Arkansas Wrestle (All images via lrtrojans.com)
LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock wrestling is heating up, both in terms of the schedule and competition. The Trojans face #20 Oklahoma at home Friday, November 17 for a 7 p.m. dual, their first ranked opponent of the season. A smaller group of the squad will also head north to St. Charles, Missouri for some more tournament action, this time at the Lindenwood Open.
Fans in attendance should wear white to the dual as the Trojans WHITE OUT the Jack Stephens Center. For those unable to make it, the dual will be streamed on the Little Rock Sports Network. Trojans fans can also follow live tweets via the team page @LittleRockWRES.
“Tomorrow is a big day for us,” said head coach Neil Erisman. “What we’re looking for from our guys is consistency week to week, and replicating what we did last weekend – but also doing better. If we can be consistent, we can find success.”
“There will be a lot of really great matches tomorrow night,” he added. “We want to can find a way to win for the crowd, for the state of Arkansas, and for where we’re taking this program.”
Top Teams and Tournaments
The dual against the Sooners on will be the first for the Trojans this season against a team listed in the NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches poll. Oklahoma is receiving votes, and lists five ranked wrestlers in their probables along with two honorable mentions via FloWrestling, comparing to Little Rock’s one honorable mention in Triston Wills as the Trojans continue to shoulder the underdog role.
Last weekend at the Tiger Style Invitational, the Trojans took second place as a team in a field that included #4 Missouri, Pac-12 foes Cal Poly, and Big 10 school Maryland, as well as familiar faces SIUE and Lindenwood. While a smaller group will hit the mats at the Lindenwood Open on Saturday, they are still looking to make an impact on the tournament scene as non-starters have the chance to get several bouts under their belt.
Strong Start to the Season
The probables for this Friday’s dual against Oklahoma features several Trojans that have had early success this year, including a program-record four Trojans ranked simultaneously in the weekly rankings: Stephen Little, Nasir Bailey, Josiah Hill and Matty Bianchi.
Last weekend, Little took the title in the 197 weight class at the Tiger Style Invitational, highlighted by a ranked upset win over former #8 Jaxon Smith from Maryland in the finals. It’s the third ranked win for the redshirt freshman in his short collegiate career. His efforts so far this season have him ranked #8 from FloWrestling, #15 from Intermat, and #15 from Amateur Wrestling News.
The program’s highest-ranked recruit to ever commit to the Trojans, true freshman Bailey competed in a Little Rock singlet for the first time this past weekend, taking out former #28 Zeke Seltzer from Missouri for an exciting 8-5 overtime victory in the finals. He is the first Little Rock wrestler to be listed not only as a true freshman but also immediately after his debut.
Meanwhile, Hill has been a constant for the Trojans, moving up in the rankings two spots from 31 to 29 via FloWrestling and holding steady at #28 on Intermat. He finished third at the Tiger Style Invitational, collecting wins by decision over wrestlers from Missouri and Cal Poly.
This past weekend, the younger Bianchi beat out #25 Legend Lamer from Cal Poly by 4-1 decision on his way to third place at the tournament. His #25 spot on FloWrestling marks the first time Bianchi has been nationally recognized for his athletic performance.
Little Rock Probables
125: Jeremiah Reno
133: Nasir Bailey or Josh Sarpy
141: Brennan Van Hoecke
149: Kyle Dutton or Jake Adams
157: Matty Bianchi
165: Brendan Abdon or Bilal Bailey
174: Tyler Brennan
184: Triston Wills
197: Stephen Little
285: Josiah Hill
Oklahoma Probables
125: Conrad Hendriksen
133: Jace Koelzer or Kaden Smith
141: Mosha Schwartz or Carter Schmidt
149: Willie McDougald
157: John Wiley or Jared Hill
165: Cael Carlson or Mannix Morgan
174: Tate Picklo or Gerrit Nijenhuis
184: Giuseppe Hoose
197: Stephen Buchanan
285: Josh Heindselman or Juan Mora
Little Rock Wrestlers at Lindenwood
125: Reid Nelson
133: Jayden Carson
149: Jaylen Carson
174: Kodiak Cannedy and Warren Hoyt
197: Michael Gasper
285: KJ Miley and Matthew Weinert
For the latest information on Little Rock Wrestling, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockWRES on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
#LittleRocksTeam
