57KG
I mean to say this bracket is stacked doesn’t even begin to do it justice. Just last week Luke and Jax went to work in State College for the Olympic Team Trials. They were joined by other high schoolers, most notably Marcus Blaze who is the only big vacancy but did beat both Luke and Jax last week to finish 3rd. Luke and Jax didn’t wrestle so perhaps they will have that chance here in Vegas. What’s not to like about that? That’s a premier match up in this sport at any level in this country.
After those top two, you have a slew of possible upset land mines they’ll have to navigate. Knox and DeLuca finished the HS season #1 and #2 at 120, and they both make the move up to 57 for this one. They also both have quite a few freestyle accolades as you would expect from elite guys at any level. Last year, Knox was the world team runner up to Blaze at 55KG and DeLuca was the Fargo JR 120 champion.
Seth Menoza is another elite competitor at every level, in any style. He was 3rd in that DeLuca 120 Fargo bracket. And Nate Desmond was 4th. With all these familiar faces here, you could say they’re getting the band back together.
Isaiah Cortez joined Jax and Seth as the wrestlers in the top 10 who competed in both Fargo and the trials last year. He took 5th and 3rd respectively. He’s capable of beating anyone ahead of him.
Aaron Seidel I might be a little too bullish on at this weight, but he’s moving up from last year’s Fargo runner up performance at 113.
Mack Mauger is always a name in all these previews and rankings. Not quite getting all the way into that top 5 or top 3 level, but just outside that. He’ll make it tough on anyone here and maybe he goes out this Spring in style.
Adrian Meza doesn’t get a lot of work once the high school season starts but he’s been busy since it ended. Most notably, a super exciting loss in the last seconds to Mason Gibson in the PWC. That was folkstyle and we give all the Valiant kids a bump in their freestyle pedigree.
Rounding out the ranked group, I’m really curious to see how the gain in weight works for guys like Motyka, Smith, and Thomas who finished the season at 113.
From the outside looking in, we have quite a few who finished the season ranked in folkstyle but have lesser bona fides here. One that could really do some damage is Ronnie Ramirez.
Out of the collegiate group, Spencer Moore is probably the most credentialed, having earned a spot on the cadet world team a few years ago.
Ultimately, I like Luke to get this done but there’s no telling what actually happens there in the desert.
61KG
This is one of the u20 weights where the favorite is a college kid, in this case Cael Hughes. He almost made the team a year ago, picking up wins over Aden Valencia (65 here) and Larkin. He’s earned that respect and would be my pick to win this.
As for the high school competitors, Larkin definitely gets the nod but McComas has been on a tear himself, starting in the preseason and continuing into this weekend. He’s a tough out who has battled with Jax to a consistent level not many can say.
Hockaday finished 4th in a highly competitive Fargo JR 126 bracket and could flip the script on McComas or maybe surprise Larkin.
Sam Herring was 4th for the u17 team at 60KG. A bracket ultimately won by Ben Davino, Herring proved himself worthy among the nation’s best. The HS season ended without Herring in the post season. I’m sure he’s itching to get back out here.
Botello and Dekraker are a pair of prep school rivals who might end up doing battle for a top 8 finish, maybe they even upend one of the higher ranked guys along the way.
Cortez and his brother both knocked off Bo Bassett last year. It’s a testament to the level Bassett has climbed to that he has become the standard against whom all others are compared. But certainly that win for Elijah shows the potential at the top end for the Gilroy junior.
Parkins, Bast, and Swenson all placed somewhere last year but it would be a surprise to see them into the semifinals or further. With the group of college guys in here as well, they’ll be vying for that top 8 finish.
65KG
Ever since the showdown at Who’s #1 where Zepeda pinned Bassett, we’ve been wanting to see that run back. Of course, we wouldn’t get any chances for it during the season. For one, they live on opposite ends of the country. For two, Zepeda spent most of the high school season up at 150. Now that the season is over, we have them both in this field this weekend. But it’s no guarantee they even see each other as there are quite a few hurdles to get over for both.
It’s quite possible Sergio Lemley comes in as the top seed and then I have no idea after that how this gets slotted. But what I do know is that the very top of this bracket is as elite as it gets at any weight. The top 6 are all here and then my #9 rounds out 7 of the top 10 in the country.
Bassett gets my #1 ranking among the high school group due to recent wins over both Aden Valencia and Pierson Manville. Zepeda is every bit the equal of all 3, and he just picked up a nice win in CA over Joe Toscano.
Rath and Joy are always threats in any bracket they’re in. More strong than slick and more force than finesse, they won’t go easily into the Vegas night.
Bouyssou is always in the mix to place, perhaps it all comes together for him to win the whole thing.
Vega picked up a huge folkstyle win over Ben Davino at Super 32. He’s been a mainstay in rankings for awhile. He’s shown the ability to beat and compete with the top in the country.
I’m really curious to see how Jaydon Robinson does here. He, like Zepeda, is the quintessential slick on your feet, neutral assassin that could do well in this event.
This feels like it could be Bo’s moment. But the college group is a big threat, in particular Lemley and Buesgens.
70KG
Kannon Webster was close to making this team a year ago and comes in off of his freshman college season as the favorite to win this bracket this weekend.
Dylan Gilcher is another from the class of 23 who could very well make a finals run.
As for the high school group, there’s no doubt that PJ Duke has the best chance of bunch to win as I believe he’s separated himself from the rest of the country.
After Duke, there are 4 more inside my top 10 and 7 total in the top 15. They all have varying degrees of success in this style – Routledge and Hilton did the best last year, both finishing 3rd at the u17 trials in different brackets.
Another unknown is Dorian Olivarez who has been busy during the folkstyle post-season beating everyone in his way, including 3 ranked in the top 10. Very interested to see how it translates to freestyle.
74KG
This is one of my most intriguing weights. You have some of the very best still at the high school level but you have some of the best from the high school level just a year ago who you might think are that much better, stronger, etc from the NCAA season.
I think Blaze, Mantanona, or Scoles could all win this bracket. However, I would say Lockett comes in as a slight favorite with Sealey right on his heels. We’re always a fan of world champions getting after it. But like I say, some of these other guys will surely have something to say about that.
Cholakyan has been on a steady trend up for his whole career, culminating in a CA state championship which itself came after a Fargo runner up finish. He was competitive at the Last Chance Trials in the same bracket as Sealey.
The great thing about a tournament like this is that even for the few who we think are long shots to win the thing, there are intriguing matches available to them along the way. Like a Grigor vs Millard quarterfinals would be among my most interesting battles.
After them, the rest of the ranked field have showed promise throughout their careers but it’s tough to see the path to the top of the podium here.
Root is somebody I’m curious to see against an elite freestyle field this year as Poway has made crazy strides since bringing in Mike Malinconico to run their RTC.
Of all the possible matches in this bracket, I’m the most excited to see Sealey vs Mantanona. That’s such a contrast in styles. Sealey is a technician who keeps the pressure forward, and has elite body awareness – almost never in a bad position. Mantanona brings that signature aggressive – looking for the pin – style from the Southern Cali desert. He doesn’t mind getting into what looks like bad positions for other wrestlers for the chance at big points.
I’ve been impressed by what Lockett’s been doing lately, including a dominant performance over Meyer Shapiro at the Olympic Team Trials. He’s my pick to win here.
79KG
It’s been awhile since we’ve seen one of the top wrestlers in the class of 24 in action. But this weekend we’ll get to see just what Zack Ryder has been up to during this time training with the NLWC. I expect quite a lot. That means the kid with the best freestyle credentials among this group should be even better.
Henckel is always solid, never out of anything, and should definitely come in right behind Ryder as the next highest high school placer.
Chapman had a classic battle in the NJ state finals this past March. Another one who is super solid, consistent, but hasn’t yet come out with that massive national title.
Han-Lindemyer and Slade are the last two I have ranked in this field but would be considered longer shots for the top 8.
