The Tigers came into National Duals ranked 11th out of the 16 teams there in dual rankings but finished 8th overall. After dropping to top seeded Iowa they reeled off consecutive wins over #25 Little Rock and #8 Michigan. They had a heartbreaker loss to Minnesota where a lost team point proved critical although they would still have lost on criteria (Match Points 40-36). With both teams banged up they limped through their placement match to finish 8th.
Overall the Tigers made $50k as a team with $20k show, $20k for finishing 8th, and a $10k bonus for fastest five takedowns in the second round. As a team the Tigers went 25-25 in individual matches and 23-3 in matches they were favored in. All in all they bounced back well after a tough start and came away from a great National Duals event feeling solid.
I’m going to do report cards for each wrestler, but I have to mention how great the event was. It looked well run and had a true NCAA tournament feel with stacked matches one after another. For the Tigers they got to wrestle opponents from three different conferences and got two top ten Big 10 opponents they haven’t seen in a decade (Michigan/Iowa). Even with tough results I think the wrestlers and coaches will have plenty to take away and improve from going forward.
125: #28 Mack Mauger: B+
Mauger continues to be a standout wrestler this season. He went 2-3 on the weekend but showed great stuff in every match. Outside of his last match against Illinois, every match was within one score. Mauger impresses with strong handfighting and good pressure leading to some strong attacks from neutral. He only gave up one takedown with it coming in his last match to Spencer Moore and he was pushing to score. He showed a pinning ability with consecutive pins against Little Rock and Michigan with tight cradles.
His grade takes a hit though because he showed some struggles on bottom. Mauger gave up a rideout to DeLuca and a point to Volk. Both matches were without a takedown so those were pivotal points. Against Moore he ended up taking neutral and was pushing but gave up the takedown and was unable to get away. If Mauger can more consistently escape quicker, his handfighting can keep him in most matches.
133: #20 Kade Moore: B
Moore had one of the tougher draws for the Tigers with matches against both returning finalists. He was looking good in both matches early but got pinned. Against Ayala he was shooting and getting to legs but got outscrambled and cradled.
