Bash513

I've watched the match a couple times now.  I loved how game he was and that he didn't stall out or lay down.  He was attacking the best wrestler in the country relentlessly and was smart to slow play the escapes (even though he got dinged a couple times for stalling) to avoid the cradles.  He wasn't ever going to win but that didn't stop him from trying like hell.

5 minutes ago, FCFIGHTER170 said:

Howe got the 9.. impossible to rank perfectly. 

I mean I understand that but I see at least the following seeds that should likely be higher.

16, 17, 9, 12, 20, 14, 19, 11 ,22, 10, 7, 6

How in the world does Norton get the 5 seed here?
 

Top of the podium seems very unlikely as he'd have to either beat Zane or Nolf to get there.  I could see a top 8 finish and think he has a better chance at 149.

I feel like Miguel Torres has to be in this discussion as well, right?  I mean at the height of his career he was the WEC champion and largely considered a top 10 pound for pound fighter. 

His career fell off FAST and I realize he fought at less "accomplished" weight but he was VERY good in his prime.

That and all of their athletic and university allotted academic scholarship money being tied up with other wrestlers for the next several years. Paying your own way and possibly not even being a starter for your first few years would turn a few top guys away.

I'd be willing to bet that very few of the PSU wrestlers have full ride scholarships JUST through wrestling.  Things like academic scholarships, grants, financial aid, allow the scholarships to be broken up but still give each kid a free education.

To take it a step further, for those that don't know, in addition to building a VERY successful program, Wabash also runs an amazing camp every year bringing in some of the best clinicians in the country to work with wrestlers.  Look it up if you haven't and see what a tiny men's college in the middle of Indiana has to offer...

Brutal first round for Wabash

Hopefully they can make their way to AA status through the consolation rounds.

Certainly not upset related, but I was really impressed with Hatch today. I know he's a good wrestler, but it's rare to see a kid constantly attacking from the top position. I felt like there wasn't one second that he wasn't working for a turn or a fall. He was never "just riding". It was really awesome to see.

Taking nothing away from Black, who wrestled out of his mind today, but was Rumph ill today? I've seen him wrestle 10 or so times and he didn't look like himself today. He struggled through his ticket round match with the Penn kid and then looked like a shell of himself against Black. Not looking for anyone to make excuses for him, he just didn't look right. Congratulations to Black, looked great today and made a big statement in that win. Sometimes a loss is a good thing to get you refocused, especially when it's prior to the 4th weekend of the post season.

I only saw the match vs black, but I agree he didn't look like himself. I don't know what the circumstances were but it wasn't the same match we saw the past 2 weeks (or 2 years for that matter). I'm a Hobart guy so I hope this is foreshadowing if next week and Black runs through everyone like he did today. I think you'll see a much more game Rumph Friday and Saturday

Lake County has to be either Howe or Angel at this point, right?

I still think Angel is undersized here but I think Senior Angel beats sophomore Jason and Junior Alex.  FWIW I think Sophomore "Alex trained" Jason beats Junior Alex. 

The top is much more fun.  I think Senior Reece beats Junior Nick Lee and this is where it gets interesting.  While I think Chad's defense and size advantage give him a win over angel as I said on the last post, He doesn't have the same advantages over Reece.  Not to say that Chad isn't a great freestyler, but Reece is a freak!  I could see a 4 over 1 Upset here as VERY possible.

I think CJ beats Angel

I think Angel beats Reece.

This is fun!

lets put it this way every kid angel wrestled in the finals, he majored! When angel was taken down it was a huge thing! Not to mention he is one of the most respectable/humble guys you could ever meet. 

 

Angel wins...no doubt about it!

Neither one wins "no doubt about it"

Chad Red (2016) 132lbs vs Angel Escobedo (2005) 135lbs.

 

Just curious. 

Angel was a small 135 as evidenced by the fact that he's competed well under that weight both internationally and in college.  Considering how strong Chad's defense is and the fact that Angel would be at a strength disadvantage, I feel like Chad would have the advantage.  I'm not saying he wins 10 out of 10 but maybe 6 out of 10 times

Brenden isn't wrestling at Navy now. He did fairly well there, but the Naval Academy is difficult academically and Brenden chose to focus on the academics. I still hold out hope he may wrestle one more year.

That's a really mature decision and one that isn't easy to make.  I commend him for recognizing what is important.

I saw this topic while looking for info on the Indiana vs Illinois All-Star dual.

 

http://illinoismatmen.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59705

 

These guys are pretty dilusional.  Not sure what else Chad Red needs to do to get the respect he deserves.  The kid is #1 in the Nation for a reason.   

I think the point made regarding his not being undefeated due to a significantly more difficult schedule is valid and doesn't in any way take away from his accomplishments.  It's just a sound arguement about wrestling much tougher and nationally ranked competition.

