2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships Coverage

2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships Preview & Predictions

2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships Preview & Predictions

What to expect at the 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships on March 9-10 in College Park, MD.

Mar 8, 2024 by Andrew Spey
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10 brackets featuring 14 of the best wrestlers in college will be contested this Saturday and Sunday, March 9-10 at the campus of the University of Maryland in College Park. 

You can find schedules, brackets (when they are available), results (after they have occured) and links to just about everything else here. You can also go right to the preseeds by clicking here

Continue reading for a preview plus predictions of every weight class. Note: the number of NCAA automatic qualifying spots available is in brackets next to the weight! 

125 Pounds (9 AQs)

Favorite

  • #1 Matt Ramos, Purdue

Ramos took four losses in the first half of the season but was perfect in 2024, including wins over Barnett and Ayala. 125 has been crazy all season but Ramos has slowly regained his grip over it after his runner-up performance at the 2023 NCAAs that famously included a semifinal win over Spencer Lee.

Contenders

  • #2 Drake Ayala, Iowa
  • #4 Eric Barnett, Wisconsin
  • #5 Braeden Davis, Penn State
  • #9 Pat McKee, Minnesota
  • #11 Caleb Smith, Nebraska
  • #12 Michael DeAugustino, Michigan

Ayala, Barnett and Davis all have solid chances of winning a title, but the recent wins of Ramos over Ayala and Barnett put him in a tier above. Ayala also has a loss to DeAugustino in February, keeping him from being in the same tier as Ramos. 

Barnett has yet to face Ayala (he beat Joey Cruz 8-0 in the Wisconsin-Iowa dual meet) but he was also pinned by McKee in mid-February. McKee has the Barnett win but also losses in the second half of the season to Ramos, Ayala and Dean Peterson. 

Davis had a perfect record going into February before taking losses to Ayala and Smith. Smith has losses to Ayala, Barnett and McKee, as well as non-conference losses to Arizona State's Figueroa and Wyoming's Jore Volk, all in the second half of the season. 

DeAugustino has seen his mat time limited due to injuries though he has that win over Ayala which is offset by losses to Smith and Davis. 

All of which is to say that the Big Ten is not immune to the chaos that was the 125-pound weight class this season. 

Sleepers and Landmines

  • #19 Brendan McCrone, Ohio State
  • #20 Dean Peterson, Rutgers

Peterson has the recent aforementioned win over McKee while McCrone beat Peterson in February.

Predictions

1) Ramos, 2) Ayala, 3) Barnett, 4) McKee

Ramos is undefeated in 2024 and I think he keeps it that way going into March. Ayala has a tough draw (though there are no easy Big Ten draws) and will have to avenge a loss from DeAugustino in the quarterfinals just to get to Barnett in the semifinals (which I think he does). McKee is a road warrior but I think Barnett avenges a pinfall he suffered by McKee's hands in a dual meet to win the third-place bout. 

AQs: Purdue, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State, Ohio State, Rutgers

The nine AQs are enough to equip each top 20 wrestler with a bid. I'm not expecting any other upsets to keep any of those nine wrestlers from earning an invite either, but also it's 125 so make confident predictions at your peril!


133 Pounds (7 AQs)

Favorites

  • #4 Dylan Ragusin, Michigan
  • #7 Dylan Shawver, Rutgers
  • #8 Aaron Nagao, Penn State
  • #10 Nic Bouzakis, Ohio State

Michigan had plans to keep Ragusin in a redshirt and have Northwestern transfer Chris Cannon start at 133, but injuries caused the Wolverines to change plans and Ragusin was back in varsity action after Midlands. Though Ragusin has wins over Nagao, Shawver and Bouzakis, a February loss to Nebraska's Van Dee keeps him from being an outright favorite.

Shawver wrestled his way into title contention with February wins over Nagao and Bouzakis. Meanwhile, Bouzakis has seven losses on the season but he also has home run potential as evidenced by his pins over nationally-ranked wrestlers like Kai Orine, Ethan Oakley and Derrick Cardinal. 

Contenders

  • #14 Braxton Brown, Maryland
  • #16 Anthony Madrigal, Illinois
  • #17 Tyler Wells, Minnesota
  • #20 Jacob Van Dee, Nebraska
  • #21 Brody Teske, Iowa

With only seven allocations for the conference and nine wrestlers in the top 21, at least two ranked Big Ten competitors will need to hope for an at-large bid to go to the Big Dance.

