Super 32Oct 19, 2013 by Willie Saylor
Fi: The Biggest, Baddest Super 32 Preview Ever
Fi: The Biggest, Baddest Super 32 Preview Ever
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Super 32 Preview
Willie Saylor, Editor
There isn't anything quite like the Super 32.
Now in its 15th year, the Super 32 morphed the way a great tournament should: organically.
The competition got better every year. Word spread, attracting more and more talent. And now we have this. A monolith of a wrestling tournament. An annual retreat and pilgrammage of sorts where all the best wrestlers in the country flock. Where college coaches occupy every corner of the Greensboro Coliseum.
Somewhere, right now, there's a kid no one expects to crack the Top 8, training for this tournament with all he's got. We'll find out who that kid is this weekend. We do every year.
There are early round upsets, ranked wrestlers going head-to-head everywhere. At the end of Day I, everyone scours through the brackets to make sense of it all. And when we wake up Sunday morning, we know what we're going to get.
The quarterfinals, run on four consecutive mats for all the fans to take in at once, is one of the truly great rounds of wrestling at any level.
When the dust settles, the crowd surrounds the finals mat, someone makes history and walks away with the belt.
Here you'll find a preview of every weight complete with contenders, darkhorses, past performances, commentary, and dose of history. At the end is a sort of Hall of Fame list for Super 32 alumni.
Ladies and Gentleman, the season is upon us.
The Biggest, Baddest Super 32 Preview Ever-
*Note: Some changes in weight and scratches have been reported to me, thus the discrepency from the registration list.
106: Entries - 136
Last Year’s Finals: Nick Suriano (NJ) dec. Spencer Lee (PA), 4-3
2009 Finals: Joey Dance (VA) dec. Freddie Rodriguez (MI), 6-4
The Ranked:
#2-So. Tyler Warner (OH) - State Champ
#3-Fr. Yianni Diakomahalis (NY) - State Champ
#4-Jr. Devin Brown (PA) - FILA Cadet Champ
#5-So. Gage Curry (PA) - FloNationals 3rd
#9-Sr. Chris Lacayo (CA) - USAW Folk Champ
#10-Luke Karam (PA) - Fargo 3rd, State Runner-Up
#12-Danny Vega (AZ) - Fargo Champ
#14-So. Joey Prata (VA) - State Runner-Up, Fargo GR Champ
#15-So. Ty Agaisse (NJ) - State 7th
#20-Brent Jones (MN) - Fila 3rd Fargo 3rd
Darkhorses:
So. John Busiello (PA) - New York State 3rd
Sr. Chris Cuccolo (NY) - 3x Fargo AA
Fr. Austin Desanto (PA) - #50 Freshman
So. Tony Decesare (OH) - State 6th
So. Matt Devincenzo (NY) - State Runner-Up
So. Ben Freeman (MI) - Fargo 6th
So. Ian Parker (MI) - State Runner-Up, Fargo 5th
Fr. Paxton Rosen (OK) - #33 Freshman
8th Sammy Sasso (PA) - #26 Junior High
*Note: Jack Mueller will move up to 113.
*Note: Rudy Yates has scratched with injury.
The Breakdown: A loaded weight class right off the bat with 11 of the Top 20 including 7 of the Top 10.
The guy I think you have to watch here though is Curry. He’s wrestling extremely well and beat Yates at FloNationals. I like him as the finalist opposite Mueller. The caveat is seeding. How will it shake out?
I’m really interested in seeing Warner. He won a solid bracket at the state tournament last year. He doesn’t have many losses, but he doesn’t have many big wins either. It will be a referendum for him.
Vega was also impressive in Fargo. But him and Jones will be a bit undersized.
Newbies: PA has a history of placing 8th at S32. The contender to do that this year is Sasso, who’s really coming on strong. Look for him and Desanto to make some noise and contend for a medal. But the new name on the scene that I think will surprise the most is Rosen. Keep an eye on him.
The wildcard here is Yianni. He’ll be a big 106 (as will Karam). I fully expect him to make a deep run. He had a win over Curry in the quarters at FloNats.
I’m not picking Brown to place. He’s the kind of kid that can beat anyone at any time. But he has trouble putting together an entire tournament. Let’s see if he can stay consistent over two days in Greensboro.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Curry (PA) 2. Diakomihalis (NY) 3. Warner (OH) 4. Karam (PA) 5. Rosen (OK) 6. Sasso (PA) 7. Lacayo 8. Brown (PA)
113: Entries - 150
Last Year’s Finals: Ryan Millhof (GA) dec. Sean Russell (GA), 1-0
2009 Finals: Jerome Robinson (OH) dec. Brandon Jeske (VA), 3-2
The Ranked:
#1-So. Nick Suriano (NJ) - Returning Champ, Beast Champ, State Champ
#2-Fr. Spencer Lee (PA) - Returning Runner-Up, FloNats Runner-Up, Fila Cadet Champ
#6-Jr. Jose Rodriguez (OH) - State Champ, Returning 4th, Ironman Runner-Up
#7-So. Kyle Norstrem (FL) - State Champ, Fila Cadet GR Champ
#8-Fr. Eric Hong (PA) - FloNats 4th, Fargo 4th
#11-So. Jack Mueller (TX) - Fargo Champ, Nat. Prep Champ
#12-So. Chad Red (IN) - State Champ, Returning 7th
#15-So. Ethan McCoy (PA) - National Prep Runner-Up, FloNats 7th
#16-Sr. Isaac Jimenez (TX) - Double Fargo AA
#18-Jr. Christian Moody (OK) - State Champ
Darkhorses:
Fr. Vitali Arajau (NY) - State Runner-Up
So. Edward Chalifoux (TN) - State Runner-Up, Fargo 7th
So. Dylan Chatterton (PA) - State 5th
Fr. Colin Cronin (PA) - #45 Freshman
Sr. Hayden Lee (IN) - Returning 8th
8th Joe Lee (IN) - #39 Junior High
So. Michael Murphy (TN) - State Champ, Fargo 3rd
Sr. Brandon Olsen (VA) - Returning 5th
Jr. Garrett Pepple (IN) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Kyle Quinn (NY) - State Champ
Fr. Gus Solomon (PA) - #46 Freshman
So. Jacob Speiss (OH) - State Champ
Jr. Eli Stickley (OH) - State 3rd, Ironman Champ
So. Kanen Storr (MI) - State Champ
Jr. Doyle Trout (NE) - State Champ
The Breakdown: As talented as this field is (with nine ranked kids), this bracket is about either Redemption or Reprise. Capital “R”.
Suriano beat Spencer Lee in a barnburner of a final last year in Greensboro. And he has ran the slate ever since.
Lee wants this one bad. And I’d say he’s more of a lock to make the finals than Suriano is.
There’s really three or four other guys I’d say are in the ‘next tier’: Red, Rodriguez, Norstrem, and Moody. With the exception of Moody, the other three should be pretty darn huge for the weight.
At National Preps, Mueller looked like a good prospect. At Fargo, he was a juggernaut. He's hit a new personal level. The question is: will he be big enough?
Although he’s ranked 17th, I like Moody to pull some upsets and place well higher than the general public expects. I’d like to get risky and pick Moody to take out Suriano. But Suriano is just so mentally tough and wrestles such a grinding and ’safe’ style, I’m shying away from calling it.
Oddly enough, there are usually a couple unranked kids I can pull in and identify as legitimate contenders to place. But in this particular weight, I see a clear differential between the ranked and the unranked. It would be quite surprising to see more than one work their way on to the podium if seeds are what I expect them to be.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Lee (PA) 2. Suriano (NJ) 3. Moody (OK) 4. Mueller (TX)
5. Red (IN) 6. Rodriguez (OH) 7. Norstrem (FL) 8. Hong (PA)
120: Entries - 166
Last Year’s Finals: Sam Krivus (PA) dec. Josh Alber (IL), 5-1
2009 Finals: Chris Mecate (CA) dec. Mike Rhone (PA), 3-0
The Ranked:
#1-Sr. Sean Russell (GA) - State Champ, Returning Runner-Up
#4-Nick Piccininni (NY) - State Champ, FloNats Runner-Up
#6-Sr. Brent Fleetwood (DE) - Returning 4th, Fargo 3rd
#7-So. Luke Pletcher (PA) - State Champ, Returning 3rd, FloNats Champ
#10-Sr. Luis Gonzalez (NJ) - State Champ
#12-So. Mickey Phillippi (PA) - State Champ, FloNats 6th
#13-Sr. Kyle Akins (IL) - Fargo 3rd, State Champ, FloNats 7th
#14-Jake Gromacki (PA) - 2x FloNationals AA, Returning 8th
#17-So. Mitchell McKee (MN) - Fargo Runner-Up
#20-Jr. Chris Debien (TN) - USAW Folk Runner-Up
Darkhorses:
Sr. Thayer Atkins (TX) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Weston Basler (MO - State 3rd
Sr. David Bavery (OH) - State 3rd, Ironman 7th
Jr. Nick Casella (NY) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Anthony Cefolo (NJ) - State Champ
Fr. Quinn Devaney (MD) - #40 Freshman
AC Headlee (PA) - Returning 7th
So. Josh Heil (OH) - State 3rd
Sr. Tyrone Klump (PA) - State 3rd, FloNationals 5th
Fr. Todd Lane (PA) - #23 Freshman
Jr. Tristan Law (PA) - State 6th
Fr. Ty Lucas (FL) - #12 Freshman
So. Alex Mackall (OH) - Fargo 5th, Ironman 4th
Jr. Korbin Myers (PA) - State 3rd
Sr. Ty Pelot (WI) - State 3rd
Sr. Skyler Petry (MN) - State 3rd
Sr. Stephen Polakowski (IL) - PSN Runner-Up, Fargo AA
Jr. Steven Simpson (MD) - National Prep 3rd
Jr. Mason Smith (MI) - State Champ
Sr. Cam Timok (VA) - State Champ
Sr. Armando Torres (OH) - State Runner-Up, Fargo 7th
So. Taylor Venz (MN) - State Champ
*Note: Stevan Micic has scratched. Markus Simmons is out with injury.
The Breakdown: This group has both elite talent at the top and a bounty of depth.
Brent Fleetwood looked as good as I’ve ever seen him was at Fargo . Yes, he was pinned by an unranked wrestler. But that was an aberration. He was slick, quick, and looking to score.
Then you have a group that all wrestle similar styles. Piccininni, Pletcher, and Russell are all savvy, tactical types. (Throw Phillippi into that group too).
Whether or not the brackets get shaken up will ride on the performances of two guys, in my opinion. Akins and Gromacki should be considered the wild cards. If they pull off a major upset or two, things could get interesting.
Another factor will be if Pletcher's size. Technically, he's as good as anyone. But will he be big enough. It should help him that some of the best in the weight (Russell/Fleetwood) aren't big either.