There is one jerk who seems to think that there is no way Red could beat Yanni Diakomihalis and questions how he handles himself but all in all I don't think anyone other than that guy is saying he has something left to prove.

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Little Giants Capture Regional Title; Send Six to Nationals

Story Links

• RESULTS

The Wabash wrestling team embodied the spirit of the College's "Wabash Always Fights" motto at the NCAA Division III Midwest Wrestling Regional Saturday, overcoming some difficult losses early in the day  to claim the team title and qualify six individuals for the national championship meet.

 

The team title is the fifth regional title in school history.  The others came in 1981, 1982, 1983, and 2005.

 

Qualifying for the NCAA Championships were Devin Broukal (133), Michael Venezia (141), Nick Bova (157), Connor Brummett (165), Ethan Farmer (174), and Riley Lefever (184).

 

The Little Giants struggled early with only five guys advancing past the quarterfinal round.

 

"During the quarterfinals and early in the semifinals, we had some bad losses, and the guys could have easily quit on us," said Little Giant head coach Brian Anderson. "But they didn't. They were facing some major adversity but stepped up to the challenge to get the job done."

 

At 157 pounds, Nick Bova was the first Little Giant to punch his ticket on the day by pulling off a thrilling overtime victory in his semifinal match against Brandon Arteaga from Wisconsin-Whitewater.  To reach the semifinals, Bova recorded falls at the 2:18 mark of his opening round match against Kevin Papak from Olivet and at the 6:45 mark of his quarterfinal match against Clayton Davidson of Ohio Northern.  In the championship bout, Bova faced off against North Central's Josh Tardy.  After trading escapes in the second and third periods, the match went to overtime.  In the second overtime, Bova secured two escapes to win 3-1.

 

"After two years of getting fifth place here, it was pretty awesome to finally get out of here." Bova said. "I'm really looking forward to getting out there on the national level in a couple weeks and wrestle the best I can to get on the podium."

 

The second Little Giant to earn a trip to nationals was senior Ethan Farmer at 174 pounds.  Farmer recorded a fall 1:58 into his first round match against John Cooper from Adrian. In his quarterfinal match, Farmer defeated Shawn Brewer from Alma by a 5-2 score. Farmer advanced by defeating Chicago's Paul Papoutsis in the semifinals by major decision 10-2. Farmer recorded two takedowns and put Papoutsis to his back for a four-point nearfall to build up an 8-1 lead by the end of the first period and cruised from there. In the championship match, Farmer lost 3-1 to Tyler Schneider from Wisconsin-La Crosse on a late takedown.  

 

"It's great to get back to nationals," Farmer said. "I'm disappointed that I lost to Schneider in the finals, but I'm going to watch the film to see what I need to work on the next two weeks. But, honestly, I'm really more excited for the team right now. Getting six guys through and winning a regional championship is a great accomplishment."

 

The last Little Giant to lock up an NCAA bid in the semifinal round was two-time defending national champion Riley Lefeverat 184 pounds. Lefever received a first round bye before pinning Trent Hullett from Alma 1:34 into his quarterfinal bout. Lefever moved through the bracket with a quick pin 1:02 into his semifinal match against James Davis from Adrian. In the championship match, Lefever settled for a 19-3 technical fall at the 4:16 mark to claim his third consecutive regional title.

 

"The individual title was great, but, for me, it was all about the team title," Lefever said. "Last year we got third at the NCAA's but couldn't win the regional title.  Hopefully, we can ride the momentum from winning today and get the national team title here in a couple of weeks."

 

Devin Broukal was the first of three Little Giants to secure a spot at the NCAA tournament by placing third. Broukal kicked off his day with a 12-4 major decision over Austin Eldred from Adrian. In his quarterfinal match, Broukal defeated Olivet's Jared Brickley by a 5-1 score. After dropping a close 8-4 match in the semifinals to Wisconsin-La Crosse' Dustin Weinmann, Broukal defeated Kalib Jackson from Manchester by an 11-2 major decision in the consolation semifinals to reach the third place match before clinching his second straight trip to nationals with a dominating 17-2 technical fall over Nick Koch from Wisconsin-Whitewater.

 

"I'm just really excited to make it back to nationals," said Broukal. "I feel like if I do a better job managing my weight the next two weeks, I'll feel a lot better going into the tournament, which will set me up for a strong performance."

