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Ohio State coach Tom Ryan joined TrackWrestling’s Andy Hamilton on a podcast interview prior to the Buckeye’s dual against Iowa at Carver Hawkeye. You can grab a listen by jumping over to Jason Bryant’s MatTalkOnline.com, or doing the thingy with the iTunes whatchamacallit. Go listen to it. It’s only 14 minutes. We’ll wait for you to come back.
Back? Good. So what did you think? Interested to hear from the BSD wrestling fam on that one.
In any event, we had more duals this weekend, and we’ve updated the Wrestling BCS Brought To You By Whole, Unpasteurized Milk. Straight From The Udder.
Wrestling BCS Projections
| BOWL | AWAY | HOME |
|---|---|---|
| National Championship | #2 PSU (10-0) | #1 OKST (10-0) |
| [[Orange]] Bowl | #3 Iowa (8-2) | #6 VaTech (14-1) |
| Average Officials Bowl | #4 Ohio State (8-1) | #9 Cornell (9-2) |
| OmahaSteaks.com Bowl | #5 Nebraska (12-1) | #8 Mizzou (9-3) |
| NJ Turnpike Service Plaza Bowl | #11 Rutgers (10-3) | #16 Appalachian State (10-2) |
| Big Boy Pants Bowl | #14 Michigan (7-4) | #7 NC State (10-1) |
| Barbasol Close Shave America Bowl | #20 Wisconsin (3-4) | #10 Lehigh (8-4) |
| Ro-Tel Queso Dip Bowl | #33 Purdue (8-5) | #21 Edinboro (6-4) |
Okie State survived a scare from Mizzou. The Pokes retain the top spot even though few people on planet Earth would now pick them to beat Penn State. How does that make any sense? It doesn’t. But for some reason, wrestling rank-ers now think they’re the 1980s Associated Press covering college football. I almost hope they start Notre Dame’s cancelled wrestling program 5th in next year’s pre-season poll. On to the individual standings.
125 LBS
| B1G Rank | 125 LBS | Coaches (1/20) | Overall | Conf. | Conf.Duals | Quality Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gilman (Iowa) | 1 | 19-0 | 5-0 | 4-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Suriano (PSU) | 3 | 13-1 | 6-1 | 5-1 | 3 |
| 3 | Lambert (NEB) | 6 | 24-3 | 7-3 | 6-1 | 4 |
| 4 | Youtsey (MICH) | 2-1 | 2-0 | 2-0 | 0 | |
| 5 | Lizak (MINN) | 5 | 21-3 | 5-3 | 3-2 | 4 |
| 6 | Oliver (IND) | 30 | 10-4 | 2-1 | 2-1 | 0 |
| 7 | Jimenez (WIS) | 23 | 8-5 | 2-4 | 1-2 | 0 |
| 8 | Piotrowski (ILL) | 13-8 | 3-3 | 3-1 | 0 | |
| 9 | Rodriguez (OSU) | 19 | 11-5 | 1-3 | 1-3 | 1 |
| 10 | Paetzell (RUT) | 12-6 | 3-4 | 3-3 | 0 | |
| 11 | Thornton (PUR) | 33 | 21-11 | 3-5 | 3-4 | 0 |
| 12 | Vargas (UMD) | 8-12 | 0-5 | 0-4 | 1 | |
| 13 | Rogaliner (MSU) | 11-9 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0 | |
| 14 | Rubinetti (jNW) | 9-10 | 0-6 | 0-5 | 0 |
Youtsey lost to Lehigh’s Darian Cruz, 4-2, this weekend. Elijah Oliver got back on the mat for Indiana, splitting a pair of matches. And Sconnie’s Jimenez went to a local tournament and picked up 3 bouts, but only won 2. Not a ton else to mention here.