I put him a notch above the Russell-Piccininni-Fleetwood tier. And odds are, Pletcher will be too small to get through so many good matches against comparable competition. I think he’s a much better talent than what he’ll place here. Just too small right now.
Piccininni posted a win over Phillippi at Journeymen. He’s been wrestling so well. I’ll take him opposite .
Willie’s Picks: 1. Piccininni (NY) 2. Russell (GA) 3. Pletcher (PA) 4. Fleetwood (DE)
5. Akins (IL) 6. Gromacki (PA) 7. Phillippi (PA) 8. Klump (PA)
126: Entries - 163
Last Year’s Finals: Joey Dance (VA) dec. Michael Kemerer (PA), 4-3
2009 Finals: Devin Carter (VA) md. Brandon Wright (IN), 13-4
The Ranked:
#4-Sr. Ryan Millhof (GA) - State Champ, Returning Champ
#6-Sr. Tommy Thorn (MN) - State Champ, Fargo Champ
#9-Sr. Zeke Moisey (PA) - 2x State Runner-Up, 2012 FloNats Champ
#10-Jr. Jared Prince (FL) - State Champ, Returning 5th, FloNats 3rd
#13-Sr. Dalton Macri (PA) - State Runner-Up, Ironman 5th
#19-Sr. Trae Blackwell (KY) - State Champ, USAW Folk Champ
#20-Jr. Davion Jeffries (OK) - State Champ, Fargo AA
Darkhorses:
So. Shae Bloom (PA) - FloNats 6th
So. Kevin Budock (MD) - National Prep Runner-Up
Sr. James Flint (FL) - State Runner-Up, Returning 8th
Sr. Dom Forys (PA) - State 5th, Fargo AA
So. Hayden Hidley (PA) - Double Fargo Finalist
Sr. Christian Innarella (NJ) - State 3rd, Returning 8th
Sr. Kevin Jack (CT) - State Champ, Returning 6th
Jr. Brandon James (IN) - State 5th, Returning 8th
Jr. Cam Kelly (OH) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Dylan Lucas (FL) - State Champ
Jr. Lincoln Olson (MI) - State Champ
Sr. Travis Passaro (NY) - State 3rd, FloNats 8th
Sr. Justin Patrick (PA) - State 4th
Jr. Eli Seiple (OH) - State Champ
Sr. Anthony Tutolo (OH) - State Champ
Sr. Zach Ulerick (PA) - State Placer
Sr. Deondre Wilson (IN) - State Champ
*Note: Josh Alber is out with injury.
The Breakdown: If there’s one weight that could make any prognosticator look silly, it’s this weight. And there’s a plentitude of reasons for that.
1. From top to bottom, there’s not much separation. Even from the Honorable mentions all the way up to the highest ranked guys, there’s not a whole lot of clear differentiation in skill level or results.
2. For whatever reason, this whole group wrestles close matches. Even when they win, it’s close.
3. Inconsistency. Tommy Thorn will probably be your top seed. But even he is prone to some head-scratching losses. He won two straight Fargo’s before DNP’ing this summer.
This weight will come down to a TON of one-score, one-point matches.
Millhof, Moisey, Macri, Prince. Their matches are always 3-2, 2-1, etc. (Moisey just beat Prince, 2-1, last week). A lot of it will come down to mental toughness and the ability to win close matches in repetition.
From the talent side of things, I think Thorn is probably the best in the group. But can he run the table without stubbing his tow somewhere along the line?
Gimme Millhof, who proved he could do that last year, to get back on top. I’ll Alber as a Runner-up for the second year in a row.
Watch out for Davion Jeffries. He’s a great talent that’s ranked low simply because he’s up two weights from the regular season when he last competed.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Millhof (GA) 2. Thorn (MN) 3. Moisey (PA) 4. Jeffries (OK)
5. Prince (FL) 6. Macri (PA) 7. Lucas (FL) 8. Tutolo (OH)
132: Entries - 167
Last Year’s Finals: Dean Heil (OH) dec. Aaron Pico (CA), 11-9 OT
2009 Finals: Frank Cagnina (NJ) dec. Jason Tsirtsis (IN), 3-1
The Ranked:
#4-Jr. Michael Kemerer (PA) - 2x State Runner-Up, 2x S32 Finalist
#5-Sr. Gary Wayne Harding (OK) - 3x State Champ, Fargo 3rd
#6-Jr. Sam Krivus (PA) - State Champ, Returning Champ, FloNats Champ
#8-Sr. Brock Ervin (KY) - State Champ, Ironman 5th
#10-Sr. Tate Robinson (TN) - State Champ, Fargo AA
#13-Sr. Anthony Giraldo (NJ) - State Champ, FILA GR Champ
#14-Sr. Mike Magaldo (NJ) - State 3rd, FloNats 3rd
#16-Sr. Bryce Meredith (WY) - State Champ, Fargo 3rd
#17-Sr. Colton Adams (NE) - State Champ, Ironman 3rd
#18-Jr. Keegan Moore (OK) - State Champ
#20-Sr. Coy Ozias (VA) - State Champ, Returning 6th, Ironman 4th
Darkhorses:
Jr. Tommy Cash (IN)
Fr. Cameron Coy (PA) - #20 Freshman
Sr. Will Crisco (CT) - Fila AA
Sr. Colby Ems (PA) - Returning 7th
Sr. Sammy Gross (OH) - State 3rd
So. Drew Hughes (IN) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Kent Lane (PA) - State 6th, FloNats 6th
So. Brent Moore (OH) - State 3rd
Jr. Jamel Morris (FL) - State 3rd, FloNats 7th
Sr. Jamal Morris (FL) - State Champ, FloNats 8th
So. Griffin Parriot (MN) - State 3rd
Jr. Connor Prince (FL) - State 3rd
Jr. Louie Sanders (MN) - State Champ
Sr. Will Steltzen (OK) - State Champ
Jr. Zehlin Storr (MI) - State Champ
Sr. Austin Strzelczyk (IL)
Sr. Zach Valley (PA) - State 4th, FloNats 5th
Sr. Chase Zemenak (PA) - State 6th
The Breakdown: This should be a war. No shortage of bona fide contenders and a few wild cards.
Kemerer made the finals each of his two years here, and Krivus won the title last year.
The real X-factor is Gary Wayne Harding. He wrestled exceptionally well in Fargo this summer but hasn't placed in Greensboro thus far.
It's interesting that there's a group of guys from non-traditional states that should all play a part in how this bracket shakes out. We have contenders from KY, WY, NE, and TN.
Tate Robinson has been out of significant action for a long time now. So it's difficult to predict what we'll see out of him.
Adams has been dealing with a broken hand, which forced him to default out of Fargo. He's coming off a GFC tournament where he was beaten by two unranked wrestlers, albeit up a weight.
I got a feeling Anthony Giraldo will make a deep run. Back down at 132, he'll be off good size. And he's coming off an ultra-productive summer.
There's another Okie (Keegan Moore) that should have a say. He hasn't had a lot of consistency, but he's slayed some of the top wrestlers in the country. Like when he beat Jo Jo Smith in state finals.
Watch out for the two PA boys, Zemenak and Valley, to make deep runs.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Krivus (PA) 2. Harding (OK) 3. Kemerer (PA) 4. Giraldo (NJ)
5. Robinson (TN) 6. Magaldo (NJ) 7. Meredith (WY) 8. Ervin (KY)
138: Entries - 154
Last Year’s Finals: Zain Retherford (PA) dec. Neal Malloy (IN), 5-0
2009 Finals: Josh Dziewa (PA) md. Jordan Beverly (NJ), 9-0
The Ranked:
#2-Sr. Jason Nolf (PA) - State Champ, Returning 3rd, FloNats Runner-Up
#7-Sr. Brock Zacherl (PA) - State 4th, FloNats 3rd
#11-Jr. Patrick Duggan (PA) - State Runner-Up, Fargo Runner-Up
#13-Jr. Josh Maruca (PA) - State 5th, Returning 6th
#14-Sr. Cody Lecount (IN) - State Champ, 2012 Fargo Runner-Up
#15-Sr. Tanner Bailey (OK) - State Champ, FILA AA
#16-Sr. Jonce Blaylock (OK) - State Champ, Fargo 6th
#20-Sr. Justin Oliver (MI) - State 3rd, FloNats 3rd
Darkhorses:
Jr. Myles Amine (MI) - State 3rd
Sr. Ian Brown (PA) - State 3rd
Sr. Cody Burcher (OH) - State 3rd
Jr. Zac Carson (OH) - State Runner-Up, FloNats 8th
Sr. Rodney Clevenger (MO) - State Runner-Up, Fargo GR Runner-Up
Sr. Justin Cooksey (NY) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Ben Harvey (IN) - State 3rd
Jr. Carver James (IL) - State 3rd
Jr. Patrick Lugo (FL)
Sr. Jesse Rogers (PA) - State 4th, FloNats 6th
Jr. Kyle Shoop (PA) - State 3rd
Sr. Ryan Skonieczny (OH) - State Runner-Up
So. Justin Thomas (CA) - State 4th
Jr. Max Thomsen (IA) - State Champ
Sr. Clay Walker (SC) - State Champ
The Breakdown: Nolf leads the way. On paper, he's the clear favorite. Since his FloNats final where he lost on a riding time point to Tyler Berger, his been on an absolute tear. He should beat all the ranked contenders, and there isn't much in the way from the darkhorse list that should prove a significant threat to him in the early rounds like you see in most other weights with that dynamic.
The next 'tier' goes from Zacherl to LeCount. I feel like any of them can emerge on any given day. Duggan, Zacherl, and Bailey should all be big as they dropped from higher weights for this tournament. In the end, I think it's Zacherl's time to shine.
There are a couple under-the-radar types I'm interested in seeing, and who you should keep an eye out for. Clay Walker, Max Thomsen, who Iowa folks rave about, and Ryan Skonieczny, who has the ability to throw a monkey wrench in this thing.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Nolf (PA) 2. Zacherl (PA) 3. LeCount (IN) 4. Duggan (PA)
5. Maruca (PA) 6. Burcher (OH) 7. Bailey (OK) 8. Skonieczny (OH)
145: Entries - 134
Last Year’s Finals: Grant Leeth (MO) inj. def. Solomon Chishko (PA)
2009 Finals: Josh Kindig (PA) dec. Stephen Dutton (NY), 9-3
The Ranked:
#3-Jr. Logan Massa (MI) - FILA Cadet 3rd, FILA JR 3rd, Returning 4th
#7-Sr. Alfred Bannister (MD) - National Prep Champ, Beast Champ
#8-Sr. Grant Leeth (MO) - Returning Champ, Fargo 5th, FloNats 5th
#15-Sr. Gary Dinmore (NJ) - 2x State Runner-Up
#18-Jr. Paden Bailey (OK) - State 3rd, Fila AA
#17-Sr. Phil Downing (CO) - State Champ
#19-Jr. Tommy Forte (IN) - State Champ
#20-Sr. Josh Reyes (OR) - 2x State Champ
Darkhorses:
Sr. Malik Amine (MI) - State Champ
Sr. Nick Bennett (MI) - State Champ
So. Tommy Bullard (GA) - State Champ
Jr. Ryan Burkert (NJ) - State 8th
Sr. Vinny Deprez (NY) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Tommy Dutton (NY) - State 4th
Sr. Francisco Fabozzi (PA) - State 5th
Jr. Frankie Garcia (NY) - State Runner-Up
Sr. Nick Gavazzi (PA) - State 6th
Sr. Toby Hague (MD) - National Prep Runner-Up, Returning 7th
Fr. James Handwerk (OH) - #25 Freshman
Sr. Aaron Hartman (FL) - State Runner-Up
Jr. DJ Hollingshead (PA) - Fargo 5th
Jr. Kade Kowalski (OH) - State 3rd
Sr. Mike Longo (CA) - State 6th
Sr. Chandler Pyke (GA) - State Champ
Jr. Jake Restrepo (NY) - Fargo 8th
Sr. Jake Spengler (FL) - State Champ
Jr. Jacob Trujillo (CO) - State Champ
*Note: #1-Solomon Chishko has scratched with chicken pox.
*Note: #2-Joey Galasso is out with a labrum tear.
The Breakdown: Three Top 10's and eight of the Top 20.
Leeth won in the finals last year when Chishko was hurt early in a scoreless match.
Last year I wrote several times that Logan Massa would take the jump from good to great, and he's made me look smart. He's firmly in the 'elite' category with several huge wins including one over Joey McKenna.
Bannister is an interesting guy, and this will be his toughest test ever. He's small, compact, and difficult to score on as he rarely comes out of position. His top-and-bottom are suspect though, and in a tournament of this caliber where 1pt. bouts are a norm, this will come in to play.
There are some other under-the-radar guys that could have an impact, but with the certainty of the guys at the top, the chances of any surprises are extremely limited.
Watch for Nick Bennett and Gary Dinmore. Both have some monster wins. But both have been inconsistent.
Also check out Reyes, an incredibly underrated commodity. And Handwerk. You'll know him sooner than later.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Massa (MI) 2. Bannister (MD) 3. Leeth 4. Bailey (OK)
5. Bennett (MI) 6. Dutton (NY) 7. Downing (CO) 8. Dinmore (NJ)
152: Entries - 106
Last Year’s Finals: Mark Hall (MN) dec. Garrett Hammond (PA), 8-5
2009 Finals: Colin Shober (PA) dec. Greg Amos (MO), 4-3
The Ranked:
#3-Sr. Fox Baldwin (FL) - Returning 3rd, 2012 FloNats Champ, 2012 Fargo Champ
#4-Sr. Jake Danishek (OH) - State Champ, Ironman Runner-Up
#7-Jr. Zach Kelly (PA) - National Prep Runner-Up, Fargo 3rd
#13-Sr. Louis Hernandez (NY) - State Champ
#16-Jr. Cody Hughes (ME) - State Champ
#18-Jr. Corbin Allen (VA) - State Runner-Up, Fargo 4th
#19-Jr. Jonathan Viruet (MA) - State Champ
Darkhorses:
So. Danny Bullard (GA) - State Champ
Jr. Kasey Caelwaerts (WI) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Colston DiBlasi (MO) - State Champ
Sr. Austin Eades (OK) - State Champ
Jr. Zack Hertling (NJ) - State 4th
Sr. Christian La Brie (RI) - State Champ
Sr. Tristan Macri (IN) - State 3rd
8th Cohlton Schultz (CO) - #3 Junior High
Sr. Tristan Sommer (FL) - State Champ
Jr. Cole Walter (PA) - State 7th
So. Owen Webster (MN) - State 4th
Sr. Chad Wickard (PA) - State 7th
The Breakdown: Very interesting weight class here with no real favorite and with a ton of guys lurking.
Baldwin should be a hammer here. But since he was injured in FloNationals quarters, he hasn't had a ton of competition under his belt. He did have some nice wins last week at the GFC, and that was up two weights.
Danishek made a name for himself last year at Ironman where he reached the finals, beating Dylan Milonas along the way.
Zack Kelly took a major leap with his gutsy 3rd place performance in Fargo this summer.
Those are clearly your top three contenders.
Watch out for Bullard who is among the best Sophomores in the country. And Louis Hernandez, A NYS big school state champ, can go with the best of them.
Oddly enough, there is a significant contingent from New England. Cody Hughes won NHSCA's. La Brie has posted legitimate wins. Viruet had an encouraging Fargo. And Cody Hughes won NHSCA's. Don't dismiss them just because of the state listed next to their names.
Although he's been inconsistent at times, I think Colston DiBlasi is a stud. He could rock the boat.
And watch out for Schultz, who just might be the best 8th grader in the country, and the next big thing. Guys like Kenny Courts and Chance Marsteller didn't place here as an 8th grader. Can Schultz?
Willie’s Picks: 1. Baldwin (FL) 2. Kelly (PA) 3. Danishek (OH) 4. Hernandez (NY) 5. Hughes (ME) 6. Bullard (GA) 7. Allen (VA) 8. Macri (IN)
160: Entries - 97
Last Year’s Finals: Isaiah Martinez (CA) dec. Josh Llopez (MD), 9-4
2009 Finals: Jackson Morse (MI) dec. Taylor Massa (MI), 3-2
The Ranked:
#2-Sr. Garrett Peppelman (PA) - 2x State Finalist, Returning 6th, Beast Champ
#6-Sr. John Schleifer (NJ) - State Runner-Up, FloNats Champ, Returning 3rd
#14-Sr. Logan Breitenbach (MD) - National Prep Placer, USAW Folk 3rd
#15-Sr. Christian Stackhouse (NJ) - Fargo 3rd
Darkhorses:
Sr. Jordan Atienza (MI) - State Runner-Up, FloNats 8th
Sr. Isaac Bast (OH) - State 8th
Jr. Andrew Doak (PA) - State 7th
Fr. Jelani Embree (MI) - #14 Freshman
Sr. Bobby Fehr (PA) - State 6th
Sr. Freddie Garcia (CA) - State 8th
Sr. Michael Hamilton (OK) - State Champ
Sr. Colton Jackson (FL) - State Champ
Sr. Jeric Kusanic (PA) - State 6th
Sr. Andrew La Brie (RI) - State Champ
Sr. Taylor Misuna (VA) - State Champ
Jr. Dayton Racer (MN) - State Champ
Sr. Austin Reese (OH) - State 5th
Jr. Dom Scalise (PA) - National Prep 3rd
So. Jake Shaffer (PA) - #45 Sophomore
The Breakdown: A little lighter here in terms of legitimate title contenders. Peppelman was within seconds of a finals berth last year where he lost to Llopez in the waning moments of their semi.
Him and FloNats Champ Schleifer are on a collision course. Schleifer just always finds a way to win, and I think he'll navigate his way to the finals.
Breitenbach has been steady, but without a real signature win. Stackhouse came out of nowhere to place 3rd at Fargo. So I think citing them as legitimate threats to Peppelman/Schleifer is a bit premature.
There are a few guys I like as darkhorses: Scalise, who's really coming into his own, Michael Hamilton, and 3x state placer Austin Reese.
Watch out for youngster Jake Shaffer.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Peppelman (PA) 2. Schleifer (NJ) 3. Scalise (PA) 4. Hamilton (OH)
5. Reese (OH) 6. Fehr (PA) 7. Stackhouse (NJ) 8. Breitenbach (MD)
170: Entries - 78
Last Year’s Finals: Cody Weircioch (PA) dec. Brett Harner (PA), 5-3
2009 Finals: Marshall Peppelman (PA) dec. John Guzzo (NJ), 6-2
The Ranked:
#1-Sr. Chance Marsteller (PA) - 3x Undefeated State Champ, 2011 S32 Champ
#6-Sr. Drew Garcia (MI) - 3x State Finalist, Fargo 7th
#10-Sr. Travis Linton (OH) - State Champ, FloNats 5th
#13-Sr. Ryan Harris (OH) - State Champ, Returning 7th
#15-Sr. Steven Schneider (NY) - State Runner-Up
Darkhorses:
Fr. Zane Black (PA) - #30 Freshman
Jr. Ty Demoss (IL) - Fargo 6th
Sr. Brad Drover (MA) - State Champ
Jr. Taylor Lujan (GA) - State Champ, FILA 4th
Sr. TJ O’Hara (MN) - State Runner-Up, Fargo AA
Sr. Jake Henson (GA) - State Champ
Sr. Adis Radoncic (NY) - State Champ
Sr. Bryce Pappas (MD) - 2x National Prep Placer
Jr. Ricky Regas (TX) - National Prep 7th
Sr. Austin Repp (MO) - State Champ
Sr. Nick Weldon (AL) - State Champ
Sr. Ty White (PA) - National Prep 3rd
Sr. Seth Williams (OH) - State Runner-Up
The Breakdown: There's Chance, and then there's everyone else. But the four ranked kids behind him are solid.
Garcia has been a staple on the national circuit for years. Linton has established himself as one fo the nation's best. And Harris and Schneider have really come on within the last year.
Harris placed last year and aSchneider is coming off a ranked win where he won a really solid Iron Horse bracket.
I've always been high on Lujan. He'll be in medal contention for sure. Adis Radoncic became the first kid from NY City to win a state title last year. But he's been up and down ever since.
A kid I think is drastically underrated is TJ O'Hara. I see him firmly planted in the medal race.
Alabama had a placer last year. Can they get one with Weldon? He had some great wins over the last year including one against #2-Nick Wanzek in Fargo.
Two guys you have to watch out for is Prep placer Regas and one of the best FR. in the country, Zane Black.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Marsteller (PA) 2. Garcia (MI) 3. Linton (OH) 4. Harris (OH)
5. O'Hara (MN) 6. Schneider (NY) 7. Weldon (AL) 8. Williams (OH)
182: Entries - 55
Last Year’s Finals: Jake Taylor (PA) dec. BJ Toal (OH), 3-1
2009 Finals: Tristan Warner (PA) dec. Levi Clemons (FL), 5-1
The Ranked:
#5-Sr. Lance Dixon (OK) - State Champ, Fargo 6th
#9-Sr. Zack Zavatsky (PA) - State 3rd, FloNats 3rd
#11-Sr. Tristan Sponseller (PA) - State Runner-Up
#12-Jr. Hunter Ritter (MD) - National Prep 3rd, Fargo 3rd
#14-Jr. Dylan Reynolds (PA) - State 4th
#17-Jr. Ty Wildmo (MI) - State 3rd
#19-Sr. Tom Sleigh (PA) - State 3rd, FloNats 6th
#20-Sr. Stephen Loiseau (PA) - State 5th
Darkhorses:
Sr. Josh Casperson (SD) - State Champ
PG - Nicky Hall (NY) - National Prep Champ
So. Jack Harris (OH) - State 5th, Fargo Runner-Up
Sr. Malik McDonald (NC) - State 3rd
Sr. Anthony McLaughlin (OH) - State 6th
Sr. Jose Ortiz (PA)
Sr. Luis Peguero (FL) - State Champ
Sr. Austin Price (VT) - State Champ
Sr. Armani Robinson (OH) - State 3rd, FILA AA
Sr. Ethan West (TN) - State Runner-Up
The Breakdown: Really good group here. Eight of the Top 20 is tough to get in a preseason event.
Leading the way is Dixon, who makes his first trip out east.
Pennsylvania has a bumper crop of 182's this season, all of whom have been on the precipice of a state title. Zavatsky's the most accomplished, but ability-wise, there's not all that much separation among them. I think Zavatsky's amazing ability to ride will serve him well in this tournament. Especially on Day I.
Loiseau has a win over Ritter.
Wildmo is coming off a breakout performance where he won the GFC in a really good weight class that included Fargo Runner-Up, Harris. Wildmo's brother, Roger, won the S32 two years ago.
Nicky Hall is a Post Grad that won National Preps last year at 170.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Dixon (OK) 2. Zavatsky (PA) 3. Sleigh (PA) 4. Sponseller (PA)
5. Wildmo (MI) 6. Loiseau (PA) 7. Hall (PA) 8. Reynolds (PA)
195: Entries - 50
Last Year’s Finals: Matt McCutcheon (PA) dec. Ray O’Donnell (PA), 4-1
2009 Finals: Antonio Giorgio (PA) dec. Stephen McPeek (TX), 12-6
The Ranked:
#2-Sr. Chip Ness (GA) - 3x State Champ, FloNats and Fargo Runner-Up, S32 4th
#3-Sr. Nathan Rose (MN) - 2x State Champ
#4-Sr. Derek White (OK) - State Champ, Fargo 3rd
#5-Sr. Joel Dixon (OK) - State Champ, Fargo Runner-Up
Darkhorses:
Jr. Ronaldo Abreau (FL) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Gavin Brown (GA) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Christian Colucci (NJ)
So. Matt Correnti (NJ) - State 8th, Fargo 3rd
Sr. Corey Damiana (NJ)
Sr. Christian Dulaney (MN) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Bailey Faust (OH) - FloNats 8th, Fargo 4th
Sr. Anthony Mancini (DE) - State Champ
Sr. Ralph Normandia (NJ) - State 3rd
So. Drew Phipps (PA)
Sr. Teddy Warren (MI) - State Champ, FloNats 8th
The Breakdown: Talk about top heavy. 4 of the Top 5 in America are here.
Chip Ness had a breakout tournament here last year, showing the grittiness to win the close ones.
The next three are all interesting cases. Rose is a hammer, and he owns a win over the current #1-Lance Benick. But he hasn't hit too many major tournaments. This will be a big event for him and his ranking.
White and Dixon are teammates at Edmond North. Both of them had fantastic performances at Fargo. I was especially impressed with White's toughness. He's not the most technical, but man, is he a grinder.
While PA had a massive group at 182, NJ checks in with a gang of contenders at 195.
Willie’s Picks: 1. White (OK) 2. Rose (MN) 3. Ness (GA) 4. Dixon (OK)
5. Normandia (NJ) 6. Correnti (NJ) 7. Damiana (NJ) 8. Faust (OH)
220: Entries - 41
Last Year’s Finals: Kyle Snyder (MD) dec. Thomas Haines (PA), 8-4
2009 Finals: Jamie Callender (PA) dec. Harrison Honeycutt (NC), 9-2
The Ranked:
#3-Sr. Andrew Dixon (OK) - State Champ, Fargo AA
#5-So. Jordan Wood (PA) - State and FloNats Runner-Up, Double Fargo AA, Returning 4th
#16-Sr. Trent Allen (NC) - State 3rd, Returning 6th
Darkhorses:
Sr. Ben Cruz (FL) - State Runner-Up
Jr. James Ford (OH) - Fargo GR AA
Sr. Christian Jenco (NJ) - Returning 3rd, Fargo and FILA AA
Jr. John Kramer (TN) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Deaken McCoy (OH)
Sr. Matt Moore (GA) - State Runner-Up
Sr. Jake Temple (PA) - State 4th
Sr. Jerry Thornberry (OH) - State 8th
The Breakdown: Can Jordan Wood make the next leap? He had a breakout tournament right here in Greensboro last year when he reached the 3rd place match as a Freshmen. He backed that up for an entire year. His losses in major tournaments have only been to the elite (Derrick Jones at FloNationals. Thomas Haines at the state tournament. And his only two defeats in Fargo came to #1-Benick).
He's the real deal, but still makes some youngster mistakes. That might be the difference against the upperclassman, Dixon, who was a Fargo AA in 2012.
If someone were to thwart the potential Dixon-Wood showdown, it might be Thornberry or Temple.
Thornberry has wrestled elite competition his entire career and wrestles physical. Temple is an under-the-radar kid with lots of potential.
Jenco has great international style credentials, but he hasn't put it together in folk. We'll see if that changes this weekend.
Also watch for John Kramer, an emerging talent from Tennessee.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Dixon (OK) 2. Wood (PA) 3. Thornberry (OH) 4. Allen (NC)
5. Temple (PA) 6. Kramer (TN) 7. Jenco (NJ) 8. Moore (GA)
HWT: Entries - 34
Last Year’s Finals: Jesse Webb (VT) dec. Luke Fleck (PA), 9-4
2009 Finals: Henry Chrino (FL) dec. Donovan Green (FL), 2-1
The Ranked:
#14-Sr. Patrick Garren (OH) - State Champ, Returning 5th
#15-Sr. Jesse Webb (VT) -Returning Champ, Double Fargo AA
#16-Sr. Jake Scanlan (IA) - State 4th, Fargo 6th
Darkhorses:
Sr. Alex Ashley (GA) - State Champ
Jr. Andrew Dunn (PA) - State 6th
Sr. Gavin Jolley-Little (PA) - Double FILA AA
Sr. Chris McDermand (IL) - Fargo GR AA
Sr. Nick Nader (OH) - FILA Cadet Runner-Up
Sr. Logan Turner (VA) - State 3rd, Returning 6th
*Note: Thomas Haines has scratched.
The Breakdown: A good core of heavies is led by the returning Champ, Webb, and a two-time finalist in Haines.
Webb is a steady wrestler who places in everything. He had a great Fargo in which he medaled in both styles. However, he's prone to taken losses here and there against opposition you wouldn't think he'd lose to.
Haines won a title at 220 in 2011 before taking 2nd to Kyle Snyder last year at that weight. He now moves up to heavyweight where everyone will be watching how he handles the bump. I think he'll be fine. He's always been one of the most athletic 220's and that should help him have success at his new weight.
A guy I really like (and recruiters, take note. He's still unsigned.) is Patrick Garren. I'll take him to get to the finals opposite Haines.
Scanlan is a Wyoming Seminary transplant from Southeast Polk, Iowa. He'll definitely be in the mix. He's posted several quality wins over the course of his career, including at Fargo this summer.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Garren (OH) 2. Webb (VT) 3. Scanlan (IA) 4. Ashley (GA)
5. Turner (VA) 6. Dunn (PA) 7. Jolley-Little (IN) 8. Nader (OH)
Super 32 History:
Multiple Belts
1. Jordan Frishkorn, VA (3) 2001-2002, 2004
1. Chris Brown, VA (3) 2002-2004
1. Patrick Bond, VA (3) 2002-2004
1. Ashtin Primus, PA (3) 2002-2004
1. Sam Brownlee, PA (3) 2006-2008
2. Marcus Boyd, NC (2) 2001-2002
2. Dusty McKinney, NC (2) 2001, 2003
2. Vincent Ramirez, NC (2) 2001, 2003
2. Domenic Denunzio, FL (2) 2002, 2003
2. Bryan Lashomb, NC (2) 2003-2004
2. Kenny Lester, FL (2) 2003-2004
2. Cody Gardner, VA (2) 2004-2005
2. Nick Murray, NJ (2) 2004, 2006
2. Collin Dozier, VA (2) 2005-2006
2. Nick Nelson, PA (2) 2005-2006
2. Luke Silver, TX (2) 2005-2006
2. Eric Grajales, FL (2) 2005, 2007
2. Eric Cubberly, OH (2) 2006-2007
2. David Taylor, OH (2) 2006, 2008
2. Devin Carter, VA (2) 2008-2009
2. Josh Dziewa, PA (2) 2007, 2009
2. Jackson Morse, MI (2) 2008-2009
2. Marshall Peppelman, PA (2) 2008-2009
2. Antonio Giorgio, PA (2) 2008-2009
2. Anthony Ashnault, VA (2) 2010-2011
2. Alex Cisneros, CA (2) 2008, 2011
2. Joey Dance, VA (2) 2009, 2012
2. Cody Wiercioch, PA (2) 2010, 2012
Four-Time Finalist
Ashtin Primus, PA (1, 1, 1, 2) 2002-2005
Joey Dance, VA (1, 2, 2, 1) 2009-2012
Super 32 Placers that were NCAA DI Champions
- John Reader, Iowa State
- Jordan Oliver, Oklahoma State
- Bubba Jenkins, Arizona State
- Ed Ruth, Penn State
- Dustin Kilgore, Kent State
- Cam Simaz, Cornell
- David Taylor, Penn State
Super 32 Placers that were NCAA DI All Americans
- Chris Brown, Old Dominion
- Tyler Nauman, Pitt
- Scotti Sentes, Central Michigan
- Raymond Jordan, Missouri
- Nic Bedelyon, Kent State
- Walter Peppelman, Harvard
- Frank Perrelli, Cornell
- Jarrod Garnett, Virginia Tech
- Jordan Blanton, Illinois
- Chris Honeycutt, Edinboro
- AJ Schopp, Edinboro
- Devin Carter, Virginia Tech
- Tyler Cox, Wyoming
- Zach Neibert, Virginia Tech
- Steve Bonnano, Hofstra
- Tony Ramos, Iowa
- RJ Pena, Oregon State
- Ivan Loupochanski, Purdue
- Alan Waters, Missouri
- Mitchell Port, Edinboro
- Chris Dardanes, Minnesota
- Drake Houdashelt, Missouri
- Dylan Alton, Penn State
- Nick Brascetta, Virginia Tech
- Nick Gwiazdowski, Binghamton/NC State
*Note: From 2000-2004 only Top 4 were awarded at Super 32. From 2005-2006, Top 6 were awarded. From to present, Top 8 place. For instance, Kyle Dake would have been in the 7th place match as a Sophomore in 2006.
Get ready for the season! Get ready for another historic year at the Super 32, where the action is awesome from the opening whistle and there's chaos everywhere. The quarterfinals on Saturday morning are one of the great rounds of wrestling. Undoubtedly, one of my favorite events of the year.
Watch LIVE on FLO PRO.
Willie Saylor, Editor
There isn't anything quite like the Super 32.
Now in its 15th year, the Super 32 morphed the way a great tournament should: organically.
The competition got better every year. Word spread, attracting more and more talent. And now we have this. A monolith of a wrestling tournament. An annual retreat and pilgrammage of sorts where all the best wrestlers in the country flock. Where college coaches occupy every corner of the Greensboro Coliseum.
Somewhere, right now, there's a kid no one expects to crack the Top 8, training for this tournament with all he's got. We'll find out who that kid is this weekend. We do every year.
There are early round upsets, ranked wrestlers going head-to-head everywhere. At the end of Day I, everyone scours through the brackets to make sense of it all. And when we wake up Sunday morning, we know what we're going to get.
The quarterfinals, run on four consecutive mats for all the fans to take in at once, is one of the truly great rounds of wrestling at any level.
When the dust settles, the crowd surrounds the finals mat, someone makes history and walks away with the belt.
Here you'll find a preview of every weight complete with contenders, darkhorses, past performances, commentary, and dose of history. At the end is a sort of Hall of Fame list for Super 32 alumni.
Ladies and Gentleman, the season is upon us.
The Biggest, Baddest Super 32 Preview Ever-
*Note: Some changes in weight and scratches have been reported to me, thus the discrepency from the registration list.
106: Entries - 136
Last Year’s Finals: Nick Suriano (NJ) dec. Spencer Lee (PA), 4-3
2009 Finals: Joey Dance (VA) dec. Freddie Rodriguez (MI), 6-4
The Ranked:
#2-So. Tyler Warner (OH) - State Champ
#3-Fr. Yianni Diakomahalis (NY) - State Champ
#4-Jr. Devin Brown (PA) - FILA Cadet Champ
#5-So. Gage Curry (PA) - FloNationals 3rd
#9-Sr. Chris Lacayo (CA) - USAW Folk Champ
#10-Luke Karam (PA) - Fargo 3rd, State Runner-Up
#12-Danny Vega (AZ) - Fargo Champ
#14-So. Joey Prata (VA) - State Runner-Up, Fargo GR Champ
#15-So. Ty Agaisse (NJ) - State 7th
#20-Brent Jones (MN) - Fila 3rd Fargo 3rd
Darkhorses:
So. John Busiello (PA) - New York State 3rd
Sr. Chris Cuccolo (NY) - 3x Fargo AA
Fr. Austin Desanto (PA) - #50 Freshman
So. Tony Decesare (OH) - State 6th
So. Matt Devincenzo (NY) - State Runner-Up
So. Ben Freeman (MI) - Fargo 6th
So. Ian Parker (MI) - State Runner-Up, Fargo 5th
Fr. Paxton Rosen (OK) - #33 Freshman
8th Sammy Sasso (PA) - #26 Junior High
*Note: Jack Mueller will move up to 113.
*Note: Rudy Yates has scratched with injury.
The Breakdown: A loaded weight class right off the bat with 11 of the Top 20 including 7 of the Top 10.
The guy I think you have to watch here though is Curry. He’s wrestling extremely well and beat Yates at FloNationals. I like him as the finalist opposite Mueller. The caveat is seeding. How will it shake out?
I’m really interested in seeing Warner. He won a solid bracket at the state tournament last year. He doesn’t have many losses, but he doesn’t have many big wins either. It will be a referendum for him.
Vega was also impressive in Fargo. But him and Jones will be a bit undersized.
Newbies: PA has a history of placing 8th at S32. The contender to do that this year is Sasso, who’s really coming on strong. Look for him and Desanto to make some noise and contend for a medal. But the new name on the scene that I think will surprise the most is Rosen. Keep an eye on him.
The wildcard here is Yianni. He’ll be a big 106 (as will Karam). I fully expect him to make a deep run. He had a win over Curry in the quarters at FloNats.
I’m not picking Brown to place. He’s the kind of kid that can beat anyone at any time. But he has trouble putting together an entire tournament. Let’s see if he can stay consistent over two days in Greensboro.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Curry (PA) 2. Diakomihalis (NY) 3. Warner (OH) 4. Karam (PA) 5. Rosen (OK) 6. Sasso (PA) 7. Lacayo 8. Brown (PA)
113: Entries - 150
Last Year’s Finals: Ryan Millhof (GA) dec. Sean Russell (GA), 1-0
2009 Finals: Jerome Robinson (OH) dec. Brandon Jeske (VA), 3-2
The Ranked:
#1-So. Nick Suriano (NJ) - Returning Champ, Beast Champ, State Champ
#2-Fr. Spencer Lee (PA) - Returning Runner-Up, FloNats Runner-Up, Fila Cadet Champ
#6-Jr. Jose Rodriguez (OH) - State Champ, Returning 4th, Ironman Runner-Up
#7-So. Kyle Norstrem (FL) - State Champ, Fila Cadet GR Champ
#8-Fr. Eric Hong (PA) - FloNats 4th, Fargo 4th
#11-So. Jack Mueller (TX) - Fargo Champ, Nat. Prep Champ
#12-So. Chad Red (IN) - State Champ, Returning 7th
#15-So. Ethan McCoy (PA) - National Prep Runner-Up, FloNats 7th
#16-Sr. Isaac Jimenez (TX) - Double Fargo AA
#18-Jr. Christian Moody (OK) - State Champ
Darkhorses:
Fr. Vitali Arajau (NY) - State Runner-Up
So. Edward Chalifoux (TN) - State Runner-Up, Fargo 7th
So. Dylan Chatterton (PA) - State 5th
Fr. Colin Cronin (PA) - #45 Freshman
Sr. Hayden Lee (IN) - Returning 8th
8th Joe Lee (IN) - #39 Junior High
So. Michael Murphy (TN) - State Champ, Fargo 3rd
Sr. Brandon Olsen (VA) - Returning 5th
Jr. Garrett Pepple (IN) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Kyle Quinn (NY) - State Champ
Fr. Gus Solomon (PA) - #46 Freshman
So. Jacob Speiss (OH) - State Champ
Jr. Eli Stickley (OH) - State 3rd, Ironman Champ
So. Kanen Storr (MI) - State Champ
Jr. Doyle Trout (NE) - State Champ
The Breakdown: As talented as this field is (with nine ranked kids), this bracket is about either Redemption or Reprise. Capital “R”.
Suriano beat Spencer Lee in a barnburner of a final last year in Greensboro. And he has ran the slate ever since.
Lee wants this one bad. And I’d say he’s more of a lock to make the finals than Suriano is.
There’s really three or four other guys I’d say are in the ‘next tier’: Red, Rodriguez, Norstrem, and Moody. With the exception of Moody, the other three should be pretty darn huge for the weight.
At National Preps, Mueller looked like a good prospect. At Fargo, he was a juggernaut. He's hit a new personal level. The question is: will he be big enough?
Although he’s ranked 17th, I like Moody to pull some upsets and place well higher than the general public expects. I’d like to get risky and pick Moody to take out Suriano. But Suriano is just so mentally tough and wrestles such a grinding and ’safe’ style, I’m shying away from calling it.
Oddly enough, there are usually a couple unranked kids I can pull in and identify as legitimate contenders to place. But in this particular weight, I see a clear differential between the ranked and the unranked. It would be quite surprising to see more than one work their way on to the podium if seeds are what I expect them to be.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Lee (PA) 2. Suriano (NJ) 3. Moody (OK) 4. Mueller (TX)
5. Red (IN) 6. Rodriguez (OH) 7. Norstrem (FL) 8. Hong (PA)
120: Entries - 166
Last Year’s Finals: Sam Krivus (PA) dec. Josh Alber (IL), 5-1
2009 Finals: Chris Mecate (CA) dec. Mike Rhone (PA), 3-0
The Ranked:
#1-Sr. Sean Russell (GA) - State Champ, Returning Runner-Up
#4-Nick Piccininni (NY) - State Champ, FloNats Runner-Up
#6-Sr. Brent Fleetwood (DE) - Returning 4th, Fargo 3rd
#7-So. Luke Pletcher (PA) - State Champ, Returning 3rd, FloNats Champ
#10-Sr. Luis Gonzalez (NJ) - State Champ
#12-So. Mickey Phillippi (PA) - State Champ, FloNats 6th
#13-Sr. Kyle Akins (IL) - Fargo 3rd, State Champ, FloNats 7th
#14-Jake Gromacki (PA) - 2x FloNationals AA, Returning 8th
#17-So. Mitchell McKee (MN) - Fargo Runner-Up
#20-Jr. Chris Debien (TN) - USAW Folk Runner-Up
Darkhorses:
Sr. Thayer Atkins (TX) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Weston Basler (MO - State 3rd
Sr. David Bavery (OH) - State 3rd, Ironman 7th
Jr. Nick Casella (NY) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Anthony Cefolo (NJ) - State Champ
Fr. Quinn Devaney (MD) - #40 Freshman
AC Headlee (PA) - Returning 7th
So. Josh Heil (OH) - State 3rd
Sr. Tyrone Klump (PA) - State 3rd, FloNationals 5th
Fr. Todd Lane (PA) - #23 Freshman
Jr. Tristan Law (PA) - State 6th
Fr. Ty Lucas (FL) - #12 Freshman
So. Alex Mackall (OH) - Fargo 5th, Ironman 4th
Jr. Korbin Myers (PA) - State 3rd
Sr. Ty Pelot (WI) - State 3rd
Sr. Skyler Petry (MN) - State 3rd
Sr. Stephen Polakowski (IL) - PSN Runner-Up, Fargo AA
Jr. Steven Simpson (MD) - National Prep 3rd
Jr. Mason Smith (MI) - State Champ
Sr. Cam Timok (VA) - State Champ
Sr. Armando Torres (OH) - State Runner-Up, Fargo 7th
So. Taylor Venz (MN) - State Champ
*Note: Stevan Micic has scratched. Markus Simmons is out with injury.
The Breakdown: This group has both elite talent at the top and a bounty of depth.
Brent Fleetwood looked as good as I’ve ever seen him was at Fargo . Yes, he was pinned by an unranked wrestler. But that was an aberration. He was slick, quick, and looking to score.
Then you have a group that all wrestle similar styles. Piccininni, Pletcher, and Russell are all savvy, tactical types. (Throw Phillippi into that group too).
Whether or not the brackets get shaken up will ride on the performances of two guys, in my opinion. Akins and Gromacki should be considered the wild cards. If they pull off a major upset or two, things could get interesting.
Another factor will be if Pletcher's size. Technically, he's as good as anyone. But will he be big enough. It should help him that some of the best in the weight (Russell/Fleetwood) aren't big either.
I put him a notch above the Russell-Piccininni-Fleetwood tier. And odds are, Pletcher will be too small to get through so many good matches against comparable competition. I think he’s a much better talent than what he’ll place here. Just too small right now.
Piccininni posted a win over Phillippi at Journeymen. He’s been wrestling so well. I’ll take him opposite .
Willie’s Picks: 1. Piccininni (NY) 2. Russell (GA) 3. Pletcher (PA) 4. Fleetwood (DE)
5. Akins (IL) 6. Gromacki (PA) 7. Phillippi (PA) 8. Klump (PA)
126: Entries - 163
Last Year’s Finals: Joey Dance (VA) dec. Michael Kemerer (PA), 4-3
2009 Finals: Devin Carter (VA) md. Brandon Wright (IN), 13-4
The Ranked:
#4-Sr. Ryan Millhof (GA) - State Champ, Returning Champ
#6-Sr. Tommy Thorn (MN) - State Champ, Fargo Champ
#9-Sr. Zeke Moisey (PA) - 2x State Runner-Up, 2012 FloNats Champ
#10-Jr. Jared Prince (FL) - State Champ, Returning 5th, FloNats 3rd
#13-Sr. Dalton Macri (PA) - State Runner-Up, Ironman 5th
#19-Sr. Trae Blackwell (KY) - State Champ, USAW Folk Champ
#20-Jr. Davion Jeffries (OK) - State Champ, Fargo AA
Darkhorses:
So. Shae Bloom (PA) - FloNats 6th
So. Kevin Budock (MD) - National Prep Runner-Up
Sr. James Flint (FL) - State Runner-Up, Returning 8th
Sr. Dom Forys (PA) - State 5th, Fargo AA
So. Hayden Hidley (PA) - Double Fargo Finalist
Sr. Christian Innarella (NJ) - State 3rd, Returning 8th
Sr. Kevin Jack (CT) - State Champ, Returning 6th
Jr. Brandon James (IN) - State 5th, Returning 8th
Jr. Cam Kelly (OH) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Dylan Lucas (FL) - State Champ
Jr. Lincoln Olson (MI) - State Champ
Sr. Travis Passaro (NY) - State 3rd, FloNats 8th
Sr. Justin Patrick (PA) - State 4th
Jr. Eli Seiple (OH) - State Champ
Sr. Anthony Tutolo (OH) - State Champ
Sr. Zach Ulerick (PA) - State Placer
Sr. Deondre Wilson (IN) - State Champ
*Note: Josh Alber is out with injury.
The Breakdown: If there’s one weight that could make any prognosticator look silly, it’s this weight. And there’s a plentitude of reasons for that.
1. From top to bottom, there’s not much separation. Even from the Honorable mentions all the way up to the highest ranked guys, there’s not a whole lot of clear differentiation in skill level or results.
2. For whatever reason, this whole group wrestles close matches. Even when they win, it’s close.
3. Inconsistency. Tommy Thorn will probably be your top seed. But even he is prone to some head-scratching losses. He won two straight Fargo’s before DNP’ing this summer.
This weight will come down to a TON of one-score, one-point matches.
Millhof, Moisey, Macri, Prince. Their matches are always 3-2, 2-1, etc. (Moisey just beat Prince, 2-1, last week). A lot of it will come down to mental toughness and the ability to win close matches in repetition.
From the talent side of things, I think Thorn is probably the best in the group. But can he run the table without stubbing his tow somewhere along the line?
Gimme Millhof, who proved he could do that last year, to get back on top. I’ll Alber as a Runner-up for the second year in a row.
Watch out for Davion Jeffries. He’s a great talent that’s ranked low simply because he’s up two weights from the regular season when he last competed.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Millhof (GA) 2. Thorn (MN) 3. Moisey (PA) 4. Jeffries (OK)
5. Prince (FL) 6. Macri (PA) 7. Lucas (FL) 8. Tutolo (OH)
132: Entries - 167
Last Year’s Finals: Dean Heil (OH) dec. Aaron Pico (CA), 11-9 OT
2009 Finals: Frank Cagnina (NJ) dec. Jason Tsirtsis (IN), 3-1
The Ranked:
#4-Jr. Michael Kemerer (PA) - 2x State Runner-Up, 2x S32 Finalist
#5-Sr. Gary Wayne Harding (OK) - 3x State Champ, Fargo 3rd
#6-Jr. Sam Krivus (PA) - State Champ, Returning Champ, FloNats Champ
#8-Sr. Brock Ervin (KY) - State Champ, Ironman 5th
#10-Sr. Tate Robinson (TN) - State Champ, Fargo AA
#13-Sr. Anthony Giraldo (NJ) - State Champ, FILA GR Champ
#14-Sr. Mike Magaldo (NJ) - State 3rd, FloNats 3rd
#16-Sr. Bryce Meredith (WY) - State Champ, Fargo 3rd
#17-Sr. Colton Adams (NE) - State Champ, Ironman 3rd
#18-Jr. Keegan Moore (OK) - State Champ
#20-Sr. Coy Ozias (VA) - State Champ, Returning 6th, Ironman 4th
Darkhorses:
Jr. Tommy Cash (IN)
Fr. Cameron Coy (PA) - #20 Freshman
Sr. Will Crisco (CT) - Fila AA
Sr. Colby Ems (PA) - Returning 7th
Sr. Sammy Gross (OH) - State 3rd
So. Drew Hughes (IN) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Kent Lane (PA) - State 6th, FloNats 6th
So. Brent Moore (OH) - State 3rd
Jr. Jamel Morris (FL) - State 3rd, FloNats 7th
Sr. Jamal Morris (FL) - State Champ, FloNats 8th
So. Griffin Parriot (MN) - State 3rd
Jr. Connor Prince (FL) - State 3rd
Jr. Louie Sanders (MN) - State Champ
Sr. Will Steltzen (OK) - State Champ
Jr. Zehlin Storr (MI) - State Champ
Sr. Austin Strzelczyk (IL)
Sr. Zach Valley (PA) - State 4th, FloNats 5th
Sr. Chase Zemenak (PA) - State 6th
The Breakdown: This should be a war. No shortage of bona fide contenders and a few wild cards.
Kemerer made the finals each of his two years here, and Krivus won the title last year.
The real X-factor is Gary Wayne Harding. He wrestled exceptionally well in Fargo this summer but hasn't placed in Greensboro thus far.
It's interesting that there's a group of guys from non-traditional states that should all play a part in how this bracket shakes out. We have contenders from KY, WY, NE, and TN.
Tate Robinson has been out of significant action for a long time now. So it's difficult to predict what we'll see out of him.
Adams has been dealing with a broken hand, which forced him to default out of Fargo. He's coming off a GFC tournament where he was beaten by two unranked wrestlers, albeit up a weight.
I got a feeling Anthony Giraldo will make a deep run. Back down at 132, he'll be off good size. And he's coming off an ultra-productive summer.
There's another Okie (Keegan Moore) that should have a say. He hasn't had a lot of consistency, but he's slayed some of the top wrestlers in the country. Like when he beat Jo Jo Smith in state finals.
Watch out for the two PA boys, Zemenak and Valley, to make deep runs.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Krivus (PA) 2. Harding (OK) 3. Kemerer (PA) 4. Giraldo (NJ)
5. Robinson (TN) 6. Magaldo (NJ) 7. Meredith (WY) 8. Ervin (KY)
138: Entries - 154
Last Year’s Finals: Zain Retherford (PA) dec. Neal Malloy (IN), 5-0
2009 Finals: Josh Dziewa (PA) md. Jordan Beverly (NJ), 9-0
The Ranked:
#2-Sr. Jason Nolf (PA) - State Champ, Returning 3rd, FloNats Runner-Up
#7-Sr. Brock Zacherl (PA) - State 4th, FloNats 3rd
#11-Jr. Patrick Duggan (PA) - State Runner-Up, Fargo Runner-Up
#13-Jr. Josh Maruca (PA) - State 5th, Returning 6th
#14-Sr. Cody Lecount (IN) - State Champ, 2012 Fargo Runner-Up
#15-Sr. Tanner Bailey (OK) - State Champ, FILA AA
#16-Sr. Jonce Blaylock (OK) - State Champ, Fargo 6th
#20-Sr. Justin Oliver (MI) - State 3rd, FloNats 3rd
Darkhorses:
Jr. Myles Amine (MI) - State 3rd
Sr. Ian Brown (PA) - State 3rd
Sr. Cody Burcher (OH) - State 3rd
Jr. Zac Carson (OH) - State Runner-Up, FloNats 8th
Sr. Rodney Clevenger (MO) - State Runner-Up, Fargo GR Runner-Up
Sr. Justin Cooksey (NY) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Ben Harvey (IN) - State 3rd
Jr. Carver James (IL) - State 3rd
Jr. Patrick Lugo (FL)
Sr. Jesse Rogers (PA) - State 4th, FloNats 6th
Jr. Kyle Shoop (PA) - State 3rd
Sr. Ryan Skonieczny (OH) - State Runner-Up
So. Justin Thomas (CA) - State 4th
Jr. Max Thomsen (IA) - State Champ
Sr. Clay Walker (SC) - State Champ
The Breakdown: Nolf leads the way. On paper, he's the clear favorite. Since his FloNats final where he lost on a riding time point to Tyler Berger, his been on an absolute tear. He should beat all the ranked contenders, and there isn't much in the way from the darkhorse list that should prove a significant threat to him in the early rounds like you see in most other weights with that dynamic.
The next 'tier' goes from Zacherl to LeCount. I feel like any of them can emerge on any given day. Duggan, Zacherl, and Bailey should all be big as they dropped from higher weights for this tournament. In the end, I think it's Zacherl's time to shine.
There are a couple under-the-radar types I'm interested in seeing, and who you should keep an eye out for. Clay Walker, Max Thomsen, who Iowa folks rave about, and Ryan Skonieczny, who has the ability to throw a monkey wrench in this thing.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Nolf (PA) 2. Zacherl (PA) 3. LeCount (IN) 4. Duggan (PA)
5. Maruca (PA) 6. Burcher (OH) 7. Bailey (OK) 8. Skonieczny (OH)
145: Entries - 134
Last Year’s Finals: Grant Leeth (MO) inj. def. Solomon Chishko (PA)
2009 Finals: Josh Kindig (PA) dec. Stephen Dutton (NY), 9-3
The Ranked:
#3-Jr. Logan Massa (MI) - FILA Cadet 3rd, FILA JR 3rd, Returning 4th
#7-Sr. Alfred Bannister (MD) - National Prep Champ, Beast Champ
#8-Sr. Grant Leeth (MO) - Returning Champ, Fargo 5th, FloNats 5th
#15-Sr. Gary Dinmore (NJ) - 2x State Runner-Up
#18-Jr. Paden Bailey (OK) - State 3rd, Fila AA
#17-Sr. Phil Downing (CO) - State Champ
#19-Jr. Tommy Forte (IN) - State Champ
#20-Sr. Josh Reyes (OR) - 2x State Champ
Darkhorses:
Sr. Malik Amine (MI) - State Champ
Sr. Nick Bennett (MI) - State Champ
So. Tommy Bullard (GA) - State Champ
Jr. Ryan Burkert (NJ) - State 8th
Sr. Vinny Deprez (NY) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Tommy Dutton (NY) - State 4th
Sr. Francisco Fabozzi (PA) - State 5th
Jr. Frankie Garcia (NY) - State Runner-Up
Sr. Nick Gavazzi (PA) - State 6th
Sr. Toby Hague (MD) - National Prep Runner-Up, Returning 7th
Fr. James Handwerk (OH) - #25 Freshman
Sr. Aaron Hartman (FL) - State Runner-Up
Jr. DJ Hollingshead (PA) - Fargo 5th
Jr. Kade Kowalski (OH) - State 3rd
Sr. Mike Longo (CA) - State 6th
Sr. Chandler Pyke (GA) - State Champ
Jr. Jake Restrepo (NY) - Fargo 8th
Sr. Jake Spengler (FL) - State Champ
Jr. Jacob Trujillo (CO) - State Champ
*Note: #1-Solomon Chishko has scratched with chicken pox.
*Note: #2-Joey Galasso is out with a labrum tear.
The Breakdown: Three Top 10's and eight of the Top 20.
Leeth won in the finals last year when Chishko was hurt early in a scoreless match.
Last year I wrote several times that Logan Massa would take the jump from good to great, and he's made me look smart. He's firmly in the 'elite' category with several huge wins including one over Joey McKenna.
Bannister is an interesting guy, and this will be his toughest test ever. He's small, compact, and difficult to score on as he rarely comes out of position. His top-and-bottom are suspect though, and in a tournament of this caliber where 1pt. bouts are a norm, this will come in to play.
There are some other under-the-radar guys that could have an impact, but with the certainty of the guys at the top, the chances of any surprises are extremely limited.
Watch for Nick Bennett and Gary Dinmore. Both have some monster wins. But both have been inconsistent.
Also check out Reyes, an incredibly underrated commodity. And Handwerk. You'll know him sooner than later.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Massa (MI) 2. Bannister (MD) 3. Leeth 4. Bailey (OK)
5. Bennett (MI) 6. Dutton (NY) 7. Downing (CO) 8. Dinmore (NJ)
152: Entries - 106
Last Year’s Finals: Mark Hall (MN) dec. Garrett Hammond (PA), 8-5
2009 Finals: Colin Shober (PA) dec. Greg Amos (MO), 4-3
The Ranked:
#3-Sr. Fox Baldwin (FL) - Returning 3rd, 2012 FloNats Champ, 2012 Fargo Champ
#4-Sr. Jake Danishek (OH) - State Champ, Ironman Runner-Up
#7-Jr. Zach Kelly (PA) - National Prep Runner-Up, Fargo 3rd
#13-Sr. Louis Hernandez (NY) - State Champ
#16-Jr. Cody Hughes (ME) - State Champ
#18-Jr. Corbin Allen (VA) - State Runner-Up, Fargo 4th
#19-Jr. Jonathan Viruet (MA) - State Champ
Darkhorses:
So. Danny Bullard (GA) - State Champ
Jr. Kasey Caelwaerts (WI) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Colston DiBlasi (MO) - State Champ
Sr. Austin Eades (OK) - State Champ
Jr. Zack Hertling (NJ) - State 4th
Sr. Christian La Brie (RI) - State Champ
Sr. Tristan Macri (IN) - State 3rd
8th Cohlton Schultz (CO) - #3 Junior High
Sr. Tristan Sommer (FL) - State Champ
Jr. Cole Walter (PA) - State 7th
So. Owen Webster (MN) - State 4th
Sr. Chad Wickard (PA) - State 7th
The Breakdown: Very interesting weight class here with no real favorite and with a ton of guys lurking.
Baldwin should be a hammer here. But since he was injured in FloNationals quarters, he hasn't had a ton of competition under his belt. He did have some nice wins last week at the GFC, and that was up two weights.
Danishek made a name for himself last year at Ironman where he reached the finals, beating Dylan Milonas along the way.
Zack Kelly took a major leap with his gutsy 3rd place performance in Fargo this summer.
Those are clearly your top three contenders.
Watch out for Bullard who is among the best Sophomores in the country. And Louis Hernandez, A NYS big school state champ, can go with the best of them.
Oddly enough, there is a significant contingent from New England. Cody Hughes won NHSCA's. La Brie has posted legitimate wins. Viruet had an encouraging Fargo. And Cody Hughes won NHSCA's. Don't dismiss them just because of the state listed next to their names.
Although he's been inconsistent at times, I think Colston DiBlasi is a stud. He could rock the boat.
And watch out for Schultz, who just might be the best 8th grader in the country, and the next big thing. Guys like Kenny Courts and Chance Marsteller didn't place here as an 8th grader. Can Schultz?
Willie’s Picks: 1. Baldwin (FL) 2. Kelly (PA) 3. Danishek (OH) 4. Hernandez (NY) 5. Hughes (ME) 6. Bullard (GA) 7. Allen (VA) 8. Macri (IN)
160: Entries - 97
Last Year’s Finals: Isaiah Martinez (CA) dec. Josh Llopez (MD), 9-4
2009 Finals: Jackson Morse (MI) dec. Taylor Massa (MI), 3-2
The Ranked:
#2-Sr. Garrett Peppelman (PA) - 2x State Finalist, Returning 6th, Beast Champ
#6-Sr. John Schleifer (NJ) - State Runner-Up, FloNats Champ, Returning 3rd
#14-Sr. Logan Breitenbach (MD) - National Prep Placer, USAW Folk 3rd
#15-Sr. Christian Stackhouse (NJ) - Fargo 3rd
Darkhorses:
Sr. Jordan Atienza (MI) - State Runner-Up, FloNats 8th
Sr. Isaac Bast (OH) - State 8th
Jr. Andrew Doak (PA) - State 7th
Fr. Jelani Embree (MI) - #14 Freshman
Sr. Bobby Fehr (PA) - State 6th
Sr. Freddie Garcia (CA) - State 8th
Sr. Michael Hamilton (OK) - State Champ
Sr. Colton Jackson (FL) - State Champ
Sr. Jeric Kusanic (PA) - State 6th
Sr. Andrew La Brie (RI) - State Champ
Sr. Taylor Misuna (VA) - State Champ
Jr. Dayton Racer (MN) - State Champ
Sr. Austin Reese (OH) - State 5th
Jr. Dom Scalise (PA) - National Prep 3rd
So. Jake Shaffer (PA) - #45 Sophomore
The Breakdown: A little lighter here in terms of legitimate title contenders. Peppelman was within seconds of a finals berth last year where he lost to Llopez in the waning moments of their semi.
Him and FloNats Champ Schleifer are on a collision course. Schleifer just always finds a way to win, and I think he'll navigate his way to the finals.
Breitenbach has been steady, but without a real signature win. Stackhouse came out of nowhere to place 3rd at Fargo. So I think citing them as legitimate threats to Peppelman/Schleifer is a bit premature.
There are a few guys I like as darkhorses: Scalise, who's really coming into his own, Michael Hamilton, and 3x state placer Austin Reese.
Watch out for youngster Jake Shaffer.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Peppelman (PA) 2. Schleifer (NJ) 3. Scalise (PA) 4. Hamilton (OH)
5. Reese (OH) 6. Fehr (PA) 7. Stackhouse (NJ) 8. Breitenbach (MD)
170: Entries - 78
Last Year’s Finals: Cody Weircioch (PA) dec. Brett Harner (PA), 5-3
2009 Finals: Marshall Peppelman (PA) dec. John Guzzo (NJ), 6-2
The Ranked:
#1-Sr. Chance Marsteller (PA) - 3x Undefeated State Champ, 2011 S32 Champ
#6-Sr. Drew Garcia (MI) - 3x State Finalist, Fargo 7th
#10-Sr. Travis Linton (OH) - State Champ, FloNats 5th
#13-Sr. Ryan Harris (OH) - State Champ, Returning 7th
#15-Sr. Steven Schneider (NY) - State Runner-Up
Darkhorses:
Fr. Zane Black (PA) - #30 Freshman
Jr. Ty Demoss (IL) - Fargo 6th
Sr. Brad Drover (MA) - State Champ
Jr. Taylor Lujan (GA) - State Champ, FILA 4th
Sr. TJ O’Hara (MN) - State Runner-Up, Fargo AA
Sr. Jake Henson (GA) - State Champ
Sr. Adis Radoncic (NY) - State Champ
Sr. Bryce Pappas (MD) - 2x National Prep Placer
Jr. Ricky Regas (TX) - National Prep 7th
Sr. Austin Repp (MO) - State Champ
Sr. Nick Weldon (AL) - State Champ
Sr. Ty White (PA) - National Prep 3rd
Sr. Seth Williams (OH) - State Runner-Up
The Breakdown: There's Chance, and then there's everyone else. But the four ranked kids behind him are solid.
Garcia has been a staple on the national circuit for years. Linton has established himself as one fo the nation's best. And Harris and Schneider have really come on within the last year.
Harris placed last year and aSchneider is coming off a ranked win where he won a really solid Iron Horse bracket.
I've always been high on Lujan. He'll be in medal contention for sure. Adis Radoncic became the first kid from NY City to win a state title last year. But he's been up and down ever since.
A kid I think is drastically underrated is TJ O'Hara. I see him firmly planted in the medal race.
Alabama had a placer last year. Can they get one with Weldon? He had some great wins over the last year including one against #2-Nick Wanzek in Fargo.
Two guys you have to watch out for is Prep placer Regas and one of the best FR. in the country, Zane Black.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Marsteller (PA) 2. Garcia (MI) 3. Linton (OH) 4. Harris (OH)
5. O'Hara (MN) 6. Schneider (NY) 7. Weldon (AL) 8. Williams (OH)
182: Entries - 55
Last Year’s Finals: Jake Taylor (PA) dec. BJ Toal (OH), 3-1
2009 Finals: Tristan Warner (PA) dec. Levi Clemons (FL), 5-1
The Ranked:
#5-Sr. Lance Dixon (OK) - State Champ, Fargo 6th
#9-Sr. Zack Zavatsky (PA) - State 3rd, FloNats 3rd
#11-Sr. Tristan Sponseller (PA) - State Runner-Up
#12-Jr. Hunter Ritter (MD) - National Prep 3rd, Fargo 3rd
#14-Jr. Dylan Reynolds (PA) - State 4th
#17-Jr. Ty Wildmo (MI) - State 3rd
#19-Sr. Tom Sleigh (PA) - State 3rd, FloNats 6th
#20-Sr. Stephen Loiseau (PA) - State 5th
Darkhorses:
Sr. Josh Casperson (SD) - State Champ
PG - Nicky Hall (NY) - National Prep Champ
So. Jack Harris (OH) - State 5th, Fargo Runner-Up
Sr. Malik McDonald (NC) - State 3rd
Sr. Anthony McLaughlin (OH) - State 6th
Sr. Jose Ortiz (PA)
Sr. Luis Peguero (FL) - State Champ
Sr. Austin Price (VT) - State Champ
Sr. Armani Robinson (OH) - State 3rd, FILA AA
Sr. Ethan West (TN) - State Runner-Up
The Breakdown: Really good group here. Eight of the Top 20 is tough to get in a preseason event.
