The Bobcats have a good chance to send four wrestlers to the NCAA Championships in Philadelphia — whether they send a fifth is less certain.
Ohio’s top four wrestlers appear to be locks for automatic bids to the national tournament during the Mid-American Conference Championships this weekend.
Senior Erik Schuth (197 pounds) and redshirt junior Nick Purdue (174 pounds), both ranked 18th in the nation in the final coaches panel rankings, will receive automatic bids as long as they finish in the top two in their weight classes.
The cushion is larger for redshirt freshman Jeremy Johnson. The heavyweight division was allotted four bids, so Johnson, ranked 22nd in the country, will go to Philadelphia if he finishes fourth or higher.
But 141 pounds and 125 pounds were allotted just one bid apiece, meaning only the MAC champion at each weight receives an automatic bid. Senior Germane Lindsey, an All-American last season, will be favored to win the title at 141 pounds.
But it will be much tougher for redshirt sophomore Gabe Ramos to make it to Nationals at 125 pounds.
At 10-6, Ramos ranks behind the previously mentioned wrestlers as the fifth-best on the team. Although he wasn’t mentioned in the first two editions of the coaches’ panel rankings, he ended up 32nd in the final poll.
“That was pretty cool,” Ramos said.
It’s cool because if Ramos finishes second he has a good shot at an at-large bid, which gives him a bit of wiggle room.
At-large bids are awarded after the conference tournaments to wrestlers who didn’t earn an automatic bid. Last season, Lindsey and Jacob Ison received extra bids.
Coach Joel Greenlee said he thought 125 pounds should have received at least one more bid, but whoever finishes second will most likely receive an at-large bid.
“I definitely want to make it to Nationals this year,” Ramos said. “I wanna get the experience over there. Hopefully, I’ll get on a roll down there and get on a roll at MACs.”
Mini MACs
The Bobcats competed against each other in mini MAC Championships during the weekend. Greenlee tried to simulate what the tournament will be like by having wrestlers compete against increasingly tougher opponents.
The goal was to mentally prepare wrestlers for the two-day tourney in DeKalb, Ill. The matches were refereed for stalling and potentially dangerous situations.
So, who won each weight?
“All the guys that were supposed to,” Greenlee said with a grin.
nm256306@ohiou.edu
@ThePostSports
