Category: Uncategorized (Page 8 of 310)

The Iowa Hawkeyes got the season started on the right track Saturday night in Corvallis Oregon! This was the first dual of the season for both teams and the Hawkeyes Improved to 1-0, while Oregon State dropped to 0-1.

Iowa VS Oregon State

125 Joey Cruz  VS  Maximo Renteria: Renteria wins 7-3                                                      0-3 Oregon St. Leads

133 Drake Ayala VS Damion Elliot: Ayala wins 26-10                                                            5-3   Iowa Leads

141 Ryder Block VS Nash Singleton: Block wins 5-4                                                              8-3   Iowa Leads

149 Kyle Parco  VS Victor Jacinto:    Parco wins 5-1                                                               11-3 Iowa Leads

157 Caleb Rathjen  VS Ethan Stiles: Stiles wins 12-3                                                            11-7 Iowa Leads

165 Michael Caliendo VS Kekana Fouret: Caliendo wins 18-3                                        16-7 Iowa Leads

174 Nelson Brands VS Sean Harman: Brands wins 2-1                                                        19-7 Iowa Leads

184 Gabe Arnold VS TJ Mcdonnell:  Arnold wins 20-5                                                          24-7 Iowa Leads

197 Steven Buchanan  VS Trey Munoz: Buchanan wins 9-5                                               27-7 Iowa Leads

:85 Ben Kueter  VS Brett Mower: Kueter wins 10-4                                                                30-7 Iowa Wins

My thoughts:

Drake Ayala looks great at 133, i feel he has really grown into the weight.

Really impressed with Ryder Block at 141, as he battled back, down 3-0 and gutted out the 5-4 win. This was a tough first match after missing an entire year of competition. He’s only going to get better as the season progresses.

Caleb Rathjen  at 157 has looked better, but I feel the  match just got away from him. Stiles is a solid wrestler with a 16-3 record and  a 70% bonus rate. Caleb will learn from this and bounce back.

165 Michael Caliendo, looked great I loved his urgency in the match . He looks much improved from last year. Last year he beat this kid 15-10 this year 18-3, great start to his season.

Steven Buchanan at 197 was impressive and had the most exciting match of the night. Really impressed with his will to win and no quit attitude. He is seriously a top contender.

Ben  Kueter looked to be in football shape, look forward to seeing him in wrestling shape.

The final score has Iowa winning the meet 30-7. It was a fantastic start to the season and the Hawkeyes are back in action right away next Saturday  November 9th at 1 PM in Iowa City vs Stanford.

Even after 10 of the top competitors either leaving 57 or graduating, those 10 do not include Levi Haines or a redshirting Daniel Cardenas. You also have 5 AA’s out of eligibility but even with all of that going on there is still a lot of depth at this weight. Notable moves from Tyler Kasak and Antrell Taylor along with big expectations from Ryder Downey after making blood round as a freshman, Jacori Teemer moving in to Iowa, there are lot of factors to consider and a whole lot of shaking up.

#1. Meyer Shapiro- This is a tough one, when considering the top 2 at 157 it’s a discussion of which one will remain healthy and how have they bounced back in the past from injury. Shapiro has demonstrated his ability to do so, with three losses last season, 2 at the CKLV to Trevor Chumbley and Dylan Cardenas, where it is rumored he struggled with a concussion through the tournament. His second loss to Cardenas and 3rd of the season at nationals he was leading 3-0 and again suffered a head injury after being tossed. So with that in mind, Shapiro payed back 2 out of those 3 matches with a 10-4 dec. over Cardenas in the 3rd place match at nationals. None of us can disregard the facts outside of these losses though, at one point in the season he went on a 20 match win streak, had a 70 percent bonus rate, and had 16 wins over ranked opponents which was the most in the country. To add he also bonused 11 of those 16, we think if his head can remain healthy and with Cardenas out of the way, there is no one that can stop him. On paper, not so much going 8-3 against like opponents with Jacori Teemer who’s 14-0 and we’ll break down Teemer next, so after just one year he has a 29-3 record at 90 percent win rate. A #2 preseason rank from Flo and #1 from Wrestlestat.

#2. Jacori Teemer- Nobody else really fits here among the rest of the list, honestly being the number 2 isn’t completely correct here, it’s more like a tie for 1st place. We could easily put him at the top based on his performance against Cardenas. They’ve faced off four times, Teemer winning them all. One of our biggest concerns is the same that we have for Parco, coming into the Big Ten is a whole different pace so will he be able to keep up. Probably the biggest concern is a pesky shoulder injury that has been well documented, will it reappear and sap his performance? Will he finally be able to close out this year after numerous top 5 finishes in the wake of many big names that have come to Iowa in the past only to have a substandard season. If he gets in a title match with Shapiro who’s on his game and we see the same Teemer that faced Haines with no offense, it’s a sure loss. We want the best for arguably the greatest wrestler that the state of New York ever produced. 85-17 record overall at 83 percent win rate. #1 preseason rank from Flo and #3 from Wrestlestat.

