Six Underclassmen Sit Atop the PAC-12 Rankings

After one month of wrestling, the underclassmen dominate the PAC-12 Conference. Three freshmen (Legend Lamer, Trey Munoz, Cohlton Schultz) and three sophomores (Real Woods, Jacori Teemer, Shane Griffith) are ranked first in their respective classes.

Despite lacking experience in the postseason, these six guys have the ability to make a deep run at NCAAs. After all, Griffith and Woods fought against each other for the NCAA Rookie of the Year before the season ended abruptly. Plus, Munoz and Schultz come into the season with tremendous hype around their name.

The six wrestlers combine for a 16-1 record with four pins and three tech falls. The only senior to sit atop a weight class is Arizona State’s 197-pounder Kordell Norfleet

Is Legend Lamer a Future Legend?

Legend Lamer came into Cal Poly with an enormous resumé. The 149-pound Mustang was a Folkstyle national champion and a top-100 recruit. Currently, Lamer begins this season with a PAC-12 best, 7-0 record. Although he has not faced a top-25 competitor yet, Lamer is 2-0 in PAC-12 play. In his seven matches, Lamer has earned two pins, a tech fall, and an average of 10 points per match.

Lamer wrestled unattached last season and finished with a 12-5 record. In his top-25 matchups, he split the results. Lamer defeated Stanford’s Jaden Abas 16-0 while dropping to Michigan’s Kanen Storr.

Since the 149-pound class is one of the weakest classes in the PAC-12, Lamer can begin his collegiate career with a PAC-12 title and bid to the NCAAs.

Trey Munoz Continues to Shatter Expectations

Coming into the season, Arizona State set Munoz’s bar high. Despite having high expectations at ASU, the nation did not expect the Sun Devils to field a strong 174-pounder this season. Munoz proved he can handle the pressure, starting the season 2-0. Although he only captured two wins, they came with style. Munoz dominated Little Rock’s Triston Wills 16-2 before traveling to Oklahoma. 

In Oklahoma, Munoz upset #9 Anthony Mantanona 8-3. Since the upset, Munoz cracked into the top-25, sitting at 19. Munoz is one of three freshmen in the top-25 in the 174-pound class.

Cohlton Schultz Remains Perfect

Nobody west of the Mississippi River had a larger target on their back than former No. 1 pound-for-pound recruit Cohlton Schultz. Schultz began his season against former Arizona State commit and current Little Rock heavyweight Gabriel Beyer. Schultz squeezed by his first match with a 2-0 victory. Afterward, he defeated fierce competitors like Oklahoma’s Josh Heindelsman and Utah Valley’s Chase Trussell. 

However, Schultz faced his first challenge of the season, Wyoming’s #10 Brain Andrews. The Sun Devil pulled off the upset at the UVU Round Robin Tournament, defeating Andrews 4-2.

With Arizona State rescheduling the four-team dual in Ames, Iowa, Schultz will face more top tier opponents before PAC-12 play. 

Little Rock Takes Giant Leaps

On January 24th, Little Rock created program history. The Trojans won their first Division 1 dual and first PAC-12 dual after defeating Fresno State 35-11 and CSU Bakersfield 24-21. After dropping their first six duals this season, Neil Erisman and his wrestlers taste success within their second season as a program. The Trojans return to the mat against Stanford on Sunday, January 31st.

Chris Pendleton and Oregon State Struggle Early

In Chris Pendleton’s first season as Oregon State’s head coach, the Beavers have struggled. Oregon State lost their first four duals before bouncing back and winning the next three. However, the Beavers are 3-2 against unranked opponents and 0-2 against top-25. Although they dominated against Chattanooga and Little Rock, they sneaked by a weaker PAC-12 rival, Cal Poly.

The schedule will continue to be an uphill battle. The Beavers’ next three duals will be against #9 Arizona State, #20 Stanford, and Utah Valley (1-1).