Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez defeats Penn State’s Beau Bartlett 4-1 at 141 pounds at the 2024 NWCA All-Star Classic.
The third week of the college wrestling season is complete. Fans enjoyed the annual NWCA All-Star Classic that captivated the crowd at the Rec Hall on Penn State’s campus, top-10 dual matchups, and much more. Check out full recaps of the men’s and women’s cards at the All-Star Classic.
Here are a few things to note week three of the college wrestling season.
Dual of the Week
No. 7 Virginia Tech hosted No. 8 Missouri and picked up its first ranked win of the season. The Hokies secured seven victories en route to a 23-10 win over the Tigers at the Cassell Coliseum on Friday night, moving to 2-0 on the season.
No. 7 Virginia Tech - 23, No. 8 Missouri - 10
125 – No. 13 Eddie Ventresca (VT) dec. Gage Walker (Mizzou), 6-5
133 – No. 10 Connor McGonagle (VT) dec. No. 29 Kade Moore (Mizzou), 3-0
141 – No. 18 Sam Latona (VT) dec. No. 13 Josh Edmond (Mizzou), 4-2
149 – No. 1 Caleb Henson (VT) maj. dec. No. 24 Logan Gioffre (Mizzou), 9-0
157 – No. 25 Rafael Hipolito, Jr. (VT) maj. dec. No. 32 James Conway (Mizzou), 11-3
165 – No. 14 Cam Steed (Mizzou) dec. Mac Church (VT), 8-1
174 – No. 1 Keegan O'Toole (Mizzou) maj. dec. No. 4 Lennox Wolak (VT), 13-5
184 – No. 12 Colton Hawks (Mizzou) dec. No. 5 Thomas Stewart, Jr. (VT), 8-2
197 - No. 13 Andy Smith (VT) dec. Aeoden Sinclair (Mizzou), 12-9
285 - No. 15 Jimmy Mullen (VT) dec. No. 20 Seth Nitzel (Mizzou), 4-2
Upset of the Week
On Sunday, No. 30 Ethan Stiles of Oregon State took out No. 12 Teague Travis of Oklahoma State, 7-4, in sudden victory. Stiles jumped to a 4-0 lead before Travis tallied four unanswered points to send the match to an extra frame, where Stiles would score a takedown with just 25 seconds remaining for the win.
Move of the Week
At the 2024 NWCA All-Star Classic, top ranked NCAA wrestler and returning NCWWC champion Amani Jones of North Central struck fast with an inside trip to the back in the opening seconds of her 124-pound bout against Grand View’s Maya Davis. Jones pounced with a claw-ride finish for a pin in 1:20 over the two-time NAIA All American.
Performance of the Week
Sammy Sasso made his return to the mat on Thursday in front of an impressive home crowd at the Covelli Center. Sasso, a four-time All-American and two-time Big Ten champion, suffered injuries during an off-campus incident in August of 2023. The Buckeye last competed at the 2023 NCAA Championships, where he finished second at 149 pounds. Ohio State defeated the University at Tennessee at Chattanooga 36-6, and Sasso won his match 12-6 at 165 pounds. On Sunday, Sasso and the Buckeyes traveled east to Pennsylvania, defeating Edinboro 40-4. Sasso earned a 13-9 decision over Max Kirby in the dual victory.
Photos of the Week
Tony Rotundo, one of the best photographers in the sport, shot all of the action at the NWCA All-Star Classic. Here are three from Rotundo’s website, Wrestlers Are Warriors.
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