The Iowa Wrestling Recruiting Class of 2018 is looking pretty good about now. The two stars of that class, Anthony Cassioppi and Nelson Brands, are out to a very fast start in their college wrestling career as redshirt freshman. Cassioppi and Brands have both won the Grand View Open, Lindenwood Open, and UNI Open. Cassioppi and Brands are a combined 24-0 with bonus points scored in 18 of those matches.
The stats on Cassioppi are enough for you to ask if they are real. I assure you, these stats are real. Cassioppi is 11-0 with ten pins and a major decision. For his ten pins, Cassioppi had nine pins in the first period and one in the second period. That is getting the job done in a hurry.
At the UNI Open last weekend, Cassioppi was 3-0 with three first period pins in :35, 1:52, and :43. There is actually some controversy that the :43 pin in the finals looked closer to the :15 range. It is very rare to see such quick pins in D-I college wrestling. For his performance, Cassioppi was named at the USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week for the week of December 11.
Brands is 13-0 on the season with two pins, two tech falls, and three major decisions. What really stands out about Brands is who he has beat. Brands topped former Iowa NCAA National Qualifier Joey Gunther 3-1 in the Lindenwood Open semifinals. Gunther transferred to Illinois after starting for Iowa as a freshman and sophomore. Gunther was ranked in the top 15 last year and is an experienced and tough wrestler. To have a true freshman win that match is impressive.
Brands had a big 3-1 win over Dan Braunagel of Illinois in the finals of the Lindenwood Open. Braunagel had defeated Brands at Junior Nationals in July, 13-7. That show a lot of progress in a short period of time. Brands also has a real quality win in defeating highly recruited Jake Allar of Minnesota, 3-2, 2 OT in the finals of the UNI Open.
Both Cassioppi and Brands will compete at Midlands on December 29-30. As a fan, I hope they do for the entertainment and to see just how good they really are right now.
The Iowa Wrestling Recruiting Class of 2018 may be one to remember with two standouts like Cassioppi and Brands.
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
Anthony Cassioppi – Hwt
Grand View Open
- Champ. Round 1 – Anthony Cassioppi (Iowa) won by fall over Austin Emerson (Nebraska) (Fall 2:53)
- Quarterfinal – Anthony Cassioppi (Iowa) won by fall over Ethan Andersen (Iowa State University) (Fall 2:26)
- Semifinal – Anthony Cassioppi (Iowa) won by fall over Jimsher Sudhu (Life) (Fall 1:08)
- 1st Place Match – Anthony Cassioppi (Iowa) won by fall over Cooper Thomas (Grand View ) (Fall 2:38)
Lindenwood Open
- Champ. Round 1 – Tony Cassioppi (Iowa) received a bye () (Bye)
- Champ. Round 2 – Tony Cassioppi (Iowa) won by major decision over Jacob Bohlken (Missouri) (Maj 9-1)
- Quarterfinal – Tony Cassioppi (Iowa) won by fall over Dustin Politte (Maryville University) (Fall 1:08)
- Semifinal – Tony Cassioppi (Iowa) won by fall over Colton McKiernan (Southern Illinois Edwardsville) (Fall 2:03)
- 1st Place Match – Tony Cassioppi (Iowa) won by fall over Gannon Gremmel (Iowa State) (Fall 4:20)
UNI Open
- Champ. Round 1 – Tony Cassioppi (IOWA) received a bye () (Bye)
- Quarterfinal – Tony Cassioppi (IOWA) won by fall over Blake Wolters (South Dakota St.) (Fall 0:35)
- Semifinal – Tony Cassioppi (IOWA) won by fall over Thomas Helton (SIUE) (Fall 1:52)
- 1st Place Match – Tony Cassioppi (IOWA) won by fall over Daniel Stibral (North Dakota State) (Fall 0:43)
Nelson Brands – 165 lbs.
Grand View Open
- Champ. Round 1 – Nelson Brands (Iowa) received a bye () (Bye)
- Champ. Round 2 – Nelson Brands (Iowa) won by fall over Ron Evans (Lindenwood – Belleville (Ill.), IL) (Fall 2:23)
- Quarterfinal – Nelson Brands (Iowa) won by tech fall over Sal Arzani (Grand View ) (TF 20-4)
- Semifinal – Nelson Brands (Iowa) won by major decision over Jacob Gross (Indiana Tech) (Maj 12-4)
- 1st Place Match – Nelson Brands (Iowa) won by medical forfeit over Ryan Niven (Grand View ) (MFF)
Lindenwood Open
- Champ. Round 1 – Nelson Brands (Iowa) won by tech fall over Tim McCarthy (Illinois) (TF 20-4)
- Quarterfinal – Nelson Brands (Iowa) won by decision over Kyle Jolas (Lindenwood (Mo.)) (Dec 10-5)
- Semifinal – Nelson Brands (Iowa) won by decision over Joseph Gunther (Illinois) (Dec 3-1)
- 1st Place Match – Nelson Brands (Iowa) won by decision over Dan Braunagel (Illinois) (Dec 3-1)
UNI Open
- Champ. Round 1 – Nelson Brands (IOWA) won by fall over Jonathan Carr (Iowa Central CC) (Fall 2:12)
- Champ. Round 2 – Nelson Brands (IOWA) won by major decision over Tate Battani (Iowa State Unattached) (Maj 13-5)
- Quarterfinal – Nelson Brands (IOWA) won by major decision over Skyler St. John (Iowa State Wrestling) (Maj 12-3)
- Semifinal – Nelson Brands (IOWA) won by medical forfeit over Brady Jennings (Iowa State Unattached) (MFF)
- 1st Place Match – Nelson Brands (IOWA) won in double overtime over Jake Allar (Minnesota) (2-OT 3-2)
