Bo Jordan, the nation's No. 1 recruit, will be in search of his third Walsh Ironman title (Photo/Rob Preston)Professional golf has The Masters, NASCAR has the Daytona 500, and high school wrestling has the Walsh Ironman. Though extremely uncommon, these three sporting activities have what is clearly the biggest event of their seasons very early in the schedule. The 19th annual edition of the Walsh Ironman Tournament features thirteen nationally ranked teams, including the top three overall; as well as 71 nationally ranked wrestlers, including ten ranked at the pinnacle of their weight class at the start of the season.
The following wrestlers enter the 2012 Walsh Ironman ranked first in the nation: Austin Assad (Brecksville, Ohio) at 106 pounds, Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) at 113, Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, Ohio) at 120, Joey Dance (Christiansburg, Va.) at 126, Dean Heil (St. Edward, Ohio) at 132, Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.) at 138, Bo Jordan (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) at 160, Eric Morris (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) at 182, Domenic Abounader (St. Edward, Ohio) at 195, and Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.) at 220. Note that Abounader will actually be competing at 182 this season, so there is a potential showdown of No. 1 vs. No. 1 at 182 pounds.
Wrestling will start at 1 p.m. ET on Friday and go through the round of 16 on the championship side on Friday afternoon, which will set up the quarterfinals on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. ET. Consolation wrestling on Friday will eliminate about half the field so that 16 overall wrestlers remain in each weight class. Semifinals will follow the Saturday morning quarterfinals, with all matches but those first, third, and fifth occurring in said session. Top six medal matches to occur Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.
InterMat will be providing a running notebook article with periodic updates. There will also be Twitter updates (@JoshMLowe). Updated quarterfinal pairings and team scores will be provided after Friday's competition with a recap story being published after the completion of the event. Brackets and tournament updates will be available on either the tournament website or through TrackWrestling.com.
The following is a look at each of the weight classes, their key components, and the key dynamics for how the tournament might play out. Information is based on participants as of Wednesday evening.
106:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 1 Aaron Assad (Brecksville, Ohio), No. 2 Jordan Kutler (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 5 Danny Boychuck (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 9 Jose Rodriguez (Massillon Perry, Ohio), No. 16 Doyle Trout (Centennial, Neb.), and No. 20 Eli Stickley (St. Paris Graham, Ohio)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Alex Mackall (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio), 2012 junior high state champion at 108; Darek Huff (Broomfield, Col.), fourth at Preseason Nationals and 2011 Cadet double All-American; Brendan Price (Canon-McMillan, Pa.), 36-10 as a sophomore at 106
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Rodriguez vs. L.J. Bentley (St. Edward, Ohio); Anthony Bosco (Marmion Academy, Ill.) vs. Jack Mueller (Trinity Christian Academy, Tex.), battle of Preseason Nationals placers
Commentary: Many (historically) great wrestlers have won opening weights at the Ironman -- Harry Lester, Cory Cooperman, Ryan Lang, Robbie Preston, David Taylor, and Hunter Steiber for instance. While there are six nationally ranked wrestlers, including those ranked first and second, there is not THAT GUY in the field this year. At present it is a balanced bracket with three ranked wrestlers in each half of the draw, including the top four seeds.
The top seed is Austin Assad, ranked first in the nation. His path to the final would likely involve having to face Super 32 placer Stickley in the quarterfinal, and then Rodriguez or Bentley in the semifinal. The second seed Kutler is ranked second nationally. His path to the final would likely involve the Bosco/Mueller winner in the quarterfinal, and then a National Prep finals rematch against Boychuck, who was on the Cadet Greco-Roman World Team.
The softest path in the draw is the 5/12 portion with Junior freestyle All-American Payton Gutierrez (Pickerington North, Ohio) and Jake Vosburgh (St. Mary's Ryken, Md.). If you're a non-seed, hope to be in this pod.