Sleepers and Landmines

  • Nicolar Rivera, Wisconsin
  • Cayden Rooks, Indiana

Rooks is a savvy veteran who qualified for the 2021 NCAA tournament while Rivera is a redshirt freshman who could be due for a breakout performance. 

Predictions

1) Ragusin, 2) Bouzakis, 3) Nagao, 4) Shawver

This is one of the most difficult brackets to predict, due in part to #21 ranked Teske receiving the #14 seed because of clerical reasons. That draws Teske into a first-round match with Bouzakis. I think Bouzakis will prevail in that match and then defeat Shawver in the semis before falling to Ragusin in the finals.

Nagao, meanwhile, will have to get by Van Dee in the quarters and then avenge a loss to Shawver in the third-place bout. I think it goes down like that but I've certainly been wrong before!

AQs: Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, Maryland, Illinois, Iowa

I'm predicting Wells and Van Dee to miss out on automatic qualifiers but to be honest I'm not even sure the bracket can work that way, and also hopefully the whole bracket gets reseeded and Teske does not stay at the #14 seed so either way I'm taking a mulligan on this one. 


141 Pounds (11 AQs)

Favorites

  • #1 Beau Bartlett, Penn State
  • #2 Real Woods, Iowa
  • #3 Jesse Mendez, Ohio State
  • #5 Brock Hardy, Nebraska

Bartlett assumed the mantle of the top ranking and seed when he avenged a 2023 loss to Real Woods in the Penn State-Iowa dual meet this year. This season the 2023's NCAA third placer beat the 2023 NCAA runner-up 7-2, however, the week before that Bartlett needed overtime to beat Jesse Mendez. That trio will all be contending for both a Big Ten and NCAA title in 2024. 

Hardy may be considered a tier below, based on his losses to the other three this season, in addition to three other out-of-conference losses, however, his career results, which include a win over Bartlett at 2023's Big Tens, suggest he will be in the hunt for a title like the others. 

Contenders

  • #14 Sergio Lemley, Michigan
  • #19 Mitch Moore, Rutgers
  • #21 Danny Pucino, Illinois
  • #22 Vance Vombaur, Minnesota
  • #23 Kal Miller, Maryland

There is a drop off in rankings between the top four and the next five, however, with 11 allocations for the weight class, all nine top should comfortably qualifier for the NCAAs. 

Sleepers and Landmines

  • #26 Jordan Hamdan, Michigan State
  • #28 Danny Fongaro, Indiana
  • #29 Greyson Clark, Purdue

11 spots mean one of these top 33 ranked wrestlers is going to need an at-large bid. It also means this weight class will wrestle back for both 9th and 11th place. If everything goes according to the preseeds, Fongaro will beat Clark in the 11th place match. But the chances of everything going completely chalk are in actuality very slim!

Predictions

1) Mendez, 2) Bartlett, 3) Woods, 4) Hardy

The margins separating the top four are razor thin, so you can shuffle them in any order you like and still be able to justify your prediction. I'm picking Mendez to avenge a sudden victory loss from this season in the finals but it would not surprise me at all if Woods made it to the top of the podium or if Hardy beat Bartlett in the semis like he did at last year's Big Tens or if Bartlett remained undefeated going into NCAAs. All are possible, not unlikley outcomes!

AQs: Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan, Rutgers, Illinois, Minnesota, Maryland, Indiana, Michigan State

11 AQs but still a ranked wrestler will be left without an invite. I'm guessing Clark is the one relying on an at-large but that's all it is, a guess!


149 Pounds (9 AQs)

Favorites

  • #1 Ridge Lovett, Nebraska
  • #5 Austin Gomez, Michigan

A loss to Arizona State's Kyle Parco in the last dual of the season gave Lovett his first loss since the 2022 NCAA finals, however, the blemish on his record does little to diminish his odds of winning  2024 Big Ten title. It does, however, leave the door open a crack for a challenger to emerge. 

Though he lost to Lovett in February, Gomez is the last person you should count out of any match, as evidenced by his revenge win in freestyle over Nick Lee at 65kg at the Pan-Am Olympic Qualifier just last weekend. That win paved the way for Gomez to earn a bid to the Paris Games representing Mexico. A Big Ten title and a bid to the NCAAs is next on his to-do list. 

