Class D Rankings-12/13/19

NSWCA Class D Tournament Team Rankings

1. Plainview
2. Mullen
3. Neligh-Oakdale
4. Maxwell
5. Burwell
6. Nebraska Christian
7. Howells-Dodge
8. Thayer Central
9. Winside
10. Central Valley

 

Comments

For almost all weights, unless I directly heard from coaches or wrestlers, this week’s ratings have wrestlers listed at where they competed this opening weekend. Several big tournaments took place over this opening weekend that saw a lot of rated match-ups including the Creighton, Howells-Dodge, Mullen, Harvard and Bob Arehart Invites. To open the year, Plainview proved it will be a tough team to compete with, winning the Creighton Invite with 8 champions. They also will get points out of some talented freshmen that had good showings. Mullen was the only other team in the top ten to win as a team this weekend at home. Neligh-Oakdale and Maxwell will have excellent depth that should help them keep pace. Burwell will be the team to watch over the next few weeks as they gradually start wrestling with a full line-up. Thank you to the coaches who take time to send information and contribute to these rankings. Enjoy your holiday break! Best of luck to all Class D wrestlers and coaches!

 

106

1. Eli Lanham, Plainview
2. Hunter Bennett, Elkhorn Valley
3. Ashton Dane, Plainview
4. Hayden Neeman, Superior
5. Dutch Yates, Garden County
6. Carter Beckman, EPPJ

 

Contenders

Lane Bohac, East Butler

Carson Whitesel, Neligh-Oakdale

Austin Kennicutt, Overton

 

Comments

To start the year off Lanham, Bennett, and Dane finished in that order at the Creighton Invite. Lanham looks like a clear favorite after his match with Bennett. Dane will definitely be in the mix when we get to Omaha. Neeman started off his freshman campaign with a championship at the Harvard Invite. Yates dropped a match but is still figured into the top six. Beckman was also a surprise with three first period pins at Howells. Could see a shift in the next rankings as a few wrestlers come down.

 

113

1. Jesse Sauceda, Shelton
2. Cayden Ellis, Winside
3. Jacob Fox, Axtell
4. Ashton Sinn, Thayer Central
5. Ethan Kipp, Twin Loup
6. Tristin Grooms, Mullen

 

Contenders

Jacoby Mann, Winside

Brayden Brecka, East Butler

Ben Klemserud, North Central

 

Comments

Sauceda sits at the top of 113 as he didn’t wrestle this weekend. Ellis was the champion of the Creighton Invite. Grooms was projected at 106 but competed at 113 to start the season. Both he and Sinn have the ability to drop to 106 yet. Fox pinned his way through the Harvard tournament. Both Kipp and Mann finished runner-up this weekend and are interchangeable as the 6^th rated guy.

120

1. Teven Marshall, Mullen
2. Scout Ashburn, Plainview
3. Koby Smith, Elm Creek
4. Kirby Smith, Fullerton
5. Chet Fisher, Southern Valley
6. Tristan White, Arapahoe

 

Contenders

Sam Melton, Maxwell

Logan Peterson, South Loup

Michael Polivka, East Butler

Comments

Marshall and Ashburn both looked comfortable winning their opening tournaments to start the season. Koby Smith was also on a roll and lost in OT in the finals at Ravenna. Both Kirby Smith and Fisher dropped matches to out of class opponents. They stay in the top six as White did not wrestle and contenders lost out of class matches as well.

126

1. Shaye Wood, Central Valley
2. Cyrus Wells, Anselmo-Merna
3. Brock Kester, Neligh-Oakdale
4. Gaven Schernikau, Centennial
5. Tate Phillipps, Burwell
6. Adam Miller, Elkhorn Valley

 

Contenders

Brenner McLaughlin, Thayer Central

Jon tenBensel, Cambridge

Josh Spatz, East Butler

 

Comments
Shaye Wood is a returning state champion, but was beaten in the finals at Ravenna by Class C Amherst’s Shields, as Phillipps also lost to him. Brock Kester also dropped a finals match to Class C Valentine’s Williams. Schernikau and Centennial make the move to Class D and starts his season with a championship at Friend. Miller was relatively untested at the Creighton Invite. Wells didn’t compete this weekend. About half of the top six could potentially drop to 120 at different times before the next set of ratings come out. They will be moved when and if they do.

