InterMat Staff

Oak Glen

While the eyes of the international wrestling community were focused on Fairfax, Virginia for the Olympic Team Trials Last Chance Qualifier, about 200 miles southeast, in Virginia Beach was one of the bigger high school events of the spring - NHSCA Nationals. Before the proliferation of national tournaments every weekend or two, NHSCA Senior Nationals and Fargo were held as the gold standards of high school wrestling. With more opportunities to compete against quality competition, NHSCA’s and Fargo have taken their share of hits - in terms of the top, top recruits entering their events. With that being said, there were still plenty of future collegiate wrestlers on the mat in Virginia Beach. Below are wrestlers who have committed to wrestle at the next level and finished on the podium at NHSCA Junior and Senior Nationals - sorted by school. For more recruiting information, check InterMat’s College Commitment page. If there’s a commitment that was overlooked, please contact me earl@matscouts.com or fill out the commitment sheet. Adams State Noah Torres (AZ): Senior National 7th Place (138 lbs) Air Force Rylan Kuhn (MO): Junior National Runner-Up (285 lbs) American Caleb Close (PA): Junior National Champion (182 lbs) Leo Maestas (CA): Junior National Champion: (126 lbs) Colin Martin (VA): Junior National 4th Place (126 lbs) Appalachian State Jarvis Little (TN): Senior National Runner-Up (132 lbs) Arizona State Joseph Manfredi (NY): Senior National 5th Place (152 lbs) Army West Point Charles Weidman (CT): Junior National Runner-Up (220 lbs) Augustana Jaret Peterson (NE): Senior National 4th Place (195 lbs) Bellarmine Noah Hall (VA): Senior National 8th Place (170 lbs) Binghamton Brogan Fielding (OH): Senior National 4th Place (138 lbs) Brown Nico Fanella (PA): Junior National Runner-Up (120 lbs) Buffalo Stephan Monchery (NY): Senior National Champion (285 lbs) Coy Raines (NY): Senior National 3rd Place (195 lbs) Braidon Woodward (NY): Senior National 5th/6th (170 lbs) Campbell Max Brady (FL): Junior National 3rd Place (132 lbs) Kendrick Hodge (FL): Senior National Champion (160 lbs) Mikey Trujillo (PA): Senior National 3rd Place (138 lbs) Kaleb Wright (NJ): Senior National 8th Place (195 lbs) Chattanooga Ethan Uhorchuk (TN): Junior National 3rd Place (126 lbs) Coast Guard Nick Sanders (VA): Senior National 4th Place (126 lbs) Columbia Spencer Fine (RI): Senior National 5th Place (182 lbs) Oliver Howard (AL): Senior National 4th Place (170 lbs) Cornell Danny Aranda (FL): Senior National 3rd Place (132 lbs) Gabriel Bouyssou (RI): Senior National Champion (145 lbs) Sergio Vega (AZ): Junior National Champion (138 lbs) Delaware Valley Christian Ford (PA): Senior National 4th Place (132 lbs) Iowa Keyan Hernandez (MT): Senior National Champion (126 lbs) Iowa State Carlos Stanton (AZ): Senior National 6th Place (145 lbs) Johnson & Wales Peyton Ellis (RI): Senior National Runner-Up (126 lbs) Lander Isaac Sheeran (TX): Senior National 5th Place (195 lbs) Life Jett McCauley (FL): Senior National 8th Place (182 lbs) Konlin Weaver (GA): Senior National Champion (152 lbs) Little Rock Tyson Roach (LA): Senior National 3rd Place (120 lbs) Lock Haven Ousmane Duncanson (NY): Senior National 5th/6th (170 lbs) Griffin Walizer (PA): Senior National 8th Place (138 lbs) Connor Wetzel (PA); Junior National Champion (170 lbs) McKendree Marcos Torrez (WA): Senior National Runner-Up (138 lbs) Minnesota Dawson Johnson (WI): Senior National Champion (138 lbs) Montevallo Willie Cox (AL): Senior National 6th Place (285 lbs) Navy Coltyn Reedy (OH): Junior National 4th Place (152 lbs) North Dakota State Tayshaun Glover (NC): Senior National 4th Place (182 lbs) Northern Iowa Logan Paradice (GA): Junior National Runner-Up (145 lbs) Penn Omer Barak (FL): Senior National Runner-Up (170 lbs) Penn State PJ Duke (NY): Junior National Champion (152 lbs) Pittsburgh Evan Petrovich (PA): Junior National 5th Place (145 lbs) Princeton Conor McCloskey (GA): Junior National 3rd Place (182 lbs) Rider Jacob Zearfoss (NJ): Senior National 7th Place (170 lbs) Roanoke Samuel Aponte (NC): Senior National 4th Place (113 lbs) Virginia Macon Ayres (VA): Junior National 3rd Place (160 lbs) Brenan Morgan (PA): Senior National Champion (220 lbs) Virginia Tech Claudio Torres (FL): Junior National Champion (160 lbs) VMI Logan Chambers (VA): Senior National 6th Place (160 lbs) West Liberty Logan Davis (WV): Senior National Champion (120 lbs) West Virginia Anthony Clem (NY): Senior National 4th Place (126 lbs) Joseph Clem (NY): Senior National 8th Place (132 lbs) Williams Fisher Stites (CT): Senior National 8th Place (160 lbs) Wisconsin Tyson Waughtel (IL): Junior National 6th Place (120 lbs) York Vincent Paolucci (MD): Senior National 7th Place (126 lbs)

Interviews with all six men's freestyle champions from the 2024 Last Chance Qualifier for the Olympic Team Trials 57 kg: Jax Forrest 65 kg: Matt Kolodzik 74 kg: Vincenzo Joseph 86 kg: David McFadden 97 kg: Christian Carroll 125 kg: Jaron Smith

The buzz surrounding the men’s freestyle portion of the Last Chance Qualifier focused on the young kids. High school teammates Jax Forrest (57 kg) and Bo Bassett (65 kg) made the finals of the tournament and saw a match away from a berth in the 2024 Olympic Trials. The six finals matches were arranged so that the two high school phenoms would close out the event in back-to-back bouts. One of the two ended up punching his ticket to State College, Pennsylvania in less than two weeks - Forrest at 57 kg. In a clash of styles and body type, Forrest and veteran Nathan Tomasello, a 2015 NCAA champion, squared off for the lightweight berth in the final bout of the afternoon. Less than :30 seconds into the bout, Forrest struck in a major way with a four-point fireman’s carry. Still within the first period, Forrest added to his lead with a takedown off of a throw-by. Later in the period, Tomasello got to a leg attack, but was stopped in a scramble by Forrest. During the flurry, Forrest grabbed a crotch lock and tossed it for four points, which ended the match. Forrest will join a loaded 57 kg weight class that features past world medalists like Thomas Gilman, Vito Arujau, Daton Fix, and many more. Just before Forrest took the mat, Bassett was teched by an experienced opponent of his own, Matt Kolodzik. The Princeton All-American quickly got on the board with a throw-by for a takedown and quickly transitioned into a gut wrench - taking a commanding 4-0 lead. Quickly after the ensuing restart, Kolodzik hit a double leg to Bassett’s back for four points. Kolodzik kept ahold of Bassett’s legs and used a leg lace to end the match in only :46 seconds. Kolodzik will join the fray at a wide-open 65 kg bracket in State College. Speaking of State College, one of Penn State’s favorite sons will come back home as Vincenzo Joseph won the 74 kg weight class. The often high-flying Joseph turned in a workman-like performance in a 2-0 win over Yahya Thomas. Joseph took the lead in the first period after a shot-clock violation from Thomas. In the second stanza, Joseph was on the shot clock, himself, but was able to get a push out on Thomas just before the clock expired. That’s all the offense he’d need. We’ll see if Joseph can bring the Bryce Jordan Center crowd to its feet one more time! In one of the most emotional moments of the finals, David McFadden prevailed in a 12-2 tech over former Penn State national runner-up Morgan McIntosh at 86 kg. McFadden had extended hugs for coaches Brandon Slay and Richard Perry after getting his hand raised. In his post-match interview, McFadden explained how he broke his ankle at Senior Nationals in December and questioned whether he’d be healthy enough to compete at this event. With all of the talk surrounding the high school sensations, it might be easy to overlook a college freshman winning the 97 kg bracket. That’s what Oklahoma State’s Christian Carroll did and in dominating fashion. Carroll posted an 11-0 tech fall over former Junior World teammate Camden McDanel to claim his berth in the Trials. It was his third tech in four bouts on Sunday. His only match that went the distance came against 2022 NCAA runner-up Jacob Warner. The final session was opened up by an entertaining bout between Jaron Smith and Jacob Bullock at 125 kg. Smith weathered the storm and came back from an early deficit to secure the winning takedown during the waning seconds of a 6-5 victory. Smith stated in his post-match interview that he was looking to “have fun and compete and it was less than an hour away.” Championship Finals 57 kg - Jax Forrest over Nathan Tomasello 10-0 65 kg - Matt Kolodzik over Bo Bassett 10-0 74 kg - Vincenzo Joseph over Yahya Thomas 2-0 86 kg - David McFadden over Morgan McIntosh 12-2 97 kg - Christian Carroll over Camden McDanel 11-0 125 kg - Jaron Smith over Jacob Bullock 6-5

Men’s Freestyle Semifinal Results 57 kg Nathan Tomasello over Brandon Courtney 10-0 Jax Forrest over Josh Rodriguez 13-4 65 kg Bo Bassett over Anthony Ashnault 12-2 Matt Kolodzik over Henry Porter 11-0 74 kg Vincenzo Joseph over Terrell Barraclough 5-0 Yahya Thomas over Doug Zapf 2-1 86 kg David McFadden over Aeoden Sinclair 10-0 Morgan McIntosh over John Gunderson 7-2 97 kg Christian Carroll over Jacob Warner 8-7 Camden McDanel over Cole Mirasola 7-0 125 kg Jaron Smith over Jordan Wood Fall 4:35 Jacob Bullock over Dan Erekson InjDef

Day one of the USA Wrestling Last Chance Olympic Team Trials Qualifier has concluded. Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle were on the schedule for Saturday. 12 wrestlers punched their tickets to the Olympic Team Trials in State College, Pennsylvania, now in less than two weeks. While these brackets were loaded, only the winners qualified for the Trials. Greco Roman Results 60 kg Phillip Moomey (TMWC/Spartan Combat WC) over Paxton Creese (Minnesota Storm) 7-6 67 kg Duncan Nelson (Illinois) over Joel Adams (The Best Wrestler) 3-1 77 kg Tyler Eischens (Tar Heel WC) over Noah Wachsmuth (New York AC) 6-0 87 kg Fritz Schierl (Minnesota Storm) over Andrew Berreyesa (New York AC) 9-0 97 kg Brandon Marshall (Big Game WC) over Timothy Eubanks (Northern Michigan) Fall 1:40 130 kg Jacob Mitchell over Kaleb Reeves (Big Game WC) 11-2 Women’s Freestyle 50 kg Nyla Valencia (TMWC/IWWC) over Charlotte Fowler (Boilermaker RTC) Fall 5:27 53 kg Brianna Gonzalez (TMWC/IWWC) over Elena Ivaldi (California) 10-0 57 kg Bridgette Duty (Army WCAP) over Montana DeLawder (Team Tornado WC) 4-0 62 kg Lauren Louive (New York AC) over Skylar Hattendorf (New York AC) 10-0 68 kg Chloe Odgen (Florida) over Marisa Angelos (Northern Michigan) 8-2 76 kg Madison Sandquist (Rise RTC) over Cara Broadus (KT Kidz WC) 6-1

Our post-NCAA coverage has seen award winners announced for each of the seven conferences. One of the last items from our 2023-24 coverage is the InterMat All-Freshman team. The future is bright as our first team combined for nine All-American honors and contains representation from four of the seven conferences. Below are the wrestlers selected for the first team with a notation for second-team selections. 125 lbs - Luke Stanich (Lehigh) As a true freshman, Luke Stanich was initially pegged to redshirt and wrestle at 133 lbs. That changed when he was able to make 125 lbs and showed he could be a contender in year one. Stanich entered the Midlands Championships with a 5-1 record and came away with a title and a win over an All-American and three other eventual qualifiers. Stanich was unbeaten against EIWA foes which resulted in a conference title and a second seed at his first NCAA Tournament. Though he suffered an upset in the second round, Stanich reeled off three consecutive wins to clinch All-American status. His bloodround win was a 4-0 shutout over 2023 NCAA runner-up Matt Ramos (Purdue). Stanich would finish his tournament avenging his earlier upset, by downing Caleb Smith (Nebraska) for fifth place. Second Team: Braeden Davis (Penn State) 133 lbs - Ryan Crookham (Lehigh) It only took two weeks for the wrestling world to get turned on its collective heads. That’s when redshirt freshman Ryan Crookham upset returning national champion Vito Arujau (Cornell) at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic. A few weeks after that stunning win, Crookham took out returning Big Ten runner-up and All-American Aaron Nagao (Penn State) - showing that he was no one-hit-wonder. Crookham replicated his win over Arujau in the EIWA finals and headed to Kansas City undefeated and seeded second. He would coast until the semifinals where he ran into Arujau for the third time. In this instance, Arujau looked more like his typical self and handed Crookham, what would be his only loss of the season. The Lehigh freshman bounced back and grabbed third place after wins over fellow freshman stars Nasir Bailey and Evan Frost. Second Team: Nasir Bailey (Little Rock) 141 lbs - Sergio Lemley (Michigan) Interestingly enough, 141 lbs is the only weight class where a freshman did not find their way to the NCAA podium. You could make a case for either Sergio Lemley or Tagen Jamsion, who defeated Lemley early in the season. Lemley got better as the year progressed and finished a bit stronger. In only his third dual, Lemley knocked off two-time All-American Clay Carlson (South Dakota State), which showed he was ready to compete at a high level as a true freshman. About a month later, he pulled a stunning upset by majoring returning NCAA runner-up Real Woods (Iowa). At the Big Ten Championships, Lemley finished fourth in a weight class that featured wrestlers who would go on to finish in the top four spots in Kansas City. At his first NCAA Tournament, Lemley earned a win and went on to face Brock Hardy (Nebraska) in the Round of 16. The two split matches previously; however, Hardy got the rubber match and went on to take third, Because of upsets throughout the bracket, Lemley had a difficult matchup in the consolations and was subsequently eliminated. Second Team: Tagen Jamison (Oklahoma State) 149 lbs - Tyler Kasak (Penn State) Initially, Penn State went into the 2023-24 season with All-American Shayne Van Ness as their probable starter. When Van Ness went down with an injury, the 141 lb true freshman Tyler Kasak stepped in and didn’t really miss a beat. After finishing third in the Big Ten, Kasak was given the seventh seed at nationals. Right off the bat, Kasak was stunned by 2021 All-American Jaden Abas (Stanford) in his NCAA debut. The early loss didn’t seem to phase Kasak, who battled all the way back and won seven straight consolation matches to take third place. Along the way, he racked up bonus points, with a fall and four major decisions. In the bloodround, with a spot on the podium hanging in the balance, Kasak edged #3 Jackson Arrington (NC State), 5-4. In the consolation semis, Kasak majored the top seed, Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) the Big Ten champion. Second Team: Ty Watters (West Virginia) 157 lbs - Meyer Shapiro (Cornell) As one might expect, Meyer Shapiro, the top recruit in the high school Class of 2023, had sky-high expectations for his first year on the collegiate scene. Despite wrestling in one of the deepest weight classes, Shapiro quickly established himself as one of the key contenders at the weight. Though he didn’t place at the CKLV Invitational, Shapiro did post an impressive major decision victory over Virginia Tech’s multi-time All-American Bryce Andonian. The two losses Shapiro suffered in Vegas accounted for almost all of his losses (3). Shapiro had a second half of the season that saw him earn wins over three returning All-Americans, an EIWA championship, and a third seed at the national tournament. After two dominating wins, Shapiro was beaten in the quarterfinals by Stanford’s Daniel Cardenas. Cardenas also defeated him in Vegas. Shapiro didn’t get down, he won three consecutive bouts by bonus points to book a rematch with Cardenas in the third-place bout. Shapiro got the best of him this time, by a 10-4 score, to finish third in the country. Second Team: Ryder Downey (Northern Iowa) 165 lbs - Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) One of only two freshmen to capture Big Ten titles in 2024, Mitchell Mesenbrink stole the show with a 13-11 comeback win over two-time All-American Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin). The match lived up to the pre-match hype and was immediately deemed an instant classic. An undefeated record and a Big Ten title was enough to give Mesenbrink the number two seed at his first NCAA Tournament. Mesenbrink continued his point-scoring barrage at NCAA’s. After two bonus-point wins, he had to contend with multi-time All-American Cam Amine (Michigan). Mesenbrink’s major decision over Amine earlier in the season was a key win that showed he would be a contender in year one. While he didn’t get another major, Mesenbrink controlled the pace in a 6-1 victory. For a berth in the NCAA finals, Mesenbrink gave up an early takedown to Michael Caliendo (Iowa), then turned up the heat in a 17-9 major decision. It was the second time he notched bonus points on Caliendo in three matches this season. An NCAA finals berth made Mesenbrink one of only two freshmen to make the 2024 finals. In a highly anticipated bout, Mesenbrink met David Carr (Iowa State) who was seeking his second national title. After trailing by four points at the end of two periods, Mesenbrink continued pushing and closed the final deficit to 9-8. Second Team: Hunter Garvin (Stanford) 174 lbs - Rocco Welsh (Ohio State) At 174 lbs, we have another true freshman who was assumed to be redshirting in the 2023-24 campaign. With All-American Carson Kharchla in the starting lineup, Rocco Welsh started the year competing in open tournaments; however, he moved into the starting lineup for good after the New Year. Even though he was a true freshman, it was evident that Welsh could physically handle the rigors of the Big Ten schedule. Though he dealt with a few conference losses, Welsh was able to neutralize the offensive attack of some of the best wrestlers in the nation. When NCAA brackets were released, there was plenty of talk about a lopsided bracket and who would emerge from the bottom half. It ended up being the true freshman Welsh. The third time was the charm for Welsh against Big Ten champion Edmond Ruth (Illinois). Ruth had defeated Welsh by extremely close margins earlier in the season, but Welsh prevailed when it counted. Welsh would go on to lose 2-0 to Carter Starocci (Penn State) in the NCAA finals for Starocci’s fourth national title. Second Team: MJ Gaitan (Iowa State) 184 lbs - Bennett Berge (South Dakota State) Even though he missed the first month of the season, Bennett Berge quickly established himself as a difference-maker in the South Dakota State lineup. In just his second dual, Berge posted a major decision over recent CKLV placewinner Jadon Bullock who was instrumental in the Jackrabbits win over Michigan. That started a nine-match winning streak that was finally halted by the eventual national runner-up Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State). Berge ended up fourth in a Big 12 weight class that featured both of the eventual national finalists. He’s another freshman that was beaten in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, but battled back with an incredible run through the consolations. In his first match on the backside, Berge majored #8 Sam Wolf (Air Force), an opponent that defeated him at the Big 12 Championships. To lock up his spot on the podium, Berge got by the fifth seed Lenny Pinto (Nebraska), 13-8. In the consolation semis, Berge edged the Big Ten champion, Isaiah Salazar (Minnesota). He would finish his first national tournament in fourth place. Second Team: TJ Stewart (Virginia Tech) 197 lbs - Stephen Little (Little Rock) A 13-4 redshirt season for Stephen Little gave a few hints that the Kentucky native could be on the brink of a great freshman year in 2023-24. In his second event of the season, Little posted a 7-3 win over returning Round of 12 finisher Jaxon Smith (Maryland). During the regular season, Little only lost a pair of matches and he entered the NCAA Tournament on a 14-match winning streak. In Kansas City, Little thrived in pressure situations, scoring two of his biggest wins in extra time. In his first consolation bout, Little knocked off Big Ten runner-up Zach Glazier (Iowa) in sudden victory. Two matches later, he knocked off All-American Louie DePrez (Binghamton) in overtime. Little finished his tournament with a win over the EIWA champion and #4 Michael Beard (Lehigh) in the seventh-place bout. Prior to the 2024 national tournament, Little Rock only had one national qualifier. With Little’s win and Nasir Bailey’s finish, the Trojans left with a pair of freshman All-Americans. Second Team: Joey Novak (Wyoming) 285 lbs - Nick Feldman (Ohio State) The top recruit in the Class of 2022, Nick Feldman, was injured during his redshirt campaign and didn’t compete at all so expectations were tempered a bit for him in his first year as the Buckeyes starter. Feldman was solid in the early going but really seemed to get better as the year progressed. In Ohio State’s surprising upset of Michigan, Feldman’s win over two-time All-American Lucas Davison slammed the door shut. Feldman proved that was no fluke with another win over Davison in the Big Ten semifinals. Despite making the Big Ten finals, Feldman was given the ninth seed at nationals. Feldman put up a pair of bonus point wins before a narrow 1-0 loss to the eventual champion, #1 Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State), in the quarters. After securing All-American honors, Feldman closed his freshman year with an 11-4 win over perennial contender Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State). Second Team: Dayton Pitzer (Pittsburgh)

Two weeks from now is one of the crown jewels of American wrestling, the Olympic Team Trials. Before getting to the Trials, we have to finalize the field. That will be done this weekend as USA Wrestling is holding the Last Chance Qualifier event on Saturday and Sunday in Fairfax, Virginia. 18 winners, spread across the three styles, will earn berths in the Trials. There is a strict qualifying criteria for the Olympic Team Trials so there are plenty of very talented wrestlers that have not locked up their place in the brackets in State College. One women’s freestyle bracket has four 2020(1) Trials qualifiers fighting amongst themselves (and others) for one berth at the Trials. A men’s freestyle weight has two NCAA champions, neither of which are seeded, vying for one of the coveted spots at the Trials. Simply put, there’s a lot at stake this weekend. Here are some of the storylines to follow as you watch on Saturday and Sunday. The Kids Since this is an open event you get all kinds of entries. Post-grads, collegiate stars, and small college sensations are aplenty. Perhaps the most intriguing “type” of entry is that of the high school superstars. Most of the men’s freestyle weight classes have multiple high school phenoms that will test their respective hands against older competition. With each year and each generation, the kids seemingly get better and more suited towards competing against their elders. So top high school juniors and seniors facing postgrads isn’t necessarily a mismatch or a novelty. The kids are ready to win. Look no further than the 2023-24 collegiate season where high school junior Marcus Blaze defeated the returning NCAA runner-up, Matt Ramos, during the first weekend of the year. Current high school sophomore, Jax Forrest, handed the eventual NCAA fifth-place finisher at 125 lbs, Luke Stanich, a loss at the Mat-Town Open. Forrest defeated three national qualifiers this season in open tournaments. We’ve already seen Stanford’s incoming freshman, Aden Valencia, have success at the Senior level. Valencia has already placed at the US Open and Senior Nationals within the last year. Valencia is actually seeded number one at 65 kg. We’ll talk more about that weight class in a few; however, Valencia isn’t the only top high schooler in the bracket. Arizona State signee Pierson Manville and sophomore star Bo Bassett are among the entries, as well. Having the top-flight high school wrestlers competing against Senior level competition will give us an idea of what to expect from them once they enroll at their respective colleges. Below are some of the notable high schoolers who have registered for the men’s freestyle tournament - along with their overall ranking in their class. 57 kg: Jax Forrest (#2 in 2026), Mason Gibson (#15 in 2024), Anthony Knox (#4 in 2025), Nathan Desmond (#17 in 2025) 65 kg: Pierson Manville (#19 in 2024), Bo Bassett (#3 in 2026), Aden Valencia (#11 in 2024) 74 kg: Joseph Sealey (#3 in 2024), Charlie Millard, (#23 in 2024), Grigor Cholakyan (#36 in 2024), Will Henckel (#5 in 2025) 86 kg: Aeoden Sinclair (#8 in 2024) 97 kg: Cole Mirasola (#13 in 2024) 65 kg Men’s freestyle is absurd! As mentioned above, the 65 kg men’s freestyle bracket has a high schooler (Valencia) as the number one seed, but don’t get it confused. The bracket is stacked…and deep. The other three seeds are #2 Matt Kolodzik, #3 Jaydin Eierman, and #4 Ian Parker. Unseeded wrestlers include national champions Anthony Ashnault, Dean Heil, and three-time All-American Michael McGee. Current collegiate wrestlers include Jordan Williams, Carter Young, Wyatt Henson, and Josh Koderhandt. Remember, only the champion advances to the Olympic Team Trials, so there will be some excellent competitors that will be sitting at home in two weeks. 50 kg Women’s Bracket Along the same lines at 65 kg in men’s freestyle, the women’s 50 kg bracket has a ton of talent. Look no further than the 2020(1) Olympic Trials as three of the women that appeared in that bracket are competing for that one slot this year. They are Nina Pham, Aleeah Gould, and Charlotte Fowler. North Central’s Jaslynn Gallegos wrestled in the last Olympic Trials, as well, up at 53 kg. That doesn’t even include the Iowa contingent of Sterling Dias and Nyla Valencia. Dias is a two-time U17 world medalist, while Valencia has competed at U23 World’s, herself. Pham will assume the top seed, while another tough competitor, Natalie Reyna-Rodriguez, takes the second seed. Reyna-Rodriguez was a four-time collegiate All-American who finished up on Southern Oregon’s 2023 NAIA national title-winning team. Valencia and Dias will get the third and fourth seeds, respectively. Penn State past, present, and future at 74 kg Up and down the brackets there’s plenty of Penn State flavor. With four national champions in 2024 and a boatload of past medals from Nittany Lion Wrestling Club members, there are plenty of wrestlers with Penn State ties who have already qualified for the Trials. A few more are looking to do so at 74 kgs. That bracket should give you a glimpse of yesterday, today, and tomorrow for the Nittany Lions. Two-time national champion Vincenzo Joseph has entered. He’s proven that when locked in and focused (and even when he isn’t), Joseph is among the top wrestlers on the domestic ladder. He has the top seed at 74 kg and should be considered a solid favorite. Right behind Joseph, at the second seed, is Nittany Lion-signee Joseph Sealey. Sealey was a U17 world champion in 2022 at 71 kg. Last fall, Sealey was a winner at Who’s #1 over fellow Penn State recruit, Will Henckel. Henckel is also in the field at this weight. The fourth seed at 74 kg is current Nittany Lion Terrell Barraclough. Barraclough has never been Penn State’s starter during the postseason but could have an impact at the national tournament if given the chance. This season, Barraclough was 12-2 split between 165 and 174, with his only losses coming to teammate Mitchell Mesenbrink and Michigan’s Shane Griffith. He notched wins over former All-American Jackson Turley and 2023 Round of 12’er Caleb Fish.

The University of Michigan continues to pull in talent through the transfer portal. Today, they added one of the best available transfers as two-time All-American Jacob Cardenas announced he would use his final year of eligibility wrestling for the Wolverines. Cardenas qualified for the NCAA Championships on three occasions while competing for Cornell. In each of the last two seasons, he got on the NCAA podium at a crowded 197 lb weight class. In 2023, Cardenas was eighth. This year he was fourth. During his time at Cornell, Cardenas made a pair of EIWA finals, winning in 2023 and finishing as a runner-up in 2024. Early in the 2023-24 season, Cardenas finished fourth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. In Kansas City, Cardenas was knocked off in the Round of 12 by Rocky Elam (Missouri). He battled back with three straight wins to secure All-American status for a second time. In the consolation semifinals, Cardenas got a measure of revenge with a 7-3 win over Elam. Cardenas is the second wrestler to commit to Michigan through the transfer portal this offseason. Last week, 157 lber Chase Saldate, formerly of Michigan State, announced he was using his final year of eligibility at Michigan. Cardenas’ situation is different from most typical transfers. He is graduating and unable to continue wrestling at Cornell due to Ivy League rules. Cardenas entered the transfer portal before the 2023-24 season, so a transfer was in play regardless of his results during the year. The Wolverines received a boost from transfers last season as they picked up Austin Gomez, Shane Griffith, and Lucas Davison - all senior transfers that ended up finishing in the top three at the NCAA Tournament. They accounted for three of the team’s four All-Americans en route to a third-place finish. Before the 2023-24 season, Michigan also picked up All-Americans Michael DeAugustino and Chris Cannon. DeAugustino went 1-2 at nationals and Cannon was injured and lost for the year during his first match. Cardenas slots in well for the Wolverines as 197 lb was the only weight in which Michigan did not qualify for nationals this year. He’ll likely start the 2024-25 season ranked second in the nation.

