Michael Kemerer defeated Max Thomsen in the finals of the Super 32 Challenge (Photo/Rob Preston)The Wrestling USA/Cliff Keen Athletic Dream Team Classic will be hosted by Independence High School in Iowa this coming Saturday at 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET). In the 19-year history of this event, the host team has won just once, when Oklahoma was able to win the event in 2009. The most recent time Iowa hosted the event, it was held at Iowa City West during the weekend of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
Two notes related to originally slated matchups:
At 120 pounds, No. 20 (at 126) Doyle Trout (Centennial, Neb.) was involved in a major car accident over the weekend, and is in the hospital facing a steep recovery from his injuries. He is obviously not going to wrestle on Saturday night, as he was slated to face No. 20 Jacob Schwarm (Bettendorf). No replacement has been indicated publicly.
At 145 pounds, No. 3 Fredy Stroker (Bettendorf) was slated to face Tristan Moran (Stillwater, Okla.). The University of Minnesota signee Stroker suffered an injury in his match against Michael Kemerer at Agon V, which will keep him out of the event on Saturday, though no indication has been made as to who will replace him. One possible candidate would be state champion Blake Meyer (Sumner-Fredericksburg), though that is totally speculative.
As for those matchups still on the docket, here is a breakdown.
113: Brennen Doebel (Clear Lake) vs. No. 4 Devin Brown (Franklin Regional, Pa.)
Doebel was a state champion this past year, finishing 48-1, after placing fourth the previous year. He was fourth at 120 pounds in the Junior National folkstyle tournament this past weekend. Brown has committed to West Virginia, and is a three-time Pennsylvania state champion. Most recently, he beat two-time Illinois state champion Jabari Moody at the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic. Brown is the obvious favorite in this matchup.
126: No. 17 Nolan Hellickson (Southeast Polk) vs. No. 14 Eli Seipel (St. Paris Graham, Ohio)
Hellickson was an undefeated state champion with a 43-0 record this past season, earning that elusive title after finishing third the previous two seasons. Seipel earned a second state title this year to add to the one from two years ago, and is a four-time state placer. The Pittsburgh commit was also champion at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman this December. Though Seipel is ranked higher, Hellickson does have a head-on win over L.J. Bentley from early January, an opponent who beat Seipel two weekends later.
132: Paul Glynn (Bettendorf) vs. No. 1 Kaid Brock (Stillwater, Okla.)
This matchup reflects a tall order for two-time state runner-up Glynn, who is headed to Iowa in the fall. Brock, a three-time state champion headed to Oklahoma State, won the Kansas City Wrestling Classic this past December, an event in which Glynn placed ninth. During that tournament, Brock beat the wrestler that beat Glynn in the quarterfinal by technical fall in the championship match.
138: Josh Wenger (Cedar Rapids Prairie) vs. No. 2 Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area, Pa.)
Having finished fourth his previous three high school seasons, Wenger finally ascended the top step of the state podium finishing 45-1 this season. This fall, Wenger will be headed to Grand View, the perennial NAIA champions. His opponent in this match is the Virginia-bound Krivus, a three-time champion at both the Super 32 Challenge and Flo Nationals, who has placed four times in Pennsylvania, including state titles during his sophomore and senior seasons. It’ll be a tall order for Wenger, who failed to make the second day (one round away from being among the 16 who did) in a Super 32 bracket that Krivus won.
145: No. 2 Max Thomsen (Union) vs. No. 1 Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.)
These two wrestlers have battled twice this scholastic season, with Kemerer winning on both occasions, the Super 32 Challenge final and the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic. While neither match was a total blowout, the outcome of neither was truly in doubt. Thomsen, a four-time state champion, is headed to Northern Iowa; while the Iowa-bound Kemerer won an elusive state title this past year after placing second the previous three seasons.
152: Chase Straw (Independence) vs. No. 2 Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.)
The Iowa State bound Straw finished 46-1 this season to win a state title after finishing third the previous two seasons. Just last weekend, he was a Junior National folkstyle runner-up, and last summer was a Junior Greco-Roman All-American. Facing Joseph will be a steep challenge, as the Penn State bound wrestler is a two-time state champion (four-time placer), and finished runner-up in Junior freestyle this summer (a second straight Junior freestyle All-American finish for him)
160: No. 4 Bryce Steiert (Waverly-Shell Rock) vs. No. 2 Josh Shields (Franklin Regional, Pa.)
This should be one of the evening’s better matches, with both wrestlers being four-time state placers, and earning All-American honors in Junior freestyle this past summer. The Northern Iowa bound Steiert has won state titles in each of his last two campaigns, and was also a Preseason Nationals champion this fall; while the Arizona State bound Shields won his first state title last month.
170: No. 11 Jacob Holschlag (Union) vs. Luke Entzel (Missoula Big Sky, Mont.)
This is one of few matches where the home state wrestler is favored, with the two-time state champion Holschlag facing an unranked opponent. The Northern Iowa commit was a Preseason Nationals champion this fall, while his opponent Entzel is also a multi-time state champion
182: No. 18 Evan Hansen (Exira) vs. No. 6 Kollin Moore (Norwayne, Ohio)
Hansen, bound for NAIA power Grand View in the fall, went an undefeated 57-0 this season to win his second state title. However, it’s going to be a challenge against the Ohio State bound Moore, who was also undefeated this season on the way to his first state title, having finished runner-up in each of the last two years. Moore did not give up an offensive point this high school season, including a dominant win by fall over fellow top ten wrestler Ben Darmstadt – an opponent who beat Hansen at the Super 32 Challenge this fall.
195: No. 9 Cash Wilcke (OA-BCIG) vs. No. 2 Bobby Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.)
Like Hansen, Wilcke went undefeated this past season for a second state title, his coming back-to-back go with a pair of fourth place finishes in the freshman and sophomore seasons. Wilcke was sixth in Junior freestyle this past summer at 182 pounds. Steveson counters with three consecutive state titles, and was a Junior National freestyle champion at 195 this past summer. This is a matchup between Iowa and Minnesota commits.
195: No. 10 Steven Holloway (Mediapolis) vs. Tyler Johnson (Lockport, Ill.)
Holloway went 52-1 this past season to win a second straight title in what was a third straight state finals appearance, while Johnson earned his second state placement of his career finishing fourth. Johnson, a North Carolina State commit, was a FILA Cadet freestyle All-American last spring.
220: No. 5 Ryan Parmely (Maquoketa Valley) vs. Jay Nino (Genoa, Ohio)
Both contestants in this match will be matriculating to Division II colleges, Parmely going to Upper Iowa for a football/wrestling combination opportunity, while Nino is headed to Notre Dame College. Each wrestler in this bout is also a two-time state champion; however, Parmely is also a four-time state placer (finishing third and fourth the two years prior) and went an undefeated 56-0 during his senior season with multiple wins over nationally ranked opponents.
285: No. 3 Jacob Marnin (Southeast Polk) vs. No. 6 Tate Orndorff (University, Wash.)
This should be an excellent showdown between a pair of wrestlers that are more than familiar with each other. Orndorff won consolation finals matches against Marnin in both styles this past summer in Fargo at the Junior Nationals, and also won the FILA Cadet Greco-Roman final last spring. However, Marnin did taste victory over Orndorff in the Cadet freestyle final going back to the summer of 2013. Marnin, a state champion this year and two-time state finalist, is headed to Southern Illinois for FCS football; while two-time state champion Orndorff is headed to Oregon State for wrestling.
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