Guess on Bids to NCAAs: 7
133 LBS
| B1G Rank | 133 LBS | Coaches (1/20) | Overall | Conf. | Conf.Duals | Quality Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tomasello (OSU) | 1 | 11-0 | 5-0 | 5-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Clark (IOWA) | 3 | 10-1 | 5-0 | 4-0 | 1 |
| 3 | Richards (ILL) | 6 | 17-2 | 3-2 | 3-1 | 0 |
| 4 | Micic (MICH) | 4 | 16-4 | 7-3 | 5-2 | 1 |
| 5 | Montoya (NEB) | 5 | 21-1 | 7-1 | 6-1 | 4 |
| 6 | Rappo (UMD) | 32 | 9-10 | 4-3 | 2-2 | 0 |
| 7 | Welch (PUR) | 29 | 17-9 | 4-6 | 4-3 | 0 |
| 8 | McKee (MINN) | 15 | 17-12 | 4-4 | 4-3 | 0 |
| 9 | Delvecchio (RUT) | 22 | 15-9 | 4-4 | 2-4 | 1 |
| 10 | Stickley (WIS) | 20 | 18-12 | 2-4 | 1-3 | 2 |
| 11 | Ispirades (jNW) | 10-8 | 3-3 | 3-3 | 0 | |
| 12 | Pepple (IND) | 10-7 | 1-3 | 1-3 | 0 | |
| 13 | Eicher (MSU) | 33 | 18-11 | 2-5 | 2-5 | 2 |
| 14 | Carpenter (PSU) | 1-9 | 0-5 | 0-5 | 0 |
Nathan Tomasello wrestled at Carver Hawkeye - but Cory Clark didn’t. So we whiffed on seeing that showdown, and we’ll have to wait until March. Purdue’s Luke Welch beat Minny true frosh Mitch McKee, 4-0. I’m not familiar with new, permanent head coach Brandon Eggum’s reasoning behind pulling McKee’s redshirt back in Nov/Dec, but it’s looking more curious by the minute.
Bids: 7 or 8
141 LBS
| B1G Rank | 141 LBS | Coaches (1/20) | Overall | Conf. | Conf.Duals | Quality Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashnault (RUT) | 6 | 22-3 | 6-0 | 6-0 | 1 |
| 2 | McCrystal (NEB) | 9 | 25-6 | 7-0 | 7-0 | 3 |
| 3 | Pletcher (OSU) | 14 | 21-3 | 6-0 | 5-0 | 2 |
| 4 | Gulibon (PSU) | 15 | 10-6 | 4-2 | 4-2 | 1 |
| 5 | Thorn (MIN) | 11 | 12-4 | 3-2 | 3-2 | 2 |
| 6 | Carton (Iowa) | 19 | 17-5 | 3-2 | 3-2 | 1 |
| 7 | Gasca (MSU) | 21 | 21-7 | 4-3 | 4-3 | 0 |
| 8 | Martin (WISC) | 18 | 15-9 | 2-4 | 1-4 | 2 |
| 9 | Profaci (MICH) | 29 | 13-8 | 4-4 | 4-3 | 1 |
| 10 | Ayersman (PUR) | 26 | 13-10 | 2-5 | 2-5 | 0 |
| 11 | Weaver (IND) | 8-12 | 1-4 | 1-4 | 0 | |
| 12 | McKenna (jNW) | 7-12 | 1-5 | 1-5 | 0 | |
| 13 | Jodeh (ILL) | 9-13 | 1-5 | 1-4 | 0 | |
| 14 | Simmons (UMD) | 4-10 | 0-5 | 0-5 | 0 |
It’s Latrobe vs. Derry Area this Friday night, in Columbus, Ohio. Buckeye true frosh Luke Pletcher pulled out the win in Carver Hawkeye against (Chris)Topher Carton, 5-4. Next he gets former neighbor Jimmy Gulibon. Jim’s gotten hot, scoring points in bunches the last two weeks. A win here likely puts Jim in the 3-spot at B1G’s, opposite likely 1-seed Anthony Ashnault.