#3. Tyler Kasak- We have yet to see what Kasak can do without any prior history with Teemer or Shapiro, making a move from 49 settling for a 3rd place match against Ty Watters. This will have to be a year where he finishes somewhere in the top 5, otherwise eyes will start to turn to Alex Facundo who probably won’t want to stay behind Mitchell Messenbrink, so the obvious move is to go down. We will get our chance to see how ready he is with a preview at the NWCA All Star Classic against Peyton Kellar. 24-5 record overall at 90 percent win rate. A #4 preseason rank from Flo and #2 from Wrestlestat.

#4. Antrell Taylor- This guy is an absolute unit when he’s on, everyone seen how well he did against Messenbrink. Probably will be the same against Kasak if he gets the chance. Struggled a little bit at nationals last year losing to Peyton Hall and Izzak Olejnik, but looking beyond the past will he be able to handle the weight cut is what we are normally interested in. He has always been super strong, hopefully his brute strength can be maintained through this cut. 27-15 record overall at 64 percent win rate. A not so favorable #7 preseason rank from Flo and #7 from Wrestlestat.

#5. Payton Keller- debatably should rank higher on this list, in a world full of flashy NIL deals this man has stuck with Ohio from day 1 which is highly respectable. Placed 5th at nationals last year with a tight loss to Jared Franek in round 2, then blew through the consolations until Cardenas pinned him in the semis, ultimately settling for 5th over Bryce Andonian by fall 3 minutes in. More than ready to see him matchup against Tyler Kasak in a couple weeks at the NWCA. Really hope to see him and Taylor move higher than what the professional community predictions are. 58-17 record overall at 90 percent win rate. A #5 preseason rank from Flo and #4 from Wrestlestat.

#6. Ryder Downey- On paper we guess he belongs here, super technical wrestler that had a great freshman year capsizing a lot of guys to make a finish in the blood round. Not a dark horse contender as a lot of eyes are on him, but wouldn’t be surprised if he pushes his way into the top 5. Took the Big 12 title last year, majored 6 guys and tech’d 4 so no doubt a contender and will make the podium this year. 30-10 record overall at 75 percent win rate. A #6 preseason rank from Flo and #5 from Wrestlestat.

#7. Ed Scott- Seeking a second AA’s this year he’s been a 4X qualifier, Scott is kind of a wildcard. Great example are his matches against Bryce Andonian last year, majored him at the ACC Championships but then turns and almost gets majored by him at nationals. Flip flopped with Sonny Santiago losing 12-5 in February and turns around at ACC’s and wins 8-2. Those are some rather large swings, but to his credit he did beat Downey last and also beat out Cody Chittum for a Big 12 title in the past, wish he could move beyond the boom or bust reputation. 77-26 record overall at 74 percent win rate. A #8 preseason rank from Flo and #6 from Wrestlestat.

#8. Paniro Johnson- Losing a year of eligibility only to be found not guilty on gambling conspiracies that plagued the Iowa teams has to be gut wrenching for Iowa State even though it’s now considered a redshirt season. There are a lot of people that could fill out at #8 with guys like Paddy Gallagher, Teague Travis, or possibly a breakout year from Johnny Lovett who has more nationals experience than any one on this list. In 2022-2023 it seems that he handled his weight better at 57 than at 49 which reflects his performance, with this resolved he could move up higher on this list. 24-7 record overall at 77 percent win rate. A #11 preseason rank from Flo and #11 from Wrestlestat.

Overall this weight looks really solid even after counting out Cardenas and the departure of Haines this really isn’t a top 2 or top 3 race. The addition of Kasak and Taylor along with a move from Teemer and a hopeful ravenous return from Downey shows a storm of uncertainty brewing at 57.

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Every year towards the end of October some of the best wrestlers in the country migrate to Des Moines Iowa to take part in the annual Brain Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals. This is one of the toughest tournaments around and is open for all ages first grade through high school, for both male and female grapplers. Well this year’s tournament was a huge success with competitors traveling from 17 different states to showcase their skills. This prestigious tournament drew over 3,000 young wrestlers to Des Moines Hy Vee Hall over this 4 day event. With that many wrestlers ,it may be hard to stand out above the rest. However, one wrestler managed to do just that. Stone Helmrichs of Waverly Iowa had an outstanding tournament, claiming the championship of the 4th grade division at 105 lbs. What makes this achievement even more remarkable, is the fact that he went thru the entire tournament without surrendering a single point. Its this level of dominance that makes Stone Helmrichs, this weeks Iowa Matmen Wrestler Of The Week.

During Stones first match, he faced Wisconsin state champion, Drake Vrable. Stone won that match by pinfall in just :39 seconds. In the semifinals he faced one of Iowa’s best youth wrestlers, Everett Murtha is a 3x state champion and 6x all-american. Stone won this match 6-0. In the finals he faced a very tough Joseph Englese, from Illinois. Englese is a 4x state champion who had pinned his way into the finals. Once again Stone won 6-0, securing the National Championship!

Stone Helmrichs is an absolute bruiser, a 15X All American who has swept through all tournaments that Iowa has to offer. Getting his start with Back 2 Basics Club in Shell Rock, Iowa under Bill Thompson, who Stone spoke highly of. Currently training at Immortal Athletics Wrestling Club, in Waterloo, We want to bring him back down to earth and note that training and constant improvement will keep pride from becoming a weakness BUT this kid is beginning to separate himself from everyone else. In our interview he had a lot of respect for his rival in Everett Murtha, but mentioned, “I got my payback”. He had other big wins earlier this year, completing a rivalry with Braxton Drew from Empire Academy at the Belle Plaine Freestyle Tournament in a three round bout beating him twice by tech, taking a gold medal there. Also winning the Rumble Individuals in Sandusky, Ohio over Braxton Sholler, Helmrichs has quite an impressive resume. We asked him what his eyes were set on next, he responded with a deep desire to take first at Iowa AAU State Championships and Tulsa Nationals where he continually finishes better year after year. Big things are in store for Stone Helmrichs, a multi-dimensional and multi-sport powerhouse prevailing over a ton of high level competition, we are excited to continue the journey with him and hope to see him in Black and Gold one day.

More About Stone:

Year in school? 4th Grade.

What inspired you to start wrestling? What inspired me to start wrestling was just starting with Coach Bill, my first coach as four year old, and it was like really fun, just like throwing people around and stuff and taking them down and it was really fun just being physical.

How long have you wrestled? I started at 4, so 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. So six years.

Most significant wrestling moment? Probably my first Eagle at Tulsa Nationals. I got second place at kickoff.

What’s your Strategy? I go to a wrist under hook and then down, drop down single.

Record this season? 64 – 19

How many state medals have you won over the length of your career? won 3  AAU State Titles and 2 USA State Titles, and lots of medals.

Plan to wrestle in College? If so for who? Yes, at Iowa

Favorite Coach? Coach Cruz at Immortal Athletics. I know that I can come to him and he’ll know like what the answer for me is.

Other Sports? I do swimming, football, and baseball.

Favorite food? Pork Chops

Favorite Athlete? McCray, Haggerty or Bo Bassett, I even had a picture with Bo at the tyrant duels in Philadelphia.

Goals? To win Tulsa Nationals kickoff and the one in January. Nationals and then AAU State.

The Hawkeyes hit the road traveling to Oregon State, hoping to smash a few Beavers while in the Pacific Northwest. The meet takes place Saturday November 2nd at 9 Pm. While the Hawkeyes are heavily favored in this dual meet, a couple interesting matches do exist.  The dual features 11 ranked wrestlers and 2 ranked head to head bouts.

Don’t Miss: The 165 bout should be fantastic and 197 should also be entertaining. Both of these feature top 10 ranked opponents.

Keys To Victory: For Iowa they just need to win the matches they are favored to win.  For Oregon State its very complicated, they will require bonus points in the few matches they win and an upset or two may still not be enough.

125 Kale Peterson NR VS  Maximo Renteria #14

133 Drake Ayala #3 VS Gabe Whisenhunt NR

141 Ryder Block NR VS Nash Singleton

149 Kyle Parco #4 VS Noah Tolentino

157 Jacori Teemer #1  or Caleb Rathjen VS CJ Hamblin

165 Michael Caliendo #2 VS Matthew Olguin #8

174 Nelson Brands #6 VS Sean Harman

184 Gabe Arnold #5 VS Mason Christiansen

197 Steven Buchanan #1 VS Trey Munoz #4

285 Ben Kueter #11 VS Attao, Aden 

Conclusion: Iowa is favored in 9 of the 10 matches, Oregon State is favored at 125. The match of the night will take place at 165 between Caliendo and Olguin. I see the Hawkeyes winning 32-3. Not a bad start to the season.