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The don't clog the board with final/stay thoughts from NCAAs, post them here, thread

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HOA242n!

Senior
Aug 18, 2025
230
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CowbellMan said:
A freaking short one, then, because he’s a short 97.
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He was a HWY for most of his prep career, he's had to cut weight to make 197. The Merrill brothers are absolute tanks (little brother is even thicker); it's not easy to take down a guy whose ankle is as thick as your torso, but it's also not fun to watch a wrestler who has almost no offense. I believe Cody had a grand total of 7 bonus points the entire season.
 
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B

BriantheLion

All-Conference
Nov 27, 2023
1,421
1,934
113
CowbellMan said:
I think Duke will not lose again. His growth between year 1 and 2 will be frightening since it starts from a scary place already.
Robi was coached to keep PJ away from his body. There aren’t many tactics to do that he hasn’t now been exposed to. He will be on a Mesenbrink roll but with more pins.
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PJ was tentative first match with Antrell, L-TB…aggressive second match, W-MD

Tentative first match Rope-a-dope, L-TB(after hosed in SV) …second match pending, if they’re same weight class

By next year, he should have the confidence to come out aggressively against anyone, including elite first time opponents!
 
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JoePaMajorCFBrecord409Ws

Senior
Jun 26, 2025
937
966
93
CowbellMan said:
And…..as long as refs are not calling the edge rules properly, the edge becomes an extra defender which is precisely why wrestlers retreat there and why the current OOB rule was added about 10 years ago to stop it.
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It's not just the edge wrestling (although it is shockingly bad when you look at the finals and count how many times people wrestled from a fully OB position - both engaged and not engaged), but something also has to be done about the amount of Fleeing the Folk Officials are allowing. Guys regularly flee ties and then run around the mat like they're in a boxing ring. It is not legal to intentionally avoid engagement.... and back away attempting to maintain space.... then dance another direction to avoid engagement. Not legal to do as a strategy (i.e., attempting to intentionally shorten the match and mute scoring.... so match goes to short-time, SV or TBs).
 
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JoePaMajorCFBrecord409Ws

Senior
Jun 26, 2025
937
966
93
Potterlion said:
Exactly, aside from the fact that the ref didn't immediately call the takedown and did in essence give Robideau reaction time before he did so, I'm not sure why anyone is suggesting that somehow because Robideau "had the leg" that it's some sort of defense to what a takedown has always been. PJ locked up the cradle, Robideau was "on a hip" and that's it. Even if having a hand on PJ's leg meant anything at all, as you pointed out, he dropped it, then went back to it. By any definition of takedown and by any definition of reaction time, PJ won that match in sudden victory. I'm not even a little bit less pissed off about it given that a day and a half has passed. And while I still don't necessarily expect it, I still want the NCAA to address it and make a public admission that they got it wrong.
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Robideau never had Duke's leg after he was taken to his back. After Duke put him on his hip, rolled him to his back and then Robideau rolled thru but was still locked in a cradle.... Robideau then lamely reached out his arm and laid his hand on Duke's thigh - that is not having control of Duke's leg. That is nothing once you've been cradled and already taken to your back once. It's utterly absurd that they reversed Duke's clear & unquestionable offensive score.
 
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S

Spykers Secretary

Senior
May 7, 2022
253
797
93
Tyson dippery retweeted this. I don’t know if we’ll be wearing the it’s ok we hate you too 2.0 t shirts but you can bet the longer the dynasty goes the more hate there will be

 
D

Dren007

Junior
Feb 19, 2012
202
394
63
Potterlion said:
So many things still going through my mind about the tournament and most of them bittersweet at least (still pissed off about PJ's screwing and a bit sad for Shayne), but I'm back to the Caliendo thing. I said immediately that anyone could understand his frustration or even bitterness at having to wrestle Messenbrink yet again for his last chance at eternal glory and I also do agree with Bo Nickal to some degree that maybe Caliendo was in his own world right at that moment and didn't really see/know what was going on (or maybe had he been given a couple of seconds longer to consider/think about it he would have come to his senses), but given the fact that he didn't, he actually made himself look worse for taking the drubbing that he took. Had he been classy, shaken Mitch's hand, congratulated him for his success, almost everybody (including 80% of the posters here) would have said, "Mikey Caliendo is a great guy and a great wrestler and his only fault was that he was unfortunate to wrestle in Mitch Messenbrink's weight class". Very few would have mentioned the tech fall in the future and most would have repeated that "at least Caliendo brings it" and presented himself to Messenbrink in each of their matches. But now because of his short-sighted refusal to shake hands, people will always remember him as a sore loser, rather than remembering that he was a tough competitor and likely did have a better chance to knock off Mitchell than anyone else (maybe less apparent after his later losses than a few of the earlier ones, but still). Now instead of remembering him as a gritty wrestler, some folks will remember the couple of times that he was "snitty" (like throwing an elbow in frustration or refusing to shake hands with the champion).

I still give him this one. I really think he probably regrets not offering his hand and I really think that had he been given another second to consider it (or had Mitch said, "Hey, Mike, you're been a GREAT competitor and I appreciate you" when he offered his hand) that he would have reached out. It's just a shame. And it's generally why I'm proud of the PSU guys. I'm not saying that no Penn State guy has ever been in a snit, but when a PSU guy does it, nobody here makes excuses for them, and they get called out for it. Think about Shayne Van Ness, who in "his year" loses in overtime and he still makes a classy bow to the crowd even after having his dreams shattered.

I know that the PSU haters can't bring themselves to acknowledge that PSU does do it the right way and that it really is about being grateful, having fun, recognizing that "it's just a game and there are more important things", etc. etc., but it's why I'm so proud of the PSU wrestlers (generally almost all of them) and of the coaching staff.
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The way PJ handled himself after the loss after he thought he was moving on was amazing? And this kid is freshman. I doubt I would have been so calm.
 
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Tryingtodoitright

Tryingtodoitright

All-Conference
Oct 12, 2021
756
1,232
93
Lil Nicky Scarfo said:
Who is Tyson Dippery?
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Tyson Dippery joined the Franklin & Marshall wrestling program as an assistant coach in August 2018 and is currently in his eighth season on the coaching staff. He has helped the Diplomats place 14 wrestlers at the EIWA Championships and send four individuals to the national tournament.
Dippery competed at Division I Rider University, where he graduated in May 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. Throughout his five-year collegiate career, Dippery compiled a 101-48 career record. He transferred from Rutgers University where he was a 2016 NCAA Qualifier at 149 lbs. and a Big Ten Championships placewinner – finishing sixth.
 
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PSU Mike

PSU Mike

All-American
Jul 28, 2001
4,123
7,232
113
So in FS this summer, where do we see …

PJ 74? - why bother cutting hard?
Kasak 70? - at least twice since last March
Marcus: 61 or 65?
Levi: 86? Why not start getting used to the big guys for ‘28?
Connor: 92?
Josh: 92?

How many of the freshman and ‘26 crew will go?
 
L

Lil Nicky Scarfo

All-Conference
Jul 1, 2025
1,348
3,855
113
Tryingtodoitright said:
Tyson Dippery joined the Franklin & Marshall wrestling program as an assistant coach in August 2018 and is currently in his eighth season on the coaching staff. He has helped the Diplomats place 14 wrestlers at the EIWA Championships and send four individuals to the national tournament.
Dippery competed at Division I Rider University, where he graduated in May 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. Throughout his five-year collegiate career, Dippery compiled a 101-48 career record. He transferred from Rutgers University where he was a 2016 NCAA Qualifier at 149 lbs. and a Big Ten Championships placewinner – finishing sixth.
Click to expand...

 
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PSU Mike

PSU Mike

All-American
Jul 28, 2001
4,123
7,232
113
Anybody else find it interesting that Mitchell’s best friend is Sam Herring, given they’re four class years apart? Or did I hear him wrong? Is Herring known to be a Renaissance Man like Mitch?
 
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El_Jefe

El_Jefe

Heisman
Oct 11, 2021
3,313
13,113
113
PSU Mike said:
So in FS this summer, where do we see …

PJ 74? - why bother cutting hard?
Kasak 70? - at least twice since last March
Marcus: 61 or 65?
Levi: 86? Why not start getting used to the big guys for ‘28?
Connor: 92?
Josh: 92?

How many of the freshman and ‘26 crew will go?
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If I were Levi, I'd stay at 79 kg this year and probably also in 2027. To me it's about a world medal giving him several rounds of byes at Trials.

Same with Barr -- I'd go 92 this year and 2027, then 97 in 2028.

They don't need to get used to the big guys as long as we still have big guys in the room.
 
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N

Nitlion1986

All-Conference
Apr 13, 2024
1,588
4,730
113
Wilbur Kookmeyer said:
As others have noted, I am surprised how weak Cornell looked. They seem to be a program in decline after the coaching turnovers.
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Be careful. Mrs. Grey will yell at you from over on X.
However, you are right. Whatever it was that Koll offered (which is a lot) is certainly missed. Cornell already has wealthy alumi support. They should seriously consider replacing Mrs. Grey and her hubby. Mike seems to have the great teacher assistant thing, but something is missing.
 
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Z

zzs006

All-Conference
Mar 27, 2017
791
4,502
93
HOA242n! said:
He was a HWY for most of his prep career, he's had to cut weight to make 197. The Merrill brothers are absolute tanks (little brother is even thicker); it's not easy to take down a guy whose ankle is as thick as your torso, but it's also not fun to watch a wrestler who has almost no offense. I believe Cody had a grand total of 7 bonus points the entire season.
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I mentioned this earlier but Merrill looks small compared to what he was in high school. He’s trimmed down and isn’t near as thick. His little brother is massive on the other hand
 
N

Nitlion1986

All-Conference
Apr 13, 2024
1,588
4,730
113
PSU Mike said:
So in FS this summer, where do we see …

PJ 74? - why bother cutting hard?
Kasak 70? - at least twice since last March
Marcus: 61 or 65?
Levi: 86? Why not start getting used to the big guys for ‘28?
Connor: 92?
Josh: 92?

How many of the freshman and ‘26 crew will go?
Click to expand...
Before Kasak goes he should probably be checked and cleared by this board's concussion experts.
 
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Lil Nicky Scarfo

All-Conference
Jul 1, 2025
1,348
3,855
113
WEAREPSU_LI said:
Sensitive Sally's.
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For a bunch of acknowledged hardos in terms of choice of sport, wrestlers on social media are really soft.

I had a weird back and forth with a gatekeeping Travis Shaffer from Pitt one time. After he scoffed at my opinion (which was that his post about something was clearly biased against Penn State given he wrestled for Pitt and I only wrestled 2 years in my teens), I didn’t have the heart to ask if I should value, say, Jason Nolf’s opinion on a wrestling issue about 457 times more than his given Nolf’s success and the fact that Shaffer peaked at the Dapper Dan and his career cratered at Pitt. I mean - if we’re going to gatekeep, let’s be consistent here.
 
B

buistm

Redshirt
Feb 19, 2024
3
6
3
CTStall said:
Change the rule to stop the edge wrestling. Make it first step out a warning, after that it's a point every time. Wrestlers would use it as a scoring tactic,and it would force more inner mat engagement.
After 5 it's a disqualification.
Also crack down on head slapping. First is warning, and then same as above for points .No issue with head pressure but the slapping creates the space that allows guys not to wrestle.
If matches go OT,first point wins it. No time limit. Most matches would end in 2 minutes with step out rule in place .
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Would also add that the constant "ankle diving" is annoying. This seems to become more frequent the past 10 years but really just slows down matches. It never happens in freestyle because of exposure but zero penalties in folkstyle.
 
