The tournament with the strongest fields is the FloNationals, an event that takes place on Friday and Saturday at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. This event has no divisions and is open to wrestlers in any grade, and the field features wrestlers from across the country. Five of the fourteen weight classes have five (or more in the case of 106 pounds) nationally ranked wrestlers in their field.
The third of the national championship events is in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Friday and Saturday. USA Wrestling hosts its Folkstyle Nationals, which serve as the first leg of the Cadet and Junior Triple Crown; the other two legs are Greco-Roman and freestyle, which are conducted in Fargo come July.
10. Cade Olivas competes in the Cadet folkstyle 88-pound weight class
Only a seventh grader, this California phenom is ranked No. 3 overall among junior high wrestlers. If there is a major national level event out there, and Olivas has competed in it, he's won it in dominant fashion. Olivas has won many Ohio TOC titles, a pair of Super 32 Middle School titles, and many Roller World of Wrestling Triple Crowns. It is his debut at the Cadet level, and many already have him in the stratosphere of an Aaron Pico for his grade level. For those who are in Cedar Falls, and yet to see him wrestle, check him out.
9. FloNationals at 106 pounds -- eight nationally ranked wrestlers
Out of all the weight classes to be held this weekend, the opening weight of the FloNationals features the most nationally ranked wrestlers. Based on registration, eight appear in the InterMat national rankings: No. 2 Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.), No. 6 Chad Red (New Palestine, Ind.), No. 7 Rudy Yates (Brother Rice, Ill.), No. 10 Adrian Camposano (Central, Calif.), No. 12 Gionn Peralta (Vacaville, Calif.), No. 13 Devin Brown (Saegertown, Pa.), No. 14 Ariel Dominguez (Osceola, Fla.), and No. 17 Nolan Hellickson (Southeast Polk, Iowa).
In addition to these eight, two nationally elite junior high wrestlers are in the field at this weight class -- Spencer Lee (Saegertown, Pa.) and Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.). Lee is ranked No. 1 among junior high wrestlers, and was a runner-up at the high school Super 32 Challenge; while Diakomihalis is ranked No. 6 among junior high wrestlers, and was a state champion in New York at 99 pounds this year.
Fox BaldwinIn 2012, coming off his freshman season, Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.) won a FloNationals title in the 132-pound weight class. He would go on to represent the United States in the FILA Cadet Pan-American Championships during the summer, and win the Cadet National freestyle title at 145 pounds. During the fall he placed third at 138 pounds in the Super 32 Challenge, won a state title at 152 pounds, and is ranked No. 13 nationally in that weight class.
Four nationally ranked wrestlers anchor the challenge pack of the 145-pound weight class at this year's FloNationals. Two-time National Prep champion Jack Clark (McDonogh, Md.) is ranked No. 12 nationally, Super 32 Challenge champion Grant Leeth (Kearney, Mo.) is ranked No. 15, state champion Christian Pagdilao (Santiago Corona, Calif.) is ranked No. 18, while Powerade champion Josh Shields (Franklin Regional, Pa.) is No. 20 in the rankings. Others meriting attention include returning FloNationals third placer Kevin Cooper (Simon Kenton, Ky.) and Junior freestyle All-American David Almavia (Shenendehowa, N.Y.).
7. NHSCA Senior Nationals, 195 pounds
This weight class features a potential final of top five ranked wrestlers in the nation, No. 2 Frank Mattiace (Blair Academy, N.J.) and No. 5 Garrett Krohn (Arvada, Colo.). Mattiace is a two-time National Prep champion, two-time Ironman champion, and committed to Penn; while Krohn is a three-time state champion, NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up, Junior National freestyle All-American, and bound for Stanford. Also in this weight class is another NHSCA Juniors runner-up in Zach Roseberry (Brentsville, Va.), at least four other notable state champions, and state runner-up Anthony Messner (Franklin, N.J.).
6. FloNationals, 160 pounds
Five wrestlers ranked in the top 13 of the nation at their respective weight class are in the field here. That group is led by Austin Matthews (Reynolds, Pa.), who entered the Dapper Dan ranked No. 8 at 152 pounds, but pulled off the 8-2 upset over national No. 1 Jake Short. National Prep champion Myles Martin (McDonogh, Md.) is ranked No. 8 in this weight class, and was runner-up at the FloNationals and Cadet freestyle championships last calendar year. Colin Holler (Carl Sandburg, Ill.) was a four-time state placer, finally getting a state title this year up at 170 pounds, here he is ranked No. 9 nationally. Three-time state placer Jon Schleifer (East Brunswick, N.J.) is ranked No. 11 nationally and finished third at the Super 32 Challenge. Last among the ranked wrestlers is No. 13 Tyler Grimaldi (Half Hollow Hills West, N.Y.), a state champion this year after finishing sixth in Junior freestyle last summer.
5. Aaron Pico and friends, Junior folkstyle 132 pounds
Aaron Pico (St. John Bosco, Calif.) is the nation's best overall freshman, ranked No. 1 at the 132-pound weight class nationally, and was twice a Cadet National double champion in Fargo. He is one of the most dominant figures in all of high school wrestling. This is his first competition at the USA Wrestling junior level. Though he is the clear favorite here, three additional nationally ranked wrestlers and some other highly credentialed figures will be on the prowl.
Those nationally ranked wrestlers include No. 10 Colton Adams (Scottsbluff, Neb.), a defending Junior National folkstyle champion; four-time state champion Dalton Brady (Chandler, Ariz.), who is ranked No. 17 up at 138 pounds; and No. 20 Seth Gross (Apple Valley, Minn.), a two-time Cadet National freestyle champion. Other highly credentialed figures include two-time state placer Ali Naser (El Camino Real, Calif.), who won the NUWAY Vegas title this fall; four-time state placer Colby Knight (Urbandale, Iowa), a state champion in 2011; state champion Jacob Rubio (Canyon Randall, Tex.), a Cadet folkstyle runner-up last spring who finished fourth in both styles at Cadet Nationals in Fargo; fellow Cadet folkstyle runner-up Mark Voss (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), who is also a two-time state runner-up; and state champion Ryan Schuman (Tri-Valley, S.D.), a Cadet folkstyle champion last spring.
Brent Fleetwood and Sean Russell (Photo/Rob Preston)Two wrestlers in this weight class are among the top five in the nation, No. 3 Brent Fleetwood (Smyrna, Del.) and No. 5 Sean Russell (Collins Hill, Ga.). Both wrestlers are three-time state champions and two-time Super 32 Challenge placers, in fact it was Russell who upended Fleetwood 4-3 in the semis of the Super 32 this October on the way to a runner-up finish. Fleetwood was champion of the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals this spring, and won the Beast of the East during this past season; while Russell was runner-up at the Kansas City Stampede during the course of the season. Multiple other state placers reside in this weight class, including Zachary Davis (Mishawka Penn, Ind.), whose finals loss was 9-7 to No. 1 Stevan Micic (Hanover Central).
3. Depth abound at NHSCA Senior Nationals, 132 pounds
Five weight class ranked wrestlers anchor the field in the 132-pound weight class at the NHSCA Senior Nationals, which is the most of any weight in that competition and tied for second most for any of the tournament weight classes this weekend across the nation. Highest ranked here is NHSCA Junior National runner-up Dennis Gustafson (Forest Park, Va.), who is ranked No. 9 in the country, and was fifth at the Super 32 Challenge this fall. Another three in this group finished third through fifth in last year's NHSCA Junior Nationals 132-pound weight class: Jed Mellen (Payson, Utah), ranked No. 15 up at 138 pounds; Jason Estevez (Livingston, N.J.), ranked No. 15 in this weight class; and Lawrence Otero (Volcano Vista, N.M.), ranked No. 19 at 138 pounds, where he placed seventh in the Super 32 Challenge.
The other nationally ranked wrestler is Michael Pongracz (Delaware Valley Regional, N.J.); the three-time state placer is No. 16 down at 126 pounds. Other notables in this weight class include Javier Gasca (Kingsburg, Calif.), eighth at the Super 32 this year and twice finishing third in the state tournament; defending Junior folkstyle champion Gunner Laffoon (Tuttle, Okla.), as well as state champions Nosomy Pozo (Miami Southwest, Fla.) and Matt Leshinger (Sayville, N.Y.).
2. Trifecta in the top ten at FloNationals 120 pounds
Three of the nation's top ten wrestlers in the 120-pound weight class anchor the field at the FloNationals in this bracket. No. 3 Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) won his second state title and also placed at the Super 32 Challenge for a second time this fall (third, after winning the tournament in 2010); No. 4 Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area, Pa.) won his first title as a sophomore, after winning the Super 32 Challenge in October; while No. 9 Mason Pengilly (Porterville, Calif.) won his first state title and seeks to improve upon a FloNationals runner-up finish last year.
Two other wrestlers ranked No. 19 nationally are also in this weight: Jared Prince (Palm Harbor University, Fla.), a state champion who was fifth at the Super 32; and Domenic Forys (North Allegheny, Pa.) holds this postion at 113 pounds, where he became a two-time state placer. Other notables in this weight class include Pennsylvania state placers Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh Central Catholic), Zach Valley (Northampton), and Justin Patrick (Ligonier Valley); along with state runner-up Drew Hughes (Lowell, Ind.)
1. Will Coon face a challenge from a tough Junior folkstyle 285-pound field?
The University of Michigan bound Adam Coon (Fowlerville, Mich.) is ranked No. 1 in the nation at 285 pounds and No. 2 overall in the Class of 2013. Last off-season, he was a USA Wrestling Junior Triple Crown winner. In order to win the first leg of this year's Triple Crown, he will have to navigate a field that features three other nationally ranked wrestlers and multiple other state champions.
Those nationally ranked wrestlers are No. 6 Cole Johnson (DeSoto, Wis.), who was runner-up to Coon is last year's Junior folkstyle tournament; No. 10 Michael Johnson, Jr. (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), twice a National Prep runner-up to No. 2 Brooks Black; and No. 18 Newton Smerchek (Luxemburg-Casco, Wis.), a two-time state champion. Other state champions include Dean Broghammer (West Delaware Manchester, Iowa), Bailey Sutko (Oak Park Staley, Mo.), and Jesse Nelson (Stoughton, Wis.). Also meriting attention is state placer Adarios Jones (Moline, Ill.), who was runner-up at the Preseason
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