Latest WIN Rankings released; 100 could compete in Vegas

Photo: NC State’s Jakob Camacho, Cornell’s Vito Arujau, Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett and Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen — all top-rated wrestlers in WIN’s Nov. 27 rankings — could all compete for championships at the 41st annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational this weekend.

NEWTON, Iowa — The Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational is rated among the top regular-season tournaments and the 41st annual event, which will be held this Friday and Saturday (Dec. 1-2), could include nearly 100 wrestlers who are rated in the Top 20 in WIN Magazine’s Nov. 27 rankings, presented by Cliff Keen Athletic.

This year’s CKLV, which will be held in the Westgate Paradise Event Center in Las Vegas, also features four wrestlers who are rated No. 1 by WIN: NC State’s Jakob Camacho (125), Cornell’s Vito Arujau (133), Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett (149) and Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen (184).

Camacho could face No. 2 Matt Ramos of Purdue in Las Vegas. Ramos, the preseason No. 1 pick who lost twice this season, moved up after beating Lock Haven’s Anthony Noto, last week’s No. 1, in the All-Star Classic in State College, Pa.

Arujau, the defending NCAA champ, could meet Oklahoma State’s No. 2 Daton Fix, the three-time NCAA runner-up at this year’s CKLV.

Meanwhile, Lovett could face three in the top five at his weight in Vegas: Arizona State’s No. 3 Kyle Parco, Virginia Tech’s No. 4 Caleb Henson and Cal Poly’s No. 5 Chance Lamer. Keckeisen, who beat Penn State’s No. 2 Bernie Truax in last week’s NWCA All-Star Classic, could face Oregon State’s No. 3 Trey Munoz and Oklahoma State’s No. 5 Dustin Plott in Las Vegas.

In WIN’s Tournament Power Index, Penn State continues to lead with 150.5 points and features four top-ranked wrestlers, including three — Carter Starocci (174), Aaron Brooks (197) and Greg Kerkvliet (Hwt) — who all won matches at the All-Star Classic last week. The Nittany Lions, who host Lehigh this coming Sunday, are followed by NC State (68.5), Missouri (67.5), and Cornell and Michigan (66), which are tied for fifth in the TPI.

Other top-ranked wrestlers are Cornell’s Vito Arujau (133), Iowa’s Real Woods (141), Penn State’s Levi Haines (157) and Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole (165).

WIN’s TPI is based on a point total associated with individual placement and advancement points that could be scored in the 2024 NCAAs if wrestlers finish where they are ranked. The following is a breakdown of those points: 20 for 1st place, 16 for 2nd, 13.5 for 3rd, 12.5 for 4th, 10 for 5th, 9 for 6th, 6.5 for 7th and 5.5 for 8th. Wrestlers ranked 9-12 earn two points each, followed by one and a half points for wrestlers ranked 13-16 and one point for those ranked 17-20.

Also, it should be noted that WIN’s individual rankings are not necessarily simply an update of recent wins and losses, but more of a prediction at this point in the season of where wrestlers would be seeded at the 2024 NCAAs, which will be held in Kansas City, Mo., next March, if that event was held now.

There are seven newcomers to this week’s rankings: Iowa’s Patrick Kennedy (174), Iowa State’s Evan Frost (133), Maryland Braxton Brown (133), Minnesota’s Michael Blockhus (157), Blaine Brenner (165) and Andrew Sparks (184), and Pitt’s Mac Stout (197).

WIN Magazine will announce its first dual rankings in the Dec. 4 weekly rankings release.

WIN Magazine’s Nov. 27 Tournament Power Index

WIN Magazine’s Nov. 27 Individual Rankings

125 pounds 

133 pounds   

141 pounds                                                                                                 

149 pounds                                                                                                 

157 pounds                                                                                                 

165 pounds                                                                                                 

174 pounds                                                                                                 

184 pounds 

197 pounds                                                                                                 

Heavyweight