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A

AgSurfer

All-Conference
Aug 9, 2013
617
1,904
92
Tryingtodoitright said:
Tyson Dippery joined the Franklin & Marshall wrestling program as an assistant coach in August 2018 and is currently in his eighth season on the coaching staff. He has helped the Diplomats place 14 wrestlers at the EIWA Championships and send four individuals to the national tournament.
Dippery competed at Division I Rider University, where he graduated in May 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. Throughout his five-year collegiate career, Dippery compiled a 101-48 career record. He transferred from Rutgers University where he was a 2016 NCAA Qualifier at 149 lbs. and a Big Ten Championships placewinner – finishing sixth.
Click to expand...
Also a Central Dauphin alum if I recall correctly.
 
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a_mshaffer

a_mshaffer

Senior
Dec 8, 2014
335
489
63
Tryingtodoitright said:
Tyson Dippery joined the Franklin & Marshall wrestling program as an assistant coach in August 2018 and is currently in his eighth season on the coaching staff. He has helped the Diplomats place 14 wrestlers at the EIWA Championships and send four individuals to the national tournament.
Dippery competed at Division I Rider University, where he graduated in May 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. Throughout his five-year collegiate career, Dippery compiled a 101-48 career record. He transferred from Rutgers University where he was a 2016 NCAA Qualifier at 149 lbs. and a Big Ten Championships placewinner – finishing sixth.
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Steve Borja has been with F&M for over a decade. He was on Brands' VaTech team. Great guy as I got to see and interact with him at the Lyco camps (note - I know this reply doesn't fit the original q)
 
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P

Potterlion

Senior
Jan 25, 2011
183
712
93
Headlock said:
Some people find fault like there's a reward for it!
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Yep. I don't doubt that some wrestlers might use the "I kicked your ***" handshake in a passive-aggressive manner, but I don't think that's Mitch's thing. I think he thinks that wrestlers are all part of the same fraternity and that they should all be buddies. If anything, it would be evidence that he's tone deaf and can't realize that some guys are/were still licking their wounds and didn't want to shake hands, but it wasn't an attempt to embarrass or bully anyone. The fact that Messenbrink frequently talks to his opponents during the match or is constantly explaining things to the ref should be enough evidence that he's just a fairly happy go lucky guy and he thinks all people are like that (he'll find out in time that they are NOT).
 
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B

BriantheLion

All-Conference
Nov 27, 2023
1,421
1,934
113
Potterlion said:
Yep. I don't doubt that some wrestlers might use the "I kicked your ***" handshake in a passive-aggressive manner, but I don't think that's Mitch's thing. I think he thinks that wrestlers are all part of the same fraternity and that they should all be buddies. If anything, it would be evidence that he's tone deaf and can't realize that some guys are/were still licking their wounds and didn't want to shake hands, but it wasn't an attempt to embarrass or bully anyone. The fact that Messenbrink frequently talks to his opponents during the match or is constantly explaining things to the ref should be enough evidence that he's just a fairly happy go lucky guy and he thinks all people are like that (he'll find out in time that they are NOT).
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He might have noticed that Jordan Burroughs is not!
 
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CentexLion

CentexLion

Senior
Jul 9, 2001
97
430
53
GregPickel said:
I'll lead the way:

www.on3.com

3 final Penn State wrestling thoughts, plus results from every Lions match, from a record-setting 2026 NCAA Championships

Penn State wrestling won another national title on Saturday at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. Here are five final thoughts from the tournament.
www.on3.com www.on3.com
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Not certain if posted, but here are all 80 AA's and their college classification

23 seniors, but I believe Echemendia may have 1 more if he wants

Lots of Gray shirts and new freshman

Crazy that 157, 184, and 197 had no seniors. 285 had 5

NCAA Wrestling Championships 2026 Final Placements
125 lbs
1. Luke Lilledahl (Penn State)Sophomore
2. Marc-Anthony McGowan (Princeton)Sophomore
3. Nico Provo (Stanford)Junior
4. Vincent Robinson (NC State)Sophomore
5. Troy Spratley (OK State)Junior
6. Jacob Moran (Indiana)Senior
7. Jore Volk (Minnesota)Junior
8. Tyler Klinsky (Rider)Senior
133 lbs
1. Jax Forrest (OK State)Freshman
2. Ben Davino (Ohio State)Freshman
3. Aaron Seidel (Virginia Tech)Freshman
4. Marcus Blaze (Penn State)Freshman
5. Drake Ayala (Iowa)Senior
6. Tyler Knox (Stanford)Sophomore
7. Jacob Van Dee (Nebraska)Junior
8. Lucas Byrd (Illinois)Senior
141 lbs
1. Sergio Vega (OK State)Freshman
2. Jesse Mendez (Ohio State)Senior
3. Luke Stanich (Lehigh)Sophomore
4. Brock Hardy (Nebraska)Senior
5. Carter Nogle (Air Force)Sophomore
6. Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State)Senior
7. CJ Composto (Penn)Senior
8. Wyatt Henson (Lock Haven)Senior
149 lbs
1. Aden Valencia (Stanford)Freshman
2. Shayne Van Ness (Penn State)Junior
3. Lachlan McNeil (Michigan)Senior
4. Chance Lamer (Nebraska)Senior
5. Collin Gaj (Virginia Tech)Freshman
6. Ryder Block (Iowa)Sophomore
7. Cross Wasilewski (Penn)Sophomore
8. Casey Swiderski (OK State)Junior
157 lbs
1. Landon Robideau (OK State)Freshman
2. Antrell Taylor (Nebraska)Junior
3. PJ Duke (Penn State)Freshman
4. Brandon Cannon (Ohio State)Sophomore
5. Kannon Webster (Illinois)Sophomore
6. Ty Watters (West Virginia)Sophomore
7. Cameron Catrabone (Michigan)Freshman
8. Meyer Shapiro (Cornell)Junior
165 lbs
1. Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State)Junior
2. Mikey Caliendo (Iowa)Senior
3. Cesar Alvan (Columbia)Senior
4. Nicco Ruiz (Arizona State)Sophomore
5. Andrew Sparks (Minnesota)Senior
6. Joey Blaze (Purdue)Junior
7. Bryce Hepner (North Carolina)Junior
8. Paddy Gallagher (Ohio State)Senior
174 lbs
1. Levi Haines (Penn State)Senior
2. Christopher Minto (Nebraska)Sophomore
3. Patrick Kennedy (Iowa)Senior
4. Carson Kharchla (Ohio State)Senior
5. Cam Steed (Missouri)Junior
6. Danny Wask (Navy)Junior
7. Beau Mantanona (Michigan)Sophomore
8. MJ Gaitan (Iowa State)Junior
184 lbs
1. Max McEnelly (Minnesota)Sophomore
2. Rocco Welsh (Penn State)Sophomore
3. Aeoden Sinclair (Missouri)Freshman
4. Caleb Campos (American)Junior
5. Brock Mantanona (Michigan)Freshman
6. Angelo Ferrari (Iowa)Freshman
7. Eddie Neitenbach (Wyoming)Sophomore
8. Zack Ryder (OK State)Freshman
197 lbs
1. Josh Barr (Penn State)Sophomore
2. Cody Merrill (OK State)Freshman
3. Stephen Little (Little Rock)Junior
4. Joey Novak (Wyoming)Junior
5. Camden McDanel (Nebraska)Sophomore
6. Angelo Posada (Stanford)Freshman
7. Gabe Arnold (Iowa)Sophomore
8. Branson John (Maryland)Sophomore
285 lbs
1. Isaac Trumble (NC State)Senior
2. Yonger Bastida (Iowa State)Senior
3. Taye Ghadiali (Michigan)Senior
4. Konner Doucet (OK State)Senior
5. Ben Kueter (Iowa)Sophomore
6. AJ Ferrari (Nebraska)Junior
7. David Szuba (Arizona State)Senior
8. Christian Carroll (Wyoming)Sophomore
 
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