Matthew Grossmann was an NCAA champion back in 2015 and returns to the NCAA tournament for the first time since then.

Mat Talk Online DIII Championships Guide

1. Brett Kaliner, Stevens
2. Josh Martin, Cornell
3. Jimmy McAuliffe, Elmhurst
4. David Flynn, Augsburg
5. Joseph Ghione, Elizabethtown
6. Joseph Ferinde, Johnson & Wales
7. Ben Brisman, Ithaca
8. Chase Wilson, Manchester

Tim Ambacher, Delaware Valley
Zach Bylykbashi, Washington & Lee
Matthew Grossmann, Wilkes
Kevin Kelly, Loras
Brendan Ladd, Alma
Sean Lyons, NYU
Charles Nash, Baldwin Wallace
Hayden Schlough, La Crosse
Austin Shorey, Southern Maine
Chris Williams, Millikin

Stevens has brought in a national champion contender as a freshman for the second year in a row in Brett Kaliner. The Pennsylvania product has defeated six of the other entrants in what should be a very competitive weight. It would not be a shock if the final results look nothing like the seeding. Josh Martin of Cornell, David Flynn of Ausburg, and Chris Williams of Millikin have all been ranked #1 at one point or another this season. Flynn is the highest returning finisher after taking 3rd last year, though he lost in the regional semifinal. He gave Kaliner his last loss at the Cornell tournament, but Martin has defeated Flynn twice already. Williams is a two time All-American and returns to the tournament up a weight from last year. He lost a month of the season to injury but is back healthy aiming for a third podium finish.

Joseph Ferinde is the last remaining returning 2017 All-American at this weight, and he placed 6th last year for Johnson & Wales. He has split with Kaliner and avenged a loss to Temple of Castleton to punch his ticket to Cleveland. His only other win against a qualifier at this weight came in the regional final against Lyons of NYU. Matthew Grossmann was not an All-American last year or the year before that, but he was a freshman NCAA champion at 133 in 2015 in Hershey. He has not been back to the tournament since but is here now with one last shot at returning to the podium. He has, however, gone 0-4 against other qualifiers so far this season. Another one to watch here is Kevin Kelly of Loras. He was the 4th seed at the Lower Midwest Regional, but he defeated the previously mentioned Martin and Williams to win the tournament and position himself for a great NCAA tournament.

Troy Stanich of Stevens enters the NCAA tournament undefeated for the second year in a row

Mat Talk Online DIII Championships Guide

1. Troy Stanich, Stevens
2. Owen Doster, Wabash
3. Brock Rathbun, Wartburg
4. Sam Bennyhoff, Augsburg
5. Anthony Munoz, Elmhurst
6. Ricky Cavallo, Johns Hopkins
7. Austin Sisco, Oneonta
8. Matthew Noble, NYU

Tito Colom, Ithaca
Tyler Demo, Eau Claire
Dante Ginnetti, Baldwin Wallace
Brendan Gould, Augustana
Hunter Harris, Messiah
Owen McClave, Coast Guard
Nathaneal Rankin, University of the Ozarks
Brenden Velez, Delaware Valley
Joao Vicente, Johnson & Wales
Nolan Wochna, Mount Union

The number one seed this year is the same as last year, as Troy Stanich has again gone undefeated in his sophomore campaign leading into the NCAA Championships. He lost a tight match to Jay Albis in the semifinals and ended up in third place. The next time the two met back in November, Stanich won 12-1, and Albis is now down at 125. Stanich has not come close to losing this year and has wins over seven of the entries at this weight. There is just one other returning All-American at this weight, as Owen Doster of Wabash was 7th last year and comes in as the #2 seed. His only losses are to the #3 ranked wrestler in Division II and an injury default loss to a teammate back in the first competition of the year. He won the Central Region convincingly and has wins over three of the entries here.

