InterMat Staff

The University of Michigan continues to pull in talent through the transfer portal. Today, they added one of the best available transfers as two-time All-American Jacob Cardenas announced he would use his final year of eligibility wrestling for the Wolverines. Cardenas qualified for the NCAA Championships on three occasions while competing for Cornell. In each of the last two seasons, he got on the NCAA podium at a crowded 197 lb weight class. In 2023, Cardenas was eighth. This year he was fourth. During his time at Cornell, Cardenas made a pair of EIWA finals, winning in 2023 and finishing as a runner-up in 2024. Early in the 2023-24 season, Cardenas finished fourth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. In Kansas City, Cardenas was knocked off in the Round of 12 by Rocky Elam (Missouri). He battled back with three straight wins to secure All-American status for a second time. In the consolation semifinals, Cardenas got a measure of revenge with a 7-3 win over Elam. Cardenas is the second wrestler to commit to Michigan through the transfer portal this offseason. Last week, 157 lber Chase Saldate, formerly of Michigan State, announced he was using his final year of eligibility at Michigan. Cardenas’ situation is different from most typical transfers. He is graduating and unable to continue wrestling at Cornell due to Ivy League rules. Cardenas entered the transfer portal before the 2023-24 season, so a transfer was in play regardless of his results during the year. The Wolverines received a boost from transfers last season as they picked up Austin Gomez, Shane Griffith, and Lucas Davison - all senior transfers that ended up finishing in the top three at the NCAA Tournament. They accounted for three of the team’s four All-Americans en route to a third-place finish. Before the 2023-24 season, Michigan also picked up All-Americans Michael DeAugustino and Chris Cannon. DeAugustino went 1-2 at nationals and Cannon was injured and lost for the year during his first match. Cardenas slots in well for the Wolverines as 197 lb was the only weight in which Michigan did not qualify for nationals this year. He’ll likely start the 2024-25 season ranked second in the nation.

It is awards season and here at the mailbag we’re no different. The third annual All-Jagger team is here! What does it take to make the team? Beats me. I’ve stated multiple times that there is no criteria other than you’re somebody I enjoyed watching. So, without further ado, let’s get to it! 125-Richard Figueroa I try not to put the actual champs on the list but the Figs win was special for me. Not only was he my first champ in our fantasy league, but the win helped my team go from last place a year ago to finishing in the money. Win Jagger money and you easily make the list. It’s likely the top criteria. 133-Dylan Shawver Dylan lost his spot in the lineup last year. Then he got injured. He could have left Rutgers. He stayed. He moved up a weight. He got better. He won a Big Ten title. He got on the podium at Nationals. Dylan Shawver is everything that is good about college athletics. He made a commitment and he’s honoring it. Just don’t leave now and make me look like a fool. 141-Brock Hardy What else can I really say here? The guy literally showed his ass to the whole country then came back to take third. As a fellow displayer of ass, I have to respect it. 149-Quinn Kinner It’s been a journey for Big Q that's for sure. From North Carolina State to Ohio State then back to his home state and Rider, the former Kingsway star got himself onto the podium in his last chance. We’ll always remember 2020 when you went both 133 and 157. Seriously, who wrestles Brady Berge and Micky Phillippi in the same year? A Jagger Guy, that’s who. 157-Peyton Robb This is the second AJ award for the Cornhusker. The first was for placing sixth on what we would later learn was a nasty infection that nearly cost him his leg. This time it’s for coming back after all that and placing seventh. A year ago we were just hoping Peyton would make it out of surgery unscathed so it’s an honor to once again put his name in this space. 165-David Carr It seems impossible to not like David Carr. It also seems impossible to not like Keegan O’Toole. Their rivalry of great matches and great sportsmanship is the kind of stuff that marks this sport great. Let’s face it, most of us assumed KOT had the upper hand at this point after two dominating wins. But that did not deter the Cyclone as he once again got the upper hand in their semifinal rematch before finishing the task against a tornado in Mitchell Mesenbrink to bookend his career in fashion with his second title. It was a pleasure to watch this guy compete for the last five years and lead Iowa State back to relevancy. 174-Shane Griffith We all know the impact Shane has had on the sport as he nonchalantly placed four times, won a title, and saved a program. This is more about motivating Jackson Turley to come back for one more year so he can fill this spot in 2025. 184-TJ Stewart It was a slow start for the redshirt freshman as he took a few early season losses and was out of the lineup for the first two months of the season. Then the Blair product turned it on during the second half and captured his first ACC title. Not satisfied, the young Hokie then went and placed seventh in Kansas City and now sets his sights on being the third VT wrestler to be a National champ after the great Mekhi Lewis and Caleb “The Hitman” Henson. Small potatoes compared to being named All-Jagger if you ask me but it’s good to still have goals. 197-Trent Hidlay Yes, I’m going to write about Hoagie some more because I’m free to do what I want here and it’s my last chance to praise one of my favorite college wrestlers. Shockingly, this is Trent’s first appearance on the team, but not the first Hidlay, as Hayden made it back in 2022. If I ever do a football version and need a power running back then I assure you that big brother Heath will also get the honor. And not only is Trent a member, but he’s also my captain. HWT-Yaraslau Slavikouski Oof, this didn’t age well. I get it. The guy has a Harvard degree and a year of eligibility left. I can’t blame him for cashing in on that AA performance. But the pizza anywhere else in the country isn’t as good and you know that. All-Jagger coaches edition Cael Sanderson Tony Robie Sean Bormet Am I seeing triple with these three? All-Jagger announcer edition Nick Kosko Rock Harrison Rhino Just give me this three-man booth in the NCAA finals and my man Mason Beckman won’t take so much heat. All-Jagger mailbag edition Burger King of Kings Salty Walkon Thicccolas I seriously want to thank you guys for being loyal readers and always keeping me on my toes with great questions. Without you guys to ask the important stuff, I have no reason to be here. And that goes for everyone who reads this whether on the toilet or elsewhere. I never thought in a million years I’d get an opportunity like this or at least not fail completely at it but three seasons have gone by now so something must be working. Thanks again to everyone out there for making this possible. Sometimes I just don’t have the energy for it, but knowing I get to come into your bathrooms in the morning keeps me motivated. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to use mine.

