Eleven Warriors

A wrestling stand-out since his days at Oak Harbor High School, recent Ohio State graduate CJ Magrum spoke with me to recap his wrestling career as a Buckeye. Magrum ended his career with a record of 85-48 and went undefeated against Michigan wrestlers in his final 3 seasons. Magrum was a 4 time NCAA qualifier and a 4 time Academic All Big Ten honoree and provided outstanding leadership for the young Buckeye team for the past few seasons. 

What was it about wrestling that drew you to the sport?

The fact that my older brother started wrestling. The hard work and discipline that wrestling requires. Also, the fact that it is a fair sport in that you and your opponents both weigh the same and it is one on one.

Growing up in Oak Harbor, was there any wrestler you really considered a role model? Was there any wrestler that you modeled your style after?

I really looked up to my older brother Mike Rando. He is 4 years older than me and we had similar styles. I also looked up to JD Bergman who was a multiple time state champion that went on to wrestle for tOSU.

After winning 3 state titles in Ohio, what made you decide to come to Ohio State? Were you receiving offers from other programs?

I loved the coaching staff, the campus, and the guys on the team. It was a college that I wanted to go to since I was a kid. Yes, I was receiving offers from multiple different programs.

When you stepped onto the mat as a freshman, what did you notice was the biggest difference between high school wrestling and wrestling at the collegiate level?

College wrestling is much more physical. There are no easy matches because everyone you wrestle is a man who has been doing the same thing you have at the same level.

From what I was able to find, you went undefeated against the Team Up North in your last 2 years as a Buckeye. Is the rivalry with them as intense on the mats as it is in football and basketball?

Yes, my freshman year I lost to a Michigan wrestler during our dual meet I believe. That was my only loss to “those guys.” Yes it is a very intense rivalry. Bragging rights and gold singlets are on the line. Wrestling as a whole is also very personal so every match is intense.

Aside from the Maize and Blue, who would you say is the Buckeye wrestling team’s biggest rival?

IOWA!!!!!!!

Of all of the matches you wrestled in college, which would you say was your most memorable?

My sophomore year I beat AJ Kissel from Purdue at Big Tens to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. He was a top 12 ranked guy at the time and I was having an up and down season.

It’s widely known that the Big Ten most of the toughest wrestlers in the country. Who was your toughest opponent throughout your career (and why)?

I wrestled Jake Varner from Iowa State my Freshman year, who turned out to be an Olympic Gold Medalist. That was tough because he was a senior who was much more experienced and stronger than me. The other one was Ed Ruth from Penn State. He is a freak of nature who is one of the best college wrestlers of all time. Next year he will be going for his 3rd NCAA Title.

Aside from St. John Arena, where was your favorite place to wrestle?

I loved when our team went to my High School this year and I got to wrestle in front of my hometown.

Now that you’re moving on, which Buckeye is someone that fans should keep an eye out for in the future?

Well, Logan Stieber is a future Olympic Champion no doubt in my mind, but he is very well known. Noticeable incoming freshman that can have a big impact right away are Tomasello and Jordan.

In addition to your accolades on the mat, you were recognized time and time again for your excellence in the classroom. How were you able to balance your busy schedule in the wrestling program with hitting the books and just being a kid? (if you’d like, describe a typical week in-season).

I chose a major that was easy for me to be successful in while being the best wrestler I could be. The biggest thing for me that most college kids struggle with is just going to class every single day. I never missed classes, and while I was there I was pretty attentive. My days usually went, breakfast, morning workouts, class, lunch, afternoon workouts, dinner, and then any homework or assignments, then playtime if I had the energy.

As someone that’s wrestled at the collegiate level, what advice would you give to a young wrestler just starting out in the sport?

I would tell them to stick with it. It’s the hardest sport there is and can get overwhelming physically and mentally, so it is important for beginners to just stick with it and stay positive. Also, work out as much as you can because the last thing you want is to step on the mat unprepared.

You’re now a graduate from The Ohio State University. What’s your degree and what will you be doing after college?

Strategic Communications. I will be seeking a job in sales or personal training.

Having nothing to do with wrestling, what do you think you’ll miss the most about being a student at The Ohio State University?

I will miss all my teammates and the fun things we used to do such as softball, vball, Frisbee, and cornhole with our shirts off obviously.

2 time NCAA champion Logan Stieber wasn't representing the Scarlet and Gray when he took on #1 Ranked Opan Sat on Wednesday at the Rumble on the Rails event at NYC's Grand Central Terminal, he was representing the USA, and looked excellent doing it.

The elder Stieber brother dropped the 1st period to Sat by a score of 7-5, but he kept the Russian star off of the scoreboard for the next 2 periods, winning 6-0 and 3-0 to earn the victory.

The Rumble on the Rails was an event which brought much attention to some of the international wrestling powers in the wake of the IOC's suggestion to drop wrestling from the Olympic games starting in 2020. The event showcased wrestlers from the USA, Russia, and Iran in both freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling. 

Also competing for the USA were former Buckeyes Reece Humphrey and JD Bergman (both NCAA runners up for the Buckeyes). Both Humphrey and Bergman dropped matches by decision to their Iranian counterparts. Humphrey fell by scores of 1-0 and 6-0 against Iranian Maumoud Esmailpour Joybari and Bergman lost a tough decision to Hamed Tatari 3-1 and 1-0. Also representing the US against Iran was Ohio Regional Training Center competitor (and new dad) Tervel Dlagnev, who lost to Khomeil Ghasemi 1-1 and 1-0. 

The American wrestlers won all but one of their 9 bouts against Russian wrestlers, but didn't fare as well against the Iranians, losing all 7 matches. 

Interview by Curt Heinrichs

Curt Heinrichs 1) Starting at the beginning, how did you get into wrestling?

Nick Heflin - When I was younger I was extremely hyper and my poor mom could not take me. She heard from another mother that wrestling would tire out her son , thus my wrestling career began.

CH 2) You were a 2 time finalist and state champion at Massillon Perry. How did wrestling in DI in Ohio prepare you for wrestling in the Big Ten?

NH- I can’t say that I would have the success I have had if it were not for a little high school by the name of Massillon-Perry. Granted many people in Perry had put a lot of work into me but the two that stand out the most is David Riggs and Brent McBurney. If not for them and the others that made a impact in my life, I would not be prepared for the wars the Big Ten has to offer.

CH 3) What were the biggest adjustments you had to make when coming to college?

NH- I had to really open my toolbox if you will. One shot or one move wins are just non existent. It’s a combination of moves, or a more popular term is chain wrestling.
 