Predicting a finals match: Assad over Kutler
The rest of the top eight: Boychuck, Rodriguez, Trout, Stickley, Mueller, and Bentley
113:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.), No. 4 Aaron Assad (Brecksville, Ohio), No. 9 Chaz Tucker (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 11 Jaret Singh (Kearney, Mo.), and No. 13 Ke-Shawn Hayes (Park Hill, Mo.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Jeremy Schwartz (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), 2011 Super 32 Challenge placer; Armando Torres (Elyria, Ohio), 2010 Cadet freestyle All-American
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Zach Fuentes (Norristown, Pa.) vs. Tanner Shoap (Chambersburg, Pa.), pair of two-time state placers; Tucker vs. Cameron Kelly (Bellbrook, Ohio); Singh vs. Jared Ganger (Troy Christian, Ohio)
Commentary: For being the nation's top sophomore -- and a wrestler that won titles at the Ironman, California state tournament, FloNationals, and Cadet freestyle -- there is skepticism about how truly great Zahid Valencia is entering his sophomore season. While that might be perceived as disrespectful given his results, there is some merit, because of the some-to-many tight matches he faced along the way. Two key questions to watch with respect to Valencia: (1) how does he manage the weight class, as he seems big for it (2) can he separate matches in the way a grade-level number one customarily does.
This Ironman field is solid, but not stellar, in comparison to those at national events like the Ironman, Super 32, Fargo, etc. If the seeds hold, Valencia is looking at a quarterfinal against one of two Pennsylvania two-time state placers -- Fuentes or Shoap; Shoap being a wrestler that extended Valencia to sudden victory at the Super 32. The likely semifinal would be against one of two senior two-time state champions in Singh or Drew Romero (Broomfield, Col.).
The bottom half of the draw is led by senior three-time state placer Aaron Assad, a Junior National freestyle All-American. Despite being the second seed, he comes into the event with a red flag after losing 6-0 in a dual meet last week to a non-factor on the national landscape, Ohio state qualifier Dustin Warner. Unfortunately for him, the next best wrestler in this field looms as the quarterfinal opponent -- Cadet National freestyle runner-up Chaz Tucker, though Tucker projects to face state champion Kelly on Friday.
The third seed is two-time Junior National runner-up Tommy Pawleski (Montini Catholic, Ill.), who failed to place in last year's 106 pound weight class despite being the fourth seed, and was pinned in both of his losses. The sixth seed, who lines up in the quarter with Pawleski is the nationally ranked Hayes, a wrestler that has twice placed third in Cadet freestyle. The softest relative landing spot for a non-seed would be in the pods with Pawleski or Romero.
Predicting a finals match: Valencia over Tucker, which would make it repeat titles at the Ironman for Valencia
The rest of the top eight: Assad, Hayes, Singh, Fuentes, Shoap, and Ganger
120:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, Ohio), No. 4 Isaiah Locsin (Live Oak, Calif.), No. 6 Matthew Kolodzik (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 11 Johnny Jimenez (Marmion Academy, Ill.), No. 10 (at 113) Coy Ozias (Christiansburg, Va.), No. 19 Seth Brayfield (Kearney, Mo.), and No. 20 (at 113) Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.)
Notable non-seeded wrestler: Brent Moore (St. Paris Graham), No. 17 overall in the Class of 2016
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Locsin vs. Dalton Macri (Canon-McMillan, Pa.); Brayfield vs. Jordan Laster (Montini Catholic, Ill.), battle of two-time state placers; Jimenez vs. Will Crisco (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), two-time state champion against a returning New England champion
Commentary: Even though two-time defending Ironman champion Tomasello enters this weight class as the favorite -- and it would be a surprise to see him beat -- this is still an intriguing weight class with seven nationally ranked wrestlers. If the seeds hold to form, Tomasello has a very manageable quarter with a likely Saturday morning match against Wyatt Scribner (Hermiston, Ore.), a two-time Greco-Roman All-American in Fargo, or defending state champion David Bavery (Massillon Perry, Ohio). The likely semifinal is also one Tomasello should win as well, be it against two-time Super 32 placer Ozias, Junior freestyle All-American Brayfield, or two-time state placer Jordan Laster (Montini Catholic, Ill.).
