At the start of the season I do not believe many would have thought Michael Kemerer would end up as the #4 seed at Big Tens. With a 7-2 record that is where Kemerer is at. 174 is the mosted loaded weight at Big Tens with the top four ranked wrestlers in the country. That does not happen very often, if ever. Also five of the top seven wrestlers in the country. There will be some very good first round and quarterfinal round matches.

When the quarterfinals of a conference tournament looks to be nationally ranked #4 Kemerer vs. #7 Ethan Smith you have one tough weight class. Let’s take it one match at a time but the potential is there for a Kemerer-Starocci semifinals match. 

Of all the weights at Big Tens the excitement at 174 should be hard to top.

In an interview with me several years ago Tom Brands said that a loss can sometimes improve a wrestler’s hearing. The point was that a stinging loss can make a wrestler open up for technical changes that are needed. Michael Kemerer is going to have to finish his shots and score takedowns to be a national champion this season. The next step is Big Tens.

 

NCAA Allocations for the Big Ten Conference at 174 for NCAA National Tournament Qualifiers is 8.

 

Sat/Sun March 5-6 at Big Tens (Lincoln, Nebraska)

Th-Sat, March 17-19  at NCAA National Tournament (Detroit, Michigan)

 

174 lbs. Big Tens Pre-Seeds (8 NCAA Qualifiers)

  1.       Carter Starocci (PSU)
  2.       Logan Massa (MI)
  3.       Mikey Labriola (NEB)
  4.       Michael Kemerer (IA)
  5.       Ethan Smith (OSU)
  6.       Bailee O’Reilly (MN)
  7.       Gerit Nijenhuis (PUR)
  8.       Troy Fisher (NU)
  9.       Dominic Solic (MD)
  10.     DJ Shannon (IL)
  11.     Andrew McNally (WI)
  12.     Nick South (IN)
  13.     Connor O’Neill (RUT)
  14.     Nate Jimenez (MSU)

 

*All Rankings by InterMat.

 

174 lbs. Rankings in the Big Ten:

#1 Carter Starocci (Penn State)

#2 Logan Massa (Michigan)

#3 Mikey Labriola (Nebraska)

#4 Michael Kemerer (Iowa)

#7 Ethan Smith (Ohio State)

#18 Bailee O’Reilly (Minnesota)

#21 Gerrit Nijenhuis (Purdue)

#30 Andrew McNally (Wisconsin)

 

Michael Kemerer 174, Senior– Murrysville, Pennsylvania (Franklin Regional)

#23 Bailee O’Reilly (Minnesota) W-D 9-2

#21 Gerrit Nijenhuis (Purdue) W-TF 17-1

Ankhaa Enkhmandakh (Northwestern) W-Pin 2:36

Baan Rachal (Illinois) W-Pin 2:35 

#7 Ethan Smith (Ohio State) W-D 6-3 

#1 Carter Starocci (Penn State) L-D 2-1 SV 2 

#23 Andrew McNally (Wisconsin) W-MD 11-2 

#10 Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State) W-D 6-1

#6 Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) L-D 5-4

 

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!