Something else fun to note: Michigan’s Sal Profaci knocked off Lehigh All-American Randy Cruz, 3-2. This weight doesn’t get the same attention in conference as 133, but it is similarly deep. Lots of quality wins outside the conference.
Bids: 7 or 8
149 LBS
| B1G Rank | 149 LBS | Coaches (1/20) | Overall | Conf. | Conf.Duals | Quality Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retherford (PSU) | 1 | 15-0 | 7-0 | 6-0 | 3 |
| 2 | Sorensen (IOWA) | 3 | 18-2 | 4-1 | 4-1 | 3 |
| 3 | Jordan (OSU) | 5 | 21-1 | 3-1 | 3-1 | 3 |
| 4 | Bannister (UMD) | 12 | 19-3 | 4-3 | 3-1 | 1 |
| 5 | Crone (WIS) | 21 | 21-8 | 4-3 | 2-3 | 0 |
| 6 | Theobold (RUT) | 16 | 16-5 | 3-2 | 3-2 | 0 |
| 7 | Golding (PUR) | 10-5 | 2-0 | 1-0 | 0 | |
| 8 | Blanton (IND) | 7-5 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | |
| 9 | Oster (jNW) | 9-8 | 1-5 | 1-3 | 0 | |
| 10 | Hall (MICH) | 9-7 | 2-4 | 2-3 | 2 | |
| 11 | Ervin (ILL) | 13-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | |
| 12 | Purinton (NEB) | 11-10 | 1-5 | 1-4 | 0 | |
| 13 | Trimble (MSU) | 12-11 | 2-5 | 2-5 | 0 | |
| 14 | Brolsma (MINN) | 12-14 | 1-5 | 0-5 | 0 |
Conversely, it seems few want to wrestle at 149lbs. Hmmm. I wonder why?
Iowa’s Sorensen won a 2-0, no takedowns match with Mickey Jordan on Friday. Outside the conference, Mizzou’s Lavion Mayes took out Okie State’s Anthony Collica, 8-7 or thereabouts. Mayes probably won’t lose more than once before NCAAs, so he’s in the driver’s seat for the 2-seed. Collica probably hangs on to the 3-seed, with his head-to-head over Sorensen. Sorensen/Jordan grab the 4/5 seeds (on Zain’s half of the bracket).
Bids: 5 or 6
157 LBS
| B1G Rank | 157 LBS | Coaches (1/20) | Overall | Conf. | Conf.Duals | Quality Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nolf (PSU) | 1 | 15-0 | 6-0 | 6-0 | 4 |
| 2 | Kemerer (Iowa) | 2 | 20-1 | 6-1 | 4-1 | 2 |
| 3 | Berger (NEB) | 3 | 24-2 | 6-2 | 5-1 | 2 |
| 4 | Short (MIN) | 10 | 18-9 | 4-4 | 4-3 | 3 |
| 5 | Langenderfer (ILL) | 18-4 | 4-2 | 4-1 | 1 | |
| 6 | Ruschell (WIS) | 20 | 8-3 | 2-1 | 2-1 | 0 |
| 7 | Murphy (MICH) | 11 | 9-6 | 3-4 | 3-4 | 0 |
| 8 | Van Brill (RUT) | 14 | 17-8 | 3-3 | 3-3 | 1 |
| 9 | Danishek (IND) | 27 | 16-8 | 3-2 | 3-2 | 0 |
| 10 | Griffin (PUR) | 21 | 22-10 | 3-5 | 2-3 | 0 |
| 11 | Ryan (OSU) | 10-8 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 0 | |
| 12 | Bozzo (MSU) | 3-5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | |
| 13 | Alexander (UMD) | 5-7 | 1-3 | 0-3 | 0 | |
| 14 | Sullivan (jNW) | 4-14 | 0-6 | 0-6 | 0 |
Jason Nolf’s given up 3 or 4 takedowns this year, and I believe he’s pinned every kid who did so. Except Nebraska’s Berger, whose takedown came very late.
