InterMat releases high school grade level rankings

The drive to find the best. The drive to be the best.

InterMat Top 10 Recruits (2011)

1. Destin McCauley (Apple Valley, MN)
2. Morgan McIntosh (Calv. Chapel, CA)
3. Chris Phillips (Monroeville, OH)
4. Andrew Campolattano (Bd. Brook, NJ)
5. Jesse Thielke (Germantown, WI)
6. Nico Megaludis (Franklin Reg., PA)
7. Cam Tessari (Monroeville, OH)
8. Mason Beckman (Reynolds, PA)
9. Hunter Stieber (Monroeville, OH)
10. Evan Silver (Blair Academy, NJ)

These two statements epitomize what the InterMat grade level rankings represent. These rankings started out being done only for the incoming senior class in late June, right before Division I wrestling coaches could make their initial official contact with prospective student-athletes. However, in order to satisfy the desires of our readership and customers, the rankings have expanded in scope. They now cover all four grades of high school as well as junior high, and are updated at least three other times on a yearly basis.

While there are obviously many different perspectives on what rankings actually accomplish, and their relative significance, most can reasonably agree that a primary purpose of them is identify and recognize those wrestlers that have separated themselves as among the nation's elite. From the perspective of wrestlers across the country, each one aspires to perform to the best of their ability.

Five individuals are being recognized as the best in their respective graduating class. These wrestlers have all risen to the top of their class based on hard work, a strong drive and determination, and the willingness to compete.

Destin McCauley (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

Destin McCauley (Apple Valley, MN) rises to the No. 1 position in the Class of 2011. Headed into his senior year of high school, McCauley is the lynchpin of a squad that is among the nation's best -- and will seek to win that elusive unanimous national championship this coming season. A member of the varsity lineup since his seventh grade year, McCauley will be after a fifth state championship in six varsity seasons with only a runner-up finish as a high school sophomore blemishing his state tournament record.

Last summer, he finished in third place at 145 pounds in freestyle at the Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota. Already this offseason, McCauley finished third at 145.5 pounds at the FILA Junior Nationals (freestyle) in a weight bracket dominated by graduates of the Class of 2010 and wrestlers with college experience.

Taylor Massa (Photo/MichiganGrappler.com)

Remaining atop the Class of 2012 is Taylor Massa (St. John's, MI). Massa burst on to the scene for followers of high school wrestling when he reached the semifinals of the preseason Super 32 Challenge in the fall of 2007, when he was in eighth grade. Additionally, Massa had but one loss in approximately 70 matches at the Cadet Duals and Cadet Nationals on the way to sweeping the Cadet National Greco-Roman and freestyle titles each of the last two years.

In addition to a two-season high school record of 120-0, Massa is also a two-time Super 32 Challenge runner-up, 2010 FloNationals champion, and also won the FILA Junior Nationals in freestyle at 154 pounds this past April. Therefore, despite the constraints placed on his in-season scholastic schedule by the MHSAA, Massa has tested himself in many major platforms -- passing those examinations with flying colors.

Bo Jordan (Photo/BuckeyeWrestling.com)

Bo Jordan (Graham Local, OH) moves up to the top spot in the Class of 2013 after winning the state championship with a 39-1 record during his freshman season; the lone loss in the ultimate tiebreaker of the finals of a mid-January tournament was avenged in the state semifinals. The son of Graham head coach Jeff Jordan has assuredly practiced and competed against many of the nation's finest both in his school's practice room, as well as through Jeff Jordan's State Champ Camps. Prior to high school, he was also a multiple-time Roller World of Wrestling event champion.

Chance Marsteller

Among incoming freshmen in the Class of 2014, Keystone State native Chance Marstellar moves up to the No. 1 position in the rankings for this group. Just last week, he finished 19-0 in contested matches at the Cadet National Duals between the Greco-Roman and freestyle competitions. Over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, Marstellar only lost one out of approximately ten matches at the NHSCA National Duals; among the victories were wins over FloNationals champion Travis Shaffer (Derry, PA), state placer Nick Heilmann (South Plainfield, NJ), and state runner-up Tyler Scotton (Willingboro, NJ). This past fall, Marstellar competed at the Penn State Open as well as the Super 32 Challenge.

Mark Hall

Finally the top spot for wrestlers in junior high this coming fall, slated to graduate in 2015 or later, goes to Mark Hall -- a Michigan native who competed for Ryle High School in Kentucky this past season. As a seventh grader, Hall was a state runner-up, losing 6-2 in the final against defending state champion Myron Bradbury -- a senior from Trinity. Since the end of the season, Hall was champion of the USA Schoolboy Folkstyle Nationals; defeated Cadet National freestyle All-American Stephen Myers (Moeller, OH) at the Grand River Rumble in mid-May; and then defeated both state finalist Kyle Casaletto (Southern Regional, NJ) and two-time state champion Alex Cisneros (Selma, CA) at the America's Cup Duals in early June.

Along with these individuals, there are a total of 235 wrestlers recognized with rankings in this update; 100 from the incoming seniors (Class of 2011); 50 each from the Classes of 2012 and 2013; 25 from the Class of 2014; and 15 among junior high wrestlers.

Summary of ranked prospects by state:

Class of 2011: 13 for PA; 11 for CA; 8 each for OH, NJ, and IL; 6 for IA; 5 for MN; 4 for WI and MI; 3 each for NY and MO; 2 each for OK, ID, CO, SD, FL, MT, VA, KS, MD, and IN; 1 each for DE, OR, AZ, KY, TN, NC, and AL

Class of 2012: 6 each for PA, OH, and IL; 5 for MI; 3 each for NJ, CA, IA, and FL; 2 each for IN, MN, NY, OK, and OR; 1 each for WI, WA, VA, MD, and NE

Class of 2013: 8 for PA; 6 for OH; 3 each for VA, IL, NJ, CA, MN, GA, and MO; 2 each for IA, TX, MI, and OR; 1 each for FL, IN, KS, NY, NV, OK, and WA

Class of 2014: 4 for PA; 3 for NJ; 2 each for IL, OK, CA, OH, MO, and MD; 1 each for NY, IN, MN, GA, IA, and KS

Junior High: 2 each for OH, FL, IL, and PA; 1 each for KY, CA, MO, IA, WA, VA, and MN

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