Sam Bennyhoff was in the bracket last year for Augsburg, and he defeated Doster in the preliminary round before bowing out in the round of 12. He has split with Brock Rathbun of Wartburg, with Rathbun winning the more recent of the two matches. Austin Sisco of Oneonta and Hunter Harris of Messiah are also returning tot he championships at this weight. Sisco picked up a win here last year and fell in the round of 12. Harris is dangerous (winner of season long most falls award in 2017) and will be looking to close his career with a podium finish. Brenden Velez of Delaware Valley is making his third trip to the tournament, though both he and Harris finished behind Ricky Cavallo of Johns Hopkins at the Southeast Regional.

2016 runner-up CJ Pestano of Central is looking for a second trip to the finals

Mat Talk Online DIII Championships Guide

1. CJ Pestano, Central
2. Jay Albis, Johnson & Wales
3. Jonathan Haas, Brockport
4. Peter Del Gallo, Southern Maine
5. Carlos Fuentez, Wheaton
6. Christopher Doyle, Baldwin Wallace
7. Victor Gliva, Augsburg
8. Nick Mancini, Mount Union

Josh Antoine, Cortland
Nick Barbaria, Roger Williams
Tristan Buxton, Waynesburg
Brennen Doebel, Wartburg
Devon Jackson, University of the Ozarks
Ferdinand Mase, Ithaca
Dylan Nuttal, York
Sean Redington, Messiah
Kordell Rush, Delaware Valley
Mike Tortorice, Whitewater

Four time finalist and two time champion Lucas Malmberg of Messiah has graduated, and 2017 finalist Zach Beckner of Ferrum is out with an injury, so the 125 weight class is a little bit more wide open than it has been in recent years. CJ Pestano comes in as the top seed and is currently undefeated. He was 4th here last year and 2nd in 2016, so he is used to the big stage of the NCAA Championships. He forfeited the finals of the regional to finish second behind Wartburg’s Doebel, but he has defeated a pair of the entries here in Jackson of Ozarks and Fuentez of Wheaton. Jonathan Haas of Brockport defeated Pestano last year in the 3rd place, and he has just one loss on the year to Peter Del Gallo of Southern Maine, brother of 2017 149 lbs. champion Daniel Del Gallo.

There are two more returning All-Americans at this weight. Victor Gliva of Augsburg finished in 8th place last season, losing a match to Pestano that dropped him into the 7th/8th bout. He finished 2nd at the Upper Midwest Region to Fuentez where he was able to turn around an earlier loss to Mike Tortorice of Whitewater to secure his trip to Cleveland. Jay Albis was an NCAA runner-up last year at 133 lbs. for Johnson & Wales, but he made a late drop to 125 this season. He dropped a match to Haas on his first day at 125 but has not lost since. He topped Del Gallo in the region final and comes in well-positioned to make a run. Before dropping to 125, he had defeated six wrestlers who ended up in the field at 133.

2018 NCAA Division III Championships Brackets

Update: 184 is being redrawn due to a medical replacement, which is why it’s missing here.

2nd update: The brackets are now complete.

Monday: Brackets Released on NCAA.com after 6pm (in 2017, it was more like 9pm)

Tuesday: Previews of 125, 133, 141

Wednesday: Previews of 149, 157, 165, 174

Thursday: Previews of 184, 197, 285

Friday: Wrestling begins at 11:00AM Eastern

For this information and much, much more, buy the 2018 Mat Talk Online NCAA Division III Digital Preview Guide

The NCAA has released the leaders for falls, tech falls, and dominance heading into next weekend’s NCAA Championships. The winners of each category will be presented with an award at the conclusion of the finals on Saturday night. Jay Albis of Johnson & Wales leads in tech falls, Devon Carrillo of Wesleyan leads in falls, and Jake Ashcraft of Ithaca leads in the most dominant category.

Carrillo is in a three way tie for most falls but has the lowest combined time. He, along with the other two wrestlers with 21 falls have qualified for the NCAA Championships, so the award will likely be decided in Cleveland.

Albis is one ahead of Messiah’s Kyle Koser in tech falls, but his combined time is over eight minutes greater. If Koser wins by tech fall at the NCAA Championships and Albis does not, Koser will take over the lead.

College wrestling: Division II and III regionals set award standings for nationals (NCAA.com)

Qualifiers by Weight and Region

Southeast – Final Results

Mideast – Final Results

Northeast – Final Results

Central – Final Results

Lower Midwest – Final Results

Upper Midwest – Final Results

d3wrestle.com Rankings #9

Friday & Saturday

Southeast – Homepage | Preview | Live Brackets (9:00am start)
Upper Midwest – Homepage | Preview | Live Brackets (11:00am start)
Central – Homepage | Preview | Live Brackets (11:00am start)

Saturday & Sunday

Northeast – Homepage | Preview | Live Brackets (11:00am start)
Mideast – Homepage | Preview | Live Brackets (11:00am start)
Lower Midwest – Homepage | Preview | Live Brackets (1:00pm start)

Date – Saturday and Sunday, February 23-24, 2018

Location – Augsburg College, Minneapolis, MN

Teams (17) – Augsburg, Chicago, Concordia-Moorhead, Concordia Wisconsin, Elmhurst, Lakeland, MSOE, Pacific, St. John’s, St. Olaf, Wheaton, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Platteville, Stevens Point, Whitewater

Top Ten Ranked Individuals (2017 All-Americans in bold)
125 – Carlos Fuentez (Wheaton, 4), Mike Tortorice (Whitewater, 8), Zach Villareal (La Crosse, 9), Victor Gliva (Augsburg, 10)
133 – Sam Bennyhoff (Augsburg, 4), Anthony Munoz (Elmhurst, 5), Hazen Rice (Whitewater, 8), Scott Arneson (Platteville, 9)
141 – David Flynn (Augsburg, 2)
149 – Alex Wilson (Augsburg, 5)
157 – Ryan Epps (Augsburg, 1), Mark Choinski (Oshkosh, 3)
165 – Lucas Jeske (Augsburg, 1), Keone Derain (Elmhurst, 6), Frank Aiello (Wheaton, 7), Mitch Hertel (La Crosse, 8)
174 – Jon Goetz (Platteville, 8)
184 – Grant Wedepohl (Platteville, 4), Sean O’Neil (La Crosse, 5), Luke Dodd (St. John’s, 7), Dan Squires (Stevens Point, 9), Nick Stencel (Whitewater, 10)
197 – Jordan Newman (Whitewater, 1), Wesley Schultz (La Crosse, 3)
285 – Austin Bellile (MSOE, 10)

Top 30 Teams (d3wrestle.com list)
2. Augsburg
7. La Crosse
9. Whitewater
15. Platteville
18. Elmhurst
19. Wheaton
29. Oshkosh

Augsburg has a tough team that broke Wartburg’s stranglehold on the National Duals back in January, though the Knights managed to top the Auggies in the annual Battle of the Burgs later on. Three returning All-Americans and six wrestlers in the top ten give Augsburg a great shot to again win the regional and then compete for another NCAA team title. Lucas Jeske finished 3rd last year and will be a top contender at 165. David Flynn is ranked 2nd at 141 after finishing 3rd a year ago at the same weight. Ryan Epps has the top spot at 157 after missing the podium by one point last year at 149. Victor Gliva is the third returning All-American for Augsburg hoping to improve on last year’s 8th place finish. In the mix and just outside the rankings at 197 is Lance Benick, a midseason addition who was a FILA Cadet world medalist in high school and spent some time at Arizona State.

The rankings above may not reflect the reality of the entries, especially in the case of Whitewater. Bonomo, Stencel, and Newman are all entered at a weight class lower than where they have wrestled all year. None of the three have wrestled a single match at their respective entered weights of 165, 174, and 184. Jordan Newman was the NCAA champion at 184 lbs. last season but wrestled all year at 197 where he was the top ranked wrestler all year. He steps into a weight class with four other ranked individuals, though Nick Stencel’s road may have gotten easier with the move down to 174.

