InterMat Staff

After previewing the top 5 teams from last year’s NAIA Championships, let’s take a look at the next 5 that round out the top 10. 6. University of the Cumberlands (98 team points) The University of the Cumberlands fell just 4 points shy of a 5th place finish, however, they did improve two spots from their eighth-place finish in 2022. The Patriots finished with 5 All-Americans and will be returning 3 to the lineup next season. Their two All-Americans who graduated after last season were 2022 U23 World Silver Medalist Dymond Guilford, who claimed her 3rd NAIA championship title, and 4x All-American Jesse Kirby, who now serves as an assistant coach for the team. While losing Guilford could leave a notable gap in the lineup, the team has had consistent top 8 finishes and successful conference tournaments too. It is also notable that the Cumberlands program will now be led by head coach Sarah Allen. Allen still holds the title for winningest female wrestler in program history, and has served as an assistant coach for the past 6 years. Allen has played a role in the team’s recruitment of the incoming class, so we will see what she can accomplish in her inaugural year as head coach. 7. Central Methodist University (92.5 team points) Central Methodist had one of the most impressive jumps this past season going from a 24th-place finish in 2022, to 7th place in 2023. The team sent 9 wrestlers to the tournament and finished with 5 All-Americans, including one champ in Caitlyn Thorne. Caitlyn, a transfer last season from McKendree, breezed through the 116 lb bracket and capped off her tournament with a tech fall in the finals. She should be returning for her junior season with the Eagles and could easily impress again this year. Another impressive sophomore for the team was Jaycee Foeller who upset the no. 4 and no. 1 seed on her way to the championship finals. She ultimately dropped her final match to Grace Kristoff of Southern Oregon, who graduated after her 2023 season. While there is still a lot of talent at 191 lbs, Foeller seems to have what it takes to continue to compete for the top spot. Freshman Caitlyn Davis had another impressive tournament, finishing in 4th as the No. 3 seed. She took her first loss to Kaylynn Albrecht, who went on to become the champ. As a sophomore, I think Davis and a lot of the younger wrestlers have potential to improve on their finishes. I am also looking for CMU to qualify even more wrestlers for the tournament this year and continue to climb in team points as well. 8. Iowa Wesleyan (92.5 team points) Iowa Wesleyan is an interesting case because the school, including its athletic teams, closed this past year due to budgetary issues. However, I wanted to discuss a few wrestlers from this team and how they could impact the new programs they’ve transferred to. Most prominently is William Penn. After Iowa Wesleyan announced it was closing, coaches Jake Kadel and Cash Wilcke were hired on at William Penn. Soon after, U20 World Team member and 2x NAIA champ Adaugo Nwachukwu signed on as well. Mia Palumbo also announced her transfer to the school. Palumbo is a two-time NAIA championship finalist, losing both times to Peyton Prussin, who has now graduated. There are still several gaps in the lineup that will have to be filled in order to take William Penn from their 33rd place finish and 1 team point scored in 2023, to a top 10 finish. However, I would not put it past them to make an impressive jump like Central Methodist did last year, and really make some waves. 9. Texas Wesleyan (78.5 team points) Texas Wesleyan’s 9th place finish came from impressive performances by their 4 All-Americans, Camille Fournier, Lexie Basham, Mea Mohler, and Jasmine Sands. However, Sands is no longer on the roster for the upcoming season. The team will also be missing a big impact player in Lexie Basham. Basham was a 2x NAIA National Champ and a 2022 U23 world Team and Senior National Team member. It does appear that she will be sticking around, however, as a volunteer assistant coach for the team. Fournier and Mohler should both still be key difference makers in the lineup. Last year, Fournier came into the tournament ranked #4 at 116 lbs. and beat the #1 seed Ashley Gooman of the University of Providence to make it to the finals. While she did lose by tech in the finals to Caitlyn Thorne of Central Methodist, Fournier had a mix of dominant and gritty matches that paved her path to the finals. Additionally, Thorne recently transferred to Lindenwood and will compete in the NCWWC instead of the NAIA tournament, so while there is still a lot of talent at 116lbs, I could see Fournier making a return to the finals and taking it all the way this year. Mohler is in a similar scenario, coming in ranked #7 and beating the #10, #6 and #2 ranked wrestlers at 136 lbs. Of course, she then ran into Adaugo Nwachukwu, 2023 US Open Champion and U23 World Team member and ended up losing her finals match. Nwachukwu is probably the pound-for-pound best women’s college wrestler currently competing, and she has at least two more years she can compete. However, Mohler has the momentum to keep up her highly competitive college record and make it to the podium again. I do also want to mention a new addition to the lineup that I think could have an instant impact on the Rams’ season, Taydem Khamjoi. Khamjoi is was ranked 9th in the country at 132 lbs, and joins Texas Wesleyan as a freshman on the roster this year. Fans should look out for what she is capable of in her first year in college. 10. Campbellsville (66 team points) Rounding out the top 10 last season was Campbellsville with 66 team points from nine wrestlers that competed. Of the nine, 3 earned All-American status, with two finishing fourth. Although Campbellsville did not have any wrestlers in the top 3 or have 8 or 9 All-Americans like some other teams did, they are unique in that all of their competitors from last year’s NAIA championships are back again to wrestle this season. We discussed how some groups will have major gaps with five or more All-Americans leaving their rosters this season, but the Tigers will not find themselves with the same issues. Notably, their fourth-place finishers, Liliana Vergara and Emma Walker will be back again while some of the opponents they struggled against have since graduated. I could also see their 7th-place finisher, Kendra Thompson returning for an even stronger showing in this year’s tournament. Thompson showed a lot of grit wrestling back through the blood rounds after falling to Latifah McBryde from Life in the first round. As a grad student, I believe this will be her last year of eligibility, and I could see her continuing to use her momentum for an even higher All-American finish this time.

St. Michael

Seneca Valley

Welcome to a new running feature that we'll use to keep track of ex-wrestlers who are now competing in MMA. As more fights are agreed upon, they will be added to this article. Oct. 20 247 FC Gavin Teasdale vs. Lucas Seibert (West Virginia) – Grappling Oct. 21 UFC 294 (ESPN+/PPV) Kamaru Usman (Nebraska Kearney) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (Swedish national champ) Tim Elliott (Central Oklahoma) vs Muhammad Mokaev Oct. 22 Fury Challenger Series 8 (UFC Fight Pass) Anthony Cassar (Penn State) vs. John Gianatsio II Nov. 3 CFFC 127 (UFC Fight Pass) Jamelle Jones (Campbellsville) vs. Jesse Murray Nov. 3 LFA 171 (UFC Fight Pass) Geovanis Palacios (Cuba - Greco-Roman) vs. Gabriel Ramos Nov. 11 UFC 295 (ESPN/ESPN+ PPV) Stipe Miocic (Cleveland State) vs. Jon Jones (Iowa Central) Mark Madsen (Olympic silver in Greco for Denmark) vs. Jared Gordon Pat Sabatini (Rider) vs. Diego Lopes Nov. 17 Bellator 301 (Showtime/YouTube) Danny Sabatello (Purdue) vs. Raufeon Stots AJ McKee (Cerritos College) vs. Sidney Outlaw Ali Isaev (Euro Gold for Azerbaijan) vs. Daniel James Tyrell Fortune (Grand Canyon) vs. Marcelo Golm Archie Colgan (Wyoming) vs. Pieter Buist Nov. 18 UFC Fight Night (ESPN+) Michael Morales (Pan Am rep for Ecuador) vs. Jake Matthews Nick Aguirre (McKendree) vs. Payton Talbott Nov. 19 Anthony Pettis FC 9 Dillon Cox (Iowa Western) vs. Cody Linne Nov. 24 PFL 10 (PPV) Josh Silveira (Arizona State) vs. Impa Kasanganay Bubba Jenkins (Penn State/Arizona State) vs. Chris Wade Derek Brunson (UNC Pembroke) vs. Ray Cooper III

