Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – 16 qualifiers

Sunday, February 26, 2012 at UW-Whitewater
Returning Qualifiers/All-Americans:
Deluca (Oshkosh, 133), Mileski (Stevens Point, 133), Sheley (Lax, 5th, 133), Frederickson (Whitewater, 133), Yewah (Lax, 1st, 141), Sarbacker (Whitewater, 149), Schulte (Stevens Point, 165), Schmitz (Lax, 3rd, 174), Dickerson (Whitewater, 174), Engelland (Oshkosh, 184), Latella (Whitewater, 5th, 197), Mayer (Lax, 6th, 285)

While La Crosse is still the favorite, as they have been for years, Whitewater is starting to close the gap and has an upset on their minds. Each team brings back numerous qualifiers. La Crosse features four returning All-Americans including former champs Yewah and Schmitz. Both will be favored to return to the national finals in what amounts to a home tournament for the Eagles. Whitewater brings back just one All-American but three other qualifiers. They have augmented their lineup quite a bit since last year with the emergence of Sutter, Gibson, and the 3rd ranked Anderson at 285. In a six team tournament, the deepest team usually wins, as its it important to score points at all ten weights to have a chance. Oshkosh has a strong team with a few outstanding individuals and will likely lock down third place, while Platteville and Stevens point have some individuals who will do well.

125 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Mueller (Oshkosh, 8th), Sutter (WW, 9th)
A pair of top ten wrestlers make this a weight where there is likely to be a wildcard. Mueller is back at his natural weight this year and has won 32 matches to earn his #8 ranking heading into the postseason. Right behind him, however, is a recent addition to the Whitewater lineup in Sutter. Sutter is just 7-0, but he has made his short time in the lineup count and could end up as the champ here. Fabry (SP) is the only other predicted entry with a winning record.

133 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Wunnicke (Platteville, 2nd), Sheley (Lax, 4th), Frederickson (WW, 6th), Mileski (SP, HM)
This is one of the top weights in the conference with three top ten wrestlers. It may be a situation where some second place finishers stay home while the 3rd place finisher here gets to go. Wunnicke burst onto the scene this year and has led the Division in falls and the new dominance rankings. Sheley was an All-American last year, while Frederickson qualified. Mileski and Deluca (Oshkosh) also were at the tournament last year, but they migth be left behind by the three ranked wrestlers.

141 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Yewah (Lax, 1st), Kust (SP, Contender)
After all that talent across the board at 133, it seems to be concentrated at the top at 141. Yewah has won a pair of NCAA titles and looks to be a pretty heavy favorite for a third. He has not been in any danger of losing to a DIII opponent this year and it will be a suprise if someone else is on top of the podium next month. Kust is the next best here, though Yewah beat him 22-8 in their last matchup. He did beat Keeter (Augsburg) recently, so that gives him some hope for a wildcard.

149 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Sarbacker (WW, 6th), Dorn (Lax, Contender)
Sarback moved down to 149 this year, and it has paid off with a top ten ranking. He has not wrestled much, but when he has, he has beaten some good wrestlers like Strausbaugh (Wabash) and Quiros (Augustana). The next step for him will be getting on the podium after qualifying last year. Dorn and Schrupp have are both at 149 for La Crosse, so we will see who gets the nod. Either has the talent to pull an upset. Quintana (Oshkosh) has 22 wins but has not wrestled in a month, so put him down as a maybe. Seidler (EC) also has 20 wins.

157 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Kulchytskyy (Oshkosh, 2nd), Strobel (SP, Contender), Lewis (Lax, Contender)
Kulchytskyy was cruising until a recent setback against Ponce (Augsburg), but he is still a likely #2 seed at the NCAA Championships and could take the whole thing with his varied arsenal of well-placed attacks. Strobel and Lewis have had nice seasons to this point, but it is a pretty big step down from Kulchytskyy to those two. Maertz (Platteville) and Schmidt (WW) could also be in the mix to place.

165 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Gibson (WW, 8th)
Gibson has wrestled a full schedule, getting over 40 matches in already and winning the Wheaton tournament. He rides a 17 match winning streak into the tournament and seems likely to carry that streak into the NCAA championships. Schulte (SP) is a 2x qualifier who has had a subpar season and even has a losing record right now. He does, however, have postseason experience. Kontizer (Oshkosh) has wrestled a pair of close losses against Gibson and could be a finalist at this weight as well.

174 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Schmitz (Lax, 2nd), Schiferl (Oshkosh, Contender), Conat (SP, HM)
Schimtz is 21-1 with his only loss coming to top-ranked Doliscar (Ithaca) at the National Duals. He has wrestled close wins with Schiferl and Conat, but he has the pedigree to win with 1st and 3rd place national finishes already to his name. Dickerson (Ww) was a qualifier last season but has had an up and down year. Schiferl split with Cross (Messiah) at Wheaton which could help build his case for a wildcard if Schmitz wins as expected.

184 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Dwyer (WW, 6th), Engelland (Oshkosh, 7th), Miller (Lax, Contender), Rieckhoff (EC, HM)
This is another deep weight in the conference Engelland was a wildcard selection last season, but one of his two losses was to Dwyer. The other was to the #3 ranked Rau (Elmhurst). Dwyer has a couple more losses, but only to the wrestlers ranked 3rd, 4th, and 5th. His other losses are to non-DIII competition. Miller and Rieckhoff are a step down from the top two but will be competitive to place, though it seems like only the top two will qualify.

197 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Latella (WW, 10th), Scott (Platteville, Contender), Wozniak (SP, Contender), Strickland (Lax, Contender)
Just like 184, it is a deep weight that could result in multiple qualifiers. All-American Latella is the only one in the top ten, but he only started wrestling this year in January, sot here could be some residual rust from the layoff. He did beat both Strickland and Wozniak, so he may be rounding into shape for another March run. Scott has a good record but was last seen medically forfeiting out at Wheaton and has not competed since. Wozniak beat Strickland in a dual, so this could be an interesting weight.

285 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Anderson (WW, 3rd), Mayer (Lax, 7th), Cuadra (SP, HM)
Mayer was an All-american last year, but is a pretty clear #2 seed in the WIAC behind Anderson. Even though Mayer’s record isn’t stellar, he has wrestled a very tough schedule and seen a lot of top competition. Anderson, an NJCAA All-American, does have a great record, losing only the #2 Hesson (Mount Union) in Division III to earn his #3 ranking as he closes out his career. Both of those guys should make it to La Crosse. Cuadra or LaPlante (Oshkosh) could finish third, but are unlikely to push the top two.

New England Wrestling Association – 12 qualifiers

Sat/Sun, February 25-26, 2012 at Wesleyan
Returning Qualifiers/All-Americans:
Brandon Gauthier (RIC, 7th), Joseph Grippi (Springfield, 133), Billy Cole (USM, 133), Ces Antista (Williams, 141), Kyle Roosa (Wesleyan, 174), Tom Foote (Williams, 285), Jamison Sacco (WNEC, 285)

With one of the biggest NCAA tournament qualifiers, the New England Conference should come down to a two team race for the title. Johnson and Wales holds the conference’s #1 team ranking, but Springfield could easily put six or more into the conference finals. Roger Williams, Wesleyen, and RIC comprise the best of the rest and should all show well at the tournament. A larger tournament will also allow some teams that are not built for the dual meet season to shine; several place winners including a couple of finalists could vault the likes of Williams, Bridgewater State, or Plymouth State into the top five.

125
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers – Nate Giorgio (Coast Guard, Contender), Brandon Gauthier (RIC, Contender)
Gauthier is the conferences lone returning All American after a great post season in 2011. He’s been upended as the favorite by freshman phenom Nate Giorgio. The two should be in the finals and if the seeds hold a wild card will most likely come from this weight.

133
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers – Joseph Grippi (Springfield, #7)
A late season weight change by Grippi gives the conference national credibility at 133. Grippi is now a two time National Qualifier and looks to make his way onto the podium in this his junior season. Although no other wrestler is ranked in the conference, Billy Cole (USM) was a national qualifier a season ago. Other significant challengers to make the finals are Joe Schwartz (Wesleyan), John Donaleski (JW) and Kaison Tanabe (Williams)

141
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers – Antista (Williams, #9), Giblin (RIC, #10), Medina (WNEC, HM), Webster (JWU, HM)
The weight is one of only two in the conference that has two wrestlers ranked in the top 10, the other being HWT. Antista has made a trip to Nationals and his experience makes him the favorite, but Giblin had a fair amount of success against competition outside of the conference and looks ready to make a run. There are other strong contenders to place in the conference, but none seem to be on the level with the favorites.

149
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers – Hamrick (Springfield, Contender), Willey (Plymouth, Contender), Trasso (RIC, HM), Tobochnik (Wesleyan, HM), Gilman (USM, HM)
149 is probably the deepest and most wide open weight in the conference. In what seems to be a contrast in styles from Hamrick’s explosive big moves from neutral to Trasso’s control and tough rides to Tobochnik’s ability to score in bunches from any position, it seems that whoever is on and has a good game plan could come out on top of the conference and headed to Lacrosse.

157
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers – McGilvray (Springfield, HM)
A move up from last year’s weight has suited McGilvray just fine in conference as he’s the clear favorite. It will take a great day and a big surprise for Wheeler (Ply), Frick (JW) or Barucci (RIC) to upset him. Logan Russell from USM may be a darkhorse as he has the ability to hit the big move and pin his opponent at any time.

165
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers – Longo (Springfield, #5), Marotti (JWU, HM)
Another weight with a clear cut favorite holds Pride junior Derek Longo. Longo is unbeaten in conference and posted big out of conference wins during both the Budd Whitehill duals and the Messiah Petrofes tournament. As his ranking suggests, he is one of the conference’s most favored wrestlers to earn All American status.

174
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers – Fish (Springfield, HM)
Four New England wrestlers should be in the conversation when it comes to the championship at 174. Kyle Roosa is the returning champ and has Nationals experience; he will need to step up and produce a great post season to return to the Lacrosse this year as he is currently the fourth ranked wrestler in his weight. The favorite is Fish from Springfield, a junior who seems much improved from last year. Alex Freilich (WPI) and Sean Prell (JWU) have shown promise and could make a run at the title.

184
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers –Ajayi (Wesleyan, Contender)
Jefferson Ajayi has been unbeaten in conference all year and his style allows him to keep matches close with some of the top wrestlers in the country. This ability can make him dangerous at the nationals, but also could be his Achilles heal in conference because he allows lesser wrestlers to stay in the match. Parcel (RW), Phillips (Ply), and Camera (Springfield) have all had some success and each could be the one that is able to pull the upset.

197
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers – Ernst (Roger Williams, HM)
While Ernst is the favorite, 197 is a weight that a number of wrestlers could win. The conference has Petros Hologitas (Trinity) ranked #2 with wins over all of the other contenders, but an early season loss to Ernst. Erickson (Wesleyan) provided all the hope that any contender needed by beating Ernst early on, but hasn’t been able to keep pace since. Burns (Springfield) has all of the tools to prove troublesome as well and Frazer (Bridgewater) is a senior that is very dangerous on top.

285
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers – Vaughn (Trinity, #8), Foote (Williams, #9), Walsh (Bridgewater State, Contender), Gabordi (Springfield, HM)
Heavyweight could end up being the most interesting weight in the conference. For one, a lot can happen when the big men get moving, and for two there is a lot of talent and experience here. Two of the contenders have been to Nationals before in Foote and Sacco (WNEC), although Sacco has not returned to form after a year off. The favorite, Vaughn, has been around for several years, but never put it all together until this season. His shear size makes him too much to handle for most of his opponents. One of the most interesting developments in this weight is the mid year emergence of Ohio State transfeer Patrick Walsh; after several years out of wrestling he could hit his stride and surprise everyone come tournament time.

Ohio Athletic Conference – 11 qualifiers

Saturday, February 25, 2012 at Heidelberg
Returning Qualifiers/All-Americans:
Reynolds (Mt. Union, 6th, 125), Malave (Mt. Union, 141), Johnson (Heidelberg, 149), Letcher (ONU, 157), Kwiat (ONU, 5th, 174), Jenkins (Mt. Union, 184), Hesson (Mt. Union, 5th, 285)

It seems like a two team race in the OAC with Mount Union and Ohio Northern set to battle it out. #16 Mount Union won the conference last year, but #12 Ohio Northern won the OAC dual meet title in 2011-2012. Ohio Northern seems to have a little more depth while Mount Union has more top level talent, so it could be an interesting title race. Mount Union has a pair of returning All-Americans in Reynolds and Hesson, while Ohio Northern has last year’s #1 NCAA seed and 5th place finisher Kwiat. John Carroll has had a bit of resurgence this year and they have a couple of middle weights in Gott and Gill with a good chance to make it to La Crosse. Heidelberg also has a couple of guys with a chance, led by Lovins at 197. The other teams will try to reload for the future.

125 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Reynolds (Mt. Union, 7th)
Reynolds dropped back down to 125 late in the year to try to repeat his run to the semifinals from last season. He has hardly wrestled this year, so it is hard to say what sort of performance we will see, but he is certainly talented enough to win this weight and give the NCAA championships another go. The rest of the conference should not give him too much trouble, as the best of the remaining wrestlers are Cochran (ONU), Cobos (John Carroll), and Schneider (Heidelberg), and they simply do not have the firepower to hang with Reynolds.

133 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Roby (Mt. Union, HM)
Roby is the only wrestler appearing in the rankings, and that says something about the quality of this weight in the OAC. He has a .500 record, though he has wrestled a very tough schedule. Jones (ONU) may be the only wrestler to take the mat this weekend with a winning record at 133, though he has lost to Roby. Other wrestlers likely to appear include Taylor (Baldwin-Wallace), Weisman (Heidelberg), Nycz (John Carroll), and McKernan (Muskingum).

141 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Malave (Mt. Union, 6th)
Malave is another heavy Mount Union favorite, and he was a national qualifier a year ago where he lost two razor thin decisions to All-Americans. This year, he has only lost to wrestlers either ranked above him or not at this weight and is 28-4. Osborne (Heidelberg) was 3rd last year in the OAC and has won 33 matches. One of his 16 losses was a close 3-2 decision to Malave. After those two, 7-5 Kail (John Carroll) looks to be entered, while Ohio Northern has a couple of possibilities.

149 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Shadrach (Mt. Union, Contender)
This is a fourth straight weight with the top ranked wrestler from Mount Union, and Shadrach just missed out on qualifying last year. He should rectify that in 2012. Last year’s champ, Johnson (Heidelberg) has barely eked out a winning record at 9-8, though he is 8-2 against DIII competition. He missed some significant time which contributed to his lack of matches. McIntosh (B-W) has 16 wins, but he defaulted in his last match and has not competed since. Ryan (John Carroll) is 13-8, while Howes (ONU) is 14-14. A repeat of last year’s final is a very real possibility.

157 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Gott (John Carroll, Contender), Letcher (Ohio Northern, Contender)
Finally, there is a weight class with some competition at the top. It is also the first where the Mount Union wrestler is not a heavy favorite. Letcher won this weight class last year over Spooner (Mt. Union) who also returns here. Gott is 22-3 and beat Letcher twice already this year. Outside of Spooner, nobody should be able to test the top two, and Letcher should make a return trip to the finals. He will have his work cut out for him if he wants to repeat as champion.

165 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Gill (John Carroll, Contender), Painter (ONU, Contender)
Painter had some good wins against Myers of Olivet and Gibson of Whitewater, and that briefly earned him a high ranking by the NWCA. Almost immediately, however, Gill beat Painter in their dual meet and has a few nice wins of his own, but a loss to Gibson. Also in this weight and likely to be seeded is Piechuta of Mount Union. This weight is indicative of many weights in this conference where there are one or two dominant wrestlers and the rest hoping for a good day just to get on the podium.

174 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Kwiat (ONU, 3rd), Gaydosh (John Carroll, Contender)
Kwiat is looking for his third All-American award in as many years, and he is currently ranked 3rd at this weight. He is very good on top and can rack up points in a hurry. His only loss this year is to Division II Rynish at Wheaton. Even though Gaydosh also appears in the rankings, Kwiat beat him twice, one by tech fall and once by decision. Gaydosh has not wrestled in a few weeks, so he may or may not even be here, making Kwaits roll through the tournament that  much easier. Stepp from Heidelberg has 20 wins at this weight, but also 21 losses and a recent tech fall loss to Kwiat. It is hard to imagine Kwiat suffering his first DIII loss against this crowd.

184 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Jenkins (Mt. Union, Contender)
Jenkins was an NCAA qualifier last year and is likely to be one again. He defeated Steinmetz (John Carroll) 18-8, and that could be his toughest competition. Only Recknagel of Ohio Northern is even at a .500 record at 184, so it will take a good sized upset to keep Jenkins from another trip to Wisconsin. Unlike 157 and 165, which should be competitive, Jenkins has a pretty clear road.

197 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Lovins (Heidelberg, HM), Pawlitz (ONU)
With a pair of 20 match winners in Lovins and Pawlitz, this is a weight where there should be some competiton, as the senior Neumanitis (John Carroll) is also lurking. Lovins looks to be a real favorite though, as he has a pair of convincing wins over Pawlitz, though Neumanitis did take him to overtime. Pawlitz pinned Neumanitis and also has a win over 2011 All-American Latella of Whitewater. While there probably won’t be a wildcard a this weight, it should be a good one.

285 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Hesson (Mt. Union, 2nd), Lovejoy (ONU, 10th), Knapp (Heidelberg, HM)
This is the only weight class with more than two wrestlers who appear in the rankings, and definitley the only one with two in the top ten. Hesson had a great tournament last year to finish fifth, and he is #2 in the country right now and has zero DIII losses. Lovejoy and Knapp are very close in record and ability, and they have had some similar results. They split their matches this year. Can either challenge Hesson? It is tough to say yes, but strange things can happen at 285.

Empire Conference Championships – 16 qualifiers
Saturday, February 25, 2012 at The College at Brockport
Returning Qualifiers/All-Americans:
Tyler Marlow (Brockport, 2010 NQ, 125), Seth Ecker (Ithaca, 1st, 133), Jeremy Stierly (Ithaca, 2nd@141, 149), Troy Sterling (Cortland, 157), Derek Brenon (Ithaca, 157), Nick Sanko (Ithaca, 165), Tim Stewart (Messiah, 184), Jared Myhrberg (Cortland, 197), Matt Mahon (Ithaca, 285), Cory James (Cortland, 285)

Through much of the season the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference has appeared to be a wide open race.  However as tournament time draws near, Ithaca seems to be getting healthy and firing on all cylinders.  In fact a recent dual meet with top challenger, Cortland showcased a strong Bomber squad that looks to send a pack of wrestlers to the national tournament again.  Ithaca currently has five wrestlers ranked in the top 10 by d3wrestle.com while Cortland boasts three such grapplers.  If anything the recent dual showed that upsets can be expected and individuals from all eight Empire squads will be looking to punch their tickets to the big dance.  In addition to Cortland, Messiah and Brockport have both enjoyed strong regular seasons and should have a number of wrestlers pushing to earn a trip to Lacrosse, WI.  Lycoming, Oneonta, Oswego and RIT round out the field and all teams have legitimate contenders on their rosters.

