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    2014 InterMat JJ Classic Preview

    The fifth edition of the InterMat JJ Classic takes place on Sunday at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minn. This year's field includes several nationally ranked wrestlers, highlighted by top-ranked junior Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn), a FILA Cadet World champion and four-time state champion. University of Minnesota commits Fredy Stroker (Bettendorf, Iowa), Bobby Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) and Carson Brolsma (Osseo, Minn.) are entered in the tournament.

    There will be a free live stream from the JJ Classic on Sunday. For more information on the JJ Classic or to register, visit the event website.

    Below is a look at the top competitors in each weight class based on the participant list through Friday. Registration will remain open until weigh-ins close today.

    100: This weight class is not contested at the high school level and throughout the history of the JJ Classic has been comprised mostly of wrestlers with little or no high school wrestling experience. However, despite lacking experience at the high school, many wrestlers who register to compete in this weight class have been successful on the national, regional and state levels. This year is no exception. As has been in the case in previous years, there is no clear-cut favorite in this weight class, which should make for some very competitive matches. Trevor Giallombardo won 33 matches at the high school level last season, and has placed at many national and regional events. Kyle Biscoglia was a Cadet National folkstyle runner-up last spring, and this fall won a title at the Conflict at Carver. Curtis LeMair was a Minnesota Ninth Grade League state champion and also went undefeated (15-0) at the AAU Junior Olympic Games. Israel Navarro placed third in his section, and was a Minnesota Ninth Grade League state runner-up and NYWA state champion. Jacob Prunty (Worthington, Minn.) and Drew Woodley (Northfield, Minn.) won NYWA state titles. Derek Giallombardo (Gaylord, Mich.) went undefeated at the Cadet Duals in freestyle. There are several more talented lightweights that could figure into the mix in this weight class.

    106: The two 100-pound finalists from last year's JJ Classic are entered in this weight class: Justin Portillo (Clarion-Goldfield, Iowa) and Ethan Cota (Kenyon Wanamingo, Minn.). At last year's JJ Classic, Justin Portillo won all of his matches by pin or technical fall. Last season he compiled a record of 26-3 and finished as a state runner-up. He was undefeated at the Disney Duals. This fall he has won titles at the Conflict at Carver, Blue Chip Fall Brawl and finished runner-up at Preseason Nationals. Cota was a state placewinner, Mental Aerobics champion and Minnesota/USA state freestyle champion. He was fifth at Preseason Nationals this fall, with one of his two losses coming to Portillo, 3-2, in the quarterfinals. Brandon Klein (Stoughton, Wis.), Hser Eh Pwae (Worthington, Wis.) and Zachary Ferguson (Saint Paul Central, Minn.) were all state qualifiers last season. Klein was 38-6 last season. Eh Pwae and Ferguson were both section champions last year. Brock Bergelin (Denmark, Wis.) went 35-5 and was a state champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman. Nate Larson (Apple Valley, Minn.) was a Minnesota Ninth Grade League state runner-up and has placed in the Freak Show and Liberty Nationals. Parker Huss (Scott West, Minn.) was a Cadet Greco-Roman All-American this past summer in Fargo. Anthony Meister (Elk River, Minn.) won 24 matches last season, and also claimed Minnesota/USA state titles in freestyle and Greco-Roman.

