Wrestler of the Year: Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) -- 170 pounds
There is very little that this Penn State-bound wrestler has not accomplished during his prep wrestling career. The six-time state champion ended his scholastic wrestling career with a record of 277-4, having gone undefeated since the middle of his freshman year, and is now InterMat Wrestler of the Year for a second consecutive season. Hall started this period with a championship in the 74-kilo weight class at the UWW Junior Nationals in freestyle, earning victories over Joe Smith and Jason Nolf in the semifinals and finals. The Junior World Team spot was confirmed at the Trials with a two-match sweep over former InterMat Wrestler of the Year Chance Marsteller.
Mark Hall became Minnesota's first-ever six-time state champion (Photo/The Guillotine)Previous Wrestlers of the Year:
2015: Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.)
2014: Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale, Pa.)
2013: Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Pa.)
2012: Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point, Ind.)
2011: Morgan McIntosh (Calvary Chapel, Calif.)
Other Top-Ranked Wrestlers at their weight class …
106 pounds: Adam Busiello (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.)
The freshman earned a second consecutive state title, winning last season at 99 pounds in eighth grade, as New York State allows junior high wrestlers to compete in high school. After placing third in Cadet freestyle at 106 pounds, Busiello was completely dominant during the folkstyle portion of this period. He was champion at the Super 32 Challenge in this weight class, and went undefeated during the high school season.
113 pounds: Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson-Morgan, Pa.)
The sophomore went undefeated for a second straight season on the way to a state title, and has started his career with an 82-0 record. Last spring he earned a second consecutive UWW Cadet National freestyle championship, this time qualifying for the Cadet World Championships at 50 kilos. Most notable on the regular season resume this year was a second consecutive title at the Powerade with wins over a pair of top ten ranked wrestlers in the semifinal and final.
120 pounds: Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.)
Like Teasdale before him, this Pittsburgh area native is undefeated for his career, a three-year career record of 109-0. While his junior season was short on matches due to recovery from injury sustained before and during the Junior World Championships, his career resume is just the opposite in terms of accomplishments. Testament to his ability is a 15-0 technical fall in the state final over a top five wrestler in the nation in his weight class, Austin DeSanto (Exeter Township). This past summer Lee was a Junior World champion in freestyle at 50 kilos, one year after winning a Cadet World title in that weight class.
126 pounds: Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.)
Suriano ended his high school career as a four-time undefeated state champion, including four titles at the Beast of the East and two titles at the Doc Buchanan Invitational, which are among the nation's preeminent regular season tournaments. During his senior season Suriano went 5-0 in matches against three wrestlers ranked in the top ten nationally. Prior to the season, he won a second Super 32 Challenge title, advancing to a third such tournament final in his high school career. Suriano has signed with Penn State.
132 pounds: Chad Red (New Palestine, Ind.)
Red also ended his career as a four-time undefeated state champion, including a one-point victory in this year's state final over a returning state champion, who ended the season ranked third nationally (Nick Lee). During the fall he also earned victories over a pair of elite wrestler in the next weight class at the "Who's Number One" preseason all-star event. The Nebraska signee won titles at the Super 32 Challenge and FloNationals during the 2014-15 school year.
138 pounds: Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.)
The junior has won state titles in each of the last four high school seasons, including one in eighth grade at 99 pounds. This fall he joined an exclusive club of wrestlers to win three Super 32 Challenge titles, and could become the first to win a fourth in October. The verbal commit to Cornell was also a UWW Cadet National freestyle champion at 58 kilos last spring, and them won a Cadet World title in that weight class during the summer.
145 pounds: Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford, Pa.)
The three-time state finalist went an undefeated 37-0 during his junior season to earn a second state title in three seasons. Coy, who has verbally committed to the University of Virginia, has a three-year record of 110-11. Most notable regular season wins this year were those over nationally ranked Mekhi Lewis in the Powerade final, and Cadet World freestyle champion Jarod Verkleeren in the WCCA Tournament final.
152 pounds: Mason Manville (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.)
The Penn State signee won his second National Prep title at the end of this season, and was undefeated during his senior year of high school. Manville's folkstyle evaluation period included titles at the Super 32 Challenge, Walsh Ironman, and Powerade. It included six wins over four wrestlers ranked in the top four at their respective weight classes nationally (two over Hayden Hidlay, two over Griffin Parriott, with single wins over Thomas Bullard and Evan Wick). The past offseason included a UWW Junior National runner-up finish in Greco-Roman and All-American finishes in both styles during the Junior Nationals in Fargo.
160 pounds: Isaiah White (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.)
The Ohio State signee won his third state title, and second straight in undefeated fashion. White has at least 105 wins in the last three seasons against just four losses, with his last loss coming at the Detroit Catholic Central Super Duals in January 2014 (4-3 to Justin Oliver). Most notable in terms of major event accomplishments is his 2014 Walsh Ironman title and 2014 Junior National freestyle title.
182 pounds: Beau Breske (Hartford Union, Wis.)
The four-time state finalist won 175 of his last 176 matches in his high school career, losing just a 5-4 tiebreaker decision in the state final during his junior year. Breske was a three-time state champion in high school with a career mark of 203-3, winning titles at the Cheesehead Invitational each of the last three years. In terms of offseason accomplishment, he was a Junior National freestyle champion this past summer after winning Cadet National titles in both styles during 2013 and 2014. Breske has signed with the University of Nebraska.
195 pounds: Chase Singletary (Blair Academy, N.J.)
During his junior season, Singletary won an initial National Prep title to go with the Florida state titles earned in seventh and eighth grade. He also was runner-up at National Preps last year, third in Florida his freshman year, and runner-up in Florida during sixth grade. In terms of the 2015-16 season, Singletary was champion at the Walsh Ironman and runner-up at the Beast of the East; most notable was a 2-0 record over the second-ranked wrestler in this weight class (wins over Nick Reenan in the late January dual meet and at National Preps).
220 pounds: Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.)
Just a sophomore, Steveson already has been in the state final three times in his high school career. (Junior high wrestlers can compete varsity in Minnesota.) His last loss came in the state finals at 195 pounds during the eighth grade season, and Steveson has an 89-0 record over the last two seasons. Last spring he beat returning Cadet World silver medalist Jordan Wood in qualifying for the Cadet World freestyle team at 100 kilos. Steveson would subsequently win a World title, and also won a Cadet National freestyle title in Fargo. Though Cadet eligible, he won a Junior folkstyle title last weekend.
285 pounds: Osawaru Odighizuwa (David Douglas, Ore.)
The UCLA signee as a defensive lineman finished his scholastic career with three undefeated state title-winning seasons, amassing 131 consecutive wins along the way. Odighizuwa would also win two Fargo freestyle titles, one at the Cadet level in 2014 and then one at the Junior level in 2015; during those years, Odighizuwa was runner-up in Cadet Greco-Roman and third in Junior Greco-Roman.
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