ADVERTISEMENT

SEP 19 Wrestling News from BlackHeartGoldPants.com

Franisdaman

HR King
Nov 3, 2012
82,268
104,278
113
Heaven, Iowa
The Lateral Drop: Your Weekly Wrestling News Update
Recruiting Visits, Weight Shake-ups, and HWC conquers Poland and brings home the hardware


Let me riddle you a tale: If Nick Suriano from Rutgers and junior world champion Dayton Fix from Okie St. both go 133, Spencer Lee has very little resistance at 125. There’s not really anyone left that can keep a match with Lee to a decision. If this happens, he’ll be the front runner for the Hodge Trophy. But if both those guys drop/ stay down, which I don’t think they will, we’ll be looking at a serious log jam and a scrap come March. Obviously, if both these goons go up then Austin DeSanto will have to deal with them.

Likewise, if we shift our attention up the charts to 197 we should have Jacob Warner sliding in. A few weeks ago most experts were considering him a title contender, especially after his showing this spring/ summer on the junior freestyle circuit where he literally obliterated the field. Sadly, Bo Nickal from PSU is being a turd and jumping up two classes from 174 to 197. He instantly becomes the outright favorite and this drastically dampens our hopes of a potential NCAA champion this season in Warner. Warner has the talent and the pedigree to get it done, but Nickal is Nickal and we know what to expect from him. On the flipside of that coin though, jumping up two classes is incredibly difficult and there is no guarantee of success. So let’s hope Nickal falls apart and struggles with the increased weight and strength from every single opponent he encounters.

Rumor has it our own Michael Kemerer is climbing two weight classes as well. Per the updated Hawkeye roster they still have him listed at 157, but he isn’t expected to stay. The hubbub emerging from Iowa City is he’ll make the climb to 174. I suppose similar questions can be said for Kemerer as they are Nickal, but that’s not fair because we actually like KemDawg. So, we’re not going to ask those questions just yet.

Let’s shift gears to the Hawkeye Wrestling Club because they deserve all the praise we can throw their way. If you recall Mark Perry sent five members to the Ziolkowski Memorial Tournament in Warsaw, Poland and they did what no other club team did. The men’s freestyle went 3 for 3 in the medal round. Every. Single. One. Of them brought home some beautifully colored hardware to show off in Iowa City.

Cory Clark and Brandon Sorensen both brought home a bronze, while Sammy “The Mullet” Brooks reached the finals, but fell short 2-2 on criteria, and received the silver. The highest honor by any American freestyle wrestler at the tournament. All 3 of our former Hawkeyes looked good, especially Brooks. He was always the “Go Big or Go Home” type in college and for the most part that hasn’t changed, but he is wrestling smarter, which is good. He looks bigger, quicker, and technically more sound than in years past. To honor Brooks and his silver medal I would like for us all to relive the greatest interview in sports history. You’re welcome.

On the women’s side Forrest Molinari was her normal dominate self and also came back with a bronze. Unfortunately, Alli Ragan lost a high scoring match in the opening round and was eliminated, but we look for her to rebound and kick ass next month in Budapest at the World Championships.

The HWC is quickly proving they are here to stay as they boast one the largest, most competitive, rosters in the country. And let’s not forget that Jacob Warner (92kg) is representing the USA in the Junior World Championships this weekend. The tournament kicked off Monday, but Warner has yet to receive his draw. He begins his world domination tour this Saturday at 3:30am GT. So keep your eyes and ears open for good news to start coming in soon after. If Warner can medal he’ll be our 1st HWC member to do so since Thomas Gilman bronzed in 2014.

You can watch it all live at Trackwrestling($)

Once again, the Hawkeyes will have an open practice at Carver this Saturday at 10am God’s Time. If any of you local residents or folks traveling in for the Wisconsin Beat Down in football want to get amped up before the tailgating I strongly encourage you to head on over and watch. This is also acting as a recruiting visit for some big guns we’re targeting for 2019/2020. Here’s a list of the attendees and thank you to Todd Connerand The Hawkeye Report for dropping the names before anyone else.

Class of 2019- National Letter of Intent signing day is Nov. 14

Abe Assad- He committed to Iowa on August 7 and is a huge pickup for us. He bronzed in the Cadet World Championships and is currently #1 at 184lbs in Flowrestling prospect rankings.

Zach Glazier- Flo checks him in at #8 at 184lbs in the prospect rankings and is a senior at Albert Lea, MN. Glazier gave a verbal to the good guys back on June 17. He’s looking to claim his 2nd state title this year.

