CKLV features plenty of wrestlers with 2023 NCAA aspirations

Photo: The top two seeds at heavyweight of the 2022 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational are Arizona State’s Cohlton Schultz (right) and Michigan’s Mason Parris. The two met in last March’s NCAA tournament, where the Sun Devil (who eventually placed second) beat the Wolverine in the quarterfinals. (WrestlersAreWarriors.com/Tony Rotundo photo)

For nearly the past 40 years, wrestling fans have been able to see many of the nation’s top Division I wrestlers in December action in talent-loaded brackets at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. The tournament has been the best early-season look for how weight classes will set up and gives fans a sneak peak of the potential NCAA tournament matches that could happen in March.

That happens again the next two days at the Las Vegas Convention Center. First-round action begins at 9 a.m. (PST) this morning with the quarterfinals set for Friday at 6 p.m. Semifinals will start Saturday at 10 a.m., with the championship finals and other top placement matches beginning at 3 p.m. This is the 40^th edition of the event that was not held in 2020 because of COVID.

WIN Magazine will provide coverage of the event in the next issue, printed Dec. 16. Click here or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe.

There are 33 college teams competing, including defending champ Nebraska as well as Ohio State, Michigan, Wyoming and Northwestern that also finished in the Top 5 of the 2021 event. Other competing teams, which are ranked in the Top 15 of WIN’s Nov. 28 Tournament Power Index, are No. 4 Cornell, No. 5 Arizona State, No. 10 Virginia Tech and No. 15 NC State.

This year’s field also includes at least 67 wrestlers who are ranked in WIN Magazine’s weekly rankings and the most competitive weights appear to be 133, 149, 157, 174, 184 and heavyweight where at least three wrestlers ranked in the Top 8 of their weight classes are expected to compete.

The following is a list of preseeded wrestlers, who are also ranked by WIN:

Preseed – WIN Rank, Name, School Year

125 Pounds

#1 – No. 3 Michael DeAugustino, Northwestern, Senior

#2 – No. 10 Matt Ramos, Purdue, Soph.

#3 – No. 6 Brandon Kaylor, Oregon State, Junior

#4 – No. 11 Malik Heinselman, Ohio State, Senior

#5 – No. 17 Eddie Ventresca, Virginia Tech, RSFr.

#7 – No. 13 Caleb Smith, Appalachian State, Soph.

133 Pounds

#1 – No. 3 Vitali Arujau, Cornell, Junior

#2 – No. 5 Michael McGee, Arizona State, Senior

#3 – No. 6 Dylan Ragusin, Michigan, Soph.

#4 – No. 7 Christopher Cannon, Northwestern, Junior

#5 – No. 8 Sam Latona, Virginia Tech, Soph.

#6 – No. 12 Jesse Mendez, Ohio State, Freshman

#7 – No. 16 Kyle Biscoglia, Northern Iowa, Junior

141 Pounds

#1 – No. 13 Cole Mattin, Michigan, Junior

#2 – No. 12 Clay Carlson, South Dakota State, Senior

#3 – No. 16 Tom Crook, Virginia Tech, Freshman

#4 – No. 6 Ryan Jack, NC State, Soph.

#7 – No. 14 Vince Cornella, Cornell, Freshman

#8 – No. 19 Brock Hardy, Nebraska, Soph.

#10 – No. 20 Darren Miller, Bucknell, Senior

149 Pounds

#1 – No. 4 Sammy Sasso, Ohio State, Senior

#2 – No. 2 Jonathan Millner, Appalachian State, Senior

#3 – No. 5 Kyle Parco, Arizona State, Soph.

#4 – No. 8 Yahya Thomas, Northwestern, Grad.

#5 – No. 16 Colin Realbuto, Northern Iowa, Junior

#7 – No. 18 Jackson Arrington, NC State, Freshman

157 Pounds

#1 – No. 6 Will Lewan, Michigan, Senior

#2 – No. 3 Peyton Robb, Nebraska, Junior

#3 – No. 5 Bryce Andonian, Virginia Tech, Senior

#4 – No. 11 Ed Scott, NC State, Soph.

#5 – No. 9 Kendall Colemam, Purdue, Senior

#7 – No. 18 Paddy Gallagher, Ohio State, RSFr.

#8 – No. 17 Derek Holschlag, Northern Iowa, Senior

165 Pounds

#1 – No. 6 Carson Kharchla, Ohio State, Junior

#2 – No. 8 Julian Ramirez, Cornell, Soph.

#3 – No. 13 Josh Ogunsanya, Columbia, Junior

#4 – No. 17 Tony Negron, Arizona State, Junior

#5 – No. 16 Enrique Munguia, Kent State, Soph.

#10 – No. 14 Matthew Olguin, Oregon State, Soph.

174 Pounds

#1 – No. 2 Mekhi Lewis, Virginia Tech, Senior

#2 – No. 4 Mikey Labriola, Nebraska, Senior

#3 – No. 5 Demetrius Romero, Utah Valley, Senior

#4 – No. 8 Ethan Smith, Ohio State, Senior

#5 – No. 15 Christopher Foca, Cornell,  Junior

#6 – No. 11 Philip Conigliaro, Harvard, Junior

#7 – No. 9 Hayden Hastings, Wyoming, Grad.

184 Pounds

#1 – No. 3 Parker Keckeisen, Northern Iowa, Soph.

#2 – No. 2 Trent Hidlay, NC State, Junior

#3 – No. 4 Kaleb Romero, Ohio State, Senior

#4 – No. 7 Trey Munoz, Oregon State, Soph.

#5 – No. 6 Jonathan Loew, Cornell, Senior

#6 – No. 8 Hunter Bolen, Virginia Tech, Senior

#7 – No. 11 Matthew Finesilver, Michigan, Grad.

#8 – No. 18 Anthony Montalvo, Arizona State, Junior

197 Pounds

#1 — No. 11 Tanner Sloan, South Dakota State, Senior

#2 – No. 10 Isaac Trumble, NC State, Junior

#3 – No. 13 Gavin Hoffman, Ohio State, Senior

#4 – No. 16 Kordell Norfleet, Arizona State, Senior

#6 – No. 20 Silas Allred, Nebraska, Soph.

Heavyweight

#1 – No. 1 Cohlton Schultz, Arizona State, Soph.

#2 – No. 3 Mason Parris, Michigan, Senior

#3 – No. 13 Yaraslau Slavikouski, Harvard, Senior

#4 – No. 5 Lucas Davison, Northwestern, Senior

#5 – No. 8 Tate Orndorff, Ohio State, Senior

#6 – No. 6 Wyatt Hendrickson, Air Force. Junior

#7 – No. 11 Lewis Fernandes, Cornell, Junior

#8 – No. 12 AJ Nevills, South Dakota State, Grad.