There are 13 confirmed games in this year’s NWCA All-Star Classic, with eight All-American collegiate champions on the card.
Hosted by Cliff Keen, the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic returns in triumph this year.
This was a staple of the college season, but there was a four-year hiatus. Thanks to NWCA’s efforts, the All-Star Classic hosted by Cliff Keane will take place on his Nov. 22 in Austin, Texas, and will be televised live on FloWrestling.
Eleven men’s games and two women’s games have been confirmed, with the women’s game also nearing completion.
NWCA executive director Mike Moyer said, “I know I’m speaking on behalf of the board.
The feature match is a £174 rematch of the 2022 NCAA Tournament finals between Penn State’s Carter Starossi and Virginia Tech’s Mekhi Lewis. Starossi, a two-time heavyweight champion and his 2019 NCAA champion, beat Lewis, 165, 5-5 in the second tiebreaker. This will be the second meeting between the two.
The 165-pound bout between Iowa State’s David Carr and Princeton’s Quincy Monday took years. Their fathers — Nate Carr of Iowa and Kenny Monday of Oklahoma — were two of the greatest wrestlers in American history, and their rivalry may be the fiercest in college history. No. This is the first meeting between my sons.
NCAA champions returning to the card include Carr, Lewis, Starocci, Keegan O’Toole and Aaron Brooks.
One of the confirmed women’s matches involves the returning NAIA champion and the returning NCWWC (NCAA Program) champion. Iowa She’s Wesleyan’s Ada Ougonu Wachukwu, at 136 pounds she was the NAIA champion in 2022, but in 2021 she’s up to 143 to face McKendry’s Araraboid, who is the NCWWC champion. raising.
Every wrestler on the card is a returning All-American.
The All-Star Classic has provided some of the most memorable moments in college wrestling history. Cornell’s Kyle Dake and Penn State’s David Taylor met three times during their college days at an event in 2012. Then Caldwell beat Metcalfe 11-6 in the 2009 NCAA tournament final.
Iowa State’s Dan Gable won 181 straight games throughout his high school and college career before losing 13-11 to University of Washington sophomore Larry Owings in the 1970 NCAA championship final. Gable wrestled his final college game at the All-Star Classic a few days later, taking a fall to Old Dominion’s Wayne Bright in front of a partisan crowd in Ames, Iowa.
In 2016, Helen Maroulis became the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in women’s freestyle wrestling. Prior to that, she had qualified for the 2014 All-Star Classic, where she lost to Gillian Garays in her 15-0 technical fall.
scheduled match
men’s match
125: Pat McKee (Minnesota) vs Brandon Courtney (Arizona)
133: Lucas Bird (Illinois) vs. Michael McGee (Arizona)
141: Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) vs Real Woods (Iowa)
149: Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) vs. Austin Gomez (University of Wisconsin)
157 Jacory Teemer (Arizona) vs. Will Lewan (Michigan)
165: Dean Hamity Jr. (Wisconsin) vs. Keegan O’Toole (Missouri)
165: David Carr (Iowa) vs Quincy Monday (Princeton)
174: Carter Starossi (Penn State) vs Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech)
184: Aaron Brooks (Penn State) vs Parker Kekkeisen (Northern Iowa)
197: Jacob Warner (Iowa) vs Stephen Buchanan (Wyoming)
285: Anthony Cascioppi (Iowa) vs Greg Kerkfried (Penn State)
Women’s game
143: Adaugh Nwachuk (Iowa Wesleyan) vs Alara Boyd (McKendry)
191: Gabriel Hamilton (Life) vs Sidney Kimber (McKendry)
More female matches are about to be confirmed
Participants by University
Arizona: Brandon Courtney (125), Michael McGee (133), Jacori Teemer (157)
Illinois: Lucas Byrd (133)
Iowa: Real Woods (141), Jacob Warner (197), Anthony Cacioppi (285)
Iowa: David Carr (165)
Iowa Wesleyan: Adaugo Nuwachuk (143)
Life: Gabriel Hamilton (191)
McKendry: Alara Boyd (143), Sidney Kimber (191)
Michigan: Will Lewan (157)
Minnesota: Patrick McKee (125)
Missouri: Keegan O’Toole (165)
Northern Iowa: Parker Keckeisen (184)
Ohio: Sammy Sasso (149)
Penn State University: Carter Starossi (174), Aaron Brooks (184), Greg Kirkriet (Penn State University)
Pittsburgh: Cole Matthews (141)
Princeton: Quincy Monday (165)
Virginia Tech: Mekhi Lewis (174)
Wisconsin: Austin Gomez (149), Dean Hamity (165)
Wyoming: Stephen Buchanan (197)
