The loaded field is anchored by a pair of top ten teams in local rivals, No. 2 Buchanan (Calif.) and No. 6 Clovis (Calif.). Other nationally ranked teams in the field include No. 21 Pueblo County (Colo.), No. 22 Pomona (Colo.), No. 30 Gilroy (Calif.), and No. 50 Roseburg (Ore.).
Eight of the other nine California teams ranked by The California Wrestler in the top 12 for state tournament strength are also in the field: Bakersfield, Clovis North, De La Salle, Del Oro, Oakdale, Rancho Bernardo, Selma, and St. John Bosco. From Colorado, there are a pair of additional teams ranked within the top five for their respective classification per the most recent On the Mat rankings: Greeley Central and Poudre.
Below is a weight-by-weight overview for a tournament field that features a pair of wrestlers ranked second nationally, three more ranked third nationally, and another pair ranked fourth nationally in their respective weight classes.
106 pounds: A pair of nationally ranked wrestlers anchor this weight class in No. 2 Antonio Lorenzo (Del Oro) and No. 13 Brendon Garcia (Pueblo County, Colo.); Lorenzo placed at state last year and was a Super 32 Challenge runner-up this fall, while Garcia was a state champion last season and a Junior National double finalist this summer in Fargo. Others to watch in this weight class include returning state qualifiers Cole Reyes (Bakersfield Frontier) and Eric Sanchez (Silver Creek), along with freshmen Giano Petrucelli (Clovis) and Wyatt Yapoujian (Pomona, Colo.)
113: Three nationally ranked wrestlers lead the way in what is a most excellent weight class, No. 3 Nico Aguilar (Gilroy), No. 9 Jesse Vasquez (St. John Bosco), and No. 17 (at 120) Matthew Olguin (Buchanan); Aguilar was a state runner-up last year and a Junior National freestyle champion this summer, the freshman Vasquez was finished runner-up at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, while Olguin won state last season upending Aguilar in the state final. Others to watch in this weight class include two-time state finalist Josiah Nava (Pueblo County, Colo.), state champion Hunter Sparks (Roseburg, Ore.), and state medalist Justin Pacheco (Pomona, Colo.)
120: A pair of nationally ranked wrestlers lead the way in this weight class, No. 15 (at 126) Ethan Leake (Buchanan) and No. 20 Ian Timmins (Wooster, Nev.); Leake was state champion last year, and comes off a Clash Duals where he beat a pair of nationally ranked wreslters on day two, while Timmins is a Flo Nationals champion and three-time state champion. Others to note in this weight class include Cadet National freestyle champion Coltan Yapoujian (Pomona, Colo.); state placers in Nathan Bonham (Pueblo County, Colo.), Gregory Viloria (Merrill West), Eric Rivera (Clovis North), Alex Nunez (Alta Loma), and Wyatt Cornelison (Clovis); along with state qualifiers Sidney Flores (Bishop Amat), Patrick Ramirez (De La Salle), and Christian Nunez (St. John Bosco).
126: Four high profile wrestlers anchor this weight class, including a pair that are nationally ranked, No. 4 Justin Mejia (Clovis) and No. 12 Andrew Alirez (Greeley Central, Colo.); Mejia is a three-time state champion, while Alirez won state as a freshman and was runner-up at the Super 32 Challenge in the 120 pound weight class this fall. The other two high profile names are state runner-up Jaden Abas (Rancho Bernardo), who also was a Cadet National freestyle runner-up this fall, and three-time state placer Robert Garcia IV (Selma). Others to watch include three-time state placer Isaiah Palomino (Bellarmine Prep), state placers Izaak Olejnik (Bakersfield) and Job Greenwood (Poudre, Colo.), as well as New Mexico state champion Tyler Deen (Buchanan).
132: Three nationally ranked wrestlers lead the way in this weight class, No. 12 Theorius Robison (Pomona, Colo.), No. 14 Hunter Willits (Pueblo County, Colo.), and No. 15 Gary Joint (Lemoore, Calif.). Robison won state as a freshman and was a Cadet Greco-Roman champion this summer before winning the Reno Tournament of Champions last month, Willits placed at the Super 32 Challenge this fall and is a two-time state champion, while Joint was a Junior National freestyle All-American and is a three-time state placer. Others to watch in this weight class include Junior National folkstyle champion Chris Deloza (Clovis North), state placers Adam Velasquez (Pittman) and Ricky Torres (Oakdale), along with multi-time state placers in Cole Polluconi (Monarch, Colo.) and Zeke Alirez (Greeley Central, Colo.)
