InterMat Staff

Patrick Smith (left) and Benji Peak at the 2021 World Team Trials (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) By Friday evening, we'll know one-half of our 2020 Senior world team as the first leg of Final X will conclude competition. That marks the end of a qualifying process that started at the 2020 Olympic Trials (in April 2021). From the US Open, the field was narrowed down and at the World Team Trials, a week ago, matchups for Final X were determined. Now that we know who will compete in Final X, InterMat has previews of each style, by site. We're starting with the Stillwater half of Final X, one that gets underway Friday afternoon. Here are the five Greco-Roman matchups, a preview of the action and the competitors who will square off in Oklahoma. 55 kg - Max Nowry vs. Brady Koontz This is the only Greco-Roman rematch from our last Final X in 2019. That result meshed with the rest of the meetings between Max Nowry and Brady Koontz. It was a clean sweep by Nowry, 3-0 and 11-5. That marked the first Senior world team appearance for the veteran Nowry. It was the same story last year as Nowry edged Koontz to make the 2021 team. Now, this time Koontz was able to narrow the margin to 2-1 and 3-1. Can Koontz continue to inch closer and turn the tables on Nowry? Koontz has made world teams at each age group except for the Senior level, maybe it's his time. Even as Koontz continues to improve, Nowry isn't showing any signs of slowing down. He didn't need more than 90 seconds in either of his two matches at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. 63 kg - Sam Jones vs. Jesse Thielke In my eyes, this may be the most intriguing Greco-Roman series of either Final X lineup. Sam Jones has asserted himself as the man to beat at 63 kg. Jones was a US Open runner-up in 2018 and 2019, along with 2019 Senior Nationals, before breaking through and taking the world team spot in 2021. Before locking up his spot in Final X, Jones went to the Pan-American Championships and garnered his first career gold medal at the event. Jones' recent consistency and success have made him one of the faces of US Greco. But to go back-to-back and make a second world team, Jones will have to go through a highly decorated veteran in Jesse Thielke. The former Junior World bronze medalist, Thielke, made the 2016 Olympic Team, but has not competed regularly since 2019. In the interim, Thielke has moved to Army WCAP and appears to be reinvigorated. The results speak for themselves as Thielke went through the US Open and WTT qualifying without surrendering a point in five matches. 72 kg - Patrick Smith vs. Benji Peak Another unreal series is this one at 72 kg. It will be an excellent contrast of style with the grinder, Patrick Smith and the high-flying Benji Peak. The two squared off at the 2021 WTT's and Smith prevailed on criteria in the first bout and by two points in the second. Smith's last appearance at Final X saw him take on an opponent that looked flashier than him (Kamal Bey), as well. After losing the first bout via tech, Smith used a workmanlike effort to claim a spot on the 2019 team. The style clash between these two was evident at the WTT Challenge Tournament, as all of Smith's bouts ended via early stoppage, though he wore his opponents down and eventually put them away in the second period. Peak didn't go into the second minute in either of his two matches. This has the opportunity to be a “changing of the guard” type of scenario with the young Peak making his first team or business-as-usual for the veteran Smith, earning a spot on the world team for the fourth time. 82 kg - Ben Provisor vs. Spencer Woods It seems like a theme with this crop of Greco matches, but once again we'll have another matchup that features a highly-decorated veteran against a young, talented foe that has been knocking on the door recently. That's the case with Ben Provisor and Spencer Woods. And like some of the series we've discussed earlier, this is another rematch of the 2021 WTT's. Provisor swept the two bouts in his typical, hard-fought fashion. It gave the Grand View wrestler his fourth berth on a world/Olympic level. After getting to compete on the world stage, with the U23 world team in 2021, Woods looks ready to take that next step. The two have met already once in 2022 with Provisor getting the best of Woods, 5-3 in the US Open finals. Once again, Woods continues to inch closer to Provisor, so will he be able to make the necessary adjustments to close that gap in Stillwater? 130 kg - Cohlton Schultz vs. Tanner Farmer The backstory at 130 kg is one of the best of any of the Final X matchups. Tanner Farmer qualified for Final X three years after his college football career ended. That's right, Farmer was a three-year starter for Nebraska's football team, before taking a graduate year at Concordia, returning to the wrestling mat and finishing as an NAIA national runner-up. Now Farmer is two matches away from making the Greco world team. Last year, Farmer entered the WTT's and finished third with wins over contenders Lee Herrington and Donny Longendyke. His only loss? It was 5-0 in the semifinals to Cohlton Schultz. Schultz went on to survive a three-match series with Jacob Mitchell to make his first Senior world team. It was never “if” Schultz would make a Senior team, merely “when”, as he's had success at every age-group level. Schultz was a 2017 Cadet world champion and a two-time Junior World medalist. The Arizona State start has been able to balance high-level Greco performance with collegiate success, as he made the 2022 NCAA finals opposite Gable Steveson. It marked the second time that Schultz finished in the top four in two attempts. With more mat time, Farmer has clearly been able to improve by leaps and bounds, but is it enough to overcome one of the young superstars of the sport?

4x NCAA qualifier Brock Zacherl (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat! Every day, for the next few months, we'll look into the recent history of a DI wrestling program with our "Ten Years of…" feature. Even if you're a die-hard supporter of a particular school, there will be good information you may have forgotten. For others, it's a quick way to learn about a program you may not be familiar with. We're going in alphabetical order for this one, so next up is…Clarion! For past teams: Air Force American Appalachian State Arizona State Army West Point Binghamton Bloomsburg Brown Bucknell Buffalo Cal Poly Campbell Central Michigan Chattanooga NCAA Qualifiers (19) 2022 197 - Will Feldkamp (#32) 2021 197 - Greg Bulsak (#14) 2020 149 - Brock Zacherl (#11) 197 - Greg Bulsak (#10) 285 - Tyler Bagoly (#32) 2019 165 - Evan Delong (#31) 197 - Greg Bulsak (#25) 2018 141 - Brock Zacherl (#7) 149 - Taylor Ortz 184 - Greg Bulsak 197 - Dustin Conti 2017 125 - Jake Gromacki 141 - Brock Zacherl 2016 141 - Brock Zacherl (#15) 174 - Michael Pavasko 2014 149 - Justin Arthur 157 - Austin Matthews 2013 149 - Tyler Bedelyon 157 - James Fleming (#5) NCAA Champions None NCAA All-Americans James Fleming (2013 - 8th) NWCA All-Americans Brock Zacherl (149 - Second Team) Greg Bulsak (197 - Second Team) NCAA Round of 12 finishers Brock Zacherl - 141 (2018) Justin Arthur - 149 (2014) Conference Champions MAC 2020: Greg Bulsak (197) EWL 2018: Dustin Conti (197) 2016: Brock Zacherl (141), Michael Pavasko (174) 2014: Austin Matthews (157) Dual Record 2021-22: 9-7 2021: 3-5 2019-20: 10-6 2018-19: 7-7 2017-18: 10-7 2016-17: 6-10 2015-16: 7-12 2014-15: 1-16 2013-14: 9-15 2012-13: 5-10 Conference Tournament Placement MAC 2021-22: 5th 2021: 7th 2019-20: 12th EWL 2018-19: 6th 2017-18: 4th 2016-17: 4th 2015-16: 5th 2014-15: 6th 2013-14: 6th 2012-13: 4th NCAA Tournament Team Placement 2021-22: 46th-tie (3 points) 2021: 51st-tie (1.5 points) 2019-20: No Tournament 2018-19: No Team Points 2017-18: 50th-tie (2 points) 2016-17: 57th-tie (1 point) 2015-16: 62nd-tie (1.5 points) 2014-15: No Qualifiers 2013-14: 40th (7 points) 2012-13: 33rd (9 points) Head Coaching History Keith Ferraro (2014-present) Troy Letters (2012-14) Best Lineup (comprised of wrestlers from 2013-22) 125 - Jake Gromacki: 2017 NCAA Qualifier, 2017 EWL Runner-Up 133 - Seth Koleno: 2019 EWL 4th Place 141 - Brock Zacherl: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#7, #11 and #15 seeds), 2020 NWCA 2nd Team All-American, 2018 NCAA Round of 12 Finisher 149 - Justin Arthur: 2014 NCAA Qualifier, 2014 NCAA Round of 12 finisher 157 - Austin Matthews: 2014 NCAA Qualifier, 2014 EWL Champion 165 - Evan Delong: 2019 NCAA Qualifier 174 - Michael Pavasko: 2016 NCAA Qualifier, 2016 EWL Champions 184 - Greg Bulsak: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#10, #14, and #25 seeds), 2020 MAC Champion, 2022 NCAA All-American (8th) for Rutgers 197 - Dustin Conti: 2018 NCAA Qualifier, 2018 EWL Champion 285 - Tyler Bagoly: 2020 NCAA Qualifier Recruiting Big Boarder's Per Year 2022: #228 Nate Burnett (OH) 2021: #66 Joey Fischer (PA) 2017: #67 Max Wohlbaugh (FL) 2016: #91 Greg Bulsak (PA); #108 Taylor Ortz (PA) 2014: #40 Brock Zacherl (PA) 2013: #34 Austin Matthews (PA); #110 Justin Arthur (WV)

Nick Gwiazdowski defeats Gable Steveson at Final X Rutgers in 2019 (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) It's officially Final X week! The first installment of the method used to determine our Senior-level world teams takes place Friday in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Before getting to actual previews of the action and competitors, we're looking back at the first two editions of Final X (2018 and 2019) to find some trends and figures to monitor for 2021. Remember, Greco-Roman did not participate in 2018's version of Final X, so many of our facts will be skewed towards freestyle. The following wrestlers have qualified to wrestle in all three editions of Final X: Men's Freestyle Thomas Gilman, Daton Fix, Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Dake, David Taylor, J'den Cox, Kyle Snyder, Nick Gwiazdowski Women's Freestyle Sarah Hildebrandt, Jacarra Winchester, Jenna Burkert, Kayla Miracle, Mallory Velte, Forrest Molinari, Tamyra Mensah-Stock Rematches from prior Final X series: Women's Freestyle 57 kg - Helen Maroulis vs. Alex Hedrick (2018). Won by Maroulis 10-0, 12-0. Greco-Roman 55 kg - Max Nowry vs. Brady Koontz (2019). Won by Nowry 3-0, 11-5. Wrestlers seeking to win their third Final X series: Men's Freestyle Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Dake, J'den Cox, Kyle Snyder, Nick Gwiazdowski Women's Freestyle Sarah Hildebrandt, Jacarra Winchester, Forrest Molinari, Tamyra Mensah-Stock Of the wrestlers with 2-0 series records (and are competing this year) in Final X, only Sarah Hildebrandt and Tamyra Mensah-Stock have gone unscored upon during their four wins in two series'. Over the first two years of Final X, only nine series have gone to three matches: 2019: MFS 57 kg: Daton Fix over Thomas Gilman 2019: MFS 61 kg: Tyler Graff over Joe Colon 2019: MFS 74 kg: Jordan Burroughs over Isaiah Martinez 2019 WFS 65kg: Forrest Molinari over Maya Nelson 2019 MGR 77kg: Patrick Smith over Kamal Bey 2018 MFS 61kg: Nahshon Garrett over Joe Colon 2018 WFS 50kg: Whitney Conder over Victoria Anthony 2018 WFS 62kg: Mallory Velte over Kayla Miracle 2018 WFS 72kg: Erin Clodgo over Rachel Watters Of the series that went three matches, only five of the eventual winners lost in bout one: 2019: MFS 61 kg: Tyler Graff over Joe Colon 2019 WFS 65kg: Forrest Molinari over Maya Nelson 2019 MGR 77kg: Patrick Smith over Kamal Bey 2018 MFS 61kg: Nahshon Garrett over Joe Colon 2018 WFS 62kg: Mallory Velte over Kayla Miracle Patrick Smith is the only wrestler in Final X history to have lost a bout via tech, but still won the series. He fell to Kamal Bey 11-2, then rallied to win 2-1 and 6-3. Smith and Erin Clodgo are the only two that picked up series wins while being outscored by their opponent. Smith won despite being outscored 14-10, while Clodgo's margin was 14-8 in favor of Rachel Watters. Jenna Burkert is the only wrestler that has appeared in all three Final X's and will compete at three different weights. This year she is competing at 55 kg. In 2019, she was at 57 kg and in 2018 Burkert wrestled at 59 kg. Speaking of moving weights, Hayden Zillmer qualified for Final X at 125 kg. In 2018, Zillmer fell to J'den Cox at 92 kg at Final X Bethlehem. The Greco portion of Final X will feature two bouts between Army WCAP teammates (60 kg - Ildar Hafizov and Dalton Roberts; 77 kg - Kamal Bey and Britton Holmes). In 2019, there was one between Hafizov and Leslie Fuenffinger. Hafizov won that clash, 7-5, 9-0. The men's freestyle side of Final X will have three battles between former teammates/training partners. At 65 kg with Yianni Diakomihalis and Evan Henderson, 92 kg between J'den Cox and Nate Jackson, and former Buckeye big men Kyle Snyder and Kollin Moore at 97 kg. Three of the ten women's freestyle bouts at Final X will see former world medalists square off. 50 kg between Sarah Hildebrant and Alyssa Lampe. 55 kg with Jacarra Winchester and Jenna Burkert, and at 65 kg with Forrest Molinari and Mallory Velte. There are no such instances in men's freestyle and Greco-Roman. Across the three styles, there are three series' that are rematches from the 2020 Olympic Team Trials finals. Gilman/Vito Arujau at 57 kg MFS, Snyder/Moore 97 kg MFS, G'Angelo Hancock/Braxton Amos 97 kg MGR. In Greco, there are four Final X matchups that took place in the 2021 World Team Trials finals. 55 kg Nowry/Koontz, 60 kg Roberts/Hafizov, 72 kg Smith/Benji Peak, 82 kg Ben Provisor/Spencer Woods. There are no rematches from the 2021 WTT finals in men's freestyle and only one in women's freestyle. 55 kg between Jenna Burkert and Jacarra Winchester. Over two years of competition, only six falls have been registered in Final X bouts: 2019: Whitney Conder, Tamyra Mensah-Stock, Victoria Francis, Adeline Gray, and Ellis Coleman 2018: Adeline Gray Conder, Francis, and Gray (2018) picked up pins in series-clinching victories. Men's freestyle has tended to be the most competitive style of the three. Only one series (David Taylor/Nick Reenan in 2018) has ended with two techs. Also, during the previous 50 Final X series', only one ended with two matches decided on criteria. That was in 2019 when Gwiazdowski defeated Gable Steveson 4-4 and 3-3. Patrick Downey, in 2019, is the only Final X winner to receive a forfeit. Nahshon Garrett, in 2018, is the only Final X winner who did not compete at the World Championships. He pulled out due to an injury and Joe Colon replaced him, then came home with a bronze medal. We mentioned earlier that former Ohio State teammates Snyder and Moore will meet in the 97 kg men's freestyle series. It's the second time that Ohio State alums have met in Final X. In 2018, Logan Stieber and Joey McKenna wrestled for the 65 kg spot. Since the inception of women's wrestling at the collegiate level, Simon Fraser has been a consistent power. That's on display again as four SFU alums have qualified for Final X (Dom Parrish, Helen Maroulis, Alex Hedrick, and Mallory Velte). Maroulis and Hedrick will meet at 57 kg in New York. In past years, Victoria Anthony and Alyvia Fiske are other former SFU stars that have competed at Final X. To date, the only wrestler to compete in Final X in freestyle and Greco-Roman was Adam Coon, who lost to Gwiazdowski in freestyle in 2018 and beat Cohlton Schultz in Greco in 2019. The only returning world medalists who have lost series' in Final X are Becka Leathers (2018 and 2019), Mallory Velte (2019), and Joe Colon (2019). Three series have been decided outside of the original Final X sites/dates. The controversial matchup between Zain Retherford/Yianni Diakomiahlis featured a match re-wrestled at Wilkes University in 2019. Injuries pushed back Kyle Dake's win against Alex Dieringer that same year. The two ended up wrestling in Round Rock, Texas later in the year. Maroulis and Hedrick were slated to meet in Bethlehem in 2018, which technically happened, but a few months later at Who's #1, rather than their originally scheduled Final X date. Speaking of Dake. He continues to have as tough of a path to the world team as anyone. This year's matchup is against Jason Nolf. Dake's three Final X opponents have combined to win eight NCAA titles (Nolf x3, Dieringer x3, and Zahid Valencia x2). At least one of the three is capable of a world medal, had Dake been out of the picture. Burkert has had a tough run in her own right. In 2018, she fell to two-time world silver medalist Alli Ragan. In 2019, she knocked off world bronze medalist Becka Leathers. This year, Burkert is a part of one of the most anticipated women's matchups by facing 2019 world champion Jacarra Winchester. Home field advantage. The following wrestlers will compete in their home state. Daton Fix (Stillwater). Nick Gwiazdowski, Kyle Dake, Yianni Diakomihalis (New York). Additionally, Jordan Oliver is an Oklahoma State graduate and wrestles in Stillwater.

