The race for the 197-pound title is wide open. Even though Jon Trenge of Lehigh is the clear favorite to win the title, there are as many as six wrestlers who could legitimately come home with the title. A couple of those come from East Coast schools, which may signal a rise to power for those institutions.    The matchups as soon as the first round should provide some great excitement for fans. Over the past few years, this weight class has become more athletic overall, and that has enhanced the level of wrestling at the NCAA Tournament. That will not change this year.    Top Contenders  Jon Trenge (Lehigh) - Trenge is the most solid wrestler at this weight class. He has a perfect mix of size, speed, strength, quickness and athletic ability. Trenge also has a great desire to finally win a national title, and this may be his best year to do it. Trenge lost to Cael Sanderson in last year's NCAA finals, but has been the favorite to win the national title this year since that loss. Trenge is great on his feet. He can score on ankle-picks and single-legs, but he will dominate his opponents from the top position. Trenge will have to get by Kyle Smith of Michigan in the quarterfinals. Smith has always given Trenge tough matches, including a win over Trenge this season. But when the spotlight is on, so is Trenge. Expect him to dominate his way to at least the finals.    Muhammed Lawal (Oklahoma State) - Lawal transferred to the Cowboys program this season after dominating the Division II level last year. One thing that was questionable throughout the season was his stamina. He is undoubtedly quicker than all opponents at this weight class, but he would struggle in the third period, which is why he lost some early matches. Lawal seems to have recovered and avenged one of his earlier losses at the Big XII Championships with a finals win over Ruiz. His favorite move is an ankle pick, and he uses it frequently. Lawal is also excellent at re-shooting. If his first shot is not successful, he likes to re-shoot to get deeper position. This is one of his best attributes. Many know Lawal as a cocky senior without any credentials, but rest assured, he is just as hungry for a title as anyone in this tournament.    Justin Ruiz (Nebraska) - Ruiz has solidified himself as a top title contender this year. His size and strength helps him through most matches and his technical skills have improved, but could still use some tweaking. Ruiz was defeated badly in the Big XII finals by Lawal. He seemed worn out by the end of the match, something that must change in this tournament. If Ruiz is not in better shape this weekend, he is going to struggle as the third seed. Just to get to the finals, he must get through All-American Damion Hahn as well as Lawal. That is a tough road, one that Ruiz might not be ready for yet. Expect a much more motivated Ruiz than two weeks ago, but he must be able to get out to the early lead when the matches begin to get tougher.    Damion Hahn (Minnesota) - Hahn is a returning All-American who moved up in weight at mid-season after some early-season struggles. Since moving up in weight, he has exercised all of his wrestling demons by capturing the Big Ten title and is now a darkhorse on some brackets to win an NCAA title. This two-time All-American has all the talent in the world, which should help. He has great quickness, especially for a 197-pounder. He is a little short for this weight, but remember Zach Thompson? Hahn actually received a favorable draw. He is set to meet up with Ruiz in the quarterfinals, which may be the perfect matchup for him. Offensively, Hahn has always been aggressive, but up until the last two weeks of the regular season, he had struggled to score. That seems to have changed, and a new version of Hahn most likely will not please the other competitors at this weight class.    David Shunamon (Edinboro) - Shunamon has not lost a match since early December, and he is the only wrestler to defeat both Trenge and Lawal this year. In those matches, he was able to play a defensive game and slow the match down. At the NCAA Tournament, he will have a tough time utilizing that type of strategy, especially in the later rounds when the opponents get tougher. Shunamon has gained confidence in his offense as the season has progressed and that could make a major difference in how he performs. If Shunamon can get on an offensive role, he will still have to get through some tough opponents, but it is not out of the question. This is one wrestler to keep your eye on.    The Others  Chris Skretkowicz (Hofstra) - Skretkowicz is a wrestler not many think about when ranking the top wrestlers, but he definitely deserves it. He has lost very close matches to Trenge (twice) and Ruiz. He has also wrestled a solid schedule this year, and should be ready for this tournament. This is one wrestler who could score the big upset at this tournament.    Nik Fekete (Michigan State) - Fekete lost to Hahn in the Big Ten finals, but with the right tournament, he could end up in the finals. He was an All-American two years ago and has looked better than ever this season. Fekete has good strength and technical skills, but he also does not make many mistakes and is always within a takedown or two of winning his matches.    High-Impact Freshmen  Ryan Bader (Arizona State), Morgan Horner (Lock Haven)    NCAA Finals: Jon Trenge (Lehigh) vs. Damion Hahn (Minnesota)  
TheMat.com's Pick: Damion Hahn (Minnesota)  
All-American Dark Horse: Eric Mausser (Clarion)