Articles: Articleshttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/page/3/?d=1Articles: ArticlesenOhio high school state wrestling tournament to go on this weekend, likely with limited fanshttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/ohio-high-school-state-wrestling-tournament-to-go-on-this-weekend-likely-with-limited-fans-r87808/The OHSAA State Wrestling Championships are held at the Schottenstein Center (Photo/Craig Brown)
Hours after the governor of Ohio recommended that indoor sporting events within the state take place without fans in the stands because of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Ohio High School Athletic Association has announced that attendance at its state tournaments -- including the 2020 OHSAA State Wrestling Championships -- will most likely be limited to immediate family members of the athletes competing at those events.

This year's Ohio state mat championships are scheduled to take place this weekend -- Friday, March 13-Sunday, March 15 -- at Schottenstein Center on the campus of Ohio State University in Columbus.

The OHSAA -- which governs scholastic sports within the state of Ohio -- issued the following statement Wednesday, not long after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine spoke Tuesday afternoon, urging that indoor sporting events in Ohio take place without fans in the stands because of the appearance of at least three cases of coronavirus within Cuyahoga County (home to Cleveland) in recent days.

"At this time, the OHSAA is proceeding with our upcoming tournaments as scheduled," the high school sports organization stated within hours of Gov. DeWine's press conference. "We are in constant communication with state and local officials and will monitor any developments and provide updated information as needed. We encourage teams and fans to take the extra precautions that we provided to our member schools in early March and that are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Our tournament venues are taking extra measures to assist with the safety of the student-athletes, coaches, officials and fans."

In addition to the state wrestling championships, other major high school sporting events scheduled to take place this week -- possibly without fans in the stands -- include the girls state basketball championships at Ohio State's St. John Arena, beginning Thursday, and the state hockey champions on Saturday and Sunday at Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Tuesday.

DeWine said it is not only the safety of the spectators but for anyone the spectators might come in contact with afterwards.

"We would hope that anyone who has the responsibility for conducting these events will make the right decision," DeWine said.

The governor also recommended that other indoor events with large numbers of individuals in attendance -- including concerts and classroom instruction -- consider other plans. At least two state universities -- Ohio State and Kent State University -- have announced suspension of in-person classes on their respective campuses.

Information regarding tickets already sold and what type of media coverage will be permitted is still to be released "as soon as possible" according to the OHSAA.]]>87808Tue, 10 Mar 2020 21:03:45 +0000Two Wisconsin high school wrestlers killed in car crash on way to workouthttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/two-wisconsin-high-school-wrestlers-killed-in-car-crash-on-way-to-workout-r87718/ Kegan Koshiol and McKinley EricksonTwo St. Croix Falls High School wrestlers were killed on their way to work out with their teammates before school Friday.

Kegan Koshiol and McKinley Erickson died when their SUV hit a patch of ice, ran off the road, flipped over, and struck a series of trees in St. Croix Falls on the western Wisconsin border with Minnesota, northeast of Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Koshiol and Erickson were slated to travel with the rest of their team to state sectionals at Edgar, Wis. just west of Wausau.

The tragic news was shared on the Facebook page of the St. Croix Falls Wrestling Booster Club.



Erickson was a junior, and a standout athlete in football, wrestling and track, according to WCCO-TV. The CBS affiliate in the Twin Cities described Koshiol as "a well-loved freshman, and a strong wrestler. His friends say he had interest in one day serving in the military as a pilot."

St. Croix Falls wrestling coach Joe Raygor says the wrestling team decided to honor Erickson and Koshiol by competing at the sectionals in Wausau.

"We kind of left it up to the kids to come today," Raygor said. "We had two opt out because they couldn't overcome the grief, but we had eight kids come down today. We talked about that sometimes it's not the easy choice, but you have to do what's really hard. We left it up to the kids, we told them we loved them, they came down here, they're ready to fight, and they're wrestling hard. We had both families reach out and tell us they wanted the boys to wrestle hard and they're supportive from home. You know, that's pretty powerful. The big thing that we preach is family. This is a horrible thing, but it reminds us of the family piece."

Upon arriving in Edgar, the team was greeted with condolences from schools around the state of Wisconsin, WSAU-TV of Wausau reported. Both coaches and wrestlers used the tournament as an opportunity to honor their teammates and come closer together.

Four of the wrestlers from St. Croix Falls made it to the finals of the sectional tournament which gives them an automatic bid to the state tournament which starts Thursday at Kohl Center on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.

Memorial services were recently announced.

]]>87718Mon, 24 Feb 2020 19:05:13 +0000Storylines to watch this week in high school wrestlinghttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/storylines-to-watch-this-week-in-high-school-wrestling-r87663/
1. A Fab 50 national champion to be decided

The top two teams in the country, Blair Academy (N.J.) and Wyoming Seminary (Pa.), both conclude their seasons this weekend with the National Prep Championships. Wyoming Seminary out-pointed Blair Academy to win the Walsh Jesuit Ironman in early December, while Blair Academy won the dual meet when the two squads met five weeks ago. As a result, this is the rubber match, where the rubber hits the road, and so forth.

The current national No. 1 is Blair Academy. With that being said, they will enter this weekend as the underdog, since two of their elite wrestlers did not compete in their National Prep qualifier last weekend: Trevor (126) and Travis (152) Mastrogiovanni. That being said, the Buccaneers still have seven nationally ranked wrestlers, led by Marc-Anthony McGowan (106) and Shayne Van Ness (132), who are both ranked No. 1 in the country. they are joined by No. 10 Ryan Miller (120), No. 12 Lucas Chittum (132), No. 10 Rylan Rogers (182), No. 8 Peyton Craft (195), and No. 11 Noah Pettigrew (220).

When Wyoming Seminary out-pointed Blair Academy to win the Walsh Ironman, the Buccaneers were absent a pair of nationally elite wrestlers at that point (Trevor Mastrogiovanni and Shayne Van Ness); in addition, the Buccaneers had Domonic Mata in the lineup at that point, but he has not competed for them since the Beast of the East. The Blue Knights are led by three national No. 1 ranked wrestlers of their own, Nic Bouzakis (126), Beau Bartlett (138), and Lachlan McNeil (145). Three other are ranked: No. 12 Drew Munch (132), No. 14 Gabriel Arnold (160), and No. 9 Kolby Franklin (220), while Brennan Cernus (113) is the first wrestler outside the rankings.

While there is a certain vibe of it being just two teams and the field, there is reason to say that it isn't the case, as four additional nationally ranked teams are present in the field: No. 7 Malvern Prep (Pa.), No. 41 Mount St. Joseph's (Md.), No. 42 McDonogh School (Md.), and No. 48 Baylor School (Tenn.).

2. Class 1A rubber match at "The Well"

Barring the unexpected, there is going to be a third dual meet matchup of the season between No. 46 Don Bosco (Iowa) and No. 47 Lisbon (Iowa) on Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Lisbon beat Don Bosco 34-32 in mid-December at the Battle of Waterloo, as the teams split the weight classes at seven-apiece, and Lisbon won two of three matches decided by two points. Then on the second to last day of January, Don Bosco made the trip to Lisbon and put a 37-21 hammering on the Lions; the Dons won nine of the fourteen bouts, made all the right lineup strategy adjustments, and won all three matches decided by two points or less.

Don Bosco has won the last two dual team state titles, though they have faced Denver on both occasions in the final; Lisbon last won the dual team title in 2017 when they beat Don Bosco 45-26 in the final. On the traditional side of things, Lisbon won the title in 2017 (sweep) and 2018, while Don Bosco got the sweep last year; Don Bosco was runner-up in 2017 and 2018 with Lisbon finishing as runner-up last year. Lisbon is the second seed and draws Clarion-Goldfield-Dows before a semifinal against the winner of West Sioux vs. Denver; while top seed Don Bosco faces Woodbury Central before a semifinal date against either Lake Mills or Logan-Magnolia.

The traditional tournament, which is in its 100th year overall in Iowa (though it's only the 95th sanctioned by the IHSAA) starts on Thursday and concludes with championship matches on Saturday evening. Don Bosco qualified ten to state, nine as district champions; while Lisbon will be working with two less wrestlers, with all eight reaching state as district champions. While both teams are supremely talented, it would be a significant surprise if they approached the 194 points that Don Bosco amassed in 2009, which serves as the Class 1A traditional state meet scoring record.

Rankings from prior to the state series by The Predicament suggest that Don Bosco will have two state champions, Cade Tenold (160) and Thomas Even (182); while Lisbon is projected to have three in Robert Avila (132), Cael Happel (138), and Cole Clark (195).

Dylan Ragusin and Jacob Rundell have split matches this season (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

3. A Friday to pay attention to in Illinois

It happens this year that there are multiple weight classes where the de facto finals match is arguably going to take place on Friday as opposed to in the final on Saturday, such is the nature of four sectionals qualifying four each feeding into 16-man state brackets that are seeded based on a point system for sectional champions. Certain circumstances occur where the point system is imperfect: impact freshmen, key wrestlers injured the previous year, upsets at the sectional tournaments.

In the Class 3A 106-pound weight class, two contestants are ranked among the top ten in the country, No. 7 Charlie Farmer (Moline) and No. 9 William Baysinger (Prospect). Farmer is the top-ranked wrestles of the four sectional champions having placed fifth at state last year. Returning state qualifier Ben Aranda (DeKalb) and Junior National freestyle All-American Sammie Hayes (Carl Sandburg) are sectional champions in the bottom half. Undefeated freshman Baysinger, who has a head-on win during the season over Super 32 placer and 16U freestyle All-American Farmer is in the same half-bracket as Farmer. Also in the weight class is 16U nationals double All-American Joe Fernau (Montini Catholic), who is in the same quarter as Farmer, entering state off a 9-5 sectional semifinal loss to Fernau.

A Friday night showdown between past state champions is likely at 126 pounds in Class 3A, as No. 5 Jacob Rundell (Oak Park River Forest) and No. 6 Dylan Ragusin (Montini Catholic) are both in the top half of the draw; returning state champion Ragusin is the top-ranked of the sectional champions, while Rundell is ranked fourth since he was unable to compete at the state tournament last year after winning a state title in 2018. These two wrestlers split bouts during January; Ragusin winning in the finals of the Doc Buchanan, while Rundell won at the Beat the Streets Duals.

Sectional champions in the other half-bracket are three-time state qualifier Sam Spencer (Huntley), a 2018 state placer, and 2018 state qualifier Mikey Kaminski (Lockport); the senior Kaminski was also champion at the Preseason Nationals. What confuses me here is how Kaminski is ranked above Rundell given their career credentials. 2018 state qualifier Nick Minnito (Plainfield Central) is in the same quarter as Rundell, two-time state qualifier Reese Martin (Neuqua Valley) is with Ragusin and returning state qualifier Alex Lalezas (Chicago Mt. Carmel) is paired with Spencer in a potential quarterfinal bout.

One massive upset at the sectional state in Class 3A at 195 has created an absolutely massive quarterfinal bout. Returning state medalist, and this year a Doc Buchanan runner-up, Daemyen Middlebrooks (Oak Park River Forest) lost 16-7 to sophomore Ghee Rachal (Marist) in the sectional semifinal this past week; that result dropped him four positions to No. 18 nationally. The weight class overall is anchored by two-time state medalist Nick Stemmet (Yorkville), who is undefeated on the season and ranked No. 10 nationally. Rachal would lose by injury default in the final to returning state qualifier Dzhabrail Khurshidov (West Aurora), which yielded Khurshidov the second ranking. As a result, Middlebrooks -- who was third at the sectional -- is relegated to one of the top two quarters of the draw, and it happens to be that Middlebrooks vs. Stemmet is a quarterfinal slated for Friday morning or early afternoon.

Rachal is also in the top half bracket and finds himself in a quarter-bracket with sectional champion Isaiah Pettigrew (Fremd). The junior Khurshidov should go relatively un-challenged in his bottom half of the draw.

4. Battle for the crown in the Hoosier State

No. 40 Indianapolis Cathedral has won the last two IHSAA state titles despite failing to win the IHSWCA State Dual Tournament on either occasion. This year, the Irish were champions in the state duals with a 32-26 win over now No. 39 Evansville Mater Dei. Two other Indiana teams have also spent some time in the national rankings during the course of the season, 2017 state champion Brownsburg and Crown Point. Mater Dei qualified the most individuals to the state tournament with nine, while Cathedral and Crown Point qualified eight each, and Brownsburg brings seven to Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday night; it should be noted that Chesterton also qualified eight wrestlers to state.

With the Indiana state tournament being single elimination, except for an umbrella eight-person event on Saturday, wrestlers must win on Friday night in order to place; a Friday night loss equals no wrestling on Saturday.

A couple notes of interest in looking at the field through the lens of the top five teams, there is only one weight (152) where none have a state qualifier, while two weighs (138 and 160) feature a wrestler from each of the top five teams. Crown Point leads the way with five wrestlers that won semi-state titles, which means that those wrestlers would not see the champion from another semi-state until the semifinal round; the other four teams in this conversation had three semi-state champions each.

There is only one Friday night head-on bout involving the top five teams, and that comes at 170 pounds where Gavin Layman (Chesterton) faces Gabe Sollars (Evansville Mater Dei). In an interesting twist, the winner of that bout could be positioned to face semi-state champion Tyler Wagner (Indianapolis Cathedral) on Saturday morning with a spot in the state semis on the line.

In the 138-pound bracket, where each of the top five teams has a state qualifier, there are two possible head-on quarterfinal bouts that could play key roles in the overall architecture of the team race. Assuming Friday night wins, the pairing would place 2018 state placer Logan Bailey (Indianapolis Cathedral) vs. three-time state placer Drake Campbell (Brownsburg), with Campbell having a career 0-3 mark in the state quarterfinals; while two-time state placer/returning state runner-up Blake Boarman (Evansville Mater Dei) would face semi-state champion Ethan Kaiser (Chesterton).

There are five other potential quarterfinal matches involving top five teams that could happen on Saturday morning, if wrestlers win on Friday night: semi-state champion Logan Frazier (Crown Point) vs. now three-time state qualifier Cole Ross (Evansville Mater Dei) at 113; three-time state medalist (IN/MI) Riley Bettich (Crown Point) vs. returning state third place Alec Freeman (Evansville Mater Dei) at 120, though the reward for winning that bout is a likely semifinal against national No. 12 Zeke Seltzer (Indianapolis Cathedral); two-time state medalist Kysen Montgomery (Brownsburg) vs. returning sate medalist Stephen Robertson (Crown Point) at 126; semi-state champion Noah Hollendonner (Crown Point) against state placer Peyton Asbury (Brownsburg) at 160, though Asbury is likely to be eliminated on Friday night by returning state runner-up Cooper Noehre (Greenfield-Central); and state medalist Macartney Parkinson (Evansville Mater Dei) vs. Johnny Parker (Indianapolis Cathedral) at 182, though Parker is likely to be eliminated on Friday night by three-time state placer Mason Winner (Jay County).]]>87663Wed, 19 Feb 2020 19:12:20 +0000Former high school wrestler dies during physical readiness test at Naval Academyhttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/former-high-school-wrestler-dies-during-physical-readiness-test-at-naval-academy-r87592/Duke Carrillo
A former Texas high school wrestler who was a U.S. Naval Academy Midshipman 3rd Class (sophomore) died while taking the semi-annual physical readiness test on Saturday, Feb. 8.

Duke Carrillo, 21, had wrestled at 285 pounds for Flower Mound High School in suburban Dallas-Fort Worth.

Carrillo collapsed during the 1.5 mile run portion of the physical readiness test. "Initial responders provided exhaustive resuscitation efforts," according to the United States Naval Academy's Facebook page. "He was rushed to Anne Arundel Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased at 12:23 p.m. Circumstances surrounding the cause of his death are under review."

Vice Adm. Sean Buck, 63rd Superintendent, U.S. Naval Academy, said, "My wife, Joanne, and I join the Brigade, staff and faculty in mourning the sudden and tragic loss of Midshipman Duke Carrillo. Our most heartfelt sympathies and condolences go out to the entire Carrillo family, and our extended Naval Academy family, during this extremely difficult time."

Duke Carillo -- along with his twin brother Dylan -- reported to Annapolis for the Class of 2022 Induction Day in June 2018, after completing a year at the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Newport, R.I. He was a Quantitative Economics major (having earned a 4.0 last semester) who was an avid intramural athlete and a member of the Naval Academy's Flight Training Squadron, with aspirations of being a naval aviator.

"Duke was an active member of 24th company; he was able to have a special and close relationship with each of his classmates and company mates," said 24th Company Officer Lt. Sara Lewis. "I am honestly able to say he was friends with everyone and uplifted those around him. Due to his calm and loving personality, he will be especially missed in 24th company."

Duke Carillo's death was also being mourned back at Flower Mound High School.

"Tonight, instead of celebrating our wins and losses, FMHS Wrestling will be mourning one of its own," was the message on the Facebook page for the Flower Mound High School Wrestling program.

"If there was ever a wrestler that embodied either teams' values, it was Duke Carrillo. He is a true representation of what it takes to be the best. Duke is a two-time UIL 6A State qualifier, placing 3rd at the 2017 UIL 6A state tournament at 285lbs, he never once gave up."

Nick Carrillo was survived by his parents, Gerald and Jennifer, and his brothers Dylan and Jake, both of them Naval Academy midshipmen.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, February 13 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at the United States Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Md. where a Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Friday, February 14 at 1 pm. Interment will follow in the United States Naval Academy Cemetery.]]>87592Wed, 12 Feb 2020 16:25:50 +0000No. 2 Blair Academy wins home clash with No. 1 Wyoming Seminaryhttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/no-2-blair-academy-wins-home-clash-with-no-1-wyoming-seminary-r87352/
The Blue Knights had ascended to the top position of the Fab 50 national team rankings after out-pointing Blair Academy at the Walsh Ironman five weeks ago. Wyoming Seminary was without the services of national No. 1 Nic Bouzakis (126) on Friday night, while national-caliber heavyweight wrestler Jacob Kaminski has yet wrestle this season. Absent for Blair Academy was No. 7 Domonic Mata (170), who has not competed since the Beast of the East for the Buccaneers.

The dual meet started at the traditional opening weight class, 106 pounds. It was a head-on battle of nationally ranked wrestlers, the first of five such matches on the evening. No. 2 Marc-Anthony McGowan secured an 8-5 win over No. 11 Brandon Cannon to give Blair Academy the opening 3-0 lead in the dual meet. However, by night's end, Wyoming Seminary won three of the five matches where ranked wrestlers faced one another. The first of four lead changes came in the next match, as No. 20 Brennen Cernus pinned Mason Stefanelli in 5:18, which gave the Blue Knights a 6-3 lead. The third match of the night yielded the second lead change, Blair Academy's Ryan Miller -- ranked No. 12 nationally -- secured the 11-3 major decision over Gregor McNeil to push the Buccaneers to a 7-6 lead in the dual meet.

Consecutive bonus points for nationally ranked Blair Academy wrestlers extended the lead to 17-6 through five bouts: No. 4 Trevor Mastrogiovanni pinned Mark Botello in 2:53 at 126 pounds, as Bouzakis was not available, while No. 1 Shayne van Ness secured the 19-5 major decision over No. 11 Drew Munch at 132. The next turn in the dual meet saw Wyoming Seminary win four consecutive matches, starting with a pin from No. 1 Beau Bartlett in 2:33 at 138 against Louis Colaiocco as the Buccaneers would bump starters to cover the next four weight classes in the absence of Mata. No. 1 Lachlan McNeil upended No. 14 (at 138) Lucas Chittum 6-3 at 145, two-time National Prep champion Connor Kievman beat freshman Lorenzo Norman 8-4 at 152, and finally No. 14 Gabe Arnold (only a freshman) knocked off No. 3 (at 152) Travis Mastrogiovanni 6-2 in the tiebreaker at 160.

With five matches left in the dual meet, the No. 1 team in the country had a 21-17 lead, with Blair Academy needing to turn it around. It happened in a battle of nationally elite sophomores as Cadet National freestyle champion Thomas Stewart knocked off Andrew Donahue 5-4. The second of three consecutive wins gave the Buccaneers a lead that would stand for the rest of the evening, as No. 8 Rylan Rogers upended Cole Rees 3-0 at 182 pounds; then it was No. 9 Peyton Craft earning a 16-1 technical fall over Wolfgang Frable at 195 pounds to give Blair Academy a 28-21 lead with two matches remaining.

In the penultimate match, Wyoming Seminary gave themselves a chance to win the dual meet, as No. 10 Kolby Franklin beat No. 12 Noah Pettigrew for the second time on the season, 6-4 in a showdown of elite sophomores. It came down to a winner-take-most match; Eli Anthony upended Nate Miller 5-0 to push the final score to 31-24 for No. 2 Blair Academy.]]>87352Sat, 18 Jan 2020 05:32:58 +0000Wyoming Seminary at Blair Academy Previewhttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/wyoming-seminary-at-blair-academy-preview-r87251/Wyoming Seminary's Nic Bouzakis is ranked No. 1 at 126 pounds (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)
With the ever-increasing nationalization of all high school sports, a showdown between No. 1 and No. 2 within the course of a given season is much more the norm than the exception. It should be noted that this is a 20-plus year trend within scholastic wrestling, while for other sports it is much more recent than that. This year's No. 1 against No. 2 dual meet will happen on Friday night when second-ranked Blair Academy (N.J.) plays host to top-ranked Wyoming Seminary (Pa.). Befitting the nationalized trend of high school sports is the fact two prep schools are on top of the Fab 50 national high school team rankings.

Below are the projected matches along with an overview of the contestants.

106: No. 11 Brandon Cannon or Daniel Sheen (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 2 Marc-Anthony McGowan (Blair Academy)

Cannon was the backup for the Blue Knights at 106 pounds through the month of December, though he did win the Beast of the East after McGowan was upset 1-0 in the semifinal round by current No. 14 Tyler Vazquez (Delbarton, N.J.); McGowan reversed that defeat this past weekend in a 5-3 victory. Cannon was also champion of the Eastern States Classic this past weekend, while Sheen placed seventh at the Walsh Ironman (McGowan was champion) before failing to place at Powerade. On the other hand, McGowan was a Cadet World freestyle gold medalist at 45 kilos this summer, while at the trials in Akron, Cannon failed to place top eight and Sheen was fourth.

113: No. 20 Brennen Cernus (Wyoming Seminary) vs. Mason Stefanelli (Blair Academy)

Both wrestlers were high school state champions as freshmen; Cernus won an Indiana state title at Culver Academies, while Stefanelli was a Hawaii state champion at Punahou. This season, Cernus placed fifth at the Ironman and third at Powerade while Stefanelli failed to place at both Ironman and the Beast of the East.

120: Gregor McNeil (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 12 Ryan Miller (Blair Academy)

McNeil was a high school state champion last year as a sophomore at 99 pounds for Hilton (N.Y.), while Miller is a two-time National Prep champion. McNeil failed to place at the Ironman and was runner-up at Powerade, while Miller was third at Ironman and runner-up at the Beast of the East.

126: No. 1 Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 4 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy)

The sophomore Bouzakis was a two-time state champion at Lake Highland Prep (Fla.) before transferring to Wyoming Seminary, while the Oklahoma State signee Mastrogiovanni is a three-time National Prep champion. On the season, Bouzakis has titles at both the Ironman and Powerade, along with a runner-up at the Powerade due to disqualification in the final when his opponent could not continue after an illegal slam; Mastrogiovanni was out for the first month-plus of the season before returning for the Blair Duals this past weekend. This is one of the most crucial matches of the whole dual meet.

132: No. 11 Drew Munch (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 1 Shayne Van Ness (Blair Academy)

The senior Munch is a Lehigh signee and a two-time National Prep placer, including winning the title at 106 pounds as a freshman in 2017; while the junior van Ness was runner-up at National Preps last year to Beau Bartlett after a season in which he won titles at the Ironman and Beast of the East. This season Munch was champion at the Walsh Ironman pinning in all matches but the final before finishing third at the Powerade, while van Ness was out for the first month-plus before returning for the Blair Duals.

138: No. 1 Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 14 Lucas Chittum (Blair Academy)

Penn State signee Bartlett is a three-time National Prep champion, while the freshman Chittum was a high school state champion two years ago when competing for McCallie (Tenn.) as a junior high wrestler. On the current season has won titles at the Ironman, Powerade, and Eastern States Classic; while Chittum failed to place at the Ironman but went on to win titles at the Beast of the East and the Gut Check.

145: No. 1 Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary) vs. Lorenzo Norman (Blair Academy)

McNeil, a North Carolina signee, was runner-up last year at National Preps in the 120-pound weight class; while in this past off-season he was third in Junior freestyle and a Super 32 champion. During the current season, McNeil has titles at the Ironman, Powerade, and Eastern States Classic to his credit; while Norman is a very talented freshman but failed to make the second day at either the Ironman or Beast of the East.

152: Connor Kievman (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 3 Travis Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy)

The senior Kievman is a two-time National Prep champion, while the junior Mastrogiovanni is a two-time National Prep finalist, winning it last year at 138 pounds. This past spring, Mastrogiovanni was runner-up at the Cadet World Team Trails in freestyle at 70 kilos. On the current season, Kievman failed to place at the Ironman before taking sixth at the Powerade; while Mastrogiovanni was runner-up at the Ironman, then missed almost a month of competition before returning at the Blair Duals.

160: No. 14 Gabriel Arnold (Wyoming Seminary) vs. Thomas Stewart (Blair Academy)

The freshman Arnold had an excellent youth career in Georgia, and it's continued this year with a third-place finish at the Ironman and an appearance in the semifinals of the Powerade. Stewart placed third at National Preps last year as a freshman for St. John's College (D.C.), and in the off-season was a 16U National freestyle champion; however, he failed to place at both the Ironman and the Beast of the East this season. This is yet another opportunity Blair Academy has to "steal" a match in which their wrestler is the lower-ranked competitor.

170: Andrew Donahue (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 7 Domonic Mata, Oliver Tipton, or Sean Kilrain (Blair Academy)

The sophomore Donahue was a state runner-up last year for Culver Academies (Ind.) before transferring to the Blue Knights, while Mata was a state champion for Poway (Calif.) in 2018 before winning a National Prep title last year for Blair Academy. On the current season, Donahue placed sixth at the Ironman and eighth at Powerade, before winning the Eastern States Classic, while Mata was fourth at Ironman and second at the Beast of the East. However, Mata was not in the Buccaneers' lineup for either The Gut Check tournament or the Blair Duals. The possible absence of Mata could be an impactful factor in Friday night's dual.

182: Cole Rees (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 8 Rylan Rogers (Blair Academy)

The junior Rees was fourth at National Preps last year in the 170-pound weight class, while the sophomore Rogers was third up at 195 pounds. This past off-season, Rogers was runner-up at both the Cadet World Team Trials and 16U Nationals in freestyle. At the Ironman, Rogers was champion while Rees placed seventh; Rees was runner-up at Powerade, while Rogers was runner-up at the Beast of the East.

195: TBD (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 9 Peyton Craft (Blair Academy)

Projected Blue Knights' starter Kyle Costello, who was sixth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals last spring has yet to compete this season. The junior Craft is a two-time National Prep placer, including a runner-up finish last year. On the current season Craft was third at Ironman, second at the Beast of the East, and upended two nationally ranked wrestlers at the Blair Duals.

220: No. 10 Kolby Franklin (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 12 Noah Pettigrew (Blair Academy)

This match features a pair of nationally elite sophomores, both of whom were at different schools as freshmen last year; Franklin was a state runner-up at 195 for St. Joseph's Catholic (Pa.), while Pettigrew was a state champion at 195 for Valdosta (Ga.). Both wrestlers placed at the Cadet World Team Trials in freestyle at 92 kilos and have combined for seven All-American finishes at the 16U Nationals between 2018 and 2019. At the Ironman, Franklin upended Pettigrew 3-2 in the ultimate tiebreaker of their consolation semifinal bout; Pettigrew was fourth at the Beast, while Franklin was runner-up at Powerade.

285: Nate Miller or Jacob Kaminski (Wyoming Seminary) vs. Elijah Anthony (Blair Academy)

Anthony upended Miller 10-7 in the second round at the Walsh Ironman, though both wrestlers would go on to bow out of the tournament one match short of placement. Anthony finished eighth at the Beast of the East, while Miller was seventh at the Ironman. Returning National Prep runner-up Kaminski, who was fourth and then first at Oak Park Fenwick (Ill.) in 2017 and 2018, has yet to compete this season; his presence would be an obvious "game changer" for this weight class matchup.]]>87251Wed, 15 Jan 2020 18:27:19 +0000High School Wrestling Weekend Recaphttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/high-school-wrestling-weekend-recap-r87299/Montini Catholic went undefeated at the DCC Super Duals on Saturday
The second Saturday was another notable one on the national calendar, with many dual meets and bracket tournaments taking the fore, even if there were weather cancellations in some parts of the Midwest.

Montini triply sensational at DCC Super Duals

Ranked No. 5 nationally, Montini Catholic entered Saturday with a 3-0 record against top-25 teams in the country. The Broncos would have a chance to match that record on the day up at Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.). Their day started with a 47-12 win over No. 18 Brighton (Mich.) and continued with a 42-19 victory over No. 16 Davison (Mich.); match-by-match results were not available at the time of writing this recap. The final match of the day was against a team ranked No. 3 nationally for the second time in 12 days, this time it was the host school, Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.).

The Shamrocks won five of the first seven weight classes, starting with a Manuel Rojas major decision at 170 points. Montini Catholic earned pins from Trevor Swier (182) and Josh LaBarbera (195) against the two weakes spots in the Detroit Catholic Central lineup to take a 12-4 lead; the Shamrocks responded with pins from Brendin Yatooma (220) and No. 12 Steven Kolcheff (285) against the weakest spots of the Montini lineup. Detroit Catholic Central extended the lead to 22-12 with Anthony Walker's 7-3 win over Cadet double All-american Joseph Fernau at 106 and Dylan Gilcher's 4-2 win over state placer Nick Gonzalez at 113. Going pin-tech-pin in response were the Broncos to take a 29-22 lead that lasted the rest of the dual meet: two-time state placer Nain Vazquez over state qualifier Caleb White at 120, No. 7 Dylan Ragusin 27-12 over freshman T.J. Bunn at 126, and Cadet freestyle All-American Ethan Stiles over state medalist Camden Trupp at 132.

Consecutive wins from seniors Mark Shaeffer and No. 5 (at 138) Josh Edmond would shrink the Shamrock deficit to 29-28 with two matches remaining; this was the result of the Shamrocks flipping those two wrestlers in the lineup all day on Saturday, with Edmond knocking off No. 15 Fidel Mayora 5-2 in this dual meet. In the penultimate match, a battle of two-time state placers saw Joe Roberts outlast Logan Sanom 1-0 to push Montini Catholic to a 32-28 lead. This set the last match where No. 7 Derek Gilcher would need any bonus point victory against freshman Brayden Thompson to give Detroit Catholic Central an eighth match victory of the dual meet and the dual meet victory; however, Gilcher only won 9-4, and Montini Catholic secured the 32-31 upset despite winning only six bouts.

Other Super Duals highlights

No. 7 St. Edward (Ohio) competed without four key starters: state placer Scott Richter (132), UWW Cadet freestyle All-American Luke Geog (145), No. 13 Bryce Hepner (152), and two-time state qualifier Michael Garcar (182); they also had a reserve wrestler in at 126 pounds. The Eagles were swept, losing 31-25 to No. 16 Davison (Mich.) to open the day, 42-18 against No. 3 Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.), and 33-30 against No. 49 Dundee (Mich.). Davison won a pair of one-point bouts in the last two matches of the dual meet to upend St. Edward, 9-8 at 138 and 3-2 at 145; while in the featured individual bout of the whole day, it was No. 3 Padraic Gallagher of St. Edward who beat No. 1 (at 170) Alex Facundo 3-1 down at 160 (it should be noted that a full box score is not available). Detroit Catholic Central won nine bouts against the Eagles, while Dundee won eight matches including a 3-1 mark in matches decided by two points or less, and getting an in-match injury default at 106 pounds (Braeden Davis over Wyatt Richter).

From a national rankings perspective, probably the most notable outcome of the day was No. 49 Dundee winning eight matches in a 27-26 victory over No. 18 Brighton. It was an affair in which both teams had relatively "base lineups." The Vikings again went 3-1 in matches decided by one point, this included the winner-take-all last match of the dual meet where Tyler Swiderski beat Zach Johnson 2-1 in a battle of two-time state placers at 152 pounds. A pair of Dundee freshman came through with the other one-point wins: Braeden Davis 2-1 over Quaylin Newton at 106 and Aiden Davis 6-5 over two-time state placer Sam Freeman at 132.

Blue Knights dominate Eastern States Classic

Even with not all of their starters making the trip to SUNY-Sullivan for the Eastern States Classic, No. 1 Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) dominated their way to another tournament title with 233-1/2 points, which was 145 points more than second place Shenendehowa (N.Y.). Weight class champions for the Blue Knights were No. 11 Brandon Cannon (106), No. 1 Nic Bouzakis (126), No. 1 Beau Bartlett (138), No. 1 Lachlan McNeil (145), Andrew Donahue (170), and No. 10 Kolby Franklin (220). Vince Bouzakis, who is currently a seventh-grader finished as runner-up at 99 pounds to No. 11 overall Junior High wrestler P.J. Duke (Carmel, N.Y.), losing by fall in the weight class that is specific to the Empire State; also allowed in New York State is junior high wrestlers competing at the high school varsity level.

Bartlett and McNeil beat nationally ranked opponents in their championship bouts. For Bartlett, it was a 10-4 victory over No. 16 Ryan Burgos (Hilton, N.Y.), while McNeil beat No. 18 Willie McDougald (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) 5-4, though McDougald shrunk the final margin with a takedown almost at the death of the match. Three other finals bouts involved at least one nationally ranked wrestler: No. 2 Stevo Poulin (Shenendehowa, N.Y.) beat two-time state champion Dante Geislinger (Norwich, N.Y.) 7-3 at 113 pounds, No. 6 Jordan Titus (Center Moriches, N.Y.) beat No. 15 Anthony Noto (Honeoye Falls/Lima, N.Y.) 9-4 at 120, while Zach Redding (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.) upset No. 2 Ryan Jack (Danbury, Ct.) 8-6 at 132.

