Midwest Regional Preview
Please Note: These are predictions of what will happen at a specific tournament on a specific date. They are not seedings or rankings. We have seen all the results and made predictions based off those results. We may predict someone to win, even if they recently lost to a conference opponent, but that does not mean we did not see the results.
All week long, d3wrestle.com will be publishing previews of each of the NCAA qualifying tournaments to be held this weekend. In addition to predicting winners and identifying the top athletes at each weight, we will attempt to predict all 160 qualifiers based on the number of wildcards available for each qualifying tournament. With nine qualifiers, d3wrestle.com will publish two each day, with the last one appearing Friday morning.
Midwest Region – 15 qualifiers
Predicted Team Champion: Delaware Valley
Top Individual: Mike Wilcox, Delaware Valley
Returning NCAA Qualifiers: Chris Sheetz (Delaware Valley 125, 6th NCAA), Rob Miller (Thiel 125), Brandon Clemmer (Delaware Valley 133), Jason Brew (Olivet 157, 2nd NCAA), Kyle Vanderhyde (Olivet 174, 4th NCAA), Mike Wilcox (Delaware Valley 184, 2nd NCAA), Kyle Bilquist (Delaware Valley 285, 5th NCAA)
A very strong group of qualifiers will come out of the Midwest this year. Led by NCAA #2 Delaware Valley, this group could realistically come home with 10-12 All-Americans out of 15 qualifiers. Delaware Valley could have as many as nine qualifiers as they attempt to make a run at a national championship. #1 Mike Wilcox is the top athlete as a returning runner up, but Olivet has a pair with NCAA finals experience in high school teammates Jason Brew and Kyle Vanderhyde.  One of the more intriguing matchups in all the NCAA qualifying tournaments should take place at 174 between two time All-American Vanderhyde and the very talented Rocky Mantella of Delaware Valley. Vanderhyde is ranked 2nd in the nation, and Mantella is undefeated in half a season of work.
Weight by Weight (predicted qualifiers in bold)
125 Prediction: Chris Sheetz, Delaware Valley
Top Challengers: Rob Miller, Thiel; Brandon Harvey, Trine; Zach Cecchetti, Washington & Jefferson
133 Prediction: Brandon Clemmer, Delaware Valley
Top Challengers: Cory Brown, Thiel; Nick Garber, Waynesburg
141 Prediction: Rob Yahrmarkt, Olivet
Top Challenges: Eric McCann, Delaware Valley; Eric Meyer, Mount St. Joseph
149 Prediction: Andrew Gardella, Case Western Reserve
Top Challengers: Dale Fava, Delaware Valley; Dave Harris, MSJ; Jared Tribbett, Wabash; Jesse Byerly, Waynesburg
157 Prediction: Jason Brew, Olivet
Top Challengers: Isaac Dukes, Case; Bryan Massong, MSJ
165 Prediction: Justin Barowski, Delaware Valley
Top Challengers: Tyler Goble, Rose-Hulman; Kyle Long, Trine
174 Prediction: Kyle Vanderhyde, Olivet
Top Challengers: Rocky Mantella, Delaware Valley; Nick Kraus, Trine
184 Prediction: Mike Wilcox, Delaware Valley
Top Challengers: Louis Posa, Trine; Chad Craft, MSJ
197 Prediction: Corbin Semple, Waynesburg
Top Challengers: Jeff Siciliano, Delaware Valley; Alex Fleet, Trine
285 Prediction: Kyle Bilquist, Delaware Valley
Top Challenger: Sean Misko, Olivet