Pennridge

Ocean Township

St. Joseph Metuchen

Louisville

Andover

Adaugo Nwachukwu, a junior at William Penn University, was elected as the 2024 winner of the USA Wrestling Women’s College Wrestler of the Year today. This was first announced on FloWrestling’s The Bader Show this morning. The award was selected by a vote from three major constituent groups: wrestling journalists, women’s college head coaches and the fans. Each of these groups accounted for one-third of the vote. Nwachukwu was the 2024 NAIA champion at 136 pounds, the national championships for institutions from the NAIA. She finished with a 21-0 record, with all of her victories with bonus points, including six pins and 15 technical falls. Nwachukwu was the Heart of America Conference champion. By winning the NAIA Nationals, Nwachukwu has also qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. She is now a three-time NAIA champion. Her first two NAIA national titles were for Iowa Wesleyan, and after the college was closed down, she transferred to William Penn. “She is one of the most exciting athletes to watch in women’s college wrestling. She has an unbelievable dynamic that not many wrestlers have. People in the arena turn their heads to her, because they know a big move will happen. Her results show that she is deserving of this award, especially with her bonus points rate, with technical falls and pins in all of her matches. I don’t know how many times she made it out of the first period in her matches. She put the team on her shoulders at the national tournament, knowing the importance of bonus points. She pinned her way through the national tournament. This is very exciting and we are very proud of her,” said William Penn head coach Jake Kadel, who has coached Nwachukwu for her entire college career. Nwachukwu has been very successful on the international and national level in women’s freestyle. She has competed on three U.S. age-group World Teams, the 2022 U20 World Team and the 2023 U20 and U23 World Teams. She was a 2022 U20 World bronze medalist. She has won USA Wrestling national titles on the Senior, U23 and U20 age levels. A native of San Jose, Calif., she was a California state high school champion for Silver Creek High School. “Congratulations to Adaugo for putting together one of the most dominant performances in U.S. women’s college wrestling history this season. Her future is very bright. She has already had a massive impact on Team USA at the age-group and Senior levels. We’d also like to recognize all of the amazing finalists, who are a true testament to the ascent of women’s college wrestling in the United States,” said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director. Nwachukwu received 21% of the combined vote in a very close race to secure the award over seven other college national champion finalists. The other finalists, in alphabetical order, are senior Marlynne Deede of Iowa, senior Cameron Guerin of McKendree, fifth-year senior Tavia Heidelberg-Tillotson of Menlo College, junior Amani Jones of North Central, junior Carolina Moreno of Southern Oregon, junior Mia Palumbo of William Penn and sophomore Kylie Welker of Iowa. Nwachukwu is the only finalist who was also a finalist for the award in 2023. Nwachukwu, Heidelberg-Tillotson, Moreno and Palumbo were 2024 NAIA national champions, while Deede, Guerin, Jones and Welker were 2024 NCWWC champions (for NCAA institutions). Guerin is a four-time college national champion. Nwachukwu and Moreno are three-time college national champions. Deede is a two-time college national champion, while Heidelberg-Tillotson, Jones, Palumbo and Welker are one-time college national champions. Each of the voting groups for the award selected different athletes as their top choice. Fans selected Jones as their No. 1, coaches selected Guerin as their No. 1 and journalists selected Nwachukwu as their No. 1. Fan voting increased this year by 18% over last year. The award was created in 2023 and the first winner was Yelena Makoyed of North Central College. Women’s college varsity wrestlers from all of the recognized college organizations were eligible, including NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA/junior college programs. The finalists were selected by a committee overseeing the award program, featuring representatives of the media, college coaches and wrestling fans. These eight finalists were selected from a pool of 31 college national champions who were identified as potential candidates after the national tournaments were completed. USA Wrestling’s goal is to elevate the new award to have the significance and impact as other college athletic awards, such as the Dan Hodge Trophy for men’s college wrestling, the Heisman Trophy for college football, the Hobey Baker Award for men’s college hockey, the Patty Kazmeier Award for women’s college hockey, the Naismith College Player of the Year in men’s and women’s basketball, the Dick Howser Trophy in college baseball, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and similar college awards. USA Wrestling Women’s College Wrestler of the Year Award winners 2024 – Adaugo Nwachukwu, junior, William Penn University 2023 – Yelena Makoyed, senior, North Central College

We’ve talked a lot about the transfer portal during the first few weeks of the collegiate offseason; however, another hallmark of this time of year is coaching news. This morning the University of Pennsylvania announced a change to their coaching staff. The Quakers all-time wins leader and one of only a pair of two-time national champions in program history, Matt Valenti, will rejoin the Penn coaching staff. Valenti immediately joins Penn’s coaching staff as the associate head coach for the 2024-25 season, then he will be elevated to take over for head coach Roger Reina after the 2025-26 season. Reina will stay on for the 2025-26 campaign as the head coach emeritus, which will be his final on the coaching front. Valenti is currently working in the Penn athletic department as an associate AD, Student-Athlete Leadership and Development. Prior to taking his current position in the Penn athletic department, Valenti served for six seasons on the Penn coaching staff. Valenti, a three-time NCAA All-American, was inducted into the Penn athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.

April 4 PFL 1 2024 (ESPN/ESPN+) Bryce Meredith (Wyoming) vs. Ty Johnson April 5 LFA 181 (UFC Fight Pass) Griffin Parriott (Purdue) vs. Michael Banks April 6 UFC Fight Night (ESPN+) Damon Jackson (Missouri Valley) vs. Alexander Hernandez April 12 PFL 2 2024 (ESPN/ESPN+) Alex Polizzi (Northwestern) vs. Impa Kasanganay Josh Silveira (Arizona State) vs. Sadibou Sy April 12 CFFC 131 (UFC Fight Pass) Greg Velasco (Rider) vs. Bailey Schoenfelder Mark Grey (Cornell) vs. Vilson Ndregjoni CJ LaFragola (Brown) vs. Kevin Pease April 13 UFC 300 (ESPN Pay Per View) Justin Gaethje (Northern Colorado) vs. Max Holloway Aljamain Sterling (Cortland) vs. Calvin Kattar Bo Nickal (Penn State) vs. Cody Brundage (Newberry College) Cody Garbrandt (Newberry College) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo Jim Miller (Virginia Tech) vs. Bobby Green April 19 PFL 3 2024 (ESPN/ESPN+) Logan Storley (Minnesota) vs. Shamil Musaev Bubba Jenkins (Penn State/Arizona State) vs. Kai Kamaka III Brennan Ward (Johnson & Wales) vs. Don Madge Tyler Diamond (North Dakota State) vs. Otto Rodrigues Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) vs. TBA April 27 UFC Fight Night (ESPN+) Alex Perez (West Hills) vs. Matheus Nicolau

