Tuttle, Okla. and Mesa Mountain View, Ariz. are the two most recently released teams to have finished this past season in the Fab50 rankings, at positions No. 23 and No. 28 respectively. They join previously announced Buchanan, Calif. (No. 12 at the end of last year), St. Micahel-Albertville, Minn. (No. 21), and Glenbard North, Ill. (No. 22) in the field.
Tuttle won a seventh consecutive state title this past season in Oklahoma's 4A classification. They return ten state qualifiers this coming season, nine of whom were state finalists last year. Returning state champions are Rhett Golowenski (106), Tanner Litterell (126), Beau Guffey (138), Dayton Garrett (145), and Tanner Johnson (160); Litterell and Guffey are now two-time state champions. Also returning are state runners-up Noah McQuigg (113), Brik Filippo (132), Blake Berryhill (220), and Brandon Mason (285).
Mesa Mountain View won the state title for a second straight year this past season, and are also on a 70-match dual meet win streak after going 19-0 during the 2014-15 season in dual meets. The Toros placed ten wrestlers at the state tournament, five of whom were underclassmen; however, all three state finalists (with one state champion) have graduated from the program. Their highest returning state placers are a trio of wrestlers who finished third this past season: Paden Mason (120), Jerod Booth (132), and Anthony Wokasch (145).
Both Tuttle and Mesa Mountain View are making their debut appearance at The Clash National Duals, which puts them in the same boat as already announced Buchanan. Two other teams in the five just announced are also debut participants – Farmington, Minn. and Washington, Ill.
Farmington was a state dual meet tournament participant last year in Minnesota's big-school classification, losing in the quarterfinal round 36-25 to Prior Lake. It was their first such appearance in the 21st century. They also qualified seven individuals to the state meet, with five of them returning for the 2015-16 including state runners-up Victor Gliva (106) and Jamin LeDuc (120). Also returning is 2013 state champion Taylor Venz, who placed third at 145 pounds this past season.
Washington finished as state dual meet runners-up in Illinois' Class 2A, which is the medium-school division. It was a first ever state final appearance for the Panthers. They qualified ten wrestlers to the individual state tournament, seven of whom return for this coming season; among their six state finalists, four are returning.
Leading that group are returning state champions Randy Meneweather (160) and Jacob Warner (170); Meneweather is now a two-time state champion, while Warner is nationally ranked in the Class of 2016 and was a Cadet National double champion in Fargo last month. Returning state runners-up are Trey Keeley (106) and two-time UWW Cadet National champion in Greco-Roman Dack Punke (113).
Rounding out the group of five unveiled is Shakopee, Minn. The Sabers made their debut in last year's edition of The Clash, where they finished second in Bracket “A†on day one, but went 0-3 in the day two round-robin of second place teams. They missed out on the state dual meet tournament each of the last two seasons, losing in the sectional final to Prior Lake on both occasions.
The Sabers qualified seven to last year's state tournament, five of whom return, which does not include 2014 state placer Alex Lloyd (132). Leading the way for the Sabers are new head coach Jim Jackson, long-time leader of the Apple Valley program; nationally ranked Class of 2018 wrestler Lloyd, a Cadet Greco-Roman champion in Fargo; 2014 state champion Owen Webster, who placed fifth at 160 this past year, and is nationally ranked in the Class of 2016; as well as two-time state champion Brent Jones (120).
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