UPDATED: Top wrestling journalists weigh in with predictions for NCAA Championships

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Craig Sesker (USA Wrestling)
03/14/2006


Some of the nation's top wrestling journalists are weighing in with their predictions on this year's NCAA Championships. They are picking the results of the finals in each weight class, in addition to which teams they think will finish in the top five.

Their picks are as follows:


Gary Blockus, Morning Call (Pa.)
125: Sam Hazewinkel, Oklahoma over Nick Simmons, Michigan State
133: Shawn Bunch, Edinboro over Nathan Morgan, Oklahoma State
141: Cory Cooperman, Lehigh over Nate Gallick, Iowa State
149: Zack Esposito, Oklahoma State over Dustin Schlatter, Minnesota
157: Trent Paulson, Iowa State over Alex Tirapelle, Illinois
165: Johny Hendricks, Oklahoma State over Ryan Churella, Michigan
174: Ben Askren, Missouri over Jake Herbert, Northwestern
184: Josh Glenn, American over Roger Kish, Minnesota
197: Jake Rosholt, Oklahoma State over B.J. Padden, Nebraska
285: Cole Konrad, Minnesota over Steve Mocco, Oklahoma State
Top 5 teams: Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Michigan, Nebraska, Illinois

Ron Good, Amateur Wrestling News
125: Sam Hazewinkel, Oklahoma State over Nick Simmons, Michigan State
133: Chris Fleeger, Purdue over Darrell Vasquez, Cal Poly
141: Teyon Ware, Oklahoma over Nate Gallick, Iowa State
149: Zack Esposito,Oklahoma State over Dustin Schlatter, Minnesota
157: Dustin Manotti, Cornell over Craig Henning, Wisconsin
165: Johny Hendricks, Oklahoma State over Ryan Churella, Michigan
174: Jake Herbert, Northwestern over Ben Askren, Missouri
184: Kurt Backes, Iowa State over Eric Bradley, Penn State
197: B.J. Padden, Nebraska over Jake Rosholt, Oklahoma State
Hwt: Cole Konrad, Minnesota over Steve Mocco, Oklahoma State
Top 5 teams: Oklahoma State, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Michigan, Illinois 

Mike Finn, Wrestling International Newsmagazine
125: Nick Simmons, Michigan State over Sam Hazewinkel, Oklahoma
133: Shawn Bunch, Edinboro over Tom Clum, Wisconsin
141: Teyon Ware, Oklahoma over Nate Gallick, Iowa State
149: Dustin Schlatter, Minnesota over Zack Esposito, Oklahoma State
157: Alex Tirapelle, Illinois over Matt Lebe, West Virginia
165: Ryan Churella, Michigan over Johny Hendricks, Oklahoma State
174: Ben Askren, Missouri over Jake Herbert, Northwestern
184: Roger Kish, Minnesota over Pete Friedl, Illinois
197: Wynn Michalak, Central Michigan over B.J. Padden, Nebraska 
Hwt.: Cole Konrad, Minnesota over Steve Mocco, Oklahoma State
Top 5 teams: Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Michigan, Illinois, Oklahoma

Andy Hamilton, Iowa City Press-Citizen
125: Nick Simmons, Michigan State over Joe Dubuque, Indiana
133: Shawn Bunch, Edinboro over Tom Clum, Wisconsin
141: Nate Gallick, Iowa State over Alex Tsirtsis, Iowa
149: Dustin Schlatter, Minnesota over Zack Esposito, Oklahoma State
157: Trent Paulson, Iowa State over Alex Tirapelle, Illinois
165: Johny Hendricks, Oklahoma State over Ryan Churella, Michigan
174: Jake Herbert, Northwestern over Ben Askren, Missouri
184: Roger Kish, Minnesota over Shane Webster, Oregon
197: Jake Rosholt, Oklahoma State over Kyle Cerminara, Buffalo
Hwt.: Cole Konrad, Minnesota over Greg Wagner, Michigan
Top 5 teams: Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Michigan, Oklahoma, Illinois

John Helsley, Daily Oklahoman
125: Sam Hazewinkel, Oklahoma over Nick Simmons, Michigan State
133: Tom Clum, Wisconsin over Shawn Bunch, Edinboro
141: Nate Gallick, Iowa State over Teyon Ware, Oklahoma
149: Zack Esposito, Oklahoma State over Dustin Schlatter, Minnesota
157: Alex Tirapelle, Illinois over Matt Lebe, West Virginia
165: Johny Hendricks, Oklahoma State over Ryan Churella, Michigan
174: Ben Askren, Missouri over Mark Perry, Iowa	
184: Josh Glenn, American over Ben Wissel, Purdue
197: Wynn Michalak, Central Michigan over Kyle Cerminara, Buffalo
Hwt.: Cole Konrad, Minnesota over Steve Mocco, Oklahoma State
Top 5 teams: Oklahoma State, Minnesota, Illinois, Oklahoma, Michigan

Roger Moore, Stillwater (Okla.) News Press
125: Sam Hazewinkel, Oklahoma over Nick Simmons, Michigan State
133: Shawn Bunch, Edinboro over Matt Valenti, Penn
141: Teyon Ware, Oklahoma over Nate Gallick, Iowa State
149: Zack Esposito, Oklahoma State over Mark DiSalvo, Central Michigan
157: Alex Tirapelle, Illinois over Matt Lebe, West Virginia
165: Johny Hendricks, Oklahoma State over Ryan Churella, Michigan
174: Jake Herbert, Northwestern over Ben Askren, Missouri
184: Roger Kish, Minnesota over Shane Webster, Oregon
197: Jake Rosholt, Oklahoma State over B.J. Padden, Nebraska
Hwt.: Cole Konrad, Minnesota over Steve Mocco, Oklahoma State
Top 5 teams: Oklahoma State, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Illinois, Michigan

J.R. Ogden, Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette
125: Joe Dubuque, Indiana over Nick Simmons, Michigan State
133: Nathan Morgan, Oklahoma State over Mack Reiter, Minnesota
141: Nate Gallick, Iowa State over Teyon Ware, Oklahoma
149: Dustin Schlatter, Minnesota over Zack Esposito, Oklahoma State
157: Alex Tirapelle, Illinois over Trent Paulson, Iowa State
165: Ryan Churella, Michigan over Johny Hendricks, Oklahoma State
174: Ben Askren, Missouri over Mark Perry, Iowa
184: Kurt Backes, Iowa State over Josh Glenn, American
197: Jake Rosholt, Oklahoma State over Kyle Cerminara, Buffalo
Hwt.: Cole Konrad, Minnesota over Steve Mocco, Oklahoma State
Top 5 teams: Oklahoma State, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa State

Craig Sesker, USA Wrestling
125: Nick Simmons, Michigan State over Sam Hazewinkel, Oklahoma
133: Tom Clum, Wisconsin over Matt Keller, Tennessee-Chattanooga
141: Teyon Ware, Oklahoma over Nate Gallick, Iowa State
149: Zack Esposito, Oklahoma State over Dustin Schlatter, Minnesota
157: Trent Paulson, Iowa State over C.P. Schlatter, Minnesota
165: Muzaffar Abdurakhmanov, American over Ryan Churella, Michigan
174: Ben Askren, Missouri over Mark Perry, Iowa
184: Josh Glenn, American over Kurt Backes, Iowa State
197: Wynn Michalak, Central Michigan over B.J. Padden, Nebraska
Hwt.: Steve Mocco, Oklahoma State over Cole Konrad, Minnesota
Top 5 teams: Oklahoma State, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa State, Oklahoma

Tim Tushla, Wrestling International Newsmagazine
125: Sam Hazewinkel, Oklahoma over Kyle Ott, Illinois
133: Chris Fleeger, Purdue over Nathan Morgan, Oklahoma State
141: Nate Gallick, Iowa State over Teyon Ware, Oklahoma
149: Dustin Schlatter, Minnesota over Zack Esposito, Oklahoma State
157: Dustin Manotti, Cornell over Trent Paulson, Iowa State
165: Johny Hendricks, Oklahoma State over Mike Poeta, Illinois
174: Ben Askren, Missouri over Mark Perry, Iowa
184: Eric Bradley, Penn State over Pete Friedl, Illinois
197: B.J. Padden, Nebraska over Jake Rosholt, Oklahoma State
Hwt.: Cole Konrad, Minnesota over Steve Mocco, Oklahoma State
Top 5 teams: Oklahoma State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan