With double-digit former NCAA All-Americans in action, 86kg will be one of the most competitive and fun weights at Senior Nationals this weekend. We won't know the full field until late registration closes on Thursday evening, but here's the gist of what we're likely to see in the bracket in Coralville.

Watch 2020 Senior Nationals LIVE on FloWrestling

Friday-Sunday, October 9-11, 2020

Senior Nationals Previews: 57 kg | 74 kg

Pre-Seeds

1. Nate Jackson (NYAC)
2. Gabe Dean (TMWC) 
3. Trent Hidlay (TMWC) 
4. Brett Pfarr (Gopher WC RTC) 
5. Drew Foster (Panther WC RTC)
6. David McFadden Pennsylvania RTC) 
7. Taylor Lujan (Panther WC RTC)
8. Max Dean (TMWC) 
9. Rocky Elam (Tiger Style WC)
10. Devin Skatzka (Gopher WC RTC)
11. Mikey Labriola (Nebraska WTC)
12. Taylor Venz (Nebraska WTC)

Of the top 12 seeded wrestlers, four have previously made age level world teams. Gabe Dean and Trent Hidlay were Junior world bronze medalists, David McFadden was seventh at the U23 World Championships, and Max Dean made a U23 world team as well. Top-seeded Nate Jackson has been a mainstay on the Senior level over the past few years and had a great 2019 winning the Alexander Medved, taking second at the Dave Schultz, third at the Bill Farrell, and was seventh at the December version of Senior Nationals. 

Watch Nate Jackson beat Brett Pfarr for third at the 2019 Bill Farrell

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Gabe Dean Back On The Mat

When Gabe Dean steps on the mat Saturday morning at Senior Nationals, it will be his first match in 1,260 days. His last match came April 29 at the 2017 U.S. Open when he scored a last-second takedown to beat Tim Dudley for seventh place. While he hasn't been competing, Dean hasn't stopped scraping. The two-time NCAA champion has stuck around Ithaca as an assistant coach for the Big Red and is always rolling with Kyle Dake, his brother Max Dean, Ben Darmstadt, and many more inside the Cornell room. In fact, Yianni Diakomihalis believes Dean is better than he was in college.

This dude is so much better than he was in college it’s not even funny https://t.co/NCEXy68zho

— Yianni Diakomihalis (@yiannidiako_LGR) September 22, 2020

If Yianni's right, I think we might see Dean compete at more than this tournament and the eight-man bracket later this month.

Watch the last match Gabe Dean wrestled against Tim Dudley at the 2017 U.S. Open

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NCAA Champions & All-Americans All Over The Field

While this field may not have had the most success yet on the international or Senior level, the majority of entrants are very young and had great success during their collegiate careers. In total, there are two NCAA champions, Gabe Dean and Drew Foster, and 11 other wrestlers who were D1 All-Americans. 

NCAA Champions

Gabe Dean

Drew Foster

NCAA D1 All Americans

Hunter Bolen

Max Dean

Trent Hidlay

Nate Jackson

Mikey Labriola

Taylor Lujan

David McFadden

Andrew Morgan

Brett Pfarr

Devin Skatzka

Taylor Venz

Preview Of October 31 Eight-Man Bracket 

In case you've been living under a rock, on Halloween night FloWrestling is hosting an eight-man bracket at 195 lbs with the winner taking home $20,000, second place receiving $10,000, third place $5,000, and $2,500 for fourth. This weekend, there's a chance you could get a preview of what some of those matches will look like as half of the eight-man bracket entries will be in action. Gabe Dean, Drew Foster, Nate Jackson, and Taylor Lujan will be competing and could help makes even more interesting for October 31.

Watch the wild match Drew Foster had with fellow eight-man bracket competitor Sammy Brooks back in December.

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Current D1 College Wrestlers In The Mix 

Austin Clayton, Arizona State

Andrew Morgan, Campbell

Brian Bonino, Columbia

Max Dean, Cornell

Leo Tarantino, Harvard

Garrett Joles, Minnesota

Rocky Elam, Missouri

Trent Hidlay, NC State

Nathan Haas, Nebraska

Mikey Labriola, Nebraska

Brandyn Van Tassell, Nebraska

Taylor Venz, Nebraska

Parker Keckeisen, Northern Iowa

Hunter Bolen, Virginia Tech

A lot of young talent will be on display this weekend as well. I'm excited to see freshman Rocky Elam, Nathan Haas, and Parker Keckeisen.

Complete Entries

Here is a complete list of the 86kg wrestlers who had registered by the early registration deadline.