It happens every year. The 40 matches, four in each of the 10 weight classes, provide some of the best wrestling action that you will see all season.
There is no question that the quarterfinal round of the NCAAs offers some of the most hard-fought, dramatic and best wrestling you will ever see at the collegiate level.
That likely will happen again when the first whistle blows in the four 125-pound quarterfinal bouts on Friday morning at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
The quarterfinals are the round at NCAAs where nearly all of the matchups feature seeded wrestlers for the first time in the tournament. The team race also starts to come much more sharply into focus as we move deeper into the three-day tournament.
Stakes are sky-high in this round with winners punching their ticket into the semifinals and clinching a top-six finish in their respective weight classes.
The quarters are also a grueling round where conditioning comes even more into play. Wrestlers are competing for the third time in the tournament after making weight for the second time in as many days.
Here are my picks for the best quarterfinal matchup in each weight class:
Spencer Lee defefated Nick Piccininni 10-5 earlier this season (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)125 pounds: (3) Spencer Lee (Iowa) vs. (6) Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State)
Piccininni, a sophomore, is no stranger to facing a wrestler from Iowa in the NCAAs. He lost to Iowa's Thomas Gilman twice at nationals last year, falling in the quarters and the third-place match.
Lee, a standout freshman, beat Piccininni 10-5 in the dual meet this season. Lee rolled to a pair of technical fall wins in Thursday's first two rounds. Lee is lethal in the top position -- he can pile up back points in a hurry and end a match early. The key for Piccininni is to score the first takedown and choose top or neutral. And to also not give up too many early points early. Lee has won three age-group world titles and knows how to perform and deliver when the stakes are highest. Lee can't get caught looking ahead to a potential semifinal matchup with NCAA champion Nathan Tomasello, a wrestler he split two matches with this season.
133 pounds: (2) Stevan Micic (Michigan) vs. (7) Austin DeSanto (Drexel)
DeSanto scored a stunning and decisive 22-10 major decision over Micic, fourth in the nation last year and a past Junior world medalist, early this season in Las Vegas. DeSanto used a relentless attack to build a huge early lead, dominating on his feet in that match. He used a fireman's and barrel roll attack to put Micic on his back three times in that matchup.
Micic has rebounded from that setback in a big way, earning a Big Ten title and a 2 seed at nationals. DeSanto was upset in the EIWAs, but the freshman bounced back with two impressive wins Thursday. He scored a 16-8 major decision over No. 10 Jack Mueller of Virginia, a wrestler he lost to three times early in the season. Expect Micic to make some adjustments. It will definitely be an exciting match to watch between two very dynamic wrestlers. DeSanto knows how to win on a big stage. He beat young phenom Spencer Lee in the Pennsylvania state finals last year.
141 pounds: (3) Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) vs. (6) Dean Heil (Oklahoma State)
This is one of the most intriguing matchups in this session with an exciting young freshman looking to make a big splash against a solid senior with impressive credentials.
Heil has won the last two NCAA titles at this weight class, but he's had his share of struggles this season. He won a pair of low-scoring matches Thursday. Heil isn't overly flashy, but he obviously knows how to win on this stage.
Diakomihalis, a two-time Cadet world champion, rolled to a pair of major decision wins in his first two career matches at NCAAs. It will be interesting to see if Heil can slow Diakomihalis down in a battle of veteran against newcomer.
149 pounds: No. 10 Jason Tsirtsis (Arizona State) vs. No. 15 Ronald Perry (Lock Haven)
Perry sent shockwaves through the sellout crowd Thursday night in Cleveland, scoring a late takedown to stun past NCAA runner-up Brandon Sorensen of Iowa 3-2 in the second round.
Perry advances to a quarterfinal against past NCAA champion Jason Tsirtsis of Arizona State. Tsirtsis, a national champion for Northwestern before transferring to ASU, beat Northwestern's seventh-seeded Ryan Deakin in the second round.
