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BY MATT PFIFFNER All eyes in the college wrestling world will be on the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb. this week, which serves as host to the 2010 NCAA Div. I National Championships. The actions gets underway Thursday morning at 11 a.m. and concludes Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. with the title bouts. Top-ranked Iowa is going after its third straight NCAA team title, while Iowa State looks for its first championship since 1987. Both squads qualified all 10 wrestlers and appear to be the two teams to beat. Northern Iowa sends four grapplers to Omaha. Along with those 24 in-state wrestlers, there are also three former Iowa high school stars competing for out-of-state schools, for a total of 27 to keep a watch on. Other teams expected to push Iowa and Iowa State for the title are
the usual suspects...Cornell, Oklahoma State, Ohio State and Minnesota. After each weight class preview, The Predicament's Matt Pfiffner
(MP), Jim Thompson (JT) and Wyatt Schultz (WS) give their picks for the
semifinals (the predicted finalists are in bold). Returning All-Americans - No. 1 Angel Escobedo, Indiana (5th 2009, 1st 2008, 4th 2007); No. 2 Troy Nickerson, Cornell (1st 2009, 3rd 2007, 2nd 2006); No. 4 Anthony Robles, Arizona State (4th 2009); No. 6 Zachary Sanders, Minnesota (6th 2009); No. 7 James Nicholson, Old Dominion (8th 2008). Iowa-related qualifiers - No. 3 Matt McDonough, Iowa; No. 5 Andrew Long, Iowa State; No. 7 James Nicholson, Old Dominion (former Des Moines Roosevelt). Random Thoughts: A pair of three-time All-Americans may be the co-favorites coming into the championships, but the freshman duo out of Iowa may have something to say about that. A third former Iowa high school star looks to get back on the podium after missing out last year. Top Half: No. 5 seed Andrew Long of Iowa State starts off his first NCAA Tournament against fellow freshman Ryan Mango of Stanford. If the former Creston star gets past that bout, he likely meets No. 12 Ben Kjar of Utah Valley in the second round. A potential quarterfinal bout with No. 4 Anthony Robles of Arizona State looms. Long led Robles big in the third period of their bout earlier this season, when the Sun Devil chose up and turned Long several times for a 12-10 win. Born with just one leg, Robles is extremely strong and usually picks the top position when trailing. If Long meets him again, he will have to figure out a way to avoid the turns. Top-seeded Angel Escobedo of Indiana could be waiting in the semifinals for the winner of a Long-Robles bout. The Hoosier is the lone undefeated wrestler in the bracket and has wins over the second and third seeded wrestlers. No. 9 seed freshman Jerrod Patterson of Oklahoma defeated Long in the Big 12 finals and could pose trouble for Escobedo in the quarters. Bottom Half: Last year's NCAA champ and three-time All-American, senior Troy Nickerson of Cornell, has battled injuries throughout much of his career and his health and ability to go a hard seven minutes is once again a question mark after injury defaulting to Escobedo earlier in the year for his only loss. A potential quarterfinal bout against No. 7 James Nicholson of Old Dominion, a former All-American and State champion at Des Moines Roosevelt, could be very interesting. Nicholson has just one loss on the season and he avenged that lone defeat. He hasn't faced many of the top 125-pounders this season, so his 30-1 record may be a little deceiving. Nicholson looks to return to the podium after falling short last season. He begins the tournament against dangerous freshman Cashe' Quiroga of Purdue. No. 3 seed Matt McDonough of Iowa has had a spectacular freshman season, with just one loss to Escobedo in the Big 10 finals. McDonough will meet the winner of a pigtail bout between Eric Morrill of Edinboro and Jason Lara of Oregon State. Both have more than 30 wins this season and whoever meets McDonough will have a match under their belts. Will that help or hurt? Morrill has a win over No. 4 seed Robles this season, but has also lost three of his last five matches. If McDonough reaches the quarterfinals, he could meet Zachary Sanders of Minnesota for the fourth time this season. McDonough has dominated the past two meetings and if he reaches the semis, a match many people want to see - McDonough vs. Nickerson, could take place.
Predicament Semifinal Predictions (Finalists in bold):
133 Returning All-Americans - No.1 Jayson Ness, Minnesota (3rd 2009, 2nd at 125 2008, 5th at 125 2007); No. 2 Daniel Dennis, Iowa (7th 2009); No. 3 Franklin Gomez, Michigan State (1st 2009, 3rd 2008); No. 7 Mike Grey, Cornell (6th 2008); No. 9 Steve Bell, Maryland (6th 2009); No. 10 Nick Fanthorpe, Iowa State (7th 2008); No. 11 Scotti Sentes, Central Michigan (7th at 125 2009). Iowa-related qualifiers - No. 2 Daniel Dennis, Iowa; No. 10 Nick Fanthorpe, Iowa State. Random Thoughts: Jayson Ness of Minnesota has been about as dominant as any wrestler this season and is a big favorite heading in. A potential Iowa-Iowa State quarterfinal bout could be key in what could be a tight team race. Top Half: Top-ranked Ness is the heavy favorite on the top half of the bracket, but a pair of outstanding freshmen could be roadblocks on the Gophers' quest for a title. No. 8 Tyler Graff of Wisconsin could be a quarterfinal opponent for Ness, but Graff may have to get past returning All-American Steve Bell of Maryland in the second round. Freshman Jordan Oliver of Oklahoma State appears to be peaking at the end of the season and could be a very tricky semifinal opponent for Ness. Bottom Half: Daniel Dennis of Iowa comes in as the No. 2 seed, but there are a handful of returning All-Americans on this half of the draw, including No. 3 seed and defending champ Franklin Gomez of Michigan State. Gomez is a heavy favorite in his quarter and should reach the semifinals. Dennis begins the tournament against Kevin Smith of Buffalo and could meet one of two former All-Americans in the quarterfinals. No. 7 Mike Grey of Cornell and No. 10 Nick Fanthorpe of Iowa State should face off in what could be an outstanding second round bout, with the winner meeting Dennis in the quarters. Fanthorpe has struggled much of the season, but the senior has the ability to make a deep run in his final NCAA Tournament. If Dennis and Gomez meet in the semifinals, Dennis has a 2-0 edge in the season series.
Predicament Semifinal Predictions (Finalists in bold):
141 Returning All-Americans - No. 4 Reece Humphrey, Ohio State (2nd at 133 2009); No. 8 Alex Krom, Maryland (5th 2009); Chris Drouin, Arizona State (6th 2009). Iowa-related qualifiers - No. 6 Montell Marion, Iowa; Dalton Jensen, Iowa State. Random Thoughts: It's not too often a true freshman secures the No. 1 seed in NCAA Div. I, but that's exactly what Kyle Dake of Cornell has done this year. How will his nerves be as the so-called man to beat? Both entrants from the state of Iowa have the ability to beat anyone, but could also lose to just about anyone in the field as well. Top Half: Dake could face a very stiff test in the quarters against either last year's fifth or sixth-place finisher. No. 8 Alex Krom of Maryland defeated Chris Drouin of Arizona State in last year's fifth-place bout and the two meet again this week in the very first round. The winner could meet Dake in the quarters. Iowa State's Jensen receives a very tough first-round draw against last year's 133-pound runner-up and No. 4 seed Reece Humphrey of Ohio State. Jensen lost a one-point match to Humphrey at the National Duals, but has struggled the last month of the season. Bottom Half: Iowa's Montell Marion is seeded sixth and begins his first NCAA Tournament against freshman Cole VonOhlen of Air Force. If Marion reaches the quarters, he could meet Michael Thorn of Minnesota for the fourth time this season. Thorn won the first and third meetings, while Marion won in the dual. Marion has also defeated the No. 2 seed on this side of the draw, Jamal Parks of Oklahoma State. He knows he can beat anyone in the field, but will he wrestle like it?
Predicament Semifinal Predictions (Finalists in bold):
149 Returning All-Americans - No. 1 Lance Palmer, Ohio State (4th 2009, 8th 2008, 4th 2007); No. 2 Brent Metcalf, Iowa (2nd 2009, 1st 2008); No. 4 Kyle Ruschell, Wisconsin (3rd 2009); No. 5 Frank Molinaro, Penn State (8th at 141 2009); Kyle Borshoff, American (7th 2009). Iowa-related qualifiers - No. 2 Brent Metcalf, Iowa; No. 7 Mitch Mueller, Iowa State; Trenton Washington, Northern Iowa. Random Thoughts: Lance Palmer of Ohio State stunned Iowa's Brent Metcalf in the Big 10 finals and everyone expects the rematch to happen Saturday night for the title. Several outstanding wrestlers in this field won't make it easy to get to Saturday night for either of them. Top Half: Palmer is the top seed after beating Metcalf, but has never reached the finals. Will this be the year? His style may be tough to watch at times, but he gets the job done. Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin could be a very tough test for Palmer if they meet in the semifinals. Ruschell defeated Palmer in last year's third-place match, but Palmer won 2-1 in the Big 10 Tournament. This will be a toss-up if they do meet again. No. 9 Kevin LeValley of Bucknell gave Metcalf a very tough 3-2 match earlier in the season and could be a dangerous quarterfinal opponent for Palmer. Bottom Half: No. 2 Metcalf of Iowa draws Trenton Washington of Northern Iowa in the first round. Washington seems to have adjusted very well to his bump up in weight class, but he will definitely have his hands full here. The winner of that bout could meet unseeded returning All-American Kyle Borshoff of American in the second round...not an easy task. No. 7 seed Mitch Mueller of Iowa State begins his quest for his first All-American honors in his fourth and final trip to Nationals against Frank Gayeski of Liberty. If Mueller reaches the quarterfinals, Metcalf could be waiting. Mueller has proven he can stay with Metcalf this season, but can he beat him? In the other quarter, No. 3 Kyle Terry of Oklahoma and No. 6 Matthew Kyler of Army could meet. Terry defeated Kyler 6-2 in November.
Predicament Semifinal Predictions (Finalists in bold):
157 Returning All-Americans - No. 1 J.P. O'Connor, Harvard (6th at 149 2008, 5th at 149 2007); No. 4 Cyler Sanderson, Penn State (7th 2008 at Iowa State); No. 6 Dustin Schlatter, Minnesota (7th at 149 2008, 3rd at 149 2007, 1st at 149 2006); No 7 Chase Pami, Cal Poly (7th 2009); No. 8 Bryce Saddoris, Navy (6th at 149 2009); No. 9 Matt Moley, Bloomsburg (6th 2009). Iowa-related qualifiers - Jake Kerr, Iowa; Andrew Sorenson, Iowa State; Tyson Reiner, Northern Iowa. Random Thoughts: This is probably the only weight class in the tournament where it would be a pleasant surprise if anyone from the state reached the award stand. All three in-state qualifiers are capable of beating just about anyone in what appears to be a wide open bracket, but can any of them put the string of wins together that is necessary to place? Top Half: Two-time 149-pound All-American J.P. O'Connor comes into the tournament as an undefeated No. 1 seed. His second round opponent could be Iowa's Jake Kerr, who meets Tejovan Edwards of Arizona State in the opening round. Both wrestlers have records just above .500, but Kerr should be a slight favorite here and get a chance at O'Connor. Tyson Reiner of UNI received one of the wildcard berths into the tournament and takes on Dan Gonsor of Virginia in what appears to be another first-round toss-up. The winner likely gets No. 4 seed Cyler Sanderson of Penn State, who is a former All-American for Iowa State. No. 5 Steve Fittery of American is very dangerous and could give Sanderson fits in the quarters. Bottom Half: Andrew Sorenson of Iowa State makes his first appearance at Nationals against Anthony Jones of Michigan State, who turned it on at the right time of the season at the Big 10 Tournament. If Sorenson gets past Jones, he likely gets No. 3 seed Jesse Dong of Virginia Tech in the second round. The big question mark on this side of the draw is just how healthy is three-time All-American and former NCAA champ Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota? He was injured in practice the week of the Big 10 Tournament and injury defaulted out after weighing in. Schlatter, seeded sixth, could be a big factor if healthy or a complete non-factor in his final NCAA appearance. The only other former All-American on this half of the draw is No. 7 Chase Pami of Cal Poly.