2022 SoCon champion Fabian Gutierrez (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat! Every day, for the next few months, we'll look into the recent history of a DI wrestling program with our "Ten Years of…" feature. Even if you're a die-hard supporter of a particular school, there will be good information you may have forgotten. For others, it's a quick way to learn about a program you may not be familiar with. We're going in alphabetical order for this one, so next up is…Chattanooga! For past teams: Air Force American Appalachian State Arizona State Army West Point Binghamton Bloomsburg Brown Bucknell Buffalo Cal Poly Campbell Central Michigan NCAA Qualifiers (44) 2022 125 - Fabian Gutierrez (#20); 133 - Brayden Palmer (#19); 165 - Drew Nicholson (#29); 197 - Matthew Waddell (#33) 2021 125 - Fabian Gutierrez (#24); 165 - Drew Nicholson (#26); 184 - Matthew Waddell (#25); 197 - Logan Andrew (#32) 2020 125 - Fabian Gutierrez (#25); 149 - Tanner Smith (#22); 184 - Matthew Waddell (#20) 2019 125 - Alonzo Allen (#26); 141- Chris Debien (#28); 149 - Tanner Smith (#32); 197 - Rod Jones (#33) 2018 125 - Alonzo Allen; 184 - Bryce Carr (#12); 197 - Scottie Boykin (#10) 2017 133 - Chris Debien; 184 - Bryce Carr (#13); 285 - Jared Johnson (#11) 2016 141 - Mike Pongracz; 157 - Kamaal Shakur; 174 - Sean Mappes; 184 - John Lampe; 197 - Scottie Boykin; 285 - Jared Johnson (#13) 2015 125 - Sean Boyle (#5); 133 - Nick Soto (#15); 141 - Mike Pongracz; 149 - Shawn Greevy; 174 - Sean Mappes; 197 - Scottie Boykin; 285 - Jared Johnson 2014 133 - Nick Soto (#10); 157 - Alex Hudson; 165 - Corey Mock (#6); 174 - Levi Clemons; 285 - Dawson Peck 2013 125 - Nick Soto; 141 - Dean Pavlou; 149 - Alex Hudson; 165 - Josh Condon; 197 - Niko Brown NCAA Champions None NCAA All-Americans None NCAA Round of 12 Finishers Bryce Carr - 184 (2018) Sean Boyle - 125 (2015) SoCon Champions 2022: Fabian Gutierrez (125); Matthew Waddell (197) 2021: Drew Nicholson (165) 2019: Chris Debien (141) 2018: Alonzo Allen (125); Bryce Carr (184); Scottie Boykin (197) 2017: Chris Debien (133); Bryce Carr (184) 2016: Kamaal Shakur (157); Scottie Boykin (197) 2015: Sean Boyle (125); Nick Soto (133); Sean Mappes (174) 2014: Nick Soto (133); Corey Mock (165); Levi Clemons (174) 2013: Nick Soto (125); Alex Hudson (149); Josh Condon (165); Niko Brown (197) Dual Record 2021-22: 9-10 2021: 8-4 2019-20: 7-9 2018-19: 7-7 2017-18: 8-7 2016-17: 7-9 2015-16: 12-4 2014-15: 13-6 2013-14: 16-7 2012-13: 11-6 SoCon Tournament Placement 2021-22: 3rd 2021: 3rd 2019-20: 3rd 2018-19: 3rd 2017-18: 2nd 2016-17: 4th 2015-16: 2nd 2014-15: 1st 2013-14: 1st 2012-13: 1st NCAA Tournament Team Placement 2021-22: 56th-tie (1 point) 2021: 54th-tie (1 point) 2019-20: No Tournament 2018-19: 56th-tie (0.5 points) 2017-18: 48th-tie (2.5 points) 2016-17: 69th (-0.5 points) 2015-16: 60th-tie (2 points) 2014-15: 45th-tie (3.5 points) 2013-14: 51st-tie (3.5 points) 2012-13: 55th-tie (3 points) Head Coaching History Kyle Ruschell (2018-present) Heath Eslinger (2009-2018) Best Lineup (Comprised of wrestlers from 2013-22) 125 - Sean Boyle: 2015 NCAA Qualifier (#5 seed); 2015 NCAA Round of 12 finisher; 2015 SoCon Champion; 2x NCAA Qualifier for Michigan; 2011 NCAA Round of 12 finisher 133 - Nick Soto: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#10 and #15 seeds); 4x SoCon Champion 141 - Chris Debien: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2x SoCon Champion 149 - Tanner Smith: 2x NCAA Qualifier 157 - Alex Hudson: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2013 SoCon Champion 165 - Corey Mock: 2014 NCAA Qualifier (#6 seed); 2014 SoCon Champion; 2x NCAA Qualifier for North Carolina 174 - Sean Mappes: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2015 SoCon Champion 184 - Bryce Carr: 2x NCAA Qualifier (#12 and #13 seeds); 2018 NCAA Round of 12 finisher; 2x SoCon Champion 197 - Scottie Boykin: 3x NCAA Qualifier (#10 seed); 2x SoCon Champion 285 - Jared Johnson: 3x NCAA Qualifier (#11 and #13 seeds); 2x SoCon runner-up Recruiting Big Boarder's Per Year 2022: #139 Sergio DeSiante (FL); #145 Jeremy Paradice (GA); #147 Colby Cochran (GA); #245 Cole Thomas (GA) 2021: #93 Kamdyn Munro (GA); #175 Hunter Noland (GA); #189 Blake Boarman (IN); #216 Alex Cottey (IN) 2020: #72 Noah Castillo (FL) 2015: #84 Chris Debien (TN) 2014: #102 Kamaal Shakur (GA) 2013: #111 Kevin Cooper (KY)

Brandon Meredith now of South Dakota State (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) It's been 20 days since our last transfer tracker update and there are plenty of new names on our list. Most notable is 2021 All-American Taylor LaMont, who moves on to Wisconsin from Utah Valley. Two new NJCAA All-Americans, Deron Pulliam and Jose Valdez, have been added as they have signed with DI schools. The Penn State/South Dakota State pipeline is alive with 125 lber Brandon Meredith going to Brookings. Finally, a pair of former NC State teammates, have moved on with Jarred Papscy and Jacob Ferreira. Papscy doesn't have much of a move as he'll go from Raleigh to Durham, while Ferreira goes back to his home state. Pay attention, as there will be more transfers forthcoming!

4x NCAA All-American Ben Bennett (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat! Every day, for the next few months, we'll look into the recent history of a DI wrestling program with our "Ten Years of…" feature. Even if you're a die-hard supporter of a particular school, there will be good information you may have forgotten. For others, it's a quick way to learn about a program you may not be familiar with. We're going in alphabetical order for this one, so next up is…Central Michigan! For past teams: Air Force American Appalachian State Arizona State Army West Point Binghamton Bloomsburg Brown Bucknell Buffalo Cal Poly Campbell NCAA Qualifiers (54) 2022 141 - Dresden Simon (#14); 149 - Corbyn Munson (#25); 157 - Johnny Lovett (#15); 285 - Matt Stencel (#8) 2021 125 - Drew Hildebrandt (#4); 141 - Dresden Simon (#9); 157 - Johnny Lovett (#26); 165 - Alex Cramer; 285 - Matt Stencel (#3) 2020 125 - Drew Hildebrandt (#6); 133 - Drew Marten (#31); 141 - Dresden Simon (#12); 157 - Logan Parks (#21); 197 - Landon Pelham (#28); 285 - Matt Stencel (#5) 2019 125 - Drew Hildebrandt (#13); 157 - Logan Parks (#18); 285 - Matt Stencel (#9) 2018 141 - Mason Smith (#10); 149 - Justin Oliver (#10); 157 - Colin Heffernan; 174 - CJ Brucki (#16); 184 - Jordan Ellingwood (#16); 197 - Jordan Atienza; 285 - Matt Stencel (#16) 2017 125 - Brent Fleetwood; 133 - Corey Keener; 141 - Mason Smith; 149 - Justin Oliver (#9); 157 - Colin Heffernan (#16); 174 - CJ Brucki (#16); 184 - Jordan Ellingwood (#16); 197 - Austin Severn (#16); 285 - Newton Smerchek 2016 125 - Brent Fleetwood; 133 - Corey Keener; 141 - Zach Horan; 149 - Justin Oliver (#9); 157 - Luke Smith (#11); 174 - Mike Ottinger (#10); 184 - Jordan Ellingwood 2015 141 - Zach Horan (#10); 149 - Colin Heffernan; 184 - Jordan Ellingwood 2014 125 - Corey Keener; 133 - Joe Roth (#12); 141 - Zach Horan (#7); 157 - Luke Smith (#12); 174 - Mike Ottinger (#10) 2013 125 - Christian Cullinan; 133 - Scotti Sentes (#10); 149 - Donnie Corby; 157 - Luke Smith; 165 - Mike Ottinger; 174 - Craig Kelliher; 184 - Ben Bennett (#2); 285 - Jarod Trice (#10) NCAA Champions None NCAA All-Americans Drew Hildebrant (2021 - 4th) Matt Stencel (2019 - 7th) Justin Oliver (2016 - 7th) Joe Roth (2014 - 7th) Ben Bennett (2013 - 4th) Jarod Trice (2013 - 6th) NWCA All-Americans Drew Hildebrandt (125 - First Team) Dresden Simon (141 - Second Team) Matt Stencel (285 - First Team) NCAA Round of 12 Finishers Dresden Simon - 141 (2021) Justin Oliver - 149 (2017, 2018) Luke Smith - 157 (2015) Scotti Sentes - 133 (2013) MAC Champions 2022: Matt Stencel (285) 2021: Drew Hildebrandt (125); Dresden Simon (141); Matt Stencel (285) 2020: Drew Hildebrandt (125); Dresden Simon (141); Matt Stencel (285) 2019: Matt Stencel (285) 2018: Matt Stencel (285) 2016: Jordan Ellingwood (184) 2015: Zach Horan (141) 2013: Mike Ottinger (165); Ben Bennett (184) Dual Record 2021-22: 12-4 2021: 5-2 2019-20: 8-4 2018-19: 5-8 2017-18: 8-6 2016-17: 9-3 2015-16: 11-5 2014-15: 9-6 2013-14: 10-11 2012-13: 17-3 MAC Tournament Placement 2021-22: 2nd 2021: 2nd 2019-20: 2nd 2018-19: 3rd 2017-18: 2nd 2016-17: 3rd 2015-16: 2nd 2014-15: 5th 2013-14: 5th 2012-13: 2nd NCAA Tournament Team Placement 2021-22: 39th (4.5 points) 2021: 22nd (20 points) 2019-20: No Tournament 2018-19: 28th (12.5 points) 2017-18: 38th (6.5 points) 2016-17: 23rd (19.5 points) 2015-16: 32nd (10 points) 2014-15: 50th (2.5 points) 2013-14: 33rd (12 points) 2012-13: 18th (30.5 points) Head Coaching History Tom Borrelli (1991-present) Best Lineup (comprised of wrestlers from 2013-22) 125 - Drew Hildebrandt: 3x NCAA Qualifier (#4, #6, and #13 seeds), 2021 NCAA 4th Place, 2020 NWCA All-American, 2x MAC champion, 2022 NCAA Qualifier for Penn State 133 - Scotti Sentes: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#10 and #11 seeds), 2x All-American (4th and 7th), 2x MAC Champion 141 - Dresden Simon: 3x NCAA Qualifier (#9, #12, and #14 seeds), 2020 NWCA All-American, 2021 NCAA Round of 12 finisher 149 - Justin Oliver: 3x NCAA Qualifier (#6 and #9 seeds), 2016 NCAA 7th Place, 2016 MAC runner-up, 2019 NCAA Qualifier for NC State 157 - Luke Smith: 3x NCAA Qualifier (#11 and #12 seeds), 2014 NCAA Round of 12 finisher, 2014 MAC runner-up 165 - Mike Ottinger: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#10 seed), 2x MAC champion 174 - CJ Brucki: 2x NCAA Qualifier (#16 seed), 2018 MAC runner-up 184 - Ben Bennett: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#2, #3, #6, and #7 seeds), 4x NCAA All-American (4th, 6th, 6th, 8th), 4x MAC champion 197 - Austin Severn: 2017 NCAA Qualifier (#16 seed) 285 - Matt Stencel: 5x NCAA Qualifier (#3, #5, #8, #9, and #16 seeds), 2019 NCAA 7th Place, 2020 NWCA First-Team All-American, 5x MAC Champion Recruiting Big Boarder's By Year 2016: #30 Matt Stencel (OH), #120 Dresden Simon (MI) 2014: #64 Brent Fleetwood (DE), #77 Cody LeCount (IN), #114 Justin Oliver (MI) 2013: #103 Jordan Ellingwood (IL), #127 Newton Smerchek (WI), #139 Colin Heffernan (OH), #171 Alex Bambic (AZ)

Tyler Kasak at the 2022 Cadet World Team finals (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Today, the defending national champion Penn State Nittany Lions got a huge verbal from one of the top remaining, uncommitted wrestlers in the Class of 2023. 2021 Pennsylvania AAA state champion Tyler Kasak (Bethlehem Catholic, PA) gave Cael Sanderson's staff a verbal commitment. Recently, Kasak earned a spot on the Cadet World Freestyle Team after an epic, three-match series win over Joel Adams (Millard South, NE) in the 65kg finals. Within the last year, Kasak has racked up the national-level accolades. He was a 16U freestyle national runner-up in Fargo in 2021. A few months later, Kasak finished fifth at 138 lbs at the Super 32. During the high school regular season, Kasak notched titles at the Walsh Ironman, the Beast of the East, and Escape the Rock. Kasak enters his senior year at Bethlehem Catholic as a three-time state placewinner. He was fifth as a freshman, before winning the 126 lb weight class as a sophomore. This year, Kasak was upset in the semifinals by Pierson Manville (State College) and had to settle for third place. His performance at the Cadet World Team Trials has boosted Kasak to a #2 ranking nationally at 145 lbs. Ultimately, Kasak likely projects at 157 lbs for Penn State. Getting Kasak isn't too big of a surprise since he works out with Nittany Lion legend David Taylor at Taylor's M2 club. If incoming freshman Levi Haines can't hold 157 lbs for more than a year or two, that becomes a weight class of need. After a small Class of 2022, the Nittany Lions are really loading up with the Class of 2023. Kasak's commitment gives Sanderson's team verbals from three of the top-22 juniors in the nation. He'll join #4 Josh Barr (Davison, MI), #22 Braeden Davis (Dundee, MI), and #120 Cael Nasdeo (Williamsport, PA), as early verbals for the Nittany Lions. For more recruit news, check out InterMat's College Commitment Page.

5x NCAA qualifier Josh Heil at the 2021 MatMen Open (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat! Every day, for the next few months, we'll look into the recent history of a DI wrestling program with our "Ten Years of…" feature. Even if you're a die-hard supporter of a particular school, there will be good information you may have forgotten. For others, it's a quick way to learn about a program you may not be familiar with. We're going in alphabetical order for this one, so next up is…Campbell! For past teams: Air Force American Appalachian State Arizona State Army West Point Binghamton Bloomsburg Brown Bucknell Buffalo Cal Poly NCAA Qualifiers (37) 2022 125 - Korbin Meink (#28); 133 - Domenic Zaccone (#33); 141 - Shannon Hanna (#22); 149 - Josh Heil (#7); 184 - Caleb Hopkins (#24); 285 - Taye Ghadiali (#15) 2021 125 - Zurich Storm (#29); 149 - Josh Heil (#20); 157 - Ben Barton (#23); 174 - Austin Murphy (#11); 184 - Caleb Hopkins (#14); 197 - Chris Kober (#22); 285 - Taye Ghadiali (#32) 2020 125 - Korbin Meink (#26); 133 - Noah Gonser (#9); 141 - Josh Heil (#8); 165 - Quentin Perez (#13); 174 - Andrew Mogan (#8); 285 - Jere Heino (#15) 2019 125 - Korbin Meink (#31); 133 - Noah Gonser (#22); 149 - Josh Heil (#11); 157 - Ben Barton (#31); 174 - Andrew Morgan (#18); 184 - Chris Kober (#33) 2018 165 - Quentin Perez; 285 - Jere Heino 2017 125 - Nathan Kraisser (#16); 141 - Josh Heil; 165 - Quentin Perez; 184 - Ville Heino; 285 - Jere Heino 2016 133 - Nathan Kraisser; 184 - Ville Heino 2014 285 - Eloheim Palma 2013 125 - Eric Montoya; 184 - James Cook NCAA Champions None NCAA All-Americans Nathan Kraisser (2017 - 8th) NWCA All-Americans Noah Gonser (133 - 2nd Team) Josh Heil (141 - 1st Team) Quentin Perez (165 - Honorable Mention) Andrew Morgan (184 - 1st Team) Jere Heino (285 - Honorable Mention) NCAA Round of 12 Finishers Austin Murphy - 174 (2021) Jere Heino - 285 (2018) SoCon Champions 2022: Shannon Hanna (141); Caleb Hopkins (184); Taye Ghadiali (285) 2021: Austin Murphy (174); Caleb Hopkins (184); Chris Kober (197) 2020: Korbin Meink (125); Noah Gonser (133); Josh Heil (141); Quentin Perez (165); Andrew Morgan (184) 2019: Korbin Meink (125); Josh Heil (149); Ben Barton (157); Chris Kober (184) 2018: Jere Heino (285) 2017: Josh Heil (141); Quentin Perez (165) 2016: Nathan Kraisser (133); Ville Heino (184) 2013: James Cook (184) Dual Record 2021-22: 11-5 2021: 8-1 2019-20: 11-2 2018-19: 7-1 2017-18: 8-8 2016-17: 10-6 2015-16: 3-13 2014-15: 0-9 2013-14: 4-4 2012-13: 7-10 SoCon Tournament Placement 2021-22: 1st 2021: 1st 2019-20: 1st 2018-19: 1st 2017-18: 3rd 2016-17: 1st 2015-16: 5th 2014-15: No Postseason 2013-14: 3rd 2012-13: 2nd NCAA Tournament Team Placement 2021-22: 36th-tie (5 points) 2021: 38th-tie (6.5 points) 2019-20: No Tournament 2018-19: 45th-tie (3.5 points) 2017-18: 56th-tie (1 point) 2016-17: 38th (6.5 points) 2015-16: 50th-tie (3 points) 2014-15: No postseason 2013-14: No Team Score 2012-13: No Team Score Head Coaching History Scott Sentes (2020-present) Cary Kolat (2014-2020) Joe Boardwine (2010-14) Best Lineup (comprised of wrestlers from 2013-22) 125 - Nathan Kraisser: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2017 NCAA All-American (7th); 2016 SoCon Champion; 2x NCAA Qualifier for North Carolina 133 - Noah Gonser: 2x NCAA Qualifier (#9 and #22 seed); 2020 NWCA 2nd Team All-American, 2020 SoCon Champion; NCAA Qualifier for Eastern Michigan 141 - Shannon Hanna - 2022 NCAA Qualifier (#22 seed); 2022 SoCon Champion 149 - Josh Heil - 5x NCAA Qualifier (#7, #8, #11, and #20 seeds); 2020 NWCA 1st Team All-American, 3x SoCon Champion 157 - Ben Barton - 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2019 SoCon Champion, 2022 NCAA Qualifier for Lock Haven 165 - Quentin Perez - 3x NCAA Qualifier (#13 seed); 2020 NWCA Honorable Mention All-American; 2x SoCon Champion 174 - Austin Murphy - 2021 NCAA Qualifier (#11 seed); 2021 NCAA Round of 12 finisher, 2021 SoCon Champion 184 - Andrew Morgan - 2x NCAA Qualifier (#8 and #18 seed); 2020 NWCA 1st Team All-American, 2020 SoCon Champion 197 - Chris Kober - 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2x SoCon Champion 285 - Jere Heino - 3x NCAA Qualifier; 2020 NWCA Honorable Mention All-American; 2018 NCAA Round of 12 finisher, 2018 SoCon Champion Recruiting Big Boarder's Per Year 2022: #140 Dom Baker (VA); #207 Camron Lacure (OH) 2021: #72 Cole Rees (PA); #116 Collin Nation (FL); #145 Conor Maslanek (NH); #171 Sebastian Melguizo (FL); #181 Brandon Hosleton (IL) 2020: #54 Justin Rivera (FL); #67 Chris Rivera (FL); #73 Chase Warden (TX); #125 Bilal Bailey (FL); #180 Chad Nix (FL) 2017: #82 Paxton Rosen (OK) 2016: #48 Austin Kraisser (MD); #109 Alex Herringshaw (NY)

