Ched64

What was particularly egregious was that they then put him at the 9 seed so the guy who got moved from 2 to 1 actually had to beat a 3x Natl Champ in the quarters vs wrestling the 6 seed who actually made the finals!

One of the things I really like about D3 is that there are tournaments throughout the year at which the entire team wrestles. Starters and backups all getting in the mix. If guys are going to commit to wrestling in college, it is nice that they give them ample opportunities to mix it up. I am also surprised by the credentials that some of these kids have. Multiple time State Champs, placers and qualifiers from all over. If you think about it, there are very few kids that have find their way to D1. It is good to know that hundreds of others can continue to do something they really love after high school.

Very well said indeed. In fact, before I jumped on this thread, I was looking at UNI's progression over the last decade. I never paid much notice until Joe Colon grabbed my attention 10+ years ago. Since then, they have done a fantastic job of quietly growing that program into a real contender. Great observations here that got to the heart of the matter.

It seems like just yesterday that a whole slew of folks were bashing the Brands Bros and calling for their heads. Boy, has PSU broken the spirit of so many Big Ten fans or what?

I don't count Messenbrink in that mix as he was doing Grade 13 in Cali...but I will say that Michigan has done a great job with JC. He was never very good from the bottom...a Cornell weakness...I was shocked they put him down vs Buchanan and he was up and out. Super happy for him as he seems like a great kid who knocked off the two guys ranked above him in 24 hours. Who knows what the future holds at Natls but he got his degree from Cornell and now is in grad school at Michigan. I assume he will be just fine regardless.

I don't think Parco is a definite...just have a feeling

Have to disagree here but will be interested to see. He certainly didn't look like the beast he was two or three years ago. No Colorado simply doesn't wrestle anyone tough out of conference and there are a lot of weaker teams in the Big 12 that doesn't help the cause. That said, I wouldn't want him in the quarters if I got the 1 seed.

I am not a big Iowa fan but have to admit, the generational talent is the Penn St team. Their coaches are amazing at getting the best kids and making them better. Watching Kusak, Mess, and Levi chain wrestle through positions is truly unbelievable. Can you imagine what that room is like? If not beating them means you change your coach, who will be left? I understand the frustration but at least Iowa had their run with Gable. What about the rest of the teams? Iowa is still the second best program in the country on average and somebody is coaching that program and bringing in talent.

And you go into his matches knowing he has the talent to beat his opponent no matter who that might be which is fun as a spectator

Great post here…real life considerations

Him making the cut to 57k 4 years from now seems highly unlikely. That said, as others have noted, he is hardly over the hill age wise, has a refreshed training situation and on any given day can go with any of those other guys. The OSU room when he was there had no one at his level and the John Smith mystique was badly tarnished. I certainly wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him make another world team. I love Vito but he didn’t exactly crush Fix in this years ncaa final nor did he crush Blaze in the X matches. All those guys are very close so I think it premature to count Fix out though get it why some have doubts.

At the end of the day, modern sports is entertainment competing against countless other things for eyes. The more exciting you can make it the better.

I agree there but if both guys are on the mat scrambling and they roll out of bounds, then the grounding rule is good. It is just that wrsetlers have adapted their technique when they are headed out and it defeats the purpose of the rule.

I disagree as it keeps things moving and doesnt provide refuge. I think free has it down pretty good right now. The matches are pretty exciting even between upper world class guys where it could get bogged down without things like pushouts and passivity. It rewards action.

I agree that folkstyle is here to stay but were it up to me, I would make two freestyle changes that I believe would make the matches more interesting by encouraging more action. The first would be pushout points as far too many matches take place at the edges rather than in the center where they belong. The second would be passivity from neutral in the first period. It is 3 minutes long and far too many matches end 0-0 after the first given the amount of time they have to work. I know these have come up before but it would also be one movement in the direction of freestyle without doing away with the mat wrestling that gives folk its own identity.