photo courtesy of Corbey R. Dorsey; UNK Athletics
2020 Super Regional VI Preview
When: 02/28/21
Where: Colorado Mesa University
Brackets (when available): TrackWrestling
2020 Champions - University of Nebraska-Kearney
Teams:
#7 Adams State University
Chadron State University
#18 Colorado School of Mines
#15 Colorado Mesa University
Colorado State-Pueblo
#3 University of Nebraska-Kearney
Western Colorado State University
The western regional was a victim of the pandemic with three teams opting to skip this wrestling season. Simon Fraser, San Francisco State, and New Mexico Highlands all decided to sit this one out and it is going to cost the rest of the region dearly. Only the champion at each weight class is guaranteed a trip to the national tournament. The regional will have seven wildcard allotments for the best second-place athletes, but that still means that only 17 athletes will be headed to St Louis from a regional that had some of the most active teams during the regular season. Even the NWCA Coaches poll recognizes how good this super regional is; they have 23 wrestlers ranked.
While I fully expect Nebraska-Kearney to walk away with the team title, there are some more prominent storylines at play. Adams State has wrestlers who are All-Americans, but they cannot stumble this Sunday. I believe that Kearney will need to send at least seven or eight wrestlers through to the national tournament to have a chance at unseating St Cloud and bringing the team trophy back to Nebraska. How will the Colorado schools shake out? Colorado School of Mines and Colorado Mesa are both strong at the same weights. Given the reduced number of national qualifiers, there will be some absolute dogfights to advance wrestlers and control the rivalry. This tournament typically has a razor-thin margin for error and it has gotten even smaller in 2021. And perhaps the most significant thing to watch is the rust. Nearly all of these teams have been inactive since the last week of January, which is more than 30 days without a college weigh-in and live competition. There is going to be some serious rust and very little time to knock it off.
Follow along as I take a look at every weight and make my predictions for Top Four and the one wrestler who will automatically represent SRVI at each weight. I will even make my best attempt at figuring out who the lucky seven wildcards could be.
125
#3 Josh Portillo (Nebraska-Kearney) 2019 & 2020 champion
#4 Isaiah Delacerda (Adams State)
#14 Cian Apple (Colorado Mesa)
Last February, Josh Portillo was peaking at just the right time and was the favorite to win the national title in Sioux Falls. When I spoke with him shortly after the cancellation, the heartbreak was palpable and his feeling of unfinished business was evident. His 2021 will be enough for a top-three seed at the national tournament and a path to the national finals. He handed Isaiah Delacerda his only loss of the season as well. Delacerda is attempting to become a two-time national qualifier after finishing third in 2020. Cian Apple started this season off winning four straight matches before most of Division II had even stepped on the mat. Now he will be dealing with a layoff since the end of January as the JUCO transfer tries to head to the national tournament. Jake Stogdill (Colorado Mines) has only two matches this season and none since a January 23rd loss to Apple. They could meet again in the quarterfinals in a match that will feel like an early-season matchup for all intents and purposes. Parker McBride (Colorado State-Pueblo) wrestled four bouts over five days in late January and has been inactive like the rest of his counterparts. His semifinal matchup with Delacerda is not the time to be rusty.
Placewinners
1) Josh Portillo (Nebraska-Kearney)
2) Isaiah Delacerda (Adams State)*
3) Cian Apple (Colorado Mesa)
4) Parker McBride (Colorado State-Pueblo)
133
#2 Jon Andreatta (Adams State)
#3 Wesley Dawkins (Nebraska-Kearney)2020 Champion
#8 Collin Metzgar (Colorado Mesa)
#11 Patrick Allis (Western Colorado)
In the 133 pounds finals of this tournament in 2020, Wesley Dawkins finished his night early against Jon Andreatta with a 31-second pin. These are two of the most electric wrestlers in the country and can score points in a hurry. I am excited to see them meet again and as long as neither finishes third, this weight is all but guaranteed two wrestlers headed to nationals. Andreatta has been unstoppable this season with wins over Collin Metzgar, Mason Turner (Fort Hays State) and Wesley Dawkins. Patrick Allis has had some growing pains his sophomore season, but I would not consider it a slump. His loss to Metzgar was an 8-6 SV1 battle between wrestlers starting their season. He has shown he has all the tools to beat the top wrestlers at any weight last year, will he be able to put a run together to the finals? Metzgar has the quality win over Allis, which will push him to Dawkins’s side of the bracket. After these four, the weight spreads out. Joe Taylor (Chadron State) and Gabe Martinez (Colorado Mines) are young talented wrestlers, but they only have one win between them this year. It will be a tough draw for them no matter where they land in this stacked bracket.