Leading the way is Dixon, who makes his first trip out east.
Pennsylvania has a bumper crop of 182's this season, all of whom have been on the precipice of a state title. Zavatsky's the most accomplished, but ability-wise, there's not all that much separation among them. I think Zavatsky's amazing ability to ride will serve him well in this tournament. Especially on Day I.
Loiseau has a win over Ritter.
Wildmo is coming off a breakout performance where he won the GFC in a really good weight class that included Fargo Runner-Up, Harris. Wildmo's brother, Roger, won the S32 two years ago.
Nicky Hall is a Post Grad that won National Preps last year at 170.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Dixon (OK) 2. Zavatsky (PA) 3. Sleigh (PA) 4. Sponseller (PA)
5. Wildmo (MI) 6. Loiseau (PA) 7. Hall (PA) 8. Reynolds (PA)
195: Entries - 50
Last Year’s Finals: Matt McCutcheon (PA) dec. Ray O’Donnell (PA), 4-1
2009 Finals: Antonio Giorgio (PA) dec. Stephen McPeek (TX), 12-6
The Ranked:
#2-Sr. Chip Ness (GA) - 3x State Champ, FloNats and Fargo Runner-Up, S32 4th
#3-Sr. Nathan Rose (MN) - 2x State Champ
#4-Sr. Derek White (OK) - State Champ, Fargo 3rd
#5-Sr. Joel Dixon (OK) - State Champ, Fargo Runner-Up
Darkhorses:
Jr. Ronaldo Abreau (FL) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Gavin Brown (GA) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Christian Colucci (NJ)
So. Matt Correnti (NJ) - State 8th, Fargo 3rd
Sr. Corey Damiana (NJ)
Sr. Christian Dulaney (MN) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Bailey Faust (OH) - FloNats 8th, Fargo 4th
Sr. Anthony Mancini (DE) - State Champ
Sr. Ralph Normandia (NJ) - State 3rd
So. Drew Phipps (PA)
Sr. Teddy Warren (MI) - State Champ, FloNats 8th
The Breakdown: Talk about top heavy. 4 of the Top 5 in America are here.
Chip Ness had a breakout tournament here last year, showing the grittiness to win the close ones.
The next three are all interesting cases. Rose is a hammer, and he owns a win over the current #1-Lance Benick. But he hasn't hit too many major tournaments. This will be a big event for him and his ranking.
White and Dixon are teammates at Edmond North. Both of them had fantastic performances at Fargo. I was especially impressed with White's toughness. He's not the most technical, but man, is he a grinder.
While PA had a massive group at 182, NJ checks in with a gang of contenders at 195.
Willie’s Picks: 1. White (OK) 2. Rose (MN) 3. Ness (GA) 4. Dixon (OK)
5. Normandia (NJ) 6. Correnti (NJ) 7. Damiana (NJ) 8. Faust (OH)
220: Entries - 41
Last Year’s Finals: Kyle Snyder (MD) dec. Thomas Haines (PA), 8-4
2009 Finals: Jamie Callender (PA) dec. Harrison Honeycutt (NC), 9-2
The Ranked:
#3-Sr. Andrew Dixon (OK) - State Champ, Fargo AA
#5-So. Jordan Wood (PA) - State and FloNats Runner-Up, Double Fargo AA, Returning 4th
#16-Sr. Trent Allen (NC) - State 3rd, Returning 6th
Darkhorses:
Sr. Ben Cruz (FL) - State Runner-Up
Jr. James Ford (OH) - Fargo GR AA
Sr. Christian Jenco (NJ) - Returning 3rd, Fargo and FILA AA
Jr. John Kramer (TN) - State Runner-Up
Jr. Deaken McCoy (OH)
Sr. Matt Moore (GA) - State Runner-Up
Sr. Jake Temple (PA) - State 4th
Sr. Jerry Thornberry (OH) - State 8th
The Breakdown: Can Jordan Wood make the next leap? He had a breakout tournament right here in Greensboro last year when he reached the 3rd place match as a Freshmen. He backed that up for an entire year. His losses in major tournaments have only been to the elite (Derrick Jones at FloNationals. Thomas Haines at the state tournament. And his only two defeats in Fargo came to #1-Benick).
He's the real deal, but still makes some youngster mistakes. That might be the difference against the upperclassman, Dixon, who was a Fargo AA in 2012.
If someone were to thwart the potential Dixon-Wood showdown, it might be Thornberry or Temple.
Thornberry has wrestled elite competition his entire career and wrestles physical. Temple is an under-the-radar kid with lots of potential.
Jenco has great international style credentials, but he hasn't put it together in folk. We'll see if that changes this weekend.
Also watch for John Kramer, an emerging talent from Tennessee.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Dixon (OK) 2. Wood (PA) 3. Thornberry (OH) 4. Allen (NC)
5. Temple (PA) 6. Kramer (TN) 7. Jenco (NJ) 8. Moore (GA)
HWT: Entries - 34
Last Year’s Finals: Jesse Webb (VT) dec. Luke Fleck (PA), 9-4
2009 Finals: Henry Chrino (FL) dec. Donovan Green (FL), 2-1
The Ranked:
#14-Sr. Patrick Garren (OH) - State Champ, Returning 5th
#15-Sr. Jesse Webb (VT) -Returning Champ, Double Fargo AA
#16-Sr. Jake Scanlan (IA) - State 4th, Fargo 6th
Darkhorses:
Sr. Alex Ashley (GA) - State Champ
Jr. Andrew Dunn (PA) - State 6th
Sr. Gavin Jolley-Little (PA) - Double FILA AA
Sr. Chris McDermand (IL) - Fargo GR AA
Sr. Nick Nader (OH) - FILA Cadet Runner-Up
Sr. Logan Turner (VA) - State 3rd, Returning 6th
*Note: Thomas Haines has scratched.
The Breakdown: A good core of heavies is led by the returning Champ, Webb, and a two-time finalist in Haines.
Webb is a steady wrestler who places in everything. He had a great Fargo in which he medaled in both styles. However, he's prone to taken losses here and there against opposition you wouldn't think he'd lose to.
Haines won a title at 220 in 2011 before taking 2nd to Kyle Snyder last year at that weight. He now moves up to heavyweight where everyone will be watching how he handles the bump. I think he'll be fine. He's always been one of the most athletic 220's and that should help him have success at his new weight.
A guy I really like (and recruiters, take note. He's still unsigned.) is Patrick Garren. I'll take him to get to the finals opposite Haines.
Scanlan is a Wyoming Seminary transplant from Southeast Polk, Iowa. He'll definitely be in the mix. He's posted several quality wins over the course of his career, including at Fargo this summer.
Willie’s Picks: 1. Garren (OH) 2. Webb (VT) 3. Scanlan (IA) 4. Ashley (GA)
5. Turner (VA) 6. Dunn (PA) 7. Jolley-Little (IN) 8. Nader (OH)
Super 32 History:
Multiple Belts
1. Jordan Frishkorn, VA (3) 2001-2002, 2004
1. Chris Brown, VA (3) 2002-2004
1. Patrick Bond, VA (3) 2002-2004
1. Ashtin Primus, PA (3) 2002-2004
1. Sam Brownlee, PA (3) 2006-2008
2. Marcus Boyd, NC (2) 2001-2002
2. Dusty McKinney, NC (2) 2001, 2003
2. Vincent Ramirez, NC (2) 2001, 2003
2. Domenic Denunzio, FL (2) 2002, 2003
2. Bryan Lashomb, NC (2) 2003-2004
2. Kenny Lester, FL (2) 2003-2004
2. Cody Gardner, VA (2) 2004-2005
2. Nick Murray, NJ (2) 2004, 2006
2. Collin Dozier, VA (2) 2005-2006
2. Nick Nelson, PA (2) 2005-2006
2. Luke Silver, TX (2) 2005-2006
2. Eric Grajales, FL (2) 2005, 2007
2. Eric Cubberly, OH (2) 2006-2007
2. David Taylor, OH (2) 2006, 2008
2. Devin Carter, VA (2) 2008-2009
2. Josh Dziewa, PA (2) 2007, 2009
2. Jackson Morse, MI (2) 2008-2009
2. Marshall Peppelman, PA (2) 2008-2009
2. Antonio Giorgio, PA (2) 2008-2009
2. Anthony Ashnault, VA (2) 2010-2011
2. Alex Cisneros, CA (2) 2008, 2011
2. Joey Dance, VA (2) 2009, 2012
2. Cody Wiercioch, PA (2) 2010, 2012
Four-Time Finalist
Ashtin Primus, PA (1, 1, 1, 2) 2002-2005
Joey Dance, VA (1, 2, 2, 1) 2009-2012
Super 32 Placers that were NCAA DI Champions
- John Reader, Iowa State
- Jordan Oliver, Oklahoma State
- Bubba Jenkins, Arizona State
- Ed Ruth, Penn State
- Dustin Kilgore, Kent State
- Cam Simaz, Cornell
- David Taylor, Penn State
Super 32 Placers that were NCAA DI All Americans
- Chris Brown, Old Dominion
- Tyler Nauman, Pitt
- Scotti Sentes, Central Michigan
- Raymond Jordan, Missouri
- Nic Bedelyon, Kent State
- Walter Peppelman, Harvard
- Frank Perrelli, Cornell
- Jarrod Garnett, Virginia Tech
- Jordan Blanton, Illinois
- Chris Honeycutt, Edinboro
- AJ Schopp, Edinboro
- Devin Carter, Virginia Tech
- Tyler Cox, Wyoming
- Zach Neibert, Virginia Tech
- Steve Bonnano, Hofstra
- Tony Ramos, Iowa
- RJ Pena, Oregon State
- Ivan Loupochanski, Purdue
- Alan Waters, Missouri
- Mitchell Port, Edinboro
- Chris Dardanes, Minnesota
- Drake Houdashelt, Missouri
- Dylan Alton, Penn State
- Nick Brascetta, Virginia Tech
- Nick Gwiazdowski, Binghamton/NC State
*Note: From 2000-2004 only Top 4 were awarded at Super 32. From 2005-2006, Top 6 were awarded. From to present, Top 8 place. For instance, Kyle Dake would have been in the 7th place match as a Sophomore in 2006.
Get ready for the season! Get ready for another historic year at the Super 32, where the action is awesome from the opening whistle and there's chaos everywhere. The quarterfinals on Saturday morning are one of the great rounds of wrestling. Undoubtedly, one of my favorite events of the year.
Watch LIVE on FLO PRO.