The 2023-24 season is in the record books, but before moving on, it’s time to salute the top performers in each conference. We've already hit on the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 , EIWA , MAC and Pac-12. Let's finish up with the SoCon! SoCon Wrestler of the Year: Taye Ghadiali (Campbell) He got his hand raised 36 times throughout the 2023-24 season, but none was bigger for Taye Ghadiali than when it happened in the NCAA bloodround after a win over #5 Nathan Taylor (Lehigh) the EiWA champion. In doing so, Ghadiali became just the second Campbell wrestler to earn NCAA All-American honors and the first under current head coach Scotti Sentes. Earlier in the tournament, Ghadiali earned wins over both ACC finalists. He would go on to finish eighth in the nation. One of the highlights of the regular season for Ghadiali was a third-place finish at the loaded Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. In six matches, Ghadiali notched wins over four eventual national qualifiers. Coming into Vegas, Ghadiali started the year 7-0 with bonus points in each of his seven contests - including three falls over eventual NCAA qualifiers. In the SoCon, Ghadiali was head and shoulders above the competition. None of his regular season duals or conference tournament matches went the full seven minutes. That meant that Ghadiali made his fourth SoCon final and captured his third title with little resistance. Ghadiali finished the season with a 36-6 record and was 62-11 over the past two years. SoCon Freshman of the Year: Isaiah Powe (Chattanooga) Prior to the 2024 SoCon Championships, you have to go back to 2017 to find a freshman who ended up winning the conference. This year had two; both of which were true freshmen. With apologies to Appalachian State’s Tomas Brooker, we’re focusing on Chattanooga’s 141 lber Isaiah Powe. The Alabama native suffered a loss during his first weekend of collegiate competition, then only lost one other time before the NCAA Tournament. One of the highlights from Powe’s regular season was a third place finish at the 2024 Southern Scuffle - in front of his home crowd. Post-Scuffle, Powe went 11-0 and failed to earn bonus points in only two regular season matches. In his three SoCon Championship matches, Powe combined to score 46 points. One of those wins came over Gardner-Webb’s national qualifier Todd Carter - an opponent that Powe defeated for the third time this season. At nationals, Powe was able to tally a win before his elimination. In the consolations, Powe downed #16 Dylan Chappell (Bucknell), a two-time EIWA finalist. Powe finished his first campaign in Chattanooga with a 25-4 record and plenty of hope for the future. SoCon Coach of the Year: JohnMark Bentley (Appalachian State) In one of the more difficult decisions of the entire awards section, we’re going with Appalachian State’s leader JohnMark Bentley. The Mountaineers went 10-4 during the 2023-24 campaign; however, they wrestled a difficult out-of-conference schedule that featured the top three teams from the ACC and EIWA champion Cornell. In the middle of December, Appalachian State defeated North Carolina for a second consecutive season. After losing the SoCon dual title to Campbell, it appeared as if the Camels were the favorite to regain the championship at the SoCon meet. That wasn’t the case as the Mountaineers stunned their rivals and the rest of the SoCon running away with the title 114 to 97.5. Appalachian State finished the conference tournament with half of the ten champions, one of which was a true freshman at 184 lbs (Brooker). At the 2024 NCAA Championships, the Mountaineers had three of their five qualifiers win multiple matches. They were led by 157 lber, Tommy Askey, who advanced to the NCAA Round of 12, despite starting as the 19th seed. Along the way, Askey defeated the #11 (Brayton Lee) and #14 (Cody Chittum) seeds. Previous Award Winners SoCon Wrestler of the Year 2023: Jonathan Millner (Appalachian State) 2022: Jonathan Millner (Appalachian State) SoCon Freshman of the Year 2023: Ethan Oakley (Appalachian State) 2022: Heath Gonyer (Appalachian State) SoCon Coach of the Year 2023: JohnMark Bentley (Appalachian State) 2022: JohnMark Bentley (Appalachian State)

Just a few hours ago, InterMat posted a transfer portal update with a listing of notable wrestlers in the portal, along with others that have already made their transfer destinations known. That list grew today as All-American Yaraslau Slavikouski entered the portal. Slavikouski spent the 2023-24 campaign at Rutgers and got onto the NCAA podium for the first time - taking seventh place at 285 lbs. Previously, Slavikouski made the 2023 NCAA Round of 12 for Harvard and the EIWA finals in 2020. It was assumed that Slavikouski was out of eligibility; however, late in the season he confirmed he had another year he intended upon using. During three-plus years at Harvard and Rutgers, Slavikouski amassed an 82-22 record. In the 2023-24 campaign, Slavikouski finished fourth in the Big Ten and earned the 13th seed at nationals. He has also been active on the freestyle circuit finishing with a bronze medal at the 2021 European U23 Championships and seventh at U23 Worlds during that same year. With so many of the top contending teams in need of heavyweights, Slavikouski should be in high demand.

With the conclusion of the NCAA wrestling tournament and the calendar changing over to April, you’d think that it means it’s the offseason for college wrestling and all focus should turn to the Olympic styles, right? Maybe in the past, but in a new era of collegiate athletics, once the final whistle has blown on a particular postseason, it means it’s time to turn your attention to the transfer portal. Love it or hate it, it’s the reality. Student athletes have the ability to transfer much more freely than past generations. Couple that with the extra year of eligibility doled out by the NCAA in the aftermath of the COVID years and you have a wild combination. There was lots of movement last “offseason” and I don’t foresee that changing this year. In just a week and a half since the NCAA finals, there have already been some huge names that have gone into the portal. Some have already announced their new homes, while others are still being courted. The first list of wrestlers we’ve listed are ones that have already publicly committed to a new transfer destination. That new school is listed first, along with their projected weight, followed by their former school. Below them are notable wrestlers that have gone into the transfer portal. It is not a comprehensive list. Some (like Jacob Cardenas and Lennox Wolak) knew they were graduating and were unable to continue competing at their Ivy League schools and went into the portal before the season started. Others have just submitted their names. Expect many updates to this feature in the coming weeks and months. Illinois: Ramazan Attasauov (125/133) - Iowa State Michigan: Chase Saldate (157) - Michigan State Oklahoma State: Dean Hamiti (165/174) - Wisconsin Virginia Tech: Lennox Wolak (174) - Columbia Portal Tommy Askey (157) - Appalachian State Colton Camacho (125/133) - Pittsburgh Jacob Cardenas (197) - Cornell Caleb Coyle (133) - Oregon State Dorian Crosby (285) - Bucknell Massoma Endene (197) - Wartburg Caleb Fish (165) - Michigan State Max Hale (184) - Penn Jacob Joyce (125) - Stanford Jason Kraisser (157) - Iowa State Carson Martinson (165) - Iowa Carter Martinson (157) - Iowa Connor McGonagle (133) - Lehigh Peyton Moore (133) - Missouri Ethan Oakley (133) - Appalachian State Josh Ogunsanya (165) - Columbia Bretli Reyna (149) - Iowa Chris Rivera (141) - Campbell Justin Rivera (149) - Campbell Rylan Rogers (184) - Michigan Yaraslau Slavikouski (285) - Rutgers

The 2023-24 season is in the record books, but before moving on, it’s time to salute the top performers in each conference. We've already hit on the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 , EIWA and MAC; so now we're onto the Pac-12. Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year: Richie Figueroa (Arizona State) Coming into the 2023-24 season, Richie Figueroa was ranked third in the nation and was expected to be one of the favorites at 125 lbs. Figueroa was fresh off a redshirt freshman campaign that saw him win the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and finish undefeated; however, he wasn’t the guy in the postseason. That distinction went to Brandon Courtney - who went on to finish third in the nation. With the starting role at 125 lbs all to himself, it was time for Figueroa to break out and claim 125 lbs for himself, right? Not initially, Figueroa was in and out of the Sun Devil lineup with an injury and then suffered a few losses upon his return. The tide started to turn during the final weekend of the regular season when Figueroa notched wins over Luke Stanich (Lehigh) and Caleb Smith (Nebraska). At the Pac-12 Championships, Figueroa defeated a pair of quality opponents Nico Provo (Stanford) and Brandon Kaylor (Oregon State) to earn a conference title. Figueroa’s Pac-12 title was able to give him a boost into the eighth seed in Kansas City. In just his second NCAA bout, Figueroa had to deal with two-time All-American Patrick McKee (Minnesota). The youngster from California was able to avoid any dangerous positions from McKee and poured it on for a 16-5 major decision. Next up was McKee’s Big Ten finals opponent, top-seeded Braeden Davis (Penn State). Figueroa was able to display an opportunistic offensive, along with stout defensive and mat savvy, to pull the upset. The same could be said for the semifinals and Figueroa’s win over returning AA Anthony Noto (Lock Haven). Figueroa completed his incredible run to an NCAA title with a 7-2 decision over Iowa’s Drake Ayala. He took a commanding 4-0 lead with a takedown at the edge in the closing seconds of the second period, then iced the match after surviving a prolonged scramble late in the third period for a second takedown. All year we lamented about how chaotic the 125 lb weight class was…and it was. With Figueroa coming out on top and having an offseason to grow mentally and physically, this weight class could have a lot less turmoil in 2024-25 - at least at the tippy top. Honorable Mention: Trey Munoz (Oregon State) Pac-12 Freshman of the Year: Nasir Bailey (Little Rock) The highest ranked signee (#21 in Class of 2023) in the short history of Little Rock wrestling, Nasir Bailey was the day one starter for the Trojans. Right away, Bailey was very good; starting with a title at the TigerStyle Tournament and wins in his first seven collegiate bouts. Even his first loss (4-0 to returning champ Vito Arujau) was a positive sign about his long-term prospects. At that same event, Bailey posted a 16-0 tech over CKLV finalist Evan Frost (Iowa State) - an eventual NCAA sixth-place finisher. After the Arujau loss, Bailey finished the regular season by winning 15 of his last 16 matches, a span that saw him take third at the Southern Scuffle and go unbeaten in conference duals. The dominance in the Pac-12 would carry on to the postseason, when Bailey grabbed a Pac-12 championship after an 8-3 win over Julian Chlebove (Arizona State). In doing so, he became the first Little Rock wrestler to win a Pac-12 crown. There were more “first’s” at the NCAA Championships as Bailey used an overtime takedown over Bucknell’s Kurt Phipps to become the school’s first All-American. Not content at a spot in the top-eight, Bailey also defeated ACC champion Kai Orine (NC State) and Big Ten runner-up Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) to ensure a berth in the NCAA third-place match. There he was defeated by EIWA Freshman of the Year, Ryan Crookham (Lehigh), who had also beaten Bailey on the front side. In addition to carving his name into Little Rock wrestling lore, Bailey amassed a 29-4 record during his true freshman campaign. Three of the four losses came to wrestlers who ended up finishing in the top-three in Kansas City. Honorable Mention: Stephen Little (Little Rock) Pac-12 Coach of the Year: Neil Erisman (Little Rock) There were a couple of really difficult decisions in our conference awards this year. This wasn’t one of them! In just their fifth year of existence, Neil Erisman’s Little Rock Trojans captured the Pac-12 dual title after posting wins over Arizona State, Cal Poly, and Oregon State. After only winning nine total duals during their first four years, Little Rock had 15 this season. Individually, only one Little Rock wrestler had qualified for the tournament prior to 2023-24. Early in the season, it was evident that more would join the club. That proved to be true and five Trojan wrestlers made the trip to Kansas City. Four of the five won matches and Little Rock produced not one, but two All-Americans, with Bailey and Stephen Little. The kicker is that both are freshmen! With the possibility of all five national qualifiers returning, plus some young talent waiting in the wings, this is likely just the beginning for Little Rock wrestling. Honorable Mention: Zeke Jones (Arizona State) Previous Award Winners Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year 2023: Michael McGee (Arizona State) 2022: Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) Pac-12 Freshman of the Year 2023: Daniel Cardenas (Stanford) 2022: Trey Munoz (Oregon State) Pac-12 Coach of the Year 2023: Jon Sioredas (Cal Poly) 2022: Chris Pendleton (Oregon State)

Now with the 2023-24 season in the books, we need to say goodbye to some matchups that were incredible over the last five years. For me, there were three bouts that always produced elite entertainment and high-level wrestling that we will never see again, at least in folkstyle. David Carr (Iowa State) vs Keegan O’Toole (Missouri) This wasn’t just a series; it was a rivalry. And unlike the other two battles in this article, this one only lasted 2 seasons. Carr won the first two battles dominantly with wins by 7-2 decision and by fall in 2023. The last and biggest match of that season went to O’Toole in the NCAA finals, 8-2. O’Toole followed that up with another 8-2 win in the Big 12 Championship finals this year to even the series at 2-2. But as we know now, Carr had the final say as he took out O’Toole in this year’s NCAA Championship semifinals, 8-6. Watch the exciting final installment of their rivalry: Patrick McKee (Minnesota) vs Eric Barnett (Wisconsin) 10 times these guys met on the mat since 2020, should have been 11 but what should have been their second matchup was a medical forfeit. But this was an amazing rivalry over the years with McKee winning six of the 10 bouts. In the last time they went toe-to-toe, the Gopher came out with his fourth pin over Barnett. His other two wins were a major and a regular decision. Barnett scored his own share of points as well in the four matches he won. The biggest was a 17-4 major decision in 2021. In the end, it was 10 matches – 6 wins for Mckee and 4 wins for Barnett. Aaron Brooks (Penn State) vs Trent Hidlay (NC State) This matchup was ruled by Brooks from their first meeting in 2017 in the Fargo finals at 170 pounds to the last one we just saw in the NCAA finals a week ago. During their post-semifinal interviews they both spoke about how they’ve been locking horns since their teenage days. Brooks gave Hidlay praise as being a perennial competitor while Hidlay lamented about how he never came out on the winning end against Brooks. Ultimately, Brooks would go on to win his fourth title, second against Hidlay in the finals, the following day. In addition to the two finals (2021 and 2024), Brooks also defeated Hidlay in the semis in 2022 and 2023 as well. The most dominant wins of this series came in their first meeting in Fargo, which was won by 13-3 tech fall, and the last one, a 6-1 win in this year’s NCAA finals. Watch Brooks and Hidlay meet for the first time:

