Potential quarter and semi-final matches that could be tough:
125: Marc-Anthony McGowan from Princeton is the 8 seed and then I am expecting Jett Strickenberger to make the semis as the 4 seed. Making the finals would be a good tournament for Stevo.
133: I expect Evan to walk into the finals. Knox will be a tough match, but Evan is 2-0 against him. Expectation is champion, but Knox is no slouch.
141: Ech should win. I am not overly worried about Romney or Tagg in the finals.
149: Aden Valencia as the 6 seed and potentially meeting in the quarters will be a tough match followed by a potential semi against multi-time AA Lachlan McNeil. Make the finals, and Kaleb Larkin is a NCAA title contender. We will learn a lot about Jacob this week, but I think at a minimum, he should place top 6. 3rd place or better and it is a good tournament.
157: Zerban should make the semis where he will likely have Daniel Cardenas. Make the finals and he will have #1 ranked Ty Watters. Top 3 is the expectation, make the finals and it's a good tournament.
165: Big Rig being unseeded will really depend on his draw. I expect him to place top 8, and a good chance to see if he has progressed from last year.
174: MJ should make the semis where he will likely have Beau Mantanona. That will be a must watch match and Beau is really tough. Lorenzo Norman as the 4 seed is also a stud 174. Expectation is a top 4 placement from MJ. If he can make the finals and beat some of these other guys (Wask, Norman, Mantanona), MJ will solidify himself as an AA threat.
184: Dean should make the semis where he will likely have James Conway from Franklin & Marshall (top 12 type guy). I want to see Dean start to open up and show some offense against the guys ranked in the teens/low 20s. I expect Dean to make the finals and face Brock Mantanona. Great chance for Dean to show some progress and solidify his ranking in the top 10.
197: Rocky will likely face Bennett Berge in the semis, which I expect him to win. He will then have either Joey Novak or Justin Rademacher in the finals. Rademacher had an incredible summer winning U20s and is a stud. I expect Rocky to win, but Rademacher will be a game opponent if he beats Novak to make the finals.
Hwt: I expect Yonger to walk to the finals where he will very likely have a rematch with Taye Ghadiali. As the #1 ranked wrestler, I want to see Yonger show he has separated further and push for a major against Taye in the finals. Should be championship or bust for "The Machine"
Excited to watch some more wrestling and see how they compete after a big dual win last Sunday. Will they ride the momentum and prove they are worthy of a top 4 tournament team ranking, or will they be a little full of themselves and be brought back to Earth a bit? I like what this team is made of and think we see them continue to show they are a legitimate trophy team come March.
125: Marc-Anthony McGowan from Princeton is the 8 seed and then I am expecting Jett Strickenberger to make the semis as the 4 seed. Making the finals would be a good tournament for Stevo.
133: I expect Evan to walk into the finals. Knox will be a tough match, but Evan is 2-0 against him. Expectation is champion, but Knox is no slouch.
141: Ech should win. I am not overly worried about Romney or Tagg in the finals.
149: Aden Valencia as the 6 seed and potentially meeting in the quarters will be a tough match followed by a potential semi against multi-time AA Lachlan McNeil. Make the finals, and Kaleb Larkin is a NCAA title contender. We will learn a lot about Jacob this week, but I think at a minimum, he should place top 6. 3rd place or better and it is a good tournament.
157: Zerban should make the semis where he will likely have Daniel Cardenas. Make the finals and he will have #1 ranked Ty Watters. Top 3 is the expectation, make the finals and it's a good tournament.
165: Big Rig being unseeded will really depend on his draw. I expect him to place top 8, and a good chance to see if he has progressed from last year.
174: MJ should make the semis where he will likely have Beau Mantanona. That will be a must watch match and Beau is really tough. Lorenzo Norman as the 4 seed is also a stud 174. Expectation is a top 4 placement from MJ. If he can make the finals and beat some of these other guys (Wask, Norman, Mantanona), MJ will solidify himself as an AA threat.
184: Dean should make the semis where he will likely have James Conway from Franklin & Marshall (top 12 type guy). I want to see Dean start to open up and show some offense against the guys ranked in the teens/low 20s. I expect Dean to make the finals and face Brock Mantanona. Great chance for Dean to show some progress and solidify his ranking in the top 10.
197: Rocky will likely face Bennett Berge in the semis, which I expect him to win. He will then have either Joey Novak or Justin Rademacher in the finals. Rademacher had an incredible summer winning U20s and is a stud. I expect Rocky to win, but Rademacher will be a game opponent if he beats Novak to make the finals.
Hwt: I expect Yonger to walk to the finals where he will very likely have a rematch with Taye Ghadiali. As the #1 ranked wrestler, I want to see Yonger show he has separated further and push for a major against Taye in the finals. Should be championship or bust for "The Machine"
Excited to watch some more wrestling and see how they compete after a big dual win last Sunday. Will they ride the momentum and prove they are worthy of a top 4 tournament team ranking, or will they be a little full of themselves and be brought back to Earth a bit? I like what this team is made of and think we see them continue to show they are a legitimate trophy team come March.