CH 4) Being from Massillon, you’re in close proximity to a number of outstanding college programs. What made you choose Ohio State over schools like Kent State, Edinboro, and Pitt?

NH- All of them are great schools, but looking at the coaching staff and the availability of the RTC (Regional Training Center, located in Columbus, focusing on training wrestlers for international competition) athletes Ohio State was by far the better choice even though in the beginning they offered the least for signing. 
 

CH 5) This year at the NCAA tournament, the 174 lb weight class was stacked with talent from the Big Ten. 6 of the 8 All-Americans were from the Big Ten. Did you feel confident heading into the NCAA tournament after facing that kind of talent all year long?

NH- Extremely! To be truthful, I believed with all my heart I was the future 174 national champion. However, it played out that I had lost a tough match and you cannot give up, even in sorrow, you push on to still place the best you can. 

CH 6) You were able to beat Mike Evans of Iowa in the 5th place match with a 1st period fall. How sweet was it to get a bit of revenge against Evans, who beat you late in the match in the dual against Iowa? 

NH- It was really sweet, I had just come back from a really rough hand injury and had little conditioning (when Heflin lost to Evans in the dual on January 4th). To peak at the right time and come in and wrestle a good tourney finishing with a pin was phenomenal way to end the 174 weight class.

CH 7) You’re one of those guys that always seem to be in tight matches throughout the season. Does the coaching staff get on you a bit to score more points to help the team, or do they just accept that as your style? 

NH-They are always on me to expand and try to score more team points. It is hard but I am trying to expand my offense and pinning combinations. I feel as long as I win I am doing my job, anything else is bonus.

CH 8) While some guys try to keep their weight down in the offseason, you recently mentioned on Twitter that you’re thinking about moving up in weight. What made you start thinking about the change in weight? Is this a decision that Coach Ryan discussed with you, or is that a case of you understanding your body and the coaching staff trusts your judgment?

NH- I weighed 196 last summer and made a monstrous cut to 174 to try to win a title. That cut almost broke me. Week in week out I would cut from 188 or so and I did not have any fat, it was mostly water and it made it miserable. I think its best to try and get massive this summer and go 197 and chase another title. The coaching staff believes in my strength but they have made it clear I need to have size. Otherwise, I will be looking at a cut to 184

CH 9) The Buckeyes will only be losing 2 starters from their lineup in Nikko Triggas and CJ Magrum. How do you think you’ll fare in the Big Ten next year with a lineup full of returning All-Americans?

NH- I will greatly miss Nikko Triggas and CJ Magrum; they cannot be replaced as wrestlers or as men. I think we will fare well. I am greatly excited for this coming year. It is my last year as a wrestler for the Buckeyes and I expect a team title chase. I believe with (2012 All-American Cam) Tessarri back we will be a threat for a title. I am also excited to grow into this weight class.

Follow Nick on Twitter @TheDarkhorse197

Recap by Curt Heinrichs

The NCAA wrestling tournament has come to an end with a somewhat predictable outcome: the Penn State Nittany Lions ended up on top to win their 3rd consecutive national title. This time, Penn State was challenged a bit more closely by Oklahoma State. Quentin Wright’s victory sealed the Penn State championship, though Chris Perry’s title put the Cowboys temporarily in the lead.

The Buckeyes had a strong tournament and ended with 3 All-Americans in Logan Stieber (1st place at 133 lbs), Hunter Stieber (3rd at 141 lbs), and Nick Heflin (5th at 174 lbs). As a team, the Buckeyes finished in 6th place with 65 points.

125 lbs
 

The 125 lb weight class was full of upsets and surprises. Illinois’ Jesse Delgado not only won the Big Ten title this year, but managed to score a title on the biggest stage from the #2 seed over Penn State’s 2 time finalist Nico Megaludis. Delgado used a set of 3 backpoints from a cradle late in the 3rd period to earn the 7-4 victory and his first NCAA title.
 

Buckeye results: Redshirt senior Nikko Triggas ended his career for the scarlet and gray with his 4th trip to the NCAA tournament. Triggas entered the tournament seeded 11th, but stumbled in the opening round against Stanford’s Evan Silver, losing 5-2 in the 1st round. Nikko put a 10-0 beating on Eric Montoya of Campbell in the 1st consolation round before running into 12th seeded Tyler Cox of Wyoming. Cox defeated Triggas 9-4, thus ending Triggas’ career as a Buckeye. Nikko ends his career as one of the most prolific pinners in Buckeye history, finishing in the top 5 in career pins.

Surprises: I was not alone in being shocked when 3 time NCAA finalist and 2 time champion Matt McDonough of Iowa was not standing on the awards podium on Saturday night. McDonough was riding a 40+ match winning streak heading into the Big Ten tournament, but was derailed by Delgado in the Big Ten finals. Since losing to Delgado 2 weeks ago, McDonough didn’t look like his usual dominant self. He lost to Cornell freshman Nahshon Garrett in the quarterfinals 4-2 in a sudden victory match and looked sluggish throughout. North Dakota State’s Trent Sprenkle beat McDonough 3-1 in the match prior to placement, leaving Matt out of the medals for the first time in his career.

133 lbs
Stieber Fever: do you have it? I do, as did much of the Wells-Fargo Arena on Saturday when Ohio State’s Logan Stieber won his 2nd consecutive NCAA title. Stieber beat fierce rival Tony Ramos of Iowa for the 2nd consecutive tournament after winning the Big Ten title in dramatic fashion a few weeks ago. Stieber won a hotly contested match 7-4 over Ramos in a match that wasn’t free of controversy for the 2nd year in a row. Logan stormed out to a quick lead with a pair of takedowns early on, but Ramos was able to adjust to his pace and stymie Logan’s attack. Stieber was defending a takedown and went to his back momentarily. The Iowa faithful felt that Ramos should have been awarded 2 backpoints, but after video review, the referees determined that no points should be awarded. Stieber had previously defeated Jordan Oliver to earn the 2012 title with a controversial non-call on an Oliver takedown as time expired. Stieber is a tough top wrestler, and I believe he won the first ever Most Dominant Wrestler award for his efforts this season.

Buckeye results: Logan Stieber stayed undefeated and won his 2nd NCAA title.

Surprises: The top 8 seeds all earned All-American accolades, finishing in the top 8. Great job by the seed makers.

141 lbs
#2 seeded Kendric Maple kept his undefeated record in tact, winning his first national championship over Edinboro’s Mitchell Port. Maple won 4-3 in a fairly dominant performance.