Blair Academy sets up No. 1 showdown with stellar home performance

Wrestling at home for the first time this season after four road tournaments to open the season, No. 2 Blair Academy (N.J.) made a statement of intent at the Blair Duals as they only lost two matches across three dual meets on Saturday afternoon. They shut out Belmont Hill (Mass.) 76-0 while upending a pair of nationally ranked teams by big margins: 56-6 over No. 11 Delbarton (N.J.) and 58-4 over No. 40 Baylor School (Tenn.). It should be noted that Delbarton wrestled without two of their four nationally ranked wrestlers, Nico Nardone (126) and Anthony Clark (132/138), along with another state medalist in Kieran Calvetti (160).

Making season debuts for the second-ranked Buccaneers were defending National Prep champions Trevor Mastrogiovanni (126) and Shayne van Ness (132), while No.3 Travis Mastrogiovanni (152) returned after missing two tournaments subsequent to the Ironman. The lone wrestler out for Blair Academy was No. 8 Domonic Mata (170), though they presumably are hoping for his return this coming Saturday afternoon when they host No. 1 Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) for a dual meet. No. 1 Marc-Anthony McGowan (106) and No. 9 Peyton Craft (195) had notable days: McGowan upended Nick Corday (Baylor School) 10-1 and avenged his lone loss of the season with a 5-3 victory over No. 12 Tyler Vazquez (Delbarton); while Craft beat No. 15 David Harper (Baylor School) 6-2 and upended No. 17 Luke Chakonis (Delbarton) by the same 6-2 score. Two other key Blair Academy wins on the day were No. 14 Lucas Chittum (138) pinning Garrison Dendy (Baylor School) in 5:58, along with No. 12 Noah Pettigrew (220) beating P.J. Casale (Delbarton) 6-4 in overtime.

McDonogh wins the Virginia Duals

The 40th anniversary edition of the Virginia Duals saw champions crowned in multiple divisions of high school and college competition. However, most notable for national high school purposes was the National High School division title won by No. 45 McDonogh (Md.), which beat No. 33 Nazareth (Pa.) 35-30 in the semifinal. The teams split the first eight bouts of the dual, but Nazareth had the 21-17 lead headed into 160 pounds, where 2018 National Prep placer Harrison Trahan scored the 9-3 win over two-time state placer Nathan Stefanik to cut the deficit to 21-20. Nazareth state medalist Connor Herceg then responded with a pin before Drew Clearie beat Dominic Solis 3-2 to push the Blue Eagles lead to 30-20. Needing to win out to take the dual, McDonogh flipped their lineup putting Jackson Bonitz out at 195, who pinned freshman Sonny Sasso in 5:37; then normal 195 Jack Wimmer knocked off Beast of the East placer Steven Schott 3-1 in overtime to set up a winner-take-all match at 285 that No. 19 Garrett Kappes won by fall in 28 seconds.

McDonogh would take eight of 14 matches in a 40-30 victory over Erie Cathedral Prep (Pa.) to win the National Division title, while Nazareth won a consolation semifinal over South Dade (Fla.) 31-23 before beating Canon-McMillan (Pa.) 40-17 to take bronze. In the opposite semifinal, Erie Cathedral Prep on nine of 14 bouts to beat Canon-McMillan 34-27.

Broken Arrow takes home title at nation's oldest tournament

Featuring three nationally ranked schools among the approximately 25 in the field, the 76th edition of the Geary Invitational in Oklahoma lived up to its tradition. Among the unique features of the tournament is the "blind draw" (i.e. no seeding), true second place matches, and also team scoring that reflects only placement and bonus points (i.e. no advancement). Winning the event led by nine placers was No. 26 Broken Arrow (Okla.) with 139.5 points. The Tigers placed nine wrestlers, including five finalists, led by weight class champions in Bryce Mattioda (170) and Emmanuel Skillings (195); Skillings won his championship bout 9-8 over Harley Andrews (Tuttle, Okla.).

Second place in the standings went to Choctaw with 106.5 points, led by state champion Gabe Johnson, who won the tournament at 152 pounds. Six other wrestlers placed within the top six. Third place in the standing went to No. 42 Mustang (Okla.) with 104.5 points despite a tournament high three champions and eight total placers: Tucker Owens (120), No. 17 John Wiley (145), and No. 9 Tate Picklo (182); Owens upset No. 13 Dominic Chavez (Arlington Martin, Texas) 5-3 in the championship match. Despite missing a pair of nationally elite Oklahoma State signees in Luke Surber and Dustin Plott, No. 12 Tuttle (Okla.) placed eight wrestlers led by tournament champion Ryder Ramsey (138).

Additional champions highlighting the evening were No. 19 Cael Hughes (Stillwater, Okla.) at 106 pounds, No. 16 Cruz Aguilar (Edmond Memorial, Okla.) at 113, and No. 5 Konner Doucet (Comanche, Okla.) at 220; Doucet outlasted fellow Junior National freestyle All-American Caleb Dickerson (Altus, Okla.) 4-3 in overtime for his championship. Outstanding Wrestler honors went to 132-pound champion Carter Young (Stillwater, Okla.), who is ranked No. 20 nationally.

St. John Bosco wins by the tightest of margins at Five Counties

A pair of top 20 in the country teams anchored the field at the Five Counties Invitational this weekend hosted by Fountain Valley (Calif.). When all was said and done, No. 17 St. John Bosco (Calif.) and No. 19 Gilroy (Calif.) were separated by 1/2 point. The Braves placed seven starters and nine wrestlers in total to score 222-1/2 points, while the Mustangs placed seven wrestlers despite the absence of Junior National freestyle All-American Jayden Gomez (126) to amass 222 points.

Weight class champions for St. John Bosco were Timothy Levine (126), Isaac Salas (138), No. 2 (at 160) Cael Valencia (170), and No. 7 Nathan Haas (182). Salas upended two-time state placer Henry Porter (Gilroy, Calif.) 3-2 in the tiebreaker in his championship bout, Valencia beat No. 9 Maxwell Wilner (Fountain Valley, Calif.) 3-2 in the final, while Haas knocked off state medalist Javen Jovero (Rancho Bernardo, Calif.) 8-2. Runner-up finishers for the Braves were Maxximus Martinez (113) and No. 2 Sonny Santiago (152); Martinez lost 8-6 to state medalist Zeth Romney (Chaminade, Calif.), while Santiago lost by 9-1 major decision to No. 1 Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.) after beating No. 17 Tyler Badgett (Rancho Bernardo, Calif.) 5-4 in the semifinal.

Gilroy was led by a pair of weight class champions in Saldate and No. 9 Nicholas Villarreal (285), while Porter was a runner-up finisher. No. 28 Selma (Calif.) was sixth in the standings with 156 points, just 17 in back of third place Northview (Calif.) despite the absence of No. 1 Richard Figueroa (113) and No. 4 Jacob Rivera (120); while No. 15 (at 126) Tristan Lujan defaulted out of the 120 pound bracket early on in the tournament. The Bears were led by two-time state placer Devin Murphy, who won the 132-pound weight class keyed by a semifinal pin over No. 15 Wayne Joint (Lemoore, Calif.).

Poway dominates Battle for the Belt

Another week, and yet another showing of the most excellent lineup balance that No. 13 Poway (Calif.) possesses. The Titans dominated the field over the court of two days at Temecula Valley (Calif.) advancing seven to the championship finals, winning six of them. Weight class champions included No. 10 (at 113) Andre Gonzalez (106), Brock Bobzien (113), Johnny Lopez (120), Jason Miranda (126), Aaron Gandara (152), and Alex Hernandez (170). Gonzalez upended No. 16 Beau Mantanona (Palm Desert, Calif.) 8-5 in the final, Miranda earned a 14-4 major decision over two-time state placer Juan Sierra (Cibola, Ariz.), Gandara scored the 4-2 decision over Super 32 placer Jaxon Garoutte (Pueblo County, Ariz.), while Hernandez beat state medalist Jarrad Priest (Bakersfield, Calif.) 3-2 in the tiebreaker.

Also winning weight class titles were No. 11 Luka Wick (San Marino, Calif.) at 145 pounds, No. 14 Guillermo Escobedo (Los Altos, Calif.) at 195, and No. 8 Jared Hill (Bakersfield, Calif.) at 285.]]>87299Sun, 12 Jan 2020 14:29:50 +0000No. 2 Blair Academy set to host multi-team dual event with 3 other Fab 50 teamshttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/no-2-blair-academy-set-to-host-multi-team-dual-event-with-3-other-fab-50-teams-r87262/Blair Academy coach Brian Antonelli congratulates Rylan Rogers after winning the Ironman (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)
No. 2 in the country Blair Academy (N.J.) is hosting a multi-team dual meet event on Saturday starting at 12 Noon Eastern Time. Even though No. 9 Malvern Prep (Pa.) recently pulled out of the event, there are still four nationally ranked teams present among the five schools competing. Over the course of the four rounds of wrestling, there will be four matches placing nationally ranked teams against one another.

Below is the schedule of matches:

Round 1: No. 2 Blair Academy vs. Belmont Hill (Mass.), No. 40 Baylor School (Tenn.) vs. No. 34 St. Joseph Montvale (N.J.)

Round 2: No. 2 Blair Academy vs. No. 11 Delbarton (N.J.), No. 40 Baylor School vs. Belmont Hill

Round 3: No. 2 Blair Academy vs. No. 34 St. Joseph Montvale, No. 40 Baylor School vs. No. 11 Delbarton

Round 4: No. 34 St. Joseph Montvale vs. Belmont Hill

Here is a possible projected lineup for each of the participating teams

No. 2 Blair Academy (N.J.)
106: No. 1 Marc-Anthony McGowan
113: Mason Stefanelli
120: No. 12 Ryan Miller
126: Daniel Wask or (if back from injury) Trevor Mastrogiovanni
132: Louis Colaiocco or (if back from injury) Shayne van Ness
138: No. 14 Lucas Chittum
145: Lorenzo Norman
152: TBD or No. 3 Travis Mastrogiovanni
160: Thomas Stewart
170: Oliver Tipton or No. 8 Domonic Mata
182: No. 8 Rylan Rogers
195: No. 9 Peyton Craft
220: No. 12 Noah Pettigrew
285: Elijah Anthony

No. 11 Delbarton (N.J.)
106: No. 12 Tyler Vazquez
113: Joseph Davi or Thomas Fischer
120: Cross Wasilewski
126: No. 12 Nico Nardone
132: No. 4 Anthony Clark or Jack Napeloni
138: Simon Ruiz or Henry Forte
145: Andrew Troczynski
152: Colin Calvetti
160: Kieran Calvetti or Jack Sharma
170: Dante Stefanelli
182: Nicholas Olivieri
195: No. 17 Luke Chakonis
220: P.J. Casale
285: TBD or Liam Garay

No. 34 St. Joseph Montvale (N.J.)
106: Josh Iannone
113: Joe Manno
120: No. 8 Alex Almeyda
126: Mateo Sgambellone
132: Justin Bierdumpfel
138: Michael Setta
145: Michael Dellagata
152: Stefano Sgambellone
160: Jean Carlos San Juan
170: A.J. Friccione
182: Jack Farinaro
195: Scott Schlett or Benjamin Pichardo
220: Michael Toranzo
285: Jim Mullen

No. 40 Baylor School (Tenn.)
106: Nick Corday
113: Jackson Bond
120: Kade Hartine
126: Micah Tisdale or Jake Weekley
132: Noah Horst
138: Garrison Dendy
145: Alexander Moyer or Chase Radpour
152: Anthony Mannella or Bryce Waldrep
160: Omaury Alvarez
170: Porter Faulk or Gunner Garrigues
182: Connor Duffy
195: No. 15 David Harper
220: Barrett Chambers
285: Sam Christensen or Matthew Smith

Belmont Hill (Mass.)
106: Freddie Pimental
113: Hamza Shemsu
120: Alex Gavronsky
126: Jimmy Harrington
132: TBD
138: Daniel Bittner
145: Kailen Richards
152: Jason Wolf
160: Jack Weldon
170: Joshua Houston-Davis
182: Harrison Shapiro
195: TBD
220: Tim Brown
285: TBD]]>87262Fri, 10 Jan 2020 14:30:33 +0000High School Wrestling Weekend Recaphttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/high-school-wrestling-weekend-recap-r87227/
No. 5 Buchanan cuts through a loaded Doc Buchanan Invitational field

Tuesday evening, Buchanan (Calif.) had most things go wrong in a 26-25 dual meet loss to Montini Catholic (Ill.) at the Garlic City Rumble in Gilroy; the Bears went 0-4 in one-point matches and lost an additional two-point match in that upset dual meet defeat. However, over the course of Friday and Saturday, the current national No. 5 (former national No. 3) Buchanan bounced back in spectacular fashion. Competing in the absolutely loaded Doc Buchanan Invitational at Clovis High School, the Bears placed a tournament high nine wrestlers on the way to 185.5 points and a repeat tournament title. Read story.

No. 3 Detroit Catholic Central wins its home Invitational

The toughest in-season tournament in the state of Michigan took place in Novi on Saturday with four nationally ranked teams and seven other teams that were ranked in the top ten of their respective division by Michigan Grappler among the 22 schools present. When all was said and done, it was the host Shamrocks that came through with the decisive victory. Thirteen of the 14 starters placed within the top six, which was a tournament high, along with eight finalists; winning weight class titles were No. 5 (at 138) Josh Edmond at 140 pounds, Manuel Rojas at 171, Brendin Yatooma at 215, and No. 12 Steven Kolcheff at 285.

Finishing second in the standings was No. 16 Davison with 225 points led by a tournament high five champions, as the Cardinals went 5-1 in championship matches while placing a total of 10 wrestlers in the top six. Highlighting the weight class champions was No. 1 (at 170) Alex Facundo winning the 160 final by a 9-3 decision over No. 7 Derek Gilcher. Also winning titles were Aden Williams (103), Andrew Chambal (130), along with freshmen Josh Barr (152) and Max Callahan (189); Barr beat two-time state placer Logan Sanom (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) 15-8 while Callahan rallied for an 11-9 vitcory over state medalist Kayleb Venema (Whitehall).

No. 17 Brighton finished third with 195 points depiste a 1-5 performance in championship bouts, as the Bulldogs put nine wrestlers into the top six placement positions. Their lone champion was Mason Shrader (125), who rallied for a 6-5 win over state medalist Cole Skinner (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio). Fourth place was earned by Lowell, the perennial favorites in Division 2. They were led by the title earned by No. 4 Austin Boone (145) who pinned two-time state medalist Mark Shaeffer (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) in the final; eight other Red Arrows wrestlers placed, including James Fotis (152) and Jacob Hough (215) taking third.

No. 30 Cincinnati (Ohio) LaSalle placed fifth in the tournament with 112 points led by weight class champion Jake Niffenegger (135), who knocked off state champion Eddie Homrock (Brighton, Mich.) in the championship match. The Lancers entered just nine wrestlers in the tournament, and are missing No. 13 Dustin Norris (12) along with multiple other starters. Rounding out the weight class champions were Jacob Brya (St. John's) at 112 and Joe Haynes (Warren Woods Tower) at 119; Brya knocked off No. 12 (at 106) Caden Horwath (Davison) 15-8 in his finals bout.

Shakopee won the title at The Clash

No. 23 Shakopee is winner-take-all at The Clash

Entering the last match of The Clash 2020, the Sabres had completely dominated their first five opponents of the event. On Friday, to clear their bracket in the afternoon/evening, they went a combined 35-7 in the course of a 55-6 opening match victory over Gale-Ettrick-Trempelau (Wis.), a 56-11 semifinal victory over Long Prairie-Grey Eagle (Minn.), and a 49-9 finals victory over Glenbard North (Ill.). The first two matches of Saturday evening were tighter, but still clear victories; both came by the score of 41-21 in which Shakopee took nine of the 14 weight classes against Waverly-Shell Rock (Iowa) and Minisink Valley (N.Y.).

This set up a championship match with in-state rival St. Michael-Albertville who had been tested a bit more in their first five matches. To win their Friday evening bracket, the Knights outlasted Don Bosco (Iowa) 35-21; Don Bosco would go on to win the second place pool on Saturday evening to finish fifth overall in the event. Then, they opened the championship pool with a 40-24 victory over Minisink Valley winning eight bouts, before being extended in a 31-25 victory over Waverly-Shell Rock where the bouts were split.

Two-time state placer Wyatt Lidberg opened the final dual with a 7-0 victory over two-time state qualifier Jack Casey in the 182 pound weight class. However, Shakopee responded with three straight wins to open a 10-3 lead headed to the turn for the lower weights; those wins were 16-9 by state placer Joey Johnson, 9-1 major decision from state placer Tommy Johnson, and a 4-0 decision from Ben Relland. A key event that gave St. Michael-Albertville hope was that the Sabres had to forfeit at 120, with state champion Paxton Creese having suffered an injury in the previous dual meet. Another turn in favor of the Knights came at 152 when Jonah Hayes pinned Sam Treiml in overtime to cut the deficit to 27-23 after a team point deduction. In the penultimate match, Hayden Lemonds beat returning state medalist Connor Raines 6-1 to set up the final bout for all the marbles. In that match, Sabres star Carson Manville came through with a 6-4 win over state placer Carl Leuer; with a point deduction for STMA calculated, the final score was 30-25 Shakopee.

Four wrestlers went 6-0 for the champion Sabres: Blake West (113), Pierson Manville (126), Ben Lunn (132), and Joey Johnson (195). Manville had the most notable win of the group, an 8-4 win over fellow top three overall Junior High wrestler Zach Ryder (Minisink Valley) on Saturday evening.

No. 21 Simley gets the Cheesehead

Both tournament champion Simley (Minn.) and runner-up No. 24 Chicago (Ill.) Mt. Carmel had nine wrestlers place in the championship bracket with a tenth wrestler earn ninth, which meant that said wrestler won the consolation bracket. However, the Spartans had all nine of their championship bracket participants place within the top four on the way to 614.5 points. Leading the way were weight class champions Chase DeBlaere (126) and Bennett Tabor (220). Placing second were No. 9 Ryan Sokol (138), Nolan Wanzek (170), and Quayin Short (195); Sokol led 8-3 in the evening final program's feature bout before giving up a second half splurge to No. 3 (at 132) Joel Vandervere (Warren Township, Ill.). Vandervere won the bout 12-9 and earned Outstanding Wrestler honors in the tournament. Third place finishers for Simley were Reid (113) and Gavin (182) Nelson, while Cash Raymond (106) and Cael Berg (145) each placed fourth.

The Caravan placed second with 554.5 points, led by their sole weight class champion Sergio Lemley (113). Placing second were Colton Drousias (120) and Noah Mis (132), Connor Gaynor (145) placed third, Michael Kelly (152) was fourth, Elliott Lewis (285) was sixth, Zach Rotkvich (138) and Ashton Breen (160) were seventh, while Nik Mishka (220) placed eighth.

No. 20 Southeast Polk (Iowa) was third in the standings with 506.5 points led by a pair of weight class champions in No. 14 Nathan Jesuroga (106) and No. 5 Gabe Christenson (195); placing third were Joel Jesuroga (132) and Connor Brown (285), Carson Martinson (145) and Kaleb Runyon (220) placed sixth, and Cooper Hanson (113) earned eighth to round out the championship bracket contingent. Three additional Rams were in consolation bracket finals (one finished ninth, and the other two in tenth).

Joining Simley and Southeast Polk with multiple weight class champions on Saturday evening were Kasson-Mantorville (Minn.); winning gold for the Komets were No. 12 Bennett Berge (170) and No. 1 Patrick Kennedy (182). The other ranked vs. ranked showdown for a championship came at 160 pounds, where No. 1 Keegan O'Toole (Arrowhead, Wis.) upended No. 8 Luke Odom (Edwardsville, Ill.) 10-5. Rounding out the weight class champions were Brady Hankin (Woodland Park, Ill.) at 120 pounds, Cameron Johnson (Aurora Christian, Ill.) at 132, Alek Martin (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) at 145, No. 12 D.J. Hamiti (Joliet Catholic, Ill.) at 152, and James Howard (McCallie, Tenn.) at 285.

Friday night upset in the Lehigh Valley

Based on the current Fab50 national high school team rankings, it was an upset when No. 47 Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.) won eight weight classes on the way to a 34-27 victory at home against No. 25 Notre Dame-Green Pond (Pa.). However, most local observers viewed the host Hawks as pre-match favorites, as they had been banged up through the month of December and had the deeper lineup; though the major bracket tournaments clearly showed the Crusaders to have more "top end talent". Of note was the return to competition for Bethlehem Catholic of two-time state placer Matt Mayer (120) and Matthew Lackman (145), and the season debut for upper-weight Tavion Banks.

Quick hitters

Canon-McMillan (Pa.) knocked off No. 38 Waynesburg (Pa.) to win the TriCada title this weekend by a score of 283.5 to 257.5. Waynesburg had out-pointed Canon-McMillan narrowly last weekend at the Powerade Wrestling Tournament, finishing third as opposed to fourth in that event. It should be noted that Waynesburg was without Luca Augustine (160), who placed at both the Ironman and Powerade.

No. 40 Baylor School (Tenn.) won the Prep Slam this weekend at Holy Innocents, which is just outside of Atlanta, by a narrow margin over Tampa Jesuit (Fla.). Both teams placed seven wrestlers, all inside the top three (four in first, two in second, and one in third). However, Baylor School earned the title by a 252-231 count. Most notable among the championship matches were a pair involving Tampa Jesuit wrestlers: Nick Corday (Baylor School) upset No. 7 Kai Owen 2-1 in the 106 pound final, while Braden Basile knocked off Super 32 runner-up Nico Provo (Green Farms Academy, Ct.) 12-10 in the 120 final.

No. 41 Indianapolis Cathedral won the IHSWCA Team State in Class 3A with a 32-26 victory in the championship match over Evansville Mater Dei, as the teams split matches seven-apiece. That came after Mater Dei upended No. 48 Brownsburg 32-23 in the semifinal round, as Mater Dei won eight of fourteen bouts.

There were two nationally ranked matchups in the championship finals at the Sam Cali Memorial on Saturday afternoon. At 113 pounds, No. 17 Kelly Dunnigan (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.) beat No. 15 Tyler Klinsky (Middletown North, N.J.) 10-5; while at 160, it was No. 6 Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.) outlasting No. 18 Brian Soldano (High Point, N.J.) 11-8.]]>87227Sun, 05 Jan 2020 16:40:01 +0000No. 5 Buchanan cruises to title at Doc Buchanan Invitationalhttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/no-5-buchanan-cruises-to-title-at-doc-buchanan-invitational-r87226/Buchanan claimed the team title at the Doc Buchanan Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)
Tuesday evening, Buchanan (Calif.) had most things go wrong in a 26-25 dual meet loss to Montini Catholic (Ill.) at the Garlic City Rumble in Gilroy; the Bears went 0-4 in one-point matches and lost an additional two-point match in that upset dual meet defeat. However, over the course of Friday and Saturday, the current national No. 5 (former national No. 3) Buchanan bounced back in spectacular fashion. Competing in the absolutely loaded Doc Buchanan Invitational at Clovis High School, the Bears placed a tournament high nine wrestlers on the way to 185.5 points and a repeat tournament title.

Leading the way for Buchanan was the weight class title earned by Raymond Lopez at 106 pounds, which was keyed by a 15-14 semifinal victory over No. 13 Beau Mantanona (Palm Desert, Calif.). Two additional wrestlers placed in the top three, No. 6 Carlos Negrete (120) lost 4-3 in the final to No. 15 (at 126) Tristan Lujan (Selma, Calif.); while No. 19 Rocco Contino (170) placed third after losing by first period pin in the semifinal to eventual champion No. 5 (at 182) Gavin Kane (Cambridge, Ga.). Placing fourth for the Bears were Logan Gioffre (145) and No. 10 Joseph Martin (182); No. 9 Jack Gioffre (113) finished fifth; No. 8 Maximo Renteria (126) placed in joint sixth, defaulting out of the tournament after losing in the semifinal to No. 9 Jacob Rundell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.); also placing sixth was Hunter Leake (132), while Kyler Lake (138) earned eighth.

Second place at the Doc Buchanan went to No. 4 Montini Catholic (Ill.) for a second straight season, as the Broncos scored 147 points on the strength of eight placers led by weight class champion No. 7 Dylan Ragusin (126). Ragusin earned a 15-6 major decision over No. 19 Chance Lamer (Crescent Valley, Ore.) in the semifinal before upending Rundell 4-3 in the championship match. No. 16 Fidel Mayora (145) finished third, while the other six placing wrestlers were fifth or below: Joe Fernau (106) and Trevor Swier (182) in fifth, Joe Roberts (152) and Colin Baker (285) in seventh, along with Nain Vazquez (120) and Josh LaBarbera (195) in eighth.

Finishing a close third was No. 11 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.) with 146 points led by weight class champion No. 8 (at 145) Justin Rivera, who upended No. 17 Daniel Cardenas (Pomona, Colo.) 2-1 for gold at 138 pounds. Six other Highlanders ascended on the podium: No. 14 (at 138) Chris Rivera (132) placed third, Danny Nini (120) and Matt Kaplan (220) took fourth, No. 10 Noah Castillo (152) was fifth, Dominic Isola (160) placed sixth, and Bailey Flanagan (170) earned eighth.

Three wrestlers ranked first in the country earned weight class titles at the Doc Buchanan on Saturday night: Richard Figueroa (Selma, Calif.) at 113 pounds, Dominick Serrano (Windsor, Colo.) at 132, and Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.) at 152.

Dominick Serrano gets in on a shot against Bergen Catholic's Dylan Cedeno in the finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Figueroa and Saldate earned two victories over ranked opponents in the event. Figueroa pinned No. 18 Joseph Cangro (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) in 1:47 before upending No. 3 Joey Cruz (Clovis North, Calif.) 3-2 in the final, which came after Cruz earned a 11-3 major decision in the semifinal over Gioffre; Saldate scored a 9-4 semifinal victory over No. 16 Tyler Badgett (Rancho Bernardo, Calif.) before knocking off No. 19 (at 160) Matthew Singleton (Woodward Academy, Ga.) 5-1 in the final, which came after Singleton knocked off former national No. 1 Sonny Santiago (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 9-2 in the semifinal in his first tournament back from injury. Serrano pinned No. 14 Wayne Joint (Lemoore, Calif.) late in the semifinal, before upending Dylan Cedeno (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) 3-1 in the final, which was after Cedeno upset Rivera 3-0 in the semifinal.

Three championship matches saw lower ranked opponents earn victories over those ranked higher. At 160 pounds, No. 3 Cael Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) had a four takedown to none advantage in a comprehensive 9-5 victory over No. 2 Padraic Gallagher (St. Edward, Ohio). He was named Outstanding Wrestler of the event. It was No. 9 Isaiah Salazar (Windsor, Colo.) beating No. 6 Nathan Haas (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 9-8 in the tiebreaker, after Salazar beat No. 10 Martin by a 6-2 score in the semifinal; while No. 9 Josiah Hill (Bakersfield, Calif.) won the proverbial rubber match of the season series against No. 8 Nicholas Villarreal (Gilroy, Calif.) by an 8-2 decision.

Rounding out the weight class champions were No. 19 (at 152) Luka Wick (San Marino, Calif.) at 152 pounds, No. 20 Guillermo Escobedo (Los Altos, calif.) at 195, and Justin Darter (Bakersfield, Calif.) at 220.

Team standings:
1. No. 5 Buchanan, Calif. 185.5 (9 placers)
2. No. 4 Montini Catholic, Ill. 147 (8)
3. No. 11 Lake Highland Prep, Fla. 146 (7)
4. No. 14 Delbarton, N.J. 132 (6)
5. No. 6 St. Edward, Ohio 119 (5)
6. No. 18 St. John Bosco, Calif. 117 (5)
7. No. 19 Gilroy, Calif. 110 (5)
8. No. 28 Clovis, Calif. 102 (4)
9. No. 31 Crescent Valley, Ore. 81 (3)
(tie) No. 32 Selma, Calif. (2)
11. Oak Park River Forest, Ill. 80 (2)
12. No. 7 Bergen Catholic, N.J. 76 (4)
13. No. 37 Clovis North, Calif. 73 (2)
14. No. 46 Windsor, Colo. 70 (3)
17. No. 44 Pomona, Colo. 58.5 (2)

Championship matches:
106: Raymond Lopez (Buchanan, Calif.) pin Michael Torres (Oakdale, Calif.) 3:12
113: No. 1 Richard Figueroa (Selma, Calif.) dec. No. 3 Joey Cruz (Clovis North, Calif.) 3-2
120: No. 15 (at 126) Tristan Lujan (Selma, Calif.) dec. No. 6 Carlos Negrete (Buchanan, Calif.) 4-3
126: No. 7 Dylan Ragusin (Montini Catholic, Ill.) dec. No. 9 Jacob Rundell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) 4-3
132: No. 1 Dominick Serrano (Windsor, Colo.) dec. Dylan Cedeno (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) 3-1
138: No. 8 (at 145) Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) dec. No. 17 Daniel Cardenas (Pomona, Colo.) 2-1
145: No. 19 (at 152) Luka Wick (San Marino, Calif.) major dec. Luke Geog (St. Edward, Ohio) 8-0
152: No. 1 Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.) dec. No. 19 (at 152) Matthew Singleton (Woodward Academy, Ga.) 5-1
160: No. 3 Cael Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) dec. No. 2 Padraic Gallagher (St. Edward, Ohio) 9-5
170: No. 5 (at 182) Gavin Kane (Cambridge, Ga.) dec. No. 14 Gianno Petrucelli (Clovis, Calif.) 4-1
182: No. 9 Isaiah Salazar (Windsor, Colo.) dec. No. 6 Nathan Haas (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 9-8, tiebreaker
195: No. 20 Guillermo Escobedo (Los Altos, Calif.) dec. Daemyen Middlebrooks (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) 8-5
220: Justin Darter (Bakersfield, Calif.) dec. P.J. Casale (Delbarton, N.J.) 7-5
285: No. 9 Josiah Hill (Bakersfield, Calif.) dec. No. 8 Nicholas Villarreal (Gilroy, Calif.) 8-2]]>87226Sun, 05 Jan 2020 16:19:43 +0000High School Wrestling Weekend Recaphttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/high-school-wrestling-weekend-recap-r87112/Notre Dame-Green Pond showcased its depth at the Trojan Wars
Several Fab 50 teams turned in strong performances this past week, highlighted by Wyoming Seminary's dominance at the Powerade. Below is a recap of other key events on the high school wrestling calendar.

No. 31 Notre Dame-Green Pond shows understated depth at Trojan Wars

Much of the talk about the Crusaders in the preseason and early centered on their trio of nationally elite wrestlers, but in the MyHouse Trojan Wars at Chambersburg (Pa.) this weekend it was five other wrestlers that provided key placement points on the way to a tournament title. No. 7 Brett Ungar (113) and No.2 Ryan Crookham (126) earned titles, while No. 6 Andrew Cerniglia (160) was out of the lineup. Another pair of Notre Dame wrestlers made the finals, champion Brendan Chlestos (120) and runner-up Derek Berlitz (182). Additional wrestlers placed third, seventh, and seventh on the way to 210.5 points.

The other nationally ranked team, No. 25 Southern Columbia (Pa.) placed fourth with 185.5 points and six placers. The Tigers were absent 2018 state placer Patrick Edmonson (138) and returning state medalist Gavin Garcia (160). Anchoring the effort was champion No. 2 Gaige Garcia (195) and runner-up Lear Quinton (285); other placers were third, two in fourth, and one in sixth. Tournament runners-up were the hosts, Chambersburg who had 191.5 points on the strength of five placers; Tate Nichter (152) won a weight class, Karl Shindledecker (120) and No. 16 Luke Nichter (160) finished second, while another pair finished fourth. Third place was Smyrna (Del.) with 186.5 points on the strength of seven placers led by weight class champions No. 20 Gabe Giampietro (106) and J.T. Davis, three took fourth, one was third, and the other was eighth.

Additional nationally ranked wrestlers to win titles were No. 7 Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.) at 160 pounds, No. 18 Dylan Reinert (Gettysburg, Pa.) at 170, and No. 16 Nate Schon (Selinsgrove, Pa.) at 220; Ulrey beat Nichter 11-7 in his championship bout.

Mukwonago ends up even on the day but wins the Flavin Duals anyway

The first day of the Flavin Duals on Friday was basically rubber stamp for the four teams that ended up in the Platinum championship pool. On the second day, it was anything but as Mukwonago (Wis.) won all three duals, though each dual meet was 7-7 in terms of match count. The opening dual came against No. 38 Brownsburg (Ind.), where they needed pins from Nate Stokhaug (145) and Cole Hansen (152) to win by the score 37-32. The second dual meet came down to a winner-take-all last match where Lucas Benn (160) came through with a pin to beat Oak Park River Forest (Ill.) 38-30. In the final match, it was a 41-37 victory over the host school, DeKalb (Ill.), though the Barbs needed to go tech, pin, major to shrink the margin to the ending score; key for Mukwanago in that was a pin at the 1:33 mark from Stokhaug at 145 against 2018 state champion Fabian Lopez.

Brownsburg won their other two dual meets in relatively narrow fashion, 31-25 over DeKalb where the matches were split 7-7 and 42-32 where the Bulldogs needed pins from Peyton Asbury (160) and Greg Glover (170) in the dual's last two bouts to win 42-32 (8-6 match count). DeKalb beat Oak Park River Forest in the pool's other dual by the score of 40-25.

Indianapolis Cathedral knocks off No. 47 Crown Point at Al Smith Invitational

At the best regular season tournament in the Hoosier State, defending state tournament champions Indianapolis Cathedral certainly sent a message to all those in attendance, as the Irish put 12 on the podium, including nine inside the top four, on the way to a tournament title. Leading the 270-point effort were five finalists, including weight class champions in No. 16 Zeke Seltzer (120) and Logan Bailey (138); while Elliott Rodgers (160), David Guhl (220), and Holden Parsons (285) finished in second place.

