InterMat Staff

Old Bridge

Parsippany Hills

JFK-Iselin

Passaic Prep

Liberty

Liberty

Coronado

Crete

Sierra Pacific

Norwalk

The good news continues to trickle out of New Jersey. Last week, Scott Goodale’s team got a huge commitment from Mason Gibson - making an already imposing Class of 2024 one of the best in the country. Monday afternoon brought more positives for the Scarlet Knights, as 2024 All-American Yaraslau Slavikouski will not continue to pursue transfer opportunities. Earlier this month, we reported on Slavikouski putting his name into the transfer portal. Today, Rutgers posted an article on their team site stating Slavikouski would use his final year of eligibility in 2024-25 with Rutgers. Long regarded as one of the nation’s top heavyweights, Slavikouski finally got onto the NCAA podium for the first time, when he finished seventh in the 285 lb weight class in Kansas City. He went 22-8 during his first season with Rutgers and was fourth in the Big Ten. Prior to coming to Rutgers, Slavikouski attended and graduated from Harvard. At Harvard, he was an EIWA finalist in 2020 and finished in the NCAA Round of 12 in 2023. To get onto the podium, Slavikouski needed to get by the second-seeded Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) - which he did, to the tune of 6-3. Slavikouski’s re-commitment means Rutgers could field a lineup that features four past All-Americans (Dylan Shawver, Jackson Turley, and John Poznanski) - provided Turley returns, as well. Shawver and Slavikouski’s podium finishes led Rutgers to a 20th place finish in 2024 at NCAA’s.

