Continued from page 6 class this season.


He is halfway to becoming just the fourth wrestler to win four NCAA titles. Returning 141-pound NCAA champion Kendric Maple of Oklahoma is planning to bump up to 149 for his senior season. Edinboro’s Mitchell Port was a surprise runner-up at NCAAs last year and returns in this division.


All-Americans Devin Carter of Virginia


Tech, Nick Dardanes of Minnesota, Michael Nevinger of Cornell, Ugi Khishignnyam of Citadel and Evan Henderson of North Carolina also return at 141.


149 pounds


Maple is the favorite here after moving up a weight class. He dominated the competition at 141 last season. His top challenger is expected to be Minnesota’s Dylan Ness, an NCAA run- ner-up as a freshman in 2012. Ness placed fourth at the NCAAs this past March.


All-Americans Drake Houdashelt of Missouri, Scott Sakaguchi of Oregon State and Nick Brascetta of Virginia Tech also return. Nebraska’s Jake Sueflohn is a two-time


NCAA qualifier who has just missed earn- ing a spot on the podium. Penn State’s Andrew Alton also will be in the mix. He is a two-time NCAA qualifi- er.


157 pounds


Iowa’s Derek St. John won a highly competitive weight class last year at the NCAAs after finishing second as a sopho- more. St. John is healthy this year after bat- tling injuries the past two seasons. St. John may face his toughest compe- tition from talented Oklahoma State soph- omore Alex Dieringer, who placed second at the Junior World Championships this past summer. Dieringer placed third at the 2013 NCAAs. Two-time All-American James Green of Nebraska, who defeated St. John at the Big Ten tournament, also is a threat to win the title here. He made the U.S. University World Team this past summer. Penn State’s Dylan Alton, third in the 2012 NCAAs, also is a top wrestler in this class.


Oregon State’s Roger Pena placed fifth in the nation this past March. 165 pounds


Penn State’s David Taylor is looking to return to the dominating form of his soph- omore season when he won an NCAA title and the Hodge Trophy. Taylor was a close second to four-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake of Cornell at


8 USA Wrestler


Iowa’s Tony Ramos jumps away from Ohio State’s Logan Stieber during the 2013 NCAA finals match at 133 pounds. John Sachs photo.


the 2013 NCAAs. Taylor had a superb summer. He won a bronze medal at the World University Games and placed third at the World Team Trials in freestyle. Oklahoma State’s Tyler Caldwell, sec- ond and third at the NCAAs, may be Taylor’s top challenger.


All-Americans Mike Moreno of Iowa


State and Nick Sulzer of Virginia also return in this division.


174 pounds Oklahoma’s Chris Perry edged Penn


State’s Matt Brown in the finals last year, and both wrestlers return this season. They will be pushed by past NCAA champion Andrew Howe, who is back after a two-year absence. Howe took an Olympic redshirt and a redshirt the past two seasons.


Howe transferred to Oklahoma from Wisconsin, where he finished second, first and third at the NCAA tournament. Nebraska’s Robert Kokesh and Minnesota’s Logan Storley, South Dakota natives who were third and fourth at the 2013 NCAAs, also return in this class. All-Americans Mike Evans of Iowa and Cody Walters of Ohio also are back. 184 pounds


Penn State’s Ed Ruth is heavily favored to win this division. He is a two-time NCAA champion who hasn’t lost a collegiate match since his freshman year. He has recorded 35 pins in his standout career.


Ruth has won 68 straight matches at the collegiate level. He made the University World Team this past summer


in freestyle. Returning All-Americans in this class include Iowa’s Ethen Lofthouse, Maryland’s Jimmy Sheptock and Northern Iowa’s Ryan Loder.


197 pounds This weight class is fairly wide open


with past NCAA champions Quentin Wright of Penn State and Dustin Kilgore of Kent State completing their eligibility. Oregon State’s Taylor Meeks is the highest returning placewinner after taking fourth in 2013. Returning All-Americans also include Minnesota’s Scott Schiller, Iowa State’s Kyven Gadson and Oklahoma State’s Blake Rosholt. Oklahoma’s Travis Rutt, a transfer from Wisconsin, was an All-American two years ago at 184. Ohio State’s Nick Heflin has reportedly moved up to this class after finishing fifth at 174. 285 Pounds


Tony Nelson has continued the tradition of top Minnesota heavyweights. He’s won two straight NCAA titles. Northwester’s Mike McMullan, second to Nelson at the 2013 NCAAs, is another top contender in this weight class. Iowa’s Bobby Telford, an All-American in 2012 before being injured at the 2013 NCAAs, is another top wrestler to watch. North Carolina State’s Nick Gwiazdowski, an All-American two years ago for Binghamton, is another tough competitor in this class.


Gwiazdowski placed fourth at June’s


U.S. World Team Trials in freestyle. He defeated Nelson twice in that event.


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