2024 Midlands Championships Preview & Predictions
2024 Midlands Championships Preview & Predictions
A preview and predictions for every weight at the 2024 Midlands Championships.
The 2024 Midlands Championships will take place on December 29-30 and will feature many of the nation’s top wrestlers. You can watch the Midlands live on Big Ten Plus and check out the article below for a preview with predictions for every weight at this year’s Midlands Championships.
125 Pounds
Potential ranked wrestlers in the field:
- #15 Dean Peterson, Rutgers
- #19 Nick Babin, Pittsburgh
- #20 Max Gallagher, Penn
- #21 Diego Sotelo, Harvard
- #26 Blake West, Northern Illinois
- #28 Ethan Rivera, Princeton
- #31 Jacob Moran, Indiana
- #32 Koda Holeman, Cal Poly
- #33 Dedrick Navarro, Northwestern
Notable Non-Ranked:
- Vinny Kilkeary, Ohio State
- Marc-Anthony McGowan, Princeton
125 pounds is wide open and I wouldn’t be surprised if Peterson, Babin, Gallager, Sotelo, Nicolar Rivera, or West came away with the title at Midlands. Peterson is the biggest name in this field but he dropped a surprising match to Long Island’s Robert Sagaris earlier this season. Even with that loss, if Peterson is wrestling his best, he should come away with the title.
After Peterson, Babin, Gallagher, and Sotelo have all traded wins and losses with one another over the past year and add great depth to this weight class. Then there’s Vinny Kilkeary and Marc-Anthony McGowan - two fascinating entries in the 125-pound field. Both freshmen were highly ranked recruits in the class of 2023 but haven’t found their way into the starting lineup yet. Kilkeary is stuck behind #10 Brendan McCrone and McGowan has yet to wrestle a college match since stepping foot on Princeton’s campus. Both will be fun to watch at the Midlands and if either can come away with the title, they’ll make a great case to be the starter at their respective schools.
125 Top 4 Predictions:
1st - Dean Peterson, Rutgers
2nd - Vinny Kilkeary, Ohio State
3rd - Max Gallagher, Penn
4th - Diego Sotelo, Harvard
133 Pounds
Potential ranked wrestlers in the field:
- #4 Zeth Romney, Cal Poly
- #8 Tyler Knox, Stanford
- #15 Dylan Shawver, Rutgers
- #25 Angelo Rini, Indiana
- #27 Kurt Phipps, Bucknell
- #28 Vincent Santaniello, Pittsburgh
Notable Non-Ranked:
- Ben Davino, Ohio State
Unfortunately, Zeth Romney isn’t in the preliminary entries so I don’t think we’ll see him at the Midlands. Romney put everyone in the country on notice after his performance at the CKLV earlier this month where he defeated Evan Frost, Nic Bouzakis, and Jacob Van Dee on his way to a title. However, it’s worth noting that Tyler Knox defeated Romney 5-3 in November during Stanford’s dual win over Cal Poly. Beyond that win, Knox also defeated Drake Ayala in a wild 15-10 match. So, even with Romney gone, Tyler Knox has established himself as a dangerous wrestler and a legitimate All-American threat this year.
While Knox is the highest-ranked wrestler in the field, Shawver is the most accomplished. Shawver finished 7th at the 2024 NCAA Tournament but has had a rocky start this year suffering losses to TK Davis and Anthony Noto. Shawver is still incredibly dangerous and this will be a great opportunity for him to get back on track.
Highlights of Shawver's win in the 7th place bout at NCAAs over Kai Orine:
Ohio State’s Ben Davino is a fantastic addition to the field at 133 pounds. Davino, a true freshman for the Buckeyes, is currently 7-0 on the year with ranked wins over #17 Ethan Oakley and teammate #7 Nic Bouzakis. While it’s unlikely that Ohio State will pull Davino’s redshirt this year, Davino will build his stock even more if he stays undefeated after the Midlands.
