Week 7 Roundup: #1 O'Connor is Back!
Week 7 Roundup: #1 O'Connor is Back!
Here are the biggest stories from Week 7 of NCAA wrestling
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The seventh week of the NCAA season was not as action-packed as the CKLV week that preceded it, but we still had some interesting results from around the country. Here are the top stories from Week 7.
#1 Austin O'Connor Makes a Statement in Return to the Mat
North Carolina's Austin O'Connor is ranked #1 in the nation at 149, but before his appearance at the Cleveland State Open this weekend, he hadn't wrestled a match since his third-place performance at last year's NCAA tournament.
O'Connor looked fantastic in his season opener. The top-ranked Tar Heel went 5-0 with three falls and two major decisions en route to his Cleveland State Open Title. O'Connor had a 40-percent bonus rate last year, so an all-bonus day is a sign that O'Connor is not only healthy but also focused on dominance.
While O'Connor was off the mat, conversation at 149 focused on what an open weight 149 appeared to be. O'Connor seems to be doing his best to remind everyone that he's #1 for a reason.
Later this month, O'Connor is expected to compete in the 2019 Midlands Championships in a field that could include #3 Pat Lugo, #7 Max Thomsen, #8 Yahya Thomas, and #9 Griffin Parriott, just to name a few.
Listen to O'Connor talk about his goal of proving his #1 ranking:
Wyoming Over Campbell at Reno TOC
This year's Reno Tournament of Champions became a contest between Wyoming and Campbell. The Camels had one more champ than the Cowboys, but Wyoming took home the team title.
Campbell had champions Korbin Meink at 125, Josh Heil at 141, Quentin Perez at 165, and Jere Heino at 285. Wyoming's champs were Montorie Bridges at 133, Dewey Krueger at 157, and Tate Samuelson at 184.
The marquee matchup of the tournament was the final at 133 between top-10 foes #7 Montorie Bridges and #10 Noah Gonser. This was not only a championship final that impacted the final team score but it was also a rubber match as these two split matches last season. Bridges came out on top 4-1 to take the lead in this series and help ensure the Cowboys a team title.
Wyoming and Campbell out-scored the field by more than 70 points, but it was NAIA power Grandview who placed third in Reno.
Football Season is Over, Josh Hokit Returns
All-American Josh Hokit returned to the mat for Fresno State this weekend just two weeks after concluding his Bulldog football career. Hokit had his best football season yet for Fresno State, scoring nine touchdowns, more than the eight he had scored in his first three seasons combined.
Hokit looked solid in his return to wrestling. He won his first three bouts before forfeiting in the semifinal and third-place matches. The forfeits seemed to be the result of the coaches' plan and not any indication of serious injury.
Hokit, whose All-American honors came at 197, will wrestle heavyweight this season while AJ Nevills redshirts.
Jaden Abas wins 149
Stanford redshirt Jaden Abas took home the Reno TOC title at 149. The highly-anticipated middleweight is expected to remain in redshirt this season, so this was a great opportunity for Cardinal fans to get a look at their developing prospect.
Abas looked solid en route to his Reno TOC title. His best win came against two-time NCAA qualifier Mason Smith of Campbell. Here's Abas' finals match against Wyoming's top-seeded Jaron Jensen:
ISU Takes Ranked Matches Against Chattanooga
For the second time this season, Chattanooga traveled to Iowa for a dual meet against a higher-ranked opponent. In November, the Mocs traveled to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes. This time, it was a trip to Ames to face the Cyclones.
As expected, the higher-ranked Iowa State took the dual, including two of the most intriguing matches on the card.
At 125, former #25 Fabian Gutierrez took on #14 Alex Mackall who fell seven spots in the rankings after CKLV. The minor slide for Mackall seemed like it might provide an opening for Gutierrez to win this bout, but it was all Mackall 6-1.
At 184, #20 Matthew Waddell took #11 Sammy Colbray to overtime in the tightest contest of the night. Ultimately, Colbray came out on top, but Waddell proved again that he's capable of staying in bouts with higher-ranked opponents.
The full archive of that dual is available here.