It's another day and another conversation with a Big Ten coach and Ryan Holmes. Today, Ryan speaks with Wisconsin head coach Chris Bono. The two talk about how All-Americans Eric Barnett and Dean Hamiti both have a chip on their shoulders after the end of the 2022-23 campaign. Bono also runs through the Badgers lineup and talks about some of the many possibilities in a young Wisconsin starting ten. Also discussed is the plan for Braxton Amos during his Olympic redshirt and how his NCAA tournament ended prematurely due to an injury. For the full interview: Click Here

Lake Highland Prep

Norwalk

What has become a preseason staple for us at InterMat, counting down the top 50 wrestlers for the upcoming season, is back for 2023-24. With a large chunk of sixth and seventh-year seniors gone, there is plenty of turnover from last year’s list to this one. That makes for a lot of fun and perhaps some spirited debates. Like last year, the third iteration of this feature will show five wrestlers at a time, counting down from #50 to #1. For each wrestler, we’ll have some basic information along with career highlights, and a brief analysis of their career (with an emphasis on last season), followed by an outlook for the upcoming season. Here are #31-35 #36-40 #41-45 #46-50 30) Jared Franek (Iowa) photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com Weight: 157 lbs Collegiate Achievements: 2023 NCAA 4th Place, 2023 Big 12 Champion 2022 Top-50 Ranking: Not Ranked After a couple of close calls, Jared Franek finally broke through and got onto the NCAA podium for the first time in 2023. In each of the previous two seasons, Franek was knocked out in the bloodround, one agonizing win shy of All-American status. In 2022-23, Franek suffered a loss to returning All-American Peyton Robb (Nebraska) in his first match and didn’t lose again until the NCAA Tournament. In between he reeled off 24 straight wins and claimed titles at the Southern Scuffle and the Big 12 Championships. Franek’s path to a Big 12 title featured three wins over wrestlers that had either already wrestled in the NCAA bloodround of would in 2023. One of them was Vinny Zerban (Northern Colorado), the wrestler Franek would beat in the Round of 12 to clinch his first All-American honor. He’d finish the year by defeating Robb to advance to the NCAA third-place bout. 2023-24 Outlook: Alongside fellow North Dakota State All-American, Michael Caliendo, Jared Franek left Fargo for Iowa City during the Bison coaching change. Franek starts the year ranked number two in the nation behind Big Ten champion and national finalist Levi Haines (Penn State). In fact, with Robb at number three, the top three all come from the Big Ten and both opponents Franek is slated to meet in dual competition. The transition to Iowa should fit Franek just fine as he has a style that is reminiscent of many modern-day Hawkeyes. 29) Lucas Davison (Michigan) photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com Weight: 285 lbs Collegiate Achievements: 2x NCAA All-American (5th, 6th), 4x Big Ten 5th Place 2022 Top-50 Ranking: #47 One of a foursome of past All-Americans that transferred into Michigan this offseason, Lucas Davison starts the 2023-24 season ranked higher than his other three teammates (#3). Davison started his collegiate career competing at 197 lbs, but has earned All-American honors in both of his seasons up at heavyweight. In 2022-23, Davison amassed a 27-6 record; however, five of his six losses came to opponents that will not (or may not; in Tony Cassioppi’s case) be back this season. It’s no secret that the Big Ten is brutal, but at 285 lbs for the past few years, it has been ridiculously deep. In fact, since Davison has wrestled at heavyweight 12 of his 15 losses have come to conference foes. As he’s ascended up the rankings and others have moved on, those B1G losses should be fewer and farther between. Last year, for the first time in his career, Davison posted a bonus point percentage above 30%. That total was helped by a career-high six falls. 2023-24 Outlook: Somehow, Davison has managed to place fifth in each of his four Big Ten appearances prior to this season. It’s hard to see him placing fifth again in 2024. One of those former opponents he doesn’t have to worry about anymore is Michigan’s Hodge Trophy winner, Mason Parris. Now presumably, the two will get to train together as the 2023 World bronze medalist competes out of the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club. It’s rare to see wrestlers in their sixth year significantly improve, but the change of scenery combined with the partners at Michigan and the CKWC, it’s very possible for Davison. To capture that elusive national title, Davison will likely need to go through a pair of wrestlers he’d yet to beat, Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) and Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force). He and Kerkvliet did not cross paths in 2022-23 and are again not slated to meet until potentially the Big Ten Tournament. 28) Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com Weight: 149 lbs Collegiate Achievements: 2023 NCAA 3rd Place, 2023 Big Ten 4th Place 2022 Top-50 Ranking: Not Ranked One of the cornerstones of Penn State’s top-ranked recruiting Class from 2021, Shayne Van Ness, took the mat for the first time in 2022-23. Van Ness had a solid, but not spectacular, regular season losing four times, but really turned it on in Tulsa. In each of his first three NCAA bouts, Van Ness was trailing either late or by a significant margin and managed to battle back to get the win. Despite starting the tournament as the 12th seed, Van Ness advanced to the national semifinals, where he met Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell), who was in the midst of his fourth title run. Van Ness pushed Diakomihalis to the brink, which is not accurately reflected in the 8-3 final score. After the semifinal loss, Van Ness bounced back to down fellow freshman, Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) and multiple-time All-American Kyle Parco (Arizona State) to finish third in the country. 2023-24 Outlook: Stop me if you’ve seen this before but a Penn State freshman outwrestles his seed and uses that experience to start an excellent career in State College. It just feels like that is the way things are headed for Van Ness. With another year in the Nittany Lion wrestling room and a year of competition under his belt, the sky’s the limit for Van Ness. He’s the highest returning placewinner from 2023; however, he starts the year ranked second with the return of 2022 national runner-up Ridge Lovett (Nebraska). Van Ness and Lovett are set to square off in Penn State’s final Big Ten dual of the year in mid-February. 27) Rocky Elam (Missouri) Weight: 197 lbs Collegiate Achievements: 3x NCAA All-American (3rd, 4th, 5th), 2x Conference Champion (1x Big 12; 1x MAC) 2022 Top-50 Ranking: #34 Rocky Elam is one of only 16 wrestlers to be tabbed amongst the top-50 in each of the three years this feature has run and the only one in this group of five. After some early-season turmoil at 197 lbs, Elam spent some time as the top-ranked wrestler in the country at the weight. While Elam missed some time in the regular season (he only appeared in eight regular season matches), he was able to get on the NCAA podium for the third time and managed his highest finish, to date. He also claimed his first Big 12 title by outlasting eventual NCAA runner-up, Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State), in the conference finals. Through three years at Missouri, Elam has never redshirted and has compiled a 56-11 career record. 2023-24 Outlook: A pair of wrestlers that weren’t in the 2023 bracket have appeared at 197 lbs and occupy the top-two spots at this weight which, in turn, has bumped Elam down to fourth place in InterMat’s preseason rankings. There are also a pair of conference foes ranked directly above him. Elam is 2-2 career against Sloan, who comes in at #3, but only 1-3 against Stephen Buchanan (Oklahoma), with the lone win coming via injury default. Three-time NCAA champion Aaron Brooks (Penn State) has moved up from 184 and occupies the top spot. Even so, Brooks has been susceptible to a loss now and then. That’s a roundabout way of saying, Elam deserves his preseason ranking of #4, but also is fully capable of winning it all in March. He has big match experience with three past All-American finishes and a U20 world title to his name. 26) Aaron Nagao (Penn State) photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com Weight: 133 lbs Collegiate Achievements: 2023 NCAA 5th Place, 2023 Big Ten Runner-Up 2022 Top-50 Ranking: Not Ranked If we were to debate this list in the middle of last season, perhaps the most surprising name amongst the top-30 would be Aaron Nagao. The third-year redshirt freshman had a solid regular season, but nothing that indicated he’d make the Big Ten finals and give Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) one of his toughest matches of the year, to date. To make the Big Ten title bout, Nagao had to defeat two-time All-American Lucas Byrd (Illinois) and eventual AA Jesse Mendez (Ohio State), both in sudden victory. At nationals, Nagao pushed RBY again before falling, 4-1. He earned All-American honors by majoring Zach Redding (Iowa State) and followed it by clinching a spot in the top-six by downing Kai Orine (NC State). Nagao finished his first year of official competition with a 4-0 shutout over Mendez in the NCAA fifth-place match. 2023-24 Outlook: After the 2022-23 season, Nagao transferred from Minnesota to Penn State. Now he’ll have the opportunity to train with Bravo-Young on a regular basis. Nagao is one of two returning All-Americans who transferred to State College in the offseason, giving the already-stacked PSU team a lineup that has no holes. Nagao starts the year ranked third in the nation at 133 lbs. He’s directly behind three-time national runner-up Daton Fix (Oklahoma State), who was responsible for two of his six losses last year. Nagao has emerged as one of the toughest wrestlers in the nation on top, so it’ll be interesting to see how much he improves working with the vaunted Penn State squad.

It’s that time of year again - the air gets colder, the leaves change color, and wrestling mats are rolled out. We’re about to dive into four of the schools in the Southern Conference. Last season, Appalachian State clinched another conference title, followed by Campbell then Chattanooga. Appalachian State Appalachian State returns starters at seven out of ten weights this year, following an undefeated conference season. The Mountaineers were 12-2 overall, recording losses to ACC foes NC State and Virginia Tech. Returning starters include national qualifier Ethan Oakley (133), reigning conference champion Tommy Askey (157), and runner-up Will Miller (174). Who can we hope to see step back out on the mat this season? None other than Sean Carter (133) who was faced with a season-ending injury during the Virginia Tech dual. Sophomore Carson Floyd (197) is another familiar face to look out for. As a freshman, he held a 24-9 record (7-1 in conference), was the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, and a conference finalist. Varsity Gym will be home to four conference duals (The Citadel, VMI, Bellarmine*, Gardner-Webb), and will yet again host the Southern Conference Championship in Holmes Convocation Center on March 9. Another matchup you won’t want to miss? The first-ever showdown between App State and Cornell will take place in Boonetown on February 18 after the Bellarmine dual. Newly-minted assistant coach Hunter Richard, a Cornell alumnus, joins JohnMark Bentley’s coaching staff alongside returning assistants Jarrod Patterson and Randall Diabe. Preseason rankings: 133 - Sean Carter (12) 149 - Cody Bond (26) 157 - Tommy Askey (19) 197 - Carson Floyd (31) Davidson The Davidson Wildcats return this season with a new look and a new room, following rebranding and renovations to the wrestling facility unveiled in September. Nate Carr, Jr. will start his second year at the helm, alongside assistants Ty Eustice and Marcus Coleman. The ‘Cats finished their ’22-’23 campaign with a 1-7 conference record and 2-11 overall, recording wins over Presbyterian College (SoCon) and Queens University of Charlotte. Tanner Peake (157) returns to the mat this season, following a 15-4 record between 157 and 165-lb weight classes. Peake broke the mold when he became Davidson’s first conference finalist since 2019 - four years may not seem like long, but it’s a milestone nonetheless. Incoming freshmen to watch out for? At 141 lbs, we’ve got 5A Georgia state champ Tyler McKnight, 149 lbs, 3A North Carolina state champion Brock Carey, and at heavyweight, 2A North Carolina state champ DJ Spring II. Carr and company head home to Ames, Iowa where they’ll wrestle Iowa State on November 12. Notable duals for Davidson include: a home opener against Duke on December 8, and rematches against Bellarmine* (Feb 2) and The Citadel (Feb 11), hopeful to avenge last season’s losses against these programs. Preseason rankings: None ranked Chattanooga Chattanooga returns after a third-place season finish, where we should see four starters head back to the mat. National qualifier Brayden Palmer (133) will enter his third season with the Mocs, following a 22-8 season, where he had some stiff competition - beating Ramazan Attasauov (Iowa State) in the Southern Scuffle, and Joe Hellmann (Rutgers) in the first round of the national tournament. Noah Castillo (149) will be a top contender in the bracket as well, with his lone conference loss last season coming from Jon Jon Millner (App State). Others returning to the lineup this season include Logan Ashton (125), Lincoln Heck (157), and heavyweight Logan Andrew. The Mocs will open their season at home against Little Rock on December 16, with four conference home duals to follow (Davidson, The Citadel, Presbyterian, App State). As always, the Southern Scuffle will take place on January 1st and 2nd, the best way to kick off the New Year, in my professional opinion. Last but certainly not least, head coach Kyle Ruschell and assistant Kyle Massey welcome Devin Skatzka to the coaching staff. Skatzka comes to Chattanooga after coaching with Cornell for the past three years. Prior to that, he wrestled at Indiana and Minnesota, finishing his career with 102 career wins, four national tournament appearances and earned All-America status at 174. Preseason rankings: 133 - Brayden Palmer (10) 149 - Noah Castillo (33) Bellarmine The Knights had a phenomenal ’22-’23 campaign - 12-4 overall dual record, 4-4 in conference duals, and a first-place finish at the NCWA Championships. While Bellarmine is still unable to compete for the conference championship or send qualifiers to the NCAA Championships, the Knights are setting themselves up for success as they continue to transition into Division I competition. Bellarmine is set to host six events this season, which include four conference duals and the NCWA regional tournament in March. The Knights picked up conference wins against Davidson, VMI, The Citadel, and Presbyterian last season, much improved from ’21-’22’s lone conference win over Presbyterian College. Who should we watch this season? Well, I’m glad you asked. Jack Parker (125), Zac Cowan (149), Cole Nance (165) and Devan Hendricks (174) are all returning NCWA national champions. Heavyweight Thadd Huff, an NCWA runner-up, will also return this season. It’s pretty cool to watch schools improve and prepare for the transition to Division I competition. Other schools we’ll be on the lookout for as well include Lindenwood and Queens University of Charlotte. It’s awesome to get to grow the sport! *Bellarmine still is unable to compete for a conference championship or send qualifiers to NCAA Championships during their transition to Division I.

Indiana head coach Angel Escobedo sat down with Ryan Holmes to talk about all things Hoosier wrestling. The two discuss navigating the transfer portal, which this offseason has netted All-American Brayton Lee, originally an Indiana high school star. Escobedo points out some freshmen who have shined during the difficult transition to DI wrestling and talks about the development of Chad Red Jr. as an assistant coach. Finally, the pair talk rule changes, particularly the three-point takedown. For the full interview, Click Here

Bishop Watterson

Southern Regional

Nevada

Glenwood

Maryland - I’ve been a big fan of Alex Clemsen and company since they got to College Park, Maryland. What they’ve been able to do over the last couple of years has been pretty great. They have remained patient with their approach, redshirting some top recruits and unleashing many of them last season with some solid success. This year they look to build on that, having four returning 2023 NCAA Qualifiers, all of which are only sophomores for the Terrapins. They have added some young talent, as well as a big transfer (literally and figuratively big), to boost their continued development. TOP RETURNERS Leading the way is Jaxon Smith who made the Bloodround last season, placed third in the B1G behind the B1G champ and the defending NCAA Champion. His only losses were close and very justifiable, and he had wins at the B1G tournament over Jacob Warner and Zac Braunagel (whom he beat more than once during the season). Next up, it’s Miller Time. Kal and Ethen Miller (141 and 149, respectively) had solid first seasons in the lineup. The brothers each qualified for NCAAs, and each showed signs of greatness in some of their matches. Consistency is going to be key for Miller Time, and from what I hear they are both looking like they’re jumping levels. I’m excited to see what these two can develop into in their sophomore campaigns. Braxton Brown was their last returning qualifier from last season. Their stud at 125 had some solid wins and some tough losses. That’s not a knock on him though, as remains the case, the B1G is always a battle. What I liked about Braxton was that his attacking style remained the same no matter who was on the other side of the line. I expect another year of maturity will help him wrestle with more consistency and he’ll be a podium threat. Dom Solis is an NCAA Qualifier from 2022 and looks to get back to this season. He’ll have home-field advantage being that the B1G Tournament is being hosted by Maryland. See you there! KEY DEPARTURES Jaron Smith was a tremendous Terrapin. I still remember when he was wrestling for them at 184 as a freshman. He battled injuries throughout his career, but it was sure great watching him get another shot to finish his career healthy and on the mat. He was an NCAA qualifier last year for Maryland, and he was a great contributor during his career. Thankfully for Maryland, they were able to use the transfer portal to address this need at Heavyweight. More on that in a moment. NEWCOMERS The newcomers list starts with Seth Nevills who transferred for his final year of eligibility from Penn State. Nevills was one of the top recruits in the country, going 169-1. He comes to Maryland hungry to prove what he can do and have his chance to compete in a varsity lineup. He’s coming into the season with the rare combination of being battle-tested and fresh. I expect he will have some bumps as he gets used to a full season of competition, but should finish strong and I expect him to be at NCAAs. Dario Lemus is an exceptional recruit and has looked good in the room. He’s expected to redshirt this season, but sometimes things change. Redshirt or not, he has a couple matches of eligibility that he can use up along the way, which should be exciting. WRESTLER TO WATCH I’ve always been a Michael North fan. He has shown that he can beat some of the better wrestlers in the country. He had wins over several ranked opponents last season (Andrew Cerniglia of Navy, Dazjon Casto of Pitt, and Jake Keating of Virginia), and had a 10-4 record in dual competition. I’m excited for him to finish his career for the Terrapins with the B1G tournament being hosted in College Park. TOP OUT-OF-CONFERENCE DUAL At first glance, I thought the dual with Pitt was their top out-of-conference dual. But that answer is too easy. One of Maryland’s impressive dual wins last year was (they beat Oklahoma, Virginia, Navy, and…) Pittsburgh, so of course that jumps out. Pittsburgh is ranked 15th currently in our dual rankings, with Maryland ranked 22nd, it does make sense that it’s their biggest dual. Not for me though, and this is cheating, but I’m going with their duals with American and Morgan State. These teams are all part of the geographic region known as the DMV, and Clemsen is trying to establish this as his territory. American is a team on the rise, and Morgan State in its first year back. Additionally, Jahi Jones is a Maryland alumnus, and the Executive Director of the HBCU wrestling initiative, so there’s a lot to connect these as more important. I include importance in this ranking system, which makes them their top out-of-conference dual(s).

Today, it’s time to focus on the MAC! Last year was a bounce-back of sorts for the conference as they got back in the All-American round and saw a very slight increase in NCAA qualifiers. This MAC preview will consist of two parts one today and a second part next week. In this first part, we’ll answer eight burning questions related to the conference and its teams/wrestlers. 1. Can anyone threaten Lock Haven? In 2023, Lock Haven captured the MAC title by a slim, two-point over Central Michigan. With both teams generally returning the bulk of their respective nuclei, the answer is yes, right? Yes, but, this Lock Haven team should be stronger than the previous version. Four of their five 2023 national qualifiers return; however, they’ve added another in Wyatt Henson (141) and have two others who just missed out on qualification (Nick Stonecheck - 149 and Avery Bassett - 165). In addition, the Bald Eagles heavyweight, 2022 qualifier, Isaac Reid is back for a final season. An injury prevented Reid from hitting the mat until late January 2023 and he never seemed to get his feet under him. With a more normal campaign, Reid could be the top 15-type wrestler he looked like heading into the 2022-23 campaign. So, we’ve established that Lock Haven head coach Scott Moore should send out a team that features few, if any, holes. Which teams have enough firepower and depth to ground the Bald Eagles? Central Michigan is the logical explanation. The Chippewas were close last year and return three 2023 national qualifiers. In addition, they have a promising pair of young big men (sophomores Cameron Wood and Bryan Caves; at 197/285, respectively) who gained valuable experience in 2022-23. Word around Mt. Pleasant is that 165 lber Tyler Swiderski has been very impressive and is pushing incumbent, Tracy Hubbard, himself a borderline national qualifier. The top of the CMU lineup has also been refortified with another Cramer brother. Adrien joins brother Alex (a national qualifier at 174) to man the 184 lb weight class. Adrien was 12-9 while redshirting for Maryland in 2021-22, but did not compete last season. Finally, CMU’s stars Corbyn Munson and Johnny Lovett have re-flipped weight classes, which could lead to both being at more comfortable weights and raising their respective ceilings. A team that may not have the consistent dual strength of CMU, but could be dangerous in a tournament situation to Lock Haven and the rest of the league is Cleveland State. Moore’s twin brother, Josh, has assembled a CSU team that has put five wrestlers in the preseason national rankings. Of those five, two are the highest-ranking MAC wrestlers (Ben Smith - 197 and Daniel Bucknavich - 285). Both Lock Haven and Central Michigan finished the conference tournament with a pair of MAC champions, so crowning two titlists should put you in the mix. From a dual standpoint, Clarion might be the most balanced team; outside of Lock Haven. While only two wrestlers made the preseason national rankings (Kyle Shickel - 149 and John Worthing - 174), Keith Ferraro’s team has a host of wrestlers that are on the cusp (Joey Fischer - 125, Alejandro Herrera-Rondon - 157, Cam Pine - 184). Additionally, Clarion is high on some new faces at 133 and 141. Former West Virginia national qualifier Ryan Sullivan is aboard at 141, while the Golden Eagles have true freshman Scott Johnson, Edinboro transfer Tye Varndall, and other joining returner Mason Prinkey. 2. Who joins Anthony Noto on the medal stand? Lock Haven 125 lber Anthony Noto is far and away the top wrestler in the conference this preseason. He finished fourth in the nation last year and enters the year ranked second at the weight. Noto was one of four MAC All-Americans during the 2023 NCAA Championships, which was a far cry from the 2022 tournament when no one from the conference broke into the top eight. During the offseason, two of those All-Americans, Izzak Olejnik and Will Feldkamp, moved on as graduate transfers to schools in the Big 12. Olejnik to Oklahoma State and Feldkamp to Iowa State. The fourth AA, Ethan Laird, graduated from Rider and is now a part of Maryland’s DMV RTC. So, who’s next? To be frank, there isn’t anyone that stands out immediately; however, the possibility exists for the conference to match last year’s number again. Let’s look at 133 lbs. Nationally, the weight is stacked up top, but after the top-ten or twelve, things drop off considerably. Does that open the door for a Gable Strickland (Lock Haven) or Richie Koehler (Rider)? Remember, to AA you don’t have to beat every guy ranked above you. Just one or two. Could they? Sure. Going up to 149 lbs, Corbyn Munson (Central Michigan) starts the year ranked #14 after an up-and-down campaign at 157. Provided the weight cut is fine, why not? Heck, Feldkamp was the 14th seed last year. And 149 has returning AA’s occupying the top-six spots. It’s a strong weight, but not loaded. At 157, Lovett is ranked in the same neighborhood as his teammate Munson (#15); however, 157 is a bit more stacked than 149. Looking at Lovett’s last year at 157 lbs (2021-22), he logged wins over two eventual All-Americans (Will Lewan - Michigan and Hunter Willits - Oregon State) and another over perennial contender (Doug Zapf - Penn), so he’s capable of a very slight upset or two at nationals. Or throughout the season he gets those wins and puts himself in the driver's seat in Kansas City. Those are just a couple of the possibilities, but they were used to illustrate the fact that making the podium is hard, Let's not get it conflated, but at the same time, it can be done. Like Feldkamp, Olejnik was not seeded as an All-American (#12) he had to wrestle his way into the top-eight. 3. Can the MAC increase its NCAA Qualifiers? Questions two and three kind of go hand-in-hand. Your chances at All-American increase as you get more bodies at the national tournament. More wrestlers in Kansas City mean more chances at an upset or two or three. More chances to advance via unforeseen injuries defaults. More chances for a wrestler to become a weird stylistic matchup for a Big Ten opponent. In 2023, the MAC was allotted 23 spots at the tournament and added four more through at-large berths for a total of 27. That was the same number that competed in 2022; however, the conference was allotted only 22 spots initially. Part of this question works in conjunction with the Big Ten and Big 12. Those conferences are going to get a ton of allocations. At their conference tournaments, will upsets lead to even more? That ends up cutting into the other conferences. Looking at InterMat’s preseason rankings, 31 MAC wrestlers are mentioned among the top 33 at their respective weights. That’s a good thing and if that number were to hold would represent significant growth. Unfortunately, that number won’t hold. We’re not sure whether it grows or shrinks at this point; however, if I had to guess, I’d put my money on shrinking. Two reasons end up converging together as to why they could shrink. As of now, 11 wrestlers are ranked between #30-33. Should some stud freshmen (or overlooked veterans) work their way into the rankings, it’s not hard to fathom them bumping those MAC wrestlers out of the top-33. Those things happen every year at just about every weight class. Now if the MAC wrestlers take care of business and win matches, earn better spots in the rankings, away from the bubble, then they don’t need to worry about freshmen pushing them out of the top-33. Getting those allotments isn’t that, that hard either. One extra upset, being on the right side of a one-point loss or two, or dualing a top-flight team can do the trick and boost winning percentages, RPI’s, and rankings. If I was forced to guess, I’d think that the MAC will be able to move up from that 27 qualifier number in 2024. Throughout the conference, from top to bottom, there’s enough talent to increase the initial allotments and then steal five or six more spots. 4. Does Ohio rebound from a tumultuous summer? One of the most overlooked stories of the offseason, from a college wrestling standpoint, was the turmoil at Ohio University (and yes, overlooked by InterMat). Right after the 2023 NCAA Tournament, the Ohio staff was put on administrative leave as the school and local authorities investigated allegations of a physical assault during a practice. It wasn’t until August that the Athens City prosecutor's office announced that they had insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges against the staff members. That meant that Joel Greenlee, a head coach at Ohio for 26 years, and his staff could resume activities with the Bobcat wrestling team. With the coaching staff away from the team for almost five months, how much damage has been done to the program? The current roster lists nine true freshmen which is actually a pretty decent number for a team that spent that much time in limbo. While veterans were said to be leading the team through offseason workouts, it likely pales in comparison to what the Bobcat staff had planned to accomplish. Hopefully, the mandated leave doesn’t impact a team that has the potential to be solid and make some noise at the conference tournament. Three NCAA qualifiers return (Peyten Kellar - 157, Sal Perrine - 174, and Zayne Lehman - 184), while a redshirt freshman (Derek Raike - 149) did enough last season to warrant a preseason ranking. That doesn’t include upperweights Austin Starr (197) and Jordan Greer (285), who showed promise last season and could be on the cusp of a breakout in 2023-24. The Bobcats will start the 2023-24 season at Virginia Tech’s Southeast Open on the first weekend of the regular season before dualing Chattanooga and Ashland the following weekend. We understand the need for Ohio University and the local authorities to do their due diligence with an investigation of this sort, but also glad to see Coach Greenlee back on the sideline as has long been a respected member of the coaching fraternity. 5. When does Ludwig hit 100? Earlier this preseason, InterMat posted an article about milestones to watch during the upcoming 2023-24 season. One of those that involved the MAC was Northern Illinois’ Ryan Ludwig who has 100 career dual meet victories well within his sights. As of now, Ludwig is sitting on 93 wins. His squad had six wins in back-to-back years, before going 8-5 in 2022-23. Looking at Northern Illinois’ schedule, they are very dual-heavy in the first half of the season. That bodes well for an early run at 100. The dates to circle are December 15th at Cal Baptist and December 19th for a quad hosted by the Huskies. If NIU is perfect in the first six matches, they’d be on the brink of 100 against the Lancers. Should they stumble in one of their first six dual (maybe against Purdue), win #100 could come at the quad that features Kent State, Northwestern, and Harper College. With seven MAC duals later in the schedule, here’s to the start of the next 100 for coach Ludwig. 6. Who are new faces to watch? True Freshman Scott Johnson (Clarion - 133), Kyle Snider (Kent State - 184) Redshirt Freshman Jacob Brya (Northern Illinois - 141), Marcel Lopez (SIU Edwardsville - 133), Bradley Gillum (SIU Edwardsville - 165/174), Evan Maag (George Mason - 157), Chase Kranitz (Buffalo - 174), Raike Transfers: Will Betancourt (Rider - 125), Wyatt Henson (Lock Haven - 141), Sullivan/Herrera-Rondon (Clarion), Adrien Cramer (Central Michigan), Brandon Wittenberg (George Mason - 133), Chad Nix (George Mason - 133), AJ Burkhart (Kent State - 174) Going back to questions two and three. Only Raike, Henson, and Wittenberg are currently in the rankings. Should another couple of new faces prove to be high-quality starters, it would be even easier for the league to improve upon its 2023 qualifier numbers. 7. What about a dark horse team? How about George Mason? Day one at the 2023 MAC Championships saw the host Patriots put together some magic that saw Nathan Higley and Peter Pappas advance to the conference finals. Higley became Mason’s first finalist since the school moved to the MAC, while Pappas ended up as GMU’s first champion during that span. Pappas has since traded his singlet for a whistle and slot on the Patriot coaching staff, but there is still plenty of talent in the revamped GMU room. Like Clarion, George Mason has a few guys that are on the cusp of the preseason rankings. 125 lber Markel Baker would have been ranked #34 had we gone that high. Evan Maag redshirted at 149 lbs and amassed 22 victories, two of which came over past national qualifiers, and is now expected to start at 157. Malachi Duvall notched 23 wins in 2022-23 at 184 lbs (one of which was over an NQ). Tyler Kocak is expected to start at 197 a year after he saw action primarily at 184, but even wrestled heavyweight. Despite the changes, he won 17 of 30 matches. Finally, heavyweight Chad Nix was 11-7 at Campbell, after barely seeing the mat during his first two years. Frank Beasley’s team starts the year with Higley and Brandon Wittenberg ranked in the top-33. Wittenberg has been stuck behind multiple All-American lightweights at Virginia Tech, so we’re not totally sure of his ceiling. Last year, he did register wins over NCAA qualifiers Joe Manchio (Columbia) and Ethan Oakley (Appalachian State). Challenging Lock Haven or Central Michigan might be a bit ambitious in 2023-24, but George Mason certainly could shake things up if the stars align properly. 8. What are the key dates outside of the MAC? Out-of-Conference Duals November 2nd: SIU Edwardsville at Illinois November 5th: Cleveland State vs. Iowa State @ Massillon, OH November 9th: Oklahoma at Central Michigan November 10th: Rider at Indiana November 11th: Lock Haven vs. Arizona State @ Bethlehem, PA November 11th: NC State vs. Bloomsburg @ Bethlehem, PA November 11th: North Carolina at Buffalo November 12th: Edinboro at Ohio State November 12th: Kent State at West Virginia November 16th: West Virginia at Clarion November 17th: Virginia at Buffalo November 18th: Central Michigan at North Carolina November 18th: Minnesota at George Mason November 19th: Central Michigan at Illinois November 19th: Michigan at Rider November 19th: Northern Illinois at Purdue December 1st: Rutgers at Edinboro December 7th: Michigan State at Buffalo December 9th: Central Michigan at Indiana December 9th: Wisconsin at Rider December 10th: Buffalo at Rutgers December 16th: Michigan State at Clarion December 19th: Lock Haven vs. Northern Iowa, NC State, Ohio State @ Nashville, Tennessee December 19th: Northwestern at Northern Illinois January 6th: Ohio at Michigan State January 7th: Rider at Rutgers January 11th: Little Rock at Cleveland State January 11th: Princeton at Rider January 14th: Campbell at Central Michigan February 4th: Ohio at Central Michigan February 10th: George Mason at Virginia Tech February 17th: SIU Edwardsville at Ohio February 22nd: Rider at Pittsburgh February 23rd: Central Michigan at Michigan State February 25th: Edinboro at Penn State February 25th: Michigan at Central Michigan Tournaments November 18th: Navy Classic (Bloomsburg, Cleveland State, Edinboro, Kent State, Lock Haven, Ohio) December 1/2: Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Ohio, Rider) December 29/30: Midlands (Buffalo, Central Michigan, Cleveland State, George Mason, Northern Illinois, SIU Edwardsville) January 1st/2: Southern Scuffle (Bloomsburg, Clarion) January 12/13: Virginia Duals (Kent State)

