Kaleb Romero did not start the season as an expected top wrestler, but he very quickly showed himself as one. He won his first eight matches on the season, including the title at the Michigan State Open. His close to the season was not great, but it’s not as bad as it would seem. A tight loss to Mikey Labriola is respectable, and there’s no shame in getting pinned by Mark Hall.
Big Ten Wrestling Championships: 174 pounds
Basic Info:
Buckeye Wrestler: Kaleb Romero
Seed:No. 6
Place needed to qualify: 9th
Romero is the fourth Buckeye to only need to wrestle to his seed to qualify for the NCAA Championships. Nine qualifying positions means that even with some early losses, there’s a chance to wrestle back and get to the ninth spot. Still, don’t expect Romero to need that. He should be able to qualify, and all he really needs to do to get there is win his first match.
Paths to the NCAAs
First up for Romero is Wisconsin’s Jared Krattiger. Romero defeated Krattiger 7-3 in the Ohio State vs Wisconsin dual back in January. If Romero wins that match, he will face Purdue’s Dylan Lydy in the second round. Win that match, and he clinches a spot in the NCAAs.
There is a quirk in this year’s Big Ten Championships. Indiana is not sending a wrestler at 174 pounds. So if Romero does lose in the first round, he gets a bye into the second round of the consolation bracket. In that match, he would face the winner of the losers from the opposite side of the draw. That means it would be one of No. 4 Devin Skatzka, No 5. Labriola, No. 12 Philip Spadafora, and No. 13 Max Maylor. Romero is 1-1 each vs Skatzka and Labriola this year, and 1-0 vs Spadafora. If Romero wins his first match but loses the second, he will face the loser of the second-round matchup of that foursome.
Because of the draw and no entry for Indiana, Romero is guaranteed a spot in the ninth-place bracket. Even if he loses his first two matches, he will be put into a bracket with the other three wrestlers who lose in the “second” consolation round. Win two matches in that bracket, and Romero will qualify for the NCAAs even with an 0-2 start.
Other Buckeyes in this series:
125 pounds: Malik Heinselman
133 pounds: Jordan Decatur
157 pounds: Elijah Cleary
165 pounds: Ethan Smith
184 pounds: Rocky Jordan
Heavyweight: Gary Traub