Wrestling starts at 1 p.m. ET on Friday, with the completed matches setting up the quarterfinals and consolation round of 16 (losers bracket round where wrestlers have to win two matches in order to place top eight). Saturday morning's quarterfinal round starts at 10 a.m. with the semifinals immediately following. Wrestling for first, third, and fifth place will occur on Saturday night starting at 6 p.m.
With so many strong wrestlers, including a number of partial entrant teams, the team standings are an imperfect barometer for which programs will compete best throughout the season. Due to the structure of the tournament, there will be key contributors on pretty good teams reduced to complete afterthoughts in this event. However, at the total top of the Fab 50, it is the appropriate barometer -- a way to measure which teams have the most elite talent.
The nation's four top teams are in this tournament: No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J.; No. 2 Oak Park River Forest, Ill.; No. 3 Wyoming Seminary, Pa.; and No. 4 St. Paris Graham, Ohio. Blair Academy has won three straight titles at the Walsh Ironman, five of the last six, as well as ten of the last fourteen. The Buccaneers are also the three-time defending national champions.
However, there is healthy challenge for that status this year. In particular, it should be noted as projected 106-pound wrestler Zach Sherman is wrestling 113 this weekend for Blair Academy, and is likely to be at that weight class all year. That reduced the Buccaneers to six nationally ranked wrestlers, which is not the most for any team in the country. Instead that mantle is held by second-ranked Oak Park River Forest, as the Huskies have seven in the top 20 of their respective weight class.
Ranked third nationally is Wyoming Seminary, who upended Blair Academy at the National Prep Championships; however, it should be noted the Blue Knights used fifth-year wrestlers, and Blair Academy was slightly short-handed. Do keep in mind that the dual meet held in January 2014 was very tight, Blair Academy winning 27-24, as the teams split the fourteen weight classes at seven apiece. The Blue Knights projected to be very strong in the last six weights, where they have four nationally ranked wrestlers; however, one of those individuals -- Nick Reenan, ranked No. 3 nationally at 170 pounds -- is out this weekend due to injury.
Fourth in the rankings is two-time Walsh Ironman champion St. Paris Graham, which won the tournament in December 2007 and December 2010. From 106 through 182 pounds, the Falcons have a state qualifier/placer or a star freshman occupying every weight class, six of whom are nationally ranked. However, extreme weakness in the last three weight classes is their major vulnerability.
As much as elite teams defined the Walsh Ironman, it is the elite individuals that set the narrative for this tournament. The obvious lead story for this year's tournament is whether Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) can join David Taylor (St. Paris Graham, Ohio/Penn State) as the only wrestlers to ever be four-time champions in this event. At 182 pounds, which is up six weights from last year's title at 132 pounds; Valencia will face a stern path with seven other ranked wrestlers in the field, including four other wrestlers ranked in the top seven.
Zahid is ranked No. 1 in the nation in this weight class, and is joined by four other wrestlers ranked tops in their weight class nationally: Cade Olivas (St. John Bosco, Calif.) at 106 pounds, Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) at 120, Matthew Kolodzik (Blair Academy, N.J.) at 138, and Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.) at 145. In addition, six wrestlers ranked No. 2 in the country are present in this field, including the No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown present at 182 pounds.
Below is a weight-by-weight breakdown of the Walsh Ironman field
106:
Three nationally ranked wrestlers are present in the field: No. 1 Cade Olivas (St. John Bosco, Calif.), No. 9 Drew Mattin (Delta, Ohio), and No. 11 Anthony Madrigal (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.). The preliminary seedings have Olivas and Mattin as the top two seeds, with Madrigal seed fifth. Seeded between Mattin and Madrigal are state placers Josh Venia (Toledo Central Catholic, Ohio) and Justin Stickley (St. Paris Graham, Ohio).
Predicted finals match: Olivas over Mattin
Predicted medalists: Olivas, Mattin, Madrigal, Venia, Stickley, Tyler Lawley (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Sean McKenna (Marmion Academy, Ill.), and Logan Macri (Canon-McMillan, Pa.)