Last year's 106 pound runner-up Kolodzik has found his way to Blair, he competed as a single-entry from the Miami Valley School in Dayton, Ohio last year, and is the second seed after a Cadet freestyle championship this summer. However, the two seed doesn't mean much, as he's looking at a quarterfinal date against Locsin, a two-time California state finalist and state champion this past year. In the other quarter of the same half is two-time state champion Jimenez, who is looking at a likely quarterfinal date with Joseph, a returning Ironman placer and Cadet National Greco-Roman runner-up.
The one soft landing pod is with the eight seed in terms of where a non-seed could make some true noise. However, any seed that sees Brent Moore next to them should be concerned. Keep in mind, this is a wrestler who split matches with Kolodzik at the Ohio ToC in April and beat Luke Pletcher in a junior high tournament just under eleven months ago.
Predicting a finals match: Tomasello over Locsin, and this would be his third Walsh Ironman title
The rest of the top eight: Kolodzik, Jimenez, Ozias, Brayfield, Moore, and Joseph
126:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 1 Joey Dance, No. 3 (at 120) Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.), No. 11 Colton Adams (Scottsbluff, Neb.), No. 18 Bryce Meredith (Cheyenne Central, Wyo.), and No. 19 Ivan McClay (Massillon, Ohio)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Vincent Turk (Montini Catholic, Ill.), Cadet Greco-Roman national champion; Joseph Dominguez (St. John Bosco, Calif.)
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Meredith vs. Austin Riggs (Robinson, Va.), Junior freestyle All-American against NHSCA freshman nationals champion; Judson Preskitt (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) vs. Tommy Zeigler (St. Ignatius, Ohio), two-time Naitonal Prep placer against two-time state placer
Commentary: One of the few things that Joey Dance has not done in his high school wrestling career is win the Walsh Ironman (or for that matter the Beast of the East). He's won state titles, Super 32 Challenge titles, Junior National freestyle titles, FILA Junior freestyle titles, et al -- but never here at the Ironman. However, this is a weight class that he quite frankly should win. There is one, maybe two, authentic challengers to him. He'd see the first of those in a likely semifinal match against three-time Preseason Nationals champion Colton Adams. That presumes Dance clears three-time state champion Brock Ervin (Union County, Ky.) and Adams beats likely opponent Anthony Tutolo (Lake Catholic, Ohio), a 2010 Ironman placer, in their respective quarterfinal matches.
The other half of the draw features three nationally ranked wrestlers, the favorite of which is the sixth seed in this weight class Kemerer, a two-time Super 32 Challenge finalist. To hit the finals match, he is likely going to have to beat returning Ironman placer McClay in the quarterfinal and Junior National freestyle All-American Meredith in the semifinal.
Predicting a finals match: Dance over Kemerer, which is a rematch of the Super 32 Challenge final
The rest of the top eight: Adams, McClay, Ervin, Meredith, Judson Preskitt (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), and Anthony Tutolo
132:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 1 Dean Heil (St. Edward, Ohio), No. 3 Aaron Pico (St. John Bosco, Calif.), No. 4 Micah Jordan (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), No. 4 (at 126) Connor Schram (Canon-McMillan, Pa.), No. 10 P.J. Klee (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 10 (at 120) J.R. Wert (Christiansburg, Va.), and No. 14 George Fisher (Marmion Academy, Ill.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Jose Champagne (Montini Catholic, Ill.), ranked No. 12 overall in the Class of 2016; Walter Gibson (Akron SVSM, Ohio) and Brandon Egnor (Elyria, Ohio), both with state tournament experience
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Klee vs. Michael Kostandaras (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio); Fisher vs. Tyler Smith (Franklin Regional, Pa.)
Commentary: Like at 120, this weight class has seven nationally ranked wrestlers. Unlike at 120, the defending champion is not a clear favorite. Top seed in this weight class is Heil, who was the Outstanding Wrestler at last year's Ironman, and was also runner-up in this tournament as a freshman. However, right on his neck is the freshman sensation Pico, a two-time Cadet National double champion who extended Heil to the brink in the Super 32 Challenge final before Heil won in overtime. Though not the top seed, good news here is that Pico at present is the six seed, which means the two could meet in the final.
Just because Heil is the top seed does not mean life will be easy. In fact, he will be challenged from the quarters on in, starting with a projected quarterfinal against returning placer Klee -- who also is a 2010 Cadet freestyle All-American and 2011 FILA Cadet freestyle All-American. The other quarter of the top half features a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers in two-time state champion Jordan, who has been one match away from placing at the Ironman each of the last two years, and 2011 state champion Fisher -- champion at the Preseason Natonals last month.
Pico is looking at a quarterfinal date with three-time Pennsylvania state finalist Schram, who was fourth in Junior freestyle this summer; and then a semifinal match against three-time state champion Wert, who has placed twice at the Super 32 and Ironman. The softest landing spot for a non-seed here is with the seven seed Beau Gleed (Hermiston, Ore.), a three-time state placer in Washington.
Predicting a finals match: Heil over Pico, which is a rematch of the Super 32 Challenge final, and it would be back-to-back Ironman titles for Heil in his third finals appearance
The rest of the top eight: Jordan, Schram, Klee, Fisher, Wert, and Champagne
138:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), No. 16 (at 145) Mason Manville (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 16 Anthony Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.), No. 18 Tyler Berger (Hermiston, Ore.), and No. 11 (at 132) Josh Maruca (Franklin Regional, Pa.)
Notable non-seeded wrestler: Kade Kowalski (Tri-Valley, Ohio), NHSCA freshman nationals champion
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Dallas Smith (Robinson, Va.) vs. Colin Heffernan (St. Edward, Ohio); Chris Garcia (Montini Catholic, Ill.) vs. Manville, two-time state placer and returning Ironman placer against Cadet double finalist and FloNationals placer; Kevin Kinney (Kearney, Mo.) vs. Maruca, state champion against Super 32 placer
Commentary: If one was to have started time from the last week of March this year, there would be absolutely zero argument that Retherford was the best high school aged wrestler in America. Going forward from that point, he has won titles at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, FILA Cadet Nationals in freestyle, Junior Nationals in freestyle, FILA Cadet Worlds in freestyle, and the Super 32 Challenge. None the less, that is not the case; however, he is still extremely talented and the strong favorite to win yet another title come Saturday night.
Looking at Retherford's half of the draw, if the seeds hold, extremely manageable would be a fair way to assess things. The likely quarterfinal opponent would be two-time National Prep placer Xavi Ramos (McDonogh) or three-time state placer Tyler Richards (Parkersburg South, W.Va.). The semifinal opponent is likely to be one of state placer Colin Heffernan (St. Edward, Ohio) or state champions Dallas Smith (Robinson, Va.) and Jayce Carr (Union County, Ky.).
On the other hand, the met of this bracket is in the bottom half based on the present seeds, with four of the five nationally ranked wrestlers residing here. The likely semifinal here is Cadet freestyle champion Valencia against Cadet Greco-Roman champion Manville, both of whom have more than robust resumes. Valencia is looking at a quarterfinal against either Kinney or Maruca, while Manville likely has to clear both Garcia and two-time FloNationals placer Berger to hit the semifinal.
Predicting a finals match: Retherford over Manville
The rest of the top eight: Valencia, Berger, Heffernan, Kinney, Maruca, and Garcia
145:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 4 Edgar Bright (St. Edward, Ohio), No. 5 (at 152) Dylan Milonas (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 8 Jack Clark (McDonogh, Md.), No. 12 Colt Cotten (Benton, Pa.), and No. 14 Grant Leeth (Kearney, Mo.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Tony Neis (Colonial Forge, Va.) and Ryan Roth (Perrysburg, Ohio), both of whom are state placers
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Phil Downing (Broomfield, Col.) vs. Jacob Danishek (Dayton Christian, Ohio), battle of juniors who already have a pair of state titles; Cotten vs. Tyrel White (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), both wrestlers were Junior Greco-Roman All-Americans; Joey Lavallee (Reno, Nev.) vs. Zach Kelly (Kiski Prep, Pa.)
Commentary: Though only five nationally ranked wrestlers here, the dynamics in this weight class will be extremely interesting to follow. It is led by representatives from the two perennial national powers, Blair Academy and St. Edward. The top seed here is defending Ironman champion Milonas, who is a two-time National Prep runner-up and was a Junior National freestyle All-American this summer. Seeded second in this weight is returning Ironman runner-up Bright, who is also a two-time state runner-up.
Setting up the path to the finals for Milonas, if the seeds hold it would start with a Saturday morning quarterfinal against either Downing or Danishek. The likely semifinal is then against Clark, whom he beat in the quarters of the Ironman but lost to in the National Prep final. This presumes Clark is able to beat Super 32 champion Leeth in his quarterfinal match.
In the bottom half of the draw, Bright is looking at a likely quarterfinal against three-time state placer Cotten, who also placed at the NHSCA Junior Nationals and Junior National Greco-Roman tournaments in the last year. The quarter opposite of Bright is relatively the softest of the four with key seeds being three-time state champion Joey Lavallee (Reno, Nev.), who placed fifth at FloNationals but failed to place at last year's Ironman or the Super 32 just over six weeks ago; three-time state runner-up Russell Coleman (Park Hill, Mo.), and National Prep placer Kelly who is also a Super 32 placer and Cadet freestyle All-American.
Predicting a finals match: Bright over Milonas
The rest of the top eight: Clark, Cotten, Leeth, Downing, Lavallee, and Josh Shields (Franklin Regional, Pa.)
152:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 6 Austin Matthews (Reynolds, Pa.), No. 6 (at 160) Russ Parsons (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 8 Garrett Hammond (Chamersburg, Pa.), No. 9 Jack Bass (Robinson, Va.), No. 13 Shayne Tucker (Bella Vista, Calif.), No. 14 Markus Scheidel (St. Edward, Ohio), No. 17 Kevin Cooper (Simon Kenton, Ky.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Alex Marinelli (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), ranked No. 15 overall in the Class of 2016; J.P. Newton (Perrysburg, Ohio), Cadet freestyle All-American; Ben Schram (Bellbrook, Ohio), NHSCA freshman nationals champion; Tony Dailey (Massillon Perry, Ohio)
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Tucker vs. Jordan Marshall (Troy Christian, Ohio), pair of two-time state placers with Marshall having won state this past year; Hague vs. Seth Williams (Tiffin Columbian, Ohio), pair of juniors both of whom have placed twice at state/national preps
Commentary: For those who place a friendly wager on this tournament using a confidence scale for champions, this weight might represent one that you want to use a lower number on. It is extremely wide open with seven nationally ranked wrestlers, who on any given day could stand atop the podium. Additionally, there are a couple excellent candidates just outside the national rankings and a potential ninth grade bracket buster.
The on-paper favorites, a loose term, would be the second and third seeds in Parsons and Matthews. That means they would meet in the semifinal round. Parsons, a National Prep champion and Junior freestyle All-American, is the two seed; while two-time state runner-up Matthews, a runner-up at last year's Ironman, is the three seed. Parsons is looking at a quarterfinal against National Prep runner-up Toby Hague (McDonogh, Md.) or NHSCA sophomore nationals runner-up Seth Williams (Tiffin Columbian, Ohio). Matthews is likely to face fellow nationally ranked competitor Scheidel, a state runner-up last year and placer at both the Ironman and NHSCA Junior Nationals.
Leading the top half of the draw is state champion Hammond, who placed third at the Ironman last year and was a Super 32 runner-up this fall, and is the top seed. He is looking at a tough quarterfinal against two-time state placer and Super 32 placer Tucker, presuming Tucker upends state champion Jordan Marshall (Troy Christian). The four-five quarterfinal places nationally ranked wrestlers against one another in FILA Cadet freestyle national champion Bass and FloNationals third place finisher Cooper.
Predicting a finals match: Matthews over Hammond, a battle of wrestlers that have finished second at the Super 32
The rest of the top eight: Parsons, Bass, Tucker, Schidel, Cooper, and Marshall
160:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 1 Bo Jordan (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), No. 2 Isaiah Martinez (Lemoore, Calif.), No. 5 Josh Llopez (St. Mary's Ryken, Md.), No. 10 (at 152) Myles Martin (McDonogh, Md.0, No. 12 Nicky Hall (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), and No. 20 Abraham Rodriguez (Hermiston, Ore.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Jack Wedholm (Blair Academy, N.J.); Ray Barr (St. Edward, Ohio); Bruno Millin (Massillon Perry, Ohio), finally at an optimal weight class
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Hall vs. Xavier Montalvo (Montini Catholic, Ill.)
Commentary: As good as the top six portion of this weight class is, all nationally ranked wrestlers, there is that steep a gap between those six and the rest of the field. The nation's top two wrestlers in this weight class are the top two seeds and favorites to make the final yet again. Jordan, the nation's number one overall senior is the top seed and looks at a likely semifinal against either Cadet freestyle runner-up Martin or Super 32 placer Rodriguez. The other semifinal is a potential matchup of Junior freestyle champions, Martinez and Llopez, who also met up as the FloNationals and Super 32 Challenge finals pairing in the last year; however, two-time New York state placer Hall will try and spoil that match in a likely quarterfinal against Llopez.
The most relevant name outside the top six is sophomore Xavier Montalvo (Montini Catholic), a Cadet National double All-American. He is seeded 11th. The nature of this weight class yields extreme opportunity for a lesser known wrestler to earn an Ironman placement.
Predicting a finals match: Jordan over Martinez in a rematch of last year's finals matchup at 152 pounds, which would be his third Ironman title in all
The rest of the top eight: Llopez, Martin, Hall, Rodriguez, Montalvo, and Jeric Kasunic (Benton, Pa.)
170:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 2 Cody Wiercioch (Canon-McMillan, Pa.), No. 3 Zach Epperly (Christiansburg, Va.), No. 10 Peter Santos (Oakmont, Calif.), No. 17 Keaton Subjeck (Oak Ridge, Calif.), No. 18 Patrick Coover (Blair Academy, N.J.), and No. 19 Corey Griego (Sultana, Calif.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Nick Rumple (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio), state qualifier; Anthony McLaughlin (St. Ignatius, Ohio), beat Rumple in last weekend's Solon Comet Classic final
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Luke Cramer (Oak Harbor, Ohio) vs. Terrell Forbes (St. Benedict's, N.J.), state placer against National Prep placer; Dakota Sizemore (Moeller, Ohio) vs. Quentin Hiles (Brecksville, Ohio), battle of state placers
Commentary: Six nationally ranked wrestlers makes this yet another stellar weight class in this year's Walsh Ironman -- then again almost every weight could have that sentence applied to it. The two lead wrestlers in this weight are three-time state champion Epperly and three-time state finalist Wiercioch.
Seeded first, Epperly is also a two-time Super32 placer and placed third in last year's Ironman. If the seeds hold, he is looking at a path featuring a quarterfinal date with Cramer or Forbes and then a semifinal with state placer Santos, who placed at FloNationals and won the NUWAY Vegas tournament last month.
Despite being a two-time Super 32 champion and three-time state finalist, twice coming home with state titles, Wiercioch is seeded third in this weight. His path to the final likely entails a quarterfinal against two-time state placer Subjeck, who placed seventh at the Super 32 this year, and then a semifinal against either Coover or Griego; Coover is already a two-time Ironman placer and was a National Prep champion last year, while Griego placed at state last year and was a match away from placing at the Super 32.
Predicting a finals match: Wiercioch over Epperly
The rest of the top eight: Santos, Subjeck, Coover, Griego, Forbes, and Hiles
182:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 1 (at 195) Domenic Abounader (St. Edward, Ohio), No. 1 Eric Morris (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 6 (at 170) Brett Harner (Norristown, Pa.), No. 7 B.J. Toal (Troy Christian, Ohio), and No. 18 Taylor Jackson (The Villages, Fla.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Alex Belaia (North Olmsted, Ohio), Super 32 placer; Quention Rosser (Moeller, Ohio), Matt Williams (Sultana, Calif.), and Rocco Caywood (Perrysburg, Ohio) -- all of whom are returning state qualifiers
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Toal vs. Samuel Colbray (Hermiston, Ore.), Super 32 runner-up against Cadet double All-American; Addison Knepshield (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Tyler Patrick (McDonogh, Md.); Jackson vs. Garrett Conner (Centerville, Ohio), Disney Duals gold medalist against Disney Duals silver medalist
Commentary: This is a remarkably robust weight class with five nationally ranked wrestlers, including two ranked first in the country. In addition there are five other state placers, a returning Ironman placer, a Super 32 placer, a Cadet Greco-Roman national champion, and multiple others with state tournament experience. There will be some very high level matches wrestled on Friday in this upper-weight, as well as just to place on Saturday.
Leading the way here are Morris and Abounader, the top two seeds, who both were runners-up at the Ironman last year. The seedings have yielded likely semifinals that are all-Pennsylvania and all-Ohio in nature; Morris and three-time state placer Harner on the top, Abounader and Super 32 runner-up Toal on the bottom.
Morris is looking at a quarterfinal against one of two state placers -- Travis Linton (Rootstown, Ohio), also a NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion, or Jake Turk (Montini Catholic, Ill). Harner's likely quarterfinal is against two-time Ironman placer Knepshield. Toal, assuming he clears Cadet Greco-Roman champion Colbray on Friday, has a probably quarterfinal against either state placer Conner or two-time state champion Jackson. Lastly, Abounader is looking at a quarterfinal against one of two state placers -- Immanuel Barber (Canyon Springs, Calif.) or Zach Martinez (Colonial Forge, Va.).
Predicting a finals match: Abounader over Morris
The rest of the top eight: Harner, Toal, Jackson, Linton, Conner, Knepshield
195:
Nationally ranked wrestler: No. 5 Frank Mattiace (Blair Academy, N.J.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Cody Snodgrass (Marmion Academy, Ill.), returning state qualifier
Key potential round of 16 matchups: L.J. Barlow (Haverford School, Pa.) vs. Josh Murphy (Brecksville, Ohio), National Prep placer against state qualifier
Commentary: Rare is a weight in the modern-day Ironman this soft. There are only seven wrestlers with seeding criteria points (Fargo All-American, state placer, or Ironman placer), and there is one singular nationally ranked wrestler. That wrestler, Mattiace, is the defending champion and was a National Prep champion. He is an extreme favorite, and should the seeds hold, would have a nominal test in the semifinal against either National Prep third placer Barlow or state third placer Jimmy Szep (Lake Catholic, Ohio).
The second seed at present is returning Ironman placer Thornberry, who placed eight at state in 2011 as a freshman but did not make state last year. However, he is coming straight off of football, so his presence in the tournament is a question. National Prep placer Matt Doggett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) is the likely quarterfinal opposition at present. In the de facto semifinal of the bottom half, if the seeds hold, you'll have two-time two-time state placer Adam Kluk (Medina Highland, Ohio) wrestling National Prep and Super 32 placer Spencer Neff (Good Counsel, Md.)
Predicting a finals match: Mattiace over Neff
The rest of the top eight: Barlow, Kluk, Szep, Doggett, Murphy, and Thornberry
220:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.), No. 4 Garrett Ryan (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 11 (at 195) Joe Tayse (Massillon Perry, Ohio), and No. 19 Zane Krall (Wauseon, Ohio)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: none in particular, which of course knowing my luck means one will place
Key potential round of 16 matchups: Edgar Ruano (Montini Catholic, Ill.) vs. Parker Knapp (St. Edward, Ohio), battle of past Cadet National All-Americans; Ryan vs. Lucas Warren (Marmion Academy, Ill.), Junior double All-American against a freshman sensation
Commentary: Defending champion Snyder, who is also ranked second overall in the Class of 2014, is the strong favorite in this weight due to his extreme athleticism and solid strength as well as excellent wrestling acumen. However, he will be somewhat tested along the way to the final -- a likely quarterfinal (if seeds hold) would be against state placer Alex Campbell (Canon-McMillan, Pa.); then, the semifinal against either two-time state placer Chalmer Frueauf (Cincinnati Moeller, Ohio), a returning Ironman placer who is coming right off of football, or state runner-up Krall.
The bottom half of the draw features the other two nationally ranked wrestlers -- state champion and Ironman placer Tayse, as well as state champion and Junior National double All-American Ryan. That is the likely semifinal, though Ryan would have to clear state placer Evan Rosborogh (Painesville Riverside, Ohio) and Tayse needs to navigate through state placer Edgar Ruano (Montini Catholic, Ill.)