 

In a weight class that featured four of the top six ranked wrestlers in the nation and one other returning All-American, Michael Venezia weathered the storm and came away with one of the three coveted national qualifying spots at 141 pounds. Venezia began his day with an 18-0 technical fall in only 2:28 over Aaron Ward from Adrian. He then dropped a tough 5-2 match in the quarterfinals to Cody See from Wisconsin-La Crosse before recording a 14-0 major decision over Eric Wales from Wheaton. In the consolation quarterfinals, Venezia pinned Chase Wilson of Manchester in 1:00 to reach the consolation semifinals, where he recorded a 7-3 decision over Curtis Blackwell from Olivet. In the third place match, Venezia wrestled seventh-ranked Jared Kust of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Near the end of the first period, Venezia defended a shot by Kust and locked up a cradle for a six point move. After building up a 6-0 lead, Venezia cruised to a 6-2 victory and his first berth in the NCAA tournament.

 

"It's pretty surreal," Venezia said. "I had to get through some very tough guys today. Being a national qualifier is a good feeling, but it doesn't end there. I've got to put in a couple more good weeks of practice to make it to the top at nationals."

 

If there was one wrestler that personified the Wabash Always Fights motto the best, it was Connor Brummett at 165 pounds. Brummett began his day with a gutsy 4-3 win over Tyler Grimsley from Olivet. In his quarterfinal match, Brummett dropped an 11-7 decision to eventual champion Logan Hermsen of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. In his first consolation match, Brummett was taken down to his back and trailed Kyler Deeter of Ohio Northern 9-3 at the end of the first period. Brummet clawed his way back into the match with four takedowns and an escape before winning the match with a riding time point to get the final score of 13-12. In his consolation quarterfinal match, he fought off Derek Weinmann from Wisconsin-La Crosse to win 7-6. Brummett fought off numerous deep shots from his opponent, Eric Kirkman from North Central, in the semifinals just to keep the match tied and get into overtime. In overtime, Brummett hit a slick dump for a takedown to win 3-1 and move on to the third place match. He controlled that finals bout from beginning to end against Frank Aiello from Wheaton for a 9-5 win and a berth in the NCAA championships.

 

"It feels good right now," said Brummett. "Making it out of here today has me feeling really good going into the NCAA meet now. I feel like I can go out there and make some noise, and I'm really looking forward to it."

 

Two other Little Giant wrestlers placed on the day, as well.  At 149 pounds, Tim Locksmith made it to the semifinals before dropping two straight matches. He received a medical forfeit for fifth place. At 197 pounds, Brett Thumm finished in sixth place. He won two matches in the consolation bracket to get to the placement rounds.

 

"I was really proud of the way that Tim and Brett battled back even after they knew this was their last tournament," Anderson said. "They fought until the very end."

 

Robbie Carter (125 pounds0 won a pair of matches on the day, and heavyweight Paul Snyder won a match as well.

 

Wabash won the team title with a score of 117.5 points, finishing 16 points ahead of runner-up Wisconsin-La Crosse.

 

Broukal, Venezia, Bova, Brummett, Farmer, and Lefever will take the mats on Friday, March 11 at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in the first day of competition at nationals.

 

Some Little Giants!!

This is a crazy strong year but there is still a clear cut winner in my eyes.  Honestly there are 4 who it could be argued "deserve" the award

RED

Hughes, Streck, Rypel.

Hudkins Covaciu

Everyone else

Would you put Howe/Humphrey in that category as well?

Quiroga Tsirtsis as well.

   Ill add D3 schools like Wabash cant give athletic scholarships, but Ive heard the coaches work the system to get more academic for their athletes.    My son was looking at IU, but we came in $5K per year better than IU with our private school tuition.

I can pretty much verify this.  I went to Wabash as a football player but decided not to continue playing once I arrived on campus. After my first year I mysteriously lost $5,000 per year in "grants" that I was allotted as a freshman. 

I am pretty sure this isn't specific to Wabash but likely all D3 schools.

I loved my time at Wabash (03-07) and paid about the same (even after losing the 5 grand) as the state schools. 

106- Cavanaugh md Jojo 15-4
113-slates fall Denaway 1:22
120- Hildebrandt Fall weeks 2:55
126- Varner TF Taft 15-0
132- Selis Fall Hardesty 3:50
138- Manspeaker Dec Risner 4-3
145- Beam fall Kensinger :45
152- Prentice Fall White 3:33
160- Swank Tf Sinkovics 23-7
170- Hurley dec Becker 9-4
182- Faulkner TF Reppert 21-6
195- Cedrick Vakalahi Fall Buford :33
220-Woods Fall Hess 5:55
285-Will Vakalahi Fall Faulkner 3:05

Penn 68

Mishawaka 5

In case anyone wanted the final results

Not a complaint, rather a suggestion.  Can we add a column for "previous ranking"  It's interesting to see who the big movers are each week and this is an easy way for people who aren't familiar with EVERY wrestler in the state to be able to follow those kids that have either climbed or fallen significantly.

It seems like, in a world constantly ruled by regulations and code, that common sense prevailed here and the right call was made.  Props to those referees, coaches, and administrators for ultimately doing the right thing.