Spencer Lee in high school (left) and at Iowa (photos courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com)One of the longstanding traditions at InterMat is the re-ranking of high school recruiting classes five years after the wrestlers enrolled in college. Wrestlers are re-ranked based on the accomplishments racked up during their collegiate tenure. During normal circumstances, this would encompass almost all of the wrestlers in the Class of 2017. But we aren't in a typical stretch of wrestling seasons. Due to the extra year of eligibility after Covid, the bulk of the wrestlers below have at least another year of competition on the books. With another season's worth of accomplishments, there could be some shuffling on this list were it to be revisited a year from now.
As far as recruiting classes go, it's hard to top 2017. There are three multiple-time NCAA champions already (and counting…), along with two other champions and four national finalists. Looking back at the original top-ten (from 2017), all ten wrestlers qualified for the NCAA tournament at least once and eight have earned All-American honors.
Below are the wrestlers from the Class of 2017 re-ranked after five years in college. Below the top-25 and honorable mentions, you'll find the original rankings of this class, from 2017.
1. Spencer Lee (Iowa/Franklin Regional, PA) - 2017 high school rank: 2nd - 3x NCAA Champion, 2x Big Ten Champion, 2x Hodge Trophy winner
2. Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell/Hilton, NY) - 2017 high school rank: 3rd - 3x NCAA Champion, 3x EIWA Champion
3. Nick Lee (Penn State/Mater Dei, IN) - 2017 high school rank: 9th - 2x NCAA Champion, 5x All-American, 4x NCAA All-American, 2022 Big Ten Champion
4. Daton Fix (Oklahoma State/Sand Springs, OK) - 2017 high school rank: 1st - 3x NCAA Runner-Up, 3x Big 12 Champion, 2x NCAA #1 seed
5. Austin O'Connor (North Carolina/St. Rita, IL) - 2017 high school rank: 12th - 2021 NCAA Champion, 4x All-American, 3x NCAA All-American, 2x ACC Champion
6. Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech/Bound Brook, NJ) - 2017 high school rank: 19th - 2019 NCAA Champion, 2x NCAA Finalist, 2x NCAA All-American, 2x ACC Champion
7. Jacob Warner (Iowa/Washington, IL) - 2017 high school rank: 7th - 2022 NCAA Runner-Up, 4x All-American, 3x NCAA All-American, 3x Big Ten 3rd place
8. Vito Arujau (Cornell/Syosset, NY) - 2017 high school rank: 4th - 2x NCAA All-American, 2022 EIWA Champion, 2022 NCAA #2 seed
9. Austin DeSanto (Iowa via Drexel/Exeter, PA) - 2017 high school rank: 17th - 4x All-American, 3x NCAA All-American, 2x Big Ten Runner-Up
10. Brandon Courtney (Arizona State/Desert Edge, AZ) - 2017 high school rank: 76th - 3x All-American, 2x NCAA All-American, 2021 NCAA Runner-Up, 3x Pac-12 Champion
11. Mike Labriola (Nebraska/Bethlehem Catholic, PA) - 2017 high school rank: 5th - 4x All-American, 3x NCAA All-American
12. Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh/Bethel Park, PA) - 2017 high school rank: 30th - 2x All-American, 2021 NCAA Runner-Up, 2x ACC Champion
13. Michael McGee (Arizona State via Old Dominion/Plainfield East, IL) - 2017 high school rank: 99th - 2x NCAA All-American, 3x conference champion (1x Pac-12/2x MAC)
14. Jonathan Millner (Appalachian State/Ben Smith, NC) - 2017 high school rank: NR - 2x NCAA All-American, 3x SoCon Champion
15. Trent Hillger (Wisconsin/Lake Fenton, MI) - 2017 high school rank: 21st - 3x All-American, 2x NCAA All-American
16. Jake Woodley (Oklahoma/North Allegheny, PA) - 2017 high school rank: 18th - 2021 NCAA 6th, 2019 Big 12 3rd
17. Grant Willits (Oregon State/Pueblo County, CO) - 2017 high school rank: 61st - 2022 NCAA 4th Place, 2x Pac-12 Champion
18. Austin Gomez (Wisconsin via Iowa State/Glenbard North, IL) - 2017 high school rank: 11th - 2022 NCAA 4th Place, 2022 Big Ten Champion
19. Yahya Thomas (Northwestern/Mount Carmel, IL) - 2017 high school rank: NR - 2021 NCAA 3rd Place, 3x National Qualifier
20. Kaleb Romero (Ohio State/Mechanicsburg, OH) - 2017 high school rank: 16th - 2022 NCAA 6th Place, 3x National Qualifier
21. Hunter Willits (Oregon State/Pueblo County, CO) - 2017 high school rank: 29th - 2022 NCAA 7th Place, 4x Pac-12 Runner-Up
22. Patrick Brucki (Michigan via Princeton/Carl Sandburg, IL) - 2017 high school rank: 35th - 2019 NCAA 4th Place, 2019 EIWA Champion, 2022 Big Ten 3rd Place
23. Dom Demas (Oklahoma/Dublin Coffman, OH) - 2017 high school rank: 43rd - 2x All-American, 2019 NCAA 4th Place, 2x Big 12 Champion
24. Ethan Smith (Ohio State/Sparrows Point, MD) - 2017 high school rank: 33rd -2021 NCAA 5th Place, 2021 Big Ten Runner-Up
25. Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech/Christiansburg, VA) - 2017 high school rank: 50th - 2x All-American, 2021 NCAA 7th Place, 2020 ACC Champion
***Honorable Mentions*** (in alphabetical order)
Noah Adams (West Virginia/Independence, WV) - 2017 high school rank; 27th - 3x NCAA Qualifier, #2 seed at 2020 NCAA's, 2020 All-American
Brady Berge (Penn State/Kasson-Mantorville, MN) - 2017 high school rank: 6th - 3x NCAA Qualifier, 2021 NCAA Round of 12 finisher, 2022 Big Ten 3rd Place
Jake Bergeland (Minnesota/Centennial, MN) - 2017 high school rank: NR - 2022 NCAA 7th Place, 2022 Big Ten 3rd Place
Cameron Caffey (Michigan State/Carbondale, IL) - 2017 high school rank: NR - 2020 All-American, 4x National Qualifier, 2021 NCAA Round of 12 finisher, 2020 Big Ten Runner-Up
Killian Cardinale (West Virginia via Old Dominion/Brentsville, VA) - 2017 high school rank: NR - 2021 NCAA 7th Place, 2022 Big 12 Champion, 2022 NCAA #5 seed
Marcus Coleman (Iowa State/Ames, IA) - 2017 high school rank: 78th - 2022 NCAA 7th Place, 2022 Big 12 3rd Place
Louie DePrez (Binghamton/Hilton, NY) - 2017 high school rank: 8th - 2021 NCAA 8th Place, 3x EIWA Champion
Rayvon Foley (Michigan State/Pioneer, MI) - 2017 high school rank: NR - 2019 NCAA 7th Place, 2021 Big Ten 3rd
Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma State/Heritage Hall, OK) - 2017 high school rank: 15th - 2x NCAA qualifier, 2022 NCAA Round of 12 finisher, 2x Big 12 Champion
Clay Lautt (North Carolina/St. James Academy, KS) - 2017 high school rank: NR - 2022 NCAA 8th Place, 2020 ACC Champion
Max Murin (Iowa/Central Cambria, PA) - 2017 high school rank: 44th - 4x NCAA Qualifier, 3x NCAA Round of 12 finisher, 2022 Big Ten 3rd Place
Kordell Norfleet (Arizona State/Marian Catholic, IL) - 2017 high school rank: 46th - 2020 NWCA 2nd Team All-American, 4x NCAA Qualifier, 2021 NCAA Round of 12 finisher, 4x Pac-12 Champion
Zach Sherman (North Carolina/Blair Academy, NJ) - 2017 high school rank: 48th - 2021 NCAA 7th Place, 2020 ACC Champion
Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois/Mexico, MO) - 2017 high school rank: NR - 2021 NCAA 6th Place, 3x MAC Champion
High profile seniors with notable wrestling success outside of NCAA Division I:
#45 Nick Boykin (Riverdale, TN) - Junior and U23 World Team member in Greco-Roman
#56 Wyatt Wriedt (North Scott, IA/Nebraska/Loras) - 2021 NWCA DIII National Champion
#82 Paxton Rosen (Edmond, OK/Campbell/Central Oklahoma) - 2x DII All-American
For final review, the top 25 overall wrestlers in the Class of 2017 were as follows:
1. Daton Fix (Sand Springs, OK/Oklahoma State)
2. Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, PA/Iowa)
3. Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, NY/Cornell)
4. Vito Arujau (Syosset, NY/Cornell)
5. Mikey Labriola (Bethlehem Catholic, PA/Nebraska)
6. Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, MN/Penn State)
7. Jacob Warner (Washington, IL/Iowa)
8. Louie DePrez (Hilton, NY/Binghamton)
9. Nick Lee (Mater Dei, IN/Penn State)
10. Chase Singletary (Blair Academy, NJ/Ohio State)
11. Austin Gomez (Carol Stream, IL/Wisconsin via Iowa State)
12. Austin O'Connor (St. Rita, IL/North Carolina)
13. Cam Coy (Penn Trafford, PA/Virginia)
14. Quentin Hovis (Poway, CA/Navy)
15. Kaden Gfeller (Heritage Hall, OK/Oklahoma State)
16. Kaleb Romero (Mechanicsburg, OH/Ohio State)
17. Austin Desanto (Exeter, PA/Iowa via Drexel)
18. Jake Woodley (North Allegheny, PA/Oklahoma)
19. Mekhi Lewis (Bound Brook, NJ/Virginia Tech)
20. Jarod Verkleeren (Belle Vernon, PA/Virginia via Penn State)
21. Trent Hillger (Lake Fenton, MI/Wisconsin)
22. Tanner Litterell (Tuttle, OK/Oklahoma)
23. Zack Donathan (Mason, OH/Lincoln College)
24. John Borst (Sherando, VA/Virginia Tech)
25. Jake Allar (St. Michael/Albertville, MN/Minnesota)
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