Wrestling
Ohio State Wrestling: 197 Pound Preview
By Kevin Schlosser

Ohio State will be starting a different wrestler at 197 pounds for the third consecutive year after returning starter J.D. Bergman made the decision to move up to heavy weight this summer. Corey Morrison started in place of an injured Bergman in 2006 and moved to heavyweight last season. Bergman’s move makes Morrison a prime candidate for a redshirt and creates an opportunity for someone to crack the Ohio State line up.

As many as five wrestlers will be in competition to start at 197 pounds. Senior Nickolai Timbs leads three transfers with at least one year of varsity experience. Timbs was a three year starter for Dubuque while sophomores Jason Cook at Campbell University and Zach Weinrich at Roger Williams were one year starters. Each of transfers competed in the open tournaments before accepting redshirts last season. The Buckeyes also expect sophomore Jacob Hale and true freshman John Weakley to be in contention for the varsity spot.

Ohio State would be hard pressed to predict a starter this early and the position will not likely be settled until the regular season begins. Nikolai Timbs and Zach Weinrich competed in division three. Timbs has more experience as a three year starter, but Weinrich was a national qualifier as a true freshman. Jason Cook merits mention with successful season in division I. Jacob Hale accepted a redshirt last season and has yet to compete for Ohio State.

John Weakley enters the season as a dark horse candidate to wrestle at 197 pounds. Weakley was a two time Ohio state champion and a key member of the class of 2011. Before Bergman elected to move up, Ohio State was planning to redshirt Weakley. While Tom Ryan may not want to change plans, with a strong preseason Weakley can take advantage of an opportunity and force his hand. If you don’t see Weakley wrestling in December, look for a redshirt after the season.

Two Buckeyes will be wrestling off for this position at the end of October but neither may be the starter when the season ends. Ohio State expects the competition to continue throughout the season with four wrestlers on the clock. Timbs is in his final season of eligibility, while Weakley is a true freshman and Weinrich, Cook, and Hale each have three years remaining. Even without a returning All American as their projected starter, the Buckeyes believe their depth at 197 pounds is a strength and they have several wrestlers that can have successful seasons.

The Front Runners: 197 pounds

Zach Weinrich (junior; Hampton, NJ)

Zach Weinrich transferred to Ohio State after one season at Roger Williams University. As a true freshman, he posted a 34-10 overall record and qualified for the NCAA Division III Wrestling Tournament. Weinrich won the 184 pound title at Patriot League Tournament and New England Championships at before falling one match short of earning All American honors at the NCAA Tournament.

At Ohio State, Weinrich competed at the EMU and MSU Opens. He won his first match at both events before dropping two close decisions at each tournament. Finishing 2-4 on the season, Weinrich accepted a redshirt last year and is a sophomore in eligibility. While he has experienced a good deal of success in college wrestling, Weinrich will be challenged to make the transition to division one wrestling. If he can he can meet the challenge, he could be the Ohio State starter at 197 pounds. If he is not ready, look for him to become a spot starter here and at heavyweight.

John Weakley (freshman; Northfield, OH)

John Weakley joins the Buckeyes from the Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy. Weakley was a two time OHSAA division three state champion and the 2006 Junior National Greco-Roman runner up. When Weakley was recruited, the original plan was for a redshirt this season. Bergman’s move to heavyweight reshuffles the depth chart and there is a possibility for Weakley to make an early impact. While he remains a long shot to crack the Ohio State lineup this year, if he is starting he is wrestling well enough to fight through four college veterans.

The Contenders: 197 pounds

Jason Cook (junior; Dayton, OH)

Jason Cook transferred to Ohio State after one season at Campbell University. As a true freshman, he posted a 22-15 overall record. Cook went 6-4 in conference duals, placed in three tournaments, and competed at the Southern Scuffle. Despite a successful regular season, he did not place at the Colonial Athletic Conference Tournament and failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. A two time Ohio state placer for Bellbrook High School, Cook elected to transfer to Ohio State last year and enters this season as a sophomore in eligibility.

Cook is the only Buckeye with extensive experience in NCAA division I college wrestling so it would not be a surprise to see him in the lineup. Last season he went 2-2 at the MSU Open before accepting a redshirt.

Nickolai Timbs (senior; Douglasville, GA)

Nickolai Timbs transferred to Ohio State from Dubuque University. Timbs was a three year starter for the Spartans. While he placed all three years at the IICA conference championships, he did not qualify for the NCAA Division III Wrestling Tournament. Timbs is also a former Academic All American.

Timbs competed at 197 pounds for Ohio State and wrestled at the EMU and MSU Opens before accepting a redshirt. At Eastern Michigan Timbs went 3-2 and narrowly missed placing and he lost two close decisions at Michigan State and did not place. With four years of experience, Timbs enters his final season of eligibility hoping to crack the varsity lineup.

Jacob Hale (sophomore; Stryker, OH)

Jacob Hale is a sophomore in eligibility that is returning for his third season at Ohio State. Hale was granted a redshirt last season and has not wrestled in competition for Ohio State. A former Ohio state champion for Stryker High School, Hale is expected to provide depth for the Buckeyes at 197 pounds.

Ohio State in 2006-2007: 197 pounds

J.D. Bergman wrestled every varsity match for Ohio State in 2006-2007 at 197 pounds. As a redshirt junior, he posted a 28-9 overall record; winning the MSU Open, placing second at the Southern Scuffle and Big Ten Tournaments. After losing his first match at the NCAA Tournament, Bergman won six matches in a row before losing in the consolation finals to place fourth. In dual meet action, he went 10-5 overall and 5-3 against the Big Ten. Bergman wrestled twenty-two matches against seventeen different NCAA qualifiers; finishing 13-9 in quality matches and a perfect 15-0 against the field.

Bergman led the team with thirteen pins and totaled 130.5 team points. The Buckeye captain finished third on the team in wins, reversals, and decision victories.

2007-2008 Big Ten Outlook: 197 pounds

Northwestern senior Mike Tamillow won the 2007 Big Ten championship at 197 pounds and finished the season by placing seventh at the NCAA Tournament. Penn State senior Phil Davis is expected to be his top challenger if he does not follow J.D. Bergman in moving up to heavyweight. Returning place winners looking to improve their performance include Wisconsin junior Dallas Herbst, Illinois sophomore Patrick Bond, and Indiana senior Nathan Everhart.

Of the three wrestlers that competed in the 2007 Big Ten Tournament, only Michigan State sophomore Nick Palmieri looks to be a lock to start this season. After completing a two year Mormon mission, Iowa sophomore Luke Lofthouse will challenge returning starter Dan Erekson. Minnesota junior Yura Malamura was the only Gopher that failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Malamura will face heavy competition from redshirt sophomore Brent Eidenschenk and former JUCO national champion Sonny Yohn.

Michigan and Purdue are following different paths to replace graduated seniors. After wrestling last season at heavyweight, Michigan junior Casey White was planning on dropping down to 197 to replace All American Nick Roy but will not be wrestling this season. Freshmen Eddie Philips and Anthony Biondo will be in competition to start. If Davis makes the jump for Penn State, look for two transfers Eric Lapotsky and Eric Flynn to wrestle off. Lapotsky was an NCAA qualifier for Bucknell who upset top seed Max Askren, while Flynn transferred from Lehigh. Purdue is expected to replace Nathan Moore with redshirt freshman Logan Brown.

Ohio State will have a new starter at 197 pounds this season. This weight class is top heavy with two big names. The Buckeyes miss both Northwestern and Illinois during the regular season, but Indiana, Wisconsin, and Iowa will pose a stiff challenge. While the Ohio State starter won’t make any preseason lists, someone could emerge as a Big Ten place winner and qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Any points the Buckeyes can score at the 2008 Big Ten Tournament will be a bonus and help the team placement.

2007 Big Ten Tournament Place Winners: (2008 class rank)

First: Mike Tamillow (Northwestern; senior) NCAA 2007 seventh

Second: J.D. Bergman (Ohio State; senior) NCAA: 2007 fourth; 2004 third

Third: Dallas Herbst (Wisconsin; junior)

Fourth: Phil Davis (Penn State; senior) NCAA: 2007 fifth; 2006 second; 2005 seventh

Fifth: Patrick Bond (Illinois; sophomore)

Sixth: Nick Roy (Michigan) Graduated; NCAA: 2007 eighth

Seventh: Nathan Moore (Purdue) Graduated

Eighth: Nathan Everhart (Indiana; senior)

DNP: Nick Palmieri (Michigan State; sophomore); Dan Erekson (Iowa; junior); and Yura Malamura (Minnesota)

2007-2008 NCAA Outlook: 197 pounds

One year after becoming the first underclassman in the history of American University, Josh Glenn became their first ever national champion. While Glenn returns as the preseason favorite, Penn State senior Phil Davis wants nothing more to end his career as a four time All American and first time national champion. Rounding out the returning 2007 All Americans is Northwestern senior Mike Tamillow who followed up his first Big Ten title with a seventh place finish last year. A pair of returning two time All Americans will be seeking redemption as seniors after failing to place last season; Central Michigan senior Wynn Michalak finished sixth in 2005 and eighth in 2006 while Oklahoma Joel Flaggert took fifth in 2005 and 2006.

After earning the number one seed last season and failing to place, Missouri sophomore Max Askren will be looking for a better than a two and out finish. Cal State Bakersfield sophomore Brandon Halsey will be looking to prove to they he has more to offer than a win over Askren. Other wrestlers looking to earn first time All American status with a return trip to the NCAA Tournament include Nebraska sophomore Craig Brester, Hofstra senior Joe Rovelli, and West Virginia senior Jared Villers. UT-Chattanooga senior Matt Koz is anticipating make the drop to 197 pounds after reaching the round of twelve at heavyweight.

Ohio State will be satisfied if they can qualify someone at 197 pounds to the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Ohio State has to qualify someone to the national tournament before they can hope someone is in a position to score some points.

2007 NCAA Tournament Place Winners: (2008 class rank)

First: Josh Glenn (American, senior) NCAA 2007 first; 2006 fourth

Second: Kurt Backes (Iowa State; senior) Graduated; CAA: 2007 second; 2004 seventh

Third: Chris Weidman (Hofstra) Graduated; NCAA: 2007 third; 2006 sixth

Fourth: J.D. Bergman (Ohio State; senior) NCAA: 2007 fourth; 2004 third

Fifth: Phil Davis (Penn State; senior) NCAA: 2007 fifth; 2006 second; 2005 seventh

Sixth: Jerry Rinaldi (Cornell) Graduated; 2007 sixth 2006 fourth

Seventh: Mike Tamillow (Northwestern; senior)

Eighth: Nick Roy (Michigan) Graduated

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