2024 NCAA Preview: 165 lbs.
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Returning 2023 All-Americans in Bold
| Northeast 1 | Patrick Wisniewski | Johnson & Wales |
| Northeast 2 | Steven Rochard | Coast Guard |
| Northeast 3 | Nicholas Roeger | Castleton |
| Mideast 1 | Nicholas Sacco | TCNJ |
| Mideast 2 | Brian Schneider | Elizabethtown |
| Mideast 3 | Shawn Marchesano | Ursinus |
| Southeast 1 | Matt Lackman | Alvernia |
| Southeast 2 | David Reid | Roanoke |
| Southeast 3 | Anthony Taylor | Averett |
| Central 1 | Teagan Hendricks | Ohio Northern |
| Central 2 | Jesse Herrera | Wabash |
| Central 3 | Andrew Supers | Baldwin Wallace |
| Lower Midwest 1 | Will Esmoil | Coe |
| Lower Midwest 2 | Alex Villar | North Central |
| Lower Midwest 3 | Dustin Bohren | Loras |
| Upper Midwest 1 | Noah Leisgang | UW-La Crosse |
| Upper Midwest 2 | Tristan Massie | UW-Eau Claire |
| Upper Midwest 3 | Cooper Willis | Augsburg |
Matt Lackman of Alvernia lost in overtime in the national finals last year to his brother Nathan. Fortunately, he has no family drama this year and will be able to focus on putting another Lackman on top of the podium. He is 42-0 this year with wins over seven other qualifiers and 36 bonus point victories. He will be challenged by a strong field that includes three All-Americans from last year at the weight. Noah Leisgang was third last year, beating TCNJ’s Sacco in the consolation finals. Sacco beat Cooper Willis of Augsburg in the consolation semifinals. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th placewinners at this weight from last year are all back to slug it out again.
Willis had only lost to Iowa’s Mike Caliendo before the regional and had defeated the defending Division II champ twice early in the season. He then lost 1-0 to Leisgang in the Upper Midwest semifinals after Leisgang rode him out for the entire third period. Leisgang went on to win an overtime decision over Tristan Massie of UW-Eau Claire in the finals, avenging a loss from December. Massie is a returning qualifier who was eliminated from last year’s tournament by Willis. Massie also has a loss to Willis this season in November.
Will Esmoil of Coe went on a tear at the end of the season and dominated the tough Lower Midwest Regional with three falls and two tech falls. He finished 4th at this weight in 2022 but missed out on qualifying last season with a 7th place regional finish. He has two losses to Willis and one to Northeast Regional champion Patrick Wisniewski of JWU. He pinned 2023 round of 12 finisher Alex Villar of North Central in the first period of the regional final.
Brian Schneider qualified last year as well for Elizabethown at this weigh. He has just four losses on the year. Three are to Lackman and one was in the regional tournament to Sacco. He has one win over a wrestler in the bracket, a major decision over Averett’s Taylor in January. He also has two wins over 2023 qualifier Zach Needles, a late injury scratch at the regional.