Wrestlers ranked first in the country include Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) at 113 pounds, Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas) at 182, and Andrew Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.) at 220; while number two ranked wrestlers include Joey McKenna (Blair Academy, N.J.) at 138, Micah Jordan (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) at 145, and Jacob Danishek (Dayton Christian, Ohio) at 152.
Nationally ranked teams in the Walsh Ironman this weekend include No. 1 Blair Academy (N.J.), No. 2 Oak Park River Forest (Ill.), No. 3 Wyoming Seminary (Pa.), No. 4 Montini Catholic (Ill.), No. 6 St. Paris Graham (Ohio), No. 8 Massillon Perry (Ohio), No. 10 Franklin Regional (Pa.), No. 12 Brecksville (Ohio), No. 13 Cincinnati Moeller (Ohio), No. 15 Broken Arrow (Okla.), No. 16 Edmond North (Okla.), No. 19 Marmion Academy (Ill.), No. 21 St. Edward (Ohio), No. 37 Robinson (Va.), and No. 47 Claymont (Ohio).
Wrestling will start at 1 p.m. ET on Friday and occur through the round of 16 on the championship side, which will set up the quarterfinals on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. ET. Consolation wrestling on Friday will eliminate about half the field so that 16 overall wrestlers remain in each weight class. Semifinals will follow the Saturday morning quarterfinals, with all matches but those for first, third, and fifth occurring in said session. Top six medal matches to occur Saturday night at 6 p.m. ET.
Josh Lowe, InterMat high school analyst, will be covering the tournament with updates on his personal twitter account. Updated quarterfinal pairings and team scores will be provided after Friday's competition with a recap game story being published after the completion of the event. Brackets and tournament updates will be available through Track Wrestling.
The following is a look at each of the weight classes, their key components, and the key dynamics for how the tournament might play out. Information is based on participants listed on http://www.walshironman.com as of Wednesday evening, and unfortunately cannot account for any scratches and/or weight changes between now and the tournament's start.
106:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 4 Tyler Warner (Claymont, Ohio) and No. 12 Jason Renteria (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Allan Hart (St. Edward, Ohio) and Will Moss (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.)
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Thomas Genetin (Massillon Perry, Ohio) vs. Chris Lacayo (Santiago Corona, Calif.), and Hunter Bray (Dayton Christian, Ohio) vs. Tanner Smith (St. Paris Graham, Ohio)
Commentary: Many (historically) great wrestlers have won opening weights at the Ironman -- Harry Lester, Cory Cooperman, Ryan Lang, Robbie Preston, David Taylor, and Hunter Steiber for instance. However, this field does not feature that type of wrestler, or anywhere remotely close to the depth of a normal Ironman 106 pound weight class.
The top seed is two-time state finalist Logan Grass (Huntington, W. Va.), who this past weekend lost 5-0 to the St. Paris Graham backup. However, for the sake of balance in the bracket, one of the two best wrestlers in this weight class is in the 1-8-9-16 cluster in Renteria, who draws a round of 16 match against National Prep placer Nick Lattanze (Malvern Prep, Pa.). After clearing that, he is likely to face the winner of the Bray vs. Smith round of 16 match in the semifinal, presuming they are able to beat state placer and Cadet Greco All-American Jimmy Pawleski (Montini Catholic, Ill.) in a likely quarterfinal bout.
The bottom half of the draw is anchored by defending state champion Warner, who placed fifth at the Super 32 Challenge. His likely path to the final involves a quarterfinal match with Paxton Rosen (Edmond North, Okla.), a very talented freshman; with a semifinal bout against either Cadet Greco-Roman national champion Joey Prata (St. Christopher's Va.), or the winner of the Gentin vs. Lacayo round of 16 bout.
Predicting a finals match: Warner over Renteria
The rest of the top eight: Rosen, T. Smith, Genetin, Lacayo, Bray, and Prata
113:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 1 Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.), No. 3 Jose Rodriguez (Massillon Perry, Ohio), No. 7 Jack Mueller (Trinity Christian Academy, Texas), No. 8 Dustin Warner (Claymont, Ohio), No. 9 Adrian Camposano (Central, Calif.), No. 10 Eli Stickley (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), and No. 14 Trent Olson (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: state qualifiers Requir van der Merwe (Blair Academy, N.J.) and Brendan Price (Canon-McMillan, Pa.)