Runner-up in the tournament was No. 47 Crown Point with 218.5 points. The Bulldogs had five finalists of their own, including three champions in Sam Goin (106), Stephen Roberson (126), and No. 4 Jesse Mendez (132) while Riley Bettich (120) and Orlando Cruz (145) finished in second place. However, they only put nine on the podium, seven in the top four. They were absent state-ranked freshman Cody Goodwin at 138, though his backup did finish in eighth place. Additional ranked wrestlers to win tournament titles were No. 11 Graham Calhoun (Plymouth, Ind.) at 170 and No. 12 Joseph Walker (Mishawaka, Ind.) at 182.

Lake Gibson wins Knockout Christmas Classic

In an entertaining three-team battle for the title, it was Lake Gibson (Fla.) that came out on top with 218.5 points led by eight placers, including No. 14 Ashton Habeil winning the 182-pound weight class. Three other wrestlers finished as runners-up: No. 2 Hayden Whidden (106), Connor Williams (126), and Brendon Abdon (138); Abdon upended No. 15 Caden McCrary (Woodland, Ga.) 4-3 in the semifinal before losing in the final to No.3 Frankie Tal-Shahar (American Heritage, Fla.).

Second in the standings was Woodland (Ga.) with 204.5 points and also eight placers; however it was just two finalists and four third place finishers of note. No. 14 Caleb Henson (145) had a superlative Saturday with an 8-7 semifinal win over No. 12 Ethan Basile (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.) before a 5-4 finals win over No. 3 Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.); No. 15 Jaxon Smith (170) lost his finals match 10-8 in overtime against Tylynn Lukens (Manatee, Fla.). Third place in the event was Tampa Jesuit (Fla.) with 203 points and seven placers, led by weight class champions No. 7 Kai Owen (106) and Tom Crook (126) plus runner-up finisehs from Braden Basile (120) and Mason Arnold (285)

Three additional nationally ranked wrestlers won weight classes, including two in showdowns against a nationally ranked opponent. No. 20 Matthew Singleton (Woodward Academy, Ga.) won the 160-pound title with a 10-1 major decision over No. 18 Lucas DeSilva (Collins Hill, Ga.), No. 13 Chase Horne (West Laurens, Ga.) upended No. 14 Chad Nix (Fleming Island, Fla.) 7-1 in the 220-pound final, and No. 15 Curtis Ruff (Seminole, Fla.) won the 285-pound weight class.

Ohio finals upsets

In the Kenston Invitational Tournament, a pair of nationally ranked 170-pound wrestlers took to the mat. No. 16 Najee Lockett (Shaker Hts.) used a late third period takedown to beat No. 9 Jacob Lagoa (Ashtabula Lakeside) by the score of 3-1. Lockett was a state runner-up last year, Lagoa was a state champ in 2017 and 2018 but did not compete in the post-season last year.

At the GMVWA Tournament held just outside of Dayton, St. Paris Graham emerged as tournament champs despite going 3-5 in the finals. However, two of those losses were by nationally ranked wrestlers. No. 16 Nick Moore lost 3-2 to Gavin Brown (Legacy Christian Academy), who was a state champ last year as a freshman; while Alek Martin -- in his first competition of the year - lost 2-1 to Peyton Lane (National Trail), who was a state runner-up last year.]]>87112Sun, 29 Dec 2019 05:37:30 +0000No. 1 Wyoming Seminary dominates at Poweradehttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/no-1-wyoming-seminary-dominates-at-powerade-r87111/Wyoming Seminary dominated at the Powerade, winning the team title by 94 points
The nation's top team, Wyoming Seminary (Pa.), dominated one of the nation's best tournaments over the course of Friday and Saturday south of Pittsburgh at Canon-McMillan. The Blue Knights placed 12 wrestlers, including seven in the top three, which was more than any other team in the tournament placed in total. Led by weight class titles from a pair of national No. 1 wrestlers in Beau Bartlett (138) and Lachlan McNeil (145), they amassed 272 points; Bartlett upended No. 2 Sam Hillegas (North Hills, Pa.) 5-3 in his championship bout. Finishing second were No. 1 Nic Bouzakis (126), Cole Rees (182), and No. 10 Kolby Franklin (220); Bouzakis lost by disqualification to Kurtis Phipps (Norwin, Pa.) during the second period, after Phipps beat No. 20 Rocco Welsh (Waynesburg, Pa.) 3-0 in his semifinal. Placing third were No. 20 Brennen Cernus (113), who lost 2-1 to No. 4 Carter Dibert (Franklin Regional, Pa.) in the semifinal, and No. 9 Drew Munch (132).

Munch lost by fall at the 1:01 mark of the quarterfinal to one of the tournament's biggest stories in eventual champion Gabe Willochell (Greater Latrobe, Pa.), a two-time state medalist who had four first period pins in four bouts prior to the final. This also included one at the 1:37 mark of the semifinal against No. 5 Patrick Noonan (Stroudsburg, Pa.). His finals victory came 2-0 with a reversal in the ultimate tiebreaker against No. 11 Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (Seneca Valley, Pa.), the tournament's defending champion. One of the other two unranked champions of the evening came at 120 pounds, where Kyle Hauserman (Council Rock North, Pa.) knocked off No. 10 Dominic Chavez (Arlington Martin, Texas) 2-1 in the tiebreaker.

Tournament runner-up honors went to No. 8 Malvern Prep (Pa.), who had six place winners on the way to 178 points. Four Friars placed in the top four, led by champion Cole Deery (285), who beat No. 17 Isaiah Vance (Hempfield Area, Pa.) 4-2 in the championship bout. No. 9 Nicholas Feldman (195) placed second, lost 3-2 to No. 3 Luke Stout (Mount Lebanon, Pa.) in the championship match; while No. 4 Dalton Harkins (152) finished third in a grinder of a weight class that had five ranked wrestlers.

Harkins lost 1-0 in the semifinal to No. 10 Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) when Roberts rode him out in the third period. Harkins beat No. 9 Cameron Robinson (Council Rock North, Pa.) 8-3 in the consolation semifinal and No. 20 Caleb Dowling (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.) 1-0 in the third-place bout. Dowling's front side loss came 3-1 in the semifinal to No. 8 Ed Scott (DuBois, Pa.) on a very late in the match takedown; Scott would beat Roberts 11-6 for the title on Saturday evening.

The other super-stacked weight class was at 170 pounds, where there were six ranked wrestlers. No. 5 Tyler Stoltzfus (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.) won the weight class with a 4-3 semifinal win over No. 4 Trey Kibe (Mifflin County, Pa.) and then a 5-2 finals victory over No. 17 Shane Reitsma (Howell, N.J.); Reitsma advanced to the final with a 3-1 win over No. 2 Leonard Pinto (Stroudsburg, Pa.) in the quarterfinal and a pin in overtime against No. 6 Connor O'Neil (DePaul Catholic, N.J.). Pinto finished third, while O'Neil and Kibe defaulted out of the consolation semifinal onward; finishing fourth was Mac Stout (Mt. Lebanon, Pa.), who beat No. 20 Jaden Bullock (Oscar Smith, Va.) in the consolation quarterfinal after Bullock lost 3-1 to Kibe in the quarterfinal.

Three other nationally ranked showdowns occured in the championship bouts. No. 6 Gary Steen (Reynolds, Pa.) beat No. 4 Dibert 5-2 at 113 pounds; No. 11 John Martin Best (Parkersburg, W.Va.) upended No. 13 Jack Blumer (Kiski Area, Pa.) 3-2 at 160, after Blumer beat No. 10 Gabriel Arnold (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 7-2 in the semifinal; while No. 1 Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) beat two ranked wrestlers to take gold at 220, 9-4 over No. 15 Dorian Crosby (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.) and 6-2 over No. 10 Kolby Franklin (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.).

Rounding out the weight class champions were No. 9 Mac Church (Waynesburg, Pa.) at 106 pounds and No. 2 Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.). Third place in the tournament went to No. 42 Waynesburg (Pa.) with 146.5 points with five placers. Rounding out the top five were Canon-McMillan (Pa.) and Parkersburg South (W.Va.) with 133 and 131 points respectively.]]>87111Sun, 29 Dec 2019 03:21:25 +0000NC State mat alum, high school coach Dunbar dieshttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/nc-state-mat-alum-high-school-coach-dunbar-dies-r87188/
"We just learned of the passing of our head wrestling coach Anthony Dunbar who died in his sleep last night. Please keep Coach Dunbar's family in your thoughts and prayers this Christmas," the school - located just outside Raleigh, the state capital -- tweeted from its athletic department Twitter account.

Cary High School's principal weighed in with his own message on Twitter:


Dunbar had a long-time connection with the Cary High wrestling program that endured to the days just before Christmas. He had wrestled at Cary in the late 1990s, as a member of the school's state championship teams in 1996, 1997, and 1998. Dunbar was named the Co-Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 1998 dual team championship, according to HighSchoolOT.com.

Anthony Dunbar
After graduating from Cary High in 1998, Dunbar continued his academic and athletic career at N.C. State.

Dunbar returned to Cary in 2006 to join the wrestling coaching staff. He helped lead the Cary Imps to seven state mat titles.

In 2017, Dunbar became Cary High's fourth head wrestling coach in 2017. In his first two seasons, the Imps won the Tri-6 Conference title; the 2018 team went on to win the Mideast regional championship and the school's 21st wrestling state title.

In 2018, Dunbar was named the league's coach of the year in 2018. This past season, Dunbar was named the 4A wrestling coach of the year for all of North Carolina.

UPDATE Saturday Dec 28, 2019

A memorial service to honor Anthony Braxton Dunbar will be held Thursday, January 2, 2020 at 2 p.m. at Hope Community Church- Raleigh, 821 Buck Jones Road, Raleigh, NC 27606.

In lieu of flowers, the family has suggested contributions to The Cary Imp Club – Wrestling at: Mike Dunphy, 638 Walnut Street Cary, NC 27511 Checks to: Cary Imp Club-Wrestling.]]>87188Thu, 26 Dec 2019 16:07:13 +0000No. 1 Wyoming Seminary anchors strong field at Poweradehttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/no-1-wyoming-seminary-anchors-strong-field-at-powerade-r87187/Wyoming Seminary's Nic Bouzakis rides Dylan Ragusin of Montini Catholic at the Ironman (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)
Fifty-four schools from seven states will convene just south of Pittsburgh for the 2019 Powerade Wrestling Tournament at Canon-McMillan High School on Friday and Saturday. Annually one of the nation's best regular season tournaments, this year's field features three Fab 50 teams along with 36 nationally ranked wrestlers. This includes at least one ranked wrestler in every weight class, along with three or more ranked wrestlers in eight of the fourteen.

From a team perspective, the field is anchored by national No. 1 Wyoming Seminary (Pa.), which was champions of the Walsh Jesuit Ironman held at the beginning of this month. The Blue Knights have eight nationally ranked wrestlers, including three holding number one positions at the present time. The other teams in the Fab50 are No. 8 Malvern Prep (Pa.) and No. 42 Waynesburg (Pa.).

The tournament released its list of entrants and preliminary seeds, with the eight wrestlers in each weight class earning a seed by tournament management.

Below are the nationally ranked wrestlers, along with their seed position listed in parentheses.

106: (No. 1 seed) No. 9 Mac Church (Waynesburg, Pa.)

113: (No. 2 seed) No. 4 Carter Dibert (Franklin Regional, Pa.), (No. 1 seed) No. 6 Gary Steen (Reynolds, Pa.), (No. 3 seed) Brennen Cernus (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.)

120: (not seeded) No. 10 Dominic Chavez (Arlington Martin, Texas)

126: (No. 1 seed) No. 1 Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), (not seeded) No. 20 Rocco Welsh (Waynesburg, Pa.)

132: (No. 2 seed) No. 5 Patrick Noonan (Stroudsburg, Pa.), (No. 3 seed) No. 9 Drew Munch (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), (No. 1 seed) No. 11 Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (Seneca Valley, Pa.)

138: (No. 2 seed) No. 1 Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), (No. 1 seed) No. 2 Sam Hillegas (North Hills, Pa.), (No. 4 seed) No. 10 Wyatt Henson (Waynesburg, Pa.)

145: (No. 1 seed) No. 1 Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.)

152: (No. 2 seed) No. 4 Dalton Harkins (Malvern Prep, Pa.), (No. 1 seed) No. 8 Ed Scott (DuBois, Pa.), (No. 4 seed) No. 9 Cameron Robinson (Council Rock North, Pa.), (No. 3 seed) No. 10 Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), (No. 5 seed) No. 20 Caleb Dowling (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.)

160: (Unseeded) No. 10 Gabe Arnold (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), (No. 2 seed) No. 11 John Martin Best (Parkersburg, W.Va.), (No. 1 seed) No. 13 Jack Blumer (Kiski Area, Pa.)

170: (No. 5 seed) No. 2 Leonard Pinto (Stroudsburg, Pa.), (No. 3 seed) No. 4 Trey Kibe (Mifflin County, Pa.), (No. 2 seed) No. 5 Tyler Stoltzfus (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.), (No. 1 seed) No. 6 Connor O'Neill (DePaul Catholic, N.J.), (No. 4 seed) No. 17 Shane Reitsma (Howell, N.J.), (No. 6 seed) No. 20 Jaden Bullock (Oscar Smith, Va.)

182: (No. 1 seed) No. 2 Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.)

195: (No. 1 seed) No. 3 Luke Stout (Mt. Lebanon, Pa.), (No. 2 seed) No. 9 Nicholas Feldman (Malvern Prep, Pa.), (No. 3 seed) No. 19 Austin Walley (Ellwood City, Pa.)

220: (No. 1 seed) No. 1 Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), (No. 2 seed) No. 10 Kolby Franklin (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), (No. 4 seed) No. 15 Dorian Crosby (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.)

285: (No. 1 seed) No. 17 Isaiah Vance (Hempfield Area, Pa.)]]>87187Thu, 26 Dec 2019 15:24:39 +0000High School Wrestling Weekend Recaphttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/high-school-wrestling-weekend-recap-r87175/Buchanan claimed the team title at the Zinkin Classic
Saturday saw the conclusion of a plethora of high school wrestling competitions from across the country. Here are some highlighted outcomes of nationally ranked wrestlers facing one another, and/or being "upset."

Zinkin Classic

No. 3 Buchanan (Calif.) rolled to the title placing a wrestler top six in all fourteen weight classes, 11 of them inside the top three. Second was No. 12 Allen (Texas), as the Eagles put 10 on the podium but were over 80 points back - A.J. Ferrari (220) was absent from their lineup. No. 46 Clovis North (Calif.) was another 46 behind Allen, as the Broncos also put ten on the podium; while No. 34 Clovis (Calif.) was nine back of third, putting nine weight classes on the podium.

113 - No. 6 Braxton Brown (Allen, Texas) majored No. 11 Jack Gioffre (Buchanan, Calif.) in the semifinal, before No. 4 Joey Cruz (Clovis North, Calif.) beat Brown 5-3 in the final.
132 - Haiden Drury (Toppenish, Wash.) knocked off No. 16 Ryan Franco (Clovis North, Calif.) 3-0 in the championship bout.
170 - Gianno Petruelli (Clovis, Calif.) beat No. 18 Elise Brown Ton (Allen, Texas) 1-0 in the semifinal, and then upended No. 5 Maxwell Wilner (Fountain Valley, Calif.) 3-2 in the championship bout; Wilner had beaten No. 19 Rocco Contino (Buchnan, Calif.) 3-1 in overtime in the semifinal. Brown Ton lost 3-1 in overtime to J.T. Stinson (East Nicolaus, Calif.) in the consi semi
182 - No. 6 Nathan Haas (St. John Bosco, Calif.) wins 7-2 over No. 10 Joseph Martin (Buchanan, Calif.) in the championship bout
195 - No. 17 Guillermo Escobedo (Los Altos, Calif.) lost 3-2 in the semifinal to Tyler Gianakapolous (Clovis, Calif.), then finished third

Kansas City Stampede

Despite missing their two best wrestlers - Luke Surber and Dustin Plott - plus another state champion in Garrett Steidley, No. 9 Tuttle (Okla.) finished in a narrow third place with 560.5 points. Winning the tournament was No. 29 Liberty (Mo.) with 600, even though they were missing state placer Drake Smith at either 152 or 160, who has won the Council Bluffs Wrestling Classic last week at 160. Baylor School (Tenn.) was second with 561.5, and fourth went to No. 39 Mustang (Okla.) with 462 points, though they were without two notable wrestlers, including nationally ranked John Wiley.

126 - No. 9 Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.) lost 6-4 in overtime to Khyler Brewer (Staley, Mo.) in the quarterfinal round, but would bounce back to take fifth place, the highest possible position he could given the format. Brewer lost 6-3 to Zach Keal (Mill Valley, Kansas) in the next round, while Keegan Slyter (Olathe North, Kansas) won the weight class.
132 - Caleb Tanner (Collinsville, Okla.) beat No. 20 Carter Young (Stillwater, Okla.) 6-1 in the semifinal round; Tanner won the weight class, Young finished third.
138 - Garrison Dendy (Baylor School, Tenn.) beat No. 20 Trey Crawford (Park Hill, Mo.) 3-1 in the championship match.
195 - No. 19 (at 220) Ashton Sharp (Park Hill, Mo.) lost his first two matches in the championship flight on Saturday: 3-2 to Deston Miller (Arkansas City, Kansas) and 3-1 in overtime against Sam Chapman (Creston, Iowa); he finished 13th

Las Vegas Holiday Classic

No. 11 Poway (Calif.) dominated their way to the title, almost doubling up second place Liberty (Ariz.)
126 - No. 19 Jason Miranda (Poway, Calif.) was pinned in the semifinal by Aizayah Yacapin (Curtis, Wash.) during the third period of a bout that he was leading prior to the sequence of the fall. No. 20 Vince Cornella (Monarch, Colo.) won the championship bout by 13-0 major decision.

Minnesota Christmas Tournament

No. 28 Simley outlasted No. 26 Stillwater in a barn-burner of a finish, 232 to 230; Bennett Tabor's 3-2 win at 220 in the ultimate tiebreaker of the championship bout clinched the title after the Ponies left the door open with medal match losses from 152 through 195. No. 22 Shakopee was a distant third with 167 points, but they were absent Carson Manville, state champion Paxton Creese, and another state tournament experienced wrestler.

106 - No. 5 Jore Volk (Lakeville North, Minn.) beat No. 18 Koy Buesgens (New Prague, Minn.) 5-2 in the semifinal; Volk won the weight class, while Buesgens took third.

Flatwater Fracas

No. 32 Millard South (Neb.) won all eight dual meets between Friday and Saturday. The Patriots went 46-5 in contested matches on Friday, including a showdown at 220 where No. 6 Isaac Trumble pinned No. 10 Grady Griess (Northwest, Neb.) in 1:26. Saturday was a bit more competitive with two dual meets involving double digit victories, but the other two being 8-6 in terms of match count (Kearney and Columbus).

The other real notable individual result came on Friday as well, as No. 6 Jakason Burks (Omaha Burke, Neb.) was pushed to the brink by Garrett Grice (Bellevue East, Neb.), 5-4 at 126 pounds; state champion Grice is expected to end the season at 120, though all his matches this event were at 126.

Carnahan Memorial

The host school Crown Point (Ind.) out-pointed No. 36 Brownsburg (Ind.) at the Carnahan Memorial Invitational on Saturday. Each team was without one state ranked starter; Crown Point absent Cody Goodwin at 138, while Brownsburg was missing Greg Glover at 170. Crown Point's backup placed third, while Brownsburg did not have an entrant.

The final team score in the tournament was 318.5 to 312.5 in favor of Crown Point, who went 6-4 against Brownsburg in contested bouts. Crown Point out-placed Brownsburg in eight of the weight classes, including at 170 where they do not have a ranked wrestler; at 138, Brownsburg's Drake Campbell is a three-time state placer and higher ranked than Goodwin.

Battle of Waterloo

Four of Iowa's elite teams battled it out in the championship pool on Saturday, after they each absolutely steamrolled their way through three bracket matches on Friday. When all was said and done, No. 38 Lisbon won the title based on their 34-32 victory over Don Bosco; while West Delaware was third based on the 37-30 win over Waverly-Shell Rock.

Within Iowa, Lisbon and Don Bosco are the top two teams in the small-school division (Class 1A), West Delaware is tops in Class 2A, while Waverly-Shell Rock is third behind a pair of nationally ranked teams in big-school (Class 3A).

Don Bosco had the best Saturday record (23-19) among the four teams, as they took nine bouts in a 36-24 win over West Delaware while splitting the bouts seven-apiece in the loss to Lisbon and a 34-31 victory over Waverly-Shell Rock. Lisbon went 22-20 in the individual bouts on Saturday as they split with Don Bosco and in a 39-32 loss to Waverly-Shell Rock, while they won eight weights in a 40-30 victory over West Delaware.

Northern Colorado Christmas Tournament

Windsor (Colo.) out-pointed No. 40 Pomona (Colo.) 227.5 to 220 to take home the title in Greeley. The 138 final was a match that would have swung the tournament the other way, if the outcome was the opposite; Vance Vombaur (Windsor) beat No. 13 Daniel Cardenas (Pomona) 7-5 in overtime.

Other ranked teams

No. 42 Stoughton (Wis.) was second at the Badger State Invitational to Fennimore, 243.5-221. Stoughton was absent 2018 state runner-up Braeden Whitehead (145/152). No. 50 Wadsworth (Ohio) was a distant third at the North Canton Holiday Invitational with 181 points, a tournament won by Lake Catholic (Ohio), 234-222 over Louisville.]]>87175Sun, 22 Dec 2019 13:34:02 +0000Quarterfinals set at Beast of the Easthttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/quarterfinals-set-at-beast-of-the-east-r87170/The marathon Day 1 of the Beast of the East, which lasted over 14 hours, has seen the field churned down to the quarterfinals on the front side. In consolation wrestling, there are only eight wrestlers remaining as well, except any situation where a five-match rule came into play.

The most notable day one performance came from two-time (2017/2018) National Prep placer Aurelius Dunbar (Mercersburg Academy, Pa.), who entered the tournament unseeded at 160 pounds. He earned wins over two nationally ranked wrestlers to reach the quarterfinals against the top seed; those wins were 2-1 in ultimate tiebreaker in the first round over No. 12 Dylan Fishback (Aurora Ohio) and then 6-5 on a last second takedown against No. 19 Thomas Stewart (Blair Academy, N.J.)

Team Standings:
1. No. 2 Blair Academy, N.J. 114.5 (9 QF/1 CON)
2. No. 6 Bergen Catholic, N.J. 102.5 (6/3)
3. No. 14 Brecksville, Ohio 102 (5/1)
4. No. 10 Malvern Prep, Pa. 92.5 (4/3)
5. No. 8 Lake Highland Prep, Fla. 84 (4/4)
6. No. 41 Nazareth, Pa. 78 (5/3*)
7. No. 15 Elyria, Ohio 72.5 (4/1)
(tie) No. 33 St. Joseph Montvale, N.J. (4/3)
9. No. 16 Delbarton, N.J. 68 (1/5*)
10. Central Dauphin, Pa. 63.5 (1/3)
(tie) Smyrna, Del. (2/2)
12. No. 35 Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa. 63 (3/2)
13. No. 31 Mount St. Joseph, Md. 61 (2/4*)
(tie) No. 43 Waynesburg, Pa. (5/1)
15. Camden Catholic, N.J. (0/4)
Additional ranked team - 33 (tie). No. 45 Bethlehem Catholic, Pa. 42 (2/1)
* indicates team has wrestler(s) competing in the CON-24 needing one win to get into the CON-16 (i.e. two matches from placement), as some CON-24 matches could not happen on Saturday evening

Quarterfinal pairings:
106: No. 1 Marc-Anthony McGowan (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Pito Castro (Brecksville, Ohio), Charlie Bunting (Nazareth, Pa.) vs. Tyler Vazquez (Delbarton, N.J.); Gabe Giampietro (Smyrna, Del.) vs. Carson Wagner (Northampton, Pa.), Brandon Cannon (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) vs. No. 6 Mac Church (Waynesburg, Pa.)

113: No. 2 Stevo Poulin (Shenendehowa, N.Y.) vs. Luke Poore (Caravel Academy, Del.), Joseph Manno (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.) vs. Joseph Cangro (Bergen Catholic, N.J.); No. 8 Brett Ungar (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) vs. Brady Conlin (Williamstown, N.J.), Kelly Dunnigan (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.) vs. No. 16 Erik Roggie (St. Christopher's, Va.)

120: Nick Kayal (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) vs. Brandon Crowder (Christiansburg, Va.), Dayton Delviscio (Malvern Prep, Pa.) vs. No. 12 Ryan Miller (Blair Academy, N.J.); No. 6 Connor Flynn (McDonogh, Md.) vs. No. 8 Alex Almeyda (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.), Danny Nini (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) vs. No. 2 Dean Peterson (St. John Vianney, N.J.)

126: No. 4 Eddie Ventresca (Pope John XXIII, N.J.) vs. No. 15 Rocco Welsh (Waynesburg, Pa.), Ethan Gray (Caravel Academy, Del.) vs. No. 7 Dylan Shawver (Elyria Ohio); No. 3 Ryan Crookham (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) vs. Daniel Wask (Blair Academy, N.J.), Trae McDaniel (Cleveland, Tenn.) vs. No. 1 Robert Howard (Bergen Catholic, N.J.)

132: Joey Olivieri (Hanover Park, N.J.) vs. Cole Homet (Waynesburg, Pa.), No. 19 Dylan Cedeno (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) vs. Justin Bierdumpfel (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.); Jimmy Carmany (Brecksville, Ohio) vs. Evan Buchanan (Atlee, Va.), Nathan Porter (Mount St. Joseph, Md.) vs. Clayton Gabrielson (McDonogh, Md.)

138: Lucas Chittum (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Dom Baker (New Kent, Va.), No. 14 (at 132) Chris Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) vs. No. 11 Wyatt Henson (Waynesburg, Pa.); No. 7 Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) vs. Damon McGee (Bullis School, Va.), Michael Cetta (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.) vs. No. 8 Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio)

145: No. 2 Victor Voinovich (Brecksville, Ohio) vs. No. 8 Joseph Zargo (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), No. 10 (at 138) Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) vs. No. 12 Manzona Bryant (Hudson WRA, Ohio); No. 17 Jagger Condomiti (Northampton, Pa.) vs. No. 4 Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.), No. 20 Deshawn Farber (Nazareth, Pa.) vs. Jackson Dean (Caesar Rodney, Del.)

152: No. 4 Dalton Harkins (Malvern Prep, Pa.) vs. Aaron Ayzerov (Paramus, N.J.), Alex Strashinsky (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) vs. Enrique Munguia (Elyria, Ohio); Koby Allred (Great Bridge, Va.) vs. Tate Nichter (Chambersburg, Pa.), Payne Carr (Union County, Ky.) vs. Cole Handlovic (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.)

160: No. 7 Andrew Cerniglia (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) vs. Aurelius Dunbar (Mercersburg Academy, Pa.), Luca Augustine (Waynesburg, Pa.) vs. No. 15 Luke Nichter (Chambersburg, Pa.); Matthew Arciuolo (Saucon Valley, Pa.) vs. Alex Whitworth (McCallie School, Tenn.), Connor Strong (Mount St. Joseph, Md.) vs. No. 6 Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.)

170: No. 8 Domonic Mata (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Sam Bergin (Shenendehowa, N.Y.), Gavin Cagle (McCallie School, Tenn.) vs. No. 16 (at 182) Angel Garcia (Mariana Bracetti Academy, Pa.); No. 17 (at 160) Dylan Reinert (Gettysburg, Pa.) vs. No. 15 Jaden Bullock (Oscar Smith, Va.), Connor Herceg (Nazareth, Pa.) vs. No. 9 Connor O'Neil (DePaul Catholic, N.J.)

182: No. 3 John Poznanski (Colonia, N.J.) vs. Drew Clearie (Nazareth, Pa.), No. 15 (at 195) Sam Fisher (Fauquier, Va.) vs. Brock Delsignore (Shenendehowa, N.Y.); No. 14 Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio) vs. J.T. Davis (Smyrna, Del.), Dominic Solis (McDonogh, Md.) vs. No. 7 Rylan Rogers (Blair Academy, N.J.0

195: No. 12 Nicholas Feldman (Malvern Prep, Pa.) vs. Maximus Hale (Downingtown West, Pa.), Jackson Talbott (Central Dauphin, Pa.) vs. Jack Wimmer (McDonogh, Md.); No. 9 Peyton Craft (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Azeem Bell (A.I. DuPont, Del.), Michael Misita (St. Augustine Prep, N.J.) vs. No. 14 Ben Vanadia (Brecksville, Ohio)

220: No. 4 Ethan Hatcher (Brecksville, Ohio) vs. Chase Mielink (Downingtown West, Pa.), No. 18 (at 195) Kyle Jacob (Paramus, N.J.) vs. Matthew Kaplan (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.); No. 12 Noah Pettigrew (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Steven Schott (Nazareth, Pa.), vs. Ashton Davis (Cleveland, Tenn.) vs. No. 9 Kyonte Hamilton (Georgetown Prep, Md.)

285: No. 2 Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.) vs. Elijah Anthony (Blair Academy, N.J.), Jordan Agosto (Danburgy, Ct.) vs. Kevin Hudson (Caesar Rodney, Del.); Max Millin (Massillon Perry, Ohio) vs. James Howard (McCallie School, Tenn.), Ben Grafton (North Allegheny, Pa.) vs. Coltin Deerry (Malvern Prep, Pa.)]]>87170Sun, 22 Dec 2019 03:51:16 +0000Blair Academy looks to win Beast of the East for 24th timehttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/blair-academy-looks-to-win-beast-of-the-east-for-24th-time-r87156/Blair Academy's Marc-Anthony McGowan is ranked No. 1 nationally at 106 pounds (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)
The 27th edition of the Beast of the East is Saturday and Sunday from the Bob Carpenter Center on the campus of the University of Delaware. Ranked annually as the second best in-season high school tournament in the country, this year's edition features 13 nationally ranked teams, including seven of the top 16 teams in this week's national rankings. The entered field includes seven wrestlers ranked either No. 1 (2) or No. 2 (5) in the country at their respective weight classes. Current national No. 2 Blair Academy (N.J.) is the favorite to win this tournament for the 24th time, even absent arguably their two best wrestlers: Trevor Mastrogiovanni (126) and Shayne Van Ness (132).

Other nationally ranked teams in the field: No. 6 Bergen Catholic (N.J.), No. 8 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), No. 10 Malvern Prep (Pa.), No. 14 Brecksville (Ohio), No. 15 Elyria (Ohio), No. 16 Delbarton (N.J.), No. 31 Mount St. Joseph (Md.), No. 33 St. Joseph Montvale (N.J.), No. 35 Notre Dame-Green Pond (Pa.), No. 41 Nazareth (Pa.), No. 43 Waynesburg (Pa.), and No. 45 Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.)

Preliminary seeds, subject to check-in and weigh-in, were released for the tournament on Thursday night. Based on those preliminary seeds, the following wrestlers that are currently ranked are not in the tournament field: Shayne Van Ness (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 1 at 132 pounds; Noah Castillo (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), No. 11 at 152; Isaac Righter (Mount St. Joseph, Md.), No. 3 at 285. Van Ness and Righter also did not compete in the Ironman last week.

Since only some entrant information is available, the most consistent preview information is going to be to list the nationally ranked wrestlers and the respective preliminary seed position that they hold.

106:
1. No. 1 Marc-Anthony McGowan (Blair Academy, N.J.)
2. No. 6 Mac Church (Waynesburg, Pa.)
4. No. 19 Tyler Vazquez (Delbarton, N.J.)

113:
1. No. 2 Stevo Poulin (Shenendehowa, N.Y.)
2. No. 16 Erik Roggie (St. Christopher's, Va.)
3. No. 8 Brett Ungar (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.)

120:
1. Nick Kayal (Bergen Catholic, N.J.)
2. No. 2 Dean Peterson (St. John Vianney, N.J.)
3. No. 6 Cooper Flynn (McDonogh, Md.)
4. No. 12 Ryan Miller (Blair Academy, N.J.)
6. No. 8 Alex Almeyda (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.)

126:
1. No. 4 Eddie Ventresca (Pope John XXIII, N.J.)
2. No. 1 Robert Howard (Bergen Catholic, N.J.)
3. No. 3 Ryan Crookham (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.)
4. No. 16 Chris Barnabae (Mount St. Joseph's, Md.)
5. No. 7 Dylan Shawver (Elyria, Ohio)
6. No. 13 Nico Nardone (Delbarton, N.J.)
9. No. 15 Rocco Welsh (Waynesburg, Pa.)

132:
1. Joey Olivieri (Hanover Park, N.J.)
2. Matt Vulakh (Pope John II, Pa.)
3. No. 19 Dylan Cedeno (Bergen Catholic, N.J.)

138:
1. No. 6 (at 132) Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.)
2. No. 8 Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio)
3. No. 7 Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.)
4. No. 11 Wyatt Henson (Waynesburg, Pa.)
5. No. 14 (at 132) Chris Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.)

145:
1. No. 2 Victor Voinovich (Brecksville, Ohio)
2. Jackson Dean (Caesar Rodney, Del.)
3. No. 17 Jagger Condomiti (Northampton, Pa.)
4. No. 12 Manzona Bryant (Hudson WRA, Ohio)
5. No. 10 (at 138) Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.)
6. No. 4 Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.)
7. No. 20 Deshawn Farber (Nazareth, Pa.)
8. No. 8 Joseph Zargo (Bergen Catholic, N.J.)

152:
1. No. 4 Dalton Harkins (Malvern Prep, Pa.)
2. No. 2 Travis Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.)

160:
1. No. 7 Andrew Cerniglia (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.)
2. No. 6 Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.)
3. Matthew Arciuolo (Saucon Valley, Pa.)
4. No. 15 Luke Nichter (Chambersburg, Pa.)
7. No. 12 Dylan Fishback (Aurora, Ohio)
8. No. 19 Thomas Stewart (Blair Academy, N.J.)

170:
1. No. 8 Domonic Mata (Blair Academy, N.J.)
2. Connor O'Neill (DePaul Catholic, N.J.)
3. No. 17 (at 160) Dylan Reinert (Gettysburg, Pa.)
4. No. 16 (at 182) Angel Garcia (Mariana Bracetti Academy, Pa.)
6. No. 15 Jaden Bullock (Oscar Smith, Va.)