This weight should be heavily weighted to the college guys. Not only is Mulvaney the biggest threat to Ryder, Gaitan, Ruiz, Norman, Moore, and Heeg should all place.
In the end I think the two time cadet medalist Ryder gets it done.
86KG
McEnelly is a world medalist, Sinclair was on the world team last year. Now they come in looking for a midwest showdown. Standing in the way of that are a few first year collegians and some talented high schoolers – who aren’t as distinguished in the freestyle ranks but could step up big this weekend.
The trio of Naaktgeboren, Robb, and Rogotzke are definitely championship contender worthy. McEnelly does have the head to head over Naaktgeboren who himself has the head to head over Robb but especially in freestyle, these things have a way of changing in a hurry. Rogotzke had the most notable freshman season among the group, does that carry over here?
Those other high schoolers are a trio of Fargo medalists (at different weights), Tucker and Hoke Hogan and Aidan Ysaguirre. Then there’s cadet trials medalist Pete Snyder, who I have to think is the youngest of this bunch. And then there’s the real intriguing Eddie Neitenbach and Cade Ziola. Guys who could really make big jumps against this competition.
Some of the wild cards in this mix are Daschle Lamer, Luke Condon, and Tye Monteiro. Off the radar as NCAA redshirts, they all have solid prep credentials and have the chance to remind folks they’re still out here.
McEnelly is the deserving favorite but I’m riding with Cyclone Tate.
92KG
This one here should be all about Mirasola. And the real question is who emerges as the biggest threat or challenge to his run to the win and into the finals next month.
The top contenders figure to be Nelson and Sasso. Should they meet up, that will be one to watch for sure. Rademacher had the best first year at the NCAA level among this group, qualifying for the NCAAs for Oregon State.
As for the rest of the high school field, a lot of intrigue where I think the battle for “best outside of Mirasola” will be entertaining. I like Tompkins to rise to the occasion there but keep an eye on Jason Singer. The youngest in the field, he’s been on a nice growth trajectory and this weekend could help solidify him even more among the nation’s best looking ahead to Fargo.
Come on, is it anyone other than Mirasola here?
97KG
Definitely the shallowest weight in the tournament, this is what happens when you essentially split up what is the “215” weight class in high school into two groups, 203 (92) and 214 (97).
Of the two ranked high school wrestlers, Mirasola would be a substantial favorite but of course anything is possible. Whitehead is a dog from Nevada, perhaps not as nationally “known” but the Mirasolas have separated themselves from most of the HS level, this should be no different.
The favorite to win the bracket is Camden McDanel. He’s a junior world medalist and the returning champ from last year. Burrell was the trials finalist against McDanel, so he should definitely factor in here, perhaps it’s a semifinals match up with Mirasola.
I’m rolling with Mirasola to get this one – but that could be more “wanting to see HS kids win this” bias than it is the likely outcome.
110KG
Hopke has definitely separated himself from the group of high schoolers in this bracket, but has he separated himself from the post graduates like Attao and Mullen? That’s the real question in terms of who comes out on top here.
Attao is a Greco stud, having just won the US Open this week. He’s no slouch in this style either. In fact he split with Hopke, 1-1, last year. He won in the trials, lost in the Fargo finals. That could be the battle for 1 and 2 here.
But then there’s Jimmy Mullen. He also has a win over Hopke and a world medal to his credit. This to me is the clear top 3 in Vegas.
After that top group, you have some very talented high schoolers in their own right. I really like Sahakian. He’s taller than almost everyone and poses unique challenges due to that length.
Quin Morgan isn’t as accomplished as the others, but has picked up a couple noteworthy wins this Spring to get him into the top 25.
Let’s go with the curve ball, Nicholas Sahakian shocks the 110 field.
Based in Western PA. Right in the heart of WPIAL country, Todd brings an insider’s view from the country’s epicenter of wrestling. He’s excited to build on the TKDWN tradition of starting with the story first. The athletes, the coaches, their families and supporters, there is no shortage of stories to tell. And Todd will bring his unique perspective to help us continue to deliver top notch content for the world’s greatest sport!
