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when someone is going to burn me,” Gwiazdowski said. “I’m going to train just as hard as I did in past years. I don’t overlook anyone whether they are an All-American or not. I’m going out there with my best every time, ready for them to take me to deep waters.”
In 2014, Gwiazdowski unseated two-time NCAA champion
Tony Nelson of Minnesota as the NCAA heavyweight king, and in the process prevented Nelson from earning his third NCAA title. Last year he stopped Michigan’s young gun Adam Coon by a 7-6 margin in the NCAA finals. Ironically, the last two wrestlers to defeat Gwiazdowski were Nelson and Coon during the 2013-14 season. Since the loss to Nelson in the finals of the 2014 Southern Scuffle, Gwiazdowski has reeled off an NCAA leading 55 straight wins. “I’ve got to bring myself back to being the guy chasing, not the guy sitting at the top. I want to be the 2016 champ and the last match of the year matters. [My resume] looks good on paper, but in my mind I want the last one,” Gwiazdowski said. Dieringer and Gwiazdowski are not the only two NCAA wrestlers hunting down history in the upcoming college season. Two freshman NCAA champions from last year are priming for a run at their second NCAA titles in as many years. Last season, Illinois freshman Isaiah Martinez achieved a feat not seen since the legendary Cael Sanderson did so for Iowa State in 1999, going undefeated as a freshman en route to the NCAA title.
Martinez made his presence known in a big way on the college scene last year, winning one of the deepest weight classes at the NCAA Championships at 157 pounds. Martinez overcame a field that included two four-time NCAA All-Americans, James Green of Nebraska and Dylan Ness of Minnesota. Green would go on to win bronze at the 2015 World Championships in freestyle.
Isaiah Martinez of Illinois was an NCAA champion as a freshman last season. John Sachs photo.
“I was made ready for [this journey]. I’ve been working at this for 14 years. Wrestling is my life. I don’t plan on doing anything else for the rest of my life,” Martinez said. “As far as compar- isons go, we will get there when the time comes. I’m going to try my best, be ready every bout, every match, every second and hopefully it’ll work out in the end for me.”
The second freshman to capture top prize in the NCAA ranks last year was Nathan Tomasello of Ohio State. After suffering four losses during the regular season last year
2014 NCAA champion J’Den Cox of Missouri aims a return visit to the NCAA finals. John Sachs photo.
6 USA Wrestler
Tomasello appeared to be on the periphery of winning the big show. The Ohio State captain catapulted his way to number one during postseason play, topping all the big names at 125 pounds at the Big Ten and NCAA Championships. “I really enjoy competing, especially on the big stage. It just makes you love the sport. That’s why you train so hard. Putting in the time every single day makes it worth it,” said Tomasello. Tomasello would avenge two of his regular season losses throughout postseason competition, topping Thomas Gilman of Iowa 3-2 in the Big Ten finals and upending undefeated and top- ranked Alan Waters of Missouri 4-2 in the NCAA semifinals. Oklahoma Sooner Cody Brewer produced arguably the most surprising run to a NCAA championship last season, going from the No. 13 seed at the NCAA Championships to the NCAA champion at 133 pounds. Brewer entered the 2015 NCAA Championships as a two-time All-American with a 17-1 season record, but was devalued in the tournament seeding because of time missed due to injury. “Having all the naysayers say things to you, you block it out and say to yourself, I can do it,” Brewer said. “ Wrestling is my life. Wrestling is what I put all this time into. So why not me? It’s up to me and I have to make that choice and step up and wres- tle like I know I can.” In total, Brewer won five matches at the NCAAs, one by fall, three by major decision and one by decision. All the while he outscored his final four opponents by a 49 to 17 tally. He topped undefeated and top-ranked Chris Dardanes of Minnesota 15-3 in the semifinals and took out No. 3 seed Cory Clark of Iowa 11- 8 in the finals.
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