Contenders

  • #11 Caleb Rathjen, Iowa
  • #12 Tyler Kasak, Penn State
  • #13 Dylan D'Emilio, Ohio State
  • #15 Joseph Zargo, Wisconsin
  • #18 Ethen Miller, Maryland
  • #19 Graham Rooks, Indiana

Every Big Ten weight class is deep, but 149 is especially stacked, with six more wrestlers ranked in the top 20 who will all be in the mix for a podium placement in Kansas City. Thankfully the conference also has more than enough allocations to accommodate all these ranked wrestlers, who would all likely receive at large bids if they for some reason fell short of automatic qualification in College Park. 

Sleepers and Landmines

  • #26 Drew Roberts, Minnesota
  • #31 Michael Cetta, Rutgers

But nine bids still leaves at least one of these nationally-ranked Big Ten wrestlers on the bubble. Both Roberts and Cetta are in their third year in college and their first year in a Big Ten starting lineup. Roberts has a win over Cetta, but Cetta showed he can hang with the best with a win over Dylan D'Emilio in February. 

Predictions

1) Lovett, 2) Gomez, 3) Rathjen, 4) Kasak

I could see Gomez pulling off the upset in the finals over Lovett, but mainly I just want to see that match happen. The winner will be the fans no matter what happens on the mat. Ditto if we get a rematch of Kasak and Rathjen in the 3rd place bout. Earlier this season Rathjen beat Kasak in sudden victory in a dual meet. 

AQs: Nebraska, Michigan, Iowa, Penn State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Maryland, Indiana, Minnesota

As noted, Cetta has beaten All-American D'Emilio, so he could certainly find a way to finish in the top 9 and qualify this weight for the Scarlet Knights. 


157 Pounds (9 AQs)

Favorite

  • #1 Levi Haines, Penn State

Haines, last season's NCAA runner-up, has been ranked #1 since the preseason and has nary a blemish on his record this season. 

The Nittany Lion true sophomore and Pennsylvania native is not totally invincible, however, as evidenced by his need for a tiebreaker win over Chase Saldate in Late February. However, Haines also has a 12-0 win over Jared Franek in February, putting him in a tier by himself in the Big Ten, and in the entire NCAA for that matter.

Contenders

  • #4 Michael Blockhus, Minnesota
  • #5 Jared Franek, Iowa
  • #13 Peyton Robb, Nebraska
  • #14 Brayton Lee, Indiana
  • #15 Will Lewan, Michigan
  • #19 Joey Blaze, Purdue
  • #20 Chase Saldate, Michigan State

With eight other wrestlers in the top 20, including two in the top 5, the Big Ten's depth is once again on full display. Blockhus, Franek, Robb, Lee and Lewan have all made the podium before. Blaze is a talented true freshman looking to make a name for himself whereas Saldate is in his fourth year as a starting Spartan who fell one match short of All-American status last season. 

Sleepers and Landmines

  • #22 Trevor Chumbley, Northwestern
  • #23 Isaac Wilcox, Ohio State

Only nine allocations here, so at least two nationally ranked Big Ten wrestlers will need at-larges bids. Chumbley has been dancing before. Wilcox would be at his first NCAA tournament, but he's got multiple wins over former qualifiers this season. 

Predictions

1) Haines, 2) Blockhus, 3) Franek, 4) Saldate

Brayton Lee is an immensely talented All-American, however, he's only had 8 matches this season and just three conference bouts. Saldate, meanwhile, is 22-4 this season 10-1 in 2024, with the only loss this year coming from Haines in tiebreakers. Thus, I am picking #6 seed Saldate to beat #3 seed Lee in the quarters. 

AQs: Penn State, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan State, Michigan, Nebraska, Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern

With ten ranked Big Ten starters and nine AQs, at least one ranked guy will unfortunately not get an aut0o-bid. I'm guessing it'll be Wilcox, but he could easily prove me wrong. And don't count out Rutgers' Al DeSantis, who got the postseason nod over his #29 ranked teammate Jacob Butler.


165 Pounds (10 AQs)

Favorites

  • #4 Dean Hamiti, Wisconsin
  • #5 Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State
  • #6 Michael Caliendo, Iowa

Perhaps the most intriguing bracket at that tournament. Hamiti has defeated Caliendo in a 14-11 shootout but has not yet wrestled Mesenrbink, who is undefeated in his redshirt freshman season, which also includes a win over Caliendo.

