the nation and should win by 3+ points. Second Round: No. 10 Nick Soto (Chattanooga) is a solid matchup and someone Gustafson has seen in the past. Quarterfinals: Getting to wrestle No. 2 A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) would be impressive enough and though he's long odds, I was so impressed with him at ACCs that nothing would surprise me. 141: Undrakhbayar (The Citadel) First Round: The returning All-American failed to get seeded after a season with questionable losses. However, Ugi wasn't training full-time due to an NCAA oversight on his redshirt. Once he is in the the mix, he's as good as anyone. Look for him to get ridden, but it might not matter, as he's a terrible matchup for No. 3 Zain Retherford (Penn State). Second Round: No. 14 Edgar Bright shouldn't be a tough match for Ugi to win, and would likely be considered the odds-on favorite. Quarterfinals: No. 11 Joey Lazor (Northern Iowa) makes it past No. 6 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota), but won't be able to deal with Ugi's attacks. 149: James English (Penn State) First Round: Swept up in the week of attention, unseeded James English (Penn State) will be on a mission to prove his team worthiness. No. 12 Dylan Cottrell of Appalachian State is 26-1, but English should find a way to beat him and steal the seed. Second Round: No. 5 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) is a long shot for English, but if he wants to make a run, it'll be because Bryce Busler had already beaten Tsirtsis. Quarterfinals: No. 4 Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) would be a tall order for English, but his style stands a shot at pulling the upset. Also watch out for Tywan Claxton (Ohio) in the first round to possibly give Maple a scare. 157: Joey Napoli (Lehigh) First Round: His upset run will be decided in the first round. If he can make is past No. 2 seed Derek St. John (Iowa), he'll pull off the biggest upset of the round and give himself the opportunity to march forward. Second Round: No. 15 Cody Pack (South Dakota State) Quarterfinals: No. 10 Blaise Butler (UVA) is a 50/50 matchup, and the last wrestler in Napoli's run 165: Zach Toal (Missouri) First Round: All Toal's losses are to top-seeded wrestlers with the notable exception of Shaun'Qae McMurtry (Northern Illinois). It's a test for him to get past No. 7 Pierce Harger (Northwestern), but it's possible. Second Round: He'd need to avenge an early season loss to No. 10 Cooper Moore (Northern Iowa) Quarterfinals: Who better to pull the upset of No. 2 Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma State) than a kid coached by Sammie Henson, who was a big part of Caldwell's development at Oklahoma. 174: Bryce Hammond (CSU Bakersfield) First Round: Not a lot of good selections, but I chose Hammond last season and think that with the right game plan he could challenge No. 4 Mike Evans (Iowa) in his sophomore season. Second Round: He's my favorite to beat No. 13 Hayden Zilmer (North Dakota State) in a tight match. Quarterfinals: Ten percent chance he gets past No. 5 Matt Brown (Penn State), but given the opportunity, the young California star might achieve something great. 184: Vic Avery (Edinboro) First Round: Fighting Scots always perform at NCAAs and Avery should have been seeded. He'll pull the upset of No. 5 Ethan Lofthouse (Iowa) in the first round and get help later. Second Round: Though he lost 9-3 earlier in the season to Ophir Bernstein (Brown), the Edinboro conditioning program gets him the win this time. Quarterfinals: The helping hand will come from overlooked No. 13 Jack Dechow (Old Dominion) who will give No. 4 Max Thomusseit (Pitt) all he can handle and push past him. Avery had previously wrestled Thomusseit to a 4-1 loss. 197: Zach Nye (Virginia) First Round: There are no easy calls at 197 pounds and though Nye is raw, he's coming off a career win against two-time ACC champion Cristian Boley of Maryland. To beat No. 4 Scott Schiller (Minnesota) will take guts and luck, both of which favor Nye. Second Round: He'll keep the part going against No. 13 Danny Mitchell (American) Quarterfinals: Perhaps No. 5 Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) will be taken aback by Nye's style. Slim chance he makes it past, but after a day of upsets anything would be possible. 285: Ty Walz (Virginia Tech) Pigtail: He looked solid at ACCs will cruise past Nick Tavanello (Ohio State). First Round: It won't look like an upset when he sticks with and finally pushes past No. 8 J.T. Felix (Boise State). Second Round: No. 9 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) Quarterfinals: The upset of the tournament will come from unseeded Joe Stolfi (Bucknell), who beats Tony Nelson in double OT snore-ride, only to fall to Walz by a takedown.

