There are over 300 wrestlers, which gives me many college students to admire as I watch them scramble, sweat, and shake hands no matter the outcome.
Brackets! This is the month when college sports fans grab a bracket for their favorite sport. Whether the brackets are for wrestling or basketball (men or women), it is an exciting time as fans make predictions and write in a wrestler’s name or that of a college team.
However, for this writer, it is the NCAA Division 1 men’s wrestling tournament at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, where over 300 wrestlers weighed in on Thursday and began competing for a championship. Ten weight classes of 32-34 wrestlers, eight All-Americans awarded each after Saturday’s championship finals.
While each class is seeded, it seems many wrestlers ignore the number they are projected to finish. Thus, it’s upsets galore! For instance, in the 157-weight class, the #8 seed ignored his ranking as he defeated the #1 seed in the semi-finals, who is now wrestling, at best, for third. While exciting for fans, it is heart-breaking for the favored wrestler who must swallow the loss and find a way to “come back.”
Pitt’s Mac Stout and Princeton’s Luke Stout could meet in an NCAA Wrestling second round (photo courtesy Joe Warner and Al Amrhein, NJ.com)
But any sport’s tournament will have more than upsets and close matches. This year, for the first time in Division 1 wrestling history, brother Mac Stout of Pitt wrestled Luke Stout of Princeton. Mac won and went on to earn All-American honors at 197. And as if that is not unusual enough, a Penn State wrestler has a chance to be the first-ever five-time NCAA champion. Because of COVID restrictions, Carter Starocci could win a fifth crown. Still, he has a formidable competitor in the finals–Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa is good and will challenge Starocci.
Speaking of the Saturday finals, I must write about the 141-pound final between Brock Hardy of Nebraska and Jesse Mendez of Ohio State. In last year’s tournament, the two met in the quarterfinals, and Mendez caught Hardy in a spladle (a pinning combination in which the spladled wrestler’s “manhood” and butt are exposed to the world as he helplessly waits for the clock to expire).
Being spread out like a cooked goose is terrible for many reasons, but Hardy went on and placed third. Two weeks ago, in the Big 10 tournament, he beat Mendez 9-8 in the semifinals and went on to win as Mendez placed fourth. For me, Hardy is an example of courage and grit. Last year, on the Division 1 screen, he was seen in a most embarrassing way when he got caught in a move taught to all young wrestlers—not necessarily to use but to avoid at any price. However, after he got caught by the eventual champion, he “came back” to place third and now has a good chance to be a national champion one year later. I pull for Mendez but admire Hardy for his love of wrestling and the gravel in his gut.
While I have issues with the NCAA and some policies, I enjoy watching these talented athletes compete.
However, there are over 300 wrestlers, which gives me many college students to admire as I watch them scramble, sweat, and shake hands no matter the outcome.
I hope your bracket, no matter the sport, holds up. Enjoy it all!
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