Michigan’s Murphy got back on the horse this weekend, posting wins over Lehigh reserve Kent Lane (Kutler sat out), and Rutgers’ Van Brill (5-1). But with losses to Ruschell and Langenderfer, it’s difficult to move him too far up the B1G standings.
Bids: 6 or 7
165 LBS
| B1G Rank | 165 LBS | Coaches (1/20) | Overall | Conf. | Conf.Duals | Quality Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martinez (ILL) | 1 | 19-0 | 6-0 | 5-0 | 3 |
| 2 | Massa (MICH) | 2 | 21-1 | 9-1 | 5-1 | 3 |
| 3 | Jordan (WIS) | 3 | 17-1 | 5-1 | 5-0 | 2 |
| 4 | Joseph (PSU) | 4 | 11-2 | 4-1 | 4-1 | 2 |
| 5 | Wanzek (MINN) | 12 | 22-10 | 5-2 | 5-2 | 1 |
| 6 | Gunther (IOWA) | 21 | 14-4 | 4-3 | 2-2 | 0 |
| 7 | Burcher (OSU) | 29 | 14-9 | 3-3 | 2-3 | 0 |
| 8 | Hughes (MSU) | 22 | 21-5 | 5-5 | 3-4 | 0 |
| 9 | Lydy (PUR) | 16-14 | 3-6 | 3-4 | 0 | |
| 10 | Sebastian (jNW) | 14-8 | 2-4 | 2-3 | 0 | |
| 11 | Martin (IND) | 30 | 13-5 | 2-3 | 2-3 | 0 |
| 12 | Scott (RUT) | 13-8 | 1-4 | 1-3 | 0 | |
| 13 | Williams (NEB) | 12-11 | 2-6 | 1-6 | 0 | |
| 14 | Ugalde (UMD) | 5-9 | 0-5 | 0-4 | 0 |
Crafty Cousin Ike pulled out the win on Cenzo, using two reversals to get to overtime, and then securing a go behind off a not-great shot from Cenzo. That gets Ike the 3-seed at B1Gs - opposite I-Mar. Cenzo’s road at B1G’s likely got that much harder, as the 4-seed, on I-Mar’s half, with a quarterfinal against Minny’s Wanzek - a tough kid in his own right.
Bids: 7-ish
174 LBS
| B1G Rank | 174 LBS | Coaches (1/20) | Overall | Conf. | Conf.Duals | Quality Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jordan (OSU) | 9-0 | 3-0 | 3-0 | 1 | |
| 2 | Brunson (ILL) | 9 | 22-5 | 9-0 | 5-0 | 3 |
| 3 | Amine (MICH) | 8 | 18-4 | 6-2 | 5-2 | 4 |
| 4 | Meyer (IOWA) | 12 | 15-5 | 4-3 | 3-2 | 1 |
| 5 | Hall (PSU) | 20-2 | 4-1 | 2-1 | 4 | |
| 6 | Morrissey (PUR) | 33 | 13-6 | 6-2 | 6-0 | 1 |
| 7 | Skatzka (IND) | 19 | 21-6 | 6-3 | 3-2 | 2 |
| 8 | Barnes (NEB) | 21 | 15-11 | 2-4 | 2-3 | 0 |
| 9 | Backukas (RUT) | 28 | 11-6 | 1-3 | 1-3 | 0 |
| 10 | Pfarr (MINN) | 14-9 | 2-4 | 2-3 | 0 | |
| 11 | Christensen (WIS) | 24 | 17-11 | 1-8 | 1-4 | 1 |
| 12 | Vettese (MSU) | 0-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | |
| 13 | Rowell (UMD) | 9-19 | 0-6 | 0-6 | 0 | |
| 14 | Cody (jNW) | 0-9 | 0-6 | 0-5 | 0 |
About 75% of Bo Jordan beat Iowa’s Alex Meyer at Carver on Friday, using a late takedown for a 3-2 win. Zach Brunson got handled with ease by Sparky’s Zahid Valencia in a non-con dual. Michigan’s Myles Amine dropped a 6-2 decision to Lehigh’s Ryan Preisch, to help us understand where this weight shapes up nationally. Mark Hall hung a major on Wisconsin’s Christensen. Micah Barnes’ up-and-down season continued - this time with a pair of OT losses (to Amine, and Purdue’s Morrissey, who is quietly turning in a nice year in conference).