It is awards season and here at the mailbag we’re no different. The third annual All-Jagger team is here! What does it take to make the team? Beats me. I’ve stated multiple times that there is no criteria other than you’re somebody I enjoyed watching. So, without further ado, let’s get to it! 125-Richard Figueroa I try not to put the actual champs on the list but the Figs win was special for me. Not only was he my first champ in our fantasy league, but the win helped my team go from last place a year ago to finishing in the money. Win Jagger money and you easily make the list. It’s likely the top criteria. 133-Dylan Shawver Dylan lost his spot in the lineup last year. Then he got injured. He could have left Rutgers. He stayed. He moved up a weight. He got better. He won a Big Ten title. He got on the podium at Nationals. Dylan Shawver is everything that is good about college athletics. He made a commitment and he’s honoring it. Just don’t leave now and make me look like a fool. 141-Brock Hardy What else can I really say here? The guy literally showed his ass to the whole country then came back to take third. As a fellow displayer of ass, I have to respect it. 149-Quinn Kinner It’s been a journey for Big Q that's for sure. From North Carolina State to Ohio State then back to his home state and Rider, the former Kingsway star got himself onto the podium in his last chance. We’ll always remember 2020 when you went both 133 and 157. Seriously, who wrestles Brady Berge and Micky Phillippi in the same year? A Jagger Guy, that’s who. 157-Peyton Robb This is the second AJ award for the Cornhusker. The first was for placing sixth on what we would later learn was a nasty infection that nearly cost him his leg. This time it’s for coming back after all that and placing seventh. A year ago we were just hoping Peyton would make it out of surgery unscathed so it’s an honor to once again put his name in this space. 165-David Carr It seems impossible to not like David Carr. It also seems impossible to not like Keegan O’Toole. Their rivalry of great matches and great sportsmanship is the kind of stuff that marks this sport great. Let’s face it, most of us assumed KOT had the upper hand at this point after two dominating wins. But that did not deter the Cyclone as he once again got the upper hand in their semifinal rematch before finishing the task against a tornado in Mitchell Mesenbrink to bookend his career in fashion with his second title. It was a pleasure to watch this guy compete for the last five years and lead Iowa State back to relevancy. 174-Shane Griffith We all know the impact Shane has had on the sport as he nonchalantly placed four times, won a title, and saved a program. This is more about motivating Jackson Turley to come back for one more year so he can fill this spot in 2025. 184-TJ Stewart It was a slow start for the redshirt freshman as he took a few early season losses and was out of the lineup for the first two months of the season. Then the Blair product turned it on during the second half and captured his first ACC title. Not satisfied, the young Hokie then went and placed seventh in Kansas City and now sets his sights on being the third VT wrestler to be a National champ after the great Mekhi Lewis and Caleb “The Hitman” Henson. Small potatoes compared to being named All-Jagger if you ask me but it’s good to still have goals. 197-Trent Hidlay Yes, I’m going to write about Hoagie some more because I’m free to do what I want here and it’s my last chance to praise one of my favorite college wrestlers. Shockingly, this is Trent’s first appearance on the team, but not the first Hidlay, as Hayden made it back in 2022. If I ever do a football version and need a power running back then I assure you that big brother Heath will also get the honor. And not only is Trent a member, but he’s also my captain. HWT-Yaraslau Slavikouski Oof, this didn’t age well. I get it. The guy has a Harvard degree and a year of eligibility left. I can’t blame him for cashing in on that AA performance. But the pizza anywhere else in the country isn’t as good and you know that. All-Jagger coaches edition Cael Sanderson Tony Robie Sean Bormet Am I seeing triple with these three? All-Jagger announcer edition Nick Kosko Rock Harrison Rhino Just give me this three-man booth in the NCAA finals and my man Mason Beckman won’t take so much heat. All-Jagger mailbag edition Burger King of Kings Salty Walkon Thicccolas I seriously want to thank you guys for being loyal readers and always keeping me on my toes with great questions. Without you guys to ask the important stuff, I have no reason to be here. And that goes for everyone who reads this whether on the toilet or elsewhere. I never thought in a million years I’d get an opportunity like this or at least not fail completely at it but three seasons have gone by now so something must be working. Thanks again to everyone out there for making this possible. Sometimes I just don’t have the energy for it, but knowing I get to come into your bathrooms in the morning keeps me motivated. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to use mine.

Pennridge

Ocean Township

St. Joseph Metuchen

South Dade

Louisville

Andover

Adaugo Nwachukwu, a junior at William Penn University, was elected as the 2024 winner of the USA Wrestling Women’s College Wrestler of the Year today. This was first announced on FloWrestling’s The Bader Show this morning. The award was selected by a vote from three major constituent groups: wrestling journalists, women’s college head coaches and the fans. Each of these groups accounted for one-third of the vote. Nwachukwu was the 2024 NAIA champion at 136 pounds, the national championships for institutions from the NAIA. She finished with a 21-0 record, with all of her victories with bonus points, including six pins and 15 technical falls. Nwachukwu was the Heart of America Conference champion. By winning the NAIA Nationals, Nwachukwu has also qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. She is now a three-time NAIA champion. Her first two NAIA national titles were for Iowa Wesleyan, and after the college was closed down, she transferred to William Penn. “She is one of the most exciting athletes to watch in women’s college wrestling. She has an unbelievable dynamic that not many wrestlers have. People in the arena turn their heads to her, because they know a big move will happen. Her results show that she is deserving of this award, especially with her bonus points rate, with technical falls and pins in all of her matches. I don’t know how many times she made it out of the first period in her matches. She put the team on her shoulders at the national tournament, knowing the importance of bonus points. She pinned her way through the national tournament. This is very exciting and we are very proud of her,” said William Penn head coach Jake Kadel, who has coached Nwachukwu for her entire college career. Nwachukwu has been very successful on the international and national level in women’s freestyle. She has competed on three U.S. age-group World Teams, the 2022 U20 World Team and the 2023 U20 and U23 World Teams. She was a 2022 U20 World bronze medalist. She has won USA Wrestling national titles on the Senior, U23 and U20 age levels. A native of San Jose, Calif., she was a California state high school champion for Silver Creek High School. “Congratulations to Adaugo for putting together one of the most dominant performances in U.S. women’s college wrestling history this season. Her future is very bright. She has already had a massive impact on Team USA at the age-group and Senior levels. We’d also like to recognize all of the amazing finalists, who are a true testament to the ascent of women’s college wrestling in the United States,” said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director. Nwachukwu received 21% of the combined vote in a very close race to secure the award over seven other college national champion finalists. The other finalists, in alphabetical order, are senior Marlynne Deede of Iowa, senior Cameron Guerin of McKendree, fifth-year senior Tavia Heidelberg-Tillotson of Menlo College, junior Amani Jones of North Central, junior Carolina Moreno of Southern Oregon, junior Mia Palumbo of William Penn and sophomore Kylie Welker of Iowa. Nwachukwu is the only finalist who was also a finalist for the award in 2023. Nwachukwu, Heidelberg-Tillotson, Moreno and Palumbo were 2024 NAIA national champions, while Deede, Guerin, Jones and Welker were 2024 NCWWC champions (for NCAA institutions). Guerin is a four-time college national champion. Nwachukwu and Moreno are three-time college national champions. Deede is a two-time college national champion, while Heidelberg-Tillotson, Jones, Palumbo and Welker are one-time college national champions. Each of the voting groups for the award selected different athletes as their top choice. Fans selected Jones as their No. 1, coaches selected Guerin as their No. 1 and journalists selected Nwachukwu as their No. 1. Fan voting increased this year by 18% over last year. The award was created in 2023 and the first winner was Yelena Makoyed of North Central College. Women’s college varsity wrestlers from all of the recognized college organizations were eligible, including NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA/junior college programs. The finalists were selected by a committee overseeing the award program, featuring representatives of the media, college coaches and wrestling fans. These eight finalists were selected from a pool of 31 college national champions who were identified as potential candidates after the national tournaments were completed. USA Wrestling’s goal is to elevate the new award to have the significance and impact as other college athletic awards, such as the Dan Hodge Trophy for men’s college wrestling, the Heisman Trophy for college football, the Hobey Baker Award for men’s college hockey, the Patty Kazmeier Award for women’s college hockey, the Naismith College Player of the Year in men’s and women’s basketball, the Dick Howser Trophy in college baseball, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and similar college awards. USA Wrestling Women’s College Wrestler of the Year Award winners 2024 – Adaugo Nwachukwu, junior, William Penn University 2023 – Yelena Makoyed, senior, North Central College

