Willie Saylor, Editor

*(Last week’s rank)

#1 Blair Academy – New Jersey (1)

Last Week: Defeated #9-St. Paris-Graham, 35-19.
This Week: Idle

Season Accomplishments: Ironman, Beast Champs, POWERade Champs

#2 St. Edward – Ohio (2)

Last Week: Won home tri-meet

This Week: Idle

Season Accomplishments: Ironman Runners-Up, Clash Champs, DI State Duals Champs

#3 Apple Valley – Minnesota  (4)

Last Week: Beat HM-Kasson-Mantorville, 52-17

This Week: Idle

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – Delano, 1^st – Minn. Christmas, Clash Runners-Up, Cheesehead Champs, Lisbon Champs

#4 Canon McMillan – Pennsylvania (7)

Last Week: Won District Duals

This Week: State Duals, Thurs-Sat.

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – North Canton, 2^nd – Powerade, VA Duals Champs, Sectional Champs

#5 Clovis – California  (5)

Last Week: Beat Clovis North, won Mission San Jose Tourney

This Week: vs. Clovis West, Wed.; TRAC Tournament, Sat.

Season Accomplishments:  1^st – Newbury, 1^st - Clovis West Shootout, 1^st – Zinkin, Clash 3^rd, Doc B Champs, Temecula Valley Champs

#6 Brandon – Florida  (6)

Last Week: Won District Tournament

This Week:  Regional Tournament, Fri/Sat.

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – Cougar Invitational, 1^st – Graves, Clash 4^th, Ippolito Champs, County Champs

#7 St. Johns– Michigan (3)

Last Week: CAAC League Tournament

This Week:

Season Accomplishments: Lansing Champs, Goodrich Champs, Redwing Invit. Champs

#8 Bettendorf – Iowa (8)

Last Week: Idle

This Week: State Regional Dual vs. Western Dubuque, Wed.; District Tournament, Sat.

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – Keith Young, 1^st – KC Classic, Cheesehead Runners-Up, MAC Champs, Ed Winger Runners-Up

#9 St. Paris Graham – Ohio (10)

Last Week: Lost to #1-Blair Academy, 35-19

This Week: Conference Tournament, Sat.

Season Accomplishments: 3^rd at Ironman, Clash 6^th, DII State Duals Champs, Top Gun Champs

#10 Wyoming Seminary – Pennsylvania (9)

Last Week: Beat Wyoming Valley West, 54-8; Beat Delbarton, 50-15

This Week: St. Albans Tournament, Fri/Sat.

Season Accomplishments: 1^st - Clyde Cole, Ironman 4^th, Beast Runners-Up, Bethlehem Holiday Champs, Eastern States Champs

#11 Bethlehem Catholic – Pennsylvania (11)

Last Week: Won District Duals

This Week: State Duals Thurs-Sat.

Season Accomplishments: Ironman 6^th, Beast 3^rd, Christmas City Champs, ETR Champs

#12 Christiansburg – Virginia (12)

Last Week: District Tournament

This Week: Regional Tournament

Season Accomplishments: Ironman – 7^th, Beast – 4^th, Clash 5^th, VA Duals Runners-Up

#13 Detroit Catholic Central – Michigan  (13)

Last Week: District Duals

This Week: Individual Districts

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – Oakland County, Medina Champs

#14 Archbishop Moeller – Ohio (14)

Last Week: Beat Elder, 52-12

This Week: GCL Tournament, Sat.

Season Accomplishments: Ironman 5^th, SW Ohio Champs, Clash 7^th, DI State Runners-Up, Catholic Schools Champs

#15 Simley – Minnesota (15)

Last Week: Won Suburban Conference Tournament

This Week: vs. HM-St. Michael-Albertville, Fri.

Season Accomplishments: 2^nd – Minn. Christmas Tournament, Clash 8^th, Cheesehead 3^rd

#16 Perry Meridian – Indiana (16)

Last Week: Won Regional Duals, Advanced 13 individuals to Semi-State

This Week: Semi-State (New Castle Region) Fri./Sat.

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – Marion County, 1^st- North Montgomery, Sectional Champs

#17 Southeast Polk – Iowa (17)

Last Week: Won CIML Tourney

This Week: District Tournament, Sat.

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – Gardner-Edgerton, Cheesehead 4^th, Ed Winger Champs

#18 Poway – California (18)

Last Week: Beat Torrey Pines

This Week: vs. Rancho Bernardo, Thurs.

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – El Dorado, 1^st – La Quinta Duals, 1^st – Reno TOC, 3^rd – Doc B, 2^nd – Temecula Valley, Raul Huerta Champs

#19 Tulsa Union – Oklahoma (20)

Last Week: Beat #19-Broken Arrow, 41-25

This Week: State Duals, Fri/Sat.

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – Mid America Nationals, Reno Runners-Up, Geary Runners-Up, Newton Champs, Midwest Duals Champs

#20 Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (19)

Last Week: Lost to #20-Tulsa Union, 41-25

This Week: State Duals, Fri/Sat.

Season Accomplishments: Ironman 8^th, Geary Champs, Sand Springs Champs

#21 Allen – Texas (21)

Last Week: District Tournament

This Week: Region III Tournament

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – The Woodlands, 3^rd – Mid America Nationals, 5^th – KC Classic, Texas Outlaw Champs, Cheeshead 5^th , State Duals Champs, Midwest Duals Runners-Up

#22 Lowell – Michigan (24)

Last Week: District Duals

This Week: Individual Districts

Season Accomplishments: Beat #13-DCC, Beat Glenbard North

#23 Central Dauphin – Pennsylvania (25)

Last Week: Won District Duals

This Week: State Duals

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – Brandywine, 5^th – Beast, 3^rd – POWERade

#24 Montini Catholic – Illinois (22)

Last Week: Won Regionals

This Week: Sectionals

Season Accomplishments: Ironman, 15^th, Dvorak Champs, Cheesehead 6^th

#25 Easton – Pennsylvania (HM)

Last Week: Won District Duals

This Week: State Duals

Season Accomplishments: 3^rd – Reno, Manheim Champs, 2^nd – Final Four

Honorable Mention

Bakersfield, CA

Blue Springs, MO

Camden County, GA

Christian Brothers, TN

Collins Hill, GA

Colonial Forge, VA

Easton, PA

Foley, MN

Iowa City West, IA

Long Beach, NY

Lowell, MI

Luxemburg-Casco, WI

Kasson-Mantorville, MN

Massillon-Perry, OH

McDonogh School, MD

Montini Catholic, IL

Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA

St. Michael-Albertville, MN

Scott West, MN

Shenendehowa, NY

Tuttle, OK

Wantagh, NY

West Fargo, ND

Wisconsin Rapids, WI

Comments are welcome and we hope you enjoy. Team Rankings are at the end of the Individual Rankings.

Also, we appreciate the feedback, but keep it civil. We miss things and it is not intentional. Bring it to our attention and we will take it into consideration for the next week. Make sure you visit our forums for discussion and banter.

As has happened in the past, the first few weeks will have a fair amount of movement. This is due to several reasons. We work very hard to bring you these rankings every Monday throughout the year. If you have information you feel we overlooked, please email us at rankings@theopenmat.com.

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Team

That little blue dude has been busy. Today TOM said that he is officially launching his newest website TOM Recruiting Central. This site is all about college recruiting. Think about something like Rivals in football, but for wrestling. Now officially off the ground at http://recruiting.theopenmat.com the site is already loaded with some great content.

Who is this site for you ask. It was designed for Fans, Coaches, Wrestlers and Parents. Currently we have all of the core data in and what we will we be covering. We will be adding content all of the time. Also, we will be adding features that are specific to different segments. Their will be special features for athletes and other for college coaches.

Our entire staff has competed at the DI level, we have been through the process. We have also worked with other divisions. We will be providing unique perspectives from every angle.

Please note as we add content we won’t just focus on Division I, we will look at all divisions of college wrestling.

Core areas of the site

• Committed and Uncommitted lists
• Star Class Rankings
• Resource Center (Quick links for parents and wrestlers to get all the info you need)
• Current College Coach Directory
• Ability to notify us about where you sign, or if you want us to take a look at you and build a profile
• Program breakdowns
•  Athlete Spotlights
• Video Analysis
• TOM News
• Articles for Parents
• Articles for Wrestlers
• Articles for Fans
• Soon members will also have access to a private forum on the TOM forums.

Let’s look at what each segment will have access too.

Fans, you will have access to the only site that takes a deep look at recruiting across the country. Breaking news, analysis, rankings, and custom articles. Matter of fact, if we have not address a school or athlete you are interested in you can contact us and we will get to work on it for you. Eventually, you will also have limited access to athlete profiles as well.

Coaches we hope that you find this to be a great resource for you as well. You will have access to all of our reports, analysis, rankings and more. As we add features you will also have full access to the athlete profiles. Matter of fact if their is an athlete that you want information on, just shoot us an email and we will work up and entire profile for you and send it your way. Our profiles include, accolades, video analysis, and information that can be useful in the recruiting process.

Wrestlers you will have access to the site, and see where we have you ranked. If we don’t feel free to contact us and we will do an evaluation and get you into the system. We are writing custom content that is meant to assist the athlete in the recruiting and decision making process. Consider us a resource. Let’s say you have a question on a program or on the recruiting process in general. Let us know and we will help. As we move forward, you will also have the ability to customize your own profile. You will be able to update things and more. We are here to help you in any way we can.

Parents we know that the entire recruiting process can be overwhelming. You are helping your son make a major life decision and as any parent would want, you want to make sure they make the right choices. You also want to be able to guide them through the process. That is why we will be writing articles that are specifically designed to help guide you through the process. Just as we suggested to the others, if there is something you are unsure of or have questions about, please contact us and we will do our best to assist you.

Come Join and Enjoy!

All questions and comments will be answered on our High School forum. Please direct your concerns there.

FORUMS

Again, we know we are far from perfect, but we do our best to stay on top of things, there are a lot of wrestlers across the nation. If you feel we are overlooking someone or are unaware of them, please send us a bio or fill out the ranking profile and a RESPECTFUL note as to why they should be ranked. This does not mean we will rank them, but it will give us info to follow that wrestler. You can send info to rankings@theopenmat.com

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Willie Saylor, Editor

The big news this week came from Ohio, where St. Edward, who has been wrestling one of the toughest schedules you’ll ever see, downed Michigan powers St. Johns and Detroit Catholic Central.

Eds won 10 bouts in a 39-15 win over previous #3-St. Johns, after ousting #13-DCC, 41-12.

During the course of the season, Eds competed against every team in the Top 15 other than #4-Canon McMillan and #8-Bettendorf. Their only blemish was a narrow 27-22 dual loss at the hands of #1-Blair.

In Iowa…

A showdown between the states two top squads took place in the finals of the Mendenhall duals where #8-Bettendorf (Cheesehead Runners-Up) took on #17-Southeast Polk (Cheesehead 4^th).

SEP turned two deficits into falls, as the Rams upset Bettendorf, 34-29.

At 160, SEP’s Tim Miklus trailed Drake Chase 3-0 in the third and got the pin. And at 106, it was the Bett’s Jake Schwarm up comfortably 10-2 with in the waning moments of the bout. Schwarm was looking for a fall when the hold broke and SEP’s Aaron Meyer pounced on top for a pin of his own.

In Pennsylvania, #11-Bethlehem Catholic (Ironman 6^th, Beast 3^rd, ETR Champs) gave HM-Easton their second loss in a week. Easton, which wrestled a grueling slate of their own this last week, beat Collins Hill and lost to Blair at the Final Four two Saturdays ago. During the week the beat the always competitive Northampton (PA) on Wednesday, cross-river rival Phillipsburg on Thursday, and took on BECA Saturday.

In a pressure-packed dual featuring the reigning AA Dual Champions and the AAA Dual Runners-Up, the two squads traded seven bouts, with BECA posting more bonus points and a 29-26 win.

Changes:

After some consideration and the results from St. Johns’ most meaningful competition of the year, there is some reorganization in the middle of the Top 10. Canon-Mac jumps up to #4. They’re undefeated in duals, including a thrashing of the field at Virginia Duals with a win over the 5^th place Clash team, #12-Christiansburg, 47-18, in which they won 10 of 14 bouts.

St. Johns, who won just four bouts in their dual with #2-St. Edward, moves from #3 to #7, behind Brandon and Clovis, who were both 1^st bracket finalists at the Clash.

And Non-Changes:

Southeast Polk upset the higher-ranked Bettendorf for the second week in a row, suggesting it may not be an upset at all. But Bettendorf has been missing star 220lber, Nate Shaw.

Combine that with Bettendorf’s outplacing of SEP at the Cheesehead, and the circumstances of the dual win (a 19point swing if the two results hold as opposed to the falls the other way), and we’ll defer to their impending future match-ups. The two will see each other on a few more occasions this season.

This Week:

A big dual looms in the Sooner State. Last week both #19-Broken Arrow and #20-Tulsa Union beat Sapulpa, the #3 team in Oklahoma. BA and Union will tangle on Thursday. Here are there box scores from Sapulpa:

Broken Arrow 47, Sapulpa 18

106: Simmons (BA) t.f. E. Jones, 17-2. 113: Edwards (BA) p. Draffin, 1:17. 120: C. Clark (BA) d. Heiden, 7-4. 126: N. Clark (BA) p. C. Jones, 1:56. 132: Archer (BA) d. Conley, 3-1. 138: Boland (S) p. Ferman 2:55. 145: T. Bailey (BA) p. Luper, 1:11. 152: P. Bailey (BA) p. Barrett, 3:29. 160: Foshee (BA) d. Mendez, 9-7. 170: Warren (BA) p. Daniels, 3:35. 182: Keigley (S) d. M. Owens, 5-2. 195: Cotter (S) d. Calvert, 8-1. 220: Fisher (BA) d. Johnston, 3-2. 285: Duke (S) p. Hamilton, 1:28.

