Breaking down WIN’s Rankings: 141 and 184 pounds

WIN Magazine recently announced its first preseason NCAA Div. I Individual rankings, presented by Cliff Keen Athletic. This week we are taking a closer look at 141 and 184 pounds, where returning champions Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) and Carter Starocci (Penn State) are respectively rated No. 1 at those weight classes. Both weights actually also feature other NCAA champs at these weights: Northern Colorado’s Andrew Alirez (2023) at 141 and Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen (2024) at 184.

For more information on Rankings Sponsor Cliff Keen, go to CliffKeen.com.

To view a complete list of WIN’s preseason rankings and get updated rankings during the upcoming college season, click here or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe to WIN Magazine, which will unveil its college and high school season previews in the next issue, printed Sept. 26.

These rankings are subject to change as teams finalize their lineups before the season starts in October.

141 pounds                                                                                                                                

After placing sixth as a true freshman at 133 at the 2023 NCAA Championships, Mendez jumped a weight class and a level in 2024. The Buckeye avenged one of only two in-season losses to Penn State’s Beau Bartlett en route to winning Big Ten and NCAA crowns at 141. The true junior enters the 2024-25 season on top but will have to go through 2023 NCAA champ Andrew Alirez, who took an Olympic redshirt this past season.

The 2023 Big 12 and NCAA Champion, who was later tabbed Big 12 Wrestler of the Year, took an Olympic redshirt during the 2023-24 season. After briefly entering the transfer portal but ultimately opting to stay in Greeley, his hometown, the former Junior Hodge Trophy winner will look to put an exclamation point on his decorated career and will have to fend off defending champ Jesse Mendez along the way.

Bartlett opted to return to State College for his final season of eligibility after finishing second at the 2024 NCAA Championships. The Nittany Lion found himself in the rear-standing position in sudden victory in the NCAA finals against Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez, but his mat return attempt propelled the Buckeye into a Granby roll takedown that cost Bartlett the title. The native of Tempe, Ariz. also placed third in 2023.

The 24-year-old redshirt junior, who served a two-year LDS mission in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil before enrolling at Nebraska, has been a staple of the Husker lineup the past two seasons, registering NCAA finishes of sixth in 2023 and third in 2024. The 2023 U23 World bronze medalist hails from Box Elder, Utah.

The Cuban born and former Ohio State Buckeye entered the 2024 NCAAs as a fifth seed and wrestled to that exact finish, appearing in the semifinals but falling to eventual champ, Jesse Mendez, 6-4. The senior Cyclone went 23-6 in his first season as a collegiate starter.

Canadian born Lachlan McNeil posted his second-straight All-American finish for the Tar Heels, following up a 2023 fourth-place finish by medical forfeiting to sixth in 2024. The career 57-match winner and Wyoming Seminary grad will look to make it three-straight AA finishes, as he has achieved the honor under two head coaches in Coleman Scott and Rob Koll.

The Danbury, Conn. native had his best season yet for the Wolfpack in 2024, winning the ACC title at 141 before placing seventh at the NCAA Championships to claim his first career All-American honor. The three-time national qualifier has compiled a 66-22 overall record entering his senior campaign.

A surprise All-American to, perhaps anyone outside the Gopher program, Vombaur entered the 2024 NCAAs as a No. 26 seed and wrestled to an eighth-place finish. The Greeley, Colo. native, who was a first-time starter in Minneapolis, upset No. 7 seed Cael Happel of Northern Iowa to catapult his daunting journey to the podium.

The two-time NCAA qualifier entered the 2024 NCAAs as a No. 7 seed but was upset in the first round by the aforementioned Vance Vombaur of Minnesota. Happel reeled off three-straight consolation victories before falling in the blood round to Iowa’s Real Woods. The Lisbon, Iowa native enters his senior season for Doug Schwab seeking his first All-American finish.

Lemley was perhaps most notable in his rookie season in Ann Arbor when he scored a major upset over Iowa’s then-top-ranked Real Woods by a 14-2 major decision. The Mount Carmel, Ill. graduate posted an 18-9 record as a true freshman for the Wolverines, and is the nephew of Indiana head coach and former NCAA champ Angel Escobedo.

OTHERS RANKED AT 141 POUNDS

184 pounds

This native of Erie, Pa., is trying to become the first — and perhaps the only because of the pandemic — college wrestler to win five NCAA championships … and he is doing it a bigger weight than he did the past four seasons; winning titles at 174 pounds (2021 over Iowa’s Michael Kemerer, 2022 over Virginia Tech’s Mekhi Lewis, 2023 over Nebraska’s Michael Labriola, and 2024 over Ohio State’s Rocco Welsh). Starocci’s career record is 77-4.                                                                                                                                                  

The native of Glendale, Wisc. became the Panther’s first undefeated champion (31-0) since 1963 (Bill Dotson) and the school’s first four-time All-American after Keckeisen defeated Oklahoma State’s Dustin Plott for the 2024 NCAA title. This came after Keckeisen (100-5 in his career) finished second in 2023 and third in both 2021 and 2022.

Competing at 184 pounds last season, the native of Tuttle, Okla., reached his first NCAA final in KC as a No. 3 seed after he settled for sixth place – at 174 pounds – in both 2022 and 2023. The Cowboy jumped off to a 15-1 start last winter, which included a Southern Scuffle championship. Plott, who is 90-23 in his career, also qualified in 2021 as a true freshman.

The son of Mark Munoz, the former NCAA champ from Oklahoma State, earned his second straight All-American honor last March when his only loss in KC was to UNI’s eventual champ Keckeisen in the semifinals. One year earlier, the Beaver claimed sixth place after qualifying for the previous two NCAAs, including 2022 when he lost in the bloodround. Munoz, who spent two years at Arizona State before transferring in 2022, is 79-16 in his career.

After being forced to sit out last season because of a gambling suspension, the son of associate head coach Terry Brands is back for the Hawkeyes but is expected to move back up a weight after he claimed an All-American (fifth place) honor at 174 pounds in 2023. Nelson, who is 31-19 in his career, started at Iowa in 2019 and also qualified for the 2021 NCAAs at 184 pounds.

The Jackrabbit and native of Mantorville, Minn., certainly was impressive in his first season as he compiled a 25-7 record last winter when he finished fourth in the Big 12 and was seeded ninth in Kansas City, where he claimed fourth place … despite getting upset in the first round. He battled back to win six of seven wrestlebacks, including a R12 win over Nebraska’s Lenny Pinto.

The younger brother of Penn State’s former three-time NCAA champ Ed Ruth, this native of Harrisburg, Pa., moved up a weight after he earned his first AA honor (7^th) last March at 174 pounds after reached the quarterfinals as a No. 3 seed. This came after the Illini reached the blood round in 2024. Ruth, who is 56-12 in his career, spent two years at Lehigh before transferring.

Nicknamed T.J., this native of Triangle, Va., enjoyed his first season on varsity last winter when he went 14-4 while winning an ACC championship and won four of six bouts at the NCAAs where he claimed seventh place as a No. 7 seed. A 3-2 victory over Cornell’s Chris Foca in the R12 earned him his first AA honor.

The native of Stroudsburg, Pa., has appeared in two NCAA tournaments; going 1-2 in 2023 and 2-2 last March when he reached the quarterfinals as a No. 5 seed, but lost consecutive bouts, including a R12 setback to SDSU’s Berge. Overall, his career record is 46-17, which included a 12-10 win last December over Okie State’s Plott in the CKLV.

The native of Wentzville, Mo., joined his home-state team in 2021 but did not represent the Tigers until the last two NCAAs, where he came up short by one victory in each tourney. That included last March when he was seeded No. 11 and won three bouts before falling to Navy’s David Key in the R12. His overall career record is 44-27.

OTHERS RANKED AT 184 POUNDS