Big Ten Dual Meet Season Ready To Roll

State of the Conference as Season’s Second Half Begins

by Willie Saylor, Editor

There’s been one official conference dual meet completed; Purdue upended Northwestern to the tune of 33-7 back in November. But with every team going head-to-head in duals, this weekend marks the beginning of the conference season.

In this conference update, we’ll show you what’s on tap for Big Ten Wrestling’s kick-off and evaluate each team’s current situation.

Friday Duals:
# 24 Illinois (5-3) @ #13 Penn State (8-3-1)
#12 Indiana (11-0) @ #14 Wisconsin (5-5) (On Big Ten Network)
#1 Iowa (14-0) @ Michigan (4-7)
#5 Minnesota (5-4) @ Michigan State (6-1-1)

Saturday Duals:
#5 Minnesota (5-4) @ Michigan (4-7)

Sunday Duals:
Purdue (10-4) @ #1 Iowa (14-0)
# 13 Penn St. (8-3-1) @ #3 Ohio St. (11-1)
#24 Illinois (5-3) @ Michigan St. (6-1-1)
#12 Indiana (11-0) @ Northwestern (4-6-1)

Team Capsules
#1 Iowa 14-0
First Half: The defending National Champions are still doing their thing in dominating fashion. With an unblemished record, Midlands and National Duals titles, and on a 52 match win streak including recent wins over #2 Iowa State and #3 Oklahoma State, the Hawkeyes have lived up to their lofty expectations.

Outlook: Despite inconsistency at 157, a revolving door at 141, and injuries to their upper weights, Iowa has persevered. All-American Heavyweight, Dan Erekson returns from injury soon. There’s no reason they shouldn’t run the table.

Ranked Individuals:
#3 Matt McDonough, 125
#6 Dan Dennis, 133
#7 Montell Marion, 141
#1 Brent Metcalf, 149
#5 Ryan Morningstar, 165
#2 Jay Borschel, 174
#7 Phil Keddy, 184
#6 Chad Beatty, 197

Dual Schedule:
1/22 @ Michigan
1/24 vs. Purdue
1/29 vs. #13 Penn St.
1/31 vs. Michigan St.
*2/6 @ Utah Valley St.
2/12 vs. Northwestern
2/14 @ #5 Minnesota
2/19 vs. #3 Ohio State
2/21 @ #14 Wisconsin

*non Big Ten Dual
In the rotational schedule, Iowa does not wrestle #12Indiana and #24Illinois this season.

#3 Ohio State 11-1
First Half: The Buckeyes dropped just one dual meet; a 23-9 defeat to Iowa St. at National Duals. They finished 2nd to Oklahoma at the Brockport tournament and won the Las Vegas Invitational with that same Oklahoma team present. Former National Champions Reece Humphrey (20-2) and Mike Pucillo (13-4) have accumulated a handful of losses, but they have the potential to beat anyone. Three time AA Lance Palmer (17-1) has been on a tear.

Outlook: Last year, the team, as a whole, seemed to falter at the Big Ten Championships, beat rebounded at the National Tournament to give Iowa a scare. Look for a heated battle for the 157 slot as Sean Nemec and Tony Jameson battle it out. The Buckeyes seem poised for another Top 5 finish at NCAA’s, but their third consecutive runners-up finish is less likely as they lack the depth that was characteristic of them in the recent past. They have just three wrestlers ranked within AA-status. So to move up the podium, they’ll have to supplement that with points from their Top 20 guys.

Ranked Individuals:
#2 Reece Humphrey, 141
#3 Lance Palmer, 149
#18 Sean Nemec, 157
#9 Colt Sponseller, 165
#13 Dave Rella, 174
#8 Mike Pucillo, 184
#19 Corey Morrison, HWT

Remaining Schedule:
1/24 vs #13 Penn St.
1/29 @ Purdue
1/31 @ #12 Indiana
2/5 vs. Michigan
2/7 vs. Northwestern
2/12 @ #24 Illinois
2/14 vs. Michigan St.
2/19 @ #1 Iowa

OSU does not wrestle #14Wisconsin or #5Minnesota

#5 Minnesota 5-4
First Half: The Gophers saw an enigmatic first half end on a rather good note by taking 2nd at the Southern Scuffle and 4th at National Duals. Their record is deceiving in that all their losses came at the hands of the nation’s top ranked teams: Iowa, Iowa St., Oklahoma St., and Ohio St.

Outlook: This squad is anchored by their lightweights who, from 125 through 141 have, collectively, just 5 losses. Gopher fans, who looked to re-join DI’s upper echelon may have been a bit disappointed by the ineligibility of Olympian Jake Deicthler and defections amongst the upper-weights. But the re-emergence of one promising star, Scott Glasser, has helped immensely. Bottom line is, the Gophers still have the horses, with the lightweights and Sr. Dustin Schlatter, to get on the podium in March. In their pursuit of this, contributions from Mario Mason (11-4) and Sonny Yohn (16-6) could make the difference.

Ranked Individuals:
#7 Zach Sanders, 125
#2 Jayson Ness, 133
#6 Mike Thorn, 141
#14 Mario Mason, 149
#2 Dustin Schlatter, 165
#9 Scott Glasser, 174
#15 Sonny Yohn, 197

Remaining Schedule:
1/22 @ Michigan St.
1/23 @ Michigan
1/29 vs. #14 Wisconsin
1/31 vs. Purdue
2/5 @ #24 Illinois
2/6 @ #12 Indiana
2/14 vs. #1 Iowa
2/19 vs. #13 Penn St.

Do not wrestle Ohio St. and Northwestern this season.

#12 Indiana (11-0)
First Half: This is what I wrote in the Big Ten Preview in October: “I’d bet Indiana, more than anyone else in the conference, makes the biggest jump in the Big Ten standings.” Ok, ok. So they haven’t wrestled the most demanding of schedules. But the fact is, the Hoosiers line-up is balanced, and filled with solid, competitive guys. Paced by undefeated bookend seniors, Indiana enjoyed a banner first half of the year.

Outlook: Solid but not spectacular. Between Escobedo and Everhart (who has wins over Lane, Birchler, Steele, and Montiero) are lunch-pail type guys who should compliment them enough to finish very well at Big Ten’s. NCAA’s will be tougher. At the best, they push a few guys through to AA status to help Escobedo’s finals appearance. At worst, they’ll win a bunch of matches with several guys reaching the round of 16. Either way the Hoosier’s will probably end up with their best NCAA finish in a long time. How high they finish will be, as in the case of many teams, determined in NCAA wrestlebacks, on the heels of Matt Powless (22-8), Matt Coughlin (15-7), Trevor Perry (17-5), Kinser, and Young.

Ranked Individuals:
#1 Angel Escobedo, 125
#7 Kurt Kinser, 157
#12 Paul Young, 165
#3 Nathan Everhart, Hwt

Remaining Schedule:
1/22 @ #14 Wisconsin
1/24 @ Northwestern
1/29 vs. #24 Illinois
1/31 vs. #3 Ohio St.
2/6 vs. #5 Minnesota
2/12 vs. Michigan
2/14 @ Purdue
2/21 @ Michigan St.

Hoosiers do not wrestle #1 Iowa or #13 Penn State

#13 Penn State (8-3-1)
First Half: If my keen wrestling sense alerted me to how well Indiana would do, it failed me in my preseason assessment of the Nittany Lions. I thought this season would be a wash; a throw-away year in the rebuilding process. They placed a respectable 3rd at Reno and lost duals to Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., and Lehigh, and tied Pitt.

Outlook: While Penn State isn’t a contender for a conference title this year, they should be well represented at Nationals with a solid contingent of All-American contenders. Cyler has a shot for a title. And the bump to 149 has suited Molinaro well, running off a string of 21 wins, nine of the bonus variety, before dropping a match to Oklahoma’s Kyle Terry at Virginia Duals. Brad Pataky (17-5) and Dan Vallimont (18-3) are certainly AA candidates as well. But it’s David Erwin (19-5), who has been wrestling well at 184, who could mean the difference of several spots at both the conference and national tournaments. The bottom line for the Lions is, they need to maximize their point totals at these weights to realize their potential because their weak weights are really weak. All in all, Penn State seems sure to exceed their preseason expectations.

