photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com
2021 NCAA Division II Men’s National Wrestling Championship
The 2021 NCAA Division II National Championships will take place March 12th and 13th from the America's Center Convention Complex in St. Louis, Missouri. Our own Bryce Villa will provide previews for each and every weight class over the next couple of days. Yesterday we featured the lightweights (125-141). Today we'll move on to the middleweights 149-157 lbs.
149
#1 Gavin Londoff (Lindenwood) AA (2019)
#2 Kyle Rathman (MSU-Mankato) 2X AA (2019 & 2020)
#3 Garrett Aldrich (St. Cloud State)
#4 Noah Hermosillo (Adams State) AA (2020)
#7 Sam Turner (Nebraska-Kearney) AA (2020)
#5 Carson Speelman (Ashland) AA (2020)
#12 Logan Bailey (Indianapolis)
#14 Eric Faught (Upper Iowa)
Lukas Martin (Fairmont State)
Jacob Ealy (Pitt-Johnstown)
Craig Cook (Davis & Elkins)
Luke McDonough (UNC-Pembroke)
Dalton Flint (Emmanuel)
Sean O’Hearon (Lake Erie)
Gabe Johnson (Central Oklahoma)
Only half of the wrestlers ranked in the final regular-season poll were able to qualify for the national tournament. All five wrestlers ranked first through fifth were able to secure their place, but only one of the next six was able to. Sam Turner (Nebraska-Kearney) was able to buck that trend and his runner-up finish in Super Regional VI was enough to earn him an at-large pick. Both of his Division II losses were to fourth-ranked Noah Hermosillo (Adams State). They both earned All-American honors in 2020 and now are both back to wrestle the tournament for real. For Turner, this is now the fourth time he has qualified for a national tournament after earning that distinction twice while a member of Division I Wyoming. Hermosillo is undefeated this season, but he is not the only contender looking to wear the double crown of a national title and a perfect campaign. Top-ranked Gavin Londoff (Lindenwood) finished third in 2019 before taking a redshirt in 2020. What a transition he has made after having to win his third-place match in the 2019 Super Regional in SV to earn the spot. Kyle Rathman (MSU-Mankato) is a two-time All-American, the only wrestler with that honor in the weight. He has been perfect for the Mavs this season and notched two quality victories over fellow qualifier Garrett Aldrich (St Cloud State). Aldrich is now a first-time qualifier and he enters the tournament sporting only those two losses to Rathman. The Huskies are looking for big points out of Aldrich despite only being the seventh-seed. He is a great value buy in any tournament pick’em. The feel-good story at this weight should be Lukas Martin (Fairmont State). The University of West Virginia transfer is the Fighting Falcons first national qualifier and first Super Regional champion. The sophomore defeated Jacob Ealy (Pitt-Johnstown) in the finals to guarantee his trip to St Louis. On the other hand, Ealy was forced to win a true-second place match to even stay alive for an at-large bid that made him a two-time national qualifier. True freshman Logan Bailey (Indianapolis) exploded into the national limelight after a 4-2 upset of returning All-American Carson Speelman (Ashland). Sean O’Hearon (Lake Erie) spoiled their potential rematch after sending the freshman to the wrestlebacks and taking his own shot at knocking off Speelman. In the end though, Speelman won Super Regional III, with O’Hearon earning the other automatic spot. The body of work that Bailey compiled was enough to provide him his own at-large bid and he became one of the few true freshmen taking the mat in St Louis. Dalton Flint (Emmanuel) relied on a body of work that included 16 wins, by far the most of anyone in the tournament, to earn himself an at-large bid to St Louis and keep his hope of becoming just the second All-American in his program’s short Division II history. Craig Cook (Davis & Elkins) punched his ticket to the national tournament a second time after finishing as the runner-up in Super Regional II. This was an impressive follow-up to his true freshman season that saw him win thirty matches. Luke McDonough (UNC-Pembroke) avenged an early-season loss to the Senator and completed his absolute turn-around of a season. Entering the tournament at 10-3 guarantees the senior his first above .500 season at just the right time. True freshman Gabe Johnson (Central Oklahoma) gave Gavin Londoff everything he could handle and more, taking their finals match into overtime. The Broncs will take any points they can get from the unseeded freshman and a big run by him could push them over the top in the team race. Eric Faught (Upper Iowa) has followed up an undefeated redshirt season by finishing third in his Super Regional and becoming a national qualifier. Both of his losses this season have been at the hands of Garrett Aldrich and he is a dangerous draw in this tournament. This weight class will have close matches as the top contenders are bunched so close in talent. That means that we will see upsets and this could be a weight where more than one unseeded wrestler makes it to the podium.
