Takedown Report

The top contenders for a national title at 149 pounds, beginning with Yianni’s chase for history

The biggest storyline at 149 pounds this year is simple: Cornell’s Yianni Diakomihalis is on the hunt for his fourth national title, a feat that only four wrestlers in history have ever accomplished. 

It’s a storyline Diakomihalis knows people want to talk about, one that could put his name in the record books forever. But it’s also a story that creates motivation for every wrestler in the country at his weight. He’s not just someone going for his fourth national title, he’s a wrestler going for his fourth title in a weight class full of contenders. 

GREATEST EVER: Cael Sanderson | Dan Gable | Kyle Dake | Jordan Burroughs 

“This whole summer, I was training to beat one guy, and that’s Yianni,” Wisconsin All-American Austin Gomez said in an interview with NCAA.com “I want to go out and make history and be the guy that stops Yianni from winning his fourth national title. I don’t think that’s been done, a guy being stopped from winning four.” 

Gomez, a sixth-year junior for the Wisconsin Badgers, made progress toward that goal when he shocked the wrestling world with his upset win over the three-time champ in November, delivering Diakomihalis his first loss since 2017 in decisive fashion. 

Gomez always believed he could pull off the upset, but he knows just what a big deal that win was for him, his team, and 149 pounds as a whole. It was a victory that put the rest of the weight class on notice. 

“[That win] boosted my confidence a lot, just saying that like ‘Hey, he’s not the guy at this weight class, there’s a new dog in town, and that’s Austin Gomez,” Gomez said. “I think it just gave me so much more confidence, but it also put a target on my back because they know, all the 149-pounders know, now that this weight class got blown up after I beat Yianni.” 

BIGGEST UPSET: Here’s how Austin Gomez topped the three-time champ

Despite the result of that bout, Diakomihalis held down the top ranking in the weight class. Gomez had taken a loss earlier this year to Iowa State’s Paniro Johnson, and he later took a second loss by injury default to Northwestern’s Yahya Thomas in late January. His notable wins though, … rest of story at NCAA.com/news/wrestling/article/2023-02-10/top-contenders-national-title-149-pounds-beginning-yiannis-chase-history

February 15, 2023 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized