HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Some of the top wrestlers in the country will meet today in the final portion of the Midlands Championships.
Returning Midlands champions Brandon Sorensen and Michael Kemerer have proved to be exciting wrestlers throughout the tournament, while heavyweight Sam Stoll has bulldozed his way through his weight class.
Perhaps more exciting, a Spencer Lee and Nick Suriano matchup is a very real possibility, but a guaranteed bout will feature Jacob Warner and Cash Wilcke.
Hawkeyes Warner and Wilcke will square off in Iowa’s lone intrasquad matchup in the semifinals of the 197-pound bracket. The pair wrestled competitively in Iowa’s wrestle-offs when true freshman Warner pulled off a 4-3 decision over the sophomore.
Warner has had a successful season while wrestling unattached this year. He upset No. 2 Willie Miklus of Missouri at the Lindenwood Open. And at Midlands, Warener beat 5th-ranked Jacob Smith of West Virginia in the quarterfinals, 3-1.
Wilcke is a returning All-American and is ranked eighth in the nation. Head coach Tom Brands said he will not remove Warner’s redshirt with Wilcke in the lineup.
“Wilcke’s doing a great job, and no matter what happens, we like both those guys, we’re happy with both of them,” head coach Tom Brands said. “I’ll say this: Let the best man win.”
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