Davino's win over Bouzakis earlier this year:
133 Top 4 Predictions:
1st - Ben Davino, Ohio State
2nd - Tyler Knox, Stanford
3rd - Dylan Shawver, Rutgers
4th - Angelo Rini, Indiana
141 Pounds
Potential ranked wrestlers in the field:
- #14 CJ Composto, Penn
- #15 Chris Cannon, Northwestern
- #16 Dylan Chappell, Bucknell
- #20 Joey Olivieri, Rutgers
- #25 Eli Griffin, Cal Baptist
- #31 Anthony Santaniello, Pittsburgh
- #33 McKenzie Bell, Rider
2022 All-American CJ Composto is off to a solid start this year with a win over All-American Ryan Jack while only suffering losses to Luke Stanich and Andrew Alirez. Composto will be tested by several wrestlers including Northwestern’s Chris Cannon. The two-time 133-pound All-American has only wrestled twice this year at 141 and is currently 1-1 on the year. Is Cannon back to full strength? We’ll likely find out if he takes the mat at the Midlands.
Composto's win in the finals of the 2024 Keystone Classic over teammate Evan Mougalian:
There’s some solid depth at 141 pounds but the one wrestler I’m most interested in seeing compete is Rutgers Joey Olivieri. He’s currently 7-2 on the year with his only losses coming against All-Americans Sam Latona (4-1) and Kai Orine (2-1). Beyond that, Olivieri also has wins in his career over All-Americans Dylan D’Emilio and Cole Matthews. Olivieri has the potential to enter the top 10 at 141 but he needs to be more consistent against the best wrestlers in the weight.
141 Top 4 Predictions:
1st - CJ Composto, Penn
2nd - Joey Olivieri, Rutgers
3rd - Chris Cannon, Nortwestern
4th - Eli Griffin, Cal Baptist
149 Pounds
Potential ranked wrestlers in the field:
- #7 Ty Whalen, Princeton
- #8 Chance Lamer, Cal Poly
- #9 Jaden Abas, Stanford
- #19 Sammy Alvarez, Rider
- #20 Cross Wasilewski, Penn
- #23 Finn Solomon, Pittsburgh
- #28 Sam Cartella, Northwestern
- #30 Andrew Clark, Rutgers
- #31 Malyke Hines, Lehigh
Ty Whalen announced himself at last year’s Midlands when he won the title by defeating All-Americans Kyle Parco and Ty Watters. Whalen isn’t currently in the entries so it’s unlikely we see him defend his title this year. Despite his absence, #8 Lamer and #9 Abas are phenomenal and will be the favorites to win 149. Lamer has finished in the round of 12 at the last two NCAA Tournaments and is 3-1 in his career against Jaden Abas. Abas is the only All-American in the field and boasts notable wins over Anthony Echemendia, Tyler Kasak, Chance Lamer, Kaden Gfeller, Max Murin, and Andrew Alirez.
Abas' win over Anthony Echemendia in the 3rd place bout at the 2024 CKLV:
After the top 2, Sammy Alvarez, Cross Wasilewski, and Malyke Hines are all interesting sleepers. Alvarez placed 6th at the CKLV only losing to Ridge Lovett, (2-0), Jaden Abas (4-2), and Carter Young (4-1). Beyond that, Alvarez has notable wins over Koy Buesgens, Ethan Fernandez, Finn Solomon, Gabe Willochel, and Kal Miller this year. Alvarez has fantastic neutral offense that can challenge even the best in the country at 149 pounds.
Wasilewski had a great start to the year at the Journeymen Classic with victories over Finn Solomon and Jesse Vasquez while only losing to Kannon Webster (8-7). However, since then he suffered a close loss to Virginia’s Jack Gioffre. Is Wasilewski ready to consistently challenge the top guys at 149? We’ll likely have the answer to that question after Midlands.
Malyke Hines is an interesting addition to this field up at 149 pounds. Hines has wrestled the last two years of his college career at 141 but recently won the Sheridan Open at 149. How effective can Hines be up in weight? He’ll have the opportunity to prove himself at 149 this tournament.
149 Top 4 Predictions:
1st - Chance Lamer, Cal Poly
2nd - Jaden Abas, Stanford
3rd - Sammy Alvarez, Rider
4th - Malyke Hines, Lehigh
157 Pounds
Potential ranked wrestlers in the field:
- #12 Trevor Chumbley, Northwestern
- #15 Jude Swisher, Penn
- #19 Johnny Lovett, Central Michigan
- #21 Grigor Cholakyan, Stanford
- #22 Jimmy Harrington, Harvard
- #28 DJ McGee, George Mason
- #31 Dylan Evans, Pittsburgh
- #32 Colton Washleski, Rider
Predicting the winner of 157 pounds at the Midlands feels a bit like pulling a name out of a hat. Trevor Chumbley might be considered a slight favorite due to his head-to-head wins over Jude Swisher, Johnny Lovett, and Jimmy Harrington. However, Chumbley needed tiebreakers to defeat Lovett last year and Swisher is just coming off a 10-8 win over Lovett. Beyond those 3, Harrington defeated All-American Ed Scott this year while Cholakyan pinned Harrington at the CKLV. Again, this bracket could play out several different ways and should be a fun one to watch.
Jude Swisher's win over Johnny Lovett in the finals of the 2024 Keystone Classic:
157 Top 4 Predictions:
1st - Trevor Chumbley, Northwestern
2nd - Grigor Cholakyan, Stanford
3rd - Johnny Lovett, Central Michigan
4th - Jude Swisher, Penn
165 Pounds
Potential ranked wrestlers in the field:
- #7 Hunter Garvin, Stanford
- #11 Maxx Mayfield, Northwestern
- #25 Evan Maag, George Mason
- #26 Luka Wick, Cal Poly
- #27 Anthony White, Rutgers
- #31 Noah Mulvaney, Bucknell
All-American Hunter Garvin is the clear top dog in this weight class but sometimes he struggles to wrestle consistently throughout an entire tournament. The CKLV is a great example of this for Garvin. There, he placed 6th with a notable win over MJ Gaitan but losses to Drake Rhodes, Terrell Barraclough, and Peyton Hall. If Garvin wants to be considered one of the best at 165, he needs to show more consistency. The field at the Midlands will be a great opportunity for Garvin to display some consistency.
165 Top 4 Predictions:
1st - Hunter Garvin, Stanford
2nd - Maxx Mayfield, Northwestern
3rd - Anthony White, Rutgers
4th - Luka Wick, Cal Poly
174 Pounds
Potential ranked wrestlers in the field:
- #5 Nick Incontrera, Penn
- #6 Lorenzo Norman, Stanford
- #17 Alex Cramer, Central Michigan
- #19 Luca Augustine, Pittsburgh
- #22 Jackson Turley, Rutgers
- #24 Adam Kemp, Cal Poly
- #25 Myles Takats, Bucknell
The potential match between Nick Incontrera and Lorenzo Norman could be the match of the tournament. Incontrera is off to a great start this year with a 6-0 record that includes ranked wins over Matthew Singleton, Danny Braunagel, and Simon Ruiz. Norman has jumped to #6 in the rankings after defeating Nelson Brands, Garrett Thompson, and Danny Wask. Beyond that, Norman finished second at the CKLV with his only loss coming in the finals to Dean Hamiti in a close, 4-3 bout. Will Norman continue to raise his stock or will Incontrera be too much for him to handle?
Norman's win over Danny Wask at the 2024 CKLV:
Aside from an incredible matchup, this also might be the last “big” test for Incontrera of the year. It might be too early to start talking about seeds at NCAAs, but if Contrera beats Norman, he has a great chance to finish the season undefeated heading into the NCAA Tournament. If that happens, he has an outside chance to be the only undefeated wrestler at 174 pounds and get the #1 seed over Keegan O’Toole, Levi Haines, and Dean Hamiti.
Beyond the Incontrera - Norman match, there are several tough wrestlers in the field that could challenge the two big dogs. Alex Cramer is off to a good start this year with a victory over Garrett Thompson. Likewise, Luca Augustine has wins over Danny Wask and Danny Braunagel this season. Jackson Turley is the only All-American in the field and Adam Kemp actually holds a win over Incontrera (though it was 3 years ago). All of that to say, this is a deep field and should be a fun one to watch.