113:
Eight nationally ranked wrestlers reside in this weight class, which is tied for second most from any weight class in this tournament field. Nationally ranked wrestlers occupy the first through fourth seeds -- No. 2 Devin Brown (Franklin Regional, Pa.), No. 4 Jason Renteria (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), No. 7 Paxton Rosen (Edmond North, Okla.), and No. 14 Joey Prata (St. Christopher's, Va.) -- along with No. 9 Noah Baughman (Wadsworth, Ohio) in the sixth seed. Two-time state finalist Keegan Hessler (Scottsbluff, Neb.) is the fifth seed.
Three nationally ranked wrestlers, all from Ohio and in their freshman season, are unseeded in this weight class. None has a tournament seeding criteria -- Walsh Ironman placement, Junior/Cadet National freestyle placement, or state placement. Nobody will want to see these three young men in their bracket path: No. 11 Mitch Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), No. 17 Jaden Mattox (Grove City Central Crossing, Ohio), and No. 20 Tommy Hoskins (Dayton Christian, Ohio).
Predicted finals match: Renteria over Brown
Predicted medalists: Renteria, Brown, Rosen, Moore, Baughman, Prata, Mattox, and Devione Edwards (Lorain, Ohio)
120:
Even with six other nationally ranked wrestlers in this weight class, there is but one who stands ahead of the field, and that is all-everything sophomore Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.). The nation's number one wrestler in this weight class, as well as the top overall sophomore, Lee was the Outstanding Wrestler in this tournament last year and a FILA Cadet world freestyle champion this summer. He is obviously the top seed in this weight class.
The next six seeds in this weight are held by nationally ranked wrestlers, in the following seed order: No. 7 Jack Mueller (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 9 Eli Stickley (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), No. 8 Elijah Oliver (Washington, Ill.), No. 11 Doyle Trout (Centennial, Neb.), No. 6 Alex Mackall (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio), and No. 16 Tyler Warner (Claymont, Ohio).
Three of the next four seeds are multi-time state placers: Mario Guillen (Perrysburg, Ohio), Ethan Koan (Park Hill, Mo.), and Super 32 placer Michael May (Dayton Christian, Ohio); while state runner-up Jake Newhouse (Massillon Perry, Ohio) is the tenth seed; and National Prep placer Requir van der Merwe (Blair Academy, N.J.) is the thirteenth seed. A pair of state placers -- Alex Madrigal (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) and Conner Ziegler (Cincinnati Moeller, Ohio) -- represent dangerous non-seeded wrestlers.
Predicted finals match: Lee over Mackall
Predicted medalists: Lee, Mackall, Mueller, Oliver, Stickley, Trout, Warner, and Newhouse
126:
Other than 195 and 220 pounds, this is the only weight class without a top three ranked wrestler in the country at the weight class in the field. Leading the way among six ranked wrestlers in this field is the top seed - No. 4 Austin Assad (Brecksville, Ohio), a Junior National freestyle champion this summer, who has yet to win a state title or make a Walsh Ironman final. The next two seeds are nationally ranked, and have previously finished runner-up at the Walsh Ironman: No. 10 Eli Seipel (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) and No. 7 Jose Rodriguez (Massillon Perry, Ohio).
The other three nationally ranked wrestlers are seeded fifth, tenth, and eleventh respectively: No. 19 Evan Cheek (Milan Edison, Ohio), No. 12 Dylan Duncan (Montini Catholic, Ill.), and No. 17 Gabriel Townsell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.). Seeded fourth is three-time National Prep placer Ryan Friedman (St. Paul's, Md.), the sixth seed is two-time state champion Garrett Hancock (Troy Christian, Ohio), while the seventh seed is returning Ironman and state tournament placer L.J. Bentley (St. Edward, Ohio).
