Quick thoughts on each of the nine qualifiers this weekend

Centennial: USMMA wins as expected, but will take half as many to the championships this year as last.  There were not a lot of  upsets at the top.  A few #1 seeds lost, but it was not anything unreasonable.  Stanley of JHU came within seconds of winning the tournament after wrestling in only one match prior to the tournament.  Choosing Favia as the wildcard was a reasonable choice, though it did mean leaving 2x qualifier Vincent at home.

Empire: In a surprise, not only did #4 Ithaca not win, they placed 3rd behind Cortland and Brockport.  A few guys were less than 100% for the Bombers, and that hurt their chances.  Only six #1 seeds won the tournament, though only Ciaburri of Cortland was lower than #2.  Priest of Ithaca was the only returning qualifier not to make it, and first alternate Pariso had previously defeated the Midwest champ.

Great Lakes: No surprise at the top of the standings, as Augsburg put nine through to the NCAA tournament.  National champs Oster and Batsukh both lost but still qualified.  141 was as advertised with four of the top five in the rankings, though #4 seed Vanier came out on top in front of the home fans.  All four qualified.  St. Olaf came through with a pair of qualifiers and will be appearing at the NCAA tournament for the first time in a few years.  Wildcard choices were pretty much as expected based on the tournament results.

Iowa: 18 in a row for Wartburg as they held off Coe.  Both teams qualified all ten.  Josh Terrell had the best day, defeating the national #2 and #1 wrestlers to win the tournament.  Add Warcynski making it at 157 out of the #6 seed and Brown holding serve at 174, and Dubuque had a pretty good day.  Barclay of Luther again had his best day of the year when it counted most to make it at 184 for Luther.  Some controversy in the wildcards as 5th place Mogg made it at 125 over 4th place hood who beat him that day.

Metro: Upsets were the name of the game at TCNJ on Sunday.  All-American Bonitatis of TCNJ dropped to 157 after wrestling 165 all year but fell to 4th place.  Five #1 seeds failed to win, though at 174, the winner was a returning All-American in Heffernan.  TCNJ was able to overcome injuries to All-Americans Branham and DiColo to retake the team title it lost to Wilkes last year.  One place without an upset was 125, where All-American Erdman came back from a month off with a knee injury to win going away.

Midwest: Delaware Valley dominated again, getting seven through and winning six weights.  Clendenin was a mystery at 125 coming in, having only wrestled four times and only once against DIII.  The former Lehigh wrestler proved he still has something left as he lapped the field at 125 and should be one to watch for in Cedar Rapids.  Garber avenged his recent loss to Brown to head to Iowa on a high note.  Del Val dominated the upper weights, winning 5 out of the last six finals.  Kraus of Trine made it as a wildcard at 184, making him the only wildcard in that weight.

New England: Williams won as Ryan Malo continued his dominance, picking up his 38th fall of the year in his final match.  Five top seeds won, and All-American Paulish of Williams was 3rd, but still picked up a wildcard in a weight where the coaches picked two to go along with champ Marsh of Bridgewater State.  Returning qualifier Bloom wrestled from the #4 seed, winning multiple overtime matches on his was to the championship.  The NEWA coaches likely made the most controversial wildcard pick when they took third place Lenhardt over second place Bates at 174, especially since Bates had just defeated Lenhardt twice in that tournament.

Ohio: Ohio Northern won the regular season title, but Heidelberg came back to make it five in a row for the tournament championship.  They will take four to Iowa as Mizer got the wildcard to join champs D’Alessandro, Delpra, and Curley.  Ohio Northern freshman Kyle Kwiat continued his outstanding debut season, winning decisively to run his record to 38-4.

Wisconsin: All ten #1 seeds won the tournament, and La Crosse won their 13th straight title, putting all ten into the finals and winning seven.  Returning NCAA champs Mauseth and Laurent will head to Iowa as WIAC champs, as will All-Americans Bautista, Milks, Schmitz, Engelland, and Moore.  Andrew Johnston of Eau Claire lost early, but fought his way back to win the true second match and claim the last of the 9 wildcard slots.

2010 NCAA Division III Qualifiers

Centennial

Empire

Great Lakes

Iowa

Metro

Midwest

NEWA

Ohio

Wisconsin

Centennial

Empire

Great Lakes

Midwest

New England

Ohio

New England concludes tomorrow, while the Metro and Wisconsin tournaments begin tomorrow morning.

