Every March the best college wrestlers in the country, get together for the NCAA Wrestling Championships! This tournament is the culmination of a lifetime of hard work for these young men, and only one (in each weight class) can be crowned champion.
This year’s tournament takes place March 20-22nd, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the Wells Fargo Center.
In this article we will discuss last year’s 174 lb champion and who the top contenders are for this season.
2024 Champion: Carter Starocci, of Penn State had a fantastic national tournament. Advancing to the finals from the number 9 seed, Carter defeated NCAA Champion Mekhi Lewis, in the quarterfinals and NCAA Champion Shane Griffith, in the semifinals, before downing Rocco Welsh in the finals. This win secured his 4th straight NCAA titles and completed a 17-2 season.
This Year’s Contenders: Keegan O’Toole of Missouri is 16-0 on the year and ranked 1st in the country. Levi Haines of Pann State is 20-1 and is another top contender.. O’Toole is already a 2X NCAA Champion down at 165, while Haines is the defending NCAA Champion at 157.
Other Contenders: Dean Hamiti of Oklahoma State is 22-1 and ranked 3rd in the country. Carson Karchula of Ohio State has had an outstanding season and is 14-3 on the year.
Dark Horse Contenders: Usually I search outside the top 10 to do dark Horse predictions. However I couldn’t find anyone who fits the bill. Lorenzo Norman of Stanford is 18-2 on the year and has been known to pull off a few upsets. Last season he defeated NCAA Champion Shane Griffith and this year he has defeated All American Nelson Brands. Don’t be surprised to see him make a deep run. Danny Braunagel of Illinois is 12-9 on the year and managed to go 4-1 at the Big 10 tournament and looked the best he had all season.
2025 NCAA Champion Prediction: Keegan O’Toole of Missouri