La Crosse has four ranked wrestlers and appears somewhere in the d3wrestle.com rankings at nine of the ten weights. They have a balanced lineup with some to level firepower. Wesley Schultz proved he can win any match when he pinned a pair of All-Americans (including Newman) at the Wheaton Invitational. Schultz, Zach Villareal, Mitch Hertel, and Sean O’Neil are all looking for their first trip to the NCAA Championships. Platteville, Elmhurst, and Wheaton should have some wrestlers in the mix as well. Platteville has three ranked entries as well as the top ranked wrestler at both 174 and 184. Elmhurst has two highly ranked wrestlers in Munoz and Derain as well as Jimmy McAuliffe who just knocked off 2x All-American Chris Williams in the CCIW Championships. Carlos Fuentez leads Wheaton’s contingent and is looking for his first podium finish after qualifying in 2015 and 2017.

Date – Saturday and Sunday, February 24-25, 2018

Location – Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY

Teams (17) – Brockport, Centenary, Cortland, Elizabethtown, Hunter, Ithaca, Keystone, Mount St. Vincent, Muhlenberg, Oneonta, Oswego, RIT, Scranton, Stevens, TCNJ, Ursinus, USMMA

Top Ten Ranked Individuals (2017 All-Americans in bold)
125 – Jonathan Haas (Brockport, 3)
133 – Troy Stanich (Stevens, 1), Austin Sisco (Oneonta, 10)
141 – Brett Kaliner (Stevens, 3), Ben Brisman (Ithaca, 4), Joe Ghione (Elizabethtown, 5), Max Nauta (Centenary, 8)
149 – Sean Peacock (Brockport, 10)
157 – Zach Wilhelm (Stevens, 4)
165 – Nick Velez (Ithaca, 3)
174 – Dan Kilroy (TCNJ, 7)
184 – Jake Ashcraft (Ithaca, 1)
197 – Triston Engle (Brockport, 6), Etinii Udott (Centenary, 9)
285 – Jake O’Brien (Ithaca, 2), James Bethel (Oneonta, 3)

Top 30 Teams (d3wrestle.com list)
3. Ithaca
6. Stevens
15. Brockport
23. Centenary
25. Oneonta
30. TCNJ

Ithaca was 2nd in the Northeast region last year and is the top team here. With four wrestlers ranked in the top four and a third place finish at the National Duals, the Bombers are a formidable team. Jake Ashcraft has ascended to the top spot at 184 lbs. and is supported by past All-Americans Nick Velez and Jake O’Brien. Stevens will give Ithaca a test here. The Ducks lineup is heavily slanted to the first six weights, but all six of them won the Centennial Conference two weekends ago. Top ranked Troy Stanich has just one loss in two years and will be a favorite to win the whole thing in Cleveland. All-American Zach Wilhelm, NCAA qualifier Dylan Van Sickell, and Centennial champ Thomas Poklikuha are all tough returners along with freshman start Brett Kaliner.

Brockport returns a pair of All-Americans in Jonathan Haas and Triston Engle. Haas was ranked #1 until a recent loss and finished 3rd in the NCAA last season. Engle has 24 pins and was 4th in the nation last year. Oneonta and TCNJ each return a 2017 All-American. Dan Kilroy placed 8th as a freshman for TCNJ and returns in his quest to move up the podium. James Bethel was an All-American in 2015 for Oneonta, took 2016 off, and then returned in 2017 to place again. He is ranked third but will have to deal with #2 O’Brien if he wants to win this weekend.

The 141 lbs. weight class is extremely tough here with four ranked wrestlers. #3 Brett Kaliner has given Stevens an outstanding freshman for the second straight year. #4 Ben Brisman of Ithaca spent most of last year at 149 but has settled in at 141 this year and been outstanding. Joe Ghione of Elizabethtown transferred in for his final season and a late drop to 141 has proven to be the right call as he has dominated at the weight. Max Nauta is the only returner at this weight of the four and he qualified for the NCAA Championships out of the East region. His only DIII loss this year is an 8-7 setback to Brisman last month. Someone very good will not get to go to Cleveland at 141 in the Mideast.

