By Jason Bryant

Manheim, Pennsylvania -- The top two returning placewinners at 184 pounds from the 2013-14 season will meet at the NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps and the Wrestlers in Business Network hosted by Penn and WIBN-Philadelphia on November 1 at the Palestra on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.

Cornell’s Gabe Dean and Old Dominion’s Jack Dechow finished third and fourth respectively at last year’s NCAA Division I Championships in Oklahoma City at 184 pounds. Dean beat Dechow 5-4 in the third-place bout. Both wrestlers reached the semifinals as freshmen.

“In a weight typically dominated by seniors, to have two highest returning placewinners coming back as just sophomores is amazing,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. “Not only are we starting the year off with a potential preview of the NCAA finals, we could see this for the next three years. I can’t wait.”

Dean was impressive all season long, finishing the season 40-3. During his stellar freshman campaign, he ended the 84-match win streak of eventual three-time NCAA champion Ed Ruth of Penn State in the finals of the Southern Scuffle. Ruth would exact some revenge, beating Dean 5-3 in the NCAA semifinals. Dean’s father Dave was a longtime assistant at Michigan State and was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American and two-time Big Ten champion at Minnesota.

Of Dean's 40 wins 12 were by fall, five by technical fall and four came via major decision. He was also an NWCA All-Freshmen Academic Team member.

Dechow was a bit of an unknown entering the latter part of the 2013-14 season after missing a good stretch of the Old Dominion schedule with a high ankle sprain. Dechow broke out late in the year, beating Northern Iowa All-American Ryan Loder twice en route to the MAC championship. In Oklahoma City, the 13th-seeded Dechow upended fourth-seeded Max Thomusseit of Pittsburgh and then topped No. 12 Ophir Bernstein of Brown to reach the semifinals where he would eventually fall to Maryland’s Jimmy Sheptock 3-2. He finished the season 21-6.

Cornell has been represented in the All-Star Classic 13 times, holding a 6-7 overall record. Dean and teammate Nahshon Garrett’s appearances will mark the 14th and 15th time Cornell wrestlers compete in the event. Dechow will be the first Monarch to compete in the event since James Nicholson competed in 2009 at 125 pounds. Nicholson wrestled in the event twice. Dechow will try to become the first Monarch to win at the All-Star Classic in ODU’s fourth overall apperance. Wayne Bright was the first Old Dominion wrestler to appear in the All-Star Classic, losing to Iowa State’s Dan Gable in 1970.

To purchase tickets to the event, click here for the Penn Athletic Ticket Office.

Follow on Social Media!
For more information on the All-Star Classic, visit www.theallstarclassic.com and follow the NWCA on Facebook and Twitter. Fans can join the discussion with the #NWCAClassic hashtag. Fans should keep an eye on the discussion as there will be contests and interactive discussions about the event via Twitter and Facebook!

Competing wrestlers will be eligible for the Outstanding Wrestler Award, presented by the Wrestlers in Business Network - Atlanta Chapter.

Announced Matchups
125: Nahshon Garrett, Jr. (Cornell) vs. Joey Dance, So. (Virginia Tech)
133: A.J. Schopp, Sr. (Edinboro) vs. Mason Beckman, Jr. (Lehigh)
141:
149:
157:
165:
174:
184: Gabe Dean, So. (Cornell) vs. Jack Dechow, So. (Old Dominion)
197:
285: