157 U: Illinois Is Most Dominant In The Middle
157 U: Illinois Is Most Dominant In The Middle
FloWrestling's detailed analysis of each Division I wrestling weight class lands on Illinois as 157 U
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We're about to hit halftime on our ongoing series to find the best school at each individual weight class, so let's get rolling with 157 U. The school taking the title is a BigTen institution with one of the most popular current wrestlers in the NCAA on its roster.
This was the first weight with such a clear distinction between the winner and runner-up. The top program put five in the finals -- the next closest had three in the finals. The school had the most top-three finishes, top-fours results, and All-Americans. Illinois ends up as 157 U, and it's not even close.
Our data and the graphs provided were compiled with the help of the one and only Andew Spey, aka @JaroslavWrestle. Starting off as we always do with the qualifiers over the past 15 years, only one qualified every year and one school missed a single year. Iowa and Oklahoma State may not have won this weight, but they continue to show that year in and year out, they are among the best schools in the country.
Oklahoma State ends up with a guy in the NCAA tournament every year, led by Alex Dieringer's first two college years when he was third and won a national title. The Hawkeyes only missed out one year (2009) and featured four-time AA Derek St. John, one of the best 157s of the past 15 years. St. John won an NCAA title as a junior, made the NCAA finals as a sophomore, and sandwiched another two AA placements around that.
Although Boise State does not crack our top-10 in points, the Broncos wound up third overall in qualifications. In 2006, Ben Cherrington won the 157-pound title as a fifth seed, while Adam Hall took third in 2010 in Omaha, Nebraska. Hall's fifth-place finish the next year gave Boise State its third AA finish of the past 15 years.
Teams with 12 qualifications each are: Illinois, Minnesota, Penn State, and Missouri. PSU has seen finals appearances from Jason Nolf and David Taylor, two of the most dominant freshman years we've ever seen. The Nittany Lions' five AA finishes came from five different guys, as Dylan Alton placed third in 2012, Cyler Sanderson went sixth in 2010, and Vallimont ended up third in the 2008 season.
The Illini run away with it. Isaiah Martinez held the crown for two years (though he is up at 165 now), and they also received big time contributions from Mike Poeta and Alex Tirapelle.
It continues to be fascinating to see schools win after not qualifying for three or more years. In between Poeta's finals run and Martinez's titles, Illinois had three straight years of not qualifying and/or not placing. You could also argue that Tirapelle left puts on the table, as he was a round-of-12 guy as the top seed in 2005 and third seed in the 2006 tournament.
Cornell had five different guys All-American between 2002 and 2016, with two of them placing twice. Kyle Dake won the Big Red's only title when he went 157 in 2012, their second title after Jordan Leen won it all as an eight seed back in the 2008 season. Brian Realbuto had a sixth-place run 2014 and pushed into the finals the next year. Also placing were Dylan Palacio last year (fourth) and Dustin Manotti back in 2006, when he was third.
Illinois does not have anyone verbally committed from the class of 2017 who projects as a 157, and IMar is now up at 165. Cornell will use Palacio this year, with Jake Brindley and Hunter Richards coming in over the next few years to carry the torch. Iowa has a good deal of young talent here, with Michael Kemerer and Alex Marinelli as potentials moving forward.
Spey used the following system to break down the points here: 18 points for first place; 16 pts for second; 13 pts for third; 12 pts for fourth; 10 pts for fifth; nine pts for sixth; six pts for seventh; five pts for eighth; three pts for making the round of 12; two pts for making the round of 16; and one pt for making the round of 24.
2) Cornell
3) Iowa
4) Oklahoma State
5) Penn State
6) Nebraska
7) Minnesota
8) Michigan
9) Iowa State
10) Arizona State
Mike Poeta (07-09): 3rd, 2nd, 2nd
Isaiah Martinez (15-16): 1st, 1st
Kyle Dake (2012): 1st
Brian Realbuto (2014-15): 6th, 2nd
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We're about to hit halftime on our ongoing series to find the best school at each individual weight class, so let's get rolling with 157 U. The school taking the title is a BigTen institution with one of the most popular current wrestlers in the NCAA on its roster.