    113: Joshua Portillo (Clarion-Goldfield, Iowa) is coming off an undefeated sophomore season in which he went 31-0 and claimed a state championship at 113 pounds. This fall he won a Preseason Nationals title. Portillo was an Ohio TOC champion this year as well. Rylee Molitor (Sartell, Minn.) was a state runner-up and finished the season with a 39-1 record. He was also a Cadet National folkstyle runner-up and Cadet Greco-Roman All-American. Dominic LaJoie (Gaylord, Mich.) is a Michigan state champion who finished his freshman season with a 50-1 record. He is coming off a strong summer in which he went undefeated at the Cadet Duals in both styles, and also finished runner-up in the Cadet National Greco-Roman competition. Kyle Rathman (Apple Valley, Minnesota) was a state third-place finisher and Minnesota Christmas Tournament runner-up. In 2013, Rathman was Cadet folkstyle All-American and Freak Show champion in the 15-and-under division. Tyler Eichens (Anoka, Minn.) was a Minnesota Christmas Tournament champion and Minnesota/USA Triple Crown winner. This fall he placed fifth at Preseason Nationals. Alexander Crowe (Shakopee, Minn.) was a state placewinner last season. He is also a Cadet folkstyle All-American and Minnesota/USA state freestyle champion. Jaden Van Maanen (La Crosse Central, Wis.) is coming off a season in which he placed third in the state tournament and compiled a 49-2 record. Derek Holschlag (Union, Iowa) is a state placewinner and Cadet folkstyle All-American. Another wrestler who could make noise in this weight class is Josh Tarum (St. Thomas Academy, Minn.), a three-time state qualifier.

    120: Tucker Sjomeling (Delano, Minn.), a returning JJ Classic champion, enters as the favorite in this weight class. He was dominant in last year's JJ Classic at 106 pounds, earning bonus points in three of his five victories, including a 19-4 technical fall victory in the semifinals over Austin Gomez (Glenbard North, Ill.). Last season Sjomeling finished his season with a 41-1 record. He was a state champion in 2013. Brian Maas (Bemidji, Minn.), Nathan Smith (Mukwonago (Wis.), Michael Suda (Pipestone Area, Minn.) and Stas Sutera (Bon Homme, S.D.) are all state placewinners and contenders to reach the finals. Maas is a three-time state placewinner, finishing third last season with a 43-1 record. Nathan Smith, like Maas, was a state third-place finisher and finished his season with a 47-3 record. Suda was 40-4 last season as an eighth-grader and placed fifth in the state tournament. Sutera was 33-8 last season and placed sixth in the state tournament. Andrew Smith (Amery, Wis.) is a multiple-time state qualifier coming off a 40-5 season. Noah Buck (Apple Valley, Minn.) and Tanner Day (Mounds View, Minn.) are state qualifiers who will look for spots on the podium. One wrestler to keep an eye on in this weight class is Jefferson Paladines (Columbia, Heights, Minn.), a three-time freestyle national champion in Ecuador. A talented freestyle wrestler, Paladines recently moved to the U.S. and is now looking to make his mark in high school wrestling.

    126: Alex Lloyd (Shakopee, Minn.), a Cadet All-American in all three styles, enters this weight class as the likely top seed. This year Lloyd finished third in the Cadet National folkstyle competition, sixth in the Greco-Roman competition and fifth in the freestyle competition. He is a two-time state placewinner. Lloyd is coming off a season in which he compiled a 41-1 record and placed third in the state tournament at 120 pounds. He is ranked as the No. 12 freshman wrestler in the U.S. by InterMat. Jamin LeDuc (Farmington, Minn.) and Will Lucie (Warsaw, Ill.) are multiple-time state placewinners expected to challenge for the title. LeDuc was a state runner-up this past season, and was a state fifth-place finisher the previous season. Lucie has state finishes of third (2013) and fifth (2014). Cadet Greco-Roman All-American Jose Acosta (Manitowoc Lincoln, Wis.) could do damage in this weight class. He won 38 matches as a freshman last season. Dylan Eldeen (Tri-Valley, S.D.) was a state placewinner last season. Other notables in this weight class include Lee Schmalz (Mound Westonka, Minn.), Tyler Shilson (Centennial, Minn.) and Mitchell Lewison (Osseo, Minn.).

