Division III wrestling is arguably the most challenging of all the divisions to rank. With smaller schools and budgets, interstate travel makes match-ups from afar rarer. Not only this, but every year there is a spate of wrestlers who don't wrestle the first semester, only to show up after the Christmas break. This year is no different in this regard, and includes a very notable athlete indeed (up a weight!).
Let's take a peek at the first five weights …
125 Pounds:
Nate Hansen, Senior, Luther
Hansen, who finished fourth nationally in 2006, has had a solid first half of this season. He also had a quality showing at Midlands, where he went 2-2 and reached the quarterfinals. Hansen also wrestled well at the UNI Open, where he made it to the quarterfinals before losing to Lucas Magnani of Iowa.
At the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, Hansen showed that his top ranking is well-founded. He coolly handed No. 2-ranked Chris Heilman (Cornell College) a major defeat, dominating Heilman, 11-2, in their teams' dual. He went undefeated during the Duals, helping the Norse to a fifth-place finish.
Others on the Radar:
Brandon McDonough, Junior, Johnson & Wales
His already high stock definitely was solidified by his showing at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Beating a very tough Seth Flodeen, 5-3 in OT, moving up a weight and garnering a major, and only losing to a high AA a weight up will do this for you.
Chris Heilman, Junior, Cornell
Earlier in the season won Cornell Invite (Matmen Inv.). And, although the only other returning AA on this list, his tough loss to Hansen had to be an eye-opener.
Seth Flodeen, Sophomore, Augsburg
After watching Jamie Rocha wrestling the first half of the season at for the Auggies, Flodeen is back and looking very solid. He beat Cornell's Chris Heilman 4-3 at NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. His tough OT loss to McDonough should serve as a measuring stick going into the meat of the season.
133 Pounds:
Jafari Vanier, Junior, Augsburg
The returning national runner-up at this weight, Vanier did not compete for the Auggies during the first half of the season. He appears to be back in excellent form, however, having won the Sunshine Open in Florida with a 3-0 record.
He then went undefeated at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. There, he beat a tough Michael Bastante of Johnson & Wales, 9-3, helping the Auggies take the team title. Vanier definitely looks poised to take it a step higher at the National Championships this year, although All-Americans David Morgan of King's, Adam Johnson of North Central and Jestin Hulegaard of Buena Vista will have something to say about it.
Others on the Radar:
Jestin Hulegaard Senior Buena Vista
Hulegaard, last year's third place finisher, has had an up-and-down campaign to this point. At the Duals, he handily beat Johnson and Wales' Brandon McDonough (who was up a weight), 9-2. However, he was pinned earlier in the year by King's College's David Morgan at the Desert Duals.
David Morgan, Sophomore, King's
Last year's sixth place finisher has looked impressive thus far in the season. Although he was tripped up by Mt. Union's Ed Patrosky earlier in the year, he won the Desert Duals, pinning Hulegaard along the way.
Adam Johnson Junior North Central
Johnson defeated a tough McKray for seventh-place honors in last year's National Championships. He looks "nails" again this year, and had an impressive showing of two technical falls and a pin at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals.
141 Pounds:
Quincy Osborn, Junior, Augsburg
Quincy Osborn (Photo/The Guillotine)His most recent results, at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, read as follows: 4-0 with two falls, one forfeit, and an 11-2 major-decision win over Wartburg AA Zach McKray.
Indeed, Osborn has to be considered the prohibitive favorite to win the 141-pound class at the National Championships this year.
Others on the Radar:
Paul LeBlanc, Sophomore, Cortland State
Last year's fourth place finisher LeBlanc is currently undefeated. He has wrestled up at both 149 and 157 this season. He also won the RIT Invitation earlier in the season.
Rick Laforge, Senior, Delaware Valley
Went 4-0 with two falls, a decision and a forfeit, helping Delaware Valley to a respectable third place finish at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals.
Mike Gaeta, Senior, Springfield
Fifth-place finisher at last year's National Tournament. This season he has already defeated Roger Williams' third place finisher from a year ago, Andy Lacroix, 6-2 at the Doug Parker Invitational. He has suffered defeat once already, however, losing 7-6 to Muhlenberg's Rob Kein.
149 Pounds:
log�jam ˈlɔgˌdʒ�m noun
1. an immovable pileup or tangle of logs, as in a river, causing a blockage.
2. any blockage or massive accumulation.
3. the 2007 Division III 149-pound weight class.
Where do you start when you have three national champions in one weight class? Why not with the defending champion and go from there …
All on the Radar:
Jake Larsen, Senior, UW-La Crosse
In limited action so far, the 2006 National Champion Larsen has accumulated a 2-2 record. Not so hot, one might say. Well, records can be deceiving. Both of Larsen's losses were at Midlands, and both to tough hombres. His wins are perhaps more telling. He beat Luther's Matt Pyle (a National Champ himself) 3-2 on January sixth and then inexplicably squeaked by Gary Reid of UW-Whitewater 11-10 three days later.
Joe PflugThe 2006 national champ at 157, Pflug, like Larsen, began this season quite late. He did wrestle at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals for the Knights, however, and compiled a 2-1 record, with technical fall and major victories, and a 6-2 defeat the hands of Pyle.
Matt Pyle, Senior, Luther
The 2005 national champ at 149 (and fifth place last year), Pyle has had a solid campaign to date. He did lose to Larsen earlier in the season, but had an impressive 4-2 showing at Midlands while losing only to wrestlers from Purdue and Central Michigan. Then, at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, he defeated Pflug. He is on a roll.
157 Pounds:
Jeremy Anderson, Junior, Augsburg
Anderson, a Gopher transfer and 2006 National Championships runner-up, looks to be staying the course so far this season. He has won the St. Cloud Husky Open -- defeating Minnesota State Mankato's Brandon Girtz and not giving up a point along the way, won the Blue Hawk Classic and Dragon Open. He did default to a sixth-place finish at the Sunshine Open, however, where he was 2-3 (all three defeats coming via default). At the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, Anderson went 4-0, a run which included a 5-4 decision over Wartburg's No. 6-ranked Aaron Wernimont in the Division III dual meet finale.
Others on the Radar:
Ross Needham, Senior, UW La Crosse
After finishing third in last year's National Tournament, Needham has compiled a 17-3 record up to this point in the season, and done while wrestling a difficult DIII schedule. At Midlands, he defeated Mt. St. Joseph's Eliot Spence 5-1, was humbled by Division I All-American Trent Paulson of Iowa State … and then beaten in overtime to go 1-2.
Bobby Gingerich, Senior, North Central
Had a pin, a technical fall and a decision, going 3-0 at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. He's looking to move up from his fifth place finish at last year's National Championships.
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