Last spring the NCAA's wrestling committee voted to up the number of seeded wrestlers from 12 to 16 at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, which went into effect this year. However, despite that fact, there are still several highly accomplished wrestlers who failed to earn a top-16 seed and have been matched up with seeded wrestlers in the opening round. At 141 pounds alone, two returning All-Americans, K. Undrakhbayar (The Citadel) and Mike Nevinger (Cornell), enter this year's NCAA tournament unseeded and face highly seeded wrestlers right out of the gate. So before you leave your seat to go to the bathroom or buy your Dippin' Dots in Thursday's opening session, glance at the bout numbers on the brackets and make sure you don't miss any of the 10 first-round matchups below. Ryan Taylor is coming off a third-place finish at the Big Tens (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)125: No. 7 Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin) vs. Jared Germaine (Eastern Michigan) This is a battle of two wrestlers coming off strong performances at their respective conference tournaments. Taylor, a redshirt freshman, finished third at the Big Tens, losing only to Penn State's Nico Megaludis by one point in the semifinals, and avenging a loss to Cory Clark of Iowa in the third-place match. Germaine has flown under the radar this season at Eastern Michigan. He turned in a runner-up finish at the MAC Championships, losing to UNI's Dylan Peters, 4-3. Germaine has a 20-2 record this season, and picked up a 9-3 win earlier this season against North Carolina's Nathan Kraisser. Ugi enters the NCAAs with a 22-3 record and unseeded at 141 (Photo/The Citadel Sports Information)141: No. 3 Zain Retherford (Penn State) vs. K. Undrakhbayar (The Citadel) It seems unfathomable -- and unfair -- for these two wrestlers to meet in the opening round of the NCAAs. Penn State's Retherford has put together a tremendous true freshman, beating two-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber of Ohio State, and losing only once (to Stieber) heading into the NCAAs. Ugi, an NCAA fourth-place finisher last season, was granted another semester to compete by the NCAA midseason. He comes in with a nice record of 22-3, but lacks notable wins this season and took losses to No. 12 Richard Durso of Franklin & Marshall, No. 16 Joe Spisak of Virginia, and unseeded Gabe Moreno of Iowa State. 141: No. 7 Zach Horan (Central Michigan) vs. Mike Nevinger (Cornell) Horan was upset in the MAC semifinals by Northern Iowa's Joey Lazor, who caught fire in his conference tournament. Horan, a four-time Pennsylvania state finalist, reached the round of 12 two seasons ago as a true freshman and redshirted last season. Nevinger is a two-time All-American who has battled injuries this season. At the EIWAs, Nevinger fell to Hofstra's Luke Vaith, 3-0, in the semifinals, defaulted against Richard Durso, and then won his fifth-place match to earn an automatic bid in the NCAAs. Horan will be looking for his first All-American finish, but a first-round loss to Nevinger would send the Central Michigan sophomore down a long road to reach the All-American podium. 141: No. 13 Steve Dutton (Michigan) vs. Josh Dziewa (Iowa) These two Big Ten wrestlers are familiar with each other having already met twice this season. Dutton came out victorious in each of the first two meetings, 3-2 on Feb. 9, and 7-0 at the Big Tens less than two weeks ago. Dutton, a New York native, has been in the NCAA tournament twice -- both times with Lehigh. He comes in to the NCAAs with a record of 8-4, with all four of his losses coming to wrestlers seeded in the top five. Dziewa has notched some big wins this season. His most notable victory came over sixth-seeded Chris Dardanes. However, it's the inconsistency that has plagued Dziewa this season and caused him to enter the NCAAs unseeded. If the Hawkeyes want to stay in the NCAA team race, they need to pull some upsets, and this could be one. 149: No. 4 Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) vs. Tywan Claxton (Ohio) When it was announced that Kendric Maple was moving up a weight class this season to 149 pounds, many expected him to do what he did last season at 141 pounds, when he finished as an undefeated NCAA champion. However, that has simply not happened this season. The Sooner senior has already taken four losses (five if you count the NWCA All-Star Classic loss to Logan Stieber of Ohio State) and enters the NCAAs as the No. 4 seed. Maple's first-round opponent is Ohio's Tywan Claxton, who is best known for putting the only blemish on top-seeded Drake Houdashelt's resume this season. Claxton was a Division II All-American at King University prior to transferring to Ohio. He came into the MAC tournament as the top seed (over Houdashelt), but