World medalists Trumble, Teemer in semifinals, Penn atop team standings after day one at Ken Kraft Midlands Championships

HOFMANN ESTATES, Ill. – The Penn Quakers command the early lead after day one of the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, the 59th edition of the prestigious holiday college wrestling tournament, with four semifinalists and 72 team points.

Three-time NCAA qualifier Michael Colaiocco (133), NCAA All-American CJ Composto (141), NCAA qualifier Nick Incontrera (174) and Junior starter Maximus Hale (184) navigated to Saturday morning’s semifinal round for head coach Roger Reina’s talented Penn unit. The Quakers, who are currently ranked No. 29 in the FloWrestling Team Tournament Rankings, boast the most semifinalists of any team in the field.

Central Michigan and West Virginia each hold three semifinalists after the first day of action at NOW Arena, and slot in second and third place in the overall team race. All told, 23 teams pushed at least one wrestler to the semifinal round in what is shaping up to be one of the more wide-open Midlands fields in recent memory.

Reigning 97 kg men’s freestyle U23 World champion Issac Trumble was back in action for North Carolina State. He moved to the 285-pound semifinals with a 12-4 major decision win over No. 10 seed Jimmy Mullen of Virginia Tech. A heavyweight showdown with two-time age-group U.S. World Team member Luke Luffman of Illinois looms assuming both men can win tomorrow morning.

2017 Cadet World bronze medalist and two-time NCAA All-American Jacori Teemer of Arizona State moved to the 157-pound semifinals with four wins on the day. He opened the day with a lighting fast 12-second fall over Cleveland State’s Shane Heil. His quarterfinal against George Mason’s DJ McGee was slightly more competitive as Teemer needed a sudden victory takedown to advance.

Past age-group U.S. World Team members Cooper Flynn of Virginia Tech (125), Dylan Ragusin of Michigan (133) and Cameron Caffey of Michigan State (197) also booked spots in the semifinals.

Two-time NCAA All-American and reigning Big Ten champion Dean Hamiti of Wisconsin staked claim to the most dominant wrestler of the event on Friday with three pins in as many matches, the most of any wrestler. He will look to continue the streak against Maxx Mayfield of Northwestern in the 165-pound semifinals.

Four No. 1 seeds were surprisingly ousted from the championship side on day one of competition—Richard Figueroa of Arizona State (125), Sam Latona of Virginia Tech (133), Kyle Parco of Arizona State (149) and Layne Malczewski of Michigan State (184).

Three semifinalists emerged from unseeded positions and are still in the running for top prize—Jimmy Nugent of Central Michigan (141), unattached Ty Whalen (149) and Kaleb Burgess of Buffalo (149). Whalen and Burgess are set to wrestle tomorrow morning, guaranteeing an unseeded wrestler getting a crack at the Midlands crown.

Just two-of-10 weight classes went chalk with the top four seeds advancing to the semifinal round—165 pounds and 197 pounds.

The Ken Kraft Midlands Championships will resume at 11 a.m. (CT) with the men’s championship semifinals and consolations, plus the start of the women’s tournament. The championship finals are set for 6:05 p.m. (CT).

Real-time results and updated brackets of the event are available on Trackwrestling.com. The action can be viewed live online with a Big Ten Plus subscription.

2023 Ken Kraft Midlands Championships

At Hoffman Estates, Ill., Dec. 29-30

Team Standings

1. Penn, 72

2. Central Michigan, 65

3. West Virginia, 57

4. Wisconsin, 52

5. Princeton, 51.5

6. Michigan State, 50

7. Northwestern, 45.5

8. Northern Illinois, 41.5

9. Harvard, 41

10. Illinois, 40.5

Semifinal Matchups

125 pounds

No. 6 Blake West (Northern Illinois) vs. No. 13 Elijah Griffin (California Baptist)

No. 11 Luke Stanich (Lehigh) vs. No. 2 Cooper Flynn (Virginia Tech)

133 pounds

No. 9 Zeth Romney (Cal Poly) vs. No. 4 Dylan Shawver (Rutgers)

No. 3 Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) vs. No. 2 Michael Colaiocco (Penn)

141 pounds

No. 1 CJ Composto (Penn) vs. US Jimmy Nugent (Central Michigan)

No. 6 Tom Crook (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 2 Jordan Titus (West Virginia)

149 pounds

US Ty Whalen (Unattached) vs. US Kaleb Burgess (Buffalo)

No. 3 Corbyn Munson (Central Michigan) vs. No. 7 Ty Watters (West Virginia)

157 pounds

No. 1 Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) vs. No. 12 Colton Washleski (Rider)

No. 3 Trevor Chumbley (Northwestern) vs. No. 7 Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan)

165 pounds

No. 1 Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) vs. No. 4 Maxx Mayfield (Northwestern)

No. 3 Peyton Hall (West Virginia) vs. No. 2 Caleb Fish (Michigan State)

174 pounds

No. 1 Edmond Ruth (Illinois) vs. No. 4 Nick Incontrera (Penn)

No. 6 Philip Conigliaro (Harvard) vs. No. 2 Justin McCoy (Virginia)

184 pounds

No. 8 Nate Dugan (Princeton) vs. No. 12 Shane Liegel (Wisconsin)

No. 3 James Conway (Franklin & Marshall) vs. No. 7 Maximus Hale (Penn)

197 pounds

No. 1 Michael Beard (Lehigh) vs. No. 4 Andy Smith (Virginia Tech)

No. 3 Cameron Caffey (Michigan State) vs. No. 2 Luke Stout (Princeton)

285 pounds

No. 1 Luke Luffman (Illinois) vs. No. 5 Trevor Tinker (Cal Poly)

No. 6 Jacob Bullock (Indiana) vs. No. 2 Issac Trumble (North Carolina State)

Quarterfinal Results

125 pounds

No. 6 Blake West (Northern Illinois) maj. dec. US Ashton Jackson (Purdue), 12-3

No. 13 Elijah Griffin (California Baptist) tech. fall No. 5 Max Gallagher (Penn), 15-0

No. 11 Luke Stanich (Lehigh) dec. No. 3 Eric Barnett (Wisconsin), 8-5

No. 2 Cooper Flynn (Virginia Tech) dec. No. 10 Sean Spidle (Central Michigan), 4-1 TB-1

133 pounds

No. 9 Zeth Romney (Cal Poly) dec. No. 1 Sam Latona (Virginia Tech), 3-2

No. 4 Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) dec. No. 5 Julian Chlebove (Arizona State), 8-1 SV-1

No. 3 Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) dec. No. 6 Marlon Yarbrough (Virginia), 8-7

No. 2 Michael Colaiocco (Penn) dec. No. 7 Mason Leiphart (Franklin & Marshall), 6-5

141 pounds

No. 1 CJ Composto (Penn) dec. US Mac Church (Virginia Tech), 5-2

US Jimmy Nugent (Central Michigan) dec. No. 5 Dylan Layton (Cleveland State), 8-4

No. 6 Tom Crook (Virginia Tech) dec. No. 3 Danny Pucino (Illinois), 8-1

No. 2 Jordan Titus (West Virginia) maj. dec. No. 10 Evan Mougalian (Penn RTC), 16-4

149 pounds

US Ty Whalen (Unattached) dec. US Eligh Rivera (Princeton), 9-3

US Kaleb Burgess (Buffalo) dec. No. 12 Sam Cartella (Northwestern), 3-1

No. 3 Corbyn Munson (Central Michigan) fall No. 6 Caleb Tyus (SIU Edwardsville), 6:38

No. 7 Ty Watters (West Virginia) dec. No. 2 Kannon Webster (Illinois), 4-2

157 pounds

No. 1 Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) dec. No. 9 DJ McGee (George Mason), 4-1 SV-1

No. 12 Colton Washleski (Rider) dec. No. 4 Andy Clark (Rutgers), 10-9 SV-1

No. 3 Trevor Chumbley (Northwestern) maj. dec. No. 11 Jude Swisher (Penn), 10-2

No. 7 Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan) dec. No. 2 Chase Saldate (Michigan State), 9-6

165 pounds

No. 1 Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) fall No. 9 Beau Mantanona (Michigan), 4:49

No. 4 Maxx Mayfield (Northwestern) tech. fall No. 5 Rafael Hipolito (Virginia Tech), 17-1

No. 3 Peyton Hall (West Virginia) fall US Dan Patten (Cleveland State), 2:20

No. 2 Caleb Fish (Michigan State) dec. No. 7 Josh Kim (Harvard), 2-0

174 pounds

No. 1 Edmond Ruth (Illinois) maj. dec. No. 8 Max Maylor (Wisconsin), 12-3

No. 4 Nick Incontrera (Penn) dec. No. 5 Alex Cramer (Central Michigan), 9-7

No. 6 Philip Conigliaro (Harvard) dec. No. 3 Adam Kemp (Cal Poly), 4-1 SV-1

No. 2 Justin McCoy (Virginia) dec. No. 7 Brody Conley (West Virginia), 11-6

184 pounds

No. 8 Nate Dugan (Princeton) maj. dec. No. 1 Layne Malczewski (Michigan State), 13-4

No. 12 Shane Liegel (Wisconsin) dec. No. 4 Dennis Robin (West Virginia), 6-0

No. 3 James Conway (Franklin & Marshall) dec. No. 11 Cody Howard (Virginia Tech), 11-8 SV-1

No. 7 Maximus Hale (Penn) dec. US Hayden Filipovich (Purdue), 8-1

197 pounds

No. 1 Michael Beard (Lehigh) maj. dec. No. 8 Sonny Sasso (Virginia Tech), 16-6

No. 4 Andy Smith (Virginia Tech) maj. dec. No. 12 John Crawford (Franklin & Marshall), 9-0

No. 3 Cameron Caffey (Michigan State) dec. No. 6 Aidan Conner (Princeton), 3-2

No. 2 Luke Stout (Princeton) maj. dec. No. 7 Cole Urbas (Penn), 19-7

285 pounds

No. 1 Luke Luffman (Illinois) maj. dec. No. 8 Chase Horne (North Carolina State), 12-0

No. 5 Trevor Tinker (Cal Poly) dec. No. 13 Daulton Mayer (Thomas More) Dec 7-1

No. 6 Jacob Bullock (Indiana) maj. dec. US Cole Jackson (Cal Poly), 19-8

No. 2 Issac Trumble (North Carolina State) maj. dec. No. 10 Jimmy Mullen (Virginia Tech), 12-4