The nation's premier wrestling conference returns to the Big Ten Network in search of a 17th consecutive NCAA Championship, with 24 duals and Big Ten Wrestling Championships coverage airing live on BTN and the FOX Sports app. Action begins on Sunday, Dec. 3, with the defending national champions and No. 1 team in the nation as Penn State hosts No. 24 Lehigh at 2 p.m. ET. No. 7 Ohio State will take on two ranked non-conference opponents at the start of the year, as No. 15 Pittsburgh visits on Dec. 10 at noon ET and No. 2 Cornell heads to Columbus on Jan. 5 at 8 p.m. ET. Conference wrestling on the network begins in 2024 with primetime matchup on Friday, Jan. 12, between No. 8 Iowa and No. 5 Nebraska at 7 p.m. ET. The following Friday, Jan. 19, is home to a tripleheader of action with No. 5 Nebraska at No. 16 Minnesota, No. 1 Penn State at No. 9 Michigan and Purdue at No. 8 Iowa squaring off. Throughout the remainder of January and February, Friday night wrestling on BTN will be a mainstay with primetime duals. Additional schedule highlights include a Friday doubleheader on Feb. 9, when No. 9 Michigan takes on No. 5 Nebraska at 7 p.m. ET ahead of No. 1 Penn State traveling to No. 8 Iowa at 9 p.m. ET. To close out the regular season, No. 25 Wisconsin visits No. 8 Iowa and No. 5 Nebraska competes in Happy Valley against top-ranked Penn State on Sunday, Feb. 18. More than 80 additional contests will be available for streaming on B1G+, BTN's home for non-televised events and on-demand archives. B1G+ is home to coverage of the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, supplemental coverage of the 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, Soldier Salute, Zingo Nationals and the University of Iowa women's wrestling team's first ever home event, the "Trailblazer Duals." Subscription options include a conference wrestling pass, which delivers all Big Ten wrestling on B1G+, for just $69.99 per year. B1G Wrestling & Beyond will return in January of 2024 with host Rick Pizzo and analyst Shane Sparks taking you around the Big Ten with an assortment of highlights, analysis and guests. Additional coverage includes the return of On The Mat, BTN's multi-platform, behind-the-scenes look at Big Ten wrestling, as well as BTN's Big Ten wrestling Instagram page. According to Intermat's preseason rankings, the Big Ten has 11 teams ranked in the top 30. Defending national champion Penn State leads the way at No. 1, followed by No. 5 Nebraska, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 8 Iowa, No. 9 Michigan, No. 14 Rutgers, No. 16 Minnesota, No. 18 Illinois, No. 22 Maryland, No. 25 Wisconsin and No. 29 Indiana.

Ryan Holmes sits down with Rutgers head coach Scott Goodale to talk about a variety of topics. Coach Goodale and his staff have navigated the transfer portal and added three high-profile transfers into an already strong lineup. He discusses how the new faces, transfers and recruits, have meshed adjusted to life on campus. Goodale also touches on some of the key pieces in the Scarlet Knight lineup and key dates on the schedule. Off topic a bit, the two talk about anything that the team has done to plan for new rules that include three-point takedowns. For the full interview: Click Here

With every new season there’s a new group of stars emerge or breakout. Today we’re focusing on some of them. What constitutes a “breakout” star? For the purposes of this article, we’re not focusing on a top-25 freshman from the high school Class of 2023 who hasn’t had the opportunity to make his mark in college yet. That article is in the works too! The wrestlers we’re talking about are veterans who have been on the collegiate scene for a few years and have yet to compete at the NCAA Tournament. Below are representatives from each conference and a little bit of background information on their careers to date. ACC Spencer Moore (North Carolina) Last year, UNC saw graduate transfer Jack Wagner make the NCAA tournament at 125 lbs. Despite the growth of the program over the last decade, finding success at 125 lbs has proven to be difficult for the Tar Heels. Wagner’s trip to nationals marked only the third time since 2006 that UNC has sent a wrestler at that weight to nationals. That trend might get ruined in the future with the development of Spencer Moore. During the 2021-22 campaign, Moore started as a 17-year-old true freshman and fought to a 13-16 record. Last year, he took a redshirt behind Wagner and posted a respectable 8-3 record. Moore’s most significant win in 2022-23 came against Air Force’s Tucker Owens, an opponent that went 2-2 at nationals. While no one gives out medals for close losses, Moore’s three setbacks came against past qualifiers, two of which went to extra time. With another offseason in the UNC room, Moore could be ready to take the next step. Sam Fisher (Virginia Tech) Virginia Tech largely returns the bulk of a lineup that led to a ninth-place finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships. The only one of the Hokies ten NCAA qualifiers that does not return is All-American Hunter Bolen at 184 lbs. While Bolen had been a rock in the Virginia Tech lineup for a long time, there may not be a significant drop-off a the weight because of veteran Sam Fisher, who has been patiently waiting in the wings. After winning the 2022 UWW U20 Open, Fisher put together a 23-5 2022-23 season that included a fourth-place finish at the Southern Scuffle. Fisher started the year with a win over North Carolina’s Gavin Kane at the Southeast Open. Kane would end up on the NCAA podium with an eighth-place finisher at 184 lbs. Throughout the course of the season, Fisher posted wins over five past/eventual national qualifiers. Big Ten Drew Roberts (Minnesota) The Minnesota Golden Gophers will sport a new look in 2023-24 as four 2023 NCAA qualifiers and 2021 All-American Brayton Lee have moved on, opening up slots for plenty of new faces. One that is a new starter, but not totally new, is Drew Roberts at 149 lbs. Roberts put together a 15-4 record last year while redshirting and competing primarily unattached. He earned tournament titles at the Worthington and Edinboro Open’s, late in the regular season. At the Edinboro Open, Roberts notched a win over Manzona Bryant and then-high school senior Tyler Kasak, a top recruit for Penn State. His last bit of collegiate action came up a weight, at 157 lbs, when Roberts took on Wisconsin’s two-time national qualifier Garrett Model. Roberts fought valiantly to a 12-9 loss. Bryce Hepner (Ohio State) The departure of senior All-Americans at 174 and 184 lbs for Ohio State has forced fellow AA Carson Kharchla to move up from 165 to 174 lbs for the 2023-24 season. That leaves room for Bryce Hepner to bust into the lineup at 165 lbs. Hepner only saw action in December’s Cleveland State Open last year, but made his mark with a 6-4 victory over three-time All-American Cam Amine (Michigan). That was one of only five losses on the year for Amine, who went on to finish fourth in the nation. While Hepner was the Buckeye’s entrant at 157 lbs at the 2022 Big Ten Championships, this could be the first time that he’s been their starter for an extended amount of time. That year, Hepner saw action in two duals, but was out of action for three months before the conference tournament. A revamped Buckeye lineup could be in the hunt for a team trophy this season. A strong year from Hepner would only increase those efforts. Big 12 Eli Griffin (California Baptist) In today’s Big 12 predictions, James Hackney talks about why Griffin is his pick for conference breakout of the year. Jett Strickenberger (West Virginia) West Virginia has to replace a two-time All-American in Killian Cardinale and, while that sounds difficult, they do have an intriguing prospect in 2023 NJCAA national champion Jett Strickenberger. Strickenberger was a two-time NJCAA All-American competing for North Idaho College and NW Kansas Tech. As a freshman, Strickenberger lost to former blue-chip recruit Jakason Burks (Iowa Western) in the national semifinals before settling for third. In 2023, Strickenberger downed Burks in tiebreakers (7-6) to claim his national title. Last season, Strickenberger also was unbeaten against DI competition. While there may be a bit of an adjustment period to that level of competition day-in and day-out, Strickenberger has the talent to make the transition from Cardinale, as seamless as possible. EIWA Trae McDaniel (Army West Point) A huge second-half surge, sparked by a weight change nearly led to Trae McDaniel making the 2023 NCAA Championships. McDaniel finished in fourth place at 149 lbs in the 2023 EIWA Championships and amassed a 32-11 record. He started the year at 157 lbs and was 6-4 before dropping down for the Soldier Salute in late December. After the New Year, McDaniel went on a 14-match winning streak capturing a title at the New York State Collegiate Championships and was unbeaten at the Mat Town Open. At 149 lbs, McDaniel earned wins over a pair of past NCAA qualifiers. His late-season run set the foundation for a #30 ranking in the preseason. Logan Deacetis (Bucknell) Another EIWA wrestler who didn’t qualify for nationals last year, yet has found himself in the preseason top-33 is Logan Deacetis, who comes in at #24 at 184 lbs (right behind another member of this list, Sam Fisher). Deacetis saw action in four duals and two tournaments before his 2022-23 season ended in December. In limited competition, Deacetis still managed wins over a pair of eventual national qualifiers in Zayne Lehman (Ohio) and Giuseppe Hoose (Buffalo; now Oklahoma). As a true freshman, Deacetis started his collegiate career with wins in 11 of his first 13 contests. MAC Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (Clarion) After winning three Pennsylvania AAA state titles for Seneca Valley, Alejandro Herrera-Rondon was labeled a top-ten recruit in the Class of 2021 and inked with Oklahoma. After a redshirt season that saw him go 11-2, Herrera-Rondon saw plenty of mat time in 2022-23, but only participated in two dual meets. He ended up getting a win in that first dual; one that led to the Sooners topping Navy 28-12 at the Virginia Duals. After the season, with the coaching change in Norman, Herrera-Rondon entered the transfer portal and made his way back to PA, landing at Clarion. With the Golden Eagles, Herrera-Rondon has surrounded himself with a tough group of workout partners and could thrive with more opportunities to start. Avery Bassett (Lock Haven) Through two seasons of competition, Avery Bassett has compiled a 43-14 record for George Mason, then Lock Haven, yet he’s still waiting for his first trip to the NCAA Championships. Bassett started the year with falls in six of his first seven matches and took the title in the Mat Town Open hosted by his home school. Bassett also was perfect in MAC Duals and was the second seed heading into the conference tournament. In the semifinals, Bassett was upset by Enrique Munguia, then of Kent State. Somewhat surprisingly, Bassett did not receive an at-large berth. Bassett is part of a rock-solid Lock Haven team that will feature five returning national qualifiers and is a favorite for the conference title. Pac-12 Triston Wills (Little Rock) One of the more consistent grapplers for Little Rock, Triston Wills is seeking his first NCAA Championship berth. Willis appeared to be comfortably headed for one last season, but had a late-season swoon that saw him lose six straight duals, five of which came against Pac-12 opposition. Earlier in the year, Wills was third at the Southern Scuffle and a champion at SIU Edwardsville’s Cougar Clash. Even though he didn’t make it to nationals, Wills did earn a win over a qualifier, Cael Valencia (Arizona State), at the Pac-12 Championships. In 2023-24, Wills is expected to move up to 184 lbs which is a weight class that doesn’t appear to have the same depth as 174 does. SoCon Anthony Molton (Campbell) One of the most unusual seasons to evaluate was Campbell’s Anthony Molton at 125 lbs. Molton finished 13-9 and fourth in the SoCon, but had a win over former high school teammate Matt Ramos (Purdue), the eventual NCAA runner-up. Other notables on his resume include 2022 NCAA Round of 12 finisher Joey Prata (Oklahoma) and two-time national qualifier Jake Ferri (Kent State). In conference, Molton also tallied two wins over 2022 qualifier Logan Ashton (Chattanooga). Molton has been able to hang with, and beat, the best in the nation, he just needs to be slightly more consistent. With Campbell’s schedule, Molton is tentatively scheduled to meet up with some of top-level competition, so he’ll have his opportunities.

