NCAA Division I Wrestling Rankings: A Deep Dive into the 141 and 184-Pound Weight Classes
WIN Magazine recently unveiled its initial preseason NCAA Division I individual rankings, proudly presented by Cliff Keen Athletic. This article offers an in-depth analysis of the 141 and 184-pound weight classes, spotlighting returning champions Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) and Carter Starocci (Penn State), who hold the coveted No. 1 rankings in their respective divisions. These rankings are being released extremely early.
141-Pound Weight Class: Jesse Mendez Leads the Pack
Jesse Mendez of Ohio State dominates the 141-pound weight class. After an impressive sixth-place finish as a true freshman at 133 pounds at the 2023 NCAA Championships, Mendez transitioned to the 141-pound division in 2024. This shift proved to be a game-changer, as the Buckeye wrestler demonstrated a significant leap in performance. Notably, he avenged one of his two in-season losses against Penn State's Beau Bartlett, ultimately securing both the Big Ten and NCAA championships at 141 pounds. In the NCAA finals against Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez, The Nittany Lion found himself in the rear-standing position in sudden victory. His mat return attempt propelled the Buckeye into a Granby roll takedown that cost Bartlett the title.
Key Contenders and Their Journeys
Beau Bartlett (Penn State): After finishing second at the 2024 NCAA Championships, Bartlett has decided to return to State College for his final season of eligibility.
Real Woods (Iowa): Lemley was perhaps most notable in his rookie season in Ann Arbor when he scored a major upset over Iowa’s then-top-ranked Real Woods by a 14-2 major decision.
Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina): Canadian born Lachlan McNeil posted his second-straight All-American finish for the Tar Heels, following up a 2023 fourth-place finish by medical forfeiting to sixth in 2024.
Read also: Wrestling Rankings by Weight
Ryan Jack (NC State): The Danbury, Conn. native had his best season yet for the Wolfpack in 2024, winning the ACC title at 141 before placing seventh at the NCAA Championships to claim his first career All-American honor.
Vance Vombaur (Minnesota): A surprise All-American to, perhaps anyone outside the Gopher program, Vombaur entered the 2024 NCAAs as a No. 26 seed and wrestled to an eighth-place finish. The Greeley, Colo. native, who was a first-time starter in Minneapolis, upset No. 7 seed in the first round.
Cael Happel (Northern Iowa): The two-time NCAA qualifier entered the 2024 NCAAs as a No. 7 seed but was upset in the first round by the aforementioned Vance Vombaur of Minnesota. Happel reeled off three-straight consolation victories before falling in the blood round to Iowa’s Real Woods.
Sergio Lemley (Michigan): Lemley was perhaps most notable in his rookie season in Ann Arbor when he scored a major upset over Iowa’s then-top-ranked Real Woods by a 14-2 major decision.
Other Wrestlers to Watch
The rankings extend to the top 24 wrestlers who scored advancement and/or placement points at the NCAA Championships. Wrestlers with any outstanding questions whatsoever as to whether they will return to collegiate action have been left in the rankings. We’re also only putting in a few wrestlers coming back from injury or redshirts.
Read also: How NCAA DIII Wrestling Rankings Work
184-Pound Weight Class: Carter Starocci Aims for a Historic Fifth Title
Carter Starocci of Penn State is the wrestler to watch in the 184-pound division. The native of Erie, Pa., is trying to become the first - and perhaps the only because of the pandemic - college wrestler to win five NCAA championships … and he is doing it a bigger weight than he did the past four seasons; winning titles at 174 pounds (2021 over Iowa’s Michael Kemerer, 2022 over Virginia Tech’s Mekhi Lewis, 2023 over Nebraska’s Michael Labriola, and 2024 over Ohio State’s Rocco Welsh).
Top Challengers and Their Accomplishments
Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa): The native of Glendale, Wisc. became the Panther’s first undefeated champion (31-0) since 1963 (Bill Dotson) and the school’s first four-time All-American after Keckeisen defeated Oklahoma State’s Dustin Plott for the 2024 NCAA title.
Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State): Competing at 184 pounds last season, the native of Tuttle, Okla., reached his first NCAA final in KC as a No. 3 seed after he settled for sixth place - at 174 pounds - in both 2022 and 2023. The Cowboy jumped off to a 15-1 start last winter, which included a Southern Scuffle championship.
Luke Munoz (Oklahoma State): The son of Mark Munoz, the former NCAA champ from Oklahoma State, earned his second straight All-American honor last March when his only loss in KC was to UNI’s eventual champ Keckeisen in the semifinals.
Trey Munoz (Oregon State): One year earlier, the Beaver claimed sixth place after qualifying for the previous two NCAAs, including 2022 when he lost in the bloodround.
Read also: Anthony Robles: Overcoming Obstacles
Nelson Brands (Iowa): After being forced to sit out last season because of a gambling suspension, the son of associate head coach Terry Brands is back for the Hawkeyes but is expected to move back up a weight after he claimed an All-American (fifth place) honor at 174 pounds in 2023.
Clayton Ruth (South Dakota State): The Jackrabbit and native of Mantorville, Minn., certainly was impressive in his first season as he compiled a 25-7 record last winter when he finished fourth in the Big 12 and was seeded ninth in Kansas City, where he claimed fourth place … despite getting upset in the first round.
Levi Haines (Penn State): The younger brother of Penn State’s former three-time NCAA champ Ed Ruth, this native of Harrisburg, Pa., moved up a weight after he earned his first AA honor (7th) last March at 174 pounds after reached the quarterfinals as a No. 3 seed.
Danny Braunagel (Illinois): This came after the Illini reached the blood round in 2024.
T.J. Stewart (Virginia Tech): Nicknamed T.J., this native of Triangle, Va., enjoyed his first season on varsity last winter when he went 14-4 while winning an ACC championship and won four of six bouts at the NCAAs where he claimed seventh place as a No. 7 seed.
Todd Harder (Rutgers): The native of Stroudsburg, Pa., has appeared in two NCAA tournaments; going 1-2 in 2023 and 2-2 last March when he reached the quarterfinals as a No. 5 seed, but lost consecutive bouts, including a R12 setback to SDSU’s Berge.
Colton Hawks (Missouri): The native of Wentzville, Mo., joined his home-state team in 2021 but did not represent the Tigers until the last two NCAAs, where he came up short by one victory in each tourney. That included last March when he was seeded No. 11 and won three bouts before falling to Navy’s David Key in the R12.
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