Hoping for a bit more wrestling talk here…
Other threads started to discuss possible team’s line-ups, I’ll focus on an early look by weight class…one weight class at a time.
This isn’t intended to be totally correct, so jump in with corrections/comments/thoughts, particularly those that move the discussion forward .
125
This weight class loses 2 AA’s from the 2018 Championships due to eligibility, the 3rd, and 5th Place finishers, and the tea leaves suggest a third and fourth departure (#2 Nick Suriano, RUT and #4 Ethan Lizak, MINN), as they likely go 133. Back are Spencer Lee (Iowa, 1st), Sebastian Rivera (NU, 6th), Ronnie Bresser (ORST, 7th), and Zeke Moisey (formerly WVU, now Nebraska, 8th), as well as R12 guys Louie Hayes (VT), Taylor Lamont (UVU), and Nick Piccinnini (OKST). Bresser and Moisey are back for seemingly their 10th years, and “Picc” may go 133. Time will tell on that one, as conventional wisdom has him staying, with Daton Fix going 133 for the Cowboys, as thinking is, it’s better for the team.
So that’s 7 guys already, before discussing others. Sean Russell (Minn, by way of Edinboro) will be in the mix to medal, as he likely replaces Lizak at 125 for the Golden Gophers. There are others “in the mix” too, with Ryan Millhof (Ariz St), Connor Schram (Lehigh, by way of Stanford), Shakur Laney (Ohio), and Drew Mattin (Mich), to mention several.
Then there’s the McGee’s, Akins’, Piotrowski’s, Assad’s, and Foley’s of the world, and others, all capable of a post-season run that lands them top-8. 125 is not absent of talent.
I'd love to see Lee vs Fix, just don't think it's in the cards. And while anything can happen on the mat, an early look suggests Lee could be one of the heaviest weight class favorites. True, Bresser beat Lee last year, with his defensive style that got a close match to the 3rd, where he won with a late takedown...I just don't see a repeat as Lee trusts his previously injured knee more and more. For the record, as a college wrestling fan, Spencer Lee is fun to watch.
Whomever goes for PSU has an uphill climb to place at Nationals. Nothing would surprise me though after a full year in our room…time will tell.
Other threads started to discuss possible team’s line-ups, I’ll focus on an early look by weight class…one weight class at a time.
This isn’t intended to be totally correct, so jump in with corrections/comments/thoughts, particularly those that move the discussion forward .
125
This weight class loses 2 AA’s from the 2018 Championships due to eligibility, the 3rd, and 5th Place finishers, and the tea leaves suggest a third and fourth departure (#2 Nick Suriano, RUT and #4 Ethan Lizak, MINN), as they likely go 133. Back are Spencer Lee (Iowa, 1st), Sebastian Rivera (NU, 6th), Ronnie Bresser (ORST, 7th), and Zeke Moisey (formerly WVU, now Nebraska, 8th), as well as R12 guys Louie Hayes (VT), Taylor Lamont (UVU), and Nick Piccinnini (OKST). Bresser and Moisey are back for seemingly their 10th years, and “Picc” may go 133. Time will tell on that one, as conventional wisdom has him staying, with Daton Fix going 133 for the Cowboys, as thinking is, it’s better for the team.
So that’s 7 guys already, before discussing others. Sean Russell (Minn, by way of Edinboro) will be in the mix to medal, as he likely replaces Lizak at 125 for the Golden Gophers. There are others “in the mix” too, with Ryan Millhof (Ariz St), Connor Schram (Lehigh, by way of Stanford), Shakur Laney (Ohio), and Drew Mattin (Mich), to mention several.
Then there’s the McGee’s, Akins’, Piotrowski’s, Assad’s, and Foley’s of the world, and others, all capable of a post-season run that lands them top-8. 125 is not absent of talent.
I'd love to see Lee vs Fix, just don't think it's in the cards. And while anything can happen on the mat, an early look suggests Lee could be one of the heaviest weight class favorites. True, Bresser beat Lee last year, with his defensive style that got a close match to the 3rd, where he won with a late takedown...I just don't see a repeat as Lee trusts his previously injured knee more and more. For the record, as a college wrestling fan, Spencer Lee is fun to watch.
Whomever goes for PSU has an uphill climb to place at Nationals. Nothing would surprise me though after a full year in our room…time will tell.