    132: There is plenty of intrigue in this weight class as it includes two multiple-time state champions and four state finalists. Seniors Louie Sanders (LCWM, Minn.) and Austin Anderly (Lesueur-Henderson, Minn.) are both two-time state champions. Last season Sanders compiled a 38-2 record en route to winning a state championship at 126 pounds. His first state title came as a sophomore at 120 pounds. He was an InterMat JJ Classic runner-up last year. Sanders has committed to wrestle for Chris Bono at South Dakota State University. Anderly's most recent state championship came at 113 pounds, while his previous state title came at 106 pounds. He has compiled a record of 72-7 over his last two seasons of high school competition. Anderly placed third at the 2012 JJ Classic. Seth Elwood and Sam Bennyhoff (Mound Westonka, Minn.) were state finalists in 2013. Elwood's state runner-up finish came at 106 pounds. Bennyhoff's state runner-up finish came at 113 pounds, and last season he finished fifth in the state tournament at 120 pounds with a 42-2 record. Other state placewinners in this weight class include Adam Hedin (Rosemount, Minn.), Joe Fischenich (Windom Area, Minn.) and Grant Bolduan (White Bear Lake, Minn.). Hedin was fourth in last year's JJ Classic and also fourth in the state tournament. He recently posted a 4-2 record at the Super 32 Challenge in Greensboro, North Carolina. Fischenich placed fifth in the state tournament in 2013 at 113 pounds, and last finished with a 36-4 record. Bolduan was a state sixth-place finisher at 132 pounds last season. Others to watch in this weight class include Cadet folkstyle All-American Michael Peters (Quincy, Ill.), two-time state qualifier Collin LaBrosse (Park Cottage Grove, Minn.) and state qualifier Levi Marsh (LCWM, Minn.).

    138: The top-seeded wrestler in this weight class looks to be Quinten Berres (Kimball Area, Minn.), a two-time state champion and four-time state placewinner. Berres finished his junior season with a 34-1 record and claimed the state championship at 132 pounds. His previous state championship as a sophomore came at 126 pounds after a 39-1 season. Berres was a state third-place finisher as a freshman and sixth-place finisher as an eighth-grader. He earned All-American honors in the Cadet National folkstyle competition in 2012. Colton Clingenpeel (Thomas Jefferson, Iowa) and Dylan Connell (Chisago Lakes, Minn.) are both multiple-time state placwinners. Clingenpeel was sixth as a freshman and seventh as a sophomore. He has also been successful at the national level, winning Preseason Nationals title and placing fifth in Fargo this summer in the Cadet freestyle competition. Connell's state placements are fifth (2014) and sixth (2015). He was a Cadet folkstyle All-American in 2013. Cruze Hurlburt (Spring Valley, Wis.), Cole Gonzalez (Norway, Mich.), Logan Axford (Tracy Area, Minn.), Connor McDill (Utica Eisenhower, Mich.) and Tayt Boeckholt (West Central, S.D.) have all been state placewinners. Mike Hayes (Kettle Moraine, Wis.), a state qualifier and 36-match winner, should also figure into the mix.

    145: This weight class is deep and filled with talent. The top two seeds are expected to be Fredy Stroker (Bettendorf, Iowa) and Griffin Parriott (New Prague), two of the nation's top 145-pounders. Stroker is a three-time state finalist, winning state championships the past two seasons. He is coming off a perfect 52-0 season. Stroker's career record is 144-3. He is a four-time Fargo All-American, with three of those All-American honors being in freestyle and one in Greco-Roman. He has also been a Cadet National folkstyle champion. Stroker has competed in Flo's Who's Number One event the past two years. He was a JJ Classic champion as a freshman in 2011. Parriott is coming off a strong performance at the Super 32 Challenge, where he reached the semifinals before losing in overtime to nationally ranked Michael Kemerer. He wound up finishing fifth. Parriott won a state championship last season as a sophomore and compiled a 42-1 record. He was a state third-place finisher as a freshman and state runner-up as an eighth-grader. This past spring he was a runner-up in both the Junior National folkstyle competition and FILA Cadet National Greco-Roman competition. Parriott was a Minnesota Christmas Tournament champion last season. At the Cadet level he earned All-American honors in folkstyle and Greco-Roman. Ben Brancale (Eden Prairie, Minn.) was a JJ Classic champion last season. He is a multiple-time Fargo All-American in freestyle, and was a state runner-up last season to Seth Gross (Apple Valley, Minn.). Micah Johnson (Boyceville, Wis.) was a state champion as a freshman, finishing the season with a 45-1 record. Bret Romanzak (Jefferson Forest, Va.) has earned three state medals, with his most recent finish being third at 126 pounds. He reached the final 16 in both NHSCA and FloNationals this year. Miles Patton (Rochester Mayo, Minn.) is a top contender in this weight class and a local favorite. He was a JJ Classic runner-up last year to Brancale, and finished fourth in the state tournament. Kyle Yasgar was a South Dakota state champion in 2013. The weight class includes several other state qualifiers capable of placing.

    152: University of Minnesota commit Carson Brolsma (Osseo, Minn.), a state runner-up, enters as one of the favorites to reach the finals. Brolsma compiled a 43-2 record last season en route to his runner-up finish at 145 pounds. He was a state fifth-place finisher the previous season at 132 pounds. Michael Klee (Cardinal Newman, Calif.) has gone 76-17 over the past two seasons. Klee is a Greco-Roman state runner-up and freestyle state fourth-place finisher. He is the younger brother of P.J. Klee, last year's JJ Classic Outstanding Wrestler. Devin Fitzpatrick (Mahtomedi, Minn.) and Brian Zuniga (Melrose, Minn.) were state placewinners last season. Kyle Benjamin is a multiple-time state qualifier and placed in last year's JJ Classic. Kyle Schoenecker (Chisago Lakes, Minn.) is a four-time state qualifier with two seasons remaining. Emmett Wagner (Shakopee, Minn.) was a Minnesota/USA state freestyle champion. Other wrestlers to watch include state qualifiers Dereck Samudio (Albert Lea), Luke Schmalz (Mound-Westonka), Dietrich Balsbaugh (Trinity School at River Ridge), Jordan Bond (Rogers) and Damon Schmalzriedt (LCWM, Minn.).

    160: This weight class was decimated by late scratches and weight class changes, but it still has some talented wrestlers. Colten Carlson (Willmar, Minn.) is a state runner-up (2013) and three-time state qualifier with two seasons remaining. He was a JJ Classic runner-up last year, and this past spring finished third in the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals. Brandon Moen (Owatonna, Minn.) is a two-time state placewinner, finishing third last season as a freshman and fourth in 2013 as an eighth-grader. He is a two-time Minnesota Christmas Tournament and Rumble on the Red placewinner. Moen enters his freshman season with 107 career wins. Drake Heath (Mound Westonka) is a two-time state qualifier and a Minnesota/USA state champion in folkstyle in 2013. Brandon Lucking (Mora, Minn.) and Nicholas Green (Waconia, Minn.) were both 30-match winners last season. Several others will be vying for spots in the placement matches.

    170: This weight class has several talented wrestlers, but one stands alone: Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.). He is not only the most accomplished wrestler in the JJ Classic, but also the most accomplished high school wrestler in the United States. Hall is the overwhelming favorite to win his fourth straight JJ Classic title. He is a four-time state champion with two seasons of high school competition remaining. Hall is the nation's No. 1 junior across all weight classes. This past summer, after winning a FILA Cadet National freestyle title, Hall won five matches at the FILA Cadet World Championships in Snina, Slovakia, to claim the gold medal at 76 kilos. He is coming off a high school season in which he went undefeated en route to capturing his fourth state championship. Hall's toughest competition may come from Jacob Holschlag (Union, Iowa), a state champion and Preseason Nationals champion. Holschlag compiled a 48-1 record last season and claimed a state championship at 160 pounds. He went 5-0 at Preseason Nationals en route to winning the title at 170 pounds. Holschlag earned All-American honors in the Junior National folkstyle competition this past spring. Lucas Westrich (Lakeville North, Minn.) was a state runner-up last season, and finished fourth in the state tournament the previous season. He was a Cadet folkstyle All-American in 2012. Matt Njos (Anoka, Minn.) is a two-time state placewinner, with state finishes of fourth last season and sixth in 2013. He placed fourth in the JJ Classic last year. Other state placewinners in this weight class include Nathanael Holecek (Thief River Falls, Minn.), Dillion Chase (Clinton, Iowa) and Jacob Raschka (Pewaukee, Wis.). Holecek is a two-time state placewinner, but missed last season due to injury. He finished third in the state tournament as a sophomore and sixth as a freshman. Holecek also earned All-American honors at NHSCA Sophomore Nationals in 2013. Chase compiled a 33-2 record last season and placed fifth in Iowa's state tournament. He was third at this year's Preseason Nationals, with his only loss coming to fellow Iowan Holschlag. Raschka won 48 matches as a freshman and placed fifth in the state tournament. This past summer he earned All-American honors in Fargo in the Cadet freestyle competition, and was a Preseason Nationals runner-up this fall. State qualifiers David Kent (Cambridge-Isanti, Minn.) and Kiyanu Baker (Coon Rapids, Minn.) could surprise.

    182: Samuel Grove (Moorhead, Minn.) is only a sophomore, but has already built a strong wrestling resume. He won 37 matches as a freshman and qualified for the state tournament. He earned All-American honors in the Cadet National folkstyle competition with a fourth-place finish at 170 pounds. He has also placed at the Rumble on the Red. Tim Christenson (Albert Lea, Minn.) and Alexander King (Shakopee, Minn.) will be looking for spots in the finals. Christenson was a Minnesota Christmas Tournament placwinner, while King placed third in the section tournament. Other wrestlers entered in this weight class include Jonathan Zarnke (Chaska, Minn.), Griffin Thorn (Owatonna, Minn.), Mason Hawkins (Farmington, Minn.) and Tristan Mewes (Clarion-Goldfield, Iowa).

    195: The clear favorite in this weight class is University of Minnesota commit Bobby Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.), who will be after his third consecutive JJ Classic title. Steveson captured a Junior National freestyle title in Fargo this past summer at 195 pounds. He is a two-time state champion and three-time state placewinner. Steveson was a Junior National folkstyle champion in 2013. He is ranked as the nation's No. 10 senior by InterMat. Tristan Gregory (Gaylord, Mich.) was a state fourth-place finisher Michigan after a 40-4 season. Jacob Lynch (Rush City, Minn.) is a two-time state qualifier who posted a 30-5 mark last season. Michael Bothwell (Coon Rapids, Minn.), Adam Gusky (Appleton West, Wis.), Anthony Putz (St. Peter, Minn.), Wechtuor Thuok (Owatonna, Minn.) and Cody Anderson (Redwood Area, Minn.) all won 20 or more matches last season.

    220: This weight class may not have large numbers, but has some accomplished wrestlers. Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.), is one of the nation's top freshman wrestlers. Steveson is a multiple-time national champion. As an eighth-grader he compiled a 39-3 record and finished runner-up in Minnesota's state tournament in Class AAA at 195 pounds. Steveson was a Rumble on the Red champion and undefeated at The Clash. Triston Westerlund (Albert Lea, Minn.) is a two-time state placewinner, finishing as a state runner-up in 2013 and third last season. Carson Hagan (Worthington, Minn.) was a state fourth-place finisher in 2013 and qualified for the state tournament last season. Jameer Anderson (Benilde-St. Margaret's, Minn.) is a two-time state qualifier. Manny Garcia (BOLD, Minn.) was a state qualifier in 2013, and won 30 matches last season.

    285: Aaron Moore (Minnetonka, Minn.) appears to be a rising star at heavyweight in Minnesota. He won 20 matches as freshman and has been a Minnesota/USA state folkstyle champion the past three years. Last year he placed in the JJ Classic as a 14-year-old. Jesse Heifort (Anoka, Minn) and Justin Sabin (Park, Minn.) were both section placewinners last season. Timothy Mandyck (Coon Rapids, Minn.) was a member of Minnesota Cadet National Team in Fargo.

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