Even though the Senior level competitors were not in action at the US Open, that didn’t mean that Las Vegas was bereft of talent at the US Open. Rather than seeing the best wrestlers in the world, it was a glimpse of the future, as undoubtedly, a handful of wrestlers that made the U17 World Team will be the same one competing at future Olympic Trials. The actual U17 World Championships August 19-25th in Amman, Jordan and we’ll talk more about the tournament and our representatives at that time; however, before then, get to know the wrestlers that have won the U17 Trials. U17 Men’s Freestyle 45 kg - Samuel Sanchez (CA): 2x U15 Open Champion 48 kg - Henry Aslikyan (CA): Class of 2026; 2024 California state champion, 2023 UWW U17 freestyle 3rd, 2023 U17 Greco-Roman World Team member 51 kg - Domenic Munaretto (IL): Class of 2026; 2022 U17 freestyle world champion, 2022 Ironman champion, 2023 Super 32 runner-up 55 kg - Keanu Dillard (PA): Class of 2026; 2x Pennsylvania AAA state champion, 2022 Fargo 16U freestyle runner-up 60 kg - Jordyn Raney (KY): Class of 2026; 2023 U17 Greco-Roman world champion, 2022 Super 32 runner-up, 2x Ironman fifth place, 2022 Fargo Double AA (1st/GR, 5th/FR) 65 kg - Nathaniel Askew (GA): Class of 2025: 2x Fargo 16U Greco-Roman AA (4th, 2nd), 2023 UWW U17 Greco-Roman 5th 71 kg - Melvin Miller (PA): Class of 2027; Pennsylvania AA state champion, 2023 Super 32 champion, 2023 Fargo 16U freestyle champion 80 kg - Emmitt Sherlock (MD): Class of 2025; 2x National Prep runner-up, 2x Fargo 16U freestyle AA (7th, 3rd), 2023 Ironman 7th 92 kg - Dreshaun Ross (IA): Class of 2026; 2x Iowa 3A state champion, 2x Fargo 16U freestyle national champion, 2023 UWW U17 freestyle runner-up 110 kg - Michael Mocco (FL): Class of 2026; 2x Florida 1A state champion, 2023 Fargo 16U double champion, 2023 Super 32 runner-up, 2x Ironman 4th U17 Men’s Greco-Roman 45 kg - Loc Webber (OH): Class of 2028; 2023 Fargo 16U Greco-Roman champion 48 kg - Hayden Schwab (IA): Class of 2027; 2024 Iowa 1A State runner-up, 2023 Fargo 16U Greco-Roman national champion 51 kg - Domenic Munaretto (IL): Class of 2026; 2022 U17 freestyle world champion, 2022 Ironman champion, 2023 Super 32 runner-up 55 kg - Jayden Raney (KY): Class of 2026; 2x Fargo 16U Double national champion, 2023 UWW U17 Greco-Roman 6th 60 kg - Jordyn Raney (KY): Class of 2026; 2023 U17 Greco-Roman world champion, 2022 Super 32 runner-up, 2x Ironman fifth place, 2022 Fargo Double AA (1st/GR, 5th/FR) 65 kg - Colton Weiler (WI): Class of 2025: 2x Wisconsin D3 state runner-up, 2023 Fargo 16U Greco-Roman runner-up, 2023 UWW U17 Greco-Roman 4th 71 kg - Joseph Jeter (OK): Class of 2026; 2024 Oklahoma 6A state champion, 2023 Fargo 16U Greco-Roman 7th 80 kg - Emmitt Sherlock (MD): Class of 2025; 2x National Prep runner-up, 2023 Fargo 16U Greco-Roman runner-up, 2023 Ironman 7th 92 kg - Evan McGuire (MN): Class of 2025; 2024 Minnesota AA state runner-up 110 kg - Trayvn Boger (UT): Class of 2026; 2023 U17 Greco-Roman runner-up, 2023 Fargo 16U Greco-Roman 7th U17 Women’s Freestyle 40 kg: Francesca Gusfa (NJ) : Class of 2026; 2024 New Jersey state runner-up, 2023 Pan-American U17 champion, 2022 Pan-American U15 champion 43 kg: Hailey Delgado (TX): Class of 2028; 2023 Pan-American U15 champion 46 kg: Morgan Turner (IL): Class of 2026: 2023 U17 world champion, 2022 Pan-American U15 Champion, 2023 Fargo 16U national champion, 2024 Illinois state champion 49 kg: Epenesa Elison (CA): Class of 2028; 2024 UWW U15 champion, 2023 Pan-American U15 champion, 2023 Super 32 champion 53 kg: Isabella Marie Gonzales (CA): Class of 2025; 2x California state champion; 2x Fargo 16U AA (2,3), 2023 Super 32 champion 57 kg: Everest Leydecker (AZ): Class of 2026; 2023 U17 World Team member, 2022 Fargo 16U national champion 61 kg: Taina Fernandez (MD): Class of 2027; 2024 Maryland state champion, 2024 Midlands Champion, 2023 Super 32 champion 65 kg: Bella Williams (OK): Class of 2025: 3x Oklahoma state champion, 2023 Fargo 16U national champion, 2023 Super 32 runner-up 69 kg: Kaili Manuel (MI): Class of 2027: Michigan State champion, 2023 Super 32 champion 73 kg: Piper Fowler (TN): Class of 2025: 2023 U17 World champion, 2x Tennessee state champion, 2x Fargo 16U national finalist (1,2)

