Greetings from the Empire State, where I’ve been since Wednesday, covering both the Army/NC State dual meet on Thursday and the Bill Farrell Memorial on Friday and Saturday.  

Box Scores | Rankings | Week 2 Roundup

Who would've thought that Ryan Crookham's win over Vito Arujau from two weeks would still be such a hot topic? Just goes to show you how powerful college rankings really are!

I was planning on using this space as a virtual soap box, but Kozak already did a better job than I ever would explaining the rankings he and JD produced on FRL earlier this week, and I don’t think anyone is all that interested in a lengthy harangue from me about rankings. 

Spey’s Lengthy Rankings Harange

Okay, so I'm going to get a little soap boxy.

Instead of a lecture about Flo's rankings, though, I’ll let you all in on a little secret: anyone who says they know one set of rankings is better than another is lying.

There is simply no way. The only people in any position to actually judge two separate sets of weekly NCAA rankings are too busy actually doing the rankings to have time to do a thorough comparison necessary to make a credible judgment. 

This absolutely does not mean that fans can’t have opinions about rankings; indeed that’s precisely what they’re for!

But any assessment of accuracy regarding any particular set of rankings requires you to first know where all 78 D1 starts at every weight SHOULD be ranked. Which requires you to establish a consistently applied set of criteria to the 78 D1 starters (oh and you also have to figure out who all 78 D1 starters are at all ten weights, no biggie). Then you have to figure out which particular set of rankings is doing a better job of constantly applying those criteria than the other set of rankings. 

As someone who co-hosted a weekly podcast about every set of rankings FloWrestling published from 2017 to 2022, I feel like I am perhaps uniquely qualified to say that this is an impossible task. 

That said, it's also worth appreciating that fandom is inherently emotional, so it’s only natural for rankings to evoke an emotional, visceral response, and that there’s no amount of explaining or process transparency that will put an end to that. 

It's the emotional reaction from fans that creates discussion and generates interest in the sport, which is one of the chief purposes of the rankings. Some would go as far as to call it the raison d'etre of college rankings. So do not mistake this diatribe for a condemnation of fandom. 

Have fun with the rankings! Call out what you hate (or like), and have a weekly catharsis with each newly published set of rankings, just also please recognize that the rankers themselves are not joking around. They know they have a responsibility and a duty to take this endeavor seriously, no matter what they happen to be ranking. 

On a related note, here is the definite list of the top 10 greatest rappers of all time. 

Hey guys, I made a list of the top 10 rappers of all time.

10. Eminem
9. Biggie
8. Rakim
7. Nas
6. Raekown
5. 2Pac
4. Sir Mix-a-Lot
3. Ghostface
2. Violent J
1. Shaggy 2 Dope

Let's argue!

— Andrew Spey (@SpeyWrestle) August 5, 2019

Now let's discuss the noteworthy events from the last week of D1 NCAA wrestling!

Thursday Dual Meet Triple Play

Week 3 started on Thursday with a resplendent trio of quality duals. The Wolfpack defeated Army in West Point (with your humble blogger providing the live audio commentary), the Golden Gophers dispatched Bucknell, and the Mountaineers of West Virginia bested Clarion. 

Now, this is an NCAA D1 blog, so we will stick to folkstyle after this, but I would be remiss if I didn't point out that NC State’s Trent Hidlay got a pin in his bout with Army and then followed it up two days later with a title at the Bill Farrell Memorial, a run that included this spectacular victory over Georgia’s world medalist Avtandil Kentchadze.

In a moment straight out of a movie, Trent Hidlay gets the DRAMATIC win over world silver medalist Kentchadze! pic.twitter.com/tMpgPAGFbz

— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) November 18, 2023

Other matches from the Wolfpack/West Point dual I’d recommend include 133 and 174, which saw gutsy performances by wrestlers from both squads.

Two talented true frosh to keep an eye on in this season that earned dubs in the other Thursday duals are Bucknell’s #12 Noah Mulvany at 165 and West Virginia’s #17 Ty Watters at 149.

Journey To The Geographic Center Of New York With Journeymen’s Armbar at the Armory

Another kick ass Journeymen dual meet jamboree concluded in Albany last Friday. Nine D1 programs tested their mettle in a total of eight duals, with three schools going 2-0 on the day: NC State, Virginia, and Northern Colorado. 