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Christian Clary (Dayton Christian, Ohio) vs. Dustin Warner; Anthony Bosco (Marmion Academy, Ill.) vs. Trent Olson; Mario Guillen (Perrysburg, Ohio) vs. L.J. Bentley (St. Edward, Ohio), which is a rematch of a go-to-state upset win for Guillen earned on a five-point countermove that shocked all of the Buckeye State; and Adrian Camposano vs. Hayden Lee (Marysville, Ohio)
Commentary: Let's be perfectly honest about things, the Ironman truly starts with this weight class. Seven nationally ranked wrestlers, and a few others that are right on the precipice of a national ranking. All that being said, there is a clear favorite, and that is the freshman sensation Spencer Lee. He is ranked No. 1 in the nation for a reason, having already appeared in two Super 32 Challenge high school finals -- winning the title this fall -- and was a FloNationals runner-up this past spring.
His path to the finals will most certainly be thorough, as it likely involves a round of 16 bout against Cadet Greco-Roman runner-up Dylan Duncan (Montini Catholic, Ill.), followed by a quarterfinal against the Camposano/Hayden Lee winner, and then a semifinal against a nationally ranked wrestler in either Jack Mueller or Dustin Warner.
The other half of the draw is likely going to yield a semifinal bout, which is a rematch of last year's Ironman final at 106 pounds in which Eli Stickley used a reversal with less than five seconds left to defeat Jose Rodriguez. The path for Stickley involves National prep third place finisher T.K. Megonigal (McDonogh, Md.) in the round of 16 and then Bentley in the quarterfinal; while Rodriguez likely has a path involving Junior Greco-Roman All-American Adam Whitesell (Good Counsel, Md.) in the round of 16 and then the Bosco/Olson winner in the quarterfinal round.
Predicting a finals match: S. Lee over Rodriguez (rematch of a Super 32 Challenge semifinal)
The rest of the top eight: Mueller, Warner, Camposano, Stickley, Olson, and Bentley
120:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 6 at 126 Ke-Shawn Hayes (Park Hill, Mo.), No. 9 Chaz Tucker (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 11 Brent Fleetwood (Smyrna, Del.), No. 14 Austin Assad (Brecksville, Ohio), No. 17 Markus Simmons (Broken Arrow, Okla.), and No. 12 at 113 Eric Hong (Georgetown Prep, Md.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Cadet National double finalist Gabe Townsell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), Preseason Nationals champion A.J. Jaffe (Marmion Academy, Ill.), along with state placers Cy Trindle (Edmond North, Okla.) and Conner Ziegler (Cincinnati Moeller, Ohio)
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Brent Fleetwood vs. Eric Hong, a rematch of a tournament semifinal from last week that Fleetwood won 5-1; Ke-Shawn Hayes vs. Justin Patrick (Kiski Prep, Pa.), Armando Torres (Elyria, Ohio) vs. Markus Simmons, and Alex Mackall (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio) vs. Jordan Allen (Huntington, W. Va.)
Commentary: The top seed in this weight is Brent Fleetwood, a highly talented wrestler who has had -- to put it mildly -- a rather poor last two months. The three-time state champion, two-time Super 32 Challenge placer, two-time Junior freestyle All-American, and defending Beast of the East champion failed to make the second day at the Super 32 Challenge and then lost a match this past weekend to fellow three-time state champion Micah Hight (Caesar Rodney, Del.) in the Ray Oliver final.
Given that susceptibility, life is not easy for him. It starts with the already cited round of 16 match, and then continues with a likely quarterfinal match against either Mackall or Allen. Mackall is a returning Ironman placer and a Cadet freestyle All-American, while Allen is a two-time state champion and a NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion. The winner in that quarter of the draw is likely to face Junior freestyle All-American Chaz Tucker in the semifinal round.
Tucker's advancement is no guarantee, as if involves a round of 16 match against state champion and Cadet freestyle All-American J.D. Gregory (Hanover, Va.) and then a quarterfinal date against most likely Micah Hight.
The other half of the draw is one in which returning Ironman runner-up Hayes is the clear favorite. His toughest match prior to the semifinal is the likely round of 16 bout against two-time fourth in the state Patrick, who also placed at the FloNationals. In terms of a semifinal opponent, that should on paper either be two-time state runner-up Austin Assad, also twice a FILA Cadet freestyle All-American; or two-time state finalist Markus Simmons, who placed at the FloNationals this spring. However, Simmons faces state runner-up at Junior freestyle All-American Armando Torres in the round of 16.
