InterMat Staff

Perkins

Skutt Catholic

Wilson

Gabriel Richard

Reynolds

Ellwood City

St. Plus X

North Hunterdon

Parkwood

Pisgah

Earlham

Grand River Academy

Garner-Hayfield-Ventura

Skutt Catholic

Buchanan

Bettendorf

Tomorrow night is one of the crown jewels of the college wrestling season, the All-Star Classic. The event returned to college wrestling in the 2022-23 season and had been the place for marquee matchups to occur. When previous iterations of the event started to die out, it was because intriguing matchups didn’t always take place. One of the benefits of having NIL is that there is now some added incentive for athletes to participate. Like the 2023 Classic, this event has a handful of women’s matches - each featuring opponents from different championship divisions doing battle. Also, there is a clash between a top-ranked wrestler from the D2 and D3 ranks. Each is an impressive national champion, in their own right. Finally, there is a full slate of bouts between DI competitors. One is a rematch of the 2024 NCAA finals, others could end up being previews of NCAA semifinals and finals, while the main event features two of the best wrestlers in college wrestling today. Here’s a match-by-match look at what to expect from the 2024 All-Star Classic. 110 - #1 Emma Baertlein (Southern Oregon) vs #4 Kendra Ryan (North Central) The women’s collegiate matches bring a sense of intrigue as each of these matches features a woman from an NAIA school against one from the NCWWC. In this contest, we have Kendra Ryan who is a three-time NCWWC All-American, and Emma Baertlein, who has earned All-American honors twice herself. Ryan was the top seed at nationals last season and suffered her only two losses of the year at the national tournament - taking fourth. Baertlein was knocked off in the quarterfinals, but bounced back with four straight wins to take third and avenged her loss with a fall in the third-place bout. 124 - #1 Amani Jones (North Central) vs #2 Maya Davis (Grand View) Two-time NCWWC finalist and one-time champion Amani Jones has to be considered the favorite in this contest. Less than a month ago, Jones returned from Tirana, Albania with a bronze medal from the U23 World Championships. It was her second piece of international hardware after earning a bronze the previous year at the U20 level. Maya Davis is a two-time NAIA All-American and one of the faces of a young Grand View program. She is one of only three wrestlers in Grand View women’s history to appear in the national finals. Davis’ NAIA national championship loss came at the hands of 2024 U20 world champion Cristelle Rodriguez (Doane). 131 - #1 Victoria Baez-Dilone (King) vs #1 Carolina Moreno (Southern Oregon) The first of two women’s #1 versus #1 matches pits 2024 NCWWC runner-up Victoria Baez-Dilone against three-time NAIA champion Carolina Moreno. Before coming to King University, Baez-Dilone was a two-time Junior College champion for Umpqua CC. Baez-Dilone has extensive international experience wrestling for Spain - she competed at the 2024 World Championships and was a U20 European bronze medalist in 2019. In 2023, Moreno became the first Southern Oregon woman to win multiple national titles. This year, she’ll attempt to become the first woman to win four NAIA national titles. Coincidentally, Baez-Dilone met McKendree’s Cam Guerin in the 2024 NCWWC finals, as Guerin was attempting to win her fourth title. 145 - #1 Jamilah McBryde (Life) vs #2 Aine Drury (King) The next two matches will pit one of the McBryde sisters, of Life University, against a star from King University. A real Georgia versus Tennessee rivalry (Though the McBryde sisters are from New York and both King wrestlers are from California). Jamilah McBryde was the only Life wrestler to win a national title in 2024 and has earned All-American honors on two occasions (3rd in 2023). Aine Drury was an NCWWC national runner-up in 2024 and then made the finals of the U23 World Team Trials. Though she fell in the Trials, Drury was able to earn a gold medal at the Pan-American U20 Championships. 160 - #1 Cheyenne Bowman (King) vs #1 Latifah McBryde (Life) The only woman to appear in last year’s All-Star Classic and this one is Latifah McBryde. In the 2023 ASC, McBryde fell 8-3 to Iowa’s Marlynne Deede. Going back to collegiate competition, McBryde has made the NAIA national finals in each of her first two seasons competing for the Running Eagles. Outside of collegiate wrestling, McBryde has made the finals of the U20 Trials. Like McBryde, Cheyenne Bowman is also a two-time college national runner-up, with both of hers coming at the NCWWC division. Bowman also has a fifth-place finish in her freshman season. 197 - #1 (D2) Derek Blubaugh (Indianapolis) vs #1 (D3) Massoma Endene (Wartburg) Last year’s All-Star Classic had a #1 vs #1 matchup with a top-ranked wrestler from the DII ranks taking on one from DIII. That will happen again with Derek Blubaugh and Massoma Endene squaring off. Endene has won the past two DIII national titles at 197 lbs for Wartburg. He’s proven he can compete with the best in the nation by winning the U23 World Trial Trials and downing DI Round of 12 finisher Andy Smith (Virginia Tech) in the process. Derek Blubaugh was one of the stories of the DII national tournament in 2024. He turned the tables on Central Oklahoma’s Dalton Abney after Abney had defeated him in the national finals in each of the previous two years. In doing so, Blubaugh became only the second national champion ever for Indianapolis and the first since 2011. 197 - #5 Stephen Little (Little Rock) vs #10 Zac Braunagel (Illinois) With Stephen Little being a redshirt freshman during the 2023-24 season and Zac Braunagel taking an Olympic redshirt that year, these two haven’t squared off in college before. Expect this to be one of the more physical bouts of the evening. Both wrestlers are brawlers (meant to be a compliment). Little showed flashes of becoming an impact wrestler while redshirting in 2022-23, but wrestled at an All-American level from day one last season. Little comes into this match fresh off a title at the TigerStyle Invite - an event he’s won for the second straight season. Braunagel was second in the top pool at the Journeymen Collegiate Challenge on Sunday having suffered a one-point loss to All-American Michael Beard. 285 - #3 Nick Feldman (Ohio State) vs #9 Taye Ghadiali (Campbell) We’ve got another chapter in the budding rivalry between Nick Feldman and Taye Ghadiali. The two first met last season in Vegas at the CKLV Invitational and Feldman had to injury default out of their bout. Luckily, it didn’t prove to be serious and Feldman returned to action at the Collegiate Duals. The two later clashed in the consolation quarterfinals at the NCAA Tournament, a match after each clinched All-American honors. Feldman got this win, 10-4. The top recruit in the high school Class of 2022, Feldman, has lived up to his pre-college billing and looks to take a gigantic step towards NCAA title contention in 2024-25. He’s looked the part early with three tech falls in four matches. His only bout that went the distance was a solid 7-3 win over EIWA champion Nathan Taylor (Lehigh). Ghadiali can put up the points himself and has a pin and a tech in his first two bouts of 2024-25. He was kept in check on Saturday at WrangleMania against U23 World Champion Isaac Trumble of NC State. Ghadiali dropped a tight 2-1 decision. I don’t see this being the case Saturday night and both wrestlers lighting up the Rec Hall scoreboard. 125 - #2 Jore Volk (Wyoming) vs #5 Tanner Jordan (South Dakota State) Here we go! Round four in a rivalry between these two Big 12 foes. The last time Jore Volk and Tanner Jordan were on the mat together it was in the seventh-place bout at the 2024 NCAA Championships. Volk won that chapter with a 4-0 shutout. Two weeks earlier, the pair met in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championships and Volk kept Jordan off the scoreboard in a 1-0 win. About a month before the postseason, Jordan got the back-and-forth started with a 2-1 win. Last weekend, Jordan got his 2024-25 season off to a strong start with a tournament title at the Bison Open. In Fargo, Jordan racked up three bonus-point wins over freshmen opposition. Volk has appeared in both of Wyoming’s duals this season. He started the campaign with a solid 2-0 win over a ranked opponent in Campbell’s Anthony Molton. Last week, he pinned Western Wyoming’s Sefton Douglass. With the familiarity between these two, it will likely come down to who made an adjustment to their game over the offseason. Even so, I’d expect this to be a low-scoring, tactical affair based on their previous meetings. 133 - #2 Nasir Bailey (Little Rock) vs #3 Lucas Byrd (Illinois) Another match between a Little Rock wrestler who earned All-American honors as a freshman last season, and an Illinois wrestler that came off redshirt. This bout may not get as much attention and hype as the others, but could be an NCAA finals-type preview. 