Please Note: These are predictions of what will happen at a specific tournament on a specific date.  They are not seedings or rankings.  d3wrestle.com has seen all the results and made predictions based off those results.  We may predict someone to win, even if he recently lost to a conference opponent, but that does not mean we did not see the results.

All week long, d3wrestle.com will be publishing previews of each of the NCAA qualifying tournaments to be held this weekend.  In addition to predicting winners and identifying the top athletes at each weight, we will attempt to predict all 160 qualifiers based on the number of wildcards available for each qualifying tournament.

Great Lakes Regional – 28 qualifiers – Saturday, February 20th at Augsburg
Predicted Team Champion: Augsburg

Top Individual – Jared Massey, Augsburg, 197

Returning NCAA Qualifiers: Jake Oster (Elmhurst), Mogi Baatar (St. John’s 133), Minga Batsukh (St. John’s 141), Jafari Vanier (Augsburg 141, 2x AA @ 133 ’06 & ’07), Tony Valek (Augsburg 149), Virgil Pope (MSOE 149), Jason Adams (Augsburg 157), Matt Baarson (St. John’s 165), Orlando Ponce (Augsburg 165), Zach Molitor (Augsburg 174), Phil Moenkedick (Concordia 184), Gabe Youel (North Central 184), Jared Massey (Augsburg 197), Troy Carlson (Chicago 197), Andrew Witzel (Augsburg 285), Adam Sutter (Lakeland 285), Mark Corsello (Elmhurst 285)

Augsburg is #1 coming in and returns a very strong squad with five returning All-Americans.  Jared Massey is the cream of the crop here coming off of last season’s dominating performance at the NCAA tournament an an undefeated record this year.  Also back are 2009 champs Jake Oster of Elmhurst and Minga Batsukh of St. John’s, along with runners-up Mark Corsell of Elmhurst and Phil Moenkedick of Concordia.  The IIAC has traditionally been the strongest conference at the NCAA tournament, but the Great Lakes, with four top ten teams, has been creeping upwards in its number of qualifiers and may soon overtake the Iowa Conference if it continues to have good performances at the national championships.

Predicted Qualifiers in bold

125: Jake Oster, Elmhurst
Top Challengers: Daron Hohbein, Concordia; Joseph Norton, North Central; Josh Roberts, Augsburg

133: Nathan Fitzenreider, North Central
Top Challengers: Paul Bjorkstrand, Augsburg; Mogi Baatar, St. John’s; Joe Leacox, Concordia; Jake Denhof, Elmhurst

141: Ben Anderson, Concordia
Top Challengers: Jon Starzyk, North Central; Minga Batsukh, St. John’s; Jafari Vanier, Augsburg

149: Tony Valek, Augsburg
Top Challengers: Charlie Curran, Elmhurst; Virgil Pope, MSOE; Justin Berns, Concordia; Drew Larson, St. John’s

157: Jason Adams, Augsburg
Top Challengers: Kevin Fynboh, Concordia; Dan Hamilton, Elmhurst; Justin Skillings, St. Olaf

165: Matt Baarson, St. John’s
Top Challengers: Orlando Ponce, Augsburg; Lane Lunde, Concordia; Jacob Frias, Lakeland

174: Zach Molitor, Augsburg
Top Challengers: Matt Pfarr, St. John’s; Justin Marble, Wheaton; Ross Dankers, Concordia; Cowan Brown, North Central; Ryan Renon, Lakeland

184: Gabe Youel, North Central
Top Challengers: Phil Moenkedick, Concordia; Brad Baus, Augsburg; Mitchell Hagan, St. John’s; Matt Olsen, MSOE

197: Jared Massey, Augsburg
Top Challengers: Troy Carlson, Chicago; Tony Willaert, St. John’s; Nathan Schmitz, Concordia; Joe Rau, Elmhurst; Vinnie Sapienza, North Central

285: Mark Corsello, Elmhurst
Top Challengers: Andy Witzel, Augsburg; Adam Sutter, Lakeland; Ryan Hatten, Chicago

Please Note: These are predictions of what will happen at a specific tournament on a specific date.  They are not seedings or rankings.  d3wrestle.com has seen all the results and made predictions based off those results.  We may predict someone to win, even if he recently lost to a conference opponent, but that does not mean we did not see the results.

