“Gas Tank” Gary Traub has been a revelation for the Ohio State wrestling team this season. Ohio State’s No. 1 overall recruit Greg Kerkvliet transferred out of the program, and potential top wrestler Chase Singletary missed almost the entire season with injury.
In stepped Gary Traub, whose string of wins with late takedowns earned him a place in Ohio State wrestling lore that far outstripped his actual accomplishments on the mat. But as the legend grew, as did Traub’s confidence and results. He’s still an undersized heavyweight, and he won’t be challenging for a national title, but he is one of the better heavyweights in the Big Ten and, with the right draw in the NCAAs, is definitely a potential All-American.
Big Ten Wrestling Championships: Heavyweight
Basic Info:
Buckeye Wrestler: Gary Traub
Seed:No. 6
Place needed to qualify: 7th
Traub is the final wrestler for the Buckeyes, and the seventh (out of ten) who doesn’t need to pull off any upsets to qualify for the NCAA Championships. What does his draw look like? And what number Buckeye will Traub be if he does qualify?
Paths to the NCAAs
In the opening round, Traub faces Michigan State’s Christian Rebottaro, who Traub beat 3-2 at the Michigan State Open to begin the season. If Traub wins that match, he will have to face Iowa’s Tony Cassioppi (unless Maryland’s Parker Robinson pulls off an unthinkable upset). Traub lost a 9-3 match against Cassioppi in January that wasn’t particularly competitive.
If Traub loses that second match, he will face the winner from the loser’s bracket in the consolation rounds. Nebraska’s David Jensen and Wisconsin’s Trent Hillger have both easily defeated Traub this year, and he wouldn’t want to face either of them in the consolation round. However, the odds of them being upset by Jake Kleimola or Jack Heyob are very low, so Traub should move through the consolation round. After that, Traub will have to win one more match to clinch seventh place–either in the next round in the consolation bracket, or the seventh-place match.
If Traub loses his opener, he will face Robinson in the first wrestleback match. After that, he will face the loser of the Jensen-Hillger match (unless one of them gets upset, which is unlikely). Traub would have to win that match to keep his NCAA hopes alive, and then win another–either in the next consolation round, or the seventh-place match.
Other Buckeyes in this series:
125 pounds: Malik Heinselman
133 pounds: Jordan Decatur
157 pounds: Elijah Cleary
165 pounds: Ethan Smith
174 pounds: Kaleb Romero
184 pounds: Rocky Jordan