2018 Midlands Championships

The Complete 56th Midlands Preview

The Complete 56th Midlands Preview

Everything you need to know about the 2018 Midlands wrestling tournament.

Dec 27, 2018 by Andrew Spey
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The annual classic is back. Northwestern University will once again host one of the toughest and most prestigious wrestling tournaments of the season, the Midlands Championship. Top-ranked title contenders will mix it up with raw redshirts and polished post-grads. Here's everything you need to know about this year's event. 

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The annual classic is back. Northwestern University will once again host one of the toughest and most prestigious wrestling tournaments of the season, the Midlands Championship. Top-ranked title contenders will mix it up with raw redshirts and polished post-grads. Here's everything you need to know about this year's event. 

Watch LIVE ON FLOWRESTLING

First Whistle: Saturday, Dec. 29, 10:30 a.m. ET

Finals: Sunday, Dec. 30, 8 p.m. ET

125 Pounds

Contenders

#1 Spencer Lee, Iowa

#2 Sebastian Rivera, Northwestern

In The Mix

#6 Ryan Millhof, Arizona State

#12 Travis Piotrowski, Illinois

#19 Michael McGee, Old Dominion

#20 Drew Hildebrandt, Central Michigan

Landmines

Connor Brown, Wisconsin

Jacob Schwarm, Northern Iowa

Kyle Akins, Buffalo

Carmen Ferrante, Penn

Malik Heinselman, Ohio State (redshirt)

Nic Aguilar, Rutgers (redshirt)

Pat McKee, Minnesota (redshirt)

The story for 125 is Spencer Lee's return after suffering the first loss of his collegiate career, when Ronnie Bresser beat him 3-1 in the semifinals last year. Lee medically forfeited out to sixth place. Redemption came early, when Lee rampaged his way through the NCAA Tournament to claim an individual championship as a true freshman, but a Midlands title is definitely on his agenda this year. 

Sebastian Rivera looks to be Lee's toughest competition. Lee bested the redshirt sophomore twice last season, including as 12-0 drubbing most recently at the Big Ten Championship. Rivera has looked excellent this season, but whether he has closed the gap on Lee remains to be seen.

Several other true freshmen will be in attendance, led by Malik Heinselman, who was #37 on the Class of 2018 Big Board

Spey's Spredictions

1) Spencer Lee, Iowa

2) Sebastian Rivera, Northwestern

3) Travis Piotrowski, Illinois

4) Michael McGee, Old Dominion

See Spencer Lee's infamous semifinal loss to Oregon State's Ronnie Bresser at the 2017 Midlands:

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Complete Midlands Schedule


133 Pounds

Contenders

Nathan Tomasello, Ohio-RTC

#1 Seth Gross, South Dakota State

#11 Austin DeSanto, Iowa

In The Mix

#15 Dylan Duncan, Illinois

#18 Noah Gonser, Campbell

Colin Valdiviez, Northwestern

Landmines

Joey Silva, Michigan (redshirt)

Gary Joint, Fresno State

Yoshito Funakoshi, Cal Poly

The wrestling world is patiently awaiting the return of reigning 133-pound national champion Seth Gross. Of paramount importance is Gross being at full health by March, so it will be understandable, though disappointing, if Gross misses the year-end bonanza. If he does enter, Gross will be in the running for a title. Meanwhile, Austin DeSanto is an X-factor that has the potential to upset Gross with his withering pace from neutral. Gross has the equalizer with his world-class top game. 

A guy who may make that whole argument moot is Nathan Tomasello. NaTo had a storied career as a Buckeye, finishing first as a freshman and then third in three consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Tomasello's tenaciousness is legendary, and the post-grad may be too much for anyone in the weight class to handle. 

Duncan and Gonser are two tough dudes looking to crash the party. Valdiviez has been on a bit of a downward slide lately, but look for the sophomore round-of-16 finisher to try and rebound at Midlands. Talented true freshman Joey Silva will be one to watch as he is expected to wrestle unattached for the Wolverines.

Spey's Spredictions

1) Nathan Tomasello, Ohio-RTC

2) Seth Gross, South Dakota State

3) Austin DeSanto, Iowa

4) Dylan Duncan, Illinois

Watch Seth Gross pick up a Midlands title over Buffalo's Bryan Lantry in last year's finals:

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Iowa Midlands Prospectus


141 Pounds

Contenders

#6 Michael Carr, Illinois

#10 Josh Alber, Northern Iowa

#12 Bryan Lantry, Buffalo

#13 Tristan Moran, Wisconsin

#18 Max Murin, Iowa

In The Mix

Vince Turk, Iowa

Yahya Thomas, Northwestern

Sa'Derian Perry, Old Dominion

Landmines

Anthony Cheloni, Northern Iowa

Nate Boston, Campbell

Quinn Kinner, Ohio State (redshirt)

This weight class is so wide-open we crammed five competitors into the "contenders" category, and honestly could have packed in even more. 

Michael Carr is hopefully recovered from getting dinged up at the CKLV, as he is one of the most exciting wrestlers in the weight. Alber, Lantry, Moran and Murin have all shown flashes of brilliance this season. Our "in the mix" crew have also had their moments. Perry is an All-American and Turk is right there with his teammate, Max Murin. Turk may also be motivated by the possibility of regaining his starting spot in the Hawkeye lineup. 

Spey's Spredictions

1) Michael Carr, Illinois

2) Max Murin, Iowa

3) Vince Turk, Iowa

4) Tristan Moran, Wisconsin


149 Pounds

Contenders

#1 Matt Kolodzik, Princeton

#8 Pat Lugo, Iowa

In The Mix

#9 Josh Heil, Campbell

#10 Max Thomsen, Northern Iowa

#13 Josh Maruca, Arizona State

#16 Cole Martin, Wisconsin

#17 Anthony Artalona, Penn

#19 Baby J Bannister, Maryland

Landmines

Henry Pohlmeyer, South Dakota State

Khristian Olivas, Fresno State

Sammy Sasso, Ohio State (redshirt)

Brayton Lee, Minnesota (redshirt)

This weight class is STACKED. Two names stand out, though. The first is Matt Kolodzik, the highest returning place winner at 149-pounds. Pat Lugo, who pinned the Princeton All-American at Midlands last season while redshirting, is the other. Kolodzilla's got his revenge in a dual meet between the two at the beginning of this season. Will these two powerhouses meet for a rubber match back in Hoffman Estates, Illinois? We can only hope. 

Keeping both guys honest will be a host of top-20 competitors. Navigating this bracket will be no walk in the park for anyone. Additionally, a couple very noteworthy redshirts may be thrown into the fray to up the ante yet again. Although we should mention that redshirt entries are not guaranteed. We are only going off available information, which in some cases means reading the tea leaves and making assumptions. 

Barring some mass exodus of expected entrants, however, 149 looks to be one of the most entertaining divisions at Midlands. 

Spey's Spredictions

1) Matt Kolodzik, Princeton

2) Max Thomsen, Northern Iowa

3) Pat Lugo, Iowa

4) Anthony Artalona, Penn


157 Pounds

Contenders

#2 Ryan Deakin, Northwestern

#4 Larry Early, Old Dominion

In The Mix

#7 Kaleb Young, Iowa

#16 John Van Brill, Rutgers

#18 Christian Pagdilao, Arizona State

#19 Luke Weiland, Army

#20 Zach Hartman, Bucknell

Landmines

Zander Wick, Wisconsin

Hunter Ladnier, Harvard

Logan Parks, Central Michigan

Alex Smythe, Buffalo

Will Lewan, Michigan (redshirt)

One of the most enjoyable aspects of Midlands is seeing youngsters step up and make a name for themselves. Two seasons ago that was Ryan Deakin, placing fourth at 149 as a true freshman. Now as a redshirt sophomore, Deakin leads the pack as the favorite at 157. 

Larry Early recently knocked off the former #2 Hayden Hidlay of NC State in a dual meet. Can Early go two-for-two in early season matchups with #2? Early pulled out of the Reno Tournament of Champions midway with an injury, so hopefully he is healed up and ready to give it a go this weekend. 

The bracket will be crowded regardless. A solid group of ranked wrestlers are expected to join the party, including Rutgers' John Van Brill, who will be in attendance wrestling unattached due to scheduling limitations. Van Brill's brother Mike will wrestle at 141, as will a smattering of additional Scarlet Knights, both attached and unattached. 

This weight also has some of the most intriguing landmines of any weight class. In particularly, I'm keeping and eye on Buffalo's Alex Smythe, who has the potential to be a veritable bracket buster, and watching to see if Michigan Will Lewan can make a name for himself as Deakin did in 2016. 

Spey's Spredictions

1) Ryan Deakin, Northwestern

2) Larry Early, Old Dominion

3) Kaleb Young, Iowa

4) Luke Weiland, Army


165 Pounds

Contenders

#2 Evan Wick, Wisconsin

#4 Alex Marinelli, Iowa

In The Mix

#11 Bryce Steiert, Northern Iowa

#12 Josh Shields, Arizona State

#16 Joey Gunther, Illinois

#18 Jon Viruet, Brown

Anthony Valencia, Arizona State (redshirt)

Landmines

Nelson Brands, Iowa (redshirt)

Jake Allar, Minnesota (redshirt)

Jeremiah Moody, Iowa

Josh Kim, Harvard

DJ Hollingshead, Bucknell

Evan Wick or Alex Marinelli -- who ya got? Wick dominated at the NCAAs, winning with a 16-3 major. If you want to know how Marinelli is going to turn the tables (or how Wick is going to reassert himself), Mike Mal has it all broken down in another award-winning edition of Tech Notes.  

A Wick vs. Marinelli final is not guaranteed, as there will be a loaded bracket of guys angling for an upset in the earlier rounds. Bryce Steiert is on the cusp of a breakout season where he finally makes the All-American podium. And Joey Gunther is looking to make waves after transferring from Iowa to his home state of Illinois. 

And then there's a couple of redshirting freshmen that could wreak havoc in the bracket in Nelson Brands and Jake Allar. And though his participation is not confirmed, be on the lookout for Anthony Valencia of Arizona State to make things interesting. 

Spey's Spredictions

1) Evan Wick, Wisconsin

2) Alex Marinelli, Iowa

3) Bryce Steiert, Northern Iowa

4) Joey Gunther, Illinois


174 Pounds

Contenders

#2 Zahid Valencia, Arizona State

In The Mix

#8 Taylor Lujan

#10 Ryan Christensen, Wisconsin

#11 Johnny Sebastian, Northwestern

#12 Ben Harvey, Army

#19 Brit Wilson, Northern Illinois

#20 Seldon Wright, Old Dominion

Aaron Brooks, Olympic Training Center

Landmines

Joe Grello, Rutgers

Travis Stefanik, Princeton

Andrew Morgan, Campbell

Kyle Bierdumpfel, Harvard

Reigning 174-pound NCAA champ Zahid Valencia stands out as the heavy favorite. But one of the most intriguing entries in the whole tournament is Aaron Brooks, who will look to test his mettle against Zahid and the rest of the field. The Penn State commit has the Nittany Lion faithful buzzing about his potential. Our own Ryan Holmes breaks down what Brooks' inclusion means to the rest of the Midlands field

And it is an impressive field. Lujan, Christensen, Sebastian and Harvey are all national qualified and won matches at the 2018 NCAA Tournament at 174-pounds. Harvey and Lujan came closest to finishing on the podium with round-of-12 finishes. And don't sleep on Northern Illinois' Brit Wilson, a dark horse to place highly here in Midlands and to make the NCAA podium.