138: While this weight class is lacking in a nationally ranked wrestler, it is not lacking for credible talent. Leading the way here are two-time state placers Alex Felix (Gilroy) and Zander Silva (Alta Loma), two-time state champion and two-time Preseason Nationals champion Jacob Greenwood (Poudre, Colo.), 2015 state placer J.J. Figueroa (Bakersfield), state champions Bennett Mesa (Roseburg, Ore.) and Justin Davis (Pueblo County, Colo.), state placers Brett Villarreal (Buchanan) and Tony Mendoza (Selma), state runner-up Erik Contrears (Mountain View, Colo.), and impact freshman Sonny Santiago (St. John Bosco).
145: Back to nationally ranked wrestlers in this weight class with a pair present, No. 4 Navonte Demison (Bakersfield) and No. 10 Jaden Enriquez (Mission Oak); Demison was a state champion last season and is a two-time Junior National folkstyle champion, while five-time Fargo All-American Enriquez placed at state as a freshman and sophomore before missing out last year due to injury during the state series. Others to watch include Cadet Greco-Roman world team member Peyton Omania (De La Salle), a pair of Buchanan state qualifiers in Tristan Zamilpa and Chris Gaxiola, along with state placers Chris Fasano (Pueblo County, Colo.) and Parker Benekas (Ponderosa, Colo.)
152: Headlining the field in this weight class is No. 9 Hunter Willits (Pueblo County, Colo.), a Junior National freestyle All-American, Super 32 Challenge placer, and three-time state champion. Others to watch include two-time state runner-up Jason Romero (Pomona, Colo.), state placers Joel Romero (Buchanan) and Noah Blake (Del Oro), Junior National freestyle All-American David San Miguel (Bellarmine Prep), and National Prep placer John Manning (Villanova Prep, Ontario).
160: Leading the field here is University of Michigan commit Layne Van Anrooy (Roseburg, Ore.), the three-time state champion is ranked No. 3 nationally in this weight class. Among the challengers are a pair of state placers from Clovis in Brandon Martino and Luis Enloe; Flo Nationals placer Aaron Olmos (Mater Dei Catholic); NHSCA Freshman Nationals chamion Joseph Barnes (Gilroy); as well as state qualifiers Ricky Gonzalez (Bakersfield), Bronson Harmon (Oakdale), and Mark Caldwell (Monarche).
170: Another weight class with a single nationally ranked headliner in No. 7 Anthony Mantanona (Palm Desert), a Flo Nationals and Junior National Greco-Roman champion this past off-season. Others to watch include 2015 state placer Abel Garcia (Oakdale), state runner-up Andrue Rojas (Greeley Central, Colo.), along with state qualifiers Victor Vargas (Clovis) and Christian Rodriguez (Selma).
182: Bereft a nationally ranked wrestler, the clear favorite in this weight class is Anthony Montalvo (Buchanan), a state runner-up and NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion. Others to watch include state champion Dante Garcia (Pueblo County, Colo.), two-time state placer Sam Loera (Bakersfield), Walsh Ironman placer Angel Solis (Lemoore), and state placer Austin Harris (Roseburg, Ore.)
195: The third of three weight classes in this tournament without a nationally ranked wrestler does feature a quartet of returning California state placers. Leading the way is a pair of two-time state medalists, NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up Chasen Blair (Rancho Bernardo) and Danny Salas (St. John Bosco); the others are Adrian Godinez (Foothill) and NHSCA Freshman Nationals champion Ryan Reyes (Clovis West). Others to watch include state placers Donovan Rincon (Pueblo County, Colo.) and Cameron Campbell (Roseburg, Ore.), along with state qualifiers Trevor Ervin (Buchanan) and Ruger Wyneken (Clovis).
220: A pair of nationally ranked wrestlers feature in this weight class, No. 2 Cohlton Schultz (Ponderosa, Colo.) and No. 16 Darryl Aiello (De La Salle); Schultz is the nation's top overall sophomore and a two-time Fargo champion, while two-time state placer Aiello is a two-time Junior National All-American. Other contenders include three-time state champion Haydn Maley (Roseburg, Ore.) and state medalist Cade Belshay (Buchanan).
285: Leading the pack here is two-time state champion Seth Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), who is ranked No. 2 nationally in this weight class and only a junior. Other “contenders†include a pair of state medalists in Pablo Miller (Del Oro) and Jesus Flores (Delhi).
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