Predicting a finals match: Hayes over Tucker
The rest of the top eight: Simmons, Assad, Allen, Torres, Hight, and Mackall
126:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 3 Matthew Kolodzik (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 10 Johnny Jimenez (Marmion Academy, Ill.), No. 12 Dalton Macri (Canon-McMillan, Pa.), No. 13 Domenic Forys (North Allegheny, Pa.), No. 14 Anthony Tutolo (Lake Catholic, Ohio), and No. 15 Davion Jeffries (Broken Arrow, Okla.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: notable freshmen Drew Pappadopolous (Edmond North, Okla.) and Jamie Hernandez (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), along with Cadet folkstyle champion Zander Wick (San Marino, Calif.)
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Matthew Kolodzik vs. Josh Wimer (Grove City Central Crossing, Ohio) and Trae Blackwell (Union County, Ky.) vs. Domenic Forys
Commentary: The top seed in this weight is Kolodzik, who has twice finished as runner-up in the Walsh Ironman, and enters this edition as a solid favorite to earn that elusive championship. However, life will not be easy with the five other nationally ranked wrestlers standing in his way. Based on the bracket, he will have to beat four substantive opponents to earn that title, starting with a round of 16 match against Josh Wimer, who was a NHSCA Junior Nationals All-American.
The path continues with a possible quarterfinal date with two-time state placer Domenic Forys, who just under two months ago was very impressive in a runner-up finish at the Super 32 Challenge; while the other possible opponent is multi-time state champion Trae Blackwell, who Kolodzik was quite frankly lucky to eke out an overtime victory against last year in the Walsh Ironman round of 16. His likely semifinal would then be against the nationally ranked Macri, who was a state runner-up and Ironman placer last year; Kolodzik beat him 6-4 in the quarterfinal here last year.
The other half of the draw is led by second seed Johnny Jimenez, a three-time state champion who has twice placed at the Walsh Ironman (3rd last year, 4th in 2010). His path won't be easy with state champion and returning Ironman placer Eli Seipel (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) looming in the quarterfinal round, and then a semifinal bout against one of two nationally ranked wrestlers: Anthony Tutolo or Davion Jeffries, these wrestlers met for seventh at the Super 32 Challenge with Tutolo earning a 5-3 victory.
Predicting a finals match: Kolodzik over Jimenez (rematch of 3-2 semifinal victory for Kolodzik in last year's Ironman)
The rest of the top eight: Macri, Forys, Tutolo, Jeffries, Bavery, and Seipel
132:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 5 Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.), No. 6 Brock Ervin (Union County, Ky.), and No. 8 P.J. Klee (Cardinal Newman, Calif.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: National Prep placer Matt Lattanze (Malvern Prep, Pa.); state placers Julian Flores (San Marino, Calif.), Taylor Vath (Saegertown, Pa.), and Nolan Whitely (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio); Cadet freestyle All-Americans Justin Demicco (Brecksville, Ohio) and Nate Hagan (Toledo Central Catholic, Ohio); along with Hunter Ladnier (St. Edward, Ohio)
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Zahid Valencia vs. Brent Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), Bryce Meredith (Cheyenne Central, Wyo.) vs. Kevin Budock (Good Counsel, Md.); Brock Ervin vs. Jordan Kutler (Blair Academy, N.J.); and Sammy Gross (Beachwood, Ohio) vs. Aaran Gessic (Perry, Ohio), the three-time state placer and two-time state placer tied a preview match three weekends ago 1-1.
Commentary: This is the rare middle-weight of the Walsh Ironman which is shallow when it comes to nationally ranked wrestlers, with only three. However, all three are top ten wrestlers, which should make for intrigue. An additional goofy thing with this bracket is that the next few best wrestlers are all extremely low seeds, which leaves some relatively barren pods of competition on Friday.
The junior Valencia has won the Ironman each of his first two years of high school, and is the slight favorite to earn his third title this year (David Taylor is the only wrestler to ever win four titles at the Ironman). His round of 16 match is one that will be tougher than the quarterfinal, with state placer Brent Moore (St. Paris Graham) -- who made the second day at the Super 32 in a loaded bracket -- looming in that round. The likely quarterfinal opponent is either FILA Cadet freestyle runner-up Will Crisco (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) or two-time state placer Richie Screptock (Oregon Clay, Ohio).
Looming big in the semifinal for Valencia is P.J. Klee, in what could be a preview of the California state final at the end of the season. Klee placed fourth last year at the Ironman and is a two-time Beast of the East runner-up. He was also the Outstanding Wrestler at this year's InterMat JJ Classic. Klee is almost a prohibitive favorite to hit the semifinal round.