All week long, d3wrestle.com will be publishing previews of each of the NCAA qualifying tournaments to be held this weekend.  In addition to predicting winners and identifying the top athletes at each weight, we will attempt to predict all 160 qualifiers based on the number of wildcards available for each qualifying tournament.

Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – 19 qualifiers – Sunday, February 21st at UW-Stevens Point
Predicted Team Champion: Wisconsin-La Crosse

Top Individual – Dan Laurent, UW-La Crosse, 285

Returning NCAA Qualifiers: Lloyd McKinney (La Crosse 125), Max Oldenburg (Whitewater 125), Austin Bautista (Whitewater 141), Matt Mauseth (La Crosse 149), Jesse Milks (Platteville 157), Cory Ferguson (La Crosse 165), Sam Engelland (Oshkosh 174), Michael Schmitz (La Crosse 174), Ben Engelland (Stevens Point 184), Andy Moore (La Crosse 197), Dan Laurent (La Crosse 285)

La Crosse opened up the year ranked #1, and they held that spot until the National Duals where some losses took them down to their current #6 rankings.  That still makes them the cream of the WIAC crop with six returning qualifiers, four returning All-Americans, and returning national champs Matt Mauseth and Dan Laurent.  Whitewater is #14 and features NWCA #1 Austin Bautista, while Stevens Point and Platteville are also in the top 30.  With seven returning All-Americans, the WIAC should be able to have another strong showing at the NCAA tournament.

Predicted qualifiers in bold

125: Lloyd McKinney, La Crosse
Top Challengers: Allen Fish, Platteville; Joe Mileski, Platteville; Max Oldenburg, Whitewater; Zach Mueller, Oshkosh

133: Bebeto Yeway, La Crosse
Top Challengers: Kyle Wachholder, Whitewater; Ross George, Platteville; Jordan Kust, Stevens Point

141: Austin Bautista, Whitewater
Top Challengers: Alex Dahl, La Crosse; Andy Casper, Platteville

149: Matt Mauseth, La Crosse
Top Challengers: Andrew Johnston, Eau Claire; Kris Magrudger, Stevens Point; Jose Quintana, Oshkosh

157: Jesse Milks, Platteville
Top Challengers: Ryan Farwell, La Crosse; Corey Schmidt, Whitewater

165: Vinnie Alber, Platteville
Top Challengers: Cory Ferguson, La Crosse; Jordan Schulte, Stevens Point; Jake D’Acquisto, Whitewater

174: Michael Schmitz, La Crosse
Top Challengers: Sam Engelland, Oshkosh; Cory Zuberbier, Platteville; Dennis Reckelberg; Stevens Point

184: Ben Engelland, Stevens Point
Top Challengers: Mitch Artist, La Crosse; David Casper, Whitewater; Aaron Erickson, Oshkosh

197: Andy Moore, La Crosse
Top Challengers: Adam Latella, Whitewater; Bradley Zellner, Platteville; Brandon Jochem, Stevens Point

285: Dan Laurent, La Crosse
Top Challengers: Jon Schmidt, Whitewater; Bret Oswald, Stevens Point; Tyler Manning, Platteville

Please Note: These are predictions of what will happen at a specific tournament on a specific date.  They are not seedings or rankings.  d3wrestle.com has seen all the results and made predictions based off those results.  We may predict someone to win, even if he recently lost to a conference opponent, but that does not mean we did not see the results.

All week long, d3wrestle.com will be publishing previews of each of the NCAA qualifying tournaments to be held this weekend.  In addition to predicting winners and identifying the top athletes at each weight, we will attempt to predict all 160 qualifiers based on the number of wildcards available for each qualifying tournament.

Metropolitan Wrestling Conference – 13 qualifiers – Sunday, February 21st at TCNJ
Predicted Team Champion: TCNJ

Top Individual – Tyler Erdman, Elizabethtown, 125

Returning NCAA Qualifiers: Tyler Erdman (Etown 125), Gregg Martino (NYU 141), John Barnett (TCNJ 141, 2008), Tyler Branham (TCNJ 149, AA in 2007 at @ 141), Dan DiColo (TCNJ 157), Justin Bonitatis (TCNJ 165, AA in 2008), Frank Heffernan (Wilkes 174), Zach Pizzaro (Wilkes 197),  Ed Broderick (TCNJ 285)

