JVStateChamp

Last year I definitely lived up to my name as JV State Champ... I plan to improve to below .500 starter this year

I believe I was in on this last year as well. If possible I will do it again... and hopefully do a lot better!

Every year, I try to predict where the upsets will happen and who will go on a Cinderella run. So far, it hasn’t worked out too well—but here are my championship picks anyway: 125: Ramos 133: Byrd 141: Mendez 149: Lovett 157: Shapiro 165: Messenbrink 174: O'Toole 184: Starocci 197: Ferrari 285: Steveson I already know these predictions are probably wrong—mainly because I only have two PSU guys winning, which would be shocking given their level of talent. But hey, that’s part of the fun!

Facundo seems to be making bigger gains in the freestyle realm. Looking forward a couple years it appears the Facundo/Kasak overlap is going to continue. PSU does have some flexibility with a Kasak RS but it does not seem as though Kasak would want to use it if he is the best guy. This may be an only time will tell kind of situation.

No I dont seed him #1, that being because whoever he lost to would have to be of a lower caliber than SVN and Parco. Henson is the returning NCAA champ which is why I do not believe that the loss should count as a negative towards him. I would feel the same way if SVN or Parco had 2 losses and the extra loss was Henson. This is the exact reason why some coaches choose to sit their wrestlers against tough opponents. We are rewarding the two wrestlers that didnt wrestle Henson which seems foolish

Although I think it is a really bad example without doing a deep dive I could come up with off the top of my head is Manville. Looking forward though we may see individuals like Facundo, Sealey, Mirasola not be able to crack the line up for multiple years.

I think the individual who he lost to is very relevant. He is the outlier of the three that did not wrestle Caleb Henson, If he had 2 losses and the second loss being to say Gilcher of Michigan that would be a different story. This is also how I see it in my mind, I am no expert on the procedures or criteria of the B1G tournament.

I don't disagree with the sentiment but with this group coming in without transferring to a different school they may never get the opportunity to show their talents at the NCAA level. Barraclaw would not be a starter at PSU and is now a top 5 ranked person for UVU. Could he have been a 2x AA had he transferred a year earlier? Its a very interesting hypothetical which is probably a combination of PSU development ability as well as the individual wrestlers ability to make themselves better.

The difference between two losses and one loss doesn’t really matter to me, especially considering the level of competition in that extra loss. When it comes to seeding, I’d rank it Lovett, SVN, and then Parco. The B1G tournament should prioritize what a wrestler has accomplished within the conference schedule. Lovett, as the returning B1G champ with a major over SVN, has enough merit to earn the No. 1 seed.

We'll see what happens, but historically, very few wrestlers end up leaving PSU. Whatever Cael & Co. preaches seems to have a lasting impact on his guys. My opinion—though I could be wrong—is that with NIL and the transfer portal changing the game, this trend might start to shift. Wrestlers have a small window to chase their goals, and if I were a top guy with a shot at becoming an All-American, I’d want to take it.

I am perfectly fine with not assuming that Gable would have won that year, I am more in favor of Snyder having a better career. But when you list accolades it is important to add the caveat that Gable did not have the opportunity of a national tournament in one of his four years.

Their careers are very similar Snyder is a 4x finalist and 3x Champ, while Gable is a 2x Champion and has a 3rd place finish (I would also assume that had the 2020 year happened Gable would have won) But there is definitely an argument to be made that Snyder is the best heavyweight.

I would say Snyder has a pretty good argument for a better heavyweight career. Has an Olympic gold medal and 3-time NCAA champion.

At the high school level I don't agree with 20 point techs. There is huge skill variations at the high school level and with one person up by 15 points I think that is sufficient to end the match. Some matches are already unbearable to watch when a kid with much superior skill plays catch and release against a much weaker opponent. I for one do not want to see a kid get embarrassed and taken down 10 times at will.

Former App State 133 Ethan Oakley signed with North Carolina.