SocraTease

Looks pretty flat to me. In any case, Haines would likely have either continued to get a more clear fall; or won by 4 points or more (since he was building ride time):

Home field disadvantage

Team Standings Team Points Maximum Potential Points # SF # F # Cons 4 (Rd of 12) # Cons 5 (All Amer.) # Cons Semi # 7th-8th Penn State 78 202.5 7 1 Iowa 48 151.5 3 3 Cornell 45.5 149 3 3 Nebraska 44 123.5 4 1 Michigan 39 127.5 2 3 Missouri 34 142 2 4 Ohio State 31 163 1 6 North Carolina State 29 102.5 1 3 Iowa State 28 121 1 4 Arizona State 27 96 2 2 Lehigh 22.5 76.5 1 2 Northern Iowa 22 76 1 2 Princeton 22 52 2 South Dakota State 21 94.5 1 3 Virginia Tech 21 133.5 1 5 Air Force 20 35 1 Northwestern 18.5 57.5 2 Minnesota 18 96 4 North Carolina 18 72 1 2 Oklahoma State 18 52.5 1 1 Wisconsin 17.5 76 3 Northern Colorado 16 70 1 2 Pittsburgh 16 70 1 2 Oregon State 13.5 28.5 1 Purdue 12.5 47 1 1 Illinois 11 69.5 3 North Dakota State 10.5 49.5 2 Stanford 10 49 2 Penn 9.5 9.5 Clarion 9 28.5 1 Rider 9 24 1 Rutgers 8 27.5 1 Columbia 7.5 7.5 Maryland 7.5 27 1 Cal Poly 7 26.5 1 Indiana 7 26.5 1 Michigan State 6 45 2 Oklahoma 6 6 Utah Valley 6 25.5 1 Drexel 4.5 24 1 West Virginia 4.5 24 1 Campbell 4 4 Chattanooga 4 4 Harvard 4 23.5 1 Northern Illinois 4 23.5 1 SIUE 3 22.5 1 American 2.5 2.5 Virginia 2.5 2.5 Binghamton 2 2 Lock Haven 2 21.5 1 Navy 2 2 Wyoming 2 2 Appalachian State 1 1 Cal State Bakersfield 1 1 Central Michigan 1 1 Army 0.5 0.5 Buffalo 0.5 0.5 Duke 0.5 0.5 Gardner Webb 0.5 0.5 George Mason 0.5 0.5 Bloomsburg 0 0 Bucknell 0 0 Edinboro 0 0 Hofstra 0 0 Kent State 0 0 Ohio 0 0 Note: Teams in RED have been mathematically eliminated from the team title race.

Team Standings Team Points Maximum Potential Points # QF # SF # Cons 2 # Cons 3 # Cons 4 (Rd of 12) Penn State 63 210.5 7 5 1 Nebraska 43.5 176.5 5 4 2 Cornell 41 157 3 3 4 1 Iowa 38 202 5 2 5 1 2 Michigan 27.5 198.5 3 1 5 4 1 Arizona State 27 100.5 4 2 1 Ohio State 27 225 3 1 6 3 1 Missouri 26.5 194.5 6 1 3 1 3 Iowa State 25.5 179.5 2 1 6 3 Princeton 22 52 2 2 Virginia Tech 20.5 164.5 5 1 3 1 3 North Carolina State 20 178.5 2 6 3 1 Lehigh 17.5 128 1 1 4 1 Minnesota 17.5 124.5 3 4 2 2 Oklahoma State 17.5 147.5 2 1 5 1 1 North Carolina 17 100.5 2 1 3 1 Northwestern 17 153.5 2 6 2 1 Wisconsin 17 104.5 2 3 2 1 Northern Colorado 14 73 1 1 2 2 Purdue 12.5 47 2 1 1 1 Air Force 12 58 1 2 1 Northern Iowa 12 129 1 6 2 South Dakota State 11.5 153 1 5 2 Illinois 10 78 2 2 1 North Dakota State 10 100.5 1 3 1 1 Stanford 10 98 2 3 2 Penn 9.5 78 4 2 Pittsburgh 8 122.5 2 3 1 1 Columbia 7.5 76 5 2 Maryland 7.5 56 1 4 Cal Poly 7 53 1 1 1 Clarion 6 55 2 Indiana 5.5 74 1 3 1 Michigan State 5.5 71.5 1 2 1 1 Oklahoma 5.5 54.5 5 Oregon State 5.5 78.5 1 4 Rutgers 5 51.5 3 1 West Virginia 4.5 73 1 3 1 Campbell 4 53 3 Chattanooga 4 50.5 2 1 Drexel 3.5 52.5 2 Utah Valley 3 52 2 American 2.5 2.5 1 Harvard 2.5 51.5 2 Virginia 2.5 49 2 1 Lock Haven 2 21.5 1 1 Navy 2 75.5 3 Rider 2 26 1 SIUE 2 26.5 3 Wyoming 2 2 2 Binghamton 1.5 26 1 Appalachian State 1 1 Cal State Bakersfield 1 1 1 Central Michigan 1 25.5 2 Northern Illinois 1 25.5 1 Army 0.5 25 1 Buffalo 0.5 25 1 Duke 0.5 25 1 Gardner Webb 0.5 0.5 George Mason 0.5 0.5 1 Bloomsburg 0 0 Bucknell 0 0 Edinboro 0 0 Hofstra 0 0 Kent State 0 0 Ohio 0 0 Note: Teams in RED have been mathematically eliminated from the team title race.

Team Standings Team Points Maximum Potential Points # QF # SF # Cons 2 # Cons 3 # Cons 4 (Rd of 12) Penn State 56 212.5 7 4 1 Iowa 37.5 233 5 2 5 1 Nebraska 36.5 178.5 5 3 2 Cornell 32 157 3 2 4 1 Arizona State 27 100.5 4 2 1 Ohio State 25.5 230.5 3 1 6 2 Michigan 20.5 200.5 3 5 4 1 Iowa State 18.5 181.5 2 6 3 Lehigh 17.5 128 1 1 4 1 Minnesota 17.5 153.5 3 4 2 1 Missouri 17.5 201.5 6 3 2 North Carolina State 17.5 178.5 2 6 2 1 Oklahoma State 17.5 176.5 2 1 5 1 North Carolina 17 100.5 2 1 3 1 Wisconsin 17 109 2 3 2 Princeton 15 54 2 1 Northwestern 14.5 153.5 2 6 1 1 Northern Colorado 14 73 1 1 2 2 Virginia Tech 13.5 166.5 5 3 1 3 Purdue 12.5 71.5 2 1 1 1 Air Force 12 58 1 2 1 Northern Iowa 12 129 1 6 2 South Dakota State 11 155 1 5 1 Illinois 10 102.5 2 2 1 Stanford 10 102.5 2 3 1 North Dakota State 9.5 78 1 3 1 Penn 9.5 78 4 2 Pittsburgh 8 122.5 2 3 1 1 Columbia 7.5 100.5 5 2 Maryland 7.5 56 1 4 Cal Poly 7 53 1 1 1 Clarion 6 55 2 Indiana 5.5 98.5 1 3 1 Oklahoma 5.5 54.5 5 Oregon State 5.5 103 1 4 Michigan State 5 78 1 2 Rutgers 5 51.5 3 1 West Virginia 4.5 73 1 3 1 Campbell 4 53 3 Chattanooga 4 50.5 2 1 Drexel 3.5 52.5 2 Utah Valley 3 52 2 American 2.5 2.5 1 Harvard 2.5 51.5 2 Lock Haven 2 21.5 1 1 Navy 2 75.5 3 Rider 2 26 1 SIUE 2 26.5 3 Virginia 2 51 2 Wyoming 2 26.5 2 Binghamton 1.5 26 1 Appalachian State 1 1 Cal State Bakersfield 1 1 1 Central Michigan 1 25.5 2 Northern Illinois 1 25.5 1 Army 0.5 25 1 Buffalo 0.5 25 1 Duke 0.5 25 1 Gardner Webb 0.5 0.5 George Mason 0.5 25 1 Bloomsburg 0 0 Bucknell 0 0 Edinboro 0 0 Hofstra 0 0 Kent State 0 0 Ohio 0 0 Note: Teams in RED have been mathematically eliminated from the team title race.

Nagao also seems to cinch the arm around the neck when he is on the back of guys. He was doing it at the Southern Scuffle:

Some video footage of the end of the Phillipi match: https://www.flowrestling.org/video/10751856-133-lb-r16-aaron-nagao-minnesota-vs-micky-phillippi-pitt

Phillipi is grimacing and trying to pull the arm off as if he can't breathe

Nagao clearly tries to choke opponents. It's incontestable. Hope they call it on him in the future.

The third period footage: https://theguillotine.com/2023/03/every-match-from-the-2023-big-ten-wrestling-championship-finals/

Nagao was definitely choking RBY multiple times at the end of their Big Ten match

Nagao in high school

It seems Fix is also known for choking. Something about 133. DeSanto was also a dirty wrestler.

