Top Contenders Announced for Midlands Championships

Top Contenders Announced for Midlands Championships

Dec. 22, 2012

Midlands Competitors

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa freshman Cory Clark is listed as the top contender at 125 pounds at the 50th annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships. The tournament committee announced the top contenders field today.

Clark is 9-0 this season wrestling unattached. He has won two tournament titles, including the Kaufman-Brand and UNI Open. He is listed on the top contenders list one spot ahead of Illinois’ returning All-American Jesse Delgado. Clark beat Delgado 6-1 in the finals of the UNI Open.

Iowa freshman Thomas Gilman is also listed among the top 125-pound competitors. Clark, Gilman and freshmen Sammy Brooks (184) and Alex Meyer (184) are competing unattached at the Midlands Championships. The 50th annual event is hosted by Northwestern University Dec. 29-30 inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. Iowa has won 22 Midlands team titles, more than any other team in the history of the event.

Hawkeye Wrestling Club member Daniel Dennis is also in this year’s tournament field. Dennis, a two-time All-American at Iowa from 2009-10, won the 2008 Midlands title at 133 pounds. He is listed as the No. 2 contender in this year’s 133-pound bracket. Former Hawkeye All-American Montell Marion is also in the championship field. Marion is the top seed at 149 pounds.

The contenders list released by the tournament committee does not represent the final seeds and is subject to change. Final brackets will be released the morning of Saturday, Dec. 29. Tickets to the event are available by calling 888-GO-PURPLE. A complete list of tournament contenders is as follows:

125:
1 Cory Clark, Iowa, Unattached
2. Jesse Delgado, Illinois
3. Jarrod Patterson, Oklahoma, Unattached
4. Trent Sprenkle, North Dakota State
5. Jarrod Garnett, Virginia Tech
6. Anthony Zanetta, Pittsburgh, Unattached
7. Nathan Kraisser, North Carolina
8. Christian Cullinan, Central Michigan
9. Shane Gentry, Maryland
10. Dominick Malone, Northwestern
11. Mark Rappo, Penn
12. Steve Bonnano, Hofstra

Other Contenders:
Sean Boyle, Michigan
Jared Germaine, Eastern Michigan
Joe Roth, Central Michigan
Thomas Gilman, Iowa , Unattached
Joey Palmer, Oregon State
Patrick Rollins, Oregon State
Dylan Peters, Northern Iowa
Tyler Iwamura, Cal St. Bakersfield
Evan Silver, Stanford

133:
1. Scott Sentes, Central Michigan
2. Dan Dennis, Hawkeye WC
3. AJ Schopp, Edinboro
4. Ryan Mango, Stanford, Unattached
5. Mason Beckman, Lehigh, Unattached
6. Cody Brewer, Oklahoma
7. Levi Wolfensperger, Northern Iowa
8. Shelton Mack, Pittsburgh
9. Levi Mele, Northwestern
10. Daryl Thomas, Illinois
11. Geoffrey Alexander, Maryland
12. Cashe’ Quiroga, Purdue

Other Contenders:
Tom Kelliher, Wisconsin
Val Rauser, Utah Valley
John Meeks, Iowa State
Joey Ward, North Carolina

141:
1. Kendric Maple, Oklahoma
2. BJ Futrell, Illinois
3. Devin Carter, Virginia Tech, Unattached
4. Michael Mangrum, Oregon State
5. Mitchell Port, Edinboro
6. Zach Neibert, Virginia Tech
7. Tyler Graff, Wisconsin
8. Evan Henderson, North Carolina
9. Jason Tsirtsis, Northwestern, Unattached
10. CJ Cobb, Penn
11. Camryn Jackson, Michigan
12. Luke Goettl, Iowa State

Other Contenders:
Tyler Small, Kent State, Unattached
Luke Vaith, Hofstra

149:
1. Montell Marion, Unattached
2. Donnie Vinson, Binghamton
3. Scott Sakaguchi, Oregon State
4. Ivan Lopouchanski, Purdue
5. Nick Lester, Oklahoma
6. Nick Brascetta, Virginia Tech
7. Steve Santos, Columbia
8. Eric Grajales, Michigan
9. David Habat, Edinboro
10. Justin Accordino, Hofstra
11. Shane Welsh, Lehigh
12. Tanner Hiatt, Northern Iowa

