2024 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Lightweights Preview + Predictions
2024 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Lightweights Preview + Predictions
A full preview with predictions for 125, 133, and 141 at the 2024 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.
The 2024 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational is set to go down December 6-7 and will feature many of the country's top college wrestlers. With NCAA champions and All-Americans throughout all 10 weights, the 2024 CKLV is the toughest regular season tournament of the year. Check out the below article for a full preview with predictions for the lightest three weights at this year's CKLV.
125 Pound Potential Ranked Wrestlers At The CKLV
- #1 Richard Figueroa, Arizona State
- #2 Caleb Smith, Nebraska
- #3 Matt Ramos, Purdue
- #4 Troy Spratley, OK State
- #5 Nico Provo, Stanford
- #7 Jore Volk, Wyoming
- #8 Eddie Ventresca, Virginia Tech
- #10 Tanner Jordan, SD State
- #11 Maximo Renteria, Oregon State
- #12 Greg Diakomihalis, Cornell
- #14 Brendan McCrone, Ohio State
- #16 Vincent Robinson, NC State
- #20 Diego Sotelo, Harvard
- #33 Dedrick Navarro, Northwestern
125-Pound Favorites
- #2 Caleb Smith, Nebraska
- #3 Matt Ramos, Purdue
- #4 Troy Spratley, OK State
- #5 Nico Provo, Stanford
Last year, 125 was by far the most unpredictable weight of the year and maybe the most chaotic of all-time. Only one month into this season, we’re already seeing similar chaos this year and no wrestler in the weight has separated himself from the field. Beyond that, I don’t think we’ll see returning NCAA Champ Richard Figueroa in the field because of his injury struggles this year. However, the above 4 wrestlers are all undefeated on the year and should be considered the favorites heading into Vegas.
Nebraska’s Caleb Smith is coming off the best year of his career last season where he placed 6th at the NCAA Tournament and is entering the CKLV as the #2 ranked wrestler in the country. Last year, Smith placed 3rd at the CKLV where he recorded wins over Troy Spratley, Matt Ramos, and Brandon Kaylor. Beyond that result, Smith also recorded wins last season over Tanner Jordan, Stevo Poulin, Luke Stanich, Michael DeAugustino, Braeden Davis, and a host of other ranked wrestlers. Smith often wrestles close matches and had 7 bouts last year go to overtime. While that’s not always a great quality to have, Smith impressively won 5 of those overtime matches and will likely need to win close matches to win the 125-pound title in Vegas.
Smith's win over Matt Ramos at the 2023 CKLV:
Matt Ramos is also a clear favorite at 125 pounds and is off to a hot start with a 9-0 record and 9 bonus victories (1 pin, 7 techs, and 1 major decision). Though Ramos failed to reach the podium last year at NCAAs, he’s still the most accomplished wrestler in this field with his runner-up finish at the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Ramos seems to have hit another level this year and might have the best all-around offense of any wrestler in the field. He placed 7th at the CKLV last year and has the potential to find redemption against a deep field this year.
Ramos' win in the finals of the 2024 Tiger Style Invite:
Troy Spratley, like Ramos, is looking for redemption both at the CKLV and at the end of the year this season. Spratley was one match away from placing at both tournaments last year but recorded wins during the regular season over All-Americans Tanner Jordan, Luke Stanich, and Richard Figueroa. Spratley is off to a solid start this year with victories over Jore Volk and Max Renteria but has won 3 of his 4 matches by the slimmest of margins. Spratley is good enough to defeat anyone in this bracket but will need to avoid giving up costly penalty points and making matches closer than they need to be.
The final wrestler in this tier is 2023 CKLV champ Nico Provo. Last year, Provo vaulted to #1 in the rankings after winning the CKLV by defeating Brett Ungar, Jore Volk, Matt Ramos, Kysen Terukina, and Trever Anderson. Despite that incredible performance, Provo failed to place at NCAAs with a close loss to eventual All-American Jore Volk in the round of 16. Still, when Provo is wrestling his best, he’s as good as anyone in the country at the weight. The only thing that concerns me for Provo is that he’s yet to wrestle a match this year and that means we might not see the best version of Provo in Vegas.