2023 NCAA Championships Team Standings Team Points Maximum Potential Points # QF # SF # Cons 2 # Cons 3 # Cons 4 (Rd of 12) Penn State 26 218.5 7 1 Iowa 21.5 264 5 5 Missouri 17.5 235 6 3 Minnesota 16.5 186.5 3 4 North Carolina State 16.5 211.5 2 6 Cornell 15.5 185.5 3 4 Nebraska 15.5 184.5 5 2 Michigan 14.5 209 3 5 Ohio State 14.5 233.5 3 6 Arizona State 13 109 4 Virginia Tech 13 206.5 5 3 Wisconsin 13 134.5 2 3 Iowa State 12 207 2 6 Northwestern 12 207 2 6 Northern Iowa 11 182 1 6 South Dakota State 10.5 157 1 5 Illinois 10 107 2 2 Oklahoma State 10 180.5 2 5 Stanford 10 131.5 2 3 Air Force 9.5 82.5 1 2 North Dakota State 9.5 107 1 3 Lehigh 9 131 1 4 North Carolina 9 130.5 2 3 Princeton 8 56 2 Maryland 7.5 129.5 1 4 Pittsburgh 7.5 129 2 3 Cal Poly 6.5 55 1 1 Penn 6.5 104.5 4 Clarion 6 55 2 Northern Colorado 6 79 1 2 Indiana 5.5 103 1 3 Oklahoma 5.5 128 5 Oregon State 5.5 127.5 1 4 Purdue 5.5 78 2 1 Michigan State 5 78 1 2 Rutgers 4.5 78 3 West Virginia 4.5 102 1 3 Campbell 4 77.5 3 Drexel 3.5 52.5 2 Utah Valley 3 52 2 American 2.5 27 1 Chattanooga 2.5 51.5 2 Columbia 2.5 125 5 Harvard 2.5 51.5 2 Lock Haven 2 26 1 Navy 2 75.5 3 Rider 2 26 1 SIUE 2 75.5 3 Virginia 2 51 2 Wyoming 2 51 2 Binghamton 1.5 26 1 Appalachian State 1 1 Cal State Bakersfield 1 25.5 1 Central Michigan 1 50 2 Northern Illinois 1 25.5 1 Army 0.5 25 1 Buffalo 0.5 25 1 Duke 0.5 25 1 Gardner Webb 0.5 0.5 George Mason 0.5 25 1 Bloomsburg 0 0 Bucknell 0 0 Edinboro 0 0 Hofstra 0 0 Kent State 0 0 Ohio 0 0 Note: Teams in RED have been mathematically eliminated from the team title race.

From the article below in 2021: " Many collegiate wrestlers redshirt at some point in their careers, and Haines said that's a possibility for him since he's young for his grade. He's still 16 and will graduate high school at 17." https://www.ydr.com/story/sports/high-school/wrestling/2021/05/24/penn-state-wrestling-biglervilles-levi-haines-makes-commitment/5241427001/

You cherry pick examples. "One swallow [bird] does not a summer make" (Aristotle)

Steiber won at 133 and 141. Those are LOWER weights! Lee is about to win his 4th. Why fetishize 4-timers> Look at 3 timers.

There have obviously been returning champs at other weights. My point still holds. Guys almost always move up (not down) or hold their weight if they return. Younger, less experienced, less mature physically and technically guys move in. Almost all the new guys at lower weights are first year wrestlers. This gives a potential advantage to the better guys that can return or hold their weights. Has their ever been a freshman who won 285 or even 197? (Ferrari was one of the few exceptions at 197.) Give me some numbers, statistics, and support. You just assert a "feeling"

A. Most guys can't continue to make 125 (and the very low weights, formerly 118, among others). They tend to move up and out of these weight(s). B. The very few elite guys who can remain at the lightweights are able to dominate more easily (than comparable guys at the upper weights): Lee, Steiber (4 timer), RBY (likely 3 timer), Ricky Bonomo (118 three timer), Barry Davis (three timer at 118 and 126), Greg Johnson (3 timer at 118), Tom Brands (3-timer at 134), Abas (3 timer at 125), Jaworsky (3 timer at 134), Guerrero (3 timer at 126 and 133), Simons (3 timer at 115), Caruso (3 timer at 123), Uetake (3 timer at 130), Simons 3 timer at 115), Peery (3 timer at 123), etc. Both things can be true. In fact, they are likely correlated and probably causally related. There have only been 4 4-timers so that is such a small sample size that little can be deduced from it.

It's much easier to dominate at the very lowest weight (compared to other weights), especially for a guy who stayed there (what?) for 6 years. It's extremely hard to dominate at middle and upper weights for younger guys because your body is not fully mature and your opponents often are. Lee has enormous hand and arm strength and most guys outgrow 125. It's very difficult for someone to stay there for 3 or 4 years. Just sayin'

Schalles is legendary. Arguably, the original "funk" wrestler and maybe the greatest pinner of all time. I heard he once put a small piece of tape on the mat and told others he was going to pin his opponent right on the tape, which he proceeded to do. Too bad there isn't much video footage of him wrestling. I've only seen a high school match and a match against Lee Kemp. Looks like Bader did an interview with him on FLO https://www.flowrestling.org/video/7360744-the-bader-show-wade-schalles-ep-264

I'm not opposed to seeding a guy from another Division, but it likely would be very difficult to do so given that they wouldn't have many (if any) common opponents and the comparisons would be very hard to make. Further, it might be used as a reason for the NCAA to keep them out and maintain the status quo of "Division Apartheid" so to speak. If you invite a few guys in and give them relatively low seeds, it might prove more possible and satisfy the critics. It could also be a work in progress or something tried experimentally for a season or two. I think it would also bring more attention to DI, DII and NAIA, which (let's be frank) a great number of wrestlers and wrestling fans ignore. Maybe D I and II guys could earn ranking points at the proposed ranking tournaments (see other thread).