Buckeye results: #1 seeded Hunter Stieber was unable to match his brother’s championship performance, but was able to improve on last year’s 4th place finish at the NCAA tournament with a 3rd place finish. Stieber’s first and only loss for the season came in the semifinals to Port, who won by a 7-6 score. Stieber nearly lost in the quarterfinals, eking out a narrow win over Franklin & Marshall’s Richard Durso 9-8 with a late takedown. Stieber scored a major decision in the consolation finals over The Citadel’s Undrakhbayar Khishignyam (commonly known as the easier to spell “Ugi”) by the score of 12-4.

Surprises: Iowa’s Mark Ballweg fell one match short of All-American status, losing to Maple in the quarters and then Cornell’s Mike Nevinger in the 4th consolation round. Ballweg wrestled well at the Big Ten championships and was seeded 7th at the NCAA tournament. Though Ballweg wasn’t one of the homerun hitters for Iowa, I was a bit surprised to see him fall short of the podium, especially after wrestling well in the Big Ten tournament.

149 lbs
After being spurned by the aforementioned non-call against Logan Stieber in last year’s finals, Oklahoma State’s Jordan Oliver earned his 2nd NCAA title with a win over Boise State’s Jason Chamberlain 3-2. Chamberlain was able to defend against most of Oliver’s attacks, but Oliver maintained a high volume of offense and was able to score a late takedown to win the match. Oliver finishes as a 4 time All-American with 3 finals appearances in his last 3 years and a 4th place finish as a freshman. Oliver is another Cowboy wrestler (following in the footsteps of Okie State’s Johny Hendricks, who is now one of my favorite MMA fighters because the dude brings a serious boom with his left hand) that I really don’t want to like, but I enjoy watching him because of his high-paced style.
 

Buckeye Results: Late replacement Ian Paddock replaced previous All-American Cam Tessari in the lineup at the Big Ten tournament, much to the surprise of many of the Buckeye faithful. Paddock is now a 3 time NCAA qualifier, but was unable to generate any momentum in this year’s tournament. Paddock competed in the pigtail of the 149 lb bracket against 3 seeded Donnie Vinson of Binghamton and then fell to Cleveland native David Habat, ending his run in the consis.

Surprises: Penn State’s Andrew Alton did not reach the podium, only winning 1 match in the consolation bracket. Alton was knocked off in the 1st round by Missouri’s Drake Houdashelt (more on him later), defeated Daniel Young of Army, and then was eliminated by TSUN’s Eric Grajales. Grajales was then knocked out by Donnie Vinson, thereby leaving Grajales off of the podium. Here was my reaction. Missouri’s Drake Houdashelt got hot at the right time despite not being seeded. Houdashelt bumped off the #11 and #6 seeded wrestlers en route to the semifinals. Houdashelt finished in 6th place, earning All-American credentials.

157 lbs
Derek St. John of Iowa improved on his runner up performance from a year ago and won his first national title with a 3-2 win over Northwestern’s Jason Welch. This was one of the most wide-open weight

classes heading into the tournament, but DSJ was able to stay perfect against the ever-funky Welch. St. John was (SPOILER ALERT) Iowa’s only champion in the 2013 NCAA tournament.
 

Buckeye Results: Columbus native Josh Demas knocked off the #10 seeded Roger Pena and former high school teammate #7 seeded Jesse Dong before falling to eventual champion DSJ in the quarterfinals. Demas fell to Clarion’s #5 seeded James Fleming, falling short of the medal round by 1 match.
 

Surprises: Nebraska’s James Green earned the 4th seed, but lost his first round match. In the consolation bracket, he rattled off 4 straight bonus point victories before a loss, earning 7th place for the tournament. Joseph Napoli of Lehigh lost his first 2 matches and didn’t win any matches, despite being the #3 seed.

165 lbs
This was the clash of the titans, with the tournament ending at this weight class. Cornell’s Kyle Dake won his 4th NCAA title, becoming only the 3rd wrestler to do so in Division I history and the first to do it at 4 different weight classes, defeating Penn State’s points machine David Taylor in the finals. Dake had a late takedown to seal the 5-4 victory in what may have been the most anticipated final in NCAA championship history.
 

Buckeye Results: Freshman Mark Martin had the unfortunate draw of starting his tournament against Kid Dynamite Kyle Dake. Martin slowed the bout down and only lost to Dake 3-0. Martin won 2 bouts in the consis before falling to Michael Moreno of Iowa State (but the Buckeyes would have the last laugh against Iowa State this weekend, right Aaron Craft?). A 2-2 record at his first NCAA championships will certainly give Martin something to build on next year.

Surprises: David Taylor of Penn State is an absolute freak. The kid scores points as easily as anyone I’ve ever seen. He gave Dake a great run, and will cruise to his 2nd NCAA title next year. Taylor earned 4 straight falls, including a 0:24 second fall against Conrad Polz in the quarters. Taylor is undoubtedly one of the best wrestlers in NCAA history, and should be commended for butting heads with Dake instead of going up or down in weight in order to win a title.

174 lbs
Oklahoma State’s Chris Perry proved that his #1 seed was justified when he won his first NCAA title over Penn State’s Matt Brown 2-1 in the tiebreaker round. Perry is the brother of former NCAA champion Mark Perry and is the nephew of his coach, the legendary John Smith. Like 157, this was a wide open weight class, but 174 had a number of wrestlers that could have won a title. Any of the top 8 seeds could have conceivably wrestled for a championship on Saturday night without turning any heads. 

Buckeye Results: Nick Heflin of the Buckeyes took eventual champion Perry to the brink of defeat in the quarterfinals, but was unable to escape from the bottom and lost 3-2. Heflin then won 2 matches in the consolation bracket before falling to rival Logan Storley of Minnesota in the consi semifinals. Heflin pinned mustachioed Iowa wrestler Mike Evans to finish 5th. Heflin has a long way to go if a mustache contest between he and Evans breaks out. There’s always next year.

Surprises: Perry went to extra wrestling in each of his last 3 bouts en route to winning the title. 6 of the All-Americans in this weight class were representing Big Ten schools.

184 lbs
Ed Ruth of Penn State did what Ed Ruth does and won his 2nd consecutive NCAA title with a 12-4 win over Robert Hamlin in the finals. Ruth put on a takedown clinic as he is prone to doing. Ruth will be back next year to likely win his 3rd title. The guy is on another level.
 

Buckeye Results: Senior 4 time NCAA qualifier Cody Magrum went 1-2 in his final run at the NCAA tournament. Magrum is a feel-good story, having been beaten out for the starting spot for most of the season by Kenny Courts. More important than his wresting achievements, Magrum was able to excel at a high level in the classroom, earning multiple Academic All-American awards throughout his career. While athletic achievements are important, Magrum has the opportunities to reap the benefits of his academic achievements for the rest of his life. Congratulations to Cody on an outstanding career both on the mat and in the classroom as well. 

Surprises: The top 4 seeds advanced to the semifinals. Great work seed makers!

197 lbs

Penn State’s Quentin Wright matched up with Dustin Kilgore of Kent State in a matchup of previous NCAA champions. In a matchup of opposing styles, Wright was able to change angles and take Kilgore down and he won 8-6. With Kilgore being a Berea, Ohio, native, I really wanted him to win and was disappointed when he lost. Wright is a funky wrestler, unique for the upper weights and gives opponents a hard time matchup-wise. Kilgore took an Olympic redshirt last year, and will likely have an excellent international career competing for the US.
 

Buckeye Results: After wrestling a great Big Ten tournament, I had high hopes for Andrew Campolattano. Camp lost to Micah Burak of Penn and then Jace Bennett of Cornell, cutting his run short. Campolattano is an explosive wrestler, and has many good matches ahead of him.
 

Surprises: I was pretty much in shock when Camp went 2 and out. Matt Wilps of Pitt is built like a G.I. Joe and wears a halo-style headgear. He really strongly resembles Schute from Vision Quest.

265 lbs

Minnesota’s tradition of fine heavyweights continues as Tony Nelson won his 2nd consecutive national title. Nelson defeated Northwestern’s Mike McMullan 6-2.
 

Buckeye results: 265 was the only weight that a Buckeye did not qualify for the tournament.
 

Surprises: The championship bout was surprisingly (to me) entertaining. I typically don’t enjoy the heavyweights unless they’re like Tommy Rowlands or J.D. Bergman and score lots of points. To me, most elite heavyweights are like dancing bears and 1-0 or 2-0 bouts bore me. Nelson and McMullan had a nice match and scored 8 combined points. As my favorite Twitter follow Mark Niemann said a time or 2 (@cruiser96), Alan Gelogaev of Oklahoma State wore his singlet backwards in the NCAA semifinals. If you check the hash tag #hissingletwasbackwards on Twitter, 90% of them are probably Coach Niemann’s.

With the conclusion of the NCAA tournament, that brings an end to the regular wrestling coverage for the year, but I’ll be periodically updating you with recruiting news and notes during the offseason. You can follow me on Twitter @CurtHeinrichs for college football, MMA, and Cleveland sports musings. I’d give me a follow if I were you. Also, thank you to the staff at Eleven Warriors for the opportunity to cover the Buckeyes and thank you to the readers. You guys are the best!

Go Bucks!

Preview by Curt Heinrichs

Impending fatherhood has kept me from doing a more complete (and prompt) recap of the Big Ten Championships, and here’s hoping I’ll get to recap this weekend’s NCAA tournament for those that are unable to watch it, but if my wife goes into labor anytime soon, you'll just have to deal without me.

Take a look at the brackets for yourself. 

The Wrestling Buckeyes finished in 4th place at the 2013 Big Ten Championships and finished with a pair of champions, the Brothers Stieber at 133 lbs and 141 lbs.
The NCAA is throwing a wrench in the works by having this year’s NCAA tournament start at 174 lbs, probably with the idea that the final match on Saturday night will be the legendary rematch (if they’ve met 2 times already this season, would it be a threematch?) between Cornell’s 3 time champion Kyle “Kid Dynamite” Dake and Penn State’s wunderkind David Taylor. Taylor has steamrolled nearly everyone he’s faced this season with the exception of Dake. Of Taylor’s 26 wins this season, 25 have been by bonus points, but he’s 0-2 against Dake, who is seeking to become just the 3rd wrestler in NCAA Division history with 4 individual NCAA titles. By comparison, Dake has not always been a points machine in his career, but he is known for his stifling style, completely shutting down his opponents. This season, Dake has gotten hot and rattled off 18 pins. Though it may be viewed by some as unfair to the rest of the competitors in the field, it is almost an inevitability that Taylor and Dake will cruise through the bracket en route to the championship on Saturday night. Although I tend to be a bit of a purist when it comes to wrestling, this shake up in format has me excited and I’m hoping that Taylor and Dake put on an incredible match.

Starting the tournament for the Buckeyes will be redshirt junior and returning All-American Nick Heflin. Heflin earned 5th place in the stacked 174 lb weight class at the Big Ten Tournament, which is probably one of the most stacked divisions in the country this year, especially coming out of the Big Ten. Heflin is peaking at the right time, knocking off then-#1Logan Storley in the consolation quarterfinals on his way to 5th place. Heflin drew the 8th seed at the NCAA tournament and will match up with Rutgers’ Greg Zanetti in the first round. If Heflin wrestles to his ability, he should meet Lehigh’s Nathaniel Brown (9 seed) and eventually #1 seeded Chris Perry of Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals on Friday morning barring any upsets.

A feel-good story up to this point, redshirt senior CJ Magrum is once again back at the NCAA tournament despite some early season stumbles. Magrum was unable to crack the Buckeyes lineup for much of the season, unable to beat upstart Kenny Courts for the starting spot. Magrum has qualified for the NCAA tournament each of his previous 3 seasons, but was unable to compete in last year’s tournament due to injury. Magrum will start his tournament against Rutgers’ Daniel Rinaldi on Thursday. A win over Rinaldi would likely pit Magrum against #3 seeded Robert Hamlin of Lehigh, a 2 time NCAA All-American in his own right.

At 197 lbs, the Buckeyes will trot out sophomore Andrew Campolattano, who won 3 matches at last year’s NCAA tournament. Campolattano is returning from a minor injury, but was able to reach the Big Ten semifinals before eventually placing 5th. Campolattano is an opportunist, able to capitalize on an opponent’s mistake in a big way with a pin if possible. Camp will face off against the #8 seeded Micah Burak of Penn. With a minor upset over Burak, Camp would find himself within a win of meeting NCAA champ (and Berea, Ohio native) Dustin Kilgore for the 4th time this season. Kilgore has bowled over everyone he’s faced this season, but Campolattano has been able to keep close to Kilgore for much of his matches this season.
An injury sustained in the Penn State dual in February cost Peter Capone the chance to compete at the Big Ten tournament, so Kosta Karageorge filled in. Karageorge was unable to place at the Big Ten tournament, thereby ending his season.

