DI Stock Report: Bonanza For The Bull
DI Stock Report: Bonanza For The Bull
The DI Stock Report for the first week of post-holiday NCAA wrestling dual meet wrestling. See who's up and who's down in the top 20 rankings.
We've transitioned from the topsy-turvy holiday tournaments to the heart of the NCAA dual meet season. The top 20 wasn't as volatile as a week before, but there was still a decent amount of movement this week. Read on to see who raised or lowered their status in our DI Stock Report.
Stock Up - Alex Marinelli, Iowa, 165 Pounds
The Bull plowed into the top 10 with a win over All-American Chandler Rogers in a dual meet. An undefeated redshirt freshman, Marinelli went from #11 to #7 this week and has been climbing up the rankings ever since his first win over Richie Lewis established himself as a force at a stacked 165-pound weight class. Marinelli also won the Midlands, further cementing himself as a contender.
Watch Marinelli take out Princeton's Jon Schleifer at the 2017 Midlands:
Stock Down - Nick Gravina, Rutgers, 184 Pounds
The is perhaps no grittier wrestler in the NCAA than Nick Gravina. Unfortunately, the Gravy Train has been hampered by an injured shoulder this season, and the New Jersey native hasn't found the form he was in when he reached the round of 12 in last year's NCAAs. Gravina's loss to previously unranked Chip Ness in a weekend dual meet dropped him seven spots, from #11 to #18, in a crowded 184-pound weight class.
Watch Ness wrestle Gravina in last week's dual:
Stock Up - Spencer Lee, Iowa, 125 Pounds
Spencer Lee was set free from redshirt jail and debuted at #11 two weeks ago. His big win over NCAA fourth-place finisher Nick Piccininni — the guy who beat Darian Cruz at the All-Star Classic last November — moves Lee up to #6. Lee and Marinelli are a big reason why Iowa has taken over the #3 spot in team rankings.
Stock Down - Jake Mueller, Virginia, 133 Pounds
Mueller mauled his way to a Southern Scuffle title and #3 ranking, but his loss to Ali Naser at the Virginia Duals drops him to #8. Very little separates #2 through #12 at 133, so don't be shocked if Mueller finds himself back in the top five in short order.
Watch Mueller's post-Scuffle interview:
Stock Up - Ali Naser, Arizona State, 133 Pounds
Naser had an excellent trip to Hampton Roads, beating the aforementioned Mueller and #17 Dennis Gustafson at the Virginia Duals. Naser was unranked leading up to this week but earned himself the #15 spot with his recent performance.
Stock Down - Joey McKenna, Ohio State, 141 Pounds
Good luck figuring this weight class out. McKenna is an All-American and junior world medalist, but his recent loss to Tommy Thorn, coupled by a limited schedule due to making the USA under-23 world team, sent the Buckeye from #6 to #11. McKenna, along with everyone ranked ahead of him at the moment, remains a title contender regardless of his position in the top 20.
Buy Or Sell - You Make The Call
Jason Tsirtsis, Arizona State, #10 at 149 Pounds
Sun Devils coach Zeke Jones has a conundrum on his hands at 149: Jason Tsirtsis or Josh Maruca? Both wrestlers saw action at the Virginia Duals. Because Tsirtsis outplaced Maruca at Midlands and was chosen to wrestle Max Thomsen in Virginia, we're ranking him at 149. If you want to jump on the Tsirtsis bandwagon for his final season, now would be an opportune time to do so.
Nick Lee, Penn State, #8 at 141 Pounds
Arguably the toughest weight class in the NCAA, 141 pounds is overflowing with contenders. After 55 straight matches without a loss, two-time national champ and consensus preseason #1 Dean Heil has suffered two losses. Now shorn of his redshirt, should Nick Lee's name be added to the list of challengers to the throne? What say you?
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