Brevin Balmeceda- He is also the current #1 at 157 and #12 overall in the Flo prospect rankings, but is uncommitted. He had Ohio St, Oklahoma St, Virginia Tech, and NC State on his list. Though allegedly Flo just announced it's now down to us and NC State. He was supposed to visit there last week, but the hurricane made that an impossibility. If this rings true, Iowa is now in the driver's seat. Balmeceda is from the same high school, South Dade in FL, as current Hawkeye, Pat Lugo. Here's to hoping Lugo can be a swing vote. Let’s lock this kid up now so he’s not tempted to go elsewhere. Get. It. Done.

Julien Broderson- He’s an Iowa native from Davenport. He’s a two-time state champ, looking for his 3rd this year at 182lbs. He’s a Junior Iowa Freestyle and Greco champ and received All-American Greco honors at Fargo this year.

Cobe Siebrect- Cobe is another Iowa native hailing from Lisbon, IA. He’s a two-time state runner up and bulked up considerably in size from 106 to 126lbs. He’s 5’10” and has a lot of room to grow, so predicting a weight for him is a bit shaky.

Class of 2020
Cullan Schriever- He’s arguably the top wrestler in the state of Iowa and is currently #3 at 106lbs nationally per Intermate Wrestling. He won a cadet national title in 2016 and followed it up with a junior national title at Fargo this summer. He’s going to get an insane amount of attention of the next year, so we need to make a lasting impression on this kid. He could be Spencer Lee’s replacement 3 years from now.

Colby Schriever- Colby is a state qualifier and placed 7th last year at 126lbs. He also has two Junior Iowa Freestyle and Greco titles, which he won this summer. I’m jumping the gun, because that’s what I do, but I want to remind everyone about another set of twins we had cough, cough, Tom and Terry, cough cough.

Jesse Ybarra- Ybarra hails from Tucson, AZ. Flo has him #8 at 120lbs. He’s a two-time state champ and then made news when he won a Cadet National Title this summer at Fargo.

These eight guys could be the future faces of Hawkeye Wrestling. Let’s show them a good time Saturday and if they attend the football game, may the Saturday night lights under Kinnick cast it’s magic spell. Lock em’ up now!!!
 
Last edited:
Someone thinks pretty highly of himself...

We don’t have to do research, he does it for us.

Can’t remember who was in the finals at 174 last year. Pretty sure I watched Valencia beat Hall. And in 2017 Hall defeated Jordan...

What two weights did Nickal go from and to?

The guy must smoke some really good stuff!

Not a fan of Penn State, but someone who purports to be a “journalist” needs to be a bit better than that.

For goodness sake, he was the OW at the NCAA’s last year.
 
"Not a fan of Penn State, but someone who purports to be a “journalist” needs to be a bit better than that."

You do realize it's probably an attempt at humor, right? Come on. Nobody Iowan likes Nickal, the guy is an ass hat.

And it's a fan run site, they don't claim to be journalists and they probably don't get paid much either. They're doing it for fun/ hobby. Get off your high horse and appreciate they are attempting to cover wrestling, for a long time they didn't.
 
"Not a fan of Penn State, but someone who purports to be a “journalist” needs to be a bit better than that."

You do realize it's probably an attempt at humor, right? Come on. Nobody Iowan likes Nickal, the guy is an ass hat.

And it's a fan run site, they don't claim to be journalists and they probably don't get paid much either. They're doing it for fun/ hobby. Get off your high horse and appreciate they are attempting to cover wrestling, for a long time they didn't.

Nobody bashes Bo in fun like we do on here but getting the basic facts right is key to a good bashing or the writer ends up being the one who gets err...bashed.

And yes...Bo can be an asshat at times when he’s pumped up...he’s also one of the most exciting wrestlers in college.
 
Just curious as to why you guys refer to Bo as a ass hat? I guess I just don't see it. His interview at NCAA's is all I can think of but I wouldn't think that would constitute ass hat level.
 
Nobody bashes Bo in fun like we do on here but getting the basic facts right is key to a good bashing or the writer ends up being the one who gets err...bashed.

And yes...Bo can be an asshat at times when he’s pumped up...he’s also one of the most exciting wrestlers in college.
Agreed with everything you said, he screwed up, but no need to be rude. We're all hawkeye wrestling fans here. Didn't BHGP credited you guys in the article? They didn't steal it like another site would. Hello, Hawkeye Heaven.

