Saturday, November 6
East Lansing, MI
8 a.m.
at
Michigan State Open
Bernie Traux takes on Colton Beisley of Oregon State in Pac-12 dual meet last season. Truax seeks to qualify for the NCAAs a third time this year after placing fourth at 174 pounds last March.
Photo by: Kyle Calzia / Cal Poly Athletics
Cal Poly to Open 2021-22 Wrestling Season at Michigan State Open
11/2/2021 4:14:00 PM | Wrestling
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Finishing 25th in the NCAA National Championships last March, its highest in nine years, and armed with preseason tournament rankings of No. 17 by WIN Magazine and No. 18 by InterMat with a pair of returning All-Americans, the Cal Poly wrestling team has begun preparations for the 2021-22 campaign.
Coach Jon Sioredas' Mustangs, with redshirt sophomore Bernie Truax and Wisconsin redshirt senior transfer Evan Wick headlining the roster, begins its first full season in two years Saturday at the Michigan State Open.
"We are eager to head out to Michigan State this weekend, as we have the opportunity to face up to six nationally ranked individuals per weight class," said Sioredas. "Therefore, we will see where we stand pretty quickly.
"This event will provide us much needed feedback to take home, so we can continue to develop and improve," Sioredas added.
In addition to Cal Poly, full teams entered in one of the toughest early season wrestling tournaments in the country include Central Michigan, Edinboro, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Ohio and Oklahoma. Seven of the nation's top-25 teams are entered, led by Michigan at No. 5.
Michigan State returns seven of its eight national qualifiers of a year ago and five will compete in the tournament. A total of 18 to 20 schools and 400 competitors are expected.
Truax is a two-time national qualifier who placed fourth at 174 pounds in the nationals after earning Cal Poly's first Pac-12 title in three years, while Wick is a two-time NCAA All-American (third in 2018 and fourth in 2019, both at 165) and three-time national qualifier.
The pair accentuate a Cal Poly roster that also features 13 returning lettermen, including 10 wrestlers who competed in at least three of the five dual meets a year ago, along with six newcomers from the high school ranks.
"We have a great deal of depth on our roster this year," said Sioredas.
Sioredas will take 15 returnees and eight other wrestlers competing unattached to the one-day event inside Jenison Field House in East Lansing, Mich.
Below are the projected starters as noted by Sioredas with a few additional key impact players:
125 -- Antonio Lorenzo, third-year freshman, top-100 recruit, four-time California state placer and Super 32 champion continues to develop and grow into the weight class. He has had a strong off-season, finishing tin the top 16 at the 2021 U23 National tournament this past May.
133 -- Two true freshmen will contest for the spot. Joey Cape is a three-time Fargo All-American and Abe Hinrichsen is a state champion and Fargo All-American, both hailing from the state of Illinois.
141 -- NCAA qualifier Lawrence Saenz, coming off a silver medal (world team alternate) performance and at U23s, with wins over the current Nos. 4 and 5 guys in the country at 141 pounds, is the leader at this weight. He enters the season nationally ranked.
149 -- Legend Lamer, the No. 9 seed at last year's NCAAs as a freshman, will be a freshman again this season. Legend was a four-time Oregon state champion, Fargo All-American and Top-100 recruit.
157 -- Fifth-year team captain Brawley Lamer will continue at this weight class. He has shown continuous improvement throughout his career and finds a way to win close matches. Luka Wick, our Top-50 recruit, will remain in redshirt and compete at multiple tournaments.
165 -- Senior Evan Wick, transfer from Wisconsin, placed third at the U.S. Olympic trials, heads this weight class. His leadership and experience have helped propel our program to new heights.
174 -- Adam Kemp, a sophomore again this season and now up a weight, has made great strides and will look to improve on his fourth-place finish at the Pac-12 Championships.
184 -- 2021 All-American Bernie Truax is moving on up to 184 pounds. He still has three years of eligibility remaining. The three-time California state meet qualifier and two-time state placer posted a 4-2 record at the NCAA finals last winter, winning his first three bouts to become the first Mustang to reach the semifinals in 10 years.
197 -- Trent Tracy, is healthy and also up a weight. The California state champion and Top-100 recruit is back after missing the entire 2020-21 season and posting six wins as a true freshman the year before.
285 -- Team captain and most improved wrestler, Samuel Aguilar, will continue to be our mainstay at heavyweight after going 7-2 last year and finishing third at the Pac-12 finals. Freshman Trevor Tinker is growing into the weight class and will redshirt this season.