finished a disappointing fifth, losing his true fourth-place match and needing an at-large bid to even get in the NCAA tournament. Jason Tsirtsis defeated Jake Sueflohn to claim the Big Ten title (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)149: No. 5 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) vs. Bryce Busler (Bloomsburg) The Big Ten champion Tsirtsis should have been seeded ahead of Minnesota's Nick Dardanes, as I pointed out in a seeding blunders story, and now has a very difficult road to the NCAA finals. His first NCAA tournament starts with a match against unseeded Bryce Busler of Bloomsburg. Tsirtsis and Busler met earlier this season, with Tsirtsis winning that match 2-0 at the Keystone Classic in November. It was the first blemish on Busler's record this season after he started the season 7-0 with wins over Maple and Mitch Minotti of Lehigh. Busler has not been able to return to his early season form, but is still a very capable wrestler and a tough first-round opponent for Tsirtsis. 157: No. 2 Derek St. John (Iowa) vs. Joey Napoli (Lehigh) Interestingly, St. John and Napoli were the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds respectively at last year's NCAAs in Des Moines. St. John went on to win the NCAA title, while Napoli went 0-2 and bowed out of the competition on the opening day. DSJ comes in as the No. 2 seed again this year after finishing runner-up at the Big Tens to Nebraska's James Green. Napoli, like the aforementioned Ugi, has a nice record (12-3), but lacks quality wins, which hurts him in the seeding process. The two wrestlers have not met this season despite Iowa and Lehigh wrestling in a dual meet and both teams being at the Midlands. Last season, however, St. John topped Napoli, 6-0, in a dual meet in early December. 157: No. 13 Dylan Alton (Penn State) vs. Brian Murphy (Michigan) Alton was an All-American (third place) as a redshirt freshman two seasons ago, but failed to reach the All-American podium last season and has struggled with injuries and consistency this season. He is coming off a disappointing eighth-place finish at the Big Tens, where he lost three times. One of those losses came to Michigan's Brian Murphy, who he could see in the first round. The two wrestlers have split this season, with Alton winning the first meeting in sudden victory on Super Bowl Sunday. Murphy, though, has to first get past Oklahoma's Justin DeAngelis in his pigtail match. Murphy, a three-time state finalist at Glenbard North (Ill.), is putting together a solid true freshman campaign. He took top-seeded James Green of Nebraska into sudden victory at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational before losing 7-5. He also notched a win over two-time All-American Dylan Ness of Minnesota. 165: No. 7 Pierce Harger (Northwestern) vs. Zach Toal (Missouri) Based strictly on seeds, it's reasonable to think that Harger should be considered a strong favorite in his first-round match. However, seeds can be deceiving and that's certainly the case in this instance. Harger and Toal, both Ohio natives, are very evenly matched. This is tossup any way you slice it. The two wrestlers have not met this season, but did battle each other last season at the NCAAs, with Toal winning 4-2. What hurt Toal in the seeding process this year was the upset loss he took at the MAC Championship to Northern Illinois' Shaun'Qae McMurtry, which he avenged in the third-place match. The winner of the Harger-Toal match will likely face Northern's Iowa's Cooper Moore, a wrestler who has beaten both Harger and Toal this season. Ethen Lofthouse defeated Kevin Steinhaus to reach the Big Ten finals (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)184: No. 5 Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) vs. Vic Avery (Edinboro) Lofthouse has always performed well at the NCAAs and has two All-American finishes on his resume to prove it. Last year he entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 12 seed and finished fifth. This season he has battled injuries and split time in the lineup with teammate Sammy Brooks. His only losses, though, have come to the nation's No. 1 and No. 2 wrestlers, Maryland's Jimmy Sheptock and Penn State's Ed Ruth. Avery, a Massachusetts native, won the EWL title and comes in with a record of 23-5. The fact that he is not seeded is surprising. He is currently ranked 12th by InterMat. He was an NCAA qualifier two seasons ago as a true freshman, and won nearly 30 matches last season while redshirting. Edinboro coach Tim Flynn always seems to have his Fighting Scots peaking when it matters most, and Avery is a wrestler who could do some damage in Oklahoma City. Iowa and Edinboro met in a dual meet early in the season, but Avery was held out. Expect to see a very competitive match between Lofthouse and Avery.