Other Contenders:
Josh Wilson, Utah Valley
Cole Schmitt, Wisconsin
Donnie Corby, Central Michigan

157:
1. Jason Welch, Northwestern
2. James Fleming, Clarion
3. Joey Napoli, Lehigh
4. Walter Peppelman, Harvard
5. RJ Pena, Oregon State
6. Jesse Dong, Virginia Tech
7. Matt Lester, Oklahoma
8. Jake O’Hara, Columbia
9. David Bonin, Northern Iowa
10. Taylor Walsh, Indiana
11. Tommy Churchard, Purdue
12. Dillon Bera, Wisconsin Parkside

Other Contenders:
Ian Miller, Kent State, Unattached
Aaron Sulzer, Eastern Michigan
Lucas Smith, Central Michigan

165:
1. Peter Yates, Virginia Tech
2. Bekzod Abdurakhmonov Golden Eagle WC
3. Bubby Graham, Oklahoma
4. Steve Monk, North Dakota State
5. Conrad Polz, Illinois
6. Pierce Harger, Northwestern
7. Mark Lewandowski, Buffalo
8. John Gresheimer, Edinboro
9. Tyler Wilps, Pittsburgh
10. Ryan LeBlanc, Indiana
11. Taylor Massa, Michigan
12. Jackson Morse, Illinois, Unattached

Other Contenders:
Mike Ottinger, Central Michigan
Mike Moreno, Iowa State
Ramon Santiago, Rider

174:
1. Jordan Blanton, Illinois
2. Josh Asper, Maryland
3. Robert Kokesh, Nebraska
4. Lee Munster, Northwestern
5. Dan Yates, Michigan
6. Stephen West, Columbia
7. Nathaniel Brown, Lehigh
8 John Martin-Cannon, Buffalo
9. Bryce Hammond, CSU-Bakersfield
10. Cody Caldwell, Northern Iowa
11. Nick Bonaccorsi. Pittsburgh
12. James Brundage, Rider

Other Contenders:
Kyle Kwiatt, Ohio Northern
Tanner Weatherman. Iowa State
Austin Gabel, Virginia Tech
Kurtis Julson, North Dakota State

184:
1. Robert Hamlin, Lehigh
2. Ben Bennett, Central Michigan
3. Jimmy Sheptock, Maryland
4. Travis Rutt, Oklahoma, Unattached
5. Ryan Loder, Northern Iowa
6. Josh Ihnen, Nebraska
7. Max Thomuseitt, Pittsburgh
8. Tony Dallago, Illinois
9. Joe Rau, Elmhurst College
10. Boaz Beard, Iowa State
11. Lorenzo Thomas, Penn, Unattached
12. Alex Utley, North Carolina

Other Contenders:
Mac Stoll, North Dakota State
Ty Vinson, Oregon State

197:
1. Dustin Kilgore, Kent State
2. Matt Wilps, Pittsburgh
3. Hudson Taylor, Lions WC
4. Mario Gonzalez, Illinois
5. Nate Schiedel, Binghamton
6. Taylor Meeks, Oregon State
7. Braden Atwood, Purdue
8. Christian Boley, Maryland
9. Max Huntley, Michigan
10. Kyven Gadsen, Iowa State
11. James Fox, Harvard
12. Alex Polizzi, Northwestern

Other Contenders:
Derrick Borlie, Virginia Tech
Jackson Hein, Wisconsin
Antonio Giorgio, North Carolina
Caleb Kolb, Nebraska
Angelo Malvestuto, Buffalo

285:
1. Jarod Trice, Central Michigan
2. Adam Chalfant, Indiana
3. Mike McMullan, Northwestern
4. Chad Hanke, Oregon State
5. Zach Thomusseit, Pittsburgh
6. Connor Medbery, Wisconsin
7. Pat Walker, Illinois
8. Ernest James, Edinboro
9. Matt Meuleners, Northern State
10. Matt Gibson, Iowa State
11. Eric Thompson, Grandview
12. Ben Apland, Michigan

Other Contenders:
Spencer Myers, Maryland, Unattached
Dan Scherer, Stanford
David Marone, Virginia