Cal Poly will host five dual meets this year -- San Francisco State on Nov. 20, Northern Colorado on Jan. 7, Arizona State on Jan. 21 and both Air Force and CSU Bakersfield on Feb. 13.
The Mustangs also will compete in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and Midlands Championships and will visit Little Rock, Northern Illinois, Oregon State and Stanford for dual meets.
Arizona State will host the Pac-12 Championships on March 5 with the NCAA Division I National Championships slated for March 17-19 in Detroit.
Coach Jon Sioredas' Mustangs, with redshirt sophomore Bernie Truax and Wisconsin redshirt senior transfer Evan Wick headlining the roster, begins its first full season in two years Saturday at the Michigan State Open.
"We are eager to head out to Michigan State this weekend, as we have the opportunity to face up to six nationally ranked individuals per weight class," said Sioredas. "Therefore, we will see where we stand pretty quickly.
"This event will provide us much needed feedback to take home, so we can continue to develop and improve," Sioredas added.
In addition to Cal Poly, full teams entered in one of the toughest early season wrestling tournaments in the country include Central Michigan, Edinboro, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Ohio and Oklahoma. Seven of the nation's top-25 teams are entered, led by Michigan at No. 5.
Michigan State returns seven of its eight national qualifiers of a year ago and five will compete in the tournament. A total of 18 to 20 schools and 400 competitors are expected.
Truax is a two-time national qualifier who placed fourth at 174 pounds in the nationals after earning Cal Poly's first Pac-12 title in three years, while Wick is a two-time NCAA All-American (third in 2018 and fourth in 2019, both at 165) and three-time national qualifier.
The pair accentuate a Cal Poly roster that also features 13 returning lettermen, including 10 wrestlers who competed in at least three of the five dual meets a year ago, along with six newcomers from the high school ranks.
"We have a great deal of depth on our roster this year," said Sioredas.
Sioredas will take 15 returnees and eight other wrestlers competing unattached to the one-day event inside Jenison Field House in East Lansing, Mich.
Below are the projected starters as noted by Sioredas with a few additional key impact players:
125 -- Antonio Lorenzo, third-year freshman, top-100 recruit, four-time California state placer and Super 32 champion continues to develop and grow into the weight class. He has had a strong off-season, finishing tin the top 16 at the 2021 U23 National tournament this past May.
133 -- Two true freshmen will contest for the spot. Joey Cape is a three-time Fargo All-American and Abe Hinrichsen is a state champion and Fargo All-American, both hailing from the state of Illinois.
141 -- NCAA qualifier Lawrence Saenz, coming off a silver medal (world team alternate) performance and at U23s, with wins over the current Nos. 4 and 5 guys in the country at 141 pounds, is the leader at this weight. He enters the season nationally ranked.
149 -- Legend Lamer, the No. 9 seed at last year's NCAAs as a freshman, will be a freshman again this season. Legend was a four-time Oregon state champion, Fargo All-American and Top-100 recruit.
157 -- Fifth-year team captain Brawley Lamer will continue at this weight class. He has shown continuous improvement throughout his career and finds a way to win close matches. Luka Wick, our Top-50 recruit, will remain in redshirt and compete at multiple tournaments.
165 -- Senior Evan Wick, transfer from Wisconsin, placed third at the U.S. Olympic trials, heads this weight class. His leadership and experience have helped propel our program to new heights.
174 -- Adam Kemp, a sophomore again this season and now up a weight, has made great strides and will look to improve on his fourth-place finish at the Pac-12 Championships.
184 -- 2021 All-American Bernie Truax is moving on up to 184 pounds. He still has three years of eligibility remaining. The three-time California state meet qualifier and two-time state placer posted a 4-2 record at the NCAA finals last winter, winning his first three bouts to become the first Mustang to reach the semifinals in 10 years.
197 -- Trent Tracy, is healthy and also up a weight. The California state champion and Top-100 recruit is back after missing the entire 2020-21 season and posting six wins as a true freshman the year before.
285 -- Team captain and most improved wrestler, Samuel Aguilar, will continue to be our mainstay at heavyweight after going 7-2 last year and finishing third at the Pac-12 finals. Freshman Trevor Tinker is growing into the weight class and will redshirt this season.
Cal Poly will host five dual meets this year -- San Francisco State on Nov. 20, Northern Colorado on Jan. 7, Arizona State on Jan. 21 and both Air Force and CSU Bakersfield on Feb. 13.
The Mustangs also will compete in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and Midlands Championships and will visit Little Rock, Northern Illinois, Oregon State and Stanford for dual meets.
Arizona State will host the Pac-12 Championships on March 5 with the NCAA Division I National Championships slated for March 17-19 in Detroit.
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