InterMat: Inside info from the N.W.C.A

Quick hits

Returning National Champion: Joe Dubuque, Indiana
Printable Bracket | Interactive Bracket (Premium Service)

Five returning All-Americans make the 125 pound bracket at the NCAA Division I Championships one of the most anticipated to watch. Factor in a feisty true freshman and a couple of seniors that have paid their dues and you’ve got yourself a hearty little bracket.

Michigan State’s Nick Simmons was the only wrestler to make it through the regular season unbeaten. He did fall to Oklahoma’s Sam Hazewinkel at the NWCA All-Star Classic, but then beat Hazewinkel in the final dual meet of the season in a match that did count on the official record.

Simmons, a two-time placer already, is 15-0 against NCAA qualifiers this season, but with the depth of the weight, it’s still anyone’s tournament to win. Neither Simmons or second-seeded Sam Hazewinkel has made an NCAA final, whereas third-seeded Joe Dubuque of Indiana is the returning champion and fourth-seeded Kyle Ott of Illinois is a two-time runner-up. Dubuque’s only loss of the season came to Ott in the tiebreaker in the Big 10 semifinals.

Ott’s had problems with Simmons, losing to him twice this season, one of which was a 14-0 major decision on Feb. 12.

Cornell true freshman Troy Nickerson’s lone loss of the season was a 2-0 decision to Hazewinkel. Nickerson is 16-1 against NCAA qualifiers this year with his most notable victories coming over seventh-seeded Jeremy Mendoza of Arizona State and ninth-seeded Chad Mendes of Cal Poly (both at the Cliff Keen Invitational).

Sixth-seeded Coleman Scott is a returning All-American and is a dangerous wrestler to draw. Scott could see 11 th-seeded Luke Smith of Central Michigan in the round of 16 before meeting up with the third seed, Dubuque, in the quarterfinals.

Scott’s lost to Hazewinkel three times this season and has dropped matches to Mendoza and Simmons. Scott avenged the Mendoza loss in the Reno finals less than a month later when Scott scored an 8-2 decision.

With Mendoza coming in at #7 and Northwestern’s John Velez coming in seeded eighth, the quartefinals should be festive. Redshirt freshman Paul Donahoe of Nebraska is seeded 10 th, while Smith is 11 th and Stanford’s Tanner Gardner will draw the 12 th seed.

The Bad Draw ...

With a slew of quality 125-pounders in the tournament, no match is an easy one. Who do the seeds not want to see in the first round?

Pat Castillo, Northern Illinois: The Midlands runner-up finished second in the MAC in a deep weight in the conference. Has 11 victories over NCAA qualifiers, but none over seeded wrestlers. Notable victory this year came in the semifinals at The Midlands, beating Iowa graduate and former NCAA runner-up Luke Eustice.

Mike Sees, Bloomsburg: A streaky wrestler with some great stuff, Sees has seven wins over NCAA qualifiers, including a 13-7 victory over 10 th-seeded Donahoe of Nebraska in a January dual meet. Went 8-6 with Hazewinkel at the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic early in the season.

Obe Blanc, Lock Haven: Florida native with nine victories over NCAA qualifiers this season, including a win over Sees in the EWL finals after dropping two previous matches. Went 3-1 with Dubuque in the finals of the Mat Town USA Invitational, getting deep on several shots and keeping Dubuque on the ropes much of the bout. A quick and agile wrestler, Blanc’s not going to a surprise, since many already know about this kid’s talents.

Matt Fisk, Lehigh: True freshman from Wyalusing, Pa., had a great run into the finals of the EIWA championships, beating Penn’s Mike Silengo in the semifinals before falling to fifth-seeded Nickerson 2-1. After starting off the season slow, Fisk won his last seven bouts before the EIWA final loss to Nickerson and in that stretch, beat four NCAA qualifiers.

Austin DeVoe, Missouri: DeVoe finally gets a shot at the nationals and after a fourth-place finish in the Big 12, he’s unseeded but dangerous. He’s only got five wins over NCAA qualifiers, none of which are seeded, but he’s not a first round opponent you’d want to see if you’re from a conference other than the Big 12 or Big 10.

Ricky Deubel, Edinboro: Started out the year very strong and received a wild card after a horrendous EWL tournament where he finished fifth. Deubel’s not wrestling well at the moment, but perhaps the break between the EWL’s and the NCAA’s are enough to give the Ohio native some adjustment. Six wins over NCAA qualifiers on his resume this season and has a 2-0 loss to Simmons that turned some heads early in the season. When he’s on, he’s a real goer. Has six falls on the year.

Steve Mytych, Drexel: Northampton, Pa. graduate and true freshman finished third in the conference and drew a wildcard. Spent the greater portion of the season ranked in the Top 20. Has wins over three NCAA qualifiers, but is scrappy and one not to overlook. If you’re looking for a trend, and this is a complete reach, the last wild card at 125 pounds for Drexel was Rob Rebmann. He placed third at 125 pounds in the CAA in 2004 and wound up an All-American.

Chad Sportelli, Kent State : The transfer from Nebraska has fit in well at Kent State, finishing third in the MAC at 125 pounds. Spent much of the season ranked. Has seven wins over NCAA qualifiers, including 11 th-seeded Luke Smith of Central Michigan.

Seeds:
1. Simmons, Nick - Michigan State, Jr.
2. Hazewinkel, Sam - Oklahoma, Jr.
3. Dubuque, Joe - Indiana - Sr
4. Ott, Kyle - Illinois - Sr
5. Nickerson, Troy - Cornell - Fr 
6. Scott, Coleman - Oklahoma State - So
7. Mendoza, Jeremy - Arizona State - Sr
8. Velez, John - Northwestern - Sr
9. Mendes, Chad - Cal Poly - Jr
10. Donahoe, Paul - Nebraska - Fr
11. Smith, Luke - Central Michigan - Sr
12. Gardner, Tanner - Stanford - Jr

2005 Medal Match Results
Finals: Joe Dubuque (Indiana) dec. Kyle Ott (Illinois) 2-0
3rd: Sam Hazewinkel (Oklahoma) dec. Nick Simmons (Michigan State) 6-3
5th: Efren Ceballos (Cal State-Bakersfield) dec. Vic Moreno (Cal Poly) 3-2
7th: Bobbe Lowe (Minnesota) dec. Coleman Scott (Oklahoma State) 7-3