The 2023-24 season is in the record books, but before moving on, it’s time to salute the top performers in each conference. We've already hit on Big Ten, Big 12 , EIWA and MAC; so now we're onto the ACC. ACC Wrestler of the Year: Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) The Virginia Tech Hokies got their second-ever NCAA individual championship as Caleb Henson prevailed over the field at 149 lbs in Kansas City. After a controversial ACC finals loss, Henson was saddled with the fourth seed, though he spent a large chunk of the 2023-24 campaign ranked second in the country. That didn’t matter to Henson as he reeled off three straight wins to earn a place in the NCAA semifinals. In the semifinals, Henson was able to keep the dangerous, top-seeded Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) in check and pulled the slight upset, 1-0. Henson’s mat wrestling made the difference, as he was able to escape and Lovett did not choose bottom. The two had met earlier in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational finals and Lovett prevailed, 4-3. With the win over Lovett, Henson had earned victories over both of the wrestlers who had defeated him this season (He had beaten ACC finals opponent Jackson Arrington in their dual meet). More importantly, the Lovett win ensured Henson a spot in the national finals, a feat only three wrestlers in Hokie history had accomplished before him. On the raised mat, Henson gave up an early takedown to the explosive Austin Gomez (Michigan) but never wavered. He kept his composure and put Gomez on his back in a sequence that blew open the finals contest. Henson poured it on to the tune of a 15-7 major decision. Not only did Henson make history for his school, but also for his home state. His win made him the first Georgia native to ever win a DI national title. Henson’ finished his sophomore year with a 30-2 record and is now 57-7 after two years of collegiate competition. Without taking a redshirt, Henson has been able to earn All-American honors on two occasions and also a 2023 ACC championship. Honorable Mention: Trent Hidlay (NC State) ACC Freshman of the Year: TJ Stewart (Virginia Tech) It took a while for TJ Stewart to crack the lineup at Virginia Tech, but once he did, there was no looking back. In Stewart’s ACC debut, he had an early lead on returning All-American Gavin Kane (North Carolina); however, the veteran was able to push it into overtime and take the win. That wouldn’t happen again as Stewart didn’t lose again before Kansas City. Stewart finished the regular season with wins over returning qualifier Reece Heller and fellow freshman stud Dylan Fishback. At the ACC Championships, Stewart got his revenge on Kane with a victory of his own in sudden victory before downing Fishback for the conference crown. Despite the lack of bouts wrestled in the regular season, Stewart was given the seventh seed at nationals on the heels of his ACC crown. Stewart quickly showed the bright lights of his first national tournament weren’t a hindrance as he needed only :55 for a fall over Max Hale (Penn) in his NCAA debut. Stewart would win another bout, which led into the NCAA quarterfinals against the second-seeded Big Ten champion Isaiah Salazar (Minnesota). Stewart nearly pulled off the upset, but a late score from the veteran clinched a 6-4 win. In order to earn All-American honors, Stewart would need one more win and have an imposing figure to topple. That wasn’t an issue and Stewart defeated 2023 NCAA 3rd Place finisher Chris Foca (Cornell) to lock up a spot in the top-eight. In his final bout of the year, Stewart teched David Key (Navy) to earn seventh place and wrestle up to his seed. Once the smoke cleared, Stewart finished his redshirt freshman campaign 14-4 with an All-American plaque and an ACC title. Honorable Mention: Dylan Fishback (NC State) ACC Coach of the Year: Tony Robie (Virginia Tech) In one of the more difficult decisions of our entire conference awards, we’re giving the ACC Coach of the Year award to Virginia Tech’s Tony Robie. For the third consecutive year, the Hokies finished as conference runners-up to NC State, but outplaced their bitter rivals at the NCAA Tournament. A total of four Virginia Tech wrestlers made the NCAA podium, which makes them one of only five schools that have had four or more AA’s in each of the last two seasons. Those four All-Americans led Virginia Tech to a seventh-place finish, which is the third-best in school history. Their 64 points were the second most in school history. As mentioned above, Caleb Henson’s national title at 149 lbs made him only the second national champion in school history. Both have done so under the watch of Robie. In dual competition, the Hokies went 9-4. Out-of-conference highlights were wins over Rutgers and Stanford, both of which were programs that finished in the top-20 at nationals. Honorable Mention: Pat Popolizio (NC State) Previous Award Winners ACC Wrestler of the Year 2023: Austin O’Connor (North Carolina) 2022: Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) ACC Freshman of the Year 2023: Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) 2022: Ed Scott (NC State) ACC Coach of the Year 2023: Tony Robie (Virginia Tech) 2022: Pat Popolizio (NC State)

Today, WIN Magazine announced that Penn State 197 lber, Aaron Brooks, would be the recipient of the 2024 Dan Hodge Trophy. Brooks won the award over runner-up Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) and teammates, Carter Starocci, and Greg Kerkvliet. Brooks earns the honor after winning his fourth NCAA title and becoming only the seventh wrestler in DI history to win four. Starocci also joined the club two matches before Brooks in Kansas City. With Brooks receiving this Hodge, it marks the seventh time that Penn State wrestler has earned the honor. David Taylor (‘12/’14) and Zain Retherford (‘17/’18) did it twice, while Bo Nickal (‘19) and Kerry McCoy (‘97) are the others. During his final year with the Nittany Lions, Brooks amassed a 22-0 record that featured bonus points in 20 matches - good for a percentage of just over 90%. Brooks’ 6-1 NCAA finals victory over then-undefeated Trent Hidlay (NC State) and a dual victory over Zach Glazier (Iowa) were his only regular decisions over the year. When Brooks and Glazier met in the Big Ten finals, Brooks managed a 19-3 tech fall. Dominance is one of the main components of the Hodge Trophy vote and Brooks displayed plenty of that during his 2023-24 campaign. He notched six falls, 11 tech falls, and three major decisions among his 22 wins. In addition to his win over Hidlay, Brooks pinned the eventual third-place finisher (Stephen Buchanan - Oklahoma) and teched the sixth-place finisher (Rocky Elam - Missouri). Heading into the 2024 NCAA Tournament, nine of his 17 wins came over national qualifiers. Brooks also posted a pair of major decision victories over the returning Big Ten champion, Silas Allred (Nebraska). The 2023-24 season marked Brooks’ second undefeated season. He was also unbeaten in the shortened 2021 campaign that also saw him defeat Hidlay in the 184 lb national finals. For his career, Brooks finishes with an 89-3 record with four national titles, four Big Ten titles, and a 2021 NWCA First Team All-American designation. He also was a five-time Big Ten finalist. The first four years of Brooks’ career were spent at 184 lbs - he moved up to 197 for his final season.

This season we saw a ton of parity. Outside of the Happy Valley dominance, we saw Iowa defeat Nebraska, Nebraska defeat Michigan, and Michigan defeat Iowa. Not to mention how 125-pound wrestlers basically all defeated each other and couldn’t hang on to the top ranking. But with all that, no team shined brighter than Penn State which is why they swept our B1G awards. B1G Ten Wrestler of the Year: Aaron Brooks (PSU) What a dominant year for Brooks who capped off his career with a fourth title, an undefeated record and a near 91% bonus rate. In addition to a flawless season that included 11 technical falls, six pins, and three major decisions, Brooks also had a 96.74%-win percentage with just three losses in five years – two of which he avenged during that same season. But this season was by far his best as he increased his Bonus % by a little over 25%. His only wins that came by regular decision were against Iowa’s Zach Glazier during the dual meet - a win he then impressed up by recording a 19-3 tech fall over in the conference tournament and NC State’s Trent Hidlay in the NCAA finals. Brooks finished as a five-time B1G Ten Conference finalist where he won four titles and a runner-up finish, to go along with being the 2024 NCAA Championships Most Outstanding Wrestler, a multiple-time Hodge Trophy finalist, and an 89-3 record for his career. Honorable mention: Carter Starocci (PSU) Listen to Brooks speak after making NCAA wrestling history as a four-time NCAA Champ: Freshman of the Year: Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU) Mesenbrink came into the season with a ton of hype and expectation. Many of us couldn’t wait to see him compete at the NCAA level after transferring to PSU from California Baptist where he took a redshirt year, and he lived up to every bit of it. The 2023 74kg U20 Champion ran the 165-pound weight class in the conference where his crazy pace propelled him to a B1G Ten title and the NCAA finals where he took his first loss. In his first conference tournament, he recorded a technical fall, a second-period pin, and a wild 13-11 comeback win over Wisconsin’s Dean Hamiti in the finals. He followed that up with three bonus point wins and a pair of decisions on his way to the final where he came just a point short of being an undefeated redshirt freshman NCAA Champion. He completed the year with a 70% bonus rate and a 26-1 record as he finished second at the NCAA Championships in the 165-pound bracket. Honorable mention: Rocco Welsh (Ohio State) Listen to Mesenbrink’s comments after winning in the NCAA semifinals: Coach of the Year: Cael Sanderson (PSU) It’s all about having fun, scoring points and trying to get better. That’s what Coach Cael Sanderson says is the focus for him and his team. So far throughout his tenure at Penn State, that’s worked perfectly. And this year was particularly better than others as he and his team broke the points record at the NCAA tournament with 172.5 and crowned four champions with two of the four – Carter Starocci (174) and Aaron Brooks (197) – making NCAA history as they became the sixth and seventh wrestlers to win four titles. In addition to the tremendous finish to the season was a flawless dual meet record of 12-0 and a B1G Ten conference team title where they scored 170.5 points and won titles at five of the 10 weights. They also advanced all 10 guys to the NCAA tournament where they had eight four All-Americans to go along with the four champs. It really was a historical year for Coach Sanderson and his team. They proved once again why they are the perennial powerhouse and one of the most dominant teams in NCAA history. Honorable mention: Sean Bormet (Michigan) Listen to Sanderson’s comments after winning another NCAA title: Previous Award Winners Wrestler of the Year 2023: Mason Parris (Michigan) 2022: Gable Steveson (Minnesota) Freshman of the Year 2023: Levi Haines (Penn State) 2022: Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) Coach of the Year 2023: Cael Sanderson (Penn State) 2022: Sean Bormet (Michigan)

