pin2win
@hagertony
The Iowa Hawkeyes are coming off a disappointing NWCA National Duals but that doesn't mean the rest of their season hasn't been spectacular The Iowa Hawkeyes won the Big Ten Dual Title outright making Tom Brands third in all-time wins at Iowa. This year was also very positive for attendance. This is the fifth straight year Iowa averaged over 8,000 fans, and the seventh straight season the Hawkeyes led the nation in attendance.
Below is a breakdown of each weight and seeding is based off the pre-seeds which can be found at Big Ten Wrestling Championships Pre-Seeds Announced - BIG TEN CONFERENCE Official Athletic Site. Final seeds and brackets will be out Friday night. If you are looking for live action you can view each session online at www.BTN2.com. Kirk Crittenden and myself will be live blogging at Wrestling Archives « Hawkeye NationHawkeye Nation. You can also follow along on twitter @hagertony and @critterk10. As also join in the discussion on the boards Wrestling
Big Ten Championship Schedule
Saturday, March 9
10 a.m. - Start of Session I (BTN2go.com)
5 p.m. - Start of Session II (BTN2go.com)
Sunday, March 10
11:30 a.m. - Start of Session III (BTN2go.com)
1:30 p.m. - Start of Championship Finals (BTN2go.com)
Preview
125 lbs.
1. Matt McDonough, IOWA
2. Nico Megaludis, PSU
3. Jesse Delgado, ILL
4. Sean Boyle, MICH
5. Nikko Triggas, OSU
6. Camden Eppert, PUR
7. David Thorn, MINN
8. Dom Malone, NU
125lb weight class has the #2, #3 and #4 ranked wrestlers in the nation in it. Matt Mcdonough has only lost to Jesse Delgado (Ill) and should receive the #1 seed because Nico Megaludis lost to Delgado whom Matt has beaten. I don’t see this changing during the seeding meeting which helps Matt’s chances of getting to the finals. Matt has wrestled to his seed the last three years. He is a two-time defending B1G champ and is on a mission to become Iowa’s 18[SUP]th[/SUP] 4-time All American. A 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] place finish to Megaludis or Delgado will hurt his NCAA seed dramatically. There are no more wake up calls for MCD its time to step up and show everyone why your one of the best Iowa wrestlers to step on the mat.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]-MCD
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]-Megaludis
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]-Delgado
133 lbs.
1. Logan Stieber, OSU
2. Tony Ramos, IOWA
3. Tyler Graff, WIS
4. Jordan Conaway, PSU
5. Daryl Thomas, ILL
6. Cashe Quiroga, PUR
7. Chris Dardanes, MINN
8. Shawn Nagel, NEB
133lb weight class will be one of the marquee weight classes at the B1G’s. With seven nationally ranked wrestlers expect some great semi-final match ups and what we have all be waiting for the Ramos vs Steiber match up Stieber has only wrestled 3 of the wrestlers at this tournament but he should get the #1 seed based off last year and current rankings. This match up is going to have the crowd rocking and will be a great preview of what we can expect in Des Moines in two weeks. Ramos has given us nothing but greatness and is on a quest to have one of the best seasons Iowa has seen. If Ramos can get through B1G’s and NCAA’s unbeaten he will be the 15[SUP]th[/SUP] Hawkeye to go unbeaten. I think Tony’s gas tank will win this battle.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]- Ramos
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]- Stieber
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]- Dardanes
141 lbs.
1. Hunter Stieber, OSU
2. Nick Dardanes, MINN
3. Mark Ballweg, IOWA
4. Bryan Pearsall, PSU
5. Brandon Nelsen, PUR
6. Ridge Kiley, NEB
7. Pat Greco, NU
8. Camryn Jackson, MICH
141lbs has one clear favorite and that is Hunter Stieber. Hunter is 8-0 on the B1G season and no one has been close. This will be Mark Ballweg’s first time at B1G championships and the hawks need him to not wrestle the way he did at National Duals. Mark should have no problem getting to the NCAA’s and see him wrestling better and making it to the finals in his B1G debut.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]- Stieber
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]- Ballweg
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]- Dardanes
149 lbs.
