photo courtesy of Gannon athletics
2021 Super Regional I Preview
When: 2/28/21
Where: Mercyhurst University
Brackets (when available): TrackWrestling
2020 Champions - University of Pitt-Johnstown
Teams:
Alderson-Broaddus University
American International University
Fairmont State University
#9 Gannon University
#15 Mercyhurst University
#23 University of Pitt-Johnstown
Is this the season that finally sees the reign of Pat Pecora and the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown come to an end? It could be the best shot, the Mountain Cats enter the tournament, having wrestled zero matches and without having been tested. I worry about how they will handle the adversity that will surely come their way in a postseason tournament. They still come in ranked 23rd in the nation, but that may not be enough to remain the best in the east. They will face a top-10 Gannon University squad that was runner-up in this Super Regional a year ago. And the always tough Mercyhurst will be trophy hunting as well; Mike Wehler’s team is led by senior heavyweight Jacob Robb. 55 athletes will compete for just 15 national qualifier spots. Win and in you are in, anything else and you will be at the mercy of the voting coaches. Super Regional I was allocated just five additional qualifiers, which means making it to the finals does not guarantee you a trip to St Louis.
How Division II expects coaches to judge runner-ups’ worthiness who may only have two matches, I do not know. But that could be what happens and the team race ramifications at the national tournament will be impacted. Pitt-Johnstown is not the only team that has not been able to compete yet this season, Rich Hasenfus of American International University returns senior All-American JoJo Gonzalez, but his squad has not had a single competition yet. True second will be contested at this tournament; athletes who finish second and third place will do battle if they did not meet head-to-head earlier in the day. Even making the finals is not a guarantee of a shot at a wildcard, as ending your day with two straight losses means there is no way you make the trip to St Louis. This may be the smallest of the regionals, but it will be big on talent and heartbreak. I understand why the allocations changes were made, but I also understand that they are laughable in their ridiculousness. Good luck athletes, this time of year, everyone needs a little of it.
Follow along as I take a look at every weight and make my predictions for Top Three and who I think will be 15 athletes headed to the national championship.
125
#13 Charlie Lenox (Gannon)
There will be a new lightweight king this season. The graduation of Brendan Howard means that this weight is up for grabs. The front-runner has to be Charlie Lenox. The Gannon Knight senior is a North Carolina State transfer who will have another season left after this run. After him, there is Matt Siszka (Pitt-Johnstown), who finished fourth last year up a weight at 133. If there is a wrestler who could upset his run to the finals, it might be Noah Hodges (Alderson-Broaddus). The sophomore has not lost to anyone who is not wrestling 125 pounds for West Liberty. It is hard for me to believe that anyone who does not win this weight class will be receiving that golden ticket to nationals. There is zero room for error here.
Placewinners
- Charlie Lenox (Gannon)
- Matt Siszka (Pitt-Johnstown)
- Jacob Ruggeri (Mercyhurst)
133
#6 Eric Bartos (Mercyhurst)
#9 Jacob Dunlop (Gannon)
A season ago, this weight class was absolute anarchy, with four ranked wrestlers entering the tournament battling it out for just three spots. This season, there are two wrestlers ranked in the top-10 fighting for the one guaranteed spot. This is probably a weight where the Regional will distribute one of their precious wildcards, but athletes cannot count on that. This is a two-horse race, but with so little room for error, I wonder if we might see some nerves early on. It is going to help that Bartos and Dunlop should receive byes into the semifinals. That does mean they will be wrestling opponents that have had a warm-up match.
Placewinners
- Jacob Dunlop (Gannon)
- Eric Bartos (Mercyhurst)*
- Blake Jury (Alderson-Broaddus)
*Wildcard
141
#15 Austin Hertel (Gannon)
#16 Alexis Soriano (Mercyhurst)
Two seasons ago, Alexis Soriano won this weight class and etched his name in the record books. Last season’s winner Jacob Ealy (Pitt-Johnstown), is wrestling 149, which opens this weight up for a new champion or possibly a return champion? Austin Hertel is the top-seed at this weight after his head-to-head victory over Soriano, which is bad news for the Mercyhurst senior. Pitt-Johnstown has Division I transfer Caleb Morris, formerly of West Virginia, waiting to make his debut. He is most likely the three-seed in this scenario which gives him a warm-up bout before meeting Soriano in the semifinals. He was 2-1 his freshman year against Division I athletes, taking a loss to eventual 2019 national champion Jose Rodriguez (Notre Dame). This weight has to be a wildcard vote, but that will not help the young man who finishes third. What could be really crazy is that this weight could have a contested true second with that eventual winner getting a wild card trip to nationals.
Placewinners
- Austin Hertel (Gannon)
- Caleb Morris (Pitt-Johnstown)*
- Alexis Soriano (Mercyhurst)
149
#6 Dom Means (Gannon)
#10 @141 Jacob Ealy(Pitt-Johnstown) 2020 champion 141
Chris Eddins is gone and in his place, we will have a different Mountain Cat regional champion handling the post. Jacob Ealy was the champion at 141 last year and he will look to defend his title up a weight this year. I’m not certain how this weight class will be seeded, but Ealy will be across the bracket from Gannon senior Dom Means. The redshirt junior will have his work cut out for him, but he has been here before and is after another trip to the national tournament. Keep an eye on Lukas Martin (Fairmont State). The West Virginia University transfer is undefeated on the season and might be the Fighting Falcons’ best shot at a national qualifier. Coach Colin Johnston is looking to send his first athlete to the big dance and Martin enters the tournament 7-0. If you want to add a redshirt freshman who just might ruin everyone’s day, take a look at Sean Johnson (American International). The Dave Schultz award winner out of Connecticut finished third at high school nationals in 2019. He may end up being the “bad draw” of this tournament. True second may earn you a trip to St Louis, but all third-place gets you is a trophy.
Placewinners
- Lukas Martin (Fairmont State)
- Jacob Ealy (Pitt-Johnstown)*
- Dom Means (Gannon)
157
There are a couple of surprises at this weight class, Nick Young (Gannon) in for Evan Fisler and JoJo Gonzalez (American International) at 165 instead of here. Do not think that lowers the depth here though, there are hammers to be had. Young is 3-1 on the season and was the runner-up at 141 in this region in 2020. And we cannot forget about Nate Smith (Pitt-Johnstown), the sophomore who was in the midst of a nine-match win streak before his season came to a premature end due to injury. Josh Laubach (Alderson-Broaddus) has an 11-4 record since transferring from Campbell in 2020. Unfortunately, this is probably a winner take all class and there can be only one.
Placewinners
- Nate Smith (Pitt-Johnstown)
- Nick Young (Gannon)
- Josh Laubach (Alderson-Broaddus)
165
#2 @157 JoJo Gonzalez (American International) 2020 champion @157
#4 Alex Farenchak (Gannon)
One national qualifying spot is certainly not enough for this weight class. Two slots are not even enough for a weight class that will feature two returning All-Americans, a sophomore who finished fifth last season, and a senior journeyman who has traveled from Division II to Division I and then back again. Jacob Burgette (Pitt-Johnstown) earned a fifth-place finish last season at 157 for the Mountain Cats and they will need more from him this year to keep their crown. Jamar Williams (Alderson-Broaddus) began his career at Notre Dame College, then wrestled for Maryland, and now finds himself in his second season as a member of the Battlers. JoJo Gonzalez will see his first competition of this season as he looks to repeat as a champion, but he will have to defeat the monster of Erie, Pennsylvania, Alex Farenchak. Farenchak had an incredibly successful season as a redshirt freshman and now he is looking to show that he is going to be a wrestler to reckon with for the rest of his career.