Other notable wrestlers in this weight are 12th and 13th seeds Coltan Williams (Trinity Chistian Academy, Tex.) and Quentin Hovis (Seton Catholic, Ariz.); Williams was a Cadet Greco-Roman champion and double All-American this summer, while Hovis was runner-up in Cadet Greco-Roman. Impact freshmen Sandro Ramirez (Wauseon, Ohio) and Andrew Merola (Blair Academy, N.J.) are among the unseeded wrestlers, along with sophomore Gus Solomon (Franklin Regional, Pa.)
Predicted finals match: Assad over Rodriguez
Predicted medalists: Assad, Rodriguez, Seipel, Duncan, Townsell, Cheek, Friedman, and Williams
132:
Arguably the weakest weight outside of the opening weight class or the upper-weights is this one, which features only three nationally ranked wrestlers. Junior National freestyle runner-up Charles Tucker (Blair Academy, N.J.) is ranked No. 3 nationally and the weight's top seed. The other two ranked wrestlers are seeded third and fourth respectively, No. 8 Cameron Kelly (Bellbrook, Ohio) and No. 11 Julian Flores (San Marino, Calif.); two-time state champion Jared Ganger (Covington, Ohio) is the second seed.
The drop between these top four and the field is somewhat profound. On paper, the next two best seeded wrestlers are state placer Angel Velasquez (Pittman, Calif.) and two-time state placer Josh Heil (Brunswick, Ohio); they are sixth and seventh. However, there are three non-seeded wrestlers that will make clear noise in this weight class: Rocky Jordan (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), the nation's No. 5 ranked freshman; Cadet freestyle All-American A.J. Jaffe (Marmion Academy, Ill.); and state qualifier Hunter Ladnier (St. Edward, Ohio).
Predicted finals match: Tucker over Kelly
Predicted medalists: Tucker, Kelly, Flores, Ganger, Jordan, Velasquez, Heil, and Ladnier
138:
Two defending Walsh Ironman champions anchor the field in this weight class. Ranked first and second nationally, Matthew Kolodzik (Blair Academy, N.J.) and Ke-Shawn Hayes (Park Hill, Mo.) are the top two seeds in this weight class; Kolodzik is after a fourth Ironman finals appearance, while Hayes is after his third. The next three seeds in this weight class round out the five nationally ranked wrestlers in this field: No. 5 Davion Jeffries (Broken Arrow, Okla.), No. 18 Richard Screptock (Oregon Clay, Ohio), and No. 11 Vincent Turk (Montini Catholic, Ill.)
In looking at the rest of the 14 seeded wrestlers at this weight class, those seeded nine through eleven merit the most attention: state champion Nate Hagan (Toledo Central Catholic, Ohio), National Prep runner-up Will Verallis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), and three-time state placer Tyler Vath (Saegertown, Pa.). However, the unseeded wrestlers represent a stronger threat to the top five in this weight: top fifteen overall freshmen in Ryan Thomas (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) and David Carr (Dayton Christian, Ohio); as well as top thirty overall sophomores in Domenick Demas (Dublin Coffman, Ohio) and Hunter Bolen (Christiansburg, Va.)
Predicted finals match: Kolodzik over Hayes
Predicted medalists: Kolodzik, Hayes, Jeffries, Turk, Thomas, Screptock, Demas, and Carr
145:
Like the previous weight class, there are five nationally ranked wrestlers, with two whom are ahead of the rest of the field. The top two seeds in this weight class are No. 1 Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.) and No. 4 Larry Early (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.). The other three nationally ranked competitors are seeded third, fifth, and thirteenth: No. 12 Brent Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), No. 14 Kevin Budock (Good Counsel, Md.), and No. 15 Zander Wick (San Marino, Calif.). The fourth seed in this weight class is Wade Hodges (Wauseon, Ohio), a three-time state placer and returning Walsh Ironman placer. While there are some solid kids in the rest of the field, there isn't the quality depth present in either the prior or following weight class.
Predicted finals match: Kemerer over Early
Predicted medalists: Kemerer, Early, Moore, Budock, Wick, Hodges, Nick Steed (Massillon Perry, Ohio), and Sean Hosford (Park Hill, Mo.)
