Five Things to Watch at the NCAA Division II Super Regionals

NCAA Division II postseason wrestling begins Saturday with six Super Regional tournaments across the country. The top three wrestlers in each weight class move on to the D2 NCAA Championships March 14-15 at the Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis. 

The field is wide open, and for top-tier teams like #1 Nebraska-Kearney, #2 St. Cloud State, #3 Wisconsin-Parkside, and #4 Central Oklahoma, that path to a national title begins this weekend. 

Here are five things to watch during the Division 2 Super Regionals this Saturday.

Wisconsin-Parkside Looks to Make a Run

Traditional powerhouses Nebraska-Kearney, Central Oklahoma, and St. Cloud State have combined to win 11 of the last 13 Division 2 national titles. 

Upstart Wisconsin-Parkside has national title aspirations this season and is loaded with nine wrestlers ranked in the top 12, including #1 Cayden Henschel at 141 pounds, #2 Matthew Chi at 125 pounds, and #3 Reece Worachek at 184 pounds.

While the Rangers have plenty of top-end talent, their title hopes may rely on qualifying newcomers like #8 Easton Worachek (149 pounds). He entered the starting lineup midway through the season and his success has not been a surprise for coach Nick Becker.  

“The day Easton stepped foot on campus, he has been a worker, a guy that is a competitor,” Becker said. 

Worachek will have his work cut out for him on the road to the NCAA tournament with four other ranked wrestlers in the region, including #4 Colby Njos (St. Cloud State), #5 Wyatt Turnquist (Northern State), #6 Cael Larson (Augustana), and #12 Ethan Doty (Upper Iowa). Becker is not worried about Easton Worachek meeting the moment. 

“I think he even shines a little bit more when the lights are brighter,” Becker said. 

Can Nebraska-Kearney Maintain Momentum?

The Nebraska-Kearney Lopers, who started the season ranked #5, enter the Super Regional tournament as the #1 team in Division 2 wrestling. The Lopers have been building momentum throughout the season and have nine wrestlers ranked in the top 10, including #2 Zachary Ourada (125 pounds), #1 Nick James (149 pounds), and #1 Crew Howard (285 pounds). 

Howard, who finished third at 285 pounds in 2024, is the anchor for the Lopers. That third-place finish is a motivating factor for Howard. 

“If there's someone better than me, that drives me a little bit crazy,” he said. “I want to beat everyone." 

Entering Super Regionals, the Loper heavyweight is 21-0 with seven pins and five technical falls.

Coach Dalton Jensen has nothing but praise for Howard. 

"Crew epitomizes everything our program stands for," he said. "He doesn't take days off, and he's always challenging himself to get better. He puts in the time and effort required to be successful in all aspects of life." 

For Jensen, Howard isn’t just a top-level D2 talent. 

"He's got more than just the ability to be a Division II national champion," Jensen said. "Right now, I'd say he's probably one of the top 15, top 20 heavyweight wrestlers in the entire country."

In addition to Howard, the Lopers lineup also features three-time All-American and returning national finalist Nick James at 149 pounds. James rejoined the lineup in mid-February, and his presence has propelled the Lopers to a #1 ranking.

Kvien and Blubaugh: Round 4

The 197-pound class could feature a marquee matchup between #2 Logan Kvien (McKendree) and #3 Derek Blubaugh (Indianapolis). Kvien is a two-time All-American who finished third in last year's NCAA tournament, while Blubaugh is a returning national champion and three-time finalist. Throughout their career, they’ve met three times with Blubaugh taking the first two bouts and Kvien winning the third. Each match has been within four points, and the most recent match was decided in overtime. 

Blubaugh enters the tournament with a 15-2 record, losing only to Kvien and Glenville State’s Kyle Homet (#5 at 184 pounds), while Kvien is 19-1 with a loss to #1 Dominic Murphy (St. Cloud State). 

Glenville State Lineup Shifts  

Glenville State is looking to make some noise at the NCAA Championships. The Pioneers have been ranked in the top five for most of the season and have six wrestlers ranked in the top 12, including national champion #5 Gavin Quiocho (141 pounds), #4 Guy Deleonardis (157 pounds), #1 Hayden Pummel (174 pounds), and #5 Kyle Homet (184 pounds). 

The Pioneers have made a few lineup shifts. Quiocho has wrestled matches at 133, 141 and 149 this season. Homet had been wrestling at 184 pounds until February, when he bumped up to 197 pounds, beating returning national champion Derek Blubaugh. 

It remains to be seen if these changes will be in place for Super Regionals or if both wrestlers will return to their previous weight classes. Witn Quiocho at 133, the Pioneers would have three wrestlers who could legitimately contend for a title, making them a force to be reckoned with at the NCAA Championships. 

For Glenville State Coach Dylan Cottrell, the goal is to qualify as many as possible. 

“On paper, I think we are supposed to take eight,” he said. “I would be very happy with eight, but I would be ecstatic with 10.” 

Top-ranked Matchups 

Each Super Regional could feature several matchups between highly-ranked wrestlers. Some of the key matchups to focus on include: 

133 pounds in Region 5 – #1 Reece Barnhardt (UMary) and #2 Matthew Chi (Wisconsin-Parkside) 

174 pounds in Region 3 – #1 Hayden Pummel (Glenville State), #2 Sevi Garza (Ashland), #4 Josh Kenny (Grand Valley State), and #6 Carter Winegardner (West Liberty)

197 pounds in Region 5 – #1 Dominic Murphy (St. Cloud State) and #4 Max Ramberg (Augustana)

197 pounds in Region 3 – #2 Logan Kvien (McKendree) and #3 Derek Blubaugh (Indianapolis)