Union 36, Sapulpa 30

106: Godfrey (U) d. Jones, 6-2; 113: Heiden (S) m.d. Lombardo, 9-1; 120: Walker (U) p. Jones, 3:28; 126: Wolfenberger (U), inj. def. Peper; 132: B.Crutchmer (U) m.d. Conley, 13-4; 138: Boland (S) p. Barr, 1:57; 145: Barrett (S) m.d. Ash, 12-3; 152: K.Ash (U) p. Daniels, 1:08; 160: Mendez (S) d. Young, 7-4; 170: Wilson (U) t.f. Keigley, 25-9; 182: K.Crutchmer (U) p. Busby, 1:00; 195: Johnston (S) d. Wegent, 5-1; 220: Cotter (S) d. Walser, 5-3; Hvy: Duke (S) p. Allya, 1:39.

#1-Blair had their dual with Bergen Catholic cancelled last week. But they’ll be back in action in a big way Saturday as they take on #9-Sr. Paris Graham.

And, how quickly the season moves! Several states are conducting legs of their postseason tournaments. Michigan and Pennsylvania begin their dual qualifying with district tournaments while Illinois and Indiana have Regional Duals. Virginia and Florida start their individual series with district tournaments.

*(Last week’s rank)

#1 Blair Academy – New Jersey (1)

Last Week: Dual with Bergen Catholic cancelled
This Week: @ #9-St. Paris-Graham

Season Accomplishments: Ironman, Beast Champs, POWERade Champs

#2 St. Edward – Ohio (2)

Last Week: Beat #3-St. Johns, 39-15; Beat #13-Detroit Catholic Central, 41-12

This Week: Home tri-meet, Sat.

Season Accomplishments: Ironman Runners-Up, Clash Champs, DI State Duals Champs

#3 Apple Valley – Minnesota  (4)

Last Week: Won Forest Lake Duals

This Week: Lakeville North, Thurs.; HM-Kasson-Mantorville, Fri.; Robbinsdale Armstrong Duals, Sat.

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – Delano, 1^st – Minn. Christmas, Clash Runners-Up, Cheesehead Champs, Lisbon Champs

#4 Canon McMillan – Pennsylvania (7)

Last Week: Won Sectionals

This Week: District Championships

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – North Canton, 2^nd – Powerade, VA Duals Champs

#5 Clovis – California  (5)

Last Week: Beat Buchanan HS

This Week: @ Clovis North, Wed.; Mission San Jose Tournament Fri/Sat.

Season Accomplishments:  1^st – Newbury, 1^st - Clovis West Shootout, 1^st – Zinkin, Clash 3^rd, Doc B Champs, Temecula Valley Champs

#6 Brandon – Florida  (6)

Last Week: Won County Tournament

This Week:  District Tournament

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – Cougar Invitational, 1^st – Graves, Clash 4^th, Ippolito Champs

#7 St. Johns– Michigan (3)

Last Week: Lost to #2-St. Edward, 39-15

This Week: CAAC League Tournament

Season Accomplishments: Lansing Champs, Goodrich Champs, Redwing Invit. Champs

#8 Bettendorf – Iowa (8)

Last Week: Lost to #17-Southeast Polk, 34-29

This Week: Idle

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – Keith Young, 1^st – KC Classic, Cheesehead Runners-Up, MAC Champs, Ed Winger Runners-Up

#9 St. Paris Graham – Ohio (10)

Last Week: Beat New Lexington

This Week: vs. #1-Blair Academy, Sat.

Season Accomplishments: 3^rd at Ironman, Clash 6^th, DII State Duals Champs, Top Gun Champs

#10 Wyoming Seminary – Pennsylvania (9)

Last Week: 3-0 at Gilman Duals

This Week: @ Wyoming Valley West, Wed.; @ Delbarton, Sat.

Season Accomplishments: 1^st - Clyde Cole, Ironman 4^th, Beast Runners-Up, Bethlehem Holiday Champs, Eastern States Champs

#11 Bethlehem Catholic – Pennsylvania (11)

Last Week: Beat HM-Easton, 29-26

This Week: District Duals, Fri/Sat.