From the bottom half of the draw, third seed Brock Ervin is the favorite to hit the final. He is a multi-time state champion, was champion at the NHSCA Junior Nationals this spring, and third in the Super 32 Challenge. He has a dangerous round of 16 match against the much-improved Jordan Kutler. The second seed in this weight is Bryce Meredith (Cheyenne Central, Wyo.), a two-time Junior freestyle All-American who placed seventh in the Ironman last year. However, he only placed sixth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals and did not make the second day at the Super 32 Challenge. Meredith will face a thorough examination from National Prep runner-up Kevin Budock (Good Counsel, Md.) in the round of 16.
Predicting a finals match: Valencia over Ervin
The rest of the top eight: Klee, Meredith, B. Moore, Kutler, Budock, and Crisco
138:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 2 Joey McKenna (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 4 at 132 Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.), No. 5 Isaiah White (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), No. 12 at 132 Colton Adams (Scottsbluff, Neb.), and No. 18 at 145 Michael Longo (Santiago Corona, Calif.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Super 32 placer Kyle Lawson (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), 2012 National Prep placer Michael Sprague (Georgetown Prep, Md.), state placer Dane Robbins (Robinson, Va.), and Joseph Dominguez (St. John Bosco, Calif.)
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Blake Clevenger (Kearney, Mo.) vs. Michael Longo, a battle of Super 32 Challenge placers; Cody Burcher (Claymont, Ohio) vs. Jesse Rodgers (North Allegheny, Pa.), a battle of FloNationals placers; and Isaiah White vs. Michael Kostandaras (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio)
Commentary: Junior National double finalist Joey McKenna, a three-time National Prep champion, enters this weight class as a relatively strong favorite even though four other nationally ranked wrestlers stand in his way. The path for McKenna is not the easiest, as a quarterfinal date with Cadet freestyle champion Isaiah White looms, along with a likely semifinal bout against a very tough Longo. That assumes Longo is able to clear Junior Greco-Roman runner-up Clevenger in the round of 16 and then a likely quarterfinal bout against returning Ironman placer Ryan Skonieczny (Akron SVSM, Ohio), who was a state runner-up last year.
The other half of this weight class sets up as a two-man show between two-time state runner-up Michael Kemerer, a Junior freestyle All-American and three-time Super 32 finalist; and Colton Adams, who placed third at the Ironman last year with a win over Kemerer in consolation and is a three-time state champion in his own right. Adams is looking at a quarterfinal against the winner of a Burcher vs. Rodgers round of 16 bout; while Kemerer is looking at one against either state champion Shea Conley (Broken Arrow, Okla.) or state runner-up Vincent Turk (Montini Catholic, Ill.)
Please keep in mind that there is an ultimate bracket-buster here in freshman sensation Kyle Lawson, who placed sixth at the Super 32 Challenge and was a state runner-up in Kentucky last year. His placement in this weight class will be a pain in the rear to somebody.
Predicting a finals match: McKenna over Kemerer (to avenge Kemerer's 2-1 POWERade semifinal victory from last year)
The rest of the top eight: White, Longo, Adams, Lawson, Clevenger, and Skonieczny
145:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 2 Micah Jordan (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), No. 3 Solomon Chishko (Canon-McMillan, Pa.), No. 6 Alfred Bannister (Bishop McNamara, Md.), No. 9 Grant Leeth (Kearney, Mo.), No. 11 Larry Early (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), No. 11 at 138 Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.), No. 17 Tanner Bailey (Broken Arrow, Okla.), and No. 19 at 138 Chris Garcia (Montini Catholic, Ill.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: state runner-up Nick Vestal (Dayton Christian, Ohio), state placers Kyle Kaminski (Padua, Ohio) and Justin Thomas (Santiago Corona, Calif.), NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up Tyler Ponte (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), and Ray Barr (St. Edward, Ohio)
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Vincenzo Joseph vs. Logan Day (Archbold, Ohio), Chris Garcia vs. Walker Dempsey (Blair Academy, N.J.), Alfred Bannister vs. Alex Mossing (Toledo Central Catholic, Ohio), Josh Maruca (Franklin Regional, Pa.) vs. Cameron Harrell (McDonogh, Md.), and Tanner Bailey vs. Larry Early
Commentary: Like last year's bracket at 145 pounds, this one is absolutely loaded with eight nationally ranked wrestlers, and another few wrestlers that are on the precipice of a national ranking. However, the seeding is slightly distortive with the two best wrestlers set to meet in the semifinal round. Micah Jordan is seeded first and Solomon Chishko is seeded fifth. Jordan is a three-time state champion and was runner-up the Ironman last year losing a razor tight final to Aaron Pico (who is currently out of the country working on his freestyle exploits); while Chishko won state last year after placing third the previous two years, and is a four-time Super 32 Challenge placer.
