Overall thoughts:
1) Embarrassing that Nolf won that match. Absolutely outwrestled and Hilday was robbed. Nolf is out of the Hodge and it’s all Nickal at this point.
2) It didn’t make sense at the time and makes less sense today but they should’ve never pulled Parris’s redshirt. You could clearly see he needed a year to grow into that weight class.
3) Surprised by Lewis but maybe we shouldn’t be. Made a junior world team. Want to be elite? Make age-level world teams. Look at the guys who’ve done in on the world level. Lee, Fix, Yianni, Zahid, Hall, Steveson, etc.
4) Steveson should’ve never lost that match. I’m actually shocked he didn’t get it done. Got sloppy on one exchange so it’s his own fault. But I hate when guys like Cassar get rewarded with absolutely no offense.
5) I have a buddy who wrestled at Lowell and grew up around the Deans. So I’ve always rooted for them from afar. Good for Max Dean. As for Cornell, I think if I had a son who was being recruited right now. It would be Penn St #1 (and I dislike penn state) and Cornell #2. Those two programs always seem to get the most out of their guys.
6) Indiana as a state has a long way to go.
7) really excited for Fix-Suriano. Anyone else remember that insane marathon match they wrestled at who’s #1?
Yianni might be my favorite wrestler in the entire NCAA. Just fun to watch. I think Erieyman (spelling) was the only guy in that weight class who can beat him.
9) A topic for another day but how many of these guys will take Olympic redshirts next year? A lot of these guys have had world level success. See #3 above.
10) Finals picks:
Lee, Fix, Yianni, Ashnault, Nolf, Joseph, Zahid, Dean, Nickal, Cassar