2022 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational

6 Landscape Shifting Storylines At The 2022 CKLV

6 Landscape Shifting Storylines At The 2022 CKLV

A breakdown of the biggest storylines heading into the 2022 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on December 2-3.

Nov 30, 2022 by Jon Kozak
6 Landscape Shifting Storylines At The 2022 CKLV

The 2022 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational is set to take place on December 2-3 and is one of the top college tournaments of the season. Check out the article below for a breakdown of the biggest storylines before this incredible tournament goes down.

Who Comes Out On Top At 133?

133 at the CKLV is loaded with talent - there are a potential 17 ranked wrestlers in the field with 6 wrestlers ranked in the top 12! #3 Vito Arujau leads the pack and has only wrestled one match in his career at 133 - a 17-6 major over #16 Taylor LaMont. In Vegas, Arujau will be tested by #5 Michael McGee, #6 Dylan Ragusin, #7 Chris Cannon, #9 Sam Latona, and #12 Jesse Mendez. If Arujau wins this weight in impressive fashion, the next question will be how close he is to RBY and Daton Fix.

Arujau's win over Dylan Ragusin at the 2020 Senior Nationals:

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With so many top-level guys, it’s incredibly challenging to predict who will come out on top and there will almost assuredly be multiple upsets. True freshman Mendez will be a prime candidate to secure a few of those big upsets. He opened the year by upsetting 2-time All-American Lucas Byrd but then lost to Latona a week later. The young Buckeye will certainly have his opportunity to move back up the rankings this weekend in Vegas.

Mendez's win over 2-time All-American Lucas Byrd at the 2022 MSU Open:

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Then there are the established vets - McGee, Ragusin, Cannon, and Latona. All but Ragusin are past All-Americans (though Ragusin has wins over McGee and Cannon) and all have the potential to win this weight if they are wrestling their best. The quarter-final battles at this weight will be insane and wild results are sure to go down.

Will The Chaos Continue At 149?

149 has been the most chaotic weight class of the season this year. 3-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis lost to Austin Gomez, true freshmen Caleb Henson beat Sammy Sasso, and freshmen Paniro Johnson beat Austin Gomez. This weight is primed for the madness to continue in Vegas with 12 potentially ranked wrestlers in the field and 4 in the top 10. #3 Jonathan Millner, #4 Kyle Parco, #5 Sammy Sasso, and #7 Yahya Thomas are the class of the field but will be challenged by #12 Colin Realbuto, #15 Dom Demas, and #18 Jackson Arrington. 

Sasso, Parco, and Millner are all two-time All-Americans along with Yahya Thomas as a 1-time All-American. Any of those four could come out on top but it’s worth noting their past history to give context to the bracket in CKLV. Of those big 4, Sammy Sasso is a combined 6-0 against the other three wrestlers: 1-0 against Parco, 2-0 against Millner, and 3-0 against Thomas. Parco is 2-1 against Millner in their college career but Millner won their most recent match at last year’s NCAA tournament. Yahya Thomas has never wrestled Parco or Millner in college but over the summer defeated Millner in two straight freestyle matches at U23 Nationals. 

Sasso's win over Millner at the 2022 NCAA Tournament:

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Then there are the dark horses in Realbuto, Demas, and Arrington. Of that group, Demas is obviously the most dangerous as a past All-American and career wins over Clay Carlson, Chad Red, Nick Lee, and Kaid Brock. If Demas is wrestling at his best, he’s absolutely capable of making a run to the finals or even winning the whole tournament.

Jackson Arrington's recent win over national qualifier Johnny Lovett:

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157 = NCAA Finals Preview?

Like at 133 and 149, 157 is an incredibly deep field featuring multiple NCAA title contenders and All-American threats. Will Lewan, Peyton Robb, and Bryce Andonian are all in the NCAA title-contending group and will be fascinating to watch in Vegas. Lewan, coming off a 4th place finish at the 2022 NCAA tournament, most recently defeated Bryce Andonian at the 2022 NWCA All-Star Classic and has two past wins over Peyton Robb. Because of that history, Lewan will be the #1 seed in Vegas and set up great to make the finals. 

Lewan's win over Bryce Andonian at the NWCA All-Star Classic:

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Peyton Robb and Bryce Andonian should put on a show in their potential semi-final match. Both wrestle an exciting style and aren’t afraid to light up the scoreboard with big moves. The two All-Americans have never met in their college careers adding even more intrigue to what should be an incredible bout.

On top of the big three, #11 Kendall Coleman, #12 Ed Scott, #19 Derek Holschlag, #23 Peyten Kellar, #24 Trevor Chumbley, and HM Paddy Gallagher will all be in the bracket at 157 pounds. With that many quality opponents, there are sure to be upsets throughout this stacked weight.

#2 Mekhi Lewis vs #3 Mikey Labriola

Mekhi Lewis and Mikey Labriola are the #1 and #2 seeds respectively at 174-pounds in Vegas. While they will be challenged by #5 Demetrius Romero and #6 Ethan Smith, Lewis and Labriola are big favorites to meet in the finals. 

This potential final could be the best in the tournament. Lewis is a 2-time NCAA finalist and 2019 NCAA champ, while Labriola is a 3-time All-American. Beyond that, the two have never wrestled in their college careers adding even more intrigue to their head-to-head matchup. With Carter Starocci as the clear #1, this matchup between Lewis and Labriola has a strong likelihood of being a preview of a semi-final match at the 2023 NCAA tournament.

Mikey Labriola's overtime win over Ethan Smith in the CKLV finals last year:

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#2 Parker Keckeisen vs #3 Trent Hidlay

The last time Parker Keckeisen and Trent Hidlay wrestled was in the consolation semis of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Keckeisen came out on top in an incredible 7-5 overtime win. Like the Lewis-Labriola match, Keckeisen and Hidlay are currently ranked 2nd and 3rd in the country and have a likely chance of meeting in the NCAA semis. 

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It’s also worth noting both Hidlay and Keckeisen will be challenged on their way to the finals. If the pre-seeds hold, Keckeisen will wrestle either #6 Trey Munoz or #7 Jonathan Loew in the quarters and Hidlay will wrestle #4 Kaleb Romero or #8 Hunter Bolen. Any of those challengers have the potential to throw a major wrench in this weight and vault themselves into a title contender after this weekend.

#1 Cohlton Schultz vs #3 Mason Parris

OH BABY! Cohlton Schultz and Mason Parris last wrestled in the quarter-finals of the 2022 NCAA tournament where Schultz won a 6-5 decision. In that bout, Parris took an early lead with a takedown in the first and carried a 3-1 lead into the third. However, Schultz pressured Parris with his underhook and forced the Wolverine into errant shots in the third securing 2 takedowns and the come-from-behind win. After that match, Schultz went on to make the NCAA finals while Mason Parris finished 5th. 

The implications of this potential match are huge for both wrestlers and the outcome will absolutely play into seeding at the 2023 NCAA tournament. With Arizona State’s schedule, Schultz will not wrestle either #2 Greg Kerkvliet or #4 Tony Cassioppi in the regular season. That means if Schultz gets by Parris at the CKLV, he’ll be in a great position to go undefeated and earn the #1 seed at the 2023 NCAA Tournament. 

Cohlton Schultz's win over Mason Parris at last year's NCAA tournament:

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There are a ton of other big storylines at the CKLV. You can check out all of them in our previews for the CKLV: