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5 takeaways from the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships through placing rounds
Iowa, Iowa State have had similar results; Ayala extends Iowa’s finalist streak; Former Iowa City West prep Garvin shines for Stanford; Former Alburnett prep Sloan closes with win for SDSU
K.J. Pilcher
Mar. 23, 2024 2:34 pm, Updated: Mar. 23, 2024 3:24 pm
Here are five takeaways through the placing round of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.
Iowa, Iowa State produce similar results
Iowa and Iowa State entered the finals in consecutive spots in the team standings and separated by just 2 1/2 points. The Hawkeyes were fourth with 67, while the Cyclones were fifth with 64 1/2.
Take a look at the results and both have been similar. Each advanced a wrestler into the finals — Iowa’s Drake Ayala at 125 and Iowa State’s David Carr at 165. Interestingly, neither was projected to be there as Ayala was the No. 3 seed and Carr, despite being a returning NCAA runner-up and 2021 NCAA champion, was seeded No. 4.
Both teams entered with nine qualifiers and finished with four All-Americans. Iowa’s Real Woods (141) and Michael Caliendo (165) each finished fourth and Jared Franek was eighth at 157 for Iowa. Caliendo and Franek placed two spots above their seed.
ISU’s Anthony Echemendia (141) landed on his seed at fifth and Evan Frost was two spots higher than his seed, getting sixth at 133. Casey Swiderski was the No. 8 seed and placed seventh.
Both teams posted 25-12 overall records before the finals. Iowa State had 18 bonus points with three pins, a medical forfeit, four technical falls and four major decisions. Iowa had 15 bonus points with seven major decisions, four technical falls and an injury default.
Drake Ayala extends Iowa’s NCAA finalists streak
Iowa did not have anyone seeded in the top two of any of the 10 weight classes. The Hawkeyes have had that happen two other times since 1975, according to Flowrestling.com’s Andy Hamilton. Cory Clark reached the 2015 finals as a No. 3 seed and Mark Perry was the No. 4 seed when he reached the 2005 165 final.
Ayala and Woods were the best seeded Iowa wrestlers at No. 3 at their weights. Ayala beat Wisconsin’s No. 10 Eric Barnett to reach the finals, extending Iowa’s streak that began in 1990 when Tom and Terry Brands won titles as sophomores and Brooks Simpson was second.
Ayala was a national qualifier two years ago when Spencer Lee missed the season due to injury. His finals appearance extends Iowa’s success in the lightest weight class. It is the eighth time since 2010 a Hawkeye has reached the 125 national title match.
Spencer Lee won three titles in 2018, 2019 and 2021. The 2020 tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thomas Gilman was the 125 runner-up for Iowa in 2016. Matt McDonough made three straight finals appearances from 2010-12, winning titles in 2010 and 2012.
Add the fact that Gilman also placed third and fourth in 2017 and 2015, respectively, and Clark (who won the 133-pound title in 2017) was fifth at 125 in 2014.
Do the math and it’s 12 All-America finishes from Iowa 125-pounders in the last 14 NCAA tournaments.
Hunter Garvin makes the podium for Stanford
Former Iowa City West prep and Stanford redshirt freshman Hunter Garvin placed sixth at 165 pounds. According to Stanford, he is just the third freshman in program history to earn All-America honors. Garvin is also the 26th Cardinal to earn All-America honors.
Garvin was impressive throughout the tournament, going 5-3 overall. Two of his losses came to NCAA champions Carr and Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole. He had notable wins over Michigan’s Cam Amine and West Virginia’s Peyton Hall.
Many considered 165 one of the toughest and deepest weight classes in the country — a fact pointed out by Big Game Wrestling Club, where Garvin trained as a three-time state champion and four-time finalist for the Trojans.
Garvin finished 25-12 and could be considered one of the leaders at the weight next season.
Tanner Sloan caps South Dakota State career with win
Former Alburnett prep and South Dakota State 197-pounder Tanner Sloan capped his college career with a victory Saturday, defeating Missouri’s Rocky Elam for fifth place. Sloan finished his career as a two-time All-American, including a national runner-up performance in 2023.
Sloan ended his career with a 113-23 overall record. He ranks ninth all-time in career wins for the Jackrabbits.
Sloan also won a U20 silver world medal in freestyle while at SDSU. He was also a Big 12 champion and four-time conference finalist. Sloan was a five-time national qualifier, earning National Wrestling Coaches Association second-team All-America honors in 2020.
Sloan and teamate Cade DeVos, a former Southeast Polk prep, contributed to the Jackrabbits’ highest point total ever at the NCAA D-I tournament. They finished 13th with 48 1/2 points. DeVos placed fifth at 174.
Wild NCAA wrestling team race
Outside of Penn State’s predicted dominance, the race for second and third has been wildly unpredictable. Entering the championship matches, Michigan was second at 71 points, Cornell was third with 68 1/2 points with Iowa and Iowa State rounding out the top five. Arizona State is tied for sixth with 60 1/2 and two finalists.
Michigan has two finalists as well, while Cornell, Iowa and Iowa State have one finalist apiece.
Michigan, Cornell, Iowa and Arizona State still have a shot to place second. Cornell, Iowa, Iowa State and Arizona State could place third. Iowa State can place anywhere between third and sixth.
Lots of uncertainty with just 10 matches left in the tournament.
Note: The Gazette’s K.J. Pilcher is not on location in Kansas City, Mo., for this event.
Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com