1. Eric Grajales, MICH
2. Dylan Ness, MINN
3. Ivan Lopouchanski, PUR
4. Jake Sueflohn, NEB
5. Cam Tessari, OSU
6. Andrew Alton, PSU
7. Caleb Ervin, ILL
8. Dan Osterman, MSU
9. Josh Dziewa, IOWA
10. Dylan Marriott, NU
11. Preston Keiffer, IND
149lb weight class is the opposite of 141lb weight class with no clear favorite. This weight class is up for the taking. Grajales will come in with the #1 seed with an 8-0 record. He has beaten some of the top contenders but his past history shows he doesn't perform on the big stage. I like Ness a lot but could see Andrew Alton catching people by surprise. Alton’s issue has been conditioning so if that is in check look for him to make some noise. Josh Dziewa is getting the nod for the Iowa Hawkeyes and I don’t know what to expect from the young man. This is really his first shot in the lineup and it’s a BIG stage. I have no clue how they are going to seed him but if he gets a decent seed you could see him top five. The hawks did not place a 149lber last year so these points will be key to a championship.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]-Ness
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]-Alton
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]-Grajales
157 lbs.
1. Derek St. John, IOWA
2. Jason Welch, NU
3. Dylan Alton, PSU
4. James Green, NEB
5. Taylor Walsh, IND
6. Josh Demas, OSU
7. Ryan Watts, MSU
8. Danny Zilverberg, MINN
157lb weight class has some great wrestlers and they have all battled each other to the wire. Derek St. John is your defending B1G champ and lost his first match since NCAA finals two weeks ago. DSJ had a great tournament last year battling from sixth seed to capture his title so we know he can perform on this stage. DSJ has beaten #1 Welch, #3 Alton and #6 Green in the past but the matches have all been pretty close. I think DSJ bounces back from his loss at the duals and gets to the finals. I believe his opponent in the finals will be Dylan Alton based off his past record with Welch.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]- Derek St. John
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]- Dylan Alton
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]- Jason Welch
165 lbs.
1. David Taylor, PSU
2. Conrad Polz, ILL
3. Taylor Massa, MICH
4. Nick Moore, IOWA
5. Cody Yohn, MINN
6. Pierce Harger, NU
7. Ryan LeBlanc, IND
8. Austin Wilson, NEB
9. Mark Martin, OSU
10. Pat Robinson, PUR
11. Frank Cousins, WIS
12. Nick Proctor, MSU
165lbs features one of the best wrestlers in the land. David Taylor will win this weight class and will score big bonus points for the Nittany Lions. Moore has had a better year than most predicted with a 6-2 record in the B1G dual season. This tournament will be a tough test for Mr. Moore and think he gets at best 4[SUP]th[/SUP] place. I think the top three wrestle to their seed and the rest will be a toss up.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]- Taylor
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]- Polz
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]- Massa
174 lbs.
1. Logan Storley, MINN
2. Mike Evans, IOWA
3. Robert Kokesh, NEB
4. Nick Heflin, OSU
5. Matt Brown, PSU
6. Jordan Blanton, ILL
7. Lee Munster, NU
8. Dan Yates, MICH
9. Scott Liegel, WIS
10. Chad Welch, PUR
11. Jordan Wohlfert, MSU
12. Cheney Dale, IND
174lb weight class is flooded with top rank wrestlers. Seven wrestlers are ranked in the top ten so expect some great matches at this weight class. Storley has had an impressive record going 7-0 and 18-1 on the season. Storley is the favorite but it is not a for sure B1G title. There will be battles from quarter finals to finals in each match and can’t wait to see who steps up. Evans only loss in B1G came from Storley and see them both making it to the finals for a re-match.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]-Evans
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]- Storley
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]- Brown
184 lbs.
1. Ed Ruth, PSU
2. Kevin Steinhaus, MINN
3. Josh Ihnen, NEB
4. John Rizqallah, MSU
5. Ethen Lofthouse, IOWA
6. Tony Dallago, ILL
7. Luke Sheridan, IND
8. Cody Magrum, OSU
184lbs is led by yet another PSU wrestler Ed Ruth. Ruth is 25-0 and in the hunt for the Hodge Trophy. Lofthouse went 4-2 vs B1G opponents with losses to Steinhaus and Rizqallah. Lofhouse will have to shake off being thrown in and out of the lineup this year and step up to place to his seed. Watch for Ruth to score big bonus points.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]- Ruth
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]- Steinhause
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]- Ihnen
197 lbs.
1. Quentin Wright, PSU
2. Scott Schiller, MINN
3. Mario Gonzalez, ILL
4. Andrew Campolattano, OSU
5. Braden Atwood, PUR
6. Nathan Burak, IOWA
7. Jackson Hein, WIS
8. Max Huntley, MICH
9. Alex Polizzi, NU
10. Luke Jones, MSU
11. Caleb Kolb, NEB
197lb’s has a top another PSU wrestler on top go figure. Quentin Wright is 24-0 on the season and always looks to score bonus points. Wright is dangerous for all positions and see him running away with a B1G title. Schiller is just not on his level but will make the finals. Gonzalez might give up a fight but Schiller will prevail. Now for the Iowa Hawkeyes we have an up and down wrestler in Nathan Burak. He went 4-4 in B1G wrestling and is 13-14 overall. Which Burak will show up? We didn’t have a place winner at 197 last year so hopefully that doesn't happen again.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]- Wright
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]- Schiller
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]- Campolattano
285 lbs.
1. Tony Nelson, MINN
2. Mike McMullan, NU
3. Connor Medbery, WIS
4. Bobby Telford, IOWA
5. Mike McClure, MSU
6. Adam Chalfant, IND
7. James Lawson, PSU
8. Ben Apland, MICH
9. Spencer Johnson, NEB
10. Nick Tavanello, OSU
11. Chris Lopez, ILL
12. Alex White, PUR
HWT does have a clear favorite in returning National Champ Tony Nelson. Tony shouldn't have any issue making it to the finals. Who he will face will be up to the boring matches on the bottom side of the bracket. The wrestlers on the bottom side aren't big point scorers so it expect some upsets. Telford has been wrestling better this season going 15-4 and see him pulling out a third place finish and beating some great competition along the way.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]- Nelson
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]- McMullan
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]- Telford
Below is a breakdown of each weight and seeding is based off the pre-seeds which can be found at Big Ten Wrestling Championships Pre-Seeds Announced - BIG TEN CONFERENCE Official Athletic Site. Final seeds and brackets will be out Friday night. If you are looking for live action you can view each session online at www.BTN2.com. Kirk Crittenden and myself will be live blogging at Wrestling Archives « Hawkeye NationHawkeye Nation. You can also follow along on twitter @hagertony and @critterk10. As also join in the discussion on the boards Wrestling
Big Ten Championship Schedule
Saturday, March 9
10 a.m. - Start of Session I (BTN2go.com)
5 p.m. - Start of Session II (BTN2go.com)
Sunday, March 10
11:30 a.m. - Start of Session III (BTN2go.com)
1:30 p.m. - Start of Championship Finals (BTN2go.com)
Preview
125 lbs.
1. Matt McDonough, IOWA
2. Nico Megaludis, PSU
3. Jesse Delgado, ILL
4. Sean Boyle, MICH
5. Nikko Triggas, OSU
6. Camden Eppert, PUR
7. David Thorn, MINN
8. Dom Malone, NU
125lb weight class has the #2, #3 and #4 ranked wrestlers in the nation in it. Matt Mcdonough has only lost to Jesse Delgado (Ill) and should receive the #1 seed because Nico Megaludis lost to Delgado whom Matt has beaten. I don’t see this changing during the seeding meeting which helps Matt’s chances of getting to the finals. Matt has wrestled to his seed the last three years. He is a two-time defending B1G champ and is on a mission to become Iowa’s 18[SUP]th[/SUP] 4-time All American. A 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] place finish to Megaludis or Delgado will hurt his NCAA seed dramatically. There are no more wake up calls for MCD its time to step up and show everyone why your one of the best Iowa wrestlers to step on the mat.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]-MCD
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]-Megaludis
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]-Delgado
133 lbs.
1. Logan Stieber, OSU
2. Tony Ramos, IOWA
3. Tyler Graff, WIS
4. Jordan Conaway, PSU
5. Daryl Thomas, ILL
6. Cashe Quiroga, PUR
7. Chris Dardanes, MINN
8. Shawn Nagel, NEB
133lb weight class will be one of the marquee weight classes at the B1G’s. With seven nationally ranked wrestlers expect some great semi-final match ups and what we have all be waiting for the Ramos vs Steiber match up Stieber has only wrestled 3 of the wrestlers at this tournament but he should get the #1 seed based off last year and current rankings. This match up is going to have the crowd rocking and will be a great preview of what we can expect in Des Moines in two weeks. Ramos has given us nothing but greatness and is on a quest to have one of the best seasons Iowa has seen. If Ramos can get through B1G’s and NCAA’s unbeaten he will be the 15[SUP]th[/SUP] Hawkeye to go unbeaten. I think Tony’s gas tank will win this battle.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]- Ramos
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]- Stieber
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]- Dardanes
141 lbs.
1. Hunter Stieber, OSU
2. Nick Dardanes, MINN
3. Mark Ballweg, IOWA
4. Bryan Pearsall, PSU
5. Brandon Nelsen, PUR
6. Ridge Kiley, NEB
7. Pat Greco, NU
8. Camryn Jackson, MICH
141lbs has one clear favorite and that is Hunter Stieber. Hunter is 8-0 on the B1G season and no one has been close. This will be Mark Ballweg’s first time at B1G championships and the hawks need him to not wrestle the way he did at National Duals. Mark should have no problem getting to the NCAA’s and see him wrestling better and making it to the finals in his B1G debut.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]- Stieber
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]- Ballweg
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]- Dardanes
149 lbs.
1. Eric Grajales, MICH
2. Dylan Ness, MINN
3. Ivan Lopouchanski, PUR
4. Jake Sueflohn, NEB
5. Cam Tessari, OSU
6. Andrew Alton, PSU
7. Caleb Ervin, ILL
8. Dan Osterman, MSU
9. Josh Dziewa, IOWA
10. Dylan Marriott, NU
11. Preston Keiffer, IND
149lb weight class is the opposite of 141lb weight class with no clear favorite. This weight class is up for the taking. Grajales will come in with the #1 seed with an 8-0 record. He has beaten some of the top contenders but his past history shows he doesn't perform on the big stage. I like Ness a lot but could see Andrew Alton catching people by surprise. Alton’s issue has been conditioning so if that is in check look for him to make some noise. Josh Dziewa is getting the nod for the Iowa Hawkeyes and I don’t know what to expect from the young man. This is really his first shot in the lineup and it’s a BIG stage. I have no clue how they are going to seed him but if he gets a decent seed you could see him top five. The hawks did not place a 149lber last year so these points will be key to a championship.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]-Ness
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]-Alton
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]-Grajales
157 lbs.
1. Derek St. John, IOWA
2. Jason Welch, NU
3. Dylan Alton, PSU
4. James Green, NEB
5. Taylor Walsh, IND
6. Josh Demas, OSU
7. Ryan Watts, MSU
8. Danny Zilverberg, MINN
157lb weight class has some great wrestlers and they have all battled each other to the wire. Derek St. John is your defending B1G champ and lost his first match since NCAA finals two weeks ago. DSJ had a great tournament last year battling from sixth seed to capture his title so we know he can perform on this stage. DSJ has beaten #1 Welch, #3 Alton and #6 Green in the past but the matches have all been pretty close. I think DSJ bounces back from his loss at the duals and gets to the finals. I believe his opponent in the finals will be Dylan Alton based off his past record with Welch.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]- Derek St. John
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]- Dylan Alton
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]- Jason Welch
165 lbs.