This was the first weight with such a clear distinction between the winner and runner-up. The top program put five in the finals -- the next closest had three in the finals. The school had the most top-three finishes, top-fours results, and All-Americans. Illinois ends up as 157 U, and it's not even close.
Our data and the graphs provided were compiled with the help of the one and only Andew Spey, aka @JaroslavWrestle. Starting off as we always do with the qualifiers over the past 15 years, only one qualified every year and one school missed a single year. Iowa and Oklahoma State may not have won this weight, but they continue to show that year in and year out, they are among the best schools in the country.
157 Pounds
NCAA Qualifiers & Placing (2002-16)
Oklahoma State ends up with a guy in the NCAA tournament every year, led by Alex Dieringer's first two college years when he was third and won a national title. The Hawkeyes only missed out one year (2009) and featured four-time AA Derek St. John, one of the best 157s of the past 15 years. St. John won an NCAA title as a junior, made the NCAA finals as a sophomore, and sandwiched another two AA placements around that.
Although Boise State does not crack our top-10 in points, the Broncos wound up third overall in qualifications. In 2006, Ben Cherrington won the 157-pound title as a fifth seed, while Adam Hall took third in 2010 in Omaha, Nebraska. Hall's fifth-place finish the next year gave Boise State its third AA finish of the past 15 years.
Teams with 12 qualifications each are: Illinois, Minnesota, Penn State, and Missouri. PSU has seen finals appearances from Jason Nolf and David Taylor, two of the most dominant freshman years we've ever seen. The Nittany Lions' five AA finishes came from five different guys, as Dylan Alton placed third in 2012, Cyler Sanderson went sixth in 2010, and Vallimont ended up third in the 2008 season.
157 Pounds
NCAA Points Scored by School (2002-16)
The Illini run away with it. Isaiah Martinez held the crown for two years (though he is up at 165 now), and they also received big time contributions from Mike Poeta and Alex Tirapelle.
It continues to be fascinating to see schools win after not qualifying for three or more years. In between Poeta's finals run and Martinez's titles, Illinois had three straight years of not qualifying and/or not placing. You could also argue that Tirapelle left puts on the table, as he was a round-of-12 guy as the top seed in 2005 and third seed in the 2006 tournament.
Cornell had five different guys All-American between 2002 and 2016, with two of them placing twice. Kyle Dake won the Big Red's only title when he went 157 in 2012, their second title after Jordan Leen won it all as an eight seed back in the 2008 season. Brian Realbuto had a sixth-place run 2014 and pushed into the finals the next year. Also placing were Dylan Palacio last year (fourth) and Dustin Manotti back in 2006, when he was third.
Illinois does not have anyone verbally committed from the class of 2017 who projects as a 157, and IMar is now up at 165. Cornell will use Palacio this year, with Jake Brindley and Hunter Richards coming in over the next few years to carry the torch. Iowa has a good deal of young talent here, with Michael Kemerer and Alex Marinelli as potentials moving forward.
Spey used the following system to break down the points here: 18 points for first place; 16 pts for second; 13 pts for third; 12 pts for fourth; 10 pts for fifth; nine pts for sixth; six pts for seventh; five pts for eighth; three pts for making the round of 12; two pts for making the round of 16; and one pt for making the round of 24.
Top-10 Teams at 157
1) Illinois2) Cornell
3) Iowa
4) Oklahoma State
5) Penn State
6) Nebraska
7) Minnesota
8) Michigan
9) Iowa State
10) Arizona State
Top Scorers for Illinois
Alex Tirapelle (03-06): 2nd, 4th, R12, R12Mike Poeta (07-09): 3rd, 2nd, 2nd
Isaiah Martinez (15-16): 1st, 1st
Top Scorers for Cornell
Jordan Leen (07-09): 8th, 1st, 3rdKyle Dake (2012): 1st
Brian Realbuto (2014-15): 6th, 2nd
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