125-Pound Contenders
- #7 Jore Volk, Wyoming
- #8 Eddie Ventresca, Virginia Tech
- #10 Tanner Jordan, SD State
- #11 Maximo Renteria, Oregon State
- #12 Greg Diakomihalis, Cornell
- #14 Brendan McCrone, Ohio State
- #16 Vincent Robinson, NC State
The above group of wrestlers are all guys I could see making a deep run at the CKLV but I’d be surprised if any of them win. Of this group, Jore Volk, Eddie Ventresca, and Tanner Jordan are all past All-Americans and the most likely to finish high on the podium in Vegas. Despite their past success, all have had up-and-down results both this year and in their careers. Volk finished 7th last year at NCAAs and defeated Tanner Jordan a few weeks ago at the All-Star Classic. However, since then Volk lost to both Antonio Lorenzo and Troy Spratley.
Jore Volk's win over Tanner Jordan at the 2024 NWCA All-Star Classic:
Eddie Ventresca placed 7th at NCAAs in 2023 but had a terrible start last year and dropped completely out of the rankings. Ventresca went 2-7 last season before his season got cut short because of an injury. However, Ventresca is off to a much better start this year with a 6-0 record highlighted by a win over #9 Cooper Flynn. Is Eddie Ventresca back? We'll likely find out in Vegas!
Tanner Jordan had a phenomenal end to his season placing 8th at NCAAs. Despite the strong finish, Jordan suffered losses during the regular season to non-All-Americans Noah Surtin, Kysen Terukina, Stevo Poulin, and Troy Spratley. Simply put, these past three All-Americans are phenomenal wrestlers but not much separates them from the rest of the field at 125 pounds.
Redshirt freshman Vincent Robinson is the one wrestler worth highlighting who looks like he could announce himself as a title contender in Vegas. Robinson won the 125-pound starting spot over established vet Jakob Camacho after an impressive showing at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic where he placed first by defeating Max Gallagher (17-5), Sheldon Seymour (10-4), and Diego Sotelo (15-9). Robinson has dynamic offense on his feet and has a potent tilt from the top position that makes him especially dangerous. No one should be surprised if Robinson finishes high on the podium in Vegas and he’s definitely a dark horse to win.
Robinson's win over Diego Sotelo from earlier this year:
125-Pound Sleepers & Landmines
- #20 Diego Sotelo, Harvard
- Bridger Ricks, Utah Valley
There are several wrestlers we could highlight at 125 pounds but Diego Sotelo and Bridger Ricks are two that I think best fit the “Sleepers & Landmines” category. Last year, Sotelo reached the round of 16 at NCAAs and even defeated two-time All-American Anthony Noto during the regular season. Bridger Ricks was a two-time NJCAA All-American at Western Wyoming before transferring to Utah Valley and is off to a solid start this year. While Ricks hasn’t recorded a ranked win yet, he’s lost close to Troy Spratley (5-3), Vincent Robinson (5-3), and Caleb Smith (8-5 in OT). Ricks is tough and it’s only a matter of time before he turns some of those close matches into high-level wins.
125-Pound Top 4 Predictions
1st - Matt Ramos, Purdue
2nd - Vincent Robinson, NC State
3rd - Troy Spratley, OK State
4th - Caleb Smith, Nebraska
133-Pound Potential Ranked Wrestlers At The CKLV
- #4 Dylan Ragusin, Michigan
- #6 Evan Frost, Iowa State
- #10 Tyler Knox, Stanford
- #11 Nic Bouzakis, Ohio State
- #12 Connor McGonagle, Virginia Tech
- #15 Zeth Romney, Cal Poly
- #17 Brett Ungar, Cornell
- #19 Jacob Van Dee, Nebraska
- #20 Julian Chlebove, Arizona State
- #23 Jett Strickenberger, West Virginia
- #27 Cory Land, UNI
- #28 Derrick Cardinal, SD State
- #32 Cael Hughes, OK State
- #33 Stockton O'Brien, Wyoming
133-Pound Favorites
- #4 Dylan Ragusin, Michigan
- #6 Evan Frost, Iowa State
Dylan Ragusin and Evan Frost are the only All-Americans in this field and the clear favorites to win the 133-pound title at the CKLV. Ragusin placed 5th last year at the NCAA Tournament and defeated Frost in the placing match, 17-6. On top of that, Ragusin recorded regular season wins over All-Americans Dylan Shawver and Aaron Nagao along with several other ranked wrestlers in the field. On top of being strong in every position, Ragusin is one of the most exciting wrestlers in the bracket and should put up some significant bonus in Vegas.