Date – Friday and Saturday, February 23-24, 2018

Location – Wabash College, Crawfordsville, IN

Teams (18) – Adrian, Alma, Baldwin Wallace, Case, Heidelberg, John Carroll, Manchester, Mount St. Joseph, Mount Union, Muskingum, Ohio Northern, Olivet, Otterbein, Thomas More, Trine, Wabash, Washington & Jefferson, Waynesburg

Top Ten Ranked Individuals (2017 All-Americans in bold)
125 – Nick Mancini (Mount Union, 6), Chris Doyle (Baldwin Wallace, 7)
133 – Owen Doster (Wabash, 2)
141 – Jarrod Brezovec (John Carroll, 7), Chase Wilson (Manchester, 8), Alec Cotton (Mount Union, 10)
149 – Jarrad Lasko (John Carroll, 8)
157 – Kyle Hatch (Wabash, 7)
165 – Anthony Arroyo (Baldwin Wallace, 4), Tyler Grimsley (Olivet, 9)
174 – Jairod James (Mount Union, 2), Darden Schurg (Wabash, 4), Clayton Davidson (Ohio Northern, 9)
184 –
197 – Drew Kasper (Otterbein, 10)
285 – Jake Evans (Waynesburg, 6), Nate Barcaskey (Ohio Northern, 10)

Top 30 Teams (d3wrestle.com list)
10. Wabash
11. Mount Union
12. Baldwin Wallace
25. John Carroll
30. Waynesburg

There should be real competition for the top spot in the team race here. Wabash, Mount Union, and Baldwin Wallace are 10, 11, and 12 in the tournament rankings, while Olivet also has good depth that will help score in this format. Wabash has finished the NCAA tournament with a trophy in each of the past three seasons, and the Little Giants return All-American Owen Doster as well as round of 12 finisher Darden Schurg. Freshman Kyle Hatch will bolster the lineup in his first postseason. Mount Union has three ranked wrestlers as well. Midseason transfer Jairod James announced his presence with a Wheaton title, and the former Kent State wrestler will be a threat to win the whole thing. Baldwin Wallace is strong across the board and recently won seven matches against Mount Union in a late season dual meet. Anthony Arroyo is a returning All-American at 165 who scores points in bunches.

Olivet has just one wrestler in the top ten, but like the other top contenders here, they can put ten solid wrestlers on the mat. Waynesburg is led by All-American heavyweight Jake Evans. The team has few weak spots and could contend at multiple weights this weekend including 125 and 197. John Carroll has a pair of ranked training partners in Brezovec at 141 and Lasko at 149. Brezovec will have a tougher go of it this week with two other ranked wrestlers in his weight, but both will be seeded to qualify. Ohio Northern also has two ranked wrestlers in Clayton Davidson and Nate Barcaskey. Each is looking for his first trip to the championships.

Otterbein is looking to qualify a wrestler in their second year as a program. Their best shot is sophomore Drew Kasper at 197. Kasper transferred to Otterbein from Indiana Tech after his high school coach Brent Rastetter was hired to start the brand new Cardinals team. The former Ohio state champion is also the brother of Duke All-American heavyweight Jacob Kasper who is ranked 3rd at that weight in Division I.

Date – Friday and Saturday, February 23-24, 2018

Location – Franklin County High School, Rocky Mount, VA

Teams (18) – Averett, Delaware Valley, Ferrum, Gettysburg, Greensboro, Hampden-Sydney, Johns Hopkins, King’s, Lycoming, Messiah, Penn College, Penn State Behrend, Southern Virginia, Thiel, Washington & Lee, Wilkes, York

Top Ten Ranked Individuals (2017 All-Americans in bold)
125 –
133 – Hunter Harris (Messiah, 7)
141 –
149 – Greg Warner (York, 4), Stephen Maloney (Messiah, 7), Trevor Corl (Lycoming, 10)
157 –
165 – Jeff Hojnacki (Messiah, 5), Jackson Drum (York, 10)
174 – Ben Swarr (Messiah, 3), Brandon Conrad (Lycoming, 10)
184 –
197 – Kyle Koser (Messiah, 5)
285 – Garrett Wesneski (Lycoming, 5), Paul Triandafilou (Gettysburg, 8)

Top 30 Teams (d3wrestle.com list)
4. Messiah
21. Lycoming
23. York

After four straight Mideast team championships, Messiah moves into the Southeast region looking to keep the streak alive. With five wrestlers who have NCAA experience, including three past All-Americans, they are the team to beat in this region. Ben Swarr is a two-time finalist at 174 lbs. who won the 2016 title, while Kyle Koser and Jeff Hojnacki are each looking for a second trip onto the NCAA podium.

York and Lycoming each have some high level firepower and will hope to steal the top spot away from Messiah. York has split a pair of dual meets with the Falcons this year and features one of the three returning All-Americans in this region in 2x placewinner Greg Warner. Jackson Drum has come on strong in his sophomore season and gives the Spartans two ranked wrestlers. Lycoming has three ranked wrestlers in Trevor Corl, Brandon Conrad, and Maryland transfer Garrett Wesneski who will all have a good shot to get through to Cleveland. Ferrum should not be overlooked as well. The Panthers won the East region last season, though two of their stars, NCAA runner-up Zach Beckner and qualifier Collin Saunders, have battled injuries this season.

There are several wrestlers in this tournament who were All-Americans prior to last season that missed the podium. Matthew Grossmann of Wilkes was the 2015 NCAA Champion at 133 lbs. as a freshman but has yet to return to the tournament. Jeff Hojnacki of Messiah placed 6th at 165 lbs. in 2016 but did not qualify last season. Paul Triandafilou of Gettysburg placed 5th in 2016 and qualified last season before falling in the round of 12. All three will hope to get back on the podium in Cleveland.

Date – Saturday and Sunday, February 24-25, 2018

Location – Five Flags Center, Dubuque, IA

Teams (17) – Augustana, Buena Vista, Central, Coe, Cornell, Dubuque, Huntingdon, Loras, Luther, MacMurray, Millikin, Nebraska Wesleyan, North Central, Simpson, University of the Ozarks, Wartburg, Westminster

Top Ten Ranked Individuals (2017 All-Americans in bold)
125 – CJ Pestano (Central, 1)
133 – Brock Rathbun (Wartburg, 3)
141 – Josh Martin (Cornell, 1)
149 – Cross Cannone (Wartburg, 1), Phillip Opelt (Cornell, 2), Jimmy Davis (Loras, 3), Bradan Birt (Millikin, 6)
157 – Logan Thomsen (Wartburg, 2), Quincy Kalkbrenner (Dubuque, 5), Cole Erickson (Coe, 6), Egan Berta (North Central, 8)
165 – Mike Ross (Wartburg, 2)
174 – Eric DeVos (Wartburg, 1), Jake Voss (Coe, 5), Nathan Fritz (Central, 6)
184 – Tyler Lutes (Wartburg, 2), Christos Giatras (Augustana, 6), Keajion Jennings (Millikin, 8)
197 – Kyle Fank (Wartburg, 2), Guy Patron (Loras, 4)
285 – Lance Evans (Wartburg, 1), Quin Gilliam (Loras, 7)

Top 30 Teams (d3wrestle.com list)
1. Wartburg
8. Loras
13. Cornell
14. Central
15. Coe
21. Millikin
25. North Central

With seven wrestlers ranked first or second (and an eighth ranked third), Wartburg is well-positioned to defend their NCAA and Regional championships of a year ago. The Knights have five returning All-Americans including three finalists. Eric DeVos is a two-time finalist who returns to defend his title at 174 lbs., while Cross Cannone and Logan Thomsen were both 2nd last year. Lance Evans finished 4th at heavyweight, while Kyle Fank was 5th at 197. Wartburg has won their region each of the past five years and should cruise to a sixth straight title.