Every fan knows that college wrestling is a sport like no other. Small differences can often separate winners from losers and greats from also-rans. Tight matches are often determined by borderline takedowns, riding time, back points and, increasingly, referees' interpretations. Betting on college wrestling requires a formula that predicts small actions. For example, a late and meaningless stall point against Kyle Dake, combined with missed back points against Logan Stieber can mean the difference between enjoying a lucrative NCAA finals and taking the early flight back home to Chicago. I was on the wrong side of those small differences last year, but luckily Steve Bosak's win in 2012 is still paying for my morning bagel. With that in mind, it's once again the time of year when we find out who has all the angles, and who has the stones to play 'em! As the NCAA wrestling tournament gains more coverage and fans each year, the lines offered by online sportsbooks also tightened. This year will be no different, and there aren't likely to be major flubs. However, the 2014 wrestling season was one of the most unpredictable in recent memory. That, along with terrible seeding, could mean some big bets are available. And remember, I'm in no way responsible for what you bet, or if you bet. Think twice before laying your mortgage on the field at 165 pounds. This is for giggles so if you can't afford to lose it, don't bet it. For the newcomers, here's how it usually works: Each weight class is broken down with a money line on the top two or three individuals (usually by seed). Then the remaining wrestlers, or the field, are given a collective money line to win. For clarity purposes each line uses a base amount of $100. So if the line is +150, that means you risk $100 to profit $150. Likewise, if the line is -150, you risk $150 to profit $100. A few numbers for thought before we break down the weight classes (all data is since the 2003 NCAA tournament): 1. The No. 1 seed at the NCAA wrestling tournament has won almost exactly 50% of the time. 2. A wrestler seeded third or lower has won approximately 30%. 3. A wrestler seeded fourth or lower has won approximately 20%. 4. The field comes in on average twice a year. 5. All NCAA champions in 2013 came from either the No. 1 or No. 2 seed. That hadn't happened previously since a few years before David Taylor was born. The "powers to be" shied away from offering too many field bets last year. Steve Bosak's Cinderella run in 2012 most likely played a part in that. We're hoping to see the range of lines back to normal for this year's tournament. On to the breakdown of this year's weight classes and my personal (pre-official lines): 125: Jesse Delgado of Illinois is your returning NCAA champion and top seed. His newfound defensive style has come under scrutiny as of late, but he did sneak away with his second Big Ten title, despite the noise. We will see if he finds his offense again for the big dance. Nahshon Garrett of Cornell and Nico Megaludis of Penn State are likely facing off for the third time this season in the lower half of the bracket for a ticket to the finals. Iowa's Cory Clark comes in the No. 8 seed, but is probably Delgado's biggest threat in the top half of the bracket. The Lines: Delgado even, Garrett +150, Megaludis +220, Field +600 The Play: Megaludis is a two-time NCAAA finalist so a big line would be tempting. However, Garrett has shown the ability to separate in their first two matchups and this weekend should be no different. Even if Megaludis solves that riddle he still needs to find a way to beat his nemesis in the final. Delgado found a different cylinder at NCAAs last year. He may not need to perform at quite as high of a level this time around since it looks like he's the only wrestler in the nation to figure out Garrett, his probable finals opponent. Stay away from the field as this is a three-horse race. I like Delgado to silence the critics and repeat for even money. 133: Joe Colon of Northern Iowa and A.J. Schopp of Edinboro come in as the two longshot top seeds here by virtue of their respective wins over third-seeded Tony Ramos of Iowa. Three-time All-American Tyler Graff of Wisconsin and fourth-seeded Jon Morrison of Oklahoma State headline the field. The Lines: Ramos +120, Colon +155, Field +350 The Play: Most expected Tony Ramos to walk through this weight class in the beginning of the season. I certainly did. However, losses to Colon and Schopp have pumped the breaks on that line of thought. Ramos is still the slight favorite and Colon has a tough road, but never underestimate the deadly combo of sporting a serious mustache with Doug Schwab in your corner. I like Colon if he comes in +150 or better and/or the field +350. 