California state champion Evan Wick is one of the favorites at 160 pounds (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) "The Super Bowl of high school (aged) wrestling." That is what many a person has described the Junior National freestyle tournament as being over the years. The field of wrestlers that will be competing on Thursday and Friday to pare down to Saturday morning's medal round represent the crème de la crème of high school wrestling. Those competing will mostly be rising seniors with a chunk of graduated seniors and rising juniors as well, rising sophomores are also eligible for the Junior freestyle tournament.
The following is a weight-by-weight breakdown of the projected field. It is based on wrestlers entered online in Trackwrestling as of Tuesday evening.
100 pounds: Malik Heinselman (Colorado), who will be competing in his second straight Cadet World freestyle tournament in September, is the extreme favorite in this weight class. He was also a Cadet Nationals double champion last year. Others to watch include state champion Brendon Garcia (Colorado), who won the Junior Greco title on Tuesday afternoon; state medalists Brandon Nunez (New York) and Matthew Petersen (Minnesota); along with junior folk runner-up Cody Holmes (Wisconsin)
106: Jason Holmes (Arizona) is the defending champion in this weight class. However, there is a strong group of challengers behind him. Said pack is led by Jaret Lane (Pennsylvania), who won a second straight Junior Greco title on Tuesday afternoon, and was runner-up to Holmes in last year's Junior freestyle tournament; he also was a FloNationals champion this spring. Another pair of contenders were champions in Junior folkstyle, Mosha Schwartz (Colorado) and Ty Smith (Nevada); Schwartz was a Cadet Triple Crown winner last year, while Smith is a two-time scholastic state champion.
Three others in this weight will be seeking a second straight double All-American finish at the Junior Nationals: Elijah Varona (Florida), Nathan Rankin (Texas), and Tyler Cunningham (Nebraska); Varona was runner-up to Lane for a second straight year in Greco on Tuesday afternoon. Additional contenders include Cody Phippen (Missouri), an All-American last year at both the Cadet and Junior levels in freestyle; returning Cadet freestyle runner-up Rayvon Foley (Michigan); along with a trio of two-time state champions in Brandon Kaylor (Washington), Koby Milner (Georgia), and Wyatt Adams (Oklahoma).
113: The slight favorite in this weight class might be 2015 Cadet World team member Dylan D'Emilio (Ohio), who was also a Cadet freestyle champion last summer and a UWW Cadet freestyle runner-up last month. He is joined by six other wrestlers who were nationally ranked at the end of the 2015-16 season at 106 pounds: Nico Aguilar (California), Patrick McKee (Minnesota), Kyle Biscoglia (Iowa), Joey Melendez (Illinois), Michael Colaiocco (New Jersey), and Joseph Harrison (Nebraska). McKee, Biscoglia, Colaiocco, and Harrison were all Cadet freestyle All-Americans last year; Aguilar was a Cadet freestyle champion in 2014; while Melendez was a UWW Cadet freestyle All-American this spring along with McKee.
Four wrestlers in this weight class are returning Junior freestyle All-Americans: state champions Brady Koontz (Wisconsin) and Hasan Krigger (Georgia), two-time state champion Dominic LaJoie (Michigan), along with state medalist Graham Shore (Ohio). At least four other contenders are two-time state champions: Brock Bergelin (Wisconsin), Justin Portillo (Iowa), Rhett Golowenski (Oklahoma), and Tomas Gutierrez (Colorado).
120: Four wrestlers in this absolutely loaded weight class have been Junior National freestyle finalists. Brandon Courtney (Arizona) won the title last year at 113 pounds, while three-time Junior folkstyle champion Danny Vega (Arizona) won a title in 2014 at 106 pounds. Finishing as runners-up last year were two-time state champion Drew Mattin (Ohio) and two-time state runner-up Liam Cronin (California), doing so at 113 and 106 respectively.
However, the favorite in this weight class is none of them. Instead it is two-time Cadet World team member Gavin Teasdale (Pennsylvania), who is undefeated in two years of high school wrestling and was the UWW Junior runner-up at 55 kilos (121 pounds) in freestyle this April.
Two others in this weight class were Junior freestyle All-Americans last year, state champion Paxton Rosen (Oklahoma) and three-time state champion Jaxon Cole (Utah). Another pair in this weight class earned their second Cadet freestyle All-American finish last year, 2015 state champion Jonathan Gomez (New York) and two-time state placer Matthew Parker (Pennsylvania).