Tsirtsis is very skilled on his feet and has the potential to put a lot of points on the board, but he continues to win low-scoring bouts. If he opens up, he could find himself in the semifinals again.
157 pounds: (3) Jason Nolf (Penn State) vs. (6) Michael Kemerer (Iowa)
Early in the season, this was a match it looked like we might see on the elevated stage in the national finals. Nolf won NCAAs last year and Kemerer was third as a freshman.
That all changed when Nolf went down with an injury late in the season and Kemerer was upset at Big Tens.
Kemerer came out strong with two falls on Thursday. He and Nolf haven't met this season, but they know each other well. They grew up wrestling in the same club in Pennsylvania.
This will be one of the most anticipated bouts of the quarters. And will be a test of how healthy Nolf is right now. It could determine who wins this weight class.
165 pounds: (1) Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) vs. (9) Chance Marsteller (Lock Haven)
This is a match that many people are very curious and eager to see. It has the potential to be a classic.
Martinez, of course, is the two-time NCAA champion and three-time finalist. He appears to be on a mission this year after suffering a stunning finals lost to Penn State freshman Vincenzo Joseph. He's a senior who appears to be in the best shape of his remarkable career.
Marsteller, once one of the brightest young prospects in America, has overcome off-the-mat issues to have an outstanding season. He's 42-2 after two wins Thursday.
Both wrestlers are talented, skilled and dynamic wrestlers. Fans could be in for a real treat when these two studs clash on Friday.
174 pounds: (3) Daniel Lewis (Missouri) vs. (6) Bo Jordan (Ohio State)
This should be an entertaining battle between two veterans still looking to climb the top step of the medal podium.
Lewis has stormed to an unbeaten season while Jordan is down to his final opportunity as a Buckeye senior. Jordan is eager to go out on top after reaching the finals last season. Lewis has placed fourth and sixth in the country.
Jordan overcame a sluggish first match Thursday with a lopsided win. Lewis rolled to two wins on the opening day. This match could come down to Jordan's ability to slow down the dynamic Lewis. It is a match you won't want to miss.
184 pounds: (2) Myles Martin (Ohio State) vs. (Unseeded) Chip Ness (North Carolina)
Ness entered the tournament unseeded and with a 16-10 record, but none of that matters now. Ness is in the NCAA quarterfinals.
Ness knocked off No. 10 Emory Parker of Illinois and No. 7 Taylor Venz of Nebraska. Next up is another Big Ten foe - 2016 NCAA champion Myles Martin of Ohio State.
Martin scored bonus points in both of his wins Thursday and is a strong bet to make the finals again. Martin has had a superb season. Ness isn't expected to win Friday, but he wasn't supposed to win either match on Thursday.
197 pounds: (2) Ben Darmstadt (Cornell) vs. (Unseeded) Chris Weiler (Lehigh)
Two EIWA freshmen - one highly ranked and one unseeded - will battle here for a spot in the semifinals.
Darmstadt has had a sensational rookie campaign. He's 32-1 this season and has been a force in this division.
Weiler is one of the lesser known names on the strong Lehigh roster. Weiler came into this tournament just 15-8, but he knocked off the 10 and 7 seeds on the first day. Weiler has excelled in the past on the national age-group level.
Darmstadt is the favorite, but don't count out Weiler. It will definitely be interesting to see how these NCAA newcomers fare on the quarterfinal stage Friday. They are both talented young wrestlers with bright futures ahead of them.
285 pounds: (1) Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) vs. (9) Derek White (Oklahoma State)
Any time you can watch Snyder wrestle, you need to take advantage of it. He's already one of the best international wrestlers in American history.
He doesn't like to wrestle heavyweight, as he's giving up 60 pounds to some opponents, but it's amazing to see him compete every time he steps on the mat.
One of Snyder's most impressive feats is winning two NCAA titles as a vastly undersized heavyweight. If he wins his third in a row, give him the Hodge Trophy. It would be an award he definitely deserves if he wins it all Saturday night.
Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.
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