Michael Colaiocco is one of six wrestlers looking to repeat as a champion at the Walsh Ironman (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)The Walsh Jesuit Ironman is this weekend, which means that the scholastic wrestling season is in full swing. The nation's best in-season tournament is arguably better than it has ever been. At this point in time, 93 nationally ranked wrestlers are slated to take to the mats in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio come Friday afternoon; this is approximately one-third of the 280 total wrestlers with a national ranking right now.
Seven of the 14 weight classes are anchored by the top-ranked wrestler in the country. Leading that list is top overall junior A.J. Ferrari (Blair Academy, N.J.), who is competing in the 195-pound weight class. Other national No. 1's include Richard Figueroa (Selma, Calif.) at 113, Jordan Decatur (CVCA, Ohio) at 132, Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) at 138, Jaden Abas (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) at 145, Carson Kharchla (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio) at 170, and Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.).
A pair of weight classes feature the top two ranked wrestlers nationally. At 113 pounds, Jacob Decatur (CVCA, Ohio) joins Figueroa, while Owen Trephan (Blair Academy, N.J.) joins Amos in the 220-pound weight class. Another pair of weight classes feature the top three ranked wrestlers nationally. Dylan D'Emilio (Genoa, Ohio) and Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) join Jordan Decatur at 132, while Ryan Anderson (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) and Bryce Andonian (St. Edward, Ohio) join Abas at 145.
Further indicating the breadth of quality in this field is that among the seven weight classes not featuring a national No. 1, four of them are headlined by the No. 2 ranked wrestler, two by the No. 3, and one by the No. 4 in the weight class.
The high-water marks for ranked wrestlers in a weight class are the eleven at 145 pounds and the ten at 132; while 285 pounds features the least with just three ranked wrestlers in the field, and it's just four in the rankings present at 170 and 195.
With the presence of so many elite individuals in the field, it goes without saying there are elite teams. Nine of the nation's top twelve teams are present at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, with two of the others precluded by state association start date or travel/opposition bylaw from competing.
Exactly one half of the InterMat Fab 50 nationally ranked teams will have full or partial entries present in the tournament. As a result, it becomes kind of hard to use this event in analyzing a team's overall strength for the rest of the season's competitions, but for the very top few teams in the rankings. The Fab 50 teams competing at the Walsh Ironman are listed below.
No. 1 Blair Academy (N.J.)
No. 2 Wyoming Seminary (Pa.)
No. 4 Cincinnati LaSalle (Ohio)
No. 5 St. Edward (Ohio)
No. 6 Montini Catholic (Ill.)
No. 8 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.)
No. 10 Gilroy (Calif.)
No. 11 Park Hill (Mo.)
No. 12 Broken Arrow (Okla.)
No. 15 Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.)
No. 16 Allen (Texas)
No. 22 St. John Bosco (Calif.)
No. 24 Wadsworth (Ohio)
No. 25 Mt. St. Joseph's (Md.)
No. 27 Marmion Academy (Ill.)
No. 29 Parkersburg South (Ill.)
No. 30 Chicago Mt. Carmel (Ill.)
No. 31 Poway (Calif.)
No. 32 Elyria (Ohio)
No. 34 St. Paris Graham (Ohio)
No. 36 Reynolds (Pa.)
No. 37 Brecksville (Ohio)
No. 38 Pomona (Colo.)
No. 44 Clovis North (Calif.)
No. 47 Arlington Martin (Texas).
Heading into the event, if every team was at full strength, it was going to be next to impossible for anyone to maintain meaningful contact with Blair Academy. The Buccaneers have won the tournament each of the previous two years and 14 out of the 24 times the event has been contested. This year's edition of the squad features nationally ranked wrestlers at ten weight classes.
On paper, the most direct challenge to No. 1 Blair Academy is expected to come from No. 2 Wyoming Seminary. They have eight wrestlers in the national rankings, but will be down one of those competitors with Jonathan Miers (No. 9 at 138) out of the lineup. No. 4 Cincinnati LaSalle is down two wrestlers, 2017 Cadet World team member Cole Skinner (106) is ineligible for the first half of the season and 2017 state placer Garrett Bledsoe (220) is also not wrestling. No. 5 St. Edward is missing two key starters as well in No. 9 Padraic Gallagher (160) and state medalist Seamus O'Malley (220).
With so many nationally elite wrestlers in the field, it is probably easiest to provide a link to the tournament pre-seeds. This link has each wrestler's national ranking in the body of the article.
Below is some analysis of each weight class in the tournament.
106: Eight nationally ranked wrestlers are in this weight class, with nationally ranked wrestlers occupying the top seven seed lines. The exception is No. 16 Paul Garcia (Scottsbluff, Neb.), who is seeded 14th. The top two seeds in this weight class, No. 3 Braxton Brown (Allen, Texas) and No. 5 Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.) met in a quarterfinal match of the Super 32 Challenge, Brown won that bout 7-4. This is normally a very freshman laden weight class, such is the case this year with seven of the sixteen preliminary seeds being freshmen.
Outside of the seeded wrestlers, a freshman to watch for is Donovan Whitted (Arlington Martin, Texas). A non-seeded wrestler from outside of Ohio meriting attention is Junior National double All-American Bryce Cockrell (Broken Arrow, Okla.).
113: As noted, the top two wrestlers in the country are present at this weight class; Decatur beat Figueroa in the semifinal round last year on the way to his title at 106 pounds, while Figueroa earned the victory when the two met in the Who's Number One all-star exhibition two months ago. Returning 106-pound runner-up Ryan Miller (Blair Academy, N.J.) is the third seed, while the wrestler he beat last year in the semifinals, Logan Agin (Lancaster, Ohio), is the fourth seed. Five other ranked wrestlers feature in this weight class, and the nine ranked wrestlers happen to be the top nine seeds.
Outside the seeded wrestlers, keep an eye on freshman Brock Bobzien (Poway, Calif.) and National Prep placer Tim Levine (St. John Bosco, Calif.); for the local crowd, state medalist Richard Delsanter (St. Edward) and freshman Nic Willingham (Aurora) are the most notable of the non-seeds.
120: There are seven nationally ranked wrestlers in this weight class, and they occupy the top seven seed lines. Five of the nation's top eight in this weight class are in the field, and they are the top five seeds. Of interest is that the nation's top two overall freshmen will be here, Ryan Crookham (Notre Dame (Green Pond), Pa.) and Nic Bouzakis (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.). The other highly ranked wrestlers are returning Ironman champion Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.), Super 32 champion Lucas Byrd (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio), and Cadet World champion Matthew Ramos (Lockport, Ill.).
Outside the seeded wrestlers, keep an eye on freshman Kal Miller (Park Hill, Mo.), a Cadet National freestyle All-American; state placer and FloNationals placer Peyton Kellar (Vincent Warren, Ohio); and Nate Lackman (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), who displaced a returning state medalist from the lineup.
126: Nine wrestlers in this weight class are nationally ranked, including the top eight seeds. Returning Ironman champion Michael Colaiocco (Blair Academy, N.J.) and Junior National freestyle runner-up Reece Witcraft (Broken Arrow, Okla.) are the top two seeds; Colaiocco also beat Witcraft in that Junior freestyle final over the summer.
Some impact freshmen in this weight class include Daniel Cardenas (Pomona, Colo.), who is ranked No. 19 nationally and the 11th seed in this weight class, Brendon Abdon (Lake Gibson, Fla.), Brandon Chlestos (Notre Dame (Green Pond), Pa.), Logan Ours (Beaver Local, Ohio), and Gavin Brown (Legacy Christian, Ohio). Additional non-seeded wrestlers meriting attention include Cadet Greco-Roman champion Davin Rhoads (Louisville, Ohio), NHSCA Freshman Nationals champion Ethen Miller (Park Hill, Mo.), and two-time state placer Angelo Rini (St. Edward, Ohio).
132: An absurd ten nationally ranked wrestlers are present in this weight class, including the top three wrestlers in the country. With only eight wrestlers making the podium in each weight, it is a guarantee that two nationally ranked wrestlers will not place; and that's before considering the possibility of upsets. Beyond Decatur, D'Emilio, and Bartlett, you also have Shayne Van Ness (Blair Academy) as a potential field anchor; Van Ness won the Super 32 Challenge this fall at 126, where he beat three-time defending champion Adam Busiello in the quarterfinal round.
The top seven seeds in this weight class are nationally ranked, and all ten nationally ranked wrestlers are among the top eleven seeds. A couple unseeded wrestlers to watch are impact freshman Nick Vafiadis (New Kent, Va.) and returning state medalist Casey Wiles (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio).
138: For it being a middle-weight at the Walsh Ironman, one has to be surprised to see only five nationally ranked wrestlers in the field. Tangentially, this weight class is also one that is rather weak nationally in relation to its neighboring weights. The five ranked wrestlers hold the top five seed positions, while national No. 1 Josh Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) has to be viewed as one of the strongest favorites to win a title across this tournament field.
Two pairs of wrestlers in this field met in placement matches at last year's Walsh Ironman; No. 10 Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.) beat No. 16 Bryce Hepner (St. Edward, Ohio) 4-0 for seventh at 126, while Matt Lackman (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) beat Alek Martin (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) 1-0 for seventh t 120. Hall and Hepner are seeded fourth and fifth, with Lackman and Martin positioned 12th and 13th. A pair of unseeded wrestlers to watch are NHSCA Junior Nationals placer Jackson Muldrew (Steubenville, Ohio) and sophomore Connor Gaynor (Chicago Mt. Carmel, Ill.).
145: It is this weight class with the top three ranked wrestlers in the country that is the tournament's deepest with eleven nationally ranked wrestlers. Those eleven wrestlers also occupy the top eleven seed lines. National No. 1 Jaden Abas (Rancho Bernardo, Calif.) was runner-up at 138 pounds last year in this tournament, and is the third seed. The top seed is No. 2 Ryan Anderson (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), who was third last year at 132, beating Saunders in the consolation final; while Junior National freestyle champion Bryce Andonian (St. Edward) is the second seed.
Three Ohio wrestlers that have placed at state two times are among the unseeded wrestlers -- Marco Regalbuto (Brecksville), Jeffrey Thomas (St. Paris Graham), and Skyler Lasure (Beaver Local). Another Ohio wrestlers -- returning state placer Andy Garr (Aurora) -- would be considered higher ranked than them, and is still unseeded. Another wrestler to watch here is freshman Jonathan Conrad (Carrollwood Day School, Fla.), who won a high school state title last year in eighth grade.
152: There are eight nationally ranked wrestlers in this field, and they occupy the top eight seed lines. Leading that group is 2017 Super 32 Challenge champion Brevin Balmeceda (South Dade, Fla.), who has also won NHSCA grade-level titles as a freshman, sophomore, and junior. Returning Ironman placers in the field include Sam Dover (St. Edward, Ohio), Jake Stiles (Montini Catholic, Ill.), and Elan Heard (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio); who are seeded third, fifth, and sixth.
Three non-seeded wrestlers to keep an eye on are freshman Mario Danzi (Allen, Texas), two-time state placer Jax Leonard (Louisville, Ohio), and senior Nick Montalbano (Seneca Valley, Pa.).
160: Just five nationally ranked wrestlers are present in this field, though four of them occupy the top seven positions are the rankings; those four wrestlers are also the top four seeds, a group led by Super 32 champion Connor Brady (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio). Returning Ironman placer Kai Bele (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) is ranked No. 15 nationally and the seventh seed, while the other returning placer in this weight class is fifth-seed James Limongi (Genoa, Ohio). Among non-seeded wrestlers, a name to watch is two-time state qualifier Nathan Villarreal (Gilroy, Calif.).
170: As the tournament moves into the upper weight classes, the overall depth starts to fade. Just four nationally ranked wrestlers populate this field, and it'll be a two-person battle for the title between No. 1 Carson Kharchla (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio) and No. 3 Julian Ramirez (Blair Academy, N.J.). Ramirez beat Kharchla in the consolation semifinal round of last year's tournament, while Kharchla beat Ramirez when the two met at the Who's Number One all-star exhibition two months ago. Fifth seed Christian Rodriguez (Selma, Calif.) placed eighth in this weight class last year. Looking for somewhat of a sleeper in this weight for maybe a low placement, non-seeded freshman Jack Darrah (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) might fit the bill.
182: It's a pretty balanced proceeding here in this weight class, the only one of the tournament that does not feature a wrestler ranked in the top three nationally at their weight class. The group of five ranked wrestlers is led by No. 4 Devin Winston (Park Hill, Mo.), a Junior National freestyle All-American this summer. Winston is the top seed, and the other four ranked wrestlers occupy seed lines two through five; two of those are returning Ironman placers Darrien Roberts (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) and Peyton Craft (Blair Academy, N.J.).
Among the un-seeded wrestlers, a name to watch is sophomore Emmanuel Skillings (Broken Arrow, Okla.), who won a title at the Gardner Edgerton (Kansas) tournament last week.
195: National No. 1 A.J. Ferrari (Blair Academy, N.J.) is one of six returning Walsh Ironman champions, while there is a seventh wrestler that won the Ironman in a previous year. Three other nationally ranked wrestlers are present in this field, and along with Ferrari, occupy the top four seed lines. No. 4 Peter Christenson (Montini Catholic, Ill.), No. 13 Michael Baker (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio), and Jack Wimmer (McDonogh, Md.) join Ferrari as wrestlers to return as placers from last year's tournament.
220: The five nationally ranked wrestlers in this weight occupy the top four seeds and five of the top six seed lines. Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) is yet another defending champion, and is joined by No. 2 Owen Trephan (Blair Academy, N.J.) as a returning Ironman placer in this weight class. No. 8 Jacob Kaminski (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) was a Cadet World bronze medalist in Greco-Roman this summer.
285: Returning tournament champion Cohlton Schultz (Ponderosa, Colo.) seeks to make it four trips to the Ironman finals, as he also finished runner-up in this tournament during his freshman and sophomore campaigns. While it as noted that Saunders was one of the biggest favorites to win his weight class in the tournament, it can be argued that No. 2 overall senior Schultz is the biggest favorite. Just two other wrestlers in this weight class are ranked nationally, while two additional wrestlers -- Johnny Shafer (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) and Max Millin (Massillon Perry, Ohio) are returning tournament placers.
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