Predicament Semifinal Predictions (Finalists in bold):
165 Returning All-Americans - No. 1 Andrew Howe, Wisconsin (2nd 2009); No. 2 Jarrod King, Edinboro (1st 2009); No. 3 Nick Marable, Missouri (7th 2009, 3rd 2008); No. 4 Jonathan Reader, Iowa State (4th 2009, 7th 2008); No. 7 Ryan Morningstar (3rd 2009); No. 9 Andrew Rendos, Bucknell (5th 2009). Iowa-related qualifiers - No. 4 Jonathan Reader, Iowa State; No. 7 Ryan Morningstar, Iowa; Justin Kerber, Cornell (former Emmetsburg). Random Thoughts: Like at 157 with Minnesota's Dustin Schlatter, the big question at this weight is the health of one of the top wrestlers. Iowa's Ryan Morningstar was injured in the third-place match at the Big 10 Tournament and just how bad it is remains to be seen. He is going to go, that much we do know. But how effective will he be? This is one of the most competitive weights in the nation and you can expect a lot of close bouts. The top two seeds are the returning finalists and could decide the title once again. Top Half: No. 4 seed Jonathan Reader of Iowa State kicks off the tournament against a very dangerous Chris Brown of Old Dominion. Brown has never earned All-American honors, but has some big wins in his career, including one against former two-time NCAA champ Mark Perry of Iowa. Reader should be able to make it out of this section and could meet No. 5 Colt Sponseller of Ohio State in the quarters. Top-seeded Andrew Howe of Wisconsin had an amazing run to the finals last season as a true freshman and has yet to taste defeat this year. One of Reader's four losses this season came against Howe in the Midlands finals. The Cyclone would love another shot at the Badger. Justin Kerber of Cornell, a former two-time State champ for Emmetsburg, meets Cody Yohn of Minnesota in the opening round. The winner likely gets Howe in the second round. Bottom Half: Iowa's Ryan Morningstar comes in as the No. 7 seed. If healthy, the Hawkeye is capable of winning the tournament. But he isn't expected to be at 100 percent and the real question may not be if he can win this weight, but whether or not he can earn All-American honors and score points for Iowa. We'll find out right away how healthy he is when he takes on Donald Jones of West Virginia. The winner could get No. 10 seeded freshman Alex Meade of Oklahoma State, who defeated Morningstar in the January dual. Returning NCAA champ Jarrod King of Edinboro and two-time All-American Nick Marable of Missouri are seeded second and third.
Predicament Semifinal Predictions (Finalists in bold):
174 Returning All-Americans - No. 1 Mack Lewnes, Cornell (4th at 165 2008); No. 2 Jay Borschel, Iowa (3rd 2008); No. 3 Christopher Henrich, Virginia (7th 2009); No. 11 Joshua Patterson, Binghamton (7th at 184 2009). Iowa-related qualifiers - No. 2 Jay Borschel, Iowa; Ryan (Duke) Burk, Iowa State; Jarion Beets, Northern Iowa. Random Thoughts: There have been a handful of potential NCAA Tournament match-ups discussed on message boards throughout the season and one of them is at 174, where No. 1 seed Mack Lewnes of Cornell and No. 2 seed Jay Borschel of Iowa have been superior to the competition all year. If they do meet Saturday night, expect a classic. Both are coming off disappointing seasons, where they failed to All-American after earning that honor in 2008. Lewnes was seeded No. 1 at 165 last season and went 0-2. Don't expect the same thing to happen this week. Top Half: Lewnes is definitely the man to beat on this side. He is a perfect 36-0 and 24 of those wins are by major decision or more. Former Cedar Rapids Kennedy grappler Jarion Beets of Northern Iowa makes his first appearance at the Nationals and draws the pigtail bout against Jeff James of Oklahoma. The winner goes into the first round against No. 5 Scott Glasser of Minnesota. Lewnes and No. 9 Luke Manuel of Purdue could meet in an interesting quarterfinal bout. Manuel was also at 165 last season and defeated Lewnes in the consolation bracket to knock him out of the tournament. But Manuel may have to get past No. 8 Colby Covington of Jim Zalesky's Oregon State squad. Covington has had an outstanding season after transferring from Iowa to the Northwest. Bottom Half: No. 2 seeded Borschel has been just as dominant as Lewnes this season. The Hawkeye is a spotless 32-0 with 20 wins by major decision or fall. Borschel begins his quest for a title against Scott Griffin of Pennsylvania. The Hawkeye will be heavily favored to reach the semifinals with a possible showdown against No. 3 seed Christopher Henrich of Virginia, who placed seventh last season. Duke Burk of Iowa State will look to take out No. 10 Jordan Blanton of Illinois, who the Cyclone defeated at the Midlands. If Burk wins that re-match, he could face No. 7 Ben Bennett of Central Michigan in the second round. A Borschel-Burk quarterfinal bout is not out of the question. Borschel has dominated the series, but Burk has wrestled him close at times.
