InterMat Staff

Friday’s DI Dual Results Northern Illinois 47 St. Ambrose 125 - Blake West (Northern Illinois) tech Steele Dias (St. Ambrose) 16-0 133 - Lucian Brink (Northern Illinois) maj Isaac Martinez (St. Ambrose) 8-0 141 - Danny Curran (Northern Illinois) maj Giuseppe Guerra (St. Ambrose) 15-2 149 - Tommy Curran (Northern Illinois) tech Reese Finch (St. Ambrose) 16-0 157 - Alec Rees (Northern Illinois) maj Riley Woods (St. Ambrose) 14-0 165 - Jake Evans (Northern Illinois) fall Diego Machado (St. Ambrose) 2:14 174 - Ricardo Salinas (Northern Illinois) tech Jayden Terronez (St. Ambrose) 20-4 184 - Matt Zuber (Northern Illinois) maj Dylan Meiners (St. Ambrose) 13-0 197 - Carter Grewe (Northern Illinois) maj Tyreese Johnson (St. Ambrose) 11-1 285 - Jordan Summers (Northern Illinois) fall Jeremiah Morris (St. Ambrose) 2:47 Northern Illinois 48 Lindenwood 0 125 - Blake West (Northern Illinois) tech Austin Kegley (Lindenwood) 20-3 133 - Mikey Kaminski (Northern Illinois) tech Caiden Pelc (Lindenwood) 20-4 141 - Dylan Gvillo (Northern Illinois) dec Ben Bohr (Lindenwood) 2-0 149 - Tommy Curran (Northern Illinois) fall Cruz Lara (Lindenwood) 2:52 157 - Kavan Troy (Northern Illinois) fall Logan Johnson (Lindenwood) 2:21 165 - Tommy Bennett (Northern Illinois) tech Zackary Rackers (Lindenwood) 19-4 174 - Hayden Pummel (Northern Illinois) fall Kaden Charboneau (Lindenwood) 4:04 184 - Matt Zuber (Northern Illinois) maj Luke Shaver (Lindenwood) 17-3 197 - Carter Grewe (Northern Illinois) maj Ryan Golnick (Lindenwood) 8-0 285 - Jacobi Jackson (Northern Illinois) maj David Hernandez (Lindenwood) 17-3 NC State 40 Appalachian State 3 125 - Jakob Camacho (NC State) tech Chad Bellis (Appalachian State) 18-3 133 - Ethan Oakley (Appalachian State) dec Jarrett Trombley (NC State) 4-2 141 - Ryan Jack (NC State) maj Kaden Keiser (Appalachian State) 19-6 149 - Jackson Arrington (NC State) tech Cody Bond (Appalachian State) 19-3 157 - Ed Scott (NC State) dec Tommy Askey (Appalachian State) 13-6 165 - AJ Kovacs (NC State) dec Will Miller (Appalachian State) 5-4 174 - Alex Faison (NC State) dec Lucas Uliano (Appalachian State) 6-3SV 184 - Dylan Fishback (NC State) fall Tomas Brooker (Appalachian State) 1:30 197 - Trent Hidlay (NC State) tech Hunter Adams (Appalachian State) 19-4 285 - Owen Trephan (NC State) fall Jacob Sartorio (Appalachian State) 2:07 Northern Colorado 47 Fort Hays State 4 125 - Stevo Poulin (Northern Colorado) tech D’Andre Brown (Fort Hays State) 22-3 133 - Dominick Serrano (Northern Colorado) fall Kevin Honas (Fort Hays State) :24 141 - Rudy Lopez (Northern Colorado) fall Drew Bell (Fort Hays State) 4:53 149 - Benji Alanis (Northern Colorado) fall Marcell Dely (Fort Hays State) 2:44 157 - Vince Zerban (Northern Colorado) tech Hunter Harris (Fort Hays State) 20-2 165 - Derek Matthews (Northern Colorado) maj Cody Hicks (Fort Hays State) 15-6 174 - Aydin Rix-McElhinney (Northern Colorado) tech Juan Urbina (Fort Hays State) 27-10 184 - Branson Britten (Northern Colorado) maj Bryce Westmoreland (Fort Hays State) 15-1 197 - Tereus Henry (Fort Hays State) maj Franklin Cruz (Northern Colorado) 12-0 285 - Xavier Doolin (Northern Colorado) fall Anthony Caldwell (Fort Hays State) 1:57 Northern Colorado 50 New Mexico Highlands 0 125 - Stevo Poulin (Northern Colorado) maj Rhys Sellers (New Mexico Highlands) 18-5 133 - Dominick Serrano (Northern Colorado) FFT 141 - Rudy Lopez (Northern Colorado) dec Joseph Misitano (New Mexico Highlands) 5-1 149 - Benji Alanis (Northern Colorado) fall Deklyn Miller (New Mexico Highlands) 4:33 157 - Vince Zerban (Northern Colorado) tech Evan Killgore (New Mexico Highlands) 18-2 165 - Derek Matthews (Northern Colorado) dec Ivan Smith Jr. (New Mexico Highlands) 8-3 174 - Aydin Rix-McElhinney (Northern Colorado) fall Thomas Tolbert (New Mexico Highlands) 2:21 184 - Branson Britten (Northern Colorado) fall Jacob Castillo (New Mexico Highlands) 2:57 197 - Franklin Cruz (Northern Colorado) tech Jayden Johnson (New Mexico Highlands) 19-3 285 - Xavier Doolin (Northern Colorado) FFT Rutgers 47 Duke 0 125 - Dean Peterson (Rutgers) fall Logan Agin (Duke) 1:57 133 - Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) fall Raymond Adams (Duke) 5:37 141 - Joey Fongaro (Rutgers) dec Peter Chacon (Duke) 8-4 149 - Jacob Butler (Rutgers) tech Jarred Papscy (Duke) 18-1 157 - Al DeSantis (Rutgers) maj Logan Ferraro (Duke) 16-5 165 - Tony White (Rutgers) tech Gaetano Console (Duke) 20-3 174 - Shane Cartagena-Walsh (Rutgers) dec Jack Wimmer (Duke) 10-3 184 - Brian Soldano (Rutgers) fall Conor Becker (Duke) 2:57 197 - John Poznanski (Rutgers) tech Kwasi Bonsu (Duke) 17-2 285 - Yaraslau Slavikouski (Rutgers) maj Connor Barket (Duke) 17-5 Cal Poly 38 Duke 6 125 - Dominic Mendez (Cal Poly) tech Logan Agin (Duke) 20-3 133 - Zeth Romney (Cal Poly) tech Raymond Adams (Duke) 19-3 141 - Abe Hinrichsen (Cal Poly) maj Peter Chacon (Duke) 19-6 149 - Chance Lamer (Cal Poly) tech Jarred Papscy (Duke) 21-6 157 - Legend Lamer (Cal Poly) fall Nick Tattini (Duke) 2:11 165 - Aiden Wallace (Duke) dec Michael Goldfeder (Cal Poly) 8-5SV 174 - Adam Kemp (Cal Poly) tech Jack Wimmer (Duke) 18-3 184 - Kendall LaRosa (Cal Poly) dec Conor Becker (Duke) 6-4 197 - Jared Priest (Cal Poly) tech Kwasi Bonsu (Duke) 22-7 285 - Connor Barket (Duke) dec Josh Harkey (Cal Poly) 12-7 Rutgers 31 Cal Poly 10 125 - Dean Peterson (Rutgers) dec Dominic Mendez (Cal Poly) 4-0 133 - Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) dec Zeth Romney (Cal Poly) 9-3 141 - Mitch Moore (Rutgers) fall Abe Hinrichsen (Cal Poly) Fall 3:13 149 - Chance Lamer (Cal Poly) maj Michael Cetta (Rutgers) 14-5 157 - Legend Lamer (Cal Poly) dec Al DeSantis (Rutgers) 4-2 165 - Anthony White (Rutgers) tech Michael Goldfeder (Cal Poly) 18-3 174 - Adam Kemp (Cal Poly) dec Jackson Turley (Rutgers) 8-5 184 - Brian Soldano (Rutgers) maj Kendall LaRosa (Cal Poly) 14-4 197 - John Poznanski (Rutgers) tech Jared Priest (Cal Poly) 17-1 285 - Yaraslau Slavikouski (Rutgers) tech Josh Harkey (Cal Poly) 16-0

We're getting ready to start the first week of the 2023-24 season, but have a semi-full schedule of DI duals whis week. A total of 35 duals will be contested. Since it can be difficult to figure out where and when to watch all of these events, InterMat has put together a list of all of the live-streamed events occurring this week. Below are the dates/times and how to watch each match (with links). All times are eastern Wednesday, November 1: Brockport at Buffalo 1:00 PM UB Bulls YouTube Seton Hill at Buffalo 2:30 PM UB Bulls YouTube Niagara County CC at Buffalo 4:00 PM UB Bulls YouTube Army West Point vs. Campbell at Fort Liberty, NC 5:00 PM UFC Fight Pass Glenville State at Buffalo 5:30 PM UB Bulls YouTube Allen at The Citadel 6:00 PM ESPN+ NC State vs. Presbyterian at Fort Liberty, NC 7:30 PM UFC Fight Pass Montreat at The Citadel 7:30 PM ESPN+ Carl Albert at Little Rock 8:00 PM Little Rock Sports Network Thursday, November 2: Greensboro at North Carolina 1:00 PM ACC Network Extra Oregon State vs. Queens at North Carolina 1:00 PM Queens at North Carolina 3:00 PM ACC Network Extra Oregon State vs. Greensboro at North Carolina 3:00 PM Oregon State at North Carolina 5:00 PM ACC Network Extra Queens vs. Greensboro at North Carolina 5:00 PM Maryland at American 7:00 PM ESPN+ SIU Edwardsville at Illinois 7:00 PM BTN+ Friday, November 3: Lindenwood vs. St. Ambrose at Northern Illinois 4:00 PM St. Ambrose at Northern Illinois 5:30 PM NIU All-Access NC State at Appalachian State 7:00 PM AppState Facebook, YouTube, Twitch Duke vs. Rutgers at Cal Poly 7:00 PM Fort Hays State at Northern Colorado 7:00 PM FloWrestling Lindenwood at Northern Illinois 7:00 PM NIU All-Access Duke at Cal Poly 9:00 PM Cal Poly All-Access New Mexico Highlands at Northern Colorado 9:00 PM FloWrestling Rutgers at Cal Poly 10:30 PM Cal Poly All-Access Saturday, November 4: Bellarmine at Patriot Open, hosted by Cumberlands 9:00 AM Campbell, Chattanooga, Davidson, Franklin & Marshall, Morgan State, Ohio, Oregon State, Utah Valley, Virginia, Virginia Tech, VMI, West Virginia at Southeast Open, hosted by Roanoke 9:00 AM FloWrestling SIU Edwardsville at Kaufman/Brand/Bayly Open, St. Louis, MO 10:00 AM Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield at Menlo Open 12:00 PM FloWrestling Navy at Illinois, 2:00 PM BTN+ Nebraska at North Dakota State 3:00 PM NDSU All-Access Duke at Stanford 7:00 PM Western Colorado at Air Force 8:00 PM FloWrestling Iowa at California Baptist 9:00 PM FloWrestling Colorado State-Pueblo at Air Force 9:30 PM FloWrestling Sunday, November 5: Brown, Buffalo, Clarion, Columbia, Edinboro, Gardner-Webb, Kent State, Michigan State, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Purdue at Clarion Open 9:00 AM FloWrestling Army West Point, Bloomsburg, Hofstra, Lehigh, Lock Haven, Princeton, Rider at Princeton Open 9:00 AM ESPN+ American, Appalachian State, Drexel, George Mason, Indiana, The Citadel at Battle at the Citadel 9:00 AM Utah Valley at Rookie Open, hosted by Colorado School of Mines 12:00 PM Cleveland State vs. Iowa State at Massillon, OH, 2:00 PM UFC Fight Pass Lindenwood at Wisconsin 2:00 PM BTN+ Western Wyoming at Wyoming 3:00 PM FloWrestling

Opening week has already been a busy one in the ACC. We saw NC State open the season with a shutout victory over Presbyterian at Ft. Liberty on Wednesday and North Carolina opened their year with three duals at home, going 2-1, dropping a back-and-forth dual to Oregon State. We will see the rest of the conference teams in action on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Duke: The Blue Devils will kick off the season with a West Coast swing for three duals. They will face Cal Poly and Rutgers on Friday, followed by a Saturday afternoon dual against Stanford. We have received this as the projected lineup for the Blue Devils: 125: Logan Agin 133: Raymond Adams 141: Peter Chacon 149: Jarred Papcsy 157: Logan Ferrero / Nick Tattini 165: Gaetano Console / Aidan Wallace 174: Jack Wimmer 184: Conor Becker 197: Kwasi Bonsu 285: Connor Barket North Carolina: The Tar Heels hosted the Carolina Duals to open the year, beating Queens 41-10 and Greensboro College 48-3 before dropping an exciting dual to Oregon State 24-13. I will have a full breakdown of the duals in the weekly wrap-up next week. A couple big highlights from the day were Spencer Moore knocking off #11 Brandon Kaylor and #3 Lachlan McNeil picking up a ranked win with a major decision over #20 Cleveland Belton. The Tar Heels will be back in action against Buffalo and Arizona State next week and will be sending a small contingent to the Southeast Open this weekend. North Carolina State: The Wolfpack made a statement in their opening dual at Ft. Liberty against Presbyterian, showcasing their depth of talent in a 48-0 route of the Blue Hose. They sent several younger wrestlers - many from North Carolina - out to the mat in the airplane hangar in the opening event of the NCAA season that was hosted on UFC Fight Pass. Coach Popolizio’s crew will have a quick turnaround with a trip to Boone to face in-state foe Appalachian State on Friday night. App State does a fantastic job creating a rowdy environment for their duals, and this one should be extra rowdy with a large contingent of fans making the trip from Raleigh. We will get our first glimpse of most of the NC State lineup against the Mountaineers. 125 #12 Jakob Camacho vs. Chad Bellis 133 #5 Kai Orine vs. Ethan Oakley 141 #9 Ryan Jack vs. Kaden Keiser 149 #7 Jackson Arrington vs. #25 Cody Bond 157 #5 Ed Scott vs. #20 Tommy Askey 165 #33 AJ Kovacs vs. Will Miller 174 #22 Alex Faison vs. Luke Uliano 184 #29 Dylan Fishback vs. Tomas Brooker 197 #5 Trent Hidlay vs. #31 Carson Floyd or Gunnar Pool 285 #8 Owen Trephan vs. Jacob Sartorio Pittsburgh: The Panthers will send a large group, including many starters, to the Clarion Open on Sunday to open the season. There will be some tough competition this year-Ohio State is sending nearly their full lineup as well as ranked wrestlers from multiple teams. It will be a great way to see where Pitt stands against solid competition to start the season. Virginia: The Hoos will send a very large contingent down I-81 to the Southeast Open (always the Hokie Open in my heart) to compete in the Open division and the freshman/sophomore division. They had a lot of success last year from their redshirts, so I’m interested to see how they perform in the Open division. Virginia Tech: The Hokies will be hosting the Southeast (Hokie) Open this weekend and will have a large contingent of wrestlers competing, including about half of their projected starters. They have a top-10 dual in Blacksburg next week and will only be sending out wrestlers who are fully healthy.

