(Photo/The Guillotine, Richard Immel)Each year after the NCAA tournament, InterMat has looked back at the redshirt senior class to see which wrestlers from the high school senior class of five years ago had the best collegiate career. This year, the group to be discussed is the Class of 2016. Due to the circumstances around the last two NCAA wrestling tournaments, the discussion is going to be a bit incomplete. For the 2020 tournament, one is reduced to using the seeding to replicate performance; while the 2021 season was a truncated one with some athletes not getting the chance to participate. Other athletes will get to compete in 2021-22, as well.
However, below is this year's attempt at ranking the top 25 collegiate careers for wrestlers from the high school Class of 2016.
1. Mark Hall (Penn State/Apple Valley, Minn.) - 2016 high school rank: 1st - 3x NCAA finalist, 2017 NCAA champion; was seeded 1st in the 2020 NCAA tournament; did not redshirt
2. Hayden Hidlay (North Carolina State/Mifflin County, Pa.) - 2016 high school rank: 13th - 3x NCAA All-American, 2018 runner-up; was seeded 2nd in the 2020 NCAA tournament
3. Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers via Northwestern/Christian Brothers Academy, N.J.) - 2016 high school rank: 60th - 3x NCAA All-American; was seeded 1st in the 2020 NCAA tournament
4. Nick Suriano (Rutgers via Penn State/Bergen Catholic, N.J.) - 2016 high school rank: 2nd - 2x NCAA finalist, 2019 NCAA champion; qualified for 2017 NCAA tournament but injury precluded his participation; did not redshirt out of high school, but has utilized Olympic redshirt for 2020 and 2021
5. Luke Pletcher (Ohio State/Greater Latrobe, Pa.) - 2016 high school rank: 8th - 2x NCAA All-American; was seeded first in the 2020 NCAA tournament; went 2-2 in the 2017 NCAA tournament; did not redshirt
6. Alex Marinelli (Iowa/St. Paris Graham, Ohio) - 2016 high school rank: 3rd - 2x NCAA All-American; was seeded 1st in the 2020 NCAA tournament; was round of 12 in 2021 as the top seed (defaulted in consolation match due to injury)
7. Jack Mueller (Virginia/Trinity Christian Academy, Texas) - 2016 high school rank: 25th - 2x NCAA All-American, 2019 runner-up; round of 12 in 2018; was seeded 4th in the 2020 NCAA tournament; did not redshirt
8. Chad Red (Nebraska/New Palestine, Ind.) - 2016 high school rank: 5th - 3x NCAA All-American; was seeded 6th in the 2020 NCAA tournament
9. Ryan Deakin (Northwestern/Legacy, Colo.) - 2016 high school rank: 95th - 2x NCAA All-American; was seeded 1st in the 2020 NCAA tournament; went 2-2 in 2018
10. Evan Wick (Wisconsin/San Marino, Calif.) - 2016 high school rank: 39th - 2x NCAA All-American; was seeded 8th in the 2020 NCAA tournament; redshirted the 2021 season
11. Max Dean (Cornell/Lowell, Mich.) - 2016 high school rank: 63rd - 2x NCAA All-American, 2019 runner-up; took Olympic redshirt in 2020, his institution did not participate in the 2021 season
12. Isaiah White (Nebraska via Notre Dame College/Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) - 2016 high school rank: 4th - 2019 NCAA Division I All-American, round of 12 in 2018; NCAA Division II champion in 2017; was seeded 5th in the 2020 NCAA Division I tournament; did not redshirt
13. Tariq Wilson (North Carolina State/Steubenville) - 2016 high school rank: 75th - 2x NCAA All-American; round of 12 in 2019; was seeded 15th in the 2020 NCAA tournament
14. Kaleb Young (Iowa/Punxsatawney, Pa.) - 2016 high school rank: 26th - 2x NCAA All-American; was seeded 8th in the 2020 NCAA tournament
15. Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State via Edinboro/Franklin Area, Pa.) - 2016 high school rank: 30th - 2x NCAA All-American; went 2-2 in 2017 before redshirt in 2018; was seeded 14th in the 2020 NCAA tournament
16. Mitch McKee (Minnesota/St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) - 2016 high school rank: 20th - 2019 NCAA All-American; round of 12 in 2017 and 2018; was seeded 10th in the 2020 NCAA tournament; did not redshirt
17. Taylor Venz (Nebraska/Farmington, Minn.) - 2016 high school rank: weight class only - 2018 NCAA All-American; was seeded 7th in the 2020 NCAA tournament; round of 12 in 2019 and 2021
18. Jordan Wood (Lehigh/Boyertown, Pa.) - 2016 high school rank: 10th - 2019 NCAA All-American, round of 12 in 2018, went 2-2 in 2019; was seeded 9th in the 2020 NCAA tournament
19. Jarrett Degen (Iowa State via Virginia Tech/Belgrade, Mont.) - 2016 high school rank: 86th - 2019 NCAA All-American; was seeded 8th in the 2020 NCAA tournament; round of 12 in 2018; went 0-2 in 2021
20. Matt Stencel (Central Michigan/Oregon Clay, Ohio) - 2016 high school rank: 16th - 2019 NCAA All-American; qualified for the 2018 and 2021 NCAA tournaments; was seeded 5th in the 2020 NCAA tournament
21. Drew Hildebrandt (Central Michigan/Penn, Ind.) - 2016 high school rank: weight class only - 2021 NCAA All-American; was seeded 6th in the 2020 NCAA tournament; went 1-2 in 2019
22. Jake Wentzel (Pittsburgh/South Park, Pa.) - 2016 high school rank: 33rd - 2021 NCAA runner-up; was seeded 11th in the 2020 NCAA tournament
23. Ben Darmstadt (Cornell/Elyria, Ohio) - 2016 high school rank: 28th - 2018 NCAA All-American; was seeded 4th in the 2020 NCAA tournament
24. Taylor Lamont (Utah Valley/Maple Mountain, Utah) - 2016 high school rank: 23rd - 2021 NCAA All-American; round of 12 in 2018; was seeded 17th in the 2020 NCAA tournament
25. Eric Schultz (Nebraska/Tinley Park, Ill.) - 2016 high school rank: 40th - seeded 3rd in the 2020 NCAA tournament; went 2-2 in 2018, 2019, and 2021
Honorable Mention (alphabetical order):
**Montorie Bridges (Wyoming/Altus, Okla.) - 2016 high school rank: 94th - 2018 NCAA All-American; seeded 8th in the 2020 NCAA tournament; went 2-2 in 2019
**Christian Brunner (Purdue/Dundee-Crown, Ill.) - 2016 high school rank: 84th - seeded 6th in the 2020 NCAA tournament; round of 12 in the 2019 NCAA tournament; went 1-2 in 2017 and 2019; did not redshirt
**Daniel Bullard (North Carolina State/Archer, Ga.) - 2016 high school rank: 42nd - 2021 NCAA All-American; was seeded 15th in the 2020 NCAA tournament; went 1-2 in 2018 and 2019
**Dylan Duncan (Illinois/Montini Catholic, Ill.) - 2016 high school rank: 37th - 2021 NCAA All-American; was seeded 19th in the 2020 NCAA tournament; went 0-2 in 2018 and 2019
**Gannon Gremmel (Iowa State/Dubuque Hempstead, Iowa) - 2016 high school rank: 43rd - 2021 NCAA All-American; was seeded 11th in the 2020 NCAA tournament; went 1-2 in 2019
**Louie Hayes (Virginia/Carl Sandburg, Ill.) - 2016 high school rank: weight class only - 2021 NCAA All-American; seeded 20th in the 2020 NCAA tournament; round of 12 in 2018
**Ian Parker (Iowa State/St. Johns, Mich.) - 2016 high school rank: 71st - was seeded 4th in the 2020 NCAA tournament; went 1-2 in 2019 and 2021
**Micky Phillippi (Pittsburgh via Virginia/Derry Area, Pa.) - 2016 high school rank: 22nd - round of 12 in 2019 and 2021; was seeded 4th in the 2020 NCAA tournament
**Travis Piotrowski (Illinois/Prairie Ridge, Ill.) - 2016 high school rank: 77th - seeded 7th in the 2020 NCAA tornament, went 2-2 in the 2018 NCAA tournament, went 1-2 in 2017 and 2019; did not redshirt
**Devin Schroder (Purdue/Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Mich.) - 2016 high school rank: weight class only - seeded 5th in the 2020 NCAA tournament; round of 12 in 2021; went 2-2 in 2019
**Wyatt Sheets (Oklahoma State/Stilwell, Okla.) - 2016 high school rank: 59th - 2021 NCAA All-American; was seeded 11th in the 2020 NCAA tournament
**Nathan Traxler (Stanford/Marmion Academy, Ill.) - 2016 high school rank: 29th - 3x round of 12 at the NCAA tournament; went 2-2 in 2018
High profile seniors with notable wrestling success outside of NCAA Division I:
Mason Manville (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) - high school rank: 7th - 2017 World Championships participant in Greco-Roman
Kamal Bey (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) - high school rank: 11th - 2018 World Championships participant in Greco-Roman, runner-up for World Championships slot in 2019
Kameron Teacher (Grove City Central Crossing, Ohio) - high school rank: 55th - 4x NCAA Division II All-American at 285 pounds; 2nd in 2017, 2nd in 2018, 3rd in 2019 at Notre Dame College, then champion in 2021 at St. Cloud State
High profile seniors with notable success on the football field:
Osawaru Odighizuwa (David Douglas, Ore.) - high school rank: 6th - first-team all-Pac-12 as a defensive tackle in 2020 at UCLA
Josh Hokit (Clovis, Calif.) - high school rank: 41st - played at Fresno State as a running back, was also 5th in the NCAA tournament at 197 in 2019 and 12th seed for the 2020 NCAA tournament at 285; currently on the San Francisco 49ers roster, though did not play in any games during 2020
Nick Coe (Asheboro, N.C.) - high school rank: weight class only - played at Auburn as a defensive end for three years, then went undrafted and was on the Miami Dolphins practice squad for the duration of the 2020 season
Matt Allen (Hinsdale Central, Ill.) - high school rank: weight class only - started for Michigan State at center during the 2017-2019 seasons, was slated to start in 2020 before injury derailed, and will be back for a sixth season in 2021 due to the free year for COVID
Ben Stille (Ashland-Greenwood, Neb.) - high school rank: weight class only - started all games at defensive end during the 2018 and 2020 seasons for Nebraska, will be back in 2021 for a sixth season due to the free year for COVID
For final review, the top 25 overall wrestlers in the Class of 2016 were as follows:
1. Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn./Penn State)
2. Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J./Rutgers via Penn State)
3. Alex Marinelli (St. Paris Graham, Ohio/Iowa)
4. Isaiah White (Oak Park River Forest, Ill./Nebraska via Notre Dame College)
5. Chad Red (New Palestine, Ind./Nebraska)
6. Osawaru Odighizuwa (David Douglas, Ore./UCLA football)
7. Mason Manville (Wyoming Seminary, Pa./Penn State)
8. Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa./Ohio State)
9. Nic Reenan (Wyoming Seminary, Pa./North Carolina State)
10. Jordan Wood (Boyertown, Pa./Lehigh)
11. Kamal Bey (Oak Park River Forest, Ill./USOTC for Greco-Roman)
12. Beau Breske (Hartford Area, Wis./Wisconsin via Nebraska)
13. Hayden Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa./North Carolina State)
14. Samuel Colbray (Hermiston, Ore./Iowa State)
15. Luke Karam (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa./Lehigh)
16. Matt Stencel (Oregon Clay, Ohio/Central Michigan)
17. Griffin Parriott (New Prague, Minn./Purdue)
18. Thomas Bullard (Archer, Ga./North Carolina State)
19. Chris Weiler (Wyoming Seminary, Pa./Wisconsin via Lehigh)
20. Mitch McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn./Minnesota)
21. Blake Rypel (Indianapolis Cathedral, Ind./Southeastern University via Indiana)
22. Micky Phillippi (Derry, Pa./Pittsburgh via Virginia)
23. Taylor Lamont (Maple Mountain, Utah/Utah Valley)
24. Rudy Yates (Carl Sandburg, Ill./Northern Iowa)
25. Jack Mueller (Trinity Christian Academy, Texas/Virginia)
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