197 Pounds:
The Favorites:
No. 1 Cam Simaz, Junior (Cornell), Record: 31-1
Simaz is a pinning machine for Cornell and is known for his high-pressure offense. The EIWA champ has gone through the season collecting 15 pins and falling only once to No. 4 Dustin Kilgore (Kent State). The Big Red junior owns wins over No. 7 Matt Powless (Indiana) and No. 9 Micah Burak (Penn), three times, this season. The one thing Simaz doesn't lack is experience, having placed third in 2010 and seventh in 2009.
No. 2 Trevor Brandvold, Senior (Wisconsin), Record: 14-0
Brandvold has not wrestled as many matches this season, but the Wisconsin senior has made strides in his all-around mat skills. The Big Ten champ collected wins over No. 6 Luke Lofthouse (Iowa) and No. 8 Sonny Yohn (Minnesota) in the Big Ten tournament to finish out the season. Brandvold is extremely tough defensively, sometimes frustrating his opponents into bad shots, which he can turn into his own offense. He has a decent draw to the semifinals where he could meet undefeated Clayton Foster (Oklahoma State), but with his skills, he poses as a real threat for the title.
No. 3 Clayton Foster, Senior (Oklahoma State), Record: 22-0
The Big 12 champ has not been talked about nationally, despite being one of a handful of unbeaten wrestlers in the country. Foster is tough on his feet and has taken his wrestling skills to a new level this season with wins over No. 6 Luke Lofthouse (Iowa) and No. 8 Sonny Yohn (Minnesota). A potential semifinal clash with Brandvold looks enticing, but Foster needs to stay focused with a possible quarterfinal matchup with No. 5 Zac Thomusseit (Pittsburgh).
No. 4 Dustin Kigore, Junior (Kent State), Record: 33-2
Kilgore is strong and tough to score points on, but what makes him dangerous is his ability to create offense when the match looks stagnant. The Kent State junior handed top-ranked Cam Simaz (Cornell) his only loss of the year, and also defeated No. 5 Zac Thomusseit (Pittsurgh). Kilgore has what it takes to win the title in Philadelphia, and with his draw, all eyes are on a potential rematch with Simaz in the semifinals.
No. 5 Zac Thomusseit, Junior (Pittsburgh), Record: 22-2
Thomusseit has improved throughout the season and is in a good spot in the bracket to make some noise. The Pittsburgh junior defeated No. 6 Luke Lofthouse (Iowa), but he doesn't have many matches against big-time opponents. Should Thomuseeit make it to the quarterfinals, a potential matchup with Foster could determine how serious a contender he really is.
Others to watch:
No. 6 Luke Lofthouse, Senior (Iowa), Record: 20-5
No. 7 Matt Powless, Senior (Indiana), Record: 36-5
No 8 Sonny Yohn, Junior (Minnesota), Record: 13-5
No. 9 Micah Burak, Sophomore (Penn), Record: 26-6
Predicted Winner: Dustin Kilgore (Kent State)