125: Tyler Erdman, Elizabethtown
Top Challengers: Scott Mantua, Wilkes; Jerrid Hartman, York; Dan Hughes, TCNJ

133: Will Livingston, Centenary
Top Challengers: Dan Herr, TCNJ; Ryan Wilson, Wilkes; Tony Miele, King’s

141: Gregg Martino, NYU
Top Challengers: Sean Messina, Hunter; John Barnett, TCNJ; Kristopher Krawchuk, Wilkes; David Alsieux, Centenary

149: Anthony Dattolo, Wilkes
Top Challengers: Tyler Branham, TCNJ; John Stillo, Centenary; Tye Boyer, Elizabethtown

157: Dan DiColo, TCNJ
Top Challengers: Taylor Green, King’s; Eduardo Delgado, Hunter; Matt Magill, NYU

165: Justin Bonitatis, TCNJ
Top Challengers: Matt Regan, Centenary; Ben Marich, Wilkes; Michael Lussier, Elizabethtown

174: Brian Broderick, TCNJ
Top Challengers: Frank Heffernan, Wilkes; Jim Gentile, Elizabethtown; Dave Foley, King’s

184: Mike Denver, TCNJ
Top Challengers: Alex Martocello, York; Kevin Gerhart, Wilkes; Franklin Marinucci, King’s

197: Zach Pizarro, Wilkes
Top Challengers: Bill Meaney, Elizabethtown; Adam Koziol, TCNJ; Peter Dwyer, King’s

285: Andrew Feldman, Wilkes
Top Challengers: Ed Broderick, TCNJ; Chris Rash, King’s; Mike Daub, Elizabethtown

Please Note: These are predictions of what will happen at a specific tournament on a specific date.  They are not seedings or rankings.  d3wrestle.com has seen all the results and made predictions based off those results.  We may predict someone to win, even if he recently lost to a conference opponent, but that does not mean we did not see the results.

All week long, d3wrestle.com will be publishing previews of each of the NCAA qualifying tournaments to be held this weekend.  In addition to predicting winners and identifying the top athletes at each weight, we will attempt to predict all 160 qualifiers based on the number of wildcards available for each qualifying tournament.

The Delaware Valley website has its own preview of the tournament with more in depth coverage of each weight available as well, click here to read.

Midwest Regional – 16 qualifiers – Saturday, February 20th at Delaware Valley
Predicted Team Champion – Delaware Valley

Top Individual – Jesse Harrington, Delaware Valley, 157

Returning NCAA Qualifiers: Corey Brown (Thiel 133), Nick Garber (Waynesburg 133), Isaac Dukes (Case 149), Jesse Harrington (Delaware Valley 157, 2008 @ 149), Corbin Semple (Waynesburg 184),

After a number of years out at the western schools, the Midwest Regional comes back east to Delaware Valley where the 5th ranked Aggies will try to make it four in a row.  They are led by a number of nationally ranked wrestlers including top ranked Jesse Harrington at 157 and Kyle Bilquist at 285.  Trine will do their best to topple the Aggies and will bring a very balanced lineup to Doylestown on Saturday.  In total, there should be as many as eight wrestlers in the d3wrestle.com top ten and many more just on the outside.  At first glance, 149 should be one of the more hotly contested weights with #5 Dukes, #6 Ajagbe, and Contenders Larson and Massong.

Predicted qualifiers in bold

125: Alex Crown, Waynesburg
Top Challengers: Zach Cecchetti, Washingon & Jefferson; Terrance Clendenin, Delaware Valley; Cody Stewart, Mount St. Joseph

133: Corey Brown, Thiel
Top Challengers: Nick Garber, Waynesburg; Adam Wilson, Olivet; Brandon Sanson, Washington & Jefferson

141: Vince Tucker, Olivet
Top Challengers: Jake Strausbaugh, Wabash; Zak Andrews, Delaware Valley; Eric Meyer, Mount St. Joseph

149: Isaac Dukes, Case
Top Challengers: Emanuel Ajagbe, Delaware Valley; Bryan Massong, Mount St. Joseph; Elias Larson, Trine

157: Jesse Harrington, Delaware Valley
Top Challengers: Kyle Long, Trine; Dominic Demor, Washington & Jefferson; Thomas Fehring, Mount St. Joseph

165: Justin Barowski, Delaware Valley
Top Challengers: George Markou, Trine; Alec Miller, Thiel; Tim Pope, Mount St. Joseph

174: Dan Daddino, Delaware Valley
Top Challengers: Greg Rhoads, Wabash; Ryan Pieper, Trine; Trevor Tyler, Olivet

184: Corbin Semple, Waynesburg
Top Challengers: Nick Kraus, Trine; Bryan Hugo, Wabash

197: Martin Porter, Delaware Valley
Top Challengers: Michael Burke, Wabash; Alex Fleet, Trine; Robbie Mies, Washington & Jefferson

285: Kyle Bilquist, Delaware Valley
Top Challengers: Sean Jameson, Mount St. Joseph; Rob Arnett, Wabash; Kraig Smith, Thiel

Please Note: These are predictions of what will happen at a specific tournament on a specific date.  They are not seedings or rankings.  d3wrestle.com has seen all the results and made predictions based off those results.  We may predict someone to win, even if he recently lost to a conference opponent, but that does not mean we did not see the results.

All week long, d3wrestle.com will be publishing previews of each of the NCAA qualifying tournaments to be held this weekend.  In addition to predicting winners and identifying the top athletes at each weight, we will attempt to predict all 160 qualifiers based on the number of wildcards available for each qualifying tournament.

New England Wrestling Association – 14 qualifiers – Saturday, February 20th at WNEC (concludes Sunday)
Predicted Team Champion – Williams

Top Individual – Ryan Malo, Williams, 197

Returning NCAA Qualifiers: Dan Bloom (Wesleyan 125), Nick Cucciniello (Johnson & Wales 133), Dylan Rittenburg (Williams 141, 2008), John Marsh (Bridgewater St. 149, 2007 @ 141), Corey Paulish (Williams 149), Kevin Sutherland (Rhode Island 149), Frank Cammisa (Bridgewater St. 157), Michael Morin (Southern Maine 165), Gregory Hurd (Wesleyan 174), Ryan Malo (Williams 197)

Williams looks to repeat, and they will bring another strong team to the tournament led by All-Americans Ryan Malo and Corey Paulish.  Malo is the NCAA falls leader with 33, and Paulish has handled the move from 141 to 149 nicely.  Those two will be bolstered by 10th ranked Carl Breitenstein.  Johnson & Wales will be the main challenger for the title with a solid blend of newcomers and veterans.  The last remaining returning All-American is Michael Morin from Southern Maine.  He began the year ranked first, but has slipped to third.  He should be right in the mix for an NCAA title.

Predicted qualifiers in bold

125: Josh Huber, Plymouth State
Top Challengers: Dan Bloom, Wesleyan; Michael Rose, Springfield; Josh Mattana, Williams; Carl Anderson, WPI

133: Nick Cucciniello, JWU
Top Challengers: Joe Grippi, Springfield; Ces Antista, Williams; Billy Cole, Southern Maine; Frederick Wilkinson, Plymouth State

141: Matt Ulrich, Southern Maine
Top Challengers: Dylan Rittenburg, Williams; Michael Trasso, Rhode Island; Jacob Gire, Trinity

149: John Marsh, Bridgewater State
Top Challengers: Corey Paulish, Williams; Kevin Sutherland, Rhode Island; Ryan McGilvray, Springfield

157: Carl Breitenstein, Williams
Top Challengers: Frank Cammisa, Bridgewater St., Mike Willey, Plymouth St., John Archambeau, Springfield

165: Michael Morin, Southern Maine
Top Challengers: Josh Berkovic, Wesleyan; Kyle Rodgers, Roger Williams; Ethan Raymond, Bridgewater St.

174: Colin Lenhardt, JWU
Top Challengers: Gregory Hurd, Wesleyan; Zach Bates, Bridgewater St., Joe Manley, Rhode Island

184: Brennan Ward, JWU
Top Challengers: Nate Shippee, Williams; Philip Ernst, Roger Williams; Raymond Moore, Rhode Island

197: Ryan Malo, Williams
Top  Challengers: Nick Cambi, Roger Williams; Eric Larcomb, Plymouth St., Patrick McCrohan, JWU

285: Jamison Sacco, WNEC
Top Challengers: Greg Vaughan, Trinity; Jacob Gagnon, Plymouth St., Tom Foote, Williams; Humphrey Swift, JWU

