Cyclone freshman leads 184 class
Editor's note: This is the eighth in a 10-part series previewing the 10 weight classes for the NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships beginning today in The Bryce Jordan Center. This story previews the 184-pound class.

By RYAN HOCKENSMITH
Collegian Staff Writer

The top eight place winners at this week's NCAA Championships are labeled All-Americans.

With six returning All-Americans, an undefeated freshman and seven other wrestlers with more than 25 wins this season, the 184-pound weight class has ample talent and experience to fill those eight cherished spots.

"184 is going to be competitive," said Tom Borelli, coach at Central Michigan. "The No. 1 guy is a freshman, and you never know what is going to happen when you have a freshman No. 1."

That No. 1 frosh would be Cael Sanderson of Iowa State, who has mowed through the first 33 opponents he has met in his short collegiate career.

Sanderson has faced four of the six returning placers. All four left the mat with a loss added to their records.

"Cael's young, but he's legit," said Bobby Douglas, Sanderson's Cyclones coach. "He's a hard draw at that weight class."

Chasing Big 12 champion Sanderson is Big Ten title-winner Brandon Eggum of Minnesota. No. 2-ranked Eggum, now 30-1 after sweeping through his conference bracket, is a two-time NCAA qualifier, including fifth-place honors last season.

Also returning from an All-American finish is West Virginia's Vertus Jones, a second placer last year. Jones enters the tournament lugging a 26-3 season tally and a conference championship in his last outing.

Other previous top-eight place winners are Arizona State's Casey Strand, Greg Gingeleskie of Navy, Central Michigan's Mike Greenfield and John Van Doren of Lehigh.

Penn State's competitor at the weight, No. 13 Ross Thatcher, opens the tournament with a 19-7 record, which includes victories against Van Doren and Gingeleskie earlier this season. Thatcher, injured for much of this year's second half, returned to battle last weekend and finished second to Eggum at Big Tens in spite of being seeded seventh.

Thatcher said his ankle injury, suffered Jan. 23 against Ohio State, has completely healed and shouldn't be a question mark for NCAAs.

"It's OK," Thatcher said. "When I get out there . . . the pain's long gone, it's forgotten."

Penn State coach Troy Sunderland said Thatcher sometimes struggles with opponents who have seen him in action.

"Sometimes Ross has a little bit of trouble with his style and guys getting familiar with it," Sunderland said. "He's gonna have to be real active this weekend."

But Sunderland added Thatcher's push to the Big Ten final March 7 will help the redshirt junior a great deal at NCAAs, especially confidence-wise.

Despite Sanderson's record and the lofty track record of many 184-pound entrants, Thatcher said this year's champion at the weight is up in the air.

"There's no one guy that really stands out," the junior said. "It's overall a pretty strong weight class. The guy who wins is the one who just goes out there and performs."