2024 NCAAs Preview • 184 pounds

RETURN TO CHAMPIONSHIPS CENTRAL

Second-Round Notes

• After both #24 Shane Liegel (Wisconsin) and #25 David Key (Navy) scored upsets in the first round, it was the Midshipman, who prevailed 4-2 as Key scores a takedown in the third period.
• Nebraska’s No. 5 Lenny Pinto avoided the upset with a 4-2 win over No. 12 Jaden Bullock (Michigan). After a scoreless first period. Bullock went up 1-0 with an escape in the second and Pinto did the same to start the third. A stall call on Pinto gave Bullock the lead with time running out before Pinto hit a duckunder to score with 20 seconds remaining in the match.
• In sudden victory #2 Isaiah Salazar (Minnesota) scored a takedown to beat #18 Ryder Rogotzke (Ohio State) 4-1.

First-Round Notes

• Wisconsin’s Shane Liegel, a former Division III All-American and No. 24 seed, made the most of his first Division I tournament match, when the Badger scored a takedown in both the second and third periods for a 9-1 victory over South Dakota State’s No. 9 seed Bennett Berge.
• Navy’s David Key, a No. 25 seed, scored the match’s only takedown with 28 seconds left to give the Midshipman a 4-1 victory over Air Force’s No. 8 seed Sam Wolf.
• Anthony D’Alesio, the #32 seed from Long Island, recorded his school’s first NCAA victory by beating Appalachian State’s Tomas Brooker, 10-7, in a pigtail match. D’Alesio then lost to No. 1 seed Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa.

The following is a look at WIN’s Top-10 rated wrestlers, plus other notable wrestlers, at 184 pounds before the conference/NCAA qualifying tournaments. Go to WIN-Magazine.com for an updated NCAA preview after the qualifiers.

1. Parker Keckeisen, Northern Iowa, Jr., Glendale, Wisc.

Note: The 2023 national runner-up is looking to become his school’s first champ since Drew Foster, a current UNI assistant who won the 184-pound title in 2019.

Season/Career Record: 20-0/92-5

NCAA Resume: Fourth Nationals for the three-time AA who placed third in both 2021 and 2022 before claiming second place (behind Penn State’s Aaron Brooks) last March. Combined record of 15-3.

Regular-season Notes: Defeated Oklahoma State’s Dustin Plott, 12-6, on Jan. 26 and also won the Las Vegas Invite.

2. Dustin Plott, Oklahoma State, Sr., Tuttle, Okla.

Note: First season at 184 after earning two AA honors at 174.

Season/Career Record: 22-2/83-21

NCAA Resume: Fourth Nationals after finishing sixth in both 2022 and 2023. He also qualified in 2021 and has a combined NCAA mark of 9-8.

Regular-season Notes: Defeated Oregon State’s Trey Munoz, 4-2, on Jan. 21.

3. Trey Munoz, Oregon State, Jr., Mission Viejo, Calif.

Note: The son of Mark Munoz, the 2001 NCAA champion from Oklahoma State in 2001.

Season/Career Record: 16-3/72-15

NCAA Resume: Fourth Nationals after he earned his first AA (6th) honor in his third trip to the NCAAs. This came after he went 1-2 in 2021 and losing in the bloodround in 2022. Overall, his record is 6-7.

Regular-season Notes: Defeated Penn State’s Bernie Truax, 5-2, on Jan. 5.

4. Isaiah Salazar, Minnesota, Sr., Greeley, Colo.

Note: Former four-time Colorado state champ from Windsor High.

Season/Career Record: 18-1/56-13

NCAA Resume: Third Nationals and still looking for his first AA honor.  After going 1-2 in 2022, he won his first two matches before being eliminate in the blook round.

Regular-season Notes: Defeated Nebraska’s Lenny Pinto, 4-1, on Jan. 19.

5. Lenny Pinto, Nebraska, So., Stroudsburg, Pa.

Note: 2020 PA state champ at 170 pounds

Season/Career Record: 19-3/41-14

NCAA Resume: Second Nationals after he went 1-2 as a No. 13 seed in 2023.

Regular-season Notes: Defeated Penn State’s Bernie Truax, 8-6, on Feb. 18.

6. Bennett Berge, South Dakota State, RSFr., Mantorville, Minn.

Note: Won five consecutive Minnesota state championships at five weights at Kason-Mantorville High.

Season/Career Record: 15-3/15-3

NCAA Resume: First Nationals

Regular-season Notes: Blanked Air Force’s Sam Wolf, 8-0, on Jan. 26.

7. Bernie Truax, Penn State, Sr., Oceanside, Calif.

Note: Transferred this year from Cal Poly where he wrestled four seasons, including at 149 pounds in 2019 and at 197 pounds last March, when he claimed his third All-American honor.

Season/Career Record: 11-3/76-23

NCAA Resume: Fifth Nationals after he claimed his third straight fourth-place finish in three different weight classes last March at 197 pounds. His other AA honors came at 174 and 184 pounds and he also qualified at 165 pounds in the cancelled 2020 NCAAs. He is 13-6 overall.

Regular-season Notes: Defeated Michigan’s Jaden Bullock, 4-1, on Jan. 19.

8. Sam Wolf, Air Force, Sr., 

Warsaw, N.Y.

Note: Returned to 184 pounds, where he started his career in 2021 before wrestling at 174 the past two winters.

Season/Career Record: 13-3/48-21

NCAA Resume: Qualified for the first time last March and went 0-2 in Tulsa.

Regular-season Notes: Defeated Cornell’s Chris Foca, 7-5, at the Las Vegas Invite in December.

9. T.J. Stewart, Virginia Tech, RSFr., Triangle, Va.

Note: Won a Junior National championship in freestyle in 2022.

Season/Career Record: 8-2/8-2

NCAA Resume: First Nationals

Regular-season Notes: Won his last six matches before the ACCs, including wins over NC State’s Dylan Fishback and Pitt’s Reece Heller.

10. Dylan Fishback, NC State, RSFr., Aurora, Ohio

Note: 2021 Ironman and 2022 Ohio state champ from Aurora High.

Season/Career Record: 15-6/15-6

NCAA Resume: First Nationals

Regular-season Notes: Defeated Oregon State’s Trey Munoz, 9-6, at the Las Vegas Invite.

Others to watch

• Cornell senior Chris Foca, who placed third at 174 pounds in last year’s Nationals, stood 16-4 in his first season at 184 and recorded back-to-back wins over Pitt’s Reece Heller and Iowa State’s Will Feldkamp on Dec. 18. He was 68-13 before the EIWAs.

• Will Feldkamp, who spent four seasons at Northern Illinois and two at Clarion, before arriving at Iowa State this season, looks to recapture his second All-American honor. Competing in his second national tournament last March for Clarion, Feldkamp claimed seventh place as a No. 14 seed. In his time at NIU, he compiled a 19-13 record, but also dealt with injuries that sidelined him in 2020.

• Missouri redshirt freshman Clayton Whiting was 12-3 before the Big 12s in his first season as a starter.

• James Conway, a junior from Franklin & Marshall, hopes to become his school’s first AA  since 2014 when Rick Durso claimed eighth place at 141 pounds.