During his preseason conversations with a handful of Big Ten coaches, Ryan Holmes made sure to ask about their thoughts on the new rules, particularly the three-point takedown. Not only do the coaches give their thoughts on the rules, but also if they have spoken with their team about the changes, and anything out of the ordinary with respect to the new rules. As you would expect, the answers vary greatly from coach to coach. For the full interview: Click Here

Harrison

Last night, American University hosted #21 Maryland in a non-conference dual between two DMV (District/Maryland/Virginia) neighbors. It was the first action of the 2023-24 season for both squads. The dual started off with some fireworks at 125 lbs in a battle of 2023 NCAA qualifiers. American's #30 Jack Maida moved down from 133 lbs in the offseason and quickly found himself down against returning NCAA Round of 12 finisher #15 Braxton Brown. Maida turned the tables and outlasted Brown for a 13-4 major decision. From there, Maryland generally flexed their muscles; however, not without a fight from American, who proved to be very tough on the mat. The final score ended up 30-7 in favor of the Terps. After the dual we spoke with both head coaches and a pair of wrestlers from the winning side. Maryland's Alex Clemsen American's Jason Borrelli Maryland 141 lber Kal Miller Maryland 197 lber Jaxon Smith

Hanover

Lindbergh

St. Edward

Graham

Paulsboro

Thursday’s DI Dual Results North Carolina 48 Greensboro 3 125 - Spencer Moore (North Carolina) FFT 133 - Jace Palmer (North Carolina) FFT 141 - Josh Wilson (Greensboro) dec Derek Guanajuato (North Carolina) 4-2 149 - Connor Alexander (North Carolina) tech Quadir Medley (Greensboro) 15-0 157 - Sonny Santiago (North Carolina) FFT 165 - Marcus Murabito (North Carolina) tech Nicholas Menjivar (Greensboro) 17-0 174 - Sabino Portella (North Carolina) tech Luke Gregory (Greensboro) 17-1 184 - Chris Salazar (North Carolina) fall Omori Lee (Greensboro) 6:45 197 - Wilson Major (North Carolina) fall Amarion Wilson (Greensboro) 1:15 285 - Alberto Hernandez (North Carolina) dec Dominic Harris (Greensboro) 4-2 Oregon State 58 Queens 0 125 - Brandon Kaylor (Oregon State) fall Brendan Martin (Queens) 1:41 133 - Gabe Whisenhunt (Oregon State) fall Griffen Gonzales (Queens) :36 141 - Cleveland Belton (Oregon State) fall Ananth Manibushan (Queens) 1:37 149 - Noah Tolentino (Oregon State) tech Connor Goodman (Queens) 19-3 157 - Murphy Menke (Oregon State) fall Suhaib Hatamleh (Queens) 1:17 165 - Kekana Fouret (Oregon State) fall Easton Tobia (Queens) 1:07 174 - Travis Wittlake (Oregon State) tech Greg Merriman (Queens) 18-1 184 - Trey Munoz (Oregon State) fall D’Andree Hunt (Queens) :34 197 - Mason Christensen (Oregon State) fall Stephan Falkner (Queens) 2:07 285 - Boone McDermott (Oregon State) fall Jamikael Lytle (Queens) 1:20 North Carolina 41 Queens 10 125 - Spencer Moore (North Carolina) tech Brendan Martin (Queens) 17-2 133 - Caden McCrary (North Carolina) tech Griffen Gonzales (Queens) 19-3 141 - Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina) tech Ananth Manibushan (Queens) 17-2 149 - Jayden Scott (North Carolina) fall Riley Curran (Queens) 1:50 157 - Sonny Santiago (North Carolina) fall Suhaib Hatamleh (Queens) 165 - Isaias Estrada (North Carolina) fall Vladimir Sukhikh (Queens) 4:50 174 - Sabino Portella (North Carolina) dec Greg Merriman (Queens) 9-5 184 - D’Andree Hunt (Queens) maj Chris Salazar (North Carolina) 11-2 197 - Max Shaw (North Carolina) tech Riley Kuhn (Queens) 16-0 285 - Jamikael Lytle (Queens) fall Aydin Guttridge (North Carolina) 1:15 Oregon State 55 Greensboro 0 125 - Brandon Kaylor (Oregon State) FFT 133 - Gabe Whisenhunt (Oregon State) FFT 141 - Cleveland Belton (Oregon State) dec Josh Wilson (Greensboro) 4-2 149 - Noah Tolentino (Oregon State) fall Quadir Medley (Greensboro) 157 - Murphy Menke (Oregon State) FFT 165 - Kekana Fouret (Oregon State) tech Ethan Kring (Greensboro) 17-0 174 - TJ McDonnell (Oregon State) tech Luke Gregory (Greensboro) 17-2 184 - Trey Munoz (Oregon State) fall Omori Lee (Greensboro) 197 - Justin Rademacher (Oregon State) fall Amarion Wilson (Greensboro) 285 - Boone McDermott (Oregon State) fall Dominic Harris (Greensboro) Oregon State 24 North Carolina 13 125 - Spencer Moore (North Carolina) dec Brandon Kaylor (Oregon State) 2-0 133 - Caden McCrary (North Carolina) dec Gabe Whisenhunt (Oregon State) 2-0 141 - Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina) maj Cleveland Belton (Oregon State) 14-2 149 - Noah Tolentino (Oregon State) dec Jayden Scott (North Carolina) 2-1SV 157 - Murphy Menke (Oregon State) dec Danny Nini (North Carolina) 2-1SV 165 - Kekana Fouret (Oregon State) dec Marcus Murabito (North Carolina) 5-0 174 - Travis Wittlake (Oregon State) dec Sabino Portella (North Carolina) 5-0 184 - Trey Munoz (Oregon State) fall Chris Salazar (North Carolina) :55 197 - Max Shaw (North Carolina) dec Mason Christensen (Oregon State) 5-0 285 - Boone McDermott (Oregon State) fall Alberto Hernandez (North Carolina) 1:41 Queens 50 Greensboro 2 125 - Brendan Martin (Queens) FFT 133 - Griffen Gonzales (Queens) FFT 141 - Josh Wilson (Greensboro) maj Ananth Manibushan (Queens) 12-3 149 - Riley Curran (Queens) maj Quadir Medley (Greensboro) 15-6 157 - Suhaib Hatamleh (Queens) FFT 165 - Vladimir Sukhikh (Queens) tech Nicholas Menjivar (Greensboro) 19-2 174 - Greg Merriman (Queens) tech Luke Gregory (Greensboro) 15-0 184 - D’Andree Hunt (Queens) fall Omori Lee (Greensboro) 5:41 197 - Riley Kuhn (Queens) fall fall Amarion Wilson (Greensboro) :20 285 - Jamikael Lytle (Queens) fall Khalil Beck (Greensboro) 2:33 Maryland 30 American 7 125 - Jack Maida (American) maj Braxton Brown (Maryland) 13-4 133 - King Sandoval (Maryland) dec Max Leete (American) 5-3 141 - Kal Miller (Maryland) tech Ethan Szerencsits (American) 19-3 149 - Ethen Miller (Maryland) maj Ryan Zimmerman (American) 16-3 157 - Michael North (Maryland) dec Kaden Milheim (American) 8-1 165 - John Martin Best (Maryland) maj Breon Phifer (American) 12-3 174 - Dom Solis (Maryland) dec Lucas White (American) 10-6 184 - Connor Bourne (American) dec Chase Mielnik (Maryland) 8-3 197 - Jaxon Smith (Maryland) tech Liam Volk-Klos (American) 15-0 285 - Seth Nevills (Maryland) dec Will Jarrell (American) 6-2 Illinois 28 SIU Edwardsville 7 125 - Justin Cardani (Illinois) dec Davian Guanajuato (SIU Edwardsville) 4-1 133 - Marcel Lopez (SIU Edwardsville) dec Kole Brower (Illinois) 5-3 141 - Danny Pucino (Illinois) tech Danny Martinez (SIU Edwardsville) 19-4 149 - Caleb Tyus (SIU Edwardsville) maj Jake Harrier (Illinois) 9-1 157 - Joe Roberts (Illinois) dec Brock Woodcock (SIU Edwardsville) 4-0 165 - Luke Odom (Illinois) dec Bradley Gillum (SIU Edwardsville) 8-6 174 - Edmond Ruth (Illinois) maj Dominic Lopez (SIU Edwardsville) 20-6 184 - Dylan Connell (Illinois) dec Deron Pulliam (SIU Edwardsville) 5-4 197 - Isaiah Pettigrew (Illinois) dec Ryan Yarnell (SIU Edwardsville) 10-6 285 - Luke Luffman (Illinois) maj Bryson Buhk (SIU Edwardsville) 15-4

The college wrestling season officially kicked off on Wednesday afternoon. While other sports have exhibition events or preseason, wrestling has wrestle-offs. Some teams use these intrasquad matches to determine their lineup, but others simply use it as a test run to prepare for the season. The competitors are often overly familiar with each other since teammates wrestle in practice. In some cases, this can create some strange results, but in other cases, it could be an early sign for the upcoming season. The following are some of the most interesting results from the preseason wrestle-offs. NC State 285: No. 8 Owen Trephan dec. Chase Horne 7-3 During his prep career, Horne was a Super 32 champion and a four-time Georgia state champion. He came to NC State as a top-40 recruit and is expected to continue the tradition of strong Wolfpack heavyweights. During a redshirt year last year, he went 17-5, but it seems likely he will sit behind a veteran this season. Trephan won the ACC last year and went 2-2 at the NCAA tournament. He enters this season as the eighth-ranked heavyweight in the InterMat rankings. Trephan was able to hold off a challenge from Horne in the intrasquad event and will likely benefit from having a strong partner in the room. North Carolina 133: Caden McCrary dec Jace Palmer 4-1 (SV) There appear to be several tight position battles for new coach Rob Koll at North Carolina. One of those would be at 133 pounds. Palmer was the starter last year for the Tar Heels, while McCrary wrestled only six matches in a reserve role. While he has not been overly active since joining North Carolina, McCrary was a Super 32 champion in high school. He edged Palmer here to appear to be in the driver’s seat for the starting role, but that will likely be decided in the future. Ohio State 141 No. 5 Jesse Mendez dec. Brandon Cannon 5-2 Cannon has quite an inspirational story. He was one of the top high school wrestlers in the country before being slowed by a health issue that held him out for years and required surgery. He ultimately returned to action and finished out his career at Ponderosa in Colorado. Mendez was one of the top recruits in the country before signing with Ohio State prior to last season. He went 19-9 at 133 pounds and finished sixth to become an All-American. He appeared to be in control throughout this bout, but it was a very close contest. There is always a chance that wrestlers who train together will have tighter matches. However, Mendez did play it close at times last year, and Ohio State fans will be hoping he can distance himself from his opposition more this season. Iowa State 141: Jacob Frost dec. No. 16 Zach Redding 10-5 Redding qualified for the NCAA tournament as a true freshman in 2021, and he returned to the event last year before seeing his season come to an end in the round of 12. He was expected to move into a starting role at 141 pounds this year. Those plans seem a bit cloudy after he dropped a 10-5 match against Frost last week. Frost was the 224th-ranked prospect by MatScouts before he joined the Cyclone program last year. During a redshirt year, he went 18-4 with two of his four losses coming against teammates. This victory could put him in position to earn a starting spot and put him on the path toward a spot in the rankings. Iowa State 149: Anthony Echemendia dec. No. 14 Casey Swiderski 4-3 The talent has always been there for Echemendia. However, he still needed to make the conversion from freestyle to folkstyle in order to be a successful college wrestler. This transition was made more difficult after a prolonged recruitment process and some high-profile legal issues. However, at least on the mat, things appear to be headed in the right direction. Back at Iowa State, Echemendia picked up a one-point victory over Swiderski. Last year, as a true freshman, Swiderski had several bright spots on the season and finished only one match short of All-American status. Oregon State 174: No. 11 Travis Wittlake dec. Mason Reiniche 4-3 After five years at Oklahoma State, Wittlake, an Oregon native, will return home and wrestle for the Beavers this season. He began his Oklahoma State career at 174 pounds before dropping down to 165 for multiple years. Last season, he moved up to 184 pounds and qualified for the NCAA tournament. Considering his background, Wittlake was expected to defeat Reiniche and hold down this spot for Oregon State. Reiniche had an undefeated 9-0 record last year in open tournaments and was able to keep it close with Wittlake. It will be interesting to see how the former Oklahoma State wrestler does in his third different weight class of his college career. Oklahoma 174: #13 Tate Picklo dec. #17 (at 165) Gerrit Nijenhuis 5-3 Sometimes preseason weights can be a fluid situation, so our preseason rankings had both of these wrestlers at separate weights, but Nijenhuis wrestled at 174 in last night’s wrestle-off. The incumbent, Picklo, managed a 5-3 victory, which could present a good problem for the new Sooner staff. Transfer Cael Carlson is a past NCAA qualifier at 165 lbs, Picklo and Nijenhuis are at 174 and two other national qualifiers are at 184 (Giuseppe Hoose and DJ Parker). Nijenhuis and Parker both have yet to redshirt, so that could be the direction that Roger Kish goes with this potential dilemma.

Ah, match day. When you combine those two words—which aren't very good on their own—you get my favorite phrase in the entire English language. It sounds really lovely when it rings. That sentence also has another benefit: it doesn't require an introduction. When you mention "Match Day," fans of wrestling smile when you say such words to them. It is undoubtedly the greatest starting event the sports world has to offer. How am I aware of that? It helps, though, that I suffer from a severe case of "the bias," which I believe I should be honest about because I can't conceal it. I am, after all, a wrestling writer, as it says up there. For us wrestling enthusiasts, tradition and history are everything, and the NCAA season puts the sport's heritage and past front and center. It's something that wrestling journalists have long noted. In light of that, I'm prepared to contribute my words to the stack right now. Even though I really wanted to think of a novel explanation for why match week is so great, the clichéd talk about the opening competition is still relevant. Match days have always been unique occasions thanks to history and tradition, and they always will be. If necessary, you can watch all the matches on your couch, but that's not the best situation. The ideal places to enjoy match days are your local colleges, and the experiences you have will vary based on which ones you attend. There are some experiences that are straightforward. Teams will showcase their best wrestlers. Other teams will dispatch their backup wrestlers. Along with representatives from other media outlets, alumni will be present to observe and/or offer commentary. Then there are other Match Day customs, the ones that shout out those two phrases that wrestling fans adore. Histories! Traditions! Do you need more evidence to support my admiration for Match Days? That's too bad. I don't have any, and to be honest, I doubt that there is any more reason at all. Most conversations regarding what's better than what and why will center on data and verifiable proof, but not in this case. I can tell it's unique just by looking at its age and rustic features, which give the story within some strength. Match Day is that. Although it's a fantastic artifact from the past, I think I can speak for all wrestling fans when I say that Match Day is something that never gets old. Fill your weekend with wrestling: Thursday, November 2: Oregon State - North Carolina Dual Southern Illinois Edwardsville - Illinois Dual Maryland - American Dual Oregon State - Greensboro Dual Greensboro - North Carolina Dual Oregon State - Queens Dual Queens - North Carolina Dual Queens - Greensboro Dual Friday, November 3: NC State - Appalachian State Dual Rutgers - Cal Poly Dual Fort Hays State - Northern Colorado Dual New Mexico Highlands - Northern Colorado Dual Rutgers - Duke Dual Duke - Cal Poly Dual Lindenwood - Northern Illinois Dual St. Ambrose - Northern Illinois Dual St. Ambrose - Lindenwood Dual Saturday, November 4: Nebraska - North Dakota State Dual Navy - Illinois Dual Iowa - Cal Baptist Dual Western Colorado - Air Force Dual CSU Pueblo - Air Force Dual Duke - Stanford Dual Cumberland Patriot Open Maryville Open Menlo Open Southeast Open Sunday, November 5: Iowa State - Cleveland State Dual Lindenwood - Wisconsin Dual Western Wyoming College - Wyoming Dual Clarion Open Princeton Open Rookie Open The Citadel Invite

Hastings

The start of the 2023-24 college season is rapidly approaching and over the next few weeks InterMat will bombard you with coverage, previews, and content from all angles. It might be too much to keep track of! With that in mind, here's a spot to look for all of InterMat's 2023-24 preseason coverage. This page will be updated as more content is posted! Top 50 List #6-10 #11-15 #16-20 #21-25 #26-30 #31-35 #36-40 #41-45 #46-50 ACC Duke Team Preview NC State Team Preview North Carolina Team Preview Pittsburgh Team Preview Virginia Team Preview Big 12 2023-24 Big 12 Team Tiers 2023-24 Big 12 Predictions Ranking the Strength of Each Big 12 Weight Class Big 12 Breakdown Podcast: Preseason Part One Big 12 Breakdown Podcast: Preseason Part Two Big 12 Breakdown Podcast: Preseason Part Three Big 12 Breakdown Podcast: Preseason Part Four Big Ten Illinois Team Preview Indiana Team Preview Iowa Team Preview Maryland Team Preview Michigan Team Preview Michigan State Team Preview Minnesota Team Preview Nebraska Team Preview Northwestern Team Preview Ohio State Team Preview Penn State Team Preview Purdue Team Preview Rutgers Team Preview Wisconsin Team Preview Seven Reactions from the Big Ten Schedule Release The 2023-24 Big Ten Scouting Report: Part One The 2023-24 Big Ten Scouting Report: Part Two 2023-24 Preseason Talk with Indiana Head Coach Angel Escobedo 2023-24 Preseason Talk with Minnesota Head Coach Brandon Eggum 2023-24 Preseason Talk with Northwestern's Matt Storniolo and BJ Futrell 2023-24 Preseason Talk with Rutgers Head Coach Scott Goodale 2023-24 Preseason Talk with Wisconsin Head Coach Chris Bono EIWA 2023-24 EIWA Preview (Part One) 2023-24 EIWA Preview (Part Two) October 2023 - EIWA Podcast with Kevin Ward MAC 8 Burning Questions for the MAC in 2023-24 5 (More) Burning Questions for the MAC in 2023-24 Pac-12 Team-by Team Preview SoCon Conference Preview (Part One) Conference Preview (Part Two) Campus Visit's Arizona State Columbia Maryland - Red and Black Wrestle-Off's Miscellaneous All-330 Projections Breakout Stars for the 2023-24 Season Fantasy College Wrestling 101 (2024 Version) FCW's Week 1 Fantasy Outlook Tip and Tricks to Winning Your Fantasy Wrestling Week, Every Week Introducing the New DI Head Coaches November's Top Duals The Replacements: Who Takes Over for 2023's Graduated Stars? True Freshmen to Watch for 2023-24 2023-24 DI Postseason Tournament Dates/Locations 2023-24 Milestone Watch List

Waverly-Shell Rock

A great deal of experience packs the lineup for Indiana this season as four returning NCAA qualifiers, five returning starters and a few transfers will be in the mix for Coach Angel Escobedo. Top Returners NCAA qualifiers Graham Rooks, Derek Gilcher, Donnell Washington, and Jacob Bullock are back this season. Rooks, Washington, and Bullock all come back at 149, 174 and 285, respectively. Gilcher will be moving up to 165 to form a pretty powerful trio in the middle of the lineup. Both Rooks and Washington went 2-2 at NCAAs last year, but Rooks made it to the quarterfinals before taking a loss. Gilcher and Bullock both finished 1-2 to end their seasons. These four guys will be looking to impress upon those finishes from a season ago. Key Departures The Hoosiers didn’t really lose anyone from a season ago. The lineup will have new faces in it, but not due to transferring out or graduating. Newcomers As I mentioned above, they didn’t lose any key guys from them transferring out, but they got some guys that transferred in. First on that list is 2021 NCAA All-American Brayton Lee. After spending his career at Minnesota where he was a starter for multiple years until an injury brought his 2022 season to an end. He made a return the following year but continued to battle some injuries through the season. And now the three-time Indiana state champion is making his way back home to compete for the Hoosiers. Lee will be filling the spot at 157 as Gilcher moves to 165. Another transfer looking to make an instant impact for Coach Escobedo is Roman Rogotzke, a transfer from South Dakota State. After being with the Jackrabbits for 2 seasons and spending one in a redshirt, he heads to Indiana as the projected starter at 184. During his redshirt freshman season last year, he ended up with a 17-8 record. The third transfer on the list is Danny Fongaro, a graduate transfer from Columbia. Fongaro is a .500 wrestler with a good deal of experience in the EIWA where he was fifth and sixth at the conference tournament the last two seasons. He could be one of two guys to see time at 141 this season. Wrestlers to watch Grad student Nick Willham is returning to this year’s lineup at 285. Last year he was an NCAA alternate at 197 and this year I doubt he will be on the outside looking in. He has showed great improvement every year. In addition to Willham, there’s redshirt freshman Isaac Thornton and Sophomore Henry Porter. Thornton will be filling the spot at 133 as Porter moves up to 141 after starting at 133 last year as a true freshman a season ago. Top out-of-conference dual Just a few days before Christmas they head to Bethlehem, PA to take on Lehigh who is the #23-ranked dual meet team coming into the season. Lehigh has a very talented roster with a few logjams of talent in the middle (according to our very own Austin Sommer who covers the EIWA, check out his preview). But depending on how Lehigh’s lineup shakes out, we could see some very competitive matches from 141-165.