ArmBar in the Armory in Albany NY pic.twitter.com/NnMthG4C3a

— Journeymen Wrestling (@jmenwrestling) November 17, 2023

The Armbar at the Armory also helped the Wolfpack finish up their Pat Pop Dual Meet Historical Tour, as NC State’s opponents – Binghamton, Army, and Sacred Heart – were all programs at which Popolizio coached before he assumed the role of NC State head coach. 

Also at the Ambar was the toast of week 2, Long Island University, who unfortunately could not keep their hot streak going. The Sharks dropped both of their duals to even their season record to 2-2. 

Barnstorming With Campbell & Wyoming

BARN IT DOWN! BARN IT ALL DOWN TO THE GROUND!

Just kidding, don't do that. I just couldn't think of better wordplay for the word 'barn'. 

Anyhow, if you spent any appreciable amount of time on the internet this weekend you likely noticed that Campbel traveled to Wyoming to wrestle the Cowboys in a barn. The event caused a social media sensation as both teams committed to promoting the event to as large an audience as possible. 

UFC Fight Pass, the event’s broadcast partner, also did their part to get as many eyeballs as they could on the contest. Which, as someone whose livelihood depends in no small part on people's desire to read about college wrestling, is quite excellent in my opinion! 

There were dozens of highly viewed social media posts showcasing the unique atmosphere with bales of hay for seats and with coaches decked out in full cowboy attire.

The home team has taken the mat!!#BattleAtTheBarn pic.twitter.com/f68L8kSJxK

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) November 18, 2023

Besides the excellent and competitive wrestling competition that took place (won by Campbell, who swept the final four weights to win 23-12), one can’t help but wonder in what other themes and special environments future duals might take place. I would look to such classic video games like Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat for inspiration.

Also, all this country attire and accouterment has got me thinking about the best Western movie of all-time:cUnforgiven. But I'll put a pin in that discussion until later on in the blog.

The Must-Watch Dual Of The Century, Of The Week: Virginia Tech at Rutgers

I asked for feedback from you, dear reader, and that's exactly what I got, from a wise and learned wrestler who suggested that I include some must-watch duals herein. With that suggestion in mind, may I direct your attention to an early season ACC-Big Ten battle in the Garden State? 

It was a homecoming for Mekhi Lewis, originally from Somerset, NJ, a scant 30-some miles away from Rutgers' campus, who will forever be etched in the Virginia Tech wrestling record books by being the first Hokie national champ in program history. 

Lewis and company spoiled the season home opener for the Scarlet Knight faithful in a dual that saw the Hokie win 6 of 10 bouts, including a pivotal matchup at 184 when VT's Sam Fisher upset Rutgers' Brian Soldano. 

The match was also the coming out party for Rafael Hipolito Jr, a wrestler from Manaus, Brazil, a location deep in the Amazon where jiu-jitsu is the combat sport of choice for most athletes. Hipolito, who also competed on Sunday at the Keystone Classic, is now 9-1 on the season as a true freshman, though he will likely redshirt while Bryce Andonian starts in his final season of eligibility.

Want to learn more about Manaus and jiu-jitsu? Our colleagues at FloGrappling have an amazing documentary for you. It's also free! 

On the positive side of the ledger for Rutgers is the news that their home gym, Jersey Mike’s Arena, will be getting renovated in the near future. 

#Rutgers has taken the next step in its plans to renovate @jerseymikes's Arena. Conceptual renderings and a feasibility report were sent out to season ticket holders and a swath of fans today. Here are the renderings as well as comments from AD Pat Hobbs. https://t.co/oY9aprvnsP pic.twitter.com/J4KFyqgiDZ

— Pat Lanni (@PatLanniNJ) November 15, 2023

If you want to watch more of that must-see dual, check out these highlights on YouTube or subscribe to BTN Plus and watch the full replay here. 

A Somewhat Slow Saturday Precedes Super Sunday

It's Tourney Time

There were six significant tournaments this weekend. 

On Saturday, Oklahoma State sent a nearly full posse to the Lindenwood Open, where the most interesting results were Cowboy vs Cowboy. Tagen Jamison defeated Sammy Alvarez at 141 and Jordan Williams beat Carter Young at 149. These are signs that Oklahoma State is building back its depth to contender levels. 

At the Navy Classic, hosted by Navy at the McDonogh School outside of Baltimore, it was Nebraska that had the most impressive showing with six champs and nine finalists. The Huskers did suffer a mild upset, however, when Princeton's #15 Luke Stout defeated #6 Silas Allred in the 197lb finals.

