Big Ten wrestling is officially underway this weekend, as the conference kicks off a condensed schedule in which teams will wrestle a nine-meet schedule over the course of eight weeks. The Buckeyes won't face a conference foe until Jan. 17, but will host the team's annual wrestle-off event Saturday, Jan. 9, at 11 a.m. EST.
This year's event will be quite different from normal in the sense that fans will not be in Covelli Arena. Fifteen scheduled matches across nine weight classes will be contested, with the event streaming live via the team's Facebook page.
Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan told me earlier this month that a wrestle-off would occur at all 10 weights, but 165 will not be contested Saturday according to the schedule released by the team Friday.
Looking for tomorrow's wrestle-off matchups?
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) January 8, 2021
We got 'em right here #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/8fvq5zkn0o
Local phenom Carson Kharchla is expected to be the team's starter at 165; he launched himself into the Top 15 of the class last month with four consecutive victories against senior-level freestyle competition at FloWrestling's RTC Cup event in Cincinnati.
Last year's 165-pound starter Ethan Smith was also notably absent from the card. Ryan told me that Smith would move up to challenge Kaleb Romero — currently ranked No. 4 in the country — for the starting spot at 174 pounds. Smith and Romero did a do-si-do last season, with Smith dropping down to '65 and Romero flourishing at '74 after the pair had anchored the alternate weights in the 2018-2019 season.
Ohio State's tweet indicated that wrestlers not listed would compete in wrestle-offs later, holding out the possibility that Romero and Smith might square off later. The Athletic Department, as with other sports, does not release COVID-19 data so it is unknown if Smith's absence from the card is related.
Another notable absence from the card is Quinn Kinner, who had bounced around from 141 to 133 to 157 last season in search of a spot. Sources tell Eleven Warriors that he is taking the semester off, but there is hope that he will return to competition for the Buckeyes next season.
Highlights of the wrestle-off lineup include marquee matchups at 141, where a round-robin will take place between Cuban sensation Anthony Echemendia, four-time Ohio High School champion Dylan D'Emilio, and fellow former state champ J.D. Stickley of Graham High School fame.
Mini-brackets will take place at 125, 157 and 197, with 197 presenting a possible matchup between former blue-chip recruit Gavin Hoffman and former starting heavyweight Chase Singletary. The long-limbed Singletary, looking especially lean, dropped down to his more natural weight; he is coming back after an injury scuttled his season more than a year ago.
Hoffman drops to '97 after closing out last season wrestling heavy at open tournaments around the region, most if not all of which he won.
One series of matches that intrigues me is at 157. The Buckeyes have struggled at this weight for a while now, it seems, with established starter Elijah Cleary looking plenty capable last season, but seemed to never quite put it all together in the biggest matches. He'll face either Kevon Freeman or Isaac Wilcox, both highly-touted recruits who have largely flown under the radar for a couple of seasons.
Freeman is a three-time D-II Ohio high school champion who didn't compete his redshirt or redshirt freshman seasons due to injury. He was ranked in the Top 80 overall recruits in the country by both Intermat and FloWrestling in the Class of 2018.
Wilcox was a three-time Utah high school state champion who won USA Wrestling's Folkstyle National at 152 pounds in 2019. The all-state linebacker begins his collegiate wrestling career this season, and could inject some additional life into a spot where Ohio State could use some production. He and Freeman should put up a solid match, with the winner advancing to face the veteran Cleary.
Take a look at the bout order for tomorrow's wrestle-offs:#GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/CFXxQYCdyj
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) January 8, 2021
Preliminary matches get underway at 11 a.m. Saturday, with final bouts at 12:30 p.m. All will stream live via the team's Facebook page.