Milton

Osage

The fearsome foursome is back to recap the action from the 2024 NCAA Championships! They'll start with 125 lbs and work their way up to 149.

The 2023-24 season is in the record books, but before moving on, it’s time to salute the top performers in each conference. We've already hit on the Big 12 and MAC; so now we're onto the EIWA. EIWA Wrestler of the Year - Vito Arujau (Cornell) It certainly wasn’t the same path as the 2022-23 season for Vito Arujau, but when the smoke cleared, Arujau was standing on the top of the podium at 133 lbs, just like the previous season. Arujau blew through the competition last season, then carried that momentum into the US Open, Final X, and the World Championships - all freestyle events he won last spring/summer. When Arujau returned to the collegiate circuit, he was rudely greeted by Lehigh freshman Ryan Crookham at WrangleMania. After that loss, Arujau was out of competition for over a month. He returned for the Collegiate Duals and posted a solid 4-0 win over Little Rock freshman Nasir Bailey. In retrospect, that was a very legitimate victory as Bailey went on to place fourth in the nation. Throughout the remainder of the regular season, Arujau was still trying to get right from his lingering injury and was used as needed and carried a 10-1 record into the EIWA Championships. At EIWA’s, Arujau posted three wins to make the finals and didn’t appear to be all the way “back,” to his normal self. He’d drop another match to Crookham in the finals, 10-6. The losses to Crookham and lack of a regular season resume pushed Arujau down to the sixth seed in Kansas City. Quickly, we saw that the seed didn’t mean much to him and he was much closer to the Vito we’ve come to know (and perhaps fear). Arujau started his tournament with a major decision over his first two opponents, then notched another over the third seed and ACC champion Kai Orine (NC State), a returning All-American. That set the stage for round three in the Arujau/Crookham rivalry. Arujau showed he was in totally different shape than even two weeks earlier and majored Crookham to the tune of 13-3. Arujau won title number two in a matchup against Daton Fix that will likely be remembered for its many delays for reviews/challenges/bloodtime. Ultimately, those delays didn’t derail or deter Arujau as he prevailed 5-3. The final collegiate stats for Arujau are four All-American honors (4,3,1,1), two EIWA championships, a pair of NCAA titles and a 93-9 career record. Honorable Mention: Ryan Crookham (Lehigh) EIWA Freshman of the Year - Ryan Crookham (Lehigh) From reading Arujau’s portion of the awards, you probably know a little bit about Crookham already. The three-time Pennsylvania state champion chose to stay close to home and enrolled at Lehigh. Crookham had a solid 8-1 redshirt season with a pair of wins over national qualifiers; however, there was nothing to indicate that he’d jump in and immediately become a title threat at 133 lbs. In fact, there was some debate over who would be Lehigh’s starter at the weight. The Mountain Hawks also returned Connor McGonagle, who was injured in the 2023 postseason, but spent time ranked in the top-five nationally. Before meeting Arujau at WrangleMania, Crookham edged McGonagle in sudden victory. The Crookham had the win that turned the college wrestling world on its collective heads. A few weeks later, after downing returning All-American and Big Ten runner-up, Aaron Nagao (Penn State), Crookham assumed the number one ranking nationally. Late in the regular season, Crookham also posted a win over past EIWA champion Michael Colaiocco (Penn). Despite an undefeated record and a second win over Arujau at the EIWA Championship, Crookham was given the second seed at nationals, behind Fix. After losing to Arujau in the semifinals, Crookham rebounded to take third place. Along the way, he defeated Big 12 runner-up Evan Frost (Iowa State) and had his second victory over Bailey to claim third. With both NCAA finalists out of eligibility, Crookham likely starts the 2024-25 campaign number one in the nation at 133 lbs after his stellar 24-1 freshman season. Honorable Mention: Meyer Shapiro (Cornell) EIWA Coach of the Year - Kevin Ward (Army West Point) The Army West Point wrestling team finished the regular season with a 7-4 record and was ranked 25th in the nation in InterMat’s dual rankings. After starting the year 1-3, the Black Knights finished the season winning six of seven duals. Perhaps the most significant win during that final push came against rival Navy in the Midshipmen’s home gym. It was the first win for Army in the Star Match since 2020, but the sixth total under head coach Kevin Ward. Overall, Army has only defeated Navy 11 times in 68 attempts. At the EIWA Championships, Ward’s team finished third with 95.5 points behind six national qualifiers. The last time Army West Point finished third in the EIWA was in 2021, the year that did not involve any Ivy League schools. Of the six national qualifiers for Army, three were freshmen which is believed to be the most in school history. One of them, Braden Basile, notched a pair of wins over higher-seeded opponents, at 133 lbs. Like the EIWA Championships, Army was led by 174 lbs Ben Pasiuk in Kansas City. Pasiuk was an EIWA runner-up and got on the NCAA podium - finishing eighth. He needed to win a 9-8 shootout over a red-hot Jared Simma (Northern Iowa) in the bloodround. Pasiuk’s finish made him the first NCAA All-American during Ward’s tenure at West Point and the program’s first since Matt Kyler in 2008. While Pasiuk will graduate this year, the Black Knights will return four of their six national qualifiers for the 2024-25 season. Honorable Mention: Mike Grey (Cornell) Previous Award Winners EIWA Wrestler of the Year 2023: Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) 2022: Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) EIWA Freshman of the Year 2023: Vince Cornella (Cornell) 2022: CJ Composto (Penn) EIWA Coach of the Year 2023: Mike Grey (Cornell) 2022: Chris Ayres (Princeton)