Predicament Semifinal Predictions (Finalists in bold):
184 Returning All-Americans - No. 1 Kirk Smith, Boise State (8th 2008); No. 4 Michael Cannon, American (8th at 174 2009, 6th at 165 2008); No. 6 Maxwell Askren, Missouri (5th at 197 2009, 7th at 197 2008); No. 7 Joe LeBlanc, Wyoming (5th 2009); No. 8 Louis Caputo, Harvard (8t 2009, 7th 2007); No. 9 Phillip Keddy, Iowa (4th 2009, 6th 2008); No. 10 Mike Pucillo, Ohio State (2nd 2009, 1st 2008, 6th 2007); Mike Miller, Central Michigan (2nd at 174 2009). Iowa-related qualifiers - No. 9 Phillip Keddy, Iowa; Jerome Ward, Iowa State; Josh Ihnen, Nebraska (former Sheldon-South O'Brien). Random Thoughts: Simply put, this weight class is absolutely loaded. How about a pair of returning NCAA runner-up finishers meeting in the pigtail? What a way to start out what should be one of the more entertaining weight classes of the tournament. There are so many good wrestlers here, it would be hard to call anyone a clear favorite or any outcome an upset. Top Half: For the second year in a row, Iowa State's Jerome Ward draws Kirk Smith of Boise State in the first round. Last year, Smith was the No. 4 seed coming off an All-American finish and defeated Ward, 3-1. This year, Smith comes in as the undefeated No. 1 seed. Ward was on fire the first half of the season, but his struggles in the past month knocked him out of contention for a seed and this is a stiff penalty to pay. If the Ward who wrestled the first two months of the season shows up, he can knock Smith off. If the Ward who finished fifth at the Big 12 Tournament comes to Omaha, it might be a short stay. Iowa's Phil Keddy is also on this very tough half of the draw. The two-time All-American is seeded ninth and faces freshman Michael Salopek of Virginia in the first round. If Keddy wins there, he could meet another two-time All-American, No. 8 seed Louis Caputo of Harvard, in the second round. A third two-time All-American, Michael Cannon of American, is seeded fourth. Bottom Half: The "Pigtail from Hell" takes place here, as former NCAA champ and 2009 runner-up Mike Pucillo of Ohio State meets 2009 174-pound runner-up Mike Miller of Central Michigan. Both have struggled this season but it's hard not seeing the winner here making a serious run at the semis. Former Sheldon-South O'Brien State champion Josh Ihnen of Nebraska meets No. 7 seed Joe LeBlanc of Wyoming in the opening round. LeBlanc placed fifth here a year ago and will be a tough first NCAA Tournament foe for Ihnen. The winner could get Pucillo or Miller in the second round. No. 2 seed John Dergo of Illinois has had an amazing season, as has No. 3 Dustin Kilgore of Kent State, who is 33-1. Two-time All-American Max Askren of Missouri could make a lot of noise on this side and could meet Kilgore in the quarterfinals.
Predicament Semifinal Predictions (Finalists in bold):
197 Returning All-Americans - No. 1 Jake Varner, Iowa State (1st 2009, 2nd at 184 2008, 2nd at 184 2007); No. 2 Craig Brester, Nebraska (2nd 2009, 4th 2008); No. 3 Hudson Taylor, Maryland (3rd 2009, 3rd 2008); No. 4 Cam Simaz, Cornell (8th 2009). Iowa-related qualifiers - No. 1 Jake Varner, Iowa State; No. 9 Chad Beatty, Iowa. Random Thoughts: This weight class has all the makings for a re-match of last year's title bout between No. 1 Jake Varner of Iowa State and No. 2 Craig Brester of Nebraska. The two have met approximately 50 times the last two seasons, including last year in the finals, won by Varner. The Cyclone looks to make his fourth finals appearance and win a second title to close out a great career. The four returning All-Americans have the top four seeds and this is one weight where the seeds could very well hold to form. Top Half: Varner begins his final NCAA Tournament against Matt Casperson of Boise State. In the other half of the quarter, Iowa's No. 9 seed Chad Beatty has a very interesting first-round bout against Alan Gelogaev of Oklahoma State. Iowa fans no doubt remember the Cowboy's one-finger salute to the crowd after he slipped past Hawkeye Luke Lofthouse at the dual in Iowa City. Both teams are going to want this one bad. The winner could meet No. 8 seed Sonny Yohn of Minnesota in the second round, who edged Beatty in the Big 10 semifinals. Varner should be waiting in the quarterfinals for whoever makes it out of that tough foursome. Bottom Half: A pair of two-time All-Americans appear headed toward a semifinal meeting. No. 2 Brester of Nebraska has placed fourth and second the past two seasons and in his way to another finals appearance could be No. 3 Hudson Taylor of Maryland, who has taken third-place honors the past two seasons. He would like nothing more than to reach the finals in his last NCAA appearance.
Predicament Semifinal Predictions (Finalists in bold):
285 Returning All-Americans - No. 1 David Zabriskie, Iowa State (5th 2009, 6th 2008); No. 2 Jared Rosholt, Oklahoma State (3rd 2009, 4th 2008); No. 4 Konrad Dudziak, Duke (2nd 2009); No. 5 Daniel Erekson, Iowa (4th 2009); No. 9 Mark Ellis, Missouri (1st 2009). Iowa-related qualifiers - No. 1 David Zabriskie, Iowa State; No. 5 Daniel Erekson, Iowa; Christian Brantley, Northern Iowa. Random Thoughts: Does anyone else want to make my picks for the semifinals here? Good luck. The bottom half of the bracket has some good heavyweights, to be sure, but the top half will be an absolute blood bath. You have the returning champ, runner-up, fourth and fifth-place finishers, just to name a few. I expect a minimum of 100 overtime matches in this bracket. Top Half: Coming off his third Big 12 title in a row, Iowa State senior David Zabriskie is the No. 1 seed at 285 for the second year in a row. The Cyclone reached the semifinals last year with an overtime win and pair of one-point squeakers. ISU fans have grown accustomed to these type of matches from Zabriskie, but last year it caught up to him with a one-point semifinal loss to Konrad Dudziak of Duke. Zabriskie opens the tournament against Eric Bugenhagen of Wisconsin. If he reaches the quarterfinals, the Cyclone could meet Missouri returning NCAA champ Mark Ellis. Zabriskie has never lost to Ellis in many career meetings. Ellis may have to get past No. 8 Ryan Tomei of Pittsburgh in the second round. Also on this half is Iowa's No. 5 seed Daniel Erekson, who finished fourth last season. The Hawkeye sat out much of the season healing from an injury, but has come back strong with a perfect 12-0 record, including his second Big 10 title. Erekson and Dudziak could meet in the quarterfinals. Bottom Half: Christian Brantley of Northern Iowa makes his second trip to Nationals in as many seasons. He opens the tournament against Christopher Birchler of Edinboro, with the victor likely meeting No. 2 Jared Rosholt of Oklahoma State in the second round. No. 7 Jarod Trice of Central Michigan, who defeated Zabriskie in the Midlands finals, could be a quarterfinal opponent for Rosholt. Predicament Semifinal Predictions (Finalists in
bold):
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