InterMat: Inside info from the N.W.C.A
brought to you byBrute Wrestling
Division I Championships
Scottrade Center
March 20-22, 2008
2007 Champion: Derek Moore, UC Davis
Printable Bracket | Interactive Bracket
The only unbeaten wrestler at 141 pounds comes in top-ranked and the #1 seed. That wrestler is Cal Poly's Chad Mendes.
The California native placed at 125 pounds back in 2006, but was saddled with weight problems and injuries while trying to maintain 125 as All-American Darrell Vasquez manned the 133-pound weight class.
Well, Mendes came back with a vengeance this year and comes in 26-0.
Three freshmen earned seeds, led by Michigan true frosh Kellen Russell, the Big Ten Champion at 141 pounds. Russell battled through one of the toughest weights in the toughest conference in the nation and coupled with losses by Nathan Morgan of Oklahoma State and Charles Griffin of Hofstra in their conference tournaments, made Russell an easy choice for the second seed, but the #2 actually goes to Griffin. Despite losing in conference, it's apparent his third-place finish last year carried more weight with the seeding committee.
Griffin's beaten Morgan several times during their career, including the only official regular season meeting back in November. Griffin has rallied in the third with great zeal and is a guy that fights for the entire seven minutes.
Russell will end up as the #3 and Morgan the #4. Then it gets fun, as the 5-12 seeds are all comparable in ability and record.
Mendes' anticipated quarterfinal will be against either #8 Dan LeClere of Iowa or #9 Nick Gallick of Iowa State. Gallick beat Morgan to win the Big 12 title, while LeClere fell to fifth in the Big Ten. The team title might hang in the balance as ISU and Iowa also could meet at 133 pounds early on.
Griffin will likely await the winner of the Kyle Ruschell (Wisconsin)-Cody Cleveland (UTC) match. Ruschell was a Round of 12 guy last year, while Cleveland won the Southern Conference in his first year as the starter under coach Chris Bono in Chattanooga.
Russell should see the winner of the #6-#11 Round of 16 tilt between returning All-American J Jaggers of Ohio State and Keith Sulzer of Northwestern, both Ohio natives.
Manny Rivera of Minnesota is the #5 and, on paper, could see #12 Garrett Scott of Penn State in the Round of 16. Scott injured his knee in the Big 10 consolation quarterfinals and recovered to pin Jeff Wimberly of Michigan State to qualify. It's unclear how Scott will wrestle on one wheel and if he'll be a factor.
The Bad Draw
InterMat's close-up on wrestlers the top seeds don't want to see right off the bat.
Matt Kyler, Army -- The EIWA champion has managed his growth from a small lightweight as a high school senior to a solid 141-pounder. Kyler's piled up the wins this year and has also been privy to the fall. He's 9-3 against NCAA qualifiers this season with two falls. With 39 wins on the season, Kyler's a proven winner.
Drew Headlee, Pittsburgh -- Anytime a returning All-American isn't seeded, that means trouble for those who draw people like Drew Headlee. He's not been as effective at 141, but he has been on the podium -- placing eighth at 133 pounds in 2005.
Zach Bailey, Oklahoma -- Bailey struggled down the stretch after starting off the season red-hot. A solid finish at the Midlands seemed to be the peak of his season as the sophomore was beaten up by a rugged Big 12 schedule. He lost eight of 11 to end the season but ended up third in the Big 12. Unseeded wrestler from the Big 12 ... you know our theory.
Ryan Williams, Old Dominion -- A two-time NCAA qualifier, Williams pulled a stunning upset over Griffin in the CAA finals to earn a trip this season after missing out last year. He's 6-3 against NCAA qualifiers (not counting Vegas, where he had a couple more wins). Along with the Griffin win, he also has a win over Iowa's Dan LeClere this season.
Patrick McLemore, Northern Illinois -- Coming in at 13-3, McLemore won the MAC Championship, but is only 2-2 against matches with NCAA qualifiers this season, including splitting two matches with Nick Gallick of Iowa State in November. He's fresh, and dangerous in the opening round.
Drew Lashaway, Kent State -- Ranked for the entire season, Lashaway is a fierce competitor with one of the most imposing frames of any 141-pounder. He's 8-6 against NCAA qualifiers this season with two wins over Headlee, a win over Kyler and victories over Adam Frey of Cornell and Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin.
Top 12 Seeds
1. Chad Mendes (Cal Poly, Sr.)
2. Charles Griffin (Hofstra, Sr.)
3. Kellen Russell (Michigan, Fr.)
4. Nathan Morgan (Oklahoma State, Sr.)
5. Manny Rivera (Minnesota, Sr.)
6. J Jaggers (Ohio State, Jr.)
7. Kyle Ruschell (Wisconsin, So.)
8. Dan LeClere (Iowa, So.)
9. Nick Gallick (Iowa State, So.)
10. Cody Cleveland (UT-Chattanooga, So.)
11. Keith Sulzer (Northwestern, Fr.)
12. Garrett Scott (Penn State, Fr.)
2007 Placement Results
(Courtesy wrestlingstats.com)
Finals: Derek Moore (UC Davis) tech fall Ryan Lang (Northwestern) 17-2, 5:41
3rd: Charles Griffin (Hofstra) dec. Nathan Morgan (Oklahoma State) 6-2.
5th: Don Fisch (Rider) FALL Brandon Rader (West Virginia) 4:42.
7th: J Jaggers (Ohio State) dec. Max Meltzer (Harvard) 7-1.
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