THE MAT SLAP’S
2024 NCAA DIVISION I WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS REVIEW
    By Jim and Tony Nordland

Reigning Big Ten and NCAA team champion Penn State has a stronghold on team championships and seek their 12th NCAA team title. The Nittany Lions are the solid favorite at the 93rd annual NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO, on March 21st-23rd. The tandem of three-time champions, Carter Starocci (11-2) at 174 and Aaron Brooks (17-0) at 197, have been the cornerstone of the current squad, but will have additional firepower from 2023 NCAA finalists, Levi Haines (15-0) at 157 and Greg Kerkvliet (12-0) at 285, along with Big Ten MOW freshman Mitchell Mesenbrink (22-0) at 165. That elite group has a combined record of 77-2, with Starocci’s losses via medical forfeits. Starocci said: "I don't care what they seed me, actually don't even seed me at all." He drew the ninth seed and could meet NCAA champ Lewis in a Friday morning quarterfinal.

Of the 330 wrestlers that will embark on three days of competition, there are only ten unbeatens in the NCAA field. They are: Oklahoma State's Daton Fix (17-0, 119-6 career), the first five-time champion in Big 12 history, he recently turned 26, and redshirt freshman Ryan Crookham (19-0), of Lehigh, both at 133. Defending NCAA champ Keegan O’Toole (19-0) of Missouri is in the loaded 165-pound class, Virginia Tech's 2019 winner MekhiLewis (15-0) at 174, Parker Keckeisen (26-0) of Northern Iowa at 184, NC State's Trent Hidlay (22-0) at 197 along with rugged Yonger Bastida (24-0) of Iowa State at 285. Former 2021 NCAA titlists, David Carr (22-2) of Iowa State at 165 and Michigan’s Shane Griffith (14-1) at 174, will be in the mix. 

MAT NOTES:

Penn State’s venerable head coach, Cael Sanderson, has now claimed 10 NCAA team crowns, the first PSU title was in 1953. The NCAA team leader is Oklahoma State with 34, followed by Iowa (24), Penn State (11), Iowa State (8) and Oklahoma with seven titles. The race for NCAA trophies will be amongst EIWA champs, Cornell, ACC power NC State and Big 12 winner the Iowa State Cyclones.

Long Island wrestling has a storied history and one of the front runners was Brentwood’s CarlAdams, a two-time NCAA champion while at Iowa State (77-9-4) in 1971-72. Long Islanders that have won the OSW Award at the NCAA Division I Championships include: Nick Gallo (114-4) in 1977 – Deer Park/Hofstra, Jesse Jantzen (131-13, 50 falls) in 2004 – SWR/Harvard and defending champion Vito Arujau (90-9) – Syosset/Cornell. New Yorkers that have won the prestigious award are: Frank Bettuci (1953) – Ithaca/Cornell, Dave Auble (51-1) in1960 – Ithaca/Cornell, Jeff Prescott (88-15-2) in 1991 – Olean/Penn State and four-time champion Kyle Dake (2013) – Lansing/Cornell, finished with a stellar mark of 137-4. 

LIU has their first ever NCAA Division I qualifier with junior Anthony D’Alesio (19-12) at 184, he is a former Ohio state champion. Hofstra also has an NCAA qualifier with nationally ranked Keaton Kluever (15-5) at 285, he claimed two Wisconsin state crowns. Other LI products (SuffolkCounty) in the 2024 NCAA meet are BBP freshman Max Gallagher (20-8) of Penn at 125, CM sophomore Jordan Titus (24-4) of West Virginia at 141 and NB’s Tony Negron (14-9) of Arizona State at 184 pounds. Nassau County has reigning NCAA champion Vito Arujau (Syosset) and three-time All-American Jacori Teemer (Long Beach). Arujau won four state titles and Teemer claimed five state crowns.

The leading high school state for NCAA qualifiers is once again PA with 43 qualifiers, followed by OH (28), NJ (26), IL (22) and CA (21). The Empire State has 15 high school prepped wrestlers at the 2024 NCAAs. To clarify, Cornell's Benny Baker (174) is from Newark Valley, NY, and attended Wyoming Seminary (PA). At  last count , NYS had close to 12,000 HS participants involved in high school wrestling.

On the international level, there are four NCAA matmen are from other countries, Cuba is represented by Anthony Enchemendia (141) and Yonger Bastida (285), both at Iowa State. Others are Lachlan McNeil (141) from Toronto, Canada, now North Carolina. and Yaraslau Slavikouski (285) from Belarus, now Rutgers.

Perhaps the two toughest weight classes are 125 and 165. At 125 pounds, top-seeded freshman Braeden Davis (Penn State) is lodged in the upper bracket with Big 12 champ Jore Volk (Wyoming), returning AA Anthony Noto and 2023 finalist Matt Ramos (Purdue). Also to watch is Minnesota senior Patrick McKee (15-6) and Richard Figueroa (12-5) of Arizona State in a Thursday night bout. Possible finalists could be: freshman Luke Stanich (Lehigh), Iowa veteran Drake Ayala , along with Jacob Camacho (NC State) or Okla State's Troy Sprately.

The 165 pound bracket might produce the MOW Award, as #1 and unbeaten  Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) is the favorite. Also in the the top tier are NCAA champ David Carr (Iowa State), a possible semi final battle or versatile Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin). In the bottom bracket is BIg Ten MOW and unbeaten  Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State), Okla State's Izzak Olenjnik, along with tough Julian Ramirez (Cornell) and Iowa's Mike Caliendo. Ramirez could face Caliendo in a Friday morning quarterfinal skirmish.

The last time the NCAA meet was held in Kansas City was at the Kemper Arena in 2003 and Oklahoma State were the team champions, Penn State finished in sixth place. NYS had five wrestlers earn All-American status, at 149- Jesse Jantzen (3rd) and Jon Masa (7th), John Clark (6th at 165), runner up Carl Fronhofer (174) and Greg Parker (8th at 184). 

Cornell's defending NCAA champion Vito Arujau (13-2, 90-9 career) from Syosset HS, is the sixth seed at 133 pounds.

Four-time PAC 12 champion and three-time AA.  Jacori Teemer (21-3) of Long Beach HS, now from Arizona State, drew the second seed at 157 pounds.

2024 NCAA WRESTLING TOURNAMENT PREVIEW

- New York has 15 Qualifiers -​​