And speaking of the recruits all the 2020 guys are unofficial visits. Too bad Robert Howard wasn't joining them, woulda been a good opportunity.
 
Just curious as to why you guys refer to Bo as a ass hat? I guess I just don't see it. His interview at NCAA's is all I can think of but I wouldn't think that would constitute ass hat level.
that interview was enough for me! but then again I'm a Hawkeye homer and don't like anything relating to Penn St. Their success makes physically ill.
 
Agreed with everything you said, he screwed up, but no need to be rude. We're all hawkeye wrestling fans here. Didn't BHGP credited you guys in the article? They didn't steal it like another site would. Hello, Hawkeye Heaven.

And speaking of the recruits all the 2020 guys are unofficial visits. Too bad Robert Howard wasn't joining them, woulda been a good opportunity.

I'm guessing Howard's not coming because he is wrestling in the Youth Olympics early October. TnT are the types to tell him don't bother, focus on your training.
 
I'm sure there were their share of non-Iowa fans that thought Sam Brooks was an asshat after his famous mullet interview, which most of us seemed to enjoy.
 
BHGP has been a satirical site for many years. They are more known for their football gems. They do occasionally have some good wrestling coverage. Their stuff reaches fans that don't follow wrestling as closely. Getting worked up about what they write is similar to taking anything Wrestlecat, MSU, Spooner/Souci, or several of the other board trolls seriously.
 
Watch the interview again. Its most definitely ass hat level.
Yes it is definitely ass hat level 10! Brook's interview is just fun and goofy. Can't fault anyone for that.

If we wanted to compare Nickal to Gilman, that's more reasonable. But Gilman admittedly likes to stir the pot and give wrestling fans / media outlet something to talk about. You gotta take what he says with a smirk.
 
BHGP has been a satirical site for many years. They are more known for their football gems. They do occasionally have some good wrestling coverage. Their stuff reaches fans that don't follow wrestling as closely. Getting worked up about what they write is similar to taking anything Wrestlecat, MSU, Spooner/Souci, or several of the other board trolls seriously.

I miss Adam Jacoby
 
  • Like
Reactions: funnyfletcher
BO is still just a kid and at times has acted as such, but his Ebby Calvin Nuke Laloosh moment at NCAA tourney was by far the incident most people remember.
Talked with him briefly at Worlds and he seamed to be uncomfortable at CHA , but he was still gracious to the kids for autographs.
 
I think this might be my first post here. I usually defend you guys a little over on BWI. Don't expect any of you to care much for Bo (frankly, we wouldn't want it any other way) Still, some drive-by gif dropping seems in order....

he seamed to be uncomfortable at CHA
giphy.gif
 
I think this might be my first post here. I usually defend you guys a little over on BWI. Don't expect any of you to care much for Bo (frankly, we wouldn't want it any other way) Still, some drive-by gif dropping seems in order....


giphy.gif
Yeeeeah I was waiting for this. I think the only place he's uncomfortable is when he's on his back. And that's the only semi - compliment I'm going to give him.
 
I think this might be my first post here. I usually defend you guys a little over on BWI. Don't expect any of you to care much for Bo (frankly, we wouldn't want it any other way) Still, some drive-by gif dropping seems in order....


giphy.gif

Good luck, kid. When you sober up you’ll regret that dumbass post. You’re a badass.
 
I think this might be my first post here. I usually defend you guys a little over on BWI. Don't expect any of you to care much for Bo (frankly, we wouldn't want it any other way) Still, some drive-by gif dropping seems in order....


giphy.gif
I am a fan of the sport and I tend to root for the wrestlers that present an image for young kids to emulate. Bo is not that. His rant at the NCAA's was another example of that fact. Yes, he's young, but because it's not a one time thing, or a one time example of getting caught up in a moment...it points to his character and that needs some serious work. He is a great wrestler, but not one that I will ever root for because of how he acts.
 
Last edited:
I am a fan of the sport and I tend to root for the wrestlers that present an image for young kids to emulate. Bo is not that. His rant at the NCAA's was another example of that fact. Yes, he's young, but because it's not a one time thing, or a one time example of getting caught up in a moment...it points to his character and that needs some serious work. He is a great wrestler, but not one that I will ever root for because of how he acts.
What are the other examples (besides the 2018 NCAA interview) where Nickal displayed the non-ideal image you allude to?

