USAW University and CadetsMay 23, 2013 by Willie Saylor
CP's FILA University Breakdown
CP's FILA University Breakdown
CP's FILA University Breakdown
Christian Pyles, College Analyst
This year’s Universities has a great deal of excitement and momentum coming into this weekend. The very new rules will give this tournament an additional shot to the arm. It’s great enough that the participation and talent level for this tournament is through the roof, but the fact that we will get to see these guys mix it up for two, three minute periods with cumulative scoring is going to yield some great matches and, in my opinion, results that truly determine the best wrestler.
I’ve always followed our Freestyle competition pretty closely, but mostly through a D1 lense, always looking to see how the results there will translate to next years D1 season. This year I’m excited to see a more pure competition and of course seeing which young guys look ready to take D1wrestling by storm next year.
We got a sneak preview of how great the new rules were at the LA match. While there will be some issues that will come to light as human nature is to find a way to exploit rules and find ways to get an edge, there’s no chance they will be as pitiful as the previous ones. So no, I wasn’t a fan of the old rules.
55kg
Contenders:
Thomas Gilman- The Iowa Freshman has some nice momentum coming into this tournament coming off a 1st place finish at FILA JR’s last month. However, the competition for this tournament will be significantly tougher. The new rules should theoretically benefit Gilman as he is a high energy wrestler with a seemingly nice tank. He’s not especially big, and while he likes to push pace, there are times he struggles to get off leg attacks consistently. He’s really solid with his short offense and has good quickness which should help offset some size issues he may come up against. I think his ceiling is somewhat limited due to his stature and lack of offense, but his tenacity and pace will make him a tough out for most guys here.
Zach Sanders- Zach comes in as one of the more seasoned Freestylers entered here. He had a pretty rough US Open, especially when you consider how great an Olympic Trials he had last year and the fact that he was 4th on the FS ladder coming into that tournament. Zach Placed 8th losing to Perelli, Megaludis and Steve Mytych(ouch). It seemed like he might have tweaked his knee wrestling Megaludis when trying do defend the clinch. Sanders style is well suited for Freestyle as he had very few mat offerings in folk. Zach is a high energy, high pace guy who is known for some wild comebacks. The new rules could really benefit his style and I think he is one of the guys to beat in this tournament. His neutral defense has never been amazing(hence all the comebacks he had to storm to). 6 minutes of real scoring opportunities should suit the Golden Gopher graduate well. There is a possibility that Sanders just had a bad tournament at the Open and maybe he should be considered the favorite.
Evan Silver- Silver returns as the 55kg champ from a year ago at this tournament. He’s a particularly skilled Freestyler as his skills have not yet translated into an elite Folkstyler(yet). He holds good position and likes to pick his spots. Though he won this last year, navigating through David White and Jerome Robinson is not going to be comparable to beating a Sanders then Megaludis. I think the challenge is bigger hear, and would be pretty surprised to see him in the top 2 barring some strange seeding.
Nico Megaludis- The Megalion looked really tough at the US Open. I’ve said it before that I think his 2012 tournament has gotten him an unfair reputation as a guy who isn’t offensive and only relies on scrambling and counters to win. I view him as an aggressive wrestler who uses good side to side motion and head pressure to get to his leg attacks. I’m not denying his great defense, however, and I think it is part of why he is starting to have great Freestyle success. I think the new rules will help him by and large. His match with Sanders at the US Open he was the wrestler getting to the legs and attacking more often that not. I think with increased opportunities Megaludis could very well be the guy to beat here. At the US Open he beat the 3(Kjar), 4(Sanders) and 10(Hutter) ranked guys on the Senior Ladder. One win like that in isolation could be explained, but to have three suggests he’s ready to go and a guy to be reckoned with.
Other Notables- Dylan Peters and Pat Rollins. As far as I’m concerned there are really only four guys truly in the mix barring some weird upsets(which I believe are less likely with the new rules).
Predictions: All these are tough without watching some of these guys wrestle with the new rules. Nico has gotten the better of Sanders the last few times including NCAA’s last year and now in Freestyle. It’s possible Sanders was simply off a month ago and the new rules will rejuvenate his Freestyle game. I’m going to wait and see and go with the more proven guy to this point.
1. Nico Megaludis 2. Zach Sanders 3. Evan Silver 4.Thomas Gilman
60 KG
Contenders:
Cory Clark- The other dynamic Hawkeye Freshman is entered at 60 KG for the second
straight tournament. Cory is seemingly the heir apparent to the Hawkeye 125 spot after an almost stunningly good True Freshman campaign beating Jarrod Patterson, Trent Sprenkle, Thomas Gilman and this Jesse Delgado character. Again, in isolation one match may not mean much, but when you beat that much high quality competition, respect. His Fila JR tournament was solid, not spectacular. Beating Earl Hall and Anthony Ashnault were really nice results. Losing to Joey Palmer was a bit of a surprise, though his defeat at the hands of Mark Grey who had a fantastic RS year of his own is nothing to get down about. Clark probably doesn’t have the goods to win this loaded weight but he will be in the mix in most matches. He likes to work from a Russian tie and has a nice single he shoots from space. He has shown to be a bit vulnerable in Par Terre, so with the new Tech Fall rules if a guy gets a gut wrench on him, he’ll have to be more careful or it’ll be over quick.
Jimmy Gulibon- I thought Jimmy looked great all through Fila JR’s. Even his loss to Whitford, I felt he was really getting to the legs very consistently. Has a nice single and high crotch he can work to both sides. Sometimes finishing can be an issue, though I wouldn’t view it as a weakness. He defeated Ashnault, Earl Hall and Zane Richards en route to a 2nd place finish at Fila JR’s, losing narrowly to Ben Whitford who was on an utter tear the entire tournament. One thing to watch for is the potential Beckman v. Gulibon matchup. Beckman has not only beaten Gulibon, he has dominated the series. If those two hit, even though Jimmy seemingly is the better Freestyler with more quality wins, it is possible Beckman just has his number and will send him into the backside. I think with the right draw Jimmy could hit the finals, but I believe this tournament belongs to one guy.