In terms of draw, Jordan is looking at a quarterfinal meeting with one of two nationally ranked wrestlers, either three-time state placer and defending state champion Tanner Bailey or two-time state placer and FILA Cadet freestyle All-American Larry Early. Chishko is looking at a quarterfinal date with either two-time Ironman Chris Garcia, who won state this past year, or National Prep runner-up Walker Dempsey.
The bottom half of the draw does feature three nationally ranked wrestlers, with sixth seed Alfred Bannister the highest of that group; he was a National Prep and Beast of the East champion in 2012-13 after finishing runner-up in both tournaments the previous year. He has an extremely challenging path though, with state champion Mossing in the round of 16 before a quarterfinal date against Junior freestyle All-American Vincenzo Joseph (or state runner-up Logan Day, who beat Chris Garcia for third at the Preseason Nationals).
Two-time Super 32 Challenge finalist Grant Leeth, a Junior freestyle All-American, is the second seed in this weight, and is looking at either two-time state placer and 2012 Walsh Ironman placer Josh Maruca or two-time state champion Cameron Harrell in the quarterfinal round.
Predicting a finals match: Jordan over Bannister
The rest of the top eight: Chishko, Leeth, Early, Joseph, Bailey, and Dempsey
152:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 2 Jacob Danishek (Dayton Christian, Ohio), No. 8 at 145 Mason Manville (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 12 Josh Shields (Franklin Regional, Pa.), No. 13 Nick Reenan (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 14 Jack Bass (Robinson, Va.), and No. 19 Phil Downing (Broomfield, Colo.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: two-time state placer Alec Wyatt (Arvada West, Colo.) and Cadet freestyle runner-up Trace Carello (Marmion Academy, Ill.)
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Jack Bass vs. Isaac Sparkman (Massillon Perry, Ohio), Mason Manville vs. Lorenzo De La Riva (Folsom, Calif.), Nick Reenan vs. J.P. Newton (Perrysburg, Ohio), Josh Shields vs. Corbin Allen (Hanover, Va.), and Paden Bailey (Broken Arrow, Okla.) vs. Colstin DiBlasi (Park Hill, Mo.)
Commentary: The performance chronology of Danishek, the top seed in this weight class, shows how this tournament can change the career track of a wrestler. Even though he had already won a pair of state titles before last year's Ironman, there was little to suggest superstardom. In October 2012, he had finished two matches away from placing in the Super 32 Challenge at 138 pounds (one weight class below his Ironman run at 145 pounds). Danishek's journey to a runner-up finish at the Ironman had its defining moment in a 10-5 win over defending champion Dylan Milonas in the quarterfinal round. Since then he won a third state title, going unblemished after the Ironman finals defeat; was champion at the Super 32 Challenge this fall; and is currently ranked No. 22 overall in the Class of 2014.
A one word description of Danishek's path to a second straight Ironman final would be "manageable." His quarterfinal match is likely to be against one of two solid juniors, either two-time state placer Paden Bailey or returning state champion Colstin DiBlasi; with a semifinal date against most likely Phil Downing, a two-time Junior Greco-Roman All-American, or three-time National Prep placer Toby Hague.
The other half of the draw features a quartet of nationally ranked wrestlers, led in the seeding by three-time state runner-up Jack Bass, who was fourth at the Super 32 Challenge in October. Bass has a challenging round of 16 match against returning state placer Casey Sparkman, who was champion at the NHSCA Junior Nationals this past April. The winner of that match has the winner of a round of 16 match between a pair of excellent juniors in returning Ironman placer Josh Shields and NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Corbin Allen.
In the other quarter of the bottom half, returning Ironman runner-up Mason Manville has not so easy a path himself, starting with a round of 16 match against returning state placer Lorenzo De La Riva, and then a likely quarterfinal bout against Cadet Triple Crown winner Nick Reenan; in fact, Reenan beat Manville at the FILA Cadet Nationals this past spring in freestyle.