T-Mobile Center Kansas City, Missouri I have had a few days to decompress, shake off the almost red-eye of a fight home, and the overall joyous fatigue that comes with attending the NCAA wrestling championships. I started attending NCAAs in 2016, in New York City (my credit card just shuddered from the memories). Each year, everyone always quickly reminisces about the past few days so starting this year, I decided to put my thoughts to paper. Unfortunately, my podcast co-host Todd Szewczyk was unable to get out of his work obligations and missed his first NCAAs in a very, very long time. So for this first Host City Review, I will be flying solo in my criticism. Everyone seems to have been singing the praises of the town that doesn't have a professional basketball or hockey team (just an arena in hopes of one day having one/both). And while I agree, it was a great host, there are some things I can nitpick. When it comes to my evaluation, I look at a few different criteria: 1. Hotels This is always the first criterion for me because it's the one that can disappear the quickest. In fact, as we saw a lot of in Tulsa 2023, might even be taken away a couple months out. But it’s not just about the quantity of hotels, but the options of hotels. Cheap “murder hotels” to the type Kevin McAllister accommodates in for Home Alone 2. 2. Air Fare/Travel to and from I fly out of the beautiful, and often worst-rated airport, Philadelphia (don't worry, I actually rarely have a terrible time in and out of PHL and I'm sure you won't either next year). But for me, is there a direct flight? If not, how many connections? Reasonable departure times? And most importantly, price. 3. Food and Drink Outside of the actual wrestling, this might be the most important. Yeah, we are all going to be in the arena from 10am to 3pm and again from 6pm to 9pm for three days straight. But it's what fuels us in the times in between that creates the atmosphere we all know and love. 4. Walkability If you meet me, you get it. I'm a fat guy in a little coat. 5. Wrestling Venue The wrestling is going to be great no matter what. But how were the aesthetics, layout, Wifi, and the view from my seat. So, on to the evaluation: Hotels: Within maybe 10 blocks of the T-Mobile Center there are about 14 hotels ranging from Holiday Inn's to the posh Kansas City Hotel or Loews Hotel. I stayed at the Crowne Plaza Downtown KC which was about four blocks from the arena. Great stumbling distance when you wake up from a hangover at 9:15am for Session 5. Before taxes and fees, I got my hotel for $188 on average per night for four days (Wednesday to Sunday). One drawback is the plumbing. Apparently, physics aren't the same in Kansas City as in the rest of the USA and when it goes down one drain it occasionally comes UP another. Other than that, the hotel did what it was supposed to do, have a comfy mattress and pillows. “B.” High marks on the price and location, hit because of the plumbing and overall , let's say, slight lack of cleanliness. Air Fare/Travel Obviously, this is very subjective because the Missouri Tigers didn't have to fly in and many teams bussed it. But, this is my article so you will listen to every word I have to say (joking). I may have seen at one time a direct flight or two, but the cost was well above the $500 to $600 mark round trip. I mean, I’m a guy who hates paying more than $20 for jeans, if that gives you an indication of my frugalness. After multiple searches a day, starting from November 1st, eventually I found round-trip airfare at about $300 on Southwest Airlines. The downsides? To and From both had connecting flights, which isn't that terrible in the grand scheme of it all… but my departure from PHL was 5:50 am, and my departure from Kansas City back home was 6:50pm. Now, I have a two-month-old so waking up in the early bits of the morning is something not uncommon to me. I could either do the sensible thing and nap on the couch, so as not to wake anyone, for a few hours before driving at 3am to PHL… or do the stupid thing that I ended up doing. If I didn't take the crazy departure time route, I saw round trip prices range from $200ish to $450 with the cheaper having crazy long layovers or late-night arrivals into Kansas City on Wednesday night from Frontier, Spirit, or United (without bag fees added in) or the more expensive being, well, shorter layovers but just expensive as hell. For this, I assumed the risk of the crazy departure times, so that's on me. I’ll give travel a “C,” Not a whole lot of options within the price a reasonable person would pay, and nothing direct from Philly. The prices didn't really fluctuate that much at all in the months leading up and honestly I got it as cheap as I did because one leg was $75. Food and Drink My motto every NCAAs, “Diet starts Monday” So if you weren't in Kansas City, or you were somehow blind and deaf, the LIVE! Center was across the street (a blocked-off and shutdown street, thank goodness) where they had multiple bars, eateries, and an open courtyard area with a stage playing hits such as Teenage Dirtbag and various AC/DC classics (even a keytar made an appearance!). The courtyard also had a metal roof with heaters so if the alcohol didn't keep you warm, the LIVE! Center would. Obviously, this comes with the downside of EVERYBODY heading there as the session ends. And there was one pizza place there open late (1am) serving pies… FOR $65 EACH! That's not a joke, ask Jeff Upson of PaPower fame. Bars were readily available in every concentric circle from the arena and food was available late as it usually is on the East Coast (kitchens closing around 10 or 11pm). Now, Kansas City is known for BBQ and I did indulge in some while in town. Once on my first day at the County Road Ice House which got their BBQ from Joe's and on my last day ate at Jack Stack BBQ a little south of Downtown. Very good, very full (restaurant capacity and my stomach wise). One spot I hit multiple times between sessions, mainly because they somehow had reservations available the hour before the session ended (so duh I made them), was the Streetcar Grill & Tavern. Quick story. I got a reservation for 6 at a high-top table for me, my buddy Kyle (who showed up later due to a work call), and some of the InterMat/Pa Power Media guys. Well, things ran longer for them than expected so I found myself sitting alone for 15 minutes at a large empty table while people were being turned away for 45-minute wait times. I noticed three older Oklahoma State apparel-wearing fans who had been walking up and down the row and, from my experience last year in Tulsa, assumed they would be friendly. I waved them over and told them my group was running late so if they wanted to sit and eat, they could and would help keep the death stares from the staff away. Turns out, one was Ellison Beasey who wrestled for OKST in the late 60s and one was Randy Faires. And, maybe most importantly, they bought me some beers! What cool dudes! Last bit on the food. Me and my buddy Kyle needed to try and reintegrate into some civility (aka use utensils to eat instead of hands) so between sessions 3 and 4, we walked about a mile to an Austrian restaurant called Grunauer. Really good, not crazy expensive, and they had some fancy nets that go over your lemons so when you squeeze them over your schnitzel the seeds don't fall on your food. Fancy A-F. There were many other options from fine dining to local sandwich shops with great reviews. My one gripe: Breakfast. The only real breakfast places downtown that I could find was a diner called the Silver Spoon Cafe (that CLOSED from 3/20 to 3/23… idiots), a bagel place, and… sigh, a Starbucks. I love diners and breakfast spots so I was very disappointed there wasn't a greater array of options. There was also a grocery market between my hotel and the arena that bridged the gap with coffee and pastries. Solid “A”, and I didn't even get to visit the numerous craft breweries and distilleries less than 5 blocks south of the arena. Definitely new options to try if it hosts again. Walkability If you made it this far, you can surmise that from my previous paragraphs that you could probably throw a stone and hit somewhere to eat or drink. Within one mile of the area, you had basically everything a wrestling fan there to eat, drink, and watch wrestling could need. But it's not all just “Bachelor” and “Bachelorettes” there. Spouses, children, and relatives not fond, able, or legal enough to partake in the drunken festivities also attend (I can't believe how many toddlers and NEWBORNS IN STROLLERS I saw!). If staying Downtown, a quick (and not too expensive) rideshare jaunt to Kauffman Stadium for a walking tour, or the World War I Museum, or the Negro League Baseball Museum or many other family-oriented activities the city has to offer. You can also take a rideshare to other great BBQ places too. Just sayin. “A-” mainly because even though there were many options close by, they would get absolutely swamped and it would be so loud that you lost your voice by the end of day 1 (and not from cheering on the wrestling, right Bogle?). Because of this, you might be forced to walk farther out but there was no lack of options, if you didn't mind putting a half mile of tread on the sidewalk. Wrestling Venue A little on the smaller side by a few hundred to thousand compared to the past venues. I sat in Section 102, corner section behind Mat 7 and next to the Michigan & Iowa State fans. For the Finals, I had an almost direct line down the red carpet. Had some great views too. Food and drink were to be expected in stadium pricing, however, a Miller Lite pounder cost $16. Four beers for a session cost $74. My one meal with Kyle at the Street Car? Fried Pickles, Brisket Nachos, four Yuenglings, and two burgers… $70.56 (albeit during happy hour, but still). Bottled water at the arena was $4, so that actually wasn't bad, comparatively. WiFi in the arena was not good, for me at least. Kyle is a T-Mobile guy so he worked magenta fast, but poor ol' Verizon Cellular-me had bad lag times. To be expected, I guess. But we live in the 21st century. C’mon. “B” and just because I'm nitpicking hard. The wrestling is always amazing, and the stadium is what the stadium is. Seats to hold butts pointed towards the center of the ground floor. The WiFi has been better at other venues, in my experience, and in this day and age when you're running multiple Fantasy Wrestling worksheets, it is kind of important. ***************** Overall, I really liked Kansas City as a host and would not mind it being there once a cycle instead of St. Louis. That said, I really do get excited every year to see and explore a new city with the food, culture, and overall experience, so I can’t sign off on having it there every year. Four thumbs up from me, KC.

