Season Preview: Wrestling looks to build on strong 2019-20 season in 2021
ADA — The Polar Bears enter the 2020-21 season coming off of their best ever finish at the NCAA Regional Tournament.
The Polar Bear wrestling team will return seven of ten starters, six of eight regional placers, and two of three national qualifiers from last year's team that finished 14-8 in dual meets, fifth in the OAC with a 3-4 mark, and fourth out of 18 teams at the NCAA Central Regional.
With returning talent coupled with some promising incoming freshmen, the Polar Bears will look to improve on last year's strong regional tournament finish. It is easy to see why optimism abounds through the halls of the ONU Sports Center this year.
Here is a breakdown of the 2020-21 ONU wrestling roster by weight class:
125: With returning starter sophomore Camden Spears (Plainfield, Ind.) making the move up to 133 pounds this year, the 125 pound weight class is left vacant for incoming freshman Devon Harbison (Beloit, Wis./Turner) to take control. Devon is a two-time D2 Wisconsin WIAA state qualifier who is looking to make a name for himself in his first season in the orange and black.
133: This weight was dominated last year by four-time NCAA Regional placer, First Team all-OAC selection, 2020 NCAA Regional champion, 2020 NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Wrestler, and national qualifier Seth Transue. His graduation leaves a big opening that returning letterman sophomore Camden Spears (Plainfield, Ind.) looks to fill. Spears will not go unchallenged however, as freshman 2020 D3 OHSAA district placer Brian Blosser (New Lebanon/Dixie) will do his best to outperform him.
141: Another weight that will suffer from the graduation of a four-year letterman and team leader in Jeff Andrews who placed fourth in the region last season. A 2016 Delta High School graduate, Ross Rayfield (Delta) returns to college and the mats after an accomplished high school career. He will be looking to regain his wrestling form and will be challenged by freshman Ronan Gullifer (Upper Sandusky) a two-time N10 Conference champion.
149: It will be difficult to pry this weight away from one of the Polar Bears' returning national qualifiers, sophomore Chase Sumner (Ada), after his breakout freshman season. Chase controlled the 149-pound weight class all year, but that will not stop a duo of fellow sophomores and an incoming freshman from fighting to unseat him. Last year's backup Connar Davis (Lebanon) will look to elevate his position this season and Bailey Gibson (Elida), who sat behind Jeff Andrews at 141 pounds a year ago, will fight it out to see who this year's starter will be. Two time D3 OHSAA state qualifier Matthew Dewitz (Oak Harbor) will look to stir things up at 149, this should be a good one to watch.
157: Easily the deepest weight class for the Polar Bears, senior and 2020 NCAA Regional placer Schuyler Caprella (Harrod/Allen East) and iunior 2019 NCAA Regional placer Shaun Wagner (Southington, Conn.) split time here before Schuyler took control in the end last season. These two will be back at this weight again to fight it out but will have a bevy of serious challengers. Senior Rhett Roeder (Monroeville) has been a key reserve wrestler for the Bears at 149 and 157 over the last three years and will look to break into the starting lineup for his senior season. Sophomore Alex Kowal (Cincinnati/Bishop Fenwick) returns after a two-year hiatus will look to regain his form after the two year layoff and try to mix things up and find a spot in the lineup. The final challenger here is Antonio Gonzalez (Dublin/Coffman), a sophomore who showed some real promise for the Polar Bears at 149 pounds before an injury sidelined him in his freshman campaign. Antonio is one to keep an eye on and not overlook as he develops his collegiate skills after the injury shortening season his freshman campaign.
165: Junior 2020 NCAA Regional placer and Second Team All-OAC selection Jordan Hardrick (Dayton/Wayne) will be the clear man to beat here as he eyes the post season and a berth to the NCAA National Championships this season. A challenge will come from a fast improving sophomore, Noah Williamson (Conklin, Mich./Coopersville), who ran backup to Caprella and Wagner at 157 pounds last year.
174: Returning two-year letterman and 2020 NCAA Regional placer junior Connor Kwiat (Bloomville/Tiffin Calvert) returns looking to hold down the 174 spot and, like Hardrick at 165, will have his eyes on the postseason and a potential NCAA National Championship berth. The first of two major challengers for Kwiat this year is junior Dylan Knotts (Russells Point/Indian Lake), who comes to ONU after the closing of Urbana University where he was a two-year starter for the Blue Knights at 174 pounds and earned a fifth place finish at the 2020 MEC Championships. Knotts will look to take the starting spot from Kwiat along with sophomore A.J. Szigeti (Oregon/Clay). Szigeti comes up this season from 165 pounds where he backed up Hardrick and had some starting reps when Jordan had an injury in the early part of the 2019-20 season.
184: This is a weight that saw a few different starters last season for the Polar Bears. Junior Connor Dixon (Huntsville/Indian Lake) is the second transfer from Urbana University to become a Polar Bear this season. He is a two-year starter for the Blue Knights at 184 pounds, earned a fifth place finish at the 2020 MEC Championships, and was ranked sixth in the 2020 DII super regional. Also vying for the starting spot here will be freshman Nicholas Machuca (Dayton/Chaminade-Julienne), who brings a 2019 D2 OHSAA state qualification, P.I.T. Championship, and three GCL Championships to the table in this battle.
197: A dominant force for the Polar Bears over the past three years and a consistent source of leadership, senior Cash Thompson (Lake Odessa, Mich./Lakewood) will be the returner here after a monster season that included a 2nd Team All-OAC selection, a 2020 NCAA Regional runner-up finish and an NCAA Championship berth. Cash will be looking for a return trip to the national tournament, but will have his eyes on the podium in his senior season. Freshman Mason Schmoekel (Toledo/Central Catholic) will be coming in to do his best to unseat Thompson. Schmoekel comes to the Polar Bears as a 2020 Greco state champion, 2020 D2 OHSAA State Qualifier, and compiled 100+ wins in a storied high school career.
285: Another weight that saw a few different Polar Bears in the starting lineup a year ago. Sophomore Logan Painter (Marysville/Early Colllege) took control, caught his stride at the right time, and placed at the 2020 NCAA Regional tournament. There will be three challengers for Logan this year. Sophomore Cole Mefford (Lewistown/Indian Lake) is the returning backup from a year ago and sophomore Ben DePrest (Louisville, Ky./Saint Xavier) will make the move to heavyweight after splitting time between 184 and 197 last season. The last challenger will come from a new face in orange and black, freshman Jadon Brownlee (Powell/Olentangy Liberty). Jadon comes to the Bears as a D1 OHSAA state qualifier and 2020 OHSAA sectional champion.