Placewinners
1) Jon Andreatta (Adams State)
2) Wesley Dawkins (Nebraska-Kearney)*
3) Patrick Allis (Western Colorado)
4) Collin Metzgar (Colorado Mesa)
141
#14 Nick James (Nebraska-Kearney)
The 141-pound weight class in Super Regional VI will be a win-it or bust weight class. Redshirt freshman Nick James has won 10 matches this season, including one over 2020 national qualifier Tyler Lawley (Newman). He leads a field of wrestlers with very few matches and a seeding meeting I do not envy the coaches having to hash through. Like James, Daniel Magana (Colorado Mesa) is a redshirt freshman who has a win over Dean Noble (Western Colorado). That pushes him to the second seed and will line him up for a match against Wes Rayburn (Colorado Mines). Rayburn could slide into the three seed based on the last coaches’ rankings or find himself slide behind Noble or Angel Flores (Adams State). Noble has won three straight matches since that loss, including pinning Nate Keim (Central Oklahoma). The true freshman has at least been able to wrestle a match in February and their battle will probably come down to who can knock the rust off fastest. Joseph Ritzen (Chadron State) scored a quality win over Tyler Lawley, but has a 1-4 record against his regional foes. True freshman Angel Flores gave Nick James everything he could handle in their meeting this season, falling 10-8 in SV1. If he lands at the fourth or fifth seed, he is on a path to avenge that loss and have his shot at the national tournament.
Placewinners
1) Nick James (Nebraska-Kearney)
2) Dean Noble (Western Colorado)
3) Daniel Magana (Colorado Mesa)
4) Wes Rayburn (Colorado Mines)
149
#4 Noah Hermosillo (Adams State)
#7 Sam Turner (Nebraska-Kearney) 2020 champion
#10 Gavin Melendez (Colorado State-Pueblo)
#13 Jason Hanenberg (Western Colorado)
Seventh-ranked Sam Turner was the 2020 champion at 149 pounds and two-time Division I national qualifier. He became a national qualifier in Division II. This year he is looking to go four-for-four and head back to the tournament, but he will need to be a finalist to do that. In his way is Noah Hermosillo, the junior who was the runner-up at 141 last year and is a two-time national qualifier. Hermosillo came away with the victory in their matchup this year, putting Turner on his back and ending it in the first period. 2019 national qualifier Jason Hanenberg can ruin both of their hopes in a hurry; the junior is undefeated this season with three of his wins coming as first-period pins. Gavin Melendez finished third at this tournament in 2020 and he will probably find himself in that seeded position on Sunday. That means he will face Turner in the semifinals in a rematch of his 5-1 loss earlier this year. 2019 national qualifier Noah Ottum (Colorado Mines) is 2-0 this season, with both wins by bonus points. The senior is undoubtedly capable of pulling a big upset on Sunday. This weight class thins out pretty quickly after the top, but super regionals are always full of upsets and Cinderella stories. I think it will be extra possible to bibbity bobbity boop your way this year given how few matches most of these athletes have had and the long layoff since most have competed.