Quarterfinals
Gavin Londoff (Lindenwood) vs. Logan Bailey (Indianapolis)
Lukas Martin (Fairmont State) vs. Sam Turner (Nebraska-Kearney)
Noah Hermosillo (Adams State) vs. Carson Speelman (Ashland)
Garret Aldrich (St. Cloud State) vs. Kyle Rathman (MSU-Mankato)
I am going to start at the bottom of the bracket in a rematch of a rematch. Kyle Rathman has defeated Garrett Aldrich twice this season without allowing a point. That is impressive to me on so many levels. I just do not see the gap closing in the two weeks between their Super Regional meeting and St Louis. The best quarterfinal match is going to be Noah Hermosillo and Carson Speelman. These two could easily have met in the semifinals as the third and fourth seeds, but we will get to see them battle even earlier. I love how well that Hermosillo has been wrestling and he is going to have his hand full when he meets Speelman. Outside of that loss to Logan Bailey, he has looked every bit of a returning All-American selection. I just have a hard time betting against Hermosillo’s explosive offense, though. In a battle of Division I transfers, Lukas Martin and Sam Turner will meet. Their schools are Big 12 rivals now, and, interestingly, we will get to see them meet each other in Division II. They actually met in January of 2019, with Sam Turner winning the match by fall. Logan Bailey will be tested in the first round and then it only gets harder. While Gavin Londoff has a history of wrestling close matches, it is a tall order to ask the true freshman to go through the eighth and then the top-seed at his first national tournament. The sky may be the limit for Bailey, but right now, Londoff is the eagle soaring as the protector of that domain.
Semifinals
Gavin Londoff (Lindenwood) vs. Sam Turner (Nebraska-Kearney)
Noah Hermosillo (Adams State) vs. Kyle Rathman (MSU-Mankato)
It seems hard to believe that Gavin Londoff and Sam Turner have never crossed paths before. Still, despite them both having wrestled Division I, they have no college history. Londoff made the transition a year earlier than Turner and has already stood on the Division II championship podium. Their meeting will be so very important for the team trophy race as Lindenwood needs to push as many of their five athletes into the finals as possible. We cannot even use the transitive property of one of them beating a Cyclone and other not because they did not wrestle the same Division I opponent in their dual meetings with Iowa State. Noah Hermosillo has been so good that he is almost a victim of his own success. He earned the three-seed by beating Turner a second time this year and his reward is a match against arguably the best wrestler at this weight. Kyle Rathman has defeated all rivals and done it with utter dominance, allowing just one offensive point against him. This is the type of matchup you see every year in Division I when the national tournament reaches the semifinals. I wish more people would watch them in Division II. I think the level of competition is a rival for them. I am honestly riding the Kyle Rathman train all the way to the top of the national podium and I am not about to jump off now.
Finals
Gavin Londoff (Lindenwood) vs. Kyle Rathman (MSU-Mankato)
This is a battle of 2019 All-Americans where Rathman finished seventh and Gavin Londoff finished third. They met in that tournament, with Londoff winning the match 3-1 and I think their battle Saturday night could be another low-scoring affair. I am sticking with my early tournament bracket pick though, I think Kyle Rathman will find a way through the great defense of Gavin Londoff and earn the takedown when it is needed. I will say, if this goes to overtime, all bets are off and I am going with the Lion, who just keeps finding his roar when it is absolutely necessary.
Top Eight
- Kyle Rathman - Minnesota State University-Mankato
- Gavin Londoff - Lindenwood University
- Sam Turner - University of Nebraska-Kearney
- Lukas Martin - Fairmont State University
- Noah Hermosillo - Adam State University
- Garrett Aldrich - St. Cloud State University
- Carson Speelman - Ashland University
- Logan Bailey - University of Indianapolis
157
#1 James Wimer (Findlay) AA (2019)
#3 Ty Lucas (Central Oklahoma) AA (2020)
#4 Jacob Wasser (Nebraska-Kearney)
#5 Dawson Combest (Indianapolis) AA (2020)
#7 Chase Luensman (Upper Iowa) AA (2020)
#9 Ronnie Gentile (Lindenwood)
#15 Caden Moore (Northern State)
Nick Young (Gannon)
Colby Teague (Mount Olive)
Will Evans (Newberry)
Colby Njos (St. Cloud State)
Two things you need to know right away about Nick Young (Gannon): first, he was a national qualifier at 141 pounds in 2020 and second, he is a guaranteed 2021 All-American. He lands perfectly in the 11-man bracket and is guaranteed to finish no lower than eighth. With no pressure, it will be interesting to see how he finishes in the tournament. Would finishing on the podium lessen the sting of an 0-3 performance? This weight class is James Wimer (Findlay) and then everyone else. Wimer finished sixth in Cleveland and then took a redshirt season before reentering the lineup for Findlay. He has yet to allow an offensive point this year and his closest match was in the finals of the GMAC tournament, where he defeated Drew Weichers (Ashland) 8-3. He has already beaten second-seed Dawson Combest (Indianapolis) 11-2 and 6-1. This is his tournament to lose and while his path is not exactly easy, it is going to take someone mounting a real charge to earn the upset. Combest could find himself tested on his half of the bracket right away. Caden Moore (Northern State) has not lost to anyone in Division II this season besides sophomore Chase Luensman (Upper Iowa). Combest will also have to fight through the winner of Jacob Wasser (Nebraska-Kearney) and Ronnie Gentile (Lindenwood). If the sophomore navigates these challenges to make the finals, he will certainly have earned the chance to wrestle James Wimer a third time. Ty Lucas (Central Oklahoma) won his Super Regional and as the fifth-seed in the tournament, his path takes him through Super Regional V champion Chase Luensman. Luensman lost St. Cloud State’s redshirt freshman Colby Njos but ended his season on a high note finishing off Moore in the finals. Njos took over the spot from ODU transfer Jared Head and two-time returning All-American Jacob Barzowski after winning an internal tournament in the Huskies room. He is obviously good, but this weight class leaves zero room for error. Wasser is now a two-time national qualifier for the Lopers and has looked all but unstoppable against Division II opponents. Ronnie Gentile is a forty-year-old freshman, I am kidding, but he did start his college career way back in 2016 for Rutgers. He is only a sophomore, though, and now has become a national qualifier with his only Division II loss, a 1-0 defeat in the Super Regional finals by Ty Lucas. Mount Olive is a young program, but in their first two years, they have qualified three wrestlers for the national tournament. Colby Teague earned his at-large spot after winning four straight matches on the backside. Will Evans (Newberry) is seizing his moment after making the finals of the Super Regional tournament and the absence of John Burger (Limestone) leads him as the top wrestler out of the south. There is plenty of All-American level talent after James Wimer in this weight class; it is just a matter of how it will all shake out.
Quarterfinals
James Wimer (Findlay) vs. Nick Young (Gannon)
Ty Lucas (Central Oklahoma) vs. Nick Luensman (Upper Iowa)
Jacob Wasser (Nebraska-Kearney) vs. Ronnie Gentile (Lindenwood)
Caden Moore (Northern State) vs. Dawson Combest (Indianapolis)
I already talked about Nick Young being an All-American; he is effectively playing with house money. The problem is, the house always wins and James Wimer is the house. Young is not exactly undersized, but James Wimer is an absolute beast and is headed to the semifinals. Ty Lucas and Nick Luensman never met head-to-head in 2020, which is disappointing because it would have been a great match. I guess the wait will be worth it when they battle at the national tournament in St Louis. Luensman is at his best when he opens up his offense and attacks; if Ty Lucas can dictate the pace of this match, I think the Bronc wins it. Otherwise, I think the Peacock is gonna fly. Jacob Wasser and Ronnie Gentile have similar resumes this season, with the biggest difference being Wasser’s finish as a Super Regional champion. Loper head coach Dalton Jensen knows how vital every quarterfinal win will be; those All-American points are what wins national championships. I think he has Wasser ready and we see Gentile have to come back next season another year older and wiser for a chance to advance to the semifinals of the national tournament. I was basically called an idiot by an Indianapolis wrestler for saying this was going to be a good match. Not going to lie; that stung a little bit. I still think it is going to be a good one. These two will battle and once again, I think that the wrestler who dictates the pace will be the one who wins. Dawson Combest needs to push forward and press Caden Moore for all seven-minutes and he will be successful. If this match stays close late into the third period, we could see an early upset of a top-two seed.
Semifinals
James Wimer (Findlay) vs. Ty Lucas (Central Oklahoma)
Jacob Wasser (Nebraska-Kearney) vs. Dawson Combest (Indianapolis)
Reaching the semifinals of the national championship guarantees these athletes a finish of no lower than sixth. I am confident that none of them will be thinking about that when these matches start. James Wimer is my pick, nothing against Ty Lucas. I believe that Lucas will be able to slow down the match with Chase Luensman, but I do not think it matters if he can do that against Wimer. Either way, Wimer has all the skills necessary to break into the finals and give his program a boost. The last Division II wrestler to beat Jacob Wasser was Kameron Frame (Newman). Since that loss, he is 10-0 with seven bonus-point wins. The last person not named James Wimer to beat Dawson Combest in Division II was Taylor Misuna (Notre Dame). These are two very talented wrestlers who will have wrestled so very well in this pandemic season that you hate that one of them has to lose this match. I think the wrestler who comes up short here finishes third, though.
Finals
James Wimer (Findlay) vs. Dawson Combest (Indianapolis)
I am sorry Dawson, but the third time will not be the charm. James Wimer has shown nothing this year to make me believe that he is not hands down the best wrestler at this weight class in the country. Would he be a Division I All-American? That is an argument for another day, but I think he has all the keys to winning a national title this season in Division II. You have to wonder if James would come back if he wins a national title or if he leaves his shoes at center mat ending a career that began all the way back in 2017.
Top Eight
- James Wimer - University of Findlay
- Dawson Combest - University of Indianapolis
- Jacob Wasser - University of Nebraska-Kearney
- Ty Lucas - Central Oklahoma University
- Ronnie Gentile - Lindenwood University
- Chase Luensman - Upper Iowa University
- Nick Young - Gannon University
- Caden Moore - Northern State University
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