photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com
There is nothing like a little must-watch tv on a Friday morning and in just a few hours, there will be must-see wrestling going on in St Louis, Missouri. Be sure to be tuned into the NCAA Division II wrestling tournament at noon central time today. I know we are all living hectic lives right now, so I thought I would help you out and let you know what to be ready for when the first whistle blows at each weight class.
125
Josh Portillo (Nebraska-Kearney) 10-3
Joe Arroyo (Wisconsin-Parkside) 9-1
Just a few weeks ago, these two were ranked first and second in the nation. Then Josh Portillo lost a match to Mason Turner (Fort Hays State) and fell to third. And then all heck broke loose at this weight in the super regional tournaments. Mason Turner lost. Josh Portillo lost. And just because no one seems to care about all the hard work I put into my rankings, Joe Arroyo lost. Josh Portillo and Joe Arroyo both were able to earn at-large bids. Instead of a potential semifinal or finals match, these two are going to the third bout of the tournament. It is hard to believe that these two have never met, but this will be their first battle. The winner moves on into the quarterfinals while the loser heads to the round of 12. No matter what, each of these wrestlers will need to win one more match to be an All-American.
133
Patrick Allis (Western Colorado) 6-3
Austin Neal (Newberry) 10-1
Patrick Allis has been a giant killer over the last two seasons and now has beaten three different wrestlers ranked in the top three. Last season it was Josh Portillo and returning national champion Carlos Jacquez. Just two weeks ago, he ended Jon Andreatta’s (Adams State) bid to be an All-American once again. He was huge for a 125 and now he looks just right as a 133. He is the 8th seed in the tournament and you just never know what he can accomplish if he gets on a roll. He will be tested in bout number seven by Super Regional II Tournament champion. Neal is cruising right along himself. He just pinned Logan Seliga (Limestone) in the finals and has won 10 straight matches. Seven of those ten wins have been bonus-point victories. These two will duke it out early Friday morning and wrestling fans owe it to them to be ready to watch.
141
Zachary Van Alst (Coker) 5-0
Devin Schwartzkopf (McKendree) 5-2
Zachary Van Alst has only wrestled 14 matches over the last two seasons and still has managed to qualify for nationals twice. He is now the first Super Regional champion in Coker University history. It was not enough to earn a seed at the national championship, though and now he faces the sixth-seed Devin Schwartzkopf. Devin finished second in Super Regional IV, running into the buzzsaw that is Colby Smith (Lindenwood), who pinned him in the third period. Van Alst is so very good in the top position and he is underrated on his feet. A takedown for him could swing this match and turn it into a first-round upset. I will have a Kobra Kai GIF all keyed up.
149
Dalton Flint (Emmanuel) 17-6
Sam Turner (Nebraska-Kearney) 8-3
No one in the tournament won as many matches as Dalton Flint this season. Frankly, no one even came close. Sam Turner came up just short of winning his ninth match as he fell in overtime to Noah Hermosillo (Adams State) in the Super Regional VI finals. Both of these athletes are in the national tournament because of at-large bids. Sam Turner has competed in a national tournament before and will know what to do to be ready to go, but he better make sure that he checks off all the preparation boxes because you know that Dalton Flint is going to come out looking to ruin his day.
157
James Wimer (Findlay) 10-0
Colby Njos (St. Cloud State) 6-2
This match is a must-watch because it immediately matters for the St. Cloud State team race. A huge upset to start the day could break other team’s hearts early and start the celebration early. James Wimer is not unbeatable and Colby has already notched a big win earlier this season. Earlier this season Njos was added to the lineup and he upset returning All-American Chase Luensman (Upper Iowa). In the super regional tournament, he avenged his only regular-season loss by majoring Cooper Siebrecht (MSU-Mankato). James Wimer is not who you want your blind draw to be against, but could Colby Njos shock the world?
165
Fred Green (Colorado Mesa) 6-1
Kameron Frame (Newman) 11-3
There may not be a worse possible first-round scenario for Fred Green. He starts his national tournament off with the only wrestler to beat him this season. Kameron Frame did not just defeat Fred Green to start the 2021 season, he ran him off the mat. Frame took it to the wrestler who has traveled back and forth the country, winning by technical fall. He held the high-powered Fred Green to just two escapes. I wonder about Frame’s mental state going into this match though, a head-scratching reversal of a review in his semifinal match was full of controversy and forced him to rely on an at-large bid to qualify for the national tournament a third time. Frame is a two-time All-American and is looking for his third All-American finish at this third different weight. Do not miss bout number 32.
174
Wyatt Jordan (Central Oklahoma) 9-1
Andrew Sams (Indianapolis) 9-1
Andrew Sams has beaten two different national qualifiers at this weight but is seeded behind each of them. His finals loss in Super Regional III to Daniel Beemer (Ashland) put him in a tough spot on this bracket and now it gets worse. Wyatt Jordan fell to Josh Jones (McKendree) and earned an at-large bid to St Louis. He could have a much worse landing spot in the blind draw and has to be thinking upset. If you are into the whole “A beat B. B beat C. A should beat C” formula, then this match does not concern you. If you look deeper and see a trend of Andrew Sams wrestling close matches and Wyatt Jordan doing the same, you can see how this match could become an upset special.
184
Gleason Mappes (Indianapolis) 6-6
Dan Fillipek (McKendree) 7-1
These two met in January, with Dan Fillipek earning the 3-2 victory over Gleason Mappes. Mappes has finally broken through to the national tournament and despite losing twice, he earned a surprise at-large bid to St Louis. Fillipek once again gave Heath Gray (Central Oklahoma) a close match, but once again failed to score an offensive point. These two are talented, but they have a tendency to leave points off the scoreboard. If a wrestler can win by one point, they can just as easily lose by one point. Mappes is a two-time national qualifier who is all the more impressive because he has never used a redshirt. It would not surprise me to see him pull the upset.
197
Dalton Abney (Central Oklahoma) 7-1
Darius Parker (Lander) 14-0
Dalton Abney has been perfect in Division II over the last couple of seasons against anyone not named Ryan Vasbinder (McKendree). It is incredible that a wrestler who has beaten everyone else he has wrestled, has been completely unable to score a point against Vasbinder. Enter Darius Parker. Fresh off another loss to Vasbinder where once again he could not get on the scoreboard, he takes on an undefeated sophomore from Lander. Parker is playing with house money at this point. He is the first national qualifier and the first Super Regional champion in Lander history. The only thing left would be first All-American and then first national champion. Darius Parker has won more than half of his matches this season by bonus points and with 14 matches under his belt, he should be ready to go. On paper, this match should be all Abney, but I am interested to see how Lander head coach RC LaHaye has prepared his young stud.
Hwt
Tristen Weirich (Ashland) 10-0
Steven Hajas (Augustana) 7-3
Steven Hajas is a two-time national qualifier, while Tristen Weirich is a two-time All-American. Steven Hajas is just 1-7 against their common opponents, while Weirich is 3-4. Tristen Weirich has been here before and finished on the podium, while Steven Hajas lost his chance to the pandemic. All of these things point towards Tristen Weirich being the clear-cut favorite, so why am I saying you need your eyes on this match? It is because Steven Hajas has come up big for Augustana University before. He has won bouts that sealed duals and done so when he was not expected to. He is a gamer. And I am adding him to the list because I remember what Augustana did in Cleveland two years ago, the Vikings know how to peak. Weirich had better come out warmed up and ready because I expect Hajas to.
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