Placewinners
1) Sam Turner (Nebraska-Kearney)
2) Noah Hermosillo Adams State)*
3) Jason Hanenberg (Western Colorado)
4) Gavin Melendez (Colorado State-Pueblo)
157
#4 Jacob Wasser (Nebraska-Kearney) 2020 champion
#12 Dylan Udero (Adams State)
#13 Ruben Garcia (Colorado State-Pueblo)
Ruben Garcia is following up a very solid freshman run by avoiding a sophomore slump. His three wins include victories over Talon Seitz (Nebraska-Kearney) and Anthony Scantlin (Fort Hays State). He will probably match up against Zachary Krause (Colorado Mines) in the semifinals in a battle of unbeatens. Krause is a Brown University transfer and has won both of his outings this season by fall. It appears that Jacob Wasser and Dylan Udero are on a collision course on the top side of the bracket. Wasser is 4-0 against Division II opponents and defeated Udero by major decision this year. Wasser won this weight class last season to qualify for his first national tournament. Udero is a two-time national qualifier and has three wins this year, but he seems to have stumbled in late January. He will need to rebuild momentum to get past Wasser and become a three-time qualifier. In a typical season, you could make an argument that Preston Renner (Chadron State) has a good shot at qualifying for nationals. The sophomore may make a run to the consolation finals, but that will not matter because I firmly believe that this is a one-bid weight class. If it does get to two, he will need to finish at least true second to earn that bid.
Placewinners
1) Jacob Wasser (Nebraska-Kearney)
2) Zach Krause (Colorado Mines)
3) Ruben Garcia (Colorado State-Pueblo)
4) Dylan Udero (Adams State)
165
#1 Matt Malcom (Nebraska-Kearney) 2019 champion 157 national champion
#5 Fred Green (Colorado-Mesa) 2020 Champion
#8 Aaden Valdez (Adams State)
Fred Green stopped Matt Malcom from going back-to-back in Super Regional VI. The journeyman who has traveled west to east and then back west again punched his ticket to the national tournament after a 13-0 season against Division II competition. This season has seen him take his first loss, Kameron Frame (Newman) rolled him up for a tech fall, but he has since bounced back, winning four straight, all by bonus points. Skyler Lykins (Colorado Mines), Aaden Valdez (Adams State), and Tate Allison (Chadron State) were all victims of that bonus point splurge as he has gotten back on track. Matt Malcom has just been out there doing what he does, winning matches. He is a perfect 10-0 on the season scoring bonus against everyone except Kameron Frame. He has finished fourth and first at the national tournament and when he becomes a four-time national qualifier this Sunday, he will be hunting for his second title. Aaden Valdez has been pretty stinking good for Adams State and we should be talking about the freshman making the national tournament this year. Unfortunately, he is in a region with no third place wildcards and has two very, very, very good seniors ahead of him. That does not diminish a season in which he has beaten Kameron Frame and 2020 national qualifier Tate Allison. Skyler Lykins was one win away from being an All-American in 2019 and he followed that up by winning 19 matches in 2020. This season his action was limited to just two matches in January, where he went 1-1. He is another wrestler who has been hamstrung by the allocation process for this regional; he has nearly zero chance at qualifying for the national tournament.
Placewinners
1) Matt Malcom (Nebraska-Kearney)
2) Fred Green (Colorado Mesa)*
3) Aaden Valdez (Adams State)
4) Skyler Lykins (Colorado Mines)
174
#11 Ryan Fidel (Colorado Mines)
Junior Ryan Fidel from the Colorado School of Mines is 2-0 this season and the strength of those two wins all the way back in January are the reason he is still ranked 11th. He took out Seth Latham (Colorado Mesa) and Martin Verhaeghe (Fort Hays State) in back-to-back wins over 2020 national qualifiers. True freshman Rowdy Pfeil (Chadron State) has won six matches this season, but he did drop one to Seth Latham. He does have a win over Terrell Garraway (Nebraska-Kearney), who finished fourth in this region last season. Latham is the highest returning finisher, but his season has been a little inconsistent. He has beaten Pfeil and Verhaeghe, but has lost matches to Garraway, Fidel, and Cole Hernandez (Western Colorado). I look at this weight and see five different athletes capable of winning the title and automatically heading to the national championships. By the same token, I can see this weight class only getting the one bid given the depth at some many other weights in this tournament. Garraway’s only D2 loss this season is to Rowdy Pfeil and he has wins over Verhaeghe, Latham, and Hernandez to offset it. The semifinals are going to be a mess with Pfeil facing Hernandez or Latham while Garraway and Fidel finally square off this season.