Predicting a finals match: Danishek over Manville
The rest of the top eight: Reenan, Shields, Bass, Downing, P. Bailey, and Sparkman
160:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 3 at 152 Dylan Milonas (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 5 Alex Marinelli (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), No. 10 at 170 Xavier Montalvo (Montini Catholic, Ill.), No. 17 at 170 Chris Weiler (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 15 Austin Reese (Mechanicsburg, Ohio), No. 18 Ben Schram (Bellbrook, Ohio), and No. 20 Taylor Misuna (Grassfield, Va.)
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Austin Reese vs. David-Brian Whisler (Warren Howland, Ohio), battle of nationally ranked wrestlers with Taylor Misuna vs. Ben Schram, and Tony Dailey (Massillon Perry, Ohio) vs. Kamal Bey (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.)
Commentary: An interesting weight class overall with a trio of clear standouts, with a group of six-to-ten wrestlers sitting behind and seeking to identify which ones stand ahead relative to each other. The top seed in this weight class is 2011 Ironman champion Dylan Milonas, who is a two-time National Prep runner-up but missed the second half of his junior season due to injury. Last year, Milonas placed third at the Ironman and Beast of the East, with a runner-up at the POWERade before his season came to an end. In terms of earning a second Ironman title, the tests will start in the quarterfinal round where he will face either NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Tony Dailey or Cadet freestyle runner-up Kamal Bey.
Presuming Milonas clears to the semifinal round, he'll face the wrestler who exits from a very balanced 4-5-12-13 pod. The favorite to do so would be Chris Weiler, who placed at the Ironman last year as a freshman and was a Junior freestyle All-American this past summer. However, he'll have to navigate returning state placer Nick Stencel (Oregon Clay) in the round of 16 and then a quarterfinal match against either Super 32 Challenge third place finisher Austin Reese or returning state placer David-Brian Whisler.
The second seed in this weight is sophomore sensation Alex Marinelli who was less than half a minute away from winning the Ironman as a freshman last year, and went on to win a state title. Marinelli has an extremely manageable path to the semifinal round, where he'll likely face returning Ironman placer Xavier Montalvo, who was a Junior Greco-Roman runner-up at Preseason Nationals champion. That presumes Montalvo is able to navigate past either two-time state finalist Taylor Misuna or NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Ben Schram in the quarterfinal round.
Predicting a finals match: Marinelli over Milonas
The rest of the top eight: Montalvo, Weiler, Dailey, Bey, Reese, and Misuna
170:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 5 Myles Martin (McDonogh, Md.), No. 6 Anthony Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.), No. 8 Davonte Mahomes (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), No. 9 Lance Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.), No. 11 Josh Llopez (St. Mary's Ryken, Md.), No. 15 Ryan Harris (Beachwood, Ohio), and No. 18 at 182 Travis Linton (Rootstown, Ohio)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Cadet freestyle All-American Brandon Dallavia (Blair Academy, N.J.) and state placer Freddie Garcia (Santiago Corona, Calif.)
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Lance Dixon vs. Detuan Smith (Colerain, Ohio) and Travis Linton vs. Aaron Schuette (Wauseon, Ohio)
Commentary: This weight class features seven nationally ranked wrestlers. However, in reality, there is a steep gradient between the top five and the rest of the field. Those top five wrestlers will be the ones battling it out for a weight class title, and depending on how they perform, any could win it. The top seed in this weight class is two-time Ironman placer and two-time California state finalist Anthony Valencia, who was a Junior freestyle All-American this summer and had a big-time upset win over Mark Hall in the NUWAY Vegas final this October. He is very likely to advance to the semifinal through a quarterfinal win against either three-time state placer Seth Williams (Tiffin Columbian, Ohio) or two-time state third placer Jacobi Jones (Omaha North, Neb.).
The other top half quarterfinal is likely to be a battle of Junior freestyle All-Americans in Davonte Mahomes and Lance Dixon. That presumes each is able to clear a round of 16 match against an Ohio state placer whom they are strong favorites to beat: Mahomes against NHSCA Junior Nationals placer Isaac Bast (Massillon Perry, Ohio), and Dixon against Detuan Smith, who was an all-state running back this fall.
The bottom half semifinal is likely to be a rematch of one that occurred at least four times last year. One in which Myles Martin earned victories against Josh Llopez in all meetings after their season opening clash at the Ray Oliver Invite, including a win in the National Prep final. Martin is ranked No. 2 overall in the Class of 2015, and is a two-time FloNationals runner-up as well as a two-time FILA Cadet freestyle All-American; while Llopez won two state titles in Maryland's public school division, is a two-time Super 32 Challenge finalist, and ranked No. 53 in the Class of 2014.