174 Top 4 Predictions:
1st - Lorenzo Norman, Stanford
2nd - Nick Incontrera, Penn
3rd - Luca Augustine, Pitt
4th - Alex Cramer, Central Michigan
184 Pounds
Potential ranked wrestlers in the field:
- #11 Reece Heller, Pittsburgh
- #17 Isaac Dean, Rider
- #19 Brian Soldano, Rutgers
- #20 Donnell Washington, Indiana
- #23 Maximus Hale, Penn
- #31 Michael Squires, Princeton
- #33 Nathan Haas, California Baptist
Notable Non-Ranked:
- Shane Cartagena-Walsh, Rutgers
184 pounds at the Midlands has a lot of intrigue starting with Rider’s Isaac Dean. Dean opened everyone’s eyes at the CKLV earlier this month when he placed 4th highlighted by a win over All-American Bennett Berge. Since then, he’s also recorded victories over Reece Heller and Jaxon Smith. So why isn’t Dean ranked higher? He’s suffered some “head scratching” losses on the year to Seth Shumate (Ryder Rogotzke’s backup), Brock Fettig (Bennett Berge’s backup), James Conway, and Shane Cartagena-Walsh. All of those wrestlers are solid, but one would expect that a wrestler who defeats Berge, Heller, and Smith doesn’t suffer those losses. The Midlands could be an opportunity for Dean to put together a complete tournament or it could be another roller coaster tournament.
Isaac Dean's win over Bennett Berge at the 2024 CKLV:
Heller, Soldano, Washington, and Hale are all capable of walking away from Midlands with a title and add great depth to the weight. However, I’m interested if Rutgers uses the Midlands as a deciding factor in who starts for them at 184 pounds. They have two solid options this year in Brian Soldano and Shane Cartegena-Walsh. Soldano is one of the most prolific pinners in the country and is currently riding a 7-match pin-streak into Midlands. Cartagena-Walsh has notable victories on the year over TJ Stewart, Anthony D’Alesio, and Isaac Dean. It will be interesting to see how Rutgers handles this roster battle and if we see Soldano and Cartagena-Walsh meet at the Midlands.
184 Top 4 Predictions:
1st - Reece Heller
2nd - Brian Soldano, Rutgers
3rd - Donnell Washington, Indiana
4th - Isaac Dean, Rider
197 Pounds
Potential ranked wrestlers in the field:
- #15 Mac Stout, Pittsburgh
- #17 Nick Stemmet, Stanford
- #18 John Poznanski, Rutgers
- #19 Luke Stout, Princeton
- #20 Evan Bates, Northwestern
- #24 Remy Cotton, Michigan State
197 pounds might be the hardest weight to predict of the Midlands and any of the ranked wrestlers have the potential to win. There are a couple of interesting storylines to follow within this weight class:
- Will the Stout brothers finally wrestle a college match against one another?
- Can Evan Bates replicate his CKLV performance?
- Is Poznanski ready to earn All-American honors again?
197 Top 4 Predictions:
1st - Mac Stout, Pittsburgh
2nd - Evan Bates, Northwestern
3rd - Luke Stout, Princeton
4th - John Poznanski, Rutgers
285 Pounds
Potential ranked wrestlers in the field:
- #6 Yaralsau Slavikouski, Rutgers
- #12 Josh Heindselman, Michigan
- #20 David Szuba, Rider
- #28 Bryan Caves, Central Michigan
- #29 Jacob Bullock, Indiana
- #33 Trevor Tinker, Cal Poly
Heavyweight has intrigue at the Midlands with Josh Heindselman and Slavikouski in the mix. This will be Heindselman's first time in a Michigan singlet. The 4-time national qualifier is transferring to Ann Arbor after spending 5 years at Oklahoma. Though he has never earned All-American honors, Heindselman finished just one match shy of the podium last year at the NCAA Tournament and should be right in the mix this year.
While Heindselman is an interesting contender, Slavikouski is the man to beat at the Midlands. Slavikouski placed 7th at NCAAs last year where he recorded victories over Taye Ghadiali, Yonger Bastida, Konner Doucet, and Seth Nevills.
285 Top 4 Predictions:
1st - Yaraslau Slavikouski, Rutgers
2nd - Josh Heindselman, Michigan
3rd - David Szuba, Rider
4th - Jacob Bullock, Indiana