141: Two-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber of Ohio State falls to the No. 2 seed after a rare loss to super frosh Zain Retherford, which he avenged at the Big Tens. Devin Carter of Virginia Tech has seemingly willed his way back to health and a third ACC title six months ahead of schedule after an early season injury. He joins the other undefeated wrestler in the bracket, Edinboro's Mitchell Port, on the top half. The Lines: Stieber -230, Port +135, Carter +300, Field +550 The Play: Carter is a great story and the big wild card here. I think he poses problems for Port in that semifinal matchup but has never figured out Stieber in their previous meetings. I expect Retherford to fight through a brutal early road back to Stieber and make it very interesting in their third installment. The Buckeye is still too much though and we should be looking at the third of four titles. Lay the odds. 149: Drake Houdashelt of Missouri earns the top seed here, but it comes with few rewards as he's handed NCAA champion Kendric Maple of Oklahoma and Big Ten champion Jason Tsirtsis of Northwestern on his side of the bracket. Nick Dardanes of Minnesota and Chris Villalonga of Cornell round out the top-five seeds. The Lines: Houdashelt +140, Maple +180, Tsirtsis +250, Field +400 The Play: This bracket is top heavy in a big way, and I like whoever emerges from that half. Houdashelt has taken a loss this year and there are few wrestlers talented enough to keep him from the top of the podium. Many thought Maple would be JO 2.0 with his jump up in weight this year, but the transition hasn't been nearly as smooth. I do still like him to finish with his second title with it all on the line. Take him +180 or better. The field is hungry and talented, but one level below. 157: We arrive at the most fun and anticipated weight class of the tournament. James Green of Nebraska enjoyed a dominant Big Ten with yet another win over returning champ DSJ of Iowa as well as the always-dangerous Dylan "Honey Badger" Ness of Minnesota. The talented Cowboy Alex Dieringer is sitting with one loss on the year and grabs the No. 3 seed. Isaac Jordan of Wisconsin, Ian Miller of Kent State, Dylan Alton of Penn State are some big names in a scrappy field. The Lines: Green +120, DSJ +160, Dieringer +200, Field +350 The Play: "Mean" James Green is my pick (again) here and not just because he's a Burroughs-esque New Jersey native. However, this field is too deep and too talented to ignore. Isaac Jordan has wins over both Green and DSJ. Dylan Ness and Ian Miller can pin anyone in the weight class, while Penn State might just need Alton to come to wrestle to gain a fourth straight title. I think you get the idea. Let's take our first chance on the field. 165: In news that shocks nobody, David Taylor of Penn State is your overwhelming top seed. Tyler Caldwell of Oklahoma State and Nick Sulzer of Virginia come in at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively. The Lines: DT -600, Caldwell +350, Field +1350 The Play: In a year that saw Ed Ruth and Logan Stieber take losses anything can happen, right? Nah. The only thing to contemplate here is how many falls we see. Sulzer, Caldwell and Monk may be able to keep it close but this is the lock of the tournament. That being said, laying money on DT would be too expensive with little payoff. Stay away and enjoy the ending to a magical career. I’ll take over 2.5 falls. 174: Chris Perry of Oklahoma State is your returning NCAA champion and avenged his only loss with a controversial win over Andrew Howe of Oklahoma a week ago. The next tier down includes a gritty and deep field of wrestlers who will try to play spoiler to a trilogy meeting between the two top dogs. The Lines: Howe even, Perry +160, Kokesh +300, Field +450 The Play: This weight class wants to be 157 pounds, but in reality I think Howe and Perry have shown separation from the pack. Howe will be hungry and it's tough to imagine anyone in the bottom bracket contesting his place on the elevated mat. Perry's road will be much more interesting, but in the end I think we find another meeting between the two former champs. Howe will find redemption and a second title via more collar tie snaps than we knew existed. I'd take him for even money or better. 184: Jimmy Sheptock of Maryland is your top seed here. Take a moment. Jimmy Sheptock is seeded above two-time NCAA champion ... untouchable for two-and-a-half years ... never lost in the Big Ten ... best cradle in the "biz" ... Ed "The Truth" Ruth. He earns that distinction following an undefeated season, while Ruth took the season's most surprising loss to giant killer Gabe Dean of Cornell. Kevin Steinhaus of Minnesota is worth mentioning in the field. The Lines: Ruth -300, Dean +225, Sheptock +210, Field +750 The Play: Let's all bow our heads collectively and hope that the actual lines are based on the seeds here. Gabe Dean is Jimmy Sheptock's new best friend for the time being as he hopes he can duplicate his "miracle on the mat" from the Southern Scuffle. Ruth does have the toughest road as he will have to go through Steinhaus, Dean and Sheptock potentially. No doubt that Dean is an animal and I don't think his win in January was any sort of fluke. I also don't think it will be repeated. Lay the odds on Ruuuuuuuth if they are within reason and enjoy the winning chants of his name one last time. 197: Strange seeding here as Kyven Gadson of Iowa State falls to the No. 5 seed after arguably the season's most impressive body of work. He comes in behind top seed and Big Ten champion Nick Heflin of Ohio State. J'den Cox of Missouri and Morgan McIntosh of Penn State will battle it out below as the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds. Scott Schiller of Minnesota is the No. 4 seed and spent a healthy amount of time ranked No. 1 this season before some recent losses. The Lines: Heflin +170, Cox +175, Gadson +200, Field +400 The Play: Nobody could fault you for taking the field if the odds are right. No wrestler here has been able to hold the top spot for long and it has changed hands a few times. McIntosh was my preseason pick, but I've jumped ship to J'den Cox. I like his chances even more with Gadson on the opposite side and as a freshman you should be able to get some good value betting on him. There will be room for a few more stars in the sport with Taylor and Ruth gone. Cox is ready to fill the void. 285: Have we seen a heavyweight bracket this exciting and wide open? Not since Bloodsport. Minnesota's Tony Nelson is the No. 1 seed and two-time returning NCAA champion. He also has losses to four of the five wrestlers seeded directly below him. The Lines: Nelson +165, Gwiz +220, Chalfant +230, Field +265 The Play: This weight class is as wide open as we can hope for. Nelson rebounded nicely at the Big Tens and has two previous titles, so he's still your frontrunner. But this is as unpredictable as they come. Field. All the way. Official lines should be available at your online sportsbook midweek (Wednesday) and individual lines are posted before the finals in case you would like to hedge your bets or double up on Saturday. Good luck and enjoy the winnings!

PITTSBURGH -- Based on the slate of matchups, it was expected that the seniors from Oklahoma would come through with a victory over those from the WPIAL during the preliminary dual meet of the 40th annual Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic. Eight straight victories between 138 and 220 assured the Sooner State seniors of the dual meet triumph. It was a reverse outcome of the last time these teams met in the Dapper Dan preliminary, back in 1979, when the WPIAL squad earned victories in seven of twelve bouts to earn a 28-24 victory. The dual meet started out well enough for the home-standing WPIAL squad, as Pitt signee Brendan Price (Canon-McMillan) earned an 11-5 victory at 113 pounds. Price, a 2013 state qualifier, scored five takedowns to the one for returning state placer Braden Bennett (Locust Grove). Countering with a victory at 120 for Oklahoma was two-time state runner-up Jacob Findley (Collinsville). He countered an initial takedown for state placer Brendan Hasson (Belle Vernon) with a reversal and two-point near fall for a 4-2 lead after the first period. A scoreless second period, as matches in the preliminary dual meet had two periods of 2:30 each, would make that the final score in favor of Findley. The preliminary dual meet’s most anticipated match was next, as No. 20 at 132 Cub Yeager (Locust Grove) would face No. 11 Dom Forys (North Allegheny) at 126 pounds. Yeager, a three-time state champion and two-time All-American in Junior Greco-Roman, would upend the two-time state placer and Super 32 Challenge runner-up Forys 8-7. Yeager opened the match’s scoring with a takedown off a headlock toss, and then earned two more points on a cradle. Forys countered that cradle for a reversal of his own, before Yeager earned an escape to end the initial period with a lead. Forys would earn a pair of takedowns, which was sandwiched by a Yeager takedown on a counter to a pancake attempt, but it was not enough. "You never know what positions will end up happening on your feet," said Yeager about how his Greco-Roman experience helps in scholastic wrestling. "Whatever is there is there, and you just take it. All the styles (freestyle, Greco-Roman, etc.) are helpful, and it all works out in the end." Bouncing back from that match, it was three-time state placer Tyler Smith (Franklin