2015 NCAA Preview 133 lbs.

Nate Giorgio looks for a 3rd All-American award in Hershey

 

2014 Champion: Kenny Anderson, Wartburg

2015 Field (with rankings)

West 1 Harder Pacific
West 2 Foltz Concordia-Moorhead
West 3 Bartschenfeld Augsburg
Central 1 (3) Campo Wartburg
Central 2 (5) Obert Luther
Central 3 Shank Cornell
Midwest 1 (7) Pruett Whitewater
Midwest 2 (9) Broukal Wabash
Midwest 3 (10) Preston Trine
Mideast 1 (8) Flynn York
Mideast 2 (4) Border Mount Union
Mideast 3 Spearman Washington & Jefferson
East 1 (6) Grossman Wilkes
East 2 Pike NYU
East 3 Haynes Delaware Valley
Northeast 1 (1) Giorgio Coast Guard
Northeast 2 (2) Gomez Ithaca
Northeast 3 Colon Johnson & Wales

Nate Giorgio surprised most at the NCAA tournament when he fought all the way to a 4th place finish as a freshman at 125. In the two years following, he failed to match that finish, qualifying in 2013 and placing 8th in 2014. This year, however, he is on track for a great finish. He is 38-0 and fresh off his second win over 2014 runner-up and #2 ranked Alex Gomez of Ithaca in the regional final. Like Giorgio, Gomez is a two time All-American, and he hopes to get a third shot at Giorgio in the NCAA finals this year. Of his three losses this year, two came to Giorgio, while one was an upset loss to the freshman Grossman from Wilkes.

A few late season upsets have made this an interesting weight class heading into the final weekend. Jeremy Border of Mount Union was 3rd in 2014 and undefeated heading into the regional, but Flynn from York reversed an early loss and claimed the Mideast title. In addition, last year’s 4th place finisher O’Boyle of McDaniel was 4th in the East and failed to qualify. Connor Campo of Wartburg is the lone 2014 qualifier in Wartburg’s lineup, and he will be a high seed at 133 after qualifying at 141 last year. He has avenged three of his four losses during the year, including his victory over Obert of Luther in the regional final.