 

132

1. Samuel Foster, Sutherland
2. Ruger Reimers, Palmer
3. Ryan Payne, Centennial
4. Nolan Blevins, Weeping Water
5. Carter Buchheit, Hemingford
6. Art Escalante, Winside

 

Contenders

Carson Gruntorad, Elm Creek

Cody Lambert, Southern Valley

Tanner Frahm, Plainview

 

Comments

Foster had a busy opening week and starts the year 7-0. Reimers and Payne didn’t match up at the Friend Invite, but now have a common between them with Reimers having the edge, winning the tournament. I look at Blevins to have a breakout season as he was the champ at Conestoga. Escalante was very smooth in his bracket at the Creighton Invite with a finals win over a contender. Buchheit didn’t compete this weekend.

138

1. Nate Christensen, Plainview
2. Enrique Martinez, Central Valley
3. Dustin Klingsporn, Axtell
4. Jon Peterka, Sutherland
5. Gabe Escalante, Winside
6. Jeremy Larson, Brady

 

Contenders

Chase Pawloski, Pleasanton

Garrett Latimer, Southwest

Seth Hare, Hitchcock County

 

Comments

After dealing with some preseason illness, returning state champ Christensen went untested at the Creighton Invite with a quality win over Class C Battle Creek’s Lade. Escalante was on the opposite side and didn’t meet up with Christensen, finishing in 3^rd. Seems Klingsporn had similar results at Harvard. Sutherland’s Peterka picked up a win over previously rated Hare. Larson was up at 145 this past weekend but will be moving down as the season progresses. Pawloski did not participate over the weekend.

145

1. Cooper Coons, Twin Loup
2. Connor Sonderup, Fullerton
3. Levi Lewis, North Central
4. Matt Van Pelt, Southwest
5. Xavier Perez, Elm Creek
6. Ayden Stewart, Plainview

 

Contenders

Jaden Henderson, Medicine Valley

Trevor Jedlicka, Howells-Dodge

Dennis Vogl, Crawford

 

Comments

Cooper Coons moves to the top spot as he edged out Enrique Martinez and Van Pelt. Jeremy Larsen and Lewis both had a strong opening weekend at 145 with each wrestler’s sole loss being to Class C Bridgeport’s Widener. Perez could soon be at 138 following Larsen as well. Several contenders at this weight make it fairly deep with some wrestlers at 152 who could potentially move down. Sonderup didn’t compete this weekend.

152

1. Colby Coons, Twin Loup
2. Will Gunning, Plainview
3. Elijah Green, Nebraska Christian
4. Jason Burch, Weeping Water
5. Colton Holthus, Garden County
6. Dominic Stewart, Thayer Central

 

Contenders

Wyatt Jenkins, Arapahoe

Dalton Whisenhunt, Maxwell

Cody Hanvey, Creighton

Comments

Coons, Gunning, and Green all had successful opening tournaments with Coons and Green pinning their way to championships. Green could be down to 145 fairly soon. Stewart finished as runner-up in Friend. Burch and Holthus also stayed undefeated after the opening weekend. Lots of quality competition at this weight as well.

160

1. Derek Gibson, Maxwell
2. Jackson Fuelner, Thayer Central
3. Ayden Molzahn, Alma
4. Levi Belina, Howells-Dodge
5. Jestin Bayer, Howells-Dodge
6. Matt Christensen, Plainview

 

Contenders

Jarrett Parsons, High Plains

Kendall Neal, Mullen

Gavin White, Sutherland

 

Comments

Gibson looked like a clear-cut number 1 after an impressive start to the season. Howells-Dodge is very strong in the middle of their line-up and has a pair of tough 60 pounders in Belina and freshman Bayer. They met in the finals of their host meet with Belina picking up the head to head. After not being able to participate at districts last season, Christensen is off to a great start. Neither Fuelner or Molzahn participated this weekend.

170

1. Dylan Soule, High Plains
2. Alizae Mejia, Plainview
3. Blake Racicky, Ansley/Litchfield
4. Reece Zutavern, Sandhills/Thedford
5. Chet Wichmann, Palmer
6. Jon Olson, Axtell

 

Contenders

Talan McGill, NPSP

Ben Slaymaker, West Holt

Wyatt Hegemann, Howells-Dodge

Comments

I see 170 as one of the deepest weights in Class D. Soule is still the favorite, with Mejia projected to start his season after Christmas. Racicky and Olson wrestled in a tight match during their dual with Racicky edging him out. Olson still wrestled well over the weekend winning the Harvard Invite. Both Zutavern and Wichmann’s losses come from out of class opponents. There are several contenders behind the top six, which I could see a few moving down to 160 soon.