152:
The word “stacked” to describe the field here is putting it mildly. There are TEN -- count them, ten -- nationally ranked wrestlers in this field. As a result, at least two nationally ranked wrestlers WILL NOT place. The top five seeds in this weight class are all ranked inside the top ten nationally: No. 3 Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.), No. 2 Isaiah White (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), No. 4 Josh Maruca (Franklin Regional, Pa.), No. 10 Jordan Kutler (Blair Academy, N.J.), and No. 6 Cameron Harrell (McDonogh, Md.).
The other five nationally ranked wrestlers are seeded sixth, seventh, eighth, tenth, and eleventh: No. 16 Austin Kraisser (Centennial, Md.), No. 13 Kyle Lawson (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), No. 11 Luke Fortuna (Montini Catholic, Ill.), No. 20 Jeremy Thomas (Santiago Corona, Calif.), and No. 19 Kade Kowalski (Tri-Valley, Ohio). Seeded ninth in this weight class is three-time state placer Payton Tawater (Arvada West, Colo.). The other two notables among the seeds are three-time state placer Taleb Rahmani (Marysville, Ohio), seeded 12th; and sophomore Kaleb Romero (Mechanicsburg, Ohio), a state champion last year and the 14th seed here.
Even with all this seeded “noise”, there a few rather dangerous unseeded wrestlers: Luke Troy (San Marino, Calif.), No. 34 overall in the sophomore class; two-time state placer Kyle Kaminski (Padua, Ohio); state runner-up Josh Mossing (Toledo Central Catholic, Ohio); and multiple Cadet National freestyle All-Americans.
Predicted finals match: White over Joseph
Predicted medalists: White, Joseph, Maruca, Harrell, Kutler, Fortuna, Lawson, and Kraisser
160:
The second FILA Cadet world freestyle champion in this tournament, Mason Manville (Blair Academy, N.J.), is the lead figure in this weight class. The defending Walsh Ironman champion, and also a Junior National freestyle champion this summer, Manville is ranked No. 2 nationally in this weight class and the top seed in this field. Five other ranked wrestlers are present in this weight class, including three others inside the top eight whom round out the top four seeds: No. 4 Josh Shields (Franklin Regional, Pa.), No. 6 Alex Marinelli (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), and No. 8 Chris Weiler (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.)
The other two ranked wrestlers in this weight class are seeded sixth and eighth: No. 14 Matt Rundell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), and No. 18 Ben Schram (Bellbrook, Ohio). Rounding out the top eight seeds are fifth seed Paden Bailey (Broken Arrow, Okla.), a three-time state placer; and seventh seed Colston DiBlasi (Park Hill, Mo.), a two-time state champion. The next three seeds are also placement contenders: NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up Lorenzo de la Riva (Folsom, Calif.); state placer Trace Carello (Marmion Academy, Ill.), a 2013 Cadet freestyle runner-up; and state champion Randy Meneweather (Washington, Ill.)
Though this weight class isn't most conducive for a freshman to make noise, there are three with robust resumes in this field: Michael Beard (Malvern Prep, Pa.), Cody Mulligan (Saegertown, Pa.), and Dylan Rogers (Delta, Ohio).
Predicted finals match: Manville over Shields
Predicted medalists: Manville, Shields, Marinelli, Weiler, Rundell, Schram, Bailey, and DiBlasi
170:
Three of the four grade-level No. 1 ranked wrestlers reside in this Ironman field. Joining Olivas and Spencer Lee, it's Anthony Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.). Anthony won the title in this weight class last year at the Walsh Ironman, is the top seed in the tournament this year, and is ranked No. 2 in the nation at his weight class. The next three seeds are also nationally ranked, and make up the sum of nationally ranked wrestlers in this weight: No. 6 Brandon Dallavia (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 5 Kamal Bey (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), and No. 16 David-Brian Whisler (Warren Howland, Ohio).