Placewinners
- Alex Farenchak (Gannon)
- JoJo Gonzalez (American International)*
- Jacob Burgette (Pitt-Johnstown)
174
#4 Brock Biddle (Pitt-Johnstown) 2020 champion
Brock Biddle was one of the hottest wrestlers in Division II headed to last year’s national tournament. He had avenged an early-season tech fall loss to become a super-regional champion and seemed poised to challenge for a national championship. Now he returns as the favorite to win it again despite not having wrestled a match this season. Instead of facing Luigi Yates, he will take on Connor Day from Gannon in a surprise. Day is one of the most dangerous wrestlers in all of Division II. Last season he led the Knights with a lucky 13 falls. The senior always has a puncher’s chance of stealing a ticket to the national tournament. Cade Moisey (Fairmont State) has a chance at making the finals; his struggles this season have all come against West Liberty, who, lucky for him, do not wrestle in Super Regional I. Mercyhurst has the wrestler who prompted the lineup change at Gannon in Trevor Johnson. The senior defeated Yates 5-2 in their dual meeting. I do not expect a wildcard at this weight barring an upset
Placewinners
- Brock Biddle (Pitt-Johnstown)
- Trevor Johnson (Mercyhurst)
- Connor Day (Gannon)
184
#15 Alex Delp (Pitt-Johnstown)
The 184-pound weight class is up for grab in Super Regional I. The front-runner from Pitt-Johnstown finished fourth at 197 in 2020. Behind him comes Cameron Page (Gannon), a junior who was a 2x JUCO All-American for Jamestown Community College in 2019. Trever Begin (Mercyhurst) could jumpstart his season with a big upset in the semifinals and earn his own spot in the national tournament. Overall this is a weight class ripe for an upset and who knows, it could come from true freshman Chiedu Chicka (Alderson-Broaddus) or Tucker Lawson (Fairmont State).
Placewinners
- Alex Delp (Pitt-Johnstown)
- Cameron Page (Gannon)
- Trever Begin (Mercyhurst)
197
#7 Gino Sita (Alderson-Broaddus)
#12 Joel Leise (Gannon)
#13 Luke McGonigal (Mercyhurst) 2020 champion
It seems preposterous that one of these three athletes will not be heading to the national tournament. A season ago, Joel Leise ended Gino Sita’s season and I cannot help but think that as nice a guy as Gino is, that he would love to return the favor. Luke McGonigal is the only one of this group that was wrestling 197 a year ago and he finished last season on a 16 match winning streak. The Mercyhurst senior has not lost since December of 2019, his decision to transfer from Division I Lock Haven has paid serious dividends. I can admit when I am wrong and I am almost certainly wrong on where I have him ranked. Joel Leise has the best “win” out of this bunch in this abbreviated season; he defeated Chris Droege (Lake Erie) in their meeting. The sad thing about this weight is that it has to steal a wildcard from another weight class, but it still will not be enough to make sure the best athletes will be representing at the national tournament. McGonigal is the top-seed at this weight which means that Sita and Leise will meet in the semifinals, with the loser becoming the victors biggest fan during the finals in the hopes of earning a shot at true second and showing they are deserving of that wild card.
Placewinners
- Luke McGonigal (Mercyhurst)
- Joel Leise (Gannon)*
- Gino Sita (Alderson-Broaddus)
Hwt
#2 Jacob Robb (Mercyhurst)
#13 Freddie Nixon (Gannon)
#16 Allan Beattie (Pitt-Johnstown)
No Kutztown means that Andrew Dunn will not three-peat. Jacob Robb will try to earn his first Super Regional crown and continue his quest for a perfect season and national title. Jacob Robb is one of the most prolific pinners, not just in this weight class, but in all of Division II. He is the clear favorite to win this tournament and head to nationals. It will be up to Freddie Nixon and Allan Beattie to do enough to garner the attention of the coaches and show that at least one of them is worthy of a wildcard trip to St. Louis. I worry about Beattie; a heavyweight without a match seems like a recipe for a cardio disaster. TJ Boyd (Fairmont State) and Demetrius Daniels (Alderson-Broaddus) have both been tested this season and are ready to go the distance. Boyd’s lone losses are to the 10th-ranked Francesco Borsellino and overall, his record sits at 7-2. Nixon is a two-time national qualifier at 197 and he was part of the lineup shuffle that has made Gannon the favorite in this tournament. Beattie was a first-time national qualifier last season and like all the rest of those robbed of a chance to compete, he has unfinished business. This is absolutely another weight where it is highway robbery to not have a shot at a third qualifier.
Placewinners
- Jacob Robb (Mercyhurst)
- Freddie Nixon (Gannon)
- Allan Beattie (Pitt-Johnstown)
2021 Team Champions
- Gannon University
- University of Pitt-Johnstown
- Mercyhurst University
- Alderson-Broaddus University
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