182

1. Corey Dawe, Burwell
2. Issiah Borgmann, Stanton
3. Daylan Russell, Alma
4. Bryan Zutavern, Sandhills/Thedford
5. Justin Kuta, Palmer
6. Dawson Kaup, Neligh-Oakdale

Contenders

Trevor Schumacher, Howells-Dodge

Riley Kessler, Mullen

Cash Meier, GACC

Comments

Dawe, Borgmann, and Russell are the three that really stand out at this weight. Each were impressive to start the year off. Both Borgmann and Russell beat rated wrestlers on their way to championships. Zutavern and Kuta didn’t compete this weekend. Several contenders were at Howells-Dodge this weekend and had good showings as well.

195

1. Collin Gale, Plainview
2. Carl Mundt, Nebraska Christian
3. Kaleb Pofahl, Neligh-Oakdale
4. Sutton Pohlman, Stanton
5. James Hargett, Southern Valley
6. Bryce Running Hawk, Hay Springs

 

Contenders

Ty Kvanvig, Mullen

Alex Gideon, Burwell

Terance Burrell, Creighton

 

 

Comments

Gale started his senior campaign off with a championship at Creighton. Mundt did the same at Harvard. Pofahl stayed undefeated on the weekend as well. Hargett has made this weight class already but has been competing so far at 220. Neither Pohlman or Running Hawk competed this weekend.

 

220

1. Carter Throener, Howells-Dodge
2. Clayton Hassett, Mullen
3. Remington Hodges, Hitchcock County
4. Kayden Stubbs, Maxwell
5. Luke Howitt, Maxwell
6. Delton Haines, Dundy County-Stratton

 

Contenders

CJ Pickrel, Fullerton

Trenton Baier, Weeping Water

Colton Klabenes, Neligh-Oakdale

Comments

Throener was up at 285 for the first weekend, but will be on the way down. Hassett was able to win his home tournament to start the year. Hodges and Howitt also competed up at 285 this weekend with Hodges the victor. They will also be on the way down. The big change here has to do with Stubbs getting into the rankings with a win over Howitt as well. Haines did not compete this weekend. Wouldn’t be surprised to see a lot more movement within this weight class as the season progresses.

285

1. Kien Martin, Overton
2. Marcus Cave, Weeping Water
3. Graeson Stillwagoner, Dundy County Stratton
4. Levi Kerner, Arapahoe
5. Bryson Shoemaker, Southwest
6. Payton Christiancy, Superior

 

Contenders

Zach Kerwood, Meridian

Drey Smith, Maxwell

Mitchell Peatrowski, GACC

 

Comments

I would think that Martin and Cave will be reliably 1 and 2 for awhile. Much of the other 285 weight class is already beating each other up. Stillwagoner has some quality wins over ranked opponents, with losses coming to Hodges and Martin. He does have a head to head win over Kerner, who in turn pinned Shoemacher during their dual. Christiancy rounds out the top six with a win over previously rated Kerwood.

Class D Dual Team Rankings

 

1. Plainview
2. Neligh-Oakdale
3. Burwell
4. Maxwell
5. Mullen
6. Howells-Dodge
7. Thayer Central
8. Winside
9. Weeping Water
10. High Plains

Comments

The qualifying method for the duals are through a wildcard system that is now based on regular season dual results. Each team must wrestle at least six duals to be eligible for the tournament. As of right now Plainview, Neligh-Oakdale, Burwell, Maxwell, Mullen, Howells-Dodge, Thayer Central, & Winside round out the top 8 in the wildcard standings. Don’t see a lot of these teams wrestling each other in dual format, so the wildcard points will be an interesting follow throughout the season. A very exciting dual coming up will feature Class D#1 Plainview against Archbishop Bergan ahead of the Nebraska Dual on Dec. 20. My projections are based on expected dual results. Good luck to all Class D wrestlers and coaches! Excited to get the wrestling season going, best time of year!