125
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers – McNeil (Cortland, Contender), Hinton (Lycoming (Contender), Marlow (Brockport, HM), Gomez (Ithaca, HM)
The lowest weight has been a bit of a puzzle through the regular season but boasts a lot of potential talent for tournament time.  Nigel McNeil, a former NY state champ, came out of the gate very strong but has been out of the lineup for quite some time.  If he’s back he should be the favorite.  Tyler Marlow was not with Brockport last season but is a returning national qualifier and Ricardo Gomez moved down to 125 part way through the season.  Gomez is a former JUCO All American and certainly could make some noise.  Stephen Hinton of Lycoming has steadily progressed in his four year career and has enjoyed a strong, consistent senior campaign.

133
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers – Ecker (Ithaca, 1st), Loht (Messiah, Contender), Mikac (Oneonta, HM)
Seth Ecker is the overwhelming favorite at 133 as he is the defending National Champion.  Messiah’s Kaleb Loht has enjoyed a solid freshman season and should be the top contender.  A former PA state place winner, Loht is 35-5 and has beaten several other contenders from d3wrestle.com’s rankings.  Santiago (Oswego), Mikac (Oneonta), and Rosso (Brockport) could all be game opponents and challenge to place high in the conference.

141
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers – Bistis (Cortland, 8th), Bracey (Messiah, HM), Gomez (Ithaca, HM)
Bistis seems to be the favorite at the weight, but Gomez pulled the upset 2-1 in a recent dual meet.  Seeding could be very interesting as Gomez spent most of the year at 133 and Bistis has a number of quality wins, two of which came over one top contender in the conference in Bracey.  Golding of Brockport is a veteran wrestler and proven winner that could certainly be in the mix for the title as well.

149
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers – Stierly (Ithaca, 2nd) Kanouff (Messiah, Contender), Berry (Cortland, Contender), Hauser (Oneonta, HM)
Defending champ and two time runner-up Jeremy Stierly is the heavy favorite but has only wrestled a handful of matches this season.  Three wrestlers seem poised to make a run at the finals in Kanouff, Berry, and Hauser; all have solid records with good wins and the tools to be a threat.

157
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers – Sterling (Cortland, 6th ), Brenon (Ithaca, 8th), Rispoli (Brockport, Contender), Sercu (RIT)
For much of the year Sterling appeared to be the favorite with Brenon struggling and then out of the lineup.  Since Brenon’s return he has wrestled very well and upset Sterling in their dual meet.  If the two meet in the finals it will be a much anticipated rematch.  Rispoli is a senior who has produced a lot of wins for Brockport and can wrestle with the best. A lot of wrestlers should be vying for All Conference placement including Sercu (RIT), Hardenberg (Messiah), and Graff (Oneonta)

165
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers – Sanko (Ithaca, 10th) Conroy (Cortland, Contender), Plummer (Messiah, Contender), James (Brockport, HM)
This weight looks to be a wide open battle of four fairly even wrestlers for the conference crown and a trip to the national tournament.  Sanko won the conference a year ago, but lost to Conroy in the dual meet just a week ago.  James has wins over Conroy this year but has struggled in other competition.  Plummer was conference runner up at 174 a year ago and has produced a solid season.  A darkhorse could be freshman Tory Cain (RIT) who has beaten James this season.

174
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers – Doliscar (Ithaca, 1st), Cross (Messiah, 10th), Fuschino (RIT, Contender), Puca (Cortland, HM), Neivert (Brockport, HM)
Jules Doliscar transferred to Ithaca after twice earning JUCO All American honors and has not skipped a beat in NCAA D.III.  After a midseason win over former National Champ Mike Schmitz of Wisconsin Lacrosse, he earned the #1 ranking and has not relinquished it.  Cross has been strong with a t 35-5 record and has beaten most of the others in the conference.  The rest of the field should be hotly contested with Fuschino, Puca and Neivert providing plenty of opposition for the favorites.

184
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers –Stewart (Messiah, Contender), Korpi (Cortland, Contender), Mills (Oswego, Contender)
This weight looks to be a three person race for the title.  Stewart is the defending champ at the weight, Korpi made a midseason weight change and looks to capitalize on his chance in the lineup, and Mills has a lot of experience and talent.  Others that should battle for All Conference honors are Dickey (Ithaca), Brunschmid (Brockport), Cunningham (Lycoming), and Brent (RIT)

197
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers – Myhrberg (Cortland, 3rd), Korbul (Lycoming, HM)
After a disappointing early exit from the national tournament, Jared Myhrberg seems fueled to get back to the tournament this season.  He is a clear cut favorite at this weight.  Korbul has had some success this season and is the defending Empire runner-up.  Others looking to earn All Conference honors and hoping to find their way to Lacrosse are Glover (Brockport), Ebersole (Messiah), and Smith (Oneonta).

285
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers – Mahon (Ithaca, Contender), James (Cortland, Contender), Wilkinson (Brockport, HM)
Heavyweight has been interesting this season as both returning national qualifiers came in with high hopes but have struggled at times.  Mahon is 19-7 and beat James a week ago so he is the favorite.  James looks to return to form with a repeat performance of last year when he won the conference.  Wilkinson was last year’s 3rd place finisher and could provide a lot of trouble for the favorites.  Others looking to make some noise will be: Stewart (RIT), Jones (Messiah), Sheridan (Oswego) and Barber (Oneonta)

Centennial Conference Championships – 11 qualifiers

Saturday, February 25, 2012 at Gettysburg
Returning Qualifiers/All-Americans:
Paul Marcello (Johns Hopkins, 141), Martin Bell (USMMA, 149), Connor McCormick (Ursinus, 149), Joe Favia (Stevens, 165), Ryan Dormann (Stevens, 174), Gregg Martino (NYU, 174), Connor McNamara (Ursinus, 197), Reid Mosquera (Johns Hopkins, 197)

The guard has changed in the Centennial, as the four-time defending champion Merchant Marine squad graduated a group of seniors that brough home numerous All-American awards and a pair of NCAA Championships. What is left to be seen is who will step in and win the 2012 title. Ursinus swept the dual meet slate in the conference and has a pair of 2010 qualifiers in McCormick and McNamara, while Stevens has its own pair of qualifiers and spent most of the year in the national rankings. Johns Hopkins could also be a threat with realistic shots to win at six weights, and conference newcomer NYU is solid from top to bottom. There are no returning All-Americans in the Centennial, so it falls on the shoulders of some unproven athletes to come up big in La Crosse.

125 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Bewak (JHU, HM), Donaldson (Ursinus, HM), O’Boyle (McDaniel, HM), Evans (Gettysburg, HM)
With the exception of the senior Evans, this weight is dominated by newcomers, as top seed Bewak, O’Boyle, and Donaldson are all freshmen, and NYU’s Santana is a junior college transfer. Bewak defeated everyone he wrestled, but after that, things start to get messy, as pretty much the rest of the guys mentioned have an argument for the 2nd or 3rd seed via head to head matchups and common opponents. Regardless, this weight, as much as any in the tournament save 133, will come down simply to who can show up when the lights are on.

133 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: none
This is the weight class where seeding almost does not matter. Whoever wrestles the best is going to win, and that person could be any of the top four seeds. Spano has the most wins with 32, but also has some head-scratching losses in the conference, though he owns two wins over Blank of Ursinus. Tancredi has the best win of the year, defeating Messiah’s Loht in an early season match, to go along with his wins over Spano and Blank, but his long layoff and weight issues make him a bit of wildcard. Yagloski also had a long layoff before recently returning, while Campbell beat Spano but lost to Blank. Very little can happen that would be a surprise here.

141 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Marcello (JHU, Contender), Goretsas (McDaniel, HM)
Marcello is the 2x defending champ at 133 who has moved up to 141 with success this year. As usual, he wrestled an abbreviated schedule, but still put up an 18-3 record. After Marcello, it is a group of solid wrestlers who have taken turns beating each other this year. DiGiovanni of NYU, Gaylor of Ursinus, Goretsas of McDaniel, and Duffey of Washington & Lee will all be in the running to place, though it would be a pretty big upset for any of them to take out Marcello, and there is a chance that the second best 141 in the Centennial is Marcello’s teammate Crystal.

149 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: none
Even without anyone ranked, this is going to be hotly contested. The 2010 champ McCormick (Ursinus) and the 2011 champ Bell (USMMA) both return, as does last year’s runner up Caserta (Stevens). Also in the mix are Homan (Muhlenberg), Stauber (JHU), and possibly Yox (McDaniel). Even Gorman (NYU) cannot be overlooked on the strength of his win over Bell back in January. This is a weight where matchups and seeding could play a role in who makes the finals and has a chance to earn the qualifying spot.

157 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Fusaro (JHU, HM), Dennis (W&L, HM)
Fusaro looked like the favorite back in December when he won the Petrofes tournament and he may yet win, but he will get a stiff test from several others in the weight. Lowe (McDaniel) is a threat in every match with his ability to put points on the board. He just has to make sure the big points he scores outweighs the big points he gives up. Dennis (W&L) dropped to 157 in January and has done well since then, beating Fusaro and Jasinski (Ursinus), but losing to Lowe. Jasinski lost to Dennis but beat Lowe. Odell (Stevens) is another freshman looking to prove himself in the postseason.

165 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Thomson (Gettysburg, 3rd), Rice (NYU, 4th), Favia (Stevens, Contender)
The best weight in the conference is right here with three wrestlers who have been in the top ten this year. Thomson beat the other two in conference duals, while Rice beat Favia in a close one. It seems likely the one wildcard will come from this weight. Since the weight is only three deep, the top seed Thomson has an easier road to the finals, while Favia will attempt to turn the tables on Rice in a semifinal rematch. None of the top three were here last year as Rice was at 174 in the Metro, Favia took the year off to train in Iowa, and Thomson was in high school.

174 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Martino (NYU, 9th), Dormann (Stevens, Contender), Diesel (USMMA, HM)
There are two top competitors and two more hoping for an upset at 174. Dormann won the conference last year and Martino has qualified a few times in the past at 141 before resurfacing this year as a slightly undersized 174. Nevertheless, Martino just has 2 losses and a win over Dormann. Dormann just has three losses, one to Martino, one to #1 ranked Doliscar of Ithaca (who also beat Martino), and one to Lenhardt of JWU, who is injured and out for the year. Coming in behind those two are Diesel, a freshman whose brother was the runner-up at this weight last year and Leon the 4th place finisher a year ago.

184 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Schott (USMMA, HM)
Schott was 3rd last year, but he moves down to his natural 184 weight class this season. He has been solid this year and comes in as the favorite. Sternlicht of Muhlenberg could be a dark horse here, as he has some big move potential and did pin Schott. His 6-5 record hides some talent, though his health is often a question. Pawlowski (NYU) and Manganaro (Ursinus) have also had decent seasons and will be favored to place. All in all, though, it is not a great weight class.

197 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: McNamara (Ursinus, Contender), Mosquera (JHU, Contender)
Mosquera and McNamara are the two most recent champions at this weight, so they will be favored to make the finals. McNamara pinned Mosquera in their dual, and he has some big moves. Mosquera misses a lot time with injuries, but he is very talented when healthy. The spoiler here could be Myers (NYU) who was finally cleared to wrestle in January and is probably still rounding into form. He lost decisions to both of the top two wrestlers. Russell (USMMA) is the final wrestler with placement potential here with a 13-6 record against DIII but losses to the top two.

285 lbs.
d3wrestle.com Ranked Wrestlers: Camlin (McDaniel, HM)
Camlin has solidified himself as the top seed with wins over the other contenders and a lot of pins on his record. He is definitely the favorite if his conditioning is under control. The next best wrestler here is Poplaski (Gettysburg) who will be the #2 seed and scored a takedown off Camlin in their match before giving up two later on. Cornely (Ursinus) is the top returner after finishing 4th last year. Maher (Stevens) is the last wrestler with a winning record, and he lost on riding time in double OT against Poplaski two weeks ago.