Missouri's Mayes, Oklahoma State's Collica to do battle again at 51st All-Star Classic

Lavion Mayes (Missouri) and Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) wrestling in the 2016 NCAA Quarterfinals. Photo: Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com

Manheim, Pennsylvania - The wrestling season will start off the way it concluded for 149-pound wrestlers Anthony Collica of Oklahoma State and Lavion Mayes of Missouri.


At the 51st annual NWCA All-Star Classic on November 5 at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center, Collica and Mayes will reacquaint themselves with one another in a bout that will be a rematch of the third-place match at the 2016 NCAA Division I Championships.


The event, presented by The Brewer-Garrett Company and hosted by the Wrestlers in Business Network, has served as the major kick-off event for the wrestling season since becoming and early-season event. In 2012, the event moved to the first weekend of the major college wrestling calendar and has been a fixture ever since.


“We’re excited to have two fantastic wrestlers from two fine programs competing here,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. “Both these wrestlers know one another very well and that means we can see a lot of different things to kick off the season. It’s also another opportunity for Ohioans to see one of their own (Collica) compete in a big event close to home.”


Mayes won two out of three bouts with Collica last season. Mayes won in a January dual meet while Collica bounced Mayes from the championship side of the bracket in New York City with a 3-2 win in the quarterfinals. Mayes would avenge the loss, beating Collica 3-2 for third place. Collica entered as the No. 11 seed.


Mayes and Collica will be facing off for the seventh time. With the series tied 3-3, Collica won two out of three when the two were freshmen competing at 141 pounds. Both wrestlers hold a pair of decisions and a fall each. They did not meet as sophomores as Collica went up to 157 pounds.


A native of Solon which is just outside of Cleveland, Collica was a three-time Ohio state champion at Solon High School. He also won a pair of USA Wrestling Junior freestyle crowns before heading to Stillwater. He’ll bring an 86-29 record into the match.


Despite winning a state championship as a senior at Mascoutah High School in wrestling-rich Illinois, Mayes wasn’t highly recruited, but he’s become one of coach Brian Smith’s most consistent and successful wrestlers, entering the match with a career record of 99-21. A three-time NCAA qualifier and two-time All-American, Mayes went 32-3 last season and claimed the Mid-American Conference title. This season, he'll try to become the fifth Mizzou wrestler to earn at least three Division I All-American honors in a career.


Collica is the fifth wrestler with Ohio ties in the event. Ohio State is represented by Myles Martin, while Ohio natives Isaac Jordan of Wisconsin, Ty Walz of Virginia Tech and Max Rohskopf of NC State were announced earlier this month.


Oklahoma State’s inclusion will mark the 40th time in 51 events at least one Cowboy has competed. Collica will make Oklahoma State’s 90th appearance in the event. Overall, Cowboy wrestlers are 43-40-6 all-time. Dean Heil and Kyle Crutchmer both competed last season and fell in Atlanta to Cody Brewer of Oklahoma and Zach Epperly of Virginia Tech.


Mayes will make Missouri’s 12th appearance all-time with the last victory coming in November of 2014 when Alan Waters defeated Virginia Tech’s Joey Dance at 125 pounds. Tiger wrestlers are 7-4 all-time at the All-Star Classic.


With eight weights released, 15 of the 16 athletes are returning All-Americans.

2016 NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by The Brewer-Garrett Company

Hosted by the Wrestlers in Business Network

November 5, 2016 - Wolstein Center, Cleveland State University

Time: Showcase Matches 6 p.m.; Main Event 7 p.m.

Tickets: $15 GA, $100 Preferred Seating/Social. Group options available.

Tickets available at www.goallstarclassic.com or Wolstein Center Box Office (844-407-2279) or Northeast Ohio Discount Drug Marts.

Streaming: Trackwrestling.com

Officially Announced Matchups

125:

133: Zane Richards, Sr. (Illinois) vs. Eric Montoya, Sr. (Nebraska)

141: Bryce Meredith, Jr. (Wyoming) vs. Anthony Ashnault, Jr. (Rutgers)

149: Lavion Mayes, Sr. (Missouri) vs. Anthony Collica, Sr. (Oklahoma State)

157: Brian Murphy, Sr. (Michigan) vs. Max Rohskopf, Sr. (NC State)

165: Isaac Jordan, Sr. (Wisconsin) vs. Daniel Lewis, So. (Missouri)

174:

184: Gabe Dean, Sr. (Cornell) vs. Myles Martin, So. (Ohio State)

197: Brett Pfarr, Sr. (Minnesota) vs. Brett Harner, Sr. (Princeton)

285: Ty Walz, Sr. (Virginia Tech) vs. Connor Medbery, Sr. (Wisconsin)

About the National Wrestling Coaches Association

The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with a primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: coaching development, student-athlete welfare, and the promotion of wrestling.

About Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN)

Wrestlers in Business Network is a registered 501 C-3 that strives to unite the thousands of wrestlers that have graduated from the sport and are now in their respective careers. Our mission is to build a community that serves as a platform to connect our members and facilitate business and job opportunities across the nation by leveraging a talent rich pipeline of wrestling alumni, with the ultimate byproduct of increasing reinvestment back to the sport. www.wrestlersinbusiness.org