At 125 lbs, Nikko Triggas will step onto the mat for the final time in a Buckeye singlet. Triggas has been able to make great use of his time at Ohio State, spending more time in college than Tommy Calahan or Van Wilder (Triggas’ first season for the Buckeyes was my last year at Ohio State back in the 2007-2008 season). This will be Nikko’s 4th trip to the NCAA tournament, and he’ll look to improve on his 8th place performance in the 2010 championships. Triggas finished 5th at the Big Ten tournament and earned the 11 seed in the NCAA tournament. Triggas will start his tournament run against Stanford’s Evan Silver and should find himself against Cornell’s Nahshon Garrett in the 2nd round if he defeats Silver. Fans of the Big Ten should closely watch this weight class as McDonough (Iowa’s former NCAA champion), Delgado (Illinois’ surprising Big Ten Champion from this season), and Megaludus (Penn State’s NCAA runner up from last year) are all serious contenders for the NCAA title. Triggas is capable of ending any match by pin as he entered the season 5th on the all-time Ohio State pins list with 37. If Triggas is able to slip in a double armbar, the referee should be ready to slap the mat in quick fashion. 

At 133 lbs, the Buckeyes will look to defending NCAA champion Logan Stieber to score big points in the team race while defending his crown. Stieber once again won the Big Ten tournament with an overtime takedown against nemesis Tony Ramos of Iowa. Stieber’s body lock takedown over Ramos earned him a 3-1 victory in what very well could be a preview of the NCAA finals as Stieber has the #1 seed and Ramos has the #2 seed. Ramos and Stieber entered the Big Ten championship with undefeated records and Ramos’ only real challenge in his half of the bracket looks to be Wisconsin’s Tyler Graff, who could play spoiler to the Ramos-Stieber rematch. Stieber ought to cruise to the semifinals, where he’ll likely meet Edinboro’s AJ Schopp. Stieber’s road to the finals runs through Duke’s Brandon Gambucci, who is a graduate of Lexington (Ohio) High School, located near Monroeville. Stieber should be able to rack up some bonus points in his quest for a repeat National Title, which should factor in the Buckeyes making a strong push for the podium as a team as they look to improve on last year’s 5th place performance.

At 141 lbs, younger brother Hunter Stieber turned some heads as he snagged the #1 seed away from Oklahoma’s Kendric Maple following Stieber’s Big Ten title. Stieber kept his perfect record intact with a win over Mark Ballweg of Iowa. Maple also stayed undefeated, defeating Luke Goetl of Iowa State, but the strength of the Big Twelve conference pales in comparison to the Big Ten and one can view Stieber’s #1 seed as advantage in strength of schedule. The younger Stieber was an NCAA semifinalist last year, falling in the semifinals to eventual champion Kellen Russell of U of M before finishing 6th. Hunter’s quarter of the bracket features Minnesota’s Nick Dardanes, whom Stieber beat 5-3 earlier in the season. Like his older brother, Hunter will be relied upon heavily to score points to keep the Buckeyes in the team race.

At 149 lbs, Ian Paddock is back in the Buckeye lineup and brings a great deal of experience to the team despite not competing for most of the season in the #1 role. That spot was primarily held by Cam Tessari, who was held out of the Big Tens as coach’s decision. Paddock has previously earned 2 trips to the NCAA tournament, and is making his 3rd trip in his redshirt junior year. Paddock is a valuable part of the team and has 3 previous wins at the NCAA tournament, so he is not exactly a novice when it comes to post-season wrestling. Paddock provided a big lift to the Buckeyes at the Big Ten tournament with a win over #1 seeded Eric Grajales of Michigan (What’s the opposite of a fan-favorite? That’s what Grajales is for me) 7-4. Paddock earned 6th place and a return trip to the NCAA tournament. Ian will face Donnie Vinson of Binghamton (the #3 seed) in a pigtail match, being the only Buckeye this season to earn the distinction of having to wrestle in the wrestle-in match. Paddock is capable of pulling off an upset with his experience and lack of exposure this season.

At 157 lbs, Westerville product Josh Demas will make his second appearance at the NCAA tournament after a 4th place finish at the Big Ten tournament. Demas earned his way to the Big Ten semis before falling to Jason Welch. Demas won 2 matches last year and will look to improve on that this year, beginning with a bout against last year’s opponent Roger Pena of Oregon State. If Demas wins his first match, he stands to wrestle his high school teammate, Jesse Dong of Virginia Tech in the 2nd round.

At 165 lbs, Mark Martin has the unfavorable draw of wrestling Kyle Dake of Cornell in the first round. Dake is, as previously mentioned, pursuing his 4th NCAA title in 4 different weight classes and Martin will likely be the 1st casualty en route to that. Martin earned a trip to the NCAA tournament after an 8th place finish at the Big Ten tournament. With exception to the highly-anticipated Dake-Taylor rematch, the field at 165 is an excellent one at that. The field features 5 wrestlers who prepped in Ohio prior to college, including Northwestern’s Pierce Harger (Cincinnati Moeller), Missouri’s Zach Toal (Troy Christian), Penn State’s David Taylor (St. Paris Graham),  Virginia’s Nick Sulzer and Mark Martin (both of Lakewood St. Edward). While Martin doesn’t have the most favorable draw wrestling one of the most accomplished wrestlers in NCAA history right off the bat, any points Martin is able to accumulate will greatly help the Buckeyes’ efforts as a team, though it appears to be tough sledding from the get-go.

The tournament begins (at 174 lbs of course) this Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa. You can watch the action on Thursday on ESPN 3 beginning at noon EDT for Session 1 action and Session 2 begins at 7:30 PM on Thursday. For you non-ESPN3 users, you can watch the action starting on Friday at 11 EDT on ESPN U. The finals will be held on ESPN at 8 PM on Saturday. Don’t miss it as you won’t see wrestling on ESPN for a calendar year (though you’ll get all of the bowling, bass fishing, and intense poker action you can handle).

For updates, rants, and updates on my wife’s pregnancy, follow me on Twitter @CurtHeinrichs . For updates specific to the wrestling tournament and very few on my wife's pregnancy, follow @WrestlingBucks

Preview by Curt Heinrichs

This weekend, the Buckeye wrestling team will take the next step towards earning a National Title when they compete in the toughest conference tournament in the sport, the Big Ten Tournament. Since the NCAA released the number of automatic qualifiers for the national tournament a week ago and release of the Big Ten pre-seeds on Monday, I’ve been patiently waiting (as has Coach Mark Niemann) for the official brackets to be released so I can finally make my spit-ball predictions on the NCAA qualifiers from the Big Ten. The folks at INTERMAT offer further clarification on how the national qualifier allotments were determined as well as the full listing of the allotments.