We’ve talked a lot about the transfer portal during the first few weeks of the collegiate offseason; however, another hallmark of this time of year is coaching news. This morning the University of Pennsylvania announced a change to their coaching staff. The Quakers all-time wins leader and one of only a pair of two-time national champions in program history, Matt Valenti, will rejoin the Penn coaching staff. Valenti immediately joins Penn’s coaching staff as the associate head coach for the 2024-25 season, then he will be elevated to take over for head coach Roger Reina after the 2025-26 season. Reina will stay on for the 2025-26 campaign as the head coach emeritus, which will be his final on the coaching front. Valenti is currently working in the Penn athletic department as an associate AD, Student-Athlete Leadership and Development. Prior to taking his current position in the Penn athletic department, Valenti served for six seasons on the Penn coaching staff. Valenti, a three-time NCAA All-American, was inducted into the Penn athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.

April 4 PFL 1 2024 (ESPN/ESPN+) Bryce Meredith (Wyoming) vs. Ty Johnson April 5 LFA 181 (UFC Fight Pass) Griffin Parriott (Purdue) vs. Michael Banks April 6 UFC Fight Night (ESPN+) Damon Jackson (Missouri Valley) vs. Alexander Hernandez April 12 PFL 2 2024 (ESPN/ESPN+) Alex Polizzi (Northwestern) vs. Impa Kasanganay Josh Silveira (Arizona State) vs. Sadibou Sy April 12 CFFC 131 (UFC Fight Pass) Greg Velasco (Rider) vs. Bailey Schoenfelder Mark Grey (Cornell) vs. Vilson Ndregjoni CJ LaFragola (Brown) vs. Kevin Pease April 13 UFC 300 (ESPN Pay Per View) Justin Gaethje (Northern Colorado) vs. Max Holloway Aljamain Sterling (Cortland) vs. Calvin Kattar Bo Nickal (Penn State) vs. Cody Brundage (Newberry College) Cody Garbrandt (Newberry College) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo Jim Miller (Virginia Tech) vs. Bobby Green April 19 PFL 3 2024 (ESPN/ESPN+) Logan Storley (Minnesota) vs. Shamil Musaev Bubba Jenkins (Penn State/Arizona State) vs. Kai Kamaka III Brennan Ward (Johnson & Wales) vs. Don Madge Tyler Diamond (North Dakota State) vs. Otto Rodrigues Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) vs. TBA April 27 UFC Fight Night (ESPN+) Alex Perez (West Hills) vs. Matheus Nicolau

The 2023-24 season is in the record books, but before moving on, it’s time to salute the top performers in each conference. We've already hit on the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 , EIWA , MAC and Pac-12. Let's finish up with the SoCon! SoCon Wrestler of the Year: Taye Ghadiali (Campbell) He got his hand raised 36 times throughout the 2023-24 season, but none was bigger for Taye Ghadiali than when it happened in the NCAA bloodround after a win over #5 Nathan Taylor (Lehigh) the EiWA champion. In doing so, Ghadiali became just the second Campbell wrestler to earn NCAA All-American honors and the first under current head coach Scotti Sentes. Earlier in the tournament, Ghadiali earned wins over both ACC finalists. He would go on to finish eighth in the nation. One of the highlights of the regular season for Ghadiali was a third-place finish at the loaded Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. In six matches, Ghadiali notched wins over four eventual national qualifiers. Coming into Vegas, Ghadiali started the year 7-0 with bonus points in each of his seven contests - including three falls over eventual NCAA qualifiers. In the SoCon, Ghadiali was head and shoulders above the competition. None of his regular season duals or conference tournament matches went the full seven minutes. That meant that Ghadiali made his fourth SoCon final and captured his third title with little resistance. Ghadiali finished the season with a 36-6 record and was 62-11 over the past two years. SoCon Freshman of the Year: Isaiah Powe (Chattanooga) Prior to the 2024 SoCon Championships, you have to go back to 2017 to find a freshman who ended up winning the conference. This year had two; both of which were true freshmen. With apologies to Appalachian State’s Tomas Brooker, we’re focusing on Chattanooga’s 141 lber Isaiah Powe. The Alabama native suffered a loss during his first weekend of collegiate competition, then only lost one other time before the NCAA Tournament. One of the highlights from Powe’s regular season was a third place finish at the 2024 Southern Scuffle - in front of his home crowd. Post-Scuffle, Powe went 11-0 and failed to earn bonus points in only two regular season matches. In his three SoCon Championship matches, Powe combined to score 46 points. One of those wins came over Gardner-Webb’s national qualifier Todd Carter - an opponent that Powe defeated for the third time this season. At nationals, Powe was able to tally a win before his elimination. In the consolations, Powe downed #16 Dylan Chappell (Bucknell), a two-time EIWA finalist. Powe finished his first campaign in Chattanooga with a 25-4 record and plenty of hope for the future. SoCon Coach of the Year: JohnMark Bentley (Appalachian State) In one of the more difficult decisions of the entire awards section, we’re going with Appalachian State’s leader JohnMark Bentley. The Mountaineers went 10-4 during the 2023-24 campaign; however, they wrestled a difficult out-of-conference schedule that featured the top three teams from the ACC and EIWA champion Cornell. In the middle of December, Appalachian State defeated North Carolina for a second consecutive season. After losing the SoCon dual title to Campbell, it appeared as if the Camels were the favorite to regain the championship at the SoCon meet. That wasn’t the case as the Mountaineers stunned their rivals and the rest of the SoCon running away with the title 114 to 97.5. Appalachian State finished the conference tournament with half of the ten champions, one of which was a true freshman at 184 lbs (Brooker). At the 2024 NCAA Championships, the Mountaineers had three of their five qualifiers win multiple matches. They were led by 157 lber, Tommy Askey, who advanced to the NCAA Round of 12, despite starting as the 19th seed. Along the way, Askey defeated the #11 (Brayton Lee) and #14 (Cody Chittum) seeds. Previous Award Winners SoCon Wrestler of the Year 2023: Jonathan Millner (Appalachian State) 2022: Jonathan Millner (Appalachian State) SoCon Freshman of the Year 2023: Ethan Oakley (Appalachian State) 2022: Heath Gonyer (Appalachian State) SoCon Coach of the Year 2023: JohnMark Bentley (Appalachian State) 2022: JohnMark Bentley (Appalachian State)

Just a few hours ago, InterMat posted a transfer portal update with a listing of notable wrestlers in the portal, along with others that have already made their transfer destinations known. That list grew today as All-American Yaraslau Slavikouski entered the portal. Slavikouski spent the 2023-24 campaign at Rutgers and got onto the NCAA podium for the first time - taking seventh place at 285 lbs. Previously, Slavikouski made the 2023 NCAA Round of 12 for Harvard and the EIWA finals in 2020. It was assumed that Slavikouski was out of eligibility; however, late in the season he confirmed he had another year he intended upon using. During three-plus years at Harvard and Rutgers, Slavikouski amassed an 82-22 record. In the 2023-24 campaign, Slavikouski finished fourth in the Big Ten and earned the 13th seed at nationals. He has also been active on the freestyle circuit finishing with a bronze medal at the 2021 European U23 Championships and seventh at U23 Worlds during that same year. With so many of the top contending teams in need of heavyweights, Slavikouski should be in high demand.