Loras is having a fantastic season and should be the second best team in this region. They have a 17-1 record and can put a solid wrestler on the mat at every weight while having a few stars with the potential to get on the podium. Guy Patron shook off an opening round loss at the NCAA Championships last year and reeled off six straight wins to place 3rd at 197. Jimmy Davis also lost his first match before storming back for 5th place. Quin Gilliam qualified at heavyweight last year and fell in the round of 12. This team should send a strong group to Cleveland.

Cornell, Central, and Coe are all strong teams as well that should do well. CJ Pestano is a 2x All-American for Central and he holds the top spot in the rankings at 125. Cornell has a pair of guys ranked in the top two, as Josh Martin holds the top spot at 141 and is looking to return to the tournament for the first time since 2016. Teammate Phillip Opelt is ranked 2nd at 149. He was an All-American in 2016 at 133 and is back looking for more two weight classes up. Millikin’s Chris Williams sits just outside the top ten as of today, but he is a 2x All-American who cannot be counted out at 141. North Central is another tough top-to-bottom team that will not be an easy out for anyone.

Date – Saturday and Sunday, February 24-25, 2018

Location – Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA

Teams (17) – Bridgewater State, Castleton, Coast Guard, Johnson & Wales, New England, Norwich, NYU, Plymouth State, Rhode Island, Roger Williams, Springfield, Trinity, University of Southern Maine, Wesleyan, Western New England, Williams, WPI

Top Ten Ranked Individuals (2017 All-Americans in bold)
125 – Peter Del Gallo (Southern Maine, 2), Jay Albis (Johnson & Wales, 5)
133 – Joao Vicente (Johnson & Wales, 6)
141 – Joe Ferinde (Johnson & Wales, 6)
149 –
157 – Ray Jazikoff (NYU, 9), Chris Sullivan (Coast Guard, 10)
165 –
174 –
184 – Khamri Thomas (Johnson & Wales, 3)
197 – Devon Carrillo (Wesleyan, 7), Michael DiNardo (Johnson & Wales, 8)
285 – Isaiah Bellamy (Wesleyan, 4)

Top 30 Teams (d3wrestle.com list)
5. Johnson & Wales
19. Wesleyan
25. Southern Maine

Johnson & Wales had the best season in program history last year when they finished in 4th place at the NCAA championships with five All-Americans and a pair of finalists. They will be heavily favored in the Northeast region consisting of New England schools plus NYU. Two All-Americans return for JWU, and five of their wrestlers are ranked in the top ten. Jay Albis made an unexpected run to the 133 lbs. final last year, and he has dropped to 125 this year to seek the top spot on the podium. Joe Ferinde returns as well for the Wildcats after a 6th place finish a year ago. Those two, along with Brendon Seyfried of Williams, are the only 2017 All-Americans in this region.

Wesleyan is the only other team with multiple ranked wrestlers in Devon Carrillo at 197 and Isaiah Bellamy at 285 to lock down the top two weights. Carrillo was in the round of 12 last year, while Bellamy has come on strong in his senior year to be ranked in the top four. The upper weight duo also takes the top two spots in falls for all of Division III. Teammate Carter Armendarez was a qualifier and round of 12 finisher last year as well. Roger Williams, WPI, and Coast Guard also have strong teams with depth throughout the lineup that will serve them well in the team standings.

Peter Del Gallo of Southern Maine is one of the few undefeated wrestlers in Division III this year. The sophomore is 34-0, and his best win is over the then-#1 ranked Jonathan Haas of Brockport at the end of last month. His older brother Daniel won the 149 lbs. championship last year for Southern Maine, and Peter hopes to follow in his footsteps to give Southern Maine and the Del Gallo family a second NCAA champion.