The two-time state champion at 220 pounds qualified for his second straight Cadet World Team in Greco-Roman at 100 kilograms this spring, while also making the Junior World Team in Greco-Roman at 120 kilograms. Schultz is a two-time Fargo champion at the Cadet Nationals, winning a Greco-Roman title in 2015 and a freestyle title last year, both coming at 220 pounds. He has been ranked at the top of the Class of 2019 since the middle of last January, and ended the 2016-17 high school season as the No. 2 ranked 220-pound wrestler in the country.
An additional upperweight is among those ranked inside the top ten of this rising junior class, as two-time state champion Daniel Kerkvliet (Simley, Minn.) occupies the No. 5 position in the rankings. He will be competing for the United States in the Cadet World championships this summer at 100 kilograms in freestyle. Within the last calendar year, he also placed third at Cadet freestyle in Fargo and fourth at the Super 32 Challenge at 195 pounds while winning a Cadet folkstyle title this spring at 220 pounds.
Jordan Decatur earned a spot on the Cadet World Team at 58 kilograms (Photo/Sam Janicki)The other two Class of 2019 wrestlers to join Kerkvliet with spots on the Cadet World Team in freestyle going to Athens, Greece are also ranked within the top ten of this class: No. 2 Jordan Decatur (CVCA, Ohio) and No. 10 Kurt McHenry (St. Paul's, Md.).
Decatur moves up eight spots in the rankings after winning a very robust UWW Cadet National tournament at 58 kilograms, including outplacing now No. 3 Nick Raimo (Hanover Park, N.J.); Decatur is a two-time Cadet National freestyle champion in Fargo, also placing second and fourth the previous two years at the UWW Cadet National freestyle tournament in Akron. McHenry, last year a Cadet world champion at 42 kilograms, moves up three positions after qualifying for the team at 46 kilograms.
The most notable upward mover in the rankings is Jason Kraisser (Centennial, Md.), who moves up 20 positions in the rankings to No. 22 after a third-place finish at 63 kilograms in freestyle at the UWW Cadet Nationals; that performance included a pair of wins over No. 27 Kevon Davenport (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.). Others moving up by five or more positions include Carter Starocci (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.), up 12 positions to No. 20 after a fifth-place finish at the UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle and other excellent performance this spring; Connor McGonagle (Timberlane, N.H.) up five positions to No. 21; and Cole Urbas (State College, Pa.) up six positions to No. 35
Four wrestlers are new to the top 50 for the Class of 2019 from the previous edition of the rankings in April. Luke Luffman (Urbana, Ill.) enters at No. 43 after a third-place finish at the UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle and an undefeated Cadet Duals in freestyle; Cade Devos (Southeast Polk, Iowa) is now No. 47 after a placement finish at the UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle and an undefeated Cadet Duals in freestyle; Lucas Byrd (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) is No. 48 after some quality performances at the Junior Duals and earning a Cadet World team spot in Greco-Roman at 50 kilograms; while two-time state placer Noah Blake (Del Oro, Calif.) is ranked No. 50
Leading the way with seven wrestlers contained in the top 50 is the Buckeye State of Ohio, a group that is anchored by Decatur but also includes No. 6 Connor Brady (Olentangy Liberty), who placed at the Super 32, Ironman, and UWW Cadet freestyle tournaments this year; No. 28 Dylan D'Emilio (Genoa), a three-time Fargo freestyle finalist; state champion No. 34 Jordan Crace (St. Paris Graham); two-time state placer No. 36 Sam Dover (St. Edward); No. 39 Gabriel Tagg (Brecksville), a Walsh Ironman champion; and Byrd. New Jersey is next with six ranked wrestlers, while California and Pennsylvania have five each within the top 50.
Link: Top 50 Juniors (Platinum)
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