At 125 lbs, Nikko Triggas will look to qualify for his 4th NCAA tournament and duplicate (or improve on) his 2010 performance where he earned All-American accolades. Fifth seeded Triggas will take on 4th seeded Michigan rs-Junior Sean Boyle in his first match at his final Big Ten tournament. Believe it or not, Nikko has wrestled for the Buckeyes since the 2007-2008 campaign, and has at last spent all of his eligibility. Triggas is 0-3 against Wolverine wrestlers this season, having lost 2 times early in the season to Conor Youtsey and once against Boyle in the dual meet early in February by a score of 2-1. Triggas looked uncomfortable against Boyle, but will look to correct that this time around. With a win, Triggas would likely find himself matched up with defending NCAA champion Matt McDonough of Iowa. In this stacked weight class, it’s likely that the Big Ten will earn 2 of the top 3 places at the NCAA tournament 2 weeks from now, so earning a trip to the tournament out of the Big Ten will put Triggas in a potentially lofty position when the tournament starts in Des Moines. To get to Des Moines, however, Triggas will have to finish in the top 7, which he should be able to do if he wrestles like he is capable.

At 133 lbs, defending NCAA Champion (and defending Big Ten Champion for that matter) Logan Stieber will continue his quest for a 2nd title at the Big Ten Tournament. Stieber is the #1 seeded wrestler for good reason and has earned bonus points in all of his matches this year with exception to 1. Look for the elder Stieber to cruise to the finals, where we could see a continuation of an excellent rivalry from last post-season. Iowa’s Tony Ramos is the #2 seed and also carries an undefeated record into the Big Ten Tournament. With no love lost between Stieber and Ramos, expect fireworks when these two put their undefeated records on the line on Sunday afternoon.

Not to be outdone, younger brother Hunter Stieber will also take on all challengers in the Big Ten with an impressive 27-0 ledger. Stieber will be in pursuit of his first Big Ten title after placing 3rd in last year’s competition. Hunter’s road to the finals looks to run through Penn State’s Bryan Pearsall, who did not wrestle when the Nittany Lions came to Columbus in February. Should he advance to the finals, Hunter will likely meet up with Nick Dardanes of Minnesota or Iowa’s Mark Ballweg. Hunter has a win over each this season, but both have been close matches and with a Big Ten title on the line, anything can happen.

The usual line-up for the Buckeyes was shaken up a bit this weekend as usual starter at 149 lbs, Cam Tessari, was not entered into the tournament. Tessari was an All-American last year as a true freshman and placed 5th at the Big Ten tournament a year ago. Replacing Cam will be durable and experienced Ian Paddock, who came off of the bench a number of times for the Buckeyes this season. Fear not, Buckeye faithful! Paddock is not the wrestling version of Rudy; Paddock has skills, experience, and is not going to go on any quests through any shires anytime soon. In his first 2 years in the lineup, Paddock qualified for the NCAA tournament, which will help Coach Tom Ryan sleep at night knowing he has an excellent wrestler in his back pocket in Paddock. Paddock is seeded 8th and will likely get a rematch with #1 seeded Eric Grajales of Michigan. Grajales defeated Paddock by a score of 2-0 the last time they met, and Paddock will be looking to settle the score and earn his way into the semifinals. The top 8 placers are guaranteed a place in the NCAA tournament, but Paddock would like a bit of revenge first before looking down the road. This is one of the most up-in-the-air weight classes at this year’s tournament, so any number of wrestlers could win they get a hot hand and favorable matchups.
While Paddock is wrestling this weekend, I’m unsure if Tessari is able to return for the NCAA tournament if Paddock secures a spot. If I find out, I’ll be sure to update you.

Lightning in a bottle Josh Demas is seeded #6 and is in prime position to earn another crack at #3 Dylan Alton of Penn State. Alton was able to steal a win from Demas in the dual in somewhat controversial fashion (I still say that Demas had the cradle locked up and should have been awarded 2 points and the win. Don’t try to tell me otherwise). Demas’ level changes on his feet make him a formidable foe and he has been in tight matches with St. John, Welch, and Alton, so a few breaks in his favor could have Demas high on the medal stand. Josh will need to place in the top 7 to ensure that his ticket is punched for the NCAA tournament.

St. Edward graduate Mark Martin will look to improve on his 2-5 record against Big Ten competition this season. Martin’s first match is against Nebraska’s 8th seeded Austin Wilson, and the winner is in the unenviable position of wrestling Penn State’s skinny wrecking ball David Taylor in the quarterfinals. Martin will need to muster just one win to earn one of the 8 qualifying spots to the NCAA tournament allotted to the Big Ten.

The 174 lb weight class is another (like 125) that should yield a number of medalists at the NCAA tournament. With just 3 losses on the season, Nick Heflin finds himself seeded 4th, which should be proof enough that the Big Ten is absolutely loaded at this weight class. Heflin will earn a bye to the quarterfinals, where he should face off against Penn State’s ultra-talented Matt Brown. Brown is a bit of an unknown quantity, often wrestling far above or below his last performance. Heflin owns a 3-2 decision over Brown, and will look to repeat that this weekend. Heflin will need to finish in the top 8 to guarantee a return trip to the NCAA tournament.

At 184 lbs, senior CJ Magrum will look to earn his 4th bid to the NCAA tournament and will attempt to make up for lost time, since he was unable to compete at last year’s tournament due to injury. Magrum has been in tight competition with Kenny Courts for this spot throughout the year, and finally was able to secure the position late in the Big Ten season. At 184 lbs, the Big Ten has only earned 6 automatic qualifier positions, so the competition will be intense. Magrum, like Mark Martin, is in the unenviable position of drawing the same quarterfinal as defending NCAA champ and frequent scoreboard lighter Ed Ruth, who pinned Magrum in the 1st period of their dual in February. If Magrum again falls to Ruth, he’ll likely need wins over 4 seeded John Rizqallah of MSU or Ethen Lofthouse of Iowa to keep his NCAA streak alive. Magrum is a gritty redshirt senior and knows how to wrestle in clutch situations, so he is definitely one to keep an eye on this weekend.

