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Last Chance Qualifier - Men's Freestyle Results

And the main reason we should never replace college folkstyle with freestyle - no matter how many times dorks like Nomad call for it

Correct - Saunders is also hell of a talent. I loved what I saw from Shayne today though. I don't know how we don't wrestle him next year.
 
And the main reason we should never replace college folkstyle with freestyle - no matter how many times dorks like Nomad call for it
That plus as much as the pro-freestyle crowd doesn't want to admit it, folk training helps free.

It's always funny to see an international wrestler get turned with a common folk maneuver such as a cradle, then look confused that somebody did anything other than a gut or lace.
 
I am not so sure Barraclough's story has been written yet. Granted with the elite talent we have in the room he 'probably' will be a room guy, albeit a very strong one for his career at Penn State.

Then again he is still very young and skilled and I for one will not underestimate his potential to continue to develop with Cael.

If Berge is facing more medical difficult issues than we think The Claw might just find a home up at 157. He could easily be a .500 wrestler next year and at some point, qualify, and then.... It's up to him. Could someone like him AA 2-3 years from now? I wouldn't count him out. I could see someone like him jumping into the portal as well and landing close to a full ride at a smaller school.

He is a 4x highschool guy and I do not think he is quite yet a known quantity. He would make an interesting interview to better understand his drive and asperations
Barraclaugh will continue his story but I wonder if the story turns a page to a higher weight class?
 
I had to run out to transact furniture, so I missed all the quarters. First match I replayed was Petter Christ Godvessel's ten seconds of consi action. Best part is when he goes back to center after being pinned and appears to be confused that it's over. I hope someone asks him what he's doing there. It's almost like when Alex Steen decided to wrestle in the Bill Farrell and almost got torn in half by IMar, except that Steen announced what he was doing in advance. Godvessel's two matches were more performance art than wrestling.
 
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And the main reason we should never replace college folkstyle with freestyle - no matter how many times dorks like Nomad call for it

I am totally opposed to a 10 point sequence. Takedown scrambles can present a lace and the match can end. For the skill required to achieve a good lace or gut you can also see just a flash of luck creep in at times as well.

I am definitely a folk bigot, but free would be better if the wrestler was limited to two turns/exposures with any one hold. Folk has this aspect covered well.
 
Correct - Saunders is also hell of a talent. I loved what I saw from Shayne today though. I don't know how we don't wrestle him next year.
To play devil's advocate: what if we got a one-year transfer allowing Van Ness to shirt?

No idea if he or Cael are interested, but Clarke is a SR and in the portal.

 
Verk beat Clarke in Rec Hall in February 2020.

Gotta think if Clarke ends up at PSU it will be on his own dime and because he recruited PSU
 
To play devil's advocate: what if we got a one-year transfer allowing Van Ness to shirt?

Spot on El Jefe!

When I think of SVN going next year I immediately think of Zain. Incredible freshmen year for sure, but aside from the team score impact, what if Zain had shirted that first year? I think he is a 4xer and might have made a run at an unblemished record as well.

If we could land Grifith at 165 or another strong transfer at 149 I definitely say go with the Claw, and shirt both Beau and Shane.
 
To play devil's advocate: what if we got a one-year transfer allowing Van Ness to shirt?

No idea if he or Cael are interested, but Clarke is a SR and in the portal.

I saw Clarke wrestle (folk) in person and was really impressed, even accounting for a weak opponent. Crazy strong, I was surprised when Verk beat him. High ceiling, could probably use next-tier coaching.
 
not sure I saw this elsewhere- prior to the tourney SVN said he had a total of 15 minutes experience in freestyle competition.
We probably shouldn't take that literally.

Van Ness beat Serrano and Mendez at 2019 WNO in freestyle.

Chances are he was already comfortable with freestyle before that event.
 
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Deakin clearly isn't right, they alluded to something on Willie's podcast but didn't say what. Of course he still went out and wrestled, so there's that...
Willie said he had a bad case of covid and was dealing with severe after effects. Said that he had to get something implanted for it. Not sure what that would be.
 
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We probably shouldn't take that literally.

Van Ness beat Serrano and Mendez at 2019 WNO in freestyle.

Chances are he was already comfortable with freestyle before that event.
I think he's just a hot and cold guy maybe. High pace and physical, but gets out of position quite a bit and the savvier guys exploit that. The Saunders result is pretty surprising though. If there's a concern, it's not that he lost, but that the two guys who beat him made it look really easy. He'll only get better though.
 
Whenever I see a high school kid doing well in a senior event, I am reminded of the late Jimmy Carr, who wrestled in the 1971 worlds at 16 years of age and the 1972 Olympics at 17 and won Midlands at age 18. Unreal. https://www.kolat.com/blog/the-goat-of-high-school-wrestling

And just squeezed by Larry Kepp in the 1973 PIAA state finals after all those accomplishments in what was the greatest high school match I've ever seen - at least in terms of drama.
 
Spot on El Jefe!

When I think of SVN going next year I immediately think of Zain. Incredible freshmen year for sure, but aside from the team score impact, what if Zain had shirted that first year? I think he is a 4xer and might have made a run at an unblemished record as well.

If we could land Grifith at 165 or another strong transfer at 149 I definitely say go with the Claw, and shirt both Beau and Shane.
Maybe but even with a redshirt freshman year Zain still would have had to beat Steibler which probably still a toss up
 
I am not so sure Barraclough's story has been written yet. Granted with the elite talent we have in the room he 'probably' will be a room guy, albeit a very strong one for his career at Penn State.

Then again he is still very young and skilled and I for one will not underestimate his potential to continue to develop with Cael.

If Berge is facing more medical difficult issues than we think The Claw might just find a home up at 157. He could easily be a .500 wrestler next year and at some point, qualify, and then.... It's up to him. Could someone like him AA 2-3 years from now? I wouldn't count him out. I could see someone like him jumping into the portal as well and landing close to a full ride at a smaller school.

He is a 4x highschool guy and I do not think he is quite yet a known quantity. He would make an interesting interview to better understand his drive and asperations
In my book, only one person is allowed to use the dreaded "It's up to him" line about a PSU wrestle; this phrase is 100% coach-speak has come to be something of a kiss of death at a certain college wrestling program. And that person is not you. :oops:
 
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Whenever I see a high school kid doing well in a senior event, I am reminded of the late Jimmy Carr, who wrestled in the 1971 worlds at 16 years of age and the 1972 Olympics at 17 and won Midlands at age 18. Unreal. https://www.kolat.com/blog/the-goat-of-high-school-wrestling

And just squeezed by Larry Kepp in the 1973 PIAA state finals after all those accomplishments in what was the greatest high school match I've ever seen - at least in terms of drama.
Actually the greatest match involving Jimmy happened at the regional in 1973 when he lost to Henry Green of Huntington 8-6. It was probably the greatest, or 1 of the greatest upsets in piaa history but because it didn't happen in Hershey it wasn't as well known.
 
That's a match I expected Mark Hall to grind out a win. Little bit small for the weight indeed.
 
Going into the finals, I might get one right, but could get 5 of 6 winners.
Snap predictions, all which will be wrong:

57kg Richards over Cruz
65kg Pletcher over Henderson
74kg Cenzo over Pantaleo
86kg Gabe Dean over McFadden
97kg Honis over Schafer
125kg Hall over Wood
 
Hall Lujan in consi-semis was kind of wild, Hall nearly got himself pinned going upper body, but wins 15-10. He needs some more strength and time to be comfortable at 86kg, and even maybe 79kg.
 
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Finals right now (started early). All these guys qualified for next week's Olympic trials.*

Looks like all finals will be on Mat 2.

57 kg: Zane Richards (TMWC) vs. Sean Russell (Gopher WC RTC)
65 kg: Patricio Lugo (Hawkeye WC) vs. Evan Henderson (TMWC)
74 kg: Vincenzo Joseph (Nittany Lion WC) vs. Chance Marsteller (TMWC)
86 kg: Gabe Dean (TMWC) vs. Nathan Jackson (NYAC)
97 kg: Ben Honis (TMWC) vs. Scottie Boykin (Spartan Combat RTC)
125 kg: Tanner Hall (Sunkist Kids) vs. Jordan Wood (Lehigh Valley WC)

*edit to say there's a true second match in each class.
 
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Skipped out for a couple hours. Caught up on Van Ness, Cenzo & Hall news. Anything else of interest in the tourney? I will be looking at the brackets in a bit, just wanting some quick-hitting news.
 
Pantaleo is another tweener.

I think he’ll do really well at 70kg in a non-Olympic year.
 
Skipped out for a couple hours. Caught up on Van Ness, Cenzo & Hall news. Anything else of interest in the tourney? I will be looking at the brackets in a bit, just wanting some quick-hitting news.

Honis scored a short time td and gut over Amos in the semis. Pretty much any match with Foca is worth watching. Lots of points on the board with him.
 
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Sean Russell had a great day, beating Zane Richards 12-4. Richards now has to wrestle Mueller for true second.
 
Actually the greatest match involving Jimmy happened at the regional in 1973 when he lost to Henry Green of Huntington 8-6. It was probably the greatest, or 1 of the greatest upsets in piaa history but because it didn't happen in Hershey it wasn't as well known.

1972 for the Cart/Green match, I think. After the Olympics and Midlands, nobody thought Kepp could stay with Jimmy, but Larry gave him all, if not more, than Carr could handle. And it was the State Farm Show Arena.
 
Lugo looked great against Henderson until he got too loose on a scramble and got pinned. Lugo has to wrestle Mitch McKee for true 2nd.
 
Cenzo Chance up. Passive warning on Cenzo a minute in.
Chance looked for an arm drag but Cenzo with the good D.
Cenzo on the clock. Gets in on a leg but Chance drops his hips and gets a clock point.
Passive warning on Chance, :35 remaining in first.
Break, Chance 1-0.
Chance got in on legs, lifts and converts, was close to getting four. Up 3-0.
Chance in again, gets both legs, turns corner, 5-0. Looked lace but couldn't get it.
Cenzo got to legs, but great D from Chance.
That's where it'll finish, 5-0. Chance was not scored on all tournament.
 
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