The IIAC finished last night, and Wartburg won its 18th straight IIAC title, fending off Coe by 9.5 points.  Five teams each had two champions, while Wartburg and Coe each qualified all ten to the NCAA Tournament, setting up a three way showdown including Augsburg in two weeks.  Josh Terrell won the Outstanding Wrestler award after beating the #1 and #2 ranked wrestlers in the country on his way to the title.  Central’s Eric Van Kley and Cornell’s Mike Duroe shared the Coach of the Year award.  See below for results

IIAC Release (includes list of qualifiers)
Results Page

Please Note: These are predictions of what will happen at a specific tournament on a specific date.  They are not seedings or rankings.  d3wrestle.com has seen all the results and made predictions based off those results.  We may predict someone to win, even if he recently lost to a conference opponent, but that does not mean we did not see the results.

All week long, d3wrestle.com will be publishing previews of each of the NCAA qualifying tournaments to be held this weekend.  In addition to predicting winners and identifying the top athletes at each weight, we will attempt to predict all 160 qualifiers based on the number of wildcards available for each qualifying tournament.

Empire Conference – 15 qualifiers – Saturday, February 20th at RIT
Predicted Team Champion – Ithaca

Top Individual – Blaine Woszczak, Ithaca 149

Returning NCAA Qualifiers: Jon Gregory (Ithaca 125), Chad Winowich (Ithaca 133), Blaine Woszczak (Ithaca 149), Willie Horwath (Ithaca 157), Chris Dahlheimer (Lycoming 165), Trent Zempel (Messiah 165, 2008), David Priest (Ithaca 174), Jason Wake (Oneonta 184), Joe Murphy (Cortland 285)

Ithaca is the cream of the crop here, but a balanced group of tough teams should be chasing the second spot.  The conference seems to be on the upswing with 10 All Americans last year, but several weights still are up for grabs.  Sterling of Cortland has a pair of wins over All-American Winowich, and Wade of Oneonta recently topped Priest and has been coming on strong.  If the Empire can perform the way they did last year at the NCAA tournament, it will not be long before that number of qualifiers gets closer to 20 than the current 15.

Predicted Qualifiers in bold

125: Jon Gregory, Ithaca
Top Challengers: Tyler Marlow, Brockport; Sean Kempf, Cortland

133: Chad Winowich, Ithaca
Top Challengers: Aljamain Sterling, Cortland; Ed Galvin, Oneonta

141: Jeremy Stierly, Ithaca
Top Challengers: Marc Arcara, Cortland; Alex DeHart, Messiah

149: Blaine Woszczak, Ithaca
Top Challengers: Isaiah Britton, Lycoming; Stephen Perez, Cortland

157: Willie Horwath, Ithaca
Top Challengers: Kevin Sackett, Cortland; Tom Rispoli, Brockport

165: Chris Dahlheimer, Lycoming
Top Challengers: Trent Zempel, Messiah

174: David Priest, Ithaca
Top Challengers: Chris Wade, Oneonta; Mike Ciaburri, Cortland; Clay Nievert, Brockport

184: Luke Pariso, Brockport
Top Challengers: Jason Wake, Oneonta; Tim Stewart, Messiah

197: Carl Korpi, Cortland
Top Challengers: David Sbriscia, Ithaca

285: Joe Murphy, Cortland
Top Challengers: Joe Goetz, Ithaca; James Lamonica, Oneonta; Eric Leusch, Oswego

Please Note: These are predictions of what will happen at a specific tournament on a specific date.  They are not seedings or rankings.  d3wrestle.com has seen all the results and made predictions based off those results.  We may predict someone to win, even if he recently lost to a conference opponent, but that does not mean we did not see the results.

All week long, d3wrestle.com will be publishing previews of each of the NCAA qualifying tournaments to be held this weekend.  In addition to predicting winners and identifying the top athletes at each weight, we will attempt to predict all 160 qualifiers based on the number of wildcards available for each qualifying tournament.

