Link: InterMat Fab 50 Team Rankings
The most recent update of the national weight class and team rankings brings about some changes, yet many striking similarities.
Apple Valley, Minnesota remains the top team after impressive victories at the Minnesota Christmas Tournament, Cheesehead Invitational, and The Clash already this season. Seven of their wrestlers are top 20 in their respective weight classes -- Dakota Trom (125), Mark Hall (130), Matt Kelliher (135), Brandon Kingsley (140), Steven Keogh (160), Jake Waste (171), and tops in the country Destin McCauley (152).
Like Apple Valley, No. 2 Blair Academy, New Jersey also has seven of its wrestlers ranked. Those Buccaneers ranked include Joey McKenna (103), Caleb Richardson (119), Todd Preston (125), Mark Grey (130), Austin Ormsbee (135), Brooks Black (285), and tops in the country Evan Silver (112). Right behind Blair is No. 3 St. Paris Graham, Ohio with six wrestlers nationally ranked -- Ryan Taylor (112), Case Garrison (135), Nick Brascetta (140), Bo Jordan (145), Matt Stephens (152), and Huston Evans (189). These two squads compete in a dual meet one week from Saturday at Blair Academy.
As they’ve been all along, Brandon, Florida remains in the fourth position with five of its wrestlers ranked nationally -- Kevin Norstrem (125), Rossi Bruno (130), Tyler Liberatore (135), Clark Glass (152), and Wally Figaro (160). Rounding out the top ten teams in the country are St. Edward, Ohio; Simley, Minnesota; Clovis, California; Wyoming Seminary, Pennsylvania; Bakersfield, California; and Iowa City West, Iowa.
Very little movement due to performance occurred at the top position in each weight class. Of the four new top-ranked wrestlers in the country, three were due to weight class shifts.
Evan Silver (Blair Academy, New Jersey) slides into the top position at 112 pounds, as he competed there at the Cheesehead Invitational and emerged as champion. The Stanford-bound prospect is a three-time National Prep champion and a Junior National freestyle runner-up this past summer.
Bryce Hammond (Bakersfield, California) makes a return to the top position at 160 pounds, as he made the drop to that weight class at the Doc Buchanan Invitational. Though he had to default out of that competition, it is his intent to compete there upon his return. The Cal State-Bakersfield prospect seeks to repeat as a state champion this year.
Andrew Campolattano (Bound Brook, New Jersey) makes another appearance at the top of the 215 pound weight class. There were some rumblings that he would be competing at 189 pounds this season; however, those were found to be untrue. Slated to play football next year at Rutgers, Campolattano seeks to become only the second four-time New Jersey state champion in his swan song to wrestling.
New to the top position is Donny Longendyke (White Bear Lake, Minnesota) at 285 pounds. Longendyke is a two-time state finalist, winning the state tournament as a junior; and has multiple All-American honors in Fargo, including a Cadet National freestyle title in 2009. He is slated to attend Nebraska in the fall, and moved into the top position due to Cody Krumwiede (Waverly-Shell Rock, Iowa) being upended in upset fashion by Parker Betts (St. Michael-Albertville) at The Clash just over ten days ago.
In what has been the trend for this season, and many scholastic wrestling seasons past, the Keystone State is preeminent on the landscape. Thirty-five wrestlers from Pennsylvania high schools appear in the weight class rankings, while nine high schools from the Keystone State appear in the Fab 50 team rankings; both of those are the most of any state. An emerging story in recent summers has been the performance of the Illinois wrestling program, and wrestlers from the Land of Lincoln, at USA Wrestling events. That has crystallized itself this season, and in the current rankings where 27 wrestlers are ranked in their weight class and six high school programs appear in the Fab 50. Both of those are the second most of any state.
Nationally-ranked wrestlers broken down by state:
35 -- PA; 27 -- IL; 23 -- CA, OH; 21 -- NJ; 18 -- IA; 16 -- MN; 12 -- MI; 11 -- FL; 10 -- WI; 9 -- NY; 8 -- VA; 7 -- IN; 6 -- MO, MD; 5 -- OK; 4 -- CO, ID, GA; 3 -- OR, TX, WA, SD; 2 -- MT, NC; 1 -- DE, UT, KY, MA, TN
Nationally-ranked teams broken down by state:
9 -- PA; 6 -- IL; 4 -- NJ, MN, OH; 3 -- FL, CA, OK; 2 -- MI, VA; 1 -- MD, WI, GA, TX, MO, OR, IN
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