As we enter the second weekend of collegiate competition, our weight class U series is coming to an end. We've come to the light heavyweights of 197 pounds, with Iowa State ending up on top.


The Big Ten performed its worst at this weight, with only five schools near the top of the standings, though one was a traditional Big 12 school. Add in Missouri -- when it was still a Big 12 member -- and 197 has been a very strong weight for that conference.

The Series So Far:

125U | 133U | 141U | 149U | 157U | 165U | 174U | 184U

What also stands out is Iowa State's efficiency. The Cyclones did not qualify five times, including four straight years right after Cael Sanderson's senior year. But when they do get guys in, they outperform their seed.

Once again, a big thank you and shoutout to Andrew Spey, aka @JaroslavWrestle, for his ability to make sense of these numbers. We continue to use the time period of the past 15 years (2002-16) as our frame of reference.

197 Pounds

NCAA Qualifiers and Placers (2002-16)

It's becoming clear that Cornell's Rob Koll, Missouri's Brian Smith, and Nebraska's Mark Manning have a knack for getting their guys ready for the conference tournament. Cornell, Missouri, and Nebraska all tie for first with 14 guys making it to the show. That doesn't necessarily equate to All-Americans, but it shows you will always have a certain quality of wrestler. Of course, there will be lean years, seasons without a star, or a backup comes in due to injury, or a young buck who just isn't quite there yet. But to qualify 14 out of 15 years, something that only a handful of teams have done throughout our review of these weights, is a commendable feat.

Given Minnesota's success at heavyweight and the adage that practice partners matter, we see a Gophers program that routinely qualifies and places guys at 197 pounds. Minnesota had seven straight years of AAs and also captured two national titles from Damion Hahn. With Brett Pfarr currently ranked third, the Gophers are in excellent position to extend their AA streak and possibly add another finalist to the ledger.

Penn State has an impressive five finishes in the top three at this weight. Morgan McIntosh, Quentin Wright, and Phil Davis all carry on the 197 dominance Sanderson started at Iowa State and carried over to Happy Valley.

NCAA Points Accrued (2002-16)

Spey used the following system to break down the points here: 18 points for first place; 16 pts for second; 13 pts for third; 12 pts for fourth; 10 pts for fifth; nine pts for sixth; six pts for seventh; five pts for eighth; three pts for making the round of 12; two pts for making the round of 16; and one pt for making the round of 24.

Iowa State had nine All-Americans, and six of them placed higher than their seed. The mantra in Ames, Iowa, is to never do worse than your seed, which is how the Cyclones end up as 197 U with fewer qualifiers and AAs than several teams.

Craig Brester was Nebraska's last AA at 197 pounds when he lost in the finals to Iowa State's Jake Varner. That happened two years in a row (2009-10), but Brester was also fourth the year before. BJ Padden, Travis Pascoe, and Justin Ruiz round out the placers for the Cornhuskers.

Looking forward, schools like Penn State, Oklahoma State, and Ohio State are perhaps best set up to work their way up this list, though perhaps not enough to make any changes after the 2018 season, which will mark the 20th full year of 197 as the second heaviest weight class. Beyond that, guys like Ben Darmstadt at Cornell and Jacob Warner at Iowa are two athletes who have the opportunity to be multiple time AAs at this weight.

Top-10 Teams at 197lbs

1) Iowa State
2) Minnesota
3) Nebraska
4) Penn State
5) Oklahoma State
6) Cornell
7) Missouri
8) Ohio State
9) Iowa
10) Lehigh

Key Scorers for Iowa State

Cael Sanderson (2002): 1st
Jake Varner (2009-10): 1st, 1st
Kyven Gason (2013-15): 6th, 4th, 1st

Key Scorers for Minnesota

Damion Hahn (2003-04): 1st, 1st
Sonny Yohn (2010-12): 8th, 7th, 5th
Scott Schiller (2013-15): 5th, 3rd, 4th

Key Scorers for Nebraska

Justin Ruiz (2002-03): 5th, 5th
BJ Padden (2004-06): R12, 5th, 3rd
Craig Brester (2007-10): R12, 4th, 2nd, 2nd

Key Scorers for Penn State

Phil Davis (2005-08): 7th, 2nd, 5th, 1st
Quentin Wright (2013): 1st
Morgan McIntosh (2012, 14-16): DNP, 7th, 3rd, 2nd

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