When you have fourteen total teams in a conference and there are twelve automatic NCAA qualifiers like at 184, you know you are in the Big Ten. To add to that there are an amazing thirteen Big Ten wrestlers ranked in the top twenty-eight in the country at 184. That is depth.

Abe Assad enters Big Tens with a 10-6 record, ranked #20 in the country, and is #5 Pre-Seed at 184. I have been saying all year that I believe Assad has the potential to be elite as an All American but we have yet to see it in competition. The season ended on a down note with two losses.

I still believe the potential is there for Assad to go on a run. He certainly seems to have the athleticism and skills. This is a great example of where the momentum of an entire program can lift a wrestler to a higher level needed to win the big matches. Momentum can be contagious. I have seen that happen at tournament time over the decades for Iowa Wrestling. That will be needed for Iowa to make a run at the NCAA team title. We need Abe Assad.

 

NCAA Allocations for the Big Ten Conference at 184 for NCAA National Tournament Qualifiers is 12.

 

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

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

 

184 lbs. Big Tens Pre-Seeds (12 NCAA Qualifiers)

  1.       Aaron Brooks (PSU)
  2.       Myles Amine (MI)
  3.       Kaleb Romero (OSU)
  4.       Taylor Venz (NEB)
  5.       Abe Assad (IA)
  6.       Layne Malczewski (MSU)
  7.       John Pozanski (RUT)
  8.       Kyle Cochran (MD)
  9.       DJ Washington (IN)
  10.     Isaiah Salazar (MN)
  11.     Christopher Weiler (WI)
  12.     Zach Braunagel (IL)
  13.     Max Lyon (PUR)
  14.     Jack Jessen (NU)

 

*All Rankings by InterMat.

 

184 lbs. Rankings in the Big Ten:

#1 Aaron Brooks (Penn State)

#2 Myles Amine (Michigan)

#6 Kaleb Romero (Ohio State)

#8 Kyle Cochran (Maryland)

#9 John Poznanski (Rutgers)

#16 Donnell Washington (Indiana)

#17 Zac Braunagel (Illinois)

#19 Taylor Venz (Nebraska)

#20 Abe Assad (Iowa)

#22 Isaiah Salazar (Minnesota)

#23 Layne Malczewski (Michigan State)

#27 Chirs Weiler (Wisconsin)

#28 Max Lyon (Purdue)

 

Abe Assad 184, Junior – Carol Stream, Illinois (Glenbard North)

184 Luther Open — 2nd Place Isaac Gust (Wisconsin-LaCrosse) W-MD 16-5 

Daniel Benoit (University of the Ozarks) W-Pin 4:44 

Clayton Whiting (Unattached) L-D 3-4

Forest Belli (Princeton) – extra match W-Pin 4:38 

Ben Cushman (Central Michigan) W-Pin 2:22

A.J. Burkhart (Lehigh) W-MD 16-5

#3 Trent Hidlay (NC State) L-D 6-0 

Sam Skillings (Minnesota) W-MD 12-4 

#23 Max Lyon (Purdue) W-D 6-3 

Jack Jessen (Northwestern) W-TF 16-0

 #19 Zac Braunagel (Illinois) W-D 5-2 

#7 Kaleb Romero (Ohio State) L-D 3-1 

#1 Aaron Brooks (Penn State) L-D 8-3 

#27 Chris Weiler (Wisconsin) W-D 4-2

#11 Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State) L-D 9-2

#20 Taylor Venz (Nebraska) L-Pin 6:12

 

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!