Tyler Graff- This guy. There’s lots of momentum for Tyler coming into this match. He’s always been a tough Freestyler, and coming off his third place finish at the US Open where he beat Logan Stieber(who just beat World #1 Opan Sat). Graff has great short offense and a beautiful single leg he finishes well. Tyler’s style may have been better suited with the old rules given his possible gas tank issues. However, with a day before weigh-in, I’m not as concerned about his tank(I also think his conditioning issues have been a bit over-stated). He’s the man to beat here, and someone will have to dig deep and score some serious points to keep Tyler off the top of the podium.
Mark Grey- Grey had a really solid redshirt season for the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club(Cornell’s club team) as well as a nice showing at FILA JR’s. He beat Palmer and Cory Clark and lost to Zane Richards and Ben Whitford. His redshirt season was full of successes beating Ryan Mango and Mason Beckman among others. I’m not sure he has the goods to make the finals, but he’s a tough kid with great mat awareness and solid leg attacks.
Other Notables- Caleb Richardson had a nice JR WTT’s last year at 55kg beating Thomas Gilman. Mason Beckman has tremendous offense though his Freestyle inexperience could prove to be a hang up. The new rules could really benefit Mason. Cashe Quiroga, Shelton Mack, Josh Martinez, Joe Colon and Jade Rauser are all tough contenders in the loaded field at 60kg.
Predictions: This is Graff's to lose, beyond that there’s a lot of different combinations of finishes that wouldn’t surprise me.
1. Tyler Graff 2. Jimmy Gulibon 3. Mark Grey 4. Cory Clark
63KG
This non-Olympic weight is pretty barren. Not too much to get into, so I won’t pretend to know a lot about the different guys here. John Meeks(ISU), Joey Ward(UNC, 2nd in FILA JRs at this weight) and Same Sherlock(Clarion) are the guys I recognize as well as VA’s own Ethan Owens. Have to figure Ward is the favorite here, but I won’t pretend to be intimately aware of these guys particular strengths/weaknesses.
66KG
Contenders:
James Green- Very interested to see James both wrestling Freestyle and wrestling Freestyle with the new rules. His double leg is close to unstoppable, and without having to worry about mat wrestling(particularly bottom) I think James could be a real handful for anybody here. Lasting the entire match has been an issue for James at times, which makes me wonder if he will be able to maintain for the entire 6 minutes. I’m also curious to see his Par Terre defense if he does get taken down. If he’s not particularly adept at defending it could make things tough for James.
Jason Chamberlain- The Bronco has been a monster on the Freestyle scene for some time now. He’s got some wins over some high caliber guys and has been on World Teams in the past. I think the old rules better suited Chamberlain, who is great at holding position, defending and picking his spots offensively. With the new rules I believe the more offensive guys will benefit and Chamberlain may find himself just a few points short. My initial gut after a cursory glance at the entries was that Chamberlain was the guy to beat, but the more I’ve thought, the more I’m not so sure that’s the case. This could be over-thinking on my part. Chamberlain is the returning champ at this weight, but as was the case with Evan Silver, the competition is significantly tougher this time around.
Nick Dardanes- Nick comes in as the returning runner-up from a year ago at this weight. Nick is coming off a nice college season where he attained All American honors. Nick is much the same guy he’s been- a tough handfighter, good at holding position and prefers to shoot a double leg. I think he’s a notch below the best guys here but he’s a skilled Freestyler. If he can find a way to fire of more shots than he’s known for he could potentially find himself with a high finish once again.
Josh Kindig- Josh was someone who I thought desperately needed a redshirt season and he got one. He got to grow a bit and has had some nice results. Josh has always been a tough Freestyler and made the Junior World Team in 2011, placing 5th. He has great mat awareness and loves to fire off his left side High Crotch. He’s quick and scrambles well in Freestyle situations. He lost a tight one to Chamberlain at the US Open as well as a fairly lopsided result to Dylan Alton. I’m not sure he has the goods to take this one home, but I see him with a nice finish here.
Kevin Levalley- The Bucknell All American may surprise you this tournament. While his Freestyle results lately have not been amazing, he has notched some very solid wins over the following guys- Devin Carter, Chase Pami, Kyle Ruschell and Kellen Russell. Anyone with wins over guys of that caliber(oh yeah he also is the last person to beat Kyle Dake in Folkstyle) is a factor and can clearly hang with the best this weight has to offer.
Other Notables- All Americans Evan Henderson(UNC) and Mike Nevinger(Cornell) both look to test their Freestyle skills. These two are nasty top wrestlers, so it will be interesting to see how they adapt their game to succeed in Freestyle. Josh Dziewa(Iowa) Chris Villalonga(Cornell), Chris Mecate(ODU) and Quinton Murphy(Clarion) are all other interesting entries in this tough field.
Predictions:
1. Jason Chamberlain 2. James Green 3. Josh Kindig 4. Kevin Levalley
70 KG:
This non Olympic weight is similar to 63 in that it isn’t not exactly talent-laden. Joey Napoli(Lehigh), Tyler Nauman(Pitt) and Kevin Tao(American) looked to be the biggest threats for a title as well as Brad Dolezal(Minny) and Thomas Gantt(NC State).
74 KG-
Contenders:
Kyle Dake- He is preregistered to wrestle this tournament, so I will operate under the assumption that he is competing. Kid Dynamite continues to win and win and win. He recently prevented the shut out against the Iranian team at the Beat the Streets event in NYC. Though he required two clinches to earn the victory(one defensively) it was still a fine result against a tough Iranian. I am unsure whether the new rules will be beneficial or not for Kyle, but regardless he is the favorite at this weight. Offensively he picks his spots at times but when he shoots, he scores. His defense is truly world class. I haven’t picked against Dake since November, and won’t start now. If the Kid is here, he wins.
David Taylor- DT has really been quite active in the Freestyle scene this Spring and based on interviews I’ve heard we should expect to see him at quite a few more tournaments. The Magic Man had a phenomenal showing at the US Open placing 2nd to Jordan Burroughs(whoever that is). In this tournament he had a great victory over the stingy Nick Marable. DT was able to score consistently against Nick, which was , at that point, his best Freestyle victory to date. Taylor is seemingly looking more comfortable as he continues to adapt his game from folk to free. Last year at the Olympic Trials he seemed a bit tentative and reserved. He has appeared to be more comfortable and willing to mix it up with guys. The new rules should benefit his offensive mentality and I see him being relatively unchallenged outside of Dake. So if Dake doesn’t come. DT wins with ease.
Derek St. John- Some question in my mind as to how well DSJ’s style will translate with these new rules. He’s never been a guy who piles up the points and he relies fairly heavily on his scrambling ability. He does have a very nice sweep that he uses and can typically finish without much issue. I am curious if he will be able to simply pick his spots and only score a few times and expect to be successful. DSJ has a good Freestyle background as a Fargo champ, but a recent loss to Vlad Dombrousky(a fine wrestler) makes me wonder if DSJ can be in the top 3 or if he will struggle against the more offensive wrestlers. DSJ does have a Freestyle win over Taylor, yet that does little to change my mind about his spot in the pecking order.
Ian Miller- The Kent State wrestler is coming off a redshirt season with some mixed results. Last year during Freestyle Miller won the University title at 70kg. He’s a wide open wrestler with some great throws that could really prove useful. Win or lose you’ll find yourself entertained by Ian Miller’s style.
Other Notables- All American Mike Moreno(ISU) and RJ Pena(Oregon State) add some serious depth to this weight. James Vollrath(PSU), Taylor Walsh(Indiana) and Stephen Monk(NDSU) are additional talented wrestlers who will compete for a top finish.
Predictions: (I’ll go top 5 if Dake doesn’t compete just bump everyone up a spot)
1. Kyle Dake 2. David Taylor 3. Derek St. John 4. Ian Miller 5. Mike Moreno
79KG: Most of the non Olympic weights will not produce too much drama. However, this one is certainly an exception.
Contenders:
Matt Brown- The Nittany Lion wrestler is coming off a phenomenal Folkstyle season where he finished 2nd to Oklahoma State’s Chris Perry. Brown took his lumps early but avenged quite a few losses towards the end of the season. He avenged a prior loss to Logan Storley to make the finals. Brown doesn’t seem to have much Freestyle experience, however, I think his style will transition fairly seamlessly to the international style. Matt loves to beat on the head and when he fires off shots, he has shown the ability to finish quickly and efficiently. A necessary skill for Freestyle. Despite his Freestyle novice, I would be surprised to see him outside of the top 3.
Logan Storley- For much of the year, Logan Storley was my pick to win the NCAA title at 174. He was battle tested and had beaten virtually every relevant wrestler at 174. He faltered towards the end of the year but I still believe he was one of the best guys all year. He has a solid Freestyle resume at both Fargo and the FILA JR level. He picks his spots and does well with wrestlers who like to push as he uses their forward pressure well to hit his slide by’s. Logan has great mat awareness as well which is especially helpful in Freestyle.
Andrew Howe- I’m a big fan of Andrew Howe. I believe he is not only elite on a national level, but I believe he is World class. The last two years in Freestyle Howe is one of the few people on Earth who has given Jordan Burroughs “problems.” The term “problems” is very relative considering JB is yet to lose on the Senior level. However, his pace, short offense, leg attacks and fantastic defense lead me to think he is going to run through this weight. I hope very strongly that Andrew is 100% healthy and that these injuries are going to be a part of his story for the remainder of his career. His last Folkstyle season we saw Andrew suffer an apparently badly injured Hamstring which many felt he was going to miss the remainder of the season for(including his coach). However, he came back. While he wasn’t quite himself, losing to Tyler Caldwell and placing third, he represented himself well. He looked better later on in Freestyle and really gave Burroughs some tough matches in their matches at the World Team Trials and Olympic Trials where, once again, Howe became injured. This time it was a knee injury. To my knowledge Howe has not competed since that. So this will be a trial run for Andrew. Here’s hoping he’s back and ready to push our already loaded 74 kg wrestlers.
Other Notables- Anthony Jones(MSU), Tanner Weatherman(ISU), Duke Pickett(Cornell), Patrick Martinez(California) and Cody Caldwell(UNI) round out a very tough field for a non-Olympic weight.
Predictions:
1. Andrew Howe 2. Logan Storley 3. Matt Brown
84KG
Contenders:
Cayle Byers- The Oklahoma State graduate(and Alaskan) looks to test his Freestyle skills against a very tough field. Cayle is a gifted wrestler who will bring a lot of power for an 84kg wrestler. He uses his length well and is able to get to the ankle as well as a nice single. At times finishing was more of a concern than his ability to get to the leg, so I’m interested to see how well he does transitioning to Freestyle. The last time I watched Cayle wrestle he was finishing 3rd at the 2012 NCAA tournament at 197.
Cam Simaz- The Big Red National champion continues to work the Freestyle scene. At the US Open Cam lost to Mike Pucillo and Enock Francois. Cam has a big motor and is always looking to score. Even though he was a successful 197, he’s not a particularly big or strong 184. He uses his speed and slickness to score some points. He has the ability to turn and expose guys and with the new Freestyle rules I believe he is a real wild card to take this weight. I’m interested to see how his style will translate with these new rules and don’t be surprised to see him ankle picking guys to a high finish.
Ed Ruth- The last two years I thought Ed would fare a little better in Freestyle than he has. I expected some difficulties at the Olympic Trials last year coming recently off of his Folkstyle season. This year, I thought he may push for the US Open title considering it was missing Herbert and some other heavy hitters. Maybe my expectations were inappropriate, but I expected him to defeat Clayton Foster, but he lost to both he and Jon Reader. Both fine wrestlers with significantly more Freestyle experience. I view Ed as such an offensive phenom, I’m truly surprised when he cannot outscore guys. He was able to manage wins against Enock Francois and Austin Trotman who are both fine Freestylers. I think the new rules will help Ed loosen up and let it fly once more. Much has been written about Ed but his ability to get to legs and finish seem to make him such a threat in Freestyle. I think he’s the favorite to win this weight. Anybody think he can lock up a cradle from Par Terre?
Vic Avery- Avery comes in off of a 1st place finish at FILA JR’s. The Edinboro Freshman will have his hands full against this University field. I view Vic as probably being a notch behind the best guys, but he will prove to be a tough out as he can be difficult to score on.
Other mentionables- Alex Meyer(Iowa), Blake Stauffer(ASU), Kris Klapprodt(Iowa) and Wes Phipps(PSU) round out a tough field at 84kg. I wouldn’t be shocked to see one of these guys possibly jump into the top 4.
Predictions:
1. Ed Ruth 2. Cam Simaz 3. Cayle Byers 4. Vic Avery
96 KG
Contenders:
Dustin Kilgore- The Killer is back looking to defend his University Title from a year ago. Kilgore looks to be the heavy favorite at this weight. His pace, relentless attack and phenomenal strength make him a difficult out for the best of our Senior level athletes. At the University level, I think Dustin might be unmatched here. I can’t wait to see him wrestle for 6 minutes of cumulative scoring. I think it could really benefit his style. He’s the type of wrestler who will give up the TD from time to time in the name of being offensive(A la Logan Stieber). Giving up a TD will be much less of an issue with the new cumulative scoring and this is just further evidence that this is Killer’s tournament to lose.
Taylor Meeks- Coming off a strong NCAA season I think Meeks should be in the mix here. He is not the most active Freestyler, but his pedigree and talent are top notch. He actually gave the aforementioned Kilgore a real test in the NCAA semis. I think his inexperience could cost him here. He brings good physical strength and size to this weight. I think Taylor will be in the mix for a relatively high finish.
Travis Rutt- Rutt has spent the last year in Oklahoma, and the year before that training Greco on an Olympic Redshirt. Rutt brings lots of upper body tools and great physical strength. However, most of his competition was at 184, or 84kg. I am interested to see how well he stacks up size wise at 211. I think his international experience will serve him well and he could be among the guys to beat at this weight. Oklahoma Coach Mark Cody is not a fan of his wrestlers cutting much weight, which leads me to believe Rutt could be on his way up to 197 the next collegiate season. This could be a nice sneak peak of how ready Rutt might be for that jump up.
Nathan Burak- Iowa fans saw great development from their True Freshman 197 this year. He lost some weird matches to guys you wouldn’t expect, but by the end of the year he was competitive with some of the best guys in the country. Burak spent his first year post-high school at the OTC so he is a very experienced Freestyler. He loves to wrestle from a Russian tie and his biggest issue the collegiate season is finishing leg attacks. It was an area of improvement this season, and I believe between his improvements, and the fact he can get push outs instead of finishing he will be ready to compete with some of the best 96s here.
Other Notables- Willie Miklus(Missouri), Derrick Borlie(VT), Blaize Cabell(UNI) and Tucker Lane(Nebraska) round out a relatively solid field.
Predictions:
1. Dustin Kilgore 2. Travis Rutt 3. Taylor Meeks 4. Nathan Burak
120KG
Contenders:
Austin Marsden- Marsden is coming off a very successful Freestyle season last year which culminated with a spot on the Junior World team. Marsden is a skilled Freestyler who moves well for his size. He will be well tested coming into this tournament given the high level of skill and talent throughout this weight. He’s been in a great training situation at Oklahoma State and should be ready not only for this tournament, but the upcoming College season.
Tony Nelson- Tony is coming off his 2nd NCAA title at the heavyweight class. Tony is a physical specimen who brings a number of necessary physical skills to the Freestyle game. He’s extremely difficult to score on, and while he is not particularly offensive, he is very adept at capitalizing of errant shots and mistakes by his opponent. I believe he might be the odds on favorite to win this weight, though there is one guy I think could potentially present problems
Tyrell Fortune- Fortune wowed many spectators at this year’s US Open. The high-flying Fortune made a habit of throwing his opponents should they choose to go upper body with him(not recommended). Tyrell’s big point scoring ability makes him a potential match up problem for most of his opponents. The question is if he will be able to match the physical strength of a guy like Nelson. Considering Fortune was able to beat Zach Rey(who is quite the physical specimen himself) I think he could potentially be up to the task. Fortune split with Rey at the US Open.
Nick Gwiazdowski- The NC State Redshirt is coming off of a nice showing at the US Open. Gwiaz looks poised for another AA finish at next year’s NCAA’s under the tutelage of Coach Popolizio. Nick is an extremely athletic heavyweight who has the goods to score on the best. He is strong, but not the biggest heavy, which can be problematic against the stronger guys(I.E. Nelson). He was able to notch wins over Riley Orozco and Jeremy Johnson at the Open, losing only to Dom Bradley and Tyrell Fortune.
Other Notables- Honestly some of these guys probably belong in the contenders section. This weight has tons of talent- Connor Medbery, Justin Grant, Spencer Myers and Jeremy Johnson all bring a combination of success and skill at both the Freestyle and Folkstyle level. Especially Medbery.
Predictions:
1. Tony Nelson 2. Tyrell Fortune 3. Austin Marsden 4. Nick Gwiazdowski
Thanks for reading. Enjoy the wrestling, the new rules and the large number of studs we have competing! And don't forget that you can check all the action LIVE here on Flowrestling!