1. David Taylor, PSU
2. Conrad Polz, ILL
3. Taylor Massa, MICH
4. Nick Moore, IOWA
5. Cody Yohn, MINN
6. Pierce Harger, NU
7. Ryan LeBlanc, IND
8. Austin Wilson, NEB
9. Mark Martin, OSU
10. Pat Robinson, PUR
11. Frank Cousins, WIS
12. Nick Proctor, MSU
165lbs features one of the best wrestlers in the land. David Taylor will win this weight class and will score big bonus points for the Nittany Lions. Moore has had a better year than most predicted with a 6-2 record in the B1G dual season. This tournament will be a tough test for Mr. Moore and think he gets at best 4[SUP]th[/SUP] place. I think the top three wrestle to their seed and the rest will be a toss up.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]- Taylor
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]- Polz
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]- Massa
174 lbs.
1. Logan Storley, MINN
2. Mike Evans, IOWA
3. Robert Kokesh, NEB
4. Nick Heflin, OSU
5. Matt Brown, PSU
6. Jordan Blanton, ILL
7. Lee Munster, NU
8. Dan Yates, MICH
9. Scott Liegel, WIS
10. Chad Welch, PUR
11. Jordan Wohlfert, MSU
12. Cheney Dale, IND
174lb weight class is flooded with top rank wrestlers. Seven wrestlers are ranked in the top ten so expect some great matches at this weight class. Storley has had an impressive record going 7-0 and 18-1 on the season. Storley is the favorite but it is not a for sure B1G title. There will be battles from quarter finals to finals in each match and can’t wait to see who steps up. Evans only loss in B1G came from Storley and see them both making it to the finals for a re-match.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]-Evans
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]- Storley
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]- Brown
184 lbs.
1. Ed Ruth, PSU
2. Kevin Steinhaus, MINN
3. Josh Ihnen, NEB
4. John Rizqallah, MSU
5. Ethen Lofthouse, IOWA
6. Tony Dallago, ILL
7. Luke Sheridan, IND
8. Cody Magrum, OSU
184lbs is led by yet another PSU wrestler Ed Ruth. Ruth is 25-0 and in the hunt for the Hodge Trophy. Lofthouse went 4-2 vs B1G opponents with losses to Steinhaus and Rizqallah. Lofhouse will have to shake off being thrown in and out of the lineup this year and step up to place to his seed. Watch for Ruth to score big bonus points.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]- Ruth
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]- Steinhause
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]- Ihnen
197 lbs.
1. Quentin Wright, PSU
2. Scott Schiller, MINN
3. Mario Gonzalez, ILL
4. Andrew Campolattano, OSU
5. Braden Atwood, PUR
6. Nathan Burak, IOWA
7. Jackson Hein, WIS
8. Max Huntley, MICH
9. Alex Polizzi, NU
10. Luke Jones, MSU
11. Caleb Kolb, NEB
197lb’s has a top another PSU wrestler on top go figure. Quentin Wright is 24-0 on the season and always looks to score bonus points. Wright is dangerous for all positions and see him running away with a B1G title. Schiller is just not on his level but will make the finals. Gonzalez might give up a fight but Schiller will prevail. Now for the Iowa Hawkeyes we have an up and down wrestler in Nathan Burak. He went 4-4 in B1G wrestling and is 13-14 overall. Which Burak will show up? We didn’t have a place winner at 197 last year so hopefully that doesn't happen again.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]- Wright
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]- Schiller
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]- Campolattano
285 lbs.
1. Tony Nelson, MINN
2. Mike McMullan, NU
3. Connor Medbery, WIS
4. Bobby Telford, IOWA
5. Mike McClure, MSU
6. Adam Chalfant, IND
7. James Lawson, PSU
8. Ben Apland, MICH
9. Spencer Johnson, NEB
10. Nick Tavanello, OSU
11. Chris Lopez, ILL
12. Alex White, PUR
HWT does have a clear favorite in returning National Champ Tony Nelson. Tony shouldn't have any issue making it to the finals. Who he will face will be up to the boring matches on the bottom side of the bracket. The wrestlers on the bottom side aren't big point scorers so it expect some upsets. Telford has been wrestling better this season going 15-4 and see him pulling out a third place finish and beating some great competition along the way.
Prediction:
1[SUP]st[/SUP]- Nelson
2[SUP]nd[/SUP]- McMullan
3[SUP]rd[/SUP]- Telford