Martin has a likely quarterfinal against two-time Super 32 Challenge placer Ryan Harris, who was an undefeated state champion last year; while Llopez is likely to face returning Ironman placer Travis Linton, who won state last year and was a FloNationals placer this past spring.
Predicting a finals match: Martin over A. Valencia
The rest of the top eight: Mahomes, L. Dixon, Llopez, Harris, Linton, and Williams
182:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 1 Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), No. 5 Javaughn Perkins (Omaha North, Neb.), No. 6 Corey Griego (Sultana, Calif.), and No. 9 Joel Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Preseason Nationals champion Nathan Traxler (Marmion Academy, Ill.)
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Bo Nickal vs. Rocco Caywood (Perrysburg, Ohio), Javaughn Perkins vs. Dylan Reynolds (Saegertown, Pa.), Gabe Dzuro (St. Edward) vs. Cole DePasquale (Robinson, Va.), and a state medal round rematch with Michael Weber (Loveland, Ohio) vs. Anthony McLaughlin (St. Ignatius, Ohio)
Commentary: Four wrestlers are nationally ranked in this weight class, and those four are the clear standout figures. That group is led by the nation's top ranked wrestler Bo Nickal, who was a FILA Cadet Nationals and Junior Nationals freestyle champion this past summer. The supremely talented wrestler is ranked No. 5 in the Class of 2014, and arguably will be the best wrestler in the whole Ironman field. While he is a strong favorite, credentialed opponents loom in his path, starting with Super 32 Challenge placer Rocco Caywood in the round of 16. He then would likely face another Super 32 Challenge placer in Anthony McLaughlin in the quarterfinals, as I pick McLaughlin to avenge a state medal round loss to Weber in the round of 16 (Weber was playing defense last week for a state title winning football team).
The semifinal opponent for Nickal is likely to be returning Ironman placer Corey Griego, who has also placed twice at state including a runner-up finish last year. This presumes Griego clears through a round of 16 match against returning state placer Alec Schenk (Perry, Ohio) and a quarterfinal match against either returning Ironman runner-up Gabe Dzuro or returning state runner-up Cole DePasquale, who beat a nationally ranked wrestler just last week.
The bottom half is very likely to be a battle between nationally ranked wrestlers in Joel Dixon and Javaughn Perkins. Dixon is looking at a quarterfinal against either state champion Zach Stodden (Broomfield, Colo.) or Cadet freestyle runner-up Jack Harris (Urbana, Ohio); while Perkins has a legitimate round of 16 match against returning state placer Dylan Reynolds, followed by a quarterfinal match against most likely state runner-up Nick Fiegener (Folsom, Calif.)
Predicting a finals match: Nickal over Perkins
The rest of the top eight: Griego, J. Dixon, Fiegener, McLaughlin, C. DePasquale, and Caywood
195:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 1 Derek White (Edmond North, Okla.), No. 17 Josh Murphy (Brecksville, Ohio), and No. 20 L.J. Barlow (Haverford, Pa.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: NHSCA Sophomore Nationals All-American Mike Rogers (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.)
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Aaron Adkins (Akron SVSM, Ohio) vs. Andre Lee (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) and Tegray Scales (Colerain, Ohio) vs. Kevin Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.)
Commentary: Upper weights have never been a bastion of extreme quality in Ironman fields past, and this year is no exception, as the overall field really drops off starting with this weight class. Though there are three nationally ranked wrestlers here, two of them are in the back end of the rankings and closer in quality to the rest of the field than the top seed. Speaking of the top seed, that would be state champion Derek White, who was third in Junior freestyle this summer and a Super 32 Challenge runner-up.
Looking through White's path, there is a likely quarterfinal against either two-time state placer Tegray Scales, who was state Defensive Player of the Year in football this fall; or sophomore Kevin Snyder, a state placer last year and the younger brother of the nation's top senior Kyle Snyder. Then, there is a semifinal against either returning Ironman placer David Showunmi (Blair Academy, N.J.), who was fifth at National Preps last year, or returning state qualifier Andre Lee.
The second and third seed, both of whom are nationally ranked, met in the seventh place match last year at the Ironman in this weight; Josh Murphy defeated L.J. Barlow by a 5-1 score. Murphy was a Junior freestyle All-American after placing at state and the NHSCA Junior Nationals; while Barlow is a two-time National Prep placer, who has twice placed fifth at the FloNationals. Murphy likely is looking at a quarterfinal against one of two state placers, Gunner Gambill (Loveland, Ohio) or Tyler McClellan (CVCA, Ohio); while Barlow has a likely quarterfinal against state champion Anthony Ferraro (Montini Catholic, Ill.)