Regional) -- who is ranked No. 11 nationally -- coming through with a 12-4 major decision over state placer Justin Fletcher (Bixby) to give the WPIAL a 7-6 dual meet lead, their last of the evening. Smith scored five takedowns in the second period to augment his initial takedown in the first period, and earn Outstanding Wrestler honors for the WPIAL squad. The eight match Oklahoma winning streak started at 138 pounds, as four-time state champion Will Steltzen (Collinsville) used takedowns in each period to outlast state placer Tyler Buckiso (Peters Township) for a 4-1 victory. As a result, Oklahoma took a 9-7 lead in the dual meet, which would stand through the rest of the matches. The Sooner State streak continued in the next bout, as four-time state finalist -- and state champion each of the last two years -- Jonce Blaylock (Berryhill) scored a second period takedown in his 2-1 victory over state placer Grant Fetchet (South Fayette). With the dual meet score 12-7, things started to get really out of reach after No. 19 Dakota Head (Tuttle) came up with a pin at the 2:56 mark against state champion Steven Edwards (Burrell). Head had scored a four-point move in the first period off a toss to take a 4-1 lead after that stanza, and then got the pin off a similar move early in the second period. "I was looking to get off to a strong start and score big," said Head, who earned Outstanding Wrestler honors for the Oklahoma squad. "It feels pretty good (to get a pin over the Pennsylvania state champion, which was something he did not even know about Edwards)." Extending the lead was state champion and Oklahoma State signee Jacobe Smith (Muskogee), who scored a 10-3 victory over state placer Jonathan Avon (North Hills). Smith had three takedowns in the first period and two in the second period, as the dual meet score lead extended to two touchdowns at 21-7. Joining older brother Jordan Rogers, who scored a fall for Team USA in the 2012 Dapper Dan, it was Chandler Rogers (Stillwater) doing the same. This time it came in the preliminary bout, as the No. 6 ranked 170 pound wrestler pinned state runner-up Kyle Coniker (Pittsburgh Central Catholic) at the 1:16 mark. A trio of Edmond North wrestlers came through with victories in the next three bouts to push the dual meet score out to 37-7 with one last match remaining. No. 11 at 220 Lance Dixon upended two-time state placer Terrell Fields (Valley) 5-4 at 182 pounds; No. 5 Derek White put on an absurd stretch of dominance in the last 2:45 of the bout, as he scored eight takedowns in that stretch for a 16-6 major decision victory over state placer Cole Macek (Montour) at 195; and No. 12 at 285 Andrew Dixon scored an escape in the ultimate tiebreaker for a 1-0 victory over state champion Jake Temple (Avella) at 220. The evening’s final bout was a merciful triumph for the WPIAL squad, as three-time state placer Shane Kuhn (Kiski Area) ended his wrestling experience with a 6-2 victory over state qualifier Trey Loveall (Locust Grove). Kuhn scored five points off a throw in the first period, one in which he almost secured a fall, and closed the string to get the win. Kuhn will be attending Youngstown State in the fall, a FCS school in football, where he will start out as a tight end and long snapper. "It’s definitely helped me out," said Kuhn about his wrestling experience in terms of football. "Competing as a heavyweight has helped me learn how to move bigger bodies easier, as well improved my hand-fighting. All the wrestling skills translate on the football field." Oklahoma 37, WPIAL 10 113: Brendan Price (Canon-McMillan) dec. Braden Bennett (Locust Grove, Okla.), 11-5 120: Jacob Findley (Collinsville, Okla.) dec. Brendan Hasson (Belle Vernon), 4-2 126: No. 20 at 132 Cub Yeager (Locust Grove, Okla.) dec. No. 11 Dom Forys (North Allegheny), 8-7 132: No. 11 Tyler Smith (Franklin Regional) maj. dec. Justin Fletcher (Bixby, Okla.), 12-4 138: Will Steltzen (Collinsville, Okla.) dec. Tyler Buckiso (Peters Township), 4-1 145: Jonce Blaylock (Berryhill, Okla.) dec. Grant Fetchet (South Fayette), 2-1 152: No. 19 Dakota Head (Tuttle, Okla.) pin Steven Edwards (Burrell), 2:56 160: Jacobe Smith (Muskogee, Okla.) dec. Jonathan Avon (North Hills), 10-3 170: No. 6 Chandler Rogers (Stillwater, Okla.) pinned Kyle Coniker (Pittsburgh Central Catholic), 1:16 182: No. 11 at 220 Lance Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.) dec. Terrell Fields (Valley), 5-4 195: No. 5 Derek White (Edmond North, Okla.) major dec. Cole Macek (Montour), 16-6 220: No. 12 at 285 Andrew Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.) dec. Jake Temple (Avella), 1-0 TB 285: Shane Kuhn (Kiski Area) dec. Trey Loveall (Locust Grove, Okla.), 6-2