Bids: 7 or 8
184 LBS
| B1G Rank | 184 LBS | Coaches (1/20) | Overall | Conf. | Conf.Duals | Quality Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nickal (PSU) | 2 | 14-0 | 7-0 | 6-0 | 4 |
| 2 | Dudley (NEB) | 3 | 22-1 | 7-1 | 4-1 | 2 |
| 3 | Brooks (IOWA) | 4 | 17-2 | 6-2 | 4-1 | 4 |
| 4 | Jackson (IND) | 7 | 23-2 | 6-2 | 5-0 | 3 |
| 5 | Martin (OSU) | 9 | 20-5 | 5-1 | 4-1 | 0 |
| 6 | Parker (ILL) | 12 | 21-4 | 4-2 | 4-1 | 2 |
| 7 | Gravina (RUT) | 13 | 16-5 | 4-3 | 4-2 | 1 |
| 8 | Sliga (jNW) | 21 | 15-6 | 3-5 | 3-3 | 0 |
| 9 | Ritter (WIS) | 23 | 14-8 | 2-3 | 1-2 | 0 |
| 10 | Steveson (MINN) | 10-12 | 3-3 | 3-3 | 0 | |
| 11 | Lynde (PUR) | 12-13 | 2-8 | 1-4 | 0 | |
| 12 | Shadaia (MSU) | 8-11 | 1-3 | 1-3 | 0 | |
| 13 | Battaglia (MICH) | 2-7 | 1-4 | 1-4 | 0 | |
| 14 | White (UMD) | 5-14 | 0-5 | 0-5 | 0 |
Well I’m excited. Bo gets a bout with Myles Martin, the guy who stole his national title last year. Bo’s enjoying the new 184 weight class so far, going 14-0 with 11 pins. Martin just lost to Sammy Brooks, 5-3, and has exactly 1 win over the national top 20 - an 11-3 MD over Illinois freshman Emery Parker - against 4 losses. That notwithstanding, this should be a good one.
Bids: a whole bunch. 8, maybe 9
197 LBS
| B1G Rank | 197 LBS | Coaches (1/20) | Overall | Conf. | Conf.Duals | Quality Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pfarr (MIN) | 2 | 21-1 | 9-0 | 7-0 | 5 |
| 2 | Moore (OSU) | 5 | 20-2 | 6-0 | 5-0 | 2 |
| 3 | Studebaker (NEB) | 7 | 23-4 | 6-1 | 6-1 | 3 |
| 4 | McCutcheon (PSU) | 9 | 12-2 | 5-2 | 4-2 | 3 |
| 5 | Robertson (WIS) | 14 | 20-11 | 4-5 | 1-4 | 1 |
| 6 | Wilcke (Iowa) | 11-7 | 3-3 | 3-2 | 0 | |
| 7 | Striggow (MICH) | 9-9 | 4-3 | 4-3 | 0 | |
| 8 | Berkowitz (jNW) | 20 | 19-7 | 5-5 | 3-3 | 1 |
| 9 | Correnti (RUT) | 12-9 | 3-3 | 3-3 | 0 | |
| 10 | Brunner (PUR) | 17-13 | 2-8 | 2-5 | 0 | |
| 11 | Lee (ILL) | 9-10 | 1-4 | 1-4 | 0 | |
| 12 | Whisler (UMD) | 31 | 13-8 | 3-4 | 3-3 | 0 |
| 13 | Hinz (IND) | 12-9 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0 | |
| 14 | Okaiye (MSU) | 5-11 | 0-5 | 0-5 | 0 |
Mouse secured the 4-seed with two impressive wins over Wisconsin’s Robertson (2-0) and jNW’s Berkowitz (10-3) this weekend. And he’ll get a chance to move up towards #3 on Friday, as he tangles with Ohio State’s frosh Kollin Moore.