Hamiti lost to Olejnik at the All-Star Classic but that match won't count for NCAA qualification and seeding purposes. His only official loss this season is to David Carr. 

Caliendo also lost to Carr. His other two aforementioned losses were the only three he suffered this season after finishing 7th as a freshman at North Dakota State last season. 

Mesenbrink hasn't wrestled any of the top four ranked wrestlers in the nation in college (hence the #5 national ranking) but his 2023 U20 freestyle world championship suggests he has the talent to defeat anyone. 

Contenders

  • #9 Caleb Fish, Michigan State
  • #10 Antrell Taylor, Nebraska
  • #11 Cameron Amine, Michigan
  • #12 Bryce Hepner, Ohio State
  • #22 Tyler Lillard, Indiana
  • #25 Maxx Mayfield, Northwestern
  • #26 Stoney Buell, Purdue

Another insanely deep weight class in the "nation's premier wrestling conference" (trademark Shane Sparks). Thankfully there are ten allocations so there is an automatic qualifier spot for everyone on this contenders list. 

Fish, Taylor, Amine and Hepner are all very tightly bunched in the rankings, and any matches between them can be considered a toss-up. Lillard, Mayfield and Buell don't have quite the track records but can still contend with the rest of the division. 

Sleepers and Landmines

  • #33 Blaine Brenner, Minnesota
  • Chris Moore, Illinois

Brenner is only just inside the national rankings, and Moore is not ranked, however, Brenner did get the #10 seed and Moore the #11 seed, so they may both end up stopping the higher ranked Mayfield, who is the #12 seed, from earning an NCAA bid this weekend. 

Predictions

1) Mesenbrink, 2) Hamiti, 3) Caliendo, 4) Fish

I think Mesenbrink establishes himself as a top tow or three seed at the NCAAs by staying undefeated and winning this loaded Big Ten bracket. Things will get very dicey for the national seeds, however, if Mesenrbink doesn't win the Big Ten and/or if Keegan O'Toole and/or Julian Ramirez don't win the Big 12 and EIWA, respectively. 

Other than Mesenbrink over Hamiti I think the rest of the placements play out as seeded.

AQs: Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, Michigan, Purdue, Ohio State, Northwestern

Despite there being 10 bids available, there will still be a ranked wrestler on the outside looking in. I think Mayfield, despite receiving the #12 seed, wrestles his way to an invite.


 174 Pounds (8 AQs)

Favorites

  • #1 Carter Starocci, Penn State
  • #3 Shane Griffith, Michigan
  • #5 Patrick Kennedy, Iowa
  • #6 Edmond Ruth, Illinois

Much of how this bracket shakes out hinges on the health of Carter Starocci, who won his last match of the season but had to be helped off the mat afterwards. Coach Sanderson seems optimistic about Starocci's health going into the tournament but we still may see the three-time NCAA Champ injury default out of two matches at Big Tens and rely on an at-large bid to NCAAs. 

If Starocci is healthy he's the sole favorite. If he's not, then the weight class is up for grabs, and Griffith, Kennedy and Ruth all have good shots at winning a Big Ten title. 

Griffith is a 2021 NCAA champ with just two losses on the season, one to Stanford freshman Lorenzo Norman at CKLV and the other a countable medical forfeit at the same tournament. Griffith also beat Kennedy and Welsh in two of his last three matches this year. 

Kennedy has wrestled both 165 and 174 this season but has been at 174 since the Soldier Salute over the holidays. His recent win over Ruth is strong evidence for him being a title contender. 

Besides the Kennedy loss, Ruth has only been defeated this season by Keegan O'Toole, who bumped up from 165 to beat Ruth in a dual meet. 

Contenders

  • #13 Rocco Welsh, Ohio State
  • #14 Jackson Turley, Rutgers
  • #16 Max Maylor, Wisconsin
  • #18 Andrew Sparks, Minnesota

The is a noticeable drop from the top four to the next tier in the Big Ten. Welsh is a true freshman who tore his redshirt off once his teammate and All-American Carson Kharchla went down with an injury. He's performed admirably, having only lost to Griffith, Starocci and Ruth. 

