2014 NCAA Preview: 165 lbs.
2013 Champion: Nazar Kulchytskyy, Oshkosh
2014 Field (with rankings)
| West 1 | Bowland | Augsburg |
| West 2 | Kootstra | MSOE |
| West 3 | Krogstad | Concordia-Moorhead |
| Central 1 | (2) Welter | Wartburg |
| Central 2 | (5) Mizaur | Dubuque |
| Central 3 | Sewera | Coe |
| Midwest 1 | (3) Gibson | Whitewater |
| Midwest 2 | (7) Sampson | Wabash |
| Midwest 3 | Aiello | Wheaton |
| Mideast 1 | (6) Carr | Washington & Jefferson |
| Mideast 2 | Cannon | Messiah |
| Mideast 3 | Shapiro | Baldwin-Wallace |
| East 1 | (1) Burdge | Centenary |
| East 2 | (8) Carlo | Ursinus |
| East 3 | (9) Desir | King’s |
| Northeast 1 | (4) Schimek | Ithaca |
| Northeast 2 | (10) Crowell | Roger Williams |
| Northeast 3 | Foley | Springfield |
The wrestlers at 165 could breathe a little easier once 2x NCAA Champion Nazar Kulchytskyy dropped to 157 halfway through the year. Now, Chris Burdge of Centenary is the favorite and is undefeated this year in an abbreviated season. Even though he is just 17-0, he has wins over #3 Gibson, #8 Carlo, and #10 Crowell to go along with his three All-American awards at 157. #2 Welter of Wartburg had a head-scratcher of a match in his only loss of the year to NYU’s Messinger at the National Duals. He rebounded quickly to defeat Gibson at that same event and sits at 30-1 with wins over #5 Mizaur of Dubuque and Coe’s Sewera. Gibson was 3rd at this weight last year and his only losses in DIII are to the two wrestlers ahead of him in the rankings. #4 Schimek of Ithaca is undefeated in DIII with wins over #7 Sampson, #10 Crowell, and Springfield’s Foley. The 2x NJCAA All-American is thriving in his first year in Division III, though he has yet to see the top three guys at the weight.
An interesting competitor here is #6 Nick Carr of Washington & Jefferson. Carr started his college career as a 149 for Kent State. After a stop at Division II Seton Hill, he transferred into Washington & Jefferson for the second semester. A more natural 157, Carr moved up to 165 thanks to 2013 All-American Josh Etzel occupying that weight for the President’s. Even if he is a bit undersized, Carr is undefeated in a short season. All nine of his wins are against wrestlers from his own region, including one each against the two other qualifiers from the Mideast and one against one of last year’s qualifiers at this weight.
#8 Tony Carlo of Ursinus is not your typical freshman. The 2010 high school graduate was a New York state runner up for Monsignor Farrell in New York, but college did not happen for him right away. Instead, he was working delivering flowers for the father of current teammate and fellow qualifier Christian Psomas when that relationship helped pique his interest in Ursinus. He started school there this year and spent the season getting back into wrestling shape. That culminated with a win over #9 Desir in the regional semifinal to punch his ticket for Cedar Rapids.