Predicting a finals match: Snyder over Ryan, marking Snyder's second straight Ironman title
The rest of the top eight: Tayse, Krall, Campbell, Rosborogh, Frueauf, and Ruano
285:
Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 2 Brooks Black (Blair Academy, N.J.) and No. 9 Michael Johnson Jr. (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.)
Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Alex Fritz (Marmion Academy, Ill.), two-time state qualifier
Key potential round of 16 matchups: none truly pique my interest
Commentary: Where 195 was as clear a champion as this tournament will yield, this weight class gives us an extremely likely, almost prohibitively likely, championship match. It would be a rematch of the National Prep final this past year between Black and Johnson, an extremely tight match that Black won. Black is the top seed and looks at a likely semifinal against state placer Jake Moore (Rootstown, Ohio), while Johnson is the two seed and looks at a semifinal against state runner-up Jake Pinkston (Robinson, Va.)
Predicting a finals match: Black over Johnson Jr.
The rest of the top eight: Pinkston, Moore, Fritz, Jemal Averette (Good Counsel, Md.), Dre'kBrumley (Akron SVSM, Ohio), and Zach DeLuca (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.)
Team:
Blair Academy, N.J., is the perennial power when it comes to high school wrestling. They are the defending national champions, 32-time consecutive National Prep Tournament champions, and winners of ten Ironman titles including three of the last four. For an excellent read about the program, check out The Standard of Excellence written by David Ritterspusch.
Despite the transition from Jeff Buxton to Charles Danhof, the Buccaneers start the season No. 1 in the nation with ten members of their team nationally ranked -- and that is with Cadet World Team representative Joey McKenna essentially out for the season due to injury. This team is crazy stacked and could reach the rarified air of the 1999-2000 St. Edward, Ohio (297-1/2) and 2001-2002 Blair (287-1/2) teams for points at the Ironman.
The star power from those two teams is staggering. From St. Edward you're talking about Ryan Lang, Mark Moos, Mason Lenhard, Mark Jayne, Ryan Bertin, and Matt Koz. On the Blair Academy side of the ledger that list includes Robbie Preston, Max Meltzer, Ryan Davis, Mark Perry, Matt Palmer, and Kurt Backes.
Entering the season second nationally is not St. Edward, but instead it is Wyoming Seminary, Pa. An excellent team the last three years, including top four finishes at the Ironman, they have reached a new kind of good this year. The Blue Knights are aided by six upper-class newcomers to the program, which augment an existing core that included a National Prep champion, two runners-up, and another pair of placers. They have five wrestlers nationally ranked within their weight class.
Instead, the Eagles of St. Edward start the season third in the Fab50 with four Class of 2013 wrestlers in that group's top 100. They also return an additional senior that placed at state and a sophomore who made the state tournament.
Behind that group, it is very open in terms of how the Ironman team race will turn.
No. 6 Canon McMillan, Pa. features four returning state placers; however, that does not include arguably their second best wrestler in Solomon Chishko, who is out this weekend due to an injury sustained in the Super 32 Challenge. No. 10 Montini Catholic, Ill., does not have a single nationally ranked individual, but has an extremely balanced squad. The Broncos will need to thrive through volume -- having multiple wrestlers elevate their performance level into placement finishes.
On the other hand, No. 17 St. Paris Graham, Ohio is a rather top-heavy squad. They have three nationally ranked wrestlers, another returning state placers, a pair of freshmen that are top 25 nationally in their class, but little else behind that. The Falcons could soar here, especially if their two freshmen sensations make their names even more known than they are now.
Similarly constructed is No. 34 Christiansburg, Va., with four nationally ranked wrestlers but little to augment that quartet. Also in that vein is St. John Bosco, Calif., which has three ranked wrestlers -- the Valencia brothers and Aaron Pico -- then maybe a solid soph in Joseph Dominguez, and a lot of total unknowns.
Rounding out the nationally ranked teams in this field is No. 25 Kearney, Mo., No. 27 McDonogh, Md., No. 28 Cincinnati Moeller, Ohio, No. 30 Massillon Perry, Ohio, No. 33 Colonial Forge, Va., and No. 35 Hermiston, Ore.
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