Joey McKenna celebrates after a win in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo are less than 500 days away.
And the top wrestlers in the United States are gearing up for what could be the biggest competition of their lives.
With just six freestyle weight classes now in the Olympics, the competition will be as fierce as ever for those coveted spots on the American squad.
The U.S. freestyle team is coming off back-to-back superb performances at the World Championships where five wrestlers combined to win gold medals in 2017 and 2018.
A number of top young college stars will be ready to challenge them in 2020.
Here is a list of wrestlers from the 2019 NCAA Championships with the best chance to wrestle in the 2020 Olympics:
Daton Fix (Oklahoma State)
Fix is a Junior world champion who had an excellent season on the Senior level in 2018. Fix reached the Final X last year before falling to 2017 world silver medalist Thomas Gilman. He is ranked No. 2 in the U.S. at 57 kilograms. Fix is a talented and confident wrestler who has excelled on the international stage. He also is big for his weight class and has continued to show improvement with his wrestling.
Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell)
Yianni now has two NCAA titles, but he loves the international styles more than folkstyle and it shows when he steps on the mat to wrestle freestyle. He's already won a pair of Cadet world titles and he could definitely be in the mix to be an Olympian next year. Yianni is an excellent scrambler with long arms who can put big points on the board in freestyle. Look for him to contend to make the American squad at 65 kilograms in 2020.
Joey McKenna (Ohio State)
McKenna is another guy with excellent credentials in freestyle. Second to Diakomihalis at his final NCAA meet, McKenna has been a Junior world silver medalist and a U23 world bronze medalist in freestyle. He also is No. 2 on the U.S. Senior ladder in freestyle after falling to world champion Logan Stieber at the Final X last summer. McKenna is superb on his feet and freestyle is his best style. The battle at 65 kilograms next year will be fun to watch with McKenna among a number of top contenders trying to earn a trip to Tokyo.
Zahid Valencia defeated Mark Hall in the NCAA finals for the second straight year (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Zahid Valencia (Arizona State)
Valencia also surprised a few people by landing a spot in Final X last year before falling to eventual world champion Kyle Dake at the non-Olympic weight class of 79 kilograms. Valencia may be caught in between the Olympic weight classes of 74 kilograms and 86 kilograms, but he will competitive in whatever class he chooses. Valencia looked impressive in winning his second straight NCAA title at 174 pounds. He is a tough matchup where he is tall for his weight. Valencia is a past Junior world silver medalist at 84 kilograms.
Mark Hall (Penn State)
Hall won an NCAA title as a freshman before falling to Valencia the past two years in the finals at 174 pounds. Hall is a very gifted freestyle wrestler who owns two Junior world titles and a Cadet world title. He likely will be in the 74-kilogram class with four-time world champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs. As a fan, I think we would all love to see a Burroughs-Hall matchup at next year's Olympic Trials. It will be interesting to see how Hall fares on the Senior level.
Spencer Lee (Iowa)
The two-time NCAA champion hasn't competed in freestyle the past couple of years because of an injury. Lee is very good at folkstyle, but he's been the best in the world three times in freestyle. He won a Cadet world title before collecting a pair of Junior world titles. Lee uses a similar formula in freestyle that he does in folkstyle. Score the first takedown and then go to work while piling up points from the top position. Lee trains in the same room with world silver medalist Thomas Gilman, so he doesn't have to look far to find a quality Senior-level athlete to wrestle with at 57 kilograms.
Bo Nickal (Penn State)
The three-time NCAA champion also is an accomplished freestyle wrestler. He is a past fifth-place finisher at the Cadet World Championships. Nickal is a dynamic, dangerous and explosive wrestler who can score from just about any position. He's going to be a handful for whoever lines up across from him. Nickal won't have to look far to find a quality freestyle wrestler to train with. Fellow Penn State alum David Taylor won a world title last year at 86 kilograms. That would be an intriguing matchup if Taylor and Nickal end up battling each other.
Gable Steveson defeated Youssif Hemida in the NCAA consolation semifinals (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Gable Steveson (Minnesota)
Steveson is another wrestler who has enjoyed enormous success at the age-group levels. He has captured two Cadet world titles and a Junior world title at heavyweight. Steveson is coming off a third-place finish as a freshman at the NCAA tournament. Steveson is a mobile and athletic heavyweight who wrestled well on the Senior level last year. He finished a respectable fourth at the 2018 U.S. Open. He has a huge upside on the international level.
Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech)
Lewis came from the No. 8 seed to win the NCAA title at 165 pounds, but his run didn't come as a complete surprise to those that watched him on the freestyle circuit last summer. Lewis, despite having little experience in freestyle, captured a Junior world title for the U.S. last year at 74 kilograms. Lewis is only a freshman in college, but he's already a strong, physical wrestler who can match up with guys on the Senior level. He beat a powerful wrestler in two-time NCAA champion Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State to earn his first NCAA crown.
Nick Reenan (North Carolina State)
Reenan turned in a surprise performance last year to reach the Final X at 86 kilograms before losing to eventual world champion David Taylor. Reenan is a gifted young wrestler in the international styles who has made Junior and Cadet world teams in Greco-Roman wrestling. He finished 1-2 and fell short of placing at the NCAA tournament for the Wolfpack at 184 pounds.
Kollin Moore (Ohio State)
Moore has gained extensive international experience in the last couple of years. He won a Junior world bronze medal in 2017 before capturing a U23 world silver medal in 2018 at 97 kilograms. Moore finished second to Nickal at the NCAA tournament at 197 pounds. Moore is a tough wrestler who has continued to make gains internationally. It will be interesting to see how he transitions to the Senior level.
Jason Nolf (Penn State)
Nolf capped an outstanding college career by capturing his third straight NCAA title for the Nittany Lions. Nolf is another wrestler who is expected to make an immediate impact on the Senior level. He hasn't competed as extensively in freestyle, but his skill set should translate well to that level. He is excellent on his feet and he's a tough, hard-nosed competitor who wrestles aggressively. He would likely be in the 74-kilogram class in freestyle.
Hayden Hidlay (North Carolina State)
Hidlay is coming off a fourth-place finish at the NCAA tournament after dropping a hard-fought 3-2 semifinal match to Nolf in a rematch of last year's finals. Hidlay placed second at the World Team Trials challenge tournament on the Senior level last year. He also qualified for the 2018 U23 World Championships, where he placed ninth for the U.S. He competed at 70 kilograms, so he would likely compete at 74 kilograms during the Olympic year in 2020.
Jaydin Eierman puts Kyle Shoop in danger in the NCAA quarterfinals (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Jaydin Eierman (Missouri)
Eierman is a member of the U.S. National Team in freestyle and is No. 3 on the Senior ladder at 65 kilograms. Eierman lost a tough 6-5 decision to Diakomihalis in the NCAA semifinals at 141 pounds. He bounced back the next day to win two matches and place third. He's a difficult matchup for anyone and he's a guy who will keep battling hard no matter the circumstances. He recently announced that he will be taking an Olympic redshirt in 2019-20.
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