Wednesday’s DI Dual Results Buffalo 47 Brockport 4 125 - Tristan Daugherty (Buffalo) fall Liam Bullock (Brockport) 4:09 133 - Tommy Maddox (Buffalo) tech Alexander Burroughs (Brockport) 17-1 141 - Andy Lucinski (Buffalo) dec Francis Whitehouse (Brockport) 9-5 149 - Nick Stampoulos (Buffalo) tech Charles Loucks (Brockport) 20-4 157 - Ty Raines (Buffalo) tech Logan Palmeri (Brockport) 18-2 165 - Rafael Knapp (Buffalo) fall Max Ebanks (Brockport) 4:11 174 - Dylan Schell (Buffalo) tech Michael Syposs (Brockport) 18-3 184 - Chase Kranitz (Buffalo) fall Spencer Clements (Brockport) :51 197 - Sam Mitchell (Buffalo) fall Elijah Bonet (Brockport) 2:38 285 - Nick Franco (Brockport) maj Robert Unruh (Buffalo) 12-1 Buffalo 36 Seton Hill 7 125 - William Burgess (Seton Hill) maj Troy Guerra (Buffalo) 10-0 133 - Kyle Burkholder (Seton Hill) dec Cole French (Buffalo) 7-2 141 - Andy Lucinski (Buffalo) dec Niko Ferra (Seton Hill) 3-0 149 - Kaleb Burgess (Buffalo) fall Braxton Miller (Seton Hill) 4:14 157 - Eric Tigue (Buffalo) maj Nolan Daerr (Seton Hill) 9-0 165 - Hunter Shaut (Buffalo) fall Kane Kettering (Seton Hill) 14-4 174 - Jay Nivison (Buffalo) FFT 184 - Chase Kranitz (Buffalo) tech Riley O’Mara (Seton Hill) 18-0 197 - Lonnell Owens-Pabon (Buffalo) dec Brendan Finntery (Seton Hill) 10-3 285 - Robert Unruh (Buffalo) maj Ethan Cain (Seton Hill) 8-0 Buffalo 49 Niagara CC 0 125 - Troy Guerra (Buffalo) maj JR Leuer (Niagara CC) 17-3 133 - Cole French (Buffalo) dec Michael Catanzaro (Niagara CC) 6-0 141 - Aaron Lanster (Buffalo) tech Kenny Blowers (Niagara CC) 18-1 149 - Nick Stampoulos (Buffalo) fall Antione Walker (Niagara CC) Fall 3:30 157 - Carter Gill (Buffalo) dec Kace Cook (Niagara CC) 2-0 165 - Brady Unger (Buffalo) tech Quinn Brown (Niagara CC) 21-6 174 - Dylan Schell (Buffalo) tech Payton Grabowski (Niagara CC) 19-4 184 - Rafael Knapp (Buffalo) FFT 197 - Lonnell Owens-Pabon (Buffalo) fall Cameron Hall (Niagara CC) 1:18 285 - Robert Unruh (Buffalo) FFT Buffalo 36 Glenville State 15 125 - Tristan Daugherty (Buffalo) tech Devin Easton (Glenville State) 18-2 133 - Gavin Quiocho (Glenville State) fall Tomm Maddox (Buffalo) 4:18 141 - Andy Lucinski (Buffalo) FFT 149 - Kaleb Burgess (Buffalo) tech Ethan Hardy (Glenville State) 19-4 157 - Ty Raines (Buffalo) fall William Houser (Glenville State) 2:16 165 - Guy DeLonardis (Glenville State) dec Hunter Shaut (Buffalo) 8-2 174 - Jay Nivison (Buffalo) maj Cade Linn (Glenville State) 10-2 184 - Chase Kranitz (Buffalo) tech Brady Ross (Glenville State) 17-2 197 - Sam Mitchell (Buffalo) tech Nick Copley (Glenville State) 17-2 285 - Gavin Shamblin (Glenville State) fall Will Hotaling (Buffalo) 4:13 Campbell 25 Army West Point 9 125 - Ethan Berginc (Army West Point) dec Zander Phaturos (Campbell) 6-1 133 - Domenic Zaccone (Campbell) dec Braden Basile (Army West Point) 12-10 141 - Chris Rivera (Campbell) dec Zach Keal (Army West Point) 4-1 149 - Trae McDaniel (Army West Point) dec Justin Rivera (Campbell) 7-0 157 - Chris Earnest (Campbell) dec Nate Lukez (Army West Point) 10-6 165 - Dalton Harkins (Army West Point) dec Dom Baker (Campbell) 4-1 174 - Austin Murphy (Campbell) dec Gunner Filipowicz (Army West Point) 4-2 184 - Caleb Hopkins (Campbell) maj Ben Pasiuk (Army West Point) 8-0 197 - Levi Hopkins (Campbell) dec Daniel Lawrence (Army West Point) 6-0 285 - Taye Ghadiali (Campbell) fall Lucas Stoddard (Army West Point) Fall 3:47 NC State 48 Presbyterian 0 125 - NC State FFT 133 - Jacob Cox (NC State) tech Trenton Dominquez (Presbyterian) 17-1 141 - Tyler Tracy (NC State) dec Ryan Luna (Presbyterian) 6-4 149 - Jackson Arrington (NC State) tech Trenton Donahue (Presbyterian) 19-3 157 - Zach Karagis (NC State) dec Eli Holiday (Presbyterian) 3-1 165 - AJ Kovacs (NC State) tech Michael Ramirez (Presbyterian) 18-1 174 - Alex Faison (NC State) maj Reed Douglas (Presbyterian) 184 - Dylan Fishback (NC State) fall Caleb Roe (Presbyterian) 197 - Christian Knop (NC State) tech George Hopkins (Presbyterian) 17-2 285 - Chase Horne (NC State) fall Morvens Saint Jean (Presbyterian) The Citadel 57 Allen 0 125 - Malik Hardy (The Citadel) tech Reco Robinson (Allen) 15-0 133 - George Rosas (The Citadel) fall Nyshaad Hannon (Allen) 2:14 141 - Brayton Killiri (The Citadel) FFT 149 - Hayden Watson (The Citadel) fall Drevon Wallace (Allen) 6:12 157 - Thomas Snipes (The Citadel) fall James Dargin (Allen) 2:29 165 - Aidan Lenz (The Citadel) fall Ya’Donnis Hardaway (Allen) 1:32 174 - Josh Stillings (The Citadel) tech Michael Jackson (Allen) 15-0 184 - Adam Ortega (The Citadel) fall Jerrel Baskins (Allen) 5:42 197 - Patrick Brophy (The Citadel) tech Emmanuel Velasquez Alvarado (Allen) 17-2 285 - Ben Stemmet (The Citadel) fall Chandler Allen (Allen) 2:20 The Citadel 50 Montreat 4 125 - Malik Hardy (The Citadel) FFT 133 - George Rosas (The Citadel) fall Alexander Grabowski (Montreat) 1:04 141 - Thomas Termini (The Citadel) FFT 149 - Carson DeRosier (The Citadel) tech Ethan Bennett (Montreat) 15-0 157 - Thomas Snipes (The Citadel) maj Daniel Bennett (Montreat) 16-4 165 - Mohamed Ben Hafsia (Montreat) maj Justin Hays (The Citadel) 12-2 174 - Brodie Porter (The Citadel) fall Zechariah Wallace-Turner (Montereat) 1:02 184 - Adam Ortega (The Citadel) fall Tyler McDonald (Montreat) 2:41 197 - Patrick Brophy (The Citadel) tech Milosz Gargol (Montreat) 19-4 285 - John Chesser (The Citadel) fall Lucian Thomas (Montreat) 1:44 Little Rock 48 Carl Albert 3 125 - Jeremiah Reno (Little Rock) tech RJ Jones (Carl Albert) 18-2 133 - Josh Sarpy (Little Rock) tech Ryder Clark (Carl Albert) 17-0 141 - Brennan Van Hoecke (Little Rock) maj Cooper Evans (Carl Albert) 17-3 149 - Jaden Two Lance (Carl Albert) dec Jake Adams (Little Rock) 7-1 157 - Matt Bianchi (Little Rock) fall Cade Evans (Carl Albert) 2:27 165 - Brendon Abdon (Little Rock) tech Noah Smith (Carl Albert) 17-2 174 - Tyler Brennan (Little Rock) fall Matthew Mason (Carl Albert) 1:30 184 - Triston Wills (Little Rock) fall Trey Hudgens (Carl Albert) 1:23 197 - Stephen Little (Little Rock) tech Hunter Hall (Carl Albert) 20-4 285 - Josiah Hill (Little Rock) fall Austin Blair (Carl Albert) 2:32

Union

The Tar Heels ended the season last year on a high note - crowning Austin O’Connor with his second NCAA title and freshman Lachlan McNeil and sophomore Gavin Kane earning All-American honors, while finishing in 12th place as a team. They return a solid nucleus from last year’s squad that will provide much-needed stability and leadership for a program under new leadership. Previous Head Coach Coleman Scott announced his resignation and returned to his alma mater at Oklahoma State, leading to the return of UNC alum and well-established and successful Head Coach Rob Koll. Koll has shaken up the coaching staff by bringing two coaches with him from Stanford in Enock Francois and Ben Darmstadt. They maintained the consistent leadership of Associate Head Coach Tony Ramos, who has been a lynchpin in the growth of this program. North Carolina will have a much different look to their lineup this year after the graduation of four multi-year starters; Zach Sherman, Austin O’Connor, Clay Lautt, Brandon Whitman and transfer Jack Wagner; we will see some very talented younger Tar Heels taking to the mat. I am very interested to see how the team fares under the leadership of Koll, who has an incredible resume and track record of success across all weight classes. TOP RETURNERS Lachlan McNeil navigated a challenging freshman season well; he took some tough losses early in the season but rounded into form before ACC duals. In one of the tougher weights in the ACC, he went 3-2 in duals, falling to All-American Cole Matthews and Ryan Jack. He dropped a tight match to Jack in the ACC semifinals and finished in 3rd. I spoke with Lachlan after this match and it was clear it left a bad taste in his mouth and he expected more from himself. He proved those expectations correct in Tusla, working through some landmines in the bracket he made it to the quarterfinals before falling to eventual NCAA champ Andrew Alirez. McNeil pushed through the backside to make the third-place bout, falling to Beau Bartlett and finishing in fourth place to earn All-American honors in his first NCAA tournament. McNeil also continues to get quality competition on the freestyle scene. Representing Team Canada, he wrestled in the World Championships and multiple other freestyle tournaments - winning a title at the Grand Prix of Spain. Gavin Kane showed glimpses of his All-American ability during his freshman year, making the ACC finals with a win over Hunter Bolen, before falling to Trent Hidlay to take second. Last year, in his sophomore campaign, he shook off some early struggles against top-10 competition and went on a 12-1 run from January through ACC competition with his only loss to Hunter Bolen in the dual; he did not wrestle against Trent Hidlay in the NC State dual. Kane avenged the loss to Bolen at the ACC tournament to face Hidlay in the finals where he dropped a 7-2 decision. Kane entered the NCAA tournament as the 12-seed and was upset in the opening round. He went on an incredible run on the backside knocking off 11th-seeded Abe Assad in his first consolation match and topping conference foe and seventh seed Hunter Bolen 4-3 in the bloodround match to earn All-American honors. Kane finished in eighth place in Tulsa and will be looking to move up the steps this year in Kansas City. KEY DEPARTURES Austin O’Connor left Chapel Hill as one of, if not the most decorated wrestler to compete for the Tar Heels. Two-time NCAA Champion, four-time NCAA All-American (3, COVID 1st Team, 1, 8, 1), three-time ACC Champion, ACC Wrestler of the Year. He finished with a 91% winning percentage at 136-13 overall. While many will view his two titles as the most impressive achievement, I will forever be in awe of his performance in 2022 when he fought through the ACC and NCAA tournament with a badly injured knee. He was able to grit his way through the NCAA tournament, falling in the first round to Dazjon Casto before reeling off four straight wins, including a bloodround win over Josh Humphries to earn All-American honors before defaulting out of the tournament to finish in 8th. Zach Sherman started off his career in Chapel Hill at 133, earned All-American honors at 141 and came back to help the team with his final year of eligibility at 149. He exemplified leadership and sacrifice for the good of the team fighting through a series of serious shoulder injuries in his final two years. He was a four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time ACC finalist, and one-time ACC Champion. Clay Lautt earned All-American status in 2022, after falling in the blood round in 2021. Lautt entered last year with a top-10 ranking and high expectations; unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury that ended his season early. He ended his time in Chapel Hill as a three-time ACC finalist, one-time ACC Champion, three-time NCAA qualifier and one-time All-American. NEWCOMERS With the youth of this team, we will likely see multiple wrestlers getting experience early in the season to establish the true starter-hence, many names listed on the potential lineup. The coaching staff did an excellent job last year utilizing the five dates for freshmen to get them mat time in duals, so even though there are some young faces, most of them have seen time in the starting lineup. WRESTLER TO WATCH There are several new faces to keep your eye on for the Tar Heels. One that stands out to me is Danny Nini. He went 6-7 in his redshirt season at 149, which doesn’t sound amazing until you look at his competition. He had losses to Yianni Diakomihalis, Levi Haines, and Jon Jon Millner in dual competition. He will be moving up to 157, a much better weight for him where he can focus more on wrestling and less on weight cutting. Coaches have said great things about what they have seen from him in the room over the past year and expect big things from him this season. He was a Florida state champ, NHSCA Champion and #26 overall recruit coming into Chapel Hill--I think a year of college wrestling under his belt is going to pay big dividends and we will see a dangerous wrestler in Danny Nini. Another one to keep an eye on is Spencer Moore. He started two years ago as a (very young) true freshman and showed glimpses of what he could be. A year in the weight room and an extra year of maturity have paid off and I think the Tar Heels will have a solid anchor at the bottom of the lineup. TOP OUT-OF-CONFERENCE DUAL The Tar Heels have put together a challenging out-of-conference schedule, including an opening day dual against #20 Oregon State to close out the Carolina Duals. They will also face Buffalo and #11 Arizona State at Journeymen Wranglemania and Central Michigan and #24 Illinois in Champaign. With all the changes the Tar Heels have this year between graduating multiple long-term starters and a new coaching staff, I am excited to see how they shape up against a very tough Oregon State squad. Coach Pendelton and staff have done a phenomenal job rebuilding the OSU team, and have done it much more quickly than many expected. Spencer Moore, coming off a redshirt year, will face #11 Brandon Kaylor, #3 Lachlan McNeil will have #20 Cleveland Belton and #33 Aydin Guttridge will square off with #21 Boone McDermott. This is an opportunity for a young Tar Heel squad to make a statement to start the season. POTENTIAL LINEUP North Carolina #19 Tournament #27 Dual 125: Spencer Moore 8-3 (RS) 133: Jayce Palmer 12-14 2-3 ACC Cayden McCrary 4-2 141: #3 Lachlan McNeil 27-9 3-2 ACC - All-American (4th) - 1x NCAA Qualifier 149: Jayden Scott 14-6 (RS) 157: Danny Nini 6-7 (RS) Sonny Santiago 9-1 165: Nick Fea 4-5 RS Isaias Estrada Did Not Compete Last Season 174: Cade Tenold 12-13 (RS) Marcus Murabito 11-4 (RS) Sabino Portella True Freshman 184: #6 Gavin Kane 25-9 3-1 ACC - All-American (8th) - 2x NCAA Qualifier - 2x ACC Finalist 197: #18 Max Shaw 16-12 0-3 ACC - 2x NCAA Qualifier Cade Lautt 7-4 0-1 ACC 285: #33 Aydin Guttridge 13-7 1-0 ACC

The season kicks off tonight, November 1 at The Battle at Liberty - hosted by Campbell University, streaming on UFC Fight Pass. Campbell University The Camels are coming into the ’23-’24 season with a bang - kicking off their dual season with The Battle at Liberty, where they’ll face off against Army. They’ll also likely settle the debate of “who’s America’s team?” In the SoCon preseason poll - five returning members were named to the all-conference team, Shannon Hanna (141), Austin Murphy (174), brothers Caleb (184) and Levi Hopkins (197), and heavyweight Taye Ghadiali, with the program coming out on top in the preseason poll. This schedule is absolutely stacked this season - the Camels head out West to Wyoming where they’ll actually wrestle in a barn. The Fighting Camel Duals will take place in December, where Gore Arena will be host to Purdue, Stanford, and North Dakota State’s programs for an action-packed day of duals. It’ll be a fierce Fight Pass Friday in February when App State travels to The Creek for a dual meet. This conference rivalry has been so fun to watch develop and continue - the wrestling keeps getting better and the energy between these two fan bases is unmatched. The Fighting Camels will also host conference foes Chattanooga to cap off their home dual series. This lineup (if we’re looking at returning starters) is filled with well-seasoned competitors, it’ll be exciting to see how this more mature team matches up with the younger rosters in the conference. Preseason rankings: 133: Domenic Zaccone (12) 141: Shannon Hanna (23) 174: Austin Murphy (30) 184: Caleb Hopkins (20) 197: Levi Hopkins (27) HWT: Taye Ghadiali (15) VMI Wrestle-offs, intrasquad matches, whichever you prefer to call them, used to be more low-key events. Programs like VMI have gotten creative, hosting their intrasquad match in the barracks. The Keydets are headed into the ’23-’24 season following a 9-8 season, with a 2-6 conference record, picking up victories against Presbyterian and Davidson. Home duals begin at Cormack Hall in November against Limestone and Marymount - DII and DIII program, and will kick off conference competition in January, hosting Chattanooga. The Keydets will see upperweight stars Tyler Mousaw and Josh Evans return to the mat this season, alongside SoCon placewinners Braxton Lewis and Ryan Vigil. Both were freshmen in 2022-23. A crowd favorite is the rivalry between VMI and The Citadel - which will be held in Charleston this year. The Keydets will also be in attendance at the Soldier Salute, hosted by the University of Iowa. Preseason rankings: None Gardner-Webb The Runnin’ Bulldogs kick off their season hosting Kent State and Ohio University, the conference season will begin for them in February, when the Chattanooga Mocs travel to Boiling Springs for a SoCon showdown. Gardner-Webb will also host Davidson, The Citadel, and will round off their hosting duties for the season with a dual against VMI. Returning to the mat this season, we’ll see Jha’Quan Anderson (184) and Zach Price (141), who ended their seasons with second-place finishes at the conference tournament, Anderson making his second appearance at the NCAA Championships via an at-large bid. The Runnin’ Bulldogs had a 4-4 conference record last season, clinching victories against Bellarmine, The Citadel, VMI, and Davidson, and will look to avenge last season’s losses to Chattanooga and Presbyterian. Preseason rankings: 133: Todd Carter (33) 184: Jha’Quan Anderson (32) The Citadel We’ve talked about the Runnin’ Bulldogs, now it’s time to talk about The Bulldogs of The Citadel. Finishing off the ’22-23 season with an overall 7-5 record, and a 3-5 conference record, The Citadel picked up wins over Presbyterian, Davidson, and military academy rivals VMI. Returning stars include Ben Haubert (165) and John Chesser (HWT), following third-place finishes at the conference tournament. The Bulldogs will host four conference duals this season: a military matchup against VMI, Bellarmine, Davidson, and Presbyterian. Preseason rankings: None Presbyterian Presbyterian will enter their fifth season led by Dominic Chavez (125), selected for the preseason All-SoCon team. Chavez made history for the Blue Hose last season, becoming the first finalist in program history. He finished the season as Southern Conference runner-up at 125, but is on top at the beginning of the ’23-’24 campaign. The Blue Hose are slated to be featured at The Battle at Liberty, wrestling against NC State following the Campbell vs Army dual. Presbyterian picked up their sole conference win last season against Gardner-Webb, besting the Runnin’ Bulldogs 19-18. That rematch will take place in Blue Hose territory this season. Preseason rankings: None

Staunton River

Every week during the 2023-24 season, the InterMat staff will submit their picks for some of the most high-profile or competitive dual meets. Once the results start rolling in, we'll keep track of records for bragging rights or as ammunition for when we mock each other. No, we'd never do that, it's all in good fun (right?). Below are the picks for week one which gets underway today!