WIN’s 2025 NCAA DI Weight Class Preview: 184
Photo: Penn State’s Carter Starocci and Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen squared off at the 2024 NWCA All-Star Classic. Photo by Sam Janicki.
The following is a look at WIN’s top 184-pound contenders before the 2025 NCAA DI Championships commence in Philadelphia March 20-22.
*Note the rankings and records were last updated prior to the NCAA-qualifying tournaments. For WIN’s final TPI and individual ranks, click here.
1. Carter Starocci, Penn State, Sr., Erie, Pa.
Note: Aiming to become the first-ever five-time NCAA champion.
Season/Career Record: 18-0/111-4
NCAA Resume: Fifth Nationals with a postseason record of 20-0: 1st in 2024; 1st in 2023; 1st in 2022; 1st in 2021.
Regular-Season Notes: Won 17 of 18 bouts via bonus points minus a 3-1 decision over Iowa’s Angelo Ferrari on Jan. 31. Starocci has accrued six falls and seven tech falls in his final collegiate season.
2. Parker Keckeisen, Northern Iowa, Sr., Glendale, Wisc.
Note: Battled Starocci at NWCA All-Star Classic in exhibition match, falling, 4-1 SV-1.
Season/Career Record: 19-0/119-5
NCAA Resume: Fifth Nationals with a postseason record of 20-3: 1st in 2024; 2nd in 2023; 3rd in 2022; 3rd in 2021.
Regular-Season Notes: Has won 17 of 19 matches via bonus points. Lone decision victories came against Bennett Berge of SDSU, 8-3, on Nov. 24, and Dustin Plott of Oklahoma State, 8-3, on Dec. 6 at the CKLV Invite. Keckeisen defeated Plott again via a 15-4 major decision on Jan. 24.
3. Max McEnelly, Minnesota, Fr., Waconia, Minn.
Note: The undefeated freshman Gopher was also 12-0 as a redshirt in 2023-24.
Season/Career Record: 18-0/18-0
NCAA Resume: First Nationals
Regular-Season Notes: Registered Top-10 sudden-victory wins over Bennett Berge of SDSU and Gabe Arnold of Iowa. Major decisioned Silas Allred of Nebraska, 16-6, on Jan. 11.
4. Dustin Plott, Oklahoma State, Sr., Tuttle, Okla.
Note: Plott’s dual-meet loss to Iowa’s Angelo Ferrari on Feb. 23 was his first defeat against an opponent not named Parker Keckeisen since Dec. 1 of 2023.
Season/Career Record: 15-3/105-26
NCAA Resume: Fifth Nationals with a postseason record of 13-9: 2nd in 2024; 6th in 2023; 6th in 2022; 1-2 in 2021.
Regular-Season Notes: Ranked wins over Isaac Dean of Rider, Dylan Fishback of NC State and Evan Bockman of Iowa State. Has not faced a Top-10 opponent outside of Keckeisen this season.
5. Bennett Berge, South Dakota State, So., Mantorville, Minn.
Note: After 2024 NCAA opening-round loss, reeled off six wins in a row to finish in fourth.
Season/Career Record: 21-4/46-11
NCAA Resume: Second Nationals with a postseason record of 6-2: 4th in 2024.
Regular-Season Notes: Daktronics Invite champ with tech fall over nationally-ranked Aidan Brenot of NDSU. Three of his four losses came in a row, falling to Parker Keckeisen, Max McEnelly and Isaac Dean of Rider.
6. Silas Allred, Nebraska, Jr., Anderson, Ind.
Note: Dropped down a weight class after back-to-back R12 finishes at 197 pounds.
Season/Career Record: 16-3/70-18
NCAA Resume: Third Nationals with a postseason record of 4-4: reached R12 in 2024; reached R12 in 2023.
Regular-Season Notes: Started season 11-0 and has won five straight since Jan. 17. All three losses this season came in a row at the hands of the top-three ranked wrestlers, respectively, in Carter Starocci, Parker Keckeisen and Max McEnelly.
7. Chris Foca, Cornell, Sr., Cliffside Park, N.J.
Note: Moved up to 184 in 2024 after AA finish at 174 pounds in 2023.
Season/Career Record: 14-1/89-19
NCAA Resume: Fourth Nationals with a postseason record of 9-5: reached R12 in 2024; 3rd in 2023; 1-2 in 2022.
Regular-Season Notes: Ranked wins over Dylan Fishback of NC State and a major decision over Colton Hawks of Missouri. Lone loss came to Jaxon Smith of Maryland, 14-7, on Dec. 8.
8. Gabe Arnold, Iowa, Fr., Albany, Ga.
Note: Went 8-1 as a redshirt in 2023-24 with only loss coming to NCAA finalist Dustin Plott, 5-1.
Season/Career Record: 13-2/13-2
NCAA Resume: First Nationals
Regular-Season Notes: Ranked wins over returning AA Edmond Ruth of Illinois and Top-10 win over Maryland’s Jaxon Smith.
9. Jaxon Smith, Maryland, Jr., Cartersville, Ga.
Note: High school teammate of Virginia Tech’s defending NCAA champ Caleb Henson at Woodland High School in Cartersville, Ga.
Season/Career Record: 17-5/58-20
NCAA Resume: Third Nationals with a postseason record of 3-4: 1-2 in 2024; reached R12 in 2023.
Regular-Season Notes: Top-10 wins over Chris Foca of Cornell and Reece Heller of Pitt.
10. Reece Heller, Pitt, Sr., Riverwoods, Ill.
Note: Transferred from Hofstra in 2022.
Season/Career Record: 18-3/76-35
NCAA Resume: Third Nationals with a postseason record of 2-4: 1-2 in 2024; 1-2 in 2023.
Regular-Season Notes: Ranked wins over Dylan Fishback of NC State, Gavin Kane of North Carolina and Shane Cartagena-Walsh of Rutgers.
Others to watch
• Ohio State sophomore Ryder Rogotzke is always dangerous, as the Buckeye has five falls on the season and took Iowa’s Gabe Arnold into overtime in a dual meet on Jan. 25.
• Returning All-American Edmond Ruth from Illinois is up a weight class in 2024-25 but still has ranked wins over Rutgers’ Shane Cartagena-Walsh, NC State’s Dylan Fishback and Ohio State’s Ryder Rogotzke.