Regis Jesuit

Marmion Academy

Garrett

Downingtown West

Lower Dauphin

Shenendehowa

Liberty

Loveland

Churchill

The 2024 Season is in the books, and the year end awards are starting to be handed out. As per usual, we took a look at the best Fantasy Wrestlers of the 2024 season. Just like in the past few years, some names are going to be expected, while a lot more may not be. That's the beauty of Fantasy Wrestling, where any wrestler can be the star of the weekend and win the dual for you. So, on to the Top-20 at each weight. Make sure to bookmark these articles because it’s a great resource to fall back to in a few months when your 2025 season draft research begins. To compile these lists, we used standard WrestleStat Fantasy College Wrestling Data & Scoring. Just a reminder of how points were tallied in WrestleStat leagues: 1) The scoring used was standard team scoring across all competitions (+3 for a win by decision, -4 for a loss by major, etc) 2) Scoring only counted against D1 competition 3) Wins via forfeits (FFT) would count as +6 towards a wrestler's point total 4) Wins or losses by medical forfeit (MFF) did not count as + or - towards a wrestler's point total 5) Points were only accumulated during the regular season 133 Top-20 Notes: Little Rock’s first All American, Nasir Bailey, is your #1 Fantasy Wrestler at 133. Of his 24 matches wrestled, two were by loss (both by decision to Vito Arujau and the other to Dom Serrano), two were won by decision, and the remaining 22 were by bonus. In fact, half of those wins by bonus were by tech or pin (none to two, respectively). While impressive as that is, the #1 Fantasy Wrestler at 133 actually did not crack the Top 10 Overall. 14 Fpts behind the leader stands “The Bouz.” Though he suffered seven losses (two by major), Nic Bouzakis still was able to overcome that and wind up in the #2 slot. Nine pins and six techs will help with that. Dom Serrano edged out the originally redshirting Dylan Ragusin by one Fpt. Ragusin missed three of Michigan’s scheduled duals before pulling his redshirt which would have helped move up the ranks had he participated. Winning one of those three by Decision would have moved him to #3 at 133 this year and winning on by major or better would have landed him at #2. But even with missing those three matches, had he beat Van Dee (NEB), he would have been the outright #2. Another Fighting Camel finds himself in the Top-5 of a Top-20 Fantasy Wrestling ranking (and it won't be the last), with Domenic Zaccone. Bucknell’s Kurt Phipps was one decision away from being Top-5 but finished 1 Fpt better than phenom Freshman Ryan Crookham. Possibly the most improved wrestler of the year, Dylan Shawver, finds himself on the Top-20 tied with Chattanooga’s Blake Boarman but falling juuuust behind at #10 due to PPM. The three-time 133 Fantasy #1 wrestler (in 2023, 2022, and 2021) only had 13 countable matches for fantasy, the lowest of any wrestler in the Top-20 at 133. Despite the best PPM out of any 133 wrestler this season, ultimately the lack of matches held him back. Still, #12 with only 13 matches is very impressive. After a short stint at 125, Braxton Brown moved up to 133 and finds himself at #15 and two Fpts above Sacred Heart’s Andrew Fallon. Fallon tied Cal Poly’s Zeth Romney with 50 Fpts, but did so in fewer matches giving him the bump via PPM. Two All Americans, Evan Frost and Kai Orine round out the Top-20, but this weight was one wrestler short of being composed of all Starters. Jacob Cox, NC State teammate, tied Orine in points, matches, and PPM to sneak in and get his seat at the table. Who Missed The Cut: Your 133 National Champion, Vito Arujau (COR) only wrestled 11 matches in the regular season. He missed significant time (and matches) from after the Journeymen Classic on November 12th until January 27th (he did make a two match appearance at Collegiate Duals on December 18th). His lone loss against #7 Crookham turned out to be the reason for him not making the Top-20. Had he of beat Crookham, he would have ended with 44Fts and squeaked in at #20. Arujau was the only 133 All American in 2024 not to break the Top-20 in Fantasy. In the opposite direction to Arujau, Sam Latona (VT) and Julian Chlebove (ASU) had 24 and 23 matches, respectively, but fell short of making the Top-20. Due in large part to both tying their most losses in a season, in their career. Latona had six losses (one by Pin), and Chlebove had seven. One of the biggest and most talked about wrestlers from this past offseason Portal Pickups was Aaron Nagao to Penn State. He only wrestled 14 matches which was only good for 33 Fpts and 29th place. Brody Teske (IOWA), the last second postseason entrant, also finished outside of the Top-20 with 29 Fpts (good for #35 at in the 133 rankings). Other notables not to make the Top-20 include: Derrick Cardinal (SDSU) at #22 with 40 Fpts, Kade Moore (MIZZ) at #27 with 34 Fpts, Tyler Wells (MINN) at #31 with 31 Fpts, and last year’s #4 wrestler at the weight, Michael Colaiocco (PENN), who finished this season with 29 Fpts at #36.

Appoquinimink

Oakdale

Northern