Spey's Spredictions

1) Zahid Valencia, Arizona State

2) Taylor Lujan, Northern Iowa

3) Ben Harvey, Army

4) Johnny Sebastian, Northwestern

Watch Zahid win his second Midlands title over David Kocer in last season's Midlands:

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184 Pounds

Contenders

#2 Emery Parker, Illinois

#5 Drew Foster, Northern Iowa

In The Mix

#16 Cash Wilcke, Iowa

#17 Kevin Parker, Princeton

#20 Noah Stewart, Army

Landmines

Kordell Norfleet, Arizona State

Christian LaFragola, Brown

Mason Reinhardt, Wisconsin

Jordan Atienza, Central Michigan

Anthony Mancini, Franklin & Marshall

While not as deep as some of the other weight classes at the 56th Midlands, 184 offers a solid mix of established ranked All-Americans and notable up and comers. 

Emery Parker and Drew Foster have both earned All-American honors and top-five rankings. They'll be the two guys to beat, but Wilcke, Parker and Stewart should be ready to take on the challenge. 

The landmines listed are just a small sampling of the many competitors who could notch an upset or two. Arizona State's Kordell Norfleet has the most potential, as when he is "on" he looks nigh unbeatable.

Spey's Spredictions

1) Drew Foster, Northern Iowa

2) Emery Parker, Illinois

3) Cash Wilcke, Iowa 

4) Kordell Norfleet, Arizona State

Check out Emery Parker's decisive win over two-time All-American Nate Jackson, competing as a post-grad, in last year's 184-pound finals:

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197 Pounds

Contenders

#3 Pat Brucki, Princeton

#4 Jacob Warner, Iowa

#6 Rocco Caywood, Iowa

In The Mix

Drew Phipps, Bucknell

Martin Mueller, South Dakota State

Tanner Sloan, South Dakota State (redshirt)

Thomas Lane, Cal Poly

Landmines

Zach Chakonis, Northwestern

David-Brian Whisler, Maryland

Josh Hokit, Fresno State

197 is a very top-heavy weight at Midlands, with Brucki, Warner and Caywood all bunched up at the top of the rankings, and likely the seeds when they are released. 

Warner had a quality, if not spectacular, Midlands tournament as a true freshman last year, losing to both Brucki and his teammate, Cash Wilcke, who is now at 184. Warner does have multiple wins over multiple-time All-American Willie Miklus, so he is certainly capable of taking out the big dogs of the weight class. 

South Dakota State's top redshirting true freshman, Tanner Sloan, will hopefully be in this bracket. Sloan is 15-1 on the season. He's avenged his only loss this year to Dylan Anderson of Minnesota and owns a win over the ranked Eric Schultz of Nebraska. 

Spey's Spredictions

1) Pat Brucki, Princeton

2) Jacob Warner, Iowa

3) Rocco Caywood, Army

4) Tanner Sloan, South Dakota State


285 Pounds

Contenders

#2 Sam Stoll, Iowa

#6 Youssif Hemida, Maryland

In The Mix

#9 Trent Hillger, Wisconsin

#13 Jake Gunning, Buffalo

#18 Matt Stencel, Central Michigan

Tanner Hall, Arizona State (redshirt)

Conan Jennings, Northwestern

Landmines

Deuce Rachal, Illinois

Anthony Cassioppi, Iowa (redshirt)

Mason Parris, Michigan (redshirt)

Anthony Pelusi, Franklin & Marshall

Ian Butterbrodt, Brown

The heavies should be a fun weight class to follow at Midlands. We've got Anthony Cassioppi and Mason Parris as landmines, which they undoubtedly are, but there's no reason either of them couldn't make deep runs as well. And then there is Sam Stoll, who we don't get to see much as he been hit with a variety of injuries over his career. 

U-23 national champ Youssif Hemida has also had a quiet start to the season. Hopefully, he returns to his winning ways this weekend. Likewise for Arizona State's redshirting veteran Tanner Hall. 

Also be on the lookout for Wisconsin's young Trent Hillger, who is becoming a fan favorite in Madison, as well as Deuce Rachal, who you literally never know what he is going to do when he's on the mat. 

Spey's Spredictions

1) Youssif Hemida, Maryland

3) Sam Stoll, Iowa

3) Tanner Hall, Arizona State

4) Trent Hillger, Wisconsin

A quick note: Entries had not been made public at the time of publication, so expect some changes when the brackets are eventually released.