At least three other wrestlers in this weight class are three-time state champions: Jack Wagner (Iowa), Connor Brown (Missouri), and FloNationals champion Ian Timmins (Nevada). At least three others in this weight class are two-time state champions: Bryce West (Iowa), Jet Taylor (Oklahoma), and Tommy Hoskins (Ohio). Other contenders include Dalton Duffield (Oklahoma), who is now a two-time Junior Greco champion, as well as state champion and Super 32 Challenge placer Colin Valdiviez (Missouri).
126: In terms of overall resume, two wrestlers in this field stand above all the rest, Austin Gomez (Illinois) and Matthew Schmitt (Missouri). Gomez beat Schmitt for fifth place in last year's Junior freestyle tournament at 120 pounds. In addition, Gomez is a two-time UWW Junior freestyle All-American, and a three-time Cadet National champion in Fargo (2013 in Greco, 2014 double); while Schmitt won the Greco title in this weight class on Tuesday afternoon after three prior runner-up finishes in Fargo (Junior Greco 2015, Junior free 2014, Cadet free 2013).
Another contender in this weight class is Junior folkstyle champion Paul Konrath (Indiana), who was a FloNationals champion in 2015 and a Cadet freestyle champion in 2014. At least three additional wrestelrs in this weight class are two-time state champions: Alex Thomsen (Iowa), Jackson Henson (West Virginia), and Quincy Monday (Texas); two-time state champion Thomsen was a runner-up in Cadet freestyle last year and placed in the Super 32 Challenge this past fall.
At least five others in this weight class have a single state title: NHSCA Senior Nationals champion Codi Russell (Georgia), 2014 champion Drew West (Iowa), Drew Marten (Michigan), Jake Gliva (Minnesota), and 2015 champion Michael McGee (Illinois). Justin Portillo (Iowa) is a three-time state champion; while Cole Manley (Pennsylvania), Dan Moran (Pennsylvania), and Zach Sherman (New Jersey) are each multi-time state/National Prep placers with at least one runner-up finish.
132: Taylor LaMont (Utah) is the defending champion in this weight class, and added a second Junior Greco title on Tuesday afternoon. In addition, LaMont is a three-time state champion, a FloNationals champion this spring, and a 2013 Cadet freestyle champion. Joining LaMont as a top 25 Class of 2016 prospect in this weight class is three-time state champion Rudy Yates (Illinois), though he has a relatively light Olympic styles resume.
There is a pair of wrestlers in this weight class who join LaMont in returning as Junior freestyle All-Americans, Chris Sandoval (Colorado) and Ian Parker (Michigan). Sandoval is a three-time state finalist, 2015 state champion, and was the Junior folkstyle champion this spring; while Parker won his second state title this past season. Another pair have Junior Greco-Roman runner-up finishes on the resume, Dalton Young (Washington) and Gabe Townsell (Illinois); Young was runner-up to LaMont on Tuesday afternoon and is a three-time state champion; while Townsell was runner-up down a weight class on Tuesday afternoon after winning a Junior Greco title last year at 126, and is also a three-time state placer.
At least four additional wrestlers in this weight class have won three-or-more state titles: two-time Cadet freestyle All-American Brent Jones (Minnesota), Brock Rathbun (Iowa), Danny Bertoni (Maryland), and Zach Van Alst (Alabama). At least four others have state titles on the resume: two-time champion Grant Willits (Colorado); 2015 champion Max Murin (Pennsylvania), a two-time Cadet National and UWW Cadet All-American in freestyle; Timmy Kane (Connecticut), and Triston Lara (Iowa). At least four additional wrestlers are two-time state placers: Brendan Black (Indiana); Gianni Ghione (New Jersey), a 2015 state runner-up; K.J. Fenstermacher (Pennsylvania); and Super 32 Challenge placer Quinn Kinner (New Jersey).
138: The word "loaded" doesn't even scratch the surface to describe the quality in this weight class. However, based on resume alone, Mitch McKee (Minnesota) would be the slight favorite. He won a fourth Fargo title in Greco-Roman on Tuesday afternoon (repeat Junior level title), and is after a fourth consecutive Fargo final in freestyle this week (winning the Junior title in 2014). The Minnesota bound grappler was also a UWW Junior National freestyle champion this spring, though he lost the World Team Trials series in three bouts at 60 kilos (132 pounds).
In addition to McKee, there are three other returning Junior National freestyle All-Americans: Carter Happel (Iowa), Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma), and Parker Filius (Montana). Happel is also a four-time state champion, 2014 Cadet World team member in freestyle, and 2013 Cadet National freestyle champion; Gfeller is also a three-time state champion, Super 32 Challenge placer, and 2013 Cadet freestyle champion; while Filius is also a three-time state champion. Two others in addition to McKee were UWW Junior freestyle All-Americans this spring, Ben Freeman (Michigan) and Nick Lee (Indiana). Freeman is a two-time state champion and was runner-up at both the UWW Junior Nationals (63 kilos) and FloNationals this spring; while Lee is a 2015 state champion (three-time placer), earned All-American honors in the 60 kilo class at UWW Juniors, and was the Outstanding Wrestler of the 2014 Cadet National freestyle tournament.
Three additional wrestlers in this weight class were two-time Cadet freestyle All-americans: Corey Shie (Ohio), Jaden Enriquez (California), and Jamie Hernandez (Illinois). Two-time state placer Shie placed at the Super 32 Challenge this fall, was runner-up in Junior folkstyle this spring, and is now a two-time Junior Greco All-American; Enriquez is a two-time state placer, including a runner-up finish in 2015; while Hernandez is a two-time state placer (runner-up this year), was a Cadet freestyle runner-up last summer, and was runner-up in freestyle at the UWW Cadet Nationals this spring.
Others to watch include four-time state champion and Junior Greco runner-up this week Jarrett Degen (Montana); NHSCA Senior Nationals champion Kanen Storr (Michigan), a two-time Super 32 Challenge placer and FloNationals runner-up this spring; three-time state champion Garrett Aldrich (Minnesota); two-time state champion Brock Mauller (Missouri); along with state champions Alec Hagan (Missouri) and Jaden Van Maanen (Wisconsin)
145: Two wrestlers in this weight class have been Junior National freestyle All-Americans previously, Hunter Marko (Wisconsin) and Ryan Deakin (Colorado). Marko was champion in 2013 and is a three-time All-American, to go with four scholastic state titles and a pair of Junior folkstyle runner-up finishes; while Deakin was champion in Greco on Tuesday afternoon (third Junior All-American finish in that style), and is a two-time state champion to go with the Super 32 Challenge third place finish this past fall. Another pair in this weight class have been finalists in Junior Greco-Roman, Austin O'Connor (Illinois) and Jaron Jensen (Utah); O'Connor is also a three-time state champion and runner-up in the Super 32 Challenge this fall, while Jensen is also a two-time state champion.
Winning a Junior folkstyle title this spring was Alex Lloyd (Minnesota), who is also won a state title this winter scholastically. At least six others have won a pair of high school state-level titles: last year's Cadet National double champion Anthony Artalona (Florida), Charles Kane (Connecticut), FloNationals placers Devin Bahr (Wisconsin) and Jarrett Jacques (Missouri), Justin Ruffin (Georgia), and Ryan Leisure (Iowa).
Additional wrestlers to watch include state champions A.J. Jaffe (Illinois), Brik Filippo (Oklahoma), and Nelson Brands (Iowa); along with two-time state-level medalists in Phil Conigliaro (Massachusetts) and two-time FloNationals placer Jake Hinkson (Pennsylvania).
152: Griffin Parriott (Minnesota) earned what was for him an elusive stop sign on Tuesday afternoon in Junior Greco, and is arguably the favorite to make it a sweep of the titles this week before headed off to Purdue. He was also a four-time state champion, two-time Super 32 Challenge placer, and two-time UWW Junior freestyle third place finisher. One of the primary threats to Parriott is Zander Wick (California), who like Parriott, finished fifth in Junior freestyle alst summer; he also won a state title this winter and was a Junior folkstyle champion this spring. The third returning Junior freestyle All-American in this weight class is four-time state champion Wyatt Sheets (Oklahoma), who also was a UWW Junior freestyle All-American this spring.
A pair of Cadet freestyle finalists from last year are present in this weight class, Jaryn Curry (Oklahoma) and Joe Lee (Indiana). Curry was runner-up in Fargo, and a state champion this winter; while Lee was champion last year in Fargo, a state champion this winter, and a runner-up in freestyle last month at the UWW Cadet Nationals. At least three additional wrestlers in this weight class have won three or more state titles: Hunter Willits (Colorado), Zemua Baptista (Nebraska), and Super 32 Challenge placer Quentin Hovis (Arizona).
Others to watch include NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Billy Higgins (Nebraska), two-time state placer Jack Conway (Ohio), two-time state champion Kyler Rea (Missouri), as well as Junior Greco runner-up and two-time National Prep placer Lenny Merkin (New York).
160: Entering this weight class as a slight favorite is returning runner-up Evan Wick (California), who also won a Junior folkstyle title this spring. In addition, Wick was a state champ this winter, and a UWW Junior freestyle runner-up this spring. Five wrestlers within the top 50 overall for the Class of 2017 are among the challengers: Eric Hong (Pennsylvania), Hunter Bolen (Virginia), Jake Allar (Minnesota), Layne van Anrooy (Oregon), and Luke Troy (California). Hong is a 2014 National Prep champion and two-time Super 32 Challenge placer; Bolen is a two-time state champ, Super 32 placer, and FloNationals runner-up; Allar is a Super 32 placer and state champion; van Anrooy is a three-time state champion and FloNationals placer; while Troy is a two-time state placer, 2015 Junior folkstyle champion, and a returning Junior freestyle All-American.
Two others in this weight class were Junior folkstyle runners-up this spring, state champions Bailee O'Reilly (Minnesota) and Colton Clingenpeel (Iowa). At least five others in this weight class were state champions this past season: Austin Hiles (Ohio), two-time champion Blake Montrie (Michigan), Emille Shannon (Illinois), two-time champ and NHSCA Senior Nationals champ Luke Weber (Montana), along with 2014 Cadet freestyle champion Trey Meyer (Washington). Others to watch include 2014 state champions Dan Filipek (Missouri) and Junior Greco runner-up Max Wohlabaugh (Florida), along with state runner-up and FloNationals placer Trent Hidlay (Pennsylvania).
170: Anthony Mantanona (Calfiornia) moves up a weight class after winning the Junior Greco title at 160 pounds on Tuesday afternoon. The two-time state placer (runner-up this past year) was also champion at the FloNationals and a placer in the Super 32 Challenge this past season. The most prime challenger to Mantanona would be 2015 UWW Cadet freestyle champion Jelani Embree (Michigan), who was also a state champion and FloNationals runner-up during the first half of 2016.
Three others in this weight class were freestyle runners-up in Fargo last summer, Lucas Jeske (Minnesota) at the Junior level, with Marcus Coleman (Iowa) and Jack Jessen (Illinois) doing so at the Cadet level; Jeske was state champion in 2015, Coleman is a two-time state champion, while two-time state medalist Jessen also was a Cadet Greco finalist last year and a UWW Cadet freestyle runner-up last month.
At least five additional wrestlers in this weight class have previously earned a state title: 2015 Junior Greco runner-up Andrew Berreyesa (Nevada), Canten Marriott (Missouri), two-time champion Johnny Blankenship (Missouri), Myles Wilson (Colorado), and Tyler Morland (Michigan). Also in the weight class are multi-time placers A.J. Pedro (Massachusetts), J.T. Brown (Ohio), Leo Tarantino (Florida), two-time runner-up Robbie Bowers (Ohio), and Victor Marcelli (Ohio); Marcelli seeks a double All-American finish at the Junior level to go with the one at the Cadet level last year.
182: In a weight class that features three returning Junior freestyle All-Americans, it is not one of that trio who is favored. Instead the pick here is Keegan Moore (Minnesota), who won multiple state titles in high school and was a 2014 Cadet Triple Crown winner; falling short of All-American honors last summer in this weight class came as a total surprise.
The three wrestlers to earn All-American in Junior freestyle last year in this field are James Handwerk (Ohio), Kevin Parker (New York), and Owen Webster (Minnestoa). Handwerk seeks a second straight double All-American finish at the Junior Nationals, and is a two-time state champion; Parker is also a two-time state champion and was a FloNationals placer this spring; while Webster won state in 2014 and was a Cadet World team member last year at 85 kilos (187 pounds).
Three wrestlers in this weight class have the state champion and FloNationals placer combo from this year: Bob Coleman (Oregon), Casey Cornett (Kentucky), and Jake Woodley (Pennsylvania); Woodley is also a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American. At least four additional wrestlers in this weight class are multi-time state champions: Casey Randles (Iowa), Chase Shiltz (Iowa), Jesse Shearer (North Dakota), and Taylor Venz (Minnesota). Another trio of wrestlers -- at least -- were state-level champions this year: NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Anthony Falbo (Connecticut); Matt Waddell (Georgia), a two-time Junior Greco All-American; and Junior folkstyle runner-up Max Lyon (Iowa).
Rounding out the contenders are Junior Greco champion Logan Gruszka (Illinois), as well as two-time state placers Aaron Paddock (New York) and Anthony Sherry (Iowa).
195: As one of two returning Junior freestyle All-Americans in this weight class, two-time state champion Ben Darmstadt (Ohio) enters the tournament favored to win his first stop sign. The Cornell bound wrestler is also a two-time Super 32 Challenge placer. The other returning Junior freestyle All-American is Jack Harris (Ohio), who is also a two-time Super 32 placer and won his first state title this past season.
Four wrestlers in this weight class were state champions and FloNationals placers this past season: Brandon Whitman (Michigan), also a Cadet freestyle runner-up last year; Haydn Maley (Oregon), champion in Junior Greco on Tuesday afternoon; Jacob Raschka (Wisconsin), champion in Cadet freestyle last year; and John Borst (Virginia).
At least four other wrestlers in this weight class have also earned state titles: Brandon Kui (New Jersey), two-time champion Colton Wolfe (Nebraska), returning Cadet double All-American Dan Baker (Oklahoma), and Trenton Schultz (Colorado). Another pair were runners-up this past season: Patrick Brucki (Illinois) and junior folkstyle runner-up Samuel Grove (North Dakota). Rounding out wrestlers to watch are Junior folkstyle champion Andrew Davison (Indiana) and two-time state placer Danny Salas (California).
220: Leading the way in this weight class is now seven-time Fargo finalist Samuel Colbray (Oregon), who won his fourth Greco-Roman title in five finals appearances on Tuesday afternoon (Junior titles in 2014 and 2016). In freestyle, the four-time state champion has finished third and second at the Junior level after a runner-up finish at the Cadet level in 2013.
Three primary challengers to Colbray are ranked within the top 100 for the Class of 2017: Jared Campbell (Ohio), Zane Black (Pennsylvania), and Wyatt Wriedt (Iowa); two-time state runner-up Campbell was a FloNationals champion this spring, Black placed at the Super 32 Challenge this past fall, and Wriedt was a state champion this season.
At least four others in this weight class were state champions this past season: three-timer Ashton Seely (Utah), returning Junior freestyle All-American Cole Nye (Pennsyvlania), Junior Greco runner-up Jeffrey Allen (Virginia), and Noah Ryan (Minnestao). Others to watch include state medalists Anthony Piscopo (Pennsylvania) and Diata Drayton (Illinois), as well two-time state placer and FloNationals placer Francis Duggan (Pennsylvania).
285: Even though Junior Greco was unkind for Carter Isley (Iowa) earlier in the week, the Junior folkstyle champion is the favorite in freestyle. The two-time state champion seeks a second straight double All-American finish at the Junior level. At least two others in this weight class are multi-time state champions, two-timer Brian Barnes (Oregon) and three-timer Brandon Metz (North Dakota); Metz was champion in Greco on Tuesday afternoon.
Two wrestlers in this weight class were Junior folkstyle runners-up this spring, state runner-up Aaron Costello (Iowa) and two-time state placer Evan Ellis (Indiana); Ellis was also a placer in both the FloNationals and Super 32 Challenge during the 2015-16 season. At least three additional wrestlers in this weight class were state champions this past season: 2014 Cadet freestyle champion Gannon Gremmel (Iowa), Kayne Hutchison (Kansas), and Sammy de Seriere (Colorado).
Others to watch include state medalist Anthony Cassioppi (Illinois), who placed third in Junior Greco after placing third in both styles at the Cadet level last year; state medalist Thomas Helton (Illinois), who was runner-up in Junior Greco and seeks a second straight double All-American finish at the Junior level; two-time state placer Tommy Killoran (Pennsylvania), who also was a Super 32 Challenge placer; two-time state placers Gavin Nye (California) and Trenton Lieruance (Oklahoma); as well as state medalist Zach Muller (Illinois).
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