Just two days after hitting the transfer portal, Chase Saldate has announced his transfer destination. He’ll stay in Michigan and change colors moving from Michigan State to the maize and blue of the Wolverines. Saldate, a four-time national qualifier at 157 lbs for the Spartans, will use his final year of eligibility wrestling for the University of Michigan. The 2022-23 season was Saldate’s best as he finished fifth in the Big Ten and advanced to the NCAA Round of 12 after earning the 11th seed. After four years at MSU, Saldate sports an 82-33 record. He recently went 25-8 at the 2024 NCAA Championships, losing a pair of 4-3 matches to Big Ten rivals. In the regular season, Saldate was seventh at the Midlands and a finalist at the Black Knight Invite. During the regular season, Saldate nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year when he pushed the eventual undefeated NCAA champion, Levi Haines, into tiebreakers. Coming out of high school, Saldate was ranked #14 overall in the Class of 2020 after making a pair of California state finals - winning his senior season. Before his senior year, Saldate won a belt at the Super 32 and during the regular season, he was a champion at the Reno Tournament of Champions and the Doc Buchanan. Michigan is losing two-time All-American Will Lewan at 157 lbs, so Saldate could step in and replace his former rival. There has also been some talk that Saldate would like to move up to 165 lbs. While Saldate only has a year of eligibility remaining, he does have a redshirt available, as well.

The 2023-24 season is in the record books, but before moving on, it’s time to salute the top performers in each conference. Yesterday, we started with the Big 12 conference; now, onto the MAC. MAC Wrestler of the Year: Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) This makes for the third consecutive year that Anthony Noto has been honored in our year-end awards. He was named the conference wrestler of the year in 2023, and in 2022, the freshman (newcomer) of the year. Noto came into the 2023-24 season ranked second in the preseason after a fourth-place finish in 2023. At two points during this year, Noto held the number one spot in the nation. A few weeks after competing in the All-Star Classic, Noto defeated the eventual ACC champion, Jakob Camacho (NC State), who was ranked #1 in the country, at the time. At the 2024 MAC Championships, Noto used a 13-5 major decision over Blake West to claim his third consecutive conference title. In doing so, Noto became the first Lock Haven wrestler to win three conference championships since 1997. Despite dominating the MAC, Noto was given the 12th seed in Kansas City. That set him up for a first-round match against All-American Brandon Kaylor (Oregon State), the only first-round meeting between two All-Americans in the tournament. Noto won that bout 5-3 and another over Diego Sotelo (Harvard) to make the quarterfinals. In the quarters, Noto used an overtime takedown to defeat returning NCAA runner-up, Matt Ramos (Purdue). Ramos was the opponent who defeated Noto in the All-Star Classic. After a close, one-point loss to the eventual national champion (Richie Figueroa - Arizona State) in the semifinals, Noto bounced back with wins over Big Ten opponents, Caleb Smith (Nebraska) then Eric Barnett (Wisconsin) to claim third place. With at least another year of eligibility remaining, Noto holds an 84-10 career record and will be considered one of the top title contenders at a turbulent 125 lb weight class. photo courtesy of George Mason athletics MAC Freshman of the Year: DJ McGee (George Mason) For the second year in a row, George Mason has the conference Freshman of the Year. This season’s honor goes to 157 lber DJ McGee, who finished with a 25-7 record. That was a bit unexpected after McGee went 7-3 during his redshirt season. McGee started the year with a nine-match winning streak - one that included a title at the Battle at the Citadel and a shocking upset over returning All-American Michael Blockhus of Minnesota. McGee proved his Blockhus win was no fluke as he finished fourth at the Midlands just over a month later. After the new year, McGee closed out the dual season with wins in five of his last six bouts. His only loss during that stretch came against eventual All-American Peyten Kellar (Ohio). McGee saw Kellar again in the MAC finals, but still fell 2-0. McGee ended up as the runner-up in the conference’s deepest weight class. In the MAC semis, McGee posted his second win of the season over eventual Round of 12 finisher Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan). In Kansas City, McGee went 1-2 in a brutal 157 lbs weight class. His lone win came at the expense of North Carolina’s Sonny Santiago by a 4-2 score. The two opponents who defeated McGee were seeded in the top-11. photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriiors.com MAC Coach of the Year: Tom Borrelli (Central Michigan) Just two days after winning his 15th MAC title, Tom Borrelli announced he would step down from his post as Central Michigan’s head coach after 33 years at the helm for the Chippewas. In his final campaign with CMU, Borrelli’s squad went 8-8 with a 6-1 record in the conference. Three Central Michigan wrestlers earned a trip to nationals in Kansas City, led by 174 lb MAC champion Alex Cramer. At his final national tournament, Borrelli saw Cramer go 2-2 and Lovett advanced to the bloodround before coming up a match shy of earning All-American status. Lovett suffered a first-round loss, but bounced back with wins over three opponents seeded higher than him to make the Round of 12. The 2023-24 dual season brought Borrelli’s career record to 368-179. He ended up coaching 45 All-Americans and 93 MAC champions. Borrelli had a national champion (Casey Cunningham - 1999) and three top-ten finishes at the NCAA Tournament. CMU’s fifth-place finish in 1998 represented the highwater mark for Borrelli and the Chippewas. As of now, three of his former wrestlers are current DI head coaches. Previous Award Winners MAC Wrestler of the Year 2023: Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) 2022: Matt Stencel (Central Michigan) MAC Freshman of the Year 2023: Nathan Higley (George Mason) 2022: Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) MAC Coach of the Year 2023: Keith Ferraro (Clarion) 2022: Scott Moore (Lock Haven)