133 lbs is a weight class without a returning champion or finalist (at the same weight) so it’s relatively wide open and either of these wrestlers is capable of wrestling on the raised stage on Saturday night. Nasir Bailey is headed into his second year at Little Rock. It’s scary to think how good he may become after a full year in the Little Rock room. This will be Bailey’s first significant test of the 2024-25 campaign. He’s rolled through a pair of D2 opponents in Little Rock’s only duals this season. While this match won’t officially count on either wrestler’s record, Bailey has been lights out in dual competition. His only dual loss in the 2023-24 season came by two points to the defending (and eventual) NCAA champion, Vito Arujau (Cornell). Lucas Byrd got on the NCAA podium in each of their first two seasons wrestling at Illinois. He was fifth both times before falling a match shy of All-American honors in 2023. Byrd was injured in the 2023 preseason and never stepped on the mat last year. Unlike Bailey, he has faced some stiff competition thus far. Of his six wins, Byrd has defeated ranked opponents like #20 Julian Chlebove (Arizona State) and #21 Brett Ungar (Cornell). 141 - #2 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) vs #3 Beau Bartlett (Penn State) If our last match “could” be a preview of the NCAA finals - this one is a rematch of the 2024 title bout at 141 lbs. Jesse Mendez took the rubber match between him and Beau Bartlett last year in Kansas City. Bartlett looked dangerously close to securing a takedown; however, Mendez wrestled through the position and finished a takedown late in regulation. He defeated Bartlett by an identical 4-1 score in the Big Ten finals. Earlier in the season, Bartlett got the best of Mendez during the school’s dual meet. Mendez has been relatively busy in the early going this season and looks even more dynamic than the version of him that captured an NCAA title in 2024. He crushed All-American Luke Stanich (Lehigh) 14-3 to claim a title at the season-opening Clarion Open. Thursday, he rolled to a 23-7 tech fall over 2024 SoCon champion Isaiah Powe (Chattanooga). Penn State has yet to take the mat, so we haven’t been exposed to Bartlett yet in the 2024-25 season. Bartlett “took one for the team” and wrestled up at 149 lbs during his first two years in State College and had a decent amount of success. Down at 141 lbs, he’s proven to be one of the best in the country. Before his NCAA finals appearance in 2024, Bartlett was third in the nation in 2023. It can’t be assumed that this is an NCAA finals preview as 2023 national champion Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado) also lurks at this weight. The winner probably stays on the opposite side of the bracket of Alirez, for those that are into that type of thing in November. 149 - #2 Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) vs #3 Ty Watters (West Virginia) The last time that we saw Shayne Van Ness in action was almost a year ago at the All-Star Classic. There he cruised over multi-time All-American Kyle Parco (Arizona State), 5-1. A little more than a week after the dual, the Penn State staff announced that Van Ness would miss the remainder of the season due to an injury. At that point, Van Ness had only wrestled in three matches, at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic, and had earned falls in each of those three contests. As a redshirt freshman, Van Ness finished with a 24-7 and was third in the nation. Speaking of freshmen on the podium, Ty Watters did it last year as a true freshman and was fourth in the country. That placement made him the first Mountaineer freshman to crack the top-eight since Zeke Moisey made the national finals in 2015. Watters’ mettle has already been tested in 2024-25 as he held off two-time All-American Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina) in sudden victory to claim a Southeast Open title during the first weekend of the regular season. Last night, Watters posted an impressive 16-1 tech fall over #22 Sammy Alvarez (Rider). 157 - #3 Peyten Kellar (Ohio) vs. #5 Tyler Kasak (Penn State) With Van Ness out for the year it was Tyler Kasak who stepped up (and moved up - a weight class) to handle duties at 149 lbs for Penn State. Like Van Ness, he finished his first year of competition in third place. Unlike his teammate, Kasak did it the hard way by losing his opening match at nationals and battling back with seven straight wins - the last coming over Watters. There is a bit of uncertainty about Kasak’s role this season. Veteran Alex Facundo has cut down to 157 lbs and Kasak has a redshirt available; however, that’s a different story for a different day. Kasak will get greeted in his first match at 157 lbs by Ohio’s All-American Peyton Kellar. Kellar generally flew under the radar for the 2023-24 season, but opened eyes in Kansas City by defeating Peyton Robb (Nebraska) and pinning Ed Scott (NC State) and Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech). Kellar already has amassed a 6-0 record for the year. Last weekend, he won the Michigan State Open and notched wins over quality opponents like #13 Chase Saldate (Michigan) and #18 Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan). This matchup has the potential to be one of the more fun, high-scoring matches of the evening. 165 - #3 Peyton Hall (West Virginia) vs. #7 Hunter Garvin (Stanford) Speaking of action and scoring points, if you’re into that type of thing, Hunter Garvin is your guy. He’s proven to be someone who gets into exciting scraps and generally wrestles better under the bright lights and when the stakes are the highest. Garvin came into the 2024 NCAA Championships as the #20 seed, but notched wins over multiple-time AA’s Cam Amine (Michigan) and Peyton Hall. Despite the head-to-head win at nationals, Garvin has dropped a few slots after his loss on the first weekend of the season to Terrell Barraclough. He suffered another loss on Saturday back in his hometown, against Iowa’s Mikey Caliendo. Garvin did jump out to an early lead, but Caliendo stormed back for a 17-12 win. Hall got on the NCAA podium for a second time last season, but seemed poised to improve upon his seventh-place finish. He already sports a 7-0 record after picking up five wins in the first week of the season at the Southeast Open. Since then, he’s posted tech falls in his only two duals. Went these two met in the 2024 NCAA consolation quarterfinals, it was 14-4 in favor of Garvin. While the Cardinal sophomore may take Saturday’s match, I’d be surprised if the margin of victory is that wide again. 174 - #2 Levi Haines (Penn State) vs #3 Cade DeVos (South Dakota State) This will mark Levi Haines’ unofficial debut at 174 lbs. Haines was an undefeated national champion at 157 lbs last season and made the national finals the previous year, as a true freshman. Haines has already shown that he can compete in this weight range as he beat two-time NCAA champion Keegan O’Toole at 79 kg in the World Team Trials consolations in September. Sometimes, too much can be made about a freestyle result, but the fact is that very few wrestlers have defeated O’Toole in any weight and in any style over the past few years. Before we worry about O’Toole or anyone else, Haines will have to deal with the highest returning All-American from the 2024 174 lb national tournament - he is Cade DeVos. 2023-24 was truly a breakout season for DeVos. Before that season, he had never finished higher than third at the Big 12 Championships and was a bloodround finisher. DeVos showed he was capable of much more with a title at the CKLV Invitational, a Big 12 title, and then the #2 seed at nationals. He would end up fifth in a weight class that had three past national champions slot in ahead of him. 184 - #1 Carter Starocci (Penn State) vs #2 Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) This is the main event and the most anticipated All-Star match since Kyle Dake moved up to 165 lbs to take on David Taylor early in the 2012-13 season. In one corner is Carter Starocci, who is chasing history by attempting to become the first collegiate wrestler to win five national titles. Starocci won his fourth in that brutal weight class that featured DeVos and he had to do it the hard way. Just to make the national finals, Starocci downed past champions Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) and Shane Griffith (Michigan). He’d win by defeating freshman Rocco Welsh (Ohio State). None of those final three opponents were able to score on the Penn State star. Coming into the 2024 national tournament, Starocci’s status was uncertain -at best. He suffered a knee injury late in the year and injury defaulted out of his two Big Ten matches and was saddled with the ninth seed in Kansas City. Those injury default losses were the first on his record since the 2021 Big Ten finals, where he was beaten by Iowa’s Michael Kemerer. In the other corner is the incumbent and champion at this weight, Parker Keckeisen. In a normal circumstance, Keckeisen would undoubtedly be the number one wrestler at this weight. Keckeisen earned his national title in impressive fashion, tallying bonus points in each of his five NCAA matches. It was the perfect finishing touches on a perfect season for the Panther wrestler. A year before, Keckeisen made the national finals but was defeated by Starocci’s teammate, Aaron Brooks. Before the return of Gable Steveson, you could make the case that these were the two best pound-for-pound wrestlers in college today. Still, it’s an incredible matchup. From what we’ve seen over the past year, it’s difficult to fathom anyone being able to score on either of these wrestlers. I’m glad that both wrestlers are laying on the line early in the season and are giving us a potential preview of what could come in March.

Maryland and American are only about a 10-mile drive from each other, but the original setting for this year’s rivalry match was the Bullis School, which is still less than 20 miles from either campus. However, last Friday, news broke that the dual would be moved to South Carroll High School. Both teams will now travel nearly 38 miles to the Sykesville, Md. location. It will be a homecoming for Maryland wrestlers Michael Pizzuto and AJ Rodrigues as well as American’s Gage Owen, who were all state champions for the Cavaliers. Here is a random South Carroll fact: current wrestling coach Bryan Hamper once let me borrow his InterMat account to follow the sport on a long college road trip. American last defeated Maryland during the 2006 season. On Dec. 4, 2005, the Eagles picked up wins from Muzaffar Abdurakhmanov, Adam LoPiccolo, and Josh Glenn to take the dual 23-15. Maryland then won eight-straight duals before the series went on hiatus following the 2014 season. The two resumed their bouts during the 2022 season, and Maryland has won another three-straight matches. This dual will take place at 6pm on Saturday evening and be the first event that streams live on InterMat’s Rokfin account. 125: Tyler Garvin (Maryland) vs. Coen Bainey (American) Maryland is in an interesting situation at 125 pounds. There is clearly a lot of talent and potential at the weight, but whoever ends up being the starter is likely going to need to learn on the job. Nobody really distinguished themselves at the wrestle-offs. Presden Sanchez, a Nebraska state champion, defeated fellow true freshman Abram Cline in overtime. Then, Garvin, a three-time Maryland state champion, defeated Sanchez in overtime. The two winners have split time in the first two duals of the season. Garvin got the start against Bucknell and defeated Kade Davidheiser, while Sanchez got the start against Kent State and dropped a decision against Nicol Calello. Bainey redshirted last season at American, but he did not wrestle. He has gotten off to a hot start this year with a pair of one-point victories. In his first collegiate match, he won a high-scoring 18-17 match over Caleb Weiand (Michigan State) and followed that up with a low-scoring 4-3 victory over Weston Pisarchick (Clarion). At this point, Bainey deserved to be the favorite in this contest. Despite taking the year off, he has looked the part to start his first year in the American lineup. Prediction: Bainey decision over Garvin 133: No. 14 Braxton Brown (Maryland) vs. Shamil Kalmatov (American) Last year’s dual against American ended up being a pretty big career moment for Brown. He was upset by the Jack Maida in what turned out to be his penultimate collegiate event at 125 pounds. Brown eventually moved up to 133 pounds and qualified for his second NCAA tournament. He has started his junior campaign with a 4-1 record that includes an impressive win over Bucknell’s No. 15 Kurt Phipps. His only defeat to date came against No. 13 Zeth Romney (Cal Poly) at the Tiger Style Invite. It looked like American might have had a log jam at 133 pounds this year, but now it seems like both returning NCAA qualifier Max Leete and former California state placer Raymond Lopez are going to redshirt. This has opened up a spot for Kalmatov, who has acclimated rather well to folkstyle after coming to the U.S. from Kyrgyzstan where he was an Asian Cadet bronze medalist. His hometown of Bishkek is not only the capital of Kyrgyzstan but also the birthplace of UFC champion Valentina Shevchenko. While Kalmatov’s ability to adapt to folkstyle has been impressive, it will still be a tough match for him against Brown. The Maryland wrestler is a very tough rider and should be able to score points or perhaps even finish the match from the top position. Prediction: Brown major decision over Kalmatov 141: Dario Lemus/Michael Pizzuto (Maryland) vs. Jack Maida (American) The Maryland staff seems very high on Dario Lemus, so one would expect he will eventually get the nod at 141 pounds when he returns to action. I would be willing to bet Pizzuto gets the nod here since the match is taking place in his high school gym, and he won the wrestle-off match between he and Clayton Gabrielson, 4-1, and also scored another 4-1 victory over Gabrielson at last season’s Southeast Open. (Another fun fact: when I was in first grade Gabrielson’s father, or maybe uncle, pinned me with a far-side cradle.) After qualifying for the NCAA tournament at 133 pounds during the 2023 season, Maida dropped down to 125 last year. The size advantage paid early dividends as he knocked off Brown and Eddie Ventresca in the first month of the season. However, as the season went on, it looked like it might have been an issue. In the end, Maida defaulted out of the EIWA tournament and failed to return to the NCAA tournament. For this season, the Oceanport, N.J. native has moved all the way up to 141 pounds. In his only bout at the new weight, he scored a 6-4 decision over Michigan State’s Jaden Crumpler. One would think Maida’s ability to control a match from the top position will be enough to defeat either redshirt freshman that the Terps send to the mat. However, the American wrestler did not necessarily light the world on fire in his 141-pound debut, so this one could be an interesting contest. Prediction: Maida decision over Pizzuto 149: No. 26 Kal Miller (Maryland) vs. Gage Owen (American) Back in August, Maryland was planning on keeping the elder Miller brother here at 149 pounds and moving the younger Kal up to 157 pounds. However, those plans have now changed. This Miller will continue to kick off “Miller Time!” for the third season in a row. After qualifying at 141 pounds in back-to-back seasons, the junior started his third season with a pair of decision victories over Billy Meiszner (Kent State) and Braden Bower (Bucknell). Owen redshirted last season for American and went 9-10. He wrestled attached in four duals and picked up a victory over Air Force’s Brooks Gable. Owen joined the starting lineup this season, but has dropped both of his matches against Michigan State’s Clayton Jones and Clarion’s Kyle Schickel. Miller should be able to get to his offense in this match. Even if he does not have early success, he should be able to grind the match away and pull away late. Prediction: Miller decision over Owen 157: No. 17 Ethen Miller (Maryland) vs. Jake Nies (American) The elder Miller brother has also bumped up after qualifying for the last two NCAA tournaments at 149 pounds. The extra size has not bothered him yet as he has gotten off to quite the hot start. He won both of his dual matches against Kent State and Bucknell before winning the Tiger Style Invite last weekend. Back in his home state of Missouri, he won the tournament with impressive victories over No. 24 Matt Bianchi (Little Rock) and No. 20 Joey Blaze (Purdue). Nies has bounced between 149 and 157 pounds during his career, but he appears to be settled in as the starter at this weight for the Eagles after going 7-8 at the lower weight last year. Nies dropped his first match of the year against Michigan State’s Braden Stauffenberg, but bounded back with a sudden victory decision over Alejandro Herrera-Rondon of Clarion in what turned out to be the swing match in American’s 19-18 dual victory. Miller deserves to be a large favorite in this contest. He is the more accomplished wrestler and has the more dynamic offensive skill set. Nies might be able to keep it close since he has not given up bonus points since January 2023. However, that might be a tough task here. Prediction: Miller major decision over Nies 165: John Martin Best/Ryan Money (Maryland) vs. Kaden Milheim (American) I once witnessed coach Alex Clemsen compare Martin Best’s style to playing the video game Mortal Kombat. The comparison went something like this, as the game goes on, your opponent’s power meter slowly declines and eventually they are ready for the fatality. Of course, I forgot to hit the record button on my phone, so the whole thing could have been a fever dream. With that being said, it does accurately depict the wrestler’s style. Martin Best is at his best (sorry!) when he is able to physically wear on an opponent and eventually take over. He has been slowed by injuries during his career, but the potential remains. Maryland could also send out Ryan Money who is fresh off a sixth-place finish at the Tiger Style Invite. Milheim took his lumps last year as a true freshman and finished with a 9-10 record. However, the two-time Pennsylvania state placer has gotten off to a hot start in his second season. In his first match of the year, he upset Big Ten veteran DJ Shannon (Michigan State) and then picked up a major decision victory over John Altieri (Clarion). It’s been a big week for the Milheim family as younger brother Cameron just signed with AU and another brother Reagan committed to the Eagles last night. This seems like the kind of match where Martin Best will need to impose his will physically and pull out a late win. That match could totally turn out that way, but Milheim has looked impressive to start the season and could easily score early before sitting on a lead. Prediction: Milheim decision over Martin Best 174: Branson John/Alex Uryniak (Maryland) vs. Caleb Campos (American) For the past three seasons, Dominic Solis has held down the 174-pound spot for the Terps, but it looks like he is planning on taking a redshirt this year. That move has opened the door for John. The true freshman took third at the California state tournament last year and has impressed so far at Maryland. He won his very first collegiate match as he took a major decision over Hunter Andel (Kent State). After last weekend’s Tiger Style Invite, he holds a 5-3 record. Maryland also might turn to another true freshman in Alex Uryniak. The New Jersey state placewinner got his collegiate career started last week at the Tiger Style Invite, where he went 0-2. Campos started for the Eagles at 165 pounds as a true freshman during the 2023 season. He redshirted last year and put together an impressive 16-5 record while competing at 174 and 184 pounds. Campos returned to the starting lineup this year but the results have been tough so far. He dropped an 18-12 decision against Cesar Garza (Michigan State) and lost via fall against John Worthing (Clarion). The American wrestler might have the edge in terms of experience, but John has shown so far as a freshman that he has all the physical tools to be successful. This one might be close, but John should be able to tough out the victory. Prediction: John decision over Campos 184: No. 7 Jaxon Smith (Maryland) vs. Lucas White (American) After qualifying for the last two NCAA tournaments at 197 pounds and spending a lot of time in the rankings, Smith has dropped down to 184 pounds for his junior season. As one might expect, he has been dominant against limited opposition so far this year. In his season debut, he scored a 20-3 technical fall over Trent Thomas (Kent State) and then put up a major decision over Logan Deacetis (Bucknell). If the weight cut is manageable, Smith has a more than plausible shot to reach All-American status this year. I recently served as a groomsman at my buddy’s wedding. In addition to ruining all of the wedding photos, I also got the chance to get to know my fellow groomsmen. It turns out one of them is actually White’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach. The coach had plenty of positive things to say about the young man. It is rather interesting that White cross-trains in the “gentle art” since his wrestling style is quite physical and bruising. After spending the last few seasons at 174 pounds, White will move up to 184. That physical style might get White into trouble against Smith. During his collegiate career, Smith might be at his best when he is able to use his slide neutral offense against guys who try to muscle him. This advantage could be even more pronounced at a lower weight class. Prediction: Smith major decision over White 197: Chase Mielnik (Maryland) vs. Liam Volk-Klos (American) Mielnik has been a utility man and spot starter since transferring over to Maryland from VMI following the 2021 season. Last year, he finally got the chance to represent the squad at the Big Ten tournament. With Smith moving down to 184 pounds, Mielnik has moved up to fill the spot. He dropped his first two dual matches at the new weight, but he also went 2-1 at the Tiger Style Invite. Volk-Klos started for American at this weight last year as a true freshman. He went 10-17 and dropped both of his matches at the EIWA tournament. In his first outing this season, Volk-Klos lost via technical fall against Michigan State’s No. 29 Remy Cotton. However, he recently got back on track with a second-period fall over Connor Jacobs of Clarion. This might be one of the closer contests of the dual. Mielnik has beaten the better opposition over the course of his career, but the weight change is a bit of a wild card. If he is a fully filled out 197 pounds, he should be able to score the victory here. Volk-Klos is likely happy to be avoiding Smith this year. In the last two duals against Maryland, he has been outscored 33 to five by Smith. Prediction: Mielnik decision over Volk-Klos 285: No. 14 Seth Nevills (Maryland) vs. No. 32 William Jarrell (American) Nevills lost a workout partner as assistant coach Devin Mellon resigned in the offseason. However, the Terps quickly filled the vacancy by adding former Rider All-American Ethan Laird. At times last year, it looked like Nevills was still working his way back after wrestling only 12 matches during the previous three seasons. However, he still qualified for his first NCAA tournament. Now Nevills looks like he’s all the way back with bonus points in four of his first five matches. Last season was Jarrell’s second at heavyweight and the best season of his collegiate career. He went 19-15 and picked up an upset victory over No. 9 Taye Ghadiali (Campbell), which is likely his biggest victory to date. Jarrell defeated Max Vanadia (Michigan State) to open the year, but he enters this match off a loss against Austin Chapman (Clarion) last weekend. These two wrestled to kick off last season, and Nevills was able to win via a 6-2 score. He appears to have made strides since that match. One would expect Nevills to be able to stretch this bout into bonus territory. Prediction: Nevills major decision over Jarrell Dual Prediction: Maryland 25, American 9

Just like Gable Steveson, we have returned from hiatus to bring you another edition of the mailbag as the young season starts to heat up. And judging by some of the early upsets it should be an interesting season. As always, InterMat has you covered with the streaming guide and loads of other great content from contributors with whom I’m honored to share a space as I do whatever it is I do. So let’s get to whatever that is! Who’s the next New Jersey high school product to win a college National championship? Clay Sauertieg Shayne Van Ness is clearly the frontrunner with Jacob Cardenas next in line. Lorenzo Norman is a nice little dark horse pick but, as of now, 174 looks like a two-man race. And if none of these guys can do it, then you have to look to Anthony Knox who could possibly get there as soon as next season, but I do foresee a grayshirt in his future. None of it will matter when Dean Peterson shocks the world this year. Who would be in your NBA starting 5 for wrestling (active or retired)? 2) What NBA coach (active or retired) do you think would be the best wrestling coach? 3) What wrestler(s) would you want in your pickup game at the Y? Old Dirty Baffert You’re going to make me flex my basketball muscles which I assure you are not good. We’ll keep it mostly active since I can’t remember anything beyond a day or two anymore. At center, I’m putting big Greg Dan Kerkvliet from Penn State and his long limbs in there. Then I’m giving Yianni a day in court at point guard and seeing how his vision and smarts adapt to the position. Then, I’m pairing up David Carr to complete my backcourt. Next, I’m putting Shane Griffith at small forward. The man feels no pressure and is cool as a cucumber out there. This is who I want to have the ball in the last seconds of a game. Now I need some size and toughness at power forward so give me Ben Kueter and let's see what happens. If I’m picking one coach to run a wrestling program it’s Pat Riley. Nobody is better at building a team, coaching a team, and getting the most out of his guys. If I’m picking one wrestler to play a pickup game with it won’t be Kyle Snyder as he might be a bit too aggressive out there and I don’t need to be concussed. What’s your typical match day snack setup? Rachel Gallardo Been going hard on the Oreo cookies lately for maximum nutrition. We get these snack packages now so it doesn’t look as bad as opposed to crushing two full rows as soon as a new package is open. On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about Matt Valenti’s return to coaching in the Palestra this weekend? Kevin McGuigan Probably like a 12. The two-time champ and I have a lot in common as we both hail from North Jersey and love the Mets. He’s basically me with talent, intelligence, and morals. And now we both return to wrestling on the same weekend as I help you through your morning business and he coaches a wrestling team. But seriously, I think Matt will do a great job and we’ve already seen some results as (and I can’t believe I’m typing this phrase) the Quakers raised some hell at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic last weekend.