UPenn hosted the Keystone Classic and it was the Quakers who won the team title at home, notching four champs along the way. They may also have a couple of roster battles on their hands as Max Gallagher and Alex Almeyda won titles at 125 and 133. Gallagher beat starter Ryan Miller in the finals and Gallagher outplaced starter Michael Colaiocco at 133. 

Additionally, F&M's James Conway won a title at 184 over VT's Sam Fisher, who beat #7 Brain Soldano on Friday. 

And Bryce Andonian continues to do Bryce Andonian things, this time in the Palestra. 

Bryce Andonian was in a hurry! He goes BIG in the finals and wins Keystone Classic with ease 😤 pic.twitter.com/yaZ0CP2HIy

— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) November 20, 2023

Speaking of roster battles, Penn State, who finished runner-up to hosts army in the team race at the Black Knight Invite, will have a decision to make at 125, as true freshman Braeden Davis beat #23 Ethan Berginc of Army in the finals. Berginc beat Robert Howard 12-3 in the semifinals. 

The Outstanding Wrestling award went to Northern Colorado's Vincent Zerben, who beat #11 Chase Saldate of Michigan State in the finals and picked up this sweat vest and helmet as a prize. 

𝙊𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙒𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 157-𝙋𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙞𝙤𝙣

Congratulations to Vinny Zerban for earning the Outstanding Wrestler Award and 157-pound tournament title at the Black Knight Invitational ! #GetUpGreeley pic.twitter.com/dRxiPOoSVK

— UNC Bears Wrestling (@UNCBearsWrestle) November 19, 2023

Elsewhere, Northern Iowa outshined hosts South Dakota State at the Daktronics Open in Brookings. Finally, California Baptist took home four titles (in the first four weights) at the Roadrunner Open in Bakersfield. 

It Was A Fine Day For D1 Wrestling Programs in Iowa

Hawkeyes outperformed expectations against a formidable Oregon State squad and Iowa State put a shellacking on Wisconsin. Additionally, Northern Iowa had a stellar performance at the aforementioned Daktronics Open. A good weekend by any measure for all three D1 Iowan wrestling programs. 

The big news in Iowa City was that true freshman Gabe Arnold made his Carver-Hawkeye Arena debut at 174 and promptly beat #9 Travis Wittlake. A win like that bodes well for Arnold getting the full-time job for Iowa moving forward. 

UPSET at 174! 💥

Gabe Arnold makes his dual debut for @Hawks_Wrestling and upsets No. 11 Travis Wittlake of Oregon State. pic.twitter.com/bv2GTi4Wwm

— Big Ten Wrestling (@B1GWrestling) November 19, 2023

The Beavers, however, picked up a nice win for themselves at 125, when #26 Brandon Kaylor defeated #10 Drake Ayala. 

Elsewhere in the state, UFC Fight Pass was back with their second production of the weekend, this time streaming the Iowa State vs Wisconsin dual in Humboldt High School, the alma mater of Cyclone head coach Kevin Dresser. 

It was Clones all the way, as they shut out the Badgers 42-0, which included a #2 vs #4 marquee win by David Carr over Dean Hamiti at 165. Kysen Terukina also picked up a top 5 win over Eric Barnett at 125. 

Both of these results are good for the hype around next week's Cy-Hawk dual between Iowa and Iowa State on Sunday, November 26. ESPN is going to broadcast the dual on cable TV. Hopefully it does big numbies and we see more wrestling on ever larger platforms!

These Other Things Happened

The George Mason Patriots registered a head-turning upset when #32 DJ McGee defeated Minnesota's #8 Michael Blockhus.

Cornell's Chris Foca, ranked #2 at 174, wrestled up at 184 and defeated Scotty Jarosz of Sacred Heart. 

An early season top-10 bout took place between Oklahoma's #3 Stephen Buchanan and Little Rock's #8 Stephen Little. It was even-steven until late in the match, when Buchanan got a takedown to win the bout 4-1. 

Roger Kish led Oklahoma to a 297-7 victory over North Dakota State, the team he coached last season, though the Bison earned upset wins at 157 and 184. 

Tom Ryan defeated the team he used to coach, as Ohio State blanked Hofstra 51-0. The Buckeyes were also perfect in their victory over Columbia 49-0. No word on if Ohio State celebrated by blasting that Alicia Keys song but they should have. 

