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U23 Worlds - Wonder who will go?

Lefever got to Walz's legs a few times but couldn't convert, loses 5-0. Noticeable strength difference, but he's not light years away from Walz either.
 
Freestyle Finals:

• 57 kg: NaTo vs. Fix
• 61 kg: McKee vs. Jimenez
• 65 kg: McKenna vs. Lewallen
• 70 kg*: Lewis vs. Berger
• 74 kg: IMar vs. Marsteller
• 86 kg: Martin vs. Brooks
• 97 kg: Walz vs. Chaid
• 125 kg: Hemida vs. Kroells

* Trash-Mouth Special
 
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I wouldn't have expected Sammy Brooks to beat Brett Pfarr but it wasn't a fluke, Brooks looked good. Maybe some sort of reverse-Samson effect, since the mullet is gone.
 
Folk and FS are apples and oranges, but Fix v Nato should still be a good barometer for where Fix is in folk. I think it'll be close.
 
Folk and FS are apples and oranges, but Fix v Nato should still be a good barometer for where Fix is in folk. I think it'll be close.

They're both fruit (apples and oranges), which is why I'm also very interested in the IMar-Marsteller match(es).
 
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NLWC 3rd place matches:

Rodriguez 10-0 over Lambert
Lefever 12-1 over Reyes
 
Freestyle Finals

57 kg:
Fix over NaTo 8-7 (Rd.1) -- a wild one late!
Fix over NaTo 7-4 (Rd.2)
Fix

61 kg:
McKee over Jimenez 11-0 (Rd.1)
McKee over Jimenez 15-4 (Rd.2)
McKee

65 kg:
McKenna over Lewallen 5-1 (Rd.1)
McKenna over Lewallen 8-4 (Rd.2)
McKenna

70 kg:
Lewis over Berger 6-2 (Rd.1)
Lewis over Berger 7-1 (Rd.2)
Lewis

74 kg:
IMar over Marsteller 8-2 (Rd.1)
IMar over Marsteller 7-6 (Rd.2)
IMar

86 kg:
Brooks over Martin 9-5 (Rd.1)
Brooks over Martin 13-8 (Rd.2)
Brooks

97 kg:
Walz over Chaid 8-1 (Rd.1)
Walz over Chaid 10-0 (Rd.2)
Walz

125 kg:
Kroells over Hemida 10-0 (Rd.1)
Kroells over Hemida 9-4 (Rd.2)
Kroells
 
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Fix is right there with Nato, though I think Nato might've been cheated out of that late TD. Seems like Nato is always involved in a last second scramble to decide the match, and often on the wrong side of that.
 
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Fix is right there with Nato, though I think Nato might've been cheated out of that late TD. Seems like Nato is always involved in a last second scramble to decide the match, and often on the wrong side of that.
Here is the video...

 
Bo Jordan can work on that with Nato. In other tOSU news McKenna beats Boo Lewallen again, is on team. Lewallen didn't look bad, should be an AA threat at 141 this year.
 
Fix wins 7-4, sweeps Nato. Nato has to be disgusted, in both matches kept getting behind Fix but couldn't break him down, had to settle for a step out point at least 3x, maybe 4x.
 
Some incredible sequences in this IMar Marsteller match but for some reason we're listening to Jordan Burroughs talking about himself. Which is great and all, always happy to listen to JB, but right now?
 
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Marsteller comes up just short but he's closing the gap between himself and the top tier a bit more in each of his last few appearances.
 
Bo Jordan can work on that with Nato. In other tOSU news McKenna beats Boo Lewallen again, is on team. Lewallen didn't look bad, should be an AA threat at 141 this year.
Boo won’t even start for his own team at 141. Not sure if he starts at another weight, but I don’t see him beating out Heil.
 
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I had to leave before Finals for Freestyle duet to club practice... Ugh.

Things I took away:
Lefever looked a weight class smaller than Walz. I don't know if Walz will stay at 97kg when it becomes day-of weigh-ins. Other than that, he got to legs well, just couldn't finish... Mostly due to size.
Rodriguez gave Fix a match. Had him dead to rights on takedowns a couple of times, but couldn't get the finish to score. He impressed me.
Sam Brooks is going to transition to Freestyle just fine. Win over Pfarr was no fluke, then taking out Martin.
Meyer gave Bey a hell of a match, but the officiating was very suspect. Meyer wrestles folk-greco, which is a big pet-peeve of mine. Bey comes back with like less than :30 left with a 5 and more.
Bey is also very well-spoken.
Sancho can lift just about anyone.
Hancock didn't look small at 130kg, and he was "up a weight". I think he could've played basketball, if he wanted. Very tall.
Fix looked like Fix, and Nato struggled the first match, after the weight cut.
Lewallen is going to be special.

