Part of what makes wrestling so exciting and captivating is the element of surprise. Every week at every tournament, things you don't expect to happen, happen. Often, guys who appear to be ironclad locks can falter. Below, we put together some of the biggest and most interesting upsets of the year.  Feel free to add your own favorite upset below!

10. Jason Nolf, Penn State over Isaiah Martinez, Illinois

As great as Nolf was, there were few outside of Pennsylvania and Willie Saylor (same difference, right?) giving Nolf a shot in match one against Martinez. Nolf not only ended up victorious, but he also won by pinfall. It was shocking, and the first (and still only) loss for two-time NCAA champion Martinez.

9. Bryce Meredith, Wyoming over Kevin Jack, NC State

The story around this one is incredible. Meredith was at NC State and transferred back home to Wyoming because the door to the starting lineup was likely closed with Kevin Jack breaking out as a true freshman. The two maintained a friendship throughout, then faced each other at NCAAs, where Meredith ultimately won.

8. Kyle Springer over Chris Mecate

Chris Mecate could have some down matches, but this loss to Kyle Springer caught me off guard. Springer didn't qualify for NCAAs, but he notched a win over two-time All-American Mecate. 

7. Nolan Boyd, Oklahoma State over Gabe Dean, Cornell

You can look back at this and say, "Well, the No. 4 guy beat the No. 1, big deal." At the time, this was quite surprising. Dean got out to an early lead off of counters, then Boyd got his finishes going and ended up running away with the match. Boyd wasn't even the 184 starter at the beginning of the year, and a few months later, he beat Gabe Dean and made the podium. 

6. Nathan Jackson, Indiana over Bo Nickal, Penn State

Nickal left the Southern Scuffle with the No. 1 ranking without wrestling anything that resembled a close match. Not much later, a dangerous Jackson got the job done against Nickal by using Bo's aggression against him.  

5. Matt Cimato, Drexel over Jason Tsirtsis, Northwestern

It was a strong start for NCAA champion Jason Tsirtsis, but Matt Cimato used his left side high crotch and tough riding to down the two-time All-American.

4. Patrick Gould, Pennsylvania over Adam Busiello, New York

Busiello was not only No. 1 in the country, he was No. 1 in his class. He went down to Pennsylvania's Pat Gould, who was unranked at the time.

3. Joe Ariola, Buffalo over Vic Avery, Edinboro

Unseeded over the three seed -- it was tough to imagine. Avery was rock-solid all year, but then he went down to Buffalo's Ariola in a match that was about as tough to rationalize as any the entire year. 

2. Kaid Brock, Oklahoma State over Cody Brewer, Oklahoma

What a timeline of events. Kaid Brock was going to take a redshirt season, but then the news broke that his redshirt was pulled for the Oklahoma dual. After that, Brock not only upset the reigning NCAA champion Cody Brewer, but he also took him down, then threw him to his back for the first-period pin. It was perhaps the most impressive freshman debut I've ever seen.

1. Orkhon Purevdorj, Mongolia over Kaori Icho, Japan

13 years -- that's how much time passed between losses for three-time (now four-time) Olympic champion Kaori Icho. She fell to Mongolia's Purevdorf by a technical fall at the Yarygin. Icho went on to win Olympic gold in Rio, but this match still became a part of wrestling history.

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