And while that interview wasn't Nickal's finest moment, it's obvious he was still totally amped up after pinning his opponent with a ballsy-ass move to win an NCAA individual title and clinch a NCAA team title - a move that most guys don't have the stones to even consider in that situation. So you can be critical if you like, but I'm gonna cut him some slack.
 
I am a fan of the sport and I tend to root for the wrestlers that present an image for young kids to emulate. Bo is not that. His rant at the NCAA's was another example of that fact. Yes, he's young, but because it's not a one time thing, or a one time example of getting caught up in a moment...it points to his character and that needs some serious work. He is a great wrestler, but not one that I will ever root for because of how he acts.
I might respond by suggesting nearly all of you would be pleased as punch if Bo decided to transfer to IC for his final campaign.

I get the culture of the sport to some degree--and like it that amateurism and classic competitive values remain in wrestling, where they've faded to obscurity so many other places. But I also like a little razzle-dazzle, to be honest. I'm in a small minority among PSU fans as a guy who always appreciated Gilman's antics. I probably wouldn't have as much if he had approached the PSU bench during warmups AND he beat Nico. That's just being a fan.

Bo's "hand to his ear" at CHA was not a classy move, but I still loved it as a PSU fan who endured many defeats there over the years. I also loved it that Cael reeled that in right quick (you can even see him doing so in the gif I posted). I honestly don't get all the angst over his NCAA "speech." He said exactly 0 negative things about any other team or competitor. No, it was definitely not humble, but it was real, and through my blue & white glasses a great punctuation on an all-time great moment in NCAAs.

Passion, excitement, and the like are never going to be stamped out in a sport that inspires so much tension. If I were a hawkeye fan, I'd prolly hate BoNi too. As it stands, I have deep love for the guy. I've met him in person a couple of times too, and he's a really great kid. Probably the most competitive person I've ever met though. Can't wait to see what he does next (and to see what happens if he and Warner get to square off).
 
Last edited:
Dear Santa,

This year I want you to bring me the best Hawkeye lineup in recent years. I also want a B1G and NCAA championship... That way I don't have to ask you to get rid of all these pestering PSU fans. A couple of HWC pullovers would be cool too. I understand it's supposed to be a frigid winter.

By the way, I hope you, Mrs Claus and the elves are doing well.

Sincerely,

10ACHAWK
 
One example does not truly represent Bo Nickal. I have read the comments of parents whose kids he worked with at camps and the kids loved him. More importantly, I saw how he treated Mike Duroe at World Cup. The latter was more important to me than any post match interview.
 
I didn’t mind the “shhh/ear cup” at the Iowa match. I thought that was fine.

I thought his speech was just corny.

I don’t think Bo is classless. I think he is a cornball. That doesn’t make him a bad guy.
That's fair. I personally heard a much beloved PSU wrestler call Bo a "dork" so you aren't alone. I don't think Bo minds either way--and neither do I. Gilman's a hippy, right? ;)
 
I might respond by suggesting nearly all of you would be pleased as punch if Bo decided to transfer to IC for his final campaign.

I get the culture of the sport to some degree--and like it that amateurism and classic competitive values remain in wrestling, where they've faded to obscurity so many other places. But I also like a little razzle-dazzle, to be honest. I'm in a small minority among PSU fans as a guy who always appreciated Gilman's antics. I probably wouldn't have as much if he had approached the PSU bench during warmups AND he beat Nico. That's just being a fan.

Bo's "hand to his ear" at CHA was not a classy move, but I still loved it as a PSU fan who endured many defeats there over the years. I also loved it that Cael reeled that in right quick (you can even see him doing so in the gif I posted). I honestly don't get all the angst over his NCAA "speech." He said exactly 0 negative things about any other team or competitor. No, it was definitely not humble, but it was real, and through my blue & white glasses a great punctuation on an all-time great moment in NCAAs.

Passion, excitement, and the like are never going to be stamped out in a sport that inspires so much tension. If I were a hawkeye fan, I'd prolly hate BoNi too. As it stands, I have deep love for the guy. I've met him in person a couple of times too, and he's a really great kid. Probably the most competitive person I've ever met though. Can't wait to see what he does next (and to see what happens if he and Warner get to square off).
He reminds me of the douche bag kid from wedding crashers, "crab cakes and football, that's what we do!". Bo is talent no doubt, but he can come off as douchy. Look forward to watching the Kent State kid stick him at nationals.
 
ADVERTISEMENT