Grant Willits (left) and Hunter Willits (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Friday evening, the Willits twins, Grant and Hunter, announced that they both would not be returning to compete for Oregon State during the upcoming 2022-23 season. The Willits' were a part of an Oregon State squad that put four wrestlers on the NCAA podium during the second national tournament of Chris Pendelton's tenure. Those placements helped the Beavers to a 12th-place finish in Detroit. While both were four-time NCAA qualifiers, Grant was potentially the highest-ranked returning 141 lber in the nation. He finished fourth at the tournament and the three wrestlers above him already exhausted their eligibility. In Detroit, Grant downed All-Americans Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) and CJ Composto (Penn), while knocking off past AA Chad Red Jr. (Nebraska) and perennial threat Allan Hart (Missouri). He finishes his career as a four-time Pac-12 finalist with two individual titles and an 80-30 overall record. In each of the past two years, Grant has logged a win over conference favorite and now Iowa Hawkeye, Real Woods. During the regular season, Grant was fifth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Hunter was one of the stories of day one at the 2022 NCAA Championships as he handed top-seeded, returning NCAA champion, David Carr (Iowa State), only his second collegiate loss and the first since December of 2019. Hunter wound up placing seventh at the NCAA Championships as his tournament concluded with a medical forfeit over Austin O'Connor (North Carolina). Like his brother, Hunter made the Pac-12 finals during every year of his career; however, he was unable to bring home a title during any of those four appearances. For his career, Hunter was 65-39. Even though both of the twins have an extra year of eligibility, they aren't expected to pursue an opportunity to use that season with another program. Hunter's successor looks a bit more evident at this point. Penciled in at 157 for Oregon State is two-time NJCAA national champion, Isaiah Crosby. Crosby picked up a pair of national titles for Iowa Western CC, the first coming at 165 and the second at 157. He went 5-1 during the 2021-22 campaign with the lone loss coming to Jacob Wright (Wyoming), 7-5. The Beavers have a handful of talented true freshmen that could compete with redshirt freshman Hunter Eveland for starting duties at 141. Eveland was 4-2 in unattached action last year.

Rider's Quinn Kinner at the 2022 NCAA Championships (photo courtesy of Rider athletics) An obstacle is defined as a thing that blocks one's way or prevents or hinders progress (dictionary.com). Quinn Kinner, a redshirt junior at Rider University, is no stranger to overcoming life's obstacles on and off the mat in an effort to achieve greatness. Kinner began wrestling at just four years old. "My dad initially introduced me to the sport. My first memory is just a car ride to our new house, where my dad told me and my brother that we would start wrestling. I was too young to even know what it was, but I knew that we were going to start. It's a clear memory that changed my life, for the rest of my life. That four-year-old boy had no idea that wrestling would become so important to him. I was definitely blessed from a young age to be in a big wrestling family, growing up around it being so readily available. My uncle was the Head Director of New Jersey State which allowed me to grow up going to the state tournament being a bout sheet runner. From a young age, I was surrounded by really good people who had high aspirations, and even higher dreams." That four-year-old little boy didn't realize that he would come to a point in his life where he would eventually love the sport of wrestling. Quinn continued, "Honestly, I wasn't that good in elementary or middle school. Yeah, I was tough, but I always looked at my older brother, Trace, as someone significantly better than I was. It wasn't until my freshman year of high school that I knew I wanted to pursue wrestling much more seriously. Gavin Teasdale and I had a really close match, and after it ended, my brother kept hyping me up and telling me that I was a lot better than I gave myself credit for. From that moment on, I walked into high school with a lot more confidence, which helped to create a culture that I knew I wanted to be a part of. I dropped every other sport and Trace helped me become the best wrestler that I could be." "I would describe my high school wrestling career in one word, fun. I will remember my team forever. I will remember every single individual kid for the joy that they brought to the sport of wrestling in different ways to me. Not everyone was super committed to becoming a high school state champion or national champion and some kids didn't even want to wrestle at all (they were just there to mess around with their buddies) but, I loved every second of training alongside my team, and my brothers. I can specifically remember every wrestling season and enjoying bonding at dual meets, tournaments, and all the little moments with my teammates and brothers. Trace always preached that to me. I can appreciate how blessed I was with a very strong support system." Upon graduating from Kingsway Regional High School, Kinner was faced with the tough choice of making a final college decision. When describing what the process was like, Kinner stated, "The recruiting process was crazy and an absolutely insane experience. Trace, my older brother, is probably the most important person in my life as far as role models go and the impact that he's had on me has been crucial to my development and decisions in life. He was a year above me and was recruited by North Carolina State. In high school, he got a bad concussion which messed up his career competitively. So, eventually, he stopped going there. Originally, Coach Frank Beasley was the one who recruited me at North Carolina State, and I had a great relationship with him. To this day, I still do. I committed to NC State with those two bonds already in place, along with my dad's dream of having his sons wrestle at the same university. But, after two weeks, my brother left, and Coach Beasley took the head coaching position at George Mason University which resulted in me de-committing from NC State. There has never been any disrespect towards them, it just wasn't where my head or heart was at the time. I ended up committing to Ohio State, which was always my dream. My heart was always at Ohio State." While at his dream school, Ohio State, Kinner began to experience obstacles that hindered his progress as a student-athlete. He mentioned, "The first year I got there was my best year. I was surrounded by guys like Joey McKenna, Bo Jordan, Sammy Sasso, Nathan Tomasello, Gavin Hoffman, etc. We were always scrapping and working hard. But, the following summer, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I was in a really bad manic depression state, and I started to feel invisible at Ohio State, as if no one really noticed what I was going through. I don't put that blame on anyone because I was good at hiding it when I was with my good friends. I do want to give a shout-out to Sammy Sasso because I remember he called me one time when I really needed it. He said, "Hey man, you seem like you're struggling. If you ever need to call someone, please call me." I appreciate that because I was in a really bad spot with my mental state for a while." "When I returned after summer, I never really got out of the hole. I went into a drinking mindset. I remember thinking to myself "I am invisible, and I am going to do whatever makes me happy in the current moment." At the time, I wasn't looking for long-term satisfaction or joy. I wasn't looking for anything that would bring me true joy in life. I was looking for a quick and easy fix. Honestly, I was drinking a lot and was always at the bars. At one point, I literally had a job at the bars. At the end of the day, it was a bad environment for me there. Again, there is no disrespect towards Coach Ryan or Coach Jaggers. I went to a big school, and I disappeared. I got into mental struggles, and I didn't handle them well." After being diagnosed with bipolar depression and his mental health struggles, Kinner knew that removing himself from his environment was going to be the hardest decision he had to make, but it would eventually be the catalyst he needed to succeed both on and off the mat. Kinner explained, "Leaving Ohio State was one of the hardest things that I've ever had to do. I was leaving behind brothers that I would have for the rest of my life. Every single one of them knows that they will forever be a part of my family. I still have a good relationship with Coach Ryan and Coach Jaggers. The decision was all me. I wasn't mature enough, and I lost my love for wrestling. Growing up, my goal, was never to be a national champion because it wasn't really in my mind's eye. I started to focus on other things at Ohio State, and I admittedly lost track of what was important. I lost my love of wrestling, and I went on a bad path. When I left Ohio State, mentally, I was done with wrestling. I planned to quit and go home. But, when I started living with my brother, he slowly brought me back out onto the mat, and my love for wrestling began to spark once again." Rider's Quinn Kinner (photo courtesy of Rider athletics) With that spark ignited once again, Kinner discusses how he eventually ended up at Rider University, "I had talked with Coach Hangey and Coach Bedelyon prior to committing to Rider University and returning to the mat. Both of my parents had a connection to Rider; my dad has always had a great relationship with Coach Hangey and my mom went to high school with his wife. As a believer in God, it felt like there was an instant connection for me. We had one conversation and I immediately knew that Coach Hangey would be like a father figure to me at Rider; someone I could lean on and a mentor that I needed. After my conversation with Coach Hangey, I was still on the fence and didn't truly know if I wanted to wrestle collegiately again, but it only took Coach Bedelyon five minutes to piss me off enough to come back and wrestle. He talked to me about being the best wrestler, and that I was the man. He believed in me and told me that I could do it. Eventually, I said, "Dude, you're right. Let's freaking go!" There is one thing that has always stuck out to me that Coach Bedelyon said, and I'll never forget it, "Right now, and for the last year, you've been a bum. In one year, you're going to come back and win the MAC, and then you're going to win an NCAA title." That was all I needed to hear, and I was ready to be a Bronc." Nic Bedelyon, Assistant Coach at Rider University, talked about the recruiting process for Kinner. "We recruited Quinn right out of high school. We watched him at states, he came down to our club a few times, and we often saw him down at a club in South Jersey. Our staff got to know him very well, and I even had the opportunity to roll around with him early on. I knew from the first time that he scrapped that he had "it." He had an edge to him that you can't teach. Originally, he ended up committing to Ohio State, but found out through a few different people that Quinn wasn't happy at Ohio State and wanted to come back home. When Quinn entered the portal, we called him in less than two minutes. Our coaching staff knew that Quinn was going to make a great addition to our program." Kinner, a 2022 MAC Champion, fulfilled many of the words in which Coach Bedelyon stated almost one year prior. Throughout his time at Rider University, Kinner has successfully climbed to a leadership role in the Broncs program. When asked about his current goals for himself and his team, and the role that he plays at Rider, he said, "My main goal right now is to lead through everything that I've learned. I've been in college for four years now, and we have a crazy young team (18, 19, and 20). I've experienced the highs and lows. I've been at the Covelli Center vs. Penn State. I've done all of those things that our guys dream about doing. I can lead by the experience of knowing what it takes to win through my actions. I came back with both Coach Hangey and Coach Bedelyon believing in me, and they still do. They put absolutely everything they have into me, and I would do the same for them. Now, my biggest role is to show the rest of my team how we need to act and how hard we need to work each and every day." "My biggest role, and the main thing that I preach day in and day out, is the expectations my teammates should have for themselves. These guys are undoubtedly good enough and work hard enough to win a national title. Coach Hangey and Coach Bedelyon are two of the best wrestling coaches in the country, and this is a good enough team to have ten guys in the NCAA's, multiple All-Americans, and an overall high-ranking team. They need to expect to do it. Additionally, one of my other main jobs is to tell them every single day that they are going to be national champions. I want to show them the same beliefs that my coaches have shown me. I know what their belief did for me in a forty-minute phone call. I am going to give that to my teammates every single day. That's my whole job. Wait, one more thing… and to bring Coach Hangey and Coach Bedelyon an NCAA championship." Coach Bedelyon explained Kinner's role in the Broncs program by saying, "Quinn was the "new guy" this year, but even then, he had no problem coming in and stepping into a leadership role. Right away, the kids on the team respected him because he was a two-time New Jersey state champion. Quinn has a great personality and his teammates love being around him. Quinn makes people better just by being around them and being the guy everyone can lean on for advice. No matter what, win or lose, Quinn is out there coaching the other guys on the team. You can't miss him. He loses his voice every dual because of his immense passion for the sport of wrestling." Rider's Quinn Kinner (photo courtesy of Rider athletics) Bedelyon continued, "Quinn just needed someone that believed in him and to tell him that he could be an NCAA champion. I tell him every single day that he can win. Coach Hangey and I believe in Quinn 100% and know that he has what it takes. He told us that growing up his goal was to be a state champion, and that's a lot of kids' goals. He did that, not once, but twice. He said that once he got to college, of course, he wanted to win an NCAA title, but prior to that, it was never something he thought about. For some time, he lost that drive and purpose. When you lose that drive at the next level, oftentimes you get passed up. You don't always have to go to the best program or the biggest school to succeed. The most important thing is to go somewhere that makes you happy. You have to surround yourself with coaches and teammates that believe in you and push you to be a better wrestler, and person. That was what Quinn needed." With Kinner's explosive entrance into the MAC, he proved himself to be a competitive force of nature. Kinner explained the following about why he stands out amongst his counterparts in the MAC, "Honestly, I'm going to say this, and it might sound cocky, but I don't think that I have even wrestled up to who I am in any of my matches this past wrestling season. I have so much more to give, and Coach Bedelyon knows that and is pulling every single bit out of me every single day. When I come back next year and compete for Rider, I will be back with a much more competitive mindset. But what makes me different are the expectations I have for myself. I don't expect myself to lose to anyone in the country. When I step out on the mat against anybody, I know that I'm going to win that match. I've worked just as hard as these guys, if not harder, and I want it more than most of them. I am obsessed with the sport of wrestling, and there is nothing that I enjoy more than watching, listening, and talking to Coach Bedelyon about wrestling." Kinner continued, "My mindset sets me apart from the rest of my competition, and the fact that I freaking love to wrestle! I feel like God has put me in my purpose, and I'm living out my purpose right now. I am here with this young team at Rider, and I have the opportunity to help lead. I want to be the first NCAA champion. Like Deion Sanders said, "Don't let your insecurity be offended by my confidence." I am surrounded by the number one biggest psychopath in the MAC. I know that I am never going to wrestle anyone that is scarier than Nic Bedelyon. This year, there wasn't a single ounce of fear wrestling Nick Lee. I may not have beaten him, and I will give respect where respect is due because Nick is a monster on the mat, but after wrestling Coach Bedelyon every day, he gives you the respect of beating the hell out of you, day in and day out. There is no one that scares you." Looking ahead to the future, Kinner has his sights set on a national championship for Rider University. When asked to speak on his future at Rider and what he would like wrestling fans to know, he said, "I love to wrestle. I love the wrestling community. I love the people that we are surrounded by all the time. 95% of the people that I wrestle end up becoming my friends. I want wrestling fans to know that I am thankful for the way that my life has been changed. I am grateful for the fact that I have been embraced by the wrestling community in so many ways. Maybe not everyone has accepted me back, but the people that I've met along the way and talked to have inspired me. Again, I am thankful and am going to do everything in my power until the day that I can no longer wrestle." Kinner then addressed Rider fans, "I want them to know that the best is yet to come. This season is not an indication of anything that is to come for this young team. Rider fans should be really excited about the future. We are doing a lot of great things this offseason and we have a lot of guys on our team that are truly dedicated to the sport. As I've said before, Rider has two of the best coaches in the country and the only thing on my mind is getting this team a national championship and multiple individual national titles." Coach Bedelyon commented on Kinner's remarks, "Quinn is the man. This year, we got really close to a national championship. We spent a lot of time training together, and he's been putting in a lot of time during this off-season. Quinn has two years of eligibility left and I know that one day, Quinn will be on the top of the podium. I truly believe that, and I know Quinn won't stop until that dream becomes a reality." Then, Coach Bedelyon mentioned, "A few more things about Quinn. He can talk to anyone, he's not shy. He is also a 76ers fan, even though they lost during the second round of the playoffs. But, on a more serious note, Quinn was born to be a leader. We have a lot of young guys on our team, so we expect him and his teammates to take over. Next year, we return five NCAA qualifiers and have a great recruiting class. The future of Rider wrestling is bright." More About Bipolar Disorder: According to singlecare.com, bipolar disorder, formally known as manic depression, is a mood disorder that causes radical shifts in mood, energy, and the ability to carry out everyday tasks. People with bipolar disorder experience periods of intense emotions and changes in behavior, called "mood episodes," which can last days to weeks. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, visit National Institute of Mental Health or call 1-800-273-TALK.

2022 NCAA 3rd Place finisher Evan Wick (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat! Every day, for the next few months, we'll look into the recent history of a DI wrestling program with our "Ten Years of…" feature. Even if you're a die-hard supporter of a particular school, there will be good information you may have forgotten. For others, it's a quick way to learn about a program you may not be familiar with. We're going in alphabetical order for this one, so next up is…Cal Poly! For past teams: Air Force American Appalachian State Arizona State Army West Point Binghamton Bloomsburg Brown Bucknell Buffalo NCAA Qualifiers (18): 2022 125 - Antonio Lorenzo (#31); 149 - Legend Lamer (#15); 165 - Evan Wick (#1); 174 - Adam Kemp (#16); 184 - Bernie Truax (#5) 2021 149 - Legend Lamer (#9); 174 - Bernie Truax (#12) 2020 165 - Bernie Truax (#29); 197 - Thomas Lane (#13) 2019 197 - Thomas Lane (#21) 2018 141 - Colt Schilling; 197 - Thomas Lane 2017 141 - Colt Schilling; 157 - Colt Shorts 2015 174 - Dominic Kastl; 184 - Nick Fiegener 2014 133 - Devon Lotito 2013 133 - Devon Lotito NCAA Champions None NCAA All-Americans Bernie Truax (2022 - 4th; 2021 - 4th) Evan Wick (2022 - 3rd) NWCA All-Americans Thomas Lane (197 - Honorable Mention) NCAA Round of 12 Finishers Thomas Lane - 197 (2019) Pac-12 Champions 2022: Evan Wick (165) 2021: Bernie Truax (174) 2018: Colt Schilling (141) 2013: Devon Lotito (133) Dual Record 2021-22: 4-3 2021: 2-3 2019-20: 3-9 2018-19: 0-9 2017-18: 0-8 2016-17: 5-10 2015-16: 3-9 2014-15: 3-15 2013-14: 3-9 2012-13: 2-11 Pac-12 Tournament Placement 2021-22: 4th 2021: 4th 2019-20: 5th 2018-19: 5th 2017-18: 5th 2016-17: 6th 2015-16: 6th 2014-15: 6th 2013-14: 6th 2012-13: 6th NCAA Tournament Team Placement 2021-22: 28th (22 points) 2021: 25th (16.5 points) 2019-20: No Tournament 2018-19: 48th (2 points) 2017-18: 62nd-tie (0.5 points) 2016-17: 62nd-tie (0.5 points) 2015-16: No Qualifiers 2014-15: 58th-tie (1 point) 2013-14: 63rd (1 point) 2012-13: 0 points Head Coaching History Jon Sioredas (2016-Present) Brendan Buckley (2011-16) Best Lineup (Comprised of wrestlers from 2013-22) 125 - Antonio Lorenzo: 2022 NCAA Qualifier 133 - Devon Lotito: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2013 Pac-12 champion 141 - Colt Schilling: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2018 Pac-12 champion 149 - Legend Lamer: 2x NCAA Qualifier: (#9 and #15 seed at NCAA's), 2x Pac-12 runner-up 157 - Colt Shorts: 2017 NCAA Qualifier, 2017 Pac-12 runner-up 165 - Evan Wick: 2022 NCAA 3rd Place; 2022 Pac-12 champion; (#1 seed at NCAA's) 2x NCAA All-American at Wisconsin 174 - Adam Kemp: 2022 NCAA Qualifier (#16 seed at NCAA's); 2022 Pac-12 runner-up 184 - Bernie Truax: 3x NCAA Qualifier (#5 and #12 seed at NCAA's), 2x NCAA All-American (4th, 4th); 2021 Pac-12 champion 197 - Thomas Lane: 3x NCAA Qualifier; 2019 NCAA Round of 12 finisher, 2019 Pac-12 runner-up 285 - Spencer Empey: 3x Pac-12 4th Place Recruiting Big Boarder's Per Year 2022: #47 Dominic Mendez (CA); #99 Zeth Romney (CA) 2021: #33 Luka Wick (CA) 2014: #66 Nick Fiegener (CA) 2013: #59 Spencer Empey (NV); #100 Luke Wilson (CA); #144 Travis Berridge (FL); #162 Sohrab Movahedi (CA)

Chance Marsteller before match three in the 2022 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament finals (Photo/Mark Lundy; www.LutteLens.com) By now I'm sure most of you have seen the very moving Chance Marsteller interview after qualifying for Final X. For even the toughest wrestlers it can be difficult to be so open about your private life like that. It just goes to show that you never know what's going on with someone behind closed doors. They're wrestlers. They're disciplined. They train harder than anyone. They're also human. We all have demons. We all have something trying to hold us down. Keep fighting and never give in. Sure you'll stumble along the way but you can always get back up. Life is just a series of falling and rising. Whether you're Chance Marsteller trying to reach the apex of his sport, while dealing with demons, or just an Average Joe trying to get through the day, you're both heroes in my book because you both keep fighting to get better. Anyway, I have to answer questions on if I can beat up some random Twitter guy. Would u beat @oldestgreatest in a fight? @PelikanHead You mean the 2022 MUSAW (whatever that is) state champ? Well, I'm older, I'm greater, and grew up in a state that isn't wimpy Michigan, so I'd likely wipe the floor with him. Someone should book us in a boxing match after wrestling practice. What are your picks for Final X? Who is your pick for a big upset? @PhilSmanynumbers Final X! Last of the X's! All the X's will move to Texas after this! It's kind of tough to go against chalk for these weights but one guy who stands out to me is Jason Nolf. It's been a relatively quiet few post-college years for the LEGENDARY Nittany Lion as he's as to sit behind absolute stalwarts at 70kg and 74kg but the 26-year-old is just entering his freestyle prime. Nolf seems low-key on a David Taylor-Esque trajectory as he's tried to find the right weight to settle into. Now a fully developed 74 guy, the three-time NCAA champ is on the cusp of breaking through and making a world team. Can he beat the great Kyle Dake twice in one day? It's the tallest of orders to ask but don't be surprised if he steals the first one to make it interesting. Two-part question, now that baseball is in full "swing", which baseball players could make the most successful transition into wrestling today and why is it not Jacob Tyler REALMUTO (USA)? @UWW_Creative Because he quit wrestling in like sixth grade to play, and I hope you're sitting down, basketball! Can you believe that? A member of the famous Smith family playing basketball. I don't know what to do with myself anymore. Where's my guy Ban Basketball in the comments? We have to do something about this. I say we relegate the Phillies to the minors and call up the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. With Dom Bradley's wrestling style will he ever retire? Baby Grajales As long as he keeps making national teams and having fun I see no reason to stop. O/U on the amount of wrestling Twitter celebrities I see at NHSCA duals this weekend 3.5 @jkos11 The weirdest thing about saying hello to someone you know from Twitter is introducing yourself. "Hey Earl, I'm Goat Follower, nice to meet you." It gets even weirder. "Hey, aren't you Mickadelphia? I'm Mike Torriero's burner." What a strange world. Knee jerk reaction to Wisconsin RTC cutting the women's side of it? @Wiems19 and @LMRMock I'm thinking some of these clubs bit off more than they can chew and have a funding problem. I'm the last person who knows what exactly goes on at these clubs, but the idea of it just seems unsustainable. Not every club can have a world champ. It's just not feasible. But the person writing the checks doesn't really care about that. Results are what matter. How long before those checks dry up? The burden of making a living and competing has been responsible for halting many careers too soon because of real-life and the RTC model has been able to remedy that a little bit. I just don't know if it's a lasting model. Well, I hope everyone has a safe and fun Memorial Day Weekend. My thoughts will be with the families and victims of the events in Uvalde, Texas. Better people with better words can sum up our thoughts with more eloquence than I can so I won't even try. I pray the madness stops. Until next week, Jagger out.

Davidson's Andy Lausier (photo courtesy of Davidson athletics) InterMat has learned that Davidson College head coach Andy Lausier has stepped down after five years at the helm for the Wildcats. Lausier has chosen to pursue employment outside of the collegiate wrestling world. In his five years with Davidson, the school has gone 16-50. In 2021-22, Davidson was 5-10 with 3 SoCon wins and was sixth at the SoCon Championships. Prior to his arrival at Davidson, Lausier was the head coach at Sacred Heart from 2012-17. This is a developing story so we will have more information regarding a possible coaching search as the information becomes available.

New McKendree Women's Head Coach Alexio Garcia (photo courtesy of McKendree Sports Information) LEBANON, Ill. (May 26, 2022) – McKendree University Athletics Director Anthony Francis has announced the hiring of Alexio Garcia as the school's new women's wrestling head coach. "I am very excited to be able to add Alexio to the McKendree Athletics family as our new women's wrestling head coach," Francis said. "Alexio is extremely passionate about women's wrestling and comes in with a positive attitude and will make a nice addition to our staff and continue the strong tradition that our three-time national champion women's wrestling program has already established." Garcia comes to McKendree after having success coaching at the club, national and high school levels. For the past six years, Garcia has served as an assistant coach with USA Women's Wrestling and has also coached his Empire Wrestling Club that was established in 2017. In his time with USA Wrestling, he has coached five Women's World Team members, was an assistant coach for the Junior Women's World Team in 2019 and coached four women at the 2021 United States Olympic Trails. He was also an assistant coach on the 2016-17 Washington Women's National Team that won the Women's Fargo Team title. Has coached eight Fargo finalists and four Fargo National Champions. Garcia's Empire Wresting Club has had one Women's World Team member, five WIAA State placers in 2018, three Fargo Champions and one runner-up finisher, won two National Team Championships in 2021 at the Arizona Rumble and Supreme Summer and has had eight Fargo All-Americans. Along with his success coaching at the club and national levels with USA Women's Wrestling, Garcia spent nine years in the high school coaching ranks, including serving as the head women's wrestling coach at Toppenish High School in Toppenish, Wash., during the 2021-22 school year. In his one season at Toppenish, he led the school to a 2022 WIAA State Team Championship as the team set a record with the most points ever scored at the State Championships and also set a record for the most falls and most finalists from one school. The school also had two individual WIAA State Champions and eight State placers. Along with being the head women's wrestling coach, Garcia was an assistant on the men's wrestling team that had a state record 14 State finalists and 10 State Champions. "It is an honor to be selected as the next head women's wrestling coach at McKendree University. To know the level of expectation from myself and from the school as a whole is something that is an ideal situation. Just coming off a record-setting season in the state of Washington with my previous high school team, the expectation is to be perfect both on and off the mat," Garcia said. "I am up for the job, and the family and I are looking forward to new challenges and continued success at McKendree." Prior to going to Toppenish High School, Garcia spent eight years as an assistant women's and men's wrestling coach at A.C. Davis High School in Yakima, Wash. During his time at Davis, the school had five Top 10 finishes in the WIAA State Tournament and he coached current McKendree two-time National Champion Cameron Guerin at Davis. He graduated from A.C. Davis High School in 2011 and stayed in his home state of Washington, attending Walla Walla Community College in 2012 and is now working towards his degree at McKendree University. What Others Are Saying About Garcia: "The thing I appreciate about Alexio is not so much what he has done up to this point, but because of how he has done it. He has been a self-starter and has made a lot of great decisions to move his career forward. He has grown into one of the great young coaches in the country and he is a tireless worker and is always a team player. Alexio will be a great success in any venture he chooses as he not only holds himself to a high standard, but he lifts those around him to a high standard. That is the true sign of a leader." Terry Steiner, USA Wrestling and Women's Freestyle National Team Coach "Alexio has been an integral part of wrestling here in Washington. I have personally seen first-hand his determination to help our athletes achieve their goals, not only on the mat, but in their personal lives. I have had the privilege of working with him on a number of occasions, from duals to tournaments throughout the state, as well as at the national level, his leadership ability and willingness to roll up his sleeves and get to work are traits that will help any program. It should go without saying that Coach Garcia is a remarkable wrestling coach, with an eye for not only developing talented athletes, but also those who are new to the sport. Beyond his passion for driving performance, Alexio is a natural leader and fights hard for his beliefs and he will bring a unique energy, optimism, passion and tireless drive to the wrestling room." Justin Newby, Executive Director, USA Wrestling - WSWA

2022 NCAA Round of 12 finisher Joey Prata (Photo/Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) The Oklahoma wrestling offseason has arguably been the most intriguing of any team in the Big 12 recently. Chess pieces have moved across their roster with multiple wrestlers transferring in and out and setting up a team that could look very different next season. At 125, Joey Prata has decided he will return for a fifth year giving them an NCAA qualifier (Round of 12) and 4th place finisher from the Big 12 tournament back for one more season. At 133, nothing official has been announced for senior Anthony Madrigal on whether he'll be utilizing his Covid year from 2020 and returning for one more season. In the room currently, many have Caleb Tanner circled as the favorite to take the job if Madrigal does move on, but Mosha Schwartz (Northern Colorado) and Wyatt Henson (Iowa) were two blockbuster transfers for the Sooners this offseason. Schwartz is already listed on the roster as a 141, and that's also where many see Henson, but Schwartz was a 133 at Northern Colorado and Henson theoretically "could" make the cut. 141 was an interesting weight class for OU last year. All-American Dom Demas, who was the Big 12 Champion here in 2021, did not return to the weight. He took a bit of a backup role at 149, briefly, then eventually announced a transfer to Cal Poly. Jacob Butler had a bit of a tough regular season then blew up at the Big 12 tournament, knocking off the #1 seed and eventually qualifying for the NCAA tournament. Schwartz or Henson will likely vie for this spot and take it over. OU may have been the deepest team in the country at 149 last season. They started with Mitch Moore, lost him to injury, had Dom Demas take over for a bit before losing him to injury, then Willie McDougald took over the spot and ended up as a Big 12 finalist. With both back, this next season and Justin Thomas, the starting 157 lber last season, exhausting his eligibility, the scenario that makes the most sense, is one staying at 149 and the other going up to 157 where they don't have the kind of depth they do at 149. 165 was the one weight that OU did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Joe Grello just missed out on an automatic bid and the grad transfer now moves on, opening the spot for a potential new starter. Troy Mantanona closed out the season as the starter at 165 in 2021 and had a very strong Big 12 tournament performance that helped propel OU to a share of the Big 12 title that season. He could return to take that spot, but Alejandro Herrera-Rondon came into OU out of PA as one of the top recruits in the country in 2021. He wrestled last year at 157 in his redshirt season and could potentially stay down to try and win that job, but could also very reasonably go up to 165. OU's work on the transfer market has been impressive the last few seasons with Moore, Prata and others. That continues this season with Schwartz and Henson, already mentioned, along with another huge transfer at 174 in Purdue's Gerrit Nijenhuis. Nijenhuis was a two-time NCAA qualifier at Purdue and slots in perfectly here for the Sooners. With the graduation of starter Anthony Mantanona, this was as ideal a pickup for OU as it gets. At 184 Darrien Roberts, a starter in 2020 and 2021, returns after backing up Keegan Moore in the 2021-22 season. There are a few young guys that could contend for this spot, specifically Tate Picklo who could potentially cut to here. He's listed at 197, but competed at 86 KG at the US Open a few weeks ago. That will be an interesting one to watch if Picklo goes down. 197 I think could go two ways. Four-year starter and All-American Jake Woodley could return for one more season and retain his spot or Picklo could be up at 197, as he's listed, and take over what is almost certain to be his spot eventually. Barring injury at 285, 2x NCAA qualifier Josh Heindselman will return to the starting spot here.

NC State signee Dylan Fishback (left), Ohio State's Nick Feldman (center), and Iowa State's Casey Swiderski (right) (photos courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) The 2021 recruiting class rankings were as difficult as any I've ever done. No one team jumped out from the pack and solidified themselves as the no-brainer pick. Fast forward a year to the 2022 class and the top spot was relatively easy to figure out. One team stood head and shoulders above the other signing classes. After that, there was plenty of chaos! We ranked out to the top-25; however, you could make the case for ten to twelve other programs belonging in the rankings. Recruiting rankings mark the end of the respective class and put a bow on the hard work of coaching staffs around the nation. The question you ask is, how are these rankings tabulated? First, we have used the big board rankings courtesy of our sister-site MatScouts. Willie Saylor has taken the arduous task of projecting the top-300 wrestlers in the Class of 2022, making calculating these rankings slightly easier. Some of the factors that are taken into account when putting these rankings together include: - Numbers: Where were the signees ranked? How many top-ten, top-50, top-100, top-250, etc., does a school have? - Fit: After years of following these programs and their coaching staffs, does a particular recruit fit the "type" of kid that has success at their respective team. Or maybe a style of wrestling. - Filling a need: In years past, I have weighed this very heavily. Signing two highly ranked 184 lb prospects doesn't appear to fit a need when you have a stud junior returning at the same weight. However, after coming off a "free year" in 2021, that throws a loop into everything. At this time, we don't know whether everyone will actually use that extra year of eligibility. Compared to years past, this category doesn't factor in, as much, unless it's very evident that a team has a glaring logjam at a particular weight or weight range. - Impact on a program: This is subjective, but tends to favor teams that aren't consistent NCAA trophy contenders. If Iowa or Penn State sign the #80 overall recruit and he turns out to AA twice, taking seventh and eighth for them, it has a particular impact. But if Little Rock or Wyoming sign the same prospect and he has the same career, it will have a much more significant impact on those two programs. Both Little Rock and Wyoming may have benefitted from this criteria in 2022. So, with that out of the way, enjoy InterMat's 2022 Team Recruiting Rankings. 1) Ohio State 2022 Class: #1 Nick Feldman: 285 lbs (Malvern Prep, PA), #4 Jesse Mendez: 141 lbs (Crown Point, IN), #5 Nic Bouzakis: 133 lbs (Wyoming Seminary, PA), #22 Luke Geog: 184 lbs (St. Edward, OH), #55 Seth Shumate: 197 lbs (Dublin Coffman, OH), #131 Gavin Brown: 149 lbs (Legacy Christian Academy, OH); NR Brendan McCrone: 125 lbs (Lake Catholic, OH), NR Carter Chase: 165 lbs (Marian Pleasant, OH) The least surprising ranking of the year goes to Ohio State, who just ran away with the top spot after getting three of the top-five wrestlers in the nation to sign. The unanimous #1 amongst all seniors is Nick Feldman. Recently, Feldman dominated the field at UWW Junior Nationals to capture the title at 125 kg. As a senior, Feldman won the Ironman, Beast, and Powerade, before claiming his second National Prep title. He also grabbed a win at Who's #1 for a second consecutive year. The other two blue-chippers in the group, Jesse Mendez and Nic Bouzakis spent parts of their careers ranked #1 in the Class of 2022. Mendez has already appeared on the Cadet and Junior World team for freestyle and won his fourth Indiana state title. Later this week, he'll compete at the Senior World Team Trials, as he has earned the fourth seed at 61 kg. Bouzakis also has been on a Junior World team, for Greco-Roman, and was a Super 32 winner on three occasions. His first placement there came as an eighth-grader when he was fifth at 106 lbs. A pair of upperweights from in-state hold down the next tier of recruits. Luke Geog was third in Junior freestyle last summer and had the same placement at the Ironman. Seth Shumate has made the Fargo finals three times, winning a double title at the 16U level in 2019. He was the first member of this group to commit. Although Geog and Shumate are pegged at 184/197 for now, they could end up flipping based on body type. The final member of this ranked portion of the class is Gavin Brown, who made the podium at the Super 32 and Ironman this season. Also coming in from Ohio are state champions Brendan McCrone and Carter Chase. A few years from now, if Ohio State is able to get back into consistent national title discussion, it will largely be because of this class. In today's era of college wrestling, wrestlers are more advanced coming out of high school and there are fewer "diamonds in the rough" that develop into NCAA title threats. That's why you have to get the horses. Tom Ryan and his staff did that with the Class of 2023. Not that they needed an extra push, but it's extremely helpful that they got top-notch talent at some of the hardest to fill weight classes (197/285), both of which could be a need down the road. Please pay attention to InterMat's Rokfin channel. After we release the recruiting rankings, we'll post an interview with the Buckeye's Director of Recruiting and Operations to talk in more detail about the members of this class, how it was assembled, and recruiting philosophies. 2021 Ranking: #9 2) Iowa State 2022 Class: #3 Casey Swiderski: 141/149 lbs (Dundee, MI), #14 MJ Gaitan: 165/174 lbs (Temecula Valley, CA), #19 Manny Rojas: 174/184 lbs (Detroit Central Catholic, MI), #77 Connor Euton: 157/165 lbs (Westerville, OH), #85 Ethan Perryman: 133 lbs (Temecula Valley, CA), #206 Evan Frost: 133/141 (Dowling Catholic, IA), #224 Jacob Frost: 133/141 lbs (Dowling Catholic, IA); NR Carter Fousek: 125/133 (Crestwood, IA), NR Cayden Miller: 197 lbs (Midland, IA), NR Cole Carlucci: 184/197 lbs (Monarch, CO) What a difference six weeks make! In late April, Iowa State was probably pushing for a spot in the top ten with an impressive class. Then #14 MJ Gaitan flipped from Cal Baptist to the Cyclones, which gave Kevin Dresser's team a significant nudge. They locked up the spot last week after getting another pair of big board prospects, the Frost twins from Iowa via Louisiana, to agree to state in-state. Those late additions, combined with an already stellar class, lands Iowa State squarely in the #2 spot. Within the past two years, Casey Swiderski has risen sharply up the weight class and big board rankings. He finishes his high school career ranked #3 overall amongst seniors. An appearance in the Fargo Junior freestyle finals, followed by a win over then-number one Jesse Mendez, at Who's #1, completed Swiderski's ascend to the top spot at 138 lbs. Also from Michigan is #17 Manny Rojas, who placed third at the MatMen Open, with a win over NCAA qualifier Gerrit Nijenhuis. Rojas has won a Junior freestyle title in Fargo and made the 16U finals twice. Along with 2022 California state champion, MJ Gaitan is his high school teammate, Ethan Perryman, who won the 120 lb weight class. Both also won the Doc Buchanan this year, while Gaitan was also victorious at the Super 32. The Frost twins, originally committed to Columbia, were both Iowa state finalists this year with Evan winning and Jacob finishing as a runner-up. Iowa State had a breakthrough year on the dual front, winning 15 of 16 meets. Now, with this class, they have even more high-end star power, the type needed to make a serious run at the Big 12 and NCAA Championships. 2021 Ranking: #16 3) NC State 2022 Class: #6 Dylan Fishback: 197 lbs (Aurora, OH), #13 Matthew Singleton: 174/184 lbs (Woodward Academy, GA), #28 Jackson Arrington: 149 lbs (Forest Hills, PA), #39 Chase Horne: 285 lbs (West Laurens, GA), #111 Finn Solomon: 141 lbs (Franklin Regional, PA), #172 Troy Hohman: 125 lbs (Penn Trafford, PA), #186 Tommy Curran: 149 lbs (Dekalb, IL), NR Danny Curran: 141 lbs (Dekalb, IL), NR Jacob Cox: 141 lbs (South Rowan, NC), NR Aaron Faison: 157/165 lbs (Union Pines, NC), NR Andrew Macchiavello: 285 lbs (Sun Valley, NC) For the third straight year, NC State finishes the year with a top-five recruiting ranking. They're the only school in the nation that can claim that designation. The Wolfpack have signed four top-40 recruits and have seven members of the 2022 Big Board headed to Raleigh. Leading the way is Dylan Fishback, the top 197 lb prospect in the class. Fishback was a Junior freestyle champion in Fargo, before staking a claim to the top spot in the nation with a win at Who's #1, and a title at the Ironman. Four-time Georgia state champion and Junior Greco world team member Matthew Singleton is right behind Fishback. Singleton was a two-time Super 32 finalist and one-time champ. The remaining two top-40 recruits in this mix, Jackson Arrington and Chase Horne, have both been selected and won at Who's #1. Arrington is a three-time Pennsylvania state champion, while Horne has made the Fargo podium on four occasions and made the Super 32 finals three times (winning in 2021). The other two PA wrestlers in this class are multiple-time placers, Finn Solomon and Troy Hohman. Solomon missed a year due to injury, but made the state finals every year he competed. Hohman was a 2021 champion at the Powerade. We've already mentioned four other ACC schools in the recruiting rankings. Competition for the league crown and national accolades will be at a premium. For NC State to continue leading the pack in the ACC and pushing for more team trophies, they'll need to have classes like this. 2021 Ranking: #5 4) Missouri 2022 Class: #21 Zeke Seltzer: 133 lbs (Cathedral, IN), #35 Clayton Whiting: 184 lbs (Oconto Falls, WI), #67 Ryan Boersma: 285 lbs (Mt. Carmel, IL), #107 Cameron Steed: 141 lbs (Collinsville, OK), #129 Kade Moore: 141 lbs (Allen, TX), #164 J Conway: 165 lbs (Floyd, IN), #221 Owen Uhls: 133/141 (Fulton, MO), #229 Jerrod Fisher: 165 lbs (Goddard, KS), NR Easton Hilton: 125/133 lbs (Liberty, MO), NR Peyton Moore: 125/133 lbs (Nixa, MO), NR Preston Spray: 125 lbs (Wisconsin Rapids, WI) It seems like every even year Missouri loads up with a huge recruiting class. Since it's 2022, the Tigers have eight Big Board'ers coming in, including three in the top 100. Three-time Indiana state champion Zeke Seltzer is the highest-ranked of the bunch. He is a three-time Fargo freestyle placer and posted top-five finishes at each of the last two Super 32's. Clayton Whiting has already shown flashes of what he can do at the collegiate level by downing Iowa's national qualifier Abe Assad in an open tournament. Whiting was a finalist at the 2021 Super 32 and, a few months earlier, finished top-five in both styles at the Junior level in Fargo. The final top-100 recruit is Illinois state champ Ryan Boersma. A few weeks ago, at UWW Junior Nationals, Boersma downed top-50 recruit Chase Horne and Virginia Tech's national qualifier, Hunter Catka, to earn a place in the finals. While most school's on this list were content to "call it a year" for their Class of 2022, Brian Smith got spring commitments from a pair of ranked recruits with Cameron Steed and Jerrod Fisher. Steed claimed Oklahoma state titles in all four years, while Fisher was a three-time Kansas champ. This will certainly be a recruiting class to revisit later. Coach Smith's staff has a knack for taking moderately ranked recruits and having them become more productive collegiate wrestlers. That could happen with this group, as well. 2021 Ranking: NR 5) Stanford 2022 Class: #2 Daniel Cardenas: 149/157 lbs (Pomona, CO), #9 Hunter Garvin: 165 lbs (Iowa City West, IA); #82 (Class of 2021) Nico Provo: 125/133 lbs (Green Farms, CT), #108 Brooks Byers: 184 lbs (Sprague, OR), #117 Jack Darrah: 197 lbs (Wyoming Seminary, PA), #199 (Class of 2021) Luke Duthie: 184/197 lbs (Wyoming Seminary, PA), NR Wyatt Richter (St. Edward, OH), NR Xander Galli 149/157 lbs (Phillips Exeter, NH), NR Chayse LaJoie 141 lbs (Yorkville, MI) Almost a year ago, to the day, Stanford wrestling was saved. Shortly thereafter, the school stunned the wrestling community by hiring Rob Koll from Cornell. In his first recruiting class with the Cardinal, Koll has certainly left an imprint. Two of the nation's top-ten prospects are heading west in Daniel Cardenas and Hunter Garvin. Cardenas was a two-time 16U national finalist in freestyle and was victorious at the Ironman and Doc Buchanan as a senior. He and Garvin should benefit from training with NCAA champion Shane Griffith and assistant coach Vincenzo Joseph, both around their weights. Garvin is a three-time Iowa state champion and four-time finalist who competed in Who's #1 last fall. Three-time Fargo placer Jack Darrah and Oregon state champion Brook Byers are two upperweights who come from the high school class of 2022 and will solidify the back of the Cardinal lineup. Stanford also benefits from having a handful of wrestlers who initially committed to Koll at Cornell from the Class of 2021. Most notable is Nico Provo, an NHSCA Senior National champion, a year ago. Provo looked impressive in limited action, in 2021-22, competing unattached. He could start at 125 right away. Signing a class like this was important for Koll as he looks to establish a strong foundation and let the wrestling world know that Stanford can be a consistent powerhouse in the Pac-12 and beyond. 2021 Ranking: NR 6) Oklahoma State 2022 Class: #10 Jordan Williams: 165 lbs (Collinsville, OK), #23 Anthony Ferrari: 157 lbs (Stillwater, OK), #34 Zach Blankenship: 133 lbs (Bixby, OK), NR Cutter Sheets (Stilwell, OK) It's a small, but star-studded weight class for Oklahoma State in 2022. The big names for the Cowboys all are from in-state as John Smith's squad inked three of the top-34 wrestlers in the nation. The centerpiece is Jordan Williams, who has won three stop signs (all in freestyle) during his career in Fargo. Williams also has a Super 32 belt to his name and has participated in the Who's #1 dual twice in his career. A familiar name for Cowboy fans comes in as the #23 recruit in this country, Anthony Ferrari. Though he's been hampered recently due to injuries, Ferrari could be a solution in year one for Oklahoma State at 157 lbs. He may be more suited to competing immediately than the talented Williams. Like his older brother and Cowboy national champion, AJ, Anthony will be able to handle the physicality of college wrestling sooner than most. Ferrari was a Super 32 runner-up at 152 lbs, prior to his junior year. Three-time Oklahoma champion Zach Blankenship could be the eventual successor to Daton Fix at 133 lbs. Blankenship is a multi-sport athlete with a high ceiling. Rounding out the class is state runner-up, Cutter Sheets. Sheets is the younger brother of Cowboy All-American, Wyatt, and son of OSU legend Mike. 2021 Ranking: #6 7) Virginia Tech 2022 Class: #8 TJ Stewart: 184/197 lbs (Blair Academy, NJ), #16 Caleb Henson: 149/157 lbs (Woodland Cartersville, GA), #81 Tom Crook: 149 lbs (Tampa Jesuit, FL), #204 Aiden Lacoma: 285 lbs (Christiansburg, VA), NR Evan Holloway: 149 lbs (New Kent, VA), NR Luke Robie: 149/157 lbs (Christiansburg, VA) Key Transfer: Drew Nicholson: 165 lbs (Chattanooga) A pair of top-25 signees and three in the top-100 is good enough for Virginia Tech to jump back into the top ten this year. Though he wrestled for Blair Academy, TJ Stewart is from Virginia and one of the state's highest-ranked recruits of the last decade. Keeping him home was imperative for Tony Robie's team. The 16U and Junior freestyle national champion had tournament wins at the Ironman and the Beast of the East during his senior season. He is the long-term answer at 184 or 197, both of which could be issues for the Hokies in the future. Caleb Henson probably ends up at 157 lbs eventually; however, he may be the starter in year one at 149 as Bryce Andonian is slated to move up to 157 next year. Henson is a two-time placer at the Super 32 and Fargo Junior freestyle, winning each once. Both Henson and Stewart were victorious last fall at Who's #1. Super 32 and Ironman placer Tom Crook will lend depth to the middleweights. Crook was a four-time state champion that helped lead Jesuit to the school's first team title in 2022. The remainder of the class consists of in-state products, two of which hail from local Christiansburg. Aiden Lacoma is a two-time state champion that finished on the podium at the Super 32, the Ironman, and Beast during his senior season. Teammate Luke Robie, son of head coach Tony, finally broke through and won a state crown as a senior. Someone that held him back in the past was four-time champion, Evan Holloway, also a Hokie-signee. Holloway was fourth at the Beast in 2021. 2021 Ranking: #22 8) Nebraska 2022 Class: #17 Harley Andrews: 285 lbs (Tuttle, OK), #25 Antrell Taylor: 165 lbs (Millard South, NE), #84 Jacob Van Dee: 125 lbs (Cathedral Prep, PA), #130 Reese Davis: 149 lbs (Tuttle, OK), NR Dez Gartrell: 165 lbs (Dublin Coffman, OH) Nebraska is a mainstay in the recruiting rankings and checks in with a very strong eighth-ranked recruiting class. Their home state doesn't regularly produce top-25 type recruits every year, so it was imperative to keep a prospect like Antrell Taylor at home. Last year, Taylor was fifth at both, UWW Cadet freestyle and Fargo Juniors. In 2019, Taylor made the Fargo 16U freestyle finals. The Husker staff also nabbed one of the top heavyweights in the class with three-time Oklahoma state champion Harley Andrews. Last year, Andrews was eighth in Junior freestyle in Fargo. In 2019, he also placed in the 16U division; however, it was down at 182 lbs! Andrews' high school teammate, Reese Davis, is also aboard. Davis is a multiple-time state champion and a 2020 winner at Preseason Nationals. One of the more difficult weights for Nebraska to find a superstar has been 125 lbs. They haven't had a leadoff hitter on the NCAA podium since 2008. Two-time Pennsylvania state finalist and 2021 champion Jacob Van Dee hopes to change that. Van Dee has placed in Fargo three times in his career. The possible diamond in the round is Daz Gartrell, a seventh-place finisher at the Walsh Ironman, who was injured and unable to compete at the Ohio state tournament. Not only does this group feature high-level competitors, but they also represent an upgrade in talent at their respective projected weights. 2021 Ranking: #13 9) Virginia 2022 Class: #30 Michael Gioffre: 141 lbs (Buchanan, CA), #53 Garrett Grice: 133 lbs (Bellevue East, NE), #62 Jack Gioffre: 133 lbs (Buchanan, CA), #90 Kyle Montapero: 125/133 lbs (Central Academy, NC), #104 Nick Hamilton: 157 lbs (Papillion La Vista, NE), #154 Griffin Gammel: 184 lbs (Waukee NW, IA), #167 Keyveon Roller: 133/141 lbs (Lakeway Christian, TN), #210 Nick Sanko: 165 lbs (Pittsford, NY), NR RJ May: 184 lbs (Maggie Walker, VA); NR Cooper Rudolph: 285 lbs (Robinson, VA) What a recruiting class for the University of Virginia! Unranked last year, the Cavaliers jumped all the way into the top ten with four top-100 recruits and eight of the top-250. The UVA staff went out to California to pull in a pair of state champions in Michael and Jack Gioffre. Michael captured his title with a win over Cadet World team member Beau Mantanona and finished the year ranked second in the nation. That reversed a result from the Doc Buchanan where Michael fell in the finals to Mantanona. Jack was victorious at 132 lbs. Virginia also went out of their normal recruiting radius to pick up a pair of studs from Nebraska with Garrett Grice and Nick Hamilton. Grice was sixth in Fargo as a Junior and Cadet in freestyle during his past two appearances. Hamilton was Junior national champion in Greco and placed top-five in both styles in 2019. Also in that general area is Iowa state champion, Griffin Gammel. Closer to home are Kyle Montapero and Keyveon Roller, both top-six placers at the Super 32. Virginia will get help up-and-down their lineup, possibly in year one, from this group. Having a class like this is essential as the rest of the ACC continues to recruit well. 2021 Ranking: NR 10) Arizona State 2022 Class: #33 Emilio Ysaguirre: 149 lbs (Valiant Prep, AZ), #57 Kaleb Larkin: 141 lbs (Valiant Prep, AZ), #64 Michael Kilic: 141 lbs (Woodward Academy, GA), #136 Jacob Meissner: 184/197 lbs (Osseo, MN), #185 Tyler Antoniak: 157 lbs (Millard South, NE), NR Damion Schunke: 197 lbs (Brandon Valley, SD), NR Diego Chavez: 197 lbs (Santa Cruz, AZ), NR Caleb Vanbuskirk: 197/285 lbs (Palm Desert, CA), NR Corey Camden: 141 lbs (College Park, TX), NR Shay Addison: 184 lbs (Rumson Fair Haven, NJ) Key Transfer: Anthony Montalvo: 184 lbs (Oklahoma State) It's back-to-back top-ten recruiting classes for Arizona State, who coincidentally finished with an NCAA trophy for a second straight year. 2003 Hodge Trophy winner and Sun Devil great Eric Larkin started the Valiant Prep wrestling program in Arizona and his alma mater is starting to reap the rewards. ASU signed two of Larkin's wrestlers, both of which are top 60 recruits. Emilio Ysaguirre was a Fargo Junior freestyle runner-up and a UWW Cadet third-place finisher, all within a few months of each other in 2021. Larkin's son, Kaleb, is aboard, as well. The younger Larkin was seventh at the Super 32 prior to last season. The Sun Devil staff was also able to grab a pair of wrestlers from outside of their normal reach at power programs with Michael Kilic and Tyler Antoniak. Kilic is a two-time Super 32 placer that tends to have his best results in Greco. The same goes for Antoniak, who was a Junior champion last summer in Fargo and was sixth at UWW Cadet Nationals in 2021. In addition to a large recruiting class, ASU will also get a boost from transfer Anthony Montalvo. Montalvo was the ninth seed at nationals in 2020, as a freshman, after finishing third in the Big 12 for Oklahoma State. He'll solidify one of the three weights the Sun Devils didn't qualify last year. 2021 Ranking: #2 11) Iowa 2022 Class: #38 Aiden Riggins: 165 lbs (Waverly-Shell Rock, IA), #48 Kolby Franklin: 197 lbs (Wyoming Seminary, PA), #112 Bradley Hill: 285 lbs (Bettendorf, IA), #124 Mickey Griffith: 184 lbs (Des Moines Lincoln, IA), #215 Easton Fleshman: 285 lbs (West Lyon, IA), #242 Joel Jesuroga: 149 lbs (Southeast Polk, IA), NR Jace Rhodes: 141/149 lbs (Mason City, IA), NR Drake Rhodes: 157 lbs (Billings West, MT), NR Cade Siebrecht: 141 lbs (Lisbon, IA), NR Carter Martinson: 141/149 lbs (Southeast Polk, IA), NR Carson Martinson: 149/157 lbs (Southeast Polk, IA), NR Gage Marty; 285 lbs (Solon, IA) Key Transfer: Real Woods: 141 lbs (Stanford) It was a crazy week or so in October as this class and the Hawkeyes Class of 2023 came together. Every day, sometimes multiple times per day, new Iowa commitments popped up. Now looking at this extensive list, there will be a handful of wrestlers that probably have a minimal impact in on-the-mat results during their career at Iowa. Between this large group and existing team members, there aren't enough spots in the lineup for everyone. All of that being said, the Iowa staff did well at addressing potential problem weights, in the future. 2019 Fargo 16U double finalist, Kolby Franklin, could be the successor to NCAA finalist Jacob Warner at 197. Franklin wrestled a tough schedule at Wyoming Seminary and placed highly at nearly every notable high school event. The trio of Bradley Hill, Easton Fleshman, and Gage Marty could eventually replace Tony Cassioppi. Two-time state champion Aiden Riggins may be the answer right away for a potential hole at 157 lbs and could be the man at 165 if Patrick Kennedy eventually goes up to 174. Immediately, Iowa will get help at 141 from 2022 All-American Real Woods. Real has two years of eligibility remaining and has to be considered a title favorite, in a weight that graduated its top three finishers. 2021 Ranking: #4 12) Rutgers 2022 Class: #12 Brian Soldano: 174/184 lbs (High Point, NJ), #43 PJ Casale: 197 lbs (Passaic Valley, NJ), #59 Luke Gayer: 165 lbs (Calvary Chapel, CA), #71 Joe Fongaro: 149 lbs (Boonton, NJ), #236 Brandan Chletsos: 141 lbs (Notre Dame-Green Pond, PA), NR Eric Freeman: 165 lbs (Paramus, NJ) Key Transfer: Joe Heilmann: 133 lbs (North Carolina) The Rutgers staff did what they've been accustomed to doing on the recruiting front and that was keeping some of their home state's best at home with the signing of Brian Soldano, PJ Casale, and Joe Fongaro. The high-scoring Soldano captured a New Jersey state title in each of his final three years of high school. He also was a Fargo Junior finalist in 2021 and finished in the top three at the Super 32 three times. In 2020, Soldano won the Super 32 belt. Casale was a state champ, as a sophomore, and eschewed the opportunity to win a second in 2021, when he entered UWW Cadet's instead and finished as a runner-up. Fongaro made the leap from sixth as a junior to a NJ state title in 2022. From the out-of-state ranks, Scott Goodale's staff signed California state runner-up Luke Gayer. Prior to his senior year, Gayer finished fourth at the Super 32. That set the tone for his senior campaign, one that ended with a loss in tiebreakers in the state final. The Rutgers coaching staff did a good job at filling potential long-term holes in the lineup with 165 and 197 (Gayer and Casale), while getting a high-ceiling "must-sign" prospect like Soldano at 174/184. 2021 Ranking: #17 13) Wyoming 2022 Class: #63 Jore Volk: 125/133 lbs (Lakeville North, MN), #73 Garrison Dendy: 149 lbs (Baylor School, TN), #74 Logan Ours: 157 lbs (Beaver Local, OH), #78 Kevin Zimmer: 285 lbs (Carl Sandburg, IL), #93 David Harper: 197 lbs (Baylor School, TN) Key Transfers: Tyce Raddon: 184 lbs (Western Wyoming), Garrett Ricks: 125 lbs (Western Wyoming) This group is easily the best recruiting class for Wyoming in at least a decade. For a program that typically develops overlooked gems, the Cowboy staff has a lot to work with. Not only is their incoming class more highly ranked than usual, but Mark Branch and crew have ventured out to some uncharted territory for Wyoming recruiting. Garrison Dendy and David Harper are the first big-time recruits from the southeast to venture out the Laramie. Ohio and Illinois haven't been frequent stops either. Five-time Fargo placer, Jore Volk heads up the class. He'll contribute at one of the first two weights. Ohio's Logan Ours was a big riser this year, whose stock went up after an appearance in the Ironman finals. The duo of Dendy and Harper have both placed in Fargo too. Add in the transfers, both of whom come at weighs of need and could see action right away. This group could spell trouble for the rest of the Big 12. 2021 Ranking: NR 14) Wisconsin 2022 Class: #31 Nicolar Rivera: 125/133 lbs (Stoughton, WI), #32 James Rowley: 174 lbs (Crescent Valley, OR), #72 Brock Bobzien: 133 lbs (Poway, CA), #166 Mikey Tal-Shahar: 197 lbs (American Heritage, FL), #233 Felix Lettini: 149 lbs (St. Peter's, NJ), NR Ismael Ayoub: 149 lbs (Dublin Coffman, OH) Chris Bono's team comes in right where they landed in 2021 in 14th. The Badgers continue to stockpile talent each year during the current coaching staff's tenure. The 2022 class is led by the top in-state recruit, Nicolar Rivera. Rivera happens to be one of the most exciting wrestlers to watch in this senior class. He'll get to learn from a connoisseur of big moves in two-time All-American Eric Barnett. Cadet World silver medalist James Rowley is probably the most "college-ready" of the group and could be thrust into action immediately. The Oregon native is one of two top-100 recruits from the west coast coming aboard, joining California state third-place finisher Brock Bobzien. Brock joined Rowley on the Cadet World team, as he competed in Greco. Mikey Tal-Shahar and Felix Lettini both broke into the top eight at the Super 32 in 2021. Overall, this is another solid class for Bono and company. 2021 Ranking: #14 15) Pittsburgh 2022 Class: #37 Mac Stout: 197 lbs (Mt. Lebanon, PA), #40 Dayton Pitzer: 285 lbs (Mount Pleasant, PA), #94 Jared Keslar: 157 lbs (Connellsville, PA), #137 Codie Cuerbo: 125 lbs (Aurora, OH), #150 Briar Priest: 149 lbs (Hempfield, PA), #231 Kelin Laffey: 174 lbs (Pine-Richland, PA) Key Transfers: Dazjon Casto: 157 lbs (The Citadel), Holden Heller: 165 lbs (Hofstra), Reece Heller: 174 lbs (Hofstra) Before Keith Gavin's arrival, the question surrounding Pitt was "How good could they be if they keep local kids home." Those efforts have increased under the leadership of the Panthers most recent national champion and this class features three top-100 recruits from Western Pennsylvania. Though he wasn't able to capture a PA title, Mac Stout heads up this impressive group based on a 16U freestyle finals appearance in Fargo, along with a Powerade title this year. The other two top-100 recruits, Dayton Pitzer and Jared Keslar, were state champs in 2022. Keslar finally ascended to the top step, while Pitzer grabbed his third state crown. Ohio's Codie Cuerbo is a two-time Fargo All-American, while Briar Priest made a pair of PA state finals (winning as a junior). Finally, Kelin Laffey came on strong as a senior, finishing sixth at the state tournament and third at the Powerade. He could be a prospect with a lot of upside. The Panthers will get some immediate help from the transfer portal as they could solidify 157-174 with transfers. Dazjon Casto was one of the stories of Thursday from the NCAA Tournament as he stunned returning national champion, Austin O'Connor, in the first round. Holden Heller was a 2021 EIWA champion, who redshirted last season. His brother, Reece, redshirted as well and put up a 12-4 record. 2021 Ranking: NR 16) North Carolina 2022 Class: #41 Danny Nini: 141 lbs (Lake Highland Prep, FL), #49 Jayden Scott: 157 lbs (Rush-Henrietta, NY), #52 Cole Hunt: 125 lbs (Dalton, GA), #65 Noah Pettigrew: 197 lbs (Valdosta, GA), #165 Nick Fea: 165 lbs (Bergen Catholic, NJ), NR Max Martin: 125 lbs (Great Bridge, VA), NR Cade Tenold: 174/184 lbs (Don Bosco, IA), NR Carson Tenold: 165/174 lbs (Don Bosco, IA) You've got to love the recruiting strategy from the UNC staff. They have been "in" on the burgeoning Georgia wrestling scene for a while and continue to get top-100 talent with Cole Hunt and Noah Pettigrew. Hunter, along with Max Martin, lends depth at a weight class North Carolina hasn't qualified for nationals since 2014 and only twice since 2006. Hunt and Pettigrew were both Junior Freestyle AA's last summer in Fargo. The Tar Heels also hit up a couple of consistent power programs in Lake Highland Prep and Bergen Catholic, for Danny Nini and Nick Fea. Nini was third at the Super 32 and Ironman, while Fea made the state finals during his only year wrestling in New Jersey. Top-50 prospect Jayden Scott was a three-time New York state finalist and a champion as a senior. He may get overlooked, a bit, but has placed at the Super 32 in 2020. Finally, the UNC coaches broke through in Iowa and signed the Tenold twins, Cade and Carson. Each was a state champion in 2022 and combined they appeared in five Iowa 1A state title bouts. Their commitment could lead to more Iowa kids in the future. 2021 Ranking: #21 17) Lehigh 2022 Class: #20 Ryan Crookham: 133/141 lbs (Saucon Valley, PA), #68 Caden Rogers: 197 lbs (Malvern Prep, PA), #103 Kimo Leia: 149 lbs (Selma, CA), #133 Kelvin Griffin: 149 lbs (The Hill School, PA), NR Remy Brancato: 285 lbs (Bergen Catholic, NJ), NR Enzo Morlacci: 174 lbs (Kiski Area, PA), NR Owen Quinn: 165/174 lbs (Malvern Prep, PA), NR Owen Reinsel: 133/141 lbs (Brookville, PA) Key Transfer: Michael Beard: 197 lbs (Penn State) Lehigh won big with the signing of local star Ryan Crookham. Once regarded as possibly the best wrestler in the Class of 2022, Crookham battled through some injuries during the second half of his high school career. He's still managed to win three Pennsylvania state titles, though he doesn't have much in the way of recent national credentials. As an eighth-grader, in 2017, Crookham was the first middle schooler to win the high school division at the Super 32. Depending on health/weight of some Lehigh returners, Crookham could go right away. The other top-100 recruit for Lehigh is three-time National Prep top-three finisher Caden Rogers. Rogers was top-five in both styles at the Junior division last year in Fargo. We'll see where he fits in as 2021 All-American Michael Beard is transferring in from Penn State. Beard has three years of eligibility remaining and will be a national title threat immediately. Remember the rest of the names from Lehigh's class as the staff has done a remarkable job at developing under-the-radar talent. There's a good likelihood that one of two of them could emerge to outwrestle their pre-collegiate ranking. 2021 Ranking: NR 18) Penn 2021 Class: #26 Martin Cosgrove: 197 lbs (Camden Catholic, NJ), #61 Andrew Troczynski: 149/157 lbs (Delbarton, NJ), #120 Evan Mougalian: 125/133 lbs (Kinnelon, NJ), #146 Jackson Polo: 141 lbs (Cold Spring Harbor, NY), #192 Alex Almeyda: 141/149 lbs (St. Joseph's, NJ), #202 Brady Pruett: 125 lbs (Archbishop Spalding, MD), #218 Jude Swisher: 149/157 lbs (Bellefonte, PA), NR Andrew Connelly: 184 lbs (Malvern Prep, PA), NR Evan Bennett: 174 lbs (St. Edward, OH), NR Louis Colaiocco: 157/165 lbs (Blair Academy, NJ), NR Matthew Cruise: 285 lbs (Easton, PA), NR Adam Thompson: 157/165 lbs (Bishop Carroll, Alberta) The great classes continue to roll in for Roger Reina and the Penn staff. Like others in past few years, this group features a little bit of home state flavor (Swisher, Connelly, Cruise), combined with national power programs (Bennett, Colaiocco), and a lot of NJSIAA stars (Cosgrove, Troczynski, Mougalian, Almeyda). Cosgrove, Troczynski, and Mougalian were two-time state champions, while Almeyda placed four times (three times at fourth or above). Two of the fast risers in this group are Jackson Polo and Evan Bennett, both of whom finished their senior campaign's with a state title. With NCAA qualifiers returning at nine of the ten weights, it may be a year or two before some of these recruits make an impact collegiately for Penn. No matter how it shakes out, there will be plenty of great options for the Penn coaching staff in the near future, in large part because of the 2022 class. 2021 Ranking: #23 19) Little Rock 2022 Class: #45 Kyle Dutton: 149 lbs (Liberty, MO), #54 Brennan Van Hoecke: 149 lbs (Palmetto Ridge, FL), #95 Brendon Abdon: 157 lbs (Lake Gibson, FL), #118 Keith Miley: 285 lbs (Whitfield, MO), #144 Kodiak Cannedy: 165 lbs (Greenville, TN), #161 Stephen Little: 184 lbs (Union County, KY), #222 Chance Davis: 174 lbs (Enid, OK), NR Cael Keck: 125 lbs (Park Hill, MO) Little Rock is still very much in the building phase as the 2022-23 season will be their fourth of actual DI competition. This large, talented class should continue to lay the foundation for future generations of Trojan wrestlers. With three top-100 recruits and six from the top-200, there are plenty of possible year-one starters for Neil Erisman's team, if that is in the plans. Little Rock's recruiting class left an impression on the latest Walsh Ironman tournament, as four future Trojans (Dutton, Van Hoecke, Abdon, Little) placed amongst the top eight at the national best regular-season event. Brennan Van Hoecke also finished his high school season with a title at NHSCA Senior Nationals. Big man Keith Miley placed at the Super 32 on three occasions, the most recent of which included a trip to the finals. The Little Rock staff has stuck to some of their hot spots with this class, going heavy on states like Missouri and Florida, while mixing in Oklahoma, too. 2021 Ranking: NR 20) Princeton 2022 Class: #42 Ty Whalen: 149 lbs (Clearview Regional, NJ), #75 Rocco Camillaci: 149 lbs (Hilton, NY), #76 Kole Mulhauser: 184 lbs (Central Square, NY), #226 Chris Martino: 141 lbs (Bishop Kelley, ID) Compared to some others, Princeton's recruiting class may be small in numbers, but there's plenty of talent. The Tigers sweet spot for recruiting tends to be New Jersey/New York and they hit up that area and returned with three top-100 recruits. Two-time state finalist Ty Whalen has finished third at the Super 32, the Beast and Fargo Junior freestyle, within the last year. Rocco Camillaci won a state title after finishing third in two prior attempts. He also made the Junior freestyle podium in Fargo with a seventh-place showing. The second New York state champion on board is Kole Mulhauser, who has undergone a big growth spurt during high school. He started at 120 lbs, as a freshman, and finished at 182 lbs. His best national-level finish is a sixth-place mark at the Super 32 last fall. Speaking of recruits filling out, Chris Martino placed in both styles in Fargo at the 16U level at 88 and 94 lbs. This year Martino was sixth at the Ironman. Based on how they handle the first couple of months on campus, a few of these freshmen could see the lineup next year for Princeton as they seek Ivy and EIWA titles. 2021 Ranking: NR 21) Navy 2022 Class: #18 Danny Wask: 165/174 lbs (Blair Academy, NJ), #86 Jonathan Ley: 157 lbs (Lake Highland Prep, FL), #113 Evan Tallmadge: 125 lbs (Brick Memorial, NJ), #132 Brennen Cernus: 133 lbs (Pickerington, OH), #188 Jamier Ferere: 285 lbs (High Point, NC), #223 Nick Vafiadis: 157 lbs (New Kent, VA), #249 James Latona: 149 lbs (Thompson, AL), NR Matt Colajezzi: 165/174 lbs (Council Rock South, PA), NR Devon Deem: 157 lbs (Montgomery, PA), NR Brian Gordon: 174 lbs (South County, VA), NR Zyan Hall: 174 lbs (Wheeler, GA) The Naval Academy's recruiting efforts have continued to shine under the leadership of third-year head coach Cary Kolat. Though his reputation is legendary in Pennsylvania, Kolat has a household name, which is beneficial as the Academy recruits on a national basis. Their top prospect is one that has risen sharply up the recruiting rankings within the last year in Danny Wask. Even though Wask moved up a couple of weights last year, it didn't stop him from making the Fargo Junior finals in freestyle and taking seventh in Greco. Wask continued growing, going from 152 over the summer to the 170 range during the regular high school season. That didn't limit his effectiveness, as he was a Beast champion and a finalist at the Powerade. The second top-100 recruit in this class is Jonathan Ley. Also a Beast winner, Ley placed top-four at the Super 32 twice. The future teammates, Wask and Ley, met in the 2022 National Prep finals and it was Wask, who came out on top, 5-1. Outside of the top-100 recruits, there's plenty of potential for this class. Evan Tallmadge is a two-time New Jersey state champ, Brennen Cernus is a former Super 32 placer, Jamier Ferere made the finals of NHSCA Seniors, Nick Vafiadis was a Fargo Cadet finalist, and James Latona won NHSCA Seniors. 2022 marks back-to-back strong recruiting classes for Kolat and staff, which will only help Navy in an ever-improving EIWA. 2021 Ranking: #18 22) Oregon State 2022 Class: #44 Gabe Whisenhunt: 133 lbs (Crescent Valley, OR), #88 CJ Hamblin: 174 lbs (Seton Catholic, WA), #101 Noah Tolentino: 149 lbs (Poway, CA), #105 Nash Singleton: 141 lbs (Roseburg, OR), #114 Isaiah Anderson: 197 lbs (Chiawana, WA), #151 Ayden Garver: 141 lbs (Newburg, OR), #173 Damion Elliott: 133 lbs (Del Oro, CA), #225 Chase DeBlaere: 141/149 lbs (Simley, MN), NR Austin Scott: 157 lbs (Mountain View, AZ) Key Transfer: Tristan Lara: 149 lbs (Northern Iowa) Oregon State is another program that has seen a sharp uptick in its recruiting results with a relatively new coaching staff. Chris Pendleton's team has made keeping Oregon's stud home a priority and the results are evident with three of the top 151 hailing from Oregon and choosing to stay in-state. Not only that, but the OSU staff has also staked their claim on the Pacific Northwest, with two big boarder's from Washington, along with making inroads at talent-rich California. Three-time Fargo All-American Gabe Whisenhunt leads the Oregon State Class of 2022. Not only was keeping Whisenhunt home important, but he attends powerful, local, Crescent Valley, a school the Beaver staff will need to hit up time and time again. Whisenhunt and Ayden Garver finished as four-time Oregon state champions, while Nash Singleton won three. The other top-100 recruit in the class was CJ Hamblin, a double 16U All-American in Fargo that initially verballed to Northern Colorado. The California contingent includes UWW Cadet freestyle AA Noah Tolentino and Damion Elliott, both top-six finishers at the state tournament this year. This class should continue the momentum established in Detroit as the Beavers left with four All-Americans. 2021 Ranking: NR 23) Army West Point 2022 Class: #80 Austin Kohlhofer: 285 lbs (Delta, OH), #89 Braden Basile: 133/141 lbs (Tampa Jesuit, FL), #125 Dakota Morris: 165/174 lbs (Kingsway, NJ), #143 Gunner Filipowicz: 174 lbs (Woodward Academy, GA), #155 Evan Anderson: 285 lbs (Aurora, OH), #212 Ben Rogers: 149 lbs (Wantagh, NY), #213 Oscar Aranda: 157/165 lbs (St. John Bosco, CA), NR Gage Cook: 197/285 lbs (Granger, WA), NR Nick Corday: 125 lbs (Baylor School, TN), NR Cole Karpinski: 184/197 lbs (Greenville, PA), Tommy Link: 125 lbs (Malvern Prep, PA), NR Kent McCombs: 157 lbs (Clinton, MI), Jaime Rivera: 141 lbs (Sunnyside, AZ) Even after losing their primary recruiting specialist, Ned Shuck, to the Bellarmine head coaching position, Army West Point hasn't missed a beat on the recruiting trail. It helps that head coach Kevin Ward brought in Scott Green, who had previously led National Prep power Wyoming Seminary for the past decade. The top-ranked recruit for the Black Knights is two-time Ohio champion Austin Kohlhofer. Austin had a breakout year in 2021-22 and rose into the top-80 nationally. Right behind him is #89 Braden Basile, a third-place finisher at the Ironman, who was sixth in Junior freestyle last summer in Fargo. This group is likely to cover just about every weight class once they make their way to West Point. A large class such as this one isn't necessarily about "need-filling," but rather just getting as much talent in the room and letting the cream rise to the top. 2021 Ranking: #24 24) Oklahoma 2022 Class: #36 John Wiley: 165 lbs (Mustang, OK), #51 Joey Cruz: 125 lbs (Bullard, CA), #227 Christian Forbes: 125 lbs (Broken Arrow, OK) Key Transfers: Wyatt Henson: 133/141 lbs (Iowa), Gerrit Nijenhuis: 174 lbs (Purdue), Jack Wagner: 133 lbs (Northern Iowa) The Sooners Class of 2022 is quite small compared to some others, but is unique and will be helpful in its own way. Getting a top-50 in-state recruit like John Wiley is always a win for the Sooners. The 2019 double Fargo champion won two Oklahoma titles, but was a part of some incredibly brutal weight classes in 2021 and 2022. Wiley appears to fill a big long-term need for the Sooners at 165. With Joey Prata coming back for another year at 125, it gives his possible successors, Joey Cruz and Christian Forbes, an opportunity to adjust to DI wrestling. Cruz was a three-time top-three finisher in California and a state champion as a senior. In the fall, Cruz was selected to wrestle in the Who's #1 dual meet. Forbes placed in Fargo five times during his high school career. Oklahoma will also get a boost from transfers. Typically, you don't give transfers the same potential impact as incoming freshmen, since they may have limited eligibility. However, Wyatt Henson was the #16 overall recruit last year and has four years of eligibility after going 18-2 competing unattached for Iowa. Henson may be the answer at 133 or 141. Though he's already participated in two NCAA Championship events, Gerrit Nijenhuis has three years of eligibility remaining and fits in well at 174 lbs. Graduate transfer, Jack Wagner, had a winner year for Northern Iowa in 2021-22 and could be in the mix to start next season. 2021 Ranking: #11 25) Northern Iowa 2021 Class: #29 Cory Land: 125 lbs (Moody, AL), #70 Wyatt Voelker: 197 lbs (West Delaware, IA), #119 Chet Buss: 285 lbs (North Butler-Clarksville, IA), NR Trever Anderson: 125/133 (Ankeny, IA), NR Ryder Downey: 149 lbs (Indianola, IA), NR Garrett Funk: 125/133 lbs (Don Bosco, IA) Since his arrival in Cedar Falls, Doug Schwab has made it a priority to retain Iowa high schoolers. He's continued the trend by getting a pair of top 150 recruits in Wyatt Voelker and Chet Buss. The two could develop into the anchors at the end of the Panthers lineup. Though those weights don't appear to be pressing needs, it's always good to have a pair of recruits of that caliber sign on. Both were two-time state champions. Schwab and his staff ventured outside to the state borders and Landed a huge signee in Cory Land. The 2021 Cadet Greco world silver medalist made the Super 32 finals on two occasions and placed top-three at the event three times. He also was dominant in his home state with four Alabama state titles. 2021 Ranking: NR Next Five: Cal Poly, Columbia, North Dakota State, Minnesota, South Dakota State

4x NCAA qualifier Bryan Lantry (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat! Every day, for the next few months, we'll look into the recent history of a DI wrestling program with our "Ten Years of…" feature. Even if you're a die-hard supporter of a particular school, there will be good information you may have forgotten. For others, it's a quick way to learn about a program you may not be familiar with. We're going in alphabetical order for this one, so next up is…Buffalo! For past teams: Air Force American Appalachian State Arizona State Army West Point Binghamton Bloomsburg Brown Bucknell NCAA Qualifiers (26) 2022 149 - John Arceri (#29); 157 - Michael Petite (#29); 174 - Jay Nivison (#29) 2021 157 - Michael Petite (#31); 285 - Sam Schuyler (#26) 2020 133 - Derek Spann (#21); #165 - Troy Keller (#19) 2019 133 - Derek Spann (#25); 141 - Bryan Lantry (#18); 157 - Alex Smythe (#29); 165 - Troy Keller (#27); 197 - Brett Perry (#31); 285 - Jake Gunning 2018 133 - Bryan Lantry (#13); 285 - Jake Gunning 2017 125 - Kyle Akins; 133 - Bryan Lantry (#11); 285 - Jake Gunning 2016 133 - Bryan Lantry; 149 - Colt Cotten; 184 - Joe Ariola 2014 141 - Nick Flannery 2013 125 - Max Soria; 149 - Blake Roulo; 165 - Mark Lewandowski; 174 - John-Martin Cannon NCAA Champions None NCAA All-Americans None NCAA Round of 12 Finishers Bryan Lantry: 133 (2017) MAC Champions 2020: Troy Keller (165) 2019: Troy Keller (165); Brett Perry (197) 2017: Jake Gunning (285) Dual Records 2021-22: 12-6 2021: 4-3 2019-20: 9-11 2018-19: 12-5 2017-18: 5-12 2016-17: 11-6 2015-16: 10-9 2014-15: 5-14 2013-14: 3-17 2012-13: 1-11 MAC Tournament Placement 2021-22: 4th 2021: 9th 2019-20: 10th 2018-19: 2nd 2017-18: 6th 2016-17: 6th 2015-16: 7th 2014-15: None 2013-14: 9th 2012-13: 7th NCAA Tournament Team Placement 2021-22: 61st-tie(0 points) 2021: 54th-tie (1 point) 2019-20: No Tournament 2018-19: 53rd-tie (1 point) 2017-18: 65th-tie (0 points) 2016-17: 39th (5.5 points) 2015-16: 48th-tie (3.5 points) 2014-15: Did not compete 2013-14: 66th (0 points) 2012-13: 57th-tie (1.5 points) Head Coaching History John Stutzman (2013-Present) Jim Beichner (1995-2013) Best Lineup (Comprised of wrestlers from 2013-22) 125 - Kyle Akins: 2017 NCAA Qualifier 133 - Derek Spann: 2x NCAA Qualifier (#21 and #25th seeds); 2019 MAC runner-up 141 - Bryan Lantry: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#11, #13, and #18th seeds); 3x MAC runner-up; 2017 NCAA Round of 12 finisher 149 - John Arceri: 2022 NCAA Qualifier 157 - Michael Petite: 2x NCAA Qualifier (#29 and #31st seeds) 165 - Mark Lewandowski: 3x NCAA Qualifier; 2011 MAC champion, 2011 NCAA Round of 12 finisher 174 - John-Martin Cannon: 3x NCAA Qualifier; 2011 MAC champion; 3x MAC finalist 184 - Joe Ariola: 2016 NCAA Qualifier 197 - Brett Perry: 2019 NCAA Qualifier; 2019 MAC champion 285 - Jake Gunning: 3x NCAA Qualifier; 2017 MAC champion Recruiting Big Boarder's Per Year 2022: #158 Dylan Schell (NY); #205 Chase Kranitz (PA) 2020: #153 Justin McDougald (NY) 2015: #83 Tommy Forte (IN) 2014: #116 Kyle Akins (IL); #150 Levi Ashley (NY) 2013: #143 Joe Ariola (IL) International Accolades (Active team members and alums) Muhamed McBryde - 2019 U23 World Team (freestyle) Alex Smythe - 2018 U23 World Team (freestyle)