Placewinners
1) Terrell Garraway (Nebraska-Kearney)
2) Rowdy Pfeil (Chadron State)
3) Ryan Fidel (Colorado Mines)
4) Seth Latham (Colorado Mesa)
184
#4 Anderson Salisbury (Colorado Mines)
#5 Nolan Krone (Colorado-Mesa)
#9 Austin Eldredge (Nebraska-Kearney)
This weight class is going to earn a coveted wildcard bid. You can chisel that as the 11th Commandment. Anderson Salisbury was the 2020 runner-up at this tournament and he has beaten Nolan Krone this shortened season. Nolan Krone rolled off six wins between mid-December and late January, but has been sidelined since that loss to Salisbury. Most of these teams have been unable to compete since then, but he was one of the lucky ones that got in some work early on. Austin Eldredge has been perfect in more than one way this season; he is unbeaten and has only scored bonus points. Not bad for the JUCO transfer taking over the starting spot at a D2 powerhouse. His semifinal matchup against Nolan Krone will be his first real test of the season, though and that leaves zero room for error for either of them. Jair Flores (Colorado State-Pueblo) is 2-0 in matches at 184 this season and he will face true freshman Cole Gray (Western Colorado) in the quarterfinals to see who will take on Salisbury. If Salisbury wins this tournament, there will be no true second which means if you are not in the finals, you are staying home in two weeks. The stakes are highest for Krone and Eldredge and do not be surprised when the loser of that match becomes the others biggest cheerleader in the finals.
Placewinners
1) Anderson Salisbury (Colorado Mines)
2) Austin Eldredge (Nebraska-Kearney)*
3) Nolan Krone (Colorado-Mesa)
4) Cole Gray (Western Colorado)
197
#8 Joseph Reimbers (Nebraska-Kearney)
#9 Donald Negus (Colorado Mesa)
#11 Nolan Funk (Colorado Mines)
Donald Negus and Nolan Funk finished second and third in last season’s tournament and qualified for the national tournament. If they do that again, at the very least, one of them will miss out on that opportunity. Negus has beaten Funk already this season and he will have to do it again in the semifinals to have his shot at the national tournament. Reimers is 10-1 this season with wins over Negus, Eli Hinojosa (Chadron State), Ivan Balavage (Newman), and Tereus Henry (Fort Hays State). Kris Davis (Western Colorado) and Ben Gould (Colorado State-Pueblo) are both looking for their first wins this season and this tournament is not the type of bar you walk into not knowing how to fight. That gives Hinojosa a leg up on them; he comes in with five, including one over Balavage. This is a three-horse race for just two possible spots and it is going to be nasty in the semifinals.
Placewinners
1) Joseph Reimers (Nebraska-Kearney)
2) Donald Negus (Colorado Mines)*
3) Nolan Funk (Colorado Mesa)
4) Eli Hinojosa (Chadron State)
Hwt
#5 Weston Hunt (Colorado Mines) 2019 champion
#9 Gavin Nye (Colorado State-Pueblo)
Weston Hunt and Gavin Nye both qualified for the 2020 national tournament. Hunt finished as runner-up to Jarrod Hinrichs while Nye bested Mason Watt of Chadron State. This season the two have not met, but Hunt has the best win of the year over AJ Cooper (Fort Hays State). Sammy DeSiere has been sitting on the sideline since the end of January and does not seem to be appearing on the final regional rankings, in a big surprise. Instead, Gabriel Carranza (Colorado Mesa) looks to be the third seed despite a loss to DeSiere. He does have a win over Lee Herrington (Nebraska-Kearney), which is why the Loper sophomore will sit fourth on the top side of the bracket. Mason Watt finished fourth a year ago and if he does not want to miss out on another nationals berth, he will need to pull off a couple of upsets. That includes finding a way past Lee Herrington, who beat him earlier this season. If a wildcard spot is still available when the voting coaches reach the big guys, I have to think they earn it. Both Weston Hunt and Gavin Nye are All-American caliber wrestlers who should be shut out of the national tournament because of a ridiculous system.
Placewinners
1) Weston Hunt (Colorado-Mines)
2)Gavin Nye (Colorado State-Pueblo)*
3) Gabriel Carranza (Colorado Mesa)
4) Lee Herrington (Nebraska-Kearney)
2020 Super Regional III team Champions
- University of Nebraska Kearney
- Adams State University
- Colorado Mesa University
- Colorado School of Mines University
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