7 key takeaways from last weekend in college wrestling
On Friday night just after 9 p.m. ET, Ohio State’s Nick Feldman electrified the Covelli Center in one of the biggest moments of the college wrestling weekend.
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With the dual against Michigan on the line and his match against two-time All-American Lucas Davison tied 1-1 early in the third, Feldman spun around, brought Davison to the mat and scored a critical three-point takedown against the Wolverine. Davison looked to retaliate and took a few half-shots in the final minute, but as time ticked down and Feldman fended off his efforts, the Ohio State faithful came to their feet. They knew their freshman star had won his bout and won the dual for the Bucks.
Feldman’s win demonstrated that he’s an All-American threat, and his result will skyrocket him in the rankings.
But this match, and Ohio State’s subsequent win over Michigan, wasn’t the only storyline of the weekend.
Between Little Rock’s victory over Oregon State, Vito Arujau’s return, Cornell’s toppling of Missouri and so much more, the last three days in college wrestling produced tons of storylines.
Here’s a complete breakdown of the seven biggest moments (in addition to Ohio State’s win over Michigan) that stand out from a weekend of high-intensity action in dozens of duals.
High schooler Jax Forrest shakes up collegiate expectations at 125
The 125-pound weight class is wild. It’s a known fact, and it’s been the biggest storyline all year.
Last week, Matt Ramos became the headliner at the weight after stopping Iowa’s Drake Ayala in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and teching Alan Koehler of Nebraska. Ramos notched another win over the weekend by way of a tight 8-6 decision against Michael Spangler to hold on to his No. 1 spot, but the rankings beneath him will shift once again as the No. 2 spot, in particular, potentially opens up.
BREAKING DOWN RAMOS’ BIG WIN LAST YEAR: Here’s how the Boilermaker upset 3x NCAA champ Spencer Lee
Lehigh’s Luke Stanich, a true freshman, held that No. 2 spot earlier this week after putting together an 10-1 record through January 13 with wins over No. 3 Eric Barnett, No. 6 Cooper Flynn and No. 13 Brett Ungar. He was quietly accumulating an exceptionally impressive record and looking like he could compete for a national title.
Let’s be clear: Stanich is still that guy. His wins are still valuable, and his skills are still top notch.
But Stanich’s No. 2 spot in the country is in question after the Mountain Hawk suffered a loss to high school sophomore Jax Forrest in the finals of the Mat Town Open II in sudden victory.
Forrest isn’t the only high schooler to beat a top-ranked 125-pounder. Ramos himself lost to Marcus Blaze earlier this year in a performance that, much like Stanich’s, won’t impact his college record but can impact confidence. Ramos took three additional losses in the month following his Blaze match, but he’s been on a winning streak since then and hasn’t dropped a bout since Dec. 1. Stanich will similarly have the chance to get himself back on track with two more ranked matches against No. 32 Ethan Berginc of Army and No. 10 Richie Figueroa of Arizona State before the conference tournament. He’ll remain the highest-ranked EIWA wrestler, and a conference championship could give him a big advantage in NCAA seeding.
If Stanich drops in the rankings (which isn’t a guarantee since his loss to Forrest doesn’t count as a college loss), Wisconsin’s Eric Barnett could be considered for the No. 2 spot. The Badger All-American went 2-0 on the weekend with wins over No. 12 Caleb Smith 5-3 and Tristan Lujan 4-2. Barnett’s only losses are to Iowa State’s Kysen Terukina — who split his matches this weekend with a win over Conrad Hendrickson and loss to No. 20 Troy Spratley — and, ironically, Stanich. … story at … NCAA.com/news/7-key-takeaways-last-weekend-college-wrestling
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