At 197 lbs, the Buckeyes welcome back the explosive Andrew Campolattano from a stint as the walking wounded. After losing his first match at last year’s NCAA tournament, Campolattano rattled off 4 straight wins in the wrestlebacks, falling just 1 victory short of the All-American podium. Campolattano has wrestled defending NCAA champ (and Berea, Ohio native) Dustin Kilgore 4 times this season, succumbing to defeats in each, but Camp has been able to keep the matches from being tech falls or pins, which is quite the statement when facing Kilgore. Campolattano will square off against Braden Atwood of Purdue for the chance to take on undefeated Quentin Wright of Penn State in the semifinals. With 8 automatic bids up for grabs, any win for Campolattano would secure an automatic bid, but with NCAA seeding at stake, AC will be looking to stand high on the podium this weekend, as he ought to be able to do.

Finally, Heavyweight Peter Capone was unable to compete due to an injury sustained in the dual against Penn State, so junior Kosta Karageorge is ready to take a crack at the Big Ten tournament. Karageorge has locked horns with Michigan’s Ben Apland in his only Big Ten dual match this season, and dropped that match 6-1. Karageorge will meet up with Jimmy Lawson of Penn State to kick off his tournament in hopes of earning one of the 9 NCAA bids up for grabs.

The 2013 Big Ten Tournament kicks off today at 11 EST (10 AM CST) in Champaign, Illinois, and can be followed on the Big Ten Network or at Illinois’ website. The tournament will conclude on Sunday with what promises to be some of the best wrestling in the country. The finals will be on Sunday at 1:30 Central. You can follow the action via Twitter by following @wrestlingbucks or me @CurtHeinrichs for results, thoughts, and probably some rants mixed in. DISCLAIMER: There will be some rants mixed in. I just said "probably" because I may be pleasantly surprised. 

Be sure to check back with Eleven Warriors throughout the weekend as I’ll be posting more results as they happen.

Winning a single Ohio High School State title puts a wrestler in elite company. With each successive title, the wrestler finds himself (or herself) in even rarer air than the year before. This past Saturday, Buckeye wrestling commits Nathan Tomasello and Bo Jordan each joined the elite when they both won their 4th state title. 

A senior at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, Tomasello won his title by way of a tech fall, a pair of pins, and a major decision (14-5) over Carrolton's Joey Miller in the finals at 120 lbs. With his 4th title coming at 120 lbs, Tomasello will likely compete for the Buckeyes at 125 lbs, a spot currently occupied by RS-Sr Nikko Triggas. Tomasello isn't the first CVCA wrestler to win 4 state titles, joining fellow Royals wrestler Harry (now known as Justin) Lester, who won 4 crowns between 1998 and 2001. 

Following in what has become a family tradition, Bo Jordan won his 4th state title as well on Saturday. Before him, Bo's uncle Jim and father Jeff each won 4 titles for St. Paris Graham High School. Winning state titles is a bit of a birth-right for the Jordans as Isaac, Ben, and now Micah Jordan have all each won 3 titles apiece (though Micah is only a junior and stands to win his 4th next season). Bo won his title with a pair of tech falls and a pin, earning his berth in the finals. In the finals, Jordan used a spladle to pin Wauseon junior Aaron Schuette in just 40 seconds. Jordan projects at either 157 lbs or 165 next year for the Buckeyes, and should be right in the mix the minute he steps on campus. Bo is bucking family tradition as Jim, Jeff, Ben, and now Isaac Jordan have all attended and wrestled for Big Ten rival Wisconsin. 

Also joining Tomasello and Jordan on campus next year will be incoming freshman Jake Ryan. Ryan fell short in his quest for a state title, as he fell to Wyatt Music in the Division 1 145 lb finals. Ryan is the son of current Buckeye head coach Tom Ryan, so his signing with the Buckeyes can't be considered a surprise. 

It is interesting to note that though Tomasello and Jordan may be the 23rd and 25th 4 time state champions in Ohio wrestling history (St. Edward senior Dean Heil won his 4th title between Tomasello and Jordan, but is choosing to wrestle for the Oklahoma State Cowboys upon graduation), they are far from the first 4 time champs to wrestle for the Buckeyes. Tomasello and Jordan will join fellow 4 time champs Ken Ramsey, J Jaggers, Lance Palmer, Tony Jameson, Colin Palmer, Logan Stieber, Hunter Stieber and Cam Tessari when they wrestle for the Buckeyes. 

Be sure to check back to Eleven Warriors in the future for more coverage of the wrestling Buckeyes, including potential interviews with incoming freshman down the road and previews of the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. 

They've waited 16 years, 16 long, painful years, but Missouri finally has earned some redemption for one of my favorite childhood memories. Though the Missouri wrestling victory over the Buckeyes likely didn't put an end to the night terrors of the #45 for Corby Jones, it may have helped ease the pain a bit. 

In a bout that we knew from the outset would be hotly contested, the #5 seeded Missouri Tigers outwrestled the Buckeyes in a number of hotly contested bouts to tip the scales in favor of the Tigers. 

Starting out the dual, #4 ranked Alan Waters beat Buckeye redshirt senior Nikko Triggas (#12) by way of a pin. Though Triggas is usually the one on the right end of a pin, it wasn't to be against Waters. The pin gave the Tigers a 6-0 lead. 

Monroeville's finest wrestling family then took to the mat as #1 ranked Logan Stieber defeated #4 ranked Nathan McCormick 8-2, giving Logan his 2nd victory over McCormick on the season. Younger brother Hunter Stieber beat Nicholas Hucke 8-4 to extend his undefeated season and tie up the match 6-6. 

Take this time to watch last year's NCAA Championship match at 133 lbs. 

 Still with me? 6-6 was the closest the Buckeyes would get throughout the night as the Tigers took all of the swing matches and the matches they were predicted to win from here on out. #14 Drake Houdashelt was able to knock off All-American Cam Tessari of the Buckeyes by a score of 4-2, which was the identical score of the 157 lb match. Missouri's Kyle Bradley took out Josh Demas 4-2 in overtime. 

A pair of wrestlers who spent their high school days in Ohio met as Missouri's Zach Toal (Troy Christian) edged Mark Martin (St. Edward) 1-0 to push the team score to 15-6. 

At 174 lbs, Todd Porter earned a mild upset, defeating Buckeye Nick Heflin by the score of 4-3. Porter is on a roll of late, also knocking off then #1 Chris Perry at the start of the month. Porter's win pushed the team score to 18-6, still within reach of the Buckeyes. 

At 184 lbs, Buckeye elder statesman CJ Magrum fell to #13 Mike Larson 5-0. Also falling 5-0 was Andrew Campolattano, who was making his return to the lineup against Brent Haynes at 197 lbs. 