Season Accomplishments: Ironman 6^th, Beast 3^rd, Christmas City Champs, ETR Champs

#12 Christiansburg – Virginia (12)

Last Week: Lost to HM-Colonial Forge, 40-25

This Week: Individual Districts

Season Accomplishments: Ironman – 7^th, Beast – 4^th, Clash 5^th, VA Duals Runners-Up

#13 Detroit Catholic Central – Michigan  (13)

Last Week: Lost to #2-St. Edward, 42-12

This Week: District Duals

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – Oakland County, Medina Champs

#14 Archbishop Moeller – Ohio (14)

Last Week: Won three duals

This Week: Sectionals

Season Accomplishments: Ironman 5^th, SW Ohio Champs, Clash 7^th, DI State Runners-Up, Catholic Schools Champs

#15 Simley – Minnesota (15)

Last Week: Beat HM-Kasson-Mantorville, 43-25

This Week: Suburban Conference Tournament

Season Accomplishments: 2^nd – Minn. Christmas Tournament, Clash 8^th, Cheesehead 3^rd

#16 Perry Meridian – Indiana (16)

Last Week: Won Sectionals

This Week: Regional Duals, Wed.; Regionals, Sat.

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – Marion County, 1^st- North Montgomery

#17 Southeast Polk – Iowa (17)

Last Week: Defeated #8-Bettendorf, 34-29

This Week: Central Iowa Metro League Tournament, Fri./Sat.

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – Gardner-Edgerton, Cheesehead 4^th, Ed Winger Champs

#18 Poway – California (18)

Last Week: Won Raul Huerta over HM-Bakersfield, 327 to 266

This Week: vs. Torrey Pines, Thurs.

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – El Dorado, 1^st – La Quinta Duals, 1^st – Reno TOC, 3^rd – Doc B, 2^nd – Temecula Valley

#19 Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (19)

Last Week: Beat Sapulpa, 47-18

This Week: vs. #20-Tulsa Union, Thurs.; vs. Bishop Kelley, Fri.

Season Accomplishments: Ironman 8^th, Geary Champs, Sand Springs Champs

#20 Tulsa Union – Oklahoma (20)

Last Week: Beat Sapulpa, 36-30

This Week: vs. #19-Broken Arrow, Thurs.

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – Mid America Nationals, Reno Runners-Up, Geary Runners-Up, Newton Champs, Midwest Duals Champs

#21 Allen – Texas (21)

Last Week: Beat Southlake Central, 58-12

This Week: District Tournament

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – The Woodlands, 3^rd – Mid America Nationals, 5^th – KC Classic, Texas Outlaw Champs, Cheeshead 5^th , State Duals Champs, Midwest Duals Runners-Up

#22 Montini Catholic – Illinois (22)

Last Week: Beat Oak Park-River Forest, 37-24

This Week: Regional Tournament, Sat.

Season Accomplishments: Ironman, 15^th, Dvorak Champs, Cheesehead 6^th

#23 Iowa City West – Iowa (23)

Last Week: Won MVC Tournament

This Week: vs. Waterloo East and Dubuque, Thurs.

Season Accomplishments: 2^nd – Gardner Edgerton, 2^nd – Cedar Rapids Duals, 1^st – Battle of Waterloo, Dvorak – 3^rd, Ed Winger – 3^rd

#24 Lowell – Michigan (24)

Last Week: Lost to #3-St. Johns, 41-18; Beat #10-Detroit Catholic Central, 27-24

This Week: District Duals

Season Accomplishments: Beat #13-DCC, Beat Glenbard North

#25 Central Dauphin – Pennsylvania (25)

Last Week: Beat CD East and Garden Spot

This Week: District Duals

Season Accomplishments: 1^st – Brandywine, 5^th – Beast, 3^rd – POWERade

Honorable Mention

Bakersfield, CA

Blue Springs, MO

Camden County, GA

Christian Brothers, TN

Collins Hill, GA

Colonial Forge, VA

Easton, PA

Foley, MN

Long Beach, NY

Lowell, MI

Luxemburg-Casco, WI

Kasson-Mantorville, MN

Massillon-Perry, OH

McDonogh School, MD

Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA

St. Michael-Albertville, MN

St. Peter’s Prep, NJ

Scott West, MN

Shenendehowa, NY

South Plainfield, NJ

Tuttle, OK

Wantagh, NY

West Fargo, ND

Wisconsin Rapids, WI

With the National Collegiate Open around the corner we decided we wanted to do an unofficial red shirt and non-starter top ten ranking.

We tried to be as accurate as possible based on the information have and could find. We in no way are trying to slight any wrestlers not ranked. If we have missed some individuals please send us information at ranking@theopenmat.com. We do plan on making an update in about four weeks. Also, we avoided guys who have been splitting time and or where we did not think a clear starter has been established.

Why did we do this? First, because we thought it would be interesting. Second, we wanted to get a snap shot of the future. Many of these wrestlers could become All-Americans and possibly National Champions. It also gives us some insight as to where programs may be in a year or two. As we stated, some data is hard to come by so take these with a grain of salt please.

This past weekend I traveled to Dalton, GA to watch and broadcast the 2012 NCWA National Duals. Before I go too far into my thoughts I want to thank the NCWA Staff for a wonderful experience. Jim Giunta and his staff are real pro’s and executed this event flawlessly.

This was the first time I was able to see the NCWA in action. I tried to walk into it without any preconceived thoughts. My goal was to take it all in and then process what I saw. As is the case here at TOM, I wanted to provide a fair an objective observation.

I was asked one question at least a dozen times over the weekend, by coaches, organizers, friends back home and of course Ray. That question was “What do you think about the quality of wrestling”. For the most part I gave a noncommittal answer. I wanted time to think about it and put it into the proper perspective.

The more I thought about the question, the more I realized that, there really is no specific answer.

Was I watching the NCAA DI National Duals that will take place in a few short weeks? Nope, I was not. But, if that was what I was expecting to see I would consider myself a dope. The top tier guys in DI are among the top 1% of the wrestlers out there. That would be like going to my neighbor’s house expecting him to live like Bill Gates.

What I did see was something that opened my eyes back up to the whole reason Ray and I started TOM in the first place. I saw young men going at it not for TV glory, not for huge crowds or sponsors, but rather for themselves, teammates and schools. It was wrestling at a pure form.

There was no shortage of effort, determination or passion. I watched some amazing duals and individual matches.

Photo by Jason Heartsfield

I saw Liberty Head Coach Jesse Castro smile from ear to ear as his team lifted the huge championship trophy. I cannot imagine how proud he was of those young men being less than a year removed from losing his DI program. I saw a very talented Lindenwood St. Charles team lose a close dual in the finals. St Charles is transitioning to NCAA DII.

In one of the most exciting duals of the weekend I watched a heated rivalry between Mercer and Middle Tennessee State. If you do not believe me check out the picture. Middle Tennessee came out on top, but not by much.

So to answer the question; I saw some awesome wrestling by young men who were there for their pure love of the sport and competition. I also met a lot of great people. The coaches I spoke with were passionate about what they do. Their dedication alone is something we could all try to emulate. They care about these young men.

It made me think about many of the reasons I myself wrestled. We did it, because we had a passion for the sport that is hard to explain. Wrestling teaches us many things, humility, dedication, commitment and teamwork. You could see all of these things at play throughout the weekend.

Photo by Jason Heartsfield

With that said it made me think back to this summer and some of the negative comments we received after a series of articles we wrote about the NCAA and of course the NCWA. I am even more angered by the comments now. Some of them were demeaning. To those who made those kind of comments you should reconsider. True wrestling fans and wrestlers know how hard this sport is and how much work and dedication it takes. Why trash one of your own? Why be critical of young men who want to continue to do the sport we all love so much?

Yea, it is not Minnesota vs. Iowa. I get that, as do the people at the NCWA. But they have a great organization, with dedicated coaches and athletes.

I liked what I saw and I am very happy I attended. No matter what division of wrestling it is, it is still wrestling and I am guessing that most of those negative comments came from people who either never wrestled or never fully respected the sport. Maybe they did not learn the lessons that many of us did, such as humility and respect.

In the end, I thought the quality was just fine. The championship came down to the last three weights. Liberty prevailed in a back and forth battle with Lindenwood St.Charles. The NCWA is part of our club, the wrestling club and I applaud all the young men who went to the mat this weekend.

Full results can be found here: http://www.ncwa.net/news?news_id=1088

Comments are welcome and we hope you enjoy. Team Rankings are at the end of the Individual Rankings.

Also, we appreciate the feedback, but keep it civil. We miss things and it is not intentional. Bring it to our attention and we will take it into consideration for the next week. Make sure you visit our forums for discussion and banter.

As has happened in the past, the first few weeks will have a fair amount of movement. This is due to several reasons. We work very hard to bring you these rankings every Monday throughout the year. If you have information you feel we overlooked, please email us at rankings@theopenmat.com.

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TEAM

By Scott Farrell, NCWA SID

DALTON, Ga. – Lindenwood-Belleville made the most of its first trip to the National Collegiate Wrestling Association’s National Duals, pulling off one of the day’s most impressive wins in a 23-21 upset over The Apprentice School (Va.). All but two of the top eight seeds each won their first-day matches, setting up the round of 16 in Saturday’s championship bracket at the Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center.

photo credit to Jason Heartfield

Lindenwood-Belleville was seeded 14th coming into the tournament. The Lynx thumped Toledo in its opening match, 63-0, then came back three hours later and won a tense match over No. 3-seed Apprentice, where three matches were decided by injuries or penalties. Lindenwood-Belleville’s win sets up at 9 a.m. match Saturday against No. 13 seed Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Top-seeded Liberty, new to the NCWA and a former NCAA Division I program, advanced with two wins over Carroll (Wis.), 48-12, and Wichita State, 43-16. The Flames will face Southern Virginia tomorrow in the round of 16.

Lindenwood-St. Charles, another of the NCWA’s newest program, swept two matches from Cincinnati, 55-6, and Southern Virginia, 60-0. The Lions face Wichita State to start tomorrow’s action.

No. 4-seed Central Florida advanced with two wins, and will face Apprentice, the three-seed, in the next round. The teams have split two duals this season, with Apprentice winning the most recent match at the Virginia Duals earlier this month.
Marion Military Institute (Ala.), the No. 9 seed, topped No. 8 seed Georgia Southern 51-3 in the day’s only other upset among the seeded teams. MMI will face No. 7 seed Mercer in the next round.

The boxscores from Friday’s matches are available at www.ncwa.net under the results tab.
Saturday’s opening matches in the round of 16 are listed below, along with scores from Friday’s three sessions. The championship quarterfinals are at noon, with the semifinals at 4 p.m. and the final at 6 p.m.

Saturday’s Schedule
(9 a.m., round of 16; seeding in parenthesis)
(1) Liberty vs. (18) Southern Virginia
(7) Mercer vs. (9) Marion Military Inst. (Ala.)
(5) Md.-Baltimore County vs. (11) East Tennessee State
(3) Apprentice School (Va.) vs. (4) Central Florida

(13) Massachusetts Inst. of Technology vs. (14) Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.)
(6) Grand Valley State vs. (12) North Florida
(8) Georgia Southern vs. (10) Middle Tennessee State
(2) Lindenwood-St. Charles (Mo.) vs. (16) Wichita State

Friday’s Results
Session I Scores (with seeding in parenthesis)
(16) Wichita State 25, (17) Carroll (Wis.) 22
(9) Marion Military Inst. (Ala.) 57, (24) Tennessee 4
(12) North Florida 26, (21) Georgia 19
(13) Mass. Inst. of Tech. 39, (20) Bowling Green 6

(14) Lindenwood-Bellville (Ill.) 63, (19) Toledo 6
(11) East Tennessee State 27, (22) Auburn 24
(10) Middle Tennessee State 57, (23) Connecticut 5
(18) Southern Virginia 33, (15) Cincinnati 22

Session II Scores (with seeding in parenthesis)
(3) Apprentice School 63, Toledo 0
(6) Grand Valley State (Mich.) 49, Auburn 9
(7) Mercer 66, Connecticut 0
(2) Lindenwood-St. Charles (Mo.) 55, Cincinnati 6

(1) Liberty 48, Carroll (Wis.) 12
(8) Georgia Southern 45, Tennessee 14
(5) Md.-Baltimore County 42, Georgia 9
(4) Central Florida 61, Bowling Green 0

Session III Scores
Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) 23, Apprentice 21
Grand Valley State 58 (Mich.), East Tennessee State 3
Middle Tennessee State 24, Mercer 23
Lindenwood-St. Charles (Mo.) 60, Southern Virginia 0

Liberty 43, Wichita State 16
Marion Military Inst. (Ala.) 51, Georgia Southern 3
Md.-Baltimore County 56, North Florida 0
Central Florida 41, Mass. Inst. of Tech. 12

The Border Battle will happen this weekend in Iowa City, when Minnesota comes to town to face Iowa. This is a heated rivalry that is usually closely contested.

We are not sure if St. John will go here, so we will preview with out him in the line-up. We will be running a live blog during the match, so if you want to chat about the match, make sure you join us.

#4 Iowa vs. #3 Minnesota
(Line-ups may change) – Based on TOM rankings

Projected Line-up

125: #2 Matt McDonough vs. #1 Zach Sanders
133: #4 Tony Ramos vs. #7 Chris Dardanes
141: #6 Montel Marion vs. #10 Nick Dardanes
149: #18 Mike Kelly vs. #11 Dylan Ness
157: Nick Moore   vs. Alec Ortiz
165: #11 Mike Evans vs. #10 Cody Yohn
174: #8 Ethan Lofthouse vs. #6 Logan Storley
184: #20 Vinnie Wagner or  Jeremy Fahler vs. #7 Kevin Steinhaus
197: Grant Gambrall vs. #4 Sonny Yohn
285: #8 Bobby Telford or Blake Raising vs. #4 Tony Nelson

Well, this one is loaded. Seventeen of the twenty guys wrestling are ranked in the top twenty. On paper the Gophers are a slight favorite, but when these two meet, none of that really matters.

Minnesota is favored in seven weights. But, the majority of those weights are close to being pure toss-ups.  Minnesota will have to be on their A game to win this.

Iowa is favored (on paper) in two weights with 157 being a toss-up. Realistically, Iowa is the favorite at 125 and Heavy (if Raising wrestles). Neither Sanders nor Nelson have beaten the guys the face. All in all, this should be one heck of a dual.

The Match-ups

125: Despite being ranked behind Sanders, we see McDonough as the favorite in this match. Basically, until proven otherwise, McDonough seems to have Sanders number. But, McDonough has not been as sharp in recent weeks as he has in the past. Sanders has just kept winning. The key here is that Sanders can not get caught underneath McDonough on his shots. If he can find a way to cut the corner or elevate the leg, he may find more success. We have McDonough with a decision.

133: This is an interesting match. Ramos, has been pretty solid all year, he is coming of a loss to Steiber, whom Dardanes recently beat. This should be a real brawl as both guys have the gas tanks to push this until the end. We could really see this one going either way, but in the end we see Ramos winning a close decision.

141: Marion is the clear favorite here. Although he is coming off a disappointing loss, he should bounce back well. Dardanes also loss to Stieber a few weeks ago. Dardanes has shown that he can go all seven minutes and when he has his double working he can score points. Marion will keep coming hard in this one, it may come down to who runs out of gas first. Marion wins a close one.

149: Ness is the favorite in this one. He wrestles weird at times and does things that make you scratch your head. But it generally seems to work well for him. Kelly has been ok so far and seems to have secured the spot for now. There will be a ton of funk in this one and Kelly will need to make sure he does not get caught in any of the funk. If the gophers get any bonus in this dual it will be hard for Iowa to win. Ness by decision

157:  Moore has actually wrestled pretty well for the Hawkeyes while filling in for the injured St. John. The same could be said for Ortiz from Minnesota. He seems to have found some offense and that is starting to serve him well. We think that Moore might be too much for Ortiz at this point of the year. Look for Moore to win by decision.

165: This should be a great match and may be the match that decides the dual. Yohn is the slight favorite and is coming off a very disappointing loss against Wisconsin. But, he has wrestled pretty well this year. Now if we compare his matches against Taylor and Evans match against Taylor, you may think its pretty clear that Evans has the edge. But we all know it is about match-ups. This is a big spot for Yohn and we think he gets the job done. Yohn by decision.

174: Another match that will have a major impact on the out come of the dual. Storley seems to get more comfortable each week and is wrestling very solid. Lofthouse has also done well this year, he is coming off a loss against Ruth, but that should not make much of a difference. This one most likely will be pretty low scoring. Look for a 3-2 kind of match. Storley wins a close one.

184: Steinhaus seems to be back on track after taking a few losses awhile back. He keeps outstanding position and has been opening up his offense more. Those two things make him rather tough to beat. Wagner has done some nice things as well, but we are not sure he has the arsenal to take Steinhaus out. Look for Steinhaus to control this match and come away with a decision.

197: Rumor is Gambrall is on his way back down to 184. That is a pretty good idea considering his results at this weight. He will face Yohn who has been good. Sonny will need to open up a little more offense to win though. He should be able to rack up some riding time on the smaller Gambrall. We think that is what actually decides this match. Yohn winning a one point match with riding time.

Heavyweight: The question is “Who wrestles Heavyweight for Iowa?” Common sense says Raising, he has two wins over Nelson. But, the younger Telford is more dynamic and can score points. We are guessing that it is Raising. We are also going to predict that Nelson gets a win over him. Nelson by decision.

The key matches in this dual will be 157, 165, 174  and Heavyweight. As of now we have it 6-4  in favor of Minnesota. Iowa just needs to win 157 and one of the other three weights listed. If they can do that, this becomes very interesting. Also, as you may have noticed, we did not go with any bonus points in this one. The chances are that someone will get them making this all that much more exciting.

TOM’S Prediction

Minnesota – 18
Iowa – 12