Vincenzo Joseph (left) and Carter Starocci (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) USA Wrestling has announced that there will be 11 True Third National Team Wrestle-offs held to determine the No. 3 athlete on USA Wrestling's National Team These wrestle-offs are held after the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament under a specific circumstance. These matches are held in weight classes where a World medalist has previously qualified for Final X, and when the runner-up at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament did not wrestle against the third-place finisher. Basically, this True Third National Team Wrestle-off match will determine the No. 3 athlete for the 2022-23 National Team, which makes the winner eligible for National Team support, including financial support, training opportunities and competition opportunities. There will be six True Third National Team Wrestle-offs in men's freestyle, four in women's freestyle and one in Greco-Roman. Two of the True Third National Team Wrestle-offs will be held prior to Final X Stillwater at Gallagher Iba Arena at Oklahoma State on Friday, June 3, starting at 12:30 p.m. Seven of the True Third National Team Wrestle-offs will be held prior to Final X New York at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, June 8, also starting at 12:30 p.m. Below are the match-ups for each location in the order of the bouts. TRUE THIRD NATIONAL TEAM WRESTLE-OFFS At Stillwater, Okla., Friday, June 3 Starting at 12:30 p.m. at Gallagher-Iba Arena Men's freestyle 57 kg – Jakob Camacho (Wolfpack RTC/TMWC) vs. Zane Richards (Illinois RTC/TMWC) Men's freestyle 74 kg – Joey Lavallee (Lehigh Valley WC/TMWC) vs. David Carr (Cyclone RTC/TMWC) TRUE THIRD NATIONAL TEAM WRESTLE-OFFS At New York, N.Y., Wednesday, June 8 Starting at 12:30 p.m. at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden Greco-Roman 97 kg – Hadyn Maley (Beaver Dam RTC) vs. Luke Sheridan (Army WCAP) Women's Freestyle 55 kg – Lauren Mason (Brunson UVRTC) vs. Alisha Howk (Sunkist Kids) Men's Freestyle 61 kg –Daniel DeShazer (Gopher WC RTC) vs. Nico Megaludis (Pittsburgh WC/TMWC) Women's Freestyle 57 kg – Cameron Guerin (Bearcat RTC/TMWC) vs. Amanda Martinez (Cardinal WC/TMWC) Men's Freestyle 79 kg – Vincenzo Joseph (California RTC/TMWC) vs. Carter Starocci (Nittany Lion WC/TMWC) Women's Freestyle 62 kg – Macey Kilty vs. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Alexandria Liles (Army WCAP) Men's Freestyle 86 kg – Mark Hall (Pennsylvania RTC/TMWC) vs. Trent Hidlay (Wolfpack RTC/TMWC) Women's Freestyle 65 kg – Emma Bruntil (USOPTC/TMWC) vs. Maya Letona (NYC RTC) Men's Freestyle 92 kg – Isaac Trumble (Wolfpack RTC/TMWC) vs. Jonathan Aiello (Cavalier WC/TMWC)

Kyle Snyder (left) and Kollin Moore at the 2020 Olympic Trials (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Final X is set! Just over two weeks from now, our 2022 world team will be set. There will be 30 matches across three styles at two different locations. Before we dig deep into previews for each of the individual Final X bouts, we've decided to look at some storylines that have developed as the lineup was confirmed. And by some storylines, we mean two for each matchup. Basically, what are we thinking about when breaking down these contests and why may they be exciting to follow (aside from the high stakes of a world team). Men's Freestyle 57 kg - Thomas Gilman vs. Vito Arujau - Olympic Trials final rematch - Can Gilman continue to perform at his 2021 level? 61 kg - Daton Fix vs. Seth Gross - Daton Fix in front of the home crowd - Gross remains one of the most exciting, high-scoring wrestlers 65 kg - Yianni Diakomihalis vs. Evan Henderson - Two former training partners at Spartan Combat - Veteran Henderson continues to improve 70 kg - Zain Retherford vs. Jordan Oliver - Two Pennsylvania legends squaring off - Can Oliver finally get over the hump and make a world team? 74 kg - Kyle Dake vs. Jason Nolf - Cornell/Penn State legends square off. Final X 2019 controversy - Is the dominant Nolf ready to take that next step? 79 kg - Jordan Burroughs vs. Chance Marsteller - Can Burroughs remain on top in his second decade of international competition? - The incredible redemption story of Chance Marsteller 86 kg - David Taylor vs. Zahid Valencia - Another veteran trying to fend off the up-and-comer - How has Valencia changed/improved during his time away? 92 kg - J'den Cox vs. Nate Jackson - Two close friends/training partners competing for world team spot - Nate Jackson's near-disastrous drug testing fiasco 97 kg - Kyle Snyder vs. Kollin Moore - Olympic Trials rematch - Former teammates/training partners 125 kg - Nick Gwiazdowski vs. Hayden Zillmer - Zillmer continues to move up in weight and find late-career success (Final X 2018 @ 92 kg) - Gwiazdowski competes in his home state after moving back to coach/train at Cornell Women's Freestyle 50 kg - Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Alyssa Lampe - Can Hildebrandt improve from a pair of medals in 2021? - Past world medalist Lampe is fresh off a dominating performance at the Trials. 53 kg - Felicity Taylor vs. Dom Parrish - New weight and great results for Parrish - Can Taylor continue her rapid ascent up 53 kg? 55 kg - Jenna Burkert vs. Jacarra Winchester - Colossal rematch between two world medalists. Most anticipated women's series? - Can Winchester get back to world championship form? 57 kg - Helen Maroulis vs. Alex Hedrick - How much has Hedrick improved since their last Final X/wrestle-off meeting? - Hedrick emerges from a balanced WTT's field. 59 kg - Abby Nette vs. Lexie Basham - Nette missed significant time with a shoulder injury, but may be better than ever - Basham performs despite coaching controversy at Texas Wesleyan 62 kg - Kayla Miracle vs. Jennifer Rogers - Miracle went through the Open w/o surrendering a point and pinned Page in 0:18. Does the dominance continue? - Can the vaulted NLWC staff made adjustments to bring this to a more competitive match? 65 kg - Forrest Molinari vs. Mallory Velte - The most physical of any women's freestyle series this year - Velte back to world medalist form at new weight and training situation 68 kg - Tamyra Mensah-Stock vs. Sienna Ramirez - A win gives Mensah-Stock seven straight world/Olympic teams. Most consecutive on women's side. - Who is the young Sienna Ramirez? 72 kg - Skylar Grote vs. Amit Elor - Does the correct weight class equal a world team for Grote? - Is the future now for 2021 Cadet and Junior world champion Elor? 76 kg - Dymond Guilford vs. Yelena Makoyed - Who gets the spot in Adeline Gray's absence? - Could Yelena Makoyed be North Central's first Senior World team member? Greco-Roman 55 kg - Max Nowry vs. Brady Koontz - Final X Rutgers rematch (2019) - Ohio State slowly becoming solid location for Greco hopefuls 60 kg - Ildar Hafizov vs. Dalton Roberts - Army WCAP teammates clash - 2021 WTT's rematch (won by Roberts in three matches) 63 kg - Sam Jones vs. Jesse Thielke - Perhaps the best Greco matchup of Final X - At almost 30, is Jesse Thielke back to his Olympian form? 67 kg - Alex Sancho vs. Alston Nutter - Sancho made 2020 Olympic Team, but fell in 2021 WTT's. Can he get back on the world stage? - Is Nutter ready to take the next step? Has made three age-group world team (1 Jr bronze medal) 72 kg - Patrick Smith vs. Benji Peak - Rematch of tight 2021 final series, won by Smith - Possible passing of the torch from veteran Smith to up-and-coming Peak 77 kg - Kamal Bey vs. Britton Holmes - Army WCAP teammates clash - Is Bey back to “Face of American Greco” status? 82 kg - Ben Provisor vs. Spencer Woods - Fifth World/Olympic Team for Provisor? - Can Woods continue to narrow the gap against the savvy vet? 87 kg - Alan Vera vs. Timothy Young - Is Vera most dominant in domestic Greco; comparable to weight class? - From Old Dominion University to Final X for Young 97 kg - G'Angelo Hancock vs. Braxton Amos - Olympic Trials Finals Rematch - The first of many world medals for Hancock 130 kg - Cohlton Schultz vs. Tanner Farmer - The most prominent collegiate wrestler on the Greco side in Schultz - Farmer's journey from the U of Nebraska gridiron to Final X