Christian Pyles, College Analyst
This year’s Universities has a great deal of excitement and momentum coming into this weekend. The very new rules will give this tournament an additional shot to the arm. It’s great enough that the participation and talent level for this tournament is through the roof, but the fact that we will get to see these guys mix it up for two, three minute periods with cumulative scoring is going to yield some great matches and, in my opinion, results that truly determine the best wrestler.
I’ve always followed our Freestyle competition pretty closely, but mostly through a D1 lense, always looking to see how the results there will translate to next years D1 season. This year I’m excited to see a more pure competition and of course seeing which young guys look ready to take D1wrestling by storm next year.
We got a sneak preview of how great the new rules were at the LA match. While there will be some issues that will come to light as human nature is to find a way to exploit rules and find ways to get an edge, there’s no chance they will be as pitiful as the previous ones. So no, I wasn’t a fan of the old rules.
55kg
Contenders:
Thomas Gilman- The Iowa Freshman has some nice momentum coming into this tournament coming off a 1st place finish at FILA JR’s last month. However, the competition for this tournament will be significantly tougher. The new rules should theoretically benefit Gilman as he is a high energy wrestler with a seemingly nice tank. He’s not especially big, and while he likes to push pace, there are times he struggles to get off leg attacks consistently. He’s really solid with his short offense and has good quickness which should help offset some size issues he may come up against. I think his ceiling is somewhat limited due to his stature and lack of offense, but his tenacity and pace will make him a tough out for most guys here.
Zach Sanders- Zach comes in as one of the more seasoned Freestylers entered here. He had a pretty rough US Open, especially when you consider how great an Olympic Trials he had last year and the fact that he was 4th on the FS ladder coming into that tournament. Zach Placed 8th losing to Perelli, Megaludis and Steve Mytych(ouch). It seemed like he might have tweaked his knee wrestling Megaludis when trying do defend the clinch. Sanders style is well suited for Freestyle as he had very few mat offerings in folk. Zach is a high energy, high pace guy who is known for some wild comebacks. The new rules could really benefit his style and I think he is one of the guys to beat in this tournament. His neutral defense has never been amazing(hence all the comebacks he had to storm to). 6 minutes of real scoring opportunities should suit the Golden Gopher graduate well. There is a possibility that Sanders just had a bad tournament at the Open and maybe he should be considered the favorite.
Evan Silver- Silver returns as the 55kg champ from a year ago at this tournament. He’s a particularly skilled Freestyler as his skills have not yet translated into an elite Folkstyler(yet). He holds good position and likes to pick his spots. Though he won this last year, navigating through David White and Jerome Robinson is not going to be comparable to beating a Sanders then Megaludis. I think the challenge is bigger hear, and would be pretty surprised to see him in the top 2 barring some strange seeding.
Nico Megaludis- The Megalion looked really tough at the US Open. I’ve said it before that I think his 2012 tournament has gotten him an unfair reputation as a guy who isn’t offensive and only relies on scrambling and counters to win. I view him as an aggressive wrestler who uses good side to side motion and head pressure to get to his leg attacks. I’m not denying his great defense, however, and I think it is part of why he is starting to have great Freestyle success. I think the new rules will help him by and large. His match with Sanders at the US Open he was the wrestler getting to the legs and attacking more often that not. I think with increased opportunities Megaludis could very well be the guy to beat here. At the US Open he beat the 3(Kjar), 4(Sanders) and 10(Hutter) ranked guys on the Senior Ladder. One win like that in isolation could be explained, but to have three suggests he’s ready to go and a guy to be reckoned with.
Other Notables- Dylan Peters and Pat Rollins. As far as I’m concerned there are really only four guys truly in the mix barring some weird upsets(which I believe are less likely with the new rules).
Predictions: All these are tough without watching some of these guys wrestle with the new rules. Nico has gotten the better of Sanders the last few times including NCAA’s last year and now in Freestyle. It’s possible Sanders was simply off a month ago and the new rules will rejuvenate his Freestyle game. I’m going to wait and see and go with the more proven guy to this point.
1. Nico Megaludis 2. Zach Sanders 3. Evan Silver 4.Thomas Gilman
60 KG
Contenders:
Cory Clark- The other dynamic Hawkeye Freshman is entered at 60 KG for the second
straight tournament. Cory is seemingly the heir apparent to the Hawkeye 125 spot after an almost stunningly good True Freshman campaign beating Jarrod Patterson, Trent Sprenkle, Thomas Gilman and this Jesse Delgado character. Again, in isolation one match may not mean much, but when you beat that much high quality competition, respect. His Fila JR tournament was solid, not spectacular. Beating Earl Hall and Anthony Ashnault were really nice results. Losing to Joey Palmer was a bit of a surprise, though his defeat at the hands of Mark Grey who had a fantastic RS year of his own is nothing to get down about. Clark probably doesn’t have the goods to win this loaded weight but he will be in the mix in most matches. He likes to work from a Russian tie and has a nice single he shoots from space. He has shown to be a bit vulnerable in Par Terre, so with the new Tech Fall rules if a guy gets a gut wrench on him, he’ll have to be more careful or it’ll be over quick.
Jimmy Gulibon- I thought Jimmy looked great all through Fila JR’s. Even his loss to Whitford, I felt he was really getting to the legs very consistently. Has a nice single and high crotch he can work to both sides. Sometimes finishing can be an issue, though I wouldn’t view it as a weakness. He defeated Ashnault, Earl Hall and Zane Richards en route to a 2nd place finish at Fila JR’s, losing narrowly to Ben Whitford who was on an utter tear the entire tournament. One thing to watch for is the potential Beckman v. Gulibon matchup. Beckman has not only beaten Gulibon, he has dominated the series. If those two hit, even though Jimmy seemingly is the better Freestyler with more quality wins, it is possible Beckman just has his number and will send him into the backside. I think with the right draw Jimmy could hit the finals, but I believe this tournament belongs to one guy.