Bids: 6 or 7
285 LBS
| B1G Rank | 285 LBS | Coaches (1/20) | Overall | Conf. | Conf.Duals | Quality Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snyder (OSU) | 1 | 6-0 | 2-0 | 2-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Medbery (WIS) | 2 | 17-0 | 7-0 | 5-0 | 6 |
| 3 | Nevills (PSU) | 4 | 13-1 | 5-1 | 5-1 | 4 |
| 4 | Kroells (MIN) | 8 | 21-7 | 6-3 | 5-2 | 4 |
| 5 | Black (ILL) | 8-4 | 2-0 | 2-0 | 0 | |
| 6 | Jensen (NEB) | 14 | 23-8 | 4-5 | 3-3 | 2 |
| 7 | Jennings (jNW) | 24 | 15-8 | 5-1 | 5-1 | 0 |
| 8 | Hemida (UMD) | 13-8 | 5-3 | 5-1 | 0 | |
| 9 | Gross (RUT) | 9-7 | 4-0 | 4-0 | 0 | |
| 10 | Kral (PUR) | 20-12 | 3-6 | 2-4 | 0 | |
| 11 | Holloway (IOWA) | 2-6 | 1-4 | 1-3 | 0 | |
| 12 | Cooper (MSU) | 10-17 | 0-7 | 0-7 | 0 | |
| 13 | Miller (IND) | 7-14 | 0-6 | 0-6 | 0 | |
| 14 | Perry (MICH) | 2-12 | 0-8 | 0-6 | 0 |
Nick had a 3rd period lead on Wisconsin’s Medbery, but gave up a late takedown to drop the match 4-3. He’s right there, though.
The big news, however, came from outside the conference. Duke’s Jacob Kasper upset VaTech’s Ty Walz - and did it by major, 15-7. That raised a few eyebrows. They’ll try it again on February 12th.
And, he’s technically in-conference, but kinda not really. Kyle Snyder won gold at Krasnoyarsk, in the Ivan Yarygin. That’s in Siberia, Russia. But, you know, the nice part of Siberia (average January temp: 4 degrees Fahrenheit). Not like Norilsk (avg (-16)), or Ust-Nera (-47). So it’s not that impressive. He tech-falled his first three opponents, and pinned his 4th (which was the final). Not bad. But he has to wrestle Nevills on Friday, so we’ll see.
Bids: 6-ish
BONUS COVERAGE
As part of your Black Shoe Diaries paid subscription, we’re giving you bonus coverage of the Paris International. At no extra charge. Only paid subscribers get this kind of coverage, though, so be certain to renew those memberships. What’s the Paris International? It’s a senior-level, international (go figure) freestyle tournament. A few familiar faces repped the good ol’ U-S of A.
57KG - Gold, Nico Megaludis, Nittany Lion Wrestling Club (NLWC). Nico beat a Russian (representing France) in the quarters, 10-0. Then he beat a Belorussian in the semis, 9-0. And finished off with a 3-2 win over a Russian (representing Italy) in the final.
USA Wrestling has an interview post tournament.
74KG - Bronze, Matt Brown, US Army / NLWC. Hulk Hands dropped his opener to Kyle bleeping Dake (who was on fire this tournament), but wrestled back to earn a bronze medal over another former Nittany Lion, Dan Vallimont, 8-2.
86KG - Gold, David Taylor, NLWC. The Magic Man tech’d two different Hungarians, and tech’d a Russian (representing France) in the semis to make the final. There, he worked his ankle pick on fellow American (and Bloomsburg alum) Richard Perry, 8-5. And by the way - M2 has been hitting the weights during his move to 86kg.