Related: Day 1 Recap | Videos LOS ANGELES -- Still stinging from a 5-3 loss to Iran the night before, Team USA's freestyle wrestling team rebounded with an 8-0 shutout of Turkey during the final round of pool action at the World Cup in Los Angeles. The win earned them a runner-up finish in their pool and put them in contention for the bronze medal. In the evening session, Team USA was impressive again, going 7-1 against Ukraine and taking a strong third. Against Turkey, Angel Escobedo opened the meet with a first-period pin at 57 kilos, which was followed by three consecutive technical falls from Jimmy Kennedy at 61 kilos, Brent Metcalf at 65 kilos and Nick Marable at 70 kilos. Jordan Burroughs continued the dominance by earning his third pin of the weekend over Murat Erturk at 2:17 in the first period. Clayton Foster continued his undefeated run on the weekend by beating Faith Erdin, 16-9, and J.D. Bergman followed with an 8-4 win over Ali B-onceoglu. The final match of the meet was not contested as Tervel Dlagnev won by forfeit. USA's final opponent was not determined until the following round when Ukraine defeated Mongolia, 5-3, in a back-and-forth dual meet. Ukraine looked strong in the victory and had rallied after a poor performance in their opening bout against Russia. In the subsequent matches in yesterday's action they defeated Japan 7-1 and Georgia 5-3. Team USA would electrify the packed crowd at the Forum throughout the evening with an aggressive tempo. It is worth noting that the audience contained an exceptionally large contingent of Iranian fans -- to an extent that the members of the Iranian team themselves were surprised by the support. However, during the bronze-medal match, the Iranian section was exceptionally loud in screaming "USA." Angel Escobedo began his match slowly, looking for the right opportunities to strike and held a small lead going into the second period. He then smelled blood and broke the match open, scoring a tech fall just prior to the end of the bout. Jimmy Kennedy was impressive holding a 3-1 lead after the first period against World and Olympic medalist Vasyl Fedoryshyn. He then added a takedown in the second period to win 5-1. Clayton Foster finished unbeaten and won a World Cup gold (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The highlight of Team USA's performance was at 86 kilos, where Clayton Foster continued his undefeated run on the weekend by beating standing World champ Ibragim Aldatov, 7-2. Despite the dominance, Team USA was not completely pleased with their performance. Down from 74 kilos a month ago, Nick Marable believes he has a ways to go. "I'm still not wrestling as good as I think I can," said Marable. "I knew cutting down to 70 kilos was going to be a process. Today, I felt like my legs were under me more than they were yesterday. "Technically, I think I'm at about seventy-five percent. Sammie (Henson) got to come overseas with me. So he got see what I'm doing right and what I'm not doing right. My goal is to get to one-hundred percent by the World Championships." Even with two dominating performances on Sunday, Escobedo wished he had done more against standing World champion Hassan Rahimi of Iran the night before. "He shot six times, I shot none. I think I may have overthought that. When I'm scoring points, it's tough to beat me." And while Jordan Burroughs did feel like he was on his game, he too, wanted more. "This is the third year in a row I've won this," said Burroughs. "It's the third year we've finished third. It's the third year in a row we've lost to Iran. It's becoming a little bit too much of a trend for me. I want us at the top of the podium." USA 7, Ukraine 1 57 kilos: Angel Escobedo (USA) tech. fall over Sergiy Ratushny (Ukraine), 11-1 61 kilos: Jimmy Kennedy (USA) dec. Vasyl Fedoryshyn (Ukraine), 5-1 65 kilos: Brent Metcalf (USA) tech. fall over Ivan Petriv (Ukraine), 12-2 70 kilos: Nick Marable (USA) dec. Andriy Kvyatkovskyy (Ukraine), 3-2 74 kilos: Jordan Burroughs (USA) tech. fall over Giya Chykladze (Ukraine), 15-4 86 kilos: Clayton Foster (USA) dec. Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine), 7-2 97 kilos: Pavlo Oliinyk (Ukraine) dec. J.D. Bergman (USA), 4-1 125 kilos: Tervel Dlagnev (USA) won by forfeit USA 8, Turkey 0 57 kilos: Angel Escobedo (USA) pinned Nebi Uzun (Turkey), 2:50 61 kilos: Jimmy Kennedy (USA) tech. fall over Recep Topal (Turkey), 10-0 65 kilos: Brent Metcalf (USA) tech. fall over Selahattin Kilisalayan (Turkey), 10-0 70 kilos: Nick Marable (USA) tech. fall over Mustafa Kaya (Turkey), 13-0 74 kilos: Jordan Burroughs (USA) pinned Murat Erturk (Turkey), 2:17 86 kilos: Clayton Foster (USA) dec. Fatih Erdin (Turkey), 16-9 97 kilos: J.D. Bergman (USA) dec. Ali B-onceoglu (Turkey), 8-4 125 kilos: Tervel Dlagnev (USA) won by forfeit