Pictured: Iowa true freshman Drake Ayala (125) getting ready to make his varsity debut, Friday, January 7, 2022, vs. Minnesota at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Photo courtesy of University of Iowa Athletics.
The 2021-2022 NCAA Division I wrestling season has finished Week 10 and moved into Week 11. With that, conference dual meet action has arrived!
Here are 11 takeaways (in no particular order) from Week 10 (January 3- January 9) in college wrestling.
Even a shortened Arizona State vs. Michigan was great
While I think I speak for everyone when I say I wish we could have seen a 10-match dual between No. 3 Wolverines and No. 6 Sun Devils, the four matches we did get to see were pretty great.
Two of the four bouts showcased a TOM-ranked wrestler vs. a TOM-ranked wrestler, one of which included a 2021 NCAA finalist in Brandon Courtney. The other two matchups involved a pair of 2020 Tokyo Olympians and a 2020 Olympic bronze medalist in Myles Amine.
Even though fans couldn't see all 10 bouts, this was a situation where something was better than nothing. In just four total booth teams showed why they are thought to be top-10 squads with a chance to win a 2022 team trophy.
Results-wise, there were some surprises: Jack Medley gave Brandon Courtney all he could handle. Michael McGhee steamrolled a very good Dylan Ragusin and left him scoreless. Plus, I didn't expect Julian Chlebove to hang with Stevan Micic. But it was likely Micic's first folkstyle match in years. The only match that went as I expected was the final bout at 184.
https://twitter.com/theopenmat/status/1478786822356541440
Penn State solidifies lineup and opens Big Ten play with a bang
The Nittany Lions opened conference play in about as dominant a way as possible, a 46-0 demolishing of Maryland. Penn State won all 10 bouts, including eight by bonus points.
What was probably even more meaningful, though, was the debut of 125-pounder Drew Hildebrandt (who started his PSU career with a pin). Plus, the return (from medal retirement) of former two-time NCAA qualifier (2019, 2021) Brady Berge, who likely adds some much-needed depth at 157 for Cael and company.
https://twitter.com/bradyberge/status/1479257300128968705
Given these lineup adjustments, plus the season-ending surgery for Spencer Lee of Iowa and injury concerns for some of the other Hawkeye starters over the long haul (Michael Kemerer and Max Murin), it's safe to say that Penn State is the favorite to win it all in Detroit. That said, a lot can change between now and mid-March.
A Carver-Hawkeye stating ovation for Olympic champion Gable Steveson
It's safe to say that there is no love lost between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Minnesota Golden Gophers as far as wrestling is concerned. Both schools are conference rivals and blueblood programs within the sport itself.
So, when Minnesota's Gable Steveson convincingly defeated Iowa's Tony Cassioppi 17-7 on Friday night in Carver-Hawkeye, it was a surprise to see Steveson, an opposing wrestler, exit the mat to a standing ovation. It even surprised Gable himself.
https://twitter.com/MinnesotaOnBTN/status/1479652794458161154
In any case, this was one of the more incredible moments I've seen. It's clear that while Iowa fans LOVE their Hawks, they also love and respect elite wrestling and how Steveson re-presented the USA in Tokyo. A tip of the cap to Iowa fans for giving Gable the Carver-Hawkeye sendoff he deserved, results aside.
https://twitter.com/GableSteveson/status/1479692682557599744
Drake Ayala is the incumbent at 125 for the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2022; Michael Kemerer returns
Another unique storyline to come out of the Minnesota vs. Iowa dual is that Iowa elected to burn the redshirt of true freshman Drake Ayala (Fort Dodge, Iowa). Ayala joins the Hawks as one of the most coveted recruits in the state of Iowa and the Class of 2021 at large.
On the year, Ayala is 11-3. All three losses came against Minnesota's All-American Pat McKee. But Ayala seems to be closing the gap with every match. One thing that is clear after Friday and Sunday, though, is that Ayala is very good.
After going through an immensely-talented gauntlet of an upcoming schedule, chock-full of ranked foes, and then making weekly adjustments in the practice room, it would not surprise me to see Drake reach the blood round or better in 2022.
It also is worth mentioning that the lineup fans saw Friday against the Gophers is as close to Iowa's postseason starting lineup as we have seen all season. Kemerer looked strong in his season debut, but a shoulder brace and a neon green knee brace will undoubtedly be cause for concern all season. His tech fall of Purdue's Gerrit Nijenhuis.
https://twitter.com/codygoodwin/status/1480290964128288772
How about those Lehigh Mountain Hawks
As wrestling fans, it seems as though we are getting constant reminders of how fun dual meets can be! Well, during Week 10, the dual that reminded us of this was an EIWA clash between rivals No. 17 Lehigh and No. 8 Cornell.