Klein

Waverly-Shell Rock

The 2023-24 season is getting ready to kick off, and it’s time to make some predictions as to what it may look like for the Big 12. There are a lot of ways to go about this, so I’m going to focus on the expected tournament champs, some sleepers, and make some bold storyline predictions to keep an eye out for throughout this year! Big 12 Champs (Tournament): #2 Missouri Sleeper: #14 Oklahoma After winning the Big 12 for the first time in 2012, the Tigers have won 12 conference championships in a row. That includes nine MAC titles and the past two Big 12 tournaments since rejoining the conference in 2022. Missouri qualified all ten of their wrestlers last year, with eight of them finishing in the top four at Big 12’s. They return five All-Americans, five Big 12 finalists, and the most 2023 NCAA team points of other conference teams with 61. Under the last coaching staff, the Sooners typical seasons were made of inconsistent dual results before an unexpectedly strong conference finish. Each of the past three seasons, OU has had a losing conference dual record but managed to finish in the top four tournament teams (4th - 2023, 2nd - 2022, T-1st - 2021). With a new coaching staff and some high-profile transfers, the Sooners could once again get hot in the postseason for a great finish. Big 12 Champs (Dual): #11 Iowa State Sleeper: #14 South Dakota State The Big 12 doesn’t officially announce a dual champion, but we’re going to at InterMat! Despite winning the past two conference tournaments, Missouri has suffered at least one conference dual loss each season. Those losses include Iowa State, South Dakota State, and Oklahoma State. This year the Tigers have all three of those teams on the schedule once again, and two of them are on the road. They could run the table, but history shows that it’s certainly not a guarantee. The past two seasons Iowa State has gone 31-4 in duals, while Oklahoma State has gone 27-7. I chose Iowa State over Oklahoma State because if it comes down to it, I think Iowa State may win the head-to-head dual scheduled for January 27th. A big part of that is because the day before that the Cowboys will be facing a very tough Northern Iowa team. Iowa State has the history and team to get the win, and I think they will take the unofficial dual title in 2024. Last year, South Dakota State finished 6-2 in conference duals with losses to OK State and OU. Led by returning NCAA finalist Tanner Sloan, the team has veteran talent in Tanner Cook, Cade DeVos, and Clay Carlson. They’re also returning an NCAA bloodround wrestler in Cael Swensen and bringing in blue chip redshirt freshmen Bennett Berge and Luke Rasmussen. If this team gets rolling in a dual, they can upset any of the top teams. 2024 Big 12 Most Outstanding Wrestler: #1 Keegan O’Toole - 165lbs (Missouri) Everyone knows about the rivalry between two-time champ Keegan O’Toole and last year’s 165lb Big 12 Champ David Carr. Last year, the two faced three times, with Carr winning in the dual and Big 12 finals. O’Toole reversed that in the NCAA finals; however, with an 8-2 decision. This offseason Carr decided to forgo competing in freestyle to focus on folkstyle for his senior season. O’Toole competed at the US Open, placing 3rd to make the National Team and is set to compete at U23 World’s later this month. Both wrestlers have had one-sided scores against the other so I see it as somewhat of a toss-up, but am taking O’Toole to win for his second Big 12 title. Biggest Breakout: #28 Eli Griffin - 125lbs (California Baptist) California Baptist is a school on the rise, and Eli Griffin seems poised to lead them into the national scene in their second year at Division I. Last season Griffin was one of the most intriguing wrestlers coming into the Big 12 tournament. He had a 6-5 record that included major decision wins over Jore Volk and Nico Provo, plus a decision win over Kysen Terukina. Unfortunately, the young Lancer wasn’t able to get cleared from a broken fibula earlier in the season. If he can stay healthy and build off last year’s results, he could enter Big 12 Champ conversations. Big 12 Freshman of the Year: Brayden Thompson -174lbs (Oklahoma State) A top-five recruit for 2023, there appears to be an opportunity for Thompson to get in the lineup immediately with two-time All-American Dustin Plott moving up. Thompson’s high school resume is lengthy and includes titles at Powerade, Ironman, Illinois State, and the U20 Trials. 174lbs in the Big 12 is tough, but there are only two wrestlers in the top 20 currently. Thompson could come in and immediately make an impact for the Cowboys. Big 12 Coach of the Year: Roger Kish - OU After a tumultuous search, OU found their future head coach in Roger Kish. While at North Dakota State he coached them to finish fifth at Big 12’s in 2023 and finished with two All-Americans. He came to an already solid roster that finished fourth last year, but brought in some solid transfers as well. Last year's qualifiers Mosha Schwartz, Jared Hill, Gerrit Nijenhuis, Tate Picklo, and Josh Heindselman are back this year. The team also has 2022 Big 12 finalist Willie McDougald and two-time All-American Stephen Buchanan coming off redshirt. Add in transfers Antonio Lorenzo, Jace Koelzer, Guiseppe Hoose, and Deanthony Parker and the Sooners seem primed for a big year in Kish’s first year. 3 BOLD PREDICTIONS These are just some big predictions I’m going to throw out before the season begins. Keep an eye out for some of these throughout the year! 1. Two Big 12 teams get NCAA trophies The last time the Big 12 had two trophy teams was in 2009, with Iowa State and Nebraska. Currently, Missouri is projected to get their first team trophy since finishing fourth in 2015. The Tigers finished fifth last year, just six points behind Ohio State. Then I think either Iowa State or Oklahoma State follows up for a banner Big 12 year. Oklahoma State won a trophy in 2021 with a third-place finish, but is coming off its worst NCAA finish ever at 18th place. The team could feature up to six new starters, and brought in Coleman Scott as an assistant coach this offseason. If the Cowboys can stay healthy, don’t be shocked to see them back on the podium. Iowa State’s last trophy came in 2010 with Kevin Jackson as head coach. Kevin Dresser has built this team every year since coming in, and the team has the potential for a top-four finish. It would take some big moves, but these teams have the potential. 2. The Big 12 gets 4 National Champs If I were setting betting lines, I think the over/under for Big 12 National Champs would be 2.5. Parker Keckeisen and Keegan O’Toole are currently ranked #1, then Daton Fix, David Carr, Stephen Buchanan, and Wyatt Hendrickson are ranked #2. If Keckeisen and the winner of O’Toole/Carr get titles, it would take two upsets to get to four. The Big 12 last had four champs in 2006. 3. Oklahoma State and Oklahoma split Bedlam matches December 10th and February 18th, those are the two dates for this year’s Bedlam matches. One of college sports best rivalries happens twice a year, with the Cowboys winning the past 15. The last Sooners win came in 2014, although they’ve come close before. I think new Head Coach Roger Kish will get one this year. The future of the dual is in question with OU leaving the Big 12, so make sure to enjoy it this year.