Dylan Ragusin after finishing 5th at the 2024 NCAA Tournament:
Though he lost to Ragusin at NCAAs, Frost had a breakout year last season with several ranked wins and close losses to some of the best wrestlers in the country. Frost wrestles an extremely high pace, is tough on top, and great in scramble positions. If Frost and Ragusin wrestle again, I expect their match to be much closer this time and one that Frost is capable of winning.
133-Pound Contenders
- #10 Tyler Knox, Stanford
- #11 Nic Bouzakis, Ohio State
- #12 Connor McGonagle, Virginia Tech
- #19 Jacob Van Dee, Nebraska
Though none of the above 4 wrestlers have reached the podium at NCAAs all are legit contenders and help make an incredibly deep field at 133. I could see any of the above wrestlers knocking off Ragusin or Shawver - they’re all that good. Of this bunch, Tyler Knox is off to the best start with a 5-0 record entering the CKLV highlighted by wins over Drake Ayala and Zeth Romney. After Knox, Van Dee is the only wrestler of the 4 with a win over Dylan Ragusin. Van Dee defeated Ragusin 3-2 in a match where Van Dee displayed incredible leg defense and outstanding scrambling.
Tyler Knox's win over Nic Bouzakis at the 2023 CKLV:
Connor McGonagle is wrestling great at Virginia Tech after transferring from Lehigh where he was a two-time NCAA qualifier. McGonagle is currently 3-1 this year with his only loss coming to Tyler Wells (3-1). Before losing his spot to Ryan Crookham last year, McGonagle peaked in the rankings at #5 and has notable career wins over Kai Orine and Micky Phillippi.
Ohio State’s Nic Bouzakis had a roller coaster of a year last season and ultimately finished two wins shy of the podium at NCAAs. Bouzakis is always capable of hitting big moves in every match and recorded 9 pins in his freshman campaign. In fact, Bouzakis already has 3 pins in his 8 matches this year. One downside with Bouzakis is consistency - last year he suffered head-scratching losses to Angelo Rini, Vince Santaniello, and Julian Farber but recorded big time wins over Aaron Nagao and Kai Orine. You don’t always know what to expect from Bouzakis when he steps on the mat but he’ll absolutely be one of the most fun wrestlers to watch in this bracket.
133-Pound Sleepers & Landmines
- #23 Jett Strickenberger, West Virginia
- #27 Cory Land, UNI
- #32 Cael Hughes, OK State
- Reece Witcraft, OK State
The above four wrestlers make 133-pounds very interesting in Vegas. Strickenberger, Land, Hughes, and Witcraft obviously aren’t the highest-ranked or accomplished wrestlers in the bracket but I wouldn’t be surprised to see any of them finish on the podium at the CKLV. Strickenberger has made the move up from 125 pounds and is 3-0 this year at 133. How good is Strickenberger? The CKLV will be a great testing ground for him and will tell us how close he is to challenging for All-American honors this year.
Cory Land has taken over the starting job for UNI at 133 after missing all of last season with an injury. Land is fresh off making the U20 Greco world team and is 7-0 on the year with notable wins over Kade Moore and Derrick Cardinal. I’m looking forward to seeing Land wrestle even tougher competition in Vegas and he’s capable of pulling off an upset or two to continue his climb.
The roster battle between Cael Hughes and Reece Witcraft will be one of the main storylines to follow at 133. Cael Hughes was a blue-chip recruit and is currently 6-0 on the year. Witcraft is a 6-year senior and was a national qualifier for the Cowboys in 2020 and 2023. Both Witcraft and Hughes could make some noise in this bracket and their performance in Vegas could be the deciding factor to who starts this year for Oklahoma State at 133 pounds.
