Mitch Greenwood looks at the top senior wrestlers in North Dakota.
This year Ryan Blees (Bismark) claimed his fourth North Dakota state championship before earning his second straight Junior National freestyle title in Fargo. Blees has moved on to wrestle for John Smith at Oklahoma State. This year's senior class in North Dakota may lack a truly elite wrestler like Blees, but there are still several talented wrestlers who should make an impact at the next level.
Jordan Shearer (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Projected High School Weight Class: 138
Projected College Weight Class: 141
Analysis: Shearer is in a league of his own right now in the North Dakota wrestling scene. This past year he accomplished something that only three wrestlers had ever done in the state's history by becoming a five-time state champion. With one year left to compete, he could become the state's first six-time state champion. The West Fargo Packer has not just been dominant within the state, he also wrestles one of the toughest out of season schedules of anyone in North Dakota and fairs quite well in those events as well. Shearer came up short in his quest to become a Junior freestyle All-American this past summer in Fargo, but has been a multiple-time All-American in previous years, including 2013, where he placed sixth in Junior freestyle and won the Junior Greco national championship.
Shearer is a five-time placewinner in the Rumble on the Red wrestling tournament, placing fourth as a seventh-grader, third as an eighth-grader, winning the tournament as a freshman and sophomore and then placing second as a junior. He's also been a runner-up at the Cheesehead in Wisconsin and three runner-up finishes at the Minnesota Christmas Tournament. Shearer is also a perfect 12-0 in two trips to The Clash.
Weston DoblerProjected High School Weight Class: 160
Projected College Weight Class: 165
Analysis: Dobler became a state champion for the first time as a sophomore and sandwiched two runner-up finishes around that as a freshman and junior. It is important to remember that the runner-up finish as a junior came at the hands of Ryan Blees, the No. 1-ranked 160-pounder in the nation and a potential starter at Oklahoma State this coming season as a true freshman. Dobler did pick up six losses on the season this past year, but three were to Blees, one was to Dylan Urbach (now a Minnesota Gopher) and two were to Andrew Forgarty (verballed to NDSU), so all of his losses were to Division 1 wrestling talent. What vaults Dobler to No. 2 on this list is his national ranking and his accomplishments not just against North Dakota wrestlers, but on the national scene as well.
Dobler was 6-0 this past year at The Clash. He was a runner-up at the Rumble on the Red tournament and placed third at the Minnesota Christmas Tournament, with both of his losses in those tournaments coming to the same wrestler. In 2013 Dobler was a double All-American at the FILA Cadet Nationals. He was also a sixth-place finisher at the 2013 Preseason Nationals and a Fargo Cadet All-American in Greco in 2012.
Eric LoeppProjected High School Weight Class: 132/138
Projected College Weight Class: 133/141
Analysis: Loepp has an opportunity to do something that very few in North Dakota have ever done. The senior to be already boasts four North Dakota Class B championships and will look to become just the fifth wrestler in the state history to claim five state championships. Loepp capped off his 2013-2014 campaign with an unblemished 30-0 mark on the season. He won three of the five major Class B tournaments throughout the season, the Central Cass Letterman's Tournament, the Storhaug Invitational in Lisbon, and the Linton Holiday Tournament.
4. Matthew Gross (Napoleon)
Projected High School Weight Class: 182
Projected College Weight Class: 184
Analysis: Gross found himself at the top of a lot of podiums last season. The Napoleon Imperial won seven individual tournaments, including the Linton Holiday Tournament, the Storhaug Invitational, and East/West to go along with his Region championship and Class B state championship. His only setback of the year was to Martin Mueller of Rapid City, South Dakota, in the semifinal round of the Bismarck Rotary Tournament. Gross went 5-5 at the Junior National Duals in the two combined styles and was 3-3 the year prior. Gross finished as a runner-up at the state tournament his sophomore year and sixth during his freshman season. He will definitely be one of the top upperweight wrestlers in the state this coming season.
5. Tate Barnhardt (Bismarck St. Mary's)
Projected High School Weight Class: 132
Projected College Weight Class: 133/141
Analysis: Barnhardt put together a strong junior season as he was one of North Dakota's Triple Crown winners, claiming a Class A state championship to go with his USA Greco and freestyle championships. Barnhardt has also placed third in the state as a sophomore and fifth as a freshman. His third-place finish at the Bismarck Rotary this past year was the highest he's placed in the event after posting back-to-back fifth-place finishes the two prior years. Barnhardt also was a Dickinson Classic champion for the second time in three years, placed second at the Storhaug Invitational, and came up just a win shy of placing at the Rumble on the Red this past year. Barnhardt had two wins in Fargo in the Junior freestyle tournament and had a solid 6-7 overall record at Junior Duals in the two combined styles this past summer.
6. Adam Blees (Bismarck)
Projected High School Weight Class: 160
Projected College Weight Class: 157/165
Analysis: Adam Blees had kind of a breakout season this past year for the Bismarck Demons. Blees took third at the state tournament as a freshman, then second as a sophomore before continuing his ascent to the top of the podium and claiming a state championship at 145 pounds. Blees avenged a pair of losses from earlier in the season when he edged out West Fargo's Anjelo Shephard, a three-time state champion in ultimate tiebreaker overtime in the state semifinals before downing Austin Schall from Devil's Lake in the finals by a score of 3-2. Blees had a few good showings prior to the state tournament as well, as he was a Bismarck Rotary runner-up and placed sixth in the Minnesota Christmas Tournament. Blees also had a successful summer, going a perfect 8-0 at the Junior Duals in the Greco portion of the tournament.
7. Jaron Lunday (Grafton)
Projected High School Weight Class: 152/160
Projected College Weight Class: 157
Analysis: Jaron Lunday has been wrestling for the Grafton Spoilers for about as long as they have been in existence. He was their first state qualifier five years ago. He was their first state placewinner as well. As a sophomore he was the first from his school to reach the state finals as he claimed runner-up honors, and finally this past season he became the first to win a state championship for his school when he knocked off returning state champion Walker Carr from Carrington. Lunday went 10-1 at Junior Duals this past year, going 3-0 in freestyle and 6-1 in Greco. The Region 2 champion claimed top honors at the Central Cass Lettermen's tournament this past year and was a runner-up at the Storhaug Invitational in Lisbon.
8. Brayden Kuntz (South Border)
Projected High School Weight Class: 170
Projected College Weight Class: 165/174
Analysis: Kuntz had a very solid season in 2014-2015. Unfortunately, he had a huge roadblock in his way that may have prevented him from being a little higher on this list. The roadblock was Dylan Urbach, the all-time winningest wrestler in the history of Class B North Dakota and current Minnesota Gopher. Kuntz finished runner-up at the Napoleon Early Bird, the Central Cass Lettermen's Tournament, The Storhaug Invitational, The East/West, Region I Individual Tournament and the Class B State Tournament. Five of the six losses that he suffered in those finals matches came at the hands of Urbach. Aside from those tournaments, Kuntz also finished seventh at the Rumble on the Red and was a champion at two of the bigger Class B tournaments in the state: Rugby Panthers Invite and Linton Holiday Tournament.
9. Nicholas Becker (Napoleon)
Projected High School Weight Class: 195
Projected College Weight Class: 197
Analysis: Becker, the second Napoleon Imperial on this list, really burst onto the scene after a strong sophomore season where he placed fourth at 170 pounds. Becker had an even more impressive junior season, going 37-3 and winning the state title at 182 pounds. Two of Becker's three losses came to regional rival Tucker Meidinger -- a wrestler Becker bested five other times on the season, including in the state championship match. With Gross as a practice partner, the Imperials will have one of the most effective one-two punches in the entire state in their upper-weight classes. Becker was the East/West champion, Linton Holiday champion and placed third at the Bismarck Rotary Tournament.
10. Waylon DeCoteau (Turtle Mountain)
Projected High School Weight Class: 220
Projected College Weight Class: 197/285
Decoteau, from TMCHS, is one of two non-state champions on this list. However, he has been a perennial state placewinner in the upperweights for the Braves over the past few seasons and came up just short on a 9-6 decision in the state championship match this past season. DeCoteau has won state Greco and freestyle titles each of the past two seasons. He is no stranger to the off-season circuit either. He won a combined six matches at in Fargo in the two styles this past summer and compiled a 10-4 combined record at Junior Duals (7-1 in Greco). He also was an eighth-place finisher in the Preseason Nationals this past year as well. During his 2013-2014 campaign, Waylon was a West Region champion, won the Rugby Panthers Invitational, New Town Eagles Invite and claimed third-place honors at the Bismarck Rotary Tournament.
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