Benji Peak at the 2022 World Team Trials (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) The World Team Trials Challenge Tournament determined the final competitors for Final X. Those who win their best-of-three contests at Final X will advance to represent the U.S. at the upcoming Senior-level World Championships. While many of the best domestic competitors were sitting in Final X and awaiting opponents, there were plenty of high-level wrestlers in action over the weekend. The following looks at the statistical accomplishments of some of those wrestlers and previews their challenges at Final X. Over the last few years, there have been very few wrestlers who have been able to put up points on the domestic scene like Benjamin Peak. The Greco specialist is still looking for his first Senior-level World team, but he has claimed a pair of U.S. Open titles and finished second at both the 2020 Olympic Trials Challenge Tournament and the 2021 World Team Trials. This past weekend, he earned a spot in Final X and a rematch against Pat Smith, who bested him in last year's Trials finals. As always, Peak got it done with his dynamic offense. In his two matches, he averaged 13.02 points per minute. Even though he allowed 2.26 per minute, he still finished with a +10.75 point differential. Both his points per minute rate and point differential were far and away the highest of the tournament across all three styles. Fellow Greco competitor Alan Vera was second in both categories, and his points per minute rate (8.57) was nearly four and a half points lower. Peak bested both of his opponents, Ryan Wheeler and Michael Hooker, in a combined 106 seconds. In that limited time, he put a whopping 23 points on the scoreboard. Against Wheeler, he scored a takedown off a missed throw attempt and quickly added a gut wrench. After the restart, Peak went double unders and scored a four to end the bout (FloArena has the result listed as a fall, but it clearly seems to be VSU). In Peak's next bout, Hooker actually started the scoring with an early four-point arm throw. Almost immediately Peak got back in the match with a takedown. He then locked in a trap-arm gut wrench and finished the bout with six turns. Hooker challenged the sequence, which only gave Peak another point. In theory, the match should have been called when the score hit 12-4 since that would have been an eight-point differential, but looks like the referee and scorers gave him an extra gut wrench. On the other side of the 72-kg bracket, Smith also took care of business with a pair of victories over Noah Wachsmuth and Jamel Johnson. While Smith only averaged 2.27 points per minute, he did have the edge against Peak in their two-match series at the last trials. In those matches, Peak was able to keep it close, but he scored only seven points and notched only one two-point score. Peak has shown the ability to put points on the board, but they have come at a premium against Smith. Some early offense could go a long way to knocking off Smith at Final X Stillwater and making the World team. On the women's freestyle side, Skylar Grote had the highest point differential at +6.98. Of course, her trip to Final X at 72 kg consisted of only one match at the Trials. She scored a 10-0 VSU win over Marilyn Garcia. Even though it was a small sample size, the performance was in line with how Grote has been performing recently. She had a +6.09 point differential at the recent Pan American Championships, which was the fifth-highest differential across all three styles. Interestingly enough, none of the competitors in men's freestyle were able to crack the top five in terms of point differential at the World Team Trials. The closest, and the competitor with the best differential in the style, was Yianni Diakomihalis He finished with a +6.56 differential thanks to a pair of 10-0 match termination victories over Luke Pletcher and Ian Parker. In the Final X match at 65 kg, he will face off against Evan Henderson who qualified for the event after defeating Pat Lugo and scoring upsets over both Kendric Maple and Nick Lee. Top Five Point Differential Performances Benjamin Peak (72 kg/GR) +10.75 Alan Vera (87 kg/GR) +8.57 Jesse Thielka (63 kg/GR) +7.91 Skylar Grote (72 kg/WFS) +6.98 Sammy Jones (63 kg/GR) +6.58 While all of the wrestlers mentioned above had prolific offensive performances, defense remains an integral element of success for many competitors. Across all three styles, there were 18 wrestlers who did not surrender a single point in the tournament. All 18 of those wrestlers qualified for Final X and will have a shot at the upcoming World team. While it is certainly not always the case, the Greco competitors were really letting it fly over the weekend. Of the top 20-point differential performances, 11 came in Greco brackets. Despite this, there was only an average of 9.73 points scored combined in the Greco matches compared to 10.57 scored in men's freestyle matches. While there was a lot of scoring in the Greco style, it was mostly one-sided matches. As you can see in the following chart, folks were getting blown out left and right in the no-leg-grabbing style. In terms of highest scoring matches, there were three bouts that ended with 27 points on the board. On the Greco side, Cole Smith and Dominic Robertson had the potential for an even higher scoring contest. However, Robertson bowed out in the final minute with an injury. He hit a four-point throw to cut the lead but injured his arm on the throw, which ended the match. At heavyweight in the men's freestyle division, Demetrius Thomas and Jordan Wood also finished with 27 points. Wood actually scored the first four points on the bout, but the former Pittsburgh wrestler got back into things with a four-pointer. After going to the break up 9-6, Thomas blew it open in the second period and took the VSU1 win by a 19-8 score. Down at 57 kg, Michael Tortorice maintained control over Aden Reeves on the way to a 19-8 match termination victory. However, Reeves deserves credit for hanging in the match. Tortorice held an 8-4 lead at the break, but Reeves managed to close it to 9-8 less than a minute into the second period. In the end, Tortorice finished things off with a takedown into a leg lace with 29 seconds left in the match.

2021 NCAA All-American Zach Hartman (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat! Every day, for the next few months, we'll look into the recent history of a DI wrestling program with our "Ten Years of…" feature. Even if you're a die-hard supporter of a particular school, there will be good information you may have forgotten. For others, it's a quick way to learn about a program you may not be familiar with. We're going in alphabetical order for this one, so next up is…Bucknell! For past teams: Air Force American Appalachian State Arizona State Army West Point Binghamton Bloomsburg Brown NCAA Qualifiers (25) 2022 165 - Zach Hartman (#12) 2021 133- Darren Miller (#26); 165 - Zach Hartman (#5) 2020 165 - Zach Hartman (#16); 197 - Drew Phipps (#16) 2019 157 - Zach Hartman (#14); 197 - Drew Phipps (#28) 2018 141 - Tyler Smith (#12) 2017 141 - Tyler Smith (#15); 157 - Victor Lopez (#16); 184 - Garrett Hoffman; 197 - Tom Sleigh (#13) 2016 125 - Paul Petrov (#12); 141 - Tyler Smith; 149 - Victor Lopez; 174 - Rustin Barrick; 184 - Tom Sleigh; 285 - Joe Stolfi (#10) 2015 125 - Paul Petrov (#16); 141 - Tyler Smith; 184 - Tom Sleigh; 285 - Joe Stolfi (#14) 2014 125 - Paul Petrov; 285 - Joe Stolfi 2013 285 - Joe Stolfi NCAA Champions None NCAA All-Americans Zach Hartman (2021 - 6th) NWCA All-Americans Zach Hartman (Honorable Mention) NCAA Round of 12 Finishers Tyler Smith: 141 (2017, 2018) Joe Stolfi: 285 (2013) EIWA Champions 2021: Zach Hartman (165) 2013: Joe Stolfi (285) EIWA Runner's-Up 2020: Zach Hartman (165); Drew Phipps (197) 2019: Zach Hartman (157) 2018: Tyler Smith (141) 2017: Tom Sleigh (197) 2016: Paul Petrov (125); Joe Stolfi (285) 2015: Joe Stolfi (285) Dual Record 2021-22: 12-6 2021: 0-3 2019-20: 10-6 2018-19: 7-11 2017-18: 3-14 2016-17: 12-4 2015-16: 12-6 2014-15: 15-4 2013-14: 10-11 2012-13: 6-14 EIWA Tournament Placement 2021-22: 11th 2021: 6th 2019-20: 7th 2018-19: 13th 2017-18: 14th 2016-17: 6th 2015-16: 3rd 2014-15: 3rd 2013-14: 15th 2012-13: 10th NCAA Tournament Team Placement 2021-22: 48th-tie (2.5 points) 2021: 34th (11 points) 2019-20: No Tournament 2018-19: 49th-tie (1.5 points) 2017-18: 50th-tie (2 points) 2016-17: 40th (5 points) 2015-16: 32nd-tie (10 points) 2014-15: 45th-tie (3 points) 2013-14: 53rd-tie (3 points) 2012-13: 46th-tie (3.5 points) Head Coaching History Dan Wirnsberger (2005-present) Best Lineup (Comprised of wrestlers from 2013-22) 125 - Paul Petrov: 3x NCAA Qualifier (#12 and #16 seeds); 2016 EIWA runner-up 133 - Darren Miller: 2021 NCAA Qualifier 141 - Tyler Smith: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#12 and #15 seeds); 2018 EIWA runner-up; 2x NCAA Round of 12 finisher 149 - Victor Lopez: 2x NCAA Qualifier 157 - Jaden Fisher; 2x EIWA placer (6th and 8th) 165 - Zach Hartman: 4x NCAA Qualifier, 2021 NCAA 6th; 3x EIWA finalist, 2021 EIWA champion 174 - Rustin Barrick: 2016 NCAA Qualifier 184 - Tom Sleigh: 4x NCAA Qualifier (1x for Virginia Tech); 2017 EIWA runner-up 197 - Drew Phipps: 2x NCAA Qualifier; 2020 EIWA runner-up 285 - Joe Stolfi: 4x NCAA Qualifier (#10 and #14 seeds); 3x EIWA finalist, 2014 EIWA champion, 2013 NCAA Round of 12 finisher Recruiting Big Boarder's Per Year 2022: #134 Logan Shepherd (OH); #174 Johnny Lopez (CA); #220 Murphy Menke (CO); #241 Michael Bartusch (CT) 2021: #156 Dylan Chappell (PA); #215 Logan Deacetis (IL); #274 Aiden Lewis (PA); #283 Kolby DePron (OK) 2020: #84 Dorian Crosby (PA); #124 Kurtis Phipps (PA); #154 Austin Walley (PA) 2016: #132 Drew Phipps (PA); #143 Joey Gould (PA); #149 Garrett Hoffman (PA) 2015: #135 David Hollingshead (PA) 2014: #62 Tyler Smith (PA); #98 Zach Valley (PA); #138 Tom Sleigh (PA) 2013: #191 Victor Lopez (CA)

2022 NCAA All-American Jake Bergeland (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com) MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota wrestling senior Jake Bergeland has announced that he will elect to return to the program for an additional year of competition next season. The Hugo, Minn., native will be exercising his extra year of eligibility, which was granted under NCAA guidelines due to the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Bergeland was one of the more fascinating stories in all of collegiate wrestling last season, going from relatively unknown to a 2022 NCAA All-American at 141 pounds earlier this March. In his first season as a starter for the Maroon & Gold, Bergeland posted a 24-9 record on the season, including 12 wins over ranked opponents and a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships in Detroit. His career marks currently sit at a record of 57-25, with 22 bonus-point victories and a 5-4 record in dual competition. Now heading into the 2022-23 season, there will be lofty expectations for the sixth-year senior as Bergeland heads into next year as the fourth-highest returning NCAA placewinner and will also be one of the leaders of a deep Golden Gopher program that will return nine starters from a season ago. Dates and opponents for the 2022-23 season are still yet to be announced.

2022 NCAA runner-up Patrick Glory after his semifinal win (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The "Glory Days" aren't ending for Patrick Glory just because his Princeton wrestling career soon winds down. The NCAA runner-up has big plans for his life, and he's pursuing them this offseason at the expense of trying to make another United States World Team. While many of the nation's top wrestlers are on their competitive grind on the World Team Trials circuit, Glory is spending time in the Bahamas, working his routines, trusting his training, and focusing his energies on a Wall Street internship that runs from June to August. In Glory's mind, he knows himself, knows how to train, and has zero doubts about his ability to stoke his competitive fire again in the fall, so this summer is about life and balance. "To me, it's always been a huge, huge motivator," Glory said of seeking wrestling-life balance. "It's always been a huge factor for me and my family, just being a complete individual. I feel like I owe it to so many people who have gotten me to this point. It's really, really hard and it's very time-consuming, but I think I enjoy balancing everything." Glory will spend 10 weeks in a rotational program with CitiGroup in finance that he plans to be a huge piece of the next chapter in his life. If all goes to plan, the future will also include wrestling and training for the 2024 Olympics, but nothing has been etched in stone. That's the whole point as Glory ponders a career and life after Princeton wrestling. Coach Chris Ayres can only assume that his three-time All-American will outwork and out-hustle everyone on the trading floor, which should have Wall Street execs eventually tripping over themselves to hire him on a full-time basis. As talented as Glory is on a wrestling mat, Ayres is quick to note that he is even more coachable and eager to learn. Those are traits that can take him far, and he intends to start that journey right away. "He's just got such an advantage when he walks in, whatever he's going to do," Ayres said. "He's going to dominate because he's gone through this. I believe our guys are the toughest guys in the country 100 percent because they have to go through the academics, then we run like a Big Ten schedule. He's ready." 2022 NCAA runner-up Patrick Glory's semifinal bout with Vito Arujau (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Glory has had plenty thrown at him in his Princeton career and nothing has broken him yet, so Ayres might be onto something. Last season, Glory worked through injuries and social media truthers who accused him of ducking opponents. He battled a tough weight cut to stick at 125 pounds and bounced back from a loss to Cornell's Vito Arujau, by beating him in the NCAA semifinals, before dropping a 5-3 decision to Michigan's Nick Suriano in the finals. All those events came on the heels of a 2020-'21 season that the Ivy League canceled and a 2019-'20 season where the NCAA Championships were called off. All told, the NCAA appearance was Glory's first since placing sixth as a freshman in 2018-'19 and it was his first-ever appearance in an NCAA final, which might not have been the case had he gotten the opportunity to compete in the two previous national tournaments. As much wrestling - and winning - as Glory did through his time at Delbarton High School in New Jersey and early at Princeton, he was still on a learning curve at NCAAs. "What didn't I learn at NCAAs, I think, is the easier question to answer," Glory said. "The NCAA tournament is such a different atmosphere and incredibly competitive. I think having the experience there goes a long way. That experience sophomore year would have helped so much in terms of helping me know what to prepare for. Three years off is a long time. "You can say it doesn't matter and put it out of your head the best you can, but the reality is, I think just being one year more veteran to that tournament would have helped me out a lot in that scenario." Glory will have that year of experience going into the 2022-'23 season, and, in all likelihood, he'll be back to do battle again at 125 pounds. Whether or not the cut is a challenge, it's one that Glory is embracing and admits he can handle better. That work will begin with an intimate relationship with new Princeton sports dietitian Hector Martinez, who Glory expects can help eliminate the "buoying" of his weight and post-weigh-in habits. "I think it's going to be hard, but I think it's the situation that gives me the best chance to win," Glory said. "I think I can definitely do it better and definitely be more systematic about it, so I think I'm going to approach that with more intention, but I think the decision has been made that we're going to be going back down. "Shout out to Hector. I think we'll be spending a lot of time together." Patrick Glory at the 2021 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational finals (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Glory will likely be returning to a weight class that should include Iowa's Spencer Lee, as opposed to going up to 133 and staring down Penn State's Roman Bravo-Young and Oklahoma State's Daton Fix. It's a familiar position for Glory, where he hasn't entered a postseason as "The Guy" at his weight, but he's always adjacent to it. Glory embraces that underdog role, even if he doesn't fully agree with it. "You can talk numbers all day, but I think in my head, that's not really the case," Glory said. "When you get to this certain level where you can compete, you have to have this crazy self-confidence that may be delusional in some sense. I think wrestling those guys and seeing where I've ended up, it's not like I'm not one of them." The time will soon come to prove that once again, maybe at which point Glory gets another chance to run out for the finals to Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days," as he did to face Suriano. "It was really cool for my family and everybody," Glory said. "We have a lot of ties to that song, and my grandfather's boat was named the Glory Days. Super cool." To ensure the glory doesn't end at his Princeton graduation, he is preparing himself now for life while taking a rare mental break from competition. Ayres has no doubts that Glory will be ready to make another NCAA title run this winter and that he'll someday be a dominating force on the trading floor, or wherever else he chooses. "I'm not worried about any of our guys when they get out," Ayres said. "They're going to break the other employees."

New Spartan Combat RTC member Michael Kemerer (photo courtesy of Spartan Combat) This weekend was full of highlights for the Spartan Combat RTC. Three athletes, Vito Arujau, Yianni Diakomihalis, and Nick Gwiazdowski, earned spots in Final X, bringing the RTC's total to four, with Kyle Dake previously accepting his slot. In addition, Youssif Hemida won the African Championship at 125 kg. But the great news didn't stop there, as Spartan received a commitment from another elite individual shortly afterwards - Michael Kemerer. Kemerer, a five-time All-American at Iowa, will be moving to Ithaca later this summer to join Spartan Combat RTC as a resident athlete and to assist with coaching. “The opportunity offered everything I was looking for,” Kemerer said. “The alumni network is amazing and it's a great place for wrestling, with great people and great coaches. It hit all the areas I was looking to develop myself in on and off the mat.” Kemerer completed his career with 100 wins for the Hawkeyes, finishing in the top four every time he competed at NCAAs. After undergoing shoulder surgery a little over a month ago, the Big 10 champion is currently in the recovery process. “Right now, my number one priority is to get healthy and get back on the mat,” he said. “I'm excited to help with coaching - I look forward to sharing my wrestling knowledge and influencing younger guys. I had a lot of good influences in my life and I'm excited to pass along what I've learned.” A three-time Fargo All-American in high school, Kemerer competed in freestyle early in his college career, winning the Junior Freestyle Nationals in Vegas and taking third at University Nationals. While he said he was “banged up” in the offseason a number of times while at Iowa, he continued to practice freestyle in the room and can't wait to be at 79 kilograms for Spartan. “It's a perfect weight for me,” Kemerer said. “I'll have a lot of partners that can help me develop - that was a big appeal. I'm excited to see some new perspectives and wrestle with some new guys, pick their brains and share what I know. I see a lot of people here who have really high standards and have set their sights on lofty goals. I think of myself the same way, so it feels like a great fit in a place that is having a lot of success.” Welcome to the Spartan Combat RTC, Michael Kemerer!

2021 NCAA All-American Taylor LaMont (photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Today, 2021 NCAA All-American Taylor LaMont announced his transfer intentions. LaMont will move to the Big Ten to compete for Wisconsin for his final year of collegiate eligibility. During his time at Utah Valley, Lamont has qualified for the NCAA Championships on four occasions, three times at 125 lbs and once at 133. As a freshman, LaMont won the 2017 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, marking the first time a Wolverine wrestler won the event. He went on to finish third at the Big 12 Championships and earned the seventh seed at his first national tournament. LaMont eventually fell in the NCAA bloodround. His best year came in 2021, when LaMont was a conference runner-up and received the seventh seed again. This time, LaMont locked up All-American status by getting to the NCAA semifinals. A loss in tiebreakers to Brandon Courtney (Arizona State), bumped him to the consolations, where he'd bounce back to take fifth. In 2021-22, LaMont only saw action in eight matches before the Big 12 Championships. He still locked up automatic qualifier status by placing fifth. LaMont was kept off the podium in Detroit after suffering sudden victory/tiebreaker losses to conference foes Killian Cardinale (West Virginia) and Joey Prata (Oklahoma). He did log wins over #12 seed Malik Heinselman (Ohio State) and #22 Ryan Miller (Penn). In addition to LaMont's collegiate exploits, he has plenty of experience and accomplishments on the Greco-Roman front. LaMont has made a stunning seven age-group world teams (2 Cadets, 3 Junior, 2 U23) in that style. On four occasions, LaMont has wrestled for a world medal, coming away with a bronze at the Junior level, in 2016. Inserting LaMont into the Badger lineup could make Wisconsin quite potent in 2022-23. He would likely slot into the 133 lb role. Wisconsin's returning starter is Kyle Burwick, a two-time qualifier that was 14-17 last season with an 0-2 showing at nationals. LaMont's addition would give Wisconsin five returning All-Americans (Eric Barnett - 125, Austin Gomez - 149, Dean Hamiti - 165, Trent Hillger - 285).