182:
1. No. 3 John Poznanski (Colonia, N.J.)
2. No. 7 Rylan Rogers (Blair Academy, N.J.)
3. No. 14 Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio)
5. No. 15 (at 195) Sam Fisher (Fauquier, Va.)

195:
1. No. 12 Nicholas Feldman (Malvern Prep, Pa.)
2. No. 14 Ben Vanadia (Brecksville, Ohio)
3. No. 9 Peyton Craft (Blair Academy, N.J.)

220:
1. No. 4 Ethan Hatcher (Brecksville, Ohio)
2. P.J. Casale (Delbarton, N.J.)
3. No. 12 Noah Pettigrew (Blair Academy, N.J.)
5. No. 18 (at 195) Kyle Jacob (Paramus, N.J.)

285:
1. No. 2 Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.)]]>87156Fri, 20 Dec 2019 14:11:20 +0000St. Edward High School suspends part-time wrestling coachhttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/st-edward-high-school-suspends-part-time-wrestling-coach-r87134/
An email sent to parents from St. Ed's principal reports possible "inappropriate sexual conduct" towards a student on the part of a member of the wrestling coaching staff. The alleged behavior was brought to the school's attention last Thursday morning.

According to the statement from principal K.C. McKenna, upon learning of the allegation, "we immediately contacted the Lakewood Police Department and suspended the coach indefinitely, pending the outcome of the investigation. He was instructed to have no contact with anyone involved with the school. We are cooperating fully with the authorities during their investigation, which is ongoing."

McKenna's statement also encouraged students who may have been a victim to immediately contact Lakewood police.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that no charges have been filed in Lakewood Municipal nor Cuyahoga County courts.

St. Edward High School is a boys-only Roman Catholic school located in Lakewood, a suburb immediately west of downtown Cleveland. Founded in 1949, St. Ed has an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students.

St. Ed's wrestling is highly respected within the state of Ohio and across the nation. Since 1959, the school's mat program has earned 33 state team titles, most recently earlier this year.]]>87134Tue, 17 Dec 2019 22:48:16 +0000Five takeaways from Walsh Jesuit Ironmanhttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/five-takeaways-from-walsh-jesuit-ironman-r87108/Drew Munch pinned his way to the finals before beating a ranked wrestler to win the title (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)
The nation's top in-season high school wrestling tournament was contested this weekend at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio -- the 26th edition of the Walsh Ironman. Fifteen nationally ranked teams were among the field that contested the event on Friday and Saturday, while approximately 65 ranked wrestlers were in the competition. In such an elite event, there are a lot of observations to made, some of them are contained here.

A new national No. 1 team

The top two teams in the Fab 50 national high school team rankings in the field, they finished first and second in the standings. Leading the standings was No. 2 Wyoming Seminary (Pa.), while No. 1 Blair Academy (N.J.) finished second. The margin in the standings was 45.5 points, 234.5 to 189.

The absence of defending tournament champions Trevor Mastrogiovanni (126) and Shayne Van Ness (132) probably cost Blair Academy a net of 50-55 points; while the absence of Kyle Costello (195) and Jacob Kaminski (285) for Wyoming Seminary was about a 30-point net loss for the Blue Knights.

In terms of wrestling-related reasons for why the Blue Knights won the tournament, one can point to thee significant "above slot" performances. Unranked Drew Munch (132) pinned his way to the championship match and then beat a ranked wrestler in the finals bout; Lachlan McNeil (145) knocked off the national No. 1 in his championship match; and unranked freshman Gabe Arnold (160) beat a pair of ranked wrestlers on the way to a third-place finish.

Wyoming Seminary went 4-0 in semifinal matches on the way to three championships, while the other nine wrestlers they entered advanced to at minimum the consolation round of 12 with six of those wrestlers earning podium finishes. On the other hand, Blair Academy went 3-3 in the semifinals on the way to two championships but only placing seven wrestlers in total.

Dalton Harkins gets his hand raised after winning a title at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)

152 pounds of crazy

The 152-pound weight class bracket featured seven nationally ranked wrestlers entering the tournament: No. 2 Travis Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 5 Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.), No. 6 Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), No. 8 B.J. Bailey (Thornton Fractional North, Ill.), No. 11 Connor Kievman (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 13 Bryce Hepner (St. Edward, Ohio), and No. 18 Noah Castillo (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.).

However, when the tournament was done, the champion was the unranked Dalton Harkins (Malvern Prep, Pa.), a wrestler that was not really even a consideration for the top 20 entering the tournament coming off a fourth-place finish last year in the 138-pound weight class at National Preps (he was third the two years previous). Harkins used a second period escape and a third period ride-out in which Bailey was hit with two stall calls to win 2-0 in the round of 16; he beat Cole Handlovic (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) 4-1 in the tiebreaker in the quarters; then it was a takedown and turn in the second period to key a 9-2 victory over Hall in the semifinal.

The championship match against Mastrogiovanni that went to overtime was interesting to say the least. Harkins did not score a takedown in regulation, while Mastrogiovanni had two. Harkins scored his points on an escape in each period, an unnecessary roughness penalty in the second period, and a second stalling call in the third period. The action leading to the pin in overtime was off a chin whip.

The front-side loss for the fourth and fifth place finishers in this weight class came to wrestlers that lost in the consolation round of 12: Castillo lost 2-1 in the tiebreaker to Derek Fields (Brunswick, Ohio), while Enrique Munguia (Elyria, Ohio) lost 10-7 to Hepner; while the seventh and eighth place finishers split matches during the course of the tournament, Handlovic won 4-3 in the round of 16 while Caleb Dowling (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.) 3-0 for seventh.

In summary, the order of placement went NR, No. 2, No. 5, No. 18, NR, No. 6, NR, and NR; No. 11 and No. 13 lost one match short of placement, while No. 8 fell two matches before placement.

Team revelation: Malvern Prep, Pa.

Entering the tournament ranked No. 27 in the country, people knew the Friars were a pretty talented team. However, top five standings type noise was not expected: (1) five teams ranked inside the national top eight were in the field (2) no wrestler entered the weekend nationally ranked (3) no wrestler was seeded above fifth (4) only four wrestlers were seeded in placement positions.

What happened was three finalists and six placers. 14-seed Harkins and six-seed Deery emerged as champions; while Feldman, the Friars' highest seed at fifth, finished as runner-up. Also placing were Jack Wehmeyer in sixth, while Thomas Link and Dayton Delviscio finished eighth. Of those six wrestlers, two are seniors, one is a junior, two are sophomores, and one is a freshman.

Malvern Prep amassed 126.5 points on the way to a third-place finish, 78.5 of which were scored by non-seniors; a total that would have placed just behind 10th place Waynesburg, Pa. Eleven of their fourteen starters are underclassmen, including nine freshmen or sophomores; and there is strong talent coming from behind for head coach Nathan Lautar through their youth/club infrastructure.

Best championship path of the tournament: Frankie Tal-Shahar

Though Outstanding Wrestler honors went to Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) for upending the national No. 1 at 145 pounds in the championship bout, the most impressive championship path in my opinion was had by Tal-Shahar. A runner-up in this event last year at 132 pounds, he entered this tournament off a DNP at the preseason Super 32 Challenge, though his consolation loss was in the tiebreaker to a Cadet World Team participant.

In the round of 16, a late takedown was the difference in a 3-2 victory over talented sophomore Gavin Brown (Legacy Christian Academy, Ohio); while takedowns in the first and third period propelled the national No. 10 to a 5-2 win over No. 5 Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio); a third period takedown was the difference in a 3-1 win over No. 16 Nick Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio); before his 3-1 overtime victory over national No. 1 Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.).

Low margins Saturday

The second day of the tournament saw a hefty number of close bouts. By round of competition, here was the accounting for bouts that were either decided by two points or less in regulation or had to go beyond regulation time to have a winner emerge.

Consolation round of 12
  • 11/14 weight classes had at least one bout that was "close" (21/56 bouts)
  • Six bouts went beyond regulation
  • All four "blood round" bouts at 113, and three of four at 152 were "close"

    Semifinal
  • 11/14 weight classes had at least one "close bout" (15/28 bouts)
  • Seven bouts went beyond regulation
  • Both semis at 113, 138, 145, and 182 were "close"

    Consolation quarterfinals
  • 9/14 weight classes had at least one "close bout" (13/28 bouts)
  • Five bouts went beyond regulation
  • Both matches at 138 through 160 were "close"

    Consolation semifinals
  • 9/14 weight classes had at least one "close bout" (12/27 contested)
  • Four bouts went beyond regulation
  • Both matches at 132, 138, and 195 were "close"

    Championship finals
  • 9/14 were "close"
  • Four went beyond regulation]]>87108Mon, 16 Dec 2019 15:00:33 +0000Wyoming Seminary dominates Walsh Jesuit Ironman, McNeil named OWhttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/wyoming-seminary-dominates-walsh-jesuit-ironman-mcneil-named-ow-r87120/Wyoming Seminary dominated the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, winning by 45.5 points (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)
    CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio -- No. 2 Wyoming Seminary, Pa. made a statement in a big way as they won the Walsh Jesuit Ironman by 45.5 points over No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J.

    The Blue Knights placed 10 wrestlers, while their other three entrants were one match short of a top eight placement finish. They also went 4-0 in semifinal matches and had three wrestlers win weight class titles: No. 4 Nic Bouzakis (126), Drew Munch (132), and No. 4 Lachlan McNeil (145).

    Lachlan McNeil gets his hand raised after beating No. 1 Victor Voinovich (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)

    McNeil was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament after his 5-1 finals victory over No. 1 Victor Voinovich (Brecksville, Ohio), a match decided by two takedowns scored within the first minute of the bout; the unranked Munch won his first five matches of the tournament all by fall before a 10-4 championship victory over No. 14 Ethen Miller (Park Hill, Mo.); while Bouzakis won the evening's featured final 4-3 over No. 3 Ryan Crookham (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) in a match of the nation's top two overall Class of 2022 wrestlers.

    Joining McNeil in knocking off a national No. 1 in the final was No. 10 Frankie Tal-Shahar (American Heritage, Fla.), who beat Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 3-2 in the tiebreakers; Tal-Shahar beat two additional ranked wrestlers earlier in the tournament. The lone top-ranked wrestler to win a title was Marc-Anthony McGowan (Blair Academy, N.J.) at 106 pounds. Out of the four No. 2 ranked wrestlers in the bracket, only two won weight classes: Padraic Gallagher (St. Edward, Ohio) at 160 and Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) at 220; it was a third consecutive Ironman title for Amos, who steamrolled his way through the tournament, including wins over a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers.

    There were three unranked wrestlers to win weight classes. Joining Munch were unranked wrestlers Dalton Harkins (152) and Cole Deery (285), both from Malvern Prep, Pa. Harkins beat three top ten-ranked wrestlers, including a pin at 6:17 of overtime against No. 2 Travis Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.) in the final. Three unranked wrestlers were runner-up finishers: Jaden Bullock (Oscar Smith, Va.) at 170 pounds, Nicholas Feldman (Malvern Prep, Pa.) at 195, and Max Millin (Massillon Perry, Ohio) at 285; Bullock beat No. 2 Nevan Snodgrass (Kettering Fairmont, Ohio) 12-6 in the semifinal round.

    Further discussion of the tournament will come in an analysis article on Monday. Below are the team standings and medal match results.

    Team Standings:
    1. No. 2 Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) 234.5
    2. No. 1 Blair Academy (N.J.) 189
    3. No. 27 Malvern Prep (Pa.) 126.5
    4. No. 22 Brecksville (Ohio) 119
    5. No. 8 Montini Catholic (Ill.) 116
    6. No. 7 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.) 107.5
    7. Notre Dame-Green Pond (Pa.) 101
    8. No. 15 Elyria (Ohio) 95.5
    9. No. 4 St. Edward (Ohio) 84.5
    10. Waynesburg (Pa.) 82
    11. Parkersburg South (W.Va.) 75
    12. McDonogh School (Md.) 72
    13. Dublin Coffman (Ohio) 58.5
    (tie) Lake Gibson (Fla.)
    15. No. 48 Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.) 54.5
    (tie) Louisville (Ohio)
    17. No. 39 Broken Arrow (Okla.) 54
    18. No. 21 Chicago (Ill.) Mt. Carmel 53
    19. Park Hill (Mo.) 51
    20. Reynolds (Pa.) 50

    Other ranked teams:
    22. No. 29 Mount St. Joseph (Md.) 46.5
    29. No. 11 Cincinnati (Ohio) LaSalle 37.5
    31. No. 44 Christian Brothers College (Mo.) 35
    35. No. 32 Wadsworth (Ohio) 30

    Placement Match Results

    106:
    1st: No. 1 Marc-Anthony McGowan (Blair Academy, N.J.) dec. No. 9 Mac Church (Waynesburg, Pa.), 6-3
    3rd: Gabe Giampietro (Smyrna, Del.) dec. Marlon Yarbrough (Copley, Ohio) 13-7
    5th: Cael Keck (Park Hill, Mo.) pin Eligh Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) 1:36
    7th: No. 6 Daniel Sheen (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. Thomas Link (Malvern Prep, Pa.) 7-3

    113:
    1st: No. 10 Gary Steen (Reynolds, Pa.) dec. No. 9 Brett Ungar (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) 6-4
    3rd: No. 8 Diego Sotelo (Marmion Academy, Ill.) pin No. 18 Jacob Moon (Oregon Clay, Ohio) 2:29
    5th: Brennen Cernus (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. No. 15 Erik Roggie (St. Christopher's, Va.) 3-1, overtime
    7th: Sean Seefeldt (St. Edward, Ohio) dec. Nick Gonzalez (Montini Catholic, Ill.) 3-2

    120:
    1st: No. 9 Jordan Titus (Center Moriches, N.Y.) dec. No. 7 Cooper Flynn (McDonogh School, Md.) 5-2, tiebreaker
    3rd: No. 14 Ryan Miller (Blair Academy, N.J.) over No. 15 Dustin Norris (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) by forfeit
    5th: Nasir Bailey (Thornton Fractional North, Ill.) dec. Brennen Van Hoecke (Palmetto Ridge, Fla.) 7-4
    7th: Brendon Chlestos (Notre Dame-Green Poind, Pa.) dec. Dayton Delviscio (Malvern Prep, Pa.) 12-6

    126:
    1st: No. 4 Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. No. 3 Ryan Crookham (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) 4-3
    3rd: No. 12 Dylan Shawver (Elyria, Ohio) dec. No. 6 Dylan Ragusin (Montini Catholic, Ill.) 3-1, overtime
    5th: Rocco Welsh (Waynesburg, Pa.) dec. No. 16 Chris Barnabae (Mount St. Joseph's, Md.) 7-4
    7th: No. 20 Vince Cornella (Monarch, Colo.) dec. Garrett Lautzenheiser (Louisville, Ohio) 9-2

    132:
    1st: Drew Munch (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. No. 14 Ethen Miller (Park Hill, Mo.) 10-4
    3rd: No. 13 Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (Seneca Valley, Pa.) dec. Jimmy Carmany (Brecksville, Ohio) 5-0
    5th: No. 9 Chris Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) major dec. Davin Rhoads (Louisville, Ohio) 9-0
    7th: Evan Buchanan (Atlee, Va.) dec. Noah Mis (Chicago Mt. Carmel, Ill.) 6-4

    138:
    1st: No. 10 Frankie Tal-Shahar (American Heritage, Fla.) dec. No. 1 Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 3-2, tiebreaker
    3rd: No. 9 Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) dec. No. 11 Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) 1-0
    5th: No. 5 Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio) dec. No. 16 Nick Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) 4-2, tiebreaker
    7th: Drew Roberts (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) over No. 8 Wyatt Henson (Waynesburg, Pa.) by forfeit

    145:
    1st: No. 4 Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. No. 1 Victor Voinovich (Brecksville, Ohio) 5-1
    3rd: No. 7 Fidel Mayora (Montini Catholic, Ill.) dec. No. 12 Manzona Bryant (Hudson WRA, Ohio) 3-0
    5th: Blake Saito (Perrysburg, Ohio) dec. Gavin Quiocho (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) 4-3, ultimate tiebreaker
    7th: Jackson Dean (Caesar Rodney, Del.) dec. Aaden Valdez (Pueblo East, Colo.) 8-3

    152:
    1st: Dalton Harkins (Malvern Prep, Pa.) pin No. 2 Travis Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.) 6:17, overtime
    3rd: No. 5 Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.) dec. No. 18 Noah Castillo (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) 3-2
    5th: Enrique Munguia (Elyria, Ohio) dec. No. 6 Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) 2-1
    7th: Caleb Dowling (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.) dec. Cole Handlovic (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) 3-0

    160:
    1st: No. 2 Padraic Gallagher (St. Edward, Ohio) dec. No. 7 Andrew Cerniglia (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) 4-3
    3rd: Gabriel Arnold (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. Luca Augustine (Waynesburg, Pa.) 4-3
    5th: No. 8 John Martin Best (Parkersburg, W.Va.) dec. Jack Wehmeyer (Malvern Prep, Pa.) 3-1
    7th: Connor Strong (Mount St. Joseph's, Md.) over No. 7 (at 152) A.J. Kovacs (Iona Prep, N.Y.) by forfeit

    170:
    1st: No. 14 Tyler Stoltzfus (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.) dec. Jaden Bullock (Oscar Smith, Va.) 10-6
    3rd: No. 2 Nevan Snodgrass (Kettering Fairmont, Ohio) dec. No. 4 Dominic Mata (Blair Academy, N.J.) 8-4
    5th: Jax Leonard (Louisville, Ohio) dec. No. 18 Andrew Donahue (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 2-0
    7th: Bailey Flanagan (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) major dec. Ethan Anderson (Aurora, Ohio) 15-1

    182:
    1st: No. 9 Rylan Rogers (Blair Academy, N.J.) dec. No. 20 Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio) 5-4
    3rd: No. 18 Ashton Habeil (Lake Gibson, Fla.) dec. Dominic Solis (McDonogh School, Md.) 10-5
    5th: Ethan Ducca (Ashtabula St. John, Ohio) over No. 7 Anthony D'Alesio (Canfield, Ohio) by forfeit
    7th: Cole Rees (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. No. 17 J.T. Davis (Smyrna, Del.) 3-1

    195:
    1st: No. 9 Seth Shumate (Dublin Coffman, Ohio) dec. Nicholas Feldman (Malvern Prep, Pa.) 10-8
    3rd: No. 4 Peyton Craft (Blair Academy, N.J.) pin Emmanuel Skillings (Broken Arrow, Okla.) 4:35
    5th: Ben Vanadia (Brecksville, Ohio) major dec. No. 11 Sam Fisher (Fauquier, Va.) 13-5
    7th: Jordan Greer (Avon, Ohio) dec. No. 17 Nick Wimmer (McDonogh School, Md.) 3-1, overtime

    220:
    1st: No. 2 Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) dec. No. 4 Ethan Hatcher (Brecksville, Ohio) 7-1
    3rd: No. 15 Kyonte Hamilton (Georgetown Prep, Md.) dec. No. 9 Kolby Franklin (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 6-3
    5th: No. 20 Grady Griess (Northwest, Neb.) dec. No. 8 Noah Pettigrew (Blair Academy, N.J.) 9-5
    7th: Lazar Gasic (North Royalton, Ohio) dec. Riley Ucker (Dublin Coffman, Ohio) 3-2

    285:
    1st: Cole Deery (Malvern Prep, Pa.) dec. Max Millin (Massillon Perry, Ohio) 3-1, overtime
    3rd: Caden Hill (Ashland Crestview, Ohio) over Matthias Ervin (Union County, Ky.) by injury default at 1:00
    5th: Sam McNulty (Sandusky Perkins, Ohio) over No. 10 Garrett Kappes (McDonogh School, Md.) by forfeit
    7th: Ryan Elrod (Ashtabula St. John, Ohio) dec. Hugo Harp (Smyrna, Del.) 9-4]]>    87120Sun, 15 Dec 2019 02:32:48 +0000    Finals set at Walsh Jesuit Ironman, Wyoming Seminary leads team racehttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/finals-set-at-walsh-jesuit-ironman-wyoming-seminary-leads-team-race-r87118/Beau Bartlett advanced to the finals at 138 pounds (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)
    CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio -- The finals are set at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman. Wyoming Seminary leads the team race heading into final session.

    106:
    No. 1 Marc-Anthony McGowan (Blair Academy, N.J.) maj dec. Gabe Giampietro (Smyrna, Del.), 10-1
    No. 9 Mac Church (Waynesburg, Pa.) dec. Eligh Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), 7-5

    113:
    No. 9 Brett Ungar (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) dec. No. 8 Diego Sotelo (Marmion Catholic, Ill.), 3-1 SV
    No. 10 Gary Steen (Reynolds, Pa.) dec. No. 15 Erik Roggie (St. Christopher's, Va.), 2-0

    120:
    No. 9 Jordan Titus (Center Moriches, N.Y.) dec. No. 15 Dustin Norris (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio), 9-4
    No. 7 Cooper Flynn (McDonogh, Md.) dec. No. 14 Ryan Miller (Blair Academy, N.J.), 3-1 SV

    126:
    No. 3 Ryan Crookham (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) dec. No. 12 Dylan Shawver (Elyria, Ohio), 7-2
    No. 4 Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. No. 6 Dylan Ragusin (Montini Catholic, Ill.), 6-5

    132:
    No. 14 Kal Miller (Park Hill, Mo.) dec. No. 13 Alejandro Herrea-Rondon (Seneca Valley, Pa.), 1-0 UTB
    Drew Munch (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) pinned Davin Rhoads (Louisville, Ohio), 0:43

    138:
    No. 1 Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. No. 9 Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), 3-1
    No. 10 Frankie Tal-Shahar (American Heritage, Fla.) dec. No. 16 Nick Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), 3-1

    145:
    No. 1 Victor Voinovich (Brecksville, Ohio) dec. No. 7 Fidel Mayora (Montini Catholic, Ill.), 2-1 TB
    No. 4 Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. No. 12 Manzona Bryant (Hudson WRA, Ohio), 6-4

    152:
    No. 2 Travis Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.) dec. No. 6 Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), 4-1
    Dalton Harkins (Malvern Prep, Pa.) dec. No. 5 Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.), 9-2

    160:
    No. 2 Padraic Gallagher (St. Edward, Ohio) maj. dec. No. 8 John Martin Best (Parkersburg, W.Va.), 15-4
    No. 7 Andrew Cerniglia (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) maj. dec. Jack Wehmeyer (Malvern Prep, Pa.), 9-0

    170:
    Jaden Bullock (Oscar Smith, Va.) dec. No. 2 Nevan Snodgrass (Kettering Fairmont, Ohio), 12-6
    No. 14 Tyler Stoltzfus (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.) dec. No. 4 Dominic Mata (Blair Academy, N.J.), 4-2 SV

    182:
    No. 20 Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio) pinned No. 7 Anthony D'Alesio (Canfield, Ohio), 7:57
    No. 9 Rylan Rogers (Blair Academy, N.J.) dec. No. 18 Ashton Habeil (Lake Gibson, Fla.), 11-9

    195:
    Nicholas Feldman (Malvern Prep, Pa.) dec. Ben Vanadia (Brecksville, Ohio), 3-1 SV
    No. 9 Seth Shumate (Dublin Coffman, Ohio) dec. No. 11 Sam Fisher (Fauquier, Va.), 6-3

    220:
    No. 2 Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) maj. dec. No. 8 Noah Pettigrew (Blair Academy, N.J.), 10-2
    No. 4 Ethan Hatcher (Brecksville, Ohio) dec. No. 20 Grady Griess (Northwest, Neb.), 6-5

    285:
    Max Millin (Massillon Perry, Ohio) dec. No. 10 Garrett Kappes (McDonogh, Md.), 5-2
    Cole Deery (Malvern Prep, Pa.) pinned Sam McNulty (Sandusky Perkins, Ohio), 1:38]]>    87118Sat, 14 Dec 2019 20:24:26 +0000    Walsh Jesuit Ironman Team Standings, Semifinal Matchupshttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/walsh-jesuit-ironman-team-standings-semifinal-matchups-r87115/
    Team Standings:
    1. No. 2 Wyoming Seminary, Pa. 136.5 (4 semifinalists/9 consolation-12)
    2. No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J. 116.0 (6/2)
    3. No. 8 Montini Catholic, Ill. 101 (2/6)
    4. No. 22 Brecksville, Ohio 84 (3/3)
    5. No. 27 Malvern Prep, Pa. 77.5 (4/3)
    6. No. 7 Lake Highland Prep, Fla. 72.5 (1/6)
    7. No. 4 St. Edward, Ohio 66.5 (1/4)
    8. Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa. 64 (3/1)
    9. No. 15 Elyria, Ohio 61.5 (2/3)
    10. Parkersburg South, W.Va. 54 (2/1)

    Other nationally ranked teams:
    12. No. 21 Chicago Mt. Carmel, Ill. 51 (0/4)
    15. No. 48 Bethlehem Catholic, Pa. 45.5 (1/2)
    16. No. 39 Broken Arrow, Okla. 44 (0/3)
    21-T. No. 44 Christian Brothers College, Mo. 35 (0/1)
    24-T. No. 11 Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio 32.5 (1/1)
    24-T. No. 29 Mount St. Joseph's, Md. 32.5 (0/2)
    28-T. No. 32 Wadsworth, Ohio 30 (0/1)

    Below are the semifinal pairings:

    106: No. 1 Marc-Anthony McGowan (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Gabe Giampietro (Smyrna, Del.), Eligh Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) vs. No. 9 Mac Church (Waynesburg, Pa.)
    113: No. 9 Brett Ungar (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) vs. No. 8 Diego Sotelo (Marmion Catholic, Ill.), No. 10 Gary Steen (Reynolds, Pa.) vs. No. 15 Erik Roggie (St. Christopher's, Va.)
    120: No. 9 Jordan Titus (Center Moriches, N.Y.) vs. No. 15 Dustin Norris (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio), No. 7 Cooper Flynn (McDonogh, Md.) vs. No. 14 Ryan Miller (Blair Academy, N.J.)
    126: No. 3 Ryan Crookham (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) vs. No. 12 Dylan Shawver (Elyria, Ohio), No. 6 Dylan Ragusin (Montini Catholic, Ill.) vs. No. 4 Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.)
    132: No. 13 Alejandro Herrea-Rondon (Seneca Valley, Pa.) vs. No. 14 Kal Miller (Park Hill, Mo.), Drew Munch (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) vs. Davin Rhoads (Louisville, Ohio)
    138: No. 1 Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) vs. No. 9 Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), No. 10 Frankie Tal-Shahar (American Heritage, Fla.) vs. No. 16 Nick Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio)
    145: No. 1 Victor Voinovich (Brecksville, Ohio) vs. No. 7 Fidel Mayora (Montini Catholic, Ill.), No. 12 Manzona Bryant (Hudson WRA, Ohio) vs. No. 4 Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.)
    152: No. 2 Travis Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. No. 6 Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), Dalton Harkins (Malvern Prep, Pa.) vs. No. 5 Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.)
    160: No. 2 Padraic Gallagher (St. Edward, Ohio) vs. No. 8 John Martin Best (Parkersburg, W.Va.), No. 7 Andrew Cerniglia (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) vs. Jack Wehmeyer (Malvern Prep, Pa.)
    170: No. 2 Nevan Snodgrass (Kettering Fairmont, Ohio) vs. Jaden Bullock (Oscar Smith, Va.), No. 14 Tyler Stoltzfus (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.) vs. No. 4 Dominic Mata (Blair Academy, N.J.)
    182: No. 7 Anthony D'Alesio (Canfield, Ohio) vs. No. 20 Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio), No. 18 Ashton Habeil (Lake Gibson, Fla.) vs. No. 9 Rylan Rogers (Blair Academy, N.J.)
    195: Ben Vanadia (Brecksville, Ohio) vs. Nicholas Feldman (Malvern Prep, Pa.), No. 9 Seth Shumate (Dublin Coffman, Ohio) vs. No. 11 Sam Fisher (Fauquier, Va.)
    220: No. 2 Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) vs. No. 8 Noah Pettigrew (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 20 Grady Griess (Northwest, Neb.) vs. No. 4 Ethan Hatcher (Brecksville, Ohio)
    285: No. 10 Garrett Kappes (McDonogh, Md.) vs. Max Millin (Massillon Perry, Ohio), Cole Deery (Malvern Prep, Pa.) vs. Sam McNulty (Sandusky Perkins, Ohio)]]>    87115Sat, 14 Dec 2019 02:39:52 +0000    Walsh Jesuit Ironman Previewhttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/walsh-jesuit-ironman-preview-r87110/Braxton Amos will look to capture his third straight Walsh Jesuit Ironman title (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)
    The Walsh Jesuit Ironman, perennially the nation's premier regular season high school wrestling tournament, celebrates its 26th edition this Friday and Saturday. The event is held annually just southeast of Cleveland, Ohio and yet again features the nation's top two teams (Blair Academy, N.J. and Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) along with a plethora of other highly ranked teams and individuals.

    Based on preliminary registration, there are 70 ranked wrestlers, including 41 within the top ten of their respective weight classes. The field features three wrestlers ranked No. 1 nationally: Marc-Anthony McGowan (Blair Academy, N.J.) at 106 pounds, Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) at 138, and Victor Voinovich (Brecksville, Ohio) at 145. Another five wrestlers are ranked second in the country, and are also the top seed in their weight class: Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.) at 126, Travis Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.) at 152, Padraic Gallgher (St. Edward, Ohio) at 160, Nevan Snodgrass (Kettering Fairmont, Ohio) at 170, and Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) at 220.

    From a team perspective, No. 4 St. Edward (Ohio), No. 7 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), and No. 8 Montini Catholic (Ill.) join Blair Academy and Wyoming Seminary as top ten ranked teams in the field; also among the high end ranked teams are No. 11 Cincinnati LaSalle (Ohio) and No. 15 Elyria (Ohio). Rounding out the group of fifteen ranked teams are No. 21 Chicago (Ill.) Mt. Carmel, No. 22 Brecksville (Ohio), No. 27 Malvern Prep (Pa.), No. 29 Mount St. Joseph (Md.), No. 32 Wadsworth (Ohio), No. 39 Broken Arrow (Okla.), No. 44 Christian Brothers College (Mo.), and No. 48 Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.).

    Of massive implication in the team title race, Blair Academy will be absent arguably their two best wrestlers: Trevor Mastrogiovanni, who is ranked No. 2 nationally at 126, and Shayne Van Ness, who is ranked No. 1 at 132 pounds; while Wyoming Seminary will be absent Jacob Kaminski, who is ranked No. 3 at 285.

    Among teams on the outside looking in, look for Notre Dame-Green Pond (Pa.) to make a ton of noise in the event with their three wrestlers that are ranked in the top ten nationally. An event of this structure significantly favors their type of roster, and a performance at expectation should see them in the Fab 50 next week. Park Hill (Mo.) is a perennially ranked team with some talent, though the Trojans are absent two nationally ranked wrestlers this week that will be returning for the Kansas City Stampede; Waynesburg (Pa.) features a pair of wrestlers ranked in the top ten nationally; while Louisville (Ohio) returns a pair of state champions, but their roster balance is more likely to thrive in a tournament of slightly lesser caliber.

    Wrestling will start at 10 a.m. ET on Friday morning, and the quarterfinals will occur before the end of the session on Friday. Saturday's competition will begin at 10 a.m. with at least one round of consolation before the semifinals are scheduled for approximately 12 Noon. Matches for the championship, third, and fifth place are slated for 4:45 p.m. Bracketing and web coverage of the tournament is available on Trackwrestling, while streaming of the bouts will occur through FloWrestling.

    Below is a weight-by-weight overview of the field.

    Note: Entrants subject to change.

    106: Marc-Anthony McGowan (Blair Academy, N.J.) is the tournament's top seed and the clear favorite; ranked No. 1 in the country at his weight class, and overall in the Class of 2023, he was a Cadet World champion in freestyle this past summer. Two other nationally ranked wrestlers feature in the weight class: No. 6 Daniel Sheen (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) and No. 9 Mac Church (Waynesburg, Pa.); Sheen was a Junior National freestyle champion this summer, while Church was runner-up to McGowan at the UWW Cadet Nationals this spring.

    Others to note in this weight class include 2019 Fargo freestyle All-Americans in Codie Cuerbo (Aurora, Ohio), Joe Fernau (Montini Catholic, Ill.), Cael Keck (Park Hill, Mo.), and Kolby Warren (Christian Brothers College, Mo.); returning state champion Gabe Giampietro (Smyrna, Del.); notable freshmen Christopher Earnest (Wadsworth, Ohio), Brock Herman (Lake Catholic, Ohio), Dominic Hoffarth (Louisville, Ohio), and Thomas Link (Malvern Prep, Pa.); along with state tournament participants Pacey Najdusak (Mason, Ohio) and Noel Rosales (Chicago Mt. Carmel, Ill.).

    113: Five nationally ranked wrestlers feature in this weight class, though there is no super-elite wrestler or for that matter true favorite. The tournament's top seed is No. 9 Brett Ungar (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.), who was a state champion last year when competing in New Jersey for Hunterdon Central; while the highest ranked wrestler is No. 8 Diego Sotelo (Marmion Academy, Ill.), a state champion who placed fourth at 106 in this tournament last year. Other nationally ranked wrestlers include No. 10 Gary Steen (Reynolds, Pa.), a 2018 state champion who was third in this tournament last year; No. 15 Erik Roggie (St. Christopher's, Va.), a Super 32 placer and National prep runner-up; and No. 18 Jacob Moon (Oregon Clay, Ohio), a returning state placer and 2017 Walsh Ironman semifinalist.

    Additional wrestlers to watch include state champions Brennen Cernus (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), Peyton Fenton (Elyria, Ohio), Paul Garcia (Scottsbluff, Neb.), and Richard Treanor (Hough, N.C.); returning state runners-up Kenneth Crosby (Akron SVSM, Ohio) and Nick Gonzalez (Montini Catholic, Ill.); along with notable freshmen Nasir Bailey (Thornton Fractional North, Ill.), Sergio Lemley (Chicago Mt. Carmel, Ill.), David McClelland (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), and Santino Robinson (Christian Brothers College, Pa.).