In the heavyweight match, Kosta Karageorge filled in for injured Peter Capone in an unenviable position. Karageorge took on #1 ranked and undefeated Dom Bradley and fell by the score of 12-4. The major decision for Bradley gave the Missouri Tigers the 28-6 decision over the Buckeyes. 

The Tigers will advance to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the semifinals today. The winner will face the winner of the Iowa/Minnesota bout for the NWCA National Duals title. 

The Buckeyes will take a few weeks off to regroup and lick their wounds before returning to action at the Big Ten Championships on March 9th and 10th in Champaign, Illinois. Those Buckeyes who wrestle well enough at Big Tens will advance to the NCAA tournament March 21-23. 

Be sure to check back with Eleven Warriors for the latest in Buckeye Wrestling. 

Preview by Curt Heinrichs

As predicted in my last blog entry, the #5 ranked Buckeye Wrestling team drew the #6 Missouri Tigers in the quarterfinals of the 2nd annual NWCA National Duals. The Buckeyes were granted an automatic bid in the quarterfinals, while the Tigers bumped off a pair of Big Ten teams (Maryland will be a Big Ten team and I just got a bit preemptive) fairly convincingly, beating Maryland and then Purdue in the Regional Finals.

As mentioned previously, the quarterfinal matchup should be a good one, especially for Buckeye fans as the Buckeyes should be favored in a majority of the matches.

At 125 lbs, Buckeye pinning machine Nikko Triggas (#12) will square off against #4 Alan Waters in what could be an important swing match for the Buckeyes. Triggas is already in the OSU record books as one of the most prolific pinners in Buckeye wrestling history and will be looking to tack on more if he is able to slip in an armbar against Waters.

In the next 2 weight classes, the Buckeyes will rely heavily on the Stieber brothers to earn some vital bonus points to put the dual out of reach for Missouri early on. Defending NCAA champion Logan Stieber (#1 in the country in all polls) will likely rematch #4 Nathan McCormick. The elder Stieber brother earned a 12-1 victory over McCormick at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational back in December, and will look to duplicate (or improve on) that performance on Friday.

Younger brother Hunter Stieber will take the mat in the only scheduled match with only 1 ranked wrestler in the dual. #2 ranked Hunter will look to score 5 or 6 bonus points when he takes on Nicholas Hucke of the Tigers.

#12 Cam Tessari will butt heads with #14 Drake Houdashelt for the first time in the 2012-2013 season in what will be a crucial match at 149 lbs. Tessari is a returning All-American for the Buckeyes and is on a roll of late after starting the season inconsistently.

Buckeye Josh Demas (#17) will take on #18 Kyle Bradley at 157 lbs. Demas’ record is a bit deceiving as he has wrestled tough against highly ranked opponents and lost some controversial matches of late.

The 165 lb bout will be the only one contested between the Buckeyes and Missouri featuring 0 currently ranked wrestlers. The Buckeyes will likely trot out St. Edward product Mark Martin to take on Tiger Trevor Wiest.

Returning All-American #6 Nick Heflin will take the mat at 174 lbs against Missouri’s #12 Todd Porter. Heflin has been more aggressive from the neutral position lately, and it will be interesting to see if he continues that against Porter as a way to get his momentum rolling headed into the post-season.

Buckeye senior CJ Magrum (#20) will take on #13 Mike Larson at 184 lbs. Magrum is another Buckeye with a deceiving ranking, having not wrestled the full slate at 184 lbs. A Magrum win wouldn’t necessarily be an upset in this match, and Head Coach Tom Ryan has to feel confident with Magrum on the mat.

Dynamic sophomore Andrew Campolattano has been injured of late and he may or may not return in the National Duals. If Camp is unable to go, the Buckeyes have fill-in #20 Kenny Courts ready to go. Courts has wrestled much of the season at 184, but has proven he is more than capable at 197, knocking off defending Big Ten Champion Mario Gonzales of Illinois in his 1st match at the weight. Courts or Camp will match up with Missouri’s #12 Brent Haynes.

Heavyweight may be the only bout where the Buckeyes are clearly the underdog with #10 Peter Capone squaring off against undefeated #1 ranked Dom Bradley. Capone will look to neutralize the larger Bradley and score on the edge of the mat to earn an upset.

The winner of the OSU/Missouri match will likely face #1 seed Oklahoma State, assuming the Cowboys get past #8 seeded Illinois. The semifinals and finals will take place on Saturday, February 23rd in Minneapolis.

It has been announced that the Big Ten Network will be streaming this bout in its entirety on it’s website. Be sure to check back to Eleven Warriors as I’ll be following the Buckeyes entire run to the NWCA Dual Championship.

The 2012-2013 Buckeye Wrestling team has already improved on their 2012 performance in qualifying for the quarterfinals. In the inaugural 2012 tournament, the Buckeyes finished 2nd in the Stillwater, Oklahoma region to the eventual tournament runner-up Oklahoma State. In the 2nd tournament, the Buckeyes earned an automatic qualification to the quarterfinals due to their performance throughout the regular season.

Since they earned an automatic bid in the quarterfinals, it’s likely that the #5 Buckeyes will be one of the top 4 seeded teams, in addition to #1 Oklahoma State, #2 Iowa, and #4 Minnesota. Rounding out the field in the quarterfinals will be #8 Illinois, #7 Virginia Tech, #6 Missouri, and #10 Cornell (for this preview, team rankings are according to the latest NWCA team rankings, because it’s their tournament, thus their rankings).

The quarterfinal matchups will be announced on Tuesday afternoon, but at a glance, it’s likely that the Buckeyes will find themselves matched up with #6 Missouri. Based on the most recent NWCA rankings, 8 of the 10 weight classes will feature a matchup between Top 20 ranked wrestlers (if #10 Peter Capone of the Buckeyes is able to wrestle), including a pair of #1 ranked wrestlers with Logan Stieber of the Buckeyes owning the #1 ranking at 133 lbs and Dom Bradley of the Tigers #1 at Heavyweight.

With the 4 teams in the quarterfinals, the Big Ten conference is well-represented. Falling short of the quarterfinals but also competing in the tournament were the teams from Michigan, Wisconsin, Purdue, Nebraska, and future Big Ten team Maryland.

With a berth in the tournament, the Buckeyes have a chance to avenge losses earlier in the season to Iowa and Minnesota. The Buckeyes earned victories in the current campaign against Illinois and Virginia Tech.

The NWCA National Duals will take place on the weekend of February 22nd and 23rd in Minneapolis.