With the conclusion of the NCAA wrestling tournament and the calendar changing over to April, you’d think that it means it’s the offseason for college wrestling and all focus should turn to the Olympic styles, right? Maybe in the past, but in a new era of collegiate athletics, once the final whistle has blown on a particular postseason, it means it’s time to turn your attention to the transfer portal. Love it or hate it, it’s the reality. Student athletes have the ability to transfer much more freely than past generations. Couple that with the extra year of eligibility doled out by the NCAA in the aftermath of the COVID years and you have a wild combination. There was lots of movement last “offseason” and I don’t foresee that changing this year. In just a week and a half since the NCAA finals, there have already been some huge names that have gone into the portal. Some have already announced their new homes, while others are still being courted. The first list of wrestlers we’ve listed are ones that have already publicly committed to a new transfer destination. That new school is listed first, along with their projected weight, followed by their former school. Below them are notable wrestlers that have gone into the transfer portal. It is not a comprehensive list. Some (like Jacob Cardenas and Lennox Wolak) knew they were graduating and were unable to continue competing at their Ivy League schools and went into the portal before the season started. Others have just submitted their names. Expect many updates to this feature in the coming weeks and months. Illinois: Ramazan Attasauov (125/133) - Iowa State Michigan: Chase Saldate (157) - Michigan State Oklahoma State: Dean Hamiti (165/174) - Wisconsin Virginia Tech: Lennox Wolak (174) - Columbia Portal Tommy Askey (157) - Appalachian State Colton Camacho (125/133) - Pittsburgh Jacob Cardenas (197) - Cornell Caleb Coyle (133) - Oregon State Dorian Crosby (285) - Bucknell Massoma Endene (197) - Wartburg Caleb Fish (165) - Michigan State Max Hale (184) - Penn Jacob Joyce (125) - Stanford Jason Kraisser (157) - Iowa State Carson Martinson (165) - Iowa Carter Martinson (157) - Iowa Connor McGonagle (133) - Lehigh Peyton Moore (133) - Missouri Ethan Oakley (133) - Appalachian State Josh Ogunsanya (165) - Columbia Bretli Reyna (149) - Iowa Chris Rivera (141) - Campbell Justin Rivera (149) - Campbell Rylan Rogers (184) - Michigan Yaraslau Slavikouski (285) - Rutgers

The 2023-24 season is in the record books, but before moving on, it’s time to salute the top performers in each conference. We've already hit on the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 , EIWA and MAC; so now we're onto the Pac-12. Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year: Richie Figueroa (Arizona State) Coming into the 2023-24 season, Richie Figueroa was ranked third in the nation and was expected to be one of the favorites at 125 lbs. Figueroa was fresh off a redshirt freshman campaign that saw him win the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and finish undefeated; however, he wasn’t the guy in the postseason. That distinction went to Brandon Courtney - who went on to finish third in the nation. With the starting role at 125 lbs all to himself, it was time for Figueroa to break out and claim 125 lbs for himself, right? Not initially, Figueroa was in and out of the Sun Devil lineup with an injury and then suffered a few losses upon his return. The tide started to turn during the final weekend of the regular season when Figueroa notched wins over Luke Stanich (Lehigh) and Caleb Smith (Nebraska). At the Pac-12 Championships, Figueroa defeated a pair of quality opponents Nico Provo (Stanford) and Brandon Kaylor (Oregon State) to earn a conference title. Figueroa’s Pac-12 title was able to give him a boost into the eighth seed in Kansas City. In just his second NCAA bout, Figueroa had to deal with two-time All-American Patrick McKee (Minnesota). The youngster from California was able to avoid any dangerous positions from McKee and poured it on for a 16-5 major decision. Next up was McKee’s Big Ten finals opponent, top-seeded Braeden Davis (Penn State). Figueroa was able to display an opportunistic offensive, along with stout defensive and mat savvy, to pull the upset. The same could be said for the semifinals and Figueroa’s win over returning AA Anthony Noto (Lock Haven). Figueroa completed his incredible run to an NCAA title with a 7-2 decision over Iowa’s Drake Ayala. He took a commanding 4-0 lead with a takedown at the edge in the closing seconds of the second period, then iced the match after surviving a prolonged scramble late in the third period for a second takedown. All year we lamented about how chaotic the 125 lb weight class was…and it was. With Figueroa coming out on top and having an offseason to grow mentally and physically, this weight class could have a lot less turmoil in 2024-25 - at least at the tippy top. Honorable Mention: Trey Munoz (Oregon State) Pac-12 Freshman of the Year: Nasir Bailey (Little Rock) The highest ranked signee (#21 in Class of 2023) in the short history of Little Rock wrestling, Nasir Bailey was the day one starter for the Trojans. Right away, Bailey was very good; starting with a title at the TigerStyle Tournament and wins in his first seven collegiate bouts. Even his first loss (4-0 to returning champ Vito Arujau) was a positive sign about his long-term prospects. At that same event, Bailey posted a 16-0 tech over CKLV finalist Evan Frost (Iowa State) - an eventual NCAA sixth-place finisher. After the Arujau loss, Bailey finished the regular season by winning 15 of his last 16 matches, a span that saw him take third at the Southern Scuffle and go unbeaten in conference duals. The dominance in the Pac-12 would carry on to the postseason, when Bailey grabbed a Pac-12 championship after an 8-3 win over Julian Chlebove (Arizona State). In doing so, he became the first Little Rock wrestler to win a Pac-12 crown. There were more “first’s” at the NCAA Championships as Bailey used an overtime takedown over Bucknell’s Kurt Phipps to become the school’s first All-American. Not content at a spot in the top-eight, Bailey also defeated ACC champion Kai Orine (NC State) and Big Ten runner-up Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) to ensure a berth in the NCAA third-place match. There he was defeated by EIWA Freshman of the Year, Ryan Crookham (Lehigh), who had also beaten Bailey on the front side. In addition to carving his name into Little Rock wrestling lore, Bailey amassed a 29-4 record during his true freshman campaign. Three of the four losses came to wrestlers who ended up finishing in the top-three in Kansas City. Honorable Mention: Stephen Little (Little Rock) Pac-12 Coach of the Year: Neil Erisman (Little Rock) There were a couple of really difficult decisions in our conference awards this year. This wasn’t one of them! In just their fifth year of existence, Neil Erisman’s Little Rock Trojans captured the Pac-12 dual title after posting wins over Arizona State, Cal Poly, and Oregon State. After only winning nine total duals during their first four years, Little Rock had 15 this season. Individually, only one Little Rock wrestler had qualified for the tournament prior to 2023-24. Early in the season, it was evident that more would join the club. That proved to be true and five Trojan wrestlers made the trip to Kansas City. Four of the five won matches and Little Rock produced not one, but two All-Americans, with Bailey and Stephen Little. The kicker is that both are freshmen! With the possibility of all five national qualifiers returning, plus some young talent waiting in the wings, this is likely just the beginning for Little Rock wrestling. Honorable Mention: Zeke Jones (Arizona State) Previous Award Winners Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year 2023: Michael McGee (Arizona State) 2022: Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) Pac-12 Freshman of the Year 2023: Daniel Cardenas (Stanford) 2022: Trey Munoz (Oregon State) Pac-12 Coach of the Year 2023: Jon Sioredas (Cal Poly) 2022: Chris Pendleton (Oregon State)

