After a huge blow to the Wolverines in losing Cam Amine, some are asking, are they out this year? The team finishing 3rd in the NCAA’s seems like an unlikely repeat entering the 25 season, yet they have made some strategic moves bringing in Jacob Cardenas (Cornell) and Chase Saldate (Michigan State) and six freshman to help fill some of the void. Returning two AA’s and four NQ’s, Michigan will need to see big action at 33 and 97 to carry the team deep into the NCAA’s, let’s take a closer look. There is a lot to be excited about in Michigan, as they bring in a young and talented team. I’m pumped to see what Ragusin and Lemley can do this year. Both have the potential to make the finals, I could see Montanona reaching the podium as well.

125- Nolan Wertanen- this will be the year for Wertanen to really show up and establish a presence at the 25 for this team. Redshirting in 23, a better year in 24, carries a 9-7 overall record with a 56 percent win rate, he has improved over the last two years. A national qualification and a couple wins over higher ranked opponents would offer some deep credibility to this weight

133- Dylan Ragusin- Signed and sealed, there’s no one else to challenge this position for Michigan, pretty set in stone. More than just carrying bonus points this year, he probably wants to move beyond the mid top ten limitations that all of the preseason rankings have listed him as. Is he up to the task to get in the conversation with Crookham, Ayala and get revenge on Bailey from a 5-0 loss in the NCAA’s last year? A pretty illustrious career going 74-27 overall with a 73 percent win rate says so.

141- Sergio Lemley- Once again, pretty set in stone being one of the four NQ’s to return, Lesley has had some feature moments. Knocking off #4 Brock Hardy in the quarterfinals at the Big Ten’s avenging a dual loss earlier on. Also Majored our very own #1 Real Woods 14-2 the year prior tells us he’s dexterous enough to make a deeper run than a 1-2 last year at the NCAA’s. Posting an 18-9 overall with a 66 percent win rate, hopeful to crack the top 5.

149- Dylan Gilcher- little bit of a gap here at 49, four listed freshman so this is open to debate but Gilcher carrying experience at the CKLV and Midlands is the likely option. 10-8 record overall, Michigan fans hopeful for a cracking of the top 20 with a preseason rank at #35 coming off a redshirt year.

157- Chase Saldate- searching for a 5th straight NQ, the irony of filling the shoes of Lewan Will who beat him at the NCAA’s is looking to erase the past. Getting beyond a rivalry with #13 Johnny Lovett where Saldate is up 2-1 head to head and ranked #16. Wins against #6 Ryder Downey and #4 Jacori Teemer could but him in a championship situation.

165- Beau Montanona- An interesting case where flo and intermat can’t seem to agree on a preseason rank at all, how can you not rank this guy? Flo has a fat NR where intermat places him at #12, absolutely wild considering he’s beaten top 10 opponents. Last season taking out Michigan State’s #10 Caleb Fish and #18 Maxx Mayfield (Northwestern) placing 3rd at Midlands proves he deserves a top 20 rank. Holding a 14-6 record in his redsirt year, a 70 percent win rate, we are expecting an experience building year followed up next year with something big

174- Joseph Walker- Will have to swim through some heavy water to make podium this year, how many times have we talked about 74 and how loaded it is? Joseph walker is sitting at #38 with wrestlestat, they may be sleeping on him a little as he did take down #21 Donnell Washington (Indiana) but hasn’t really had a breakout season since 2022. He has a real opportunity in his final year of eligibility to help Ragusin and Cardenas this year.

184- Jaden Bullock- a little more hope here with Jaden Bullock, seems to have battled in the low teen rankings for a while dominating a rivalry with #19 ranked Brian Soldano (Rutgers) 3-0 all time, also up one match with #12 Dylan Fishback (NC State) who’s two ranks this preseason higher than himself. Bullock has had moments of greatness taking out #8 Gavin Hoffman (Ohio State) at the CKLV last year, along with payback to #16 Ryder Rogotzke (Ohio State) in the Big Tens. If he can pull off an upset against Edmond Ruth and stay consistent against Nelson Brands he could podium this year. Showcasing a 35-25 record overall at 58 percent, he needs a breakout year this year.

197- Jacob Cardenas- There is not a scenario outside of injury where Cardenas doesn’t start for Michigan, a true cornerstone piece here. 2X AA, 3X NQ and 2X 92 kg medalist his biggest challenge will be Stephen Buchanan, meeting his fate at the NCAA’s last year 9-4 by decision there’s probably a desire to remedy this. Buchanan preseason ranked #1 and Cardenas at #2, this would have been a a beautiful match for the NWCA this year, but we can’t always get what we want. With Cornell he went 70-22 at 76 percent, Michigan can’t ask for much more for a 97 in 2025.

285- Josh Heindselman- Josh is another exciting pick up from the transfer portal. Spending most of his career at Oklahoma. He has a career record of 82-46 and is already a 4x NCAA qualifier. He enters the season ranked 10th in the country. It would’t take much for him to out perform his preseason rank and reach the podium.

With Ragusin and Cardenas at the front, they could use some breakouts at the middleweights to carry the 25 and HWT for team points, if things go good they could probably place somewhere between 7th-10th place, pretty good considering losing Cam Amine, we’ll just say that things could be a lot worse for Michigan.

The NWCA Classic is once again bringing some of the best talent together in 2024 as it has done since its inception in 1967, featuring the likes of Cael Sanderson in 1999 before his legendary season, two appearances from Dan Gable, iconic matches between Kyle Dake vs Dave Taylor in 2012 and Yianni Diakomihalis vs Sammy Sasso in 2022. This year will be no different, showcasing 9 AA’s with 5 national champs but one match everyone wants to see that will add to the events all star allure. We like to feature them in the order of interest level rather than by weight, let’s take a look. This event takes place Saturday November 16th at 7 pm on Flowrestling.

184 Carter Starocci Vs Parker Keckeisen Sparing you no wait, the single greatest match up of this event is #1 Starocci Vs. #2 Keckeisen. An unforgettable match, but whether you favor one side or the other we all will be begging for a rematch during the NCAA’s. Both of these guys are once in a decade wrestlers, take Aaron Brooks out of the 2023 season and Keckeisen is the Hodge trophy finalist without question. Parker with only 6 career losses, half of those being to Brooks there is nobody currently rostered that has beaten him, Holding a 102-6 record with a 94.44 winning percent. Makes sense that Starocci is his only challenge holding a 93-4 overall record at 174 with a 95 percent winning percentage. Starocci did get taken down twice in the NCAA’s last year. Historically, Starocci doesn’t get taken down. Which leads us into talking about the relentless takedown pursuit of Keckeisen, if Starocci wrestlers scared, he’s going to get taken down again. You would assume that there’s no reason for him to be scared as there’s no title pressure or all time record on the line. But with the ego of Starocci, he can’t walk away losing, which might lead him to wrestle different. Pure conjecture though, if he remains confident then Starocci could probably hold him off until the 3rd where we think Keckeisen takes him, 4-1.

141 Jesse Mendez vs Beau Bartlett Maybe not a second favorite on everyone else’s list but for us the P4P #8 and #9 with #1 Jesse Mendez vs. #3 Beau Bartlett should be pretty exciting. They will see each other in the Big 10’s this year and possibly the NCAA’s later on but there is no better way to continue building a rivalry than with a preseason rematch of the NCAA’s last year. Mendez taking Bartlett 4-1 by decision with 5 seconds left in the third there was really no offense up until that point. Some Buckeye fans were actually disappointed to have a champion with little offense, but being critical of anyone winning in the finals means nothing. A win is a win. Either way Mendez leads the series 2-1. Mendez is 13-2 against like opponents losing to Bartlett in February 4-1 and Cole Matthew’s in December of 2023. Bartlett going 14-4 against like opponents, two of those to Mendez, the other two to Brock Hardy and Real Woods in the 22-23 season. Mendez with a 49-11 record all time with an 86 winning percent and Bartlett 74-18 overall with 84 winning percent, these stats make them an evenly matched to if they finish .500 against each other, a rivalry to remember.

