AWN Preview & Predictions: NCAA Division II Championships
AWN Preview & Predictions: NCAA Division II Championships NCAA Division II Championships For the last two seasons, Steve Costanzo’s St. Cloud State Huskies have been close. Very close. With senior leadership and a 47-match dual meet winning streak, the Huskies seem to have the right combination in order to bring home the school’s first wrestling national championship. But last year, the depth of the field knocked down the Huskies to second. This year, the field is equally as deep, while defending Division II champion Nebraska-Kearney has added some extra pop to its lineup. Notre Dame College brings a wealth of experience from the NAIA level as the Falcons and head coach Frank Romano are wrestling in their first Division II championship. Newberry always brings a solid squad, as does Upper Iowa. Individually, there are 42 Division II All- Americans in the tournament, as well as a handful of Junior College national champions and NAIA champions. Some quick math for you — over a quarter of the wrestlers in the tournament have been on the podium at a national collegiate championship at one point in their careers. There’s also a few Olympic Trials qualifiers in there as well. Seriously. Birmingham, Ala., doesn’t come off as a mecca for championship wrestling, but the sport will get great exposure in the deep south, which is a plus for an area looking for high-level wrestling. 125 pounds Four returning All-Americans highlight the field, including returning champion Kyle McCrite of Grand Canyon. McCrite was second at the Super Region 4 championships, losing to Gerald Huff of Adams State and the draw doesn’t start off easy for the Loper.
[Show full text]