Ohio Athletic Conference – 11 Qualifiers – Saturday, February 20th at Mount Union
Predicted Team Champion – Ohio Northern

Top Individual: Luke Miller, Ohio Northern, 157

Returning NCAA Qualifiers: Luke Miller (Ohio Northern 157), Zach Mizer (Heidelberg 157), Matt Curley (Heidelberg 165), Andrew Scavuzzo (Baldwin-Wallace 174), Ben Adams (John Carroll 184), Bill Schindel (Mount Union 197)

Ohio Northern won the dual meet championship this year, but Heidelberg has won the last four OAC tournament titles.  It could be a three way battle for the championship as ONU and Heidelberg will contend with a rapidly improving Mount Union squad led by returning All-American Bill Schindel.  The best weight at the tournament will clearly be 157, as #3 Zach Mizer and #5 Luke Miller will likely meet again in the finals.  Though Mizer is ranked higher and has defeated a pair of returning All-Americans this year, he has lost twice to Miller this season already.  Kyle Kwiat of Ohio Northern is another to keep an eye on, as the freshman has surged to the #4 ranking in his first season of competition.

Predicted qualifiers in bold

125: Riki Reynolds, Mount Union
Top Challengers: Delian Schneider, Heidelberg; Donny Herrington, Wilmington

133: Tom D’Alessandro, Heidelberg
Top Challengers: TJ Arnone, Mount Union; Philip Payne, Baldwin-Wallace

141: Sam Delpra, Heidelberg
Top Challengers: Josh Malave, Mount Union; David Malkus, John Carroll

149: Michael Letcher, Ohio Northern
Top Challengers: Richie Clark, Mount Union; Connor Suba, John Carroll

157: Luke Miller, Ohio Northern
Top Challengers: Zach Mizer, Heidelberg; Bryan Skoff, Mount Union

165: Matt Curley, Heidelberg
Top Challengers: William Painter, Mount Union; Sean Gill, John Carroll

174: Kyle Kwiat, Ohio Northern
Top Challengers: Andrew Scavuzzo, Baldwin-Wallace; Dan Jon Henry, Heidelberg

184: Ben Adams, John Carroll
Top Challengers: Matthew Alexander, Ohio Northern; Ed Bizorik, Heidelberg

197: Bill Schindel, Mount Union
Top Challengers: Tristan Stoll, Baldwin-Wallace; James Neumanitis, John Carroll

285: Adam Salyers, Wilmington
Top Challengers: Derrick Hesson, Mount Union; Jerry Knapp, Heidelberg

Tournament Website

Pre-Tournament Brackets

#1 Seeds: Rush, White, LeClere, Pyle, Loughlin, Banks, Brown, Burkle, Tate, Helgerson

Please Note: These are predictions of what will happen at a specific tournament on a specific date.  They are not seedings or rankings.  d3wrestle.com has seen all the results and made predictions based off those results.  We may predict someone to win, even if he recently lost to a conference opponent, but that does not mean we did not see the results.

All week long, d3wrestle.com will be publishing previews of each of the NCAA qualifying tournaments to be held this weekend.  In addition to predicting winners and identifying the top athletes at each weight, we will attempt to predict all 160 qualifiers based on the number of wildcards available for each qualifying tournament.

Centennial Conference – 11 qualifiers – Saturday, February 20th at Stevens
Predicted Team Champion – Merchant Marine Academy

Top Individual – Brock Glotfelty, McDaniel, 285

Returning NCAA Qualifiers: Jordan Alfaro (USMMA 125), Dan Twito (USMMA 157), Vincent Renaut (USMMA 165), Patrick Stanley (Johns Hopkins 184, 2008 qualifier at 165), Eric Vincent (USMMA 197), Brock Glotfelty (McDaniel 285)

After a disappointing NCAA tournament last year featuring only two All-Americans and all 11 qualifiers losing in the first round, the Centennial hopes to bounce back with a better performance this year.  The Merchant Marine Academy has the bulk of the returning qualifiers, with four of last year’s six qualifiers returning.  Brock Glotfelty of McDaniel is the only returning All-American in the conference.  A few weights are very weak and don’t figure to have an All-American contender, but others feature wrestlers with ample NCAA experience hoping to make the step onto the podium.

Predicted Qualifiers in bold
125: Jordan Alfaro, USMMA
Top Challengers: Ben Ersing, Washington & Lee; Earl Eppard, McDaniel

133: Tommy Goretsas, McDaniel
Top Challengers: Alex Blank, Ursinus; Paul Marcello, Johns Hopkins

141: Ryan Bridge, Stevens
Top Challengers: Dan Glover, Ursinus; Garrick Skubon, USMMA

149: Connor McCormick, Ursinus
Top Challengers: Brent Lowe, McDaniel; Martin Bell, USMMA

157: Dan Twito, USMMA
Top Challengers: David Dennis, Washington & Lee; Charles Favia, Stevens

165: Vincent Renaut, USMMA
Top Challengers: Joey Favia, Stevens; Eric Levenseller, Johns Hopkins

174: Bobby Bishop, Stevens
Top Challengers: Justin Diesel, USMMA; Andrew Giannascoli, Johns Hopkins

184: Nate Murren, Ursinus
Top Challengers: Erik Schott, USMMA; Will Yeo, McDaniel

197: Eric Vincent, USMMA
Top Challengers: Connor McNamara, Ursinus; Reid Mosquera, Johns Hopkins

285: Brock Glotfelty, McDaniel
Top Challengers: Judd Connell, USMMA; Bobby Christopher, Gettysburg

Please Note: These are predictions of what will happen at a specific tournament on a specific date.  They are not seedings or rankings.  d3wrestle.com has seen all the results and made predictions based off those results.  We may predict someone to win, even if he recently lost to a conference opponent, but that does not mean we did not see the results.

All week long, d3wrestle.com will be publishing previews of each of the NCAA qualifying tournaments to be held this weekend.  In addition to predicting winners and identifying the top athletes at each weight, we will attempt to predict all 160 qualifiers based on the number of wildcards available for each qualifying tournament.

Iowa Conference – 33 Qualifiers – Tuesday, February 16th at Buena Vista
Predicted Team Champion – Wartburg

Top Individual – Tyler Burkle, Coe, 184

Returning NCAA Qualifiers: Clayton Rush (Coe 125), Mark Kist (Wartburg 125), Jayson Swanson (Luther 125), Nick Nothern (Cornell 133), Matt Kelly (Wartburg 141), Kevin Donahue (Cornell 141), Jason Pyle (Luther 149), Josh Terrell (Dubuque 165), Evan Brown (Dubuque 174), Seth Rehn (Coe 174), Tyler Burkle (Coe 184), Nic Barclay (Luther 184), Rob Kramer (Coe 197), John Helgerson (Warburg 285), Mitch Sander (Coe 285), Allyn Plattner (Luther 285)

The IIAC features defending NCAA champ Wartburg as well as five total ranked teams.  #2 Wartburg and #3 Coe will battle for the title as Wartburg will look to fend off the Kohawks and win their 18th straight IIAC title.  Led by #1 ranked Carrington Banks, the Knights have nine wrestlers in the latest NWCA top ten.  Coe has five ranked with Clayton Rush and Tyler Burkle both #1.  With 16 total returning qualifiers, 12 All-Americans, and 2 champs (Brown at 174 from last year and Burkle at 165 in 2008), the IIAC should again be the strongest conference, especially considering the number of ranked wrestlers who are not on the list above.  Overall, IIAC teams account for 21 of the 100 ranked wrestlers by the NWCA.

Predicted Qualifiers in bold
125: Clayton Rush, Coe
Top Challengers: Mark Kist, Wartburg; Austin Mogg, Buena Vista; Jayson Swanson, Luther; Timothy Hood, Cornell

133: Nick Nothern, Cornell
Top Challengers: Sean White, Wartburg; Drew Hinschberger, Coe

141: Kevin Donahue, Cornell
Top Challengers: Matt Kelly, Wartburg; Kevin Bokoski, Luther; Chris LeClere, Coe

149: Jason Pyle, Luther
Top Challengers: Jacob Groth, Wartburg; Mark Carey, Coe; Jacob Schwebke, Cornell

157: Nicholas Loughlin, Cornell
Top Challengers: Adam Weber, Wartburg; Lance Serbousek, Luther; Dale Handley, Coe

165: Carrington Banks, Wartburg
Top Challengers: Nick LeClere, Coe; Josh Terrell, Dubuque; Thomas Van Renterghem, Central

174: Evan Brown, Dubuque
Top Challengers: Dylan Azinger, Wartburg; Seth Rehn, Coe; Joseph Hambleton, Cornell

184: Tyler Burkle, Coe
Top Challengers: Todd Becker, Wartburg; Andrew Roberts, Cornell; Keith Rush, Central; Nic Barclay, Luther

197: Byron Tate, Wartburg
Top Challengers: Rob Kramer, Coe; Brian Broll, Buena Vista; Robert Widmer, Cornell

285: John Helgerson, Wartburg
Top Challengers: Mitch Sander, Coe; Allyn Plattner, Luther; Christopher Schiewe, Dubuque