Predicting a finals match: D. White over Murphy
The rest of the top eight: Barlow, A. Lee, Showunmi, Snyder, Scales, and Adkins
220:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 1 Andrew Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.) and No. 17 Edgar Ruano (Montini Catholic, Ill.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: 2012 state qualifier Garrett Harding (Claymont, Ohio)
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Edgar Ruano vs. Emonte Logan (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), a battle of National Prep placers with Matt Doggett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) vs. Jake Anderson (Malvern Prep, Pa.), and a battle of state placers with Austin Pfarr (Marysville, Ohio) vs. Kordell Chaney (Sandusky Perkins, Ohio)
Commentary: Three-time state placer Andrew Dixon, a state champion this past year and a Junior freestyle All-American in 2012, is the nation's number one wrestler in this weight class. He is also a strong favorite in this weight class with only one other nationally ranked wrestler present. Dixon is looking at a path involving a quarterfinal against either Austin Pfarr or Kordell Chaney, and then a semifinal against one of two state qualifiers: Junior freestyle All-American Parker Knapp (St. Edward, Ohio) or Stefano Millin (Massillon Perry, Ohio), who competed at 285 pounds last year. Of note, is that Knapp will be only two weeks off of playing on the defensive line in a state football semifinal.
Similarly, the second seed Ruano is two weeks off of football, where he was part of a state runner-up squad. He is a two-time state placer, and was a Junior freestyle All-American this past summer. He is looking at a dangerous round of 16 bout against Emonte Logan followed by a quarterfinal most likely against Cadet freestyle runner-up Mike Smith (McDonogh, Md.). In the other quarter of the bottom half, look for either two-time state placer Jerry Thornberry (Cincinnati Moeller, Ohio) or two-time National Prep placer Matt Doggett to advance through to face Ruano in the semifinal round.
Predicting a finals match: A. Dixon over Ruano
The rest of the top eight: Thornberry, Millin, Doggett, Knapp, Smith, and Logan
285:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 6 Michael Johnson, Jr. (Montini Catholic, Ill.) and No. 17 Billy Miller (Perry, Ohio)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Kevin Vough (Elyria, Ohio), a Cadet Greco-Roman All-American; NHSCA Freshman Nationals runner-up Joe Hensley (Cincinnati Moeller, Ohio); along with state qualifiers Andrew Alten (Loveland, Ohio) and Antonio Zapata (Oregon Clay, Ohio)
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Gene Ringer (Reynolds, Pa.) vs. Cale Bonner (Perrysburg, Ohio) and Wyatt Cook (McDonogh, Md.) vs. Zack Parker (Caesar Rodney, Del.)
Commentary: Two-time National Prep runner-up Michael Johnson, Jr. has moved back to Illinois after competing his first two years of high school at Wyoming Seminary, and will seek to improve up his runner-up finish from the Walsh Ironman last year. He will be a strong favorite to do so. A likely quarterfinal match looks against 2012 National Prep placer Wyatt Cook, who should be able to replicate last week's victory over state champion Zack Parker in the round of 16 this week. A semifinal bout is likely against nationally ranked Billy Miller, a state champion and FloNationals placer last year; presuming Miller gets past the winner of a round of 16 match between Ironman placer Greg Ringer and state placer Cale Bonner.
The second seed in this weight class is returning Ironman placer and two-time state finalist Jake Pinkston (Robinson, Va.). He has a likely quarterfinal bout against Cadet National double All-American Adam Lemke-Bell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) The other quarterfinal of the bottom half should place two-time Junior freestyle All-American Jake Scanlan (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) against returning state third placer Chase Henderson (Franklin, Ohio).
Predicting a finals match: Johnson, Jr. over Scanlan
The rest of the top eight: Miller, Pinkston, Henderson, Bonner, Cook, and Lemke-Bell
Team Standings:
1. Blair Academy, N.J.
Eight projected placers, including two champions and three others in second
2. Oak Park River Forest, Ill.
Eight projected placers, but only one in the finals
3. St. Paris Graham, Ohio
Seven projected placers, including a pair of champions
4. Massillon Perry, Ohio
Six projected placers, but only one in the finals
5. Edmond North, Okla.
Five projected placers, including two champs and three others inside the top four
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