Kaleb Young enters the Big Ten Tournament as #2 in Pre-Seeds and ranked #6 in the country at 157 lbs. Young has not faced the top Pre-Seed and nationally number one ranked Ryan Deakin of Northwestern this season. Young defeated Deakin in the Quarterfinals and Fifth Place match at Nationals last season with a takedown in overtime for a 7-5 win in both matches.
Young has already defeated the Pre-Seed #3,4,5,6,7,11,12, and 14 and is undefeated in Big Ten matches this season. A potential semifinal match against #3 Pre-Seed and #7 nationally ranked Kendall Coleman of Purdue may happen. Young defeated Coleman in the semifinals of Midlands by a fall and by a 4-3 decision in the dual meet.
Young placed fourth at Big Tens last year and wrestled his best performance of the season at Nationals when he placed fifth. I really think Young will benefit from the 9-4 loss to Wyatt Sheets of Oklahoma State in the final dual meet of the season. My first thought after that match was something that I have heard Dan Gable say:
“A loss can improve a wrestler’s hearing.”
The point was that a loss can make a wrestler more open to coaching and make necessary changes in their wrestling. Young was on a 13-match winning streak going into that match but he had not looked real sharp in winning a lot of low scoring close matches. Maybe that loss will serve as a turning point in his season by making adjustments and improvements heading into the tournament season.
I firmly believe that on any given day Kaleb Young can beat any 157 lbs. wrestler in the country.
Big Ten Conference Tournament: March 7-8
Big Ten Automatic Bids for NCAA National Tournament at 157 lbs. – 6
Kaleb Young
Big Ten Championships Pre-Seed: #2
NCAA D-I Coaches Ranking: #6
Record: 15-3
Falls: 1
Tech Falls: 0
Major Decisions: 1
Decisions: 13
157 lbs. Big Tens Pre-Seeds:
- Ryan Deakin, NU
- Kaleb Young, IOWA
- Kendall Coleman, PUR
- Will Lewan, MICH
- Ryan Thomas, MINN
- Jake Tucker, MSU
- Peyton Robb, NEB
- Eric Barone, ILL
- Michael VanBrill, RU
- Jahi Jones, MD
- Elijah Cleary, OSU
- Garrett Model, WIS
- Bo Pipher, PSU
- Fernie Silva, IND
157 lbs. NCAA D-I Coaches Ranking and results of Big Ten matches:
#6 Kaleb Young – Iowa
Kaleb Young over Garrett Model (W) Dec 12-6
Kaleb Young over Fernie Silva (IN) Dec 13-7 (Midlands)
Kaleb Young over #7 Kendall Coleman (Purdue) Fall 7:57 (Midlands)
Kaleb Young over Fernie Silva (IN) Dec 11-4
Kaleb Young over #7 Kendall Coleman (Purdue) Dec 4-3
Kaleb Young over #17 Peyton Robb (NE) Dec 6-4
Kaleb Young over #33 Elijah Cleary (OSU) Dec 4-1
Kaleb Young over Bo Pipher (PSU) Dec 6-1
Kaleb Young over #22 Jake Tucker (MSU) Dec 6-2
Kaleb Young over #8 Will Lewan (MI) Dec 7-3
Kaleb Young over #31 Ryan Thomas (MN) Dec 5-4 TB1
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
