Preview of the Lindenwood Open

The ILLINI missed out on the Mountaineer Invitational because of Stupid Covid. That would've happened tomorrow. Next up is the Lindenwood Open. Here are the particulars:

WHAT:  Lindenwood Open

WHEN:  All day, Saturday, November 20, beginning at 9:00 am 

WHERE: Robert F. Hyland Arena, St. Charles, MO

WHO:  ILLINOIS, Missouri, SIUE, McKendree University, Kentucky Wesleyan and Fontbonne. In addition, many teams send a few wrestlers. Stud wrestlers from small schools have the opportunity to garner the attention that they need to get to the next level. For example Demetrius Thomas and Boo Dryden both who won the Open representing non-D1 schools before transferring to big-time Power-Five schools. 

WHAT:  Bracketed Individual Tournament with Frosh-Soph and Open Divisions

TV/STREAMING:  Nothing as far as we know. Except this year, the ILLINI Wrestling Blog and Forum may have a roving reporter who can provide information and analysis regarding the ILLINOIS wreslters. 

POSSIBLE OPEN ENTRANTS:

125.  JUSTIN CARDANI, ILLINI; MAXIMO RENTERIA, ILLINI; JOSH CONTRERAS, ILLINI; DANE DURLACHER, ILLINI; Noah Surtin, Missouri; Connor Brown, Missouri; Dack Punke, Missouri via Washington; Austin Macias, SIUE.

133.  LUCAS BYRD, ILLINI; Trey Crawford, Missouri; Matthew Schmitt, Missouri, Ethan Turner, Missouri; Cameron Valdiviez, Missouri; Aaron Schulist, SIUE.

141.  DYLAN DUNCAN, ILLINI; DANNY PUCINO, ILLINI; WE RACHAL, ILLINI; TREY PIOTROWSKI, ILLINI; MICHAEL GUNTHER, ILLINI; Allan Hart, Missouri; Jeremy Jakowitsch, Missouri; Saul Ervin, SIUE.

149.  MIKE CARR, ILLINI; CHRISTIAN KANZLER, ILLINI; KENNY KERSTEIN, ILLINI; Brock Mauller, Missouri; Josh Edmond, Missouri; Logan Gioffre, Missouri; Caden Green, SIUE.

157. JOE ROBERTS, ILLINI; JAKE REICIN, ILLINI; LUKE ODOM, ILLINI; Jarrett Jacques, Missouri; Max Kristoff, SIUE.

165.  DANNY BRAUNAGEL, ILLINI; BAN RACHAL, ILLINI; Keegan O'Toole, Missouri; Cardeionte Wilson, SIUE; Chase Diehl, SIUE.

174.  D.J. SHANNON, ILLINI; TREY SIZEMORE, ILLINI; NIKITA NEPOMNYASHCHIY, ILLINI; CHASE WAGGONER, ILLINI; Peyton Mocco, Missouri; Kevin Gschwendtner, SIUE; Abner Romero, Lindenwood (D2 Champ). 

184.  ZAC BRAUNAGEL, ILLINI; Jeremiah Kent, Missouri; Cordell Duhart, Missouri; Sergio Villalobos, SIUE.

197.  MATT WROBLEWSKI, ILLINI; RAMIN ABRAHAM, ILLINI; ISAIAH PETTIGREW, ILLINI; LUKE RASMUSSEN, ILLINI; Rocky Elam, Missouri; Canten Marriott, Missouri; Jack Flynn, Missouri; Ryan Yarnell, SIUE; Austin Andres, SIUE.

285.  LUKE LUFFMAN, ILLINI; Zach Elam, Missouri; Rodrigo Diaz, Missouri; Colt McKiernan, SIUE; Aric Bohn, SIUE. 

FROSH/SOPH DIVISION:  The ILLINI could fill a second bus with the Freshmen, redshirt Freshmen and other Sophomores, including Dylan Connell, Caden Ernd, Maximo Renteria, Joey Braunagel, Mike Bosco, Daniel Renshaw, Eddie Ordonez, and Anthony Federico. 

OTHER SCHOOLS:  In the last few years, other schools have sent their new recruits or fragments of their teams. Some of the smaller schools have sent their varsity wrestlers. By way of example, this is a list of the schools that sent wrestlers in 2019 (big-time DI schools italicized):  Iowa State, Northeast Oklahoma, Ellsworth Community College, Joliet Junior College, Indiana, McKendree, Hannibal-LaGrange, Central Oklahoma, Northern ILLINOIS University, Newman University, Davenport (MI), Oklahoma State, Arkansas-Little Rock, Westminster, Minnesota State Mankato, Liberty, Marian University, Williams Baptist, Maryville, MacMurray, Iowa, Northwestern, and Lindsey-Wilson. That's a lot of wrestlers from a lot of schools! 

SOME TIDBITS:  Abe Assad finished in third in the Open Division in 2019. Missouri's Canten Marriott finished in fourth. The winner at 184 was a kid from Central Oklahoma. That just shows the depth of these weight classes and how the small schools have their own studs. Both Zach (sp) Braunagel and Emory (sp) Parker have placed at the Lindenwood Open in the past, although officials managed to misspell their names. It would be okay if they misspelled the names hilariously, like Zac Nawbagel or Armory Parker, but this is just sloppy editing. 

Demetrius Thomas, wrestling at that time for Williams Baptist College, won the 285 Open Division in 2017. Trent Hilger placed fourth. In 2018, Nelson Brands won a 3-1 match with Danny Braunagel for the Open Division Championship at 165. Joey Gunther finished third. The Purdue starter finished fifth. 

CARR & DUNCAN:  I still have questions about where these young men will wrestle. Whether they realize it or not, other outlets should have questions as well. You see, ILLINOISMatmen.com recently listed Duncan at 141 and Carr at 149. That's what I've been going with as well, since they both wrestled at those weights last year. On the other hand, I've heard that Carr has at least explored the idea of wrestling at 141. Wrestlestat.com has those wrestlers flipped, with Carr at 141 and Duncan at 149. Of course, neither wrestled at the MSU Open, and there will not be a Mountaineer Invitational for the ILLINI, so we might not know for sure until Lindenwood. I would expect the staff will institute a "pitch count" for both; they're too valuable. 

OTHER NEWS:  Missouri opened the season with a dual win over North Dakota State by the score of 36-3. The only Tiger loser was at 157, where Jarrett Jacques lost a close top ten battle. Mizzou has a dual with Northern Colorado on Sunday. Lindenwood is ranked #3 in Division Two, which is where they finished at last year's tournament. The Lions return all five of their national qualifiers including national champion Abner Romero at 174. SIUE has a pair of duals on November 7, which turned into a pair of losses, by a score of 18-19 against Bellarmine and 3-40 versus Indiana. Cardeionte Wilson from SIUE got the only win against the Hoosiers, beating Matt Ortiz 7-6 at 165. 

TRIANGULAR:  The ILLINI will see SIUE again at a triangular meet with Chattanooga in Edwardsville on December 11, so some scouting will be in order at the Lindenwood Open. 

A HOMECOMING OF A SORT:  Daryl Thomas, the Tiger of Edwardsville, returns home to SIUE as an Assistant Coach. He was an ILLINI starter and compiled 53 wins wearing the O&B. Saul Ervin of the SIUE Cougars (who looks like he's easily their best wrestler) is a brother to former ILLINI grappler Caleb Ervin, of the wrestling Ervins who own all of the state championship trophies handed out in Kentucky. Then, there's cousin Brock Ervin, who also wrestled for the ILLINI before injuries promoted him to volunteer Assistant Coach.