    120: Very similar to the weight below, five nationally ranked wrestlers without a super-elite wrestler or clear favorite. The top seed is No. 9 Jordan Titus (Center Moriches, N.Y.), a state champion and NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion who placed fourth at the Super 32 two months ago; while the highest ranked wrestler is No. 7 Cooper Flynn (McDonogh, Md.), a three-time Fargo freestyle All-American and champion at the NHSCA freshman and sophomore nationals. Other nationally ranked wrestlers include No. 14 Ryan Miller (Blair Academy, N.J.), a two-time National Prep champion and 2017 Walsh Ironman runner-up; No. 15 Dustin Norris (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio), a state champion and two-time Fargo freestyle All-American; and No. 20 Kyle Rowan (Perry, Ohio), a state champion and last year's 106 pound champion in this tournament.

    Other wrestlers to watch include state champions Brandon Crowder (Christiansburg, Va.), Colton Drousias (Chicago Mt. Carmel, Ill.), and Gregor McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.); state and/or National Prep runners-up Dylan Chappell (Seneca Valley, Pa.), Bryce Cockrell (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Dayton Delviscio (Malvern Prep, Pa.), Brennan Van Hoecke (Palmetto Ridge, Fla.), and Cael Woods (West Holmes, Ohio); along with freshmen Boede Campbell (Legacy Christian Academy, Ohio), Weston Dalton (Pueblo East, Colo.), Ethan Mojena (Tampa Prep, Fla.), and Vincent Robinson (Marian Catholic, Ill.). Meriting significant attention are two other wrestlers that had major upset wins last weekend in Chris Kim (Germantown Academy, Pa.) and Nain Vazquez (Montini Catholic): Kim, a two-time fourth place finisher at National Preps pinned Ryan Miller; while two-time state fourth place finisher Vazquez beat Drousias in overtime.

    126: Even without Trevor Mastrogiovanni, last year's champion at 120 pounds, this is a loaded weight class with seven ranked wrestlers. That total is tied with 138 for second most in the tournament, 152 pounds has eight. The battle for the crown will likely be waged between the top two overall Class of 2022 wrestlers in the country, Ryan Crookham (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) and Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), who are ranked 3rd and 4th in this weight class nationally.

    Additional nationally ranked wrestlers include No. 6 Dylan Ragusin (Montini Catholic, Ill.), a Junior world team member in Greco-Roman and two-time placer in this tournament; No. 12 Dylan Shawver (Elyria, Ohio), a three-time state placer and returning placer at this tournament; No. 16 Chris Barnabae (Mount St. Joseph, Md.), a three-time National prep placer; No. 19 Jackson Cockrell (Broken Arrow, Okla.), third in Junior freestyle this summer; and No. 20 Vince Cornella (Monarch, Colo.), a two-time state champion.

    Other notables in the field include returning Ironman placers Richard Fedalen (McDonogh, Md.) and Daniel Wask (Blair Academy, N.J.); state champion Garrett Lautzenheier (Louisville, Ohio); three-time state placers Peyton Burgdorf (Firelands, Ohio) and Connor Williams (Lake Gibson, Fla.); 16U freestyle All-American Kyren Butler (Copley, Ohio); along with notable freshmen Joey Blaze (Perrysburg, Ohio), Nick Hart (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), Dy'vaire VanDyke (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio), and Rocco Welsh (Waynesburg, Pa.).

    132: The total of three nationally ranked wrestlers is the joint fewest, along with 106 and 285. The top seed in this weight class is No. 13 Alejandro Herrera (Seneca Valley, Pa.), a two-time state champion who was champion at 113 in this tournament last year. Also ranked are No. 9 Chris Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), a three-time state champion who was runner-up in this tournament at 138 last year; and No. 14 Ethen Miller (Park Hill, Mo.), a Junior National freestyle runner-up this summer. Next in line among the field is Drew Munch (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), a 2017 National Prep champion and returning Walsh Ironman placer.

    Additional notables in the field include state champions Evan Buchanan (Atlee, N.C.), Jaxon Maroney (Cardinal Gibbons, N.C.), and Davin Rhoads (Louisville, Ohio); multi-time state placers Jimmy Carmany (Brecksville, Ohio), Chris Kelly (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), Nathan Porter (Mount St. Joseph, Md.), Ethan Turner (Troy Christian, Ohio), Casey Wiles (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio), and Wyatt Yapoujian (Byers, Colo.); state placers Noah Mis (Chicago Mt. Carmel, Ill.), Logan Ours (Beaver Local, Ohio), and Matthew Williams (CVCA, Ohio); 16U freestyle All-American Ismael Ayoub (Dublin Coffman, Ohio); along with freshmen Clayton Gabrielson (McDonogh, Md.), Patrick Jordon (New Kent, Va.), and Ethan Stiles (Montini Catholic, Ill.)

    138: An absolutely loaded weight class anchored by national No. 1 Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), a three-time National Prep champion and three-time Ironman placer who won here at 120 as a freshman in 2016. Five other members of the top 11 in the national rankings are in this field: No. 5 Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio), a returning state champion and two-time Fargo freestyle runner-up; No. 8 Wyatt Henson (Waynesburg, Pa.), twice a Super 32 placer and twice third in Fargo freestyle; No. 9 Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), runner-up at the Super 32 this fall and a returning Ironman placer; No. 10 Frankie Tal-Shahar (American Heritage, Fla.), runner-up last year in this tournament at 132 and a state champion; along with No. 11 Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), runner-up at the NHSCA Junior Nationals and Super 32 as well as a 2017 state champion.

    Also ranked nationally is No. 16 Nick Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), a Super 32 placer this fall and twice a state runner-up. Additional wrestlers to watch include Junior National freestyle All-American Drew Roberts (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho); 16U freestyle All-Americans Cody Chittum (Blair Academy, N.J.) and Gavin Brown (Legacy Christian Academy, Ohio), who also was a state champion last season; state champion Joey Miller (Musselman, W.Va.); state runner-up Jared Hill (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Cole McComas (Beaver Local, Ohio), and Jake Nifenegger (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio); two-time state placers Sincere Bailey (Thornton Fractional North, Ill.) and Zack Witmer (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.); along with NHSCA Freshman national champion Kal Miller (Park Hill, Mo.).

    145: Anchoring this weight class is national No. 1 Victor Voinovich (Brecksville, Ohio); he was a state champion in 2018, while this off-season he placed at the UWW Junior Nationals and was runner-up at the Junior Nationals in freestyle. His most direct threat is likely to be No. 4 Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), champion at the Super 32 down in the 138-pound weight class and third in Junior freestyle also at 138. The other ranked wrestlers in this field are No. 7 Fidel Mayora (Montini Catholic, Ill.), a two-time state runner-up and returning Ironman placer; along with No. 12 Manzona Bryant (Hudson WRA, Ohio), a two-time Super32 placer and Junior freestyle All-American this summer.

    Additional wrestlers to note in this weight class include multi-time state champions Jackson Dean (Caesar Rodney, Del.) and Gavin Quiocho (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), state champions Dustin Morgillo (Genoa, Ohio) and Joey Natarcola (Smyrna, Del.), state runners-up Aaden Valez (Pueblo East, Colo.) and Travis Ragland (New Kent, Va.), three-time state placer Blake Saito (Perrysburg, Ohio), two-time Ironman placer Matt Lackman (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), UWW Cadet freestyle All-American Luke Geog (St. Edward, Ohio), impact freshman Lorenzo Norman (Blair Academy, N.J.), along with - despite relatively limited credentials - Myles Griffin (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) and Connor Gaynor (Chicago Mt. Carmel, Ill.).

    152: This looks to be the weight class of the tournament. It features eight nationally ranked wrestlers, which is most in the tournament, including six of them being in the top eleven. Leading the way is No. 2 Travis Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.), a two-time Ironman placer who won National Preps and was runner-up at the UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle this calendar year. Next in line is No. 5 Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.), who has placed seventh in this tournament the last two years and is also a two-time Super 32 placer (runner-up this year). No. 6 Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) is a two-time state champion and placed third at the Super 32 this fall; No. 7 A.J. Kovacs (Iona Prep, N.Y.) was a state champion, and since then finished runner-up at the NHSCA Junior nationals and placed at the Super 32; No. 8 B.J. Bailey (Thornton Fractional North, Ill.) was a state champion and Junior freestyle All-American this year; while No. 11 Connor Kievman (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) is a two-time National Prep champion.

    Also ranked nationally is No. 13 Bryce Hepner (St. Edward, Ohio), a two-time state champion and 2017 Walsh Ironman placer; and No. 18 Noah Castillo (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), a state champion in 2017. A whole slew of other notable wrestlers is in this field: state champions Kevin Contos (Genoa, Ohio), Nick Vafiadis (New Kent, Va.), and Vincent Zerban (Christian Brothers College, Mo.); state runners-up David Cumberledge (Aurora, Ohio), Enrique Munguia (Elyria, Ohio), and Douglas Terry (Granville, Ohio); UWW Cadet freestyle runner-up Derek Fields (Brunswick, Ohio); Ironman placer Cole Handlovic (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.); three-time state placers Caleb Dowling (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.), Dalton Harkins (Malvern Prep, Pa.), and Skyler Lasure (Beaver Local, Ohio); two-time state placers Joe Roberts (Montini Catholic, Ill.) and Daniel Patten (Stow, Ohio); along with NHSCA Freshman nationals champion Brody Conley (Tiffin Columbian, Ohio).

    160: In a field featuring four of the nation's top eight wrestlers, and six overall ranked wrestlers, No. 2 Padraic Gallgher (St. Edward, Ohio) is at the head of the class; Gallagher was a state champion last season, upending Ironman champion Connor Brady in the championship bout, and added a Junior National freestyle title to the resume in the summer. No. 4 Thayne Lawrence (Frazier, Pa.) is a two-time state champion and two-time Super 32 placer; No. 7 Andrew Cerniglia (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) is a returning state champion; while No. 8 John Martin Best (Parkersburg, W.Va.) is a two-time state champion and two-time Fargo freestyle runner-up. Also ranked are No. 11 Thomas Stewart (Blair Academy, N.J.), a 16U National freestyle champion; and No. 18 Dominic Isola (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), a state runner-up and Super 32 placer.

    Other notables in the weight class include state champions Jonathan Conrad (Carrollwood Day School, Fla.) and Dalton Russelberg (Union County, Ky.); state placers Noah Ewen (Perrysburg, Ohio), Brett McIntosh (Harrison, Ohio), Aaron Morton (Westerville South, Ohio), Keegan Rothrock (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.), and Connor Strong (Mount St. Joseph's, Md.); 16U Nationals freestyle All-American Tyler Lillard (Aurora, Ohio); state qualifier Luca Augustine (Waynesburg, Pa.); along with notable freshmen Gabriel Arnold (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), Camden McDaniel (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), and Brayden Thompson (Montini Catholic, Ill.).

    170: Two of the nation's top four in this weight class anchor the field, No. 2 Nevan Snodgrass (Kettering Fairmont, Ohio) and No. 4 Domonic Mata (Blair Academy, N.J.). Snodgrass, a three-time state placer, was third at the Ironman last year in this weight and third in Junior freestyle this summer; while National Prep champion Mata placed fourth last year at 160 in the Ironman and was a California state champion in 2018. Another pair of ranked wrestlers are contesting this weight class as well: No. 14 Tyler Stoltzfus (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.), a Super 32 placer and returning Ironman placer; along with No. 18 Andrew Donahue (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), a state runner-up at 182 in Indiana as a freshman last year.

    Additional wrestlers to watch include state champion Jaden Bullock (Oscar Smith, Va.); state runner-up Stephen Little (Union County, Ky.); three-time state placer Jax Leonard (Louisville, Ohio); state placers Ethan Anderson (Aurora, Ohio), Bailey Flanagan (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), Hudson Hightower (St. Edward, Ohio), Caden Rogers (Malvern Prep, Pa.), and Lucas White (Christian Brothers College, Mo.); along with 2018 state qualifier Dillon Walker (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio).

    182: Five nationally ranked wrestlers are among the field, a group led by No. 7 Anthony D'Alesio (Canfield, Ohio) and No. 9 Rylan Rogers (Blair Academy, N.J.). D'Alesio is a three-time state placer, and won state this past season after placing fourth at the Ironman; while the sophomore Rogers placed third at National Preps in the 195-pound weight class before runner-up finishes in freestyle at UWW Cadets (80 kilos) and 16U Nationals (170 pounds). No. 17 J.T. Davis (Smyrna, Del.) was a state champion and NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up this past season; No. 18 Ashton Habeil (Lake Gibson, Fla.) is a returning Ironman placer and a two-time previous state champion; while No. 20 Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio) is a returning Ironman placer and placed at the Super 32 in October.

    Other wrestlers to note include state champions Lucas Cochran (Box Elder, Utah), Micah Ervin (Union County, Ky.), Walker Stephenson (Hillcrest, S.C.), and Nathan Warden (Christiansburg, Va.); state runners-up Ethan Ducca (Ashtabula St. John, Ohio), Bryce Mattioda (Broken Arrow, Okla.), and Matthew Rogers (Wantagh, N.Y.); two-time state placers Cole Hivnor (Lake Catholic, Ohio) and David Tuttle (Steubenville, Ohio); National Prep placers Cole Rees (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) and Dominic Solis (McDonogh, Md.); state placers Jack Darrah (Christian Brothers College, Mo.), Jonathan List (Wadsworth, Ohio), Trevor Swier (Montini Catholic, Ill.), and Trevor Stewart (Urbana, Ohio); along with freshman Kyle Snider (CVCA, Ohio).

    195: Four nationally ranked wrestlers headline the field, led by No. 4 Peyton Craft (Blair Academy, N.J.), a returning Ironman placer and champion at both the NHSCA Sophomore and Freshman nationals. No. 9 Seth Shumate (Dublin Coffman, Ohio) won a state title last season as a freshman, following it up with a runner-up finish in freestyle at the UWW Cadet Nationals and then a 16U Nationals freestyle title; No. 11 Sam Fisher (Fauquier, Va.) is a three-time state champion and a returning Ironman placer; while No. 17 Jack Wimmer (McDonogh, Md.) is a two-time Ironman placer and two-time National Prep placer.

    Additional wrestlers in the field include state champion Emmanuel Skillings (Broken Arrow, Okla.); state runner-up Ben Vanadia (Brecksville, Ohio); National Prep placer and 16U freestyle All-American Nicholas Feldman (Malvern Prep, Pa.); state placers Jordan Greer (Avon, Ohio), Matt Kelly (Iona Prep, N.Y.), Dominic Loparo (Wadsworth, Ohio), and Brent Paulus (Louisville, Ohio); NHSCA Junior Nationals placer Kyle Costello (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.); along with two-time state qualifier Josh LaBarbera (Montini Catholic, Ill.).

    220: Two-time defending Ironman champion Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) is ranked No. 2 in the nation. Also a three-time Super 32 champion, the career undefeated Amos is the clear favorite even in a weight class with five other nationally ranked wrestlers. The challenge pack is led by No. 4 Ethan Hatcher (Brecksville, Ohio), a returning Ironman placer and NHSCA Junior National champion; he has also placed third at the state tournament, UWW Cadet Nationals freestyle, and Junior National freestyle in this calendar year.

    Notable sophomores Noah Pettigrew (Blair Academy, N.J.) and Kolby Franklin (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) are transfers in to their respective schools, and currently are ranked 8th and 9th nationally; Pettigrew out-placed Franklin at the UWW Cadet Nationals in the same weight class, though Franklin was a 16U Nationals champion one weight class above where Pettigrew took third. Also ranked are No. 15 Kyonte Hamilton (Georgetown Prep, Md.) and Grady Griess (Northwest, Neb.); Hamilton placed fourth at National Preps and was a NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion, while Griess was a state champion last season.

    Others in the field include state champion Matthew Kaplan (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.); state runner-up Max Fausnaugh (Bowling Green, Ohio); along with state qualifiers Lazar Gasic (North Royalton, Ohio), Nik Mishka (Chicago Mt. Carmel, Ill.), Blake Robbins (Louisville, Ohio), and Riley Ucker (Dublin Coffman, Ohio).

    285: Three nationally ranked wrestlers are present in the "big boys" weight class, a group led by No. 4 Isaac Righer (Mount St. Joseph's, Md.), a National Prep champion last year. Also ranked are No. 10 Garrett Kappes (McDonogh, Md.) and No. 15 Andy Garcia (Pueblo East, Colo.). Kappes is a three-time National Prep placer, and was a Super 32 semifinalist this fall as well as earning All-American honors in both styles of the 2018 Junior Nationals; while Garcia is a three-time state champion at 2018 Super 32 placer.

    Joining them in this weight class are four returning Ironman placers: Kade Carlson (Corner Canyon, Utah), Matthias Ervin (Union County, Ky.), Max Millin (Massillon Perry, Ohio), and Caden Hill (Ashland Crestview, Ohio). Carlson was state runner-up last year after winning a title in 2018, Ervin is a two-time state champion, Millin placed third at state, while Hill failed to qualify for state. Further additional wrestlers are state champions Hugo Harp (Smyrna, Del.) and Kevin Hudson (Caesar Rodney, Del.), state placers Cole Deery (Malvern Prep, Pa.) and Cole Potts (Columbus DeSales, Ohio), multi-time state qualifier Breslin Walker (CVCA, Ohio), 16U Nationals double All-American Ryan Elrod (Ashtabula St. John, Ohio), and Marlon Welty (Broken Arrow, Okla.).]]>    87110Thu, 12 Dec 2019 12:38:50 +0000    Pre-seeds released for Walsh Jesuit Ironman, 3 national No. 1's in fieldhttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/pre-seeds-released-for-walsh-jesuit-ironman-3-national-no-1s-in-field-r87098/
    The seeds are subject to change based on weigh-ins.

    106 pounds
    1. Marc-Anthony McGowan - Blair Academy, NJ
    2. Mac Church - Waynesburg Central, PA
    3. Daniel Sheen - Wyoming Seminary, PA
    4. Joe Fernau - Montini Catholic, IL
    5. Gabe Giampietro - Smyrna, DE
    6. Cael Keck - Park Hill, MO
    7. Pacey Najdusak - Mason, OH
    8. Marlon Yarbrough - Copley, OH
    9. Codie Cuerbo - Aurora, OH
    10. Pito Castro - Brecksville, OH
    11. Colin Noel - Elyria, OH
    12. Caleb Schroer - Troy Christian, OH
    13. Wyatt Richter - St. Edward, OH
    14. Brock Herman - Lake Catholic, OH
    15. Dominic Hoffarth - Louisville, OH
    16. Matt Eberly - New Kent, VA

    113 pounds
    1. Brett Ungar - Notre Dame, PA
    2. Erik Roggie - St. Christopher's, VA
    3. Gary Steen - Reynolds, PA
    4. Diego Sotelo - Marmion Academy, IL
    5. Jacob Moon - Clay, OH
    6. Peyton Fenton - Elyria, OH
    7. Cole Skinner - LaSalle, OH
    8. Brennen Cernus - Wyoming Seminary, PA
    9. Richard Treanor - Hough, NC
    10. Nasir Bailey - Thornton Fractional North, IL
    11. Sean Seefeldt - St. Edward, OH
    12. Kenneth Crosby - St. Vincent-St. Mary, OH
    13. Paul Garcia - Scottsbluff, NE
    14. Sergio Lemley - Mt. Carmel, IL
    15. Nick Gonzalez - Montini Catholic, IL
    16. Mason Brugh - Wadsworth, OH

    120 pounds
    1. Jordan Titus - Center Moriches, NY
    2. Kyle Rowan - Perry, OH
    3. Ryan Miller - Blair Academy, NJ
    4. Cooper Flynn - McDonogh, MD
    5. Christopher Kim - Germantown Academy, PA
    6. Dustin Norris - LaSalle, OH
    7. Dayton Delviscio - Malvern Prep, PA
    8. Colton Drousias - Mt. Carmel, IL
    9. Cael Woods - West Holmes, OH
    10. Brennan Van Hoecke - Palmetto Ridge, FL
    11. Gregor McNeil - Wyoming Seminary, PA
    12. Nain Vazquez - Montini Catholic, IL
    13. Rich Delsanter - St. Edward, OH
    14. Matt Mayer - Bethlehem Catholic, PA
    15. Brandan Chletsos - Notre Dame, PA
    16. Brandon Crowder - Christiansburg, VA

    126 pounds
    1. Trevor Mastrogiovanni - Blair Academy, NJ
    2. Ryan Crookham - Notre Dame, PA
    3. Nic Bouzakis - Wyoming Seminary, PA
    4. Dylan Ragusin - Montini Catholic, IL
    5. Dylan Shawver - Elyria, OH
    6. Chris Barnabae - Mount St. Joseph, MD
    7. Vince Cornella - Monarch, CO
    8. Antoine Allen - LaSalle, OH
    9. Jackson Cockrell - Broken Arrow, OK
    10. Logan Agin - Lancaster, OH
    11. Garrett Lautzenheiser - Louisville, OH
    12. Rocco Welsh - Waynesburg Central, PA
    13. Kyren Butler - Copley, OH
    14. Connor Williams - Lake Gibson, FL
    15. Landon Hacker - Wadsworth, OH
    16. Dy'Vaire VanDyke - Walsh Jesuit, OH

    132 pounds
    1. Alejandro Herrera-Rondon - Seneca Valley, PA
    2. Chris Rivera - Lake Highland Prep, FL
    3. Drew Munch - Wyoming Seminary, PA
    4. Ethen Miller - Park Hill, MO
    5. Jimmy Carmany - Brecksville, OH
    6. Ethan Turner - Troy Christian, OH
    7. Casey Wiles - LaSalle, OH
    8. Davin Rhoads - Louisville, OH
    9. Noah Mis - Mt. Carmel, IL
    10. Ethan Stiles - Montini Catholic, IL
    11. Cole Homet - Waynesburg, PA
    12. Evan Buchanan - Atlee, VA
    13. Scott Richter - St. Edward, OH
    14. Wyatt Yapoujian - Byers, CO
    15. Logan Ours - Beaver Local, OH
    16. Daniel Wask, Blair Academy, NJ

    138 pounds
    1. Beau Bartlett - Wyoming Seminary, PA
    2. Justin Rivera - Lake Highland Prep, FL
    3. Mick Burnett - Elyria, OH
    4. Kenny Herrmann - Bethlehem Catholic, PA
    5. Wyatt Henson - Waynesburg Central, PA
    6. Frankie Tal-Shahar - American Heritage, FL
    7. Nick Moore - Graham, OH
    8. Drew Roberts - Coeur d'Alene, ID
    9. Jake Niffenegger - LaSalle, OH
    10. Lucas Chittum - Blair Academy, NJ
    11. Gavin Brown - Legacy Christian Academy, OH
    12. Kal Miller - Park Hill, MO
    13. Zack Witmer, St. Joseph's Catholic Academy, PA
    14. Sincere Bailey - Thornton Fractional North, IL
    15. Cole McComas - Beaver Local, OH
    16. Joey Miller - Musselman, WV

    145 pounds
    1. Victor Voinovich - Brecksville, OH
    2. Lachlan McNeil - Wyoming Seminary, PA
    3. Manzona Bryant - Western Reserve, OH
    4. Fidel Mayora - Montini Catholic, IL
    5. Matt Lackman - Bethlehem Catholic, PA
    6. Blake Saito - Perrysburg, OH
    7. Jackson Dean - Caesar Rodney, DE
    8. Dustin Morgillo - Genoa, OH
    9. Aaden Valdez - Pueblo East, CO
    10. Luke Geog - St. Edward, OH
    11. Travis Ragland - New Kent, VA
    12. Gavin Quiocho - Parkersburg South, WV
    13. Lorenzo Norman - Blair Academy, NJ
    14. Myles Griffin - Lake Highland Prep, FL
    15. Grayston DiBlasi - Park Hill, MO
    16. Connor Gaynor - Mt. Carmel, IL

    152 pounds
    1. Travis Mastrogiovanni - Blair Academy, NJ
    2. Peyton Hall - Oak Glen, WV
    3. Bilal Bailey - Thornton Fractional North, IL
    4. Brayden Roberts - Parkersburg South, WV
    5. AJ Kovacs - Iona Prep, NY
    6. Connor Kievman - Wyoming Seminary, PA
    7. Cole Handlovic - Bethlehem Catholic, PA
    8. Bryce Hepner - St. Edward, OH
    9. Noah Castillo - Lake Highland Prep, FL
    10. Derek Fields - Brunswick, OH
    11. Enrique Munguia, Elyria, OH
    12. Caleb Dowling - St. Joseph's Catholic Academy, PA
    13. Vinny Zerban - Christian Brothers College, MO
    14. Nick Vafiadis - New Kent, VA
    15. Dalton Harkins - Malvern Prep, PA
    16. David Cumberledge - Aurora, OH

    160 pounds
    1. Paddy Gallgher - St. Edward, OH
    2. Thayne Lawrence - Frazier, PA
    3. Andrew Cerniglia - Notre Dame, PA
    4. John Martin Best - Parkersburg, WV
    5. Thomas Stewart - Blair Academy, NJ
    6. Dominic Isola - Lake Highland Prep, FL
    7. Brett McIntosh - Harrison, OH
    8. Aaron Morton - Westerville South, OH
    9. Keegan Rothrock - St. Joseph's Catholic Academy, PA
    10. Tyler Lillard - Aurora, OH
    11. Noah Ewen - Perrrysburg, OH
    12. Brayden Thompson, Montini Catholic, IL
    13. Luca Augustine - Waynesburg Central, PA
    14. Jonathan Conrad - Carrollwood Day, FL
    15. Gabe Arnold - Wyoming Seminary, PA
    16. Harrison Trahan - McDonogh, MD

    170 pounds
    1. Nevan Snodgrass - Kettering Fairmont, OH
    2. Domonic Mata - Blair Academy, NJ
    3. Tyler Stoltzfus - St. Joseph's Catholic Academy, PA
    4. Andrew Donahue - Wyoming Seminary, PA
    5. Jaden Bullock - Oscar Smith, VA
    6. Jax Leonard - Louisville, OH
    7. Hudson Hightower - St. Edward, OH
    8. Caden Rogers - Malvern Prep, PA
    9. Ethan Anderson - Aurora, OH
    10. Lucas White - Christian Brothers College, MO
    11. Dillon Walker - LaSalle, OH
    12. Bailey Flanagan - Lake Highland Prep, FL
    13. Stephen Little - Union County, KY
    14. Anthony DeRosa - Bethlehem Catholic, PA
    15. Anthony Rizzo - Brecksville, OH
    16. Tye Rozell - Broken Arrow, OK

    182 pounds
    1. Anthony D'Alesio - Canfield, OH
    2. Rylan Rogers - Blair Academy, NJ
    3. Ashton Habeil - Lake Gibson, FL
    4. Jake Evans - Elyria, OH
    5. Nathan Warden - Christiansburg, VA
    6. JT Davis - Smyrna, DE
    7. Trevor Swier - Montini Catholic, IL
    8. Micah Ervin - Union County, KY
    9. Jack Darrah - Christian Brothers College, MO
    10. Bryce Mattioda - Broken Arrow, OK
    11. Cole Rees - Wyoming Seminary, PA
    12. Cole Hivnor - Lake Catholic, OH
    13. Walker Stephenson - Hillcrest, SC
    14. Matt Rogers - Wantagh, NY
    15. Lucas Cochran - Box Elder, UT
    16. Dominic Solis - McDonogh, MD

    195 pounds
    1. Peyton Craft - Blair Academy, NJ
    2. Sam Fisher - Fauquier, VA
    3. Seth Shumate - Dublin Coffman, OH
    4. Jack Wimmer - McDonogh, MD
    5. Nicholas Feldman - Malvern Prep, PA
    6. Emmanuel Skillings - Broken Arrow, OK
    7. Jordan Greer - Avon, OH
    8. Matt Kelly - Iona Prep, NY
    9. Ben Vanadia - Brecksville, OH
    10. Brent Paulus - Louisville, OH
    11. Kyle Costello - Wyoming Seminary, PA
    12. Dom Loparo - Wadsworth, OH
    13. Josh LaBarbera - Montini Catholic, IL
    14. Parker Warner - Mount St. Joseph, MD
    15. Keith Bodnar - Steubenville, OH
    16. Tai Carter - Perkins, OH

    220 pounds
    1. Braxton Amos - Parkersburg South, WV
    2. Ethan Hatcher - Brecksville, OH
    3. Kolby Franklin - Wyoming Seminary, PA
    4. Noah Pettigrew - Blair Academy, NJ
    5. Kyonte Hamilton - Georgetown Prep, MD
    6. Grady Griess - Northwest, NE
    7. Max Fausnaugh - Bowling Green, OH
    8. Blake Robbins - Louisville, OH
    9. Matt Kaplan - Lake Highland Prep, FL
    10. Lazar Gasic - North Royalton, OH
    11. Riley Ucker - Dublin Coffman, OH
    12. Nik Mishka - Mt. Carmel, IL
    13. Nick Lisco - St. Edward, OH
    14. Nolan Neves - Graham, OH
    15. Jake Noon - Findlay, OH
    16. Chase Thompson - American Heritage, FL

    285 pounds
    1. Isaac Righter - Mount St. Joseph, MD
    2. Garrett Kappes - McDonogh, MD
    3. Andy Garcia - Pueblo East, CO
    4. Kade Carlson - Corner Canyon, UT
    5. Matthias Ervin - Union County, KY
    6. Max Millin - Massillon Perry, OH
    7. Cole Potts - St. Frances DeSales, OH
    8. Cole Deery - Malvern Prep, PA
    9. Kevin Hudson - Caesar Rodney, DE
    10. Hugo Harp - Smyrna, DE
    11. Nate Miller - Wyoming Seminary, PA
    12. Ryan Elrod - St. John, OH
    13. Caden Hill - Crestview, OH
    14. Breslin Walker - Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, OH
    15. Daniel Wirth - Beaver Local, OH
    16. Ryan Howard - Waynesburg Central, PA]]>    87098Mon, 09 Dec 2019 23:26:13 +0000    Key events on December high school wrestling calendarhttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/key-events-on-december-high-school-wrestling-calendar-r87039/The Walsh Jesuit Ironman in mid-December is loaded with Fab 50 teams every year (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)
    To many people, the high school wrestling season can be split into thirds. The first third being December, the second third being January through the end of the regular season, with the final third being the postseason home stretch. While the December portion of the season is arguably the least important in terms of what happens during the all-important state series, it does serve a purpose.

    The month of December can set a tone for what to expect during the rest of the season, and it also can provide an overview in terms of what is going to be the reality of the season. From a national rankings standpoint, there are some critical competitions for both the individual and team rankings, as there are multiple clashes of high-level talent. However, it should be noted that most of December's key events are of the individual bracket variety.

    Below are nine key events plus some notable (relatively) single duals to eye during December for their influence on the national high school wrestling landscape.

    Friday, Dec. 6: No. 39 Broken Arrow, Okla. at No. 40 Park Hill, Mo.

    Saturday, Dec. 7: No. 7 Montini Catholic, Ill. at No. 21 Chicago Mt. Carmel, Ill. (part of a quad meet)

    Wednesday, Dec. 11: No. 33 Lowell, Mich. at No. 5 Detroit Catholic Central, Mich. (in-school assembly dual meet)

    Dec. 13-14: Reno Tournament of Champions: 7 ranked teams: No. 10 Gilroy, Calif.; No. 12 Allen, Texas; No. 13 Poway, Calif.; No. 18 St. John Bosco, Calif.; No. 36 Clovis North, Calif.; No. 48 Crescent Valley, Ore.; No. 49 Pomona, Colo.

    Dec. 13-14: Walsh Jesuit Ironman: 17 ranked teams: No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J.; No. 2 Wyoming Seminary, Pa.; No. 4 St. Edward, Ohio; No. 7 Lake Highland Prep, Pa.; No. 8 Montini Catholic, Ill.; No. 11 Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio; No. 15 Elyria, Ohio; No. 21 Chicago Mt. Carmel, Ill.; No. 22 Brecksville, Ohio; No. 26 Malvern Prep, Pa.; No. 28 Mt. St. Joseph, Md.; No. 31 Wadsworth, Ohio; No. 38 St. Paris Graham, Ohio; No. 39 Broken Arrow, Okla.; No. 40 Park Hill, Mo.; No. 44 Christian Brothers College, Mo.; No. 50 Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.

    Saturday, Dec. 14: Grappler Gold Invitational (Legacy Center; Brighton, Mich.): 5 ranked teams: No. 14 Davison, Mich.; No. 17 Brighton, Mich.; No. 33 Lowell, Mich.; No. 34 Brownsburg, Ind.; No. 46 Dundee, Mich.

    Wednesday, Dec. 18: No. 14 Davison, Mich. at No. 17 Brigthon, Mich. (part of a "double dual")

    Thursday, Dec. 19: No. 19 Southeast Polk, Iowa at No. 47 Fort Dodge, Iowa

    Dec. 20-21: Kansas City Stampede: 4 ranked teams: No. 9 Tuttle, Okla.; No. 25 Liberty, Mo.; No. 37 Mustang, Okla.; No. 40 Park Hill, Mo.

    Dec. 20-21: Zinkin Classic: 7 ranked teams: No. 3 Buchanan, Calif.; No. 10 Gilroy, Calif.; No. 12 Allen, Texas; No. 18 St. John Bosco, Calif.; No. 27 Selma, Calif.; No. 32 Clovis, Calif.; No. 36 Clovis North, Calif.

    Dec. 21-22: Beast of the East: 11 ranked teams: No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J.; No. 6 Bergen Catholic, N.J.; No. 7 Lake Highland Prep, Fla.; No. 15 Elyria, Ohio; No. 16 Delbarton, N.J.; No. 22 Brecksville, Ohio; No. 26 Malvern Prep, Pa.; No. 28 Mt. St. Joseph, Md.; No. 30 St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.; No. 42 Nazareth, Pa.; No. 50 Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.

    Dec. 21-22: Dvorak Memorial Invitational: 4 ranked teams: No. 8 Montini Catholic, Ill; No. 11 Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio; No. 21 Chicago Mt. Carmel, Ill.; No. 41 DeKalb, Ill.

    Dec. 29-30: Brecksville Holiday Invitational Tournament: 6 ranked teams: No. 5 Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.; No. 14 Davison, Mich.; No. 15 Elyria, Ohio; No. 22 Brecksville, Ohio; No. 33 Lowell, Mich.; No. 46 Dundee, Mich.

    Dec. 31: Garlic City Rumble (; Gilroy, Calif.): California teams - No. 3 Buchanan, No. 10 Gilroy, No. 32 Clovis. Out of state teams: No. 7 Lake Highland Prep, Fla.; No. 8 Montini Catholic, Ill.; No. 16 Delbarton, N.J. The California teams will dual against the out of state teams.]]>    87039Wed, 27 Nov 2019 14:35:33 +0000    Five high schools on brink of breaking into Fab 50https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/five-high-schools-on-brink-of-breaking-into-fab-50-r86943/
  • Bethlehem Catholic, Pa. -- ranked inside the top 21 all nine years -- starts this year No. 50.
  • Blair Academy, N.J. -- national champions seven times, no lower than third -- starts this year No. 1.
  • Clovis, Calif. -- a top ten team for the first seven years of the rankings -- starts this year No. 32.
  • Montini Catholic, Ill. -- a top five team each of the last two years -- starts this year No. 8.
  • St. Edward, Ohio - a program that has ended the last four years in the top ten, including seven of the last nine -- starts this year No. 4.
  • St. Paris Graham, Ohio -- a program that finished last season ranked No. 37 (the previous eight seasons were within the top eight including six top five finishes) -- starts this year No. 38.
  • Wyoming Seminary, Pa. -- a program that has finished in the top four six of the last seven years -- starts this year No. 2.

    Furthermore six other teams have been ranked within the top 50 for eight of the nine years, with four of those schools being ranked each of the last eight years:

  • Oak Park River Forest, Ill. -- starts this year unranked
  • Poway, Calif. -- starts this year No. 13
  • Southeast Polk, Iowa -- starts this year No. 19
  • Tuttle, Okla. -- starts this year No. 9

    Broken Arrow has finished every season but 2015-16 ranked and starts this year No. 39 nationally, while Apple Valley, Minn. saw its run of ranked seasons end last year and starts this year unranked.

    The final rankings of the 2018-19 season saw nine teams appear in the rankings that had never done so previously. That number was also nine at the end of the 2016-17 season, while it was 13 at the end of the 2017-18 and 2014-15 seasons, with a staggering 20 debutants in the final 2015-16 rankings.

    Who exactly are the candidates to be those teams this season?

    An obvious answer would be to look at the preseason Fab 50 to see who has never ended a season ranked. In review of the rankings, there are five teams that fit the bill: No. 24 Stillwater (Minn.), No. 29 Millard South (Neb.), No. 30 St. Joseph Montvale (N.J.), No. 37 Mustang (Okla.), and No. 48 Crescent Valley (Ore.).

    However, history tells us that there will be more teams fitting the bill. In addition, previous history about the rankings suggests that there will be a bit of turnover from the preseason rankings to the final rankings published in mid-March. Given the above, below are five teams (alphabetically listed) that might be worth an eye during the upcoming season.

    Louisville, Ohio

    The Leopards finished eleventh in 2018 and then third at last year's state tournament in Division II, which is Ohio's medium-school division. Located in Stark County, which is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Louisville has not exactly been on the scholastic wrestling map much over the years; last year's state titles won by Garrett Lautzenheiser and Davin Rhoads were the first for the program since 1986 when Mike Malcuit struck gold at 126 pounds in Class AAA (big-school).

    They return five of six state qualifiers from last year, along with 82 of their 85 state tournament points (graduated 285-pound wrestler Riley Brendle scored a pin in consolation). Lautzenheiser (126) and Rhoads (132) return to defend state titles, as do three-time state placer Jax Leonard (170), state medalist Brent Paulus (195), and state qualifier Blake Robbins (220). Augmenting the roster are state alternate Brenden Severs (160), go-to-state match participant Daniel Kennedy (152), plus a pair of middle-weights who were two matches from state last year.

    Louisville certainly has the opportunity from a schedule standpoint to get noticed. In December, they will attend the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, North Canton Holiday Tournament (joined by nationally ranked Wadsworth), and Brecksville Holiday Tournament (with six nationally ranked teams); while January's schedule includes the Maumee Bay Classic with a pair of nationally ranked teams in the field.

    Notre Dame's Ryan Crookham battling Lucas Byrd in the Walsh Ironman semifinals (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)

    Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.

    Quite frankly it's not if, but when this group will appear in the Fab 50 national rankings. This is a team on the rise under the leadership of Matt Veres, who has pedigree as a Blair Academy alumnus and a strong youth/club coaching background in the Lehigh Valley. The Crusaders were third in the PIAA Class AA (small-school, two-class state) individual tournament.

    This year, the team returns four of those six wrestlers, three of whom were state placers with the other finishing one match from a state medal. In addition, Notre Dame adds in via transfer Brett Ungar (113), who won a state title last year in New Jersey; while 2018 state qualifier Joshua Bauman (132) is also available after being closed out of last year's lineup.

    Returnees from last year's state tournament include state champions Ryan Crookham (126) and Andrew Cerniglia (160), who join Ungar as nationally ranked wrestlers; along with state placer Brandon Chlestos (120) and state qualifier Derek Berlitz (182); while Evan Maag (106) and Holden Garcia (138) have solid potential in the lower-weights.

    The Crusaders will be clearly tested during the season and prepared for the postseason path. The schedule includes dual meets in January against Bethlehem Catholic and Bergen Catholic; the Walsh Jesuit Ironman and Beast of the East in December, along with the Trojan Wars tournament (Southern Columbia is in the field); as well as the Escape the Rock Tournament in mid-January.

    Skiatook, Okla.

    Located about 20 miles northwest of Tulsa, Skiatook won the Class 5A dual team state title and shared the individual tournament title with neighboring Collinsville last season. The Bulldogs return eight of their ten state tournament participants from last season, including seven of nine state medalists. This year's squad is led by a pair of juniors, who have won state titles in both of their scholastic seasons to date: Josh Taylor (138) and Cougar Anderson (160).

    Skiatook features three returning state runners-up, Cody Francis (132) and Richie Lee (170) from last season's roster, plus incoming transfer Brody Lee (106/113). Additional returning placers are Tony Johnson (152), Hunter Hall (182), and Devin Wilson (195); while Kyle Bowman (106) qualified for state last year, Cale Glover (145) did so in 2018, and Josie Jernigan (106/113) is a potential medal-winner as a freshman.

    The Bulldogs' schedule does not provide the robustness of competition as do the schedules for the two teams profiled previously. Their December tournament is at Wagoner before Christmas, while mid-January tournaments are at Jenks and Carl Albert, with their toughest dual meet coming on Jan. 21 and Collinsville.

    Toppenish, Wash.

    The Wildcats spent a large chunk of last season, from right before Christmas, within the national rankings; however, they did not appear in the final edition of the Fab 50 national high school team rankings. Located near Yakima, which is southeast of Seattle and pretty close to the Oregon border, Toppenish won its sixth state title in wrestling last season competing in Class 2A.

    This year's team returns four state finalists, including a trio of state champions: Horacio Gonzalez, Haiden Drury, and Kyle Romero; Joel Godina was runner-up to Gonzalez this past season at 106 pounds. Also returning as state medalists are Emerique Gonzales, Isaac John, and Terrell Underwood; while Brayan Cruz and Isaias Ramirez were one match from state placement.

    From a schedule standpoint, the Wildcats' best chance to put the country on notice will come at the Zinkin Classic hosted by Buchanan (Calif.) right before Christmas, which is where Toppenish made its most notably noise last year. They'll also compete at The Gut Check tournament two weeks later, and event in which No. 1 Blair Academy is making the trip out to compete.

    Windsor, Colo.

    The Wizards feature a superlative Class of 2020, which includes three returning state champions: Brady Parker (106) plus the nationally ranked Dominick Serrano (132) and Isaiah Salazar (182). Other senior contributors are expected to include 2018 state qualifier Jacob Parker (126), state qualifier Brennan Todd (145), two-time state placer Cody Eaton (160), along with state placers Tristan Perez (170) and Tyler Grasmick (195). Also expected to make a significant contribution is junior Vance Vombaur (138), who was state runner-up in 2018 but missed last year's post-season due to injury.

    Four bracket tournaments contested every other weekend from before Christmas through the end of January will provide more than ample measure of Windsor's national ranking potential. The Northern Colorado Christmas Tournament on Dec. 20-21 also features No. 49 Pomona; the Doc Buchanan Invitational is Jan. 3-4, and that field speaks for itself; while Clovis is joining Windsor in the field for the Rockwell Rumble at Utah Valley University on Jan. 17-18; and the Wizards travel to the Rocky Welton Invitational in Kansas two weekends later.]]>86943Wed, 13 Nov 2019 14:48:28 +0000A look at nation's top high school wrestling teamshttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/a-look-at-nations-top-high-school-wrestling-teams-r86912/Blair Academy wrestling coach Brian Antonelli talks to Shayne Van Ness (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)
    During the previous four college football seasons, Alabama and Clemson have met in the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide and Tigers have split those meetings, with each squad winning the national title in the season they won that matchup. In scholastic wrestling, Blair Academy (N.J.) and Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) kind of occupy a similar position in the catbird seat of the sport.

    While in previous seasons, those two teams have not been the clear occupants of first and second in the ranking, this season it would seem that the two teams have separated from the pack; whereas in college football, there seem to be more direct challengers for the top couple of positions in the rankings.

    Blair Academy will start the season ranked No. 1 nationally for the ninth straight year, and is seeking an eighth national title (fifth consecutive) in that stretch. The Buccaneers are led by ten nationally ranked wrestlers; otherwise known as the combined number of ranked wrestlers that teams ranked third, fourth, and fifth possess. It includes a pair ranked first: Mark-Anthony McGowan (106) and Shayne van Ness (132); another pair ranked second: Trevor (126) and Travis (152) Mastrogiovanni; plus two more ranked fourth: Dominic Mata (170) and Peyton Craft (195).

    Wyoming Seminary starts the season ranked second, with nine ranked wrestlers of their own. That group is led by national No. 1 Beau Bartlett (138) as well as three other wrestlers inside the top four: No. 4 Nic Bouzakis (126), No. 4 Lachlan McNeil (145), and No. 3 Jacob Kaminski (285).

    The rival squads will compete against one another in the Walsh Ironman during early December, a dual meet in January, and the National Prep Championships in February.

    Ranked third through fifth nationally are Buchanan (Calif.), St. Edward (Ohio), and Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.). The Bears have won four straight California state championships, and are anchored by four nationally ranked wrestlers: Jack Gioffre (113), Joseph Martin (160), along with a pair inside the top ten in Carlos Negrete (120) and Maximo Renteria (126).

    The Eagles have earned five straight titles in Ohios big-school division, eight of nine, and 21 of 23. While featuring just a pair of ranked wrestlers in Bryce Hepner (152) and Padraic Gallagher (160), they return four other state medalists, two additional wrestlers that have won state tournament matches, along with three excellent sophomores that were victims of lineup congestion last year.

    The fifth-ranked Shamrocks have won three consecutive state titles (dual team) and six of the last eight in Michigan's big-school division. This years team is anchored by four nationally ranked wrestlers, three of whom are in the top ten: Dylan (106) and Derek (160) Gilcher, Josh Edmond (138), and Steven Kolcheff (285).

    St. Edward will be in the Walsh Ironman along with Blair Academy and Wyoming Seminary, plus are slated to dual one (if not both) of them in late January; they also will be at the Doc Buchanan Invitational along with Buchanan and four other top ten ranked teams; and wrestle Detroit Catholic Central in a dual meet.

    Rounding out the top ten are Bergen Catholic (N.J.), Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), Montini Catholic (Ill.), Tuttle (Okla.), and Gilroy (Calif.).

    Lake Highland Prep, Montini Catholic, and Gilroy join Blair Academy, Wyoming Seminary, and St. Edward in the Walsh Ironman field; Bergen Catholic and Lake Highland Prep join Blair Academy in the Beast of the East; Bergen Catholic, Lake Highland Prep, Montini Catholic, and Gilroy join Buchanan and St. Edward in the Doc Buchanan Invitational; Lake Highland Prep and Montini Catholic will dual meet Buchanan and Gilroy in the Garlic City Duals the Tuesday before the Doc Buchanan Invitational; Montini Catholic will travel to Detroit Catholic Central to face the Shamrocks and St. Edward; while Bergen Catholic, Lake Highland Prep, Montini Catholic, and Tuttle will all be at the Beast the Streets Duals in mid-January.

    Lake Highland Prep is led by four nationally ranked wrestlers, most notably No. 7 Justin Rivera (145). Bergen Catholic, Tuttle, and Gilroy each have three ranked wrestlers. Bergen Catholic is anchored by national No. 1 Robert Howard (126), Tuttle is led by No. 1 Dustin Plott (182) and No. 3 Luke Surber (170); while Gilroys anchor is No. 3 Chase Saldate (152). Montini Catholic has a pair of ranked wrestlers ranked in the top ten, Michigan commits Dylan Ragusin (126) and Fidel Mayora (152).

    In terms of season-ending competitions, Blair Academy and Wyoming Seminary are joined by National Prep rivals Malvern Prep (No. 26) and Mt. St. Joseph (No. 28) in the Fab 50 national team rankings. Blair Academy is also joined by three other schools from New Jersey: Bergen Catholic, Delbarton (No. 16), and St. Joseph Montvale (No. 30). Wyoming Seminary and Malvern Prep are joined by three PIAA schools in the rankings: No. 23 Southern Columbia in Class AA, No. 42 Nazareth and No. 50 Bethlehem Catholic are Class AAA (big-school).

    Single-class California features the most ranked schools with seven in total. No. 13 Poway, No. 18 St. John Bosco, No. 27 Selma, No. 32 Clovis, and No. 36 Clovis North join Buchanan and Gilroy in the Fab 50 national team rankings. Five teams from Ohio join St. Edward in the rankings to make it six total, including four of the Eagles rivals in the big-school division: Cincinnati LaSalle (No. 11), Elyria (No. 15), Brecksville (No. 22), and Wadsworth (No. 31); also ranked is No. 38 St. Paris Graham.

    Five teams from the state of Michigan are ranked to start the season. Detroit Catholic Central, Davison (No. 14), and Brighton (No. 17) are all in Division I; No. 33 Lowell is in Division II; while 46 Dundee is in Division III.

    Five states feature three schools in the national rankings: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Oklahoma. In the cases of Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri the trio of teams are big-school divisional rivals; while in both Minnesota and Oklahoma, two of the three are big-school rivals.

    Single teams from Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Maryland (though National Prep), Oregon, Nebraska, Texas, and Wisconsin are ranked.]]>    86912Wed, 06 Nov 2019 22:20:54 +0000    A look at No. 1-ranked high school wrestlershttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/a-look-at-no-1-ranked-high-school-wrestlers-r86906/Two-time state champion Richard Figueroa begins the season ranked No. 1 at 113 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)
    With the major preseason tournaments all but done, and official scholastic season practices either having started already or about to start, it is now time for the presentation of the preseason national high school weight class rankings. The top 20 wrestlers in each weight class are recognized, with the most elite wrestler named as the No. 1 wrestler in the country.

    To start the 2019-20 season, here are the top ranked wrestlers in each weight class.

    106 pounds: Mark-Anthony McGowan (Blair Academy, N.J.)

    McGowan won a high school state title in Florida last year as an eighth-grader while competing for Citrus Park Christian. Subsequently, he would win a UWW Cadet freestyle national title at 45 kilograms (99 pounds) during the spring and then won a gold medal at the Cadet World Championships in that weight class during the summer.

    113 pounds: Richard Figueroa (Selma, Calif.)

    Figueroa is now a two-time California state champion, in as many high school seasons, finishing undefeated last season including titles at the Walsh Ironman and Doc Buchanan tournaments. During the spring, he was a UWW Cadet freestyle national champion at 51 kilograms (110 pounds).

    120 pounds: Greg Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.)

    The Cornell verbal commit is already a four-time state champion, having amassed a record of 194-2 during those seasons. Diakomihalis is working on a streak of 150-plus consecutive wins, having not lost since his eighth-grade year. His senior season will suffer a delayed start due to a knee injury that is likely to keep him out until some point in December.

    126 pounds: Robert Howard (Bergen Catholic, N.J.)

    The Penn State verbal commit has advanced to the state championship match in all three years of his high school career, having cleared some rather deep weight classes in order to accomplish the feat; Howard's lone state title came during his sophomore season. However, he is a three-time Cadet World Team member at 55 kilograms (121 pounds).

    132 pounds: Shayne Van Ness (Blair Academy, N.J.)

    The Class of 2021 wrestler burst on to the scene last year when he won loaded weight brackets at the Super 32 Challenge, Walsh Ironman, and Beast of the East after being closed out of the lineup as a freshman. Van Ness was upended by Beau Bartlett in the National Prep final, but this fall won a pair of matches at the Who's Number One event against elite competition to earn this position.

    138 pounds: Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.)

    The Penn State verbal commit is a three-time National Prep champion, and has either won or been in title contention at about everything under the sun during his high school career. Bartlett is a two-time Super 32 Challenge runner-up, earning that position in the fall of 2017 and 2018.

    145 pounds: Victor Voinovich (Brecksville, Ohio)

    Voinovich was a Junior National freestyle finalist this summer, and was one of the few current high school wrestlers to place at the UWW Junior Nationals last spring (he finished fifth at 65 kilograms/143 pounds). He is a two-time state medalist, winning state gold as a freshman in 2018.

    152 pounds: Sonny Santiago (St. John Bosco, Calif.)

    The Arizona State verbal commit has been a known commodity for a long time, but found a major breakthrough in winning a state title at 152 pounds last February. A key result in that tournament was a 3-2 semifinal victory over Jace Luchau, the projected champion, who happened to win a Junior National freestyle title this past summer.

    160 pounds: Keegan O'Toole (Arrowhead, Wis.)

    The Missouri verbal commit is a three-time state champion with a career record of 113-5, and is on a 53-match win streak going back to the semifinals of the Cheesehead in January 2018. O'Toole was a Super 32 Challenge champion in 2018, and is a four-time Fargo freestyle All-American, including winning a Junior National freestyle title in 2018. Despite finishing just third this summer at 152 pounds, O'Toole upended 160-pound Junior National freestyle champion Padraic Gallagher in last month's Who's Number One event.

    170 pounds: Alex Facundo (Davison, Mich.)

    Facundo is a two-time state champion in as many high school seasons. He is also a two-time UWW Cadet Nationals champion in freestyle at 70 kilograms (154 pounds), and was a Cadet world bronze medalist in 2018; Facundo also won the Super 32 Challenge in the fall of 2018.

    182 pounds: Dustin Plott (Tuttle, Okla.)

    The Oklahoma State verbal commit is a three-time state finalist, and has amassed a record of 88-1 during his last two state title winning campaigns. Plott has been runner-up each of the last two years in the Junior National freestyle tournament, and also earned top three placement finishes at the UWW Junior Nationals in both 2018 and 2019. He also is a two-time Super 32 Challenge finalist, winning gold in 2018 after taking second in 2017.

    195 pounds: Rocky Elam (Staley, Mo.)

    The Missouri verbal commit has a record of 112-4 over the last two seasons, including a 52-1 state title-winning campaign as a junior. Elam is a three-time Fargo freestyle All-American, winning a Cadet National title in the summer of 2018 before finishing fourth this year at the Junior level; he also was a Junior National folkstyle champion this past spring and just won the Preseason Nationals last month.

    220 pounds: A.J. Ferrari (Allen, Texas)

    The nation's top overall wrestler in the senior class is a verbal commit to Oklahoma State. Ferrari was a state champion as a freshman and sophomore at Allen before leaving for New Jersey last season; he was champion at the Beast of the East and for a second consecutive time at the Walsh Ironman during his junior year. The 2018 Cadet world medalist returns to Allen for his senior year.

    285 pounds: Nash Hutmacher (Canton, S.D.)

    Hutmacher has verbally committed to play football at the University of Nebraska, a sport in which he is rated as either a three-or-four-star prospect at defensive tackle. On the wrestling mat, he is a three-time state champion amassing a 123-0 record the last three seasons; his last in-season loss came in the consolation semifinal at the state tournament of his eighth-grade year. This past offseason, he was a Junior National champion in folkstyle, while finishing third in both freestyle and Greco-Roman; during 2018, he was runner-up in folkstyle and freestyle with a third place in Greco-Roman.

    Nationally ranked wrestlers by state (of high school attendance):

    Pennsylvania 41
    New Jersey 29
    California 27
    Ohio 21
    Missouri 17
    Illinois 15
    Florida, Minnesota, Oklahoma 11
    Michigan 10
    Georgia 9
    Iowa, New York, Texas 8
    Colorado 7
    Indiana, Maryland 6
    Wisconsin 5
    Nebraska, West Virginia 4
    Virginia 3
    Connecticut, Kansas, Oregon, South Dakoata, Washington 2
    Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee 1

    Note: 35 states in all have a ranked wrestler]]>    86906Wed, 06 Nov 2019 22:19:49 +0000    Five wrestlers who raised their stock at Super 32 Challengehttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/five-wrestlers-who-raised-their-stock-at-super-32-challenge-r86844/
    With over 1,400 athletes in the field, and many weights having more than 100 wrestlers present, the brackets were robust and the chances for quality wins abundant. Many wrestlers in the tournament had results for which they should be proud, and results that can be viewed as transformational for their wrestling careers. Below is a listing of five wrestlers that saw their "stock" rise based on the happenings in Greensboro, N.C. this past weekend (listed in weight class order).

    Carter Dibert (Franklin Regional, Pa.), 113 pounds

    The Arizona State verbal commit finished his sophomore season as a state champion when he reversed a tiebreaker loss in the WPIAL final by securing a 7-2 victory over Dylan Chappell (Seneca Valley, Pa.) in the big-school state final at the GIANT Center. However, Dibert entered last weekend's Super 32 as a relatively unheralded competitor, having not been ranked at 106 to end the 2018-19 high school season.

    In the round of 32 on Saturday afternoon, Dibert upended state champion and Cadet freestyle All-American Brady Hankin (Woodland Park, Colo.) 13-6; Hankin would end up placing eighth in the event. The next round saw Dibert lose his lone match of the two-day tournament, 4-3 to eventual champion Jacob Rivera (Selma, Calif.), a state placer last year at 120 pounds. Two subsequent wins would put him in the match to place, where he secured an 8-3 victory over state champion Diego Sotelo (Marmion Academy, Ill.), who ended 2018-19 ranked in the top 10 nationally at 106 and was a 2018 placer in the Super 32.

    Dibert's next win came 3-2 over Joziah Fry (Coventry, R.I.), a New England champion and Junior freestyle All-American this summer; then it was a 5-3 consolation semifinal victory over Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, Mo.), who had placed third at this tournament the previous two years and is ranked top 50 overall in the Class of 2021. To cap his tournament, it was a 3-2 win for Dibert over Braxton Brown (Allen, Texas), a two-time state champion who had finished 2018-19 ranked No. 5 nationally at 106 pounds.

    Patrick Noonan (Stroudsburg, Pa.), 132 pounds

    A wrestler who clearly is not lacking in talent, as shown by the high-quality wins and credentials that he has had over his career, Noonan will enter his senior year of high school with zero state tournament victories. He went 0-2 as both a freshman and junior in Hershey, while his sophomore season was derailed by injury before the post-season. Finishing fourth in a very deep 132-pound weight class serves as further demonstration of his ability level.

    The run of notable wins started in the round of 64 with a pin over two-time state placer Sam Freeman (Brighton, Mich.) before hitting a real notable outcome in the round of 32, a 1-0 win over No. 64 overall senior Chris Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.). Noonan lost by fall in the round of 16 to eventual champion Joel Vandervere (Warren Township, Ill.). Then on Sunday morning, Noonan needed a pair of high-quality wins just to earn a podium position, 6-1 over No. 87 overall senior Kellyn March (Canton, S.D.) and 1-0 over No. 36 overall junior Henry Porter (Gilroy, Calif.).

    Having earned a placement, Noonan continued his tournament run with an 8-3 win over National Prep runner-up Skyler Smith (Liberty Christian, Texas) and a 5-1 consolation semifinal victory over No. 28 overall senior Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.). His tournament concluded with an 8-4 loss to Wyatt Henson (Francis Howell, Mo.), the No. 13 overall junior nationally.

    Bretli Reyna with his belt after winning the Super 32 Challenge at 145 pounds (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)

    Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.), 145 pounds

    While Reyna placed fourth at 132 pounds in the Super 32 Challenge last year, he entered the fall outside the top 100 in the Class of 2020. Subsequent to last year's tournament, he failed to place at the Walsh Ironman and in Junior freestyle, losing to two other wrestlers that also fell short of placement position in each tournament. On the other hand, Reyna showed clear ability in finishing 56-3 with a third state title during his junior season of high school and then winning the Grappler Fall Classic the weekend before the Super 32.

    This past Saturday, Reyna was completely dominant through four bouts on the way to the quarterfinals, winning each by a major decision. In that quarterfinal match, it was a 9-6 victory over No. 71 overall senior Joseph Zargo (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), followed up by a 9-7 overtime victory over No. 76 overall senior Ed Scott (DuBois, Pa.) in the semifinal. All that to set up a finals clash with No. 6 overall senior Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.); Reyna would score two takedowns in the first period to jump out to a 4-1 advantage, before Saunders rallied to tie the bout 7-7 before the end of regulation; Reyna would win 8-7 in the tiebraker (ultimate) when Saunders was called for locking hands. The two-day performance earned him Outstanding Wrestler honors for the Super 32 Challenge among lower weights.

    Brian Soldano (High Point, N.J.), 160 pounds

    As a freshman, Soldano was one match from placing in the single-class New Jersey state tournament at 160 pounds, losing matches to wrestlers that would finish in fifth and eighth place. During the off-season he was runner-up at the NHSCA Freshman Nationals and placed seventh in 16U freestyle at 170.

    The opening match of his tournament came against two-time state placer Cayleb Atkins (Goodard, Kans.), a match that Soldano won by the score of 7-2. In the round of 64, he came through with a significant 11-10 victory over the very talented Jaxon Smith (Woodland, Ga.). The next match was an 11-4 defeat to state runner-up Enrique Munguia (Elyria, Ohio). Soldano would need three wins to get out of Saturday, the last two of which came against state champion Elliott Rodgers (Indianapolis Cathedral, Ind.) and New England regional third place finisher Brevin Cassella (Nashoba, Mass.); he prevailed 5-0 and by pin in 1:01 respectively.

    Earning a placement finish would take two more wins, those came in the form of a pin over state runner-up Cooper Noehre (Greenfield Central, Ind.) and avenging his earlier loss to Munguia with a 7-6 decision victory. Advancement to the consolation final would come through pins against No. 12 overall sophomore Joseph Martin (Buchanan, Calif.) and No. 62 overall senior Derek Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.). Soldano would earn third with a 4-2 victory over Jackson Smith.

    Joseph Walker (Mishawaka, Ind.), 182 pounds

    Walker entered the fall preseason coming off a sixth-place finish in the 170 pound weight class as a junior. In two preceding preseason competitions, he had split matches against his teammate Jacob LaPlace, a 2018 state placer and 2019 state qualifier; Walker won the IHPO before finishing third at the Grappler Fall Classic.

    In order to reach the quarterfinal at the Super 32 Challenge, he pinned three opponents including Sampson Wilkins (Mt. Anthony, Vt.), a New England regional champion and NHSCA Junior Nationals placer. In that quarterfinal on Sunday morning, Walker rallied to take eventual champion Gerrit Nijenhius (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) -- the No. 16 overall senior nationally -- to the brink in a 7-6 defeat. He would earn the podium with a 7-3 win over two-time state placer Cole Hinvor (Lake Catholic, Ohio) before closing out his third place run with wins over state placers Giuseppe Milano (Spring Ford, Pa.) and Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio) and a final victory over state champion Nathan Warden (Christiansburg, Va.).]]>    86844Thu, 17 Oct 2019 12:00:03 +0000    Amos wins third Super 32 Challenge titlehttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/amos-wins-third-super-32-challenge-title-r86845/Braxton Amos won his third straight Super 32 Challenge title (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)
    GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The 20th anniversary edition of the Super 32 Challenge came to its conclusion on Sunday afternoon in Greensboro, N.C. It was also the 10th year of it being held as a two-day event on Saturday and Sunday. Milestone events throughout the finals program from the beginning to the end.

    Nine wrestlers still competing in high school came into 2019-20 having already won a title at this prestigious tournament. However, just one was entered in the tournament. Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), the No. 2 overall wrestler in the Class of 2020, entered the weekend as the clear anchor figure in the 220-pound weight class. He would also leave the weekend in such position, after winning a third consecutive Super 32 title at this weight. The University of Wisconsin commit did not give up an offensive point over five bouts, which included an 8-2 finals victory over No. 36 overall Class of 2022 wrestler Chase Horne (West Laurens, Ga.). Amos used two first-period takedowns and one second-period takedown to spark that finals victory.

    Eighth-grader Mason Gibson won the title at 106 pounds (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)

    Right at the beginning of the finals program, Mason Gibson (Forest Hills, Pa.) won the 106-pound weight class. He is currently ranked No. 1 overall among junior high wrestlers. Two years ago Ryan Crookham (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.), who is currently ranked No. 1 overall in the Class of 2022, won this tournament at 113 pounds. Gibson joined him as an eighth grader to win the high school division at the Super 32. In the finals, Gibson would jump out to a 5-0 lead midway through the second period via a pair of takedowns; however, Cory Land (Moody, Ala.) did surge in the second half of the bout, but the No. 32 overall Class of 2022 fell by the score of 5-4.

    The depth of this tournament was clear and obvious, as demonstrated by the Sunday journey of 145-pound weight class champion Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.). The senior, a three-time state champion, made it to the quarterfinal round on the strength of four major decision victories. In the quarterfinal round, it was a 9-6 victory over No. 71 overall Class of 2020 wrestler Joseph Zargo (Bergen Catholic, N.J.). The semifinal round saw Reyna earn a 9-7 overtime decision over Ed Scott (DuBois, Pa.), who is No. 75 overall in the senior class. Reyna then outlasted No. 6 overall senior Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) in the finals.

    Bretli Reyna knocked off Joshua Saunders to win the title at 145 pounds (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)

    Two first-period takedowns for Reyna, followed by a Saunders reversal, and then Reyna escape made it 5-3 Reyna after a period. A third-period takedown for Saunders with just over one minute remaining tied the proceedings at 6-6, but Reyna escaped with 28 seconds remaining. A second stalling call against Reyna with one second remaining created sudden victory, which went scoreless. Then in the tiebreaker period, Saunders was called for locking hands to cement the 8-7 Reyna victory.

    Four other weight class champions ran through very strong Sunday gauntlets: Joel Vandervere (Warren Township, Ill.) at 132 pounds, Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) at 138, Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.) at 152, and Greyden Penner (Liberty, Mo.) at 170.

    Joel Vandervere came through to win the title at 132 pounds with a victory in the finals over Kenny Herrmann (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)

    Vandervere beat No. 3 overall sophomore Jesse Mendez (Crown Point, Ind.) 2-1 in the tiebreaker during the quarterfinal round, and then beat No. 28 overall senior Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.) 6-2 in the semifinal bout. Ranked No. 24 in the Class of 2021, Vandervere used a double-leg takedown with 23 seconds remaining and subsequent near fall points to break open a tied bout into a 6-2 finals victory over No. 66 overall senior Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.).

    Ranked No. 33 in the senior class, Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) beat Nick Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), who is No. 47 overall in the junior class, 2-1 in the tiebreakers during the quarterfinal round. The 138-pound lower bracket semifinal was a battle of Junior National freestyle All-Americans, with McNeil using a first-period takedown and second-period escape to counter the late third period takedown of No. 43 overall senior Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio) in a 3-2 victory. The championship bout saw McNeil score a scramble takedown with just under 30 seconds remaining to counter the shot attempt of No. 57 overall senior Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) in a 3-1 victory.

    Saldate, who is the No. 31 overall wrestler of the senior class, started Sunday with a narrow 3-2 decision over No. 90 overall senior Cameron Robinson (Council Rock North, Pa.). The 7-1 win over No. 58 senior A.J. Kovacs (Iona Prep, N.Y.) represented the most decisive of his three wins on the second day; while the Michigan State commit upended No. 79 senior Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.) 3-2 in the championship bout. A takedown during the first period made the difference. Saldate had two subsequent chances to get a margin-extending takedown, while he had to fend off a late leg attack from Hall to seal the belt.

    Oklahoma University verbal commit Penner entered the tournament ranked No. 53 in the senior class. Third-period takedowns were the difference in 3-2 victories over Trey Kibe (Mifflin County, Pa.) and Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.) during the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. Kibe is ranked No. 38 in the junior class, while Ulrey is No. 60 in the senior class. (The wrestlers finished third and fourth respectively.) It should be noted that Ulrey beat Penner in the semifinals of the UWW Cadet Nationals in Akron on the way to qualifying for the World Team in freestyle at 69 kilograms. Takedowns in the first and second period of the championship match yielded Penner a decisive 5-3 finals victory over No. 42 overall senior Gavin Kane (Cambridge, Ga.).

    Two other elite seniors won Super 32 titles on Sunday afternoon: No. 16 overall Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) at 182 and No. 29 Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.) at 285.

    Gerrit Nijenhuis gets his hand raised after winning the title at 182 pounds (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)

    In the 182-pound championship bout, Nijenhuis scored a takedown with just over 30 seconds remaining in the first period to take a 2-0 lead after that stanza. No. 38 overall senior John Poznanski (Colonia, N.J.) escaped to start the second and scored a takedown right after, while Nijenhius escaped within 20 seconds to level the bout at 3-3. A third-period escape for Nijenhuis yielded the final point in a 4-3 victory that enabled him to elevate from last year's runner-up finish in this tournament, though Poznanski was in very deep on a leg attack for the last thirty seconds of the bout.

    Cadet World Team member in freestyle Catka, a Virginia Tech verbal commit, entered the championship bout with four bonus point wins from four bouts. The championship match came against No. 39 overall junior Hayden Copass (Westville, Ill.), a two-time 16U freestyle champion. The first period of the final was scoreless, while Catka scored a second period takedown sandwiched by two Copass escapes. Catka got an escape, takedown, and three-point near fall in the third to confirm the 8-2 championship victory.

    Last among the seniors to win weight classes were Jacob Rivera (Selma, Calif.) at 113 pounds and Santos Cantu (Crescent Valley, Ore.) at 195.

    Rivera was untested but for a 4-3 round of 16 victory over state champion Carter Dibert (Franklin Regional, Pa.). Rivera needed a pair of third-period near falls to rally for that victory over the eventual third-place finisher. Most notable of those dominant wins for him was the 13-6 result over No. 49 overall senior Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, Mo.) in the semifinal round. The championship bout started with a five-point move for Rivera off a shin whizzer before a second period takedown would help cement his 9-3 victory over Nico Provo (Green Farms, Ct.).

    Three-time state champion Cantu used a takedown midway through the third period to outlast two-time state champion Brandon Hoselton (Prairie Central, Ill.) 3-2 in his championship bout.

    Rounding out the weight class champions were a pair of elite sophomores in No. 2 Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) and No. 6 Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.) at 126 and 120 respectively, while No. 11 overall junior Cael Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) won at 160.

    Placement Match Results

    106:
    1st: Mason Gibson (Forest Hills, Pa./8th grade) dec. Cory Land (Moody, Ala.), 5-4
    3rd: Maxximus Martinez (St. John Bosco, Calif.) dec. Dylan Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), 3-0
    5th: Charlie Farmer (Moline, Ill.) dec. Spencer Moore (Walton Verona, Ky.), 8-4
    7th: Carter McCallister (Rock Bridge, Mo.) dec. Mac Church (Waynesburg, Pa.), 8-6

    113:
    1st: Jacob Rivera (Selma, Calif.) dec. Nico Provo (Green Farms, Ct.), 9-3
    3rd: Carter Dibert (Franklin Regional, Pa.) dec. Braxton Brown (Allen, Texas), 3-2
    5th: Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, Mo.) major dec. Erik Roggie (St. Christopher's, Va.), 10-2
    7th: Joziah Fry (Coventry, R.I.) dec. Brady Hankin (Woodland Park, Colo.), 8-6 OT

    120:
    1st: Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.) dec. Maximo Renteria (Buchanan, Calif.), 5-3
    3rd: Alex Almeyda (St. Joseph Regional, N.J.) dec. Jordan Titus (Center Morinches, N.Y.), 1-1 TB
    5th: Dean Peterson (St. John Vianney, N.J.) dec. Dominic Chavez (Arlington Martin, Texas), 6-3
    7th: Troy Spratley (Collinsville, Okla.) dec. Nicholas Babin (Emerson-Park Ridge, N.J.), 3-1

    126:
    1st: Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. Nico Nardone (Delbarton, N.J.), 7-3
    3rd: Jacob Rundell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) dec. Caleb Tanner (Collinsville, Okla.), 5-1
    5th: Conor Knopick (Millard South, Neb.) dec. Antoine Allen (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio), 1-0
    7th: Zach Redding (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.) dec. Ethan Oakley (Wheatmore, N.C.), 8-6

    132:
    1st: Joel Vandervere (Warren Township, Ill.) dec. Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), 6-2
    3rd: Wyatt Henson (Francis Howell, Mo.) dec. Patrick Noonan (Stroudsburg, Pa.), 8-4
    5th: Jesse Mendez (Crown Point, Ind.) dec. Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.), 3-1
    7th: Skylar Smith (Liberty Christian, Texas) dec. Julian Farber (Veterans, Ga.), 5-3

    138:
    1st: Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), 3-1
    3rd: Alek Martin (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) dec. Josh Edmond (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), 5-4
    5th: Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio) dec. Caden McCrary (Woodland, Ga.), 4-0
    7th: Nick Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) by forfeit over Sam Hillegas (North Hills, Pa.)

    145:
    1st: Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.) dec. Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.), 8-7 TB
    3rd: Austin Boone (Lowell, Mich.) dec. Ed Scott (DuBois, Pa.), 4-3
    5th: Manzona Bryant (Hudson WRA, Ohio) dec. Francis Morrissey (Veterans, Ga.), 4-3
    7th: Jagger Condomitti (Northampton, Pa.) dec. Avery Bassett (Midd-West, Pa.), 8-6

    152:
    1st: Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.) dec. Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.), 3-2
    3rd: Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) dec. Luke Odom (Edwardsville, Ill.), 4-2, OT
    5th: A.J. Kovacs (Iona Prep, N.Y.) dec. Cameron Robinson (Council Rock North, Pa.), 7-6
    7th: Jaxon Garoutte (Pueblo County, Colo.) dec. Dominic Isola (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), 6-1

    160:
    1st: Cael Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) dec. Thayne Lawrence (Frazier, Pa.), 7-5
    3rd: Brian Soldano (High Point, N.J.) dec. Jaxon Smith (Woodland, Ga.)
    5th: Derek Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) by forfeit over John Martin Best (Parkersburg South, W.Va.)
    7th: Joseph Martin (Buchanan, Calif.) dec. Caleb Fish (Eaton Rapids, Mich.), 4-1

    170:
    1st: Greyden Penner (Liberty, Mo.) dec. Gavin Kane (Cambridge, Ga.), 5-3
    3rd: Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.) dec. Trey Kibe (Mifflin County, Pa.), 3-1
    5th: Leonard Pinnedto (Stroudsburg, Pa.) dec. Tyler Stoltzfus (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.), 5-1
    7th: Graham Calhoun (Plymouth, Ind.) dec. Bennett Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), 3-0

    182:
    1st: Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) dec. John Poznanski (Colonia, N.J.), 4-3
    3rd: Joseph Walker (Mishawaka, Ind.) dec. Nathan Warden (Christiansburg, Va.), 7-5
    5th: Gavin Bell (Beavercreek, Ohio) dec. Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio), 4-2
    7th: Giuseppe Milano (Spring-Ford, Pa.) dec. Quayin Short (Simley, Minn.), 12-7

    195:
    1st: Santos Cantu (Crescent Valley, Ore.) dec. Brandon Hoselton (Prairie Central, Ill.), 3-2
    3rd: Isaac Trumble (Millard South, Neb.) pinned Bennett Tabor (Simley, Minn.), 4:43
    5th: Evan Bates (Chesterton, Ind.) dec. Jack Wimmer (McDonogh, Md.), 1-0
    7th: Michael Misita (St. Augustine Prep, N.J.) dec. Austin Walley (Ellwood City, Pa.), 7-2

    220:
    1st: Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) dec. Chase Horne (West Laurens, Ga.), 8-2
    3rd: Chad Nix (Jensen Beach, Fla.) dec. Dorian Crosby (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.), 3-1
    5th: Cody Goodman (Deerfield, Ill.) pinned John Meyers (Greensburg-Salem, Pa.), 4:00
    7th: K.J. Miley (Whitfield, Mo.) dec. Charles Swiggett (Western Guilford, N.C.), 12-8

    285:
    1st: Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.) dec. Hayden Copass (Westville, Ill.), 8-2
    3rd: Isaiah Vance (Hempfield Area, Pa.) pinned Skylar Coffey (Brentwood, Tenn.), 1:53
    5th: Colby Whitehill (Brookville, Pa.) by forfeit over Garrett Kappes (McDonogh, Md.)
    7th: Alex Coleman (Hamilton Ross, Ohio) dec. Tyler Delooff (Lowell, Mich.), 9-4]]>    86845Mon, 14 Oct 2019 01:19:36 +0000    Super 32 Challenge Placement Match Resultshttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/super-32-challenge-placement-match-results-r86840/ Hunter Catka defeated Hayden Copass to claim the title at heavyweight (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)
    106:
    1st: Mason Gibson (Forest Hills, Pa./8th grade) dec. Cory Land (Moody, Ala.), 5-4
    3rd: Maxximus Martinez (St. John Bosco, Calif.) dec. Dylan Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), 3-0
    5th: Charlie Farmer (Moline, Ill.) dec. Spencer Moore (Walton Verona, Ky.), 8-4
    7th: Carter McCallister (Rock Bridge, Mo.) dec. Mac Church (Waynesburg, Pa.), 8-6

    113:
    1st: Jacob Rivera (Selma, Calif.) dec. Nico Provo (Green Farms, Ct.), 9-3
    3rd: Carter Dibert (Franklin Regional, Pa.) dec. Braxton Brown (Allen, Texas), 3-2
    5th: Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, Mo.) major dec. Erik Roggie (St. Christopher's, Va.), 10-2
    7th: Joziah Fry (Coventry, R.I.) dec. Brady Hankin (Woodland Park, Colo.), 8-6 OT

    120:
    1st: Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.) dec. Maximo Renteria (Buchanan, Calif.), 5-3
    3rd: Alex Almeyda (St. Joseph Regional, N.J.) dec. Jordan Titus (Center Morinches, N.Y.), 1-1 TB
    5th: Dean Peterson (St. John Vianney, N.J.) dec. Dominic Chavez (Arlington Martin, Texas), 6-3
    7th: Troy Spratley (Collinsville, Okla.) dec. Nicholas Babin (Emerson-Park Ridge, N.J.), 3-1

    126:
    1st: Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. Nico Nardone (Delbarton, N.J.), 7-3
    3rd: Jacob Rundell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) dec. Caleb Tanner (Collinsville, Okla.), 5-1
    5th: Conor Knopick (Millard South, Neb.) dec. Antoine Allen (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio), 1-0
    7th: Zach Redding (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.) dec. Ethan Oakley (Wheatmore, N.C.), 8-6

    132:
    1st: Joel Vandervere (Warren Township, Ill.) dec. Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), 6-2
    3rd: Wyatt Henson (Francis Howell, Mo.) dec. Patrick Noonan (Stroudsburg, Pa.), 8-4
    5th: Jesse Mendez (Crown Point, Ind.) dec. Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.), 3-1
    7th: Skylar Smith (Liberty Christian, Texas) dec. Julian Farber (Veterans, Ga.), 5-3

    138:
    1st: Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), 3-1
    3rd: Alek Martin (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) dec. Josh Edmond (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), 5-4
    5th: Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio) dec. Caden McCrary (Woodland, Ga.), 4-0
    7th: Nick Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) by forfeit over Sam Hillegas (North Hills, Pa.)

    145:
    1st: Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.) dec. Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.), 8-7 TB
    3rd: Austin Boone (Lowell, Mich.) dec. Ed Scott (DuBois, Pa.), 4-3
    5th: Manzona Bryant (Hudson WRA, Ohio) dec. Francis Morrissey (Veterans, Ga.), 4-3
    7th: Jagger Condomitti (Northampton, Pa.) dec. Avery Bassett (Midd-West, Pa.), 8-6

    152:
    1st: Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.) dec. Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.), 3-2
    3rd: Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) dec. Luke Odom (Edwardsville, Ill.), 4-2, OT
    5th: A.J. Kovacs (Iona Prep, N.Y.) dec. Cameron Robinson (Council Rock North, Pa.), 7-6
    7th: Jaxon Garoutte (Pueblo County, Colo.) dec. Dominic Isola (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), 6-1

    160:
    1st: Cael Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) dec. Thayne Lawrence (Frazier, Pa.), 7-5
    3rd: Brian Soldano (High Point, N.J.) dec. Jaxon Smith (Woodland, Ga.)
    5th: Derek Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) by forfeit over John Martin Best (Parkersburg South, W.Va.)
    7th: Joseph Martin (Buchanan, Calif.) dec. Caleb Fish (Eaton Rapids, Mich.), 4-1

    170:
    1st: Greyden Penner (Liberty, Mo.) dec. Gavin Kane (Cambridge, Ga.), 5-3
    3rd: Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.) dec. Trey Kibe (Mifflin County, Pa.), 3-1
    5th: Leonard Pinnedto (Stroudsburg, Pa.) dec. Tyler Stoltzfus (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.), 5-1
    7th: Graham Calhoun (Plymouth, Ind.) dec. Bennett Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), 3-0

    182:
    1st: Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) dec. John Poznanski (Colonia, N.J.), 4-3
    3rd: Joseph Walker (Mishawaka, Ind.) dec. Nathan Warden (Christiansburg, Va.), 7-5
    5th: Gavin Bell (Beavercreek, Ohio) dec. Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio), 4-2
    7th: Giuseppe Milano (Spring-Ford, Pa.) dec. Quayin Short (Simley, Minn.), 12-7

    195:
    1st: Santos Cantu (Crescent Valley, Ore.) dec. Brandon Hoselton (Prairie Central, Ill.), 3-2
    3rd: Isaac Trumble (Millard South, Neb.) pinned Bennett Tabor (Simley, Minn.), 4:43
    5th: Evan Bates (Chesterton, Ind.) dec. Jack Wimmer (McDonogh, Md.), 1-0
    7th: Michael Misita (St. Augustine Prep, N.J.) dec. Austin Walley (Ellwood City, Pa.), 7-2

    220:
    1st: Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) dec. Chase Horne (West Laurens, Ga.), 8-2
    3rd: Chad Nix (Jensen Beach, Fla.) dec. Dorian Crosby (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.), 3-1
    5th: Cody Goodman (Deerfield, Ill.) pinned John Meyers (Greensburg-Salem, Pa.), 4:00
    7th: K.J. Miley (Whitfield, Mo.) dec. Charles Swiggett (Western Guilford, N.C.), 12-8

    285:
    1st: Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.) dec. Hayden Copass (Westville, Ill.), 8-2
    3rd: Isaiah Vance (Hempfield Area, Pa.) pinned Skylar Coffey (Brentwood, Tenn.), 1:53
    5th: Colby Whitehill (Brookville, Pa.) by forfeit over Garrett Kappes (McDonogh, Md.)
    7th: Alex Coleman (Hamilton Ross, Ohio) dec. Tyler Delooff (Lowell, Mich.), 9-4]]>    86840Sun, 13 Oct 2019 23:53:21 +0000    Super 32 Challenge Semifinal Resultshttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/super-32-challenge-semifinal-results-r86839/
    106 pounds
    Mason Gibson (Forest Hills, Pa./8th grade) dec. Maximus Martinez (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 4-3 TB (ult)
    Cory Land (Moody, Ala.) dec. Charlie Farmer (Moline, Ill.) 6-3

    113 pounds
    Jacob Rivera (Selma, Calif.) dec. Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, Mo.) 13-6
    Nico Provo (Green Farms, Ct.) dec. Erik Roggie (St. Christopher's, Va.) 7-1

    120 pounds
    Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.) dec. Dean Peterson (St. John Vianney, N.J.) 4-3
    Maximo Renteria (Buchanan, Calif.) dec. Alex Almeyda (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.) 7-1

    126 pounds
    Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. Antonio Allen (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) 6-4
    Nick Nardone (Delbarton, N.J.) dec. Caleb Tanner (Collinsville, Okla.) 2-1

    132 pounds
    Joel Vandervere (Warren Township, Ill.) dec. Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.) 4-2
    Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) dec. Wyatt Henson (Francis Howell, Mo.) 6-6 TB-ULT RO

    138 pounds
    Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) dec. Alek Martin (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) 6-5
    Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio) 3-2

    145 pounds
    Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) dec. Francis Morrissey (Veterans, Ga.) 1-0 TB-ULT
    Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.) dec. Ed Scott (DuBois, Fla.) 9-7 OT

    152 pounds
    Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.) dec. A.J. Kovacs (Iona Prep, N.Y.) 7-1
    Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.) dec. Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) 7-4

    160 pounds
    Cael Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) over John Martin Best (Parkersburg, W.Va.) by injury forfeit
    Thayne Lawrence (Frazier, Pa.) dec. Derek Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) 1-1 TB-ULT RO

    170 pounds
    Gavin Kane (Cambridge, Ga.) pin Leonard Pinto (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 5:48
    Greyden Penner (Liberty, Mo.) dec. Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.) 3-2

    182 pounds
    Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) dec. Nathan Warden (Christiansburg, Va.) 8-3
    John Poznanski (Colonia, N.J.) major dec. Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio) 17-5

    195 pounds
    Santos Cantu (Sprague, Ore.) dec. Jack Wimmer (McDonogh, Md.) 3-1
    Brandon Hoselton (Prairie Central, Ill.) pin Evan Bates (Chesterton, Ind.) 1:25

    220 pounds
    Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) major dec. Cody Goodman (Deerfield, Ill.) 17-6
    Chase Horne (West Laurens, Ga.) dec. Chad Nix (Jensen Beach, Fla.) 2-0

    285 pounds
    Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.) over Garrett Kappes (McDonogh, Md.) by injury forfeit
    Hayden Copass (Westville, Ill.) dec. Colby Whitehill (Brookville, Pa.) 9-6]]>    86839Sun, 13 Oct 2019 15:20:06 +0000    Super 32 Challenge Semifinal Pairingshttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/super-32-challenge-semifinal-pairings-r86838/
    Below are the semifinal pairings.

    106 pounds
    Mason Gibson (Forest Hills, Pa./8th grade) vs. Maxximus Martinez (St. John Bosco, Calif.)
    Charlie Farmer (Moline, Ill.) vs. Cory Land (Moody, Ala.)

    113 pounds
    Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, Mo.) vs. Jacob Rivera (Selma, Calif.)
    Nico Provo (Green Farms, Ct.) vs. Erik Roggie (St. Christopher's, Va.)

    120 pounds
    Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.) vs. Dean Peterson (St. John Vianney, N.J.)
    Alex Almeyda (St. Joseph Regional, N.J.) vs. Maximo Renteria (Buchanan, Calif.)

    126 pounds
    Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) vs. Antoine Allen (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio)
    Caleb Tanner (Collinsville, Okla.) vs. Nick Nardone (Delbarton, N.J.)

    132 pounds
    Joel Vandervere (Warren Township, N.J.) vs. Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.)
    Wyatt Henson (Francis Howell, Mo.) vs. Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.)

    138 pounds
    Alek Martin (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) vs. Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.)
    Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio) vs. Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.)

    145 pounds
    Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) vs. Francis Morrissey (Veterans, Ga.)
    Ed Scott (DuBois, Pa.) vs. Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.)

    152 pounds
    Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.) vs. A.J. Kovacs (Iona Prep, N.Y.)
    Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) vs. Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.)

    160 pounds
    Cael Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) vs. John Martin Best (Parkersburg, W.Va.)
    Derek Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) vs. Thayne Lawrence (Frazier, Pa.)

    170 pounds
    Gavin Kane (Cambridge, Ga.) vs. Leonard Pinto (Stroudsburg, Pa.)
    Greyden Penner (Liberty, Mo.) vs. Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.)

    182 pounds
    Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) vs. Nathan Warden (Christiansburg, Va.)
    Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio) vs. John Poznanski (Colonia, N.J.)

    195 pounds
    Jack Wimmer (McDonogh, Md.) vs. Santos Cantu (Sprague, Ore.)
    Evan Bates (Chesterton, Ind.) vs. Brandon Hoselton (Prairie Central, Ill.)

    220 pounds
    Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) vs. Cody Goodman (Deerfield, Ill.)
    Chase Horne (West Laurens, Ga.) vs. Chad Nix (Jensen Beach, Fla.)

    285 pounds
    Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.) vs. Garrett Kappes (McDonogh, Md.)
    Colby Whitehill (Brookville, Pa.) vs. Hayden Copass (Westville, Ill.)]]>    86838Sun, 13 Oct 2019 12:18:14 +0000    Super 32 Challenge Quarterfinal Pairingshttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/super-32-challenge-quarterfinal-pairings-r86837/
    106 pounds
    Mason Gibson (Forest Hills, Pa./8th grade) vs. Mac Church (Waynesburg, Pa.)
    Maxximus Martinez (St. John Bosco, Calif.) vs. Dylan Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.)
    Charlie Farmer (Moline, Ill.) vs. Evan Mougalian (Kinnelon, N.J.)
    Carter McCallister (Rock Bridge, Mo.) vs. Cory Land (Moody, Ala.)

    113 pounds
    Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, Mo.) vs. Jett Strickenberger (Lewis Palmer, Colo.)
    Jacob Moon (Oregon Clay, Ohio) vs. Jacob Rivera (Selma, Calif.)
    Diego Sotelo (Marmion Academy, Ill.) vs. Nico Provo (Green Farms, Ct.)
    Joziah Fry (Coventry, R.I.) vs. Erik Roggie (St. Christopher's, Va.)

    120 pounds
    Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.) vs. Andrew Chambal (Davison, Mich.)
    Dustin Norris (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) vs. Dean Peterson (St. John Vianney, N.J.)
    Alex Almeyda (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.) vs. Jordan Titus (Center Morinches, N.Y.)
    Nick Babin (Emerson-Park Ridge, N.J.) vs. Maximo Renteria (Buchanan, Calif.)

    126 pounds
    Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) vs. Conor Knopick (Millard South, Neb.)
    Ethan Oakley (Wheatmore, N.C.) vs. Antoine Allen (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio)
    Ethen Miller (Park Hill, Mo.) vs. Caleb Tanner (Collinsville, Okla.)
    Nick Nardone (Delbarton, N.J.) vs. Jacob Rundell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.)

    132 pounds
    Jesse Mendez (Crown Point, Ind.) vs. Joel Vandervere (Warren Township, Ill.)
    Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.) vs. Julian Farber (Veterans, Ga.)
    Wyatt Henson (Francis Howell, Mo.) vs. Daniel Cardenas (Pomona, Colo.)
    Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) vs. Henry Porter (Gilroy, Calif.)

    138 pounds
    Sam Hillegas (North Hills, Pa.) vs. Alek Martin (St. Paris Graham, Ohio)
    Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) vs. Josh Edmond (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.)
    Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio) vs. Caden McCrary (Woodland, Ga.)
    Nick Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) vs. Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.)

    145 pounds
    Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) vs. Manzona Bryant (Hudson WRA, Ohio)
    Francis Morrissey (Veterans, Ga.) vs. Matthew Singleton (Woodward Academy, Ga.)
    Ed Scott (Dubois, Pa.) vs. Noah Castillo (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.)
    Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.) vs. Joseph Zargo (Bergen Catholic, N.J.)

    152 pounds
    Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.) vs. Cameron Robinson (Council Rock North, Pa.)
    Luka Wick (San Marino, Calif.) vs. A.J. Kovacs (Iona Prep, N.Y.)
    Matt Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind./NLWC) vs. Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.)
    Dominic Isola (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) vs. Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.)

    160 pounds
    Cael Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) vs. Lucas DeSilva (Collins Hill, Ga.)
    John Martin Best (Parkersburg, W.Va.) vs. Enrique Munguia (Elyria, Ohio)
    Derek Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) vs. Dylan Reinert (Gettysburg, Pa.)
    Jack Blumer (Kiski Area, Pa.) vs. Thayne Lawrence (Frazier, Pa.)

    170 pounds
    Gavin Kane (Cambridge, Ga.) vs. Shane Reitsma (Howell, N.J.)
    Connor O'Neill (DePaul Catholic, N.J.) vs. Leonard Pinto (Stroudsburg, Pa.)
    Greyden Penner (Liberty, Mo.) vs. Trey Kibe (Mifflin County, Pa.)
    Graham Calhoun (Plymouth, Ind.) vs. Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.)

    182 pounds
    Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) vs. Joseph Walker (Mishawaka, Ind.)
    Tanner Mendoza (Valiant Prep, Ariz.) vs. Nathan Warden (Christiansburg, Va.)
    Simeone Holmes (Cosby, Va.) vs. Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio)
    J.T. Davis (Smyrna, Del.) vs. John Poznanski (Colonia, N.J.)

    195 pounds
    Luke Montgomery (Bethel Park, Pa.) vs. Jack Wimmer (McDonogh, Md.)
    Austin Walley (Ellwood City, Pa.) vs. Santos Cantu (Sprague, Ore.)
    Jack Darrah (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) vs. Evan Bates (Chesterton, Ind.)
    Brandon Hoselton (Prairie Central, Ill.) vs. Isaac Trumble (Millard South, Neb.)

    220 pounds
    Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) vs. Matthew Kaplan (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.)
    Nick Benton (Somerset Academy, Fla.) vs. Cody Goodman (Deerfield, Ill.)
    Chase Horne (West Laurens, Ga.) vs. Bryan Canedo (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.)
    Chad Nix (Jensen Beach, Fla.) vs. Dorian Crosby (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.)

    285 pounds
    Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.) vs. Skylar Coffey (Brentwood, Tenn.)
    Alex Coleman (Hamilton Ross, Ohio) vs. Garrett Kappes (McDonogh, Md.)
    Colby Whitehill (Brookville, Pa.) vs. Tyler Delooff (Lowell, Mich.)
    Isaiah Vance (Hempfield Area, Pa.) vs. Hayden Copass (Westville, Ill.)]]>    86837Sat, 12 Oct 2019 16:36:23 +0000    Ten storylines to watch at Super 32 Challengehttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/ten-storylines-to-watch-at-super-32-challenge-r86833/
    The future productivity of athletes that have competed in the high school division of the Super 32 Challenge speaks for itself. At the NCAA Division I Championships, held this year in Pittsburgh, 53 of the 80 All-Americans had competed in the high school division of the Super 32 Challenge at some point of their career. This includes two-time NCAA champions Spencer Lee, Yianni Diakomihalis, and Zahid Valencia; as well as three-time champion Jason Nolf. In all, eight of the 10 NCAA champions and 14 of the 20 finalists competed at the Super 32 Challenge.

    Looking at the depth of the 2018 Super 32 field, one notes that 350 wrestlers (out of about 350) that appeared on the bracket in the high school division would go on to win a state-level title at the end of their high school season. In addition, 115 members of the field ended the season nationally ranked by InterMat. Six of the wrestlers that ended the season No. 1 nationally in their weight class competed at the Super 32 Challenge: Richard Figueroa, Lucas Byrd, Ryan Anderson, Alex Facundo, Jacob Cardenas, and Braxton Amos.

    Here are some big picture things to look at in the event this Saturday and Sunday. Entrants are based on information available as of Sunday afternoon.

    Star power

    Even if the absolute mega-stars of high school wrestling aren't among those competing in this weekend's field, there is a clear abundance of star power in the 2019 Super 32 field based on entries as of Sunday afternoon. 51 of the wrestlers ranked among the InterMat top-100 for the Class of 2020 are in the field at the present time, even though that only includes three of the top ten: No. 2 Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) at 220 pounds, along with No. 6 Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) and Sam Hillegas (North Hills, Pa.) at 138. The only other top 20 senior wrestlers in the field are No. 16 Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) at 182 pounds and No. 17 Ryan Jack (Danbury, Ct.) at 132.

    In the Class of 2021, it is 29 of the top-50 slated to compete at the Super 32 Challenge, though No. 9 Carson Manville (Shakopee, Minn.) and No. 10 Maximo Renteria (Buchanan, Calif.) are the only top ten ranked wrestlers listed; Manville at 182 pounds and Renteria at 120. Six of the next ten are in the field: No. 11 Cael Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) at 160, No. 13 Wyatt Henson (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) at 126, No. 14 Drake Ayala (Fort Dodge, Iowa) and No. 18 Cooper Flynn (McDonogh, Md.) at 120, No. 16 Leonard Pinto (Stroudsburg, Pa.) at 170, and No. 19 Luka Wick (San Marino, Calif.) at 152.

    The rising sophomore group has 26 of the top-50 wrestlers present in the field, with seven of the top ten wrestlers from the Class of 2022 among that group. It is led by No. 2 Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) at 126 pounds, No. 3 Jesse Mendez (Crown Point, Ind.) and No. 7 Daniel Cardenas (Pomona, Colo.) at 132, No. 4 Seth Shumate (Dublin Coffman, Ohio) at 195, No. 6 Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.) and No. 9 Troy Spratley (Collinsville, Okla.) at 120, and No. 8 Caleb Henson (Woodland, Ga.) at 138.

    Among the freshman class, it is a paltry 10 of the top-25 from the Class of 2023 in the field, a group led by No. 5 Rocco Welsh (Waynesburg, Pa.) at 126 pounds and No. 9 Grant MacKay (North Allegheny, Pa.) at 152. Six of the ten ranked freshmen are among the contenders at 106 pounds, a group led by No. 13 Maxximus Martinez (St. John Bosco, Calif.), the Outstanding Wrestler of the middle school division in the 2017 Super 32 Challenge. Last year's edition of the Super 32 saw six freshmen earn placement finishes (one at 106, one at 113, two at 120, one at 126, and one at 220).

    The top two wrestlers in the Junior high rankings, No. 1 Mason Gibson (Forest Hills, Pa.) and No. 2 Pierson Manville (Shakopee, Minn.), are slated to compete in the high school division at 106 and 126 pounds respectively. Last year, an eighth grader did place in the tournament, Nasir Bailey of Illinois was eighth at 106; while in 2017, Ryan Crookham of Pennsylvania won the title at 113 pounds when still in junior high.

    Repeat glory

    Only one of nine past Super 32 Challenge champions, seven of whom won titles last year, in the high school division whom are eligible to compete in this year's event will be doing so this weekend. That being University of Wisconsin verbal commit Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.). It would be a significant shock if Amos did not win a third straight title at 220 pounds, as his most direct challenge is likely to come from Dorian Crosby (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.); the No. 72 overall wrestler in the Class of 2020 lost rather handily to Amos in the Junior freestyle final this summer. The other notable contender is Chase Horne (West Laurens, Ga.), a returning placer in this weight class, who is ranked No. 36 in the Class of 2022.

    Joshua Saunders gets in on a shot in his state finals match (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)

    Saunders after an elusive title

    Out of all the things that Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) has accomplished in his high school career, he has yet to win a Super 32 Challenge title in the high school division. The Cornell commit is ranked No. 6 overall in the Class of 2020, has represented the United States in freestyle at both the Cadet and Junior World Championships, won multiple titles in Fargo, earned a title at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman last year, and is a three-time state champion.

    However, in 2016 and 2017 Saunders lost narrow decisions in the semifinal round at the Super 32 Challenge. In 2016, it was a 3-1 at 120 pounds to Andrew Alirez, while in 2017 it was an overtime loss to Jesse Vasquez at 132. He did not compete last year due to his world championships participation.

    This year Saunders is slated to compete in the absolute grinder at 138 pounds. The field currently features nine other top-100 Class of 2020 wrestlers: No. 10 Sam Hillegas (North Hills, Pa.); No. 33 Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.); No. 43 Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio), a Junior National freestyle runner-up; No. 52 Josh Edmond (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.); No. 57 Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.); No. 66 Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.); No. 80 Drew Eller (Evans, Ga.), No. 93 Nick Stonecheck (Buford, Ga.); and No. 96 Ryan Burgos (Hilton, N.Y.). Hillegas is a two-time Super 32 placer; while Edmond, Herrmann, and Rivera placed in this tournament last year.

    The insane weight class also features five nationally ranked Class of 2021 wrestlers; No. 27 Caden McCrary (Woodland, Ga.), a Junior National freestyle All-American; No. 31 Alek Martin (St. Paris Graham, Ohio); No. 36 Henry Porter (Gilroy, Calif.); No. 47 Nick Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio); and No. 49 Teague Travis (Father Tolton Catholic, Mo.). Also in the field are a pair of nationally ranked Class of 2022 wrestlers: No. 8 Caleb Henson Henson (Woodland, Ga.), a semifinalist last year as a freshman at 126 pounds, and No. 24 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Arrowhead, Wis.).

    Others to watch in this absurd weight class include NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Ethan Basile (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.), returning Super 32 placer Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.), Junior National freestyle All-American Luke Sloan (Austin Vandergrift, Texas), Cadet National freestyle All-American Matthew Bianchi (Two Rivers, Wis.), and Grappler Fall Classic champion Eddie Homrock (Brighton, Mich.).

    Don't forget the heavyweights

    With the impact of football, the upperweights tend to have lower participant numbers than even during the season or the post-season national tournaments in the spring and summer. Even with that being the case, there is some talent worth watching at 285 pounds based on the field as of Sunday afternoon. The two anchors are Cadet World freestyle participant Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.) and two-time Cadet National double champion Hayden Copass (Westville, Ill.); the Virginia Tech commit Catka is ranked No. 29 in the Class of 2020, while Wisconsin commit Copass is No. 39 in the Class of 2021.

    Other contenders in this weight class include returning Super 32 runner-up Colby Whitehill (Brookville, Pa.), past Junior National freestyle All-American Garrett Kappes (McDonogh, Md.), NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up Alex Coleman (Hamilton Ross, Ohio), along with Pennsylvania state placers Jalen Stephens (Meyersdale) and Isaiah Vance (Hempfield Area).

    Seeking that elusive ascendant step on the podium

    In addition to Whitehill, three other wrestlers that lost in the finals at the Super 32 Challenge last year will be in the hunt for championship belts this weekend: Drake Ayala (Fort Dodge, Iowa), Ryan Jack (Danbury, Ct.), and Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.). Of the four wrestlers listed, the one with the most direct path to winning a title is Nijenhius in the 182-pound weight class.

    Ranked No. 16 overall in the Class of 2020, returning state champion Nijenhius has a relatively not congested weight class with his most direct challenger being John Poznanski (Colonia, N.J.). Ranked No. 38 in the Class of 2020, Poznanski was runner-up at his state tournament last year, and is a returning placer in this tournament, though he lost 8-3 to Nijenhius in the round of 16 on Saturday afternoon at this event last year. Two ranked Class of 2021 wrestlers also are present in this weight class: No. 9 Carson Manville (Shakopee, Minn.) and No. 37 Quayin Short (Simley, Minn.). Others to watch include NHSCA Junior National champion Tanner Mendoza (Valiant Prep, Ariz.), UWW Cadet freestyle All-American Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio), along with state champion and Beast of the East placer J.T. Davis (Smyrna, Del.); while Cadet Greco-Roman national champion Gavin Nelson (Simley, Minn.), ranked No. 11 overall in the Class of 2023, is a name to watch out for once you get past this season.

    Fargo champions collide

    Arguably the two anchor figures in the 120-pound weight class were champions this summer in Fargo freestyle, Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.) and Drake Ayala (Fort Dodge, Iowa). Williams was champion at Cadet 120, while Ayala won the Junior 113 title. The pair met in Akron four months ago in the 51-kilo semifinal at the UWW Cadet freestyle tournament, a match won 6-4 by Williams.

    Williams is ranked No. 6 overall in the Class of 2022, while Ayala is No. 14 in the Class of 2021. Williams is joined by eight of ranked Class of 2022 wrestlers in this weight class: No. 9 Troy Spratley (Collinsville, Okla.), No. 14 Zeke Seltzer (Indianapolis Cathedral, Ind.), No. 15 Nicolar Rivera (Stoughton, Wis.), No. 20 Alex Almeyda (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.), No. 35 Casey Swiderski (Dundee, Mich.), No. 42 Brennan Van Hoecke (Palmetto Ridge, Fla.), No. 45 Garrett Grice (Bellevue East, Neb.), and No. 49 Levi Haines (Biglerville, Pa.). Spratley and Almeyda both placed at the Super 32 last year, Seltzer was runner-up to Williams in Cadet freestyle this summer.

    Ayala is joined by six other ranked Class of 2021 wrestlers: No. 10 Maximo Renteria (Buchanan, Calif.), a two-time state champion; No. 18 Cooper Flynn (McDonogh, Md.); No. 25 Dean Peterson (St. John Vianney, N.J.), state champion and two-time state finalist; No. 42 Jordan Titus (Center Morinches, N.Y.), NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion; No. 46 Vincent Santaniello (Brick Memorial, N.J.); and No. 48 Dustin Norris (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio).

    Also in the field are two top-100 Class of 2020 wrestlers: No. 65 Tristan Lujan (Selma, Calif.), a returning Super 32 placer, and No. 82 Dominic Chavez (Arlington Martin, Texas). Additional notable wrestlers include No. 14 overall Class of 2023 wrestlers Meyer Shapiro (Bullis School, Md.), state champion Colton Drousias (Chicago Mt. Carmel, Ill.), 2017 Super 32 placer Nick Babin (Emerson-Park Ridge, N.J.), multi-time state placer Nick Kayal (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), 2018 Cadet world freestyle participant Chance Lamer (Crescent Valley, Ore.), along with state champions Paxton Creese (Shakopee, Minn.), and Anthony Noto (Honeoye Falls-Lima, N.Y.).

    Cadet World Team members at the Super 32

    Joining Catka as a member of the 2019 Cadet World Team in freestyle that is in this weekend's field are Jesse Mendez (Crown Point, Ind.) and Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.); Mendez is slated to compete at 132 pounds, while Ulrey is registered at 170. Ranked No. 60 in the Class of 2020, the Virginia Tech commit is joined by three other top-100 rising seniors in the 170-pound weight bracket: No. 42 Gavin Kane (Cambridge, Ga.), No. 53 Greyden Penner (Liberty, Mo.), and No. 69 Connor O'Neill (DePaul Catholic, N.J.); both Ulrey (3rd at 160) and Penner (4th at 170) are returning place-winners in this tournament.

    Other contenders in the 170-pound weight class include a pair of nationally ranked Class of 2021 wrestlers from Pennsylvania: No. 16 Leonard Pinto (Stroudsburg) and No. 38 Trey Kibe (Mifflin County); Pinto was a Cadet National freestyle champion in Fargo, while Kibe upset Ulrey in the Class 3A state final at 160 pounds this past March. Also meriting attention in a relatively deep weight class are state runner-up Shane Reitsma (Howell, N.J.); Bennett Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), who is ranked No. 17 overall in the Class of 2022; previous state champion Duwayne Villalpando (Maize, Kansas); state runner-up Rocco Contino (Buchanan, Calif.); and multi-time state placer Graham Calhoun (Plymouth, Ind.).

    Can Derek Gilcher clear gauntlets for two straight weekends?

    This past weekend at the Grappler Fall Classic on the campus of Michigan State University, Derek Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) upended a pair of fellow top-100 Class of 2020 wrestlers to win the 160-pound bracket. Ranked No. 62 overall in the senior class, Gilcher also had an absurd run on the way to his Junior freestyle All-American finish in Fargo. The Indiana commit will be joined by six other top-100 Class of 2020 wrestlers at present in the 152-pound field: No. 31 Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.), whom he beat 9-4 in the Grappler Fall Classic final; No. 34 Matthew Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.), whom he upset in consolation on the way to his Fargo All-American finish; No. 36 Elan Heard (Libertyville, Ill.); No. 58 A.J. Kovacs (Iona Prep, N.Y.); returning Super 32 placer Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.); and No. 80 Cameron Robinson (Council Rock North, Pa.).

    Also in the 152-pound field are a pair of top-50 Class of 2021 wrestlers, No. 19 Luke Wick (San Marino, Calif.) and No. 32 D.J. Hamiti (Joliet Catholic, Ill.); a two-time state champion, Hamiti was runner-up at the UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle before winning a Cadet National freestyle title this summer. Additional notable rising seniors in this field include Tyler Badgett (Rancho Bernardo, Calif.), Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), Caleb Dowling (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.), Jaxon Garoutte (Pueblo County, Colo.), and Donald Cates (Northern Durham, N.C.).

    Mendez mania

    Last year's Super 32 ended a stretch of three major events in a row that Jesse Mendez (Crown Point, Ind.) was one match away from earning a podium finish. The now No. 3 overall Class of 2022 wrestler lost 6-4 to Ryan Jack in the quarterfinal before dropping a 3-2 decision to Jackson DiSario (Stanford/Ola, Ga.) in his subsequent consolation bout at 126 pounds. Since then, Mendez was undefeated in his freshman high school season on the way to a dominant state title and added four off-season titles of note: Cadet folkstyle, FloNationals freestyle, UWW Cadet freestyle, and Pan-Am Cadet freestyle.

    Mendez is a joint favorite in the 132-pound weight class this weekend with Ryan Jack, who is ranked No. 17 overall in the Class of 2020 and was runner-up at 126 last year; he also was champion at the NHSCA Junior Nationals in the spring. Eight other top-100 seniors join Jack in this loaded weight class: No. 28 Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.), No. 41 Frankie Tal-Shahar (American Heritage, Fla.), No. 45 Devin Murphy (Selma, Calif.), No. 64 Chris Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), No. 74 Dylan Cedeno (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), No. 83 Trey Crawford (Park Hill, Mo.), No. 86 Drew Munch (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), and No. 87 Kellyn March (Canton, S.D.); Clark is a two-time placer in this event, Cedeno a returning placer, Tal-Shahar a Walsh Ironman runner-up, while Crawford is a Junior freestyle All-American.

    Mendez is joined by three other top Class of 2022 prospects: No. 7 Daniel Cardenas (Pomona, Colo.), a Cadet National freestyle champion and returning placer in this tournament; No. 26 Chase DeBlaere (Simley, Minn.); and Michael Kilic (Woodard Academy, Ga.). Four top-50 Class of 2021 prospects also populate this field: No. 21 Nathaniel Pulliam (Rolla, Mo.), No. 24 Joel Vandervere (Warren Township, Ill.), No. 29 Reid Ballantyne (Stillwater, Minn.), and No. 35 Carter Young (Stillwater, Okla.).

    Others in an absurdly deep field include state champion Brock McMillen (Glendale, Pa.), Cadet freestyle runner-up Ramon Ramos (Valiant Prep, Fla.), National Prep runner-up Skyler Smith (Liberty Christian, Texas), and state runner-up Danny Pucino (Libertyville, Ill.).

    The opening weight

    Always a bastion of future stars is the 106-pound weight class. In many cases, it is an opportunity for an unknown to emerge; while in other cases, it is a known wrestler that becomes a really really known wrestler. 2018 state champion Gary Steen (Reynolds, Pa.), Cadet World Greco-Roman team members Mason Gehloff (Waseca, Minn.) and Cory Land (Moody, Ala.), and Cadet National double champion Jore Volk (Lakeville North, Minn.) are the leading contenders in this weight class that have already completed a season of high school wrestling. Of note, Land is ranked No. 32 overall in the Class of 2022; while Steen joined Land as finishing the 2018-19 season ranked nationally at 106 pounds.

    As previously noted in the article, six nationally ranked Class of 2023 wrestlers populate this field: No. 13 Maxximus Martinez (St. John Bosco, Calif.); No. 15 Mitchell Neiner (South Kitsap, Wash.), a Cadet freestyle runner-up; No. 16 Carter McCallister (Rock Bridge, Mo.) and No. 20 Mac Church (Waynesburg, Pa.), All-Americans at both the UWW Cadet and Cadet freestyle tournaments; No. 21 Greyson Clark (Kaukauna, Wis.), a Cadet freestyle All-American; and No. 24 Nathan Jesuroga (Southeast Polk, Iowa).

    Others to watch include state champions Peyton Fenton (Elyria, Ohio), Gabe Giampetro (Smyrna, Del.), and Kai Owen (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.); incoming freshmen Clarence Moore (Gilroy, Calif.), Caden Horwath (Davison, Mich.), Dylan Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), and Beau Mantanona (Palm Desert, Calif.); along with Ben Aranda (DeKalb, Ill.), who also was All-American at the UWW Cadet and Cadet Nationals in freestyle.]]>    86833Tue, 08 Oct 2019 08:42:37 +0000    Update: Killer of New Jersey high school state placer sentencedhttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/update-killer-of-new-jersey-high-school-state-placer-sentenced-r86790/NJ.com reported Monday.

    Anthony Kille was convicted in early August of aggravated manslaughter and two gun charges relating to the killing Randall, a 2015 New Jersey state championships placer for Paulsboro High School.

    Anthony Kille
    On the evening of Aug. 25, 2018, Kille shot and killed Davontae Randall at a party at Randall's mother's home in Paulsboro.

    Kille shot and killed the 21-year-old Randall in front of family and friends at a cookout at his mother's home on Aug. 25, 2018. Kille showed up at the party and fought with Randall before shooting him.

    Last summer's fatal shooting was the culmination of an earlier road-rage incident. A few days earlier, Kille and Randall had a verbal altercation when they nearly crashed into each other in a nearby community

    Just a few days before, Kille and Randall had words when they nearly crashed into each other on the road in nearby Swedesboro.

    Kille showed up at the party and fought with Randall before shooting him.

    At the time of the crime, Kille was serving home confinement after being charged with involvement in a 21-person drug ring.

    As a wrestler for the Paulsboro Red Raiders, Davontae Randall compiled a 110-52 career record … capped off by a sixth-place finish in the heavyweight bracket at the state championships as a senior. For those accomplishments, NJ.com named Randall the Colonial Conference Wrestler of the Year for 2015.]]>    86790Mon, 23 Sep 2019 19:33:59 +0000    Services for Iowa high school finalist, Iowa Central wrestler Vinnie Harveyhttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/services-for-iowa-high-school-finalist-iowa-central-wrestler-vinnie-harvey-r86730/
    Vinnie Harvey
    A Mass of Christian Burial will take place Saturday, August 31, at 10:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church, 211 South 13th Street, in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Burial will follow immediately at Corpus Christi Cemetery.

    Vincent Richard Harvey was born in December 1995 in Fort Dodge. The 2014 St. Edmond graduate participated in both wrestling and football. Harvey was a runner-up at the 2014 Iowa state wrestling championships and concluded his high school mat career as all-time wins leader in wrestling at the Fort Dodge school.

    Harvey stayed in his hometown to continue his athletic and academic career, attending Iowa Central Community College where he remained active on the wrestling mat and gridiron.

    "After college, family continued to be very important to Vinnie," according to Harvey's obituary. "He worked with his dad and was a brother his sisters could always count on for a laugh. If he wasn't watching the WWE or sitting on a dock listening to music you could find Vinnie at the gym, lifting weights and rattling off movie quotes with his friends. The family lake house was his absolute favorite place to be. His best friends were his brothers and sisters and his friends were like family to Vinnie."

    It was at Lake Okoboji near the Iowa-Minnesota border where Vinnie Harvey had spent last Saturday night, and was reported missing Sunday morning. That day, the Dickinson County Sheriff's Office posted a plea for information on social media regarding the missing Harvey, who it identified as "a high school wrestling coach." On Tuesday, the sheriff's office issued a press release saying that a body found approximately 45 yards from shore was that of Harvey, according to the Fort Dodge Messenger-News.

    Vinnie Harvey is survived by his parents, Joe and Kelly; siblings, Frankie (Josie Heesch) of Fort Dodge; Teddie of Des Moines; Eddie of Lexington, Kentucky; Corie (Sean) Inks of Williams; Maggie; Gracie; Josie all of Fort Dodge; maternal grandmother, Lorraine Wignall; nephews, Carson Inks; Thielen Fausnaugh and niece, Emmersyn Inks.]]>    86730Fri, 30 Aug 2019 21:03:40 +0000    Participation in girls, boys high school wrestling continues to growhttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/participation-in-girls-boys-high-school-wrestling-continues-to-grow-r86721/
    The number of girls and boys participating in high school wrestling showed continued growth during the 2018-19 school year, bucking a trend of lower participation rates in high school sports overall, according to a report issued by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) on Monday.

    Boys' wrestling was one of four sports ranked among the top ten to see an increase in the number of participants. During the 2018-19 school year, 1,877 more boys went out for high school wrestling than in the previous year. (247,411 boy wrestlers in high school during the 2018-19 school year vs. 245,564 in 2017-18.)

    Girls' wrestling continued to see incredible growth. This past school year, 4,562 more girls participated in high school wrestling than in the previous academic year -- a 27% increase in just one year. (21,124 girls wrestled in high school in the 2018-19 school year compared to 16,562 in 2017-18.)

    These growth trends in boys' and girls' wrestling counter an overall decline in sports participation levels. During the 2018-19 school year, 7,937,491 high school students participated in sports ... a decline of 43,395 from the 2017-18 school year. This is the first decline in overall participation levels since the 1988-89 school year.

    The biggest contributors to the decline: football and basketball, each seeing fewer participants.

    This year's survey -- officially titled the 2018-19 High School Athletics Participation Survey, conducted by the NFHS -- indicated participation by high school students in 70 different sports, as well as 14 adapted sports for students with disabilities. The survey has been conducted each year since 1971-72.]]>    86721Wed, 28 Aug 2019 12:10:14 +0000    High school wrestler helps thwart abduction of classmatehttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/high-school-wrestler-helps-thwart-abduction-of-classmate-r86703/
    Cody Hardin, a junior on the wrestling team at Conner High School in Hebron, Kentucky, was walking from the nearby vocational school to Conner when a female classmate rushed past him ... followed by Benjamin Margitza, an 18-year-old man from Las Vegas who had flown to the nearby Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky International Airport reportedly with the intent of kidnapping her and taking her home with him.

    The girl had become the target of Margitza's increasingly obsessive, sexually-oriented social media harassment since the beginning of 2019. Even when she blocked him and changed her phone number, Margitza messaged friends, followers and people she followed.

    Margitza arrived at Conner, knowing the girl he was pursuing was a student there, to try to convince her to come with him to Las Vegas ... when Conner wrestler Cody Hardin stepped in between the two.

    Hardin said he tried to persuade Margitza to leave the girl alone ... without success. When it became clear Margitza intended to follow her into the school, the member of the Cougar wrestling team stepped between them ... and tried to guide the would-be victim towards the school to get help.

    Here's how Hardin described the situation to WKRC-TV, the CBS affiliate in Cincinnati: "She walked past us and the guy walked past us and they met up at the sidewalk and she's all, 'Get him away from me!' So I grabbed her by the shoulders and walked her to the front door. And he tried to get in the school, and I said three or four times, 'I wouldn't do that.' And then he finally said, 'Why?' And I grabbed him by the back of the neck and I said, 'I wouldn't do that.' And I made sure the door was closed so he wouldn't get into that school."

    Once Hardin and the girl were inside, they found the principal and the school resource officer, who quickly arrested Margitza before he could leave school grounds.

    In an interview with ABC affiliate WCPO-TV, Hardin admitted he was shaking immediately after the incident, saying, "My adrenaline was running."

    The next day, the school principal and district superintendent both thanked Hardin for his actions. Then, on Wednesday, Conner High Principal Andy Wyckoff issued the following statement:

    "Conner High School would like to publicly recognize Joseph 'Cody' Hardin for his quick thinking and action in keeping his fellow students safe in the incident on 8/19/19. When it seems so many pull out a cell phone and record a 'wrong' going on in the world, Cody took the correct action and performed a 'right'. He immediately helped avert a threat, and got himself and others to safety. Cody will receive rewards through our PBIS System for helping his fellow students."

    While Cody Hardin is being hailed as a hero, Benjamin Margitza is now in the Boone County Jail, charged with attempted kidnapping and trespassing.

    Conner High School is part of a four-school campus which also includes the Boone County Area Technology Center in Hebron, Kentucky, all within sight of the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky International Airport, and across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. Conner High has an enrollment of approximately 1,400 students.]]>    86703Thu, 22 Aug 2019 14:23:34 +0000    Guilty verdict in murder of former New Jersey high school wrestlerhttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/guilty-verdict-in-murder-of-former-new-jersey-high-school-wrestler-r86647/
    As InterMat reported late last August, Davontae Randall, a 2015 Paulsboro High School graduate who was a state championships placer as a senior, was found shot outside his mother's home in Paulsboro.

    Anthony Kille was convicted of aggravated manslaughter and two separate gun charges in Randall's death.

    Kille shot and killed the 21-year-old Randall in front of family and friends at a cookout to celebrate the family dog's first birthday at his mother's home on Aug. 25, 2018. Kille showed up at the party and fought with Randall before shooting him.

    The crime appears to have been the culmination of an earlier road-rage incident. Just a few days before the shooting, Kille and Randall had a verbal altercation when they nearly crashed into each other in a nearby community, according to NJ.com.

    With the guilty verdict, Kille can be sentenced to up to 40 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled to take place Sept. 20.

    As a wrestler for the Paulsboro Red Raiders, Randall compiled a 110-52 career record… capped off by a sixth-place finish in the heavyweight bracket at the state championships as a senior. For those accomplishments, NJ.com named Randall the Colonial Conference Wrestler of the Year for 2015.]]>    86647Sat, 03 Aug 2019 18:22:41 +0000    Former Ohio high school wrestler killed in Afghanistanhttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/former-ohio-high-school-wrestler-killed-in-afghanistan-r86633/
    Army Paratrooper Pfc. Brandon Kreischer
    A native of nearby Stryker, Ohio, Private Kreischer was shot and killed in an insider attack at a base in the Shah Wali Kot district, 100 miles north of Kandahar. U.S. officials told the Associated Press that an Afghan soldier had shot and killed two American service members. The other one was 24-year-old Spec. Michael Isaiah Nance of Chicago.

    "There was never any fear that I detected from him. It was always like, 'I get to do this. I don't have to do this. I get to do this,'" Amy Johnson, Kreischer's former high school social studies teacher told WTVG-TV, the ABC affiliate in Toledo about 50 miles away, who described him as "a patriotic teenager" who was in wrestling, football, track, and choir.

    In his Bryan High School senior Memory Book, Kreischer wrote:

    "Throughout my life, I have had one huge goal. That one was to enlist in the Army as an infantryman, and I achieved that goal on April 25, 2017. It was without a doubt the proudest day of my life, ..."

    " ... I am very proud to be an American. I believe that whatever cause America believes in, I have an obligation to believe in, because I am a patriot. If I die in the combat zone for America, I do not call it a tragedy, I call it a glory."

    A rifleman, Kreischer had been in the Army since June 2018. His awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terror Service Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Basic Parachutist Badge.

    Kreischer's body was returned Wednesday to the United States, according to the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, N.C. He was stationed there before deploying to Afghanistan less than a month ago.

    Kreischer leaves behind a wife who is expecting their first son in December 2019. Here is a statement issued by the family:

    "We would like to thank the entire community for the incredible outpouring of love and support that has been shown for Brandon and for all of us, thus far. This is an extremely difficult time for us as we begin this unfathomable journey of loss. As you can imagine, we are quite overwhelmed and therefore, we would appreciate you respecting our privacy at this time.

    "Brandon was a remarkable young man, who believed in his Country and had dreams of becoming a soldier for as long as we can remember. We are grateful that he was able to realize that dream if only for a short while, but we will forever mourn the loss of our courageous American soldier.

    "Our hearts go out to the family of his fellow fallen comrade, Spc Michael Isaiah Nance, for we know that they too, share our pain and grief."

    What you can do to help

    WTOL-TV, Toledo's CBS affiliate, shared two ways that others can help support the Kreischers:

    1. A Memorial Fund has been opened at Farmers & Merchants State Bank for Brandon Kreischer's wife Grace and their unborn son, Callum. Brandon paid the ultimate sacrifice and will forever be in our hearts. Deposits can be made at any F&M location or mailed to F&M, PO Box 216, Archbold OH 43502- Brandon Kreischer Memorial Fund.

    2. Monetary donations can be made through the nonprofit organization Inspired By Grace (Grace Kreischer is a founding member ) PayPal account at https://www.PayPal.Me/WeAreInspiredByGrace indicating that funds are to be directed to Kreischer Family Fund.

    UPDATE 8/7/19: Funeral arrangements announced

    Services for Pfc. Kreischer will be held on Friday, Aug. 9 and Saturday, Aug. 10 in the gymnasium at Bryan High School, 1000 W Fountain Grove Drive in Bryan in northwest Ohio.

    The visitation will be held on Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern with the funeral being held on Saturday at 11 a.m. Doors open at 10 a.m.

    Graveside services will be private.

    "The Community of Bryan and Williams County will be mourning our soldier, said Bryan mayor Carrie Schlade in a statement. "The family has graciously allowed communities from within and outside of Williams County to join us in honoring Pfc. Brandon Kreischer, but we all must respect their privacy and give them space during this devastating time."]]>    86633Thu, 01 Aug 2019 20:34:59 +0000    Lehigh All-American Trenge new head coach at high school alma materhttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/lehigh-all-american-trenge-new-head-coach-at-high-school-alma-mater-r86602/
    Now Jon Trenge can add "head coach" to his already impressive resume.

    Jon Trenge
    The 38-year-old Trenge has been named head wrestling coach at Parkland High School, the place where he won two PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) state titles and compiled a 144-16 record two decades ago.

    Trenge replaces fellow Parkland state champion Mike Ottinger, who took a full-time teaching position in the Upper Perkiomen School District.

    In being able to land Trenge for the head coaching position, Parkland athletic director Bill Dreisbach told the Allentown Morning Call, "It's unbelievable. He can interview anywhere in the country and basically get hired."

    "He is Parkland wrestling," Dreisbach continued. "And, besides wrestling, he is a really good person, a great teacher. Kids love him. It's a win-win for Parkland."

    "I wouldn't have wanted to coach anywhere else," said Trenge, who, in addition to having served as an assistant coach at Parkland, has been an earth science and astronomy teacher at the high school for over a decade. Just last year, Trenge earned a superintendent teaching award.

    Prior to being offered the head coaching position at his high school alma mater, Trenge and his fiancée Brooke Zumas started the Allentown Beat the Streets wrestling program, working with inner-city youths. She'll continue that venture while Trenge will focus on his students and wrestlers at Parkland.

    That experience introducing boys and girls to the sport has helped the former Lehigh mat star known for his on-the-mat intensity -- and protective eye goggles (he wrestled with detached retinas) -- shift his focus as a coach.

    "It's all about helping kids," according to Trenge. "My strengths are as a technician. I can motivate kids very well."]]>    86602Wed, 24 Jul 2019 15:43:27 +0000    The MatBoss Podcast Episode 32: High school weight class debatehttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/the-matboss-podcast-episode-32-high-school-weight-class-debate-r86499/Harrison coach Chris Baird and Chad Dennis coaching at a tournament
    Episode 32 of The MatBoss Podcast features Chad Dennis and his high school assistant coach Chris Baird. The main topic of discussion on this episode is the weight class debate in high school wrestling. Should we remove weights, should we shift weights. Two coaches with different viewpoints discuss it. The two also field questions from the live Facebook stream.



    About MatBoss: Created by coaches for coaches, MatBoss for iPad® integrates wrestling stats directly into the video you record for each match, completely replacing the need for labor-intensive pencil and paper scoring systems. It's the wrestling stats app our sport has been waiting for.

  • Focus on coaching, not busy work
  • Improve through video analysis
  • Make data an advantage
  • Eliminate scoring errors
  • Increase exposure
  • Become a digital coach

    For more information, visit MatBossApp.com.

    Follow MatBoss on Twitter and subscribe to the show
    @MatBossApp | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Spreaker | Google Podcasts | RSS
    ]]>86499Wed, 26 Jun 2019 08:43:49 +0000First girls high school state tournament in Ohio slated for 2020https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/first-girls-high-school-state-tournament-in-ohio-slated-for-2020-r86497/
    The Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Association (OHSWCA) voted unanimously to officially sponsor a girls' state wrestling tournament for the upcoming 2019-2020 school year.

    Ohio's first girls state wrestling championship will be held February 22-12, 2020 at Hilliard Davidson High School, 5100 Davidson Road in Hilliard, a suburb of Columbus.

    "It is our goal to make this a first-class event and build it to 'emerging sport status' with the OHSAA (Ohio High School Athletic Association, the official governing body for high school athletics in Ohio)," said Dean Conley, president of the OHSWCA. "Once we meet the requirements, we plan on handing this over to OHSAA like we did with the state dual tournament."

    The OHSAA weighed in with their backing for the event.

    "The OHSAA is in full support of the OHSWCA conducting a girls' tournament," said Tyler Brooks, wrestling administrator for the OHSAA. "This tournament is an important and necessary step for girls wrestling as they seek emerging sport status. Last year there were more than 200 females who wrestled for their school so we look forward to partnering with the OHSWCA in order to help grow the sport of wrestling by increasing participation opportunities for female wrestlers."

    The OHSWCA stated that wrestlers, coaches and schools can stay informed by visiting the association's official website starting this September. www.ohswca.org

    Ohio is the nineteenth state to announce the establishment of a separate girls' state wrestling tournament ... and the third in the month of June, joining New Mexico and Arkansas.]]>    86497Tue, 25 Jun 2019 19:00:49 +0000    Kimber named NWCA High School Girls Coach of the Yearhttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/kimber-named-nwca-high-school-girls-coach-of-the-year-r86494/
    Scholastic Boys Coach of the Year Winners

    This year's National Girls Coach of the Year is Mike Kimber from Mt. Edgecumbe High Schooll (AK) and the National Girls Assistant Coach of the Year is Brad Warren from Rossville High School (TN). Both Kimber and Warren were selected as State Coach of the Year winners.

    Kimber (National and Alaska Coach of the Year) just completed his 19th season of coaching, each at Mt. Edgecumbe, his alma mater. Kimber's 2018-19 squad finished as State Champions with 13 qualifiers, 7 placers, and 1 individual state champion giving Mt. Edgecumbe back to back state titles. Coach Kimber was inducted into the Alaska Hall of Fame class of 2018 for his efforts in bringing high school girls wrestling to Alaska. In addition to the 2017 and 2018 State Titles, Kimber's squads have won 5 straight regional championships while garnering 38 state placers, 12 of whom won state titles.

    Warren (National and Tennessee Assistant Coach of the Year) just completed his 6th season of coaching and his 5th at Rossview High School. Coach Warren serves as the lead coach for the girls team taking chare of the day to day operations of the squad when the boys team competes at a separate location. Warren also serves as an assistant coach for the Tennessee National Girls Team often traveling across the country as they compete at national events. In addition, Coach Warren helped start a new middle school team at Rossview and serves as the co-head coach.

    "The NWCA is proud to launch the National Girls Coach of the Year program to recognize outstanding coaches who are going above and beyond to help grow girls' wrestling across our country. We now have 18 states sponsoring girls' wrestling with many more having great discussions about implementation in their state. Coach Mike Kimber's, and Coach Brad Warren's outstanding contributions to our sport are too numerous to list, but I know that the lasting impact they are making in the lives of there athletes will not be forgotten." Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director.

    STATE - SCHOLASTIC GIRLS HEAD COACH OF THE YEAR

    SECTION COACH SCHOOL STATE
    Section 1 Joseph Lemke Jackson Memorial High School New Jersey
    Section 3 Sean Moistner Alexander High School Georgia
    Section 3 Vernon Walworth Hoke County High School North Carolina
    Section 3 Kayla Sharp Clarksville Northwest High School Tennessee
    Section 5 Randy Roark Lebanon High School Missouri
    Section 6 Sparky Adair Eaglecrest HS/Cherry Creek School District Colorado
    Section 7 Luis Gonzalez San Fernando High School California
    Section 7 Rob Hesia Kamehameha Kapalama Hawaii
    Section 8 Mike Kimber Mt. Edgecumbe High School Alaska
    Section 8 Trent Kroll Hood River Valley High School Oregon
    Section 8 Barb Morgan Sedro-Woolley High School Washington

    STATE - SCHOLASTIC GIRLS ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR

    SECTION COACH SCHOOL STATE
    Section 1 Frank O'Shea Manalapan High School New Jersey
    Section 3 Ben Mount Hiram High School Georgia
    Section 3 Brad Warren Rossview High School Tennessee
    Section 5 Matt Neely Lebanon High School Missouri
    Section 7 Fallyn Kapoi Kamehameha Kapalama Hawaii
    Section 8 Raymond "Thor" Williams Bethel Regional High School Alaska
    Section 8 Lynn Miller Hood River Valley High School Oregon
    Section 8 Tyson Lindeman Kelso High School Washington]]>    86494Fri, 21 Jun 2019 17:49:43 +0000    Retired Hall of Fame high school coach Gus Garcia passeshttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/retired-hall-of-fame-high-school-coach-gus-garcia-passes-r86469/
    Gus Garcia
    Son of Mexican immigrants, Rosalio "Gus" Garcia made his mark as a coach at two Kansas high schools, Atwood and Augusta. At Atwood, Garcia guided his wrestlers to a state team title and had 12 teams finish in the top 10. Garcia then moved on to Augusta, which had seven top 10 team finishes at the state level. It was there that he coached his two sons to a combined six state medals, including an individual championship for Gus Garcia Jr., and a second-place medal for his son Gabe Garcia.

    In his combined coaching career at Atwood and Augusta high schools, Garcia coached 21 state champions, 27 runners-up, 16 third-place medalists and 19 fourth-place medalists.

    Following his retirement from Augusta High, Garcia resumed his coaching career at Maize Middle School.

    "He was a good friend, supporter and colleague," former Augusta teacher and coach Pat Paske, whose friendship with Garcia goes back to 1975, told the Leavenworth Times. "Not only did he prepare in detail, but he had the ability to get kids to achieve things that even they didn't think they could do. He cared about his athletes and his family, and expected and accepted nothing but their best."

    Prior to launching his coaching career, Douglass, Kansas-born Garcia made a name for himself as a wrestler. Upon graduation from Douglass High, he joined the United States Marines, where he was on the Marine wrestling team for three years. Upon discharge from the Marines, Gus attended Kansas State University, where he was a three-year wrestling letterman for the Wildcats and was a third-place Big Eight medalist for their now-defunct mat program.

    Garcia is credited with helping to establish the Kansas Kids Wrestling Foundation, and took a youth freestyle team to Iran in 1974.

    In 2004, Gus Garcia became a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla. when he received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Kansas Chapter of the Hall of Fame.

    According to his obituary, a Celebration of Life service has yet to be announced. However, in the meantime, memorials in Gus Garcia's honor may be sent for the Gene Nunz Scholarship Fund, which benefits Augusta High School wrestlers. These can be mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS 67357.]]>    86469Fri, 14 Jun 2019 19:19:41 +0000    Arkansas Activities Association sanctions girls' high school wrestlinghttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/arkansas-activities-association-sanctions-girls-high-school-wrestling-r86442/
    The Arkansas Activities Association voted unanimously this week to officially sanction girls' high school wrestling.

    The decision was announced by Arkansas Wrestling Association President and Arkansas Wrestling Academy founder Greg Hatcher on Wednesday.

    According to Hatcher, the girl's state wrestling tournament will be held the Thursday before the annual boy's state wrestling tournament in February at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock starting in 2020.

    With this week's announcement, Arkansas becomes the third state to have sanctioned girls' wrestling in 2019, joining Colorado, Kansas and Maryland which announced similar news earlier this year. Now there will be a total of seventeen states which have sanctioned a separate state championship for female wrestlers.]]>    86442Fri, 07 Jun 2019 19:59:16 +0000    Newly hired high school coach dies after wrestling matchhttps://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/newly-hired-high-school-coach-dies-after-wrestling-match-r86427/
    Tracy Lee
    Tracy Lee, 51, passed away after taking on a college-age opponent at the Sunshine State Games in West Palm Beach, Fla. on Saturday.

    Lee, who just last month had left his law practice to become head wrestling coach at Sarasota High School, took some of his wrestlers to the Sunshine State Games, which had wrestling competitions for a wide range of age groups, up to age 70. Lee pulled on a Sarasota Sailor singlet and faced off against a college-age competitor who was the Ukrainian national champion in Greco-Roman wrestling, according to his former high school teammate -- and more recently, assistant coach -- Cam Holland.

    "The place is crowded, there are five mats, a huge gym, and when Tracy and this man started wrestling, everybody circled the mat," Holland told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. "It was like five rows deep and when they got done wrestling, everybody just stood and clapped. That was a match. That was respect.

    "It was something totally different than you were seeing on other mats. It was a championship-caliber match."

    However, according to the newspaper, not long after the match ended, Lee collapsed and was taken to a West Palm Beach area hospital, where he died of an apparent heart attack.

    "He hated the practice of law and he just wanted to get out of it so bad and he was so excited that he had taken the job as Sarasota High's wrestling coach," according to Derek Byrd, who, like Lee, was a member of the school's Class of 1986.

    Ron Jones, Tracy Lee's coach at Sarasota High, offered his perspective on his former wrestler's return to the sport.

    "He wanted it more than anything," Jones said. "He never stopped being a Sailor. It was sort of a no-brainer having someone who loved Sarasota the way (he) loved Sarasota."

    Born in Sarasota in January 1968, Richard Tracy Lee was captain of the Sarasota Sailor mat program all four years. After graduating from Sarasota High in 1986, Tracy continued his education, earning his bachelor's degree at University of Florida. He then studied law, first at Widener University School of Law, then focusing on trial advocacy at Temple University School of Law.

    Visitation for Tracy Lee will take place Friday, June 7 from 5-7 p.m. at Robert Toale and Sons Funeral Home, 170 Honore Ave., Sarasota, with funeral service scheduled for Sunday, June 9 at 2 p.m. at The Shore Church, 3375 Fruitville Road in Sarasota.]]>    86427Wed, 05 Jun 2019 14:30:01 +0000