Tyler Graff- This guy. There’s lots of momentum for Tyler coming into this match. He’s always been a tough Freestyler, and coming off his third place finish at the US Open where he beat Logan Stieber(who just beat World #1 Opan Sat). Graff has great short offense and a beautiful single leg he finishes well. Tyler’s style may have been better suited with the old rules given his possible gas tank issues. However, with a day before weigh-in, I’m not as concerned about his tank(I also think his conditioning issues have been a bit over-stated). He’s the man to beat here, and someone will have to dig deep and score some serious points to keep Tyler off the top of the podium.
Mark Grey- Grey had a really solid redshirt season for the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club(Cornell’s club team) as well as a nice showing at FILA JR’s. He beat Palmer and Cory Clark and lost to Zane Richards and Ben Whitford. His redshirt season was full of successes beating Ryan Mango and Mason Beckman among others. I’m not sure he has the goods to make the finals, but he’s a tough kid with great mat awareness and solid leg attacks.
Other Notables- Caleb Richardson had a nice JR WTT’s last year at 55kg beating Thomas Gilman. Mason Beckman has tremendous offense though his Freestyle inexperience could prove to be a hang up. The new rules could really benefit Mason. Cashe Quiroga, Shelton Mack, Josh Martinez, Joe Colon and Jade Rauser are all tough contenders in the loaded field at 60kg.
Predictions: This is Graff's to lose, beyond that there’s a lot of different combinations of finishes that wouldn’t surprise me.
1. Tyler Graff 2. Jimmy Gulibon 3. Mark Grey 4. Cory Clark
63KG
This non-Olympic weight is pretty barren. Not too much to get into, so I won’t pretend to know a lot about the different guys here. John Meeks(ISU), Joey Ward(UNC, 2nd in FILA JRs at this weight) and Same Sherlock(Clarion) are the guys I recognize as well as VA’s own Ethan Owens. Have to figure Ward is the favorite here, but I won’t pretend to be intimately aware of these guys particular strengths/weaknesses.
66KG
Contenders:
James Green- Very interested to see James both wrestling Freestyle and wrestling Freestyle with the new rules. His double leg is close to unstoppable, and without having to worry about mat wrestling(particularly bottom) I think James could be a real handful for anybody here. Lasting the entire match has been an issue for James at times, which makes me wonder if he will be able to maintain for the entire 6 minutes. I’m also curious to see his Par Terre defense if he does get taken down. If he’s not particularly adept at defending it could make things tough for James.
Jason Chamberlain- The Bronco has been a monster on the Freestyle scene for some time now. He’s got some wins over some high caliber guys and has been on World Teams in the past. I think the old rules better suited Chamberlain, who is great at holding position, defending and picking his spots offensively. With the new rules I believe the more offensive guys will benefit and Chamberlain may find himself just a few points short. My initial gut after a cursory glance at the entries was that Chamberlain was the guy to beat, but the more I’ve thought, the more I’m not so sure that’s the case. This could be over-thinking on my part. Chamberlain is the returning champ at this weight, but as was the case with Evan Silver, the competition is significantly tougher this time around.
Nick Dardanes- Nick comes in as the returning runner-up from a year ago at this weight. Nick is coming off a nice college season where he attained All American honors. Nick is much the same guy he’s been- a tough handfighter, good at holding position and prefers to shoot a double leg. I think he’s a notch below the best guys here but he’s a skilled Freestyler. If he can find a way to fire of more shots than he’s known for he could potentially find himself with a high finish once again.
Josh Kindig- Josh was someone who I thought desperately needed a redshirt season and he got one. He got to grow a bit and has had some nice results. Josh has always been a tough Freestyler and made the Junior World Team in 2011, placing 5th. He has great mat awareness and loves to fire off his left side High Crotch. He’s quick and scrambles well in Freestyle situations. He lost a tight one to Chamberlain at the US Open as well as a fairly lopsided result to Dylan Alton. I’m not sure he has the goods to take this one home, but I see him with a nice finish here.
Kevin Levalley- The Bucknell All American may surprise you this tournament. While his Freestyle results lately have not been amazing, he has notched some very solid wins over the following guys- Devin Carter, Chase Pami, Kyle Ruschell and Kellen Russell. Anyone with wins over guys of that caliber(oh yeah he also is the last person to beat Kyle Dake in Folkstyle) is a factor and can clearly hang with the best this weight has to offer.
Other Notables- All Americans Evan Henderson(UNC) and Mike Nevinger(Cornell) both look to test their Freestyle skills. These two are nasty top wrestlers, so it will be interesting to see how they adapt their game to succeed in Freestyle. Josh Dziewa(Iowa) Chris Villalonga(Cornell), Chris Mecate(ODU) and Quinton Murphy(Clarion) are all other interesting entries in this tough field.
Predictions:
1. Jason Chamberlain 2. James Green 3. Josh Kindig 4. Kevin Levalley
70 KG:
This non Olympic weight is similar to 63 in that it isn’t not exactly talent-laden. Joey Napoli(Lehigh), Tyler Nauman(Pitt) and Kevin Tao(American) looked to be the biggest threats for a title as well as Brad Dolezal(Minny) and Thomas Gantt(NC State).
74 KG-
Contenders:
Kyle Dake- He is preregistered to wrestle this tournament, so I will operate under the assumption that he is competing. Kid Dynamite continues to win and win and win. He recently prevented the shut out against the Iranian team at the Beat the Streets event in NYC. Though he required two clinches to earn the victory(one defensively) it was still a fine result against a tough Iranian. I am unsure whether the new rules will be beneficial or not for Kyle, but regardless he is the favorite at this weight. Offensively he picks his spots at times but when he shoots, he scores. His defense is truly world class. I haven’t picked against Dake since November, and won’t start now. If the Kid is here, he wins.
David Taylor- DT has really been quite active in the Freestyle scene this Spring and based on interviews I’ve heard we should expect to see him at quite a few more tournaments. The Magic Man had a phenomenal showing at the US Open placing 2nd to Jordan Burroughs(whoever that is). In this tournament he had a great victory over the stingy Nick Marable. DT was able to score consistently against Nick, which was , at that point, his best Freestyle victory to date. Taylor is seemingly looking more comfortable as he continues to adapt his game from folk to free. Last year at the Olympic Trials he seemed a bit tentative and reserved. He has appeared to be more comfortable and willing to mix it up with guys. The new rules should benefit his offensive mentality and I see him being relatively unchallenged outside of Dake. So if Dake doesn’t come. DT wins with ease.
Derek St. John- Some question in my mind as to how well DSJ’s style will translate with these new rules. He’s never been a guy who piles up the points and he relies fairly heavily on his scrambling ability. He does have a very nice sweep that he uses and can typically finish without much issue. I am curious if he will be able to simply pick his spots and only score a few times and expect to be successful. DSJ has a good Freestyle background as a Fargo champ, but a recent loss to Vlad Dombrousky(a fine wrestler) makes me wonder if DSJ can be in the top 3 or if he will struggle against the more offensive wrestlers. DSJ does have a Freestyle win over Taylor, yet that does little to change my mind about his spot in the pecking order.
Ian Miller- The Kent State wrestler is coming off a redshirt season with some mixed results. Last year during Freestyle Miller won the University title at 70kg. He’s a wide open wrestler with some great throws that could really prove useful. Win or lose you’ll find yourself entertained by Ian Miller’s style.
Other Notables- All American Mike Moreno(ISU) and RJ Pena(Oregon State) add some serious depth to this weight. James Vollrath(PSU), Taylor Walsh(Indiana) and Stephen Monk(NDSU) are additional talented wrestlers who will compete for a top finish.
Predictions: (I’ll go top 5 if Dake doesn’t compete just bump everyone up a spot)
1. Kyle Dake 2. David Taylor 3. Derek St. John 4. Ian Miller 5. Mike Moreno
79KG: Most of the non Olympic weights will not produce too much drama. However, this one is certainly an exception.
Contenders:
Matt Brown- The Nittany Lion wrestler is coming off a phenomenal Folkstyle season where he finished 2nd to Oklahoma State’s Chris Perry. Brown took his lumps early but avenged quite a few losses towards the end of the season. He avenged a prior loss to Logan Storley to make the finals. Brown doesn’t seem to have much Freestyle experience, however, I think his style will transition fairly seamlessly to the international style. Matt loves to beat on the head and when he fires off shots, he has shown the ability to finish quickly and efficiently. A necessary skill for Freestyle. Despite his Freestyle novice, I would be surprised to see him outside of the top 3.
Logan Storley- For much of the year, Logan Storley was my pick to win the NCAA title at 174. He was battle tested and had beaten virtually every relevant wrestler at 174. He faltered towards the end of the year but I still believe he was one of the best guys all year. He has a solid Freestyle resume at both Fargo and the FILA JR level. He picks his spots and does well with wrestlers who like to push as he uses their forward pressure well to hit his slide by’s. Logan has great mat awareness as well which is especially helpful in Freestyle.
Andrew Howe- I’m a big fan of Andrew Howe. I believe he is not only elite on a national level, but I believe he is World class. The last two years in Freestyle Howe is one of the few people on Earth who has given Jordan Burroughs “problems.” The term “problems” is very relative considering JB is yet to lose on the Senior level. However, his pace, short offense, leg attacks and fantastic defense lead me to think he is going to run through this weight. I hope very strongly that Andrew is 100% healthy and that these injuries are going to be a part of his story for the remainder of his career. His last Folkstyle season we saw Andrew suffer an apparently badly injured Hamstring which many felt he was going to miss the remainder of the season for(including his coach). However, he came back. While he wasn’t quite himself, losing to Tyler Caldwell and placing third, he represented himself well. He looked better later on in Freestyle and really gave Burroughs some tough matches in their matches at the World Team Trials and Olympic Trials where, once again, Howe became injured. This time it was a knee injury. To my knowledge Howe has not competed since that. So this will be a trial run for Andrew. Here’s hoping he’s back and ready to push our already loaded 74 kg wrestlers.
Other Notables- Anthony Jones(MSU), Tanner Weatherman(ISU), Duke Pickett(Cornell), Patrick Martinez(California) and Cody Caldwell(UNI) round out a very tough field for a non-Olympic weight.
Predictions:
1. Andrew Howe 2. Logan Storley 3. Matt Brown
84KG
Contenders:
Cayle Byers- The Oklahoma State graduate(and Alaskan) looks to test his Freestyle skills against a very tough field. Cayle is a gifted wrestler who will bring a lot of power for an 84kg wrestler. He uses his length well and is able to get to the ankle as well as a nice single. At times finishing was more of a concern than his ability to get to the leg, so I’m interested to see how well he does transitioning to Freestyle. The last time I watched Cayle wrestle he was finishing 3rd at the 2012 NCAA tournament at 197.
Cam Simaz- The Big Red National champion continues to work the Freestyle scene. At the US Open Cam lost to Mike Pucillo and Enock Francois. Cam has a big motor and is always looking to score. Even though he was a successful 197, he’s not a particularly big or strong 184. He uses his speed and slickness to score some points. He has the ability to turn and expose guys and with the new Freestyle rules I believe he is a real wild card to take this weight. I’m interested to see how his style will translate with these new rules and don’t be surprised to see him ankle picking guys to a high finish.
