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 21-23th, in Kansas City, Missouri, at the T-Mobile Center.
In this article we will discuss last year’s 184 lb champion and who the top contenders are for this season.
2023 Champion: Nino Bonaccorsi of Pitt had an incredible season going 26-0 and capturing his only NCAA title, defeating Tanner Sloan in the finals 5-3. Nino has since graduated, opening the door for someone new to win the title this year.
This Year’s Contenders:
Last years NCAA runner up Tanner Sloan of South Dakota State, returns for his senior season and looks focused to claim the title he failed to reach last season. Tanner is 22-1 and ranked 4th in the country.
Aaron Brooks of Penn State is back and looking to claim his 4th straight NCAA title. He is currently 20-0 and ranked 1st in the nation. He recently captured his 4th Big 10 title as well.
Trent Hidlay of North Carolina State has had an impressive year going 25-0 and ranked 2nd in the country he is a force to be reckoned with. Hidlay finished 4th at last year’s tournament and is a serious contender to top the podium this season.
Dark Horse Contenders:
Michael Beard of Lehigh is 26-1 and ranked 3rd in the class. Beard has a talent for pulling off upsets, and could make some noise come tournament time.
Zach Glazier of Iowa is 24-2 and his only loses have come to 3X NCAA champion Aaron Brooks.