Turley is a former All-American who is heating up at just the right time. Maylor and Sparks have both proven that they have the ability to earn one of the eight NCAA bids up for grabs.

Sleepers and Landmines

  • #20 Bubba Wilson, Nebraska
  • #27 Donnell Washington, Indiana

Wilson also has the talent to secure a bid, however, he'll be hurt by receiving the #12 seed, with the likes of unranked Brody Baumann of Purdue and Dom Solis of Maryland seeded ahead of him. 

DJ Washington, despite being the 10th highest-ranked wrestler in the conference received the #8 seed, which gives him a leg up on qualifying for NCAAs. 

Predictions

1) Starocci, 2) Griffith, 3) Kennedy, 4) Welsh

I'm assuming Starocci is healthy but if he's not, obviously these picks will not be accurate.

AQs: Penn State, Michigan, Iowa, Ohio State, Illinois, Rutgers, Wisconsin, Minnesota

The Big Ten isn't wrestling 'true 8th' matches, so it will be imperative to those wrestlers looking to sew up their bids to win two of their first three bouts, or else they'll be relegated to the 9th place bracket and will have to rely on an at-large bid. Starocci's injury defaulting will play havoc with the bracket but it will also mean an extra Big Ten wrestler will qualify for NCAAs, as Starocci is certain to receive an at-large invite.


184 Pounds (8 AQs)

Favorites

  • #3 Lenny Pinto, Nebraska
  • #5 Isaiah Salazar, Minnesota
  • #6 Bernie Truax, Penn State

Salazar, with his undefeated conference record, including a win over Pinto, received the top seed at the Big Ten Championship. He'll still have to contend with the nationally higher-ranked Pinto, who has wins over Truax and Oklahoma State's Dustin Plott to bolster his bona fides. 

Truax, meanwhile, has three consecutive fourth-place finishes at the NCAA tournament as evidence of his contender status. 

Contenders

  • #14 Ryder Rogotzke, Ohio State
  • #15 Jaden Bullock, Michigan
  • #17 Layne Malczewski, Michigan State
  • #18 Shane Liegel, Wisconsin
  • #21 Brian Soldano, Rutgers

The next tier of Big Ten 184-pound challengers is bookended by two wildcards, Rogotzke and Soldano, who both wrestle fearlessly, someone would even say with reckless abandon. This can result in some heartbreaking losses but also some inspiring victories, often by pinfall. Which is to say that with this group of wrestlers, you can expect the unexpected. 

Sleepers and Landmines

  • #24 Troy Fisher, Northwestern
  • #29 Dylan Connell, Illinois

Eight AQs is not enough for all the nationally-ranked wrestlers in this weight class, as Fisher and Connell are both in the top 33 but would not receive a bid to the NCAAs if the bracket goes according to seed. Neither would Ryder's brother, Roman Rogotzke, who received the #10 seed. 

Predictions

1) Pinto, 2) Salazar, 3) Truax, 4) Rogotzke tOSU

Rogotzke is an electric performer who tech-falled Jaden Bullock the last time they wrestled (though Bullock may have been injured during that match) so I can't rightly pick Bullock to pace fourth over him, even though I definitely wouldn't rule out the possibility. 

Salazar defeated Pinto earlier in the season and has the number one seed, but I'm going with the hot hand and the wrestler that just defeated Truax in a thriller, and picking Pinto to defeat Truax in the semis and reverse the previous result with Salazar in the finals. 

AQs: Nebraska, Minnesota, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Northwestern

Soldano is capable of beating anyone in this bracket, but he also lost to Fisher at Midlands, so I'll predict the WIldcat earns the eighth AQ at the tournament. However, I would not be surprised in the least if that turned out to be incorrect.


 197 Pounds (7 AQs)

Favorite

  • #1 Aaron Brooks, Penn State

Another Penn State wrestler who is in a class by himself. Aaron Brooks is one of the leading contenders to win the 2024 Hodge Trophy and has been untouchable all season long. Brooks has just one match that he didn't win by bonus (5-1 over Glazier) and only two others that weren't techs or pins (17-4 over Allred and 13-4 over Smith). 

Brooks should comfortably win his fourth Big Ten title this weekend. 

Contenders

  • #3 Jaxon Smith, Maryland
  • #12 Zach Glazier, Iowa
  • #13 Silas Allred, Nebraska
  • #19 John Poznanski, Rutgers
  • #23 Garrett Joles, Minnesota
  • #24 Luke Geog, Ohio State

Smith made it to the round of 12 last year as a redshirt freshman and has just three losses so far this season. Glazier is the feel-good story of 197, as the perhaps unexpected starter in the Hawkeye lineup in his fifth season on campus. He's 16-1 versus D1 competition this season with only the aforementioned regular decision loss to Brooks. 

Allred and Poznanski are both former podium placers who are looking to regain their All-American form. Joles is a sixth-year vet looking to break through to the placement rounds of the NCAAs for the first time, whereas Geog is a redshirt freshman who would prefer if his breakthrough performance came during his first varsity season. 

Sleepers and Landmines

  • #28 Evan Bates, Northwestern
  • #32 Gabe Sollars, Indiana
  • #33 Kael Wisler, Michigan State

Bates, Sollars and Wisler are unfortunately going to have a tough time qualifying as there are only seven AQs available. Bates received the #8 seed while Sollars and Wisler have the #10 and #11 seed. Purdue's Ben Vanadia could also contend for an AQ from the #9 seed. 

Predictions

1) Brooks, 2) Smith, 3) Glazier, 4) Allred

I'm going with the seeds and rankings for the top four, as all of them have the credentials to back up a top 4 performance. Brooks as a champ is as close to a lock as you'll find during conference weekend. 

Poz has the talent to wrestle his way into the top four but took consecutive losses to Joles and Geog to close out his season, so it's hard to pick him for an upset over either of them, let alone one of the top four competitors. 

AQs: Penn State, Maryland, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Ohio State, Rutgers

There's a gap between the top seven and the rest of the conference at 197, so picking the top 7 seeds to qualify. 


285 Pounds (7 AQs)

Favorite

  • #1 Greg Kerkvliet, Penn State

Since dominating Wyatt Hendrickson at the All-Star Classic last November, Krekvliet has looked completely unstoppable. He's also in the contention for the Hodge Trophy, as he is undefeated with all but one of his matches ending in bonus points. The only thing holding Kerkvliet back in that regard is he's had just 12 matches so far this season. 

Still, considering that Hendrickson win (which, by the way, won't count toward NCAA qualification nor his seed) and four other top 10 wins, this is Kerkvliet's Big Ten title to lose. 

Contenders

  • #6 Lucas Davison, Michigan
  • #8 Nick Feldman, Ohio State
  • #15 Yaraslau Slavikouski, Rutgers
  • #24 Seth Nevills, Maryland

Kerkvliet also has a win over Ben Kueter, a two-sport varsity football playing heavyweight and U20 freestyle world champ who was ranked #11, however, Iowa elected to keep Keuter's redshirt on and start redshirt freshman Bradley Hill in the postseason. So don't look for Kueter in the bracket. 

Davison, who will be in the bracket, is a two-time All-American, whiles Feldman is a redshirt freshman who has slowly climbed his way up into the top 10. Slavikouski and Nevills are two transfers who have yet to make the NCAA podium but certainly have the potential. 

Sleepers and Landmines

  • #31 Bennett Tabor, Minnesota
  • #33 Nick Willham, Indiana
  • Bradley Hill, Iowa

The aforementioned Hill along with Tabor and Willham could also do some damage in March. Tabor hails from Heavyweight U, while Willham is a veteran hoping to finally have a breakout season. 

Predictions

1) Kerkvliet, 2) Feldman, 3) Davison, 4) Slavikouski

I think the top 4 will go chalk, and I'm quite confident in picking Kerkvleit to win it. Feldman was in a close one with Davison in the regular season, and that result could be flipped if they meet in the semifinals, as they are projected to. ,

Slavikouski has taken some head-scratching lose this season and could be vulnerable to an upset, but at the moment I still think he's the fourth-best heavy in the conference. He's projected to see Nevills in the quarterfinals, which will be a big test for Rutgers heavy by way of Harvard by way of Belarus, as Nevills defeated Slavikouski in his last dual of the season.  

AQs: Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Rutgers, Maryland, Iowa

It will be a dog fight for that seventh AQ, and outside of the top 3 guys, everyone is vulnerable to an upset.


As for the team race, I'm going way out on a limb and picking Penn State to win it. We'll find out in a few days if I'm right! See you then!