Class of 2010 comparable to Class of 2008

Spring has sprung past. Summer is almost here. That means July 1 is fast approaching, and the start of the contact period between NCAA Division I college coaches and incoming seniors.

Andrew Alton of Pennsylvania is the No. 2-ranked wrestler from the Class of 2010 (Photo/Pennsylvania Wrestling Newsmagazine)

Despite what was perceived by some as a “down” group of seniors this past year in the state of Pennsylvania, the Keystone State seniors were victorious in the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic by a 30-21 score against Team USA. This could mean one of two things, or some combination thereof. First, the notion of that group of seniors being down was a misnomer. Second, the Class of 2009 was not a relatively strong group across the nation.

Those two assertions are the polar opposite of reality with the Class of 2010. This group of seniors nationally is much more comparable to the strong 2008 group than the not-so-deep 2009 group. The Keystone State anchors this class with seventeen of its residents and prep stars ranked."

In his first two-plus months on the job, Cael Sanderson has already capitalized on this strong senior class, as he has brought in two of Pennsylvania’s finest to Happy Valley. Andrew and Dylan Alton (Central Mountain, PA) have verbally committed to Penn State. Andrew placed third at state in his first two years of high school before getting that elusive state title this past season; he also has freestyle titles the last two summers in Fargo, and a Super32 title to his credit. Dylan is a two-time state champion, and was a double champion (Greco-Roman and Freestyle) at Junior Nationals this past summer.

However, it is Logan Stieber (Monroeville, OH) that is the leading figure in this senior class. The three-time state champion has an Ironman title and four Fargo titles (a Junior National double, and two Cadet freestyle championships) to his credit, as well as his emergence on the senior level at 55 kg (121 pounds) this spring. Stieber has verbally committed to Ohio State, and anchors a group of 12 Ohio natives in the Class of 2009 top 100.

Ranked third in this senior class is Chris Villalonga (Blair Academy, NJ), who has not lost a match since late December 2006, when he lost 6-4 in the Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic semifinals to Dan Kelly. That is the only tournament in which Villalonga has not made the final during his career. To his credit is a trio of Ironman and Beast of the East finals, of which he won in his sophomore and junior years. Villalonga also has three National Prep titles, and anchors a group of twelve Garden State scholastic wrestlers (11 natives) in the rankings.

Rounding out the top ten in this senior class are career undefeated and three-time state champion Nick Moore (Iowa City West, IA); three-time state finalists, and two-time state champions in Marshall Peppelman (Central Dauphin, PA) and Jamie Clark (St Edward, OH); two-time state champions Anthony Baldosaro (Eastern Regional, NJ) and Lee Munster (Fox Lake Grant, IL); and twice state finalist, this past year state champion Josh Kindig (Blue Mountain, PA).

Morgan McIntosh is ranked No. 3 in the Class of 2011 (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)

Stieber’s teammate, Chris Phillips, is the top-ranked wrestler in the Class of 2011, which is the group of juniors-to-be. Phillips has a pair of state titles and Cadet National freestyle championships. His only loss in two years of high school was to Ed Ruth in the quarterfinals of the Ironman this season, and that includes two titles at Brecksville with an Ironman title as a freshman.

Two other upper-weights follow close behind Phillips in the rankings for this class. Andrew Campolattano (Bound Brook, NJ) has two state titles in as many seasons of high school, and earned double Cadet National titles last summer. Morgan McIntosh (Calvary Chapel, CA) finished runner-up in both tournaments to Campolattano at Fargo, and is a two-time state placer in the single-class California state tournament. McIntosh won Reno Tournament of Champions and California state titles during 2008-09.

Among sophomores-to-be, the Class of 2012, it is another wrestler that has made Fargo a personal playground in the anchor position of the rankings. Taylor Massa (St John’s, MI) was also a double (Greco-Roman and freestyle) Cadet Nationals champion last summer, and followed that up with a state title in his freshman season of high school. The first eight wrestlers ranked in this class won state titles as freshmen, while the other two members of the top ten were second in their state-level tournament.

Tops in the incoming freshman (Class of 2013) group is Eric Morris from Pennsylvania, while leading the group of wrestlers that will be in junior high next season is Ohio’s Jered Cortez.

InterMat will be unveiling its recruiting profiles on or before July 1 for all scholastic wrestlers. Further details will be made available in the coming weeks.

Want to see the rankings? Click HERE.

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Class of 2010 comparable to Class of 2008

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