Now with the 2023-24 season in the books, we need to say goodbye to some matchups that were incredible over the last five years. For me, there were three bouts that always produced elite entertainment and high-level wrestling that we will never see again, at least in folkstyle. David Carr (Iowa State) vs Keegan O’Toole (Missouri) This wasn’t just a series; it was a rivalry. And unlike the other two battles in this article, this one only lasted 2 seasons. Carr won the first two battles dominantly with wins by 7-2 decision and by fall in 2023. The last and biggest match of that season went to O’Toole in the NCAA finals, 8-2. O’Toole followed that up with another 8-2 win in the Big 12 Championship finals this year to even the series at 2-2. But as we know now, Carr had the final say as he took out O’Toole in this year’s NCAA Championship semifinals, 8-6. Watch the exciting final installment of their rivalry: Patrick McKee (Minnesota) vs Eric Barnett (Wisconsin) 10 times these guys met on the mat since 2020, should have been 11 but what should have been their second matchup was a medical forfeit. But this was an amazing rivalry over the years with McKee winning six of the 10 bouts. In the last time they went toe-to-toe, the Gopher came out with his fourth pin over Barnett. His other two wins were a major and a regular decision. Barnett scored his own share of points as well in the four matches he won. The biggest was a 17-4 major decision in 2021. In the end, it was 10 matches – 6 wins for Mckee and 4 wins for Barnett. Aaron Brooks (Penn State) vs Trent Hidlay (NC State) This matchup was ruled by Brooks from their first meeting in 2017 in the Fargo finals at 170 pounds to the last one we just saw in the NCAA finals a week ago. During their post-semifinal interviews they both spoke about how they’ve been locking horns since their teenage days. Brooks gave Hidlay praise as being a perennial competitor while Hidlay lamented about how he never came out on the winning end against Brooks. Ultimately, Brooks would go on to win his fourth title, second against Hidlay in the finals, the following day. In addition to the two finals (2021 and 2024), Brooks also defeated Hidlay in the semis in 2022 and 2023 as well. The most dominant wins of this series came in their first meeting in Fargo, which was won by 13-3 tech fall, and the last one, a 6-1 win in this year’s NCAA finals. Watch Brooks and Hidlay meet for the first time:

The 2023-24 season is in the record books, but before moving on, it’s time to salute the top performers in each conference. We've already hit on Big Ten, Big 12 , EIWA and MAC; so now we're onto the ACC. ACC Wrestler of the Year: Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) The Virginia Tech Hokies got their second-ever NCAA individual championship as Caleb Henson prevailed over the field at 149 lbs in Kansas City. After a controversial ACC finals loss, Henson was saddled with the fourth seed, though he spent a large chunk of the 2023-24 campaign ranked second in the country. That didn’t matter to Henson as he reeled off three straight wins to earn a place in the NCAA semifinals. In the semifinals, Henson was able to keep the dangerous, top-seeded Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) in check and pulled the slight upset, 1-0. Henson’s mat wrestling made the difference, as he was able to escape and Lovett did not choose bottom. The two had met earlier in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational finals and Lovett prevailed, 4-3. With the win over Lovett, Henson had earned victories over both of the wrestlers who had defeated him this season (He had beaten ACC finals opponent Jackson Arrington in their dual meet). More importantly, the Lovett win ensured Henson a spot in the national finals, a feat only three wrestlers in Hokie history had accomplished before him. On the raised mat, Henson gave up an early takedown to the explosive Austin Gomez (Michigan) but never wavered. He kept his composure and put Gomez on his back in a sequence that blew open the finals contest. Henson poured it on to the tune of a 15-7 major decision. Not only did Henson make history for his school, but also for his home state. His win made him the first Georgia native to ever win a DI national title. Henson’ finished his sophomore year with a 30-2 record and is now 57-7 after two years of collegiate competition. Without taking a redshirt, Henson has been able to earn All-American honors on two occasions and also a 2023 ACC championship. Honorable Mention: Trent Hidlay (NC State) ACC Freshman of the Year: TJ Stewart (Virginia Tech) It took a while for TJ Stewart to crack the lineup at Virginia Tech, but once he did, there was no looking back. In Stewart’s ACC debut, he had an early lead on returning All-American Gavin Kane (North Carolina); however, the veteran was able to push it into overtime and take the win. That wouldn’t happen again as Stewart didn’t lose again before Kansas City. Stewart finished the regular season with wins over returning qualifier Reece Heller and fellow freshman stud Dylan Fishback. At the ACC Championships, Stewart got his revenge on Kane with a victory of his own in sudden victory before downing Fishback for the conference crown. Despite the lack of bouts wrestled in the regular season, Stewart was given the seventh seed at nationals on the heels of his ACC crown. Stewart quickly showed the bright lights of his first national tournament weren’t a hindrance as he needed only :55 for a fall over Max Hale (Penn) in his NCAA debut. Stewart would win another bout, which led into the NCAA quarterfinals against the second-seeded Big Ten champion Isaiah Salazar (Minnesota). Stewart nearly pulled off the upset, but a late score from the veteran clinched a 6-4 win. In order to earn All-American honors, Stewart would need one more win and have an imposing figure to topple. That wasn’t an issue and Stewart defeated 2023 NCAA 3rd Place finisher Chris Foca (Cornell) to lock up a spot in the top-eight. In his final bout of the year, Stewart teched David Key (Navy) to earn seventh place and wrestle up to his seed. Once the smoke cleared, Stewart finished his redshirt freshman campaign 14-4 with an All-American plaque and an ACC title. Honorable Mention: Dylan Fishback (NC State) ACC Coach of the Year: Tony Robie (Virginia Tech) In one of the more difficult decisions of our entire conference awards, we’re giving the ACC Coach of the Year award to Virginia Tech’s Tony Robie. For the third consecutive year, the Hokies finished as conference runners-up to NC State, but outplaced their bitter rivals at the NCAA Tournament. A total of four Virginia Tech wrestlers made the NCAA podium, which makes them one of only five schools that have had four or more AA’s in each of the last two seasons. Those four All-Americans led Virginia Tech to a seventh-place finish, which is the third-best in school history. Their 64 points were the second most in school history. As mentioned above, Caleb Henson’s national title at 149 lbs made him only the second national champion in school history. Both have done so under the watch of Robie. In dual competition, the Hokies went 9-4. Out-of-conference highlights were wins over Rutgers and Stanford, both of which were programs that finished in the top-20 at nationals. Honorable Mention: Pat Popolizio (NC State) Previous Award Winners ACC Wrestler of the Year 2023: Austin O’Connor (North Carolina) 2022: Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) ACC Freshman of the Year 2023: Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) 2022: Ed Scott (NC State) ACC Coach of the Year 2023: Tony Robie (Virginia Tech) 2022: Pat Popolizio (NC State)