Ranked Individuals:
#11 Brad Pataky, 125
#4 Frank Molinaro, 149
#6 Cyler Sanderson, 157
#7 Dan Vallimont, 165
#13 David Erwin, 184
#18 Cameron Wade, Hwt

Remaining Schedule:
1/22 vs. #24 Illinois
1/24 @ #3 Ohio State
1/29 @ #1 Iowa
1/31 @ #14 Wisconsin
2/5 vs. Northwestern
2/7 vs. Michigan
2/12 vs. Michigan St.
2/19 @ #5 Minnesota

Penn State does not wrestle #12 Indiana or Purdue.

#14 Wisconsin (5-5)
First Half: All things considered, the Badgers had a good first half. While they went just 2-3 at National Duals, they had a good win over Central Michigan to place 8th. Wrestling the majority of the season without one of the leaders (Trevor Brandvold) they still managed a .500 record wrestling a tough schedule.

Outlook: Penn St., Indiana, and Wisconsin have about the same scoring potential with markedly different line-ups. The Badgers are top-heavy; they have studs but at the same time have glaring holes. Winning duals in the Big Ten could be a challenge, but they might be the best suited among these teams to break into the top 4 or higher at the conference tournament. Ruschell and Howe are bona fide national finalist contenders, nationally. The ‘X’ factors are Brandvold and Graff. Finish a few spots lower than their national ranking indicates, and Wisconsin will be middle-of-the-pack. Place a few spots higher, and this could be a special, Top 10 caliber, year.

Ranked Individuals:
#8 Tyler Graff, 133
#2 Kyle Ruschell, 149
#1 Andrew Howe, 165
#7 Trevor Brandvold, 197

Remaining Schedule:
1/22 vs. #12 Indiana
1/29 @ #5 Minnesota
1/31 vs. #13 Penn St.
2/5 @ Purdue
2/7 @ #24 Illinois
2/14 @ Michigan
2/19 vs. Northwestern
2/21 vs. #1 Iowa

Wisconsin will not face #3 Ohio State or Michigan State

#24 Illinois (5-3)
First Half: Illinois has a positive record after the break, but it’s come against sub-par competition. John Dergo has been the story for the Illini, going 20-2 and winning Midlands over Max Askren and Mike Cannon. Jordan Blanton has wrestled to a 12-3 mark.

Outlook: With Jimmy Kennedy on the shelf taking a RS, the only top flight guy left in the line-up is Dergo. Patrick Bond, at #13, is on the bubble of making an AA run in his final season, but he’s at a very deep weight. Illinios does have some other solid guys. Ryan Prater (9-4) and Conrad Polz (12-9) have shown potential. But it’s going to be difficult with this edition of the Illinois’ line-up to win duals in the Big Ten.

Ranked Individuals:
#11 Ryan Prater, 141
#15 Jordan Blanton, 174
#2 John Dergo, 184
#13 Patrick Bond, 197

Remaining Schedule:
1/22 @ #13 Penn St.
1/24 @ Michigan St.
1/29 @ #12 Indiana
1/31 @ Northwestern
2/5 vs. #5 Minnesota
2/7 vs. #14 Wisconsin
2/12 vs. #3 Ohio St.
2/18 vs. Purdue

The Illini do not face #1 Iowa or Michigan

Purdue (10-4, 1-0)
First Half: Purdue wrestled their way to a fine first half performance with dual wins over Northern Iowa, Missouri, and Kent St. The Boilermakers had 8 individuals to have 18+ wins in the first half alone, and it’s not all fluff. It’s tough to assess because they haven’t wrestled the toughest of schedules, but the Boilers have beaten who they should, which is encouraging going forward.

Outlook: You won’t find a lot of these guys in the rankings, simply because they haven’t competed against a lot of others ranked kids yet this year. But, they have several guys just outside the Top 20 waiting to be ranked if they have a good second half. The bad news is they start their dual season against three of the best teams in the land. I predict a lot of close individual bouts in most duals for the Boilermakers this conference season. If they can scratch some of those bouts out, they could certainly pull an upset or two and finish in the top half of the conference. They should prove capable of competing with all but the biggest dogs in the Big Ten; say, all the way up through intrastate foe Indiana (with whom they match up well against). Pay particular attention to true freshman Cashe Quiroga (19-6), last summer’s Fargo National Champion, who is coming along well. He’s a developing star.

