For many, the unofficial start of the new college season has become the NWCA All-Star Classic, which will return to Rec Hall at Penn State on Saturday, November 16, starting at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time, live on FloWrestling
In recent seasons, the NWCA, FloWrestling and the hosts at Penn State have put together a great card of matches. All of the bouts this year will affect the national rankings, and many of them could be a preview of what to expect at the national championships in March.
There will be 11 men’s folkstyle matches and five women’s freestyle matches to enjoy. Included are nine 2024 national champions and five 2023 national champions, and a total of 61 All-American honors.
FloWrestling feature: 2024 NWCA All-Star Classic By The Numbers
The relationship with Penn State means that it will be a chance to see many of the top stars from defending Div. I national champions in high-level matches early in the season. It also means that there will be a large crowd in person to add intensity to the event. This year, there will be five Nittany Lions on the card, which will fire up the Penn State faithful. The nation will enjoy watching #3 Beau Bartlett (141), #2 Shayne Van Ness (149), #4 Tyler Kasak (157), #2 Levi Haines (174) and #1 Carter Starocci (184) from the Penn State stable in the early season. Fans will need to watch the rest of the card to get their Nittany Lion fix, as the five PSU wrestlers will compete over the final six matches.
Men’s college wrestling fans are excited for what will be the Main Event, the final match on the card between returning NCAA champions. Four-time NCAA champion Carter Starocci of Penn State returns this season in an attempt to become the first five-time NCAA Div. I champion. He moves up from 174 pounds to 184 pounds and will battle the top star in his new weight, 2024 NCAA champion Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa. For many, this match alone will be worth the price of admission, or price of a FloWrestling subscription.
Another match of major significance is at 141 pounds for men, a rematch of the 2024 NCAA finals between national champion Jesse Mendez of Ohio State and runner-up Beau Bartlett of Penn State. Mendez won the NCAA finals battle last year, 4-1, and both have continued to compete in the off-season looking to up their game.
Two other key Penn State battles includes No. 2 Shayne Van Ness against No. 3 Ty Watters of West Virginia at 149 pounds, and No. 2 Levi Haines against No. 3 Cade DeVos of South Dakota State at 174 pounds.
Van Ness, third in the 2023 NCAA Championships, was injured and missed the bulk of the 2024 season. Waters was fourth at the 2024 NCAAs at 149 pounds. Haines, a 2024 NCAA champion at 157 and 2023 runner-up at 157 pounds, will face a rising DeVos, fifth at the 2024 NCAA Championships and one of the top finalist hopefuls for this year’s season.
The five women’s freestyle matches kick off the night and bring the excitement of bragging rights between the two most powerful associations in women’s college wrestling, the NCAA and the NAIA. With the explosive growth of women’s college wrestling, there is no longer a post-season national tournament (previously the WCWA) where both divisions are represented. It is fair to say that both divisions have outstanding individual stars, and there will be a pride factor in the matches to show who has the best athletes.
The women’s card features two of the No. 1 ranked McBryde sisters from Life, Jamilah McBryde (145) and Latifah McBryde (160). Both face talented stars from traditional power King University, No. 2 Aine Drury against Jamilah at 145 and No. 1 Cheyenne Bowman against Latifah at 160.
Many are looking forward to the women’s battle at 131 pounds between a pair of No. 1 stars, Victoria Baez Dilone of King from the NCAA against Carolina Moreno of Southern Oregon from the NAIA. Baez Dilone, a 2024 NCWWC runner-up and a Junior College national champion who competes for Spain internationally, will look to best Moreno, a three-time NAIA champion who is seeking to become the first four-timer in history.
Fans of women’s international wrestling will enjoy the 124-pound battle between NCAA No. 1 Amani Jones of North Central against NAIA No. 2 Maya Davis of Grand View. Jones is proven on the international scene, with a U20 World bronze medal from 2023 and a U23 World bronze medal in 2024. Jones is also an NCWWC champion. Davis has been second and third at the NAIA Nationals, and is Grand View’s first woman to compete in the All-Star Classic.
This year’s event will feature athletes from 15 different men’s teams and five different women’s teams. On the men’s side, there is a small-school battle between Div. II Derek Blubaugh of Indianapolis against Div. III Massoma Endene of Wartburg at 197 pounds. Both are ranked No. 1 in their division. Blubaugh was a 2024 Div. II national champion and a three-time finalist. Endene has won two NCAA Div. III titles, and was an NJCAA finalist for Iowa Lakes CC.
The men’s card also features an athlete from the MAC, #5 ranked Peyton Kellar of Ohio, who squares off with Penn State’s Kasak at 165 pounds. Kellar was fifth at the 2024 NCAA Championships at 157 pounds, while Kasak placed third at the 2024 NCAA Championships at 149 pounds. We should also note that another rising program, Little Rock, has two competitors on the card, No. 2 Nasir Bailey at 133 and No. 6 Stephen Little at 197 pounds. If you haven’t seen Bailey in action, don’t miss this, as his speed and intensity bring extra excitement to all of his matches.
Those seeking a deep dive into each of the All-Star Classic bouts should check out the extensive coverage on FloWrestling.
2024 NWCA All-Star Classic Match Order
110 Women: 1 Emma Baertlein, Southern Oregon vs #4 Kendra Ryan, North Central
124 Women: #1 Amani Jones, North Central vs #2 Maya Davis, Grand View
131 Women: #1 Victoria Baez Dillone, King vs #1 Carolina Moreno, Southern Oregon
145 Women: #1 Jamilah McBryde, Life vs #2 Aine Drury, King
160 Women: #1 Cheyenne Bowman, King vs #1 Latifah McBryde, Life
197 Men: #1 (D2) Derek Blubaugh, Indianapolis vs #1 (D3) Massoma Endene, Wartburg
197 Men: #6 Stephen Little, Little Rock vs #9 Zac Braunagel, Illinois
285 Men: #3 Nick Feldman, Ohio State vs #8 Taye Ghadiali, Campbell
125 Men: #2 Jore Volk, Wyoming vs #5 Tanner Jordan, South Dakota State
133 Men: #2 Nasir Bailey, Little Rock vs #6 Lucas Byrd, Illinois
141 Men: #2 Jesse Mendez, Ohio State vs #3 Beau Bartlett, Penn State
149 Men: #2 Shayne Van Ness, Penn State vs #3 Ty Watters, West Virginia
157 Men: #4 Tyler Kasak, Penn State vs #5 Peyten Kellar, Ohio
165 Men: #8 Hunter Garvin, Stanford vs #4 Peyton Hall, West Virginia
174 Men: #2 Levi Haines, Penn State vs #3 Cade DeVos, SDSU
184 Men: #1 Carter Starocci, Penn State vs #2 Parker Keckeisen, Northern Iowa
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