Cael Hughes' win in the finals of the 2024 Michigan State Open over Zan Fugitt:
133-Pound Top 4 Predictions
1st - Dylan Ragusin, Michigan
2nd - Evan Frost, Iowa State
3rd - Tyler Knox, Stanford
4th - Connor McGonagle, Virginia Tech
141-Pound Ranked Wrestlers At The CKLV
- #2 Jesse Mendez, Ohio State
- #4 Brock Hardy, Nebraska
- #5 Cael Happel, UNI
- #6 Sergio Lemley, Michigan
- #9 Kai Orine, NC State
- #10 Tagen Jamison, OK State
- #11 Josh Koderhandt, Navy
- #13 Jordan Titus, West Virginia
- #14 Vince Cornella, Cornell
- #16 Chris Cannon, Northwestern
- #18 Sam Latona, Virginia Tech
- #20 Zach Redding, Iowa State
- #21 Sean Carter, App State
- #22 Haiden Drury, Utah Valley
- #27 Kai Owen, Columbia
- #30 Greyson Clark, Purdue
- #33 Cole Brooks, Wyoming
141-Pound Favorite
- #2 Jesse Mendez, Ohio State
Unlike at 125 and 133 where there are multiple favorites, there is only one clear favorite at 141 - 2024 NCAA Champ Jesse Mendez. The Ohio State junior had a breakout season last year and looks even better this year. Mendez is currently 7-0 on the year with bonus points in all of his matches - 3 pins, 3 techs, and 1 major. Mendez’s most impressive win this year came in a 14-3 major decision win over All-American Luke Stanich in the finals of the Clarion Open after Stanich defeated Michigan’s Sergio Lemley.
Beyond his results this year, Mendez won the 2023 CKLV in dominant fashion with bonus point victories over Vince Cornella (18-1) and Brock Hardy (11-3). Mendez is capable of sending a message this year in Vegas and it wouldn’t surprise me if he bonuses his way to a title this year.
Jesse Mendez talks about his goal to win the Hodge this season after defeating Beau Bartlett at the NWCA All-Star Classic:
141-Pound Contenders
- #4 Brock Hardy, Nebraska
- #5 Cael Happel, UNI
- #6 Sergio Lemley, Michigan
- #10 Tagen Jamison, OK State
As great as Mendez has looked this year, the above 4 wrestlers are worthy contenders and each one is an All-American threat this year. Of the above 4 wrestlers, Hardy had the best finish last year at the NCAA Tournament and placed 3rd with wins over Sergio Lemley, Ryan Jack, and Real Woods. However, Jamison, Lemley, and Happel all defeated Hardy prior to the NCAA Tournament. That shows how little separates this group and how all are capable of reaching the finals opposite Mendez.
Brock Hardy after winning third place at the 2024 NCAA Tournament:
These Dudes Are Good
- #9 Kai Orine, NC State
- #11 Josh Koderhandt, Navy
- #13 Jordan Titus, West Virginia
- #16 Chris Cannon, Northwestern
- #18 Sam Latona, Virginia Tech
141 is so deep that it gets its own category. If it were any other tournament, any one of the above wrestlers would likely be in the conversation to win. Orine, Cannon, and Latona are All-Americans at 133 and are trying to find the same success up at 141. They haven’t hit it yet but they’ll have plenty of opportunities in Vegas and all three should be considered dark horses to make the finals.
Then there’s Koderhandt and Titus. Koderhandt was one match away from reaching All-American honors last year when he defeated Jesse Vasquez, Greyson Clark, and CJ Composto at NCAAs but lost to Brock Hardy and Lachlan McNeil. Koderhandt has progressively gotten better over his college career and might be ready to break through this year.
Koderhandt's win over All-American CJ Composto at the 2024 EIWA Championships:
Jordan Titus had a fantastic regular season last year but suffered an untimely injury at Big 12’s resulting in a 1-2 performance at NCAAs. Despite the disappointing end to the year, Titus had notable wins in the regular season over Clay Carlson, Josh Edmond, Tom Crook, and CJ Composto. Titus is a great scrambler and is able to accumulate big points if he gets on top.
141-Pound Sleepers & Landmines
- #22 Haiden Drury, Utah Valley
- #27 Kai Owen, Columbia
- #33 Cole Brooks, Wyoming
Drury, Owen, and Brooks are all wrestlers who will be either unseeded or seeded outside of the top 10 in this bracket but could pull off an upset or two. Drury already defeated Kai Orine this year and his only loss on the season is a close, 4-0 decision to Brock Hardy. Owen was an NCAA qualifier last year for Columbia and notably pinned Cael Happel during the regular season. Brooks is a scrappy sophomore for Wyoming who lost an overtime match to Tagen Jamison two weeks ago. These three are wrestlers who could surprise some people in Vegas but I won't be surprised if any of them find their way to the podium of this deep bracket.
141-Pound Top 4 Predictions
1st - Jesse Mendez, Ohio State
2nd - Brock Hardy, Nebraska
3rd - Cael Happel, Northern Iowa
4th - Tagen Jamison, OK State