Ranked Individuals:
#20 Cashe Quiroga, 125
#5 Luke Manuel, 174
#11 Logan Brown, 197

Remaining Schedule:
11/14 W 33-7 vs Northwestern
1/24 vs. #1 Iowa
1/29 vs. #3 Ohio St.
1/31 @. #5 Minnesota
2/5 vs. #14 Wisconsin
2/7 @ Michigan St.
2/14 vs. #12 Indiana
2/18 @ #24 Illinois

Purdue does not wrestle #13 Penn State or Michigan

Michigan State (6-1-1)
First Half: For a team that not much was expected of, The Spartans had a very solid beginning to this year’s campaign. Their only loss is to Northern Iowa and though their schedule wasn’t exactly Big 10 caliber, 6-1-1 does suggest they may have more balance than initially anticipated. One of the surprises to the conference this season is So. David Cheza who wrestled to a 15-7 record in the first half.

Outlook: With Northwestern not on the docket the Spartans will struggle to win a conference dual. Their best shot will occur when they visit the Wolverines. Last year, on the heels of a Gomez National title run, MSU finished in the top 15. But they had more help then they will this year. Gomez is on a solo mission and, for Spartan fans, the season will play out as a farewell tour for one of their best wrestlers in school history.

Ranked Individuals:
#1 Franklin Gomez, 133
#15 David Cheza, 149

Remaining Schedule:
1/22 vs. #5 Minnesota
1/24 vs. #24 Illinois
1/29 @ Michigan
1/31 @ #1 Iowa
*2/5 @ # 8 Central Michigan
2/7 vs. Purdue
2/12 @ #13 Penn State
2/14 @ #3 Ohio State
2/21 vs. #12 Indiana

*Not a conference dual
MSU does not wrestle #14 Wisconsin or Northwestern

Michigan (4-7)
First Half: Most expected this to be a rebuilding year for the Wolverines. They were right. Michigan has struggled this year, although they did manage to capture wins over Penn and Bucknell. Anthony Biondo (24-2) had a monster first half, and seems to always have enough to pull out the ‘W’. Zac Stevens is a pleasant surprise. He posted an 18-9 mark including a win over Lehigh’s Matt Fisk.

Outlook: Opportunities for dual wins will be few and far between with this line-up. And, with Kellen Russell saving a year of eligibility for future seasons, Michigan will struggle to get more than a few guys to the big dance. True freshman Sean Boyle (18-12) has been streaky in his inaugural year, and could be darkhorse to qualify.

Ranked Individuals:
#18 Justin Zeerip, 174
#8 Anthony Biono, 197

Remaining Schedule:
1/22 vs. #1 Iowa
1/23 vs. #5 Minnesota
1/29 vs. Michigan St.
2/5 @ #3 Ohio St.
2/7 @ #13 Penn St.
2/12 @ #12 Indiana
2/14 vs. #14 Wisconsin
2/21 @ Northwestern

Michigan does not wrestle #24 Illinois or Purdue

Northwestern (4-6-1, 0-1)
First Half: Northwestern managed 4 dual wins in the first part of the season. But those were against sub-par competition. The going won’t be as easily in the Big Ten. Just two wrestlers on the squad of winning records.

Outlook: Andrew Nadhir (16-9) is the only kid on the squad who proved he belongs in the national picture. And though John Shoen (10-7) is above .500, qualifying for NCAA’s won’t be easy in the Big Ten as he has already lost to the back-ups from Purdue and Illinois. Take heart, Wildcat fans, you’re getting the best recruiting lcass in school history next year, and former NCAA finalist, Brandon Precin, off redshirt.

Ranked Individuals:
#18 Andrew Nadhir, 149

Remaining Schedule:
11/14 L 33-7 vs. Purdue
1/24 vs. #12 Indiana
1/31 vs. #24 Illinois
2/5 @ #13 Penn St.
2/7 @ #3 Ohio St.
2/12 @ #1 Iowa
2/19 @ #14 Wisconsin
2/21 vs. Michigan

Northwestern does not wrestle #5 Minnesota or Michigan St.

TOM’s Predicted Dual Meet Finish:
1. Iowa 8-0
2. Ohio St. 7-1
3. Minnesota 7-1
4. Penn St. 5-3
5. Wisconsin 4-4
6. Indiana 4-4
7. Purdue 4-4
8. Illinois 2-6
9. Michigan St. 1-7
10. Michigan 1-7
11. Northwestern 0-8