There is a clear drop from these top four to the rest of the field. From the seeded lot, the next two contenders to watch are state runner-up and Cadet double All-American Jacob Warner (Washington, Ill.), along with state runner-up and NHSCA Junior All-American Jesse Palser (Mansfield, Ohio). This pair of wrestlers will be seeded sixth and seventh, once the scratch of Nick Reenan is accounted for. A non-seeded wrestler to watch in this weight class is Cadet double All-American James Handwerk (Lutheran West, Ohio).
Predicted finals match: Valencia over Bey
Predicted medalists: Valencia, Bey, Dallavia, Whisler, Warner, Palser, Sergio Chavez (Seton Catholic, Ariz.), and Handwerk
182:
Unlike the preceding and following weight class, there is clear and solid quality depth. The lead story of the tournament resides in this weight class, and Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) seeks to become only the second four-time champion in event history. Zahid enters as the No. 1 seed, and ranked No. 1 in the nation at the weight class. There are seven other nationally ranked wrestlers in this field, and the ranked wrestlers populate the first eight seeds in the following order: Valencia, No. 2 Myles Martin (McDonogh, Md.), No. 6 Dylan Wisman (Millbrook, Va.), No. 3 Xavier Montalvo (Montini Catholic, Ill.), No. 7 Christian Dietrich (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 16 Ben Darmstadt (Elyria, Ohio), No. 17 Jack Harris (Urbana, Ohio), and No. 11 Nathan Traxler (Marmion Academy, Ill.)
Right on the fringe of a weight class ranking is the tournament's ninth seed Chase Singletary (Blair Academy, N.J.), the nation's No. 9 overall sophomore. A trio of one-time Ohio state placers are seeded 11th through 13th, though it is No. 13 seed Tim Knipl (Wadsworth, Ohio), who is the most plausible placement contender.
Predicted finals match: Valencia over Martin
Predicted medalists: Valencia, Martin, Montalvo, Wisman, Dietrich, Traxler, Harris, and Singletary
195:
Outside of 220 pounds, this weight class is tied for having the least nationally ranked wrestlers at three in total. In addition, it is also the weight class that outside of 220 has the lowest lead wrestler in the rankings. Top seed L.J. Barlow (Haverford Prep, Pa.) is the lead ranked wrestler at No. 9 in the country. The other two ranked wrestlers are No. 13 Matt Stencel (Oregon Clay, Ohio) and No. 17 Bailey Faust (Lexington, Ohio); Stencel is the third seed, while Faust is the eighth seed and would meet Barlow in a theoretical quarterfinal match.
The second seed in this weight is a relatively soft one when it comes to two seeds in state third placer Steven Allen (Broken Arrow, Okla.), who placed sixth in last year's edition of the Walsh Ironman. Rounding out the top four seeds is two-time state placer Dylan Reynolds (Saegertown, Pa.). Other notable wrestlers in this weight class are sixth seed Austin Flores (Clovis North, Calif.), a Flo Nationals and NHSCA Juniors placer; seventh seed Isaiah Margheim (Lorain, Ohio), state runner-up in 2013; ninth seed Kevin Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.), a Super 32 placer; and eleventh seed Zane Black (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), a top 30 overall sophomore.
Predicted finals match: Stencel over Barlow
Predicted medalists: Stencel, Barlow, Faust, Flores, Reynolds, Allen, Margheim, and Neil Putnam (Blair Academy, N.J.)
220:
One is unsure how to analyze this weight class in terms of the team race implications. David Showunmi (Blair Academy, N.J.) is the lone nationally ranked wrestler at No. 13 overall, which places him as a clear favorite. That is a break for Blair Academy, as they could get an unexpected champion; however, if another team (or teams) can steal a placer out of a lesser credentialed wrestler, it would be positive for their team race hopes as well.
