BOONE, N.C. — With five NCAA Championships qualifiers all seeded in the top 25 of their weight classes, App State Wrestling will head to Detroit next week with a high-caliber quintet of Mountaineers.
Jonathan Millner, a 2021 All-American thanks to an eighth-place finish at 149 pounds, is seeded sixth in this year's bracket. He's a three-time SoCon champion who is 19-1 this season.
Three-time NCAA qualifier and first-time SoCon champ
Thomas Flitz is seeded 19th at 174 pounds. He is 16-6 this season. Another graduate student, three-time SoCon champ and four-time NCAA qualifier
Codi Russell, is seeded 21st at 133 pounds. He will take a 19-7 record to Detroit.
App State's two at-large qualifiers also received top-25 seeds, as two-time NCAA qualifier
Will Formato is No. 20 at 165 pounds and first-year starter
Caleb Smith is No. 25 at 125 pounds. Formato has a 22-7 record this season, and Smith is 23-6.
The NCAA Championships begin next Thursday, March 17, at Little Caesars Arena. Over the past three seasons, App State has totaled 18 NCAA qualifiers, with 10 of those coming from in-state wrestlers who graduated from North Carolina high schools.
Millner, Flitz and Smith are all North Carolina natives.
All five NCAA qualifiers, plus SoCon runner-up
Cody Bond, had top-33 final rankings from the Coaches Panel and the RPI.
125: #25 Caleb Smith (23-6, at-large qualifier, first-year starter)
Final Coaches Rank/RPI: 28/19
First round: #8 Patrick McKee, Minnesota (20-7)
133: #21 Codi Russell (19-7, 3-time SoCon champ, 4-time NCAA qualifier)
Final Coaches Rank/RPI: 23/28
First round: #12 Micky Phillippi, Pitt (15-6)
149: #6 Jonathan Millner (19-1, 3-time SoCon champ, 2021 All-American)
Final Coaches Rank/RPI: 6/9
First round: #27 Cory Crooks, Oregon State (13-9)
165: #20 Will Formato (22-7, at large-qualifier, 2-time NCAA qualifier)
Final Coaches Rank/RPI: 21/19
First round: #13 Julian Ramirez, Cornell (19-8)
174: #19 Thomas Flitz (16-6, SoCon champ, 3-time NCAA qualifier)
Final Coaches Rank/RPI: 20/33
First round: #14 Chris Foca, Cornell (23-6)
