John Fuller/TheMat.com
All season long, the race for the title at 125 lbs. has been between three wrestlers “Sam Hazewinkel of Oklahoma, Kyle Ott of Illinois and Nick Simmons of Michigan State.
Hazewinkel’s only loss this season came in the Big XII finals to freshman Coleman Scott of Oklahoma State. He is a Greco-Roman star, but with a small frame, he is tough to score on, yet is aggressive in his own right. The thing that separates him from the rest, and may still get him the top seed in this tournament, are his wins over Ott (4-2 in overtime) and Simmons (2-0). Hazewinkel also defeated Simmons 2-1 at the NWCA All-Star Classic, but that match officially does not count on either wrestler’s record.
Ott seems to be the healthiest he has ever been, and it shows in his movement on the mat. He has shown great motion in his matches this season, even in that loss to Hazewinkel at the National Duals. But Ott does a 4-2 loss to Simmons on his record this year.
Simmons, even as the projected second seed, may be the favorite to win this tournament. His tall, lanky body makes him difficult to not only score on, but also to defend. One of Simmons’ two losses this year, to Joe Dubuque of Indiana, has already been avenged. The other loss was to Hazewinkel. The Olympic Redshirt last year seems to have helped Simmons develop greatly. While a reputation as a choke artist sticks to him, he no longer relies on a front headlock anymore.
The PAC-10 Conference has lost qualifiers for this tournament for three straight years now, but with four wrestlers in All-American contention at this weight class, things could change for next year.
Efren Ceballos of Cal State-Bakersfield, Andrew Hochstrasser of Boise State, Jeremy Mendoza of Arizona State and Vic Moreno of Cal Poly are all ranked in the top 12 in most polls, and should all receive a seed.
Hochstrasser, just a freshman, has taken this weight class by storm this year. His frosh campaign is similar to the first year of Hazewinkel. Even with some big wins, not many have expected much out of him. He could open some eyes in this tournament.
One wrestler to really watch will be true freshman Coleman Scott of Oklahoma State. While there is no doubt that Scott is one of the most talented wrestlers in the country, there is a lot of doubt that he has an easy time making 125 lbs. He rifled through the Big XII Tournament, but that is a one-day event. How Scott will do on two and three weigh-ins remains to be seen.
Projected Top 4 Seeds: 1. Sam Hazewinkel (Oklahoma), 2. Nick Simmons (Michigan State), 3. Kyle Ott (Illinois), 4. Vic Moreno (Cal Poly)
Top Contenders: Hazewinkel, Ott, Simmons
The Others: Efren Ceballos (Cal State-Bakersfield), Joe Dubuque (Indiana), Moreno
Darkhorse: Matt Pitts (Tennessee-Chattanooga)
Top Freshmen: Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise State), Joe Kemmerer (North Carolina-Greensboro), Coleman Scott (Oklahoma State)
Finals Prediction: Simmons defeats Hazewinkel
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