Did you guys know that now, even if a mat official asks for a caution and a judge confirms it, the chairman can overrule? I thought Sanders was gonna get thrown out of the tournament. Chairman was being an egotistical jerk, in Sanders' defense, and I thought his guy got screwed, but that was an interesting start to the morning.

Overall: Glad it's in my backyard. Hope more colleges get on-board with this one.
 
Boo won’t even start for his own team at 141. Not sure if he starts at another weight, but I don’t see him beating out Heil.
Right, thanks, I didn't do that math. Still, he beat Bryce Meredith last year, though he also got tech'd by Eierman. Can't go down, Kaid Brock is pretty solid there, and Geo Martinez has AA'd at 149 at Boise State.
 
Right, thanks, I didn't do that math. Still, he beat Bryce Meredith last year, though he also got tech'd by Eierman. Can't go down, Kaid Brock is pretty solid there, and Geo Martinez has AA'd at 149 at Boise State.
149 would probably be his best spot to try and start. Some believe Kaid will go up after Heil is gone
 
149 would probably be his best spot to try and start. Some believe Kaid will go up after Heil is gone

True story. Kaid is pulling a good bit. This moves fix in at 133. BUT, that will be up to Fix. Picc is definitely a lifer 125, but Fix will make the choice. I think Lewallen wins the spot at 149 this year.
 
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True story. Kaid is pulling a good bit. This moves fix in at 133. BUT, that will be up to Fix. Picc is definitely a lifer 125, but Fix will make the choice. I think Lewallen wins the spot at 149 this year.

Wouldn't this make for some discussion:

125 - Picc
133 - Fix
141 - Brock
149 - Lewallen
157 - Smith

Heil - bench
 
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LOL! yeah. Pretty sure Kaid is going 133 for a reason. Although the above team sure is a lot more entertaining.

Yeah, for entertainment value, it would be sweet to see a bunch bump up in weight to produce this lineup:

125 - Picc
133 - Fix
141 - Brock
149 - Lewallen
157 - Martinez
165 - Joe Smith
174 - Rogers
184 - Jacobe Smith
197 - Weigel
285 - White

No matter how you slice it, though, it would seem to be a good year for Joe Smith to shirt.

I also thought Brock still had a shirt to use, if necessary (i.e., did not lose it after the freshman injury).
 
I said Fix is 4 time NC level coming out of the Juniors and people weren't buying it. We should ask NATO how the table tasted.
 
I'd expect that by 2019 nearly their entire lineup will have moved up.

Otherwise, 2 out of Gfeller, Lewallen, and Martinez will have to sit.

Or Smith will have to shirt Brock and/or JoJo.
 
McKenna in Ohio State wrestling room will equal the end of Dean Heil's lame reign. I don't like how this effects the team race but I will be pulling for McKenna anyways.
 
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I'd expect that by 2019 nearly their entire lineup will have moved up.

Otherwise, 2 out of Gfeller, Lewallen, and Martinez will have to sit.

Or Smith will have to shirt Brock and/or JoJo.

That last lineup I posted could be realistic for 2018-19, as it gives another year for guys to put on mass, as needed. Then it would be a matter of whether Gfeller breaks in somewhere between 141 and 149, or sits a year.

It would be a vet-savvy lineup, too. Brock*, Martinez, Joe Smith*, Rogers, Jacobe Smith, Weigel, and White as seniors. Picc and Lewallen as juniors. And when Fix is your only underclassman, well, it's not an experience gap. That team would score some points, for sure. I'm not so confident Iowa is breaking into the Top 2 (possibly even Top 3) next year.


*If RS not taken this year (or, in Brock's case, applied retroactively to freshman season).
 
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McKenna in Ohio State wrestling room will equal the end of Dean Heil's lame reign. I don't like how this effects the team race but I will be pulling for McKenna anyways.

One lame for another? McKenna is athletic as all get out. But boy is he a bore to watch.
 
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