Ed Ruth- The last two years I thought Ed would fare a little better in Freestyle than he has. I expected some difficulties at the Olympic Trials last year coming recently off of his Folkstyle season. This year, I thought he may push for the US Open title considering it was missing Herbert and some other heavy hitters. Maybe my expectations were inappropriate, but I expected him to defeat Clayton Foster, but he lost to both he and Jon Reader. Both fine wrestlers with significantly more Freestyle experience. I view Ed as such an offensive phenom, I’m truly surprised when he cannot outscore guys. He was able to manage wins against Enock Francois and Austin Trotman who are both fine Freestylers. I think the new rules will help Ed loosen up and let it fly once more. Much has been written about Ed but his ability to get to legs and finish seem to make him such a threat in Freestyle. I think he’s the favorite to win this weight. Anybody think he can lock up a cradle from Par Terre?
Vic Avery- Avery comes in off of a 1st place finish at FILA JR’s. The Edinboro Freshman will have his hands full against this University field. I view Vic as probably being a notch behind the best guys, but he will prove to be a tough out as he can be difficult to score on.
Other mentionables- Alex Meyer(Iowa), Blake Stauffer(ASU), Kris Klapprodt(Iowa) and Wes Phipps(PSU) round out a tough field at 84kg. I wouldn’t be shocked to see one of these guys possibly jump into the top 4.
Predictions:
1. Ed Ruth 2. Cam Simaz 3. Cayle Byers 4. Vic Avery
96 KG
Contenders:
Dustin Kilgore- The Killer is back looking to defend his University Title from a year ago. Kilgore looks to be the heavy favorite at this weight. His pace, relentless attack and phenomenal strength make him a difficult out for the best of our Senior level athletes. At the University level, I think Dustin might be unmatched here. I can’t wait to see him wrestle for 6 minutes of cumulative scoring. I think it could really benefit his style. He’s the type of wrestler who will give up the TD from time to time in the name of being offensive(A la Logan Stieber). Giving up a TD will be much less of an issue with the new cumulative scoring and this is just further evidence that this is Killer’s tournament to lose.
Taylor Meeks- Coming off a strong NCAA season I think Meeks should be in the mix here. He is not the most active Freestyler, but his pedigree and talent are top notch. He actually gave the aforementioned Kilgore a real test in the NCAA semis. I think his inexperience could cost him here. He brings good physical strength and size to this weight. I think Taylor will be in the mix for a relatively high finish.
Travis Rutt- Rutt has spent the last year in Oklahoma, and the year before that training Greco on an Olympic Redshirt. Rutt brings lots of upper body tools and great physical strength. However, most of his competition was at 184, or 84kg. I am interested to see how well he stacks up size wise at 211. I think his international experience will serve him well and he could be among the guys to beat at this weight. Oklahoma Coach Mark Cody is not a fan of his wrestlers cutting much weight, which leads me to believe Rutt could be on his way up to 197 the next collegiate season. This could be a nice sneak peak of how ready Rutt might be for that jump up.
Nathan Burak- Iowa fans saw great development from their True Freshman 197 this year. He lost some weird matches to guys you wouldn’t expect, but by the end of the year he was competitive with some of the best guys in the country. Burak spent his first year post-high school at the OTC so he is a very experienced Freestyler. He loves to wrestle from a Russian tie and his biggest issue the collegiate season is finishing leg attacks. It was an area of improvement this season, and I believe between his improvements, and the fact he can get push outs instead of finishing he will be ready to compete with some of the best 96s here.
Other Notables- Willie Miklus(Missouri), Derrick Borlie(VT), Blaize Cabell(UNI) and Tucker Lane(Nebraska) round out a relatively solid field.
Predictions:
1. Dustin Kilgore 2. Travis Rutt 3. Taylor Meeks 4. Nathan Burak
120KG
Contenders:
Austin Marsden- Marsden is coming off a very successful Freestyle season last year which culminated with a spot on the Junior World team. Marsden is a skilled Freestyler who moves well for his size. He will be well tested coming into this tournament given the high level of skill and talent throughout this weight. He’s been in a great training situation at Oklahoma State and should be ready not only for this tournament, but the upcoming College season.
Tony Nelson- Tony is coming off his 2nd NCAA title at the heavyweight class. Tony is a physical specimen who brings a number of necessary physical skills to the Freestyle game. He’s extremely difficult to score on, and while he is not particularly offensive, he is very adept at capitalizing of errant shots and mistakes by his opponent. I believe he might be the odds on favorite to win this weight, though there is one guy I think could potentially present problems
Tyrell Fortune- Fortune wowed many spectators at this year’s US Open. The high-flying Fortune made a habit of throwing his opponents should they choose to go upper body with him(not recommended). Tyrell’s big point scoring ability makes him a potential match up problem for most of his opponents. The question is if he will be able to match the physical strength of a guy like Nelson. Considering Fortune was able to beat Zach Rey(who is quite the physical specimen himself) I think he could potentially be up to the task. Fortune split with Rey at the US Open.
Nick Gwiazdowski- The NC State Redshirt is coming off of a nice showing at the US Open. Gwiaz looks poised for another AA finish at next year’s NCAA’s under the tutelage of Coach Popolizio. Nick is an extremely athletic heavyweight who has the goods to score on the best. He is strong, but not the biggest heavy, which can be problematic against the stronger guys(I.E. Nelson). He was able to notch wins over Riley Orozco and Jeremy Johnson at the Open, losing only to Dom Bradley and Tyrell Fortune.
Other Notables- Honestly some of these guys probably belong in the contenders section. This weight has tons of talent- Connor Medbery, Justin Grant, Spencer Myers and Jeremy Johnson all bring a combination of success and skill at both the Freestyle and Folkstyle level. Especially Medbery.
Predictions:
1. Tony Nelson 2. Tyrell Fortune 3. Austin Marsden 4. Nick Gwiazdowski
Thanks for reading. Enjoy the wrestling, the new rules and the large number of studs we have competing! And don't forget that you can check all the action LIVE here on Flowrestling!