Ryan Crookham beat another ranked opponent, #15 Vincent Santaniello of Pittsburgh, via pinfall, though the Panthers beat the Mountain Hawks 24-17.

Spey’s Unforgiven Digression

Feel free to skip it (really, I won't mind!) but I can't stop thinking about the movie Unforgiven and so now I have to write about it as well.

There is no movie genre more uniquely American than the Western, which is why Unforgiven, a movie that simultaneously deconstructs and celebrates the genre’s most well-known tropes, is one of America’s greatest movies of all time.

The heart of the film can be found in the juxtaposition of hardened killer Will Munny (played by Clint Eastwood) with the exuberant but troubled youth known as 'The Schofield Kid'. This famous scene between the two characters, which splashes a cold dose of reality across the face of the entire genre, is exquisite. 

Boiled down to its essence, the scene, and by extension the whole movie, is the obvious yet necessary reminder that killing people is bad. Horrific even.  

But my favorite aspect of the film is the mystery behind William Munny's motivation to join 'The Kid' in his quest to seek a bounty on two cowboys set by a group of prostitutes in a nearby frontier town. At first, the film plainly presents Munny, a widower with two children, as having no other options. The farm is failing and he needs cash to support the family. 

At every turn, Munny is cast as the reluctant hero who is only getting his hands dirty one last time, for his family and to ostensibly help the good guys (a group of aggrieved prostitutes) and punish the bad guy (an unsympathetic and cruel, though not blatantly corrupt, sheriff).

But Munny also uses the mission to reunite with his old outlaw friend, Ned, who was similarly retired from the outlaw game. Except Ned truly has lost his stomach for killing, while Munny is able to go on a Terminator-style killing spree without any outwardly negative effects on his character. 

Thus, the mystery. Was Munny just using the bounty hunt as an excuse to see his friend, kill some dudes, and get back to boozing ways? Or was he really a bandit turned paladin looking to atone for his past misdeeds and obtain financial security for his offspring?

The strongest case for Munny suffering a relapse rather than repentance is found in the closing credits, where a title card explains that Munny, who gave the entire bounty he earned to the Kid, moved his family to San Francisco where he became a prosperous dry goods seller. 

Which suggests that Munny could have completely skipped the whole bounty hunt, i.e. the entire course of the movie, and just packed up his family for the Coast and take up a new trade as a merchant. 

But then he never would have hooked up with his old friend Ned, never would have gotten back on the sauce, and never would've gotten to mow down a room full of dudes in cold blood. 

But honestly, I don't know which way I ultimately fall when it comes to Munny's motivation. It could be either, or both. Which is why the movie rules so hard. It's not a mystery that has a solution. And it's not a dangling plot thread or a purposeful cliffhanger. It's just some insanely good characterization. 

Another Western I really enjoyed of a more recent vintage is Bone Tomahawk. Although that is more of a horror/western. It holds the distinction of being the only movie that contained a scene that made me physically ill from watching it. It's a 5 star film but proceed with caution, you've been warned!

Shameless Plug For FloWrestling Original Videos

One thing you often hear from the wrestling community is that they want the sport to be more accessible in order to draw in more new fans to the world's oldest and raddest sport. And we here at FloSports couldn't agree more! 

That's why we've been putting more and more of our best content on YouTube, so that you diehards reading this (free) blog can share those videos with your friends and family, all for free!

I know it's folkstyle season but the Bill Farrell Memorial got me in freestyle mode, not just with the actual world-class freestyle wrestling taking place in the New York Athletic Club but with the number of legendary freestyle wrestlers that I shared the room with. From Bruce Baumgartner to Serge Belaglozov to Kendall Cross and many others in between. 

One American wrestling legend who wasn't at the Bill Farrell but instead was coaching at the Navy Classic with his squad of Midshipmen was Cary Kolat (though Navy assistant coach Mike Evans was in the building). 

If you haven't yet, you really should watch the Story of Kolat. It's one of the finest sports documentaries of any kind. 

Once again, I insist on reiterating that it is free!

Send Me Tips!

This roundup is for you, so if you see something noteworthy happen in D1 NCAA wrestling, let me know so that I can make note of it! 

Best way to reach me is on Twitter (@speywrestle) or email [andrew.spey@flosports.tv].

That's it for week 3. Not even a month into the season. Can the wrestling community possibly keep up this frantic pace for the next four months? 

Well, the All-Star Classic is literally tomorrow so, I'm going to guess, yes? Anyway, we'll find out together, see you in seven days!