Gilman

Staunton River

Michigan - This Wolverine squad is an interesting crew. This team is a mixture of returning talent paired with a strong contingent of All-American transfers. Michigan is one of the teams that has truly embraced the transfer portal and seems to have paired that with strong relationships to continuously position themselves in the hunt for a team trophy. Despite their big swings to bolster their lineup, this squad enters the year ranked 6th as a tournament team, and 9th in the dual rankings. I feel like this team is hell-bent on finishing the season in a much better position than 6th or 9th. TOP RETURNERS Dylan Ragusin - Ragusin had a solid season last year. He entered the NCAA tournament as the 11 seed, and was positioned for a solid run, before being upset in the first round. He battled through the backside only to drop a match to Jesse Mendez of Ohio State, whom he had beaten for fifth in the B1G a couple weeks prior. Ragusin, potentially bumping up to 141 this season, maybe redshirting, maybe 133. I don’t know yet! If he is in the lineup, consistency will be key for the incredibly talented and dynamic wrestler. Will Lewan - Lewan has been a consistent presence for Michigan for the last several years. This being his last season in Maize and Blue will be a fun one to watch. He’s elite defensively, can scramble with the best, has probably the best sitout in college wrestling, has punishing mat returns, and has shown a diverse enough offensive arsenal to pull away from opponents in tight matches. He enters the season ranked seventh by Intermat, but is certainly capable of beating anyone at the weight. Cam Amine - The strongest man on the planet. Watch his matches and tell me this isn’t the case. Very few look comfortable wrestling him, and I am of the firm belief that it’s because wrestling with him feels different than most people do. He’s already a three-time All-American, potentially the second Amine 5x All-American (Myles accomplished this feat in 2022), and he begins the season supposedly much healthier than he was much of last season. I recently saw an interview with him where he expressed just how different this preseason is from last year. Not to mention he has a new training partner in Shane Griffith. He’s the highest-ranked guy at 165 that hasn’t already won an NCAA Championship and looks to get over that hump this season. KEY DEPARTURES The Hodge Trophy Winner - Mason Parris! That seems significant. Thankfully for Michigan, they had Lucas Davison transfer in from Northwestern to take that heavyweight spot. We’ll talk more about him in a moment. They also lost Jack Medley at 125, Max Maylor at 174, and Matt Finesilver at 184 from the starting lineup. Those guys all graduated, and more power to them. Sadly though, Chance Lamer transferred to Cal Poly, seemingly to be close to his family (most of which also wrestles for Cal Poly). That was a tough loss, considering he made the Bloodround as a freshman. 149 will now be a weight to watch for the Wolverines. Cole Mattin was my breakout pick for 141 last season, and he competed strongly for Michigan, but he’s graduated and is onto Dental school. Those Mattin’s are a smart bunch. NEWCOMERS This list is fun. So unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of the four big transfers coming to Ann Arbor this year. From Northwestern’s team, Michigan added Michael DeAugustino at 125, Chris Cannon likely at 133, and Lucas Davison (referenced above) at heavyweight. Davison was an All-American last season, and DeAugustino and Cannon were previously All-Americans in 2022. Both look to finish off their careers back on the podium and chasing down NCAA titles. Davison was clear in an interview with me (it’s on Intermat also, check it out), that an NCAA Title is in his sights. He is in a great room for training with heavyweights, and will hopefully enter the NCAA Championships a bit more healthy than he was last March. I’d be a fool to not mention the swirling rumors of Austin Gomez wrestling for Michigan at some point this season. He would be a tremendous addition, considering he is one of the few people on planet Earth to have beaten Yianni Diakamaholis. Injuries have haunted Austin, but a shortened season (likely wouldn’t compete until second semester), would help him be more healthy and ready to make a final run at the elusive NCAA Championship. WRESTLER TO WATCH I expect Rylan Rogers to step right in at 184 for the Wolverines and have an immediate impact. A big recruit out of Idaho, and cousins with Chandler Rogers, a personal favorite wrestler of mine. Rylan bumped up in duals twice last season for Michigan, losing close matches to Luke Surber of Oklahoma State, and to Gavin Hoffman of Ohio State. He also won the MSU Open, Purple Raider Open, and took third at the Cleveland State Open. I’m as big a Matt Finesilver fan as you’ll find, but I believe Rylan will be able to step right in and produce immediately in a similar fashion. TOP OUT-OF-CONFERENCE DUAL January 4th of 2024 the Michigan Wolverines travel to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to take on Damion Hahn and the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits. SDSU is currently ranked 17th in the country, and deservedly so. Coach Hahn has done excellent things with this program since taking over when Chris Bono went to Wisconsin. Last year, he had an NCAA Finalist in Tanner Sloan at 197, and brings back a very deep and dangerous lineup. Michigan matches up relatively well with just about anyone, but SDSU has studs up and down the lineup, so this might be closer than many would expect. A match to watch will be at 184 where the aforementioned Rylan Rogers will likely take on another outstanding redshirt freshman in Bennett Berge. Both of these guys were huge recruits and expect to be battling for National Titles in the future.