2014 NCAA Preview: 285 lbs.

2013 Champion: Chad Johnson, Augsburg

2014 Field (with rankings)

West 1 (1) Johnson Augsburg
West 2 (4) Kasprick Concordia Moorhead
West 3 (10) Gibson St. Olaf
Central 1 (2) Fank Wartburg
Central 2 (3) Buss Loras
Central 3 Becker Coe
Midwest 1 (5) Minske La Crosse
Midwest 2 (6) Edgren Whitewater
Midwest 3 Green Trine
Mideast 1 (7) Lovejoy Ohio Northern
Mideast 2 (9) Majoy Heidelberg
Mideast 3 Brooks Mount St. Joseph
East 1 (8) Roseberry Delaware Valley
East 2 Peleg Ursinus
East 3 Fletcher Wilkes
Northeast 1 McGuire Trinity
Northeast 2 Moore Cortland
Northeast 3 Caruso Bridgewater State

As has been stated elsewhere on this site, 2x defending champion Chad Johnson of Augsburg has not lost to a Division III opponent since 2011. He has been in control of this weight class since there and shows little sign of dropping a match in Cedar Rapids. He has already wrestled and defeated the #2, #4, #5, #6, and #10 heavyweights this year. The unenviable task of attempting to knock him off the top of the podium is led by #2 Ryan Fank of Wartburg. Fank was 7th last year, but his only DIII loss so far this season has been to Johnson. He beat #3 James Buss of Loras, last year’s 4th place finisher, twice already this season. Anthony Edgren of Whitewater was 5th last season, thought he split with Minske of La Crosse, with Minske taking the most recent matchup in the Midwest finals.

The Northeast Regional provides two of the better stories in this tournament. Winner Kyle McGuire of Trinity came into the region unseeded and beat each of the top three seeds on his way to the championship and a trip to Iowa. The third place finisher in the region, Ricky Caruso of Bridgewater State, lost his starting spot to a D1 transfer in 2012 and  missed all of 2013 with an injury but came back strong to win 40 matches this year and make his first trip to the tournament.