Like last year, this 2015-16 season has had twists and turns throughout the national rankings landscape. However, for the fourth time in the last five years (and fourth in the six year existence of the InterMat Fab 50 national team rankings), Blair Academy (N.J.) has been crowned as the national champions.
Below is the list of national champion teams in the previous five years for the rankings:
2014-15: St. Paris Graham (Ohio)
2013-14: Blair Academy (N.J.)
2012-13: Blair Academy (N.J.)
2011-12: Blair Academy (N.J.)
2010-11: Apple Valley (Minn.)
Though Blair Academy was tabbed as the preseason No. 1 team in the country in mid-November, the Buccaneers did not hold a "wire-to-wire" grip on the No. 1 position. Directly behind them in the preseason Fab 50 rankings were Wyoming Seminary (Pa.), Bergen Catholic (N.J.), and St. Paris Graham (Ohio).
Wyoming Seminary ascended to the No. 1 position after winning the Walsh Ironman in mid-December, a tournament in which Blair Academy placed second and St. Paris Graham placed third. The Blue Knights then held the No. 1 position until a 35-20 dual meet loss at Blair Academy on Sunday, January 24; the Buccaneers took home victories in nine of the 14 weight classes that afternoon.
In December, Blair Academy won its 16th straight Beast of the East title, and finished 39.5 points ahead of runner-up Bergen Catholic (Photo/Rob Preston)The overall strength of schedule for Blair Academy was rigorous this season. The Buccaneers competed at the nation's top two individual bracket tournaments, the Walsh Ironman (they finished second) and the Beast of the East (an event that they won); won the Geary Invitational, an individual bracket tournament that featured two other Fab 50 teams; went 3-1 in dual meets against teams ranked in the top ten nationally (splitting matches against teams ranked No. 2 and No. 3); and won the National Prep Championships over the No. 2 ranked team.
Rounding out the top ten in the national rankings are the following squads:
2. Wyoming Seminary (Pa.)
Ironman champions, Powerade champions (third best individual bracket tournament in the country), Eastern States Classic champions, split dual meets against top five teams nationally (beat Bergen Catholic, lost to Blair Academy), National Prep runners-up
3. St. Paris Graham (Ohio)
Ironman third place, dual meet wins over teams ranked No. 1 and No. 7 nationally, state dual meet and individual tournament champions
4. Bergen Catholic (N.J.)
Beast of the East runners-up, Doc Buchanan champions, went 2-2 in dual meets against teams ranked in the top 12 (beat Clovis and Lake Highland Prep, lost to Wyoming Seminary and Bethlehem Catholic), state dual meet champions
5. Buchanan (Calif.)
Clash XIV Duals champions, Doc Buchanan runners-up, went 5-0 in dual meets against teams ranked in the top 14 (wins over St. Edward, Oak Park River Forest, Clovis, Tuttle, and Apple Valley), state tournament champions
6. Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.)
King of the Mountain champions, Beast of the East third place, went 3-1 in dual meets against teams ranked in the top 12 (beat Bergen Catholic, Belle Vernon Area, and Lake Highland Prep; lost to Blair Academy), state dual meet and individual tournament champions
7. St. Edward (Ohio)
Ironman fifth place, Clash XIV Duals runners-up, went 3-2 in dual meets against teams ranked in the top 11 (beat Oak Park River Forest, Belle Vernon Area, and Tuttle; lost to St. Paris Graham and Buchanan), four other victories over Fab 50 teams, state dual meet and individual tournament champions
8. Oak Park River Forest (Ill.)
Clash XIV Duals third place, went 5-2 in dual meets against teams ranked in the top 17 (beat Tuttle, Marmion Academy (twice), Carl Sandburg, and Washington; lost to Buchanan and St. Edward), state dual meet champions
9. Clovis (Calif.)
Doc Buchanan third place, went 0-3 in dual meets against top six teams nationally (losses to Blair Academy, Bergen Catholic, and Buchanan), state tournament runners-up with four individual champions (single class state)
10. Belle Vernon Area (Pa.)
Ironman sixth place, Powerade runners-up, Escape the Rock champions, went 2-1 in dual meets against Fab 50 opposition (beat Kiski Area and Nazareth, lost to Bethlehem Catholic), state dual meet third place
Teams from 19 states were represented in the rankings to start the season, and the same number of states have teams represented in the end of season rankings. Leading the way with seven Fab 50 teams is the Keystone State, Pennsylvania. Next is Illinois with six nationally ranked teams, while five schools from Minnesota and Ohio also find themselves ranked. Three states have a trio of teams ranked: California, Iowa, and Missouri; while six have a pair ranked: New Jersey, Oklahoma, Georgia, Indiana, Colorado, and New York; those with a single team ranked include Florida, Texas, Kansas, Michigan, Idaho, and Maryland.
From the preseason rankings to the final end of season rankings, there was a turnover of 18 teams, all of whom were ranked 28th through 50th in the pre-season rankings. That includes 12 of 14 teams ranked from No. 37 through No. 50, including all those from 42 through 50.
The highest ranked team at the end of the season not to be ranked in the preseason was No. 21 Nazareth (Pa.). Others teams within the top 30 included No. 27 Kasson-Mantorville (Minn.) and No. 28 Camden County (Ga.), while 15 of the 20 teams ranked from 31 through 50 were not in the preseason Fab 50 rankings.
Final Fab 50 Team Rankings of 2015-16
1. Blair Academy, New Jersey
2. Wyoming Seminary, Pennsylvania
3. St. Paris Graham, Ohio
4. Bergen Catholic, New Jersey
5. Buchanan, California
6 Bethlehem Catholic Pennsylvania
7. St. Edward, Ohio
8. Oak Park River, Forest Illinois
9. Clovis, California
10. Belle Vernon Area, Pennsylvania
11. Tuttle, Oklahoma
12. Lake Highland Prep, Florida
13. Poway, California
14. Apple Valley, Minnesota
15. Marmion Academy, Illinois
16. Carl Sandburg, Illinois
17. Washington, Illinois
18. Mt. Carmel, Illinois
19. St. Michael-Albertville, Minnesota
20. Elyria, Ohio
21. Nazareth, Pennsylvania
22. Boyertown, Pennsylvania
23. Malvern Prep, Pennsylvania
24. Delta, Ohio
25. Archer, Georgia
26. Allen, Texas
27. Kasson-Mantorville, Minnesota
28. Camden County, Georgia
29. Warren Central, Indiana
30. Southeast Polk, Iowa
31. West Des Moines Valley, Iowa
32. Fort Dodge, Iowa
33. Brownsburg, Indiana
34. Pomona, Colorado
35. Anoka, Minnesota
36. Park Hill, Missouri
37. Olentangy Liberty, Ohio
38. Pueblo County, Colorado
39. Montini Catholic, Illinois
40. Hilton, New York
41. Platte County, Missouri
42. Long Beach, New York
43. Neosho, Missouri
44. Goddard, Kansas
45. Choctaw, Oklahoma
46. Kiski Area, Pennsylvania
47. Kenyon-Wanamingo, Minnesota
48. Lowell, Michigan
49. Post Falls, Idaho
50. Good Counsel, Maryland
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