Badgers Wrestling Notebook: Gross named Co-B1G Wrestler of the Week

Wisconsin redshirt senior Seth Gross was named Co-Big Ten Wrestler of the Week on Friday.

Gross was Midlands champion at 133 pounds, topping then-No. 1 Austin DeSanto of Iowa to claim the title.

He was also named the Dan Gable Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament by the media in attendance for the second time in his career and for the first time as a Badger.

#AskNWW Wrestling Q&A No. 4: Braxton Amos, Cheesehead, and Spencer Lee

After a week off between the holidays (and so you guys and gals didn’t get sick of me), we’re back at it for another edition of #AskNWW Wrestling Q&A.

As always, a huge thanks to those of you who submitted questions.

Just a reminder, you can ask questions at any time by using #AskNWW on Twitter or by emailing me at nwwrestle@gmail.com.

Now that the housekeeping is done, away we go:

Rapid Reaction: Gross tops DeSanto, Badgers earn highest Midlands finish since 2010

What started as a relatively tough day, turned into a significantly positive one as the Wisconsin wrestling team finished strong to place third at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships in Hoffman Estates, Illinois on Monday night.

The third-place finish in the team standings is the Badgers highest placing at Midlands since taking second in 2010.

Redshirt Report: Otto leads UW redshirts at Midlands

A trio of unattached University of Wisconsin wrestlers competed in Day 1 of the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships Sunday in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Rapid Reaction: Wisconsin 3rd after Day 1 of Midlands Championships

The Wisconsin wrestling team trails second-place Northern Iowa by just one point after the opening day of the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships Sunday in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Iowa leads the team race by 46 points over second-place UNI. The Hawkeyes have 10 wrestlers in the semifinals and four more still competing in consolation bouts.

Here are a few of the quick headlines you need to catch-up on before wrestling resumes at noon Monday.

Badgers hope Midlands Championships provide clarity

Throughout the season, Wisconsin head wrestling coach Chris Bono has alluded to the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships as a significant measuring stick for his team.

When the event kicks off Sunday in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, the No. 4 Badgers will get a chance to see how they stack up against the likes of No. 1 Iowa, No 8 Northern Iowa, No. 9 Northwestern, No. 10 Princeton and five other nationally-ranked teams in a two-day tournament setting.

They will also have one final opportunity to answer some lingering lineup questions.

“Sky’s the limit” for true freshman Barnett

From the get-go there were signs Eric Barnett was going to have an opportunity to break into the Wisconsin lineup early in his career.

The Hortonville (Wis.) High School product was highly-touted in his prep days. He compiled a 185-3 record in folkstyle and was undefeated from his sophomore year onward, with a trio of state championships.

#AskNWW Wrestling Q&A

Here we are, Week 3 of #AskNWW Wrestling Q&A. I’m thrilled this little experiment has made it this far.

Thank you all for reading, asking questions and engaging with my content. It has been a blast. Let’s keep it rolling.

Before we move ahead to this week’s questions, I want to remind you that you can join this conversation at any time by using hashtag #AskNWW on Twitter or by emailing me at nwwrestle@gmail.com.

Badgers dominate Kent State in home opener

MADISON — Wins in eight of 10 bouts propelled the Wisconsin wrestling team to a 42-6 win over visiting Kent State Thursday at the UW Field House.

Rapid Reaction: Wisconsin pummels Kent State

MADISON — The Wisconsin wrestling team put on an impressive display in its home opener, handling Kent State to the tune of a 42-6 final at the UW Field House Thursday night.

Below are a few knee-jerk reactions to some of the night’s highlights. A full match recap will follow late tonight/early Friday morning.