Breaking down WIN’s Preseason Rankings: 157 & Hwt

For the past few weeks, WIN Magazine has been taking a closer look at its preseason NCAA Div. I individual rankings

This includes the 157-pound and heavyweight classes, respectively, where Jacori Teemer begins his first year at Iowa after the 2024 NCAA runner-up transferred from Arizona State and Penn State’s Greg Kerkvliet who won a national title last March.

To view a complete list of WIN’s preseason rankings, click here or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe to WIN Magazine.

157 POUNDS                                                                                                                                  

The 2024 national runner-up made the move to Iowa City just a few weeks before the start of the 2024-25 season and six months after the native of Long Beach, N.Y., finished second to Penn State’s Levi Haines last March. Teemer is a four-time national qualifier and three-time AA, also finishing fourth in 2021 and sixth in 2022 (in addition to also qualifying for the cancelled 2020 NCAAs). He sat out the 2023 season with an injury. His career record is 76-15.

The native of Woodbine, Md., enjoyed an outstanding true freshman season with the Big Red last winter as the National Prep champ from Wyoming Seminary finished 27-3 with a 19-match winning streak entering the NCAAs. The No. 3 seed eventually beat Stanford’s Daniel Cardenas in the consolation final to avenge his only NCAA loss in the quarterfinals to the Cardinal.

The native of Arvada, Colo., has been part of the Cardinal varsity and qualified for both NCAAs since he arrived two years ago in Palo Alto. After coming up short by one victory in the 2023 nationals, he entered last year’s NCAAs as a No. 6 seed and beat Cornell’s Shapiro to reach the semis where he lost to then Pac-12 rival Jacori Teemer. Cardenas is 48-11 in his career.

Kasak has moved up a weight after he was inserted into the Lion lineup as a true freshman for the injured Shayne Van Ness at 149. Kasak turned in an impressive rookie performance as the native of Bethlehem, Pa., went 24-5 and more importantly won seven straight NCAA wrestleback bouts after losing in the first round to Stanford’s Jaden Abas. That included a 5-4 win over NC State’s Jackson Arrington in the R12, major decision over Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett and 3-2 consolation final win over West Virginia’s Ty Watters.

The native of Cutler, Ohio, earned his school’s 21^st all-time All-American honor and the Bobcats’ highest NCAA placement since Jake Percival’s third-place finish in 2005 when Kellar first claimed a MAC title before claiming fifth-place as a No. 7 seed. After getting upset in the second round, he won four wrestlebacks, including a fall against NC State’s Ed Scott in the R12. He also qualified for the 2023 NCAAs and is 50-13 in his career.

The young Husker drops down a weight after the 2024 All-American from Millard, Neb., won his first to NCAA bouts in KC and added a R12 win over Air Force’s Giano Petrucelli — avenging an earlier-season loss — to eventually claim eighth place. Among his other big wins in a 23-10 season was a victory over Cam Amine (then with Michigan).

The native of Pine Bush, N.Y., spent four years at Appalachian State, where he won two SoCon championships and also competed in two national tournaments, going 0-2 in 2022 and falling one victory short of AA honors last March when he had wins over Iowa State’s Cody Chittum and Cal Poly’s Legend Lamer as a No. 19 seed. Askey is 61-25 in his career.

Scott has spent five years in Raleigh, where his best season came in 2023 when he finished fifth in the nation as a No. 8 seed. Last season, the native of Dubois, Pa., won a second ACC championship to earn a No. 4 seed in KC. But after reaching the quarters, he dropped a pair of bouts. Scott, who is 77-26 in his career, also reached the bloodround as a redshirt freshman in 2022.

Competing as a redshirt freshman in 2024, this native of Indianola, Iowa, finished 23-6, won a Big 12 championship and earned a No. 5 seed in KC, where he won three matches before falling in the bloodround. Among his other highlights last season including a 15-match winning streak and an upset of Nebraska All-American Peyton Robb.

After redshirting in 2022, this native of Plymouth, Minn., qualified for the last two NCAAs; reaching the bloodround in 2023 as a No. 20 seed and splitting four bout last March in Kansas City as a No. 15 seed. Overall, his career mark is 44-20.