149 Shane Van Ness vs Ty Watters The battle at 49 has not been seen before and will be interesting, some say that their styles don’t really match up as #2 Van Ness is more of a slow starter and makes a lot of come behind wins, no matter how you view it, last years NWCA match against Kyle Parco he looked rather more aggressive than usual getting a takedown late in the second leading 4-0. He’ll have to look out for #3 Ty Watters on a misdirection shot that he has absolutely perfected, Van Ness has really good defense so hopefully we’ll get to see Watters try to use it. But being that Van Ness is shorter and stockier it might not work that well. Watters being heavily reliant on scrambling, will Van Ness even let him get there? They both finished well at the NCAA tournament finishing in  3rd and 4th place in consecutive years and have both beaten Parco but Van Ness has beaten Caleb Henson where Watters lost to him at Midlands so this collision is a must see. Van ness holding a 29-7 all time and Watters with 30-6, they are evenly matched with Van Ness 3-0 against common opponents and Ty Watters being 2-2. Watters losses came against NCAA Champion Henson. This match will definitely gauge Van Ness if he’s title ready this season.

133 Nasir Bailey vs Evan Frost We would love to see a better matchup at the this year’s NWCA between #2 Nasir Bailey and #4 Evan Frost than what we had seen last year. Two true freshman returning as All-Americans in their sophomore year Bailey at 29-4 record holding an 87 winning percentage and Frost with 33-12 at 73 winning percentage, Bailey holds a stronger record. Verses common opponents Bailey is more dominant going 11-3 where Frost is 8-4, but the biggest indicator for the outcome of this match is how much has Evan Frost improved since they last faced off in December of 23. Where Bailey teched him 15-0 1:57 minutes into the match. This loss raises questions as to whether Frost can reverse the doubts and assumptions about whether this will even be close. We think it will be closer this time around with Bailey still on top, 6-2.

Heavyweight Nick Feldman vs Taye Ghadiali Originally Feldman was expected to face Greg Kerkvliet and then Yonger Bastida, and now the week of the event we get Taye Ghadiali. This should still be an exciting matchup, as Taye is a very athletic 285lber, and he has similiar speed as Nick Feldman. These two are both returning all-americans with Taye finishing 8th while going 36-6 and Nick with a 5th place finish. They met at last year’s NCAA tournament where Nick scored a 10-4 victory.  I expect Nick to widen the gap this year and put on a display.

157 Tyler Kasak vs Peyton Kellar Without Teemer or Shapiro in appearance we get a fresh match with yet another Penn State wrestler even with Haines moving up in #3 Tyler Kasak vs. #5 Peyton Kellar. Interestingly we have had one like opponent between the two even though Kasak has just moved up. Aiden Vandenbush, Kassak pinned him where Kellar lost to him 6-4. Kassak holds a 24-5 record overall at 82 percent where Kellar stands at 58-17 overall and a 77 percent rate. Kellar had an impressive 11 pins last year, some would say being in a weaker conference that would be more than possible but two of those pins came again Bryce Andonian and Ed Scott in the NCAA’s which makes him dangerous. With Kassak adjusting the move in weight, Kellar could pin him early on.

165 Hunter Garvin vs Peyton Hall Surprisingly we don’t have #1 Mitchell Messenbrink at the 165, nobody should be expecting every top guy to be here as they don’t have to be. We would have loved to see him square off with Caliendo again for a revenge in a 17-9 beat down or maybe even a return of Sammy Sasso against anyone but we’ll take #3 Hunter Garvin vs. #4 Peyton Hall. The argument for these two could be made in the case of their match against Keegan O’Toole, where Garvin was teched by him in the NCAA’s 6 minutes in, but Hall barely lost to him 8-7 in their last meeting. Beyond that this is a rematch of the NCAA’ s where Garvin majored Hall 14-4 already so Garvin knows how to wrestle him. Garvin holds a 30-18 record overall at 62 percent and Hall is 92-27 with 77 percent. We hope to see Hall do a lot better this time around.

197 Steven Little vs Zac Braunagel The face off at 197 could be a little more interesting barely cracking the top five with #5 Steven Little vs. #9 Zac Braunagel they have never each other on the mat before. Braunagel known more better in Greco, Little did beat Lou DuPrey in overtime as a highlight last season. The two are evenly matched against like opponents, Little being 3-5 where Braunagel is 5-4. Both have bigger wins against Michael Beard but both have lost to Jacob Cardenas. Braunagel is 71-41 overall at 63 percent and Little is 35-8 at 81 percent. Being indifferent on this one, it could go either way.

125 Tanner Jordan vs Jore Volk Hopefully we see a win coming from #6 Tanner Jordan and get a little payback in this 5th match up with #3 Jore Volk who’s had the upper hand for quite a while. Jordan hasn’t beaten him since their dual in February of 24 2-1 by decision. Other than that not much to see here as Volk beat him 2-1 in the Big 12’s and then shut him out 4-0 in the NCAA’s. Volk holds a 28-11 record against like opponents where Jordan is 28-28, we will stand for the underdog again with a 2-1 decision. It would have been really nice to see Luke Lilledahl against any of these two.

174 Levi Haines vs Cade Devos With Rocco Welsh pulling out of the event in the last week we are given yet another substitution.  Its a battle of #2 vs #3 however I still wish it was Haines vs O’Toole, this is the match everyone is wanting. Oh well, Cade does present a serious challenge to Levi, mostly with his size and strength. DeVos is a 4x NCAA qualifier, and the reigning Big 12 Champion and is also a returning all-american finishing 5th last season at 174. Haines on the other hand is a returning  NCAA champion at 157 lbs. It will be interesting to see how he does against one of the divisions bigger and stronger wrestlers. I can see Haines escaping with a hard fought win.

This year does have the highlight match of the year at 184 and makes up for any other match that you may deem undesirable, if the whole tournament was just this match it would be more than worth it to see. Being Iowa matmen its still a little disappointing as to why nobody from Iowa or Iowa State even responded when there are six guys from Penn State going. Especially when Brands likes to test and measure, maybe it just point to the fact that the rivalry between Iowa and Penn State is alive and well.

Located at 2060 Cascades Drive, Pembroke, VA 24136, Cascades Falls is a breathtaking natural wonder in Jefferson National Forest. This 69-foot cascade is a must-visit destination for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers. For more information, click here.

Kevin Sawyer

Cascades Falls is surrounded by lush vegetation and towering trees, creating a picturesque setting. The falls are formed by the Cascades Creek, which flows into the Little Stony Creek. The cascade’s unique rock formations and tranquil pools make it a photographer’s paradise.

Seth Drewery

The Cascades Falls Trail is a 4-mile round-trip hike considered moderate in difficulty. The trail takes you through a scenic forest, crossing several bridges and offering stunning views of the surrounding landscape.

Claudine Wurst

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Jackie Trischman

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Kim Taylor

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Located at 1584 Blackwater Falls Road, Davis, WV 26260, Blackwater Falls State Park offers breathtaking natural beauty and exciting outdoor activities. For more information, click here.

Tucker County, West Virginia

The park’s crown jewel is the 57-foot Blackwater Falls, a stunning waterfall on the Blackwater River. Visitors can access the falls via a gentle, 1/4-mile walk from the parking area.

Cody Moore

Enjoy various activities within the park: – Hiking: 20+ miles of trails for all skill levels – Camping: 65 campsites (some with electric hookups) – Fishing: Trout fishing in the Blackwater River and streams – Cross-Country Skiing: Explore trails during winter.

Veronica Ussery

Amenities and Services – Blackwater Falls Visitor Center – Park Lodge (conferences, weddings, and events) – Restaurant and snack bar – Gift shop – Game room – Playground – Picnic areas.

Jim Rodgers

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Plan Your Visit Contact information: Phone: 304-259-5216 Email: mailto:blackwaterfallsp@wv.gov Visit the official website for: – Hours of Operation – Admission Fees – Camping Reservations – Trail Maps Experience Blackwater Falls State Park’s natural beauty and outdoor adventures. Plan your visit today!

Wes Brumfield

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Lot of experience returning at 133 particularly coming out of the Big Ten, 5 out of the 8 on our list are poised for a podium finish. The weight looks solid overall with 3 or 4 out of the top 5 that can take a title with no dominant returning champ and nobody notable moving down from 141. But even with Vito Arujau, Brody Teske, Daton Fix, Cayden Rooks, and Michael Colaiocco all graduating there are still ten former AA’s returning which means two will be left out, there were also a lot of top level competitors coming off of injuries or redshirts that will impact the landscape at 133 this year.

1. Drake Ayala- Everyone outside of Iowa would more than likely say there’s no way, being that Ayala was a bigger 25. Now he’s a smaller 33 and didn’t win a title last year, so on paper there is too much adjustment to win the NCAA’s this year according to some people. With no experience at 33 you would think this would be enough for us to knock him down at #2 at least, but with a little bias, Iowa matmen will stay true. He had a 23-5 record last year at 25, A preseason rank #3 from flowrestling and #4 from wrestlestat. Our favorite to win it all!

2. Ryan Crookham- is this truly his year? You would think so with Vito Arujau gone, was the one loss that he had last year. Losing to Vito in the semis when it was the most important, we can’t forget that Crookham did beat him 2X, once in the regular season and in the EIWA tourney. He also remains undefeated against Nasir Bailey, Bailey falling twice to him at NCAA’s he should easily be at the top of this list and the national favorite to win it all. 32-2 career overall with a lethal 94 percent win rate getting a #1 preseason rank from flowrestling and #1 from wrestlestat as well.

3. Nasir Bailey- It would be easy to say that Crookham has beat him twice and he’s got Bailey figured out but there’s always a chance to turn things around through tape review and an unquestionable drive for payback. In the NCAA’s he only lost to Crookham by one point, both coming off their freshman year, there’s plenty of time to continue the rivalry. Bailey to this point is 29-4 with an 87 percent win rate, a #2 preseason rank from flowrestling and #3 from wrestlestat.

4. Lucas Byrd- this is where things get interesting, a lot of other pre rankings have put Dylan Ragusin here but for us it has to be Lucas Byrd. Byrd has beaten Ragusin 3-1 all time and he also has a 38-8 record against like opponents where Ragusin is 31-13. Yes there is a question whether he can bounce back from a medical redshirt last year but with Mendez gone he has a better shot in the NCAA’s this year. 79-19 overall with an 80 percent win rate, 2X AA and 3X qualifier there is no reason to not consider him in the top 5. #9 preseason rank from flowrestling and #7 with wrestlestat.

5. Dylan Ragusin- Returning AA had a decent year last year, ended the NCAA’s last year in 5th with notable wins over Dylan Schawver and Evan Frost both of them are on our list, pinned Aaron Nagoa and knocked off #4 ranked Patrick McKee. Will most likely make podium and top 5 if he can beat Frost again. A huge unexpected upset from the top 3 would probably put him in the semi finals or a title shot, will he get a chance though? 74-27 career overall with a 73 percent win rate. #4 preseason rank from flowrestling and #2 with wrestlestat.

6. Evan Frost- Frost has the ability to surprise and upend this whole list, holding the technical ability to beat anyone we have mentioned so far, we are not as confident in everyone else to do the same thing. He is a true dark horse contender in this loaded weight. Number six is a perfect place for him having lost to Ragusin but beating Shawver, against common opponents with Shawver he’s 11-2 compared to 11-6. 33-12 career overall with a 73 percent win rate getting a #5 preseason rank from flo wrestling and #8 with wrestlestat.

7. Dylan Shawver- This is also a great spot for Shawver placing 7th last year in the NCAA’s, had some noteworthy wins against Kai Orine and Brody Teske. We would love to see another rematch with Frost, also like to see a better finish against Ragusin. 62-26 record overall with a 70 percent win rate, Flo gave him a #6 preseason rank and #5 from wrestlestat.

8. Kai Orine- Placed 8th two years in a row, this year could peak maybe at #6 by season end. He held pretty well against Nasir Bailey but losing to Dylan Shawver puts him at #8 our list. Collegiate wrestling could only hope that he places higher with a giant personality, he is highly marketable. Has been known to wrestle at a higher level, we personally hope to see him disrupt all expectations. Distinguished as a 2X AA, 3X Qualifier, 2X ACC champion and 2024 CKLV champion with a 71-27 overall career record. With a 72 percent win rate Flo has a preseason ranking at #7 and wrestlestat at #6.

Next to 174 there’s no better weight in the NCAA coming into the 24-25 seasons with 10 AA’s returning, there isn’t much room for someone outside of this list to come in. With a looming chance of Braeden Davis coming into the mix, this would change everything.