Thursday’s DI Dual Results Davidson 26 Belmont Abbey 16 125 - Enis Ljikovic (Davidson) dec Brett Balzan (Belmont Abbey) 4-0 133 - Elijah Boyd (Belmont Abbey) FFT 141- Luke Kunath (Belmont Abbey) dec Josh Viarengo (Davidson) 5-4 149 - Xavier McKnight (Davidson) maj John Carayiannis (Belmont Abbey) 10-1 157 - Tanner Peake (Davidson) tech William Nix (Belmont Abbey) 22-3 165 - Ian McGehee (Davidson) fall Cole Townsend (Belmont Abbey) :47 174 - Marc Koch (Davidson) tech Christian Arrington (Belmont Abbey) 17-2 184 - Kyler Pickard (Belmont Abbey) maj Bodie Morgan (Davidson) 10-2 197 - Caleb Moore (Belmont Abbey) dec Savoy New (Davidson) 11-4 285 - DJ Spring (Davidson) dec Justin Wright (Belmont Abbey) 3-2SV Davidson 51 St. Andrews 0 125 - Luke Passarelli (Davidson) FFT 133 - Enis Ljikovic (Davidson) tech Amon Ellis (St. Andrews) 19-4 141 - Blake Reihner (Davidson) dec David Coptsias (St. Andrews) 15-8 149 - Xavier McKnight (Davidson) fall Eddie Ndayikengurukiye (St. Andrews) :41 157 - Tanner Peake (Davidson) FFT 165 - Ian McGehee (Davidson) tech Preston Rhodes (St. Andrews) 21-2 174 - Bodie Morgan (Davidson) FFT 184 - Marc Koch (Davidson) tech Joshua Rodriguez Bello (St. Andrews) 21-3 197 - Savoy New (Davidson) dec Dakota Johnson (St. Andrews) 5-2 285 - DJ Spring (Davidson) FFT Lock Haven 48 Bloomsburg 0 125 - Sean Logue (Lock Haven) FFT 133 - Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) tech Major Lewis (Bloomsburg) 17-2 141 - Wyatt Henson (Lock Haven) tech Ashton Campbell (Bloomsburg) 19-4 149 - Lucas Kapusta (Lock Haven) tech Hayden Coy (Bloomsburg) 18-3 157 - Nick Stampoulos (Lock Haven) maj William Morrow (Bloomsburg) 17-4 165 - Caden Dobbins (Lock Haven) maj Leo Hess (Bloomsburg) 13-1 174 - Tyler Stoltzfus (Lock Haven) FFT 184 - Colin Fegley (Lock Haven) FFT 197 - James Lledo (Lock Haven) maj Kolby Flank (Bloomsburg) 10-2 285 - Ethan Miller (Lock Haven) dec Tyler McCatharn (Bloomsburg) 5-1 West Virginia 31 Rider 9 125 - Jace Schafer (West Virginia) dec Will Betancourt (Rider) 1-0 133 - Jett Strickenberger (West Virginia) fall Michael Campanaro (Rider) 4:31 141 - Jordan Titus (West Virginia) fall McKenzie Bell (Rider) 6:14 149 - Ty Watters (West Virginia) tech Sammy Alvarez (Rider) 16-1 157 - Colton Washleski (Rider) dec Caleb Dowling (West Virginia) 7-3 165 - Peyton Hall (West Virginia) tech Enrique Munguia (Rider) 22-7 174 - Michael Wilson (Rider) dec Brody Conley (West Virginia) 11-5 184 - Isaac Dean (Rider) dec Ian Bush (West Virginia) 4-2 197 - Austin Cooley (West Virginia) dec Steyn De Lange (Rider) 5-1 285 - Michael Wolfgram (West Virginia) dec Collin French (Rider) 7-6 Ohio State 36 Chattanooga 6 125 - Brendan McCrone (Ohio State) tech Ty Tice (Chattanooga) 16-0 133 - Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State) dec Blake Boarman (Chattanooga) 12-7 141 - Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) tech Isaiah Powe (Chattanooga) 23-7 149 - Dylan D’Emilio (Ohio State) maj Bretli Reyna (Chattanooga) 14-3 157 - Paddy Gallagher (Ohio State) dec Noah Castillo (Chattanooga) 4-1SV 165 - Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) dec Jackson Hurst (Chattanooga) 12-6 174 - Sergio DeSiante (Chattanooga) InjDef Bryce Hepner (Ohio State) 184 - Ryder Rogotzke (Ohio State) Kamdyn Munro (Chattanooga) 19-12 197 - Luke Geog (Ohio State) tech David Harper (Chattanooga) 20-5 285 - Nick Feldman (Ohio State) tech Ethan Vergara (Chattanooga) 19-4

Get ready for week 3 of the college wrestling season with Tony and Todd as they preview the upcoming events from a fantasy wrestling perspective

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head coach Kevin Dresser announced Thursday that 141-pounder Casey Swiderski will miss the 2024-25 season due to a knee injury suffered in practice earlier this week. "Casey suffered a knee injury earlier this week in practice and will have surgery tomorrow to repair that knee," Dresser said. "He will use his redshirt for the 2024-25 season, and we look forward to his return in the spring and his final two years of eligibility." Swiderski was an All-American at 149 pounds last season after placing seventh at the NCAA Championships and compiled a 24-5 record for the Cyclones.

Unlike the previous week, Week 3 is very dual meet heavy with only one main D1 tournament on the schedule (Daktronics Open). Several other tournaments. Like the Grand View Open, Shorty Hitchcock Open, and Findlay Open are going to be scarce with D1 competition, thus, a gamble when it comes to Fpts accumulation. Entries are still trickling in for all these tournaments, so keep those twitter notifications on and check out the Fantasy Wrestling page on the InterMat Forums for updates. A reminder of some important rules: Wrestlers entered at a weight must compete at that weight or else their results will not be counted. Wrestlers in the “Floater” spots can compete at ANY weight and accumulate Fantasy points. A wrestler will LOCK on your roster at 12pm ET on the day of their first competition for the week. (refer to the SHP’s Week Preview) Only results against D1 competition (starters, backups, and redshirts) will count towards Fantasy Points. Check your league settings to know how many add/drops are permitted per week. Have a question, concern, suggestions, or just want to chat about Fantasy Wrestling? Hit us up on Twitter or head over to the InterMat Forums where we have a Fantasy Wrestling dedicated Forum page! Wrestlers I Like This Week Wrestler (School)- competition for the week [Proj Score]* 125: Matt Ramos (PUR)- @ Buffalo, vs Army [+9] Brendan McCrone (OHST)- Vs Chattanooga , Vs Edinboro [+8] Troy Spratley (OKST)- @ Utah Valley, @ Oregon State [+7] Stevo Poulin (UNCO)- @ Drexel, @ Penn [+6] Sean Logue (LHU)- Vs Bloomsburg [+5] Jacob Moran (IND)- @ Central Michigan [+4] Caleb Weiland (MSU)- @ Ohio [+4] Cooper Flynn (MINN)- Vs Bucknell [+4] Sheldon Seymour (LEH)- Vs Morgan State [+3] 133: Ethan Berginc (ARMY)- @ Buffalo, Vs Purdue [+7] Nic Bouzakis (OHST)- Vs Chattanooga , Vs Edinboro [+7] Anthony Noto (LHU)- Vs Bloomsburg [+6] Reece Witcraft (OKST)- @ Utah Valley, @ Oregon State [+6] Drake Ayala (IOWA)- @ Bellarmine [+5] Ryan Crookham (LEH)- Vs Morgan State [+5] Dylan Ragusin (MICH)- Vs Columbia [+5] Braxton Brown (MARY)- Vs American [+4] 141: Jesse Mendez (OHST)- Vs Chattanooga [+5] * only one dual Kai Orine (NCST)- Vs Appalachian State , @ Princeton, Vs Rutgers [+9] Brock Hardy (NEB)- @ North Carolina, @ Campbell [+8] Tagen Jamison (OKST)- @ Utah Valley, @ Oregon State [+7] Malyke Hines (LEH)- Vs Morgan State [+5] Wyatt Henson (LHU)- Vs Bloomsburg [+5] Henry Porter (IND)- @ Central Michigan [+3] 149: Carter Young (OKST)- @ Utah Valley, @ Oregon State [+9] Dylan D’Emilio (OHST)- Vs Chattanooga , Vs Edinboro [+7] Nicholas Stonecheck (LHU)- Vs Bloomsburg [+5] Kyle Parco (IOWA)- @ Bellarmine [+5] Anthony Echemendia (ISU)- Vs Navy [+5] Kelvin Griffin (LEH)- Vs Morgan State [+4] Sam Cartella (NW)- Vs Northern Illinois [+4] Kal Miller (MARY)- Vs American [+3] 157: Antrell Taylor (NEB)- @ North Carolina, @ Campbell [+7] Teague Travis (OKST)- @ Utah Valley, @ Oregon State [+7] Joey Blaze (PUR)- @ Buffalo, vs Army [+7] Tanner Peake (DAV)- @ Presbyterian [+5] Jacori Teemer (IOWA)- @ Bellarmine [+5] Nick Stampoulos (LHU)- Vs Bloomsburg [+4] Ethen Miller (MARY)- Vs American [+4] Chase Saldate (MICH)- Vs Columbia [+4] Trevor Chumbley (NW)- Vs Northern Illinois [+4] Peyton Keller (OHIO)- Vs Michigan State [+4] Griffin Gonzalez (LEH)- Vs Morgan State [+3] Tommy Askey (MINN)- Vs Bucknell [+3] 165: Evan Maag (GMU)- @ Edinboro , @ Clarion [+8] Michael Caliendo (IOWA)- @ Bellarmine [+5] Thayne Lawrence (LEH)- Vs Morgan State [+4] Caden Dobbins (LHU)- Vs Bloomsburg [+4] Maxx Mayfield (NW)- Vs Northern Illinois [+4] Payton Hall (WVU)- @ Rider [+4] Tyler Lillard (IND)- @ Central Michigan [+3] 174: Dean Hamiti (OKST)- @ Utah Valley, @ Oregon State [+9] Lenny Pinto (NEB)- @ North Carolina, @ Campbell [+8] Bryce Hepner (OHST)- Vs Chattanooga , Vs Edinboro [+7] *up from 165 Tyler Stoltzfus (LHU)- Vs Bloomsburg [+6] Nelson Brands (IOWA)- @ Bellarmine [+5] Marc Koch (DAV)- @ Presbyterian [+4] Joseph Martin (NW)- Vs Northern Illinois [+4] Garrett Thompson (OHIO)- Vs Michigan State [+4] Nick Incontrera (PENN)- Vs Northern Colorado [+4] Brody Conley (WVU)- @ Rider [+4] Keegan O’Toole (MIZZ)- @ Virginia Tech [+3] 184: Ryder Rogotzke (OHST)- Vs Chattanooga , Vs Edinboro [+8] Dustin Plott (OKST)- @ Utah Valley, @ Oregon State [+8} Silas Allred (NEB)- @ North Carolina, @ Campbell [+7] Jaxon Smith (MARY)- Vs American [+5] Jack Wilt (LEH)- Vs Morgan State [+4] Gabe Arnold (IOWA)- @ Bellarmine [+4] Max McEnelly (MINN)- Vs Bucknell [+4] Dennis Robin (WVU)- @ Rider [+4] Evan Bockman (ISU)- Vs Navy [+3] 197: Luke Geog (OHST)- Vs Chattanooga , Vs Edinboro [+8] John Poznanski (RUT)- Vs Long Island, Vs NC State [+7] Gabe Sollars (IND)- @ Central Michigan [+6] Michael Beard (LEH)- Vs Morgan State [+5] Stephen Buchanan (IOWA)- @ Bellarmine [+4] Christian Carroll (ISU)- Vs Navy [+4] Tucker Hogan(LHU)- Vs Bloomsburg [+3] Isaiah Salazar (MINN)- Vs Bucknell [+3] Nick Stemmet (STAN) - @ Cal Poly [+3] 285: Wyatt Hendrickson (OKST)- @ Utah Valley, @ Oregon State [+11] Issac Trumble (NCST)- Vs Appalachian State , @ Princeton, Vs Rutgers [+9] Trevor Tinker (CP)- Vs Stanford [+5] Daniel Herrera (ISU)- Vs Navy [+5] Nick Feldman (OHST)- Vs Chattanooga [+5] * only one dual Taye Ghadiali (CAMP)- Vs Nebraska [+4] Ben Kueter (IOWA)- @ Bellarmine [+4] Bennett Tabor (MINN)- Vs Bucknell [+4] Michael Wolfgram (WVU)- @ Rider [+4] Seth Nevills (MARY)- Vs American [+3] Jim Mullen (VT)- Vs Missouri [+3]

