2016 NCAA Preview: 149 lbs.
2015 Champion: Kenny Martin, Wartburg
2016 Field
Central 1 | Martin | Wartburg |
Central 2 | Gray | Luther |
Central 3 | Engle | Cornell College |
East 1 | Arnold | Ursinus |
East 2 | Biggs | Ferrum College |
East 3 | Wilhelm | Stevens Institute Of Technology |
Mideast 1 | Mirman | John Carroll |
Mideast 2 | Lansberry | Lycoming |
Mideast 3 | Cheek | Heidelberg |
Midwest 1 | Santi | Elmhurst |
Midwest 2 | Williamson | North Central (IL) |
Midwest 3 | Vela | Wisconsin-Whitewater |
Northeast 1 | Downes | Roger Williams |
Northeast 2 | Gaccione | Johnson & Wales (RI) |
Northeast 3 | Del Gallo | Southern Maine |
West 1 | Kennedy | Augsburg |
West 2 | Munroe | Wisconsin-Eau Claire |
West 3 | Bohm | Wisconsin-Platteville |
Kenny Martin came from the 4th seed to win the championship last year, and he will need to pull off a similar feat this year to repeat as champion. He has three losses this year in his one semester of competition, and he has avenged two of them against wrestlers who are in the bracket. He has proven to have the ability to win this tournament, and Knights will hope he can help them secure another team title. The top two seeds this year are the same two guys as last year with Derek Arnold of Ursinus and Dan Mirman of Johns Hopkins each looking for his first trip to the finals. Both lost in the semis last year, and neither has lost to a DIII opponent this season. Blake Santi makes his first trip to the championships for Elmhurst. His only loss this year is to Mirman, and he is hoping to add an NCAA All-American award to the one he won a few years ago in the NJCAA.
149 is a deep weight with a good amount of talent sprinkled throughout the bracket. Gray and Kennedy have wins over Martin this year, and nine of the ten ranked wrestlers made it to the tournament. Vela of Whitewater is dangerous and has pinning ability. Gaccione pinned #2 ranked Lopez (157) before dropping to 149 toward the end of the year. Del Gallo is making his second trip to the NCAA championships for Southern Maine and won the Elite 89 award last season to go along with this year’s 35 wins. Lansberry is in the midst of his third straight season with 30+ wins and is making his first trip to the tournament.