On paper, it looked as if the No. 8 should win, but that is not how things panned out. Instead, the No. 17 Mountain Hawks upset the No. 8 Big Red. Lehigh took six of the 10 bouts, including two unranked Lehigh wrestlers who dethroned ranked Cornell foes in back-to-back bouts at 174 and 184, respectively. At 174, Unranked Jake Logan (Lehigh) defeated No. 12 Chris Foca, 5-2, and at 184, unranked AJ Burkhart (Lehigh) beat No. 15 Jonathan Loew, narrowly, 7-6. The dual wasn't decided until after the ninth bout.
In the end, it was an immensely compelling dual that had all you could ask for: Rivalry, top-rated wrestlers, upsets, ranked vs. ranked bouts, completeness, and more. Lehigh was the underdog but secured a massive win for the home crowd. What a dual.
Gavin Hoffman bumps up to heavyweight and gets it done
Ohio State's Gavin Hoffman probably didn't expect that his 2022 Big Ten dual meet debut match would come at 285, roughly 88 pounds above the weight the Buckeye normally weighs in at, but that is precisely what happened. Ohio State had a 24-14 lead heading into the final bout. Rather than sending No. 12 Tate Orndorff out there, the Bucks went with 197-pounder Hoffman. Bumping up had no impact on Hoffman's performance. The undersized Buckeye turned temporary impromptu heavyweight won 10-3 over Michigan State's Brad Wilton.
Little Rock sets attendance record
There are never moral victories in losses in wrestling, but there is such a thing as an improvement from dual meet to dual meet. While Little Rock won't be happy with its home loss to No. 4 Oklahoma State, 35-6, but there indeed were some positives. According to Little Rock Athletics, "Little Rock brought in 1,524 fans to showcase the improving program, helping the Trojans turn in the best result yet against the Cowboys in their now three-match series."
So, setting an attendance record and your best performance against one of the nation's top teams is always a good sign, especially for a program that is in just its third season in program history. No matter who you root for, seeing wrestling programs thrive individually is always better for the sport as a whole.
https://twitter.com/LittleRockWRES/status/1480058488915124226
Way to go, Pitt Panthers
While No. 21 Pitt may have gone 1-1 this weekend at home against the Army – West Point and No. 3 Michigan, Keith Gavin and company deserve credit. After Friday's previously scheduled home match (January 7) against Penn, which was slated for 7 p.m., was cancelled due to health and safety protocols within the Quakers' team, Pitt decided not to take the weekend off, but schedule extra (and possibly even tougher) challenges. Credit to all three schools for making the event happen on short notice. But, especially a big congratulations to both Pitt and West-Point for stepping up to the plate and taking on the nation's best when they don't have to. Coach Kevin Ward and the Black Knights have done this all season long. In a year where seeding and "ducking" are so often discussed, I love to see teams take challenges on late notice for no other reason than to lace 'em up and scrap!
https://twitter.com/keithgavin84/status/1479120400931966979
The 125-pound weight class got significantly more challenging
As strange as it feels to say this, given that a generational talent like Spencer Lee is out for the remainder of 2022, the lightest weight class in Division I got much more talented this weekend. Not only did 2019 NCAA champion Nick Suriano make his long-awaited Michigan debut, but 2021 All-American Drew Hildebrandt also made his PSU debut. Hildebrandt was 2-0 with a fall and a decision. Suriano was also 2-0 with a tech and a major decision. Lastly, who can forget about the talk of Iowa City, Alaya, who went toe-to-toe with No. 12 Pat McKee (Minnesota) and beat No. 7, Devin Schroder, convincingly, 6-1.
Elsewhere in Big Ten country, Northwestern's No. 16 Michael DeAugustino looks solid in his defeat of No. 6 Eric Barnett and No. 12 Pat McKee. The point being, 125 rolls deep in the Big Ten.
https://twitter.com/Hawks_Wrestling/status/1480321089062514691
Streaks don't last forever
Credit to the No. 12 Rutgers Scarlet Knights 11-1, 1-1) for stringing together a rather impressive run of 11 team dual meet wins in a row! However, on Sunday, that run came to an end as Big Ten foe Wisconsin (6-0, 2-0) took down Rutgers in Madison. The Badgers won 19-14. The Big Ten is no joke.
https://twitter.com/BadgerWrestling/status/1480304407984103425
Many noteworthy upsets during Week 10
Sure, there are "upsets" every week in college wrestling. That's simply the nature of this great sport. That being said, it felt like there were far more big names taking L's this week. I guess that's just the nature of conference play. There are no more easy duals moving forward.
https://twitter.com/theopenmat/status/1480331440944472066
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