Campbell Competes in Dual at the Daddy The Camels started the season with a bang, competing against Wyoming in the Dual at the Daddy in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The Camels lost 28-12 but put up a fight against the Cowboys. Team points were scored at 149, 174, and 285 - Eugene Harney (149, CAMP), served up an upset against #15 Gabe Willochell (WYO), Harney’s first collegiate dual AND win. Dom Baker put some bonus points on the board with a major decision victory over Brett McIntosh, and top-10-ranked Taye Ghadiali ended the evening on a high note with a technical fall against Kevin Zimmer. Anthony Molton (125) wrestled a barnburner against #2 Jore Volk, ultimately losing 2-0. Throwdown on Yorktown This event was the first time college wrestling was hosted on the flight deck of the historic USS Yorktown, hosted in Charleston, SC by The Citadel. The event also raised over $1,300 for the SC Wrestling Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, the competition was cut short due to weather/climate conditions. The Citadel was bested by UVA 24-11, but not before posting three wins at 149, 184, and 197 pounds. Patrick Brophy (197) has appeared in the rankings the past couple of weeks, blazing ahead with a 4-1 match record after week two of wrestling. Gardner-Webb also threw down on the Yorktown, clinching victories at 141 and 157 pounds, but ultimately was defeated by the Black Knights 35-6. Todd Carter (141) has made an appearance in the rankings in the past couple of weeks as well, currently sitting at #29, up from #33 after week one. Journeymen WrangleMania Campbell beats Cal Baptist 24-17 The Camels picked up a hefty win over Cal Baptist, securing wins at seven out of ten weights. Anthony Molton (125) and Taye Ghadiali (285) started and ended the dual with falls, putting up bonus points for the Camels. VMI beats Sacred Heart 24-19 VMI came back strong after a loss from Franklin & Marshall, beating Sacred Heart. Five victories from the Keydets included four falls - again, racking up those bonus point victories. Braxton Lewis and Patrick Jordon both secured falls in this dual against Sacred Heart AND against F&M. Which leads me to my next point of business… VMI Holds Back-to-Back SoCon Wrestlers of the Week VMI has started off strong this season, competing at the Journeymen WrangleMania and at the Collegiate Classic - and has crowned two SoCon Wrestlers of the Week. Patrick Jordon (149) and #33 Braxton Lewis (184). Jordon earned the remarks after winning first place in the Freshman/Sophomore division at the Southeast Open. His teammate, Lewis (184), earned the honor for week two after securing wins against opponents from Franklin & Marshall and Sacred Heart (WrangleMania Duals), and upset two-time national qualifier Cael Valencia (Arizona State) by 12-0 major decision (Journeymen Collegiate Classic). Ghadiali to Wrestle in All-Star Classic Campbell’s own All-American Taye Ghadiali will compete at the 2024 NWCA All-Star Classic. Currently ranked at #9, Ghadiali will wrestle against #3 Nick Feldman from Ohio State. I can’t wait to watch this on Saturday night - I’m a big numbers/stats girlie, and I love using WrestleStat’s comparison tool on their site (this is not a sponsored post LOL). But, per the site, it looks like it’ll be a barnburner of a match. Historically, the two are 1-1 - where Ghadiali’s victory was via injury default, and Feldman’s was a 10-4 decision. This is such a super cool opportunity for the SoCon to be showcased, and for the student-athletes - don’t miss out on this awesome event! SoCon Tournament Returns to Asheville One of the bigger questions I’ve been waiting to have answered is this right here: where in the world is the Southern Conference Wrestling Championship? (If you watched Where in the World is Carmen SanDiego please leave a comment and tell me you understood the joke). The Southern Conference announced they will be returning to Asheville for 2025 and 2026 championship dates, at the Kimmel Arena (UNC Asheville). Another change? It will be a two-day event - held on the 7th and 8th of March. So go ahead and enter that PTO (or as I like to call it, prepare the others) so you can enjoy a nice long weekend in the mountains. Eyes have been on Western North Carolina recently, following Hurricane Helene and the devastation she left behind. While Asheville is still in recovery mode, I’m sure they’ll greatly benefit from the tourism this upcoming March. SoCon Wrestlers in the rankings: (16) 125 #29 Anthony Molton (Campbell) 133 #23 Dom Zaccone (Campbell) #31 Blake Boarman (UTC) 141 #23 Isaiah Powe (UTC) #29 Todd Carter (GWU) #31 Shannon Hanna (Campbell) 157 #27 Noah Castillo (UTC) 165 #8 Will Miller (App St) 174 #26 Dom Baker (Campbell) #31 Sergio DeSiante (UTC) 184 #28 Billy Janzer (The Citadel) #33 Braxton Lewis (VMI) 197 #18 Levi Hopkins (Campbell) #31 Patrick Brophy (The Citadel) #32 Connor Strong (UTC) 285 #9 Taye Ghadiali (Campbell)

Brownsburg