OTHERS RANKED AT 157 POUNDS

HEAVYWEIGHT                                                                                    

This four-time All-American from Inver Grove, Minn., finally reached the top step of the NCAAs last March when he scored a major decision over Michigan’s Lucas Davison in the heavyweight final. Before that, Kerkvliet finished seventh in 2021, fourth in 2022 and second in 2023 (when he came up short against another Michigan wrestler, Mason Parris). The Nittany Lion enters his final season on a 20-match winning streak and is 71-10 in his career.

After making his country and the Air Force Academy proud the past four years with four NCAA qualifications and two All-American honors, the native of Newton, Kan., will spend his final year of eligibility in Stillwater, Okla. As a Falcon, Hendrickson went 5-4 in his first two NCAAs in 2021 and 2022 before reaching the semifinals the past two seasons and eventually claimed the consolation championship in both 2023-24. In compiling a 96-11 record, he also claimed two Schalles Awards as the top college pinner in 2022 and 2023.

The young Buckeye redshirted in 2023, then turned in a strong performance last winter when the native of Quarryville, Pa., compiled a 28-7 mark, finished second in the Big Tens and earned his first All-American honor as a No. 9 seed. Feldman reached the quarters, then came back to win three of four wrestlebacks, including a R12 win over Oklahoma’s Josh Heindselman.

The Cuban immigrant, who last year moved up from 197 pounds, is looking to earn at least a second All-American honor this winter. The Cyclone showed how quickly he could adapt to college folkstyle in 2022 when he finished fifth in the nation. But Bastida came up short in the last two NCAAs, going 2-2 in both 2023 and 2024 (when he won a Big 12 title over Wyatt Hendrickson). Bastida’s college record is 64-18.

This native of Parker, Colo., has been a highly-ranked heavyweight in both college — winning four All-American honors — and in Greco-Roman wrestling – representing Team USA in the 2023 World Championships. The Sun Devil’s highest NCAA finish came in 2022 when he lost to Minnesota’s Gable Steveson. Meanwhile, Schultz (72-11 in his career) also finished fourth in 2021, seventh in 2023 and sixth last March when he reached the semis before losing to Kerkvliet.

This native of Rechitsa, Belarus, who grew up in Massachusetts, started his college career at Harvard and qualified for two NCAAs: the 2020 cancelled nationals and 2023 when he missed AA honors by one victory. Last year, Slavikouski finally reached the All-American stand when he finished seventh as a No. 13 seed. Along the way, he won four of five wrestlebacks, including a R12 win over Iowa State’s Yonger Bastida. Slavikouski is 78-22 in his career.

The native of Warren, Mich., will spend one more season in Buies Creek, N.C., where he became his school’s fifth NCAA All-American last March after winning his third straight SoCon championship (pinning seven of eight victims along the way). Among his bigger wins last season was a R12 sudden victory over Lehigh’s Nathan Taylor after going a combined 2-6 in three NCAAs. His career record is 86-22.

A native of Brooksville, Pa., Taylor came up one victory short of AA honors two weeks after he claimed his first EIWA championship last March. In compiling a 41-17 record over the past two seasons as a starter, Taylor also qualified for the 2023 NCAAs, winning one of three bouts.

This marks Catka’s fifth season in Blacksburg, where he has qualified for three NCAAs and is still in search for his first AA honor. Catka nearly reached that level in 2024 when he won three straight wrestlebacks as No. 26 seed before falling in the bloodround. A native of Brookhaven, Pa., this Hokie has compiled a 46-20 career mark while also competing in the 2021 and 2023 NCAAs. He redshirted in 2022.

After redshirting in 2020, the native of Piedmont, Okla., has competed in each of the past four NCAAs but still yearns for an All-American honor. Last March as a No. 11 seed, the Sooner won three bouts in KC before being eliminated in the bloodround. Otherwise, he went a combined 4-8 in three previous nationals and stands 72-42 in his career.

OTHERS RANKED AT HEAVYWEIGHT