Other wrestlers to note in this weight class are: second seed Michael Smith (McDonogh, Md.), third at National Preps; third seed Parker Knapp (St. Edward, Ohio), a state placer and 2013 Junior freestyle All-American; fourth seed Devin Rothrock (Arvada West, Colo.), state champion last year; sophomores Ben Sullivan (National Trail, Ohio) and Nick Mosco (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.), the fifth and sixth seeds who were state runners-up last year; two-time state placers Kordell Chaney (Sandusky Perkins, Ohio) and Drek Brumley (Akron SVSM, Ohio), the eighth and ninth seeds; along with eleventh seed Cole Nye (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), a Cadet freestyle All-American. A potential “x-factor” from the unseeded lot is Allen Stallings (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), a state qualifier last year.
Predicted finals match: Showunmi over Knapp
Predicted medalists: Showunmi, Knapp, Smith, Rorthrock, Stallings, Brumley, Mosco, and Nye
285:
The absence of both finalists from last year's tournament -- No. 1 Michael Johnson (Montini Catholic, Ill.) and Cale Bonner (Perrysburg, Ohio) - due to football injury leaves a clear hole in this field. However, there are still three nationally ranked wrestlers present to somewhat fill the void: No. 3 Tate Orndorff (University, Wash.), No. 8 Kevin Vough (Elyria, Ohio), and No. 10 Michael Rogers (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.); they are seeded first, third, and second respectively. The chasm between those three wrestlers and the field is stark.
Predicted finals match: Vough over Orndorff
Predicted medalists: Vough, Orndorff, Rogers, Jay Nino (Genoa, Ohio), Adam Lemke-Bell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), Chance Veller (Delta, Ohio), Hunter Mullins (Orting, Wash.), and Trenton Lieurance (Broken Arrow, Okla.)
Team finish:
1. Blair Academy, N.J. -- four champions, eight total placers
2. Oak Park River Forest, Ill. -- one champion (four finalist), nine total placers (all top five)
3. St. Paris Graham, Ohio -- no finalists, nine total placers (eight top five)
4. Franklin Regional, Pa. -- two champions, five total placers (all top three)
5. Wyoming Seminary, Pa. -- no finalists, five total placers -- the loss of Reenan is felt starkly
Below are notes about the additional elite teams in the Walsh Ironman field
Additional Fab 50 squads at the 2014 Walsh Jesuit Ironman include No. 10 Franklin Regional (Pa.), No. 11 Montini Catholic (Ill.), No. 14 Broken Arrow (Okla.), No. 17 Marmion Academy (Ill.), No. 21 Massillon Perry (Ohio), No. 23 St. Edward (Ohio), No. 38 Brecksville (Ohio), No. 39 McDonogh (Md.), No. 41 Pleasant Grove (Utah), No. 45 Delta (Ohio), and No. 48 Washington (Ill.)
Franklin Regional is clearly the best of the rest in this format, with five nationally ranked wrestlers, all ranked among the top five at their respective weight classes. Montini Catholic joins the Panthers with five nationally ranked wrestlers; however, their best wrestler - Michael Johnson, the nation's No. 1 heavyweight -- is out of the lineup due to a football injury. In addition, the Broncos do not have entrants this week at 160, 170, 195, 220, and 285; though it should be stated that beyond Johnson, none is a proven state experienced commodity.
The next two teams in the Fab 50 rankings are also short a nationally ranked wrestler this weekend. Broken Arrow is without Markus Simmons, ranked No. 8 nationally at 126 pounds, whose return from an injury sustained at the Super 32 will come after the first of the year; while Marmion Academy is without Lucas Warren, ranked No. 18 nationally at 220 pounds.
Other ranked teams short notable personnel -- St. Edward is still without a 285-pound wrestler due to his participation in a state football championship run (Michael O'Malley is a potential state qualifier); McDonogh is without two-time National Prep placer Tyler Megonigal (138) and nationally ranked Wyatt Cook (285); Pleasant Grove is only bringing a partial entry to the tournament, so it isn't missing key contributors, but could be missing a couple wins here and there; while Delta will be without two-time state placer, and 2013 state champion, Jake Spiess (120/126).
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